The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-09-17
THE NATIONAL ERA WASHINGTON D. C., SEPTEMBER II. 1857

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that the Hon. Thomas II. Benton was lying IN
a state of dangerous, if not hopeless illness, at
his residence in this city. On inquiry last
evening of his physicians, we understood that
he was suffering under an organic intestinal
disease of several years standing, wrich, within
week past, assumed 80 very serious condition
as to threaten his life. Surgical skill afforded
yesterday at least temporary relief, and last
evening he was somewhat better, but by no
means out of danger. He is attended by those
emnently skillful practitioners, Messrs. Hall
and May.-Nat. LateI., Sept. 10.
William Henry Charming is to be the success
sor of Mr.. Msrtineau at Liverpool. He has &C.
cupied heretofore the pulpit of Mr.. Thorn, who
will soon return to his former pastorate. 1t
will be remembered that there was some dis
cussion awhile ago in regard to the advisability
of engaging Mr.. Charming for the Unitarian
church, in this city Washington Star.
The Southern Literary Messenger, in some
comments on work upon which Mr.. Thackeray,
it is understood, is engaged, entitled 1.-THE Vir-
ginian," says it has reason to believe that this
work will have no reference to the Virginia of
our day, which Mr.. Thackeray saw in part, on
sequel to the history of Col. Esmond, in which
scented as involved in the revolutionary strug-
gle, one patriot and the other loyslist.
A steam pillow, called by its inventor the
"pickaxer," (la piocheuse,) has been success
fully used in France. The invention is in the
possession of a company with capital of about
$4,000 The work is done, as the name
imports, by a series of revolving or descending
mattocks or pickaxes. The machine is To-
connective, which carries itself over the soil, and
upturns it to the depth of from six to eight
inches. 1t has no resemblance to pillow, and
French journals describing it say that it does
its work better than any machine hitherto con.
structed for blowing purposes.
The comet recently discovered at the Cam.
bridge Observatory has been constantly in
creasiDg in brightness ever since its discovery,
and is now visible to the naked eye in the con-
st llation Bootes. This comet was at its least
distance from the earth on the lst of Septem-
Der, and was then distant from US about fifty
millions of miles it will reach it's perihelion
on the 10Th of this month, and will then be
about fifty millions Of miles from the sun. Its
motion is retrograde.
We have observed that several of the outside
papers, IN speaking of the Nebraska Congress
o'Ohoi CiCCtiOus pun uOWu Ncu ud1tr d5 q
Republican. This is serious error. General
Tbsyer openly avowed in speech in this city,
Saturday evening before the election, that he
was Democrat, and a supporter of Mr.. Blu
chanan's Administration. There was no Re-
publican in the feld-Gen. Larimer, the only
Republican, having withdrawn before the cleo
ton Omaha Ne6raSkian.
Jacob A. Dallas, a cousin of the Hon. George
M. Dallas, and an artist of great merit, died in
New York on Wednesday. He was one of the
chief illustrators of Harper's, Mrs. Stephens's,
Frank Leslie's, and other popular periodicals,
while many Of the larger volumes issued by the
best publishers were wholly indebted to his pen.
Gil for the valuable engravings which they con.
tanned.
Passmore Williamson has brought suit in
the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania against
Chief Justice Lewis. 1t is civil action, to re-
cover the penalty of three hundred pounds,
under an old act CT Assembly, for the refusal
of the Chief Justice to issue writ of habeas
corpus to relieve Williamson from prison, where
he had been committed by Judge Kane for
contempt of court, in the matter of the Wheeler
slave case, in the summer of last year.
Isaac s. Wood was arrested at Raulton, on
VIC 1rhuOiS OCuti0i EohiOdu3 Ou tue Ou, Dy the
sheriff of Livingston county, New York, on the
charge of poisoning his wife, and his brother
and his wife and two children, in 1855. the OBJ
ject being to get his brothers property, worth
about $4,000. The evidence against him is
said to be conclusive.
1t is estimated that the decline in the market
value of railroad stocks in the last three
months amounts to an aggregate of sixty mil
lions of dollars. And yet the country is no
poorer for it.
The Boston Post states that the reason for
Justice Curtis's resignation of his seat on the
Supreme bench is said to be the inadequacy of
the salary, and it is also said that Mr. G. will
resume his practice at the Boston bar.
The Mayor of Louisville has issued procla.
nation to the police of that city, instructing
them to suppress all secret societies or all secret
gatherings of colored persons, whether free or
slave, in that city.
In the suit of Munson ]. Lockwood against
the editor of the New York Daily Times, for
libel alleged to have been published in the let
ter Of correspondent some three years since
verdict was rendered Friday, in favor of the
plaintiff, of six cents damages.
Rev. E. B. Olmstead, of Caledonia, Illinois.
gives an account of preaching in a railroad
car, and having for two of his hearers the
Presidents of the Illinois Central and Illinois
Southern railroads. The congregation was
called together by the bell of the locomotive.
David Altman, charged with passing conn.
terfeit money, and Thomas E. Day, charged
with roboing the mail, have been tried before
the United States District Court of Western
Virginia, and acquitted.
The Atlanta (Ga Sentinel states that the
steam -four mills at that place turn out daily
two hundred and eighty barrels of -four. Until
within a fnw years, Georgia was large
importer of -four, and now she is large ex-
porter.
Hon. Titus Hutchinson, formerly Chief JUS
tice of Vermont, died at Woodstock, on the
Gath ult. He was one of the original memb ers
of the Liberty party, and at various times with
in few years has written able articles on the
legal aspects of the Slavery question.
Iii stated that the real Asiatic cholera has
made its appearance in the lower sections of
Bucks County, Pa. Several deaths have taken
place from it in the vicinity of Falls, Morris.
vile, and Bristol townships.
The potato blight has suddenly made its ap-
pearance at Burlington, Vt. The fields that
looked green and promising few days ago,
are now turned black, and look as if a fire had
run over them.
The potato rot is very prevalent in Worces-
ter and vicinity, and the prospects are that there
will be less than half a crop.
The law of Indiana, passed in 1851, provi
ding that no negro or mulatto shall come into or
settle in that State, under penalty of heavy
fine, has been pronounced unconstitutional by
nd nd in ,,,et -, II t.