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The Puritan of 1863.

It was in the early part of October,—- that the Rev. Mr. Allan started to walk to Farmer Owen's over the hills. He had to cross two low spurs of the Green Moun- tains, and as he climbed to the top of the second the rich valley of the Otter Creek lay spread out before him. At any other time he would have stopped to admire its gentle undulations; its great flower gardens of forest trees, rich in every color and hue; its silver threads winding their way to the waters of the Champlain, and the glorious autumn light which lay like a golden man- tle over them all. But this afternoon he seemed oppressed by the beauty which surrounded him. He looked upon it with eyes misty from tears. There was a dull, heavy weight upon his heart—a weight which even the long, fervent prayers that he had uttered so unceasingly since noon had failed to move. Between him and that landscape, we might almost say, be- tween him and the mercy seat, there moved a slight, tall boy, with a laughing blue eye, clustering brown hair, and lips always ready with a merry pleasant word. To- day, there was Benny, nutting under the bare, brawny arms of the butternut tree; throwing his line into the little brooks, that came babbling down from the steep mountain side; driving his cows along the narrow foot-path ; standing with Blossom under the bright maple, and shouting with pride and joy as she wreathed her pretty face in the gay leaves.

"Oh, Bennie! Bennie!" Mr. Allan hard- ly knew he was calling the name, until it came back to him with such an empty, mocking sound, from the heartless echo: "almost"—-Mr. Allan thought, startling himself by the seeming impiety of the words-—"almost as if there were no great, kind Father over us all."

As he came near Farmer Owen's house, he saw his oxen yoked to the plough. He knew they had been there since the tele- graph came. Mr. Owen had read it in the field, gone to the house and forgotten them, and no one had dared to put them up. He was a man fully capable of taking care of his own affairs under any circum- stances, never having been known before to forget.

Mr. Allan beckoned to an Irishman who was passing, and asked him to take care of them. The man came with an awed look upon his face, as if even there he stood in the presence of a great sorrow, and without the least noise obeyed.

Mr. Allan walked on slowly toward the house. He had known Mr. Owen for many years, and he knew him well. Indeed there was a peculiar bond of sympathy between the two men. In all his large parish, there was not one upon whom the minister relied as he did upon this strong, sturdy farmer. Many and many an hour he had walked by his side when he was upturning the brown earth, and had dis- coursed with him on topics which would have sounded harsh and repulsive to com- mon ears, but which were fraught with deep and vital interest to them. Mr. Owen was a direct descendant of the Puritans, and every drop of blood in his veins was tinged with a strong and true a "blue," as if he himself had landed in the May- flower. He took naturally to the sterner doctrines of religion, while Mr. Allan, versed in all the modern lore, questioned and doubted. The key-stone of Mr. Owen's theology was the sovereignty of God;—- "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do "rights" This was the man upon whom God had now laid his hand so heavily; and Mr. Allan felt that if the trial brought no rumour, no rebellion against that mighty Sovereign, the stern old faith were indeed a rich one in which to live and die. He knew that one element in this was Puritan. Some of the Roundheads allied up the ranks of the Northern army. They marched to battle to strains of the old tune that had lingered in the nursery and the sanctuary from the day that Cromwell and his soldiers chanted them on Marston Moor. All throes the sails of Time came trampling to the music mailed men, bearing on their shoulders the two words, Liberty and Equality. They trembled on Mr. Owen's lip with his parting blessing to his boy. Would he remember them, and would they comfort and give him strength sow.

Where there is affliction in a house, the minister is at home. Mr. Allan entered without knocking, and made his way to the large, old-fashioned kitchen in which he was sure of finding the family.

There, by a table, with his arms folded and laid heavily upon it, sat Mr. Owen. His wife was in a small rocking-chair by the fire, and Blossom, a young girl, sat between them.

Mr. Owen rose to welcome him; so did Blossom; but the wife did not notice him, she sat still, rocking herself to and fro, looking at the blazing wood.

Mr. Allan put a hand in the breast-pocket that was rolled out forward and his face was pale as the other of Mr. Owen's great heaving breast. "My friend," he said, "how is it with the decrees of God?"

"Just and true are all thy ways, thou King of Saints," faltered out the man.

There was something strange in his voice,-—a thin, womanly sound, so unlike the deep, stentorian tones in which he had always spoken before. Mr. Allan, when he heard it, almost fell as if it had been a limb a blow.

"Thank God! He has not, then, forsaken you, and from the depths of this deep trouble you can still say, 'The Maker of all death well.'"

"Yes, yes,"—and for an instant there glimmered from his dull eye a spark of the old controversial fire-—"you don't suppose I have held on to that anchor when the skies were clouded, and the little waves were tossed on my poor heart, betimes of it now-—now, when the great waves and bil- lows are going over me, do you? I've planted it here, and I don't yield; no, no; now! What I am, but the strain is terrible, God send it may carry me into port, oh, Mr. Allan, say it will. It has seemed to me to-day so dark, so wonderful, so inscru- table, that he—my Bennie! Mr. Allan, there is a good, wise purpose behind it all. Can you see it?"

"To bring you nearer the kingdom," muttered the minister.

"Oh, don't tell me that; I can't bear it. God is too wise;, He knows a hundred such souls as mine are not worth one of my Bennie's. I can suffer it I am too great a sinner for God's grace to save, but Bennie! Bennie!! I have sat here all day, since the news came, wondering, wondering; he was so good a son,"—and Mr.Owen's voice grew almost inarticulate in its emotion,— "such a dear, precious, noble boy! I though, when I gave him to his country, that not a father in all this board land made so precious a gift,—no not one. God forgive me if my grief is a sin. Mr. Allan, the dear boy only slept a minute, just one little minute, at his post; I know that was all, for Bennie never does over a duty. How prompt and reliable he was!" and Mr. Owen's eye wandered out over the brown fields, with such a perplexed, won- dering look. "I know he only fell off one little second; he was so young and not strong, that boy of mine! Why, he was as tall as I, and only eigtheen! and now they shoot him becuase he was found asleep when doing sentinel duty." Mr. Owen repeated these words very slowly, as if en- deavouring to find out their true meaning "Twenty-four hours, the telegraph said,— only twenty-four hours. WHERE is Bennie now?"

"We will hope, with his Heavenly Fa- ther," said Mr. Allan, soothingly.

"Yes, yes, let us hope; Good is very mer- ciful, and Bennie was so good—I do not mean holy," he said, correcting himself sharply; "there is none holy—no, not one, —but Jesus died for sinners. Mr. Allan, tell me that. Oh, Bennie, Bennie!"

The mother raised herself as she heard his name called, and, turning, said, with a smile: Don't call so loud, father. Bennie is not far off; he will come soon."

"God laid his hand on them both, you see," saif Mr. Own, pointing to her, with- out making any direct reply. "She has not been justly herself since. It is a mer- ciful thing she is sort of stunned, it seems to me; she makes no wail. Poor mother! if my heart was not borken it would almost kill me to see her so. Bennie was her idol. I told her often, God had said, 'Thou shalt have no gods before me.'"

Mr. Allan looked in astonishment at the bowed man as he came now and stood be- fore him. These few hours had done the work of years. The sinewy frame was tottering, the eyes were dimmed, and the sudden sorrow had written itself in deep wrinkles all over his manly face. He re- cognised the power of the great, kind heart, simple and almost childlike in its innocent, clinging affection; how could this be reconciled with the stern, strong bead—the head that to common observers outlined the character of the man? "God have many on you; He is tryng you in a furnace seven times heated," he exclaimed, almost involentarily.

"'I should be ashamed, father!" he said, 'when I am a man, to think I never used this great right arm,'—and he held it out so proudly before me,—'for my country, when it needed it. Palsy it, rather, than keep it at the plough.

'Go, Bennie, then go, my boy,' I said, 'and God keep you.' God has kept him, I think, Mr. Allan!' and the farmer repeat- ed these last words slowly, as if, in spite of his head, his heart doubted them.

'Like the apple of his eye, Mr. Owen, doubt it not!'

Blossom had sat near them listening, with blanched cheek. She had not shed a tear to-day, and the terror in her face had been so very still no one had noticed it. She had occupied herself mechanically in the household cares, which her mother's condition devolved entirely upon her. Now she answered a gentle tap at the kitchen door, opening it to receive from a neigh- bor's hand a letter. 'It is from HIM,' was all she said.

Twas like a message from the dead. Mr. Owen could not break the seal for his trembling fingers, and held it toward Mr. Allan, with the helplessness of a child.

The minister opened it, and, obedient to a motion from the father, read as follows :

'DEAR FATHER :—-When this reaches you I shall be in eternity. At first, it seemed awful to me ; but I have thought about it so much now that it has no terror. They say they will not bind me, nor blind me, but that I may meet my death like a man. I thought, father, it might have been on the battle-field, for my country, and that, when I fell, it would be fighting gloriously ; but to be shot down like a dog for nearly betraying it, to die for neglect of duty!—-Oh, father, I wonder the very thought does not kill me. But I shall not disgrace you. I am going to write you all about it, and, when I am gone, you may tell my comrades. I can't now.

'You know, I promised Jemmy Carr's mother, I would look after her boy, and when he fell sick, I did all I could for him. He was not strong, when he was ordered back into the ranks, and the day before that night, I carried all his luggage, beside my own, on our march. Toward night we went in on double quick, and though the luggage began to feel very heavy, everybody else was tired too, and as for Jemmy, if I had not lent him an arm, now and then, he would have dropped by the way. I was all tired out when we came into camp, and then it was Jemmy's turn to be sentry, and I would take his place, but I was too tired, father. I could not have kept awake, if I had a gun at my head, but I did not know it until—-well, until it was too late.'

'God be thanked," interrupted Mr. Owen reverently, "I knew Bennie was not the boy to sleep carelessly at his post.'

They tell me to-day that I have a short reprieve, given to me by circumstances, 'time to write to you,' our good Colonel says. Forgive him, father, he only does his duty ; he would gladly save me, if he could, and don't lay my death up against Jemmy. The poor boy is broken hearted, and does nothing but beg and entreat them to let him die in my stead.

'I can't bear to think of mother and Blossom. Comfort them, father! Tell them I die as a brave boy should, and that when the war is over, they will not be ashamed of me as they must be now. God help me, it is very hard to bear. Goodbye, father, God seems near and dear to me, not at all, as if he wished me to perish forever, but as if he felt sorry for his poor, sinful, broken hearted child, and would take him to be with him and my Saviour, in a better —better life.'

A great sob burst from Mr. Owen's heart. 'Amen!' he said solemnly. 'Amen!'

'To-night in the early twilight I shall see the cows all coming home from pasture. Daisy, and Brindle and Bet ; old Billy too, will neigh to me from his stall, and prec- ious little Blossom stand on the back stoop waiting for me—-but I shall never-—never come. God bless you all! forgive your poor Bennie.'

Late that night the door of the "back stoop" opened softly and a little figure glided out, and down the footpath that led to the road by the mill. She seemed rather flying, than walking, turning her head neither to the right nor the left ; starting not, as the full moon stretched queer, fan- tastic shapes all around her, looking only now and then, to Heaven, and folding her hands, as if in prayer.

Two hours later, the same young girl stood at the Mill Depot, watching the coming of the night train, and the conduc- tor, as he reached down to lift her in, won- dered at the sweet, tear-stained face that was upturned toward the dim lantern he held in his hand.

A few questions and ready answers told him all, and no father could have cared more tenderly for his only child, than he, for our little Blossom.

She was on her way to Washington, to ask President Lincoln for her brother's life. She had stolen away, leaving only a note to tell her father where, and why, she had gone. She had brought Bennie's letter with her; no good kind heart like the Pre- sident's, could refuse to be melted by it.

The next morning they reached New York, and the conductor found suitable company for Blossom, and hurried her on to Washington. Every minute now, might be a year in her brother's life.

And so in an incredibly short time, Blos- som reached the Capital and was hurried at once to the White House.

The President had but just seated him- self to his morning's task, of overlooking and signing important papers, when, with- out one word of announcement, the door softly opened, and Blossom, with eyes down- cast and folded hands, stood before him.

"Well, my child," he said in his pleasant, cheery tones, "what do you want so bright and early in the morning?"

"Bennie's life, please, sir," faltered out Blossom.

"Bennie? Who is Bennie?"

"My brother, sir. They are going to shoot him for sleeping at his post."

"Oh yes," and Mr. Lincoln ran his eye over the papers before him. "I remember. It was a fatal sleep. You see, child, it was at a time of special danger. Thousands of lives might have been lost for his culpa- ble negligence."

"So my father said," said Blossom grave- ly, "but poor Bennie was so tired, sir, and Jemmy so weak. He did the work of two, sir, and it was Jemmy's night, not his, but Jemmy was too tired, and Bennie never thought about himself, that he was too tired."

"What is this you say, child? come here, I don't understand," and the kind man caught eagerly, as ever, at what seem- ed to be a justification of an offence.

Blossom went to him; he put his hands tenderly on her shoulder and turned up the pale, anxious face toward his. How tall he seemed, and he was President of the United States, too! A dim thought of this kind, passed for a moment through Blossom's mind, but she told her story now simply and straightforward, and hand- ed Mr. Lincoln, Bennie's letter to read.

He read it carefully, then taking up his pen wrote a few hasty lines, and rang his bell.

Blossom heard this order given: "SEND THIS DISPATCH AT ONCE."

The President then turned to the girl and said: 'Go home, my child, and tell that father of yours, who could approve his country's sentence, even when it took the life of a child like that, that Abraham Lincoln thinks the life far too precious to be lost. Go back, or—wait until tomor- row; Bennie will need change after he has so bravely faced death, he shall go with you."

"God bless you, sir," said Blossom; and who shall doubt that God heard and regis- tered the request.

Two days after this interview the young soldier came to the White House with his little sister. He was called into the Pre- sident's private room, and a strap fastened "upon the shoulder," Mr. Lincoln said, "that could carry a sick comrade's baggage and die for the good act so uncomplain- ingly." Then Bennie and Blossom took their way to their Green Mountain home, and a crowd gathered at the Mill Depot to welcome them back, and farmer Owen's tall head lowered above them all, and as his hand grasped that of his boy, Mr. Allan heard him say fervently, as the holiest blessing he could pronounce upon his child: "Just and true are all thy ways, thou King of Saints."

That night, Daisy and Brindle and Bet came lowing home from pasture, for they hear a wellknown voice calling them at the gate; and Bennie as he pats his old pets and looks lovingly in their great brown eyes, catches through the still even- ing air his Puritan father's voice as he re- peats to his happy mother these jubilant words: "Fear not, for I am with thee; I will bring thy seed from the East, and gather thee from the West; I will say to the North give, and to the South, keep not back; bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth, every one that is called by my name, for I have created him for my glory; I have formed him, yea, I have made him."-—NEW YORK OBSERVER.

Russia.

A correspondent, writing from St. Peters- burg on the 17th inst., furnishes the de- tails following relative to the late attempt on the Emperor's life :—-

“The Emperor is extremely regular in his habits. At half-past eight every morn- ing he may be seen to leave the palace on foot, followed by several of his dogs, for he is known to be a keen sportsman. His early walk seldom exceeds twenty minutes or half an hour, and on returning to the palace he remains indoors and attends to business till half-past two, at which time he takes a drive and alights at the Summer Garden, which is on the Great Quay, with- in ten minutes' walk of the palace; he takes a stroll in the garden, and afterwards continues his drive. On these occasions he is frequently accompanied either by the Empress or by his daughter, the Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna, but on the 16th he was alone. In the garden, how- ever, he met the Duke of Leuchtenburg with his sister, the Princess Marie de Bade. After walking, all three together, for some time, they separated at about four o'clock, and the Emperor went towards his CALE- CHE, from which the police-officer in at- tendance took his Majesty's cloak, and was just helping him on with it, when a man rushed forward from the crowd which sur- rounded the carriage, and, drawing a long double-barrelled pistol from under his cloak, presented it point blank to the Em- peror and fired at him from behind. For- tunately, a peasant, by name Ossip Ivanoff, who was in the crowd, saw the intention of the assassin, and, giving him a violent blow below the elbow, forced his arm in an upward direction just as the pistol went off, and the ball went over the Emperor's head. This peasant, who is now an histo- rical personage, came to the capital some years ago to learn a trade, and was appren- ticed to a hatter, and after serving his time he became a journey-man in the same esta- blishment where he had learned his busi- ness. Till yesterday he was supporting a young wife and child with the produce of his honest labour, but he has now become the founder of a noble family, and the name of Kommissaroff will be transmitted to posterity side by side with the proudest names of Russia. It happens that the 4-16th of April is St. Joseph's-day, the patron saint of Kommissaroff (by which name he is ennobled), who consequently asked his employer for a holiday, and in the after- noon left home with the intention of per- forming his devotions at the little chapel attached to the house of Peter the Great near the fortress; but on reaching the Neva he found the ice so unsafe that the passage was prohibited, and he was obliged to abandon his design; so walking slowly along the Great Quay he came to the Sum- mer Garden, at the gate of which the Im- perial CALCHE was waiting, and as usual a small crowd of people was standing near the vehicle to see the Emperor as he left the garden. Kommissaroff, who but a short time ago was a serf, thought it would be a pleasant thing to see the Liberator on his name-day, so he secured a good place in front of the crowd, and determined to wait patiently till the Emperor appeared. There was a shabby-looking fellow just behind him, who constantly tried to push forward, and evidently wished to get a front place, but Kommissaroff resolutely held his own and kept the intruder back. But just as the Emperor came out of the garden this man took advantage of the movement caused by the presence of his Majesty, and rushed forward for the pur- pose of committing the crime which Kom- missaroff so fortunately prevented. As soon as the miscreant had discharged his weapon he attempted to escape, but he was immediately seized by the people, who were so enraged that they seemed deter- mined to execute summary justice upon him on the spot. When the Emperor heard the report of the pistol and the ex- clamation of the policeman, his first idea was that some one had committed suicide, but when he turned round and saw what was going on he understood the great dan- ger he had escaped. His first care was to pacify the crowd, and to order the police to take charge of the man, who, nothing daunted, boldly accused the Emperor of having deceived the people, and then turn- ing to the crowd he called them his broth- ers, reproached them for ill-treating him, and told them that it was for them he had incurred so great a risk. He was imme- diately taken off to the central office, and the Emperor drove to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Cazan to return thanks for the Divine protection which had been vouch- safed to him. The news spread with won- derful rapidity. On his return to the pa- lace the Emperor found an immense crowd waiting for his arrival, who received him with the most joyful acclamations. The Council of the Empire, then sitting in the palace, came at once to offer their congra- tulations. In a short time all the high dignitaries, both civil and military, and every one having the right to enter the palace, crowded to manifest their joy at his Majesty's escape. On returning thanks for their expressions of devotion to his person, his Majesty said he had no fear of assassination, for he felt sure that the Al- mighty would protect his life as long as he could be useful to his country. After din- ner there was a TE DEUM in the palace church, at which all the Imperial family were present, as well as those persons more immediately attached to the person of the Emperor. On leaving the chapel the Em- peror expressed a wish to see Kommissar- off, who was immediately presented, and, after cordially embracing him, his Majesty told him that he should henceforth take rank amongst his nobility. The hall in which this took place was crowded with the first nobles of the land, who by their acclamations expressed their approbation of the favour which the Emperor had con- ferred on the man who had been the means of saving his life. As Kommissaroff is on- ly 25 years of age, he may perhaps acquire sufficient polish to enable him worthily to wear his new dignity. At eight o'clock in the evening the bells of all the churches summoned the people to prayers; the whole town was illuminated, and the National Anthem was sung at all the theatres. At the Russian Theatre the enthusiasm was so great, and the anthem was repeated so often, that it was nearly nine o'clock be- fore the curtain rose for the regular per- formance, which should have begun at seven. This morning, at eleven o'clock, thanksgivings were offered up in all the public schools, and deputations have been received at the palace all day long. At four o'clock this afternoon there was a TE DEUM near the gate of the Summer Gar- den, on the spot where the attempt was made yesterday. The police are quite at fault; they do not seem to know what to make of their prisoner, but they have sent his photograph all over the empire, so they will probably soon find out who he is. From his manner of expressing him- self he has evidently received some educa- tion, though he is dressed like one of the lower orders. He merely says that he is a Russian, from one of the southern pro- vinces, that he was educated at a public school, and that he has no fixed place of residence. He is most likely one of those half-educated men of whom there are so many in Russia, who possess the crude notions on social liberty and political equality, who attack everything that is established, and everything that is sacred, without having the slightest idea of what they would give us instead of what they wish to destroy. These men are called Nihilists, because they believe in nothing, and though it is the fashion to treat them with contempt there is no doubt that they

Bangkok Recorder.

The European War.

Having been favored by a friend with the loan of two late numbers of The Home News up to May 3rd and May 10th, brought from Singapore by the Schr. Erin on the 24th inst., we have copied largely from them in this day's issue, as the European news they bring is to us intensely interesting. The latest number is filled with the subject of the impending war be- tween Prussia and Austria. Our rea- ders we think will feel forced to the painful conclusion that Europe is now very likely shaken from centre to cir- cumference by the collision of the ar- mies of Prussia, France, and Italy on the one hand; and the armies of Aus- tria, several of the smaller German states, and Russia on the other; and that consequently thousands on thous- ands of precious lives have ere this been sacrificed on battle fields. We see but one hope that those tremen- dous billows have been lulled down without much loss of life, and that is, that the autograph letter of the Em- peror of Russia to the king of Prussia giving him to understand that if the war shall indeed begin, he shall feel compelled to send his armies in de- fense of several of the German states, to which he sustains a family relationship by some of their chief princes. It may be that Prussia and her allies will be startled by this warning, coming as it does from so powerful a monarch, and will prefer, in view of it, to make some retrograde movement. This warning, it will be observed, is not merely in words but with the fact that 'Russia is arming on a vast scale' to make herself ready to carry out her settled purpose, and we may rest assured that she has come down into central Europe with a mighty hand, if the war has broken out, and that ere this tremendous fighting has taken place. We cannot see that Prussia has any adequate cause for making war against Austria, and we think that the trio of power which she has managed to array against her antagonist so far from adding to her glory in the end, will bring upon her lasting shame and disgrace. She has long been lusting for power and con- quest. She would bring all Germany under her sway in a mighty monarchy. She may be swallowed up in one grand German Republic. We think the signs of the times are pointing to such an event. May God speed the day when it shall be fully accomplished. We cannot help remembering that this year 1866, is the year long looked forward to by the church of Christ as the one in which "the time and times and dividing of time" of the prophet Daniel, and the one thousand two hundred and sixty prophetic years of John the apostle are to expire, when spiritual Babylon is to fall "and be- come the habitation of devils." Who can tell but that this war will be over- ruled by the "King of kings" to fulfill this sublime prophecy.

Petchaburee No. 3.

We propose in this article to con- duct our readers to the top of mount P'ra Nakawn Kirree on whose summit is situated one of the most beautiful country palaces of His Majesty the king of Siam. This palace is one of the greatest objects of attraction in the vici- nity of Petchaburee. You may see it on a clear day without a glass, even from the mouth of Maaklawng river, a distance of twenty miles. From that point of observation it looks like a dozen or more very small cottages as white as snow banks, with dark sur- roundings, caused by the dense foliage on the mount, and the lofty mountain ranges in its rear, stretching far away to the west and to the north. No lover of nature having been shut up in Bangkok for many months, where no- thing like a mountain or a hill is to be seen, can be ushered suddenly into sight of that distant mountain scenery, as he will be on a clear morning when sailing out from Maaklawng river, without feeling awakened into new life. This vivification is one of the great benefits of an occasional tour to P'etchaburee, and the interest in- creases continually as you sail across the arm of the gulf on a pleasant day towards that city.

When you come to the royal landing just below the country palaces of the Siamese princes and lords, mentioned in our last, from which there is a charming road running west straight to the palace-mount you cannot, if there be any vivacity left in you, resist the desire of having a brisk walk and frolic at once to its foot, which is less than a mile distant. The street is elevated above the common level of the paddy fields on either side two or three feet, and kept from washing off by a brick wall on each side, whose top is even with the surface of the road, and being neatly finished with stucco, forms a very agreeable foot- path on both sides. One side of the street is at present occupied with a rail-track with one lumber car to run on it. This has been used a good deal for wheeling sand and brick from the river to the foot of the mount. The car is always propelled by putting human shoulders to the wheels. But as one might imagine it to be one of the first ever made by G. Stephenson and consequently quite unwieldy, and as the track was laid with flat bars of iron spiked on wooden sills full of ups and downs and snake heads, the poor Laos who were assessed to run the car, found it but a little better than a light ox cart drawn by hand on the smooth earth road. Indeed, they finally, as we were informed, came to prefer the latter mode; and many a time have we seen them thus engaged working hard, as did the Israelites in Egypt, at their daily tasks. The reason why oxen or buffaloes were not employed to draw the cars seems to be, that they could not be spared from working the paddy fields, and therefore human muscle and sinew must take their places.

Close by the side of the left hand wall, a little below its top, you will notice an iron conduit of European manufacture extending from the river to the foot of the mount, for the purpose of conveying thither the pure water of the river for the pleasure of His Majesty and royal retinue when re- creating on the mount. On the same side you will observe a row of the very graceful flowering tree with slender limbs much like the weeping willow. They are now from 10 to 15 feet high, and when as large as they us- ually grow, will form a splendid range not excelled by the best cultivated elms which Europe or America can produce. It was the original design to have a row of these trees on each side of the street, and they were ac- cordingly planted; but from some cause or other most of the trees on the right hand have failed, and those which have survived are so scattered as not to show to advantage. We are glad however, to learn that the king intends to have the deficiencies in the row made good. Two complete rows from 30 to 50 feet high in full scarlet bloom would form a most enchanting arbor to perpetuate the memory of His Ma- jesty to many generations.

The paddy fields on both sides of this street are not particularly interest- ing at this season of the year. Some of them are carpeted with small grass and young rice plants that have sprung up spontaneously, and others are being ploughed for a new rice crop. But if you pass that way in the lat- ter part of October, you will see every field waving with growing rice in var- ious stages of progress, some of a live- ly pea-green a foot above the water, some of a deep green a foot taller, and some turning yellow for the sickle. Here and there, scattered irregularly about the fields, are palmyra trees which afford a pleasing break to the monotony of level paddy plantations. These trees are of various heights, from 15 to 80 feet.

Arriving at the foot of the mount you will find a grateful resting place on a royal seat of artificial marble un- der the shade of a venerable tamarind tree having for its neighbors other grand forest trees among which are several specimens of thrifty teak. Turning to the right nearly due north is a good carriage road two miles in extent leading to a small mount called Kow Looang, remarkable for its spa- cious caverns lighted by natural sky- lights from 90 to 100 feet above their floors. A little short of midway on that road, you will notice a little pile of limestone rocks 50 or 60 feet high, shot up by some volcanic explosion innumerable ages since, and which Buddhism has latterly crowned with a white pagoda and furnished its base with a few temple buildings. Turn- ing to the left you will observe anoth- er street more rural and romantic, pass- ing to the south close by the base of the palace-mount which crosses an- other of the king's high ways some 200 rods distant and passes on and joins another leading from the city to mount two miles at the west. Just in front of where you are sitting you may observe the terminus of the iron conduit where the king takes shower baths and douches, spouting from the mouth of a fabulous serpent. And al- most perpendicularly to this, some 30 feet above, is a very tasty sala in which His Majesty sits as a specta- tor of cattle racing and other sports on a beautiful lawn at the base of the mount.

The attractions upward are so pow- erful that you can rest but a moment where you are. The road is steep up the mount but nothing like as it was 8 years ago, when there was no way to an old pagoda on its summit, but a single foot track by which we staved through dense jungle, clambering over precipitous rocks with the greatest effort to get above the dead level of the country as far as possible, that we might have a good observation of the promised land. We felt ourselves richly rewarded then for all our trou- ble. But now how much more is one well paid for springing up the royal road, neatly paved with brick and guarded by a white stucco wall on the lower side and most charmingly deck- ed with God's own living bouquets. The direction of the road is exceedingly zigzag for the purpose of relieving somewhat the steep acclivity. And while the engineering exhibited in laying it out, shows clearly that it was far from being the most enlightened, it nevertheless evinces that the Sia- mese are an ingenious race, and cap- able of being made, by no great amount of teaching, a people of large capabilities in the arts and sciences. The road can be ascended on horse- back or in light carriages drawn by horses but not without great labor.

As you ascend the mount you are more and more charmed by all that your eyes see near by and afar off, and you are continually regaled with the sweetest fragrance of flowers which grow on herbs and shrubs and trees all along the rugged way. The olian- der flourishes there, and is always in blossom. A native tree called lan tom, leafless in the dry season, and yet even then full of the sweetest and most charming white and yellow flow- ers, shed their fresh blossoms daily along the way and among the cragged rocks by which all the breezes of the mountain are made delightfully spicy and balmy. Mounting up this enchan- ting way, while under such influences you cannot but feel that your physi- cal system is being already envigora- ted by the freshness of the air you breathe and the glorious change of scenery you enjoy.

As for ourselves we never take that walk without feeling not only a rush of blood to the head, but also a gush of admiration which ever will have an outlet by exclamations of wonder and delight.

But we must not stop here only half way up the mount to describe what is best seen from the summit. You look up and see the royal palace on one of its peaks and close by it a beautiful white observatory towering some 20 or 30 feet above it. You are filled with ardor to reach the very best possible position in that observa- tory for seeing all that can be seen of the exquisitely exciting landscape in every direction from that stand point. You will run panting up to the base of the palace, and then up three long flight of stone steps which ascend out side of the palace from one story to another until you come to the royal au- dience hall, a building entirely dis- tinct from all others. It may be 80 by 40 feet in size, a brick building of one story, quite tastefully plastered with stucco outside, and finished in European style. At the east and farther end of this building stands the observatory entirely distinct from it, and in the most commanding posi- tion possible. Out of breath almost as you are, you will hasten to it not- withstanding, and ascend the spiral stairway within it, pulling yourself up as it were, by the iron railing. What shall we say of your emotions when you come out into full view of all the wonderfully unique and delightful scenery on the mountain, on the vast plains below in all directions for scores of miles, the dark mountain ranges far away at the south and the west and the north, and the Gulf of Siam at the east? We can only say that if you are made of matter and spirit in proportions like ourselves, and have been taught by divine grace to see and feel that all the works of nature are but the work of your God and Redeemer, and that God has indeed "made all things beautiful in his time" you will be enraptured with the view, and your heart will swell with confidence in the divine promises that all you see, naturally so delight- ful, is erelong to be made far more so, when it shall all be inhabited by the saints of the most High God to whom it has long since been deeded in the court of Heaven. We do not recol- lect to have been in any other place in all our travels where exclamations of inexpressible pleasure crowd so thick and so strong to the vocal organs as in this.

But having now fulfilled what we set out to do, and brought our readers to the top of a new Pregah, we will leave them to their own delightful contemplations until our next issue.

Wats.

In a previous article, I promised to say something of the Siamese Wats as religious, and literary institutions. There has however been so much said of them already, in the Bangkok Cal- endars, and elsewhere, that it leaves but little unsaid; still I suppose there is no one who has never visited a country where the Buddhist religion prevails, who has ever obtained from reading any thing like an intelligent idea of a Buddhist temple. The in- mates of these cloisters in Siam con- sist chiefly of three classes, viz., the priests, the nains or novices, and pu- pils or look sit. There are occasional- ly seen, too, a number of superannuated females, with shaved heads and dress- ed in white. These are however prin- cipally objects of charity. The offi- cers of the Royal Wats are generally a chief officer called Samret Chow, who has under him several others, as a Palat, Samook, a Beideeka and the Nai Mooat. The Samret Chow is ap- pointed by the crown, and receives twelve ticals per month from the roy- al treasury, and ten Salungs addi- tional for necessary expenses. The others receive only about six ticals per annum. The common wats have seldom more than one chief officer, who is called the Sóm p'an. I know of no limit placed to the number of priests, and novices in any particular temple, but suppose it depends, on the ability, and piety of the neighbor- hood, in which the wat is situated. The novices also wear a yellow cloth, and range in age from seven to twen- ty years. After the age of twenty a novice can be inducted into the priest- hood. This ceremony however is fully described in the Bangkok Calendar of 1863, and need not be repeated at present. Persons however frequently enter the priesthood, from the com- mon walks of life, without passing through the novitiate. The ceremony in this case is shaving the head, eye- brow, and beard, and bathing. The candidate is asked some questions in Bali, which he seldom understands viz. "Are the authorities aware of this step, ? or, are you entering the priesthood to get clear of some government work? Are your parents fully aware of it, and have you their consent? Have you a wife, and children, and have you their consent? Having answered the questions satisfactorily, a proces- sion is formed and he is taken to the wat, where he is invested with the yellow robes and the full orders of the priesthood. The shortest time any one can remain in the priesthood is three months, and no one can hold an important office under government, who has not spent at least that time in the holy orders. Prayers are had in concert every evening at the wats. Many of the princes and nobles who are engaged in government business, and have little time to attend to reli- gious matters, but wish occasionally to have the benefit of a sermon, are ac- customed to send for some priests to come to their houses to preach. This generally takes place at night.

The wats are also the only institu- tions of learning of the country. They are the common schools, and colleges combined. There the male portion of the country are taught their A. B. C. and there they take their diplomas. A father who has an acquaintance, or friend, who is a priest in a wat, can commit the education of his sons to his care. Besides learning their books, the boys are also a kind of ser- vants of their teacher, paddling his boat when he goes out. They are ei- ther supported by their parents, or eat the surplus rice of the priests. The principle thing taught the common pupils is to read, and write the Siam-

language. This is oftentimes however merely a mechanical affair. Whilst we scarcely find a Siamese who cannot read his own language, still we find very many who do not read un- derstandingly. These read fluently, but know but little of what they are reading. Most of them, too, write a good hand, which they acquire by practice in copying their native books. Of science, of course, they are taught nothing. They have the primary rules of arithmetic, which they per- form mentally. They seldom use fig- ures in calculating, and when they do, they rub them out as soon as they are through with them, so that it is after all a mental operation. When through none of the figures remain, except the result, and should that not be cor- rect, the whole operation, has to be gone over again. They are also some- times taught to use the Chinese a ba- cus in calculating. The schools there- fore are generally schools of indolence. The boys have generally some favor- ite cocks, which they train to fight, and also practice some of the minor games of chance. There is nothing of that educating the mind, that draw- ing it out, and training it to think, which we find in European schools, and especially in the public schools, in some of the northern states in the United States of America. The priests and nains[..] spend much time upon Bali, and many of the wats have a special Bali teacher, called a Barien. The Bali, however, whilst it benefits the mind in some respects, is of no use in bringing out its thinking powers. It is too much like the former custom in European and American colleges, of drilling young men continually upon the “longs,” and “shorts,” whilst the thinking powers were left to lie whol- ly dormant. This practice, in many of the American colleges, has chang- ed. Whilst all proper attention is paid to the languages, greater importance, is laid upon those branches, which tend to draw out the mind, and throw it occasionally upon its own resources. The idea that education is a cram- ming process, has wholly exploded.

It is a remarkable fact, that scholar- ship is declining here. It is now ex- ceedingly difficult, to find a teacher, who can be relied upon in his own language. This is probably owing to the fact, that the influx of foreigners, has thrown open more opportunities for making money than formerly ex- isted, so that young men do not re- main sufficiently long in the priest- hood, to become proficient in the lan- guage. I had occasion not long since to translate a document coming from one of the ministers of government. It was evidently dictated by him, and written by one of his scribes. Very many words were not correctly spell- ed, so that even with a good teacher, it was difficult sometimes to find out what was intended to be conveyed. The hiring of European teachers, to teach the English language, by the King, and others is certainly an im- portant step, but if ever they are to get anything like a general knowledge of the sciences, it must be acquired through the medium of their own language.

Our Paper.

Is this foreign community dead and buried that it has not a scrip of local news or item on any subject to fur- nish for the only local Newspaper they have? Most certainly the stillness of the grave reigns here in regard to this matter. Has it come to this, that our city readers have no desire to have the Recorder live. We must frankly say that we are much of the time tempted to think so. We know well that this silence does not happen from want of talent to write. What, such a large community of missionaries and such an array of consuls and consular assistants, and so many well educated merchants and master mariners and others with little or no talent with the pen! Why, the thought is preposter- ous. We frankly confess that we alone have neither time nor ability to gather sufficient matter of local bearing for the weekly sustentation of our paper. We have no money by which we can employ a reporter who could make himself in a good degree omni- present for observation, and could fill columns of the paper with interesting items. To supply this lack we need volunteer agencies from many quarters of this metropolis and the country whither Europeans and Americans have gone to reside or travel. Such agencies would give a wholesome variety of matter, and with such food, we feel confident, that we could make our paper grow and thrive. But with- out them it must remain lean and dwarfish. We would hereby beg therefore that our local readers will wake up and exert themselves in picking up items of news for us as a gratuitous aid to our work, that it may not famish and die for the want of such support. Would it not be a great shame to this community to suf- fer the only local paper they have to die and that from sheer starvation ! In such a city as this of 400,000 souls, there must be a world of news. Let us all unite and see if we cannot draw out much of it weekly.

LOCAL.

In this city, on the morning of the 27th inst. of Typhoid fever, Mrs. Kobke, wife of Capt. F. I. L Kobke, aged 27 years.

Deceased was a native of Denmark, had been married only a few months, and was but two or three weeks since in blooming health.

A Card.

Mr. Editor-—Having been bereaved of my dear wife by death, on the morn- ing of Wednesday last, and having buried her on the same evening, I de- sire hereby to tender my best thanks to her friends in Bangkok, for their kind attentions during her short sojourn, and illness among them, and for their attendance on her funeral thereby showing their best respects to her mortal remains.

We learn with much pain that one of the men charged with stealing 53 catties from the royal Treasury by burglary a few weeks since, died soon after under the most horrible castiga- tion, inflicted with the view to force him to confess that he was guilty of the crime; and that he persisted in as- serting his innocence to his last breath.

This is one of the many horrors of heathenism and of a heathen govern- ment. It is high time for the Siamese government to put away forever such horrid injustice and barbarity. She may depend upon it, that if long con- tinued despite all the light which now shines upon her from Christian lands, she will soon be crushed by the right- eous judgments of Jehovah.

Our mutual friend His Royal High- ness Krom Hlaang Wongsa tirst, we learn, will not this year make a dinner party for the Foreign residents of Bangkok in celebration of his birth- day on the 9th proximo as has been his custom for many years. And the rea- son is because he sustains now no offi- cial relations to them, having been ob- liged to retire from those relations by ill health. We would anticipate His Highness' next birth-day and wish him a happy new year of his life and many more in succession.

We were much interested a few days since in hearing a definition of the word patience. An English resi- dent asked his little daughter of less than three years to tell him the meaning of patience. She promptly replied, “to wait a little bit." What old and learned divine could have given a better definition?

His Excellency CHOW PHYA KALA- HOME the Prime Minister, left in the “Volant" early on the morning of the 27th inst. for a trip to Pänatsänanikone the province at the mouth of Banpa- kong river. He was accompanied by a large part of his family and English secretary. It is understood that His Excellency will visit Anghin before his return with the view to forward the new Sanatarium he is erecting there. H. E. will return in time to receive his mail by the next Chow Phya.

CHOW PHYA SOORIWONGS WRIYA- WAT the only son of H. E. CHOW PHYA KALAHOME left this morning on a trip to Bangplassoi.

KOON YING—-the head wife of H. E. CHOW PHYA KALAHOME returned from the old city a few days since and brought good news of the progress of rice planting in that province. The paddy fields were generally suffici- ently watered for the work, and in some localities there was too much water.

The King of Siam on reading from some European paper, that the Pope had lately suffered the loss of some precious jewels, in consequence of a thief having got possession of His Ho- liness' keys, exclaimed, What a man! professing to keep the keys of heaven and cannot even keep his own keys!

We are informed that His Majesty the king has appropriated the sum of one hundred catties for the improve- ment of the new road on the eastern side of the river.

The funeral ceremonies for H. Roy- al Highness Prince Charo'ne-Roong- Rasi are now coming off, and the cre- mation will take place to-morrow.

We are credibly informed that His Majesty the king refused to comply with the request of the English court at Maulmain for an authentication of the seal of P'râya P'oo-t’ara-p'ie the Prime Minister for Northern Siam. Report says, that His Majesty felt per- plexed at the anomoly of the case and had it under discussion many days by the government, and finally came to the decision that the government had no precedent for complying with it, and then sent the messengers back to Maul- main.

The Home News

The news from the Continent this morning increases the chances of war. It is difficult, indeed, to comprehend by what ingenuity, or through what influ- ence, hostilities can now be averted. Prussia has again displayed her determi- nation not to give way to the suggestions of reason, and has again shown that the only effect upon her of the wise modera- tion of others is to intensify her own in- tolerance. In answer to the last Austrian note she has repeated her former threats, persisting in the assertion that the pre- parations in Venetia, apparently aimed at Italy, are really directed against her, and insisting unconditionally upon their aban- donment. The course she has adopted towards Saxony is exactly that which we have ventured elsewhere to anticipate. She menaces Saxony with immediate measures in the last report, if she does not disarm, and Saxony justifies her armaments on the ground that she is lia- ble to be called upon by the Federal Diet to provide a contingent. Thus with- in Germany all is confusion and violence, nor does a gleam of likelihood of a peace- ful settlement appear anywhere.

Outside Germany the symptoms of a coming war are no less ominous. Italy is openly arming. She is strengthening her resources by all availed means, and does not pretend to disguise her object. Nobody believes that she would adopt so hazardous a course unless she were powerfully supported, and the story of a secret alliance with Prussia gains ground every day. But Italy would not move without the sanction of France, and it is becoming more and more clear that France, Italy, and Prussia are likely to act in concert should a war break out. It is stated that there are four regiments of infantry ECHELONNED between Mar- seilles and Nice. What are they doing there? And in the event of hostilities, what is the nature of the arrangement Prussia has entered into with France?

General Summary.

That war is impending—that it cannot be averted—-is the universal conviction throughout Europe. The Earl of Claren- don says that there are one million of men arming on the Continent; and the Em- peror Napoleon has spoken a few words at Auxerre which are considered in France conclusive of immediate war. When the Emperor, chafed by the speech of M. Thiers, declares publicly that he holds in detestation those “treaties of 1815, which it is now desired to make the basis of our foreign policy,” the people know what to look for. The panic produced by these words in Paris is said to be unprecedent- ed. It cannot be exaggerated. It amount- ed to dismay, not unmixed with indigna- tion. This is exactly the atmosphere in which the Emperor luxuriates, as petrels may be supposed to delight in a storm. It is said that the ministers have not been consulted on this occasion, and there is some talk of their resignation. But what- ever the Emperor has resolved upon is not likely to be affected by the opinions of his ministers. He has raised a tempest; but nobody can doubt that he had first fully prepared for the consequences.

All uncertainty as to the probable dis- tribution of the Powers in the coming struggle seems to be over. The arma- ments in Italy never could have gone on without the sanction and connivance of France; and France would never have connived at such a proceeding without a guarantee of advantages for herself of some kind. It is now asserted that the project of the Italian government for a reduction of expenditure, some two or three months ago, was disapproved of by France, who desired that, whatever was reduced, the army should not be diminish- ed. The result is now at hand. France, Italy, and Prussia have entered into an understanding, perhaps something more; and from the moment when the first blow is struck, they will be found banded to- gether. Italy is bristling with arms. The volunteers are coming forward to the aid of government; and the utmost enthu- siasm prevails. Garibaldi and Prim are to hold commands, and the scale upon which the military dispositions are being laid down indicates operations of no or- dinary magnitude.

It is a strange state of things that this war should be undertaken entirely against the will of the peoples who are to furnish the material for it. The Prussians are utterly opposed to it. They recognize alike its criminality and its wantonness; and have protested against it at public meetings, in petitions to the sovereign, and through the voice of the legislature, but in vain. Austria, Saxony, and Bavaria are forced into it. Prussia has refused the constitutional arbitrament urged upon her by Austria, and, under the shallow pretence that Austria assumed an attitude of menace towards her, she persists in fighting, notwithstanding that her op- ponent continues to disclaim all aggres- sive intentions. The result, whatever it may be, must be, more or less, disastrous to Germany. Her solidity as a federation will, probably, be broken up, and Austria will in all likelihood lose her ascendancy. What share France will have in the spoils, remains to be seen; but if the treaties of 1815 are to be treated as waste paper, an extensive disturbance of existing settle- ments may be anticipated.

In the midst of the breathless suspense of these affairs, an attempt has been made to assassinate Count Bismarck, who with great promptitude seized his assailant, a young political fanatic, said to be a step- son of the distinguished exile, Karl Blind. This mad enthusiast has since expiated his guilt by committing suicide in prison. There never was a more illogical proceed- ing than that of assassinating an obnoxious minister. The only effect it has is to in- vest the intended victim with an interest which he could never otherwise acquire, and to secure him a place in history to which he could not otherwise have be- come entitled. In consequence of this foolish and dastardly attack, Bismarck has suddenly become the hero of the hour. He is waited upon by sympathizing crowds, and receives public ovations from a people who detest him.

Prince Frederick Charles will take the chief command of the Prussian army.

The Russian ambassador at Berlin has presented to the King of Prussia an autograph letter of the Emperor of Russia, in which reference is made to the family relations existing between the emperor and the various German princely families, whose existence he would be forced to defend should it be threatened.

All hopes of the preservation of peace are abandoned, and war is now believed to be unavoidable. Great uneasiness has been created in Vienna by the speech of the Emperor Napoleon to the Mayor of Auxerre. The goods traffic on the North- ern Railway will shortly be stopped. In the event of war the Archduke Carl Lud- wig will go to the Tyrol, where he will superintend the formation of rifle corps. All the passes of the Tyrol are now de- fended by artillery.

The Berlin 'Provinzial Correspondenz' of yesterday, in announcing the mobilisa- tion of all the Prussian army corps, says:

The nation may be assured that the Prussian government is still willing to maintain peace, if that can be done with honour and with a due regard to Prussian interests. The government, however, owes it to the country not to allow it in any way to be doubted that, if it must be, Prussia is determined to come for- ward sword in hand, and in the most for- cible and decided manner, to maintain those interests.

A serenade has taken place before the residence of Count Bismarck, in celebra- tion of his recent escape from the hands of the assassin. About 2000 persons were present, to whom Count Bismarck, in expressing his thanks, said, "We are all ready to die for King and Fatherland, let it be on the pavement of the street or on the battlefield. Our common feeling finds its best expression in the cry of 'Long live the King!'"

His Highness the 'Tunnongong of Jo- hore' (the first Malay prince to visit Eu- rope) and suite have arrived in London.

Telegraphic Summary.

The Franchise Bill has been carried in the House of Commons by a majority of 5. Ministers have not accepted this re- sult as a defeat, and have announced their intention of proceeding with the Redistribution of Seats Bill, and the bills for Scotland and Ireland, on the 7th of May.

The American minister at Vienna has been instructed by his government to de- mand his passports should Austrian troops be embarked for Mexico, in which event the Austrian minister at Washington will receive his credentials.

Another steamer had arrived at New York with cholera on board.

It is reported from Mexico that the French had suffered defeat with great loss.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has brought in a bill for the redistribution of seats in England, by which small bor- oughs are to be enlarged by being group- ed with others, new constituencies to be created, and additions to be made to the county and borough representation.

The Lord-Advocate has brought in a Franchise Bill for Scotland, reducing the borough franchise to £7, and the county to £14 occupation, and property with re- sidence to £5.

Mr. Chichester Fortescue has brought in a Reform Bill for Ireland, reducing the borough franchise to £6, and creat- ing a lodging and savings-bank franchise. Three new seats are to be created, and the boundaries of several small boroughs to be enlarged.

The news from Germany and Italy is more warlike. Prussia, Austria, and Italy are bringing up their armies to a war standard, and Austrian troops are con- centrating on the Bohemian and Silesian frontiers. The country round Mantua has been inundated by Austrian engi- neers, and Peschiera and Legnano have been strengthened. Prince Frederick Charles is to take the chief command of the Prussian army.

The Emperor Napoleon in a speech at Auxerre has expressed detestation of the treaties of 1815. This has produced a feeling of dismay in France.

Volunteering is going forward with great enthusiasm in Italy. The Nation- al Guard have offered their services. General Prim is to have a command in the army. General Garibaldi has been called by royal decree to a command of twenty battalions.

Some of the small German States have declared their intention to join Austria in the event of war.

The Emperor of Russia has intimated to Prussia that, if war breaks out, he will be obliged, by family relations, to sup- port several of the German provinces.

An attempt has been made to assas- sinate Count Bismarck, by a stepson of Karl Blind. The would-be assassin has since committed suicide.

The Fenians, who had collected along the New Brunswick frontier, with a view to the invasion of that province, have entirely dispersed. The Fenian move- ment in America is considered to have completely collapsed.

A great fire has occurred in Glasgow, resulting in an immense destruction of property.

A speech delivered on the present war crisis by M. Thiers in the Corps Legis- latif has produced a great impression both in the Chamber and on the public.

It is reported that Russia is arming on a vast scale.

The Danubian Principalities.

Anarchy in Roumania is said to be daily assuming a more alarming character.

The government hesitates before the coming storm, and seems to be doubtful of its strength, and a variety of factions have been formed for its overthrow. Of these the most formidable is that of M. Cæsar Boliak, a former supporter of the ex-Minister Cogolnitohano, who advocates a policy of 'union and a native prince'. This party has now its recognized organ in the press, the 'Trompeta Carpatilor, in which a series of articles has lately been published on the present policy of the government, which are chiefly re- markable for the extreme violence of their language. Faithful to their princi- ples, M. Boliak and the whole of his party voted against the election of Prince Char- les of Hohenzollern, notwithstanding which the Government telegrams asserted that the whole country was unanimous in his favour.

America.

It was said that the House Judiciary Committee had summoned a great num- ber of witnesses to prove the complicity of Mr. Jefferson Davis in the assassination plot ; but, though cross-examination was limited, nothing had been produced to substantiate the charge. President John- son had granted Mrs. Jefferson Davis permission to visit her husband. A Washington correspondent writes :—-

The office of the Attorney-General is now entirely occupied with arrange- ments for the trial of Jefferson Davis. He will probably be tried in Tenessee, as the President seems to prefer that State to Virginia for the purpose ; but this point has not been decide, and will de- pend on whether it can be shown that Mr. Davis was at Muffreesborough during the battle of Stone River. W. M. Evarts, of New York, has been retained by the government to assist the Attorney-Gen- eral in the trial, and it is said that ex-Governor Clifford, of Massachusetts, will also be intrusted with a part of the business. Charles O'Connor and J. T. Brady, of New York, Judge Read, of Philadelphia, and a lawyer of Mississippi, are to conduct the defence. Mr. Davis will be arraigned before a circuit court of the United States on a charge of high treason. Mr. Davis has been gloomy of late, and seems to anticipate the extreme penalty of the law. Mr. Sumner, Mr. Wendell Phillips, and Mr. Horace Greeley are strongly opposing any such step as his execution.

The Senate had passed a bill admitting Colorado as a State into the Union. An amendment proposed by Mr. Sumner ex- tending the suffrage to Colorado, without distinction of colour, was rejected by 27 against 7 votes.

Spain was semi-officially reported to have requested the mediation, and agreed to submit to the arbitration of the United States in the complication with Chili.

Heavy crevasses in the levees on the Mississippi river threaten the country around New Orleans with inundation.

Seventy-five additional cases of cholera had occurred on board the Virginia since her arrival in quarantine, at New York. Twelve deaths took place on April 24. The disease was assuming a milder form and was decreasing. Dr. Slayter, the Halifax physician who attended the pas- sengers on the England, had died of cholera at Halifax, where three other cases were reported.

The Fenian excitement was said to be rapidly abating. Federal troops guard the bridge between Calais and St. Stephens. General Doyle had established his head- quarters at the latter place. Coran Kil- lian's movements were not known, but it was reported that he was endeavouring to organize a fishing company for the purpose of bringing about, without a breach of the neutrality laws, a collision between the English and American on the fishing grounds, in hopes of thereby causing a rupture between the two gov- ernments.

It was reported that the Roberts faction will now make a desperate effort to secure the support of the disaffected O'Mahonry- Fenians by an immediate military demon- stration against some point of the Cana- dian frontier. Unreliable reports were in circulation that the Fenians were gather- ing at Ogdensburg, on the St. Lawrence. A party of the Fenians from Eastport, on the way from Portland to Boston, mutinied against their officers. The ringleaders were put on shore, and the boat proceeded.

Memoranda.

An American paper, the 'Telegrapher,' states that it is intended to apply electri- city to Alden's type-setting machine, so as to enable a person in Washington to set type by telegraph in the offices of large daily newspapers in New York.

The Civil Rights Bill is the sixth in- stance of the passage of a measure by Congress over a Presidential veto; one was under the administration of Mr. Tyler, and four under that of Mr. Pierce.

Petroleum has been discovered in large quantities in the island of Cuba. The oil is the same as that of Pennsylvania.

The United States consul at Aspinwall notifies his government that the rinder- pest has broken out along the Panama railroad, and that hundreds of cattle are dying daily.

Letters received in America from Port au Prince mention a case of "Obeahism," where a party of several persons was dis- covered feasting on cooked infants.

The Mormons have resolved to aban- don the plan of emigration, and to fight for predominance. An affray has occur- red in which eight "Gentiles" were kill- ed. Placards have been posted every- where about Utah warning enemies of Mormonism to depart.

The 'Voix' of Luxembourg gives the following extraordinary account of ef- fects produced by lightning during a storm which broke over the village of Bure a few days back:—"The electric fluid struck a cottage, carried away the roof, entirely destroyed the chimney, re- duced the windows into fragments, and broke into pieces the door and all the furniture. Three children, who were sleeping in an upper room, were projected out of the house, they do not know how, but escaped unhurt, while the bed on which they were lying was completed shattered. The mother and father were in bed with two other children, one an infant; the last-named was cast against a wall and somewhat injured, and the moth- er, who had got up, was struck dead in the room while lighting a candle. The husband and the other child only felt a violent shock. The lightning then es- caped through a wall and killed a cow in an adjoining building."

A "mule rinderpest" prevails in Up- per Louisiana and Mississippi. The buf- falo gnats are killing off mules and horses. On one plantation [?] on another 25, and on others 20, were carried off in a single night.

The 'New York Express' says:—"A wedding recently took place in this city which offered convincing proof that all the money had not been spent yet. The bride was dressed in white satin, of course, and point-lace veil. On her veil her father pinned ten 1000 dollar green- backs, and she was presented on her wedding-day with 62 shares of Pacific Mail stock. This is considered something 'sensible' by several lately married men, who are reveling in an unlimited quan- tity of napkin-rings, fish-knives, and salt- cellars."

M. Bismarck's name is likely to take its place in the slang French vocabulary. It appears that when a person is suspect- ed of foul play at cards or billiards he is said to "bismarquer," as equivalent to "tricher," and the insinuation is resented as an insult. So much for fame.

The Empress of the French completed her 40th year on the 5th of May.

have considerable influence over the rising generation. The assassin is probably a man of weak intellect, whose brain has been turned by the shallow doctrines of this sect, and indeed the manner in which his criminal attempt was made is the best proof of his folly."—LON. & C. EXPRESS.

Russia

There is no end to the manifestations of loyalty which the recent attempt upon the Czar's life has called forth. Nor are these demonstrations confined to the Rus- sians. All the foreigners in St. Petersburg have sent in addresses, prayers of thank- giving have been offered up in the foreign churches, and appropriate sermons have been preached by all the Protestant cler- gymen. At Moscow, the enthusiasm seems to be greater even than in St. Petersburg. The little churches of the ancient capital could not accommodate a tenth part of the people who crowded to the altars, so a Te Deum was celebrated in the Krem- lin in the open air. The merchants treated the people, and threw silver amongst the crowd. The Russian 'Gazette of St. Pe- tersburg,' says that the marshals and de- puties of the St. Petersburg nobles had resolved unanimously to present Ossip Ivanovitch Komissaroff, the peasant who foiled the assassin's aim, with a holy image, and to open for him a subscrip- tion, to which all the nobility of the dis- trict are invited to subscribe. The per- manent deputations of the nobles waited upon him to obtain his consent to be en- rolled in the book of nobles. Komissaroff gratefully accepted the offer, and in do- ing so gave the following account of what took place:—

"I do not know myself what strange feeling possessed me when I saw that man pressing through the crowd. I was watching him, but when the emperor came up he went out of my mind. All at once I saw him draw a pistol and aim at the emperor. I bethought myself that if I rushed upon him he would kill some one else, or, perhaps, myself, and with- out more ado I struck up his arm. The pistol went off, and after that I do not recollect anything. I was as it were in the midst of a fog, and when I came to myself I saw a general, who embraced me. I was taken to the palace, but I was stunned, and it was an hour and a half before I could speak."

Apartments have been hired for him in the Bouatze house. His family name will be changed into that of Komissaroff Kos- tromskoi, in memory of the province which has twice furnished saviours to the imperial house in a moment of danger. He was obliged to show himself on the stage of the Russian Theatre, and to re- late what happened. He was invited to a grand banquet at the English Club, a society which, notwithstanding its name, is purely Russian. It is said that 600,000fr. have been subscribed for him in St. Petersburg alone, and that a pro- prietor of Kostroma has offered him a considerable quantity of land for the purpose of enabling him to support his new dignity. The emperor himself, says a correspondent of the 'Nord,' asked General Todleben as a personal favour to direct the education of Komissaroff. The Emperor of Austria has presented, in commemoration of the event, a com- mander's cross of the Order of Frances Joseph to Komissaroff.

The St. Petersburg journals say that the investigation into the attempt on the Czar's life has shown that it was not the act of a wild and single enthusiast, but the result of a conspiracy, which includes numerous accomplices belonging to dif- ferent classes; consequently many arrests have been made. In St. Petersburg, 20 students have been seized, 60 Poles, and four high officials; and in Moscow 30 students have been lodged in gaol.

The 'Avenir National' says that Rus- sia is arming on a vast scale, and will have a formidable army ready in a few days.

The 'Journal de St. Petersburg' of May 8 publishes an article strongly sup- porting the project of a Congress to set- tle the pending European difficulties. The article points out that neither Prussia, Austria, nor Italy will commence hostili- ties, and that a direct understanding is unattainable between these Powers. Un- der these circumstances a Congress would be both 'possible and desirable.'—Home News.

Prussia.

In Berlin an attempt upon the life of Count von Bismarck was made at 5 o'clock on the evening of May 7, as the count was returning on foot along the Unter- den Linden, after having had an audience of the king. Upon reaching the Schadon Strasse he was fired at from behind, by a man who discharged at him two barrels of a revolver. Both shots, however, mis- sed the count, who immediately turned and seized the man. In the struggle which ensued between them the assassin fired three more shots from his revolver. Count Bismarck remained unhurt, with the exception of a slight contusion. His clothes were also burned by the nearness of the last three discharges. The per- petrator of the attempted assassination was immediately arrested by the police, and conveyed to prison, where, while unobserved, he stabbed himself in the throat nine times with a pocket-knife having several blades. The physicians declared the wounds not dangerous, as no important artery had been severed, and he was put in a strait waistcoat but he died next morning. The intended assassin was the son of Mrs. Karl Blind, wife of the political refugee in London, by a former husband, but has borne his stepfather's name. It appears that he was about 22 years of age, and was of a very determined and moody character, but none of his family had reason to sus- pect that he harboured such a design as that which he attempted to carry out. He had been studying political economy at Hobenheim, in Wurtemburg, and it is thought that the course of political events in Germany, combined with his studies, has had the effect of unsettling his brain. It is stated that the young man bore an excel- lent character at the various schools and colleges in which he has studied in Ger- many, and that this character was also maintained throughout a residence of some duration in England. Whilst in England he was a member of a volunteer corps, and gained a prize at Wimbledon by his good shooting.

Rome.

The correspondent of the 'Debats' in Rome says that all parties there are in favour of war-—the Clerical, because they hope to regain what they have lost; the Liberal party, because they expect free- dom, and because they think they cannot be worse off than they are at present.

France.

The emperor's speech at Auxerre and the impending war are the principal sub- jects discussed in the Paris papers. The 'Constitutionnel' of yesterday contained an article, in which it denies that the speech is an encouragement to the ambi- tion of Prussia. The writer says :—

The object of France is neither to serve the ambition of Prussia nor Italy, but to assure her own dignity and secur- ity. The programme of France is known and has just been repeated. It lies whol- ly in these words—reform of the treaties of 1815. Any enterprise not directed towards this end will find her not indif- ferent, but attentive, vigilant, and reso- lute. The speech at Auxerre is not, therefore, a compromise with the various interests which are now agitating Ger- many, but is a last appeal to the wisdom of the signers of the treaties of 1815 on be- half of the peace and security of Europe. It is for them to consider if it would be expedient to leave to the chances of war, always uncertain and formidable, that general reform which France wished to see carried out in peace and by means of a friendly understanding.

M. Emile de Girardin, in his journal 'La Liberte.' devotes to the speech only these two lines :—

This speech requires no comment. In France and Europe it will sound like a cannon shot.

Senator Gueronniere's paper, 'La France,' says :—

We are profoundly devoted to the cause of peace; but, under existing cir- cumstances, our first duty is to tell the truth to our readers, and we are con- strained to say that, after the emperor's speech, we no longer believe in peace.

NOTICE. WE, the Undersigned, herewith no- tify all Ship Masters and owners interested, that we will henceforth, on- ly acknowledge those Pilots, who hold their Licenses in accordance with the Port Regulations from the Harbor Master, and countersigned by us. A. MARKWALD & Co. Agents for the Hamburg and Bre- men Underwriters. Bangkok, 21st January 14th 1865. (tf)