The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-02-20
The News.

BY the mails received at New Orleans from Vera
Cruz to the 10th inst we learn that the army of
Miramon that was advancing on that city consisted
of ak thousand men with fifty.two pieces of ar
tillery. Juarez had five thousand men, and two
hundred and fifty pieces Of artillery, and was
making active preparations for the defence of the
city.
The De Soto arrived from Havana yesterday
with advices to the l4th inst The Quaker City,
with dates to the 18th inst, came into port last
evening. The coolie trade had been sus-
pended by government order, and, as it
was to fully expire within the present year, re-
newed energy was given to the direct traffic in
slaves from Africa. A large steamer with three
other vessels had cleared for the coast-the steamer
leaving port under circumstances which promoted
the idea of official connivance at her departure.
Freights were improving. Sugar was coming
freely to market, but rates had not altered Elk.
change on New York (sixty days) was at from two
to three per cent Some very useful import orders
had been issued by the Captain General.
Dates from Porto Rico are to the LIST inst The
Inhabitants were enthusiastically answering the
proclamation Of the Captain General of Cuba,
calling for aid to defray the expenses of the
Spanish war with Morocco, and the contributions
at St Johns amounted TO ssh 600.
Files Of the Official Gazette of St. Domingo
had been received at Havana TO the 2lst ult, but
they contain scarcely anything of general interest.
The Senate had assembled and was discussing the
law to reform the tariff on imports aud exports of
June 1855. All articles TO the letter B had been
discussed and approved on the 18th of January.
The Virginia Democratic Convention. which ad.
journed on Saturday, adopted a resolution pledg
ing themselves to support the nominee OF the
Charleston Convention. After the Convention had
adjourned, mass meeting was held and resolutions
adopted recommending concerted State action a
measure of security for State rights, and that vir-
GINA should respond favorably to the invitation OF
South Carolina by the appointment Of q commits
Bioner to united Southern conference.
Saturday night was one Of the toughest ever
known on the Sound. At Boston severe Snow
storm set in during the afternoon, and later in the
day was succee led by rain and hail. The New York
trains via Fall River Stonington and Norwich left
the city at the usual hour, but the Bay State steam
boat of the Fall River line, was the only one that
had succeeded in getting through at noon yester
day. The Bay State left Fall River at 1890 P. N
on Saturday, encountered a furious storm from
NV, but arrived at her pier in New York at eleven
o'clock yesterday morning.
The new Broadway Tabernacle was densely
crowded last evening to hear q discussion by the
pastor, Rev. J. o. Thompson, on the subject of mo
dern spiritualism. He pronounced, in the most
unqualified terms, modern table tipping and kim
bred spiritual manifestations. humbuggery, mainly
got up for money making purposes The discourse
which occupied over an hour, seemed to meet with
general approval.
A discourse in behalf of foreign missions was de-
livered yesterday afternoon at the North Baptis,
church, corner Of Christopher and Bedford streets.
by Rev. William Ward, returned missionary from
Assam, province in India where he has labored
for the past elk years. The reverend gentleman
represented the condition of the Assam Mission a.
being in very uuprosperous condition. and
earnestly pressed its claims upon the attention of
HIS auditors. Assam contains a population OF
nearly two million souls, with only three mission