Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-04-05

THE EVENING STAR.
WASHINGTON CITY:
THURSDAY April S, 1850.
Spirit Of the Morning Press.
The Constitution" suggests that the political ante
esdents Of Haskin, Covode d Co., afford proper
subjects Of investigation
The In'eHigenesy is devoted to Congressional
proceedings and news
OTOn Thursday of last week the Custom
House officers at New Orleans made prize of war
boat containing no less than fifty kegs of powder,
which they placed in the keeping Of police off,
GERS. The Crescent asks whether the powder be-
longs to Juarez or Miramon,
IUThe new Pemberton Mill will Il is said
be completed about the LIST of July next. The
building will be larger than the old structure,
which was SO suddenly destroyed. Wooden pill
lars will be substituted for the iron supports in
the old mill. Nearly all the manufactures have
as much as they can DO to supply with sufficient
rapidity their articles Of manufacture.
ID The Democratic District Convention which
met in Easton, on Wednesday, March 18th, cleo
ted Capt E. l.. F. Hardcastle, of Talbot, and
Daniel Fields, Esq, Of Caroline, delegates, to
represent the First Congressional District Of
Maryland In the Charleston Convention. The
Convention was unanimously anti-Douglas. The
delegates 60 to Charleston uninstructed.
Dat Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday, the case
Of Bowers agt. Preston and others, to recover
damages for alternating the affections Of his wife,
has been again decided In the Superior Court, the
jury awarding $500 damages to the plaintiff. 1t
will be remembered 81 900 was the award the
hrst trial. An effort will be made to carry the
ease up to the Supreme Court on writ of error.
BrNroS's GREAT woRk-We are indebted to
the publishers, who send US through their Wash
ington city agent, MIR. 10 Shillington, the 18th,
18th and 18th volumes of the Abridgment of the
Debates Of Congress, from 1889 to 1856. By Thos
n Benton. New York Published by d. Apple
ton Co., $40 and 3is Broadway. These last
published volumes of the series cover the ground
from the last Of March, 1890, to the last Of March
1s3e-nine years of the most eventful times In the
legislative history Of the Confederacy. In them
the seeker after information concerning the early
Legislative history Of mes. Of the questions tina,
divide the country now, concerning that OF
other questions out of which those of this era may
be said to have grown, will find 1t far more con-
cissy and practically set forth in them than in any
other work extant. That, however, has been the
peculiar Characteristic great work of Benton
from the commencement Of the first volume. to the
close of the 18th, now laying open before We
have been more and more surprised, as our exam.
tnation Of his volumes progressed with the issue
Of each succeeding one Of them, to find that not
withstanding the intensity of Col. Benton's likes
and dislikes. both of men and measures, he has
discharged his editorial duty with a degree OF
impartiality never excelled thus making his
history of the legislation of Congress in all re-
spects reliable one-standard authority not to be
gainsayed.
1t is justly complained that lack of informa-
ton concerning the legislative history of the
country, the part Of its Legislators, has given
rise to an immense waste of the time of both
Houses CT Congress, Of late years especially.
That is to say, since the Convention system has
become fashionable, and men are chosen repre-
sentatives through its machinery, by and through
thel. capacity to manage the smaller politicians
OF their districts seeking office, rather than on
account Of their superior capacity for statesman
ship, or their superior Legislative attainments II
anything can possibly cure this evil of ignorance
OF what the American legislator should know
above all things, it certainly is this work. He
can not possibly hope to learn aught in the pages
OF any other existing history Of the proceedings
Of Congress without devoting to the study Of each
."f5e~f far more time than can ~ dedicated
20 such an emu, oil other existing works of the
kind being singularly chaotic, undigested, and
III every other conceivable way confused and un-
studiable. Under such circumstanc we cannot
too highly recommend this great work of Thomas
Hart Benton to the members of Congress and to all
others having occasion to become familiar with
what has been said and done in the national leg
i'lative halls upon any and every question that
has marked its impress for veal or woe upon any
American public interest. 1t should be not only
On the private book shelves of all such persons,
but in every public library, whether of this or
that branch Of the governments of the Union
National and State-and also I'm all other Amer
lean Libraries pretending to contain works Of use
fui information.