Litchfield enquirer., 1857-08-27
Gbs Gittbfen Gnquue*.
Litohh cid, Conn, Thursday, August 27, 1857.
Electro and Animal Magnetism.

debate which took place in the House of Repre- sen,atives February sst, lsa3. [see Washing ton Globe, p 323.]
 On motion of MT. Kennedy of Maryland, the committee to report the bill to authorize srrIes of experiments 10 be made in order to test the merit of Morse's Electro Magnetic Telegraph. Tine hi! approDriates S3O. 900 to be expended un- der tn. direciion of the Postmaster General.
 Mr Cave Johnson wished to have word to say upon th,s bill. As the present Congress had done much to encourage science, he did not Wish to see tn. science of Mesmerlsm overlooked. He therefore proposed that one-half the appropriation he given to Mir Fisk, to enable him carry on experiments, as welt as Prof Morse.
 MT. Houston (of--), thought that Miller ism shnuld also be included.
 Mir. Stanly said that he should have ohjec- tion to the appropriation. provided the gentleman from Tenn. (Mr Cave Jnhnson) the subject. MT. C,ve Johnson said he would have no ob- j.r,on, provided the gentl sman from North Caro- lima MT. Stnny.) was the operator.
 Several gentlemen called for the reading of the amendment and it read by the Clerk as fol- lows :--
 Provided, That one-half of the sad sum shall be appropriated for trying Mesmeric experiments, under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasu. Ty.
 Mir s. Mason rose 10 question of order. He maintained that the amendment was not bona fde and tn tt such amendments were calcul ated to In- inr4 the character of the House He appealed to the Chair to rule the amendment ont of order.
 The Chairman said it was not for him to judge of the motives of members in offering amend rnants and he could not, therefore, undertake to pronounce the amendment bona file. Objections might be raised to 1t on the ground that It was not sufficiently analogous in character to the DllI under consideration. But in the opinion of the Char, It w,ud require scientific analysis to determine how far the magnetism of Mesmerism was anaia- gnus to that to be employed in Trlegraphs NIanghter.) He therefore ruled the amendment in order.
 Two years from this dae. Mir. Cave Johnson, then Postmaster General, awoke from the intel than the power of Mesmerism, had bound the forces of his mind since infancy, and acknowl- edged that there did indeed exist an apparatus for the conveying of news from the City of Washing ton to the City of Baltimore. And judging from the character of report he then made, we think he was inclined to believe the affair species of nrcron,aney, which if permitted to go on would not only rob ths government of its lawful fees for the carrying of the mails, but renstate the princi rles of witchcraft, and bring into competition with Uncle Sam those ubiquitous spirits which former ly circlcd the air on broomsticks, owing allegiance to the Devil, and affected by no power a ducking in horse pond. Fearfay alarmed at the progress of this Telegraph, which only two years previous we found him ridiculing as vis- ionary project which should be placed side by side with MIIerism, he now calls attention to the fac, that if permitted to remain in the hands of private individuals it will soon be a medium greatly y superior in despatch to those of the public mails, and must secure to itself much of the business that has heretofore been transacted through them" Here is portion of the report:-
 I deem it my duty to bring to your notice fire fact that the subject of telegraphic communication in their fullest extent, made available by means of this extraordinary invention, is forcing itself upon the attention of the public. The prop,ietors of the patent securing the exclusive Of the Telegraph, have since the last Congress, taken the most active measures to establish lines of com inunca,ion between the prime pal cities of the Union. Their success will introduce a means of communicating intelligence amply sufficient for great variety of purposes, and greatly superior in despatch to those of the public mails, and must secnre 10 itself muck of the business that has heretofore been transacted through them, and 10 thrt extent diminsl, the revenues of the depart mcnt.
 
 ance how far the government will allow ndividu- ats tn divide with it the business of transmitting TntellIgence-an important duty con:ded to it hy fhe Consultation, necessarily aud properly exclu- slve Or will 1t purchase the Telegraph and conduct its operations for the benefit of the pub- Iic Experience teaches that. if individual enter. prise is allowed to perform such portions of the business ot the government as it may find for its advan'age, tire government will soon be left to perform unprohtabe portions of II only and must he driven to abandon it entirely, carry it on at heavy tax upon the public treasury. In the hahns o' 'ha'Viduas or associations. the 1'ele- graph may become the most potent instrument the world ever knew to effect sudden and larue specu a,l"ns, to rob the many of their just advan- tages and concentrate them upon the few If per mitted by the government to he thus hed the public can have no security hat it wilt not be w'elded for their injury rather than their benefit The operation of the Telegraph between this city and Baltimore has not satisfied me that under any rate of possages that can he adopted it's revenues can be made to equal it's eXpend tnres. Its i'm P"rtance 10 the public does not consist in any probable Income that can ever be derived from it but as an agent vastly superior to any other ever devised by the genius of man for the tiGus;on oG intelligence, which may be accomplished with almost the rapdity of ligh. to any part of the re- public its vaup in all commercial transactions ,o individuals having the control of 1t. or to the yov ernment in time of war, could not be estimated The of an instrument powerful for good or evil, cannot with safety to the people, be left in the hands of private individuals uncontrolled by law.
 NorE.-At this time the Telegraph between Washington and Baltimore under control of government. Rates then charged, one-q quarter of one cent for each ,eIegrarhic character.
 What more conclusive evidence of the ute. folly of selecting Southern politicians for our prn- cpal offices do We want tian this. MT. Cave Johnson may be capable of splendid stump ora- t'ons' of entertaining with unequaIlsd dignity the guests who wait upon him, of discussing freely the different articles of the Constitution, of