Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-12-30
News Of the Day.
"7o shoV the uery age and body Of the TINES.

night since. At Liberty, Texas, during q
storm, the thermometer fell to Is deg. below
Zero There was fair sleighing at Bastrop,
the snow being three inches deep on level
and in some places drifted two feet deep
Three inches Of snow fell at Brenham. The
Winnsboro { La Sun of the 9th inst. says
The juveniles are now enjoying themselves
in skating on the ice in the ponds, which Is
amply thick for the purpose.
A young man named William Greer, in
Wheeling, hung himself last week. No
cause has yet been assigned for the commit
tai Of the deed, except that the deceased has
been deeply interested in the trials and exc
cutions of the lIarper's Ferry insurrectlon-
lists, and has persued carefully everything
coming in his way bearing upon those events
His friends are disposed 10 conclude from
this that his desire tn test the nature of stran-
sulation by hanging. led him to try an ex-
pertinent which terminated fatally.
Bishops Polk, Of La, and Elliott Of Ga,
are now on Sewauee Mountain, Tennessee,
arranging to break ground in laying the cor
ner stone of the new University of the South
which has been endowed with halfa million
Of money Bishop Hopkins, of VI. is with
them, assisting by his rare taste in selecting
the site and laying out the grounds. a
number of comfortable cottages were built
last fall, by the resident engineer, Z. k. Bar
ney.
At the meeting of the National Health
Convention, II member stated that the average
length Of human life is decreasing in New
York and in the United States. and demon
strated our unhealthiness rs compared with
other nations. The causes Of this, he thought
were seen in our indigestible diet, our stInu-
lating drinks, our overwurklng ourselves,
the neglect of proper ablutl"ns. the use OF to-
bacco. and the unparalleled CONSUMPTION OF
drugs.
The increasing number Of inventions, with
the immense monetary interests involved in
questions relating to renewals OF patents and
to interferences, has for years rendered ne
cessary that remedial legislation in the pre-
misses, that partisan agitations in Congress
have hitherto frustrated. The new bill re.
Gently introduced by Senator Mallory, EN-
braces those reforms that the experience OF
the officials ut the Patent Office indicates MS
necessary.
The Union, Wing and American Commit
tee will complete their arrangements in
day or two. They confidently expect to pro-
duce such diversion in favor of conserva-
tive principles as to extiEguish the republi-
can marty even in Massachusetts,. They will,
at least, reduce the party to a mere abolition
party, with an abolition candidate. The alb
clifton wing, Of itself will be impotent for
mischief.
A despatch from Washington says that
lowing to the delay in the organizing OF
the house, no legislation affecting sched-
ues for the next census IL practicable, be.
caus the provision in the act of 1850 requires
the same forms to be adopted, if not altered
by law before the lst of january We
should suppose legislation can remedy The
defect.
An agent of tho Chldren's id Society
has left New York for the West, with com
pany of fifty boys and girls who are to be
provided with homes The party included
another from the Newsboys Lodging House,
a large number of the boys from that instl-
tuition manifesting desire to become farm
ers' boys in the West.
The House Of Representatives in the Legis-
lature Of Nebraska, have passed an "act to
prohibit slavery in the Territory of Ne
braska." The vote was, yeas u nays IL
The negative vote was not vote IN favor OF
slavery, but vote against the passage OF
most unnecessary piece OF buncombe. There
are no slaves in Nebraska, and none are ever
expected to be there.
The Legislature Of Maryland, will meet
at Annapolis on Wednesday next. The
Senate is composed Of twenty-five mem-
bcrs-l2 Democrats and 10 Americans
showing u Democratic majority OF =. The
House of Delegates consists ol seventy-t"ur
members-46 Democrats and - Americans
Democratic majority of Is. Dem. maj on
Joint ballot, 20.
An unusually large number of the people
Of the Liberian republic are now on visit to
the United States, preparing themselves TOR
extended usefulness on their return. Among
these may he named VIM. II. Ealbeck and
IT. w Foster--the first Of whom Is lhhe-
rian by birth. the latter by adoption. They
are attending the medical course OF Yale Col
lege, &c.
Mr.. Cobb, Of Alabama, was 80 enraged At
the sketch of him aud his speech in the New
York Times, that he came into the reporters
gallery on Saturday morning, and called Tor
the Times correspondent, with big cane IN
his hand, but the writer was not to be found
and Of course did not get the Gaming.
The Mormons, according to their own cen
sus, are decreasing in Utah. In 1876 they
numbered $4,000; in 1857 only 3l,O22 and
in 1858 only about 10000. They claim,
however, that they are increasing III the
country at large and in the world
Mr. Clark, L. 5. minister to Guatamala,
would not have issued his protest against
the boundary line fixed by the late treaty
negotiated by Dr. Wyke, had he known that
that the Executive government OF the un'-
ted States had previously assented to that
boundary : to wit: the ri er Soostoon.
The steam sloop-oi-war Narragansett has
lust returned from her second trial trip
She was thoroughly tested by competent Of
6,ers who were on board. and her perform
ances are pronounced very unsatisfactory :
Her machinery is defective. The greatest
speed git out Of her was knots per hour.
Mr.. Rembrandt Peale the venerable ar
fist, whose portrait of Washington, painted