The New York Herald Newspaper, December 22, 1853, Page 4

’ NEW YORK HERALD. “gamu8 GCORVDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR AND EDITOR, ~~ @erics ¥. WW. Goerss OF FULTON AND NASSAU STS. ‘AMUSEMENTS THI RVENENG. { METROPOLITAN BALL—Juriies's Concent BROADWAY THEAT¥E. Breséway-Borw ro Goon Luck—nvw To Pay tux Rexr Two Buzzaups. NS THEATRE, Cham! baw wires rue MILKY wireot—-Comepy oF AIL —Toopnes. NATIONAL THEATRE, Chatham sirect—-Afteraces— Levin sary. byening—Uxouw Tom's Canis WA°LSCK'S THEATER ™ Broadwsy—Giue or Lire— WLLER § Mam CAN MUSBUM—atternson—llor Cony. exe ‘Tom’s Cast SROADWAY MEN a Even: RI. —traussa Twine axy Wop BOWERY AWPHITH ¢aTRE, 37 Bowory.—LeumTnuy PERFORMANCES, CBRISTY'S AWEBICAN OFS HOUSR, 472 B-ond- wey. -drsuorian Mxsopias ax © ¥'o MINOR ELS, WOOD'S HINSTRPLS, Woed’s Minotyol Ball, #44 Broad- ore PLAN WivST EELS BUCKLEY'S OPERA taw'a Armorian Oren BANVARD’S GEOR on vua Horr Lanse. BEEN ISN GALLERY, 053 Srondway.—Pay ond “veuing, MGNOR BLIPZ.--Seurv era: MOUSS, 59 Brosdway.—Buer- ROUPS Groadway.—Pawok aus Ixersvote, 059 Boosdwsy ACSDIMY MALL, 66% oy.—-Peanan’s Qret Es- marmos Or Tur Sever Bia Mikson, GRMAT NATIONAL P. INTING vom trax HOPE CHAPEL, 718 Broacway.—Jonns’ Pamtosvorn. FEE WORLD IN MINIATURB—Broadwsy, corner +f Widto strost. New York, Thursday, December 22 The News. ‘The opponcnts of the encroachments npon our har- bor were ont in full force yesterday. Several of our Moet prominent citizens, accompanied by Gov. Sey- mour and Professor Bache, inspected the harbor. In the evening a splendid banquet was given to the Governor at the St. Nicholas, at which speeches were made by various of the distir guished gentlemen present. A very ful! report of the transactions is | given elsewhere. One of our special Washington correspondents, who appears to be perfectly conversaxt with the Central American question, and to hsve penetrated a few state secrets in connection with it, farnishes us to day with a very interesting communication on that subject, He discloses the curious fact that the resolution Tecently introduced in the Senate by General Cass, calling for information and doc nts on the Clay- ‘ton-Bulwer treaty, owes its origin to a misconcep- tion of, or rather to erroneous information as to, the mature of a ministerial note sent by the’ British Min- ister of Foreign affuirs to Mr. Crampton. It was ramored in some ofiicia! circles in Washington, it appears, that this commu ion contained an indi rect menace against the U States, in the contin- gent event of ovr encro: yg on the sovereignty of the Mosquito Indians, and hence it was that the resolution of inquiry was moved and adopted. On: correspondent, however, proves this to be an error, and informs us what was the real purport of the @ocument alluded to. The threat was not directed— as had been whispered and credited—agaiost the United States, but against the republics of Nicaragus and Honduras. It seems, bowever, that diplomatic Regotiations ere on foot in Londoa to enable Great Britain to divest herself honorably of the Mosqnits pretectorship, ‘lich don’t pay, and to divide it Detween the two neighboring republics. The letter of our correspondent i impor‘ant and interesting ‘The agitation of the slavery question has again cemmenced in the halls of Congress. Gerrit 8: set the bail in motion on Teesday,in the Honse of Representatives, and it was yesterday followed up with considerable warmt». The debate between Meears. Dean, Giddings, Bayly, aud Chandler, and the piquant remark: of Mike Walsh, tend to relieve aud give zest to the somew Monotonous chamac ter of the other proce s of the day. As the Van Baren free soiiers, backed by the ad viaistration and the straightout abolitionists, headed by Gerrit Bmitb, have entered the field and planted their bat teries against each other, Mr. Walsh seems to con- sider it politic to allow thom to have th fight out among themselves before the great national party enters the lists and sweeps them both from the sur- | Jer the ve face of politics, The vo'@ on the resolution re e to river and harbor improvements indica’ e ‘was the annunciation b thatit intended to co-operate with the House in the lions of dollars for the constrac tion of six first class steam frigates. Dates from Austin, Texas, to the 10th inst., on it the State Senate had passed corporating the Mississippi and Pacitic Company, and that the measure would pro | pass the House and become a law. | | The Senate of Massachusetts, it is bel be compoced of thirty whigs and ten coal As yet, however, caly eleven wligs have been a ‘tually e'ected by the peopie. The en vacau cies will be filled when the Legislature meets. Office-seekers sppear to be rather scarce among the whigs of Boston. No proper perso’ ed ia- clined to accept the nomination for Mayor. Three | distinguished gentlemer éeclined to become fandidates at the solicitat of nominating | committee, they were obliged to fa vail upon ex Mayor Bigelow to infliction of running for the offic In another column will be found a full account of ‘the late tragedy which was the result cfs terrible riot among the workmen on the railroad near La Balle, Dlinois. It appears that the Irish laborers falt aggrieved by the contractor givivg out his intention to reduce their wages, and a large number, maddened by the influence of liquor, and stimnlated by fan wrongs, made an attack upon his premises, drove him from his house, hunted him from where he had taken refage in his barn, and brutally mur ihin by beating out his brains. They even went so far as to endeavor to take the lives of the contractor's un: offending wife and innocent children; but they provi- Gentially made their escape. The rioters were finally subdued by a military company and body of armed Citizens, and thirty of them were arrested. The rea murderers, however, had not been captured at last @ccounts. Notwithstanding the injunction of the Judge of the United States Court at Pittsburg, the rioters continue their outrages ogainst the railroad com pany. No sooner had the latter finished repairing their bridge at Harbor Creek, on Tuesday, than the Mob again attacked and completely destroyed the structure by burning it to ashes. Yesterday they continued the work of demolition by taking up the track. What makes the matter worse is the fact that the law-breakers are headed by the local antho- rities. As the State government of Pennsylyanin seems indispored to check there infamous proceed jogs, it now behooves the general government to come forward and effectually suppress them at once Large quantities of counterfeit money are reported to have been lately put into circulation in the vici nity of Albany by potato dealers hailing from this city. By the arrival of the British bark Gitana we have advices from Pernambuco to the 16th of November. American gold wes dull at 81/600 to 91/000 per five dollars. Sovereigns rated (abundant) at 81/600 to £00. It was reported that the recentlly appointed Consul of the United States at Babia had arrived there, left, and arrived home, with his purse less by bis expenses, a8 he found the office profitless except to aresident having some other source of revenue. The Gitane has brought the first cargo of new or,” | | | | i} no undergo the | BOWERY THEATER, Bowery Sz Raxova—Jumae Jum | ner Ax | | to be pri ls | Jocal reports and othe: sugar which has arrived in the United States this season, consisting of 3,266 bags of museovado. The screw steamer Lady Eglinton, from Liverpool, ar- rived November 18th, with mails and passengers, end preceeded southward next day. The Lady Eg- linton is one of a new line of steamships running in | opposition to the West India Company's line from Soathampton. At the date of our last despatch from Phila- delphia—1)} P. M.,—alarge fire was raging im that city, and reports were current that two or thre men had been killed by the falling of a wall. fhree persons were initautly killed, and ten others scalded, by the explosion of the boiler of the | steamer Zachary ‘faylor, at Taylorsville, on the Obio river, yesterday morning. Despatches from nearly all sections of the country represent the weather as being intensely cold, and thore from the North state that the ground is deeply covered with snow, aud the canals and rivers frozen tight. From Albany we learn that the navigation of the Hudson is suspended, and the boats laid up in winter qnarters. The closing and opening of this river were formerly looked upon and chronicled as events of great importance in this city; but at the present day, w we have two railroads running directly ‘to the @ capital, oud various others branching « ts of the compass, little is it the subject, and we therefore only mere meteorological ‘igbly elosed during the ten years; viz.: in Lith; 1845, 4th; 1846, 15th; 26th; 1850, 17th; 1851, his goes to show that navi pended this year at about the usual withstanding the extraordinary mildeess of the weather until within the last few days and the of the oldest inhabitants that vessels would continue to ply uniaterraptedly be tween here and Albany thronghout the winter. lion dollars in American gold were the steansbip Niagara, which left Bos pool yesterday. uch excitement hes been produced at New Bed- d in consequence: the sudden disappearance of y. Gardiner Dean, a Baptist clergyman. It being ved that he has beeu mordered, the Mayor has offered a reward of three hundred dollars for his discovery, and one hundred men have yolanteered to search the city. A street affray took place between two and three o'clock yesterday morning, amongst some white and ed persons, in the Fifth ward, in which knives tols were used. One man was shot through the b and killed, and others were severely cut about the face. The cororer’s investigation did not elicit any facts fastening the homicide on any one of the ants who were arrested. The proceedings will be found in to-dsy’s paper. The Boara of Aldermen bad a meeting last even- and despatched s large amount of o1 No paper of much public importance was on. A discussion ensued on the presentation of 2 resolntion from the other Board t> compel the Eighth Avenue Railroad to run cers ¢o Filty-ninth street to afford addilonal accommodation to the public. Aldermen Deherty spoke at some length on necessity ot ‘1s extension, an] contended that onditions of the railroad grant bound the com: required accommodation. Alder. maber for th b; 1844 was § redictions of s the pany te gir: man Smith ocposed the measure vigorously, and, th resolution was, t2- preement, ordered to ve veral ame gotuer with the ra printed A communication was received fr.m the Commis- sioner cf Streets and Lamp, ia avsyer to a resola- Sion of snqviry in regard to the delay in cisaning the screets, in which he sta‘es that the contracia for clesning have been awarced as follows:— Jobu B, Morrell, First district, compriving the Fir rd sixth . eemprising ‘the Thirteenta, aud . $123,000 o whom the contracis have bee urities in each district, ia the ithfal performance of the work; but the contracts, the Commissioner states, nave not as yet been complied with, the contractors § only removed some ashes, &c., from the gut- He declares bis intention, should the contract- ors not ry ont the work scon, to have it done un perint ndent of Streets, A report in favor of lighting the streets from dark till daylight every night throughont the year, and ; to make arrangements with the Manbattan Gas Company.to carry the same into effect, was ordered ed. This is gi Let us have light he moon is hid behind *he clouds. News end advertisements continue to flow in upon os in such enormous quantities that we are com- elled to defer, from day to many columns of aoc Gfteen columns of very interesting matter, prospect that the amount will accumulate for . For this reason we find it necss- jal notices of theatrical and other However, this will not pro- se any drawhack to the receipte of the dit- uses, for, despite the fact that we are in the of the ball season, every theatre, exhibition &c., is well filled nightly, A glance at the ad- vertisements will indicate what attractions are of- fe r this evening. e steamelip America, with one week's later from Europe, had not reached Halifax at leven o'clock last night. The Hermana is about gee at this port, with four days later news, National Patty Conventions.—The New York Herald versus the Washington Union. A recent article of ours, briefly touching upon the Presidential abortions resulting from those gatherings of party spoilsmen called national conventions, made the pretext for a violent and undignified, (very undiguified,) aesault upon the Henanp and its editor, by the Cabinet or- gan at Washington. We are accused of “ hypo- al professions of respect:” of being “ the ervoir of the vilest calumnies:” of ’ of “a coward’s friendship :” and of such “ meanness as no man living entertains more contempt for than President Pierce.” But we have some comfort left us in still being re- tained by the Cabinet as the very head and front of the new anti-administration party. Seys the Union :-— , a8 the Herap does, at the head of the movement for a new organization of parties, striving with constant assiduity to bresk up the pre- sent democratic organization, and followed as is its editor by a few journals claiming to eail under democratic colors, we deem it proper to put trne de- mocrate on their guard, by showing the real charac- ter of the warfare which the Heaatp ia heading agolnst the administration and the democratic party. ‘Tbe latest phase which this warfare has assumed is in the efiort to discredit national conventions, On this subject the Henan speaks as follows :— Then follows an extract from our columns on those conspiracies of epoilsmen called national conventions, of which extract the Cabinet organ, like a veritable Doghberry, says :— There is some significance in the fact that the same man who makes this attack npon the cerstic organization has just been pro- eda libeller by a of his neighbors, and made to pay for his libels to the tune of ten thoneand dollars.” r to our argument aga! ational conventions. av We , with this answer. are not sat It is our delil the Fry car on that the verdict in } judgment in favor ot the administration. And there is nothing in the evidence on either side—nothing in the arguments of counsel upon either side—nothing in the eb of Judge Oakley—and nothing in the verdict ike jury in the Fry case —invol- ving a final judgment upon these Baltimore conventions. Still entertaining the idea, therefore, not- withs'anding the verdict in the Fry case, that these national conventions for the nomination of party candidates for the Presidency are but national conspiracies of juggling spoilsmen, we propoee herein to enlarge a little upon this im- portant subject, and to establish from the re- cord the validity of our opinions, To this end we shall briefly recapitulate the modus oper- andi. of Presidential nominations from the beginning of the government dowa to the pre- sent day. George Washington” was nominated and elected, and re-elected. by public acclama- tion, Even a third term was offered him, which, from wise considerations of patriotism and seund policy he declined. After Washing- ton, to the time of Madison, we may say, the Presidential candidate of both parties was brought forward not by any formal party cau- cus, but by private agreement among the lead- ing members of Congress, acting upon the States. Thus John Adams was advanced from the Vice Presidential oftice ; and from this pre- ecdent, aspiring statesmen began to consider the Vice President as the regular candidate nextin order for the Presidency. ,Thus Mr. Jefferson, Vice President under Mr. Adams, was elected to succeed him, though not by the people. His electoral vote and that for Aaron Burr being equal, the election was carried up to the House of Representatives, where Jefferson, after a protracted struggle, was successful; and then, according to the usage of that day, Burr was declared Vice President. By common consent of ihe republican party, Mr. Jefferson was their candidate for a second term, and by an over- whelming popular and electoral vote was re- elected. In the nomination of Mr. Madison the repub- lican party took their candidate from the State Department—thus instituting a new arrange- ment for the successton. He was also brought forward bya Congressional caucus,which was the first regular caucus nomination for President. Eut this precedent, in regard both to the State Department and the caucus, was followed up in the case of Mr. Monroe. With the expi- ration of his second term we touch upon a new epoch in our political history. From the administration of the elder Adams to the close of that of Monroe we have the rise, the decline, the fall, and the total annihilation of the old federal party. It flourished but briefly under Adams, it was terribly cut up by Jefferson, declined rapidly and ignominiously on the war question under Madison’s adminis- tration, and was absolutely extinguished under Monroe. The era of Monroe was called the “era of good fecliag,” from the merging of the old embittered party divisions into the great republican party of the country. There were no federalists, no republicans, in a party sense, for men of all parties claimed to be republicans. Thus, with this new epoch of 1824—the old party lines being abolished—a new and mixed system of Presidential nominations was inau- guraied. The line of succession from the State Department was invaded, and the Congressional caucus, in attempting a nomination, was broken up inthe con#ict among the rival aspirants. ‘The field was thus thrown open to all, and Adams, Clay, Crawford, Calhoun, aud Gen. Jackson, were respectively brought forward by their friends in different quarters for the cam- paign. A cerub race was the inevitable result. Jackson, Adams, and Crawford, being the three highest in the electoral vote.were carried up to the House of Representative. Adams was there cleeted, Mr. Calhoun having been trium- phanily chosen Vice President by the people. But with this election of Mr. Adams, and his appointment of Mr. Clay as Secretary of State, a reorganization of parties commenced. It was charged that the coalition electing Adams was a corrupt “bargain and sale’—that the compensation to Mr. Clay was the post next in order in the line of succession; and this Presi- dential arrangement, real or imaginary, rallied that formidable and victorious opposition of the defeated candidates of ’24 upon Gen. Jackson and John C. Calhoun in 1828, Tu the renomination of Gen. Jackson, in 1832, we bave the first adoption of these national party conventions. Mr. Calhoun, as President of the Senaie, had, by his casting vote, recalicd Martin Van Buren from the mission to Eng- land; but Van Buren’s services to Gen. Jackson were not thus to be set aside. A leading ob- ject, therefore, of this national convention of °32, was to oust Mr. Calhoun and place Van Buren next in the line of succession. And the thing was done. A packed Baltimore con- vention of May. 1835, nominated Van Buren for the Presidency; and, under shelter of Gen. Jackson's popularity and support, he was elected, beating the combined vote of the scrub candidates of the whig party. The game was repeated disastrously in 1840; but in 1844 the Baltimore national convention betrayed the paltry trickery ef the system. Van Puren had a decided majority of the de- legates, but was overslaughed under the two-third rule. Then, as the only mode of compromising the jealousies of Van Buren mea, Cass men, Buchanan men, and Woodbury men, James K. Polk, (never dreamed of to that hour by any man in the convention or in the country,) was nominated. His saving recommendation—that he had never stood in the way of anybody and was not likely to stand in the way of anybody the next time—was the seeret of his success. In 1848 the Baltimore convention nominated Gen. Cass, a capable statesman; but the Van Buren faction recoiled upon the Buffalo ticket and platform. The General, consequently, fell through, from the treachery instigated in the preceding convention. In 1852 we had a similar nomination, from precisely the same causes, to that of James K. Polk in 44. It was a compromise of spoilsmen for the spoils—a truce for four years, leaving the quarrel among the old stagere an open question for the suc- cession. The whigs, too, falling into this convention system, at Harrisburg, in 1836, have been sub- jected to the same jugglery of mere spoilsmen. No wonder that John Tyler, at Harrisburg, wept like a child when a statesman like Henry Clay was set aside for @ mere soldier ike General Harrison. No won- der that John M. Botts and Greeley swore eternal vengeance upon the tricksters at the Philadelphia slaughter house convention of '48, for the overslaughing of Henry Clay by that great soldier, imt feeble civilian, General Taylor. And after these examples it was ex- pected, jast as it turned out, that the Webster men and Fillmore men would not sxpport the Seward faction in thei: nomination of General Scott. Such have been tho fruits of these national party conventions—Harrison.and Taylor,(to say nothing of Captain Tyler.) and Polk, and Pierce, ruling our ablest statesmen off the track. Such have been the results of huckstering party no- minations by these organized bands of spoils- men, and such they will continue to be while this convention system Is followed up. From the jealousies of the candidates really available there can be no agreement among themselves, and hence some obscure gentleman, not likely todamage any man’s aspirations for the suc- cession, will continue to be nominated, or some chieftain more available in securing the spoils than in discharging the responsible duties of the Presidency. To sum up: We find that, under whatever programme the Presidential office was filled,from the time of Washington to the epoch of 1824, good men—great men—distinguished for their states- manship and experience in public affairs—were nominated and elected. And the result of the scrub race of 1824 was the election ofa ripe and capable statesman by the House. In 1828 the military element came into play. In 1832 these national conventions were instituted for the benefit of that political disorganizer, Martin Van Buren, In 1840 he was condemned by the people, and in 1844 he was executed by his own guillotine, We need not repeat the rest of the story. We have the fullest developement of the juggling expedients of those conventions ofhungry office-seekers in the present coalition of spoilsmen at Washington. In conclusion, looking at both the Baltimore Conventions of °52, ean anybody expect the nomination, by a similar conspiracy in 1856, of Cass, or Buchanan, or Douglas, or Dick- inson, or Builer, or any other known or antici- pated candidate? As for ihe whigs. they are out of the question; they are in a transition process, and we must wait for the shape which they will next assume. But we see no other way for ending the tricks of these Baltimore jugglers for the spoils, and no other plan for giving all the Presidential candidates that have been accumulating upon our hands for the last twenty years a fair chance, while yet they are in the land of the living, than an open scrub race in the next election. Thus the three highest candidates before the people will go up to the House of Representatives ; and from the present aspects of the time we may count upon such members to the next Congress as will give us a President sound and consistent upon na- tional principles and entirely unshackled by any conspiracy of swindling spoilsmen. The New Yorn Heratp, as the officially ap- pointed leading organ of the new opposition party, is free, therefore, to recommend to all the outstanding candidates for the Presidency the breaking up of these thimble-rigging Balti- more conventions, and the substitution of a fair trial to all hands, directly before the peo- ple. This policy, we contend, is the policy of wisdom and of justice to all parties, notwith- standing the Cabinet organ and the verdict in the Fry case. GexeraL Woon anxp THE Sports CaBinet.— General Wool has at length received positive orders to leave for California. He obeys with military promptitude ;*and his example in this respect will, we trust, be of service to younger officers. There is more in this banishment of the General than appears upon the surface, or than can be explained on a mere pretence of military requirements. To understand it, we must call to mind the movement which was made in this State some twelve or eighteen moaths before the Baltimore Convention, A vigorous effort was then made to bring forward Gen. Wool as the candidate of the New York demo- cracy. There is reason to believe that the lead- ing men of the party who were not pledged to Cass were ready to support him; and many who claim to read futurity confidently predicted that he would be the man, should the honor of the nomination fall to the lot of the Empire State. The opinion was o rash one. Some time before the convention met in May, ’52, Mr. Marcy whose feigned indifference was a mere cloak to intrigue, set himself regularly to work to defeat the purpose of Gen. Wool’s friends. He visited all the leaders of the party, as well here as in Al- bany and the western part of the State; used all the schemes and plans of which a long politi- eal experience had made him master; and, ia a word, so bestirred himself, that in a very short time General Wool was thrown overboard, and Marcy himself substituted in-his place. Since that time we have heard little or nothing of the gallant General. His name now re-appearsin the public prinis. He isto be sent to California. He takes the place of a young and gallant officer, General Hitchcock, whois burning with a desire to sig- nalize himself, and who ought to be allowed whatever chances California affords. At first blush, it is impossible to discover any solid reason for recalling the latter, or for sending a veteran like General: Wool to a station where a young man is obviously requ ired. A peep behind the scenes, however, explains the whole affair. The men who took General Wool in hand in 1850-51, are again at work in this State. In the midst of general disorganiz- ation and ruptured party tics, the bulk of the New York democracy are looking round for a man on whom they can unite, and under whose standard they can rally in opposition to the free soil spoils flag borne by Mr. Marcy and the pre- sent administration. General Wool’s name hag been mentioned, and received with a very fair show of satisfaction. A little management on the part of his friends, and the attempt of 1851 may be renewed in 1855 with better success. General Wool is not a hardened politician, and is certainly no match for Marcy at intrigue. He is only an honest man, but he knows the ge- neral principles of our domostio and foreign policy, and would never lend himself to the dis. uniouists, as General Pierce's administration has done. Marcy sees all this, and has already taken the alarm. He defeated General Wool once, but probably thinks that the same means might not be so successful a second time. The Secretary has sense enough to see that for four years at least, his influence with the national democracy will not amount to much. He therefore adopts a new policy. He procures the exile of General Wool to California, in the hope that his absence will break down the party which is prepared to support him here. The idea, as every one will perceive, is not original with Marcy ; he has borrowed it from the practice of the despotic courts of Europe, where it is usual for the sove- reign to appoint obnoxious noblemen or budding rivals to foreign ambassadorships, in order to get them out of the way. Louis Philippe tried all he could to persuade the Duke of Orleans to live in London ; and on precisely the same principle Marcy procures an order directing General Wool to break up all his family ties, to forego all the associations of friendship he has formed in the Atlantic States, and to repair, in this his old age, to San Francisco. Thus are the free soil spoils Secretaries attempting to rivet their tenure of power, and to obtain s fresh lease of the glorious plunder. But General Scott still remains. be sent away too? Tue Paciric Ramsoap—Corone, Benton vs. Dr. Gwiy.-Senator Gwin is out in a long letter in the. National Intelligencer against Colonel Benton’s great central route for the Pacific railroad. Dr. Gwin’s evidence, how- ever, was hardly necessary to prove that this central route crosses vast mountain ranges, Can’t he timberless plains, and horrible and howling deserts, for hundreds of miles. These facts are well known. Nor is there any route between the Mississippi river and the Pacific ocean; by which these deserts and timberless plains can be escaped. The wilderness in which the Israelites were kept floundering about for forty years, as a punishment for their sins, is a mere pea patch compared with the volcanic, sandy wastes,’stretching away from Oregon down into the very heart of Mexico, and which cannot be evaded by our Pacific railroad neither by the central nor by any other route. The moun- tains may be circumvented by the southern route where they descend and melt away into the Mexican table lands; but that route ia- volves a purehase of Mexican territory. We must wait, then, the issue of Gen. Gadsden’s mission to Santa Anna before we can adopt that route. For all practical railroad purposes, however, the differences between Col. Benton’s route and Dr. Gwin’s are scarcely more impor- tant than the differences between tweedledum and tweedledee. The road is a humbug. Tne Inrivence or Exampre—We notice that two Cincinnati journals—the Gazette and the Commercial—have recently been sued for libel, in consequence of some statements which they deemed it their duty to make in respect toa pending forgery case. The damages have been laid at $60,000. This is the first fruits of the Fry verdict. With the precedent thereby estab- lished before them, every man who fancies himself injured by newspaper assertions, or who, failing in business, chooses to ascribe that failure to the impudence of the journal which records the fact, will henceforth proceed to com- pensate himeelf for his losses by an action of libel. The damages laid will be much greater than formerly. If we are condemned to pay $10,000 for criticising an opera, a journal which warns its readers against a notorious forger may well be called upon to make the rascal comfortable for life with a neat sum of $60,000. We must prepare for these things. We must expect libel suits as thick as mushrooms until the rule established by the Fry case is reversed, and law and equality cease to be set aside by juries as they were in that suit. TurorTantT FRoM THE Domrican Repvsi.c. —We learn from a passenger just arrived from the City of St. Domingo, that a French steamer ot war had obliged the Dominican government to pay three thousand dollars for having ex- pelled two French Haytians from the country. Also, that the French had demanded of the Pre- sident—General Santana—the dismissal of his Cabinet. andsthe appointment of another more in accordance with French interests. Through French intrigue the downfal of Santana may be expected in January or February; and his mulatto Excellency, ex-President Baez, a thorough Frenchman in feeling and sentiment, will be reinstated as Dictator. Will the United States government permit this flagrant and open violation of its professed principles to be thus abused? Will not the Cabinet at Wash- ington sift this matter, and if they have good proofs that the French are filibustering with the Dominican republic, oblige them to desist? We understand that the greatest excitement prevailed at the City of St. Domingo on the 25th ult. AxotHeR Cyance ror a Fry Verptcr.—We notice with amazement that some of the jour- nals which exulted over the Fry verdict, have actually indulged in severe censures against Mr. Marctzek, the manager of the Italian Opera, and Signor Salvi, the tenor, in consequence of the postponement or abandonment of the pro- mised benefit on Monday. It is not our business to inquire the cause of so imprudent a step on the part of our cotemporaries., We can only congratulate Mareizek on his good duck, in having so good a chance of another ten thou- sand dollar verdict to make up for the loss of his benefit. Now thatthe Fry case has estab- lished the cost of operatio criticism, he will surely set to work without delay. The froops for California: DEPARTURE OF EIGHT COMPANIES OF THB THIRD RVGUMENT OF ARTILIBRY FOR SAN FRANCISCO— NAMES OF THE OFFICERS—DESCRIPTION OF THR STFAMFR SAN FRANCISCO, AND LIST OF HBR OFFICERS. 7 The beautiful new steamship Sam Francisco left port yesterday for Sam Francisco, he Straits of Ma- gellon, touching a Rio Janeiro, Valpsraiso, and Acapulco. She hed on board Companies A, 8, D, G, H, I, K, and L, of the Third Regiment of United states Artillery. These compsnies, with the nos-commissioned staff and band of the 1¢giment, constitute s force of about 690 mem _ Com- pinfes C and E are equipped as light ertillery, and sta- tioned at Fort Gibson, Cherokee Nation, and Fort Sael- lirg, lows, under the commands of Captain and Brevet Lieut. |. Bragg and Captain an? Brevet Major Sherman. Companies F and M, commanded by Captains Bartoa and Keyes, are now, and have been since 1848, stationed ia California, The following is a list of the officera and families who tailed im the San Francisco :~ Colonel Wm, Gates, commanding regiment. M jor ard Brevet Liset. Colonel J. M. Washington, Mejor Charles 8, Merchant. Burceon R 8. Satterlee. Acerstent Sorgeon H. R. Wirtz. First Liew L, Fremont, iegimentai Quartermaster and Acting ate First Lieut. J. Loever, Acting Arsiatant tere Capt. and Brevet Lieat Colone! M. Burke, comma: Company I. Capt. and Brevet Major George Taylor, commanding Cowpany A. ‘and Brevet Major F. 0. Wyse, commanding Com- Capt ny D. barf H. B. Ja¢d, commaniiog detachment of recruits to constitute Compsnies Bani L. First Lieut. and Brevet Captaia H. B, Field, command ing Company K. ¥irst Lieut, W. A. Winder, commandieg Company G. it. C. 8. Winder, con mandiog Company H. it. RK. H. Smith, Second Lieut. J. Van Voast, Brevet Second Lieut. J G. Chandler. Officerr familier.—Mrs. Gates aud three obildren, Miss Carter, Bre, Merebant ani two children, Mias Valeria Merchhp:, Mrs. Chase and son, Mrs. Fremont and three chiloren, Mrs. Loesor, Mise Exton, Mrs Taylor, Mea. Wyse ano obi d, Mre, Judd. Capt. J. W. T, Gardiner, First dragoons, to join his regi- ment in California, Lieut. F. K. Murray, U S. Navy, is passenger to Rio Janeiro, to jcin the rquadron on that etation, Mr. Geo. Aspinwall it alvo » passenger, who go2s out for the benefit of his heaith. The ‘ollowing is a list of the officers of the steamor:— inet, Commander. A. Aasuintick, Ist Bo ineor. elias, Ist officer. Jav. Faresworth, Ist do, ieatton, 2¢ do, Davia Danham, 24d Parton, 24 Jemex Orosy,” ad Donighaa, 3d do. » ©. Hoffmag, 3d do . seb ® magnificent ateamsiip ag Pau Peancleco @ few words concerning her will not appropriate here The ten Freociece, chep, was built by Merare, W. H On the Copy’ the be Aspinwall, for the Pacife Mail Steamél Company, and cost $860,000. Her constructor was, william Hy ‘Webb, ome of the most succsssful amd a4, pjished ships builders in thin city, under the immedia inspection of Commodore Kearney and Cuptain Bell, 4, oficers of the United States Navy, who, from titts time, ex4 pressed their views anc made their suggesti,, Captaia Shiddy, so long and £0 favorably known for , yauticad kill and practical knowledge, was also emp; by the goverkment to superintend in her construgy Bez model and outward appearance is very deaitul, ale though somewhat spoiled by guards, giving her. muots the appearance of @ sound or river steamer. Th is the first time, we believe, a government vessel bas by patig in this manner, which adds ro much to the com aaa eonvenience of passengers in a hot climate, at thyame time serving oll purposes for which she war origaig intended. Her spar, or hurrieane deck, extends her entiro levtig and breadth, giving a witer range for both deck ad cabin passengers than any vesse), perhaps, ever built Ke has a clipprr bow, perfectly plain, without ornament figure head of any kind; on the stern is her name in platy white letiers, She ia rigged with two master, carrying forerail, foretopsail, aad two jibs, with smoke pipes forward and aft. Hor internal arrangements were planned ectirely by Caytain Watkins, who commande her,’and who kuows the size and strength of every piece of timber and metal in her, The following are her dimexsions:— Length on ée Length of keel, Breadih of bee Depth of bulc and measures 3,000 tons, Hier frame is of the best Maryland oak, the natura} curve of the root, msde perfeatly solid fore and aft, and calked before planking. She has soven tier of kel« sons, three bilge or engine keleons, one of which ia placed directly over the keel and ends of the floor timbers, and fastened by bolts, binding the whole firmly together, She is Couble ironed, diagonally braced,forward snd aft, with plates let into the timbers inside runaing’ frons bilge to top. A large fron band runy round the sip upom the top of the timbers direct!y under the waterwaya, to which the diagonal plates are rivited. The plates are all bolted to the timbers and iiveted at each crossing, form- ing ‘a per'ect truss-work the whole length of the ship, keeping her from “hogging.” In order to give additions strength lengthwise, two bulkhords have b:en built fora and aft on either side of the engines and boilers, from the bottom of the thip to the second deck, secared to kelsons below and to beams and stringers, and under besms in both decks above. She is farther strengthened by letting inte this bulkhead Ecnble iron diagoazal braces, boltel to steunchions and keleons at the bottom, and stringers above under beams, This is an entirely new mode of fastening, never before introduced in any ship. She is plai with oak five inches thick, boltea edgewise and on face, copper fasten- ed and consesed to cep level line. The machinery is from the Morgan Iron Works and res fleots the highest credit upon the youngand entsrprising proprietors of that establishment. She has two power- ful engines of 1,000 horse power each, both working uj the same crauk, opposite each other. They are the “O;-cillating Engine,” and have been adopted by gev- ernment, ard will be ured hereafter in preference to ths side lever, as combining greater strength, less eom~ licated, less liable to accident, and cosupying less space.| 5 experiment is to be tried in the ventilation of the scenenle soe BEE =e do ace eis aeepeen The piace occuried by the firemen is ap ai t apartments! to bo cooled by means of machinery The wheels are twenty-eight feet im diemeter, ten feet face, Ave feet dip, and constructed upon a seientific prinei; Jat dizcoyervea in England, but never be‘ore introdi in this country. Itis called ‘ Morgan’s Eocentrio,” o the ‘feathering float,’ Vyicasleee & diffculty hes overcome long considered impractizable on account of be- ng too Cage lex for avy practical purpose, t ia well known that the resistance to the paddles at- ter passing an sogle of about 45 degrees ia very great. ‘This Gifficulty bas been overcome by means of binges, in- geniously coustructed, which must be seen to be under- #tood. Tt has been adopted and used sucsessfally by the West Incia Mail and Peninsular and Oriental ip Com- panies for three years. Upon each of ber whecl houses is nn elaborately carved Eee emblematic of the city after which she is named. The cabins and other internal srrangements were also planned and fitted up entirely by Captain Wa'king, to whom no higher complement could have been or one more Ceservedly conferred, than that by his brother officers in elt cting bim {* Commodore of the Pasitic Maid Searle CO eRS fleet.” His knowledge of the trade as enabled hic to introduce many important improve- mente, especialy in the mode of ventilation. Ske has sta'sroom sccommodation fer 350 cavin pas- sepgerr, and stesrage berths for 1,000, and may la: carry 1600. The upper ceck is cecupied exclusively by the officers of tho ship, Cn the deck below is the steerage quarters, water closets, store rcom, wash 1 ica house, porter’s yoo, cook’s rocm, barber's shop, kitchen, bakery, off cers? mee# room, ‘engine room, bath room, snd ladies? cabin, The ateteroome are very large, with twodoors, one openixg into the cabin, the other out upon a fina, apa- cicus walk on deck, whore ladies aud children may sit or promenade without beiog molested by passengers from other parts of the ship. The tops of the inside doors of the staterooms sre filigree work richly gilded, of the mot beautiful ‘ceceription, with the “Photix” in the cantre, formisg altogeiher the most chaste and geal aud at the same tine one of the ovolest, most air; del'ghtfal cabins we bave ever seen. The sty le of finish if of the Corirthi ler, face work pure white and gold: ‘The staterooms are carpeted with Stewart’s b-rt velvet tapestry. The cabins sre covered with oilcloth. The cabinet work is oak, black walnut and ronswood, 6o- vered with velvet plush, fom J. W. Southacs’s, Broad. way. Each stateroom bas three berths, rofe lounge marble top washstand, washbowl, mirror, life preservers, and infact #1 the lusuries of a modera hotel. There are also three or four large double ststeroor s for families, and a “bridal reom,” furnished an@ fitted up with all the taste and elegance of » Metropolilan or a St. Nicholas, This cabin has hot and‘cold water bathe for Indies, Below is the gentlemon’s enbin, less costly furnished, but none the Jes comfortable, Instead of the old-fashioned “dead lights,” whic were too small to admit of light and air, windows, twelve by eight en inches, have been introduced, keeping the rooms cool and —— who have sufiered on beard of crowded ships in a hoi climate will sppresiate such a loxury. The ond of this cabin ia in the form of « semicircle, furaished with mirrors. tete- a-tetes, clroular sofas of rosewood, covered with figured damask, one of Chickering’s best pianofortes, answer- inw all the ptr; oses of a drawing room, On one side is the ladies’ toilet, om the other the eteward’s room. This osbin is used for the dining room, and will dine. about two hundred at a time. The tab’es are black walnut extension, with railroad reats, covered with crimson plush. One aide of ihe engire room fs the pantry, filled with the finert Shef- field and silver wale, and adjcixing is the wine and stare- room, where is kept any quantity of crockery acd glass ware, Forward the engine is the cabin and staterooms of the second class paseengore, which are very cool and com. fortable. These staterocms are not furnished oes as wellas the staterooms aft, but the passengers mess at the same table and pay a less price. Further forward are accommodations for female steerage passengers, with a female attendant. This is a step in the progross of civili- zation which we sre giad haa at last been taken. We have oe ows, ly seen por but ete females on ships, asd on beard cf our sound and river eteamers, crowd- ed into the toreeactie with drunken sailors and all classes, or stand sbivering ali night ia thecold. Thiv has been avoided on board the San Franetsco, as also bave many other dissgreeables eo frequently found in oosan steamers, Her ence in the Pasific will so deubt be heiled with great sstisfsotion by all having occasion te travel be- © San Francisco and Panama. £ Jehn Mite? cl and the Broadway Theatre. Mr. Mitohel jcopted an invitation of Mr Marshall to attend the Broadway theatre this evening, accom: panied by his family amd such friends as he may think proper to bring with him, to witness the performanee of Mr. C.llirs, A private box has been placed at his disposal, Jersey City Intelligence. Bvngox Covaty Gourm.—Tny December term of the Hudson County Cireult Court and Court of Oyer and Term iner, was opened on Tussdsy morning, Chisf Justice - Haines presi The Grend Jury vas swora ard charged by the Chief Justice ia an able manner. In the course of charge he apoke of the late paioful aecident on the New York and Krie Railroad, by which two per- sons lost their lives and others were severely Meee He reminded the jury of tle groat responaibl of all ie counected with raiiroaas, from tne of heir com) down to the humblest employe upon the road; an’ e of their lability to indictment and punishment for any neglect which they may be guilty of vo the injury of pessongers, Yestercay Emanuel Morse and John Williams were tried and found guilty of the charge of picking the poeket of Mra, Elizabeth Key, of Lancaster, Ohio, in Sep- tember last, at the Jersey ily ferry. Fins —Two stables, standing at the foot of Hudson street, near the Morris eanal, were burned at four o’elock yesterday morniog. One horse and two mules were oon- rumed. The stables belonged to Mr. Kline, and the avimals were owned by canalmen, The fire took from a stove ina small liquor shop, which ocupied @ portion one of the stable tuileinge” ‘pa . The Preseott House Hat Store —Knox, the indomitable and indofatig sble—the bost manufacturor in the Unitod Sta a opular ctowning glory of ell the upper ter doxn, is in demsnd in that quarter of the al just nt thie potiod, when the holidays sre approaching. a he young bucks, and the mos: lonabloot our oftizonny have spoken ahead for KNOX’S: te: ee splendid hate, and yet shore 1} at KNOX'S'colebrated ment, No, 128 Volto: stroot. The Crayon Picture, taken by Root, ts ae knowledged to be the most porfeed ching evor yet invented, dhe cy, the expreesion—everything is perfoo. See them ab No. 4s Lroadw SctineWs Degeerreotypes, In Colors, 313 Arondway, corny of Eniton strect, noar Barnuin's usoum, Fear), papi he, inintd, Turkey, emborsed, Frengh and American 1 cokets, ot every description, suitable for moliday ari oat door to Barnum’s Museum,