SIR-In behalf of a committee appointed by our fellow citizens, to inquire among other things into the propriety of establishing a school in this city, on the Lancasterian plan, I feel desirous to obtain from you, sir, answers to the following ques-dren may be thought at about 30 cents per quarter

SIR-In answer to your queries respecting the Lancasterian system of instruction, I will give you as particular an account as the time permits.

First-As to the expenses of establishing a school|| for 500 children. The slates will cost about one shilling each; the other articles necessary in the school are as follows, with the prices affixed,

Manual on Military Tactics, to qualify a person || black color of their skins, commencing from a to organize and discipline a regiment. The at-white spot somewhere exhibiting itself, and thence tempts made by such instructors have almost uni-extending all over the body.--Both kinds of Alformly ended in disappointment and disgrace: binos or white negroes, born of black parents, But I never yet heard of a Lancasterian school, are not uncommon in Africa, as well as elsewhere. where the master was properly qualified, and the Such as are born white are always of a delicate committee or trustees of the school allowed him frame and constitution, with a skin devoid of that the full and free management, and supplied him natural reddish tinge which characterises the child with such articles as were requisite, that did not of white parents, and having a milky white, or give great satisfaction to all parties concerned. morbid appearance, like the skin of a dead body. As you express a wish to make my answer to Their hearing is bad, their vision too is extremely your queries public, I have no objection; except-weak, and unable to bear the light of the sun, but ing that being ardently engaged in organizing and is highly serviceable in the deep shade or dark conducting a school of upwards of 300 children,ness of night. recently established in this city, I cannot at present devote the time and attention required, to answer your inquiries as fully and clearly as the subject demands.

Should you wish to send a suitable person here to be instructed in the system, I will engage to qualify him to teach 500 children; and if I find the person you select, after a proper trial, unsuitable, I will apprise you of it, as I am resolved not to teach the system imperfectly, or to attempt to teach one not possessed of talents suitable for the undertaking,

This strange and unaccountable peculiarity of the constitution of the human race, is not confined to the natives of Africa alone-it is not uncommon in the islands of Ceylon and Java, and all the countries of those latitudes. Sausure and other physiologists have described it as occurring in Eu rope and America, (the Encyclopedia, article Albino-14 vol. Med. Rep.) The European Albino, besides the extreme delicacy of frame, consti tution and vision, which distinguishes the African Albino, is described as possessing a fiery cast of the eye-a redness supposed to be owing to the great impulse of the blood into the relax vessels of thatorgan. (Vide Encyclopa dia, article Albino.) The production of the Albino has always been con sidered as the effect of disease, and has been attributed by one to a vitious secretion in the skim, and to the deficiency of the pigmentum megrum the eye (vide Blum. Phys.) by another to an entire absence of the rete mucosum; by a third to the dead whiteness of that substance, and by Buffon to an exertion of nature to recover a white colour, Wish-which he supposes to be the natural and primitive colour of man, however it may now be modified, by climate, manners and aliment.

The cause of universal education ought not to suffer by the abortive attempts of incompetent teachers; an invention of such importance to mankind should not have its character tarnished by the ignorance of pretenders.

Although, sir, you are totally a stranger to me, yet as you appear to be friendly to a system which I think the best calculated of any yet discovered, to make elementary instruction pleasing and universal, your committee are heartily welcome to any advice I can give them on the subject. ing you success in your undertaking, I am, respectfully, &c.

EDWARD BAKER. The negró child exhibited in this place, is disTroy, Lancasterian School, Oct. 5th, 1816. tinguished by none of those peculiarities which P. S. If your school room is not erected, it is mark the Albino-Its form, its hearing, its eye, advisable that it should be built under the direc- are as good as usual, with other children, except tion of your teacher, or some person acquainted a blueish tinge which pervades the white of the eye, with conducting these schools. I take the liberty and which may, perhaps, be common to young to mention, that within a few years Mr. Lancaster negroes. The black part of the skin is as black has invented a method, founded on the same prin- as the common run of the negroe's skins-the ciples, by which one mistress can teach any num-white part of the child's skin is not to be distin ber of girls, from 30 to 300, to work with the guished from the most delicate white skin, exhi needle, and fit their own work. Last spring Mrs. biting the natural florid appearance which distinBaker learnt this system at Mr. Lancaster's Fe-guishes the white person from the Albino; and male School; and if you should wish to establish a sewing school, she could instruct the teacher you might select,

distinctly transmitting the blue colour of its little veins-its thighs, legs and arms are interspersed with small well defined black spots. The child remains as it was born, exhibiting an increase of the whiteness of the skin, as is the case with Albinos. The hair on its head that covers the white skin, is like the driven snow, whilst the rest is like that of the natural negro.

DR. VALLI.

From the New-York Evening Post.

NATURAL PHENOMENON. From the Chambersburg Repository. There has been exhibited within these two or three days a Lusus Natura really surprising-a female Negro Child, with a whiteness of skin which extends over part of its head, spreads over its breasts, and covers its legs and thighs down to the ancles. This child, which, according to Pearl-street, November 7th, 1816, its keeper, was born in Virginia, of black parents, Mr. Editor-The enclosed letter I offer you for and is about two years of age-At first sight may insertion; interesting, at least, as it evinces the be considered an Albino; but, upon minute in-enthusiasm and folly of a celebrated European spection, appears to be a phenomenon of nature, character. Should you publish it, I must add, that in generis, and as far as my reading extends, a non-it is not meant to lead to any controversy on quesdescript. The negro Albinos are of two kinds- tions much discussed before.

such as are perfectly white at their birth, and You heard no doubt last year of this physician such as become so by gradual destruction of the "from Florence, Professor Eusebius Valli. He treat

ed us with an admirable experimental lecture on in neglecting to change the body and bed linen animal electricity, in the college hall. His visit often; in consequence of keeping the patient in a to this country proceeded from the most lauda-confined, damp room; neglecting ventilation and ble motives, for inquiry and experiments on the fumigation, and in neglecting to keep the person contagious nature of the yellow fever. Regard-of the sick cleanly, might cause this fever in perless of previous dangers, which we warned him sons uninured to a tropical climate, and thus preagainst, he has literally fulfilled his promise, to disposed; more particularly, if they visited the die in the cause, as you will see by the enclosed apartments of the sick with an empty stomach. narrative. I observed also, that I had seen people who had sickened of this disorder, and believed it to have been occasioned, entirely, by over fatigue in walking in the hot sun: and others from the impure state of the atmosphere at certain seasons of the year in and about this city. Moreover, that I had found many of those persons who were the most remarkable for their temperance in their diet, both in eating and drinking, to be equally, if not more susceptible of this fever, than those person who drank their wine, brandy and water, and otherwise live as freely, but not intemperately, as in their native, high northern climates-and that there were many other causes of a minor consi deration that predisposed strangers to sicken of this fever.

His journal on the plague of Constantinople is interesting, but experimentally inconclusive.-We shall present a review of it in our next number of the Medical Repository. We have delayed so to do, least he might have accused us of having been unhospitable. With the same delicacy we shall withdraw nothing from the respect due to his memory, to his great talents and devotion to public good.

sir,

I remain with sentiments of respect, yours, dear

FELIX PASCALIS.

Havana, Oct. 13th, 1816.

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DR. FELIX PASCALIS, New-York. Dear Sir, I have now the sorrow to announce to you the death of Dr. Valli, on the 24th of Sep- The doctor seemed to be of opinion, that the p tember, of the prevailing epidemic at this season low fever had been as contagious in some parts of of the year amongst new-comers who visit tropi-Europe, Africa & Asia, as some other maladies st. cal climates from high latitudes; and commonly called yellow fever.

Dr. Valli arrived at this port on the 7th of September, and as some peculiar circumstances seem to have attended the causes of his sickness and death, I shall give you a detail of them, as they undoubtedly will be interesting.

knowledged by all the faculty to be really conta gious; but he believed it to be otherwise in other parts. He observed, that he should make some experiments on himself in regard to this subject, before he left the city of Havana, to be satisfied on these points.

Accordingly, enthusiastic in his cause, he com The day subsequent to Dr. Valli's landing, hemences his experiments by visiting all the dirty, did me the honor to make me a visit; and we had filthy parts of the city and its suburbs in the best a long conversation on the subject of the yellow of a vertical sun, when the thermometer wasrang. fever, particularly as it relates to its contagiousing in the day from 81 to 85 degrees, Farenheit nature. He inquired of me, whether I had found (never below 81 even at night); and about the it contagious in this city, or in other words, whe-time the doctor arrived, we had considerable falls ther I believed it communicable from one person of rain of several days successively, which afford to another, as is the case in measles, scarlatina, ed him abundant sources of speculation in various &c.? To which I replied in the negative; that in parts of the city, from the 10th to the 21st of Sep eight years practice in this city, I had not seen an tember particularly; as the weather was fair eve instance where I thought the yellow fever hadry day but one, during this time, and remarkably been received in that way. I, however, observed hot, as was observed by every body. to him, that I had seen this fever on shipboard, In his perambulations about the city in this verwhere every person, without exception, had sick-tical sun, in one of which I walked with him, he ened of this malady, and sometimes all of the offi could not possibly walk ten rods, without obsertcers and seamen sickened nearly at the same time:ing the execessive neglect of the police of the but that I believed the causes of it to have origi- city, in their want of executing the police-laws in nated partly from the cargo on board, and the regard to cleanliness, which laws, we are inform concurrent circumstances of a vitiated state of theed, are very good, if properly executed.-The atmosphere. Two instances of this description I streets in the south end of the city, more particumentioned to him, as having occurred to me two larly, are not paved, and are full of deep ruts andmonths ago, on board two vessels: one an Ameri-hollows, where the water remains stagnant until can, and the other an English vessel from the Bra- evaporated by solar rays; and into these ruts and zils, with cargoes of tasajo, or jerked beef, where hollows (which is frequently up to a horse's belly all hands sickened of this fever, the commandersin passing through them), the pots de chambre and excepted, in a few days after the hatches of the filth of the kitchen are deposited, as well as dead vessels were taken off; a part of the sick were dogs and other domestic animals. I have seen removed to sick lodgings on shore, but that nei- large dead dogs remain in one of these puddles ther the nurses or the visitors were subsequently swelled up until he burst, and there consume, attacked with this fever in consequence; that I contaminating the surrounding atmosphere for heard of some persons, however, who were in the many rods. But this putrid effluvia was perfectly habit of going on board these jerked beef vessels, indifferent to the surrounding inhabitants, they be and I verily believe sickened in consequence. I ing the poorer and lower order of Spaniards, and further observed to the doctor, that under certain consequently too indolent to remove the causes of circumstances of uncleanness, when a person is la- it. After a few sunshiny days, a yellow-greenish boring under this disease, such as neglecting to scum arises on the surface of these putrid pud remove the fecal and other discharges from the dies, which are covered with fermented air bab. departments of the sick, as soon as discharged; bles,; from which, exhalations inconceivably ob

1

noxious arise, capable of inverting the stomach of a new-comer, merely by looking at it.

Various other local causes, as much or more in point, could be adduced to substantiate the local origin of the yellow-fever in this city.

himself, and being a little fatigued by making himself merry with some young gentlemen in the house, who were new comers, at their foolish fears of catching the yellow fever, having been run. ning after them to rub his hands against theirs, &c.; he said he would drink a glass of wine, and then he should probably be able to ascertain whe ther his experiment affected him or not.-He drank a glass of wine and soon after complained of being indisposed and went to bed. Towards evening he grew worse.—He had taken no medicine excepting wine, and rum and water, with a little tincture of bark in it.

Captain Wheeler, of the brig Sea-Island, of NewYork, with whom Dr. Valli came passenger, informed me, that the doctor on his passage out, was remarkably temperate both in eating and drinking; that he lived principally on soups, vegetables, bread and wine and water, and brandy and water, scarcely ever tasting meats of any kind. He followed up the same course of living after he came on shore here, as his friend Don At night or on the following morning, 22d of Jose Casimiro Gonzalez informed me. It was of Sept. Dr, Cameron, a Spanish physician who atwith this worthy gentleman Dr. Valli lived while tended the family, was called to visit the doctorin this city. Even if the doctor undertook to eat Some trifling medicines were exhibited, little befresh fish, of which this market has an abundanting thought by Dr. C. of his indisposition-though supply, and some of them very delicious, he swal-Dr. V. observed himself, as I afterwards underlowed the juice only, and then spit out the fish. stood, as soon as he took sick, that he had the In consequence of this spare mode of living, the yellow fever and should not survive it. On the doctor was literally a walking skeleton. 23d in the morning Dr. Romei called to see him; The last experiment the doctor tried on him- as also Dr. Boutefeur a He recognised self will surprise you more than any thing else.us, but was evidently under the weight of Laying aside the other exciting causes he was dai-his disorder; being at that time comatose, with ly practising on himself, with the view to render || clammy sweats, cool extremities, and a depressed himself the more susceptible of taking the yellow intermitting pulse. On the 24th, at ten in the af fever, on the 21st of September, 14 days after his ternoon, the doctor expired perfectly easy. It arrival in the harbour, and 12 days after landing was said he vomited black matter before he died. in the city, (he being obliged to perform some You now have, my dear sir, all the leading facts, port regulations customary for strangers who ar- that I have been made acquainted with, laid berive here,) the doctor visited the St. John-a-Dieu, fore you, in regard to this novel case. I cannot, a hospital for the male poor of the city and Spanish however, refrain from making some observations, and foreign seamen; and he was to have been ac- || before I close this letter, as it relates to what may companied with Dr. Valle, the proto medicato, have been the causes of this fever in this very ecand Dr. Thomas Romei, two eminent physicians of centric physician and traveller. this city. but from a multiplicity of business these Some questions arise with me, whether or no two gentlemen did not meet Dr. Valli at the hos- Dr. Valli had not the seeds of this fever sufficipital as appointed-Dr. V. however went through ently sown in his system previously to this his the different apartments of the hospital, examin- last visit at the hospital, being predisposed, as a ing the various cases in it, but making more par- new comer, never having been within the tropics ticular inquiries after yellow fever patients. || before. Could not the filthy places he visited as Finding out that some foreign sailors were recently above related, under a hot vertical sun-his mode dead of this malady, and were then laying in the of diet and consequent debility, superadded to dead room, he requested permission to see them, the debilitating effects of a tropical climate be the which was complied with. When he returned to causes of his having the yellow fever? And is it Don Gonzalez, (at whose house, as I before ob- not highly probable that he would have had it, had served, the doctor lodged,) he related the follow. he not tried the experiment of the shirt? or was it ing experiment he tried on himself. The shirt in all these causes combined-or the shirt and fricwhich one of the dead men had recently died of tion only? yellow fever was taken off at the doctor's request, I shall try to get Dr. Valli's manuscripts, if poswhich shirt the doctor intended to have put on sible, to send to you and Dr. Mitchill--as soon as himself, in contact with his naked body, in the the result is known, it will be the subject of anosame state in which it was when taken from thether communication. You are at liberty to make. dead man, and had been worn by him while he what use you please of this letter; only excuse its was sick of the fever. The intention was to have imperfections; for I have neither time to correct tried this experiment before Drs. Valle and Ro- or copy. mei, and he waited their arrival for some time; but, being impatient to wait any longer, the doctor rolls up the shirt in the same state it was when taken from the dead man, and rubs it over various parts of his own naked person, such as his breast, FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. face, hands, arms, thighs, &c; smells of it as Declaration of the Principles of the majority of the though it had been a nosegay, and applies differ- Chamber of Deputies, Session 1815--16. ent parts of his naked person in contact with the We, members composing the majority of the body of the defunct by way of friction for seve. Chamber of Deputies, have united in the princiral minutes; after which, he returned to his lodg-ples of which we here make a formal declaration. ings just before dinner.

At dinner, he was requested to set at table, and eat his soup as usual. Having been very much gratified with his experiment, as he expressed • Valle, a Spanish gentleman: the other is Valli.

I remain, dear sir, very respectfully,
WILLIAM FROST.

1. We are inviolably attached to the monarchical government, and to the legitimate succession of the reigning house (1).

2. We adopt entirely the principles of the constitutional charter, the division of powers which it

has established (2); we will maintain it in spirit, gated by the ministers. It is on these principles and will enter upon the consequences of the sys-that we claim a revision of the administrative tem, as the most reasonable substitute of old in-laws (13). stitutions, liberties, and franchises.

tion, of establishing the direct taxes in a way Lss uniform, but better adapted to the interests and habits of the different parts of the French territo. ry; in fine, of establishing a good system of pub lic credit.

10. We place in perspective the hope of dimi 3. We do not look back to the past except tonishing the land-tax, of regularizing its repartis derive from it lessons for the future, and we wish to place between both a wall of brass (3.) Thus, it is our understanding that all interests created by the revolution, which are completed, should be irrevocably secured (4). We will maintain the abolition of privileges and privileged orders as political bodies (5), the equality of right and of admission to all offices, liberty of worship (6), the alienation of estates operated in the course of the revolution, of whatever origin (7); but we no longer admit in time to come the application of the principles which created these interests, and we regard them as destructive of all government (8.)

11. We will not neglect any opportunity of em. bracing the interests of commerce (14) the arts, civilization, of developing all branches of indus try and production, and of diffusing all the lights which improve them.-We wish that the different classes of arts and trades should form free asso. ciations to secure their interests, and maintain, among their members, a useful discipline, with out these establishments being allowed to cramp the independence of industry.

4. We think that the new institutions should be placed on the old and immovable basis of reli- 12. We would define, in short, what we mean gion and morals. It is for this reason that we by epuration: it is the removal from public office would give the clergy an honorable independence, of men who since the restoration, have placed the administration of property or of revenues, themselves in hostility to the legitimacy of the which may secure to them that independence (9); throne, and the principles of morality. Here, hor. in fine, a civil existence: and at the same time to ever, we admit of restrictions: we claim, that of associate them with the dearest interests of the fices of the first rank, such as those of Ministert, State, by making them participate in public edu-Governors, Directors General, Counsellors of State, cation (10), and in the administration of establishments consecrated to the solace and welfare of humanity.

5. On the same principles, we wish to replace the laws under a greater moral influence, to efface that which is contrary to religion, that which is opposed to public morals (11); in fine, all that is not consonant to the spirit of monarchy. It is in this view that we claim a revision of the civil and criminal laws: we desire, at the same time, that the magistracy should be environed with the greatest consideration.

6. We believe that the police ought neither to be an odious inquisition nor an agent of despotism, but a guarantee for the throne, and a magistracy serving to enlighten the government as to public opinion, and that opinion as to its true interests. We believe that the press ought to be free, but that severe measures should restrain its abuses (12.)

should be occupied by those only who, since the restoration, and particularly during the three months of usurpation, have given proof and posi. tive guarantees of their attachment to that king; the offices of the second rank, such as those of Prefects, Commandants, First Magistrates, Chieft of Administration, Receivers-General, should be confided to those only who since the restoration, have not had to reproach themselves for any act against the royal authority; in fine, that those whose, conduct is contrary to morals and probity should be removed from inferior offices.

13. While expressing these principles and wishes; the majority of the Chamber of Deputies does not lose sight of the boundaries within which the share they can take towards their accomplishment is defined. It desires, therefore, that the ministers of the King, united (16) in the same principles, should propose to him, according to times and circumstances, the means of applying

a frank, entire, disinterested concurrence; but st the same time a firm and steady opposition to every application of contrary principles.

7. We wish France to recover the entire inde-them. In this case, they will find in the majority pendence of its territory; and the first means which we conceive to attain this is the full and entire execution of the engagements contracted with the allied powers. We have the same wish o maintain honourable alliances, and we regard the prosperity of the nations which surround us as the first pledge of that of France.

Done at Paris, the 20th of January, 1816.

(1) Proclamation of the King, the 28th of June, 1815" My subjects have learned, by cruel er8. Disabused for ever of all spirit of aggran-perience, that the principle of the legitimacy of dizement, we wish a national army, which, con- Sovereigns is one of the fundamental basis of sotracted in time of peace, may in time of war open cial order, the only one upon which a wise and its ranks to numerous soldiers; and we do not well ordered liberty can be established amidst a look upon as lost to France, the military, whom, great people. This doctrine has just been prodrawn in by extraordinary circumstances, it be- claimed as that of all Europe; I had consecrated came necessary to disband, but who by their ta-it beforehand by my charter, and I claimed to add lents and valour, contribute to the safety of the to that charter all the guarantees which can secure country, as they have contributed to its glory. the benefit of it."

9. We think that the interests of the subject (2) Reply of his Royal Highness Monsieur, anght, in great part, to be confided to local admi-Lieutenant-General of the kingdom, to the Scnistrations, whether municipal, departmental, or nate. (See the Moniteur of April 15, 1814)— provincial; that the centralization of all transac- "The King, by declaring that he will maintai tions and decisions in the offices of the ministry is the existing form of Government, has recognized an abuse; that it ought to cease, by confiding that the monarchy should be ballasted by a re more extended powers to superior agents dele-presentative government, divided into two cham