into a flower of genius, and, as such, will feel privileged at once to
deluge his family, his friends, and the world in general, with the
brilliant results of his most delightful discovery.

* * * * *

THE PROFIT OF PURITAN PRISONS.

Spain has commissioned a Mr. AZCARATE, a Cuban, to visit and report upon
our penal institutions, and the gentleman is now in the country. We
trust he will not fail to visit the Connecticut State Prison. There he
would unquestionably obtain numerous hints for improving the Spanish
system of prison torture, or even that in vogue in his native land, for
political prisoners. There he might learn how Yankee thrift, applied in
this direction, makes the starving of convicts even a more profitable
business than manufacturing wooden nutmegs. Perhaps not the least
valuable information he would gain, would be the best method of goading
obnoxious prisoners into revolt, and thus obtaining a chance for
disposing of them, legally, by a capital conviction.

* * * * *

AN OPEN CONGRESSIONAL COUNTENANCE.

It is oddly enough objected to the re-election of a certain Member of
Congress from Massachusetts, that "he can't open his mouth." It might be
answered that Gen. BUTLER is quite able to open his mouth wide enough
for the whole delegation. The mouth may be opened for two purposes,
viz., speech-making and swallowing; and it never appeared to us that
there was any lack either of Bolting or Bellering in the House of