Variety

The Regents of the Srnithsonian Inatitute hnve determined - 1. To offer premiums in moncy for the best original papers containing positivo addilions to human knowledge. 2. To pay for making researches in such sciences as they may select ifor the ir investigntion. 3. To publish the papors that may be accepted and the results of the researches that may be ordered. 4. To publish popular and brief nccounts of the movements of the Instituto. 5. To establish a pay for free lectures to bo delivered on useful suhjects. G. To establish a Museum of Natural Science and the Elegant arts, nnd a Library of works in all the departments of human knowledge. 7. To publish a biography of Mr. Smithson, to be writien by the Vice President of the United Stales. 8. To establish exhibitiohs of new discoveries in scionceand the usoful arts, to be given by the secretary and his aslisiants. The Expense of Recoverino the Mexican Claim. - The amount of appropriations demanded by Secreiary Walker to carry on Mr. Polk's war io the 30ih of June, 1848, is $74,000,000 The amount of the Mexicanclaim is 2,000,000 Excess nlready appropjiated 72,000,000 And the claim is not yet recovered. Cost op Bomb Shells. - The Rochester Democrnt says of the bomb shells making at Albnny, that they will rost thó count ry $3 60 each- or 6320,000. The cost to ihe maker is $1 75 each- his profil Si. 85. Horiubly Brutal.- A wenlthy man here had a boy named "Reuben" almnst white, whorn he caused io be branded in the face with the words, "a slave for life!" The man wlio perpetrated this a-t is an Engüshman.- Si. Louis Gaz. A most touching scène was la'ely witnessed in the city of New York. A drunken man was there found lying on the end of one of the piers of the E ast River, with three small girls, his chüdren, clinging around him, the youngest fust asleep, with her head pillowed on the bosom of her insensible father, and the others wee ping most bitterly. Thy hnd found their father while intoxicated; and insteadof leaviig him, they remained to watch and weep over him.Whig Patronage. - The msmbers of the Massachusetts Lpgislature ore cach of them allowed fourteen newspapersper week during the session. Mr. Keyes, vhig member elect from Dedhnm, and editor and proprietor of the Norfolk County American, subscribes for thirleen copies per week of his own paper. Views on Fightinc. - Here is what tlie celebrated Major Jack Downing said aeveral years ago on figbtitig : " In the matter of fighting there is one thing I alwways keep my eyes on, and I found Gen. Jackson of the same way of thinking, and that is, to depend less on folks who say'they are ready to shed the last drop oftheir blood, than on folks who are ready to shed the first drop. Give a man eight dollars a day to speeches in Congress, with the right of free postagp, and you hear enough of the " last drop" matters; when it comes to camp duty, then the M first drop" folks have to stnnd to the rack at eight dollars a month !"PtelCE OF CCNGRESSION'AL ReADING. Among the items in the general appropriatioti bill, agreed to on Fridayr in the House of Representativos, was $72,000 for books received by members of the present Congress. Neilher yeas nor nays, nor tellers,, could be prociwed upon Ihis amendment. The Legislature have pnsed alaw, requiringthe venders of patent medicines to have attached to each bottl e, box, &c, Rotting forth the several ingredients of wbich the oompound consists with the