Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-02-18
DAILY EVENING STAR.
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE,
TIE WBArHER.-Thermonete outside the
Star office, at IL m, at 46 degrees in the shade.

SMITHSONIAN INsrIrUTE.-Last night, Park
Benjamin, recited one of his popular satirical
poems entitled g Fashio1 - TO densely crowd.
ed sssemblage. the hall being completely
filed by highly q FUSED audience His nu-
merOus hits at the follies of the day took sur
prisingly. The = nice young man" of the Ia
dies was roughly handled, and his cultivate
moustache" made the subject of special ga,
tire. The poet-lecturcr in the course apole
giBed for the theme that he had selected. in
stead Of lofty. heroic subject, excusin himself
for not so doing, upon the ground that his
mother tongue was not Greek Neither had
be written a pastoral, because the ancient
bucOllc poets had now gone to grass His
satire was likewise directed against the ever
varying fashions of the highly civilized ma.
tons, ridlculing the absurd costumes that wero
patronlzed IN ky-gone times. as we'll as those
OF the present day. The ladies, more particu-
Iarly, were brought under the lash of the sa-
hriSt, and the Boomers did not escape; the
pcet-lecturer observing, that he saw no reason
why women should turn themselves into Turks.
The heartless man of fashion was mInutely
criticised; his iusolence and egotism were
pointed out, looking at every stranger as ii he
were a wild beast.
Passing on to the fashion of the multitude to
always have afavorite of the day, he instanced
kossuth and the danScuse-Fanny ElIsler.
The passion for " isms'' was then dwelt upon,
was ''skepticsm." From thence the poet
lecturer adverted to the fashion of ALWAYS hav-
Ing some favOrite speculation, turning from
South Sea bubbles" TO coal and iron mines
The fashion Of criticism was likewise touched
upon, and the difference between our present
race of critics and those of by-gone times made
the subject of comment. All that critics now
did, was to praise indifferently both good and
bad, exhausting every expression of eulogy on
every work submitted to their Judgment or
should any critic be so honest as to condemn.
Immediately the whole fraternity assailed
him with epithets, attributng his censure to
spleen and envy of the " great Mr.. Noedle's''
works. He regretted that We treasured up all
the chat, and left the few grains of wheat to
take care OF themselves. Some pungent re-
marks were made upon the love of our people
for titles ofmlitia captains, and of generals,
who, however, ut the first fire would {! cut an d
rum
The poem was not, however, exclusively
devoted to 6Gfinage and light satire. but con-
tanned some fine and truthful observations
drawn from the precepts of religion, whose
teachings were cOntrasted with the hollow
creed Ct fashion and its votaries
CRY CHARTER.-The following amendments
to the City Charter have been proposed by the
House Committee on the District of Columbia.
in the bill for granting the Corporation addi-
tional powers:
i. The power to provide for the proper con-
Quoting OF elections, and the punishment OF
persons Interrupting the same, or guilty of
perjury in the event of being challenged as
voters.
2 The power to open streets, carriage-way:
or foot-ways, and to pave, grade or otherwise
improve them and to regulate drainage; also
to open new alleys and close old ones and to
dispose of the ground in the last named cases,
to o,olt
ments
3. The power to create and establish police
and municipal courts, and to establish house
or houses OF refuge or correction for juvenile
or other offenders, and to provide for the sun.
port and government of the same by special
tax, or out of its corporate fund or otherwise
and TO pass any and all laws not inconsistent
with the Constitution and laws of the United
States, for the establishment of an efficient
police, Tor the maintenance of order, the pro-
lection OF persons and property within the
said city, and Tor the punishment by fine or
imprisonment, or both, of offences against the
ordinances and police regulations of the said
corporation; such imprisonment to be either
in the county Jail, or in such municipal estab-
lIshments, warehouses;, houses of correction or
OF refuge, as may be provided by the said cor
Foratlon Tor that purpose and the Marshal of
tue District of Columbia shall receive and
safely keep within the Jail for the county OF
Washington, Mt the expense or the said cor
poration, all persons committed thereto under
or by authority of the provisions of this act
L Additional powers In the levying an d
collection of taxes.
D. Power to organise fire department.
QUESTION AS TO RACE-Much interest
has been excited by a jury trial that has been
going on for some time at New Orleans. respect-
ing the origin OF very respectable family of
that city who were accused of negro blood.
1t came out however, on the trial. til at the ac
cusation was unfounded, the origin of the fam.
lily on the one side being Indian, and on the
other Greek- The scandal runs back to the
greatgreat-grandmother of the accused. who
was the daughter of an Indi an mother by white
father. The grand daughter of the above was
Madame Dimitry, and one Of the grand sons
OF the last named, Mr.. Alexander Dimitry. is
married to Miss Mills, of Washington. the
daughter of Mr.. Mills, the Architect. he was
made superintendent of the public schools of
Louisiana, and subsequently, had charge of a
private school in Raymond Miss. with 6ftv
pupils, until the scandal of negro blood broke
him up, when he returned to New Orleans. He
Is a man of very fine talents, with a brilliant
black eye. exhibiting the evidences Of Indian
descent. He graduated with another brother
named Nicholas, (who died about eight wears
ago. at Georgetown College, with the hig chest
honors.
RIsLEY L GooDALL's VARIErE.-Mr. WR.
Goodall S acting in the Drunkard, last night
was inimitsble and rapturousy applauded
Tonight, the same gentleman appears in an
other OF his favorite parts, namely in the Cor
sican Brothers, in which he certainly excels.
Among other novelties we are promised TO-
night, new piece, by well known literary
gentleman Of this city, entitled Woman
Rights, in which We may expect some capital
ats at this new tangled theory We expect
that there will be q crowded house to witness
to-night's performances as much interest has
been evinced for the appearance of this new
petite comedy.
SANFORD's ETHIOPIAN TRorPE.-The mig
ger vOcalists at Odd Fellows Hall, draw
nightly crowded houses and make the walls of
the building ret echo with the shouts of laugh
ter that their jokes, witticisms and funny say
lngs excite. lrrespectively of this, they are
good vocalists, and their imitation of the Ital-
ian Opera, burlesque rs il is, is also an excel
lent specimen Of musical vocalization If it
was not for the ridiculous expressions, it being
intended as burlesque, the singers would be
appreciated for their vocal performances in
this musical extravaganza. In addition to
the ''risger" melodies. there are likewise sung
IN the course of the evening various other ball