The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-01-20
The News.

The most important news from Washington is
the introduction in the Senate yesterday, by Mr..
Gwin, the chairman Of the special COMMITTEES ON the
subject. of a bill authorizing the construction of a
abroad to the Pacific. We give in our report of the
Congressional proceedings the bill a. matured by the
committee. II proposes to locate the road at a point
on the Missouri river between the Big Sioux and the
Kansas rivers, thence running to San Francisco on
the most eligible route. In aid of the con
struction Of the work alternate sections of
land on each side OF the road are TO be
granted. and sl2 500 advanced ON the compile.
ton Of every twenty-five miles Of the track. until
s25 GOO. 900 are expended. the amount to be REIN
bursed in mail service and the transportation Of
troops and munitions Of war. The President is TO
receive the bids and make the contract for twenty
years. Five per cent ofthe stock is to be issued. A bill
was also introduced abolishing the fishing bounties.
A call was made on the President for all Information
in hi possession concerning the revival of the slave
trade on the coast Of Africa. The death Of the late
Senator Rusk, Of Texas, was announced in both
houses. Eulogies were pronounced and the Gus.
tomary resolutions were adopted.
In the House a petition was presented for the APP
preparation Of the public lands, in small quantities,
20 actual settlers, and demonstrating against the fur.
ther traffic in or monopoly Of said lands. The petit
ton i, signed by the Postmaster Of New York and
other. and il is believed that there Is a good pros
pect Of the project being eventually carried through
Congress. The special committee TO investigate the
affair of the republican Doorkeeper of the last House
consists Of Messrs. Hughes, jenkins. Puryiance,
Bryan, and Thompson. The joint resolution pro-
yiding for the distribution Of the patronage Of the
executive departments e~quitably among the States
and Tprriforipa vvae rpforrad ~ a saiact ropmiffoa Of
seven, the House having previously refused, by a
vote Of 43 against lac, to lay the subject on the
table.
There was no executive session Of the Senate YES
terday. AL the consular appointments and the ap-
pointment Of Collector Schell have been sent in.
The other New York appointments are still held
back by the President. Quite a number Of promi.
nent New York democratic politicians are now in
Washington, and Il i. supposed that the object of
their visit is to look after the New York appoint
ments.
Several bills were introduced in the State Senate
yesterday, none Of them, however, of any special i'm.
porance. A petition from the Chamber of Com.
merce for a modification Of the usury laws was pre-.
sented. The Assembly ballotted twice for a Speaker
without e~1ecting a choice. parties standing precisely
as they have for the past fortnight. A resolution
wa ohtNtu JIG buift mbit ANUS w Adhtus ana on
the third that a plurality elect, aud pending TIE
question the Assembly adjourned.
A heartrending calamity occurred in Brooklyn
yesterday. The public school No. IL, situated on
the corner Of Navy and Concord streets, was utterly
destroyed by fire, and as there were about seven
hundred children 10 IL at the time, and the fire wa
not discovered till il had made considerable progress,
such confusion and terror spread among them that
the stairways leading from the male department
were completely choked and rendered impossible
The consequence was that several Of the younger
children got badly %trampled, and as the window
were now the only means Of escape, several of the
boys who leaped from them were severely and some
fatally injured, while Others were sunocated by the
volumes Of smoke. In all, seven boys have died
from one cause or the other. and three others are
more or less injured The fire broke out in the
lower part Of the building, and was first discovered
in the female department which was located on the
second floor. and IL is owing 90 this fact that nearly
81 the girls escaped u~ninjured.
Tho flibuster steamer Fashion arrived At New
Orleans yesterday from Mobile and was Immediately
seized by the authorities.
The trial Of I. W. Smith. for the murder Of Rich.
ard Garter, The rre-id VI The Tamaqua Bank,
terminated az P--l. !C.ly "a 4 ,-ra-.
scquittDg the prisoner On the ground Of insanity