THE NEWS BY THE PANAMA MAIL.

West Coast Times, Issue 580, 3 August 1867, Page 3

THE NEWS BY THE PANAMA MAIL.

THE FAMINE IN SOUTH CJLrOIXKJI.

Mr W. Gilmore Simms writes from Midway, South Carolina : — "As far as I can see, there is no possible escape from general famine, in which all will suffer, many "perish. In a precinct of fifty miles' jtn this district; there is not more than one planter in fifty who has Cbr'ii enough' to last, him 4 slrigle irio'litli ', lio't m'dre than one in two hundred who has enough for t^ro months ; none that have any that can last thr.ee months $ and of these there, is hardly more than five <in the hundied who will be able to supply themselves with provisions of any sort, unless by borrowing on mO'rtgag'ej not only of the growing crop, but of the lands, and at such a rate of interest that no crop they can make can possibly save them from ruin. A great many will almost or quite starve, unless they cau get help from some other resources than their own. Briefly, the famine which threatens the land is all over the land, atld no One region Can help the other. The mules and horses, especially when owned by the negroes, and upon which the hope for next year's crop must greatly depend, are dying of work without food. They literally drop down in -the harness, and ranch the same sort of a picture may be dravn of the humans, white and black. Life is prolonged solely by spasmodic efforts and all sorts of expedients, day by day, the parties not regarding any sacrifice which will yield the means of daily subsistence to their families. Unless the charities of the outer world are more prompt and more bountiful, I do not 6ee what is to avert the fate of thousauds to whom the peck or bushel of corn, which suffices for a week, must simply proloiig the agony of a death by inches'."

BRITISH. POSSESSIONS.

The Victoria (V.1.) "News" says:— "A rumor was afloat last^eveningj April 26; that the occupation of San Juan Island will shortly cease, and that the American garrison will be removed, the complete sovereignty of the island haviug been given to Great Britain. We give the rumor for .what it is worth, without vouching for its correctness."

MISCELLANEOUS.

Oue of the most gigantic cases of forgery of modern times has just been brought before the Lord Mayor at the Mansion House. The persons implicated are a London merchant named Edgeley, and a Frenchman named Dovelliers, who has lately been residing at Bromley, in Kent, and who was arrested at Dieppe. The bills of exchange said to be forged and issued, represent no less a sum than LIOB,OOO, of which" sum it is alleged the Leeds Banking Company (which lately suspended payment) has beeu defrauded. The case was heard at some length against the Frenchman, and adjourned. Edgeley is not yet in custody. An exciting discussion took place in the House lately, when Mr Bright presented a petition having reference to Ireland — and contending that there was legitimate ground for the chronic . discontent of which Fenianism was ths expression, and that there was, therefore, palliation for the errors of those who joined that association. Tlu'ice was he interrupted by honorable members rising to order, but on each occasion the Speaker ruled he was iv order. A motion that the petition be not received was withdrawn; and the subject dropped.

Evidence fully revealing the terrible mature of the Fenian conspiracy, and the existence of a nefarious assassination committee, having for its object the murder of detectives, for having done their duty; of informers, for haviug proved faithless to the brotherhood; and of Judges, for having dealt out justice, has been given into the Commission Court at Dublin.

Mr Hodsman, the aeronaut, whose involuntary aerial trip across the Irish Channel excited sO mUcH sensation so'me "weeks ago, has met with a very serious accident: He made ah ascent at Cork on May 20, and in descending he either fell from the car, or it catne so violently in contact with the earth that he was thrown out. He was stunned, and is very severely bruised, but no bones are broken. The balloon, on being relieved of its unfortunate owner's weight, soared into the air, was quickly lost to sight, and it has since been found on the road between Killarney and Tralee.

The liquefaction of stone, the dissolving of quartz and flint in water, is the subject of a curious paper (a digest of which we subjoin) lately read before a Boston Scientific Society, by Professor Fleury, of New York : — The object of all processes of this kind, says the Professor, is to produce by economical'means a colorless liquid possessing permanent petrifying qualities, and holding fluid in solution. The uses to which such a liquid, supposing it to be perfect, could be applied, are nuuiei'ous. It may be used like the so-called water-glass invented by Professor Fuchs, of Munich, in producing fresh and durable frescoes ; and, indeed, this experiment has been tried with some success in Houses of Parliament. Artificial stones and cornices for building purposes might be made if this petrifying liquid could only be produced cheaply enough, and it might also, of course, bo used in cementing stones together. Cast statuary, tombstones, baths, tables, mantel-pieces, and ornaments of every description, could be made far cheaper from this flint-marble than by the present laborious processes. Che liquid might also be used to render wood non-inflammable and water-proof by impregnating it with a properly prepaved solution; and railway sleepers, telegraph po3ts, and all wood in exposed places, could be rendered weather-proof and much more durable. It could be mixed with paper pulp and various vegetable fibres, and a variety of useful and ornamental articles could be manufactured from it. Old monuments, and buildings where the stone was decaying, could easily be restored by liquid silica ; and it is possible even that it might be made to serve for the preservation of fruit, meat, eggs, vegetables, &c. Metallurgy would gain much as Professor Fleury points out, by a process by which quartz could then be taken, anil the gold obtained as a precipitate from the solution of the quartz. The liquid silica so obtained would, of course, have a distinct and fixed market value; and the price paid for extracting the gold would be more than covered by the profit arising from its sale. Many eminent scientific men have tried their hands at making this liquid stone, and with varied success. Experiments have been made in which a solution ha 3 been procured that could bo cast cold without pressure, and hardening from the centre outwards became a- snowwhite flint of greater hardness and durability even than natural marble. Professor Fuchs, of Munich, Kuhlman, of Lille, Fresny, of Paris, Graham, of London, Harding©, of New York, and Mr Eansomc, of Ipswich, have all applied themselves to this interesting problem j and it is moat likely that we shall soon be familiar with the qualities and uses of this liquid stone.

The " United States Economist," of a recent date, says: — "The pressure of the times is steadily augmenting the number of the unemployed in our large cities, and especially in New York ; nor does the present aspect of business afford any reason for hoping for anj early improvement, but rather the contrary. The fact is, our chief cities are becoming over-crowded, the supply of hands exceeding the demand. There arc in New York thousands of young men, able-bodied, intelligent, and in every way qualified to make for themselves a good position in the world, who, however, are wasting their time and keeping their energies idle by waiting for chances for clerkships, pMers, and other light employments which afford them scarcely sufficient to clothe them decently and provide thorn with wholesome food. " The " New York Times" makos Jho following statement : — A terrible case of hydropho-

bia is chronicled in the Detroit papers. A little dauglitdr of Mr Alfred Woodruff, of the town of Greenfield, Mitchigait, was bitten some time ago by a dog, but no 1 syinpionis <rfhydrophobia were ut first shown 1 . At length the poiso'H, which, acting as & sub-cutaneous injection, permeaied ef cry tissue of tlie system, broie out in aßevere form, causing the most intense suffering. A consultation was had by phy^ sicians, who decided that, as the sufferer could not possibly sui'vive, every consideration of humanity demanded that her sufferings be ended by some means, in accordance with \riiicli ; during a severe paroxysm, the child wrfs, sitiothered to death. The republic of SalvadoV appears hd be' jJi'flgressing favorably under its present .rulers. The Government is taking an active Merest in the opening of the country, and with thit object in view we find it entering into contracts for constructing new roads, inj.prov.ing old ones, building or repairing bridges, erection of wharves, &c. The want of proper means of conveyance throughout the interior has heretofore been a great drawback to the Central American Eepublics.

Some one has collected information in regart to tlie fortunes left by the dead and the living ex-Presidents. We learn that Jefferson died popr. Indeed, if Congress had not purchased his library, giving him fire times its value, he^vuld with difficulty have kept the wolf from liis doqr. , Madison saved his money, and was comparatively rich. To add to his' fortune, however, or rather that of his widow, Congress purchased his manuscript papers, and paid 30,000 dollars for them. James Monroe, the sixth President of the United States, died so poor that his remains found a resting place through the charity of his friends. They remain in a cemetery, but no announcement marks the spot where they repose. John Quincy Adams left some 50,000 dollai'3, the result of industry, prudence, and inheritance. He was a mail of methoi and economy. Martin Van Buren died rich. Throughout his political life he studiously looked out for his own interest. James K. Polk left about 150,000 dollar^, 50pOO dollars of which was sared from his Presidency of four years. John Tyler left 50,000 dollars. Before he was President he was a bankrupt. Iv office, he husbanded his means, and married a rich wife. Zachary Taylor left 160,000. Millard Fillmore is a wealthy man. Francis Pierce saved 5p,000 dollars from Ms term of service. James Buchanan, who is a bachelor, aud saves all he gets, is estimated to be worth at least 200,000 dollars. From this same source we learn that Henry Clay left a very handsome estate. It probably exceeded 100,000 dollars. He was a prudent manager, and a scrupulously honest rnau. Daniel Webster squandered some millions in his lifetime, the product of his professional speculation. He died leaving his property to his children, and his debts to his friends. Tbe former sold for less than 20,000, the latter exceeding 250,000 dollars. — " Buffalo Courier."

From whatever cause it may nave arisen the Great Eastern's first trip in connection with the French Exhibition, and under the French company, has proved a great failure. She has come back to Liverpool, and there has been a heavy loss on the voyage. The French company appears to have suddenly collapsed, and no funds are yet forthcoming to pay either the tradesmen who refitted the ship or the seamen who navigated her.

The " British Medical Journal " states that the veteran surgeon, Sir .William Lawrence — only a few weeks since created a baronet at the age of 84— has been seized with paralysis. He was struck down in the College of Surgeons, while ascending the stairs to enter the council room and take his seat as examiner, lie tottered, and would have fallen but for the timely aid of a student who was standing near. Even then his indomitable courage and determination did not desert him ; he feebly resisted the intention to place him on a sofa, and grasped at the examiner's chair, iv which he vainly endeavored to seat himself. He lias since been speechless, but not altogether unconscious* The " Lancet," of May 18, says :—: — "By the latest accounts Sir William Lawrence is reported somewhat bettei\ He is still, how ever, unable to speak or to ■write. His first act on recovering consciousness, •which had been almost suspended for three or four days, was to resign his post at the College of Surgeons, and this he effected, we hear, by spelling out words by means of letters placed before him."