The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-07-15


was appointed general superintendent.
The New York Ledger is weekly paper of
but few years experience, but Its publ,sher has
expended about quarter of q million of dol
lars in advertising st in the columns Of this and
other journals-Sl00 600 OF it within the last
year. The results have justified this magni6.
cent outlay. The Ledger now issues some
S20, 600 copies, regularly keeping eight cylin-
der power pre- ses running on its weekly edition
from Monday morning until Saturday night.
The white paper of each issue, dry. weighs
$4,000 pounds, 1850 resms, weighing 81 pounds
esch and each edition, as it comes damp from
the press, must weigh some twenty-five or thirty
tons. The publishers outlay in obtaining this
enormous circulation has, of course, been great !;
but he has made it all out of bis business, and
something more. -
At the last meeting of the Royal Geographi,
cal Society of London, two delegates from the
American Geographical Society we're intro
dnced, who asked explanations as to the criti-
cisms upon DR.. Ksne's discoveries, reported to
have been made at q previous meeting 1t was
explained that the newspaper report was great
exaggeration, and that Professor Rink had
merely attempted to throw doubts upon the ex,
istence of an open polar sea, and not at all to
discredit the statements of Dr. Kane.
Frederick W. Porter. the defaulting agent of
the American Sunday School Union, has made
q full confession of the history of bis frauds.
They commenced nineteen years ago, with the
mulberry and silk-worm speculation, and have
continued ever since. and cover transactions to
the amount of $4,000 The amount of loss
to the Society by his fraudulent use of it's name
lie $40, 1000. A
1t appears from the estimates of the Tax
Commissioners, that the valuation of real and
personal property in the city of New York for
1853 is 1851, l94, 29O-being an increase of
$40, 634, SOB over last year, $500, $50 ,482,
which is about the usual yearly PROPORTION of
advance. There is falling of of S., 36S, 455
in the valuation of personal property, owing to
failures, de-, but regular and natural increase
in thstof real estate, the extent of 1874 2l9.
The new system Of assessing, by which twelve
do the work formerly done by two assessors
from each ward, is found to work we'll. At the
meeting of the Supervisors on Tuesday, the
Committee on Annual Taxes, taking the Com.
missioners' statement as basis of estimate,
reported in favor of levying this year to the
amount Of $8,470, 74l.3l, which is $504, ia 79
over that OF 1857, ($7,966,566 52) The rate
Of taxation for 1857 was $l.556 on the $500,
and this year it is $l.b94-the increase for
1858 being explained by the inclusion of
$523,0OO for arrearages.
The announcement that the cholera has broke
out in London, and the yellow fever at the
South, creates some stir in New York, particu-
lsrly from the fact that considerable sickness
prevails at quarantine. The ship Grotto, from
Cuba, bound to England, put into quarantine
on Monday week, with all her crew down with
fever, and her captain dead and buried at sea.
The British ship Suzanne, from Matanza
bound for Greenock, also put in after losing
her captain. Five of her crew are i'll, supposed
10 be from yellow fever.
The arrival of the Indian Empire, the pion.
eer of the new line from Galway to Halifax and
New York, has already been announced. Her
passage was longer than anticipated, in conse-
quence of blunder of the pilots.
At recent dinner given at Galway, in honor
of the pre- jector, Mr.. Lever, that gentleman,
being called upon, addressed the company in a
concise history of the enterprise. He rested it's
merits upon the fact of its affording the short.
est sea distance to America, at reduced fares,
and the most rapid transmission of mails. In
regard to the other vessels of the line, he said
If the Indian Empire did not fulfil the wishes
of her owner or of her commander, be hoped
the American Empire would. She ia, 6ne,
frstclass ship, that had, never been on the
water, and could not therefore be slandered."
There is we'll on Bridge street, in this city,
entirely surrounded with salt water, the water
of which is soft and sweet as rain water.
The well is about twelve feet deep, and has
- "a
this, stakes we're driven down into the river
bottom, and boards FAILED on, enclosing space
about ten feet square, which enclosure was gil.
ed with earth, and through that the we'll was
dug after the usual manner. A lady connected
with one of the families using the water inform.
ed US Monday that it was as suitable for wash.
ing purposes as rain water. 1t is proper to say
that the well is csmented.
On Coast Hsrbor Island, phenomenon
exists in connection with well still more sin.
gular than the above. Into this the tide Gibbs
and flows every six hours, and yet the water is
perfectly soft and free from any brackish taste.
The water in the Newport wells is uniformly
hard and brackish, which is generally attriba.
ted.to their proximity to the ocean but the
above would seem to indicate the contrary, and
to demonstrate the feasibility of drawing good
fresh water from the bottom OF the ocean
Nescport (R. ~ Nesos. II
Sherman 8. Booth, of Milwaukee, editor of
the Free Democrat, has obtained q final victory
in the series of suits growing out of his connec-
ton with the fugitive slave case. His press
and other property had been attached to satisfy
the judgment Of the United States court against
him for assisting the slaves of one Garland to
their freedom. Judge Macarthur has released
the property from attachment, taking the posi-.
ton, that as the Supreme Court of Wisconsin
has declared the fugitive slave law unconstitu.
tionsl, q penalty for damages under that law is
not collectable.
M. Felix Belly, the Frenchman whose nego.
tiations in Nicar aqua have causei some ankle
ty, sailed from New York in <ke Persia on
Wednesday. He says he shall soon return and
take steps for the commencement of the inter.
oceanic canal across Nicaragua, in the feast.
bility Of which he has the utmost confidence.
He can see no reason why Americans should
be hostile to the scheme, as the canal will as
sist our commerce more than that of any other
nation.
The New York Times says that the cargo of
African apprentices which had been recently
taken from q French vessel, andI returned to
Monrovia, are supposed to have been freed
slaves sent from this country to Liberia The
surgeon of the French ship says they we're
shipped by consent of the President of Liberia,
and could nearly all read and write. If this
be 30, the Colonization Society of this country
should look to it. 1t would be hardly worth
while to 20 to the expense Of sending freed
slaves from this country to Liberia, to have
them immediately shipped, by consent Of the
agents of the Society, into worse state of ap-
prentice slavery in the colonies of France.
Such is the poisoned and filthy state of the
Thames, at London, that FISH are sickened, and
become 90 helpless that they can be taken out
18th the banda On he;no nlaced in nure M