Litchfield enquirer., 1858-01-21

The nomination of Mr. Clifford as associate United States Judge has been at last confirmed by the Sen. ate by the smallest vote imaginable: had not two been no trouble in dispcsing of him, and his an pointment to such a position as United States Judge is really as severe blow npon the honor of the country anything that has transpired during MT. Buchanan's administration There is no oues tion to his lack of legal acumen-eyen Chief J,s tice Fancy has once given opinion to lis want of ability and yet in the face of the testimony of tb entire bar of his native State regarding his tency, and his standing there also that of second rate country lawyer, he is forced upon the people Anything for slavery The South knows he will be a good tool in their hands, and what matters it what his ability may be, provided he can be made to subserve to their ends {?
 CAL1foRNlA.-The steamship Star of the West. from Aspinw:.ll, the 4th, arrived at New York shortly after 9 clock Wenesday evening with the California mails to the 21st of December and s1- coo 900 in specie on freight, and S1S6 GOO by. the passengers. The Star of the West connected with the Golden Gate. which sailed from San Francisco on the afternoon of the 2lst uIt, with upwards of $2. .OG0 O00 of specie about 500. coo Lf wki.h was on an English account es
 The California news contains feature of Ofstrikng interest Copious rains had fallen all over the State. The journals give glowing accounts of the success of the miners. ''' ..''
 The Mormons having all left San Bernatdino for Salt Lake, their farms were being sold at ruin ous sacrifice. ..
 The Mariposa [Fremont's ranch is to be sold for taxes. It was assessed at about S700 coo, and the taxes amount to S70,000.
 A street affray occurred in Sacramento. on the 17th of December between Charles A. Sulancr, a son of Increase Sumner of Great Burlington Mass, and Henry Shipley, graduate of Amherst College. in 1850. editors of the Republican and the Slate Jour nal respectively and Mr. Sumner was La,lly beaten
 Six hundred Chinese sailed from San Fralu isco in the first week of December.
 Sandwich Island dates to the 18th of Novem- Der. There eighty vessels at Honolulu. The Honolulu papers state that the arrival of whalers at that port has been greater the past year than in 1856. There fifty whalers in that port. and as many more at other ports in the Islands It is esti mated that the catch is about $50 barrels to each vessel The American ship. John Sand sailed for New Bedford on the 7th of November. with the most valuable cargo dsI Iatched from Honolulu being valued at S634000
 Oregon dates are to 5th of December. There was doubt entertained to the acceptance by the pepple of the recent constitution.
 HORRIBLE MURDER AT PooLvrLLE. N Y-The Utica Telegraph of Jan. l2, publishes the follow ing startling letter written by MT. John H. Frau cis, and dated Hamilton, N. Y., Jan. 12, 1858:
 A tragedy uuequalled in the annals Of crime, occurred al Thompson's Mi Is, about five mi e. southeast of Hamilton village, on Sunday night Jared Comstock and Clarissa his wife. were hrn- ally murdered by their own son, William Cnm- stock The murderer was arrested by officer Fucker on warran, issued by Justice Peck. about o'cork, A. M yesterday. The parricide is man thirty-seyen years old. about five feel seven inches in height. His clothing was be- smeared with blood when found. He has always resided with his parents in this town. and is un- married. He had been drinking hard for so,nr time and is evidently laboring under the effect Of monid c potu ? He conversed calmly in relation to the awful deed. mhntesting no concern for himself speaking of the manner in which he deprived his parents of life. as if he had been butch+ring hogs He says. for about four or five days something seemed to tell him he must have a number of henFas !: this was repeated to him many times during the day :; he seemed to live in Shrrbun,e. and d wire came over the hill connecting with the room. tpIl- ing him he must have number of hearts some one " ho lived in Sherburne seemed to telegraph for them. "Three four days ago. attempted to kill my father 10 get his heart. Yesterday went again, pared an axe in the room, intending if could find my brother anG his wife siitin. down. 10 kill them both at once. It seemed as ii l I must have both their hearts hut did not find them situated. Ahnut dark went over to my fa,h-f's and found him and my mother sitting |; she was sewing. immediately struck her with skillet on the head, and brnke it. then struck my father he bead three or four times with the remains of the skillet, and attempted to gel, the axe. After knocking my father down, go, the axe and cut cut their he, ris and put them in the stove and burned them The voice seemed to tell me that the hearts must be burned After the deed l washed my hands. and after remaining in the house short time, left and went down to A. Gus,ing's. ...s-. When arrived, found my brother and his wife there visiting. l told them had some fresh meat up 10 fathers. After remaining short time, l went down to the house of Harmon Gustin. and told them to get ne quart of cider and bottle, and after obtaining it. left for my fathers house without mentioning any thing concerning the deed On arriving lay down upon the lounge, near my father and mother. and slept for some time (dnti near m 'rning} On awaking l. left tie house, and met several persons coming to- | wards it. l do not recellect whom 1 had inform. ed of the deed previous to this. As they ap- preached me some sad. " Here is Bill" This was ahou, eieh, rods west of my fathers. They | asked me what had been doing. told them was none of their business. Part of the compa- ny held me while company of them went 10 the house. and afterwards they took me to Poter's, where was arrested.
 Dnfing the night alter the deed attempted to end my own life, and thus close the tragedy. afterwards nt 10 my brother's house to hirn and his wife. I kicked the panels of the doors in. but they had gone away''
 THE ROCHESTER MYsrERY-The trial of John B Robertson at Rochester, New York, for an al- l legged attempt to poison his wife, is now in pro- gfess. It is peculiar and remarkable case Mr. Robertson is man of character and property, and Was apparently happy in, his domestic rela- tions. The stri' us charge does not come from his wife or her friends, but it is understood that she still lives with him and has entire confidence in him. Yet the evidence against him is appa renlly very strong It appears that he a, several times applied to Dr. Brigler, fson of Dr. Beiger. now in prison for seduction and abortion ending in dea,h.) for medicine tha, would aggravae the illness of his wife and tend to produce death by ap"plexy. that Dr. Beigier disclosed the facts to the district attorney. and that at his suggestion