The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-04-15
GENERAL SUMMARY.

At WATERFOWL, IN. Y. on Sunday morning
last, three prisoners, by feigning sickness, got
the taller. Mr. Barker, in their power, gagged
and bound him, and locked him in q cell. This
done, they robbed him of his money and the
KEYS of the prison, and were calmly taking their
leave. when they were brought up ell stand
ing ly beholding the jailor's little wife point
ing at them through railing loaded revolt
YER, and calmly informing them that she would
put a bullet through the first man who attempt
ed to come forward. parley ensued, in which
the prisoners threatened to kill her husband II
she did not let them pass out but she avowed
her determination to fire upon them the mo-
ment one attempted to pass the door, and held
them at bay for about half an hour, when help
arrived, and they were driven back to their cell.
The excessive rains at the South have caused
overhows at some points on the Mississippi,
Arkansas, and Red rivers. At Napoleon, the
water is higher than it was in 1874, when there
were numerous and serious crevasses in the
levee, and many fine plantations were ruined
by the deposit of sand and mud. The back
water of the Arkansas is said to extend eighty
miles from its mouth.
A despatch dated at New Orleans, on the
10th instant, says that the present rise in the
Mississippi is the highest ever known, and the
whole country on both sides, from Napoleon to
Lake Providence, is submerged, and immense
damage has been done. A crevasse is feared,
but precautions are being taken to prevent it.
The Philadelphia Argus says that tele-
graphic dispatch has been received in that city,
stating that the Navy Department is about to
forward orders to Commodore Stewart, to COM
mence the work on the frgate Congress, now
lying at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
Several Americans from Massachusetts, who
are now in Sebastopol, are thinking seriously,
it seems, of settling there. Every encourage
ment is offered by the Governor of the place
and the Russian Government. In fact, it would
seem that the Russians are we'll aware of the
value of foreigners in building up town on
the border of their vast dominions.
| Canada has just adopted Decimal Curren
cy. The new coins have been prepared at the
English mint, and the first consignment is daily
expected to arrive. The silver coinage consists
of FIVE, ten, and twenty cent pieces Cents have
also been struck. As yet, no quarters have been
coined, but the convenience attending their use
will soon add them to the list. This change will
be an accommodation, not only in Canada, but
also in our frontier States, between whose in
habtants and the Canadians large and increas
ing business intercourse exists.
Rev. Theodore Parker preached upon revi-
walls, at Music Hall, Boston, on Sunday, in his
characteristic manner. he said there was
much in it that was encouraging, but much in
the conduct of it that was profoundly melan.
choly. "The idea of God and religion which
is inculcated, if it should convert everybody,
including the Administration, the Democratic
party, the Supreme Court, and Congress, would
not add one ounce of humanity to the converts,
| h,k- l. IL
morality of the people,"
There has been q revival in progress in Eng
land for many months, constantly increasing,
but more slowly and quietly than here. A Lon.
don correspondent of one of the religious pa
pers writes:
| "You will observe that the religious services
are continued, both at Westminster Abbey and
ct Exeter Hall, and are still attended by crowds.
What good they are doing, of course remains Sc
cret. But that they form part of great and
glorious work, which is now fairly on foot in
this great metropolis, there is no doubt. Since
last year, the services on week days, as we'll as
Lords days, in school rooms, and lecture rooms,
and lecture halls, and upper halls, throughout
the dark places of London, have been rapidly
on the increase, and multitudes, for whose souls
no man formerly cared, have been gradually
brought under gospel influences through means
| of the city missionaries and their superintend.
| ents."
| The body of man named Benjamin Jones,
aged forty nine, belonging to Baltimore, was
found floating in the dock in that city Thurs
day, with marks of violence, indicating that be
had been murdered. The deceased had some
money, and few weeks since he left, as was
understood, for Texas. 1t is supposed that he
was robbed, and then murdered.
The FIVE swords of General Worth have been
conveyed to the New York State Library in AL
bany. Col. Bryan, of the Worth Guards, pre-
scented them for custody, and Governor King
received them on behalf of the regents, to be
kept in the library until the family of the de-
ceased General shall reclaim them. They are
placed in beautiful case, occupying central
place on the floor of the miscellaneous depart
ment of the library.
Samuel Wood sued the proprietors of the st.
Louis Lntelligencer for Sc, 900 damages for Q
libel, in which they accused him of attempting
to obtain the pardon of notorious criminal by
forged documents, and of being an associate Of
thieves and robbers. The defendants plead
the truth in justification, and the jury gave them
the case.
The mass Of the Americans of St. Louis
voted with the Pro-Slavery Democracy at the
recent municipal election. Notwithstanding
this, the Free Soil gain within a year has been
$50 votes.
Wesley Smead, late President of the Citizens
Bank at Cincinnati, was seen one day last week
in the streets, with a roll of bills and paste
pot, putting up notices of sales of his own prop.
erty for the payment of the debts of the bank.
Nathan F. Dixon, Wing member of Con.
gress from Rhode Island from l849 to 1851, is q
Republican member of the new Legislature from
Westerly; and Benjamin b. Thurston, who pre-
ceded and succeeded him in Congress, first a.
Democrat, and then as o Republican, is q
member of the State Senate from Hopkinton
The new law of elections in Rhode Island re-
quires that when more than one person is to be
voted for on the same ticket for the same Office,
the names shall come in the same order; q can.
didate might therefore have all the votes, and
yet lose his election because his name was in
different places on the ticket. This accounts
for the fact that in Providence, where the Re-
only four of the twelve Representatives were cho.
sen, the several candidates running against and
defeating one another.
The Milwaukee Daily Times, started month
since as a Douglas organ, has been discontinued
for want of support.
The full but not official vote of Connecticut
exceeds 10000, but the relative positions of the
two parties is not changed by these later re-
turns, the results in many instances having
been announced by majorities. Mr.. Bucking.
ham has 36,400 and Mr.. Pratt $4,000, and there
are 26l scattering. This must be set down as
the most Calling defeat the Democray of Con.
necticut have ever sustained, as il is also the