Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-11-24
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

by the municipal authorities Of
W ashington for Thanksgiving" most bust
ness in this city will be suspended. To afford
the little army of employees of the Star once
m opportunity to participate in the ceremonies
that day. As nearly all the churches will be
open, We advise oil to attend some onsor other
Of them in the forenoon. We are no advocate
FOR the substitution of the observance Of
y thanksgiving day" for that of the anniver-
nary Of the birth Of the Saviour of Man, and re-
)oics that the authorities throughout the South
have very generally refused, on this occasion,
to lend the weight Of their countsnance to the
innovation. While there will doubtless be
many capital sermons preached tomorrow, and
many Of our fellow-citizens will be greatly ed
flied by them, thousands Of laboring persons
among Us will lose days wages, which they
can i'll spare, iadeed, and with great reluctance,
and, besides, will be induced to spend need
lsssly as much moro Of their scsnty means;
and more strycLnine will pass into Washington
stomachs in the course of the day and evening,
than ordinarily in q week. Entertaining this
belief, 1t is not wonderful that We do not fancy
the domestication of this New England custom
In thisregion.
TIE OVERLAND MAIL-Ws have frequently
taken occasion to explain the Importance of the
overland mail contracts to the general interests
Of the country. If the progress of the agricul-
tura settlements westward from Iowa, Mis-
souri,, Arkansas and Texas, and eastward from
California and Washington and Oregon Terri
tories, is matter of vast national import, it Is
certainly true, then, that that which is their
surest protection and the greatest promoter of
their swift extension is a matter in which all
patriotic men should feel alike interested. We,
therefore, hail the triumph of the vsr.ous
overland mail arrangements between our Mis-
sissippi valley and Pacific slope settlements as
perhaps the most i'm ortant industrial achieve
ments Of the era, SO far as the future of cur
country at large is concerned.
Yet, though we may at this far-off point phi.
losophise and speculate upon their results in
time to come, few here can really appreciate the
benefits they confer on those in the almost
wilderness regions they are designed to ac-
That they already feel keenly
their advantages may be inferred from tho
fact that, in all quarters of California, the
people are assembling and passing such reso-
buttons as the following-the first series having
been adopted by the citizens of Santa Clara on
the 14th ult., and the second by those of San
Francisco shortly afterwards:
FIRST SERIES
heSotrsd, That the people Of Santa Clara view
with pride the successful establishment of the
overland mail routes, and ball the event as one
UiV linn NIL
ton to the Pacific shores
RssO!red, That the establishment of the various
routes now In successful operation, will have a
!enaency 70 encourage the speedy projection Of
the racine railToad, the consummation Of which
VIII serve TO connect more closely, the cherished
homes Of ourt'fatherland, - with the sons ard
daughte Of the Pacific coast
RssoIred, That the Hon. A. V. Brown Post.
master General, in his wise policy In the man.
agement Of the Department under his charsc and
ior bis untirng efforts to give the people Of Cali
fornia speedy Communication across our CONT
nent, deserves cur heartfelt gratitude.
SECOND SERIES
Resolved, That the people Of San F rancisco, in
mass meeting assembled, esteem the .uccessft,l
OF the Overland Mail routes as the
Of the most important work bitb
erto attempted for the developing Of the wealth
ana permanent prosperity Of our possessions on
the Pacific coast
Rs.o!rsd, That the emancip patton Of the people
OF California from the thraldom of the only speedy
routes hitherto available, the necessity Of whose
use has subjected our citizens to the danger. and
privatons Of sea travel and oft-repea,ed fndiyni-
lies and wrongs from semi-civilizsd foreign gov
10 hailed with sentiments of Soy and
OF gratitude TO those by whose energy and in
domitaoie Perseverance go glorious a result has
been achieved.
RESOLVED, That the Hon A. ". Brown. Post.
master General in his oficia acts presents laims
to our consideration Of no ordinary character, in
,he successful result we now celebrate in the es-
"a =. punishment OF the various lines OF communca-
The TREASURY RErURSs.-The footing.up
Of the Treasury returns, for the first quarter
Of the current fiscal year, which ended on the
Soth Of September, shows the receipts to have
been s25, 250, SI9, while the disbursements for
the quarter were SCI, 7OO,1 7S; leaving bal
ance, in favor Of the Government, Of over
three and q half millions. When We take into
consideration that the country is just emerging
from one OF the most extensive and severe Pc
RODS Of financial embarrassment ever known,
and that trade is far from having resumed its
wonted activity, it would seem that the appre.
tensions Of those who contend that the present
tariff is inadequate to afford . sufficient rev.
enue, and that another loan will be essential,
are not we'll grounded.
1t may be urged that the receipts into the
Treasury during tho first quarter of the fiscal
year always exceed those Of subsequent quar-
ters; and that the data is not, therefore, reli-
able. But while this is admitted, the friends
of the present tariff may urge, with equal pro-
priety, that the excess Of expenditures is fully
proportionate to that of the receipts. Judging
from these circumstances, the predictions Of
Washington correspondents, that Secretary
Cobb will recommend an increase Of the tariff,
appear to have no good foundation; and from
what we are able to gather, we cannot believe
that any important changes will be urged
Congress may receive suggestions to modify
certain tariff provisions in order to render the
system more perfect, but these will not DO suf-
fcient to have any marked effect on commerce
generally. -
PASSPORTS TO NIcARAGUA-0n account Of
the sta temen is made by some of those who sought
to sail to Nicaragua in the "Alice Painter"
from Mobile, that they were furnished with
passports by Senior lrisarri, the Nicaraguan