The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1861-01-30
Lerialature and Convention.

outon was offered granting louF mohIH9 ltafe %
Absence to c. ~ Bradford district attorney, now absent
upon military duly
In amendment was .5ffered, that salary should
accrue during Mr. absence, except for the employ
ment of 4 substitute which caused much warm discus
sion when motion to lay the amendment on the table
called up the yeas and nays and the motion was lost
A motion to reconsider prevailed, and both bill and
amendment were tabled.
A resolution for an appropriation to pay the door
keeper passed.
Mr. Briehaup reported bill to repeal bill relative
to the district courts which referred to the COIN
mittee on judiciary. 3
Mr. Drouett reported an act relative Of Tue duties VI
the register and conyeyanccr OF the parish OF orleans
which was referred to the same committe
In the house. resolution to take up the senate JOINT
resolution providing for adjournment until the th OF
February next was aside when the house adjourned
BATON RoUGE.-Jan. 23.--The Louisiana State con
ventou met at y ~ to-day ard called to order by
Mr. Lawrence Of Plaquemne, who nominated hon
j. L. Perkins of Lafouche, as temporary president.
The nomination was unanimously received, when IN
eloquent and impressive prayer was oferedby ReY MI
Lnhed.
4 communication was received from the secretary
IF STATE containing the returns of the election for del
egates to the State convention.
The roll was then called, when rs members answer
ed to their nance, only being absent
The sergeant at of the legislature was requested
to act in that capacity temporarily for the convention
Ex-Gor A. Mouton of st. Landry, and Hon. Isaiah
Garrett Of 0Hachita put in nomination for the
presidency of the convention.
One hundred and twentv-three votes were given in;
of these Mr. Mouton received 81, Mr. Garrett A. scat
terinc 1.-The members voting vive voce.
Mr. Mouton was thercupon declared duly elected,
when Messrs Lawrence, Heron and RoseHus we're lip
pointed committee conduct the president elect to
the chair
Upon taking the chair Mr. Mouton rendered his
thanks to the convention for the high honor conferred
of the convention, ana
advised calnncss in all their deliberations
He promised to endeavor to fulfil his duties IN man
ner which would secure the appreciation Of the con
vention, and the people of Louisiana.
Messrs Provostv Heron and Semmes were appoint
ed committed to prepare and report suitable rules
for the guidance of the convention; in the meantime
those of the house were temporarily adopted.
Mr. Dorsey of Tensas offered resolution for the ap-
pointment of committee Of fifteen to report articles
for the secession of Louisiana from the federal Union
which carried.
Several plans were presented, alof which were re
ferred to the above committee, without reading.
The commissioners from Alabama and South Carolina
were present and invited to seats within the bar OF the
convention.
The convention then took recess Of thirty minutes
to allow the committee rules time to report.
BARON RorGE. Jan. %. p. M.-Fhe following gen
tIemen compose the committee of fifteen: Chairman
John Perkins, of Madison; A. Declouet, Ex-goV. Ro-
man, Z. Sparrow, Gardere, Dupre, RoSelIus, Miles, o.
s. Lewis, Williamson, Talbot, Semmes Proyosty Bar
row and Egce, of Rapide7.
Baron ROuGr. Jan % P M-At the expiration of
the time allotted for the recess, the convention was
called to order this afternoon when the chairman an
nounced the committee Of fifteen, as before given
This committee is to report odnance of secession
tomorrow.
The committee rules, &c, reported the following
officers as necessary, in addition to the president and
secretary assistant secretary doorkecPer warrant clerk
and suitable number Of enrolling and transIating
clerks.
The convention then proceeded to the election of
permanent sccretary. The following gentleman were
put in nomination: f. c. Kelly of Orleans j. C. Stat
TO- d. Of East Baton Rouge J. s Halsey Point Coupee;
sam ffyans Nathitoches; J. G. Claiborne Orleans;
Harris Chdress, st. Tammany; j. z. Wheat and j. L.
Fabrc of Orleans.
-Four ballots taken, when, on motion, !. 4:
Wheat was declared duly elected.
i committee of three appointed to wait on the
commissioners from Alabama and South Carolina, when
the convention adjourned until 10 o'clock tomorrow
FORcIBLE JAN DELIvERY.-At about o'clock last
night saws the Apaachicola Times of the 18th instant,
the jail of this county was invaded By armed and
organised band of men in disguise who seized the
guard and fOrcblv abducted him to distance beyond
the Jail and detained him while the Jail was being
broken open and the regulators thirteen in number,
were released Arrests were made last night, and
aninatous held until early hour this morning
Other arrests made to-day, and examinations
going We learn that about sixty orgai1is
ed Calhoun county, among the number who
invaded the jail This is small beginning in disorders
to what may be expected during civil war.
TIE GREAT WESTERN PLAINS OF AMERICA.-These
occupy longitudinal pareelogram, nearly one thou
sand miles wide extending from the Texastothe Allan
tic coast and from the Rocky mountains to5thc western
border of Louisiana, Arkansas Missouri and Iowa, an
area equal the surface of TWEEN yfOur States between
the Mississippi and the Atlantic, without single abrupt
mountain tmbered space, desert or lake There is no
timber this area and single trees scarce. The
soil is Sicous orsandy hut fine cacorCOuS mould
The country is thickly clad with grasses, edible and
nutritious through the year, and swarms with animal
life The climate is comparative rainess the rivers
which abound and which all run from west TO cast
serve like the Nile, to rrigatc rather than drain the
neghborng surface. From their dimensions and posi-
ton they may yet water the pasture fields Of the world
upon which pastoral agriculture may yet become sep
aratc department OF national industry.
NEW THEORY OF OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES NewtouS dis
coyerv the theory of attraction of grayaton has been
regarded fact fixed mans existence. The
movements Of the heavenly bodies and the thousand
phenomena of matter on the earthS surface so
perfectly explained by this theory that doubt it
to question the evidence of the senses. Yet we are
asked go all this ground again. Mr. Cones in
a work entitled "Outlines of a system OF Mechanical
Philosophy, being research into the laws of force,
takes strong ground against the Ncwtonian theory of
gravitation, "concciving more spiritual theory one
recognising the divine author of creating altogether
more present and imminent than gravitatiOn or
simple attraction of one body 20 another, possibly
enable to do He does not deny the fact OF gray-
taton but thinks the accepted theory false and INSULT
eient to for the movements of the universe Mr.
Talmadge, commenting this work says that Mr.
Cones is not alone in his doubt about the Ncwtonan
theory of grayitation. Learned and learned soci-
etics are beginning only to doubtbutto give audible
utterance those doubts. The venerable president
of the British association for the advancement of sci
encc, in his opening address the last yearly scientific
gathering at Glasgow, stated of the results of
lord Ross telescope that for the first time since the
days OF Newton, suspicion had arisen in the minds Of
astronomers that laws other than that of gravtation
may bearruc in space and that the nebua phenomena
revealetto Us by that telescope be governed by
forces different from those of which We have any know
edge. What these forces may be, whether they have
any analogy to- at all expcabe by those cogisa-
bic by at present, is unknown Indeed neither Mr..
Cones, Mr.. Talmadge the president of the British
association for the advancement of science ventures to
give any definite idea of the theory they would sub
stitute in place of Newton's. But Mr.. Tumudgc
quoting from unknown author, suggests that the
phenomena Of grayitaton may be referred to light
This, then, is of the new theories 1t derives its
force from the doubts now cast upon the unduitiug
theory 0fght. BY recent writer's properties are
ascrbpd q pht which hay