march for their camp, when an attack made upon the force left behind obliged them to return. A successful charge was made upon the enemy's cavalry, which was broken and driven upon his infantry, but heavy reënforcements from his intrenchments changed the aspect of the day, and the Brazilians, overpowered by numbers, were driven across the Estero, over which the Paraguayans did not attempt to pass. The loss of the Brazilians was 418 men and officers, in killed, wounded, and missing. That of the Paraguayans was unknown, as they remained upon the field of battle. For this unfortunate affair the Brazilian arms received ample compensation upon the 3d of October. At early morn upon that day a body of 1,500 Paraguayan cavalry issued from Humaitá with the intent of making a coup de main against the Brazilians stationed at S. Solano, at the extreme right of the allied positions. Such a move having, however, been anticipated, the Brazilians were on the alert, and the Marquis de Caxias himself proceeded to the threatened point, setting in motion the various corps detailed to aid the defence. On the arrival of these, the Paraguayans were found maintaining a smart skirmishing fire with the Brazilian cavalry in occupation of the post, and were evidently trying to draw these within range of the cannon of the Paraguayan works. At a few shots from two Brazilian field-pieces brought into range the Paraguayans drew back a portion of their force to the shelter of a wood, apparently declining battle, the Brazilian general equally objecting to attack them within reach of their fortifications. At this point the Marquis de Caxias ordered the retreat of various bodies of his troops, and the enemy, tempted by the opportunity, suddenly issued from the wood and fell on the left of the retiring sixth division of cavalry. This resisted bravely, and was strengthened with a brigade from the first division, while the second, returning, charged on the enemy's rear. A severe fight ensued, but the Paraguayan cavalry, charged in rear and front, and decimated by the heavy fire of the fiftieth corps of infantry, was routed with great slaughter, losing more than half its number, 535 of their dead having been counted on the field of conflict, and 200 prisoners remaining in the victors' hands. Four standards, a quantity of arms, and most of the horses, were likewise captured. The Brazilian loss in killed and wounded is officially reported at 94 men and officers out of the force of 2,000 which was brought upon the ground.

On the 28th October the commander-inchief of the Brazilian forces, the Marquis de Caxias, detached a column of 2,000 cavalry, 2,400 infantry, and four rifled field-pieces, under the command of Brigadier - General Barreto, to occupy the potrero* Ovella and

Potrero is the name given by the South American Spaniards to a piece of land completely surrounded by dense woods, rivers, lakes, or marshes, into which cattle are driven for pasture.

Tayi. The only entrance to the potrero was through a narrow passage defended by two deep trenches, a lake, and a battalion of infantry. After three hours' fighting the place was taken, the Paraguayans losing 80 men killed and 56 prisoners, besides 200 muskets, 1,200 head of horned cattle, and 50 horses. The Brazilians lost 67 men and 9 officers killed, and 255 men and 18 officers wounded. The place was immediately put in a state of defence, and the general, leaving there half of the force, marched on with the rest to Tayi, which was found to be occupied only by a very small force, which fled, leaving two prisoners. the night of the 1st of November, a column of about 800 Paraguayan infantry were perceived landing a little higher up, under the protection of three steamers. Next morning the Brazilian infantry received orders to dislodge the enemy, who had commenced to fortify the place with incredible rapidity. The Brazilians advanced in three columns, and, without firing a shot, carried the place with the bayonet.

On

President Lopez, finding his position desperate, on the morning of the 3d sent 5,000 infantry and 1,000 cavalry to attack the lines of Tuyuty. The right of these lines was very strong, and latterly some of the fortifications had been imprudently razed to shorten the road for the supplies of Tuyucué. The defence of the position had been confided to a corps of Corrientine soldiers and the Paraguayans serving in the Argentine army. On the morning in question the latter were doing duty at the outposts, and on seeing their countrymen advance retired without giving the alarm, and may be said to have led the enemy into the centre of the Brazilian camp, whence they were repulsed, after four hours' very hard fighting, leaving upward of 2,000 dead, of which number 78 were recognized as officers, and 155 prisoners. The Brazilians lost 205 men and 8 officers killed, and 533 men and 54 officers wounded. A Brazilian battalion, nearly 400 strong, was surprised, surrounded, and made prisoners before help could arrive. The Paraguayans also took four Argentine field-pieces, but of these three were afterward found in the marshes.

The Moniteur states that on the 3d of November the Paraguayans carried the allied camp by storm, but not having taken necessary precautions, they were attacked in their turn and driven back with great loss. Their object was, however, partly obtained, as they had time to destroy the enemy's magazines and spike a number of their guns. A dispatch from General Mitre, in the Tribuna of Buenos Ayres, states that in the two following days, November 4th and 5th, the allies buried 2,040 Paraguayans, including 72 officers, and that additional numbers of killed were hourly being discovered on all sides. Sixteen hundred and fifty muskets had been collected on the field by the Brazilian troops, and 260 by the Argentine. The Brazilian loss was 600 killed and wounded, and one 32-pounder, while that of the Argen

tines was 22 killed and 95 wounded, and six pieces of artillery.

After this, until the close of the year, little fighting occurred. The Paraguayans succeeded in sinking various vessels of the Brazilian squadron. But, on the other hand, the Brazilians seemed to have completely invested Humaitá. The comparative forces of the allies and Paraguayans at the close of the year were estimated respectively at 40,000 and 23,000 men, the relative advantages of position making the strength of the latter to be about equal to that of the former. The Paraguayan forces have been recalled from the Brazilian province of Matto Grosso, and the effective army at the front would thus receive an addition of three or four thousand men.

war.

PEARSON, Rear-Admiral GEORGE F., U. S. N., an American naval officer of remarkable ability and patriotism, born in Exeter, New Hampshire, in 1799; died in Portsmouth, N. H., June 30, 1867. His parents removed to Salem, Mass., when he was a child, and he was appointed to the Navy from that State, receiving his commission as midshipman, March 11, 1815. His term of service in the Navy was therefore over fifty-two years, of which twentytwo years and five months were spent at sea. He served as midshipman and passed midshipman on board the Independence, and other vessels, until January 13, 1825, when he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. Promotions were long in coming in those days, and it was sixteen years before he was raised to the rank of commander, though he had long been in command of war-schooners and sloops-ofIt was during this period of his lieutenancy, in 1837, when, being in command of the United States schooner Shark, he touched at Constantinople. At that time the late Commodore David Porter was our minister resident at the court of the Sultan, and Lieutenant Pearson became his guest. The Sultan having great admiration for our Navy, paid Commodore Porter a formal visit, to ask his advice as to the proper person of our Navy to whom to tender the command of his navy, with the rank of admiral and a salary attached of ten thousand dollars per annum. The commodore replied promptly that he had the man then under his roof, in his opinion, well fitted for the position. The Sultan was much delighted with the fact, and authorized him to tender the position to Lieutenant Pearson. Shortly after, the wishes of the Sultan were made known to the lieutenant, who appeared much flattered, yet promptly declined the honor. A gentleman now living in Charleston, also a guest of our minister, and who was present at the interview, tells us that Commodore Porter advised Lieutenant Pearson to take time to consider the matter, that he might possibly obtain a furlough and retain his position in our Navy, and at the same time assume the position in the Turkish navy with the title and emolument offered by the Sultan; but he utterly refused to do so,

declaring with much emphasis: "I would not desert my country and my flag for the whole Turkish navy."

He received his commission as commander, September 8, 1841, and distinguished himself in his war upon the pirates who infested the Gulf of Mexico and preyed upon our commerce, at this time; their haunts were broken up, their vessels seized or sunk, and the waters of our American Mediterranean effectually cleared of these marauders. On the 14th of September Commander Pearson was commissioned captain. The outbreak of the recent war found him holding this rank, and in command of the Portsmouth (N. H.) Navy-Yard. Here he remained until 1865, in the mean time being placed on the retired list, but being further promoted to the rank of commodore, his commission bearing date of July 16, 1862. In 1865 Commodore Pearson was placed in command of the Pacific squadron, with which he remained until the latter part of 1866, when he returned home. Prior to his return, however, President Johnson had promoted him to the rank of rear-admiral, with commission to bear date from July 25, 1866. The last duty performed by Admiral Pearson was at Annapolis, when he acted in the capacity of president of the Naval Board for the examination of the graduating class.

His death was occasioned by congestive chills, supervening on a chronic diarrhoea.

PELOUZE, THEOPHILE JULES, a celebrated French chemist, master of the Paris Mint, born at Valonges, in the Department of the Marche, February 26, 1807; died at Bellevue, near Meudon, France, May 31, 1867. He commenced his chemical career as a simple laboratory student, but in 1830 was appointed to a chemical professorship at Lisle, from whence he was ere long recalled to Paris, and appointed assistant to Gay-Lussac in the Polytechnic School. He afterward became successively Professor at the Polytechnic School, Professor at the French College, member of the Academy of Sciences, Verifier of the Mint assays, member of the Municipal Council of Paris, Director of the St. Gobain Glass-Works, and, lastly, president of the Commission of the Mint, the highest post to which a practical chemist in France can aspire. He enriched chemical science with a long series of memoirs, published chiefly in the Annales de Chimie and the Comtes rendus de l'Académie. His largest work was a Treatise on Chemistry, produced jointly with M. Frémy, and the second edition of which comprised six volumes. The sudden death of his excellent and distinguished wife deeply affected him, and his health had begun to fail from that event. On the day previous to his death he was attacked by dropsy of the heart, and expressed an urgent desire once more to breathe the pure air of the heights of Bellevue (near Meudon). No sooner was he in the carriage than a faintness came over him, from which he recovered with much difficulty.

His family yielded to his wish by taking him to the desired spot, where he arrived in the evening, only to die on the following morning at seven.

PENNSYLVANIA. The Legislature of Pennsylvania met on the first Tuesday of January, and continued in session upward of three months. A resolution approving of the course of President Johnson in his exercise of the veto power was indefinitely postponed in the Lower House by a party vote of 51 Republicans to 33 Democrats. The resolution was in the following words:

Resolved, That the House of Representatives of Pennsylvania acknowledge with gratitude the course of Andrew Johnson, President of the United States, in discouraging every attempt, whether by the Radicals at the North or the secessionists at the South, to overthrow the liberties of the people and the Constitution of the nation, and that his firm and judicious exercise of the veto power and his faithful adherence to the true principles of republican government mark him alike as a statesman and patriot.

Among the measures adopted by the Legislature, was one for the more strict supervision of places and persons concerned in the traffic in intoxicating liquors. According to the provisions of this law, no bar is allowed to be open for the sale of liquors between twelve o'clock at night and sunrise; no liquor can be lawfully sold or given to minors without a written order from their parents, or to any habitual drunkard or intoxicated person; and, any dealer selling or giving spirituous drinks to any person contrary to the request of the wife, husband, parent, or child of such person, is liable to a forfeiture of his license. Any sheriff, constable, or policeman, is empowered to close up and keep closed any place where this act is violated, and to arrest the offending parties.

A bill was also passed requiring the railroads of the State to carry all passengers without regard to their race or color.

The State Treasury contained at the beginning of the last fiscal year, December 1, 1866, an unexpended balance of $1,741,033.27; the ordinary receipts for the year were $5,423,330.07, and the ordinary expenditures $4,583,696.99; and on the 30th of November, a surplus of $4,661,836.46 remained in the Treasury, of which $2,937,978.55 was reported by the Treasurer as applicable to the payment of overdue loans. The last Legislature authorized a loan of $23,000,000, the whole of which was promptly taken up by citizens of the State. The entire debt of the Commonwealth amounts at present to $34,766,431.22; while the assets in the Treasury, available in the future for its liquidation, are sufficient to reduce it to $21,642,573.31, which sum, therefore, represents the excess of the liabilities of the State over its assets at this time.

The amount of money expended for the support of public schools in the State during the year was $5,160,750.17, of which only $355,000 was appropriated by the State itself. The number of schools maintained by these re

sources is 13,435, furnishing instruction to 789,389 pupils, under the care of 16,523 teachers. There has been an increase of graded schools during the year, the number of that class being now 2,147. While the whole number of teachers has increased by 368, there has been a decrease of 117 in the number of females employed in the public schools. The present ratio of male teachers to female is about six to eight; the average salary of males is $35.87 per month, that of females $27.51 per month. Reports were received at the School Department from fourteen colleges and thirtytwo academies. An act of the Legislature of 1857 provided for the division of the State into twelve normal school districts, with an efficient school in each. Four of these normal schools have been organized, and are working with success, and during the past year they have been attended by 2,185 students. The Superintendent of Public Schools gives it as his opinion that a much larger appropriation should be made by the State for the cause of education, and that the term required each year should be ten months instead of four, as at present.

There are thirty-nine schools and homes supported by the State, for the care and instruction of soldiers' orphans. During the year ending November 30, 1867, these institutions had under their charge 2,931 pupils, maintained at an average cost of $148.43 per year for each pupil.

As none are admitted above the age of sixteen years, there will be a yearly decrease in the number of these wards of the Commonwealth.

The grant of land made to the several States by act of Congress in 1862, for the benefit of colleges devoted specially to a systematic education in agriculture and the mechanic arts, was accepted, so far as this State was concerned therein, by the last Legislature, and appropriated to the benefit of the Agricultural College of Pennsylvania, which thereby became subject to the supervision and guardianship of the State. Commissioners were appointed to sell the scrip, which represented property in 700,000 acres of land, and to apply one-tenth of the proceeds to the purchase of sites for the model farms: $439,186 have been realized from the sales, and a good degree of progress has been made in the organization of the Institution to make it meet precisely the requirements of the act of Congress. Thorough courses of instruction have been laid out in general science, agriculture, mechanical and civil engineering, metallurgy and mining, ancient and modern languages, and military tactics. A faculty has been employed, consisting of six professors and two instructors in the college proper and three instructors in the preparatory grammar-school.

There are two large asylums for the insane in the State: the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital at Harrisburg, and the Western Pennsylvania Hospital at Pittsburg, both of which are said to be overcrowded, although extensive

additions have been made to them during the past year. New buildings have been erected for the Western Hospital, on the Ohio River, seven miles below Pittsburg. Several other charitable institutions receive more or less aid from the State, among which are those devoted to the care and instruction of the deaf and dumb, the blind, and the feeble-minded. All are reported as doing well in the work for which they were designed.

The State penitentiaries are likewise crowded with inmates, and the need is felt of more extensive accommodations and a better system of management in the various prisons, both State and county. Accordingly an act passed the General Assembly, in April last, providing for the appointment of five commissioners to inquire into the various systems of prison discipline, as practised in other States and countries." One of the gentlemen appointed on this commission has visited Europe, and the others have been engaged in making observations in this country, but no report of their labors has as yet been submitted to the Legislature.

The Department of Transportation, created during the war for the purpose of disinterring the bodies of deceased Pennsylvania soldiers on distant battle-fields and transporting them to the homes of their friends or relatives, ceased to exist on the 30th of November, and all the papers and business of the department were transferred to the office of the adjutantgeneral. For the last year of its existence the expenses of this department were $32,539.40, and claims to the amount of $4,500 remain unsettled. The work on the Gettysburg Cemetery has made considerable progress, though some delay has been experienced on account of the difficulty in obtaining suitable marble for statuary.

An act of the last Legislature established a force of police in the mining districts of Schuylkill and Northumberland Counties for the better protection of the inhabitants and their property. Before this measure was adopted numerous crimes and outrages were committed in those sections of the State with impunity. Murders and robberies were of frequent occurrence, and the civil authorities found it impossible to bring the perpetrators to justice, or to prevent future offences of the kind. Consequently a general feeling of insecurity and terror prevailed, and large amounts of capital were withdrawn from investment in the localities infested with this spirit of lawlessness. Directly after the passage of the above-mentioned law the Governor appointed a marshal of police with an efficient body of subordinates, and the lawless combinations have been dispersed, and quiet restored in the mining districts. Complaints were made of disturbances in the oil regions similar to those which prevailed among the mines before the establishment of this police force, and it is now proposed to amend the law so as to extend its operations over those parts also.

Provision was also made by the last Legislature for the revision of the civil code of the State. No complete digest of the Statutes of Pennsylvania has ever been made. Commissioners for the purpose were appointed in 1830. and were engaged on the work for six years, but did not wholly complete the code. A completion of their work is now proposed, together with a thorough codification of the statutes which have been adopted since that period. Two years are allowed for this work, and according to the original resolution the commissioners are not to include in their labors any revision of the work actually performed by the commissioners of 1830. Hon. David Derrickson, W. Maclay Hall, Esq., and Wayne McVeigh, Esq., are the commissioners appointed to vise, collate, and digest all such public acts and statutes of the civil code of this State as are general and permanent in their nature." The benefits expected to be derived from the work which these gentlemen have taken in hand are:

"re

1. The correction of redundancies, omissions, repetitions, and inconsistencies in the existing statutes.

2. The framing of general laws to take the place of a great mass of local statutes which have continually embarrassed the legislation of the State.

3. The conferring upon the courts many powers now exercised by the Legislature, thereby relieving that body of a great part of the special legislation which has occupied much of its attention heretofore.

Several bills are already prepared by the commissioners for the action of the Legislature, and they request such an amendment of the joint resolution of last session as to allow them to make a revision of the Digest of 1830, and te give them three years in which to finish their work.

The State election of Pennsylvania for 1867 was held on the second Tuesday in October, for the choice of a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, to hold office for fifteen years from the first Monday in December. Nominations were made by the two political parties in June. The Democratic Convention met in the Representatives' Hall of the capitol at Harrisburg on the 11th, and organized by choosing Charles E. Boyle for permanent president. George W. Sharswood, of Philadelphia, was nominated by the convention for the office of Judge of the Supreme Court. The principles of the party, as represented in the political campaign then inaugurated, were set forth in the following resolutions:

1. That we steadfastly adhere to the principles of civil government established by the founders of the Union; and in the present conflict of legislative usurpation with constitutional law, we esteem a 'wise, upright, and fearless judiciary the great bulwark of public liberty and individual right.

eral Government supreme within its constitutional 2. The union of the States perpetual, and the Fed

limits.