M Portal, Minister of Marine, was formerly a merchant of great opulence, but held afterwards a situation in the Marine Department. He was appointed a Counsellor of State in 1814, and has been, for two years past, entrusted with the Direction of the Colonial Branch in the Department of the Minister of Marine, over the whole of which he is now appointed to preside. From the Pittsburg Gazette, of March 26, 1819. Some of the south western members of Congress passed through this city on their way home a few days since. Mr. Clay, of Kentucky, and our worthy former townsman, Thomas Butler, esq. were among the number. In conversing on the probable result of the present oscillation of our trade, these gentlemen appear to have adopted different opinions. Which of them is correct at the commencement of the Revolutionary war 1791 he emigrated, and served as an Officer in he was Adjutant General in the army of the he Army of the Prince de Conde. He was apPyrenees. He was afterwards employed under pointed by Bonaparte President of the Court of Bonaparte in Italy, and it was Dessoles who || Appeal in Colmar. He held the same employbrought the Treaty of Campo Formió to Paris, ment after the first restoration, and during the for which he was promoted to the rank of Gene- U days he absented himself from France. M. ral of Brigade. When hostilities commenced in de Serre was President of the Chamber of Depu1799, Dessoles was the Chief of the Staff in ties during the last session, and was within four Moreau's army, and was his particular friend: it votes of obtaining the same dignity this year. was Dessoles who' generally signed the official reports of that late celebrated commander After the peace of Luneville, in 1801, he was appointed counsellor of State, but having taken a friendly part in Moreau's affair, he incurred the Corsican's displeasure, and was exiled for a short time from Paris. In 1805, he was, however, again taken into favor, and was appointed Governor of Ver sailles. When Bonaparte assembled an army at Boulogne, in 1805, he ordered Dessoles to go there; on his arrival having been informed that he was to act under Lannes, he refused to accept a command, which again brought down on him his master's displeasure; he was ordered to leave Boulogne, and retire to his estate at some distance from Paris. He was not employed till 1808, when he was ordered to take a command in Spain. He was at the battles of Toledo in 1809, and at that of Ocana, in December same year. In 1810 he was appointed Military Gover-time only can show. The representative from nor of the province of Cordova, and soon after to Louisiana feels confident that the time is fast apa similar post at Seville. In 1811 he again incur proaching when the city of Orleans will import red Bonaparte's displeasure; he was recalled and the whole amount of merchandise consumed by afterwards exiled from Paris, and till 1814 he was the western states, and that this amount will be not employed. He was appointed chief of the distributed through them by means of steam National Guard of Paris, after, the first entrance boats. He supports his opinion by the facts that of the Allies, and continued in that command there is much individual capital among the ineruntil Bonaparte's return from Elba, when he re- chants of Orleans; that many English and Scotch tired with the King to Ghent. After the second houses are about establishing agencies there, for restoration he was reinstated in his command. the purpose of attending to the sale of English After some time he was succeeded by General and Scotch goods imported by themselves, as in Oudinot; and the cause of his retirement was this case they will be receiving the profits of the said to be his refusal to accede to an unpopular English merchant as well as that of the American organization of the national force of France. He importer; that about 400 vessels arrive yearly is distinguished as uniting extensive general cul- from Europe in the harbor of Orleans, for the pur tivation with the knowledge of the military pro-pose of taking in the cotton, sugar, and the other fession. Indeed those who had Moreau's friend-articles which float down the Mississippi; that ship were all men of good hearts and sound understandings. these vessels, which must naturally increase in number, have hitherto been only loaded in with M. Dessoles was created a Peer by his Majesty crockery, and a few other articles, serving for in 1814, and enjoys the rank of Lieutenant Ge-ballast, and that they certainly may as well come neral; had he not been the friend of Moreau, he would have been created Marshal by Bonaparte. loaded with merchandise as empty, the voyage being as short as that to Philadelphia, and the inM. Louis, Minister of Finances, was, before the surance being cheaper; that experience has revolution, one of the Secretaries to the Parlia- proved the complete practicability of navigating ment of Paris, and was an Abbe. He was attach-the Mississippi with steam boats, with perfect ed to the principles of the first revolution, and success; that these boats are increasing in number officiated under Talleyrand at the religious rites every day, and that sufficient profit can be made performed on the grand federation day, in the by charging half the freight that is now customaChamp de Mars, in 1790. He disappeared from ry, while the present price is much lower than 1793 till 1805, when he was appointed, by Bona- land transportation; and finally, that it is now reparte to an office in the Treasury (Chief de-divis-duced to a certainty that three weeks may be ion) In 1811 he was created Counsellor of State, which place he filled till the entry of the Allies into Paris, in 1814; when, soon after, he was made Minister of Finances, in which capacity be displayed much financial knowledge. When Bonaparte returned from Elba, M Louis retired to Ghent, and was reinstated in his office after the King's second restoration, which he quitted in 1815, when Talleyrand and Fouche left the Ministry. calculated upon as amply sufficient to make, a trip from Orleans to Cincinnati, which is less than one half the usual time generally necessary to transport merchandise from the cities to the same place. The gentleman from Kentucky combats his position with much ability. His arguments have great weight with us, whether from their intrinsic force, or from the reluctance we feel to give up the pleasing hope of the future greatness of our M. de Serre, Keeper of the Seals, was, before native Pittsburg, we cannot decide. He appears the Revolution, an Advocate at Bordeaux, In" to have devoted great attention to the interests From a London Paper of January 26, 1319. Report of the commissioners appointed for inquiring into the mode of preventing the forgery of Bank Notes. To his Royal Highness George, Prince of Wales, Regent of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. respondence resp cting them, a statement of the trials to which they had been subjected, and specimens of the proposed originals, and of the imitations, executed by order of the bank. They also laid before us about seventy varieties of paper made at their manufactory in experiments for its improvement, in which almost every alteration recommended for adoption had been tried, and, in some instances, anticipated by their own of his section of the country, and from the reputation which this distinguished citizen deservedly holds for brilliancy of talents, his opinions must merit great deference and respect. Among many other arguments in support of the position that Orleans never can be a great importing city, the following are the most prominent. It is ra In obedience to the directions contained in his dically unhealthy-a defect that never can be remedied there by art; this produces the effect, majesty's commission, we proceeded, in the latwhich more than any thing else, militates againstter end of the month of July last, to consider the its rise as an importing city; capitalists will never important subject referred to us. Our attention was first directed to the propossettle there; life and health being the first desiderata among human beings, people will never als for improvement in the form of the note issued jeopardize these blessings from choice; men of by the Bank of England: and it being known that fortune, of course, who may succeed in any place, many plans had been submitted to that body, will not be likely to venture to inhale the mephi-which they had not thought it expedient to adopt, tic exhalations of the Mississippi at the risk of we felt it proper, in the first instance, to obtain their own and their families' lives. That although correct information on this point; and we therethere is considerable individual capital in Louisi-fore requested the court of directors to furnish ana, yet it does not possess those requisites ne- us with an account of such plans. They accordcessary to operate so as to create an importing || ingly did furnish us, without delay, with a detailed body. Capital, to effect this, must be divided in-account of one hundred and eight projects, reto many channels; the importer of dry goods ||gularly classed and arranged; together with a cormust not be the importer of hardware; experience proves that a variety in the prosecution of commerce is as necessary as division in the operation of labor. That allowing that insurance (which by the way is not so certain) will be as low to Louisiana as to the Atlantic sea board, yet, that the risk of life in Orleans will naturally be taken into consideration, and be added as a reason for increasing the importing profit on merchandise; that in this event the greater cheapness of carri-manufacturer. We have also received and answered commuage in the steam boats, over transportation in wagons, will be of no avail, as probably one per nications from about seventy individuals, which cent added to the price of goods in Orleans, will have been arranged and considered; and in some more than out-weigh ten per cent. difference in cases a personal interview has been requested the price of transportation; that a city never can and held. Several of these persons had been become great as an importing place without pos- previously in communication with the banks; and sessing within her precincts all the variety of me. we find, that in the instance of some projects of chanics and artizans; this never can be the case superior promise, the directors had furnished to with Orleans, as every species of mechanical pro- the proposers the pecuniary means of carrying duct can always be carried there fifty per cent. their ideas into effect. We have likewise sought cheaper than it ever can be made; that as to the and obtained information as to the state of paper argument in favor of the practicability of making currency in other countries: but this has proved it an importing city, deduced from the fact of so of very little importance, with reference to the many nearly empty vessels arriving there yearly object of our present inquiry. From America, for the purpose of receiving the cotton, sugar, which affords the closest parallel to the state of &c. &c. which vessels, it may be supposed, might England in this particular, no official return has as well arrive loaded as unloaded, a case perfect yet been received, but we have reason to think, ly in point can be adduced. The city of Charles-that in several parts of the United States the ton, in South Carolina, has been for a great num-crime of forgery is prevalent, and that great ber of years the depot of the most valuable arti- efforts are now making to give to the notes such cles which America sends to Europe; vessels ar. a character as may baffle the skill of the Ameririve there in the same way they do in Orleans, can forger. Specimens of these improved notes and yet, for the reasons stated above, which in a have been communicated to us by the agent of great measure apply to all our southern cities, the American patentee, and have received our it never has been attempted to make Charles-particular attention, with regard to the practicaton an importing city, and it will probably always rank in the third or fourth class of American towns. bility of adopting the invention, in whole or in part, so as to present a barrier to the art and skill of the forger in this country. These are among the strong points of view in Upon the general subject of the forgery, we do which both sides of this question may be examin-not think it necessary to recapitulate statements ed. A short time will be sufficient to decide the which are already before parliament and the pubcontest. We are of opinion, however, that a lic. It appeared to us, however, proper to obgreat deal depends on the exertions of ourselves tain more particular information as to the course and Philadelphia, in giving a speedy termination which has been hitherto pursued by the bank, to the struggle. What effect the cession of the both with respect to the prevention, and with reFloridas may have is yet doubtful: Pensacola is spect to the detection and punishment, of the represented as one of the finest harbors in North crime. Upon the former of these points, we have America; we believe the town is also healthy.-received from the directors, in addition to the How long it may be before she may enter the arena of competition cannot yet be decided. Account before alluded to, clear and circumstantial details. And it is but common justice to those gentlemen to state, that in every instance our information before us, we feel ourselves warranted quiries have been met by them in the most prompn stating our opinion, that the great quantity of and satisfactory manner, and every sort of usefu information readily furnished. We feel it also proper to add our opinion, formed after an exa mination of all the projects which have been form erly submitted to the bank for a change in the form of their notes, that no one of these could || have been adopted with such a prospect of solid advantage to the public, as would compensate the evils necessarily attendant upon a change. The invention to which we refer in the latter part of this Report, and on which our attention is now principally engaged, was laid before the Directors a short time previous to the issuing of his Majesty's Commission, and so far entertained by them, that they advanced a large sum of mo ney to the author. The chief merit of this inven tion consisting in the extreme accuracy of the machinery requisite, time and application are necessary to bring it to such a state of perfection as appears likely to answer the purpose desired. forged small notes which have lately been found in circulation, have all issued from a very few plates only; and that the fabrication of them is chiefly confined to one particular part of the || country, and carried on by men of skill and experience, and possessed of a very considerable command of capital. Upon a cursory observation, it appeared remarkable, that whilst so many utterers are constantly brought to justice, the actual forger should very rarely, indeed, be detected. But further investigation has led us to think, that this fact may be accounted for; and without entering into details, which upon this point it is bet ter to avoid, we think that it results naturally from the lamentable perfection of system to which this fraudulent traffic has been brought; and we have seen no reason to doubt that the Directors of the Bank and their Officers, have used every exertion in their power to bring the actual forgers to justice, though unfortunately without sucUpon the latter of the two points above refer- cess, except in very few instances. We cannot red to, we have received from the chief inspector || refrain, however, from adding to this statement, and chief investigator at the bank, and also from our opinion, that there must be some culpable rethe solicitor, accounts of the course pursued in missness in the local police of those districts their respective departments. For which pur- within which the actual fabricators of Bank notes pose, we requested the personal attendance of are more than suspected to reside, and to carry each of those officers, and entered into such an on their trade with impunity. And before we examination of them, as appeared to us to be cal-quit this part of the subject, we wish to suggest, culated to produce the necessary information. We have also been furnished by the Bank with the means of judging of the actual state of forgery, and of that degree of skill which appears suffi cient to deceive the public, by the examination of || forged notes of various kinds; and even of the tools and instruments used by one forger, which were taken upon him. for the consideration of those by whose judgment such a question may be properly decided, whe. ther it might not be expedient to offer a very large reward for the apprehension and conviction of a person actually engaged in forging Bank notes. We are aware of the objections which exist against the system of pecuniary rewards, and are fully impressed with a sense of the evils Whilst it is painful to observe the degree of that may arise from a too general adoption of it. talent thus perverted, it is at the same time to be But the circumstances under which the crime of remarked, that in many instances, the public suf- forgery exists in this country are peculiar; and it fer themselves to be deceived by very miserable appears to us hardly possible that those evils, imitations; and it is to be feared that a similar which might be anticipated from the offer of a recarelessness would very much lessen the goodward in the case of some other crimes, could effects to be derived from the employment of superior skill and workmanship in the formation of a new note. Another fact appears proper to be noticed here, as forming an important ingredient in the consideration of any proposed plan-The issue of small notes by the Bank is necessarily very uncertain and irregular in its amount. We find, that to keep up the usual supply, not less Having been furnished with such information than 50 plates are requisite; and it is considered as was within our reach, relative to the subject proper to have a much larger number in a state of our inquiry, we in the next place proceeded to of preparation. And as it is obviously necessary to examine more in detail the several projects subpreserve, as much as possible, identity in the mitted to us. In pursuing this examination, we notes, this circumstance alone precludes the ap. have not indulged the vain expectation of finding plication for this purpose of many ingenious plans, any plan for a Bank note which shall not be imeven if there did not exist other insuperable ob-itable by the skill of British artists, and we have jections to them. Resulting from the above statements and examinations, some general observations have oc. curred to us, which appear proper to be introduced in this stage of the Report. It has been very commonly imagined, that, in consequence of the simplicity of execution in the present Bank notes, the actual forgery of them was very generally and extensively practised, and often by persons without money or talent: and this idea has formed the basis of much of the rea soning used by many of the projectors, whose plans have been under our view The reverse of this we believe to be the fact; and from the in follow from such an offer in this case; and knowing how my individuals must be saved from punishment by the conviction of one actual forger, we venture to recommend the adoption of this measure, to be concurrent with such an improvement in the form of the note as we hope to see effected. considered that it would be utterly unsafe to rely for security against forgery, upon the employment of any process, the chief merit of which was to consist in its being kept secret; of which several have been communicated to us. Our object has been, to select some plan, of which the process, when the principles of it are understood and the machinery and implements provided, should be simple enough to be applied without interruption to the extended operations of the Bank; and should at the same time comprise so much of superior art as may oppose the greatest possible difficulties to the attempts of the forger, and may "present such points of accuracy and excellence in THE NATIONAL REGISTER. workmanship to the eye of any individual using ordinary caution, as shall enable him to detect a fraud by observing the absence of these points in a fabricated note. [No. 15 In the mass of the schemes before us, there are, of course, very various degrees of merit; and we endeavored to class them as well as circum-enabled to lay before your Royal Highness that stances would permit. From a very large portion of them it was obvious upon a first inspection that no beneficial result could be expected. Of the whole number, we find about twelve of su perior skill and ingenuity, but anticipated by others of higher merit; or merely ingenious, but inapplicable in practice. And we consider nine others to be either of such originality or ingenious combination of existing means, as to have requied our more particular attention: and with respect to these much consideration has been had, and, in some instances, improvements and experiments suggested and tried. expectations be not disappointed, will afford a specimen of great ingenuity in the fabric of the paper, of great excellence in the workmanship, chinery in the art of printing-We_confidently and of very peculiar invention, and difficult mahope, that no long time will elape before we are result; and we have every reason to know, that the Bank Directors are sincerely anxious to adopt any plan, which shall be found, after patient exmean time, we have thought it right not to delay amination, to be worthy of adoption. In the informing your Royal Highness of the course of our proceedings. The investigation in which we have been engaged, has strengthened rather which the whole subject is surrounded. We do than removed our feeling of the difficulties with ding the propriety of an attempt to remove the not wish to represent those difficulties as preclunotes issued by the Bank of England; but we do existing evils, by a change in the form of the feel them to be such, as make it imperative upon fully satisfied that they shall produce an improvethose with whom the responsibility rests, to be ment, before they venture to effect a change, Highnes's consideration and judgment. All which is humbly submitted to your Royal JOS. BANKS, WILLIAM CONGREVE, We have not considered, as decisive against the merit of any particular plan, the single fact, that it may be imitated by superior art and expensive means. But when we have found in the case of specimens submitted to us, apparently of great excellence and the result of a combination of talent or machinery, that a very good imitation has been produced in a short time without any peculiar expense, and by the application of means only, which are within the reach of very many artists and engravers in England; and when we reflect how very few hands the business of forgery appears to be at present confined, we cannot doubt that in the event of Bank Notes being formed from any such specimens, an equal number Soho square, January 15, 1819. at least of persons would very soon indeed be found capable of fabricating those notes to a considerable extent, and with a degree of skill quite sufficient to deceive the public. Another consi deration has also had weight in inducing us to hesitate much, before we venture to recommend any specific plan. The adoption of any new form of note presenting peculiar and characteristic marks, but the imitation of which we could not confidently feel to be extremely difficult, would not only not do good, but would produce much evil; and would induce a false security, by accustoming the public to rely upon the appearance of such marks and peculiar character, rather than upon a cautious and general observation of the whole note. Our remarks, however, as to imitation do not apply to all the specimens which have been of fered to us. There are a few of singular and superior merit produced by means which it is very improbable should ever come within the reach of any single forger, and the imitation of which, except by those means, appear in a high degree WM. H. WOLLASTON. From the Quebec Gazette. An Extraordinary Cure of the Lock-Jaw." ity tending at all times to excite public attention, Mr. Nelson-The interests of suffering humanI send you the following case, which even the indifference, and which the generosity of my two Gentlemen of the faculty will not peruse with under mentioned brother doctors engages me to make public. It is well known with how little terrible disorder, known by the name of Tetanus cuccess the medical art has struggled, with that (Opisthotonos) especially when caused by a wound. On the 15th of December last, Mary Saint Gelais, 19 years old, a servant of Mr Saul, fell on the glazed frost, and lacerated the integuments of her right knee, but the wound not apcupations; eighteen days after, although the pearing dangerous, she continued ber usual ocwound appeared perfectly healed, she began to complain of stiffness in the back of her neck, and a certain difficulty in moving her jaw; accompa Safety, or rather comparative safety, is to be the wound had not been able to dispel. The nied with a pain in her knee, which the curing of sought, to a certain extent, in a combination of pain having increased in an alarming manner excellence in various particulars; but chiefly, as during the day, the patient was carried in the we conceive, in the application of a principle evening to Dr. Blanchet, who prescribed some. beyond the reach of the Copperplate Engraver,thing for the right-Dr. Ifland being called in, which in its different processes is possessed of the most formidable powers of imitation. difficult. Our plan, before alluded to, as apparently af. fording this advantage, has been, with the most liberal assistance from the Bank, for some time past, in a course of trial for its greater perfection, and with a view to combination with other inprovements, satisfactory experiments of which have already been effected. The result, if our at Mr. Saul's desire, declared that the Tetanus with enlarging the wound, and dressing it with the common stimulants, leaving the patient with such full conviction of her approaching death, that they thought it their duty to give her warning of her extreme danger, and her relations of the certainty of her death. The disconsolate husband came to me soon after, in tears, and requested me to go and see his wife, telling me she was at the last extremity; without, however, mentioning one word of what had passed before. But on the road I met Dr. De Salles Latterriere, who informed me of what I had just related, adding that the case was quite desperate Yet the success I had already met with from copious bleeding in similar cases, pre vailed on me again to try the same fortune. 239 the white population seeking safety in other is- formed that the young queen of Spain died in Extract of a letter, dated Tunis, Dec. 11, 1818, to I found the poor woman in so violent a paroxysm, that her whole dody was bent like a bow, and supported only on the back of the head, and on the heels. The jaws were so closed that it was impossible to introduce the blade of a knife; of Algiers, has appeared here also. It broke The plague, after desolating the kingdom I confess that I also thought her on the very point of expiring, yet her pulse, although weak spread through a great part of the kingdom.— out early in October in this city, and has since and rapid, and much resembling such a one as commonly accompanies the inflammations of the subjects daily. In this city alone, whose populaIt is estimated that the Bey loses more than 2000 brain, holding out tolerably well, I immediately ||tion does not much exceed 100,000 the number of came to the resolution of bleeding her until she deaths per day is about 300. On one day last fainted. I was obliged to take from her 36 week it amounted to 350, and we think quite faounces of blood. The fainting fit lasted a long vorably of the public health when it descends totime, but the contraction of the jaws, and the wards 200. I will not attempt to depict to you general spasm yielded visibly to the powerful de- the horrors of pestilence. My mind has been so pletion-I then took advantage of the slackness occupied with them that it has lost all excitabili of the jaws to make her swallow four ounces of ty, and all feeling of personal damage. The popu castor oil, and I prescribed the same quantity in lation of the city has already suffered a diminution a clyster; after two hours she had two capious of more than 30,000 by death and emigration; prostools; she notwithstanding relapsed, and as vio-bably more than 15,000 have fallen victims to the lently as before. I repeated the bleeding, which || was followed by a fainting, after a fresh loss of 18 ounces of blood. plague in the course of 3 months. One vast suburb is literally dispeopled. You may form some actness with which justice is here administered in idea of the ravages of the malady, and of the excertain respects, from the remarkable fact that a stall, at the corner of a neighboring street, to take poor cobler was the other day summoned from his possession, as sole inheritor, of twelve different estates at once. During the three following days, she took each day an ounce and a half of good laudanum; the fourth day her mouth again closed, and the same convulsions began; another bleeding, ad deliquium, 30 ounces, and the patient found herself relieved as if it were by enchantment. Her great repugnance to the Tincture of Opium, made me ||ing the day almost one unbroken song from the As I sit in my parlor I hear dursubstitute in its place the pure opium, combined || funeral processions passing beneath the windows with calomel. The doses will appear more than like platoons of the same army, often bearing two extraordinary, and the success alone can justify bodies on the same bier, and of which no less than them; I gave her three days successively 60 90 have fallen under our observation in the course grains of opium alone; the calomel did not cause of a few hours. The burden of their hymn is freany salivation, it acted powerfully on the bowels,quently that charitable text of the Koran, "Send, from which it expelled several worms of an astonishing length. The woman is at present per-ness of night is broken by the shrieks of women, O Allah, send death to the infidels." The stillfectly cured of the Tetanus, though extremely weak. JOS. PAINCHAUD. Quebec, Feb. 1, 1819. We heard from every quarter, lamenting in the orien VARIOUS ARTICLES OF INTELLIGENCE. Extruet of a letter, dated Tobago, Feb. 9, 1819. The heavy rains which continued during the months of December and January almost inundated the country, which brought on a most rapid and fatal disease, which made its first appearance in the fort, a short distance from the town, consisting of 212 men strong, and in 10 or 12 days 45 of that number were numbered with the dead. The contagion was so rapid, that it soon spread but I now think myself qualified to be minister at I came to this place with a becoming diffidence, into the town, shipping, and the country, and Constantinople. To be serious, when a nation proved equally as fatal. The disorder was such, keeps constantly a display of power before these it baffled all medical aid. The alarming degrees barbarians, its representative has only to use comwere such, that business was nearly suspended-"mon sense and discretion-or rather to abstain |