The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-08-03

CAhA7s FfNx--Ths term sAsas. 81 4svsS. ost-
sinallr aesienatsd M Abysinian bonn. Beine
very nniSorm in size, and underxoing scarcely
standari 81 WEIGHT, n Africa, for goid, ana II
lAdia Tor diamouds. Each earas was diStde(I
into grains, Of which "a are nearly eqeal -
= rraIns e'Is = , try This system q ssrAss an and
monds But In the case Of gold, the term earaS
implies, not 10 much any actual weight, a. 3
Iracfsonai division, Of which ~ 20 to make q
uHis xtrfHt1.fcHr eayufs fine expresses the
unity OF putc gold, and sienifes, not the spc-
cInS Weignf 0l Hny given mass, but only that
~ lne q imaginary parts into which II may b
supposed to he divided, there ~ no alloy.
1nc goid assayer takes his unit OF tstegey
or X grains troy. This small quantity is most
convenient for purposes Of asr..y. ana these
GUAR numbers are used for convenience Of
colonization. This 8 or l2 grains is called. by
,1 tae English sssayer an assay pound, and is, by
again into quarters and sixteenfhs' The as
sayer OF silver takes IS to 6 grains troy for his
assay pound, ana divides 4 into Is 6,,nces
eacn ounce INTO 70 pennyweiehts, and these
silver assay pound, 4s0 divisions or reporfs and
for the gold assay pound, 3St yepoyfs On the
continent Of Europe the division of the ASSAY
pound for gold IS different from the English.
In the English mint, the term carat er nras..
es no given weight, but merely degrees of fIne.
ness, of which 2t indicates purity. Tbecarat
is sub-disidsd into quarters, and these again
into eighths, making to each carat % parts stss
OF which represent pure gold. =,
These varying. complicated and arf,itrarv
systems are the relict of an age which delight
ed in intricate and perplexing mysteries They
are gradually yielding before the scientific de-
mand for uniform and universal formula q
Instead of each trade having its own peculiar
weights and measures there must come to be
one standard for all business, and ultimately
one for all the leading nations of the earth In.
stead of one measure for cloth. another for
length, and q third for land one measure for
wine, another for beer, and another for rrain !:
one weight for the apothecary, and another for
the grocer; one standard for France a second
for England, and third for America, there
will be ono uniform standard for all based
upon the decimal system
THE GREAT EasTEnS.-This vessel has been
getting on wonderfully during the last few
weeks. The ifon masts rise I22 feet above the
upper deck, and have diameter Of 3 feet 6
inches for height of 70 feet. when they de-
crease gradually to feet inches at the cap
The three wooden masts which are also in
their places, are not built masts, but are single
sticks" The fore and mizen lnasts are lao
feet in height, and they are 81 inches in diam
eter at the deck; the jiggermast is I22 feet in
height, and of the same diameter The trees
which formed these masts were New Zealand
pines. The ship is built in water-tight CON-
partments, and SO completely water-tight are
they, that few days since the foremost one
was filled with six thousand tons Of water.
pumped into ii from the river, and not a drop
escaped into any adjoining portion. The OBJ
ject in pumping this mass Of water into the
fore part of the ship was to bring her down at
the bows, and raise the stern, w<sile they fixed
the screws. This weight brought her down
till, said one of the men, ''her nose touched the
water" She went down eleven feet forward
and was raised seven feet aft; portion of her
keel was, in fact raised out of the water; and
yet, so strongly and SO rigidly is She built that
under this enormous strain the ship did not
defect an inch. The engines fer working the
paddles, 1t is said, may be completed in a week
Everything is in its place, cylinders and pis-
tons, and governors. The engine for working
the screw is in the same state OF forwartlness
and on Thursday week The steam WAS got up
for the first time in the boilers of the screw
engines. The snms which had been expended
on the ship, up to the lime o. its memorable
launch, amounted T. f6inGtt. The Whole ex-
penditure on the ship, UP to the time of its
going to sea, VIII be fo.D,tfUD, and probably
some incidental charges and contingencies viii
bring the whole up to ihe round sum OF
f1,O00,0 ,000.-London paper, July IS.
A PEACE PREGNANT. WITH WAR.--One CT
the first effects of the sndden and isiac
~ PEACE concluded by the Empcrors Of France
and Austria, is TO ronse the inhabitants OF The
towns of the Romagua 10 the most active re-
volutionary movements. These towns have
placed themselves III communication with
Bologna, and q provisional junta has been
formed, to guide the movements of the revolu-
tionists. King Victor Emanuel has refused
the Dictatorship of the Romagna, but his SYM
pathies appear to be warmly in favor of the
insurgents, and he has consented to become
the leader of the revolutionary troops, which
they are raising for war of independence.
The Pope is afraid to send his troops against
these insurgents, lest the scenes which occurred
at Perugia should be repeated. Will France
now step in to quell this insurrection! And il
it does not, what guarantee has the Pope of the
Presidency which has been offereds The Ital-
ians of Romagna have been kept down by the
presence of Prince Napoleon's army. The
French troops removed and the late ally OF
France fomenting the disorders, how is the in.
tegrity of the Papal dominions TO be maintain
ed! Perhaps the French Emperor sees his way
clearly, and has a recipe for all these political
maladies. If he has, he will accomplish more
than any other man would like to attempt with
any prospect of success. The peace evidently
rests upon temporary expediency, and not
upon any sound political principle or the just
rights OF the people, and hence it can last only
SO long as force can main it, with warrine
elements continually At work to cause Its
rupture at any Observation-Disclosures Ledger
MILITARY VIsIToRs.-The corps Of Rich.
mond Greys, of Richmond, Va, design visit
ing New York, and will pass through this city
on the l2th of August, via the Virginia Cen.
trail Orange and Alexandria, and the w ashlng
ton branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail
road. The company will leave Richmond ol
the night of the 18th inst, arriving in Balti
more at 6:30 on the morning of the i3th. The,
will be received at the Camden station by
portion of the military of this city, (the bat
talion of City Guards, prohably,) and be con
Quoted to the Eutaw House, where they will
breakfast and depart in the 9H O'Clock train OF
the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baitinor'
Railroad, e. route for their destination, thus
aTording time for a parade through the streets
here The Richmond Greys number about .:
muskets and have more than local rePuta
ton as a practiced corps OF soldiery-'BaH
Sun.
PosT-OFFIcE AFFAIRs.-A new post-offlc.
is established at Baynesyille, Westmorelant
county, Va, and Washington Bayne appoint
ed postmaster. Directly on the route from
Fredericksburg and Warsaw.
Appointnrenss.-Haryey M. Ratlif postmas
ter at Grundy, Buchanan county, Va, vice =
w. Kelly, moved away Chas. VuiiilaM posi-
vice M. H. Ewing deceased. Robert r. Lib'
pos ostmaster at Lexington, Nelson county, va.
| vice R. B. Stratton. Edm'd w. Garrison
| postmaster at Pleasant Ridge, Princess Ann'
| county, Va, vice A. b. C. Fisher, resigned
| Stephen Gore postmaster at Ironvilie, Taze
| we'll county, Va, vice Henry Parker, resigned
| At Clark, Mercer county, Va, David Hem y
| appointed postmaster, vice T. W. wood. re
| signed.
| NEUROLOGY OF 1S59.-This year will be a
| remarkable as was 1882 for the decrease OF {
great number of eminent men. Already II
| six months we make the following record =
! Prof. Olmsted, astronomer; DIR. AbDott, anu
/ auarian; Alexander Won Humboldt, phll9so
! pher; VIM II. Prescott, historian DIR. J
! Nichols, divine; DIR. Abbot do; Counsello
| Phillips, orator; Joseph Sturge, phiianthro
| pist; Henry Haliam, historian; Robert Waisn
l literature Thomas X. Harvey, poet DIR. Ken
| dali. divine; Mrs. Jane Locke. poet; LADY
| Morgan, literature; Madame Bosio, singer
| Chas Leslie, painter; DIR. Baily, editor Princ'
| Hetternich, statesman; Sir Jamsetsee .lee]eeo
j hoy. East India philanthropist; Rufus Choate
! lawyer Hon. Richard Rush.-NeW York Eras
| gssisi.
/ BARBARIc TROOPS ron THE BRITISH ARMY
| The adoption of the Zouayes and Turcos inta
| the French army, and their successes agains
/ European troops, have incited the british gov
ernment to attempt the orgAnlzation oi slnlIa ]