WIN I


- - 7 1- .- ,


COMMERCIAL ADVERTISER.
APALACHICOLA, SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 1846.
 The following gentlemen are authorized
Agents for the COMMERCIAL ADVERTISER, and will
receive and receipt for subscriptions, or advertise-
lnents:- '
 MESSRS. MASON & TUTTLE, 38 William Street,
New York.
 DAVID BRAVO, Esq., New Orleans.
 %WM. AV. CHKrVVF, Esq., Albany, Ga.
 JAMES 11. WVILSON, Esq., Fort Gaines, Ga.
 Major JACK HARDMAN, Eufaula, Ala.


 The following is the paper to which re-
 ference was made in the President's special
 message, as having been transmitted from the
 War Department to the Military Commit-
 tee of the U. S. Senate:
 DOCUMENT
 In relation to the expediency of increasing the
 .Military Defences o" the Country.
 WAR DEPARrTMENT,
 Dec. 29, 1845. S
 SIR--I herewith return to you the reso-
 lution which you sent to me on the 23d
 inst. The recommendations in my report
 to the President of the 29th ultimo have
 reference to a permanent peace establish-
 ment. Under any circumstances, I am
 convinced that our seacoast and northern
 frontier should have a larger foice stationed
 on them than they now have, or the depart-
 ment can now place there by any proper
 disposition it can make of the regular army
 at this time. The number of troops now in
 Texas, cannot, under present circumstances,
 be lessened. There ought not to be less, in-
 deed I think there should be more troops
 on theIndian frontier. Should the sugges-
 tion in the report, to increase the rank and
 file of companies to sixty-eight or eighty-
 four privates, be approved by Congress and
 carried out, there would' be a disposable
 regular force for the forts and fortifications
: on the sea-board and northern and western
 frontiers; but this force would not furnish
 adequate ganisons in case of an apprehen-
 ded attack. Besides, itwould require some
 months to raise the men, in the old regi-
 ments, and get them in position. Should
 ,this suggestion meet with favor. I still think
 that authority should be given to the Presi-
 dent to accept the services of volunteer
 companies, squadrons, battalions, regiments
 and State troops, for a term not exceeding
 one year. Our situation may be such that,
 for the mere purpose of defence, these vol-
 unteer troops or militia, to the number of
 fifty thousand, may be needed. UnJerthe
 direction of the Executive, the number ac-
 tually received would be regulated by cir-
 cumstances. The present fortifications on
 the seaboard, as well as temporary defenses,
 which must be resorted to in case of threat-
 ened hostilities, must be garrisoned ; and
 the number I have mentioned, in addition
 to our regular force, unless it was greatly
 increased, would certainly not be more than
 sufficient to put the country in a reasonable
 state of security in case of a war with Great
 Britain. On the northern frontier, where
 there are now stationed only about four
 hundred and eighty men, provision should
 be made for placing, on the shortest notice,
 :a force equal to that in Canada, which
 could be brought to assail that frontier if
 hostilities from that quarter should be rea-
 sonabllv apprehended. There is at this time
 about seven thousand regular British troops
 in that province. 1 shouh] prefer, in case
,-It was necessary to call in the aid of the mi-
 ilia for the defeuce of the country, to ob-
 -taining the troops required by the accep-
 tance of volunteers, rather than by the
 present mode of making a requisition on the
 executives of the States, and leaving it to
 them to raise the number required by
 draughts, &c., though it is probable that
 in the most instances the number required
 )y the latter mode would be volunteers.
 Volunteers would be likely to do more ef-
 fective service when first called out, than
 draughted militiamen. I would respectful-
 ly refer you to the acts of Congress on this
 subject. [See vol. 9, U. S. Laws, chap.
 470, session of 1836; chip. 1219, session
 1839.] .
 In relation to raising additional regiments,
 "I refer you to my views as expre sed in my
 report to the President, and by him sent to
 Congress.
 In reference to.the peace establishment, I
 would recommend two new regiments, if
 the suggestion to increase the rank and file
of the present companies should not be f,-
" vorably received. In the present aspect of
Cur foreign affairs, this mode of augment-
 ng the regular force of the country conm-
 mends itself to my judgment. These regi-
,:.meats, should they be raised, are to be in
 addition lo the troops proposed to be raised
 to garrison the chain of posts to the Rocky
 Mountains.
 With this communication I send to you
 a statement from the general commanding
 the army, containing his views of the num-
 ber of troops required to man tih fortifica-
 tions, &c.
 With a view to give you full and authen-
 tic information in regard to the several mat-
 ters embraced in the resolution which you
 send to me, I have required statements from
 the Engineer and Ordinance bureaus, and
 herewith transmit them to you. It is, in
 my opinion, important thait the information,
 in all its details, as set forth in these docu-
 ments should not be made public. I trust
 the committee will concur in the propriety
 of this suggestion.
 I forbear to reiterate the suggestions in
 the report of the Chief Engineer, in regard


 to the fortifications, temporary defences,
 &c., but commend them to the favorable
 consideration of the committee. The ap-
 propriations which he suggests are large,
 but not more so than the safety of the coun-
 try requires in the contingencies he con-
 templates. The increased expenditure upon
 permanent works is an outlay that must be
 made in" tthe course of a very few years,
 and, in my judgment, sound policy indi-
 cates (hat it should be in the power of the
 government to expend immediately, what,
- under other circumstances, might be allot-
 ted to such objects for two or three years.
 It will be recollected that the costs of the
 permanent works will not be increased by
 accelerating the completion of them. The
 same remarks are also applicable to the ex-
 penditures for armaments, ordnance stores,
 &c. But if it should be deemed inexpe-
 dient by the committee to present to Con-
 gress, at this time, the large appropriations
 suggested in the reports of the Chief Engi-
 neer and the officer at the head of the ordi-
 nance bureau, or if there would be likely to
 be a considerable delay in getting a bill,
 making such appropriations, through Con-
 gress, I would respectfully recommend that
 the appropriations for fortifications and for
 ,rmaments and munitions of war, asked fot
 in the estimates already submitted from this
 department, should be granted without de-
 lay, and that the restriction which confines
 tie expenditure of them to the fiscal year
 should be so far removed as to allow a resort
 to them at once.
 It is considered important that the work
 orn forts aad foiaficatioua should be prose.


 We take the following account of a mail
robbery, and the circumstances that led to
its discovery from the Montgomery Journal:
 MAIL ROBBERY.-On Tuesday ot last
week a person fishing near the landing of
this place,,hooked up a handkerchief con-
taining several bundles of open letters of
late date. In the handkerchief were also
some weights for the purpose of sinking it.
This excited suspicion, and the letters were
examined at the Post Office and it was dis-
covered that they were from the Tuscaloosa
Mail of the 72th ult., which bad been open-
ed on its passage by some one having in
possession a key of the Brass Lock"
Mail.
 The rascal must (as appears from the let-
ters) have secured at least $12,000. The
discovery of the sunken documents was the
first intimation of the robbery to the Depart-
ment. We understand that several of the
" Brass Locks" are missing on the route to
Mobile, supposed to be taken for the pur-
pose of discovering their mechanism and
fitting keys.


tion and exposition of them in detail will occupy
a good deal of time and attention, which the
writer intends to give, at iutervalq, as his leisure
admits, or as his inclination,or the interest which
opposition may excite impels him. At present
he will endeavor to call public attention to what
appears to him, from reflecting on the spirit of
the charter, an usurpation, or, at least, an as-
sumption of executive powers on the part of the
legislative portion of our government. As a
corollary, an enumeration of some of the evils

flowing from this assumption must follow.
 It is scarcely necessary to mention, in this
republican age, that the union of legislative and
executive functions in one and the same body, is
characteristic of despotism and corruption, and a
monstrous feature in any government. The expe-
rience and history of the world unite in proclaim-
ing that it is a principle subversive of individual
happiness, and pregnant with positive and unqual-
ified mischief to the Ibdy politic. Whether it
prevails in a great monarchy or a village corpora-
tion, the principle is equally operative for evil;.
and, therefore, if it really exists in our city gov-
ernment it ought to be looked upon with deep,
disapprobation.
 In a late number (13) of the Commercial Ad-
vertiser you say "the office of Councilman," of
our city, is not one of profit, when we use the
term as connected with dollars and cents." In
this opinion you are mistaken. It is true that the
members of the City Council are not regularly
hired and paid functionaries; but as there are
more ways of killing a cat, &c., so the office of
Councilman may be made to assimilate with
money by other means than daily or quarterly
pay. Under the operation of the principle above
mentioned, members of the City Cou ctil deter-
mine legislatively how the city reve ue is to be
expended-what improvements &eJare to be
made-executively they make the contract, or
employ the workmen, in many instances take the
contract themselves, or are interested in it, exec-
utively determine whether their own work is pro-
perly done, and direct payment to themselves out
of the city treasury. Legislatively they create a
salaried office, perhaps one not authorized by the
charter, executively they appoint one of their
own members to fill it. In their legislative capa-
city they determine that they must have a hall,
or chamber, in which to hold their sittings, and
that it must be fitted up with all legislative appur-
tenances; executively they contract with a fellow
member for the execution of the work, and, when
done, executively approve and pay for it. The
grand Signior in his legislative capacity deter-
mines that the dignity of his office, or what is the,
same thing, his personal comfort, requires an addi-
tion of a hundred odaliques to his domestic estab-
lishment; in the discharge of his executive func-
tions he examines and approves, and out of the
public treasury pays for them, and admiring mil-
lions applaud the taste, wisdom, perhaps the
moderation of the act. Between these illustra-
tive specimens of the union of legislative and
executive functions in one body there is not a
particle of difference in principle. That the
union may be made subservient to profit can be
readily conceived; and, indeed, there can be no
doubt that thousands of dollars of the people's
money have been expended, with profit.to mem-
bers of the Council as one of its objects, since
the organization of the city government under the
present charter. Public dissatisfaction has deter-
mined that much ot this money has been useless-
ly or extravagantly expended; but if it had been,
in all instances, judiciously and economically
applied, would the course of proceedings under
which the expenditure was authorised be ..isely
legislative? The transactions, to the parties in-
terested, may be perfectly fair on business princi-
ples; but are they not of a character which a
purely honorable mind ought, if possible,' to
avoid ? Do they not show, contrary to your opin-
ion, that public approbation is not, in all instan-
ces, deemed a sufficient reward for watching over
the interest's of the city !
 That the allegation implied is not a random
 one, but is substantiated by the reg..r and con-
 stant practice of our Councilmen 'may be seen by
 every glance at the city accounts, and is promi-
 nently exemplified in tle report of the proceed-
 ings of the City Council, published in the very
 number of the Commercial Advertiser in which
 yon say tie office, of Councilman is not one of
 profit." It is there stated that-the account of a
 Councilman, for drayage, amounting to $.'10. was
 presented ; and that another bill of a firm, having
 as one of its partners a member of the city go-
 vernment, for $31 '73 wa passed and allowed.
 And in the very next report of their proceedings,
 that in the 15th No- of the Commercial Adver-
 tiser, it appears there was paid out of the City
 Treasury, to members of the City Council, and
 to firms in which members are interested, the,
 following amounts, viz :--


To a Councilman, in city due bills,-for
 interest ........................... .$280 00
To a Councilman for drayage ........... 99 25
To a Councilman for provisions ......... 17 76,
To a Councilman as Hospital Physician.. 37 50;
And the account of a Councilman was pre-
 sented and referred for .............. 87 35.

 $521 86
 This amount is small cot fed-with the sums-
which, in former periods have been paid to-
members of the City Councihi and to parties with
whom members were interested; and is copied
merely to illustrate, conveniently, how the unionB
of executive and legislative duties, in that body,,
may be made subservient bysome of its memberss,
to the acquisition of moiey. It is sufficient,_
however, to show that large sums. of money have-
been received by members of the City Councilt
contrary to the spirit, and, so far as the writer-,
can perceive, not in accordance with the Iletter*of.'
the city charter. Andoit authorises the inference
that there has beenmcorruption and abuse of duties;
in that body, that the interests of the city have
been sacrificed, and the tax payer excessively
burthened without the palliation that the money
has been distributed for the benefit of the many.,
 TAXATUS.

 NoRTH CAR.OLINA.-The democrats of-
this State have two candidates in the field
for Governor-W. F. Leake and James B.
Shepard, Esqs. The whigs have Wiiani. m,
A..Graham, the present incumbent.,


climax-and an unaffected, irresistible roar
of laughter broke from the crowd who had
collected to hear his last appeal. The
snake man stood aghast, the very picture of
utter amazement and wonder; but verdant
as he was, a ray of light broke in upon him,
and he began to understand that he had
been most completely taken in. If any
doubts still lingered around his obtuse intel-
lect, they were effectually removed by the
remarks of the crowd.
 "Well," said he, after pausing awhile as
if to bring his mind to a focus upon the ex-
tent of his wrongs-," Well! its a d-n mean
trick, any how, to serve a feller. Here I've
had three niggers two days a-ketehin' snaix,
takin' a site of pains to get 'em without a
bruise or a scratch-run the risk of bein'
bit by the blasted, pizen things-paid three
dollars to come down on the d-d old boat,
deck passage, at that, and the danger of
busting' up thrown in-paid thirty-seven-and
-a-half cents freight on the barrel-lost three
days' work myself, and wore my legsa'most
off a-trampin' over your ister shells and
sand-got your rasty fleas all over me a-
bitin'-and haint sold nary snaik! It's a
low life trick, any way you can fix it, and
that's what a feller gits by havin' any deal-
in's with your steamboat clerks and your
town people-the outlienist sef in all crea-
tion! I'll chop every snaix head off, and
take 'em back home, for they shouldn't
crawl in no such a dod rotted place as this
is!" And the green 'un' was downright sav-
age. To appease his wrath, however, "the
boys" treated to the best the town afforded ;
made up a subscription to pay his passage
back home, in the cabin ; and promised nev-
er to buy a snake from any body but him,
because he produced the real pizen breed.
 Having put his threat of beheading the
serpents into execution, he left our city on
return of boat, with his barrel of dead vipers,
in a much better humor than could have
been expected, declaring ; however, most
roundly to tbe last, that he'd never believe
a d-d steamboat clerk aging as long as he
lived, and that he had made his first and
last trip to Apalachicola."

 [For the Commercial Advertiser.
MR. EDITOR :
 The subject of our Municipal G)vernment is
one of profound and peculiar importance, involv-
ing as it does the interests and welfare of every
individual in this community, whatever may be
his politics or condition in life. Its op-ration
when for good, commands the approbation of us
all; and when for evil, demands for its remedy
the best reflections of all who feel an interest in
the character and general prosperity of our city
In its direct action upon the happiness and pros-
perity of individuals, it is of far more consequence
than the State or General Government. This
being the fact, it possesses a local interest author-
ising a free discussion of the best mode of attain.
ing its great objects, whenever individuals, com-
petent to the task, deem it necessary ; and in the
most effectual channel of communication with
the public. I trust to be able so to direct atten-
tion to the subject that the former will naturally
spring up as a consequence ; and the latter object
can be obtained through the columns of your
paper.
 It is well known to most of your readers, that
the people of this city complain, with aa unanim-
ity only surpassed by its propriety, of the great
and manifold evils incident to their municipal
government. This complaint is not new. It has
existed ever since the establishment of the pre-
sent charter, and under the conduct and manage-
ment of every successive government, whether
composed of whigs or democrats-both parties
having given a common if not an equal occasion
for it. It extends to both branches of the govern-
ment: to the executive, for extravagance in its
administration-to the legislative, for the corrup-
tions and abuses practiced by members of Coun-
cil themselves, in the trivial improvements under-
taken ostensibly for the public good. But numer-
ous as are the sources of this complaint they may
be all comprised under the general charge of an
excessive taxation in comparison with the inade-
quate return of the great objects of all govern-
ment-protection of person and property.
 In making the above sweeping charges, neither
the public nor the writer means to say, that all
our Mayors have been avoidably extravagant, or
that all our members of Council have been guilty
of corruption and abuse--indeed, he knows that


there have been many honorable exceptions.
But as the evils arise out of the form and construc-
tion of the charter-are inherent in and insepara-
ble from its nature; so the exceptions to impro-
per action under it result from the virtues of
individuals, and are in opposition to the character
and tendencies of the government. Hence, as
the sense of right must be derived from the pow-
er commanding it, it would be requiring too much
from poor human nature, to expect it to rise
superior to the temptations which it sanctions;
and, therefore, no fault is to be found with the
incumbents of office, nor no salutary change can
reasonably be expected from a mere change of
men. The root of the evil extends beyond the
individuals who are called upon to act under the
provisions of the charter; it is attached to and
inseparably bound up with the system. The
charter, like a fish that stinks only at the head,
bears a general though concealed corruption, and
like it must be thrown away; and if we cannot do
without a municipal tyranny of one kind or ano-
ther, we must substitute an instrument free from
its offensive properties.
 But though fixed in the nature of the charter
the intrinsic causes of the evils and abuses, under
which our citizens have so long suffered, do not
appear to be well understood by them. If it had
been otherwise, no one can reasonably doubt that
they would have been, long ere this, eradicated,.
and the people freed from the consequences which,
legitimately and necessarily flow therefrom. It
is necessary to direct their attention to and give
some explanation of these causes. The examina-


cuted with vigor, and at the earliest practi-
 cable period; and that the department should
 know what means it can command in the
 course of a few months, that it may forth-
 with make preparatory arrangements for
 using them. It is equally important that it
 should be at once apprised of the means
 which will be placed at its disposal for the
 armament,-ordnance stores, &c. now want-
 ing to make up a full supply. Considerable
 time is required to fabricate heavy ordnance,
 &c., and the preparations cannot be safely
 made in anticipation of the necessary ap-
 propriations. Some of the materials require
 to be provided several years before they are
 in the best condition for use. The esti-
 mates for fortifications, &c., already made,
 have exclusive reference to permanent works,
 some of them not begun, and others in no
 state of forwardness. With all practicable
 despatch, it will require more than a year
 to complete them. Should the points they
 are designed to cover and protect be threat-
 ened, the defence of them will depend on
 temporary works, and these will require
 considerable expense. For these, no esti-
 moate'has been submitted. The precise char-
 acter of these temporary defences cannot be
 designated; nor can it be Dow determined
 where they will be wanted. I would re-
 commend that a considerable sum for these
 pposes should be placed at the discretion
 of theExe,'utive. If not needed, it would
 not be used. In my opinion, two or three
 hundred thousand dollars might. properly
 be appropriated for those objects. In case
 of war, or threatened attack, a much larger
 sum would be necessary.
 Very respectfully, yourob't srrvt,
 W. L. MARCY, Secretary of War.
 tlon. THOMAS H. BENTON,
 Chairman Committeebn Military Affairs, Senate.

 [From the New-York True Sun, April 9.]
 LATER FROM EUROPE.
 By the arrival yesterday of the packet
 ship Northumberland from London 9th ult.
; we have advices from the British capital
 three days later than previously received.
 The intelligence will be found interesting,
and adds to the anxiety for the news of
 which the Unicorn will be the bearer.
" The British government were preparing
t to send out air,.e reinforcements to India.
 The unyielding character, of the intelli-
 gence received from Washington via New
 York is referred to by most of the Paris
 journals. Some of them calculate on hos-
t utilities between England and the United
 States. Others-La Press, for instance-
r "think that, after all, there will be no war."
 But the general feeling was one of appre-
 hension.
 The passage of the "notice" resolution
f in the House of Representatives created
 much excitement in England, and is the
 subject of a long article in the Times.
4 The dock and navy yards in England
 were most busily engaged in fitting out ves-
 sels of war.
 On the 5th, the English government was
 left in a minority in the Commons. Minis-
 ters resisted a motion for inquiry into the
 circumstances under which the Poor Law
 Commissioners had called on Mr. Parker
 to resign his office as an Assistant Commis-
 sioner. after the inquiry that he conducted
 into certain abuses in the Andover Union
 workhouse. On this point the Cabinet were
 out-voted by a majority of 23!
 The London Times' money market arti-
 cle of the 6th, evening, says-
 "The market for English securities was de-
 pressed this afternoon. In the morning an ap-
 pearance of weakness became evinent, but it was
 more severe towards the close of business, a
 rumor then being current that a message from the
 Queen would be received by the House of Com-
 mons to-night on the subject of America. Con-
 sols fell on the whole about one half per cents.
 the last quotation being for money 951 to -; and
 for the account, 951 to I.- After the regular
 hours of business bargaining were even conclu-
 ded at lower prices than those already quoted.
 Bank stock left off'20S- to 209.; three per cent;
 reduced, 977; to 98; three and a quarter per cents,
 961 to 7; long annuities 10-1; Indian bonds, 40s to
 42s prm; South Sea new annuities 941; and Ex-
 chequer bills 32s to 35s prin.

 LATrE~r FoM KINGSTON, JA.--The brig
 C. Hatfield, Caplain Thompson, which ar-
 rived yesterday from Kingston, Ja. reports
 the brig Othello,, from Curacoa, bound to
 New York, as having touched at Kingston on
 the 21st ult., with a Circus company) on
 board].
 The schooner James Bertine, Johnso,,
 fr'om New "York, bound to St. Andrews via
 Jamaica, arrived at Kingston on the 20lh
 ult. She had experienced very heavy
 weather and was compelled to discharge her
 cargo. Upon examination she was con-
 demned and sohldon the 23d. The British
 brig Mercator had also been condemned,
 and was sohld on the 19ih ;and brought $700.
 The sloop Pysche, Captain McCartney,
 arrived at Kingston on the 17th from Aux-
 Ciiyes, and stated that Jean Baptiste Aiche
 had been elected Presiden~t of Hayti. The
 Kingston Journal, of the 18th ult., says
 tbat it had received a proclamation issued


by the new President, which it would en-
deavor to Jay before their readers as soon as
possible.-[N. 0. Picayune.

 APPOINTMENT BY THE PRESIDENT, By
 and with the advice and consent of the Sen-
 ate.-Richard J. McCulloh to be melter and
 refiner of the Mint of the United States at
 Philadelphia, vice Jonas R. McClintock,
 resigned.
 John Al. McCalla, of Kentucky, Second
 Auditor of the Treasury, vice William B.
 Lewis, removed.
 John R. Macmurdo. of Louisiana, Trea-
 surer of the Branch Mint of the United
 States at New Orleans, vice Horace C.
 Cammack, removed.
 Felix Grundy Mayson, to be second lieu-
 tenant in the marine corps, from the 14th
 of November last, vice Lt. Robert D. Tay-
 lor, deceased,
 Reuben Burdine, of Washington, and
 Henry Reaver, of Georgetown, to be Jus-
 tice of the Peace.
 We are requested by the venerable mother
of the lamented John Hampden Pleasants,
Esq., a lady venerable as well for her virtues
as her age, to acknowledge the receipt of
a letter, containing a sum of money, from
an intimate friend of her lamented son, "who
enjoyed his confidence and shared his bed
in early life." In her own words-"The
mother has no words to express the gratitude
that overflows her heart, for the daily testi-
monies of regard, she 'receives, because of
her near connexion with that son."
 [Richmond Republican.


city charter and the bodies corporate who
have acted under it, will no doubt find
defenders. If so, our readers may be edified,
amused, and, probably, some of them bene-
fitted. We hope that the glove which has
been so gallantly and courteously thrown
down by TAXATUS," may be at once taken
up by some "knight of the gray goose
quill," and that we shall have an argumen-
tative war, conducted upon high-toned and
honorable principles, in which our little
twenty-four shall serve as the weapon both
of attack and defence.

"DON'T YOU WANT TO BUT SOME SNAIX ? "
 A short time since as one of our steamboats
was wending her way to the head of naviga-
tion, she 'brought up' at an 'intermediate
port' between this place and the junction of
the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers, for the
purpose of 'wooding' or landing freight.
As soon as she had touched the bank, bow
line' made fast and plank out, she was
boarded by one of those not very rare speci-
mens of humanity, a full grown, live 'hoos-
ier,' bearing all the outward marks and
brands which designate the 'green horn'
genus. Only waiting till the noise made by
blowing off steam had ceased, with his hat
drawn down on his eyes and his arms firmly
buried to the elbows in his 'trowserloons'
pockets, he marched resolutely up to the
clerk of the boat, and in a loud, uncultivated
tone inquired, "if he didn't want to buy a
young rattle snaik? The clerk, like most
of the boys' on our steamboats, being par-
ticularly fond of a joke, and knowing his
man,' immediately conceived a plan by which
some fun might be had in these dull and
unpropitious times of scarce freights and
low prices. Assuming an air 'as serious as
a Judge,' he propounded to the snake man
many questions as to the size, age, color and
order of his reptile, gravely remarking, after
all his interrogatories.had been answered
satisfactorily, that "he was not just then
in the snake market-himself, but there was
a commercial house in Apalachicola who
were loading a ship for Liverpool, and that
part of the cargo was to consist of a rare
collection of beasts, birds, and reptiles; that
every thing curious was in great demand,
and snakes, if they were the real pizen,
would readily bring from fifteen to twenty
dollars a head." The hoosier.' elated with
the thought of what a handsome sum be
could make, thanked the clerk profoundly
for his information, and immediately set out
for home, where he ordered all hands to
drop every thing else and go to ketching
snakes. By the time the next boat passed
that way bound for this port, he had suc-
ceeded in capturing, alive and unharmed,
a barrel of the most poisonous serpents,
embracing every variety and hue thatcrawled
in his 'diggins;' the adder, the moccasin,
the rattle snake, &c. &c., of all ages and
sizes. Having them placed on board the
boat, regularly "shipped in good order and
well conditioned, marked and numbered as
in the margin, and to be delivered at the
port of Apalachicola, to Messrs. B. & H,."
(as per direction of the clerk aforesaid,) he
paid his passage and took them in his own
care, to make their delivery doubly certain.
As soon as he had arrived here, his first in-
quiry was for the location of the above firm,
having found which, he presented himself
with all the dignity of a man engaged in le-
gitimate trade, stated the information he had
received from thie steamboat clerk, and de-
sired that his snakes should be put at once
upon the market. Understanding the hoax
at once, and determining not (o spoil the
fun, Messrs. B. & H. regretted that they
had just filled their last order for snakes,
but had no doubt they would meet with
ready sale, as there were several houses in
the trade," and he was directed to one of
these. By this time the news became gen-
eral, and every body knew that there was
a snake vender in (own, and all had a dispo-
sition to 'humor the joke.' R~eading the
signs along as he went, our snake friend
soon presented himself at another counter
and demanded if they didn't want to buy
some snaix? Here he was interrogated
with business-like gravity, as to age, size


and species, to which he replied that "they
were ofald sizes, little, middlin' and big; old,
young, and middle aged; spreadin'-adders,
copper-bellied, high-land, and water mocca-
sins; striped and yaller rattle snakes; but
they were all the real genuine pizen, war-
ranted to bite if they could, and to kill if
they bit." These were "just the kind they
had wanted, and they were extremely sorry
he had not arrived a day or two earlier, as
it was probable they might have purchased
the whole lot; however, there was a firm
a few doors below who were in the snake
market, and who would no doubt be glad of
so good an opportunity of furnishing their
friends in Liverpool with such a variety of
poisonous serpents;" and to this house he
was directed. In this way the poor, unsus-
pecting, unsophisticated snake catcher, was
driven from house to house, from number
to number, until at last, as the day began to
wane and the prospects of a sale to grow
dim, he presented himself, with flushed face
and perspiring forehead, to the Captain of
one of our vessels, who he had been told
would probably take the whole lot, at a fair
price, and asked, in a despairing and almost
suppliant tone, "don't you want to buy my
snaix?." The Captain was prepared for
the questioin-the joke had reached the


 Oe See advertisement of lost child, in
 another column.
 THE FARMER'S LIBRARY AND MONTHLY
 JOURNAL, OF AGRICULTURE.-The April
 number of this very valuable )nd interesting
 periodical is on our table. If we thought
 that praise from us would add a single sub-
 scriber's name to the books of" the publish-
 ers, we would try to say, ii an extended
 notice, as much for it as it deserves-more
 we could not. But so general and univer-
 sal have been the flattering notices taken of
 it by the press throughout the country, that
 it is reasonable to suppose he people, by
 this time, are thoroughly acquainted with
 the merits of the work-at least as far as
 they can be made so by the representations
 of others. But the only way to arrive at
 any thing like a knowledge of the worth of
 the work to the Agriculturist, is to sub-
 scribe for it.
 THE SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER
 AND REVIEw.-The April number of this
 popular monthly is on our table. The con-
 tents are of its usually excellent character,
 embracing tales, histolical sketches, notices
 of new works, poetry, &c.
 THE ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE.-The re-
 ception of the April number of this work
 served to remind us afresh of the absence
 on our table of the March number. The
 present number seems to abate nothing, in
 the variety and interest of its contents, from
 those that have gone before.
 0:7- We aie indebted to Senators YULEE
 and WESTCOTT for the transmission to us
 of valuable, matter from Washington.
 Hon. S. G. HAMPTON, M. C., also h3s
 our thanks for the document lie sent us;
 allusion to which was made in our last, in
 an article from the Pensacola Gazette rela-
 tive to the establishment of Federal Judi-
 cial Districts in Florida.
 THE LARGEST LOAD.-The steamboat
 Peytona, Capt. Greer, on her last trip from
 Columbus to this place, brought thirteen
 hundred and five bales cotton; which, if
 our recollection serves us, is the largest
 freight of cotton ever brought to this port.
 After having "let down" once or twice
 in her shafts, by which she was disa-
 bled from runningfor a while, the Peytona,
 seems to have come out with the determi.
 nation of making up for lost time.
 When she comes in under such loads as
 her last, she presents a goodly aspect to
 the Commission Merchants in particular,
 and to every body in general, who admire
 the invention of the great Fulton. Three
 or four more such freights, with what the
 other boats may bring, and the cotton will
 all have come down. Vive la Commerce!
 barrels, bales and boxes."
 As advocates of free discussion and en-
 lightenment on all subjects having a direct
 bearing upon the interests of the people,
 we have admitted the communication of
 "TAXATUS," animadverting upon our city
 charter and the abuses that grow out of it.
 The writer assumes the broad ground, that
 our present charter is an instrument which
 delegates powers to those who act under its
 authority, anti-republican in their character
 and subversive of the best interests of those
 who come within the sphere of their influ-
 ence; and he charges that corruption and
 abuses have been practiced by each success-
 ive government, since the present charter
 was established. He has cited a few items
 of expenditure by our present Council.
 This we conceive to have been done to illus-
 trate and prove, by recent acts still fresh in
 the minds of the people, the position he has
 taken; and not for the purpose of singling
 out our present Council as the especial
 objects of his crimiuation and censure ;-in
 fact the writer himself declares that "this
 amount is small compared with the sums
 which, in former periods, have been paid to
 members of the City Council," &c.
 The subject is one of a purely local

 character, from the discussion of" which evil
cannot result, and much good may. The