The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-12-03

The NeWa.

New York, Sunday, December j, 1854.
The News.
The steamship Star of the West which arrived
At this port yesterday afternoon, brings us eight
days later intelligence from California. The news
Wi be found more than Usually interesting. It viii
be seen that another of those affairs which come
under certain unwritten code, called the code o.
honor" bat which is SO near akin to murder that
civilization will soon be unable to distinguish the
difference, has taken place in California in which
one unfortunate individual WIS sent TO an unt,mely
grave The aff.ir occ1red Eeen Colonel ID. j.
Wo0dlief and Mr.. AC Kewel. The former
was the victim, be SHOT through the heart, acd
expiring wit in tsn seconds after receiving the fatal
bullet. What seems most extraordinary about the
affair is that tie wife OF the deceased accompanied
her husband to the ground, but very considerably
remained a. a hotel near by while the duel was
fought Know Nothing victory hal been achiev-
ed at San Francisco by the election Of Mr.. William
Shsosn TO the Office of City Comptroller by large
majority over ell the other contestants. The allied
feet was lying quietly in the hsrbor Of San Fan.
CISCO nothing had TRANSFERRED with regard to the
intentions Of the Commodore. A Iunor had been
brought to San Francisco that naval engagement
ha0 taken place between the French brig of war
Obbgedo ard a Russian frigate, off the coast OF
Lower California but II was not credited. Furthe.
accounts Of difficulties bet veen the overland em
grants snd tie Indians will be found among The
news, together with Other interesting items OF in.
HEigence.
BY tie arrival of the Sar of the West we havs
sdvces from Honolulu (Sandai h Islandsl to tie
10th Ct ;tobsr. TIE reports are satisfactory We
hear nothing further respecting the opposition OF
Ale British Consul to the annexation project. Hi
savage protest ELECTED, was quite natural, th.
hearty condemnation of the California press. Ar
icehouse was being erected at Honolulu, aud =
vessel was daily expected from Sitka with carg /.
of five hui dred tons OF that article. IL is prob lbi
tina, before org an extensive trade in ice between
The Russian settlements and India nay be opened
Ter Thousand letters were lying in the post Office OF
Hcnolnln upCa'lsd for, over five thousand of which
wt,e addressed to wlalemen and advertised 10
Msy. THc r.turn II the whaling fleet, however,
wuuid soon 6eplete tie Post Oi6,e. Several Ha
wasians bad returned from California, and tts
agg egase cash pile " Of forty-ive of them
amounted to ffty,fve thousand dollars. The vol
csnoea, which form one Of the staple products of
the ISLANDS, were in full blast.
Oar dates from Tahiti (Ssciety Issnds) are to the
18th Of August. The feslfnl Iavages of the small
pox epidemic amongst the native population were
drawing 10 q close, either from an exhaustion of
tue virus or from want OF material for it to fee1
On. Owing to tire mortality caused by il all the
schoo q " ere deserted, trade was suspended, and
the roads quite solitary, the surviving population
particularly at Pspara, noo,ea, Anna and Haunt,
were engaged In buryipg the dead. The white pee
pie bad entirely escaped. At the date Of last re-
ports affairs were looking little better.
Our news from Mexico, which for weeks has b'en
somewhat htsgnant, is again becoming interestire
correspondent a. Vera Cruz, under date OF No
vember %, furnishes q mos. interesting summary
of the state Of affairs. The arrival of General Gads
den in the former city had given rise 10 much poll
teal specula ion as to The cause Of his sudden de
paftnrc from the capital. II would appear, how.
ever that ne merely intended TO see his family of
for tie United States, and then return to his post.
His Imperial Highness, Santa Anna, has had some
right TOY al sights put upon him--Qusea Vic
toris of England resolu,ely refusing TO ac-
cept the Grand Gross of toe Order of Gusde-
lupe, which be was graciously pelsed 70
forward 10 her. whilst his imperial compesrs Of
France, Prussia and Spain have not as yet ackno ~
lodged the receipt OF their decorations in any way
Immense preparations Tor war were being made q;
Vera Cruz, wtere stores Of ganpowSer ena clnnoa
shot we're landed from New York. The Insurgents
IN Nj shoacau ard elsewhere were, no vever, active
and unyelding. II Is said that tie great Spanish
banker, Manuel Escandon, has ntracted with tie
Spanish and Mexican governments to supply Cuba
with thirty Thousand Yucatsn Indians annually at
cost OF ifteen dollars per head. The United States
Consus at Mszatlan and Monterey-Msssrs. Cation
end Foster-were dead. General Pasz was about
70 set out for the United States. Accounts from
the Rio Grande represent the insurgents A. actively
organizing and they had solicited the everlasting
Carvsjal to lead them 10 the fray.
We publish in another part. of to days paper the
oct restricting the sale Of intoxicating liquors,
which It Ia expected viii shortly become law in
The Province Of Canada. IL will be seen
that the measure Is an extremely stringent
one, positively prohibiting the manufacture or
sale, under severe penalties, Of any liquor part
Of which is alcoholic or intoxicating. The bill
win perhaps be vetoed by the Governor.
According to the Official report Of the City In
spector there were $50 deaths in this city during the
last week, namely SO men, a women, ll6 boy
and "a girls. OF the total number 46 died Of con-
sumption, Of bronchitis, 10 Of congestion Of the
brain, IA Of dani oa, Is Of dropy in the head, "a
Of fevers, 80 of imHammatory complaints, "a Of
ccnvuIsions, Of Group, and l6 Of marasmus. The-e
we're 10 premature Births and 26 cases Of still born
also deaths from external causes. The city Ia IN
usually healthy and the weather remarkably plea
SAINT Tie nativity table gives 235 natives Of the
United States, "a Of Ireland, and Al Of Germany.
The annual general meeting Of the members OF
the Swiss Benevolent Society in New York was
held lest tvcnir at the hotel OF Messrs. Delmonco
" vii ian, street. sosal banquet In Dsmonico's
mnst arrived style pre- 'e5ej the meatiDg-soms
. stiy cess;sn~n sitting down 70 tso.s. r,asss,