The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1855-03-28
CORRESP PONDENCE.
Philadelphia Correspondence.
PHILADELruIA, March 8

W Oh tllS anu nvfSlbOrlng cities, are at
tending in great numbers, the sale Of the
library Of the late Edward d. Iugraham
which comprises over 10000 volumes Of
choice and rare works, besides an immense
number Of engravings, autographs, and
other curioSities. The novelties of the
collection excite lively competition, and
old books which have grown rare, or are
cmbeIlished with valuable autographs, aro
bringing treble their original cost. An
original copy o! Poor Richards Alma
mac" sold for ifly.two dollars. A copy
of Ciccro's Cato Major printed by Frank
lin, sod for $2l; VIM. penn's Great
Case Of Liberty Of Conscience, with auto
graphs, Sc, sold for s42,5O. The sales
will continue throughout this week, and
the collection will no doubt yield a large
amount of money-probably over $5O,-
600.
The Grand Jury have recently had M
der investigation an assertion in pam.
plet lately issued by the friends Of DR..
BcaIe, (the Dentist, convicted some time
since, of an outrage upon female pa
tient,) that propositions had been made
to them to secure his pardon if $4,000
could be raised. The allegation is that
some Of our lawyers were intriguing for
this amount, as reward for theiy serv;-
ces as pardon brokers, but neither our
present nor late Executive are implicated
in it in any way, the Grand Jury cxoncr-
ating them from ali blame, but condenn-
ing in severe terms, the practice Of the
employment either Of profe ,sional or non :
professional agents to assist in the procu-
ration Of pardons, as calculated to engen-
der suspicious against all concerned.
To solve the knotty problem Of the
quid nuncs, is the Emperor Nicholas
dead Z" and at the same time to test the
nervousness Of communications received
through the spirit rappcrs, one Of our af:
ternoon paper, issued proposals for inror-
nation from them, promising liberal
reward if it proved correct. 1t has pub
lished seven answers, varying much in
their statements. The spirits of Dael
Webster, the late Car, Nicholas, his
father, 81. Arnaud, the French Marshal
who died before ScbastopoI few months
since, and of Napoleon Bonaparte, have
all been summoned, but their answers arc
as conflicting as the testimony Of witness
es III an exciting cross action assault and
battery case.
The sum total Of the intelligence may
therefore be summed up about as follows:
The Gar is dea d-yet he is not dead,
but merely sleeping; he died natural
deNth-yet he was poisoned. ConsoIs
rose and grain fell in the English market,
on the confirmation Of the intelligence OF
his death, yet the whole report eventual
ly proved to have been mere ruse ofthe
stock jobbers. Slightly contradictory as
these communications may appear, they
are fair specimen Of spiritual intelligence
and about as accurate as the specuIations
OF our "en;erprsing" newspapers, which
by contemplating in turn every possible
contingency of the future, are SO wonder.
fully prophetic that everything happens
precisely as they predicted"
The steamship Africa brings a report
that the people of Australia had rebelIed
against the British Government and issu
ed Declaration Of independence As il
purported to have been received by tht
overland route from CcyIon, it Was though
by some to be merely an exaggerated ac
count Of trivial Colonial difficulties, inver
ted for the purpose Of operating upon the
public sentiment Of Europe, to weake,
confidence in England. While the state
ment, therefore, should be received Will
caution, there may be some truth in it, al
very large portion Of the people Of Au,
tralia have for some time past shown
strong disposition to emerge from tn
chrysalis condition Of Colonial vassalage
and to establish "free and independent
Government la Americane.
We should regard this as one Of th
most glorious results tina, could possibl
result from tire present war. Since Eng
land and France, By their in.rig,les anc
diplomstism, have combined with th,
Austrian and Italians despots, to fette
the spirit Of freedom on the continent,
would be but fitting rebuke IL she shoul,
pluck the richest colonial jewel from tn,
proud British crown.
"Mcral Dramas have been SO omu.h III,
ifage that Harris, the lasseeof the Cbes