Year: 1859

The National Capitol.


The Washington correspondent of the
New York Journal of Commerce says:


Next winter will probably witness a
larger gathering of visitors to the Metropo-
lis than any preceding season has called
thither. The architecture and appendages
of the Capitol itself-the great State House
of the nation-wil, we learn, be more at
tractive than ever. The immense magnitude
of the building is of itself study. Millions
have been invested in it, and the expendi-
ture continues. The dome itself, still in
progress, will absorb hundreds of thousands
OF dollars tar SURPRISING in the elements of
beauty and grandeur the old structure that
surmounted the late comparatively small
edifice. The grand extension is symbolical
of the extending territory of the Union and
all its interests. The internal decorations
are numerous and complicated too much
so, some contend, for consistency with the
simplicity Of republican institutions. The
statuary is superb-the paintings gorgeous.
The effect of all might we'll be to kindle in
some minds desire to gain an official seat
within so beautiful a council house, to say
nothing of other various motives, which
may be presumed to act on ambitious minds.


Both chambers are of surprising beauty,
and as to utility, we hope the resolution to
exclude desks from the House of Represen.
tatives will be rigidly adhered to until fair
experiment is made. One result will be the
cessation of that perpetual slapping of
papers on the desks Ito summon the pages)
which always annOys spectators. This i'm.
prOvement, too, will obviate the practice of
elevating the heels above the head, in which
certain free aud independent members in
dulge themselves. Whoever is destined to
occupy the Speakers chair, will find spread
out before him the beautiful Tennessee mar
BILE, whose cheerful colors properly admired
will tend to soothe and tranquilize the mind
while plotting the House through approach
ing tempests. Perhaps Tennessean will
have that honor. Honorable feet will in
any event press on that unrivalled white
marble, broad specimens of which, from old
Berkshire, constitute the landing places "
Of the splendid stairways. The area of the
grounds aronnd the Capitol are to be en-
larged to correspond with the extension of
the building itself. Long may united
people send their representatives to hold
high conclave in that Incompatible building.


Noah's Ark and the Great Eastern.


The Great Eastern is 1873 feet longer than
was the Ark, and about feet deeper, but
not so broad within 8 feet. AS an illustra-
tion of the change in ideas of navigation
which the building of the Great Eastern is
calculated to produce, we will quote the
following paragraph from an elaborate arti-
Gle issued some thirteen years since, in the
Church Of England and Quarterly, on the
Deluge, and republished in Litell's Living
Age:


Now, as it is clearly impossible that
vessel of the length and breadth of the Ark
could be otherwise than floating vessel,
designed entirely for perfectly still waters,
we have supposed it to be fiat bottomed and
straight sided, both as making it the more
buoyant and as giving it the greatest Ca
pacity. 1t was devoid of all sailing proper
ties had neither rigging nor rudder its
build was simply that of huge float, to all
outward appearance wholly at the mercy of
the winds and the waves. liable to be
drifted or driven alb out according as currents
or winds for the time prevailed but, as we
shall show, the Ark could not for moment
have been subjected to the influence of either
winds or tides. The extraordinary length
of the Ark proves, at once, the miraculous
power that was, at every moment, In exer-
else tor its preservation, since no vessel of
the Ark's proportions could naturally live
in disturbed waters; the very first wave
that rose would inevitably break its back
and rend it entirely asunder nor with all
our experience in shipbuilding, would it be
possible to construct vessel of the Ark's
proportions and navigate it from Dover to
Calais in rough weather-the least swell of
the ocean, by raising one end and depress,
ing the other, would break it in the middle
and cause it to founder. Nor could any
possible contrivance or ingenuity of con-
structon prevent this consequence. And if
the very peculiar construction of the Ark
had not made such conclusion irresistible,
the purpose for which it was built would
have proved that such was the fact for had
the Ark pitched in the least from the swell
OF the waves, or rolled at all from side to
side under the influence Of the wind, which
from its great length and little width it must
most distressingly have done, the whole
world of animals therein contained could not
have kept their footing of very necessity,
therefore, dead calm must have prevailed
around the Ark during the whole of the
one hundred and fifty days that it was float
ing on the waters.


The third Congressional district of Geor-
gia is conceded to the opposition. The bal
lance of the districts are regarded as demo-
cratic though the vote in the seventh and