The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-01-30
LATEST MAIL NEWS
WASHINGTON LETTER.


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Metropoiitan Mechanics Iaststase. Appea
10 Richmond Mechantcs.--Ihe Vote on the
French Spoltatioa BM-7he Senate Uttl
agree to the amendments Of the House
and the President scM ssga W.-Specald-
fioas about affairs ia Europe.
WASHINGTON, Jan % 1855
This week the Mechanics Institute will de.
vote to the reception of contributions for
their exhibition and on Thursday of next
week the formal opening will take place.
This exhibition will be one of great interest
and attraction. 1t will be a decided success.
have been through the ample halls devoted
TO it in the Smithsonian Institution They
are beautiful and grand The department
devoted to machinery-machinery in motion,
propelled by steam engines, of which there
will be several-will excite admiration and
wonder while utility and beauty will vie
with each other in imparting interest to the
other divisions. Space equal to 5000 square
feet Of surface will be occupied by this grand
display, and music and illumination will lend
their attraction to the whole. A dozen pia-
nos seraphines, hsrps. including one worth
4 thousand dollars, are among the offerings.
So is one, and perhaps two, church organs,
and many other instruments. What are our
Richmond friends about hear nothing of
them in this affair Do they know that their
offerings may come free of charge, and that
they may come and return for six dollars
Look TO ii.
Since the vote on the French Spoliation
bill Yesterday we have had but little to talk
of There is general gratification-not among
the claimants or parties interested, so far as
/ know, but among all who desire to see our
government act fairly, and old grudges obli-
terated. When our government learns John
Randolph's great secret, PAY as you co. or
at least to settle up as il goes along, if it ne
yer pays, it will have attained to much wis
dom. This thing OF stigmatizing as false or
fraudulent claims the settlement of which it
so long has avoided, is deeply disoreditable.
When all the existing old scores shall be
wiped out, presume there will be no farther
accumulation of such things.
This bill must go back to the Senate for
concurrence in the amendments made in it.
The Senate will agree to them, and the Presi-
dent will sign the bill There is no doubt of
all this.
The affairs of Europe elicit much interest
with us at present, and speculationS concern.
ing peace and war are abundant. But our
data are not good. We obtain them from
English and French sources, and their opin-
ions and understanding of the facts are ne
cessarily warped through the presses, fears
and policy of French and English Journalists.
In view of the worlds regard for consistency,
ptOHcoo aHO perseverance, IL Will U0 tdolGE
for all parties to prosecute to the bitter end
the seige of Sebastopol than for either party
to recede from its present position and as
for the talk about successful diplomacy, it
amounts to nothing, we may be well assured.
The Gar never moves in the way he looks,
nor acts as he talks. When he has most to
say of fairness and pacific means, he is inva-
ding the Principalites; and when he talks
loudest Of receding from his vantage ground,
he is terrifying Sebastopol. Now he has a
growing peace party in his realm, alnonetary
pressure at his capital, and prayers for peace
in his churches. 1t is therefore certain that
he is most vehemently engaged in prepare
items for protracted and sanguinary war
Vast events must proceed from the present
posture of affairs. Neither the fall of Sebas-
topol nor the discontinue OF its besiegers
can be looked to as decisive, while, as hav e
said, the previous yielding of position by any
Of the parties is amongst the most improba-
bic OF events. A. b. G.