The New York Herald Newspaper, February 21, 1854, Page 4

A ——— NEW YORK HERALD. —_—~- JAMES GORDON BENNETT. PROPRIETOR AND KDiiOK @PPION x. W. COBNBE OF FULTON .*D NASSAU STB. TERMS cash in advance THE DAILY HERALD i cents per, copy 87 per annum THE WEEKLY HERALD mere Saturday A fs, ont uropean Tram to any p ert ay Great Firkinin, ‘and 8 to any part of the to incluce postage, ALL LETTE: il fo iona or swith Adver- ALE LETTERS by mail for rage will be deducted from JOB SeNTiNe executed with neatnet, cheayness, and ay ~ AMUSEMENTS THiS BVENIN BOWGRY THXATRE, Bowery—Unoim Tom's Oasm. BROADW:Y THEATRE, ~omy—A Mipsu we eR Wie BURTON'S THEATRE, Chambere strect—A Museum 's tome Kicur’s Dazam—Ovun Bust foorery. WATIONAL TFHBATRE. Chatham stress Iewrie Kary - Svening- Uneim Tom’s Canin. WALLACK’S THRATRE, Broadway—Exxxorive -Temr- ‘TATION. AMERICAN MUSBUM—Afternoon - Hor Conn - vening ~ Ouv Fouxs ar Home. BROADWAY MEVAGERIE—Staxcos Twins snp Wie 3B ass. CMRISTY’S AMERICAN OPARA HOUSE, £71 Prost: way-—Brmorian MeLovras sy Cunisry's Mixeraars. WOOD'R MINBTRBLS—Wood's Kinsirel Hall, 444 Broad war OPIAN MansrR RLsy. ‘OXLEY’S OPERA HOUSE, 539 saway-Brom savtelbvasseas Grass Eooen Be BANVARD'S GEORAMA, 69 Broadway—Panonsua ov tas Hexy Lann. RHBWISH GALUBRY , 669 Broadway—Day and Bvenine S:tONOR BLITZ—frov GB Broat- was. LL; 963 Broadway--Pranam’s Girt Bx- wrevrons Oy Tews Sxven Mice MiRROR, ‘¥WsN GA'LERY OF CHRISTIAN ART--43 Broad Inerrrerts, New York, Tucaday, Web 21, 185: Malls for Europe. SUR WEW YORK HERALD—EDITION FOR EUROPE. Imcomsequence © the Africa running aground she will Rot be able to carry the Evropran wails on Wednesday, @s advertised. The mails wil! be taken by the America, from Boston. They will close at a quarter to three Abie afternoon. The Wasxty Heesip (pritted in French and Eagiish) will be published at half-past nine o’clock this mora- img. Sing'e copies, in wrappers, sixpence. Bubscripticcs and advertisements for any edition of the ‘Rew Yorx Huntp will be received at the following p’acee i Europe :— Mavenroo1.. John Hunter, No 2 Paradise street. Loupon ....Edwar's, Sendford & Oo., No. 17 Corabill. Wm. Thomas & Co., No. 19 Catherine atrest. 0 , 8 Place de la Bourse. OUR AGENTS IN PARIS, FRANCS. ‘We beg leave to state to our readers snd patrons in Pacts, and Europe generally, that Mr. B. H Revoil, 17 Bae de la Banque, Paris, is no longer connected with the Sew Yorx Hxnstp, either as correspondent or agent. Messrs. Livingston & Wells, 8 Place de ls Bourse, aro our only sgents in Paris, both for advertisements and subscriptions. The News. The details of the important European news con- tained in our files by the Baltic are given this morning. We have extracted from our London and Paris cotemporaries the articles which most fally exhibit the feeling existing upon the war question in Doth capitals. The return of the combined fleets feom the Blaek Sea to Constantinople is noticed, and the opinion of the Ambassaders in that city upon the movement published. The intelligence will be found very varied and interesting, and most usefal for a Proper understanding of the exciting events which preceeded the Buropean crisis. A full report of the inxportant debate which took place in the English House of Lords on the war ques- tion and policy of England will also be fouad in our colamns. Despite the warlike tenor of the foreign news, was @ marked improvement in the prices of in Wall street yesterday, and the transactions ‘were large. Great firmness was imparted to cotton, but the markets for breadstuffs were unsettled, and fhe business in flour light. Common brands were sold at $8 37 2 $8.50, showing an actual decline on Baturday’s rates of about 25 cents per barrel. The news, with the advance in freights, depressed corn, and sales on Change were reported as low as 92 eents per bushel for new. Wheat was dull and nominal. Room to Liverpool was scarce, and at the lose 18d. to 20d.-was demanded for corn, 5s. for fiour, and jd. for compressed cotton. ‘A Dill for the establishment of three Indian terri- tories west of Arkansas was introduced in the United States Senate yesterday. It proposes to en courage and promote the civilization of the abori- gies, in order that they may eventually become citi zens and be admitted to the right of self-govern- ment. A motion to consider a bill specially making appropriations for the improvement of the outlets of the Mississippi river was defeated. Various petitions against the Nebraska bill were presented, and upon going into the consideration of that measure Mr. Pettit took the floor and examined the subject in all its length and breadth, from the time Moses received the Supreme order to exterminate the Canaanites to the higher taw days of Wm. H. Seward. He showed that no two races ever existed under the same govern ment, in any clime, without one being subeervient to fhe other. The enactment of laws might piace men on 8 political equality ; but s higher power ordained fhat they should not be equal, either mentally ot socially, morally or physically. He contended that slavery tended to berefit the negro and injare his master. Congress pad no right to either legis late slavery into cr out of Territories; that cight be- Jonged exclusively to the people, as much so as the right to establish any other laws for their govern- ment. His language was blunt, straightforward, ‘and cannot be misunderstood. It will be a bitter @ose for the abolitionists to swallow. Gen. Cass had a few words to soy concerving bis celebrated Nichol- son letter. Mr. Sumner, the Massachusetts free- woiler, will speak to-day. ‘The House of Representatives passed the Senate bill for the extension of the pre-emption privilege to settlers on unsurveyed lands in Califorzia. The previous act of Congress om this subject only extends ‘tll next month, and were It not rtmewed a large number of people would be seriously incommoded and permanent settlement: for the time being would ccoase. In alluding to this matter Mr. Latham stated that many years must elapse before all the lends in that Sta‘e can be surveyed. Of over ninety-three million acres only about twenty-two million can be eultivated. Fifty-two million acres are mineral lands, and of the remainder nineteen million cannot be irrigated, and are therefore unfit for farming purposes, Basinees relating to Territorial affairs was made the special order for three days in the second week of March. The Land Committee reported adversely to the UM gronting bounty lands to the officers, soldiers, end éaflors who verved in the last war with Ragland 04 in the Indian wars. It is asserted that about three hundred thousand persons are interested ia bill, and should it pass it will require eighty- three million acres of land to satisfy their claims ‘The House went into committee on the Free Farm bill, and, as usual, a desultory debate followed. Mersrs. Noble and Keitt argued the tonnage duty question, and Mr. Ewing defended the memory of Henry Clay with regard to the Missouri compro: mise. He showed that Mr. C. was neither the author of the act nor a member of the house in which it was originally introduced. ‘The snow storm had the effect of almost entirely @uspending railroad travelling in this part of the gountry ‘yesterday. This was very discouraging to ‘the firemen ot the city, who turned out in large nam bers to welcome their brethren of the Baltimore Vi- gilant Company by a torchlight procession. The Jatter did not arrive till near midnight. The mai! grain from Philadelphia hal not arrived at the time wt Paper was sent to press this morning. At two resdway—Domzetic Koo- Dean. ~Afverncon— London papers, that the Czar was becoming crazy under the combined influence of ambition and fanaticism, and that he believed himself in- spired with a divine mission, in which he might safely undertake a crusade against-all the ne tions of the world. for the audacity and insolence that characterise this project by any other hypothesis short of hopeless insanity, for it not only renews in stronger terms than ever, all his original de- mands upon Turkey, but it seeks to reduce the German Powers to a condition of subjec- tion to his will little short of vassalage. Had he been trying to devise one proceeding more likely than another to wound the pride and arouse the independant feelings of the govern- ments to which it was addressed, he could not “combined he would have been the scourge and o'clock the storm was still ragiag with great violence and the wind was piling up snow drifts in every dt rection- Both branches of the State Legislature were most- | ly occupied yesterday in hearing reports upon bills, kc. The details possess little interest. A train on the Naugatuck railroad ran off the | track into the river, near Seymour, Conn., yester: | day. James Marsh, the engineer, was killed. The steamboat James Niles sunk in the Falls of | the Ohio river at Louisville yesterday, and it is | feared that many of the persons on board were | drowned. : The Board of Aldermen met last evening, but ad- journed at six o'clock, to attend the dinner given at the Metropolitan Hotel by the Board of Councilmen. The Board passed a resolution concarring with the Board of Councilmen for an appropriation of $2,500 to celebrate Washington's Birthday, to-mor- Tow, and appointed a committee of five to make the necessary arrangements. The Board of Supervisors also met last evening, but, in consequence of the ab- sence of both the Recorder and the Mayor, no busi- ners was transacted. In the case of James Saunders, charged with hav. ing been a participant in the Fourth of July riot, and whote trial in the Court of General Sessions has now lasted a week, the counsel for the defence pro- ceeded to sum up the evidence at 10} A.M. yesterday, and continued addressing the jury antil 54 P.M, The District Attorney afterwards commenced summing up the testimony for the prosecution, but did not con. sume quite so much time as the gentleman who pre- ceded bim, At the close of the argument on both sides, it being rather late in the evening, the Court adjourned for the day. At 10 o’clock this morning the Recorder will deliver his charge to the jury, who will, so doubt, render their verdict at an early hour. Captain Watkies, late commander of the unfor tunate steamship San Francisco, arrived in the city yesterday. The News from E whe Contemplated Cougress at Brusseis. The intelligence brought by the Baltic yester- day developes no new facts with which rumor had not already acquainted us; but it confirms offictally most of the statements whlch our pre- vious European advices enabled us to lay be- fore our readers. On the 6th, in reply to iater- pellations put to him by the Marquis of Clanri- earde, Lord Clarendon stated in the House of Lords that the proposals, or rather ‘the counter project,” presented to the court of Vienna on the part of the Emperor of Russia, through the medium of Count Orloff, had been formally rejected by the representatives of the Four Powers, and that there was no reason to suppose that fresh negotiations would be re- newed. The details of this project, as given in the ministerial organ, the London Times, surpass in extravagance the previous ideas that had been formed of their character, They would almost go to establish the truth of the information conveyed a short time since in the St. Petersburg correspondence of one of the latest despatches from Vienna, in another, nary of our paper, that this project of Lord ' pyimer- ston’s is already in serious contem” istion, and that Brussels is spoken of as the probable seat of it. To give full effect to ‘4g objects, howe- ver, the Czar must be fst brought to his senses, and then forced to be a party to it. Willing or unwilling “he must eventually come to this. The spirit of the age and the interests of humanity demand that some effectual re- straints shall be imposed upon dangerous ambi- tions like his. he Nebraska Question, and the Campaign for 1856—Reconst: uction ef Parties. The introduction ofthe Kansas-Nebraska bill into the Senate, involving the repeal ofthe Mis souri compromise, is equivalent to breaking ground for the Presidential campaign of 1856. Itis rather early thus openly and boldly to commence operations for the succession; but the number of ambitious cliques’ and aspirants for the control, for the next Presidential term, of the sixty millions a;year.of the public plunder, admits of no delay,in arranging the programme. The first effects of this Nebraska bill upon the old effete political parties and factions, are won- derful, and strikingly significant of a thorough reconstruction of the party organizations of the country for the next general contest. Granted that the object of Mr. Douglas in the introduc- tion of his bill, was to get the inside track in the South, the efforts of the President, and the Cabinet, and other democratic contestants, es- pecially of the North, to keep pace with ‘the Little Giant,” are exceedingly amusing. While there was a hope to stave off this repeal of the unconstitutional Missouri restriction, the spe- cial organ of the President and Cabinet at Washington struggled hard to avoid it ; but upon discovering that Douglas was resolved to risk the experiment, with the bit in his teeth, the President, the Cabinet, and their organ, witha ludicrous display of mock enthusiasm rueh into the arena and proclaim themselves the godfathers of the bill. It is, perhaps, not a violent stretch of fancy to assume that Gen. Pierce, Mr. Marcy and Gen. Cushing, all Northern men, and all tinc- tured more or lees with the antecedents of freesoilism and the Buffalo platform, are can- didates for the succession. In other words, if there should be another juggling Baltimore Democratic National Convention, and if such convention, through some extraordinary pres- sure of party necessities, should renominate Gen. Pierce, or fall back upon Cushing or Macy, we think it highly probable that either of them may be persuaded to run. But as there is no probability of the nomination of aay Northern man by the national democracy who is not regarded by the South as perfectly sound upon the negro question, the necessity, and we may say the duty, of the administra- tion candidate to keep at least even with Douglas in behalf of the constitutional rights of the South, is manifest. Hence the amusing rivalry between the remarkable energy of Douglas and the sudden mock enthusiasm of the Cabin t and the Cabinet organ, for a repeal ofthe Missouri compromise as fast as possible, We are obliged to confess, however, that the administration, thus far, have been making very little headway in the confidence of the South. The “Searlet letter” and other free soil and anti-slavery antecedents of Gen. Pierce, the extraordinary political gyrations of Cushing, the free soil, soft shell affiliations of Marcy, and the free soil spoils system of the cabinet, are dead against them all. On the other hand, the late correspondence between Col. Clemens of Alabama, and John Van Buren, against the bil! of Dotglas, at the split in Tammany Hall on the soft—very soft—resolutions giving a quasi endorsement to the bill, foreshadow a mic- chievous rebellion against the administration from the Van Buren free soil faction, without the slightest advantage gained with the inflex- ible hards of the Stuyvesant Institute. Thus the administration party in New York is al- ready reduced, upon this Nebraska bill, from a mere faction to a fraction of the Van Buren clique, with no assurances and no promises of any equivalent gained, or likely to be gained, in the South. All this is ominous of thickening disasters to the powers that be. In fact, whether the bill is passed this session or defeated, it is but an engine of mischief against the administration. Upon either horn of the dilemma it must be tossed into the ditch. The noisy advocacy by the Cabinet organ at Washington, of the Missouri repeal, will not suffice to restore the lost confidence of tNe South; but it has done exough to sacrifice the harmeny of the Cabinet party ofthe North. The Evening Post and the Albany -ft/as, and their satellites, control a detachment of our free soil democracy suffi- cient to apply, if required, against Pierce, Mar- cy or Cushing, the decisive defection of 1848 against Gen. Cass. In this view, the delicate question presents itself whether the particular object of Douglas in this business was to steal a march upon the Administration, or to em- ploy his bill as an infernal machine for blowing the whole establishment into the air. The only prominent hold-over democratic candidate four the succession, from the South, who has takea ground against the proposed re- peal of the Missouri restriction is Gen. Houston of Texas. Having but little Southern political capital outside of Texas, he is naturally dest- rous of a substantial foothold in the North; and their treachery. It will be a of policy if they can suffocate the bill without incurring the responsibility of detection. Among the dislecated fragments of the late national whig party, the effects of this Ne- braska bill have been still more decisive than among the disorganized democracy. The whig Senators from the South are unanimous for the repeal—the whig Senators from the North are unanimous against it, The split is clean aod complete. The national whig party is thus favorably divided into two great sectional di- visions by Mason and Dixon’s line at the Ohio river. The Northern division is tending to a fusion—Webeter men, Fillmore men, Scott men: and Seward men—upon Seward and his plat- form. The Southern division is adrift. No man has attempted to steer between these two di- visions, without sacrificing either side, except Mr. Everett; but he opposes the repeal, and that fixes his position. Here, then, we have distinctly foreshadowed aNorthern candidate for the Presidency—W. H. Seward—upon anti-slavery principles, and sustained by a powerful Northern party. On the other hand, the democracy North and South are torn to fragments, the administra- tion is fast becoming powerless, and the South- ern whig party is afloat upon the waves. If this state of things does not result in a recon- struction of parties for 1856, and a batch of new candidates for the Presidency in a general serub race, we are egregiously mistaken. Yet the unconstitutionality of the Missouri compromise has been formally raised in the Senate; the issue must be met, and short of a final settlement, upon the basis of the constitu- tion, there will be no peace. Whatever may have been the object of Douglas in introducing this proposed repeal, we care pot; nor do we care whether it kille him or cures him politi- cally. Whatever may be the blessings or the moral and social evils of Southern slavery, it is useless to inquire. We have nothing to do with them. They are outside of the question. Whatever may be the damages or disasters to the administratian, is a small consideration. The measure proposes to take the question of free soil or slavery out of Congress, and to turn it over to the people of the States, where it be- longe. Before this important act is accom- plished, or after its. accompliishment the old disorganized, demoralized and effete political parties of the day, and their schemes for the succession, may be scattered to the winds; and from their ruins new candi- dates and new parties may arise. There may be a fierce political agitation, far and wide, ter- rible to mousing politicians and fatal to the spoilemen ofthe day; but the question is up—it must be met, and] before there can be peace, or eafety to the Union, it must be settled. There is nopeace, no safety to the South or to the Union, but in that common ark of safety, the Constitution. Let the work go on. Tue Procress oF THE Power Printixo Press.—Within the last twenty-five years there has been no improvement in any branch of the mechanic arte, of such vital importance as those which have taken place in the printing press, From the period of the last continental wars in Europe, up to the year 1826, the public desire for news had increased to such an extent that the London Times, which had become the lead- ing journal of Europe, through its great enter: and facilities for farnishing early Ioforma- tion to the public, had reached a demand for its issue which it was impossible to supply by the means then at its command—which were I'mited to the ordinary hand printing press of that day—and was compelled to seek other means to obviate the diffieulty under which they labored in publishing their paper. Libe- ral offers were made to mechanics for the con- struction of a press that would afford increased facilities, and enable them successfully to sup- ply the public want. In pursuance of these offers, several presses were invented, the most practicable of which was that of Napier; and this for a time was able to meet the emergency. After a while the Napier was found inadequate to the ever-increasing circulation, and fresh efforts were made to invent a press that would enable the Times to sustain itself as the lead- ing journal in Europe. The result of these endeavors was the invention of the Great West- ern pres, the best one ot the day, and which was thought incapable of further improvement, but has since been superseded. In America, about 1829, an improvement was made in the Napier press by Robert Hoe, father of the present firm of Hoe & Co., which render- ed it adequate to the wants of the newspaper press of the United States at that period, and was oapable of working fifteen hundred copies per hour. This was followed by the Wells press, the Adams, the Tuft, and several others which proved failures in daily newspaper work. The independent press coming into existence in 1833, gave @ new impetus to newspaper journalism ; and the rapid sales of the cheap independent cash papers, soon threw the “ old fogy” journals into the shade, as they were found utterly incapable of printing the number of papers demanded by the progressive spirit of the age. American ingenuity was then taxed to construct a suitable press; and in 1835 Col. Richard M. Hoe invented a deuble cylinder press, capable of printing about three thousand sheets an hour, which was exhibited at the fair It is difficult to account bave hit upon a happier expedient. It is fortu- nate for the interests of humanity that God, in endowing him with ambition, has denied him reason and judgment, for with these attributes terror of the human race. The decisive attitude which these arrogaut pretensions have at length determined the gov- ernments of Austria and Prussia to assume, re“ moves, as we observed yesterday, all grounds for serious apprehensions as to the peace of Europe being for any length of time se- riously compromised by this modern Tamer- lane. Immense as are his resources, they will be found scarcely adequate to protect his own frontiers against the hosts of enemies that his insane ambition is conjuring up. Between the Turks and Circassians in the South, the Austri- ans and Prussians in the West, and the allied fleets menacing his coasts both in the Baltic and the Black Seas, he will find sufficient to oc- cupy his attention without dreaming of fur ther projects of aggression. Caged like some ferocious beast in his den, he may beat agajnat the bars that hem him in; but he will be no longer in a position to inspire apprehension. As his safe-keeping may, however, prove costly, some other means must be resorted to to render him for the future impotent and harmless. The gigantic strides which the Power of Russia has been making for the last century ard a half, and the projeéts of conquest and aggrandisement which she ‘has developed in her encroachments upon the Tarkish Empire, have long occupied the attention of European states- men, and aroused them to the necessity of op- posil% some effectual obstacle to her designs. Owing to the generally astute character of her policy, and the diversity of interests that have hitherto actuated the other European Powers, no favorable opportunity for carrying out this dea has presented itself until now. The obstinacy. or rather the madness, of Nicholas, by isolating him from all political sym- ‘ 4 held at Castle Garden in that year. This press pathy and support, has at length cre- We ee Oe ee Sysutaay, appe came into general use, and continued so for 9 ‘ on the ground that his opposition to the repeal 5 Sted hes | opporcanitys: ead tb ae) eae was limited to its alleged violations of treaties caer ween, in 1515, the Naw Yous likely that the other governments whose Heratp, which had outstripped its competitors with the Indians, the fact that he opposed the bill upon any ground may prove to be catirely satisfactory to the North. It is a dexterous illustration of political hair-splitting, only equalled by the logician of Hadibras, Ms —— Who would a bair divide Belween its pou'h acd southwest sids, Still, we are fearful that among some of the shoals or quicksands which lie under the sur- face of the great constitutional issue involved in the bill before the Senate, the distinguished candidate from Texas will be swamped. It is, at all events, manifest that upon this constiiutional issue the Administration cannot recover the South nor the North, nor the scat- tered fragments of the democratic party—mani- fest thatdn the scramble for the succession, the Cabinet and the Administration will be broken down, without any very anxious efforts in any quarter to save them. The spoils of office are substantially divided, and among all the out- siders of all factions, the grand game is for a new division in 1856. Hence a reconstruction of the loose materials of the democracy is in- evitable. At the expiration of his four years General Pierce will most probably be left as high and dry as Captain John Tyler. The Nebraska question is developing the whole interests and tranquillity are endangered by his folly will hesitate to avail themselves of it. With the sagacity and breadth‘of views that have generally speaking, distinguished his foreiga po licy, Lord Palmerston has long siace foreseen the crisis at which matters must arrive, and he bas prepared for it by framing the only politi- cal scheme by which the overgrown power of Russia can be effectually checked, and the peace of Europe secured. In his project of a general Congress of sovereign Powers, he seeks only to enlarge the basis and to supply the defects which forty years experience of the celebrated compact of Vienna have rendered apparent. The treaty to which that conference gave rise was not sufficiently comprehensive and liberal in its scope to include the weaker interests that were incidentally affected by it, and it has consequently failed to give permanent effect to its objects. In the broader scheme of Lord Palmerston the inte- rests of the weaker powers will be as strictly consulted as those of the stronger, and they will be secured by the general guarantee. In other words, the treaty which is to be the re- sult of the successful execution of this project will be a sort of general bail bond, in which the governments of Europe will contract for the | plot. The boisterous support of the bill by the future to keep the peace towards each other, Cabinet organ betrays their apprehensions, and It will be found, on reference to one of the } justifie: the most watchfal precautions against in cireulation and influence, finding it neces- sary to have the speed of the press increased contracted with Col. Hoe for two, capable of runving off five thousand copies each per hour. The Henan, however, being progressive in the fullest extent of the term, soon found these presses inadequate, and a further demand was made on the inventive genius of Col. Hoe, who in 1847 invented his celebrated four cylinder rotary press, which has since been further im- proved upon, until it now reaches eight cylin- ders, and is capable of working fifteen thousand copies per hour. Still, however, these presses do not afford sufficient facilities for the daily increasing demand for the New Yorx Hexan, and we have been compelled to ask for still greater speed in the printing press. Last autumn, on our retura from Europe, we made known our wants to the public, calling upon inventors for further aid to supply subscribers: Among those inventors who called upon us was Mr. Wilkinsen. the inventor of a press called by him “The Endless Sheet Printing Press,” which he stated he had invented fifteen years ago, but had only now been able to bring it be- fore the public,owing to some difficulties in which he had been involved. Upon an examination of this press, we found it one of great merit, and eminently suitable for all papers except the New York Herarp. This press, as its name ly stroke | would indicate, prints an endless dhe’, ; Tus Caupen anp Auso Movoroty.—We re- cides, which at proper intervals is cut to the re- | Selif vee that a movement is being made in quisite size, by a machine adapted to the purpose. The simplicity of the press is truly astonishing, and the economy of working it is an item of great importance in a pecuniary point of view— @ispensing with feeders and fly-boys. It is capable of working ten thousand copies an hour, and would be just the thing for a weekly newspaper. For the New York Heratp, how- ever, it is entirely unsuitable, from the fact of the difficulty of the make-up of the type, in- volving s loss of time when every moment is of importance ; as, for instance, on the arrival of the steamship Baltic yesterday morning, we were compelled to alter our forms to put in news. By Wilkimson’s system of adjusting type on a cylinder, this would have been utterly im- possible, and the public would have been de- prived of the latest intelligence from Europe at a moment whea all are- anxiously awaiting news from the seat of war, and the very. latest reports of the state of the markets, An im- provement could, however, be made, by plac- ing the type lengthwise on the cylinder, in- stead of around it, as at present, which would allow the use of type as now made. Cotemporaneously with Mr. Wilkinson, Col. Hoe and Mr. Taylor are engaged in perfecting presses which they think will answer the wants of the public, and will, in a short time, com- plete them. We are unable to express any opinion as to their merits, but hope they will meet the expectations of the inventors, aad afford increased facilities for the extension of the newspaper press in America. Tne Rvsstan AGENTS AND THEIR MISSION TO tus Counrry.—Considerable excitement has been created by the publication of the reports which have been current during the last few days, in relation to the mission of certain agents of the Russian government at present in this city. The reports were to the effect that these agents had been sent to this country by the Czar. for the express purpoee of contracting with some of our ship-builders to construct a number of privateers, and have them fitted out and manned at the most available points on our At- lantic coast. All these reports and rumors we published in yesterday’s Heratp; but desiring to ascertain the facts, if any there were, upon which they were based, we have madéinquiries in the proper quarters, and find that there is very little foundation for the statements. Mr. Webb, it was said, had received an order from the Czar to build a number of screw propellers, and several Russian officers had been sent here to superintend their construction. It is true that Mr. Webb had contracted to build one vessel. and it is true that these officers have come here to superintend the building of that ship ; but the rest of the account we believe was invented by some fertile imagination. The vessel to be built by Mr. Webb will be a line-of-battle ship of ninety guns, and is designed as a model for others which the Emperor. intends to have built. The contract was made some time last summer, but the keel has not yet been laid. The Russian agents, whose presence here has caused such amexcitement, are Sokoloff, engi- neer, and Greenwald and Therstein, naval con- structors. They arrived about two weeks ago, and are staying at present at the Astor House. It was reported that there were se- veral other Russian agents here besides these; but we are now told that there ts n0 truth whatever in the statement. Of this, how- ever, we shall know more hereafter, But it is hardly probable that. Nicholas, inform. ed as he doubtless has been by his minister of the character of our political institutions and our people, would engage in an enterprise of this kind. He must know that the sympathies and feel- ings of our citizens would ina war like that now going on in Europe, be with the people and againsthim; and that it would be impossible to fit out privateers here in opposition to the popu- lar will. Besides, our government would inter- fere to prevent any armed vessels leaving our ports for such a purpose. There may, however, be some truth in the statement that the English government has agents here to offer bounties on all the sailors—Englieh, Irish and Scotch—that can be induced to take service in her navy; but none whatever in the report that the agents of Russia had received orders to pick up all the adventurers that were willing to enlist in the Russian service as privateers. Those denomi- nated adventurers are European refugees, who entertain the most deadly animosity to the prin- ciples upon which the Russian government is based, and who would do all in their power to overthrow it. There is, therefore, we believe, no truth in the reports which have been circu- lated in relation to the designs of the Russian agents here. Tue Reroners aT a Fere.—Last night one of the most extraordinary affairs of this extra- ordinary city took place at the Metropolitan Hotel. The new reform Councilmen gave a splendid dinner to themselves, to the Alder- men, and to several other persons, and, as they informed our reporters, paid for it themselves— paid for it from their private fonds—and they do net intend to bring in a bill against the people for the six hundred dollars which the Mesers. Leland will require from somebody for the edibles, drinkables and smokeables con- sumed on this interesting occasion. That Councilmen should do this will seem singulas to many of the readers of the Heravp, and it ean only be explained by these facts: The Councilmen, by the amended charter, are invest- ed with the control of all the moneys of the city : the acts which require any expenditure mon originate with them. Now, the reformers can- not consistently indulge in a “tea room.” They gave a dinner to Captain Crighton a short time since, and there has been some growling, and there will be more about the two hundred dollars to pay this bill. Therefere they indulge the Aldermen with this dinner, and, rather than forego the pleasure of meeting each other and making speeches to each other, they were fain to give this dinner, and pay for it themselves. If all this is true, it is the most remarkable affair that we have ever known in the munici- pal history of the city of New York, and the Council should cause a report—say the Hn- RALp’s report of it—to be “entered upon the record.” There was a great deal eat, a great deal drank at this dinner. Among other things the President pledged himself that the streets of the city should be cleaned before next spring. The District Attorney read the Councilmen a lecture upon thefr duties, and animadverted severely against the obstructions in the streets caused by building materials. . Altogether, the /éte at the Metropolitan Hotel wos a most interesting affair, and the magnanimity of its originatorsdeserves a great deal of praise. They ate, they dravk, they were merry, and they eay that they intend to pay the bills. New Jersey 6 Yedst “iit uefarious bill mow. pending hari hag Senate of that State for We extension monopoly of the Camden and Amboy Railroad and Delaware and Raritan Canal Companies. The meeting held at New- ark on Saturday was large and enthasiastic; and the tenor of the resolutions so ‘decided, that the Senate can hardly pass the bill presented by the railroad agents without exposing themselves toa very unenviable degree of public odium, Indeed, without waiting for an open expression of opinion from the people of New Jersey, any Senator, endowed with ordinary common might safely have made up his mind that do- cility to Commodore Stockton, in this instance would be fatal rebellion against the wishes og his constituents, and absolute contempt of the interests of the State. A monopoly such as that exercised by the united companies needs no acute analysis to expose its danger. For near a quarter of a century the Camden and Amboy Railroad Company have enjoyed a monopoly ot carrying passengers across the State of New Jersey. By the terms of their charter the State bound itself not to permit the construction of any road for the carriage of goods and passengers across New Jersey, that. could compete with the Camden and Amboy line. Moet tenaciously has the company in- sisted on the literal fulfilment of this privilege They have prevented the construction of a road through the heart of the State to Delaware Bay, and of every road which could divert the smallest fraction of traffic from their own line. The only road they have suffered the State to charter have been feeders for the Camdea and Amboy road. Whenever an application has been made for a road that would not thus serve their purpose, the united companies took the field at once with an indignant protest, and hitherto they have never failed in their efforta to defeat it. By pursuing this policy steadily for a period of some twenty odd years, they have succeeded in reducing the State of New Jersey to the condition in which we now sea her, and in building up for themselves princely fortunes. They have prevented internal im- provements and enlightened agriculture, done what they could to cripple the splendid resour- ces with which New Jersey was endowed by nature, and render her name proverbial for backwardness, inertia, and sluggishness. In compensation for these injuries, the Camden and Amboy Railway Com car = gers eighty-eight miles for rg dollaee being nearly at the rate of three-and-a-half cents per mile, little short of double the average rate levied by other Northern railroads. Add to this that their road is one of the woret managed in the North, that stoppages at Amboy are now becoming quite trequent, and that passengers complain bitterly of the incivility and mal- treatment they experience at the hands of the employes. eze are the facts on which the Legislature of New Jersey is called upon to base its judg- ment on the application of the united com- panies. That application is that the monopoly they now enjoy may be prolonged from the period of its expiration to the year 1889. In oth- er words this leviathan concern demands that it be secured in its despotic sway over New Jersey for forty-five years more : that for forty - five years, New Jersey renounce all the benefits of progress and advancement, while all her sister States are progressing and advancing around her ; that for forty-five years, travellers between New York and Philadelphia be taxed double the rates charged by other railways; that for forty-five years, the interests of the State and its neighbors be entirely sacrificed to the aggrandizing propensities of the share- holders im this avaricious concern. If the State refuses this bargain, the company offers to sell out their road at the market price of the stock, That is now selling at something like fifty per cent premium ; and should there be a prospect of the State purchasing, the holders could readily raise it to near a hundred. So impa@dent a proposal has seldom beer made to any Legislature. Long experience of submiesion has accustomed our friends in New Jersey to insult, and taught them weakness. A. few weeks will show whether this Christian virtue will induce them to submit to the last offer of the united companies, or whether, for once, they will prefer the interests of the State to those of a moneyed monopoly, refuse the extension of the charter and assume the road at 2 acm of the present charter at cost Secretary Marey’s Spuenpi Lerrer on Our Foreicn Poricy—Wuar’s To BE Dong ?— Our exclusive publication yesterday of that most extraordinary, interesting, convincing and conclufive confidential letter of Secretary Marcy, on the foreign policy of the United States, -has created much excitement and very considerable speculation. We narrowly escaped being arrested and carried off to the Capitol to answer for the unauthorized publication of the Mexican and Copyright treaties; but now we are in hourly expectation of being called upon, with a writ of habeas corpus, by the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate, for a trip to Washington, at the public expense, by the next Southern train. Very well. If such a requisi- tion is made upon us we must obey it, and shall rest our defence for the publication of Marcy’s letter upon the plea that it was too valuable, too interesting, too spicy, and, altogettier, from: stem to stern, too good to be loet. The Secretary of State, however, has com- mitted a slight error in lecating the whist party of the French Empress to which Mr, Mason was invited at the Elysée, where, under the influence of beauty, oysters and cards, he succumbed to the demands of the Empress upom costume. That party came off in the salons of the Tuileries. We think this correction neces- sary, as it involves an important historical in- cident giving shape and direction to our diplo~ macy with France. We doubt not that this excellent letter of Secretary Marcy will “gain golden opinions from all sorts of men.” It is @ great letter, and will make a sensation among the diplomatic circles of the Continent very much in favor of the “simplicity and economy of our republican institutions.” It required some such official ex- position as this to settle the troubles arising from our diplomatic cosiumes. But now, thougl Nebraska may yet agitate the country for along while, the “old clo’” question is settled. Late prom St. Tuomas — By the arrival of the schooner Flying Dragon we have advacces from St, Thomas to Feb, Gch. The cholera hes nearly disappeared, and i! is ex- peoted that the asuri health of the Idaed will coon bo restored. Marine Affairs, Tee Curren fate Warre SQcatt —This vessel whieh caught fice and drified over to the Navy Yard isst Decom~ ber, where she burat to complete shell, at the same conflagration which consumed the chips Great Republie and Joseph Walker, was sold yesterday as sho lay, with