The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-02-07

4., on
pied ths chair and opened the meeting win !.
short address, regretting the sbsence of the istin
gushed gentleman whose right IL was 10 preside
over the meetings Of the society, and congratu-
oilon Ct the sffairs of the society
CosWAf RoBIHsoN then read the report of the
LAecu:ive Committed. making mention In II of
@ .ne rica Donation which had been bestowed on the
aufiog the past year including portraits Of
washington, Madison. Lee aud Marshall the Iatter
painted By WIN B. MYERS, of this city who hiss
Just completed the seventeenth year of his age -
.ne report concluded with a touching notice of
the iate WILLIAM MAXWELL, who formerly occu-
pied prominent place at ali the meetiugs of m .
society, and whose las: written words yere panned
In letter to the Executive Committee resigrine
his office as Secretary, and prs ying for the pros.
perity of his beloved society
Mr. Macfarlapd then announced Rev NJ d
HoGE, as the speaker for the eveiiop who on
taking the stand, readily secured the Sttent ton of
the audience, which h. held spell bound for more
than an hour by his account of the Condition of
the Colony Of Virginia duIioe the Protec,orate"-
The speaker 8 description of Cromwell as the mas.
ter spirit of his age. and his account of all he did
for the good of England-how he built up her Ma
Wy and obtained supremacy ct the seas; his lido ni~
table viii, which, though it bent every thing to
suit his own ideas Of what was best for his own
country, and yet was tempered with those christ
ian virtues which such historians rs Hume prefer>
red to sneer at-were all depicted in q mastery
manner and justly merited the applause which wss
elioited.
Mr.. Hoge then spoke of CromwelIs policy to-
wards the Colony of Virginia, which was. to leave
the people to govern themselves, to s lect fheir
governor and make their own laws, and declared
that the people were better IF at that time than
a. any other perida of their colorial history The
materials for a history of the domestic manners
and habits Of the people at this period are usfor-
tunateiy, 20 sparse TO give any DE- finite idea of
their condition. but the statute enacted at that Pc
riod throws no little light On the subject and the
quotation from these, though evidently showing no
little wisdom In cur ancestors iegslating for that
period, yet were ludicrous enough when compared
with the present time.
At one time they forbade lawyers coming into
the courts, but allowed those who required coun-
sci to employ some person in the court room.
bonus OF twenty pounds granted to every
Parish which would import a minister of the
gospel and the ministers enjoyed certain excep
tions from taxation which the preseut laws of
State aud city do not favor. Physicians were also
dealt severely with on account of their exorbi
tant charges for medicine and chirurgery."-
And to show that these old legislators did not
make laws for others and let themselves off, they
enacted, that If any me ember of the house cf bur
gesses should be seen " disguised with too much
liquor" he should be fined for the first offence 80
pounds of tobacco; for the second 100 pounds; and
for the third, 1000 pounds
Turning from the statute the speaker quoted
from contemporary tract called {" Rachel and
Leah, or the two fruitful sisters-Virenis and
Maryland in " b ch the writer inveighed against
the follles Of the fair sex, for their fondness for
dress, aud above all for the small coverings
which they place the back of their be ads"
leaving SO much of the front exposed and uncov.
cred, which is a proof that they have nothing
more in the front but little squirrels brains, to
enable them to jump from one folly of fashion to
another" He also levelled his satire against the
copious skirts wornby the ladies, " which caused
them to look like so many huge casks"
From these the speaker turned to graver mat.
ters, and corrected some important errors in our
history, which all former historians from Bancroft
to the latest hour, continued to repeat, The ad
dress VIII be published at length, and we advise
all who can to get a copy, and after reading it
carefully, to preserve 1t as treasure of its kind.
Before afjourping, the Society re elected its old
officers filling the vacancy Cf Secretary by unan
mousy appointing HUGH BLAIR GRIGsBY ESQ,
OF Norfolk, and placing Messrs Ro. J. Morrison,
Thomas Samson and Alfred Bowling on the Exec
u!ive Commi is'.
Incendinrisn The frequent attempts of incpn-
diaries t. destroy property and endanger life should
induce the courts to execute the laws on such per
sous, to the fullest extent, when found guilty by
them. Within the past three weeks four or five
fires have been kiudled in Jefferson Ward one of
which was very destructive to property-we al
lLde to the one oa Franklin street.-the second, at
G. Crews residence, cost of the Insurance
Companies at least 81 400-ahd the third and fourth
might have done considerable damage, but for be
ing discovered before getting under way. The
fire at Mr. Crews ia believed to have been design
edly kindled by one of his own servants, who
has since been lodged in private jail to be sold
and sent eff understand. We are not
aware of the extent CT proof against this fellow.
but if 1t Is sufficient 10 fasen guilt upon him. either
the Justices of Henrico or the Mayor of Rich
mond, should have him legally tried for the of.
fence. No incendiary should be allowed to escape
the severest punishment the law can inf1et, when
his guilt can be established.
.
that ladies' " ho are required to make their living
by their industry are compelled to work for 20
much less than men. If a lady has b by which
| she can earn fifty or seventy-fve cents ia the
course OF twelve or fourteen hours she ia thought
to be entirely indep pendent Many, however have
| to support themselves and children on much less
sums; and we know more than one who are actual
| ly making up shirts and drawers for six and q
quarter cents each
Hit1drupa.-Last Thursday morning free fel-
| low called Spencer Smlthey, appeared before the
Mayor answer the charge of assauliipg and bea-
| ting Abraham Voiaski, but owing to the absence
| of witnesses the examination was postponed un-
| til the next day. Yesterday morning Voiaski at
tended the Mayors cour: and had the charge
against the negro withdrawn, he paying the costs
to get rid of It.
Fancy Dress Soiree-Mr. McEvoy's fancy dress
ball, at Coriuthiau Hail, on Thursday night, was
veil attended, and those who have had favorable
opportunities OF judging, pronounce it the most
brilliant affair of the The ladies and gen
tlemen present were elegantly costumed, and to q
spectator the scene was one of rare beauty. Su'
perb music was furnished by Dolliuger's Cotiilon
Band
Il Bal Masque-it is said-wil soon be given al
the U. s Hotel, under the management of puE1-
Der of gentlemen. As the affair is to be private
cne, the proper precautions will be taken to ex
elude IN welcome visitors, and thereby ensure q
pleasant time to let fly who are 10 be admitted
Hymeaial For the month ef January past there
were but twelve marriage licenses issued BY the
Clerk of the Hastings Court of Richmond we
rash.r suspect that the blind god got caught In
| snow drift on the 18th ult and became too osdiy
FRI sted TO apply bis arrows with any degree OF ac
currecy.
The Blues Ball, TO be given on the 23d inst, pre-.
mises TO take the shine out Of any entertainment
of the kind that has preceded IL. The long staud
ing reputation Of the company, as well "a the cha
| recter of the management are sufficient susran
tee that the assemblage will be Of the right KIND
! and the attendance . perfect jam.
| Bribery -Hezekiah, . slave, was soundy hoasee
/ by order of the Mayor, for offering one OF tnt
watehmen City cents 20 let him go aftef pelng ~
| rested last Thursday night
No Change Joseph Jago was accommodate
with lodgings at the cage last Thursday night,
| cansc he was bard up. Yesterday moraing Il
| was discharged
Small Piekings The Mayors court has beer