Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1854-10-16
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.


be compelled to abandon their enterprise, for
want Of funds. Their treasury Is now proba-
bly, lower than at any previous time since the
laying of the corner stone, the SHAFT having
been erected to hsight Of one shundfed md
sixty six feet-one third of the contemplated
height. The worst feature of the matter is,
that there appears to be less disposition among
the American public at this time to contribute
towards its completion than ever before, though
we are hearing more of the duty of q purely
american patriotism in the newspapers and
among the politicians, than was ever before
Published and spoken since We have been old
enough to note the condition of political az
fairs. The stoppage of the work thus, hardly
half finished, will leave monument, not to
the memory of George Washington, but to the
hollowness ofrAmerican expressions of graft
tude to the maa and veneration of the noble
quaiitissiof his head and heart which secured
for us the grcnt rights of civil and religious
freedom, in the days that tried mems souls
twill be burning shame and overwhelming
disgrace to our country % permit this noble
and patriotic work to stop for want Of funds,
when. si1penoe piece from each native Anne.
ricsn only, without countingour foreig On. born
fellow citizens, will be amply sufficient to
construct half dozen such, shafts as il Is pro
posed to make this. Really, IL is time that
all became alive to the necessity for prompt
contributions for its continuation. It would
be strange indeed, if, while our elections are
being s".sweepihgly carried in the name of a
more truly American patriotism, than was in
vogue until few months since, the Washing
ton monument should be permitted to become
an abortion-a dead failure-as though ibyy
way Of proving the allegation that eur most most
Soeifsrous American patriots aim not to per.
petuate the principles of our revolutionary
fathers, but their destruction. ,.~r r. *.
ALand oflce Register Appointed. Robert
Benguerel, Esq, has been appointed by the
President Register Of the Land Office at Que.
lousas, La, vice JAS. G. Fitzgerald, deceased.
The Laws Of the District of Columbia -
We have to say to our fellow.citizens of the
District of Columbia, that if they desire real
reforms in the District judiciary system, they
must shortly be up and doing, else there will
probably be nothing done in the, premi .es
next winter, or much will be done on sinister
sdyiee. Congress will be overwhelmed with
business, and not one in twenty Of the mem.
bers can take time to study the subject so as
to know precisely what will be the effect of
each change they may make. Persons who
are benefited by features in the existing sys-
tenn, which injure every one else in the com.
munity, will not be slow to battle for their
privileges and existing advantages Others.
too, who may fancy that they espy a fai off
opportunity Of feathering their own nests by
Migrating particular features on the new ju
dietary system. which will be made for Us, will
be very sure to labor assiduously to that end,
and with no little success if the community
DO not take prompt measures to secure the ex.
posture Of their efferts to nislead tho members
Our advice is, that public meeting be called
to select committee Of twelve or fifteen of
our best informed citizens, Of different bust
ness pursuits-men who can be relied on, all
Of them, not only to labor for the public in.
forest, but to kno,0 tho points in the ,xay of
egal provisions which will do NEST to increase
The happi ness and prosperity Of all classes of
persons in the District of Columbia. This ad.
vice will be deemed oficious by those who are
IN hopes of furthering their own immediate
interests in the arrangement Of the proposed
new District Of Columbia. judiciary system.
and they will frown on US for giving it. 1t is
Dur duty, however, to warn the DISTRICT public
hat, unless they do promptly take the matter
IN hand, the chances are ten TO one that half
he changes which will be made will be to
benefit this or that particular individual, or to
crafty his prejudices, while the features of
the present system left untouched will be those
which, operating against the interest of the
at large, are strenuously sought to
be preserved for the immediate advantage of
parties aiming to perpetuate them on our stat
ute books. 4.
An Assistant Light House Keeper Ap.
pointed David Joy has been appointed as.
sistant keeper of the light house at Quaddy's
Head, Maine, at $500 per annum i
The Army too small.-Th rumored death
If Major Lee, of the sth infantry, first pub
ished few days since in the Star is another
proof of the truth Of what We have been
lrging for some months past concerning the
'ntire inadequacy of tho present army of the
United States, with all the corps full, for the |
proper defence of the frontiers, with less an
lual mortality OF the gallant officers and men
n the service in this time of peace, than
you'd be fair average loss for state of &C. |
ual warfare with civilized government. In
Iced, it will surely be found at the end Of the
xisting war in the East, that neither Russia
'or the allies will have lost as many officers,
In the wary in proportion to the number Of
roops engaged on either side, as the United
states will have lost, during the existence of !
he Eastern wal. We being ut pease with all
ne World-of course We mean proportisnably
n nonf as