Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-02-04

lSJf, o,i'i,o'- '
The amount Of $9.320,O0O put down rs the
import and export of Great Britain in lS1i.
was exclusive of her African colonial trade Of
Sl.42l.sGj with Sierra Leone, and with her
gold coast and river Gambia possessions OF
sI547.2S5, and with South Africa and Cape OF
Good Hone : .3S3, 900 morc-making 4 grand
aggregate Of the amount above stated.
The trade on the part of the United States,
in 1855, amounted to 50, 7l3.43a, and, accord
ing TO the above return. our trade in 1857 only
amounted to 81, 392. 000--lcss in amount than
it was in 1851, six years prerions!y-a poor
recompenSe for the expenses of our squadron
on the coast. The people Of Liberia buy their
cotton fibricS. hardware, and other goods, from
England.
The Comptroller of this city has brought TO
light existing and unSatiStied judgments against
the CITY 10 the amount of over 5000, 600. which
must 70 into the tax levy Of the present year.
The ShcriT's fees of this city and county
amounted last year to about S22,oOO; the
comfy clerks fees have been estimated at over
100000 per annum: the corporation attor-
news fees a. some $50, 700; besides fabulous
amounts received By other officials. :. reSolu-
ton offered in the Legislature to investigate the
amounts thus received, has thus far been sue
c~cssCnllv resisted. Who can deny the lniiu-
cncc Of 1.-The almighty dollar Some desire
that fixed salaries shall bc substituted. and the
surplus be transferred to the City treasury;
but the kerhcs say no!
Professor Mitchell concluded his brilliant
course Of lectures on Astronomy on Saturday
evening last. at the Academy of Music, before
q crowded and intelligent auditory. He stated
that the moneys lie received that night wonld
be contributed to the Observatory over which
he presided at Cincinnati. The subject on
which he diScoursed was the "sTELLA Uni
VERSE" Many portions Of his lecture were
trulv sublime, and VIC have no hesitation III
ranking him as the greatest popular lecturer
il has ever been our lot to listen to. lie de-
tailed what progress had been made in search
ing for that centre in spacc-call it gravitatlon
or what else it may bc-around which the mil
lions Of suns and worlds. in millions Of years,
have their revolutions. though moving in Some
kind Of immense orbits at inconcei vable vclo-
cities. No central sun, or sign Of any. had
been reached by the telescope. which could be
imagined to fulfil the function to the system Of
suns and planets which stretch through uni
versal space, that our sun fulfls in regard to
our system &c planets. That q movement Of
the suns or fixed stars, with the dependent
worlds which surround them. arc .iOurneying
OH a vast circuit through universal space, re-
gula.cd ny 4 great common centre OF gravita-
ton, attraction. or power. has been inferred
from observations made regarding the Plciadcs
and Of Binary stars or double suns. The pro-
bable whereabouts Of that great centre of the
Universe. around which countless worlds and
their progeny of worlds rcvolvcd, or the figures
they described in their orbits, whether clipti.
cal, round. or in n straight line. no human
contrivance or calculation had yet been able to
solve. Though science may hereafter, whether
in one hundred or one thousand years, be able
to the finite mind of man.
The Professor contrastcd the great aid afford
ed TO modern Astronomers, by the application
of electromagnetic AMI electrical telegraphs.
By the use of time registers. regulated by the
former. thousand parts of seconds could be dn-
" recorded and estimated. And, by the latter,
the exact longitude Of places could be recorded.
In answer to the question. when looking into
the starry concavc Of the Heavens, did all this
come bv chance: lie exclaimed 'mo." The
whole was created and regulated by the will OF
an Almighty Supreme Being. dwelling eternal
" in the IIcavens-thc unknown God, whom
Paul proclaimed TO the Greeks OH Mars hill
amidst the statues and temples of Athens, raised
by the genius and pride OF man to their divini-
ties. including a temple 10 the unknown God,
whom the Apostle announced to them rs SUI
prc,nc over all. His pcrsonation was truly sub
lime. and its conclusion drew forth three hearty
cheers from the whole audience.
Our French fellow-citizcnS have nearly COM
plcted their neat and appropriate Theatre on
Broadway, opposite Niblo'S.
The German population have for some time
supported n respectable Theatre in the Bowcry.
near Canal street, and have one or more Of
smaller dimensions and less repute, in other To-
calilieS. NihIo has Somc new enterprise in view.
lie has purchased four vacant lots at the North
West corner Of t;h avenue and 23d street. ut n
cost Of $4,000. Some suppose that he intends
to erect n new Theatre or Opera House on
them. Madison Square is fast becoming the
centre of the upper part Of the city. An i'm
lnenSe hotel, faced with white marble, which
covers the ground about 200 feet square, facing
the square, and six stories high is drawing to-
wards completion. 1t extends on Broadway
and fhh avenue from Esd to oath street, 300
feet, and in the rear on oath and odd streets,
200 feet deep. When finished it will be the
largest hotel in America. if not in the world
1t has been erected BY Mr.. Emo, of the large
CRY goods house of Emo. Roberts 4 Co, who
made a large amount of money when the Cali
fornia gold deposits were first discovered. The
house has been leased, we understand, to a Mr..
Stevens, who expects to open it to the public
some time during the present year. It occu.
pics one of the most commanding and most
beautiful situations in the city. Niblo's new