'Shure, it's consyintious I am, an' exempted I want to be.' The Commissioner had not forgotten Barney, so, to humor his whim, asked him if he would take the affidavit, having first read that paper to him. 'Afther David, the divil! It's me exemption papers I'm afther,' he replied. 'Have you conscientious scruples against fighting?' asked the Commissioner. 'Och, it's the schrupils an' dhrams both I have. I get 'em bad, too, yer honor.' 'Well, Barney,' said 'his honor'--putting the same question to him that he asked all others who offered the conscientious plea (and who always gave an affirmative answer)--'if your wife was being murdered, would you stand by a silent spectator?' 'Divil a silent spectator! D'yees take me fer a haythen? Be the howly! show me the scallywag that would harrum a hair o' the ole 'oman's hid, an' I'd give him sich a pelt on the gob, that he would think he'd got forninst a horse's hoof!' 'Then we can't exempt you, Mr. Mullen.' 'Mither ov Moses!' exclaimed Barney, as he left the room, 'not exempt a man because he wouldn't shtand by an' see the 'ole 'oman murdered!' * * * * * We are indebted to a friend--who is requested to call again--for the following from PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 1862. DEAR CONTINENTAL: Did you ever study the language of signs? I have--and a queer language it is. It is divided into two great families. The first is of street signs. The second of signs manual, optical, and otherwise by gesture sign-ificant. An excellent illustration of this latter class was witnessed lately in a police court of this city. I give it as narrated to me by a friend. A deaf mute, whose banged and battered face spoke for itself, lately appeared before a local magistrate to complain of the sufferings inflicted upon him by certain iniquitarians to ye court unknown. 'He's deaf and dumb as a nadder, your honor,' remarked the solemn policeman who introduced the silent man. 'But he kin tell his story bully.' And he did. Striking an attitude the dumb one pointed to his bruises, and then struck out one, two and three _a la_ Heenan, to signify that his sorrows had been caused by a pugilistic attack. The court nodded its perfect comprehension of the business thus far. Raising the two fingers of his left hand, the mute bowed them up and down, so that they seemed to be human beings with solidified legs, making salaams to the court. The court nodded. Then the two fingers precipitated themselves fiercely against the forefinger of the right hand, which at once fell down, and was danced upon and bumped in a variety of ways by the inhuman digits of the sinister party. The court nodded. It understood that the dumb man had been attacked by two persons. But who were the two? Elevating the forefinger of the left hand, the plaintiff first pointed to its face--or the place most suggestive of one, and then pressed his own nose flat.