AMERICA.

Grey River Argus, Issue 100, 1 September 1866, Page 3

AMERICA.

The special correspondent of the; " Panam Star and Herald," writing from.. New York on July 20, says.:— -It was hoped that before this Congress woiild have adjourned and given the country, a resting spell from the vexations and annoying and disturbing legislation of its members— but, alas !no such though*.. appears to be entertained by them. They* are now engaged in concocting a tariff, making the duty on -a large number of articles excessive, so as to fetter the commerce of the country, and this tariff they will probably adopt before they do adjourn. The weather in Washington, happily,, for •several days has. been extremely hot, tKe mercury making one hundred degrees in the shade, and under the effects of the heat, which completely, wilted several of our reverend senators and everything but grave representatives, everybody was consoling himself with the belief that they wduld.be' driven away to the shady retreats of their own homes. This", however, does 'not seenr likely to be realised just yet;- as the weather., after four days of the'most intense heat, unhappily has become'sudcWtycoolagain^and ourjworthy legislators .;

seem determined to continue indefinitely their efforts to "save the. country." If they do not drive it to the verge of destruction, it .will be because the nation has at its head a man with iron will, who, however lie' may be opposed in his patriotic efforts to save jthe Union, will in the end triumph over all his enemies, arid' restore it again in all its length and breadth and glory. • V Mr Blake, on the 3rd instant, introduced in\tho House of Representatives a bill, establishing conditions for the ad- - mission into the Union of the States of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick,; Canada East, and Canada West, which -was, referred to the Committee- on Foreign Affairs. • , ' 7 ; " The first section provides that whenever notice shall be deposited in the Department of State that the Governments of Great Britain and of the provinces have accepted the propcisitions made to them, the President 'of the United States shall publish, r by proclamation, that" the States of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Canada East, and Canada West, and the territories of Selkirk", Saskatchewan and Columbia, aro "constituted and admitted as States and Territories of . tho United' 'States. Among the propositions is one ,that .the Un ; ted States ..will assume the j Provincial debt at not exceeding five per centum 'interest, aS" follows :— Canada West, 36,500,000 dols. ; Canada East, .29,000,000 dols.; Nova Scotia, 8,000,000 dols.; New Brunswick, 7,000,000 dols.; Newfoundland, 3,200,000 dols.; Prince Edward's Island,- 2,000,000 dols. The, United States are also to pay 10,000,000 "dols. to tho Hudson Bay Company. ' s A most terrible conflagration occurred lit Portland", Me., on the 4th instant, caused by a boy throwing a lighted firecracker among some shavings. One half of the city was destroyed, nearly all the business portion being included. All the banks, dry goods stores, jewellery establishments,, and telegraph offices, eight churches, and other public buildings were ■ ; burnt to the ground.' The wind was "blowing a gale at the time the fire commenced, and caused the flames to spread with the greatest fury, sweeping ruin, destruction, and desolation everywhere. Over fifty buildings were blown, up in the hope of making space between tl^e fire and tho other buildings, but the effort was useless. It is estimated that about two thousand buildings were destroyed, involving a loss of ten million dollars. Two thousand families were rendered, homeless, losing nearly every valuable they possessed', and are now dependent on the generosity of those who were fortunate to escape the sweeping disaster. Two thousand tents for shelter to the houseless were forwarded by the United States authorities from Boston, and the people of all the cities throughout the Union are busily engaged in forwarding ' supplies of clothing and provisions, and raising funds for the relief of the thousands of sufferers, many of whom have been bereft by this awful visitation of ' everything they-pos-sessed on earth. A very destructive fire also occurred in i the Oil Regions of Pennsylvania, near Louisville, on the 7th instant. Eighteen or twenty wells * on "Bennehoff Run were burned uj), . and about twenty thousand barrels of oil were destroyed. There were also twenty or thirty derricks destroyed, erected at wells not yet completed., Tho loss is very heavy. General Sweeney has published an "address to the Fenian Brotherhood in America,, in jirhich he defends his course in the recent raid in Canada. He. recommends the re-organisation of circles, and the formation" of 'solitary companies by tho members under Jtheir chosen leaders. He dates the address at St. Albums, Vt., July 4. , Head-Centre Stephens continues to " bob round" considerably. It is said ho. i 3 preparing an address tp the Brotherhood that will make everything connected with the Fenian ca\ise as " bright N as [ bright can be" — but there is ntf use denying that Fenianisni wears a most decided aspect of being played out in this country July 11, 1866. Reports were current in Washington yesterday, that an attempt had been made to obtain the unanimous consent of the Cabinet to the call for the National Convention which is to assemble in Philadelphia on the 14th of August, but that it was unsuccessful. The Democratic Club and the Johnson Union Club of that city, however, havo consolidated their interests, and will send Delegates to the Convention. . Despatches from Canada indicate that the present session of the ; Canadian Parliament will be a very exciting one. The opposition members are assailing the Government with great power and effect, and the project- of annexing Canada to the United States .appears to be gaining favor. Head-Centre Stephens made an exceedingly warlike speech to & large number of the Fenian Brotherhood in Boston, yesterday. - He emphatically denied that the Fenian spirit was dying out, and promised that war against England should be commenced on Irish soil within a year. Perhaps this maybe so, but Fenianism in, this country lias, evidently lost its spirit, and its followers are losing confidence in its leaders. Senator Lane, better known as General Jim Lane, of Kansas, attempted to commit suicide at Leaven worth a few days ago, by deliberately putting a pistol to his mouth, 'and firing its . contents into himself. He has been suffering greatly ever since, and last evening it was stated that he was rapidly sinking, and there were no hopes of his recovery. The.Tariff BiUJias passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 94 to 63. It fixes a tax on cotton of- 3c. .a pound ; makes' the duty on railroad iron 70c. per 100 pounds';' on pig iron, 9 dols. per ton ; on salt, 24c. per 100 pounds ; on imported coal, Idol. 50c. per ton;, oh tea; 12-|c. per pound ;^and on coffee; 2£c per pound", besides affixing excessive duties on a large number of other articles. . ' Mr Romero, the Mexican Minister, todayreceived' official despatches from El Paso, informing him that- on the 10thult.. President Juarez, his Cabinet, and the Government, left El Paso for Chihuahua. Letters from the city, of Durariga, ■ of June 5, received here by the last steamer from .Yera Cruz, state -that the French troops in that city were under orders to mar,ch against Chihuahua, and that'2ooo men had .already left, and were at that time at Lazarea. .Letters from the city of Mexico state. tha,t General -Bazaiiie was concentrating all the available

French troops in San Luis Potosi, to open a new and vigorous campaign against the Mexicans.- -