weal. Among these, we are particularly gratified to notice the liberal act to encourage the voluntary emigration of our Free People of Color to Liberia; which may be regarded as very clearly aud substantially expressive of the true sentiment and proper policy of our State on this interesting subject.

The act also to take the sense of the People upon the call for a Convention, and providing for the same, may lead to the most important results.

THE GOLD CHAIN FOR MR. WEBSTER.

We saw, on Saturday, a chain of California gold, which is to be presented to Mr. Webster in acknowledgment of his eminent services in the cause of the Union of the States. It is from a resident of California, a State whose applicatiou for immediate admission into the Union Mr. Webster has promised to advocate, with all the weight of his powerful influence. The chain is of pure gold, of a value exceeding four hundred dollars as it came from the mines. Its workmanship reflects much credit on Californian skill. It was manufactured for the donor Mr. George W. Eggleston, at San Francisco.-N. Y. J. of Com,

THE DEATH OF MR. CALHOUN.

We regret to record that the Hon. John C. Calhoun, a Senator of the United States from the State of South Carolina, died at his lodgings in Washington, on Sunday morning the 31st ult., in the 69th year of his age.

Mr. C. has been so long before the public eye, and has filled so large a space in the public estimation, that his death cannot be noted without a feeling of deep regret. It has come upon us, too, by something like surprise, for though we knew that he had been seriously ill, we had heard that he was recovering from his immediate prostration, and was likely to live for some time. We could not apprehend, moreover, at least we could not exactly realize, that such a man—so ardent, so active, so intellectual, would die like one of ordinary mould. But alas! for our fallacious hopes-he is indeed no more. He has fallen on his "high place," and has left us nothing to console us for his loss but the remembrance of his eminent virtues, and splendid talents, and public services-all condensed in his famewhich is now the precious inheritance of his State, and of his Country for ever.

South Carolina will naturally mourn and miss him most, and will doubtless enshrine his body in her hallowed soil, with all the honors which she can lavish upon his tomb. But other States and our whole Union-will sympathize with her in this fond and grateful tribute of honor to the dead.

Even those who, not unreasonably perhaps, doubted and distrusted the tendency (if not the intention) of his peculiar views, will now unite with the rest in acknowledging and extolling all that was truly laudable and admirable in the character and conduct of him who is no more.

THE OYSTER WAR.

On Friday last, the 29th ult., the Artillery Company, Lieut. F. Riddick commanding, with a number of citizens, amounting in all to about seventy-five men, all under command of the Sheriff of the County, (Col. Hugh H. Kelly,) proceeded to the mouth of Nansemond River, in the Steamer Sun, for the purpose of arresting those who were violating the laws of the Commonwealth, relating to Oysters in the County of Nansemond. Having arrived at the "seat of war"-the "Spit," and the force, "armed to teeth," formed in battle array in as good order as possible, the steamer "rounded to" and " brought up" in the midst of the fleet of vessels there violating the law, when the order to "board" was given, and in less than half an hour twelve vessels were captured, and about seventy-five men taken prisoners! without the firing of a single gun!! The vessels were put under charge of men from the company, and sailed for Suffolk, where they arrived on Saturday. This is the greatest Naval victory on record!

The offenders were examined on Saturday before Benjamin Riddick, Esq., and the Captains were mulet in the sum of $33.50 each-the fine, costs, and expenses of arrest. R. H. Riddick, jr., for the Commonwealth. R. H. Prentiss and Jas. E. Jinkins for the prisoners.-Suffolk Intelligencer.

THE GOLD MINES.

The Gold Mines in Virginia are represented to be in full operation now, and with the aid of good machinery some of them are producing fair results. The White Hall Mines continue to yield handsome profits, and the "Woodville Mine, owned by Col. John P. Adams, of Baltimore, is becoming very productive." Some others also are doing well.-Baltimore Sun.

THE STATE OF EUROPE.

By the last steamship, Europa, we have the news from Liverpool to the 23d ult.-but there is nothing of much interest in the intelligence from the old world. We select some items:

In England-the Chancellor of the Exchequer has presented his budget for the ensuing year, announcing a surplus of nearly two and a half millions, but the manner in which that surplus had been disposed of, is not satisfactory to the country. The Ministers are said to hold office by a very precarious tenure.

In France the elections have passed off quietly, and order reigns thoughout the republic, at present.

The Patrie, which is looked upon as a semi-official paper, intimates that the government will adopt prompt and efficient means to restrain the ultra democratic party.

In Germany-a Congress of the Sovereigns of Germany will be held at Dresden, in April, for the purpose of consultation relative to the affairs of Germany. The Emperor of Austria, and the Kings of Hanover and Saxony are to be present.

Miscellany.

LITERARY MINUTES.

THE PHENIX.

An old play-wright, I see, Sir Richard Fanshaw, calls the fable of the Phenix an "odoriferous lie." A strange expression this, and rather a hard term, I think, to apply to one of the most beautiful fictions of poetic power. The Phenix is, indeed, me judice, the very sweetest invention of the creative faculty, the brightest offspring of imagination, that I know. Only thinka self-renewing bird, dying only to live again, and brighter than ever, constructing her own funeral pyre, and that a sort of altar, fragrant with all manner of sweet spices-expiring, or seeming to expire, in a blaze of aromatic perfumes, but anon putting out her wings again, fresher and finer than ever-and soaring away

to the Sun's city, followed by a long train of all the birds of the air, cheering and celebrating her new birth with their symphonious strains. What a perfect posy of fragrant fancies collected and combined together, have we here!

Now I should really like much to know the origin of the fabrication. Who was the first author of it? And what basis had he for his invention? (If it was not rather a dream, the whisper of some ethereal spirit?) Was it anything in nature-and what was it? Was it the sun setting in flames with all the balmy incense of evening about it, and rising again the next morning-more radiant and resplendent—and shining out in all its brightened beams, "another and the same?" The allusion to the sun in the story seems to countenance this supposition: so we may say Phebus himself was the first to hint the idea of it to some favorite poet. Or was it merely the fanciful incarnation of some philosophical truth? And if so, what precious truth was it that was thus enshrined? Perhaps it was truth itself—pure, essential truth— that was thus symbolically and delightfully expressed, for truth certainly grows brighter with age, and renews itself from time to time, even after the lapse of centuries, and springs out more triumphantly and rejoicingly from the flames of persecution and martyrdom in which it seemed to be consumed. Or was it nothing of all this, but just an "odoriferous fiction," made by the "desiring fantasy" of man, for its own sweet sake?

After all, perhaps the first Phenix was only some beautiful woman, whose charms were as various and vivacious as those of the imaginary bird, and the idea of whose beauty deserved the compliment of being thus embraced in the envelope of this delectable conceit. If so, Tickell has only divined the secret of the fiction in those verses to a lady with which he introduces his translation of Claudian's poem on the subject; and which are at least elegant and pleasing enough to quote:

Each fabled charm in matchless Celia meets,
In heavenly colours and ambrosial sweets;
Her virgin bosom chaster fire supplies,

And beams more piercing guard her kindred eyes.

O'erflowing wit th' imagined wonder drew,

But fertile fancy ne'er can reach the true.

Now buds your youth, your cheeks their bloom disclose,
Th' untainted lily, and unfolding rose;

Ease in your mien, and sweetness in your face,
You speak a Syren, and you move a Grace.
Nor time shall urge these beauties to decay,
While virtue gives what years shall steal away.
The fair whose youth can boast the worth of age,
In age shall with the charms of youth engage;
In every change still lovely, still the same,
A fairer Phenix in a purer flame.

LINES

Suggested by the motto on a Sun-dial, on the public road near Venice-Horas non numero nisi serenas.

I count not the hours unless they are bright;
The dark ones are nothing to me;

And still through the clouds and the shadows of night,

I wait for the sun to be free.

So the traveller, too, though bright Phebus no more
Gilds his pathway, should never complain;
But, calm and composed, trust that, bright as before,
He shall break out in glory again.

P.

TO READERS AND CORRESPONDENTS.

We regret that we have been compelled by want of space to omit several articles-more particularly a Memoir of Governor Page, and a Notice of Foote's Sketches of Virginiawhich we had intended to insert in this number. We shall give them in our next.