An original painting by Raphael, The Boar Hunt, was destroyed in a recent fire at Downhill House, the family seat of Sir Hervey Bruce, in England.
The French and English journals mention several important improvements of the daguerreotype, some of which are of the same character as Mr. Hill's. Mr. Brady, of this city, has gone to London, to establish a branch of his house in that city.
Historical Review of the Month.
THE UNITED STATES.
On the 4th of July the corner stone of the Capitol extension at Washington was laid, before the President of the United States, the Cabinet, army and navy officers, and a very large assemblage of citizens. Mr. Webster delivered on the occasion an address, in which he pointed out with his customary eloquent clearness the extraordinary advances of the country since General Washington, fifty-eight years before, had performed there a similar duty, and for the advantage of condensation and exactness he presented many important facts in the form of a comparative table, as follows:
| 1793. | 1851. | |
| Number of States | 15 | 31 |
| Representatives and Senators in Congress | 135 | 295 |
| Population of the U. States, 1850 | 3,929,328 | 23,267,498 |
| Do. Boston, do. | 18,038 | 136,871 |
| Do. Baltimore, do. | 13,503 | 169,054 |
| Do. Philadelphia, do. | 42,520 | 409,045 |
| Do. New-York (city), do. | 33,121 | 515,507 |
| Do. Washington, do. | —— | 40,075 |
| Amount of receipts into Treasury, do. | $5,720,624 | $43,774,848 |
| Am't of expenditures of U.S., do. | 7,529,575 | 39,355,268 |
| Amount of imports, do. | 31,000,000 | 178,138,318 |
| Do. Exports, do. | 26,109,000 | 151,898,720 |
| Do. Tonnage, do. | 525,764 | 3,535,454 |
| Area of the United States, do. | 805,461 | 3,314,365 |
| Rank and file of the army | 5,110 | 10,000 |
| Militia (enrolled), | —— | 2,006,456 |
| Navy of the United States (vessels), | None | 76 |
| Do. Armament (ordinance), | — | 2,012 |
| Number of treaties and conventions with foreign powers | 9 | 90 |
| Number of lighthouses and light-boats | 7 | 372 |
| Expenditures for do. | $12,061 | 529,265 |
| Area of the first capitol building in square feet | —— | 14,641 |
| Do. present capitol (including extension) | —— | 4-1/3 acres |
| Lines of railroads in miles | —— | 8,500 |
| Do. Telegraphs | —— | 15,000 |
| Number of post-offices | 209 | 21,551 |
| Number of miles of post route | 5,642 | 178,671 |
| Amount of revenue from post-offices | $104,747 | $5,552,971 |
| Amount of expenditures in the Post-Office Department | 72,040 | 5,212,953 |
| Number of miles of mail transportation | —— | 46,541,423 |
| Miles of railroad | —— | 8,500 |
| Public libraries | 35 | 694 |
| Number of volumes in do. | 75,000 | 2,201,632 |
| School libraries | —— | 10,000 |
| Number of volumes in do. | —— | $2,000,000 |