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By every * prt't?xt??^(mioJwi?%Ste^way.from I hose wbo, in point of fact, nlyst admit the great usefulness of this aj^nt, ami in the or ganic process by which ail power if? conferred % s under our government, the question passes ?illiterately b f? rc the different States, and UHdvr sanctions which will insure a public [ ?ea?iioscenct: in the measure. I think a pre- J ference should be given to the re charter of the \ present Bank ofthe United Stales, for several | reasons which app**ar tome satisfac ory. 1" : ihe first place, by taking your Bank, me ! banking capita] of the United States ie not j innreasad. A new institution would augment this capita! probably soin- f?rty or fifty n11"* j ions, and i evi re that licentious spirit ot specu J hition, which it is the inerest of the country | to have allayed. Your institution is, more- j over, in t he exercise -of its full functions with , its capital pnid in, and in possession of ail the | capacities for immediately acting beneficial y upon the currency of the country. I do not think the Government ought to corporate your Bank, without your Stockho'd-rs should con sent to surrender one halt ot your c -pitalon j their receiving e.ther the par value ot the Stock so surrendered or its actual value as estimated prorata, by adding your surplus, so that the Stock of the present*Stockho!ders of the Bank of the United States might be brought down to aboutfifteen millions, that the other twenty mi lions be divided between the Government and oth 'r Banks. That a Bank in the City of New York should be selected as your Branch, whose cap Ul your Bank should take as your Stock, letting the Stockholders in at par for the amount of their Stock, a Bank be like wise selected in Boston, Providence, Baltimore Norfolk, Charleston, Savannah, Mobile and New Orleans, and the rest of your capital of thirty ..five millions to be divided between the Government and other Commercial points where it would be expedient to establish branches. I would not, if i had the power, gire you a renewal of vo?r Charter on any other terras, because this scheme involves no dangerous augmentation ofthe Banking capital oftCe United States, which as a whole, ought not on any accouut to be increased. It is true that in several of the States this capital might be safely augmented* and perhaps if the j amendment of the Constitution was adopted, ? which I have suggested in soml of them, it ; wodd be found that their capital had not reached the ratio which might be fixed for thew proportion. South Carolina for example, wrR judiciously bear an increase of her banking capital, as it is not equal to the separate value of her exports, throwing her internal trade and exchanges out of the question. Still looking to th? whole interests ofthe country, it would be of vital importance that the process rather of reduction than increase should be j promptly commenced. I have thus far, Sir, very imperfectly | sketched whit I believe to be a probable cure for the unsound state ot the currency of the country. You perceive that at least the reme i dy involves no sudden or perilous cha De i j either its existing bank capital or circulation. | The process combines a gradual reduction of the one. and the gradual increase of the pre- I ctous metal?, by a withdrawal at sate intervals, j ?f the smaller uotes from the currency. I should have felt much greater diffidence to offering these suggestions to your consider ation in relation to tlie amendment of the Constitution, if they bad not been confirmed by nearly the same views which I found had been taken up by a distinguished gentlemen of this State, (Oel.Blanding, ) who at the head of the Commercial Bank of Columbia, enjoys m w dearee, the public confidence as a skillful and able financier. It gives me great pleasnr ? to acknowledge, that for some ofthe suggestions of this amendment, 1 am indebted to his acuteness and sound experi eoce. / , . . Having thus disposed ofthe permanent re medies for the debasement of our currency, which look for their exercise to an amendmeut ofthe Constitution, let me now say atew words of those which are within the legislative com petency of Congress and within the reach of those who direct the measures of our Banks, which can be promptly applied, and from which the power of resuming specie payments on the p?ft of the Banks, may with very little delay be obtained. In the first place, I believe nothing is want ing now but a proper concert among the lead ing Banking institutions of the country, with a proper understanding with the Government, to enable us all at an early day, recommence redeeming our no ies in coin. The object of this communication is to bring about this concert and this understanding. I therefore suggest to you that the Presidents ofthe Banks <f Philadelphia Wiv a meeting, and address a Circular to the Banks of the dijferent Commercial ckies of the United States , requesting Ike Banks of each city to appoint one of its Presidents as a deputy-, to meet in Ptiila - delpi a, an the second Monday in August , for the purpose of conferring as to the means and period of resum ing Specie payments, that the same may be universal and simultaneous on n certain day , ihroughout the United Slates. ? With this view I would suggest, that at this meet in? i deputation should be anointed to attend the Session of Congress, that by a proper understanding, the Bauks may prompt ly co-operate with the measuresof Government in bringing about the greatly to *be desired resumption. i L have very little doubt with this concert ,if i the Government will issue Treasury Notes bearing such a moderate rate of interest as shall not retard their quick circulation for the instalments ofthe Surplus Revenue hereafter tailing due to the several states, redeemable in six, nine, and twelve months, by the Depo site Banks, and at their cost, that specie pay ments may be resumed contemporaneously with the issue ot these Exchequer Bills. They would stand effectively in the place of Specie, moderate the demand for it, and by being made payable at different points in the Union, serve the purposes of exchange. Before they were exhausted the new crop of Cotton would be in market.to enable us to pay our foreign deU. But at tl*e present, the Banks are acting with out the slightest concert, and as tar as 1 can learn, without the smallest understanding with the Government. The existing state of things for the inter st and honor of our country should riot be permitted to last one hour beyond the Meeting of Congress. .The longer an irred< emable paper currency is permitted to continue, the more difficult becomes the resumption of payments in coin. Like Opium, as you have very justly remarked in your letter to me, the dose constantly re quire* doubling until prostration and death ensu\ What we may do this year in redeeming ' our country from the stupitying lethargy, may become impossible the next : until we have fixed upon us one of the greatest curses that can scourge a civil zed community, is an in* convertible paper currency. When this evil gomes in its full potency, and paper is rejected universally as a legal tender by private credi tors, as well a3 that great public creditor, the Government, and the Sheriff will t*ke nothing out coin for his levies, then Revolution and Hcodshed are not long in the rear. It is in a period like ihis that the great authority to which 1 have before referred, sayi : "That a man can neither earn or buy a dinner without a speculation. What he receives in the morn ing will not have the Fame va!uc at night. ? What he is compelled to take as pay tor an old debt, will not be received as the same when ne comfs to pay a debt contracted by himself, nor will it be the same when by prompt pay ment he would avoid contracting any debt at all. Industry must wither away. Economy must be driven from your country. Careful provision will have, no existence. Who will labor without knowing the amount of his pay ? Who sill study to increase what none can esti. mate? Who will accumulate, when he does not know the value of what he saves? If you abstract it from its uses, in gaining to accu* mulate your paper wealth, it would be, not the providence of a man, but the distempered in instinct of a jack-daw." This picture of the condition of the currency in France, during her portentous revolution is the type of what in the process of time must be the state of our own, if the efforts of every man in the Country, who has the smallest in fluence adventitious or direct,is not strenuously applied to our redemption from the dark cala mity with which we are threatened. The Banks in the principal commercial cities may do much to bring about this desirable result,but without the cordial co-operation ofGoverment, they can do nothing. Anxious that this aid of Government, should be afforded, I have referred with all possible moderation to those topics of exasperation by the tendency of which it is designed to fix upon the past and present administration,, tbe entire responsibility of those disasters into which we have been precipitated. I could have made this letter redolent of sarcasm and vituperation against those in power. But my object was not to say harsh things to augment existing difficulties or widen the breach alrea dy subsisting between the Government and the supporters of your institution. I deemed it better in the spirit of conciliation to bring the power of a man of your eminent influence to bear in accomplishing an effective remedy for the evils under which we are suffering. I believe the Government with yourself and a few of the leading Banks in the commercial cities of the Union can in a very short period after the meeting of Congress, apply this remedy. But if tn preference to a course of united and harmonious action, of forbearance, temperance and moderation, the effort should be made to | obtain an uncompromising and unqualified re-charter of a Bank of tbe United States ; if in preference to looking singly to a cure of public calamities, those in opposition should alone seek to convict the present Administra tion of tbe exclusive guilt of bringing ruin on tbe country, and this effort be made for the purpose of aanoinling some new candidate for the Presidency, depend upon it, from this con vulsion of faction we are destined to pass through a crisis the darkness of which no man can estimate or foretell. I cannot believe that the co operation of the Executive of the Units ed States, will be withheld in uniting on some safe and practicable scheme for relieving the Country from these calamities. Tbe crisis demands that he should rise above the mere trammels of party. To this he will be impell ed by those impulses of his own ambition which must find its aliment in the safety honor and happiness of his Country. But in the work of remedy and conciliation, your Institution may be made the rallying point. Let us then leave no effort untried to accomplish this result. On it depend the Public Credit, Honor, Peace and prosperity of our country. In conclusion, 1 beg leave to subscribe my self, with grett esteem and consideration. ? Very respectfully, Your ob* Servant, J. HAMILTON. MISS MARTINEAU'S BOOK. Tbe long expected work of Miss Harriet Martineau, upon the subject of her visit to i tho United States, is now in the |>res3 in New York, and will, we dare say, when it appears, be read with more avidity than gratification : for it must be expected that any writer who visits a country only for the purpose of mak ing a profitable book about it, will make up for i the want of the novelty, with which it would be difficult now to invest an account of this | country, by ber own seasoning of what would, I if plainly told, be stale, and without sufficient I relish to create an appetite for it. From the j following extract, which is the only sample of he r work which we have yet seen, the reader may from some idea bow the whole work is likely to please l;im, (or her.) From Miss Martineaus uScciety in America ." The most common mode of conversation in America I should distinguish as prosy, but withal rich and droll. For some weeks I found it difficult to keep awake during the entire re ply to any question I happened to ask. The person questioned seemed to feel himself put up on his conscince to give a full, true and par ticular reply; and so he went back as near to the deluge as tho subject would admit and for ward to the millennium, taking care to omit nothing of consequence in the interval. There was, of course, one here and there, as there is every where, to tell me precisely what I knew before, and omitted what I most wanted; but this did not happen often; and I presently found the information I obtained in conversa tion so full, impartial, and accurate, and the shrewdness and drollery with which it was conveyed to amusing, that 1 became a great admirer ofthe American way oftalking bet'ore six months were over. Previous to that time, a gentleman to the same house w.ith me ex pressed pleasantly bis surprise at my asking so few questions, saying that if he came to England, he should be asking questions all day long. I told him there was no need of my seeking information as long as more was given me in the course of the day than my head would carry. I did not tell him that 1 hed not pawer of attention sufficient for such information as catne in answer to my own desire. 1 can scarcely believe now that 1 ever felt such a difficulty. They themselves are, however, aware of their tendency to length, and also to something of the literal dullness which Charles Lamb complains of in relation tc the Scotch. They have stories of American travellers which ex ceed all I ever heard of them any where else ! ? such as, that an American gentleman re turned from Europe, was asked how he liked Rome? To which he replied, that Home was a fine city, bat that he must acknowledge he thought the public buildings were very much out sf repair. Again, it is told against a lady, that she taade some undeniably true remarks on a sermon she heard. A preacher dis coursingon the blindness of men to the future, remarked, "How few men, in building a house, co:>sidt*r that a coffin is to go down the stairs!,' The lady observed, with much emphasis, on coming out, that ministers had got into the strangest way of choosing sub- i jeefs for the pulpit ! It was true that wide staircases are a great convenience; but she did think Christian ministers might find better subjects to preach upon than narrow staircases. * * * Yet there is an epigrammatic turn in the talk of those who have never heard of ?? the art of conversation," which is supposed to be studied by the English. * * * Some young men, travelling on horscback among1 tie White Mountains, became inordi nately thirsty, and stopped for milkat a house by the road side. They emptied every basin that was olft red, and still wanted more. The wo man of the house at length brought an enor mous Dowl of milk, and set it down on the table, saying "One would think, gentlemen, you had never been weaned." * * * There cannot be a stronger contrast than between the fun and simplicity of the usual domestic talk of the United States, and the solemn pedantry of which the extremest ex amples are to be found there; exciting as much ridicule at home as they possibly can else where. I was solemnly assured by a gentle man that 1 was quit wrong on some points, because I differed from him. Every body laughed; when he went on, when the utmost grav.ty, to inform us that there bad been a time when he believed, like other people, that he might be mistaken, but that experience had convinced him that he never was; and he had in consequence caft behind him the fear of error. I told him I was afraid the place he lived in must be terribly dull ? having an ora cle in it tosetlle every thing. He replied that the worst of it was, other people were not so convinced of his being always in the right as he was himself. There was no joke here. He is a literal and serious maided man. * * * I rarely, if ever, met with instances of this pedantry among- the yeomanry or mechanic classes, or among the young. The most nu merous and the worst pedants were middle aged ladies. One instance struck me as being unlike anything that could happen in England. A literary and very meritorious village mantua maker declared that it was very hard if her gowns did not fit the ladies of the neighbor hood: she had got the exact proportions of the Venus de Medicis to make them by; and what more could she do? Again: a sempstress was anxious that her employer should request me to write something about Mount Auburn, (the beautiful cemetery near Boston.) Upon her boing questioned as to what kind of compositi on she had in her fancy, she said she would have Mount Auburn considered under three points of view ? as it was on the day of crea- j tion, as it is now, and as it will be on the day of resurrection. 1 liked the idea so well, that I got her to write it for me, instead of my do ing it for her. From th * Boston Post. i DISGRACEFUL AND FATAL RIOT. A terrible conflict commenced yesterday afternoon about three o'clock, between engine Company No. 20aud a v0*y large Irish fune ral procession in East street. There are near, ly as many rumors in circulation as to the origin of the disturbance, as there were parties engaged in it. No. 20, the Extinguisher, had just returned from the fire at Roxbury, and had their engine in the middle of the street, in front of the en gine house, when the procession came down the street. Some at the head of the procession ordered the engine to be removed from the street, and the company refused to do so. One engine man was laid hold of and pushed aside. This was resented by his comrades, but being greatly outnumbered, they retreated into their house. The procession moved on. The Ex- j tinguisher's men in the mean time prepared to resent their defeat ? rang their own bell, and sent a man to ring the Rev. Mr. Young's bell, as if for an alarm of fire. This plan was immediately successful in calling out No. 14, the Cataract; which acc 'w dently fell in with the procession at *be junc tion of Summer and Sea street ; butae llK? hearse was not in sight at this point, the com pany were not apprised that the large co.lec tion of people they ran in among were connect ed with the funeral. The Irishmen, however, supposed that they came to renew their former conflict, and at once commenced an attack on the men at the ropes. The company defended themselves as well as they could, and were soon reinforced by Nos.2,6, 8,9, 13, and 20, and straggling members of other companies. The funeral was by this time entirely broken up, and the Irish men fell back into Broad street, where they made a stand. Bricks and stones began to fly, and deadly wounds were given. The Irish made numerous sallies, discharging.their mis siles, but gradually gave way to the south. As they gave grc-jnd, the dwellings occupied by their countrymen were attacked, and the win dows and every moveable article demolished There is no reason whatever to believe tha the houses thus assailed were occupied by the Irishmen who were engaged in the affray. This outrageous attack was chiefly made by lads about 16 and 18 years of age.' Feather beds were ripped open, and their contents poured out at the windows, forming exact im itation of n snow storm. This work lasted up- 1 wards of two hours. The Irish occasionally making ineffectual sallies in defence of the houses. The Mayor was early on the ground and in one of the sallies was knocked over. The milita'y were ordered out, but as the members of the various companies were natu rally much dispersed, tliey could not be form ed till about six o'clock, at Faneuil Hall. The Lancers, under Gen. Davis, formed the van, and were supported by the Boston Light Infantry, and the New England Guards. The Mayor, Aldermen and City Council, were also in line. They cleared the street instantly, and no further violence was committed after their appearance. They were soon reinforced by the j Washington Light Infantry, City Guards, Rangers, Mechanic Riflemen, and La Fayette Guards. Of the fire department, the most severely i wounded ars Charles Sears, of the Franklin Hose Co. who was knocked into the dock by j a c)ub taken up insendK)le,and is not expect ed to live ; and John Russel, 2nd foreman for No. 10, badly hurt in the forehead. Captain J. C. Tallant of the North Watch, was knocked down bv a random brick, and carried off lns^n sible. _ . , A larw number of Irishmen were taken to jail. Some were severely wounded ; but some conveyed there for protection. Last night the entire regiment of Light In fantry under command of Col. Smith, were uruhr arms at Faneuil Hall, with the exception of four companies on guard in Broad street, and several adjacent streets, where no person was permitted to pass unchallenged. The Lancers rendered very essential service throughout the night in dispersing email col lections of people, and by conveying neceasa rv orders and information from point to point. ' (?7- 12 o'clock, P.M. The Irish are per fectly peaceable. Native citizens, laboring under the excitement of the occasion, are in solent to the sentinels. The last general ru mor reports four Irishmen dead and one en gineman. From the Boston Daily Advertiser Riot. We have to record the occurrenoe ol One of the most serious riots that has been known in our city for a great length of time. There are contradictory accounts as to the origin of tee difficulty, but we believe the fol lowing statement may be relied on, as in the main correct. About three *>*eteck yesterday afternoon, after Engine Co. No 20 had returned home East street, a portion of them proceeded to the shop of one of their members, for refresh ments. Most of them had returned to the engine house, when Mr. Fay, the shop keeper, following on alone encountered at the corner of East and Broad streets a number of Irish men, who were waiting to form a funeral pro cession. Some difficulty occurred as he was attempting to pass through them, and he was pushed off the side walk! He proceeded to the engine house: and another member returned with him and a fight was commenced, in which the other members were soon engaged. One of the officers succeeded in ser 'Uing them, and the members were proceeding to the engine house, when a large body of Irishmen following them, and the engine-men finding themselves greatly out numbered, raised the cry of fire. Meanwhile the funeral procession was formed, and had proceeded as far as Summer street, when Company No. 9 came down with their engine supposing there was a fire. A serious encounter then took place between the parties, which lasted some time, but the fire men being considerably reinforced, the Irishx men letreated to Broad street, and in a short time an immense concourse of people had assembled. Brick bais and every kind of missiles were thrown from the windows by the Irish within, and an attack was m?de upon the houses by those without. 'I.ie affair began to wear a very serious aspect indeed, as many were severely injured and the ex^ citement increased every moment. A number of housee were entered and every thing with? in thrown into the streets. The scene was one of the greatest confusion, and the excite ment began to be more general, as it was currently reported that a number of lives had been lost on both sides. The Mayor and city officers were present, and did every thing in their power to arrest the ringleaders and put an end to the difficuK ties, but they met with poor success, and were some of them seriously injured. The bells were then tolled, and the militia called out. A number of companies were formed at Faneuil Hal), and preceeded by the Lancers, a company of horse, together with the Mayor and a large body of citizens, they proceeded down State into Broad street, the whole length of which they paraded with very little diffi culty, and thus at 7 o'clock dispersed the people, who were still engaged in the destroying of furniture only ; as the Irishmen had some time before ceased resistance. It is said that a large number have been very seriously injured on both sides, and tha a fireman has died of his wounds. Mr. Charles Seare, an active member of the department, was among the wounded and Mr. Sheriff Summer was twice thrown down and considerably injured. A very large number of Irishmen were arrested from time to time, and conveyed to Leaverett-st. jail. At 8 o'clock last evening every thing was quiet. An effective body of militia, with the Laucers, were on service, a part or the whole of last night, to prevent any renewal of the riot. ' From the Boston Advocate. What a pity that, at a time like this, a casual street insult should lead to a general commotion, and cause the whole city to be put under martial law, as it was in effect last night, soldiers and horsemen being stationed at all the streets leading to Broad street. Let us beseech our young men to avoid cherishing any national prejudice, and to resort to law rather than take it into their own hands, even if insulted They owe this to themselves and to tbeir country. Let the sensible men among our Irish citizens use their influence to keep their countrymen from every thing that may tend to irritation. When we do quarrel let us have something worth a brave man run^ ning the risk of a broken head for. Office of the Sun, June 15 ) Baltimore, Thursday, ? 12 o'clock, i Last evening about six o'clock, our city was suddenly enveloped in a dark and heavy cloud, which portended an angry torm, and render ed "darkness visible" long before the sun set. Rain soon commenced falling, and continued ic plentiful showers till about 7 o'clock, when the storm abated, and every thing indicated a calm and pleasant night. About 9 o'clock, another cloud made its appearance in the Northwest accompanied by vivid flashes of lightning, and peal after peal of thunder, that almost shook the earth to its centre. At a little past 9 o'clock, a terrific blaze of light ning-., lighted upon the adjacent country, which in a few seconds was followed by a crash of thunder which shook the firmest fabric of the city. Such a peal, such a crash, we do not believe ever burst u^n the ears ofan astonished people. "Though, from the time that elapsed between the flash of lightning and the bursting of the thunder bolt, we were led to suppose that it was dis tant.the concussion of the elements was dread fully terrific, and was of itself quite sufficient to remind one of the utter feebleness and im potency of man. With this shock of thunder, the rain, which had formerly fallen in copious showers, burst from the heavens in torrents, and continued to fall as if in one interminable cascade, till past one o'clock in the morning, when the steam called Jones's Falls, which runs through the city in a northern and south em direction, became swollen to its banks, and was soon rendered incapable of retaining its boundaries. The several bridges that crossed it, in the neighborhood of the city, were soon carried away by the force of the waters, aided by huge quantities of dr ft- wood, the fragments of dislodged buildings, &c., all of which, being forced down the stream, brought up against the brige that crosses the FaHs in Gay street, thus penning up the flood below it. The water burst from its banks, and, seeking vent in the lowlands, immediately inundated all that section of the city known by the appellation of the "Meadows." Such was the darkness of the night, the lateness of the hour, and sc little was a calam ity so dreadful dreamed of, and so sudden the inundation,| that [few were offered Jtime for escape, and the consequence was the sacrifice of many lives ? a complete list of which may never be obtained. At this moment we are not enabled to go into a full detail of the dreadful consequences of this inundation; and, for a full account, must wait for further deveU opements. At present, we can only give the followin^paiticulars: Mr. Christopher Weist, sexton to the Rev. Mr. Haisperd's church, together with his wife and three children, were drowned, Hisfami j ly resided at the corner of Holliday and Sara I to<ra streets, next door to^the church to which j tne unfortunate Weist was sexton. After the water had subsided, Mr. Weist was found drowned in his bed, With two of his children in bis arms; the wife was in another bed, clasping her infant to her bosom. From these facts it is evident that the dwelling of poor Woist was inundated tiy an instantaneous rush of watef thug carrying the whole family to the tomb, s I Mrs. Catharine Donnelly, an Irish woman, residing at the corner of Gay and Centre street, was drowned, and her body has been re covered. Her feusband is missing, and is sup posed to have been carried down the stream ! and drowned. A man named Dougherty was drowned at the corner of Concord and Water streets. A family of colored people, residing in street, was also drow ned. In addition to the loss of lives already enu merated, we are sorry !o add? that an infant was found dead in the street near the Marsh i Market] its parents unknown, but supposed to have shared the same fate of the child. Mr. Joseph McCann, grocer, corner of Hol liday and Balh streets, escaped by getting out of his house and taking refuge in a tree. He at first attempted to cross over Finn's bridge, but finding it impossible to do so, fled to a tree, where he found a retreat till the water recede ed. The basement stories of all the buildings in Harrison street, from Gay to Market, were filled with water ; and at the lower end of Harrison street some of the second stones were inundated. The buildings in Market street for some hundred yards east and west of Harrison street, were deluged, and as most of them were occupied as stores, the loss of property in th^t direction must have been very great. Mr. J. Rurlett's soap and candle manufac tory, corner of Pleasant and Holliday streets, had eight feet of water in its first story ; dams age very considerable. The corner of Bath and Holliday streets was completely blocked up with drift wood, timber, wrecks of buildings, &c. Mr. White, who keeps a livery stable in Holliday street, lost about 64 horses and 80 cows, and his distillery was almost all swept away. Mr. Lee's carriage repository in Holliday street, near to Saratoga, was inundated ; 15 carriages were destroyed: loss estimated at 87.UX) or $8,000. The Marsh market was very much injured, and a portion of its north wing will have to be rebuilt. Several of its pillars were carried away, and many of the stalls and blocks were swept into the basin at the foot of the slip, completely filling it up. The water on both sides of the market was from 4 to 6 feet high. Gay street, Market street, and Pratt street bridges were partially carried away. It is next to impossible to form any thing like a correct estimate in relation to the loss that the city has sustained by this unpreceden ted disaster. Ruin stalks through an impoe ing and important part of the city, and all is excitement. The more we wander around the scene of desolation, the more fully is the ruin develop*, ed. The heart sickens at the contemplation ofa scene so dreadful. We cannot go into all the particulars before the departure of the mail. An intelligent gentleman, an old resU dent of the city, who would not be likely to exaggerate, informs us that the loss cannot be less than two millione of dollars. We should think that estimate rather large. From the Baltimore Chronidt Office. The rain continued to fall with unexampled violence for several hours, increasing the vo lume of water to such a degree as to sweep away the Bazaar bridge near Baltimore street, the foot bridge leading from the F*sh Market, and the diaw-bridge at the City Block. The stone bridges at Gay street, Baltimore street, Water street and Pratt street were not carried away, but were greatly injured, parts of the arches being carried off. It is impossible to estimate accurately the loss of property occa sioned by this calamity. It cannot, we should suppose, | be possibjy le68 than a million of dollars. Independently of the loss to the city by the damage to the public bridges, the destruction of the Centre Fountain and the injury to the Centre Market house, the streets, pavements, & cannot be repaired except by a very heavy c xpenditure. But the mc t distressing part of the narra tive yet remains to be told. Not less than fourteen persons certainly, and, it is feared, many more, were suddenly and most awfully hurried into eternity by the sudden "rising of the waters." So sudden and overwhelming was the rush of the inundation that these unfortunate persons had not time to escape from their dwellings, and were found dead either in their bed?, or evidently in the act of a vain endeavor to escape. From the Balttniore Gazette. Further Particulars of the Inunda tion at Baltimore. ? A number of instan^ ces of providential escapes are related, which we have not now time to insert? one of them was the case of a boy five years of age who was discovered floating on a bed, and was res cued from the flood in North street ? he was supposed to be the only survivor cf a family who occupied a house that was entirely swept away. Another instance was that of a young man who was sleeping soundly in the basement story under the Washington Hall ? he was awoke by the friendly paw of a faithful dog, when his bed was nearly afloat, the sudden rising of the flood leaving scarcely a minute's time for his escape from a watery grave. The destruction of property on the line of the Falls out of the city, for several miles in extent, is, as we anticipated, very great ? and, we fear, the loss of lire is not less so. The bridges, with very few exceptions, have been swept away, houses have been taken from their foundations and borne on the overwhelming flood to destruction ? immense trpestorn from their fastnesses ? mill races and dams de stroyed ? indeed the destruction produced by this flood can be better imagined than de scribed. About two miles up the Falls, a family who had just finished a shantee for their residence, were warned of their danger by kind neigh bors, but they told their advisers to ?*inind their own business, that they would look out for themselves" and in a few momenta after wards the shantee with its inhabitants were carried off by the current, and it is supposed they were all drowned. We were informed by a miller, who resides about three miles from town, that he had saved, by extraordinary ex( rtions, the life of a little boy, and that there was another, who manfully braved the 6torm ,& swam to the shore and saved his life? a man was lodged by the current on the top ofa high tree^ and he con> tinued to clinff to the branches from twelve o'clock till seven (his morning. We learn from the same source, that it rained incessantly and very fast for about two hours from nine until eleven, when an im mense body of water fell from the clouds, evidently the bursting of a water spout, which produced an immediate and extraordinary rise of the water in the Fails. from the Patriot. We have heard of some narrow escapes, two of the most extraordinary are the follow ing; One ofourQerman residents was started from his slumbers by the alarm* and on de scending to the first floor found himaelf up to his waist in water. He immediately returned to the sleeping apartments, and having taken his sister succeeded in forcing his way out and along the streets to one of the fridges, with the view ot crossing to old town. The bridge gave way and carried both the individuals along with it. They floated down tlje stream for some distance ; and finally succeeded in getting hold of a fence and extricating them selves from the water, fiat the stream con tinued to rise rapidly, and the German was com pelled to keep his sister above water by bold* ing her up by her hair. They then contrived to cling to a tree and there remained until morning. A boy of tweive or fourteen, had fallen from the drift, which clogged Baltimore street Bridge, into the swolleu and whirling current of the River, and being unable to swim was passing rapidly and helplessly down the stream, only the top of his head above water, and had once entirely disappeared, when two young* men bravely . dashed into the stream and just as the drowning youth "was about to be drawn under the drift or lumber, &c. which clogged in like manser lb? bridge below .on Pratt street, he was snatched exhausted and almost lifeless from death, and restored from his family. The name of the humane and heroic person, who thus nobly at the hazard of his own life saved a fellow creature, probably unknown to him, in Lewie Spiese. a young man of this city, a mechanic/ whose humanity and heroism would in th* best days of Rome have entitled htm to Jthsr laurel crown. He has, however, whit no doubt he will esteem of far more value, the delightful consciousness of having saved the life of a fellow being, and the hearty applauea of the numerous spectators. We have not learned the name of the other no lees merito rious individual, who threw himself into the raging stream without recollecting that he could not himself swim ; but be truked to. m plank with which he endeavored to force hi* way to the rescue of the drownmgboy. THE COMMERCE OF LONDOtf. European Correspondence of the U. S. Qeutte. London, March, 1637. There are so many other things in Londoo to divert a stranger's attention, such an immensity of space covered, and such an endless, restless, eternal rush of population* almost equal, it would seem, at all qpctione of the city, and all hours of the day and night* that one hardly can realixe, if he be told, and, if he be not told, never dreams of the great truth that tuis is, among the rest of it# claims* the centre of the commerce of the civilized world. Its commercial department, indee& is almost a world by itself. To go into it, we 8hoaid think there could be no&mg eke in London ; and even that all the business of Great Britain, at least, was concentrated here. Look for a moment at these vast ran. ges of warehouses, for miles and milea. Look at this huge Babel of a custom-house, within and without ; these wharves, bridges, trucks, vans ; these streets of broken and bankers ; this Bank of England, with itaaoc* than 100 clerks in the signature office alpae ; these miles of the Thames, covered and crow* ded, father than the eye can reach either way, with the bustling, smoking, noisv craft of every clime that sees the sun. Woodetfbl* indeed ; but how much more so that we should be able to spend months here, nay, ?lnwt to* live lives, and never find out fairly that Loo* don is a commercial city. The secret ia, itr includes eveiy thing. There ia a world here* in itself for every taste and business. The fashionable ? the literary? the religions -the1 vicious ? the idle ? the solitary, even ; and {be buyer and seller of every merchantable arti cle on earth. All may find a level and fli market here. All are taken in and satisfied1 together. And so the whirlpool foams and rolls on from age to a ge. It is the maeii-* troom of all that live. A fsct or two, however, is sometimes more effectual than a volume of dissertation, bet us step into one of the Doc*?L then. 8tepr did I say ? We will get into an omnibus^ in. the heart of the city, at the Bank, and theiv if this throng of carriages which seems bow interminable will let us jsm through, we will ride some three miles through the thickest of London to the East and West India Docks. If that is too much for you let us -stop hair way, at the "London" and '*St. Catherine,"* which arc near together ; and the former of" which, I suspect, compares pretty well ia extent with the wholp of the Liverpool ee{a blishments, of which we bear so much, put together ? ssy 40 acres, or about the size of Boston common ; cost, perhaps, some 920^ 000,000 ; and its small neighbor, St. Cathe rine's the newest of all, (and which is aau? to have been started at a dinner partf of merchants,) only some 14acree?and abootten millions pf dollars, more or less ! This Dock is too much for us, however ; we shall never get over it. Take one little block of warehouses, then, five stories high* and a quarter of a mile long. Here are goods from all the continents, and enough of each* one would suppose, for the world's supply. What can they do with all this cinnamon, for example: Here is a hall crammed with if ; and what a fragrance of "Sabean spices" as we enter ! No wonder if "old ocean smiles" at such a treat as this, tull many a league at sea. And how beautifully it is done op in long round, regular, exquisitely packed rolls, weighing, say 80 lbs. each, and worth some $250 each roll, of which ! suppose there are 500 now before me. Probably, it will be all gone to morrow. In London Dock are about 20 distinct warehouse establishments ; say, tor hemp, cigars* tobacco, silk, sugar, wine* and so on: More than a million sterling worth of silk is sometimes piled here at once ; and India ships have come in with car mi for this department of two millions of dollars. Here is the grand sugar room, and it is 490k feet long. In October, you will probably see 60,000 hogsheads in port? the returns of the firfl West Indian fhet, whusfr. leaves, you know, before the 1st of August, on account of the gales and the insurance. What a spectacle must it be in war time, when they come in all together ! The sugar on now is a mere trifle ; probably only 10,000 or 13,000 hogsheads 1 And so wittutrie tobacco, the room far whid* covers four or five acres. You may see 20,> 000 hogsheads here at someaeaaona; now* perhaps, not more than half the quantity. It is remarkable that while this article is wpjt^ itself only some five or six pencev tip-duty Of) it is two shillings a pouRd \ or, m other words,. J02OO or #1000 on a hogshead1, which ia wortl* i}40 of itself The wine vaults are below, t have been over one* which ia quite enough, for it cover* four acres, being over 000 feet each way, and holds 17,000 casks, 'pipes, hogsheads, and quarter casks. There* is another which holds 22,000 ; all together over GOiOOft You tra verse them by aisles left in various directions, and by the aid of a torch, which* on present ing a ticket, .is given you at the door. The merchants come here to taste. But enough for to-day. This an item in the Commerce of London ) Committed TO the Jail of RicWawi, a* a Runaway, a JVegro Boy, wha call* Uia name Henry^and says be belong* to Jehn Hattau $ Newberry District. Hen* ry ia about sixteen years age, rather of a yeUow complexion. The owner is requested to come for June 21 V