Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-05-17
NEWS OF THE DAY.
GENERAL NEWS.

An Alabama correspondent Of the Wash
ington Chronicis says severe hail and rain storms
have destroyed onefh of the cotton plants in that
State.
"A singular duel took place off Yonkers, in
the Hudson river. Two men entered boat rowed
to the middle of the stream. to their feet and
engaged in desperate struggle, in which one went
overheard and was drowned, the survivor rowing to
the opposite shore.
Wendell Phillips lectured in Boston re-
Gently on the "Gibbet" and endeayored to show
that capital punishment had increased rather than
diminished crime and that the spirit which led men
to hang a criminal was the impatience of ignorance
which, like physician who tired of patient pos-
o.1s him.
In digging the foundation of the new
Hot,,l Dieu, in Paris Roman wall has been dis
covered. measuring from one metre to one metre
fifty ceQtimetres in size. Several columns have also
beon discovered, one of which is surmounted by a
capital of leaves of the size and dimensions Of those
of the Roman temple, which is covered beneath the
crypt of Notre Dame.
Recently an accident Of an alarming
nature happened 20 a performer on slack-rope. in
Leeds, England While in the act of Stimulating the
struggles of person dying by hanging. all motion
suddenly ceased, and the manager and his assist
ants hastening to his aid it discovered that he
was insensibla. After minute or two he revived
and was assisted to the stage.
"A correspondent writing from Ballston
thinks that mineral water may be obtained there
equal in every respect to the Springs of Saratoga.
He states that the stratum of lime rock which out
crops at Saratoga, and above which the mineral
waters found, has been discovered to lay embed
ded at the depth of about six hundred feet il, Ball
ston."
AS an evidence of the extraordinary ac-
tivity in the disposal of the public domain, the
Commissioner of the General Land Office states that
in the month of April last patents for California
claims were issued amounting to sixty-seven thou
sand six hundred and thirty acres. During the
same period Oregon donation patents covering
thirtyseven thousand eight hundred and ffty-seven
acres were issued.
The Times Washington special says: Mr..
Seward sent his protest which has been published,
against Austria sending troops to Mexico, at the
same time that he wrote to Minister saying that
if troops had already started, nothing could be done
there. but if none had already gone, he Moey) was
Instructed to withdraw in any troops should de-
p art after the reception of his protest.
The New Yorl Legislature has passed a
bill eNempting the property of the National Acade-
my of Design from taxation. Our artists complain
that the present duties on foreign paintings so
low that excessive importation of works of an
of the American artist whose studio is neglected by
the purchaser for those galleries which are filled with
cheap" foreign works.
Mr. Reynolds, clerk atthe Lookout Noun
tain house, heard from the neighborhood of
one of the steep rocks the summit of the mountain
on Saturday. Reaching the spot and leaning over
he discovered a young lady hanging by portion of
her clothes to shrubs growing from the assures
in the rock. HI let himself down over the cliff and
by preternaural exertions, relieved the young lady
from her embarrassing and perilous situation, and
restored her to her friends safe alive and blushing
"A woman named Eastbury was missed
from her home at Blockley, England, on the 18th of
March. and no trace of her could be discovered by
her husband or the police On the 18th ut laborer
passing along an ornamental lake, surrounded by
shrubs, heard a moor hen making peculiar noise;
he proceeded to the spot and found the nest of the
bird on the breast of wofnan's body, which was
floating IN the water. The body was found to be that
of the woman Eastbury, which must have been in
the water for five weeks. The nest contained seven
eggs. which were nearly hatched
The Northern Central Railroad Con,nannIv. NJ
the Williamsport Bulletin, having obtained DOS
session of the Emira and Canandaigua road b,ne
put down third rail to Watkins, which connects
with the lake steamers They thus secure narrow
guage road to that point They are also ta;ng nm
the rail and narrowing the track from Watkins n
Canandagua. This makes through route from
Philadelphia and Baltimore to Canandaigua without
changing cars. The Pennsylvania Railroad COMPANY
has secured the Canandagua and Niagara road, and
will form through route from Philadelphia and the
south to Niagara. without changing cars.
"A curious dejeuner was given in Paris or
a Sunday in March. by Madame NJ, whose enor
nous fortune, million sterling, alleged beauty sea
ON horseback horses, carriages. hotel, stables &C.
are things daily talked of and displayed in Paris
The guests assembled in long gallery draped Will
green curtains Breakfast was served-eaten; coffe
and cigars followed and then bell rang and all th
draperies we're suddenly withdrawn. And where dic
the guests find themselves? In the stable. wher
there were eighteen horses who had also breakasted
but not off trufes and champagne, coffee and cigar
/ ettes, and behind the curtains,