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On Erection and Division of Towns and Counties.

Mr. Beers,

Mr. Barstow.

Mr. Treadwell,

On Internal Affairs of Towns and Counties. Mr. Curry,

Mr. J. Davis,
Mr. McWhorter,

Mr. Sill,

Mr. S. J. Davis, Mr. Chandler.

On Medical Societies and Colleges.

Mr. Hunter, Mr. Davison.

Mr. W. H. Pratt,
Mr. J. B. Smith,
On Incorporation of Cities aud Villages.
Mr. Blodgett,
Mr. Morgan,
Mr. Taylor,
Mr. Barber.
Mr. Barstow,

On the Manufacture of Salt.
Mr. Atwater,
Mr. Garrison.

On Trade and Manufactures.

Mr. Bell, Mr. Prindle, Mr. Keyser,

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Mr. Wright,

Mr. Lee,

Mr. T. Smith, Mr. Blodgett,

Mr. J. Lawrence Smith.

Mr. D. Moore,

Mr. Sherman,

On Canals.

Mr. Cornwell,

Mr. Carpenter, Mr. Sage,

Mr. Burnell, Mr. Shumway, Mr. Pottle, Mr. Balcolm,

Mr. Perkins,

Mr. Hitchcock,

Mr. Baker.

On the Judiciary.

Mr. Develin,
Mr. Fenno,

Mr. Flanders.

Mr. Morgan, Mr. Bowie.

On Roads and Bridges.

Mr. Allaben,
Mr. Marshall.

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Mr. J. Lawrence Smith,

Mr. Heaton.

STATE OFFICERS.

N. S. BENTON, Secretary of State.

ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL, Deputy Secretary of State. AZARIAH C. FLAGG, Comptroller.

PHILIP PHELPS, Deputy Comptroller.

BENJAMIN ENOS, Treasurer.

JOHN VAN BEUREN, Attorney General.
HUGH HALSEY, Surveyor General.

PREROGATIVE OF MERCY.

GOVERNOR YOUNG has granted a pardon to the Anti-Renters confined in the State Prison, and they have been set at liberty. The exercise of the pardoning power is vested in the Executive, and he is accountable to a higher power than man for its exercise.

There are none of our species, no not one that can hope for future happiness except by the exercise of the pardoning power by that Being who is the CREATOR and GOVERNOR of the universe, and he who denies it to others has no claim to ask pardon for himself. No doubt, every one of the unfortunate men convicted in Delaware and Columbia Counties regretted the commission of the act for which they respectively suffered, and no doubt will hereafter be careful how they give offence. Many a fond wife, anxious parent and dear brother and sister has been made glad by their release. Governor Young will find a softer pillow, sweeter sleep, and in his feeble state of health an increased consolation in the accomplishment of this work of mercy and of clemency.

LEGISLATIVE POWER.

The Senate and Assembly of this State cannot delegate legislative power to any man or body of men except in the single case provided for in section 17 of art. 3 of the Constitution, which authorises the Legislature of the State to delegate local legislative power to Supervisors of Counties.

As well might the Executive Delegate the Pardoning Power, or the power to approve, or veto bills passed by the Legislature.

The absence of any provision in the Constitution to authorise the Senate and Assembly of this State to delegate legislative power to Common Councils of Cities, is clear, and besides this, there is an implied restriction in the provision of section 17 of art. 3, as to Common Councils of Cities, in the reason that that section makes express provision for delegating such power to Boards of County Supervisors.

CITY CHARTER.

EXTRAORDINARY PETITION

For unlimited and unrestricted increase of power to be given to the Corporation of the City of New-York. TO THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, &c.

Respectfully represents-That an act was passed by the Legislature of this State, at its last Session, authorizing the election of Delegates to meet in Convention at the City Hall, in said City, on the first Monday of July last," for forming a new or revising and amending the present Charter of the City of and assembled in Convention on the said first Monday of July last, and applied themselves diligently to the discharge of the important duties devolved upon them. That by reason of the length of time occupied by the Convention in preparing said amendments, the Convention did not complete this work until on the

New-York." That said Delegates were duly elected

evening of Monday the 26th day of October, and only one week before the last annual election at which

said amendments were to be voted upon; that the resolutions passed by the Convention, directing the mode and manner in which said amendments should be voted on, through inadvertence were never published, and at the time of the election a large number of our citizens were unacquainted with the character of said amendments, and the manner of voting on

the same, consequently, great misapprehension prevailed in relation to said amendments, thereby pre

venting many of our citizens voting thereon. A small vote was therefore polled upon said amendments, being 13,457 out of a vote cast at said election, amounting in all to 44,769.

your

Your memorialists believe that a very general sentiment prevails in favor of said amendments, and that if the same were again submitted to the Electors they would be adopted by a large vote. Your Memorialist therefore that pray, honorable body will pass an act submitting said amendments to the Electors of this City, to be voted on at a Special Election, to be held on the first Tuesday of February next, and if the same shall be approved of by a majority of votes then cast, and subsequently ratified by the Legislature, that the same shall thenceforth be part of the Charter of the City of New-York.

Dated New-York, Jan. 2nd, 1847.
BENJ. F. SHERMAN, J. H. M'COUN,
A. G. ROGERS,

JAMES W. TITUS,

R. EMMET,

P. MILSPAUGH,
J. H. GRAHAM,

LEWIS H. SANDFORD,
WM. WESTON,
G. DE BEVOISE,
JAMES S. SANDFORD,

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proper and necessary laws for the imposition, assessment, and collection of the city taxes on any property, real and personal, in the city: for the regulation and collection of the city revenue, and all moneys due to the city; for the care, regulation improvement and sale of the city property, real and personal; for the laying out making, opening, widening, regulating, and keeping in repair all streets, roads, bridges, ferries, public places and grounds, wharves, docks, piers, slips, sewers, wells, and alleys, and for making the assessments therefor; for regulating and collecting wharfage, dockage, and cranage from and upon all water craft, and all goods landed; for licensing and regulating all such vehicles, TRADES, ARTS, OCCUPATIONS, PROFESSIONS, and EMPLOYMENTS as the public good may require, and for revoking such licenses; for regulating the arriving, landing, bonding, and commutation of passengers ; and all such other laws for the management, good government, and general welfare of said city, as are or may not be prohibited by or inconsistent. with the constitution of the United States, or the constitution of this State, or any law thereof; and to affix penalties to the violation of any city law, but such penalties shall in no instance exceed imprisonment in the city prison for sixty days and a fine of two hundred and fifty dollars. From Page 13.

"S22. All such parts of the charter of the city of New-York, and the several acts of the Legislature amending or in any manner affecting the same, as are inconsistent with this act are hereby repealed, but so much and such parts thereof as are not inconsistent with this act are hereby repealed, but so much and such parts thereof as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this law, shall not be construed as repealed, altered, modified, or in any form affected thereby; but shall continue and remain in full force and virtue.

§ 23. Whenever any amendment to this charter shall have been passed by a vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each board, it may be submitted to the electors of the city, and if ved of by a majority of them at any general or charter election, it shall become a part of the city charter.

appro

The amended Charter is on pages 614 to 618, this series. See sec. 15 of

Art. 2, page 616 five first lines of Sec. 17, same page.

EXTRACTS FROM THE STATE CONSTITUTION.

Art. 1., Sec. 17.

And the Legislature, at its first ses

sion after the adoption of this Constitution, shall appoint three commissioners, whose duty it shall be to reduce into a written and systematic code the whole body of the law of this State, or so much and such parts thereof as to the said commissioners shall seem practicable and expedient. And the said commissioners shall specify such alterations and amendments therein as they shall deem proper, and they shall at all times make reports of their proceedings to the Legislature, when called upon to do so; and the Legislature shall pass laws regulating the tenure of office, the filling of vacancies therein, and the compensation of the said commissioners; and shall also provide for the publication of the said code, prior to its being presented the Legislature for adoption.

Art. 3., Sec. 16.

No private or local bill, which may be passed by the Legislature, shall embrace more than one subject, and that shall be expressed in the title.

Sec. 17.

The Legislature may confer upon the boards of supervisors of the several counties of the State, such further powers of local legislation and administration, as they shall from time to time prescribe.

Art 8., Sec. 9.

It shall be the duty of the Legislature to provide for the organization of cities and incorporated villages, and to restrict their power of taxation, assessment, borrowing money, contracting debts and loaning their credit, so as to prevent abuses in assessments, and in contracting debt by such municipal corporations.

Art. 7., Sec. 13.

Every law which imposes, continues or revives a tax, shall distinctly state the tax and the object to which it is to be applied; and it shall not be sufficient to refer to any other law to fix such tax or object.

Art, 12., Sec. 2.

All county officers whose election or appointment is not provided for, by this Constitution, shall be elected by the electors of the respective counties, or appointed by the boards of supervisors, or other county authorities, as the Legislature shall direct. All city, town and village officers." &c.

See Constitution, ante. p. 625.

The ninth, fifteenth, seventeenth, nineteenth, twenty-sixth, and twenty seventh sections of Art. 2, of the amendments of the City Charter are highly objectionable for which sections see ante. pages 615 and 616.

There are numerous other sections that are bad, and indeed very bad. The amendments in the whole are worthess, Mr. Allen's amendments, see ante. pages 595 and 596, are millions of times better.

RUINOUS TAXATION, TYRAN

NY and DESPOTISM. To Owners of Real Estate in the City of New-York; to Merchants in the City of New-York ;-to the Officers of Incorporated Companies ;-to men of all Trades, Professions and Employments;-to Merchants throughout the State sending Produce to New-York, and to the State Canal Commissioners, &c. &c.......EXAMINE THE FOLLOWING

AMENDMENTS TO THE NEW-YORK CITY CHARTER.

Tax on Country Produce; License required for all persons doing business; Power to make penal laws and enforce them by fine and imprisonment, see sec. 11, pg. 614, ante. Merchants to make written statements of their business. See sec. 3, p. 657, ante. 1st column; Control over all Incorporated Companies doing business in the city of New-York. See Sec. 11 of pg. 614, ante. Unlimited power of Taxation, same section; Wharf Tax to be collected by the Police. See Report of Committee, p. 620. Corporation to open streets and make assessments, (See Sec. 11 of pg. 614, ante.,) and to possess all the powers ever heretofore at any time possessed. See Sec. 1. p.3 and 4. The whole sovereignty of the State over this county to be delegated to the City, to be exercised within its bounds by Sec. 23 of page 615.

The following provisions are to be found in the amendments proposed to the New-York City Charter, for the submission of which, again to the People, a bill is now before the State Legislature. Several gentlemen who signed in favor of the bill for again submitting amendments, upon having their attention called to the following provisions, contained therein, have remonstra

REMONSTRANCES AGAINST THE AMENDMENTS OF THE N. YORK CITY CHARTER. Letter to His Excellency Gov. YoUNG

City of New-York, January 25, 1847. To His Excellency JOHN YOUNG,

Governor of the State of New-York. Dear sir,-The undersigned have been informed, that a Bill has been passed by the Senate, and sent to

the Assembly for their concurrence, providing that

the amendments to the New-York City Charter recently adopted by the City Convention, and subsequently rejected by the People, shall be again submitted to the same people, at a special election, to be held for that purpose.

A printed copy of the amendments, published by authority of said City Convention, is herewith, and the undersigned desire to call your attention to the provisions of section 1, on pages 3 and 4, as underscored, to that portion of section 11, on pages 8 and 9, underscored; also to section 22 and 23, on page 13; and also to the third paragraph on page 83, in the address of the Members of the Convention to the People.

The undersigned refer you to the act entitled "An Act to provide for calling a Convention in relation to the Charter of the City of New-York, passed May 9, 1846," and to section 1 of that act, which provides for a special election on the 1st day of June, 23 days thereafter, for delegates, as providing a very short notice for so important a matter.

The undersigned are informed that but few votes were polled at said election.

The undersigned again call your attention to the provision of sec. 22 and 23 of page 13 of the amendments in connection with the provisions of the New Constitution.

The arbitrary exercise of power by the Corporation of the City of New-York has been, and justly complained of, and that body should be restrained by legislative enactments, as provided in sec. 9, of art. 8,

of the Constitution.

The undersigned express the opinion that the trade and commerce of the City of New-York would be injured by the grant of powers contained in section 11, of pages 8 and 9; that a wharf tax on goods, and import tax on passengers, would not only be vexatious, but would also be injurious to its trade and commerce, and that an unlimited authority to the Corporation to assess taxes will be a dangerous power to confer on that body, and should not be granted.

The undersigned refer you to the annual message of the Mayor of New-York, a printed copy of which is herewith, and to page 10 of said document, and to that portion of it, which is underscored, in relation to the wharf tax, &c.

The undersigned ask that your Excellency will be pleased to transmit this communication, with the accompanying documents, to the Honorable the House of Assembly, that the Committee to whom the Bill in question has been referred, may have these docu

ments also before them prior to making a report in the premises.

With great respect,

Your Excellency's most obedient servants, N. & G. Griswold, Goodhue & Co., John Haggerty, Samuel S. Howland, William Bard. Sturges, Bennet & Co., David Hadden,

Anson G. Phelps, Jun., Charles H. Marshall,

Abraham G. Thompson,
Grinnels, Minturn & Co.,
Brown, Brothers & Co.,
James G. King & Sons,
John J. Palmer,
David Leavitt,
A. B. Neilson,
W. E. Dodge,
N. G. Rutgers.

On the 27th of January, His EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR sent a Message to the House of Assembly, accompanying the above letter and the Documents referred to therein.

To the Hon. the Legislature of the State of NewYork.

The undersigned citizens of the City of New-York, have understood that a bill is pending in your Hon. body, which authorises the submission of the amendments of the New-York City Charter again to the

ted against it, and asked the Legis- People, at a Special Election to be held for that purature to withdraw their names from their former memorials in favor.

pose.

The undersigned respectfully remonstrate against the passage of the said bill, and hereto annex an offi

cial printed copy of said amendments published by order of the Convention which adopted them, and refer to the very objectionable provisions contained therein, as underscored.

The undersigned refer your Honorable body to the remonstrances and memorials now in the archives of the Senate, presented in 1841, 1842, 1843 and 1844, asking that the Corporation might be restricted from the exercise of arbitrary power. These memorials are very numerously signed and set forth in detail many grievances.

The undersigned refer your Honorable body to section 9 of art. 8, of the Constitution which provides for restrictions upon City Governments. Also to section 17 of article 3, of the Constitution which provides for the delegation of local legislative power to supervisors of Counties and not to Common Councils of Cities, and also to section 16 of article 3, which provides that every Legislative Bill shall set forth in its title the subject and the bill shall embrace but one subject.

The undersigned call the attention of your Honorable Body to the provisions in the said amendments which authorises the Common Council to assess taxes on real and personal estate, to levy a wharf tax on goods, to regulate the arrival of passengers, to regulate trades, profession, occupations and employments and to pass penal laws as contained in section 11 of page 8 and 9, as being a violation of section 9 of article 8, of the constitution.

The undersigned call your attention to section 23, page 13, as containing an unlimited grant of power wholly inconsistent with the principles of a free government.

The undersigned call your attention to section 22 of page 13, as at variance with the provisions of the Constitution, which requires a codification of the laws of the State.

The undersigned express the opinion that the passage of the Bill to authorise a resubmission of the amendments to the people, would be injurious to the City.

Peter Lorrillard Jun.,
Howland & Aspinwall,
Stacey B. Collins,
C. S. Woodhull,
Andrew Foster & Son,
Japhet Bishop,
Samuel Judd's Sons,
John Bridge,

They could point out numerous other objections to the bill, but they deem the present sufficient. And your Memorialists &c., New-York, January 29th, 1847. William B. Crossby, Anson G. Phelps, Woolsey A. Woolsey, E. D. Hurlbut, & Co. D. H. Robertson, Olyphant & Son, Lawrence & Hicks, Woodhull & Minturn, James M'Call, Fox & Livingston, Thomas Hunt & Co., John C. Green. Walter R. Jones, and others.

S. T. Jones, & Co. Fisher How & Hamilton, Benkhard & Hutton, Josiah L. Hale,

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To amend the amendments to the charter of the city of New-York, adopted by the recent Convention of that city; and to submit the same to the electors thereof, for approval or disapproval.

The People of the State of New-York represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. The amendments adopted by the Convention for the purpose of forming anew, or revising and amending the present charter of the city of NewYork, in pursuance of the act of the legislature, entitled "An act to provide for the calling of a convention in relation to the charter of the city of New-York," passed May 9, 1846, are hereby amended by inserting, at the end of section sixteen, of article second thereof, the following proviso: “and provided further, that the chief engineer of the fire department, shall be nominated to the mayor by the firemen of said

city, in the manner now prescribed by the ordinances thereof."

§ 2. The said amendments, so adopted by said convention as hereby amended, shall be submitted to the qualified electors of said city to be voted on at a special election to be held therein, on the second Tuesday of Feb. next; and all laws now in force in reference to the notification, time and manner of holding and conducting elections in said city; and the duties of all officers, and the estimate, canvass, and return of votes, shall apply as far as practicable to said special election; and the expense thereof, shall be borne and paid out of the treasury of the city of New: York.

63. At such election, the ballots to be used thereat

shall be printed or written, or partly printed, and partly written; and each ballot shall be endorsed

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City Charter," and shall contain on the inside thereof, the word "yes," or " no;" and if a majority of the votes cast at such election, shall have thereon the word "yes," the said amendments, as hereby amended, shall be deemed to have been approved by said electors; and if a majority of the votes cast at such election shall have thereon the word "no," said amendments as hereby amended, shall be deemed to have been rejected by such electors. And if said amendments as hereby amended, shall be adopted by a majority of the votes cast on the question, the same shall be forthwith submitted to the Legislature, at its present session.

§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately. Offered by Mr. Blodgett. AMENDMENTS.

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At the end of section first of this act, insert the following:

Also in the first section of article first of said amended charter, strike out the word "laying," also, in the same article, section eleven, after the word duty, insert "with the consent of the legislature." Also in the same article and section, strike out the word "imposition." Also in the same article and section, after the word thereof, insert "and the said assessments to be made by a jury of five men, to be drawn for in the same manner that jurors are drawn for in the Court of Common Pleas."

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Also in the second article and section nine, strike out the following, " and the City Surveyor, and Assistant City Surveyor, together with the Street Commissioner, or Assistant Street Commissioner, shall be the Commissioners for making all estimates and assessments for opening, widening, grading and altering all avenues and streets, also in the same article and section, after the word "and," and before the word shall," insert the word "they." Sixth Amendment.

Also in the same article, and section fifteen, after the word City in the first line of said section, insert "with the consent of the legislature." Also in the same article, and section nineteen, at the end of the first sentence after the word "thereof," insert" unless appealed from, to the board of supervisors of said City."

Seventh Amendment.

Also in the same article, section twenty two, strike

out after the words heads of departments, "under such regulations as shall be established by order of the Common Council," and insert" at public auction, by giving at least ten days public notice thereof, in two newspapers published in said city; and all contracts shall be given to the lowest bidder or bidders, who shall furnish ample security for the performance of the same, to be approved of by the Mayor of said city.

Eighth Amendment.

Also in the same article, strike out the "twentysixth" section.

Ninth Amendment.

Also in the third article, section first, strike out the words" Common Council," and insert "Legislature." Tenth Amendment.

Also in the same article, section four, strike out the words "Common Council," and insert legislature.

Eleventh Amendment.

Also in the same article, section four, strike out the election." word" appointment," and insert "

Twelfth Amendment.

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Also in the same article, section ten, strike out the words in addition to the salary herein provided," and in the second section of the act hereby amended, strike out the following: a special election to be held therein, on the second Tuesday of February next," and insert the following: "the Charter Election in said City on the second Tuesday of April next; also strike out the word "special," where it occurs the second time in said section, and insert the word "charter."

NO. 42. IN SENATE,

FFBRUARY 3, 1847.

(G. O. No. 45.) [Reported by Mr. CLARK, from the committee on charitable and religious societies-read twice, and committed to the committee of the whole.]

AN ACT

In relation to the Seamen's Fund and Retreat in the city of New-York, and to reduce and equalize the tax on Seamen.

The People of the State of New-York, represented in Senate and Assembly do enact as follows: SEGTION 1. From and after the passage of this act, the president of the board of trustees of the Seamen's Fund and Retreat in the city of New-York, shall demand and receive, and in case of neglect or refusal to pay, shall sue for and recover in the name of the people of this State, the following sums from the master of every vessel that shall arrive at the port of New-York, namely:

From the master of every vessel from a port in the East Indies or the Pacific, for himself, two dollars; for each mate, sailor or mariner, one dollar and fifty

cents.

For each master, mate or mariner of every vessel from Africa, or from any port in South America south of the equator, eighty-seven and a-half cents.

From each master, mate or mariner of every vessel arriving from any port in Europe. sixty cents.

From every master, mate and mariner of every vessel arriving from South America north of the equator, from the West Indies, and coastwise beyond St. Mary's river, thirty-seven and a-half cents.

From every master, mate and mariner of every vessel arriving from any port in the British Provinces, fifty cents.

From every master, mate and mariner of every vessel sailing under a coasting license, arriving from any port south of Hatteras and north of St. Mary's river, twenty cents per month.

From all other vessels, twenty cents per month.

2. From and after the passage of this act, the trustees of the Seaman's Fund, and Retreat, in the city of New-York, shall consist of the following persons, residing in the counties of New-York, Kings or Richmond, to wit: the Mayor of the city and county of New-York, the health officer of the port of NewYork, the president and first vice-president of the

Marine Society, the president and vice-president of the New-York Nautical Society, together with six other persons, of whom three shall be, or shall have been, shipmasters; which six last mentioned persons, shall be chosen annually, by the first named six ex-officio

trustees.

§ 3. The trustees so appointed and chosen, shall render their services gratuitously; and shall, on the first Tuesday in June in every year, choose a president, secretary, physician, assistant physician, superintendent and chaplain.

4. The president of the said board of trustees, shall be elected from the board of trustees, shall not receive any salary as president.

5. No trustee shall be eligible to the office of secretary, physician, assistant physician, or superintendent.

6. The board of trustees shall appoint nurses and attendants to the hospital or retreat; and shall fix the amount of compensation to be paid them, and pay the same out of the fund collected from the tax upon seamen aforesaid. They shall also, annually fix the amount of salary or compensation to be paid to physician, assistant physician, superintendent, and secretary, which shall be paid out of the fund aforesaid. They shall also make such rules and regulations, for the government of said hospital and retreat, as may, from time to time, be necessary or expedient.

§ 7. The trustees shall pay to the health commissioner, for the support of all sick and disabled seamen, who may be detained in quarantine, during the time that they are detained in quarantine as aforesaid, and shall remain at the marine hospital; at the rate of twenty-five cents a day, for each seaman so detained.

8. No part of the funds or moneys arising from the tax on seamen, or which shall be collected by the said board of trustees, by virtue of this act, shall be paid or appropriated to the support, maintenance or relief, of any sick or disabled seaman, or other person, for any time during which he or they shall not be an inmate of said hospital or retreat, excepting in the case provided for by the foregoing section.

9. The necessary expenditures of the said board of trustees, including office rent, fuel and stationery, shall be paid out of the money collected from the said tax on seamen.

10. All former acts, and sections of acts, inconsistent with the provisions of this act, rre hereby repealed.

11. This act shall take effect immediately. NOTE.-Section 2 should be amended by striking out the words in Italic, and inserting the words the President and Vice-President of the Seamens Savings Bank and the President and the Vice-President of the Seamen's Friend Society.

SEAMAN'S BANK OF SAVINGS. BENJAMIN STRONG, President, WILLIAM NELSON, Secretary, JOSEPH W. ALSOP, Jr., Treasurer. Interest payable first of January and July. Open daily from 11 to 2 P. M.

Office No. 82 Wall Street.

AMERICAN SEAMAN'S FRIEND SOCIETY. EDWARD RICHARDSON, President, JOHN SPAULDING and T. HALE, Secretaries. C. N. TALBOT, Treasurer. Office No. 82 Wall Street.

FIRE INSURANCE COMPANIES. STOCK OF FIRE INSURANCE COMPANIES should be exempt from Taxation. In the City of New-York, thirty millions of property has been destroyed by fire, within twelve years, and the Capitals of Fire Insurance Companies are inadequate to afford protection, and which three Companies had obtained charters, viz: the Merchants', Manhattan and Guardian, but so unproductive and precarious has this kind of Stock been for years past, that Capitalists will not invest, and only a few public spirited citizens among the great number came forward to subscribe, as a matter of public

concern.

EARTHQUAKE OF AUGUST 25, 1846.

A few minutes before 5 o'clock, on the morning of the 25th of August, 1846, the shock of an Earthquake was felt in several sea coast and river towns in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and in several river towns in Vermont.

I commence with the most distant locality in the North East which I have accounts from and from thence follow the paths of the Earthquake, South West.

Gardner, Maine, on the West side of the Kenebeck and at the mouth of the Cobbeseconte river where there is a fall was the first point shaken; next, Portland, on Casco Bay which connects with ponds in the interior by a a canal.

Portsmouth, N. H., in the Piscataqua River, three miles from the great bay, was shaken. Deerfield, N. H., on Lamprey River, which river connects with tide water at Durham, two miles from the great bay was also shaken.

My correspondent, Hon. JOSIAH BUTLER, of Deerfield, in a letter written the 26th, next day after this shock, says :-"The most severe of these appeared something like the Earthquake which was felt yesterday, the 25th instant, at 5, A. M., in this State, and as I learn, in some, if not all parts of Massachusetts, striking the Easterly end of the house, and passing off from North East to South West. The earth and buildings were shaken more last November than by the Earthquake yesterday."

Newburyport, Massachusetts, situate on the Merimac River, three miles from the sea, felt the shock for some seconds, from this it passed up the Merimac and all its branches and on the dividing land where the tributaries of the Connecticut and Merimac mingle in their ascending vapours it passed to and down the tributaries of the Connecticut and on reaching that river which discharges its waters into the same ocean from whence it started became extinguished, having traversed the electric circle. It also passed from the tributaries of the Merimac to the tributaries of the Blackstone, and on reaching the Blackstone which also empties into the same ocean from whence it started, it became extinct, unless we allow that the thunder and lightning storm which retraced the same path next day, was its rebound.

I will name the localities it visited on the Merimac and its tributaries. First, Concord, Massachusetts, and Westboro, Massachusetts, both on Concord River, a tributary of the Merimac and on its South side; next Concord, N. H., on the Merimac, thence up the Pimmegewasset, a tributary of the Merimac on the North side to Plymouth, N. H., from thence to and up the Winnepisogee river, a tributary of the Pimmegewasset to Winnepisogee Lake and through that lake to Centre Harbor, N. H. From the Merimac it passed up another tributary on the South side, called the Coonstocook, to Rindge, where a small ridge divides it from the head waters of Millers' River through the union of the vapor of these two streams commingling, it had a conductor down Millars River to Gardner, Athol and Orange, Massachusetts, to the Connecticut River, at Montagu. Another branch of the shock passed from a tributary of the Merimac to the Ashuefot, and gave a shock to the town of Keene, N. H., which is situate upon that stream-from thence it proceeded to Brattelboro, Vt., situate on Connecticut river near the mouth of the Ashuelot, and from thence up the Connecticut to Bellows Falls where it gave a shock, here a cataract makes much vapor.

It also passed down the Connecticut or intersected it through other tributaries. Greenfield, Amherst and Whately on the Connecticut were also shaken, and Buckland on Deerfield River, a tributary of the Connecticut, and finished at Springfield on the Connecticut, the most South Western point of its track.

On the sea coast, S. W. of Newbury port it visited Ipswich, and passed up Ipswich River to Wilmington, where it gave a shock.

Next, it visited Danvers and Salem on North River and the sea; next Lynn which is our Saugus River and the sea, thence it passed to Boston, which is on the Massachusetts Bay and Charles River; to Charlestown, Cambridge, Roxbury, Newton and Dedham, also upon Charles River, to Braintree on the Maniquot a short river which empties into the sea, and last on the South visited Worcester, Massachusetts, which is on the Blackstone, which discharges its waters into Naraganset Bay, here mingling with, or returning to the same ocean from which it came.

A

From my encampment on the summit of Killington Peak I could see the track of Connecticut river on the East, and that of Lake of Champlain on the West, and by the vapor arising from their respective waters, which were visisible about sun rise, I could follow those bodies of water in the field of vision. lightning cloud coming from the South West would, on reaching these respective bodies of vapor, commingle with it, and instantly an electric discharge would be produced and break forth in a thunder crash. We have, I think, an illustration of this at New Haven, Connecticut, in the thunder storms of the 23rd of August, and 2nd of September, 1845, which, on reaching that locallity, came in contact with the vapor of three different rivers, which enter New Haven harbor, and the consequence was that the lightning struck several houses. The same result was seen at Rindge, in New Hampshire, on the 30th of July, of the present year. Here the waters of the tributaries of the Merrimack and Connecticut unite their vapors. I have noticed the same results in the marks upon trees struck by lightning on dividing ridges where the water runs in opposite directions.

The morning of August 25, at the time of this earthquake was felt in New England. I was engaged in making meteorological records and writing at my table-the wind was blowing, and the air tolerably clear, but no agitation of the ground, as such a disturbance would have been readily felt by me while writing. The state of the temperature on Brooklyn Heights, from the 24th to the 28th, inclusive, was as follows:

24th-To 6 A. M., 67°; 7, 68; 8, 71; 9, 73; 10 to 11, 71; 12, 73; 1, 2, 3 and 4, 75; vibrating half a degree at 5, 74; 6, 71; 7, 70; 8, 69; 9, 68; 10, 66.

25th.-4 to 6 A. M., 64; 7, 66; 8, 67; 9 to 10, 70; 11, 12 and 1, 72; 2, 71; 3 and 4, 70; 5 and 6, 68; 7, 66; 8, 65; 9, 64.

26th.-4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, 58; 9, 59; 10, 60; 11, 59; 12, 62; 1, 64; 2, 3, and 4, 65; 5, 66; 6, 65; 7, 65; 8, 64; 9, 63; 10, 62; 11, 624. Equilibrium.

27th.-4 A. M., to 6 A. M., 62; 7, 65; 8, 65; 9, and 10, 67; 11, 67; 12, 70; 1, 73; 1 30, 74; 2, and 3, 75; 4, 75; 5, 74; 6, 72; 7, 71; 8, 69; 9, 69.

28th.-4, 5, 6, and 7, 69°. Equilibrium.

Rain commenced falling freely on Brooklyn Heights at 15 minutes past 8, A. M. on the 25th, and from 9 to 11, A. M., on the 26th.

Wednesday August 26, a lightning storm passed over Westboro, Natick, Milton, Boston, Salem and At Beverly, Massachusetts from S. W. to N. E. Beverly the Magnetic Wires were struck and near 20 of the posts destroyed. At Natick, a barn was struck by lightning and consumed. At Milton the hail done much damage. At Salem two dwellings were struck by lightning, and at Beverly a Church edifice was struck by lightning and several of the congregation prostrated. Those towns were visited by the Earthquake the day previous. What fearful visitations. Westboro is on Concord River, a tributary of the Merimac, Natick on Charles River, Milton on Neponset River, Boston on Massachusetts Bay and Charles River, Salem and Beverly on North River and the sea.

Three days previous to this Earthquake an Earthquake was experienced in Iceland, attended by a volcanic discharge from Mount Heckla to an immense height in the atmosphere, and two days after viz., on the 27th an Earthquake was felt throughout Tuscany in Europe, and eight days after the Gunong Mareppa in the Island of Java, was convulsed, and the top of that mountain was red hot. On the 6th four days after, St. Vincent in the West Indies, was shaken by an Earthquake, on the 10th Trinidad was visited by a similar convulsion, and on the 15th Cape Haytian, St. Domingo, was shaken for some minutes by a succession of shocks of Earthquakes.

That some general disturbing cause either from the exterior or the interior produced the numerous local agitations seem so plain, that I should not feel warranted in discussing the matter as to local origin.

EARTHQUAKES.

noted the observations for still shorter periods. My place of observation is peculiarly located, being on the Heights at the South Western extremity of Long Island, which is a body of land surrounded by saltwater, but on its northern side the continent is not far distant, and on its southern side is the broad atlantic, and the nearest land the West India Islands. This Island is 140 miles in length with an average breadth of about 16 miles-it extends in a direction from South West to North East, and therefore is in the great electric current being a great terrestreal needle with my place observation one of its poles.

At my place of observation are two large Magnetic, Meteoric and Electric Wires, which rise high in the atmosphere, and terminate in water under the surface of the ground, which reposes in the earth. One of these points to the North East, and the other to the South West. That pointing to the North East has a tin tube 12 feet long placed on the top of it-a copper wire extends through this tube and projects above it, and connects the iron with the tin tube and both with the iron wire. The tin tube and iron wire are both connected by metalic fastenings with the interior pores of a living cherry tree, and thus again connect with the earth by its roots, and with the air by its branches, &c. This wire extends vertically, about 25 feet from which it inclines to the horizontal, and again becomes vertical. The wire pointing to the South West is vertical for four feet, and then extends nearly in a horizontal line 20 feet, and again becomes nearly vertical for 20 feet, then inclining a little for 16 feet, and from that becomes vertical 6 feet, capped with tin inside of which is copper wire. From the centre of the two iron wires which are in. in diameter, extend two lesser iron wires which unite at a distance of 20 feet and support a pendulum of iron to which is appended by iron wires a large load-stone from the Magnetic Cove in Arkansas, and this load stone is attached to a spirit guage graduated to Farenheit's scale, which marks the equilibriums and the changes -three feet from this and at the same altitude, and with the same exposure, hangs a common thermometer which marks by the same scale of Farenheit, the temperature of the atmosphere. These wires have been thoroughly tested, and have been found to indicate most accurately terestial and aerial disturbances, when neither the state of the barometer or ther mometer indicated any change. The wires very frequently differ greatly from the thermometer in marking the extent of a change.

I was led to make and record my observations hourly, and during the existence of thunder storms still more frequently, by noticing in April 1845, that the earthquakes experienced at the City of Mexico produced snow squalls, in one of which the Steamer Swallow was lost upon a rock at Athens, on the Hudson; next a convulsion on the northern shore of Lake Ontario, between Port Hope and Colborne, on the 20th of September, 1845, which produced a storm of lightning, thunder, hail, rain and wind, that crossed the wilderness from Lake Ontario to Lake Champlain mowing down the forests as a mower with his scythe levels the tender grass, and the next was a sudden fall of three degrees of temperature, on the 23rd of December at half-past 9 P. M., during a beautiful moon light night, followed by an equilibrium of temperature of 11 hours duration, which ended in a snow storm, and which in a few days was found to have been produced by an Earthquake at Memphis, in Tennessee occurring simultaneously.

One of the editors of the Journal of Commerce, in a note appended to my publised statement of the connection between the instant fall of three degrees of temperature, followed by a 11 hour equilibrium, ending in a snow storm on Brooklyn Heighths with the earthquake at Memphis, remarked as follows: "It is very unsafe to rely upon a mere coincidence of time, as showing any connection between events occuring at far distant places, and so far as we know have no natural connection with each other."-Ed. Journal of Com.

Professor Olmsted of Yale College, in a letter to me, dated June 22d, 1846, says: "Your views of a connection between earthquakes and a certain state The extensive and extended convulsion of the at- of equilibrium of the atmosphere at different and mosphere and earth for the last eighteen months, is distant places, are novel and ingenious, but I am apt a matter of vast importance. Thousands on thou- to think that very extensive indications of facts are to sands of our race have perished amidst these convul- be made before apparent coincidences of this kind sions. I have endeavored to keep a very acurate re-can be fully depended on, that is before they can safely cord of observations made hourly, and oftentimes

be adopted as established principles."

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