The American patriot., 1855-01-31
AFFAIRS AT BATON ROUGE.
CORRESPONDENCE.

Mr.. Editor-The Legislature drags its slow
length along The composition Of the House in
its personal aspect may be regarded as varied as
it is Intellectual and in either respect there is not
too much to be boasted Of As in most bodies of
in the committees.
In some sense, the maxim that in the "multi-
plcity of counsel there is wisdom" ought not to
be regarded as without exception-or the excep-
ton sometimes proves the rule.
Two weeks of the session have passed, and but
little done. The first in drilling for the election
of Slidell-and adversely. How many "counts"
were made and how often the ayes and nays"
were called in the secret concaves, and how
many were occasionally set down as certain"
"doubtful," "lost," "may be recovered" &C.,
will never be known to the uninitiated Suffice it
to say that the account was finally made up and
the balance sheet struck, and approved by all the
parties in the concern.
The outdoor talk was that the friends Of Sill
dell were for time greatly alarmed And from
what could see and hear, and knew, am satisfied
that the indoor feeling did not vary much from
the other. For, with an absolute majority of not
less than 25 on joint ballot, it would seem that
success ought hardly to have been questioned !;
yet it was questioned, and if not to the point of
absolute defeat yet such victory" has been OBJ
tanned, even in the failure as to "indicate"-not
by "shades and shadows" but by more than
"noon-day light" what is in the future in refer
renee to controversy, about matter which is
disturbing all the States and ours not a little.
The temporary dissolution at least of parties,
seems quite manifest. To be "in at the death" is
becoming favorite desire, and Judging from what
the streets, and in the private and public walks of
insiders and outsiders-the catastrophe is surely
to happen, regardless of the many "bolusses and
presumptions' administered and offered to be ad-
mnstered by the recognized doctors of the old
lines
What other Interior consequences may result
from all this, is of in the womb of futurity
But one thing may be set down as not likely to
happen again reoccurrence of the Plaquemines
fraud, and such others as have been attendant
upon it in various maybe named localities.
The first week passed, as stated, without any
legislative action-without the announcement
even of the committees. Tuesday of the second,
the several standing committees were announced,
composed pretty much as before. Since then a
good deal of work has been "cut OUT for them
and the House may now be considered as fairly
under way. ....
You will see by the reports that have intro
duced bill giving you three courts a year
April, November, and as now, in January. Also
a bill (the same introduced by me and passed the
House last session, and failed for want of time in
the Senate) to emancipate minors-giving the
power directly to the Courts, and dispensing with
the family meeting Also a bill to dispense with
family meetings in all cases, reserving the power
to the Court to order one. Also bill to regulate
elections and define the right of challenge. Il
makes the oath prima tacia evidence, and pro
hibits the commissioners from going behind it
In cases of naturalized citizens, the production O.
the record, if demanded by any one, and requires
proof of identity, &c. have no expectation tha
the latter bill will "pass MUSTER either in com
mittee or House Such a bill is not so much de
sired in the country as in the large cities. Many
Of the city delegation approve it very highly
Twill occasionly "gathcr up" few lcgislatiy,
''scraps" for your readers, and at leisure moments
rough-draft them for you, under promise that yo,
will "prune" them when required For the pres
ent, enough FIJI
gentleman who saw it ALL" says the New
York Mirror, gives us graphic account Of an in
terview which took place at the St. Nicholas Hotel
last week, between Horace Greeley, ofthe Tribune
and Daniel Ullmann, of the X. n Councils Mr
G. approached Mr.. u, and stretched out his han,
for shake, with "How. do ye do, Mr.. Ullmann?
Whereupon the latter gentleman erected hmsel
to his utmost height, and, fixing scowling loo
on Mr.. G., said with marked emphasis 81 don
shake hands with a liar, sir" ''very WELL" meek
ly replied Mr. Greeley, "You can do as you like,
and gradually took himself off.
The ATTITUDE oE RUssIA.-The New Bedfor
Mercury publishes a letter from Henry EVANS,
highly respectable citizens of that place, dated s.
Petersburg, November lst, in which the write
says
Gan the troops that have been quartered i
this city, Riga, Revel, and along the coast Of Fir
land, are now in full march for the Crimea and tn
Austrian frontier. The Russian army now in tn
Crimea is about 100, 600 strong and am told tina
it will be increased to 100000 by the 1st of jar
uary. All the arsenals and foundries belonein
to the Government as we'll as all private foundrie
and machine shops, are in full operation day an
} night, manufacturing large cannon, small arms
marine steam engines, &C.; in fact, the minds ofth
Russians are enproS sed with tho car fhav tl,;n