The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-12-27

sOa Tueedey night Mf BALDWIN treated Sne 81
A. practical good ssnss. which was ininit.ble
-, .On Thsn1sy night the subject vas TIE y Uooa
e = 1ss ss1. Of od whi
Ne dissentea slightly from some Of his views re
we're delighted. . Ne con6dsnt WIS everybody
else. with the Lecture +"
DEATH OF AN OH CITIzEE.-The year
1854 could not finish its course ere another
Of the old citizens of Richmond was added
to the list of its dead. WILLIAM WALLACE,
q well known and aged citizen, died yester-
day. He was in his 18th year, and had been
for thirty six years resident of this city,
doing business as merchant. He was ana
tive of Scotland. With some eccentricities
and some peculiar notions, he was always es-
teemed an honest, candid and strong minded
man. Even those who differed from him
liked him for his frankness, and were always
interested with his strong ideas, enveloped in
his rapid and rugged Scotch idioms. He was
familiarity called "Sir William Wallace" and
always bore the title and any of the gentle
raillery of his acquaintance which he was
very apt to retort with Interestingly good
naturally. He was brusque, true Scots
man, and leaves behind him an honest name.
VIRGINIA AND SELDEN, WITHERs & Co..
According to the deed Of Selden, Withers &
Co., that concern is indebted to the State of
Virginia Gin an amount yet to be ascertained,
arising out of the transactions of the firm,
as agents of the said State, for the sale of her
bonds" The deed divides the claims against
the company into four classes 1st. All
proper expenses of the trust and the COM
pensation due clerks of che house. I'd. The
redemption of the bonds of the Virginia and
Tennessee Railroad to the amount of $40, 0oo
Sd. The redemption Of the notes of the Elk
change Bank of Selden, Withers & Co, pay
able in Virginia Bank notes; and 4th. All
other creditors, including the State of Virgil
mia. It authorises the partners, within so days,
however-in case the State of Virginia is will
ling -totransfer the Chesapeake and Ohio Ca
nal bonds, among the assets of the firm, to Vir-
ginia, by arrangement in relation to the debt
due her. The amo't Of these bonds is 1895, 500;
but 100000 Of it is held by the Frederick
county Bank as security. What is the char
acter of these bonds, we cannot say; but sup
pose they are not endorsed by Maryland or
Virginia. If so, they are rather "hot" secu-
rites. The fact is, there is no getting at
what the late firm owes the State-even they,
it seems, don't know: it depending, we sup
pose, upon what the bonds of Virginia they
have pledged, may sell for, and how much so
pledged will have to be sold to meet the
claims against them, in the absence Of other
resources, or the great depreciation in other
assets. We should like to know how much
of Virginia bonds are thus in the lions mouth.
1t is an interesting subject to the people of
Virginia. Whether the public credit is to be
benefited by keeping it secret or not, Of
course is lot known.
| The language of the deed is, that the debt
due Virginia arises out of transactions of
the firm as agents of the State of Virginia,
/ for the sale of her bonds" Is this language
correct? Were the bonds pledged by them.
so pledgedas agents of the State of Virginia,
in the proper discharge of the agency? Were
not those bonds lin some sort sacred depo-
site for specific purpose) used to raise mo-
ney upon for the firm, and for others it had
agreed to loan money to? Of course these
inquiries can amount to but very little now
but they are pertinent as commentary upon
the language of the deed.
The GREAT EUROPEAN STRUGGLE,-The
accession of Austria to the cause of the Turks
and their Allies is the great event announced
by the last arrival from Europe. This move
ment complexities the difficulties of the North.
ern Bear considerably, and no doubt irritates
him smartly when he remembers that he
saved Hungary to the Austrian Empire. It
is certainly very ungrateful in the Austrian
/ government to turn against their benefactor
IN TINS manner. We who care for none Of
the principals in the great fight are rather
glad that Austria has joined the Allies it il
just such reeompense as Russia deserved for
her interference to put down gallant people
struggling in glorious cause.
1t is become now a matter of yery general
interest as to what Prussia will do. That
kingdom is supposed to incline to Russia !.
out her course is problematical, as there is q
popular opinion to consult there and which
IN measure is felt and respected. She NAV
ne compelled by the pressure from without
to follow Austria. If she should moi a.
JOINS Russia, las she can hardly keen ont &c
the melee,) it will SO much the more strength, =
en- the Gar. But even desertad \, q, - o,