Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-08-14

WAsHINGTcN NEWS AND GOSSIP.
Tbs fsll Destroyer In Portsmouth. Nv :
have been notified that Messrs. Chubb Brothers
viii take charge Of any donations which the
charitable may make for the relief Of the Gu :
ferers In Portsmouth, We. Our readers al
know that the yellow fsver Is raging there, at
this time, - never. before in this country 30
far North; r.at least within the last thirty
years. More than half the population Of the
town have Aed-nearly every man, woman,
and child, thus flying from the pestilspse who
had the means Of going away. Those left
there are for ths most part, the poor, the aged,
and the feeble. While the disease Is striking
down members Of taeir families, nearly ali
intercourse with the town, from land or water,
has ceased. The Newspaper of Portsmouth
has ceased TO appear, and even no one is to
be found who win operate the telegraph there.
Tabooed as the town Is, the world knows little
Of the awful suffering being endured by the
helpless creatures. The Sisters of Charity AMI
Mercy have aocked to their relief from variou ;
quarters Of the country, and are doing ell that
nursing-even such heavenly nursing as theirs
can do for the sick. But fhey cannot put
food into the mouths Of the panic.stricken suf-
ferers, with and without the fever. No pro-
visions 60 to them by water, because it is al
most as much as life Is worth to have inter-
course with them; while the country people
prefer that their produce shall rot to riskiny
contact with any one they know to be from
Portsmouth, recently. Out of fifteen thousand
souls, but seven or eight thousand remain
there, and many of these, Who have 80 far
escaped the fever, are almost on the point Of
starvation. We hear daily that the fever is
on the increase there, and have every reason
to believe that the fact is the result of the suf
ferings Of 50 many of the people for want Of
the bare necessaries of life.
This city can and should at once do its share
OF the good work Of immediate relief. Surely
our fellow-citisens of Wsshington-hundreds.
IT not Thousands, Of them-can and win spare
mite from their abundance to the relief Of
the hfe-destroying suffsrings Of that distressed
people, who have in no way been instrumental
in bringing their misfortune on themselves
They arc In every respect worthy, eminently
worthy, of the active and effective sympathy
OF prosperous community blessed with 50 re-
markable health a. now exists in Washington.
and enjoying all the comforts of life that the
heart can desire; as zoe certainly are, as pop
ulation-a community, too, not twelve hours
distant from the scene of intense suffering on
the part of thousands we have been describing
We repeat, Messrs. Chubb Brothers will
gladly take charge of any sum, small or great
which those graced with real souls--souls to
feel for the undeserved misfortunes of others
may hand or send to them; and will take due
care that the relief with which they may be
entrusted shall speedily and safely reach the
hands Of the parties in Portsmouth appointed
by that community to dispense such payments
into the Lords treasury-such stores laid
up in Heaven for the benefit of the giver.
The Next speakership. Yesterday we took
occasion to refer to the prominent position oc-
cupied by the Hon. James L. Orr, as a candi-
date for the Speakership Of the next House of
Representatives Of the United States or rather
for the Democratic nomination for that posi-
ton. But as it is certain that those elected
by the votes of the Democratic party cannot
elect Speaker, it is worth our while to study
to the end the problem of the condition of the
House, as likely to be developed in the effort
20 elect a Speaker. Thus, it strikes us that
Mr. Lewis d. Campbell, of Ohio, will be the
hrst choice Of the great mass Of the northern
hnow Nothing msmbers-the supporters Of
the proposition to repeal the Nebraska bill.
He had had much experience in the hall, and
has proved himself an able partisan on the
moor, while he win 60 quite as far to accom-
piish their object as any other member who
ever, always excepting j. R. Giddings and hi.
erased allies. The second choice of the re-
Peaiers {the mass of the Know Nothinzs) ia
undoubtedly General Cullom, of Tennessee,
II he be elected, which is, to say the least of
IL, very questionable just now. They will
willingly support him if they can get southern
Know Nothing votes for him, which we doubt:
that is, except those Of, perhaps, three of his
Know Nothing colleagues. The Hon. Mr..
Banks, Of Massachusetts, viii be their third
choice. His ultra devotion to free trade will
have the effect Of preventing more or less of
the anti-slavery Know Nothings from sustain
Ing him. They represent constituencies deeply
interested in protection, and keeping an "eye
to windward" for number onen will steer
clear Of aiding to place in the Speakership
any man on whom they cannot rely to be
with them on the tariff question, which is Ia
occxpy large share of the attention of the
next Congress.
Bot as there are ten or dozen Silver Grey
or Philadeiphia-platform Know Nothing mem.
bers from the North, all of whom are the bit
terest possible enemies of the influence con.
trolling their anti-slavery Know Nothing
breth<en-that Of Mr.. Seward-we do not sec
how 1t Is within the compass of possibility
that the stronger wing of the Know Nothing
party can pom one hundred votes for any on,
for speaker Our highest limit for them i.
seventy.6ve. Mr.. Haven, of New York i,