April 3, 1847
![handle is hein.journals/nilesreg74 and id is 73 raw text is: NILES' NATIONAL REGISTER.
S XTH sEntiEs.-No. 5.-Vo. XXIl] BALTIMORE, APRIL 3, 1847. [VOL. LXXII.-WHoLE No. 1,853
TIE- PAST-THE PRESENT--FOR THE FUTURE.
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED, EVERY SATURDAY, BY JEREMIAH HUGHES, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR, AT FIVE DOLLARS PER ANNUM, PAYABLE IN ADVANCE.
FOREIGN.
FRANCE.
Population.-The Moniteur of February 26th,
gives the results of the last quinquennial census of
the population, made by virtue of an ordinance of
May 4th, 1846, the numbers of which may be con-
slde,'ed, in regard to tho laws and administrative
regulations, as the only official and authentic date.-
The following is an analysis. The population- of
France (including Corsica) at the present data,
amounts to 35,400,486 inhabitants, of which 1,364,.
467 belong.to the single department of the Seine.-
After that comes the department lo Nord, which
counts 1,132,980 inhabitants, and shows the most
considerable increase. The population of all the
departments has increased with the exception of
five, viz. the Eure, the Jura, Lot-ot-Garonne, the
Meuse and Haute-Soane. Collectively, the diminu.
tion in the five departments is not more than 5.273
inhabitants.
From the last qfuinquennial to the preceding (1836;
1846) the general population has increased about a
thirtieth. The following table shows the results of
the six last censusses:-
Increase. Per cent.
1816-1821 30,161,375
1821-Qf26 31.858,937 1,397,062 or 41
1826-1331 32 569,224 718,2861 2
1831-1836 33;540,910 971,687 2
1836-1841 34,230,178 689,1268 3! 2
1841-1846 35.400,486 1,170,283 31
It results from the official table that in a quarter
of a century, (from.1821 to 1846) the French popu.
lation has increased nearly a sixth. It was a cen-
tury ago, according to Neckar, about 20 millions,
since then it must have increased.in the relation of
a little more than three quarters, which sufficiently
confirms the calculations of the economists accord-
ing to which our population was to double in 120 or
130 years. (Mr. Charles Dupin has calculated that
it may double in 117 years.) The population of Pa-
ris about 1750 did not exceed 540,000; as it now
exceeds one million, it may be said to have sensibly
exceeded in its progress the progress of the general
population of the kingdom; this is especially to be
remarked for the last period of five years. On the
whole, the mean annual increase for the quarter of
a century has been, in round numbers, 197,500. The
Same calculation made with regard to the two per-
rds 1801 and 1821, give only 156,000 increase. It
is perceived by this comparison how much a state of
peace, and along with it, the development of labor
and industry, has hastened the progress of the gen-
eral population.
. PRUssIA has at length received something in the
shape of the long promised constitution; the King
has issued letters patent, enacting that the provin-
cial states of the kingdom shall be united into a gen-
eral diet, as often as it shall be necessary to raise
loans, or to increase existing taxes. Thus the King
accords to thediet some contiol over the public mon-
ey. The concession is not perhaps very great-cer-
tainly nothing like What was expected, but contid-
ered as the first step towards liberty, its in~portance
cannot be overrated. It will be the fault of the
Prussians themselves, if, now that they have got the
power of the purse, they do not, before long obtain
the laws, rights and privileges of a free people-
things that they merit, as one of the greatest and
most intelligent nations in Europe. The royal pa-
tents, as they are called, are four in number, and
are very lengthy, setting forth a number of minute
regulations with respect to the-povers and attributes
of the new diet. Besides the convocation of the
united diet, for according loans and new taxes, the
King proposes to convoke, periodically a committee
of their bodo to consult them on such legislative acts,
as he may think advisable. It seems however, that
they wilinot be allowed any legislative power, but
will be a mere consultative body, whose advice may
or may not be followed. They are to have the right
of petition. These last two concesstons are scarcely
worth mentioning, some control over taxation being
the only concession of any importance. The united
diet is to be formed of all the eight diets of the
monarchy. It will consist of two branches-one of
the princes of the blood and the titled nobility, the
ober of the deputies (consisting of three orders)
Vol. XXII. SIG. 5.
elected as at present. The total number of the new
body will be upwards of 650. Since the promulga-
tion of this new constitution, as some people call it.
the King has issued an ordinance convoking the diet
for the 11th of April next; not, however, says his
majesty because the state of the finances requires
their, co-operation, but he is anxious to see them
around him. The concessions made by the King,
have upon the whole beer very favorably received
in Germany notwithstanding they fall so' far short of
public expectation. The official organ of the gov-
ernment has published some remarkable articles on
the subject, in which it holds out a sort of promise
that if the people behave well, the King will make
further concessions before long.
The French government has authorized the con-
cession to a company, headed by Messrs. Herout &
Handel, offour steamers belonging to the navy, to
establish a line between Havre and New York.-
These vessels are worth 1,900,000 francs, and are to
carry the mails for nothirg. Immense numbers of
French people are preparing to emigrate to the Uni-
ted States.
The journal des Debats states that a good under-
standing has been restored between Guizot and the
English minister Lord Normanby, the latter making
the first advances and the Austrian minister acting as
mediator. Lord Normauby had been received with
great cordiality by the King Louis Philippe. Count
Walewski has been appointed French minister to
the' Plate republic and was to sail in a few days.
A commercial convention has been concluded
with the King and chiefs of Cape Mount, on the
west coast of Africa, for the suppression of the slave
trade.
X 1. Dunas once mere. The following gem of cor-
respondence has been published in the Paris papers.
Sir,-You insulted me the other day in the cham-
ber of deputies. Free to day from all business en-
gagements, I send you my friend, M. Viennet, piesi-
dent of the society of men of letters, to learn the day,
the place, and the Ihour-(we give the conclusion in
the original French, lest it be supposed we exagge-
rate)-ou il vns convient que nors couperions la gorge.
ALEXANDER DUiAS Marquis de l.a Pailleteris.
To this strange epistle the sensible M. de Malle-
villa sent the following amusing answer.
Sir, I thank you for having afforded me the oppor-
tunity of seeing the agreeable and excellent M. -Vien-
net. As to the proposal which you are good enough
tomake to cut ny .throat, I am chagrined, beyond
measure at not being able to accept. it. I have not
the honor to be a gentleman.
Marquis de MALEVILLE.
At the half-yearly meeting of the bank of France,
it was stated that not less than 17,2847,000 francs
had been drawn front the reserves since the month
of July, principally on account of the distress occa-
sioned by the scarcity. The details that were given
of the bank's operations were not of the most satis-
factory character; nor were the hopes held out for
the future very cheering. In the last six months of
the year discounts were made of commercial paper
to the amount of 800,000,000 francs, being only 10,-
000,000 more than in the corresponding half of the
preceding year, whilst in the first six months the
inerease was more than 203,000,000. This will give
an idea of the cruelly depressed state. of trade.
HAYTI. A new president of the republic of Hayti
was chosen and proclaimed by the senate on the 2d
March. His name is FAUSTIN SOULOUQUE, a general
officer, aged about fifty years, and said to be well es-
teemed by the people; a man of good and amiable
character, and distinguished for his firmness and cou-
rage.
NEW HAMPSHIRE Election.-The New Hampshire
Patriot puhlishes returns of the vote for governor
from all the towns in the state except Drummer and
Hart's Location in Coos county, which last year gave
Williams (loco) 12, and Colby (whig) 6.. The result
as compared with last year is as follows:
1846. 1847.
Williams (loco) 26,987 30,801
Colby, (whig) 17,653 21,125
All others 10,504 8,540
Majority against Williams in 1846 1,170
Majority for Williams in 1847 1,137.
LEOISLATURE.-The senate, when the three vacan-
oies are filled, will consist of one whig and eleven lo-
cos. House, according to the Patriot, 149 locos, and
138 whigs,
LETTER FROM PAYMASTER J. E. BUTLER.
.Monterey, March 3, 1847.
I have no doubt of the dissolution of Santa Anna's
army, morally and physically, and there will be no
more.fighting in ihis region, if there be any anywhere.
Gen. Santa Anna is really to be pitied. His men are
a wretched aet. He had twice, during the battle, to in-
terpose his lancers to prevent desertion, and they shot
down some fifty at each time before he could prevent
the flight of his infantry, The information comes from
prisoners who deverted as soon as exchanged and came
ino e.' Taylor's camp. They report that Santa Anna
is destitute of ell kinds of proviaions, and thathe can-
not keep them together.
Santa Anna expected an easy victory. His army was
told that the Americans had an abundance of provisions
and lots of money, and that they must enter Saltitl the'
day of the battle and inke their supper at our expense.
This is from reports of persons taken, officers as well as
privates.
Gxe. KEARNY'S ARRIVAL AT CALIFORNIA. Letters from
Tepic, near San Bias, give accounts from California
to the 18th of January. Gen. Kearny had arrived with
200 men, from New Mexico. Uniting other forces with
his own, he immediately attacked the town of Los An-
gelos, and retook it, after a stout resistance. Upper Ca-
lifornia is now in our undisputed possession.
CITY or.MExico. The revolution in the city of Mex-
ico was not, at the last accounts, determined. There
has not been much fighting and bloodshed, and the
troops appear to be vacillating, end one of the revolted
regiments has gone back to the side of the government,
NAVAL. The U.S. steamer Polk went to sea from
Hampton Roads on Tuesday afternoon, bound to the
Gulf of Mexico, on a surveying cruize.
Lionr AND HEAT FROM WATER, To obtain a motive
power, applicable to general purposes, from steam, is
comparatively a recent achievement of inventive inge-
nuity. Obtaining light from gas is a quite recent discove-
ry. What wonders have been wrought within our own
recollections by means of those two agents?
Magnetic aency has but just commenced its career.
It promises results n'o less wonderful, no less useful than
either of the others.
Light and heat, to be derived from water, is now a
desideratum.' The theory has been ascertained Light,
intense light, and heat is evolved from a decomposition
of water. Ingenuity has a new and ample field for em-
ploytent. To grasp the discovery and reduce it to
ractical purposes, is the aim of the scientific. We
have had several announcements, some in Europe,
others in our own country, of the discovery of a process
Vhereby intense light could be obtained by a galvanic
or chemical process, which was to supercede most of
our artificial lights. They have as yet accomplished but
little that is found to be practical. We have it now an-
nounced that an English chemist, Mr. Grove, has suc-
ceeded in obtaining light by a process which may per-
haps be made extremely useful.
It is kown that intense heat and light is obtained by
burning pure hydrogen w.ith oxygen, the only ingredi-
ents of water. Mr. Grove's process is, to heat a tube of
platinum in a common spirit lamp and pass steam
through it, which will thereby become decomposed and
trans formed into gaseous elements of intense power.-
The impression has long been entertained, that many of
the explosions which occur of steam boilers, are occa-
sioned by the sudden conversion of steam into this form
of gases. To obtain this powerful elemeit was no
longer a difficulty. To grasp it and reduce it to obedi-
ence, to make it subservient to common useful purposes,
was the object. The process would seem to suggest it-
self,-produce the gas in very limited, yet measured
quanities, and draw it off as it is evolved by adequate
conduits. This appears to have been Mr. Grove's plan.
After obtaiuing the gas by the above process, it is cot.-
ducted off' itto small tubes, at the end of which it is
gnited as our common gas tubes are. Great caution is
required, oh course, to prevent explosion. Pure water,
free from salt or any foreign substance, and from which
the air has been expelled by a careful ebullition, is in.
dispensable.
If hut a small quantity of the gas be required, Mr. G.
states it nay be obtained by introducing into a vessel
of water, heated to 90 degrees, beneath a bell glass, a
ball of platinum intensely heated, The water will'be
immediately decomposed, and the gas will fill the bell'
glass. Osmium and iridium have'the same effect as
platinum, and probably gold would also,](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.journals/nilesreg74&div=8&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
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April 3, 1847
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