Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1860-03-31

PlahterS take care OF their negro children
The American Minister, too had tree with
elghty-hve presents for his great family, at
his levce. on Christmas eve, and right merry
time did we have drawing for the numbers,
and afterwards cxch ging when we were not
suited. The exercises in the University were
suspended for two weeks
Early In January, one of our little band of
Americans, and one of the five from South
Carolina, ceased his wandcrngs on earth, aud
went to that home whence no traveller re-
turns Mr.. COFFIN, of Charleston, was taken
with something like typhoid fever, and died
after ten days illness. His funeral was at
tended by most of the Americans here; the
services being conducted by the Chaplain of
the English Embassy. Sad, indeed, was the
sight OF that pail, covered by our countrys
tiag and enclosing one, who, in the bloom of
youth, GO years of age) was suddenly called
to his final account, without leaving for his
distant friends any assurance of his prcpara-
ton for the great change. This was the sec
ond death among the Americans here, this
winter The other was lady of New York,
who left disconsolatc husband, and an infant
of ten days.
The Prussan Landtag or Parliament is in
session here now. This body is composed of
two houses, the llewcn, or Lords, and the
hbgeordncten, or lower house The latter
consists of representatives chosen by the
people, who have voice in the election of
electors, according to the amount of property
owned by them, there being three classes of
citizens. A few weeks ago / accepted the
Kind offer of Il merchant who procured me
ticket, and then went with me as Interpreter,
to point out all the distinguished persouages,
and assist me when / failed to catch the han"
OF things The members, about two hundrc,
in number, arc a fine looking, dignifcd body
OF men, conducting business very much like
our own legislatures, with more quietness and
cooncss, but with less precision and dispatch,
which is easily accounted for when we rccol-
loct that this body is only ten years Old
The principal business of that day was the
discussion of bill to erect a new Capitol,
which has since been passed Several peti-
tons were read, and some witty speeches made.
The building in which they meet is very in
different, nothing like what one would expect
IN city so noted for splendid architecture as
Berlin, This week have spent one day in
the house of Lords, (IIcrrcnhous This is
composed of the old hereditary nobility of the
land, very tenacious Of their ancient rights,
and very much hated by the people generally
They too, are fine looking men, with more
gray heads than in the lower house and
imagined a greater proportion of blooming
noses and ngcr-bccr obesity. The President
himself, GRAF Won HouENLouE INGELrIN-
GEN, looked like he could find room for sew
eral bottles of champagne, daily Prince
FIRED. WILHELM was present as spectator,
and all the galleries were full to ovcrnowing.
The ministers of state were all in their places,
on an elevated platform near the President.
The order of the day wa, the discussion of a
bill passed by the lower house to amend the,
law of marriage in several respects There
are at present seventeen causes of divorce,
lawful in Prussia. None but clcrgymcn are
allowed to perform the marriage ceremony,
and by law their conscicnccs are to be left en-
tlrcly free; hence it has happened that per-
sons after being lawfully divorced, could find
nobody willing to marry them again The
Prince Regent and lower house have lone
been trying to get rid of these difficulties,
but the "old f0gy" Lords systematically op-
pose everything coming to them from either
source. The present Regent is not on the
best OF terms with the nobility; but on the
other hand, exceedingly popular with the
middle and lower classes. On the whole, the
frussian government is far more liberal and
popular than we in America are apt to imae-
lne. There has been a very decided progress
IN that direction within the last ten wears,
and the present tendencies are all in favor of
republicanism. What a pity that the United
States should exhibit such sad specimen of
self-goycrnmcnt?
5. The winter is pearly gone now having been
far mider than one would expect, considering
that this city is in latitude higher than Que.
bec The coldcst weather we have had was
early in December, the thermometer standing
twenty-five degrees below freezing. Snow falls
very often, sometimes every day for week,
but seldom lies long, so that there have been
only few, days fit for sleighing during this
.yintcr.
I'erlin, the capital of Prussia, is situated
on the river Spree, in the midst of vast, san
dy, nnproductive plain. The river flows very
sluggil',ly, and is divided into great num
ber of Ma ural and artificial canals, i'm which
aie hundreds of boats loaded with vegetables,
grain, wood, turf, coal, ~" Over these vari-
ous channels are an immense number of bridg-
draw-bridA "s. The streets arc
very wide, and in tho never part of the city
regular and straight. The honses are quite
different from those of other EGropcan cities
IN several particulars. They are more mod.
ern in their architecture, not covered with
the smoke and dust OF centuries, as in mary
other clBca; nor are they so high, seldom
more than three or four stories. The city
now contains a population OF half q million
$4,000 soldiers, $4,000 Jews, and $500
French Protestnnts, driven out Of Fr6nee by
the religious prosecutions in the etimes Of Louis
XIV. They still have their own churches