The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-02-20
From Re FOIIet.
SHIlNS EAR EERRI ApN

The extreme severity of the winter has caused
fur to be much in request and there is in this ma
Sn lmnng Tor out also for dresses
Two or three bands, about quarter of yard in
width, placed upon velvet skirt, produce a good
effect Long paleots of cloth or velvet are trimmed
with marten or Astracan, in wide bands Large
basquines of velvet CLOTH blue or violet, edged
with Astracan, are very diStingue The little
velvet shawl, trimmed with wide lace, is reserved
for visits of ceremony and the color of the velvet
must match that of the dress.
For young persons very claiming scarfs are made
of black or blue velvet, piped with white satin 1t
is very graceful and simple, and more novel than
the casaque, though this is far from being aban-
doned. Monkey fur is also very fashionable. Chin
chlila is becoming more so, and swans down is
much worn on pelerines for the theatre, and to
trim wedding dresses.
The Zouave veste is more and more indispensa-
BILE for indoor dress-for the more simple as well
as for the richer toilettes. 1t is made either in
braided cloth or velvet. The favorite colors for
those of velvet are black and Solferino, with en-
broidery of gold or silver, and pearls. Astracan
is also used to trim them, but this is equally suita-
BILE for cloth. Black, brown and Louise blue are
the coors preferred for the cloth Zouave.
The material called dreguet is in great request
for home dress this winter, and it is made now in
such rich and elegant designs, that it may rank
next to velvet. Velvet OF various cOors is worn.
For evening dress there are many light and beau
tltul fabrics. Iulle is more in vogue than tara-
tame; though 1t is still fashionable for Young girls,
There are many dresses of gauze, checked with
colors and embroidered with gold or silver; others
of striped gauze, and some of grenadne, worked
with velvet White grenadine, with a pattern in
rose color (ro8e de roll or with natural flowers
dotted over it, and silk tulle embroidered with
chenille, make exceedingly pretty and tasteful ball
dresses
Low bodies now made straighter across the
top than they were formerly Plastrons Of velvet
or of gold or silver cloth, are frequently placed
upon the body instead of sashes.
POINTED bodies are still generally in vogue, and
are made either with drapery or with bertha,
trimmed with rows of lace. Bodies, either drawn
togetner or PLAIN IN front, very low on the Shout
ders, with scarf sash, are much Ia mode for
| young girls. Flowers are used greatly for trim
mngs, placed either in bouquets or in long gar
lands.
Passementrie surpasses almost any other trim
ming in richness and elegance We not only find
1t forming hanging buttons, brads, &C., but beau
titul ornaments are made of guipure de Vense or
OF Spanish point, which trim Ike front of the body
and down the front of the skirt, widening towards
the bottom; revers for the sleeves and long sash
to match; and from the revers fringe hangs
Blaques are also made of it, OF different colors-vio-
let and black, groSeie, green, brown and black
These are placed either at the sides or in front of
| the skirt. Some of the Paris houses use them
very much this winter for visiting or dinner dress
es Silver and gold passementerie is made in great
variety for ball costume, gold stars, fringes tas-
sells, lace, &c. Gold or silver lace is very pretty
for edging ruches of grapes or lounces of tulle-
| There are some very pretty grecques made in gold
which used to trim round the bottoms of velvet
dresses; over this is worn unique of lace caught
up at the side by large bow of velvet ribbon with
| ends worked in gold grecques
Bonnets are still worn very large, and high over
| tho iorehvad, and the trimming is either on
| the top round the crown: and sometimes q
wreath of small feathers is placed round the front
| Velvet and silk are used together and often the
feathers are white and black, whatever color may
| be used Tor the bonnet A bonnet lately made for
one of the ladies of the Empress Court was very
diStingae, and worth describing to our readers 1t
was OF black velvet, quite plain, with the exception
OF trimming round the front formed with very
| small blue feathers as light as marabouts This
trimming is equally elegant in either black or white
| feathers.
Touquets are much worn. The one STYLED Henry
Ill. is padded band of black velvet with gold
| cord twisted over it, and ornamented with a white
feather. Another is of matted gold fastening a
magnolia. Gold nets with pearls, golden ears OF
| corn with diamonds, or q couture Of vine leaves
with black grapes and daisies, composed of dia
| monds, are all much admired
How THE SLAVE TRADE Is MANAGED-There is
company in Havana, Cuba, with capital of a
million or more, whose sole business is to import
negroes from Africa. This company, by means oil
an agent buys its vessels in New York where cap.
tains for them are also obtained. By iudicous
use OF money they are easily cleared at the Gus
tom House. the agent and captain having preyious
ly sworn to ownership, in order to obtain a regis
ter, and the vessel, with slave outfit, starts di
rect for Africa. In this way, seventy vessels are
said to have sailed from the port of New York after
cargoes of slaves since LIST of January last
But latterly, the United States officials have been
rather more rigid in their scrutiny of suspected
vessels, and, consequently, the manner OF proce-
dure has been changed. The vessel now takes a
legal cargo for Havana, whence she is easily clear
ed for Africa, by soothing the ''itching palms.
OF the Spanish officials. This escape from unplea
SAINT scrutiny is facilitated by recent decision O
Attorney General Black, declaring that the clear
ance of any American vessel from the Custom
. | House. nf thn oi
.ne voyage, and, consequently, the Consul need
take no further steps than the ordinary one OF
exactlng an oath from the captain that he is bound
with his clearance
The outward voyage occupies about forty-fvc
days. Arriving on the coast, the SLAYER proceed.
thirty miles up the Congo river to the 'factory" O
the Havana company. If a war steamer makes
her appearance in the river the captain cheerfully
shows his regular manifest and clearance, certified
by the American Consul at Havana, and hoists hi
American flag, and sends back to the steamer a boz
of very good Havana cigars arr a case of pooC
brandy. Then the steamer sails away. perhaps tc
watch him at sea, for there is no prize money O
any account in a vessel unless the negroes are or
board. Having completed his arrangements witt
the resident agent the captain speedily discharoe
his cargo into the warehouse, takes on board io
of water casks, which flied from the river anC
beside them in the hold he slows his barrels O
provisions, and over all he lays his "save deck
Spies are sent to the mouth of the river anC
when they report the coast clear from cruisers
seven or eight hundred slaves costing fifty dollars
apiece in bad rum, are driven on board pell-mell
naked as the day they were born, the lines are cas
OH, and away the vessel speeds under the American
nag. One-third of her living freight will die or
the passage, while lifelong bondage awaits the
remainder. The cost of a voyage, suppesing the
ship to be destroyed after landing the negroes as il
often done, is about $4,000, of which more thar
half is in brides to Spanish officials If the voyage
is successful, 500 negroes at $500 head, bring
S4O0,0 and the net profit is S230,000.
MEETING oP MERCHANTS IN CHARLEsroN-The
Tdrif.-An informal conference of leading mer
chants was held on Friday, in the Custom House
draft of a tariff which is before the Southern Con
gress at Montgomery.
The rates proposed are 20 per cent. on spirits II
per cent. on tobacco and similar articles the free
list to include all raw materials, and the free lis
of the Federal tariff of 1857 The warehouse sys
tenn will be retained, but goods now in bond will
be Withdrawn at the new rates, which will take e"
: feet on the lst of March, The result of this meet
ing was transmitted to Montgomery bv telegraph
to Hon. r. w. Barnwell, from whence came tn
despatch which occasioned it, Charleston Courier
Feb. 16.
A SINGING GlRL FATALLY BuRNED.-The coro
ner of New Y ork held an inquest on Sunday upo
the body of Sarah Jane Lewis, girl of Is years
who died in consequence of burns received on tn
evening of the Sth inst. The deceased was yo-
calst engaged at the Gaities Concert Saloon, and
while singing during the evenings Performance, he
clothes caught fire at the footlights, and she wa
so seriously burned as to result in death. The jur
rendered verdict of Academia death, but censure
the proprietor of the saloon, who is supposed to b
Mr.. George Lee, for not having the footlights pre-
perly guarded with wire. The deceased was a ns
tive of Canada, and is represented as a very est
E mable young person, whose industry the prir
eipal support ola widowed mother and three your
ger sisters.-Neio York World, Feb. is.
A CosTLr PIcTURE-Mr. Flatow, the eminer
, London picture dealer, some time since gave MI
7 w. I. Firth commission for large picture MI
Firth selected as bis subject "Life at Raiwa
Station and the work bids fair to surpass til
, previous efforts of the distinguished artist Som
msstatements in regard to the picture and the prc
to be paid for ii having appeared in the paper:
: Mr. Flatow has written a letter TO the Athen@uI
explaining his contract with Mr.. Firth. By thi
it appears that the artist Is 10 receive S46 600 70
his picture. "rhs sum" says the Athenaum, %
we suppose, the largest price ever paid for mod
. ern picture"
, SIGNIFICANT FACT.-0n the change of Admins
tration, March 4th, there will be five living e1
Presidents of the United States: Van Buren,, Tyler
f Fillmore. Pierce and Buchanan. Every one
these retired statesmen favors the plan of comprC
mise known as the Crittenden plan, something
akin to it; while Mr.. Lincoln if the Republican oil
7 gans are right-and his speeches may be taken a
indication of his policyrejects all compromise
. and prefers force. Is his wisdom greater than th
combined wisdom Of bis professionally Y, J0u'
nav cf commsres.