Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-02-04
aebs Of tbe 4ag.
Foreign News.

OF British steamers were seized by chinese
officials, and o the interference of the British
Consul, he was insulted and threatened with
violence. Whereupon Canton was bombarded
all its forts taken, the city entered and
immense damage done to property.
1t is also said that the American shin
Portsmouth, destroyed one of the Chinese
forts, for insults offered to the flag of the
United States. At the latest accounts hos
tllities still continued in Canton. in which
Americans are engaged. The explanation of
the engagement of American forces in these
hostllltie5 IS, that the Chinese offered a price
for toe heads of Enslishmen, aud that some
American heads were sent in by mistake
This IS all that is yet given.
The Swiss question had been settled
Russia had met with a disastrous defeat in
CircasSia.
N. G. Asylum for the Insane
We are indebted to DR.. e. c. Fisher,
superintendent, for a copy of the Report
of the Directors and the Superintendent of
this institution, to the General Assembly.
From it We condense the following:
The whole amount actually expended on
the building, is S184.938.58. An addi-
tional appropriation is called for, to COM
plete the supplyof water, to light the build
ing with gas, and to put a I permanent en-.
closure around the grounds. When these
objects are attained, the Institution will
be complete in all its parts.
Up to October 3lst, 80 patients had be en-
received. Of these, four had recovered.
and two had died. At that date 80 pa
tlents remained in the Asylum. MANY of
these have greatly improved in their CON
dition, and nearly all of them are much
more comfortably situated than it was pos
slblc for them to be, before their arrival in
this institution.
The Board of Directors request the Gen.
eral Assembly to declare whether idiots
are admissible into the Asylum and
whether more than five persons can be
admitted at the same time from one coun-
ty. The difficulties incident to the COM
mencement of such aninstitution are WELD
ing to the skill of the Superintendent the
various subordinate officers are becoming
accustomed to their duties and the Asy-
lum is now beginning to accomplish the
benevolent end for which it has been es-
tablished.
FRoM NICARAGUA dispatch from New
York, dated Jan. %, says:
The steamer Thames arrived at Aspinwall
on the 10Th from Greytown, which place she
left the day previous. She brought Is of
Walkers men who were transferred to the
steamer Granada which left immediately for
Greytown to receive the fllibusters brought
out by the Texas and James Adyer and
convey them to New Orleans Walker had
evacuated Riyes. He was at ST.. Georges.
surrounded by the allies who had offered him
terms to surrender, and he was cut off from
his supplies, it was hourly expected that he
and his followers would surrender.
The Aspinwaa Courier of the 10Th saws
1T was reported by the Thames that the
steamer Sierra Nevada had been captured by
the Costa Ricans and that in consequence
the st. Mary's would leave at once for San
Juan Del Sur.
Due Our. We understand that a family.
(says the Danville Register) consisting Of an
old man, his wife and daughter, were dug
out of a snow drift around their cabin. on
the opposite side of the river, on Monday
morning last. When the snow was removed
and an entrance to the cabin effected. the
old man was found sitting on a stool, venting
his excavations on snow storms, landlords.
and all foreigners IN general. When inter
rogated as to the creature comforts within
his immediate reach, he said he had no fire
nor wood, and no provisions ; but that was
asmall matter, VIXEN compared with his total
deprivation of ''spirjts."
ERRATIC PIN-The Syracuse Journal saws
that DIR. Walton, of that place, has lust ex,
tracted a pin from the back of a Miss M'Kay.
IN that city. The pin was swallowed nine
years since, when she was five years of age
Miss NJ. said she had experienced consider
able inconvenience from it eyersince. It was
taken out below the shoulder blade, two in
ches to the right of the spinal column, and
one-tourth Of an inch below the c~uticle, with
little pain to the patient.
CAUSE FOR DivoRcE.-The Arabs ALWAYS
allow a man to divorce himself from a wife
who does not make good bread. Were such
a law IN our country, half the young mar
RED ladies, we fear, would be in danger of
falling back into single blessedness.
MIR. BUCHANAN IN WAsHINGToN.-Mr
Buchanan arrived in Washington CITY on
Tuesday last, it is stated, on "a temporary
visit. lie was greeted by many friends, but
there was no public reception lie was VI ait
ed on by the President, and the meeting be-
tween them was most cordial. He was at
the National Hotel.
DEATH OF ANDREW STEvENsoN.-The Hon.
Andrew Stevenson expired at his residence
in the county Of Albemarle, Va, on the 18Th
instant, ia the 18th year of his age, of pneu-
monia.
". c. Presbyteri;an Paper. We in
cldentally learned that it is proposed to
establish a paper in this State to be de-
voted to the interest of the Presbyteri-
an Church in North Carolina. It is to
be a stock company, and the paper will
probably be located at Fayetteville
We believe it is contemplated to secure
the services Of Rev. FL. w. Cunning
ham, Of this county, as Editor, if posi-
Bile. Most of the stock has already
been subscribed. = Charlotte Democrat.
Fire. On Thursday night of last
week, the dwelling house Of Mr.. Sam'l
Fuller, Of Granville, accidentally took
lire, and was burned to the ground. A
part OF the furniture, most Of the cloth
ing of the family, and a large quantity
OF provisions which had been stored IN
the cellar, were consumed. A serious
loss to a very worthy man.
Cold IN Georgia. During the recent
cold spell, a man started for Atlanta
with a load of Cherokee Whiskey. In
tho po1Obbo.lool r. A