Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-08-10
-9 ~
Letter from New York.
Correspondence Of the Richmond EMqulTe'.I
New York, Aug. Z, 1861,

It is strange that among all the NOISY crowd
who went on her to Cape May, the press en-
ployed no one properly qualified to give a prac-
ticablc account of the working oil the ship
that is OF sufficient engineering skill to de-
scribe the working Of immense engines, to tell
ne how many revolutions were made, and to
watch her speed and motion to describe the
working Of the apparatus for correcting the
cratic movements of the mariners compass,
of the working Of telegraph apparatus for com.
munication between the pilots and the engineers,
and of the new, ingenious and powerful steer
ing apparatus, and give the angles Of the ships
motion. fore and aft, ON the main deck, in the
eneiue.roums, below, and amid ship. Instead
Of Supplying any practical information of this
kind, we were treated with whole columns oil
stuff about ''eatables," and "drinkables, and
sleep. Like Sancha Panza, they had gone on
a sort OF en- aeaxse Knight Errantry, and expect,
ed to find Il blessed man who "inrented steep
with ice water 10 prepare them for It's ENJOY
ment. So that, practically speaking, we were
far better informed about the stomachs ana APP
petites Of the cxcursionists, than about any
thing appcrtaining to or tending 10 iAnstrale
the workings of the greatest experiment OF inc
agc. .n
To cap the climax Of absurdity. = New York
LEGAL firm who wisl. 10 have their names adFer.
,ised, have actually brought suit in behalf Of
the assjr,aes of some mad cap inventor against
the Great Eastern, for IN infringement Of pa
tent. and claims $780, 600 damages. The plain
lifts declare that twelve years ago, they obtain
cd . patent for propclling a steamer by a pro-
peller combined with paddle wheels. Now ever
since the screw was first brought TO notice,
twenty years ago, up to 1860, projectors nave
talked of combining the screw and paddle
wheels. and propositions OF the KIND have been
frequently published, even before the assumed
dates of the patents. One proposition was dis
cussed by Mr.. Brunei to have two sets oil pad
pie wheels, driven by separate engines, retain
ing the screw propeller at the stern; and not q
doubt existed that such an addition to her
steam power would greatly accelerate the speed
of the Great Eastern, but which might render
steeragc more difficult. Suppose such q patent
as hat claimed valid, what has the claimantto
gain by such q suit: Patents arc given for
fourteen years, twelve Of which according
to their own showing have already expired;
it, therefore can have but two years to
run. 1t will probably, if persisted in,
take over two years to decide the suit, before
which the patent will have expired. If the
patent is so valuable, why has it laid dormant
in the United States until now? Why was
not som boat during the twelve years built to
demonstrate its advantages? The whole thing
NAV be considered IA dodge" to gain uotoriety
for the assumed p~atentec, or his assignees and
his lawyers.
Accounts from the South regarding the in
Jury inflicted on the corn and cotton crops by
the severe drought are very discouraging.
The belief generally prevails that under no
circumstances will Il crop Of cotton he pro:
duced thiss year equal to that of last. Esti-
mates are made as low as 100000 bales,
when few or none 60 above !, 900, 900. These
are facts our Euporean customers have yet to
learn. The ~coEsumptivc capacity OF the world
has overtaken the labor available for produc.
ton. The past cotton year, which ends on the
91st instant, has proven that the world can
consume ut remuncratiyc prices the enormous
yield of 4, Loo, 600 bales, Of the value OF
1920, 900, 600. Hence, should the present
crop fall short of that Of last year of from
GOO, 900 to 900, 900 bales, one Of two things
must happen. viz: the consumption must be
reduced, or prices materially enhanced. The
latter alternative depends upon the prcScrra-
ton of peace at home and abroad.
France and England present 10 the world
the anomaly Of 4 warlike peace, or Of armed
amity and friendship. They go as allies to.
gethcr to conquer terms Of peace in China
They stand aloof from Naples and C'arabaldi.
They shake hands over treaties OF reciprocal
free trade, yet beneath the whole and in the
back ground there are seen grand armies,
grand fleets, Minnie rifles, Armstrong guns
and volunteer rifle corps, with vast fortilica-
tons on both sides Of the channel. While
Louis Napoleon processes attachment to the 'en-
tentc cordinle," he keeps 500, 900 troops in the
field and goes on to multiply vessels Of war and
10 erect forts, and threatens, like his grand I'M
Gle, to 90 to "poor Syria" and crush out Dru-
scs, Maronites, Arabs, all alike, and to hold the
key to one Of the most important gates to'ln-
dia. This idea has aroused the jealousy OF
John Bull" and Lord Palmerston rising in
his place also declares his devotion to the ALI
ance, vet says he cannot tell "what may hap
pen." France and England are good friends.
They are fighting together against China, and
have Joined hands in free trade, but he asked
the Commons to make a grant Of eli, 900, 00h,
or about $50, 900, 900 to put the English coast
in a complete state OF defence.
Nobody believes that Europe can much long.
cr keep at peace. It is true, as Lord Palmer
s,on states, that nobody will attack or invade
France; but it is not equally true, that France
will not attack somebody else, on the Rhine or
elsewhere. England, though she growled, could
see Savoy annexed to France, and her policy
carried ont in Italian affairs, but she will never
permit her, if power exist in England to pre-.
vent it, 10 occupy Syria, or 10 cross the Rhine.
These points arc the ultima thule Of the
"~catcutc cor1ia7e." But may not Russia and
France come to a bargain about Turkey? I
think not. Russia is almost bankrupt for mo-
nev. md, if the truth was known, France is
not much better.
The drought at the South has alarmed South
ern merchants. Not over half the number have
yet come on that usually appear in the market
at this time Of the year. 1t is believed that
the Southern trade will not amount to much
over half Of what it did the past season. As
merchants Of the South bought freely last year,
and the Southern people being pretty well sup.
piled with goods, they can afford to purchase
less the present year. The worst feature Of the
prospect is, that in the corn crops, in large dis
tricts Of the cotton States, have been greatly
injured, or mcasufably destroyed. The plan.
tiers will be compelled to spend heavy sums OF
money in the purchase OF corn.
l have heard that heavy contracts have al
reGQy Deel llauc II lHc heSC W supply So'ii
at Macon, and other points in the cotton States,
over the railroads connecting those places with
the most successful grain regions Of the West.
There has bccua crazy excitement in stocks,
Yesterday and to-day. Fancy railway shares,
and some other securities, advanced from two
10 five per cent. Bears" have been fright
ened, or have disappeared from the street. The
only mcn seen arc Of the genus "Bulls." The
whole of this absurd speculation arises from
the reported large crops at the West, and the
effect produced in the money market by the
excessive loans Of the Banks, OH what they
term 'call loans" This cannot go OIL much
longer. The tide ere long will take 4 snddcn,
and, ! fear, n disastrous turn.
Look at the Bank returns published to-day,
showing $l30,O00,0n0 loans, with only
about $22,o oo, 900 specie and SS&,oo9, 900
deposits. Notwithstanding they received