UNITED STATES.

66

CONGRESS drags its slow length along." Before this number of The Guardian reaches many of our subscribers, the second session of the XXXIIId Congress will have ceased. While we write but six more working days remain, and yet much remains to be done -so much indeed that there is evidently too little time left in which to do the work well. In their mania for taking care of the interests of their respective parties, by manufacturing public opinion for each successive presidential campaign in speeches made for Buncorabe, the heavy work of the session is invariably put off to the last, to be rushed through in night sessions, or to bear the ear-marks of "hasty legislation." One of the public journals has aptly remarked that we have all been waiting and wondering when the WORK of Congress would begin-like that innocent Jonathan who sat out half an evening of one of Ole Bull's violin concerts, listening patiently for what he supposed was the tuning of the fiddle, to end, and the concert to "start;" and with us as with him it is pretty nearly over before we discover that we have got almost all that we have paid for or had a right to expect. Still, our M. C.'s have done a very large share of their usual work. They have talked-talked -talked-Buncombe into an ear-ache and the watchful public into a profound slumber. They have succeeded in getting up some scenes and given the galleries an opportunity to hear one honorable gentleman call another a liar. There are a few things which they might have either killed or cured before their dissolution drew nigh which may be thus summed up:

There was a project for a Pacific Railroad that many trusted would not utterly fall through. It can hardly afford to wait-but doubtless that is its doom-until a new Congress is installed. The Subterranean Telegraph bill the House has really passed upon-add that to its credit. But the bill providing a mail-line of steamers to Shanghai, the Sandwich Islands and San Fran

cisco, the Emigrant Ship bill, the Vera Cruz and Acapulco Mail Route bill, and the bills that SAM has so pertinaciously lobbied for, have made so little progress as hardly to pay for the trouble of bringing out from their warm quarters in the Committees' desks. It would have been pleasanter to have settled the Homestead bill and the Old Soldiers' Bounty Land bill and the new Tariff bill that the Administration is so anxious to see a law, but little hopes are there that this Congress will wipe off these tedious old problems from the slate. The French Spoliation billon which the hopes of anxious claimants have been fondly fixed for many years was finally passed by both houses of Congress, but President Pierce found objections to the measure and interposed his prerogative of a veto. The Texas Debt bill really suffers discussion, and its passage is not an impossibility. It was reasonable to anticipate the enactment of the contemplated law increasing the pay of members and judges, for the times are VERY hard, and Washington hotel-keepers cannot decently make any further advances upon their charges for board until it is a law. Army and Navy Reforms, Indian Appropriations, the New Pensions, the Claims' Board and Judiciary Reform, are all fair topics for discussion for another Congress, and some of them are of pressing importance; but there is not time left for the Ayes and Nays to be counted on all of them, even though Buncombe should be ejected from the audience-chamber henceforth, and every man should address himself, not to the Speaker, but to his work. For what Congress has thus far done in the way of passing bills we do not feel overburdened with debts of gratitude; but for the free blowing off of steam which might otherwise have exploded, and for the leaving undone of much that it might have done about Utah and Neosho, and like matters of the mischievous breed, we desire to be duly

thankful.

It is not very creditable to the reputation of our Congressmen for impar

tiality, that such claims as are backed | up by immense wealth and political influence are considered in the earlier part of the session, while the juster laims of humble citizens are passed by almost unnoticed. Thus Mr. Colt, the patentee of the revolving pistol bearing his name, brought Congress to an early consideration of his application of an extension of his patent-by what means, the public, who have read the proceedings, must be the judge: but it is not too much to say that Mr. Colt is wealthy and had influential friends to work for him. If he did not succeed, he influenced Congress to consider his application and spend much time in discussing it. How many humble but equally worthy citizens fail to do even this?

The President has conferred the Brevet Title of Lieutenant-General on General Winfield Scott for his eminent military services. The Senate joint resolution giving the executive this authority passed the House, under a suspension of the rules, by the honorable vote of 126 to 65. The opposition, it is understood, did not arise so much from opposition to General Scott personally, as to a dislike of establishing the precedent of a higher military title than has hitherto been known to the Army Regulations of the Republic. This new title is not merely honorary. It carries with it the substantial advantage of nearly $30,000 back pay and $1,600 annual addition to his salary hereafter. There is also attached to this grade of office a staff of six persons, four lieutenant-colonels and two secretaries, each with the rank and pay of a lieutenant-colonel. The act of Congress which established the grade of lieutenant-general was passed on 28th of May, 1798. The resolution passed by the present Congress declares that when the said grade of lieutenant-general by brevet shall have once been filled, and have become vacant, this joint resolution shall thereafter expire

and be of no effect.

The Twenty-first Annual Report of the Superintendent of Common Schools is a more than usually interesting document. Including the reports from county superintendents, it covers 160 pages and gives a better idea of the actual condition of the school system than has been heretofore furnished to the public. The whole number of districts in the State is 1,531; schools,

9,507; number reported as yet required, 671. The average number of months taught is five. Male teachers employed, 7,590, at an average monthly salary of $19.25. Female teachers, 3,640, at an average salary of $12,02 per month. Number of male scholars, 260,269; female, 214,286; average number of scholars in each school, 42; cost of teaching each scholar per month, 43 cents. Of the whole number of scholars 11,121 are learning German. There are two points which the local superintendents generally refer to as retarding the progress and prosperity of the system, and which should be taken into earnest consideration by every friend of popular education: The lowness of teachers' salaries and short duration of the school sessions. Although the schools are kept open less than half the year, men are expected to pursue teaching as a profession at an average wages per month of less than $20, and women at $12. Thus, male teachers would earn about $100 a year at their profession and females about $60! This accounts for the difficulty of getting a sufficient number of good and competent teachers to fill the schools, the superintendents having been obliged in every county to give provisional certificates to teachers of doubtful competency or let the schools stand idle. It does strike us as not a little disgraceful that while thousands of our taxpayers are always willing to pay good prices for live stock for their farms, and spare no expense in having their dumb brutes properly cared for, they yet look for their children, with minds immortal, to be educated for the most beggarly consideration Many of them think and argue that because school teaching does not require much bone and muscle it is easy work" and therefore should not be paid any better or as well as farm labor. If the minds of their children are of no more value than the loose soil of their farms, than their horses, cattle, swine, sheep, or poultry, then these short-sighted folks may maintain the consistency of their argument; but if they are capable of approaching within the widest range of reason-shot to an estimate of the superiority of Mind over Matter-of morals over guano-of character over cattle-of immortality over mortality-they would not thus stop to count the cost of properly educating their children and elevating the general standard of popular education.

66

A great reform in public sentiment is needed here in our State policy, and all who are friendly, to the wide diffusion of moral and intellectual intelligence should cease not to labor for its promotion. Children can not be expected to progress in learning by going to school five months in the year and neglecting their studies the other seven; and good men and women, thoroughly qualified for teaching, cannot be expected to teach for a less compensation than their talents will command in other and perhaps more congenial pursuits. These are two self-evident facts -they need no further demonstration.

A bill has been introduced into the New York Legislature, and a similar one into the Senate of this State, which provides that any married woman, whose husband either from drinking, profligacy or other cause, shall neglect or refuse to provide for her support or the support and education of her children, etc., shall have the right to transact business, collect her own earnings and those of her minor children, and disburse them for their education or support. It also gives the mother control over her minor children where the husband refuses or neglects to discharge a father's duty towards them. This bill is a very important one, and it is thought will become a law in both States. In that event, it will deprive the rampant womans' rights advocates of a portion of their loudest thunder.

Prohibition of the traffic in intoxicating drinks is rapidly gaining in popular favor, and State after State is adopting the prohibitive principle in its statute laws. Indiana and Illinios have each their Maine law, and the constitutionality of the Ohio law has been affirmed and is working terror among the venders of distilled poison. A similar law has passed the New York assembly by a vote of 80 to 43, and the Delaware House of Representatives by a vote of 11 to 10. There is little doubt of its passage through the Senates of both States and its approval by their governors. A stringent law prohibiting the sale of liquors on Sunday has passed both houses of the Pennsylvania Legislature, and will no doubt be the law of the State before this reaches our readers. This law imposes a fine of from $10 to $100 and from ten to sixty days imprisonment for each offence.

The

final vote in the House was 73 to 6-in the Senate 26 to 2. The friends of the

Sabbath have good cause to be thankful for this effort to shield the sanctity of that holy day, and as soon as the people see the happy effects of suppressing intemperance on one day of the week, they will demand its suppression on the other six also. It is generally believed that a bill repealing the present license laws and making it unlawful to sell for drinking purposes will yet pass the present session. Several bills aiming at this are now on the files of the Senate and House, one of which provides that the repeal of the law be submitted to a vote of the people at a special election.

The new liquor law (passed May 4, 1854,) is doing a good work in many sections where it is properly enforced. Under its provisions any selling, giving, or furnishing intoxicating liquors of any kind, by a tavern-keeper, wholesale dealer, grocer, OR ANY OTHER PERSON, "to any person of known intemperate habits," is punished with fine and imprisonment. Where the person for whom protection is desired by his or her relatives is not KNOWN to be of "intemperate habits," all they have to do is to serve a notice on those selling not to furnish liquors to him or her. If they disregard said notice they come under the penalty. These notices must be renewed every three months. It is perhaps not generally known that this law forbids, under a penalty of fine and imprisonment, the furnishing of liquors at social gatherings or even in ordinary social visits, to persons of intemperate habits, or such as are in the habit of drinking to their own injury or that of their family, even though they are never seen intoxicated or drunk.

The weather the past month has been unusually inclement. During the first week the thermometer ranged in different sections of the country from zero down to 300, the coldest weather experienced for a quarter of a century. The suffering of the poor in consequence has been extreme, and both public and private benevolence have been actively engaged, while much remains yet to be done by all who profess to follow in the divine footsteps of him "who went about doing good." It has been observed by those actively engaged in this good work that a very large proportion of this suffering and destitution arises from intemperance in the husband and father, the innocent becoming the victims: and the Governor

of Connecticut has significantly remarked that the prohibition of the liquor traffic in that State has prevented much destitution among the poor this winter.

The Prohibitory Liquor law has been defeated in the Senate of New-Jersey by ONE majority. It had previously passed the House of Representatives.

THE OLD WORLD.

Diplomacy has been at a stand-still in the Old World since our last, in consequence of the dismemberment and reconstruction of the British Ministry. The mismanagement of affairs in the Crimea by the War Department had been severely censured by the London Times, and freely commented upon in both houses of Parliament. This led to the resignation of Lord John Russell, the overthrow of the Aberdeen ministry and its reconstruction upon " a new basis" by Lord Palmerston, who is now Premier in place of Aberdeen. Although called a NEW ministry, there are really but four changes. Earl Granville is President of the Council in place of Lord John Russell; Lord Panmore Minister at War in place of the Duke of Newcastle; and Viscount Canning, Postmaster General under the late and present administration, obtains a seat in the cabinet. Mr. Sydney Herbert takes the Home and Sir George Grey the Colonial Department. The office of Secretary at War is to be abolished and a Parliamentary Under-Secretaryship created, to which Mr. Layard, the explorer of Nineveh, is to be appointed.

Affairs in the Crimea remain without material change. The condition of the English soldiers is reported as improving, but much suffering was still experienced in the camp through fatigue and exposure. Sorties were frequently made at night by the Russians, and though always repulsed by the French or English with considerable loss, the uncertainty of the attacks compelled the besiegers to be constantly on the alert day and night, adding much to their exposure and consequent fatigue. "Sebastopol is not yet taken," nor can that great event be reasonably expected for some months to come.

NOTES ON LITERATURE. BOOKS AND HARD TIMES.-The "hard times" have had a depressing influence upon the book business as well as upon other trades. At a sale of standard works recently held in New York, some

rare and valuable books were sold very low. We note a few of the bargains, which look very tempting. The poems and prose works of Chaucer, complete, in folio, black letter, including the translation of Boethius, never printed in Roman letter, and one of the gems of earliest English prose, was sold for seven dollars. It was dated 1602, and was not reprinted since. Fifty dollars would have been a fair price. Sir Philip Sidney's Arcadia, his Astrophel and Stella, Sonnets and Defence of Poesy, folio, a perfect copy, well bound, brought only $5.50. A fine London edition of Marlowe's works, in three. volumes, handsomely bound, brought $1.75 per volume. The Quarterly Review, complete from the commencement in 1809 to March, 1853, with all the indexes, ninety-two volumes, in morocco bindings and gilt edges—a fine, rare and clean copy-sold for eighty cents a volume. And a fine copy of Montfaucon's Antiquities, in seven volumes, usually sold at $10 a volume, brought only $4.50-and many other rare works proportionably low.

THE WIFE'S VICTORY, and other Domestic Sketches, by Mrs. Southworth, have been published in a handsome volume by T. B. Peterson, 102 Chesnut street, Philadelphia. Mrs. S. is among the purest writers of fiction in modern literature, and her works are much read by many who cannot be classed as novel-readers. The Wife's Victory is intended to illustrate EPH. v: 23, 24, or the relative duties of husband and wife. Other sketches in the volume are suggested by similar texts, such as The Temptation, 1 Cor. x: 13; The Three Sisters, Matt. x: 36; Across the Street, John xii: 8; etc. These Sketches not being exaggerated romances, we can commend them for their high moral tone and instructive lessons.

SEARS' CELEBRATED PERSONS, a handsome volume of 400 pages, illustrated, has been received from the publisher, Robert Sears, 181 William-st, N. York. It embraces incidents and adventures in the lives of Sovereigns, Queens, Generals, Princes, Travelers, Voyagers, etc., of Europe and America, compiled from authentic histories. These fragmentary sketches have been selected with discrimination and will be read with interest by those who have not the time nor inclination to read the larger volumes of history from which they are collated.