The Legislative proceedings described.

Augusta, State of Maine, Jan. 19, 1832.
To the Editor of the Portland Courier.

My dear old Friend,—If I could n't write to you
once in a while, I don't know but I should die. When
any thing has kept me from writing two or three weeks,
I get in such a taking it seems as though I should split,
and the only way I can get relief is to take my pen and
go at it. The reason why you have n't heard from me
this fortnight past, is this dreadful furenza. We've all

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got it here, and it's nothing but cough, cough, the whole
time. If a member gets up to speak, they all cough at
him. If he says any thing that they like, they cough
at it; and if he says any thing that they dont like, they
cough at it So let him say what he will they keep a
steady stream of coughing. I've been amost sick for a
week. Some days I want hardly able to set up. But
I'm getting cleverly now, and I hope I shall be able to
let you hear from me once or twice a week during the
session.

The wheels of government go pretty well this winter.
Some say that some folks have tried to trig 'em two or
three times, but I dont hardly think that is the case, for
they havn't been stopt once. And, as I said in my last
letter, if my friend Mr. Knowlton stands as foreman,
and keeps his broad shoulders to the wheels, I dont believe
they will stop this winter. By the way, I made
a little small mistake about Mr. Knowlton's hat. I
should n't have thought it worth while to mention it
again, if the Augusta Courier of this morning had n't
spoke of it as though I did n't mean to tell the truth.
Now you know Mr. Editor, I would n't be guilty of
telling a falsehood for my right hand. When Mr.
Knowlton called the members to order the first day of
the session, I certainly thought I saw him holding in
his hand a broad brimmed white hat. It might be my
imagination, remembering how he used to look, or it
might possibly be the hat of the member standing by
the side of him, for I was a good ways off.

I'm pesky fraid the general government may settle
that hash down there to Madawaska as Mr. Netherlands
that they left out to, recommended. If they
should I'm afraid my jig would be up about fighting a
battle very soon, or getting in to be President.

Our party's got into a dreadful kind of a stew here
about who shall be next Senator to Congress and one
thing or another. We've got into such a snarl about it,
I'm afraid we never shall get unravelled again without
cutting off the tangles, and that would divide us so we

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never could hold together in the world. I wrote to the
Argus yesterday, to be sure not to reply to the Age for
its ungentlemanly remarks about Judge Preble, and
hope it will be prudent enough to follow my recommendation.
We must try to hush these matters up, or it
'll be the death of the party. I've had a serious talk
with friend Ruggles, and am in hopes he'll put his hand
over the Thomaston paper and not let it belch out any
thing that our enemies can make a handle of. And I
guess we shall have a caucus and try to put a cooler on
the Bangor Republican and the Age.

The Legislaters like Augusta considerable well, if
it did n't cost 'em so much more than it did in Portland
for a living. Such as had to pay two dollars and
a half in Portland for board have to pay three and four
dollars here. When I was in Portland, I used to get
boarded for seven and sixpence a week, and here the
cheapest I could get boarded any where, was ten and
sixpence. The Augusta Courier last week said something
about the folks here giving me a public dinner. I
should like it pretty well, for I have rather slim dinners
where I board.

If you see cousin Sally, I wish you'd jest ask her if
she has time before and after school, if she'll knit me a
pair of footings and send 'em up by the stage-driver,
for mine have got pretty full of holes, and I have n't
any body here to mend 'em.

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