Litchfield enquirer., 1862-04-03

DESCRIPTION or THE MERRIMAo." ."-The New Orleans Crescent gives the following description or the Merrimac, the writer assuming that before it reached the public that vessel would have proved itself either brilliant success or miserable failure:
 "l In the first place her engines are five hun dred and ten horse power; and, in spite of her great weight, it is thought she will make from twelve to fifteen miles an hour. She does not draw by a foot and half as much water as was expected. When afoat she presents to the ene- my only roof above the water All of her ma. chinery IS below the water line. Her sides and roof are composed of oak twenty eight inches inches thick, covered with six inches of plate and railroad iron. She has an apparatus for throwing her water on boarders. Her arma- ment consists often guns only, all rifed. s The guns in her sides, four in number, are eighty pounders. Those at the bow and stern throw hundred pound solid shot, or a one hun dred and twenty pound shell, and these guns have three ports, which enables them to give . broadside of six guns. She has furnaces for heating shot. Her crew consists of ten lieuten-, ants and three hundred and fifty picked men, and among them the best gunners in the old navy. She has under water wedge shaped prov of oak and iron thirty three feet long Commodore Buchanan has confidence in her, and says he is going to glory or a grave in her. Jones IS less confident in her, but says she is as SSSN o IAoSo' to Al0 HI AS U Wan C0OlQ nave: The obJecflonto her, and it is serious one. is the fact, that she is entirely dependent on her ma chlnery if that gets out of order she becomes 8 mere log on the water.'' .s ze ss-s res
 NEW IDEA.-The' Boston Daily Advertiser prints the following suggestion furnished by a gentlemen abroad respecting the disposition to De made of the Fort Donelson prisoners:
 propose that they be exchanged for slaves on the nrIUGlDIp nf fhnr, secessonists for three slaves, reversing the or- der of values.n A
 President Woolsey Of Yale College, was ap- pointed by the House of Representatives Re gent of the Smithsonian Institute at Washing ton, on Saturday, and joint resolution to that effect passed the Senate on Monday. The hon or is worthily bestowed upon one of the ablest scholars of the country.
 A REBEL MINISTER IN PARrIAxEKr-The fol lowisg IS ar extract from private letter from London, to gentleman in Washington. describ. ing the debate in Parliament on the American question: ysss s.E4 4,s5,f !. X,
 Mr. Mason, who was on the Tory side of the House did not at all like the way it went. The members who were near him (Mason) say that he cheered when MT. Lindsay, in the course of his speech, attacked Secretary Seward. This puts him in an awkward fix. When | remen, Der his tyrannical, insolent bearing in the Uni ted States Senate, it was sweet revenge to see him solitary and alone. During the debate only one or two men went near him. 6
 EMAKcIpATIoN. "A project has been adopted for the emancipation of the slaves in the Dutch West Indies. All slaves in those colonies will be set free on the 1st of July, 1S63 on condition that compensation of 300 guilders for each slave shall be paid, and the slaves shall remain under apprenticeship on the estates for three years, during which time they shall be allowed wages, ons-hah of which goestoths government.
 Every follower of Garrison and WendIl Phil. lips will vote for Buckingha " E. Reqisier.
 No objection, if they behave themselves. How about the followers of Floyd and Jeff Davis ?--