The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-04-08

duce to Slavery an intelligent free colored
woman has just come to light here. As we
learn, the circumstances are briefly these:
man named Thomas Radcliffe, an Eng
lishman, of Toronto, c. W., arrived in this CITY
on Friday of last week, in company with a
colored woman, also from Toronto, who had
accompanied him with the intention of going
into the restaurant business in this city. They
stopped at the Massasoit House, the woman,
Hannah Blackson, passing as his servant.
a"soon after their arrival, the fellow Radcliffe
made known to fellow named Burke, of this
city, that he was on his way to St. Louis with
| tAe woman Blacksop, an experienced cook,
Who would bring handsome sum; that all
their baggage had been sent through to St.
Louis; that if Burke would 90 with him, he,
Radcliffe, would return to Toronto for a yellow
| girl, whom he would persuade to join Hannah
here. and the two would sell for high prices.
"Burke divulged the fact to some colored
people, among whom the report spread like
wild fire, and on Monday evening they came to
| the Massasoit House, and caused Hannah to &C.
company them. Radcliffe took the alarm and
went of, no clue to his present whereabouts
existing.
"Hs had induced the woman to trust him
with her watch, baggage checks, and 5000 in
money, and she is left penniless here. 1t is to
be hoped that the scoundrel will yet be arrest.
ed. The woman vii! return to her friends in
Canada. Chicago Journal.
| The auditor of public accounts of Virginia
reports that the amount to be added to the pub.
lie debt of the State under acts of the last and
present sessions of the Legislature, will be
81, 925, 800; but that it will not be necessary to
increase the State taxes 10 meet the liabilities
| growing out OF the recent appropriations. The
present rate of taxation is sufficient to meet all
| the ordinary expenses of the Government, and
| produce a surplus annually of more than four
hundred thousand dollars.
A letter from Rome, of the 18th February.
says;
in the last hundred years. The weather has
been dry, but unprecedentedly cold, and aged
and sickly people are dying in consequence in
great numbers. Almost the entire population
is afflicted with the influenza"
The Gozetta di Genoca learns from Alexan.
dria, in Egypt, that the valley of the Nile was
covered in January with snow, and the pyra.
mids for the first time reminded the traveller
of the snow-capped peaks of the Alps.
From Venice we learn,- under date of 18th
February, that " the present winter has, as far
as the city of the Lagoons is concerned, com.
pletely falsihed the traditionary theories re-
specting the temperature of southern ATTITUDES.
The grand canal and the Giudecca are filed
with huge masses of ice, and the streets are
obstructed by drifting w."-Ecening Post.
According to the Journal of Commerce, the
imports of foreign goods at the port of New
York for the month of March are $3,60O,l7
less than for the same period of last year,
&6 lax 500 Lac Co. Moroh
$500, 235 less than the very small total received
in the same period of 1855. The Withdrawals
from warehouse are twice as large as for the
same period of either of the previous two years,
while the entries for warehousing have been
very light. The Journal adds:
"We look for larger comparative receipts
during the ensuing month, although it is hardly
probable that the gain will be as rapid as many
seem to anticipate The total receipts of foreign
dry goods for the nine months of the current
fiscal year are S58, $50, 558, against S78 894,428
for the same period of the preceding year, and
$68, 1874, 032 for the nine months ending April
Let, 1885,"
Before the New Orleans Della calls for i'm
mediate dissolution, it should inquire how many
armories we have in the South what ia the
| number of swords, pistols, rifles, muskets, and
cannon, fit for use in the Southern States how
many powder mills there are south of the Pc
tomac, &C.? Disunion will produce revolu
ton, and arms are as necessary for the defence
of the Southern chivalry as for any other war
riors. If we are prepared, we fear no foe; but
before we engage in a battle, we should see il
| we have the necessary means for carrying on
| the war.-NorJolk Argus, March IL.
The method by which the Free State Legis
| IL. r - r. Il
| famous Lecompte and Cato is one of the rich
est bits of legislative action in the history OF
the country. The work was accomplished BY
| bill redistrictipg the Territory for judicial
purposes. By this bill, the Territory is divided
into three districts-the first of which lies west
of the sixth principal meridian, and north OF
the fourth standard parallel; the second lies
| west of the same meridian, and south of the
same parallel; and the third district lies east OF
the sixth meridian. Lecompte is assigned the
| first district, Cato the second, and Williams
the third. The third district embraces all and
more than all the settled and civilized portions
of the Territory, while the districts assigned to
Lecompte and Cato are inhabited by Indians
and wild beastsl The people to whom LIE
compte will in future administer justice will
| be the Cheyennes, Pawnees, Picts, and divers
tribes of the famous Dahcota or cut-throat fam
| ily-whiIst the jurisdiction of Cato will embrace
Utshs, Snakes, Rootdiggers, Apaches, Ca
manches, DC.
| To add to the severity of this joke, the judg.
es are required to live within their districts
and to hold four terms of court each year, with.
in six miles of their respective geographical
centres-otherwise they are liable to fine OF
one thousand dollars and imprisonment for one
year, on conviction before the court of the
third district, or any other county probate
court. They are required to take up their res
| idence within their districts within thirty days
after the passage of the bill and every thirty
days thereafter that they are absent from their
| districts to be considered a distinct offence.
The practical effect of this act will be either
to compel Cato and Lecompte to resign, or take
up their residence in the Douglas county jail
LosoeH Ne,os.
Some of the newspapers have assaulted Sen
ator Cameron, of Pennsylvania, most uni Justly,
for pairing off" upon the Lscompton question
with Senator Davie, who was sick. Mr.. Cam
\ attacks, and he does 80 handsomely and to the
| point. He says:
| al certainly would have been censurable, if
| it were true that Col Davis could not have been
present to vote but such is not the fact. He
| had determined to come to the Senate, against
the advice of his physician, and notwithstand-
! ing the fears of bis family. To prevent him
| from doing 80, q mutual friend came to me with
an appeal. 1t was bad day; had been on
| intimate terms with him since entered the Sen
ate in l845, and could not hesitate 10 do an
act of grace to friend, knowing that the re.
suit could in no manner be affected by the loss
of vote on each side, while my refusal might
endanger his life; and believing, too, that
had character enough, won in the contest thus
far, to do good act, without mourning the
| censure of good men, While have omitted