28 ’ To the Editor of the B ritish American. Sir,

Having with much pleasure seen in our paper sone remarks on the pernicious e ects occasioned b the use of ardent spirits; I take the liberty o sending you the followxng extract from amodern popular work on that subject; by inserting which you will oblige

obedient servant,

Ardent spirits employed to invigorate the in- tellect,orrestore exhausted nature under se- vere study, is often a fatal experiment. Mighty men have been cast down in this manner ne- ver to rise. The quickened circulation does for a time invigorate intellect and restore ex- hausted nature. But, for the adventitious energy imparted, it exhausts the native ener- gy of the soul, and induces that faintness of heart, and flagging of the spirits, which or incessantly “ give, give,” and never, but Wit expiring breath, say it is enough.

The use of ardent spirits, employed as an auxiliary to labor, is among the most fatal, be- cause the most common and least suspected, causes of intemperance. It isjustified as inno- cent, it is insisted on as necessary: but no fact is more completely established by ex erience than thatit is utterly useless, and u timately injurious, beside all the fearful evils of habi- tual imtemperance. to which it so often leads. There is nonutrz'ti'on in ardent spirit. All that it does is, to concentrate the strength of the sys- temfor the time, beyond its capacity for regular exertion. It is borrowing strength for an occa- sion, which will be needed for futurity, with- out any provision for payment, and with the certainty of ultimate bankruptcy.

Let two men, of equal age and firmness of constitution,labor together through the sum- mer, the one with and the other without the excitement of ardent spirits, and the latter will come out at the end with unimpaired vigour, while the other will be comparatively exhaust- ed. Ships navigated as some now are without the habitual use of ardent spirits—and manu- facturing establishments carried on without, and extended agricultural operations, all move on with better industry, more peace, more health, and a better income to the em- ployers and the employed. The workmen are cheerful and VlO'OI‘OllB, friendly and in- dustrious, and their families are thrifty, well fed, well clothed and instucted; and instead of distress and poverty, and disappointment and contention, the are cheered with the full flow of social :1 ection, and often by the sus- taining power ofreligion. But where ardent spirit is received as a daily auxiliary to la- bor, it is commonly taken at stated times—the habit soon createsa vacancy in the stomach, which indicates at length the hour of the day with as much accuracy asa clock. It will be taken besides, frequently, at other times which will accelerate the destruction of nature’s healthful tone, create artificial debility, and the necessity of artificial excitement to re- move it; and when so much has been consumed as the economy of the employer can allow, the growing demand will be supplied by the eve-

}!ing and morning dram, from the wages of abor_until the appetite has become insa- able,and the habit of intemperancs nearly

'piversal—until the nervous excitability has iliterated the social sensibilities, and turned

{,9 family into a scene of babbling and wo—

ifiil voracious appetite has eaten up the chil- lam’s bread, and abandoned them to ignorance iha‘jcrime. until conscience has become cal-

601‘ and fidelity and industry have disappear-

A

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THE BRITISH AMERICAN

ed, except as the result of eye service; and wanton wastefulness and contention, and reck- less wretchedness characterize the establish- ment.

Extraordinary Case of Credulity.—At Union- hall on Thursda a very respectable-looking man, named P ilipps, presented himself be. fore the Magistrates, and applied fora war- rant againstaMr. Stiff, for obtaining mone under false pretences.-—The applicant said Mr. Stiff gained a livelihood by astrology, and as be cast nativities with great accuracy and was considered the first man in the land at the science, his place was constantly crowded, by young and old. Some time ago he lost a valuable book, and hearing of Mr. Stiff’s skill, he went to him, and asked him to point out the thief. The astrologer had recourse to se- veral books, and after some apparant study he exclaimed, “ lhave it,” upon which be pro- ceeded to describe, with admirable minuteness. the features, figure, and dress of a female, to whom applicant was paying his addresses, ad- ding, that he might rest assured that the per. son so described was the thief who had robbed him of his book. The applicant added, that the description agreed so accurately in all res-

ects with the young ladyho at one time oved sincerely, t at from the day he first con- sulted Mr. Stiff on the subject, he had broken off all acquaintance with her, under the full persuasion that she was a thief. The Magis- trates could scarcaly refrain from loud laugh- ter at the credulity evinced by the applicant on the occasion of his visit to the “ Wise Man,” the appellation he went by in the neighbour- had where he resided—Mr. Chambers in- quired if the applicant had paid Mr. Stiff any money for the information he had given him about the book ? The reply was in the affira- tive, the a plicant saying, that in consequence of the the t being thus detected in so extraor. dinary a manner, he had given Mr. Stiff the sum of 101. to teach him the art of divination, or telling fortunes by the planets—Mr. Cham- bers asked w her the book stolen from him was found in th possession of the female whom he was courting subsequently to the prophecy of Mr. Stiff? The applicant said. that he was so convinced that she was the thief upon hear- ing Mr. Stiff pronounce the fact, he had discarded her from that moment, not feeling inclined to proceed criminally against her.— The Magistrate said that he had acted with great folly in the business, to suffer the repu- tation of a female, to whom he admitted he was attached, to beinjured by the information he derived from a fortune-teller, who probably was aware that he had such an acquaintance as that whom he pretended to describe a thief. The Magistrate then asked the appli- cant whether he had been taught astrology, agreeably to Mr. Stiff’s promise? The appli- cant said, that as soon as Mr. Stiff got the money into his hands, he merely gave him two or three old nativities and some books about the planets, saying that if he studied them weil fora few days, he would be well versed in astrology. He didstudy, but left off as wise as he began, and although he applied for his money back, it was refused. Several of the officers said that Stiffhad long practised fortune-tel- ling. The Magistrate said, that as the appli. cant had given money for the purpose of having his fortune told, a warrant should be issued against Stiff, who should be dealt with under the Vagrant Act.

Murder.-—On Sunday morning, a murder of the most deliberate and cold-blooded descrip-

Sio. 4.

tion was committed at Barrowsfield-Toll, near

Glasgow, arising out of the following circum. , stances, as far as can be ascertained. Yes. V te rday fortnight, as an old man of the name of '

Cameron was going home with one of his song, he was attacked by several persons who were standing at Barrowleld-Toll, and his son defend.

ed him, so that the parties made off. Last Sun. . day, at ten o’clock. the same parties attacked .

the old man, when two of his sons were with him and after a scuffle, old Cameron and his sons were successful.

by the

Unfortunately, at about three o’clock yes-

terday morning, they met David Cameron, a .

cotton-spinner, one of the sons of the old man, whom they instantly attacked and knocked down in Barrowfield, near the toll. He got up, however, and ran, but one of the party, a woman, with her two sons, followed him, and the latter having knocked him down, the for.

mer, according to the most authentic accounts,

struck him on the head with a poker, or a iece of wood shod with iron, which fracture his

1; skull, and caused a concussion of the brain. A crowd having collected, the poor man was I, carried home, but a surgeon was not sent for *

till about ten o’clock, when he was boyond reco- ver , and he died a few minutes after. Five of the party, including the woman, have been apprehended.——Scotch Paper.

Dreadful Explosion—On Friday morning last, the boiler of a stationary steam engine at Lambton, which was employed to draw u the waggons of one of Lord Durhams col eries, burst with tremendous violence, killing seven men and boys, and wounded several others. A cottage near the place was destroyed by the explosion, the force of which was so great, that the boiler was thrown nearly 100 yards from its station.—Tyne .Mereury.

COMMUNICATION.

Mr. Editor,

The state of our Highways and Lowways calls for a gentle touch now and then, especially toward the west. We have a valuable adage “ Many hands make light work,” but it scarcely applies to our roads un- less you put an s before the l, and call it slight work. Some years ago we had passable roads westward, but now, since we are bless’d with a batch of Commissioners they are in a state of impassable improvement. If all the projected roads from Charlotte—Town to Ellis river at Richmond Bay were faithfully sketched upon a general map of that side of the Island, giving at the same time, the true elevation of the hills and mountains, and depth of the vallies, it would puzzle an observer possessed of any degree of perspicacity to account for the nume- rous lines scratches and dots which would thus be laid open to his observation. There was for- merly one Chief Overseer, who had the “hole lsland under his surveillance, who had the ar- rangement of the statute labour which was then done for the general advantage of the Island, and to superintend narrowly the expenditure of the public money, and in doing so to travel a distance of 6000 miles in one year which was actually travelled. for a sum of 801. without sixpence for extra charges. He had two depu-

Atone o‘clock on the , same day a murderous attack was made on Cameron, but he was again successfully de. ‘ . fended b his sons. Vengeance was threatetie‘4 efeated party, and according to the . testimony of persons in the neighbourhood, , they were in waiting by ten o’clock on Satur. 1‘ day night, with knives and other weapons, ,. with the view of meeting some of tl e Camerons. 1.