Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-01-04
EVENING STAR.
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

Know how Leap Year hrst came about !'' |
Z" No" Well, but you must,-and this is |
the way Of it When Julius Cesar, that |
old Roman hllibuster, of whom you may
have heard, undertook to reform the com
putatlon Of time, he ordained that the year
should consist of S65 days, except every
fourth year, which should consist of 800
days-the additional day to be reckoned
by twice counting the oath of February,
which was the StEtA calend Of March. Hence
the name, from the Latin words, bas, twice,
and ssEtEItS, sixth. The calends whence our
word calender) or FIRST day of the month, were
reckOned backward to the ides, thus: the
first day Of March was the first cslend the
2oth Of February was the second calead of
March; February 9th the third, and so on.
The Julian Year, which by this rulo was
reckoned at 365 days and hours, was found
not to be accurate, but to exceed the length
of the solar year by ii minutes. which error
would in III years amount to an entire day
1t was, therefore, corrected by Pope Gregory,
In 1852, who retrenched eleven days from the
Julian eOmputatiop-being its excess or gain
over solar time. Out of this correction has
grown the distinction between old style and
new style. The Gregoran or new style was
introduced into Germany in 177O and by act
Of Parliament into England I752-just one
hundred years ago-the End day of Sept. %.
81 ofthat year being reckOned as the 14th IN.
, } under the GregOrian system. Although
the name Bissextile is retained with its obso-
lete import, we intercalate the 29th of February
every fourth year for Leap Year, and for still
greater accuracy, make only one Leap Year,
out of every four even centenary years, that
is-the years 100 and 1900 were not Leap
years; nor will A. d. 1900 be reckoned as one;
but the year 1000 will be Bissextle. And
that's the way Leap Year came to be an sin
stitution."
SUPREME COURT.-Yesterday, William H.
Rogers, Esq, of Delaware, was admitted an
attorney and counsellor of this court.
No. "a. Louis Curtis ct al. as Therese Petit
pan, wife Of Victor Feste, et al. In error to
the circuit court Of the United States for the
eastern district of Louisiana. Mr. Justice
Campbell delivered the opinion of the court,
dismissing this cause, with costs, the trans
cript not being in conformity to the 11th and
2lst rules of this court and the judgment Of
said circuit court not being such one as can
be re-examined by this court.
No. 2. Henry r. w. Hills executor ct aE
Us. James l.. Meek ct al. Appeal from the
circuit court Of the United States for the
southern district Of Mississippi Mr.. Justice
CstrOn delivered the opinion of the court, af-
hrming the decree Of the SAID circuit court in
this cause, with costs
No 81. William S. Minter ct at. Us Charles
CrOmmelin. In error to the supreme court of
the State of Alabama. Mr.. Justice Catron
delivered the opinion Of the court, reversing
the decree Of the said supreme court in this
cause, with costs
No. 80. Edward G.. Richards ct al, appel
lants, rs. Sylvanus Holmes ct a. The argu-
ment of this cause was concluded by Mr. BIB
for the appellants.
No. "a. William Jones ct a., appellants, ~.
William S. Johnston. The argument of this
cause was commenced by Mr.. Scammon for
the plaintiffs in error
And then they adjourned.
PROF. MITCHELL's closing lecture upon
Astronomy was one of the most interesting
and eloquent of the course, it, indeed, one can
be said to surpass another where ali were so
good. The Nebular Theory of Laplace and
Herschell was the subject last night and was
treated in a mastery manner.
l. comparing the Mosaic account of the
creation with the geological theory, the lee
turer urged that we had no right to interpret
the " first day and night" spoken of in CEN
esis, as our literal day of twenty-four hours.
AT that time there was no sun or moon or rev.
olution Of the earth, to make day and night
and again, the word day" in all Eastern
languages signifies an indefinite period of time
The 'Bloomer" was present last night, look
ing charmingly after her tilt with Sally Sun
flower"
Next week, the National Agricultural Soci-
ETY. hold their meeting at the Smithsonian In
stitute, and the week after, Professor Chase,
of Providence, +. l., will commence a course
Of lectures upon Chemistry.
The 0PERA.-We announced last week that
there would soon be an operatic troupe in this
city. Arrangements have since been per-
tected by Mr.. Jarrett, and on Wednesday
next the opera of "El Trovatore' will be pro
dueed. in all it's beauty, by the members of
the New York Academy of Music. The EN-.
inent Prima DOnnss Madame De La Grange
and Mile Didiere, the celebrated tenor Brig
nOli, the popular basso Amodio together with
the New York grand orchestra and chorus of
eighty SIX performers. under the direction of
the famous maestro Max Maretzek will be en-
gagged IN Its representation. Buy your white
kids, ladies, and see that the lenses of your
opera glasses are free from dust. Every one
who has any p-etensiOns to fashion or to mu-
siesl taste, will attend the opera
THE ORATOR by Beverly r. Wexford, ir.,
Of Richmond, Va, and the poem by j. l..
Thompson, of the Southern Literary Messen-
ger, delivered before the Delta Kappa Epsilon
Fraternity, last night, at Carusi's Saloon, af-
forded literary treat of high order Mr..
Wexford is young lawyer Of high reputa-
ton among his associates, and their confident
anticipatiOns Of his brilliant success in this
effort were fully realized.
MI thompson Is already known to many of
our readers as ripe scholar and hne poet.
His subject, last night, was Patriotism, Real
and Spurious )" and the poem abounded in
hne passages and good hits
Senator Mason, of Va, presided, and among
the distinguished persOnages present We no.
ticed Senator Cas-.
AT rHE LEvEE of Central Lodge, held last
night, there was a large number Of ladies and
gentlemen, together with the orphans under
charge OF the Lodge, and all appeared to en-
JOY themselves finely. The programme con-
sisted OF addresses, singing and instrumental
music AT the hour of midnight we looked
In upon the scene, and found the young lads
and lassies " tripping it on the light fantastic
toe, the committee Of arrangements having
yielded the floor to them after the greater
part OF the company had retired Thus they
were engaged until the "still small hours of
the morning" when we left.
STEANERs-CaptsinA A. D Peck Il Co. in
tend establishing lines of steamers between
Baltimore and Washington and Baltimore and
Norioik, 10 commence running about the rst