The New York Herald Newspaper, December 26, 1855, Page 4

4 NE‘'W YORK HERALD. JaMBS GORDON BENNETT, PROPR-ETOR AND EDITOR, eres F. W. CORNER OF NASEAU AND FULTON 878, [3, cash in actoance. et ba Beg Reet ee wepart ty Creat Briain, or $b ta cy prart othe Consent both * Foe uN Tak y SaReRerONDENES, splainine - ter be Poteet ag oe hah tas 4RTICULARLY REQUESTED TO Srl alt Lerrmus axD Pack- fone BENT UB, @olume XX. AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING, DWAY THEATRE, Broadway—Kixc Cnanwinc— zraunon’s WIFE. REBLO'S GARDEN, Broadway—Secarr Marniace—Tar Pesan Bas anps—Mepina. BOWSRY THEATRE, Bowery—Tnu Carr Boy oy tax Day Doc naverrarisitn. BURTON'S THEATRE, Chambers stroet—Onty 4 Penyy —Durcn Governon—Ta 70 NracaRra, WALLAOK’S THEATRE, Brondway—Waene Taexe’s 3 Wns Time's 4 Way—Po-ca 1ON-Za8—PERPRCTION, wep" MINSTRELS, 444 Broadway—Ermoriunx Per umaTxors. WOOKLEY'A BURLESQUE OPERA HOUSE, 589 Broad- oa Srctmave Crans ina Moan Mummery Yorm, Wednesday, December 26, 1855. Maiis for Durepe. ‘MEW YORK BERALD—ZDITION FOR BUBOPE. Collins mail steamship Baltic, Capt. Comstock, will deere this port to-day at noon, for Liverpool. ‘fhe European mails will close in this city at balf-past ten woleck this morning, Whe Bru (printed in English and French) will be pabtisbed ai ten o'clock im the morning. Single copies, fe wepyers, sixperce. Subecriptions and sivertisements for any edition ef the Baw Torx Hxnsw will be received at the following places im Burope:— Lewwox—Am. & Eure) Co. i eemrcor— do, do. 7 Rumford street. «John Hunter, 12 Bxchange sireot, East. Fhe contents of the European edition of the H=nam wil emdrace the news received by mail and telegraph at Mee s@ice during the previous week, and to the hour of pebiteaticn. ‘The News. ‘The Northern Light is still anchored off the Bat- ‘ery, and near by lay the steamer Vixen and the revenue cutter Washington, with their guns bearing wpon her. The “ filibusters,” or those who had got n board without tickets, were put on shore at two o'clock on Tuesday morning in a towboat. They numbered about two hundred. By order ef the District Attorney, an examination was made fer tickets among those on board, and those who were without tickets were placed under arrest. About twenty were arrested and put in the keeping of Capt. Faunce, of the revenue cutter Washington, who has the Northern Light in his charge. The District Attorney received letters yesterday ‘from the Attorney General, in regard to the course the government intended to pursue towards the parties suspected in the expedition. The cargo of the Northern Light will be examined to-day. We give another interesting chapter relative to this exciting affhir on the first page of to-day’s paper. Our chronological index, published this morning, contains a faithful history of the great war straggle between Russia and the Allied Powers as it progress” ed during the past twelve months, both in Europe and Asia. The notes oi the state of the armies at ‘the beginning of the year, with our account of their sxeinforcements, atratagetic movements, sorties, bat tles and losses—by disease and in fight—will be found exceedingly interesting, as they are ample and prepared with much care. A history of the famous Vienna Conferences is also given, with a true sketch of the scenes occuring before Sebastopol, from the date of the first renewed bombardment of the city to the period of the opening of the “infernal fire” which preceded the fall of its southern half. We have duly chronicled the terrible struggle of the French at the Malakoff, the failure of the English at the Redan, the burning of the Black Sea fleet of Russia, the retreat of the garrison of Sebastopol, the battles of Traktir Bridge and Kars, with all the other leading points of the dreadful contest. The hard shell democratiz ward conventions will meet to-morrow evening for the purpose of selecting delegates to the general committees of the party. Each member of the ward conventions is required %& subscribe toa pledge endorsing the platform of dhe hard shell convention held at Syracuse in August ast, and also that he voted the real adamantine ticket at the last election. We publish elsewhere a semi-official account of ‘the proceedings of the Hudson's Bay Company's Arctic expedition, sent out to ascertain the truth of the report of Dr. Rac relative to the fate of Sir John Franklin and the party under his command. Ht isa cleaver and more connected narrative than that published in yesterday's Hrraxp, and will, no @oubt, be rcad with intense interest. Christmas was more generally observed in this ity yesterday than on any previous anal the day. Business of all kinds was entir pended. The weather, however, was of au exccrable quality, and confined people within doors, leaving var clergymen to preach to empty benches. Misty drizzle, alternating with copious showers, continued from morning till midnight. In Boston and Phila- @elphia the same sort of weather prevailed. A wet term hag eet in, truly. Yesterday forenoon Tey. Mr. Bellows’ new eburch, (Unitarian,) on Fourth avenue, between Twentieth and Twenty-first streets, was dedicated to @ivine service, with the rites peculiar to the sect. A number of Unitarian clergymen participated in the interesting exercises of the occasion. The at- tendance was fashionable and very numerous. A report of the proceedings, including a synopsis of the pastor's address, will be found in another column. The Administration versus the Steamer Northern Light—Our Neutrality Laws The Sublime and the RilicuiousmWhat Comes Next? The affair of tho Northern Light grows more eurious, pungent, piquant, interesting aud re markable as we continue our researches, to- gether with the government authorities, into the facts, circumstances, parties and merits of the case. Accordingly we devote a large portion of our news columns this morning to the latest intelligence collected by our report- ers upon the subject, and to the latest official representations of this extraordinary piece of basiness. Prima /ucie, considering the fact that our form of government is wholly dependent upon the loyalty of the people to the supre- macy of tho laws and the offisers appointed to ndminister them, we expericnce a sensation of satisfaction in the success of the Federal an- thorities in the pursuit and capture of the ship disregarding their injunctions, We presume there can be but one opinion concerning the vigilance and activity of the United States District Attorney, Mr. McKeon, in this matier, as an officer charged with the execution of the Jaw, and that opinion must be that he has Faithfully and fully discharged his duty to the government and to the public. But when wo come to inquire what right had the govern- ment to interfere as it has done with the regu- Jar departure of this steamer, what principles of public policy were thus to be sustained, what law was to be vindicated, what wrong was to be redressed, and what good purposes were to be subscrved, the whole affair assumes a totally different complexion. If there is to be found outside of the Cabi- net of Washington, a solitary democrat, hard or soft shell, “manifest destiny” man or hide NEW YORK HERALD, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1855. bound “old fogy,” who can traly solve the riddle of Mr. President Pierce’s Central Ame- rican policy, as embodied in thie inexplicable affair of the steamer Northern Light, we be- seech him no longer to “hide his light under a bushel.” We are still in the dark; and though Mr. Joseph L, White, the active diplomat of the Nicaragua Accessory Transit Company, aseures us that there is some explanation of this business in the President’s annual Mes- sage, we must still remain in the dark while this Message is kept under lock and key in de- fault of an organization of Congress. It is quite possible that we may not have a Speaker of the House for 8 month yet to come, in view of the third party holding the balanse of power between the democracy and the black repub- licans, and the obstinacy of this third party to its original proposition—that the moun- tain mustcome to Mahomet. In this existing state of things we say, if there be a man ou side of the Cabinct who knows exactly what Mr. Pierce is driving at in regard to Central America, and what is the exact meaning, mo- tive and object of this libel, pursuit, arrest and detention of tho sicamship Northern Light, plying between this port and the Nicaraguan Isthmus in the California trade, let this wise man come forth, and, pro bono publico, give in his testimony. In the absence, meantime, of some such de- sirable witness, we are thrown upon the field of conjecture, with nothing but the antece- dents, proclamations, general instructions, and inconsistent acts of this scrupulous neutrality administration as our landmatks. In the out- set, we find Mr. Pierce reiterating in his in- augural the Monroe doctrine concerning Cen- tral America, and appointing a decided and violent “manifest destiny” ambassador (Major Borland) to carry it out, Next, at the instance of this ambassador, Greytown is bombarded and reduced to ashes; and, to crown the out- rage, the unfortunate place is officially de- nounced “os a camp of savages.” Next, the President’s official organ puffs and glorifies the colonization scheme of Colonel Kinney; but, alas! while the Colonel is dreaming his golden visions of success under the favoring smiles of our government, presto! he is denounced by the same organ as a filibuster—his ships are block- aded in our East river—he and his associates are arraigned, indicted and detained by legal prosecutions, until his original scheme of a self-sustaining Anglo-Saxon colony of a thou- sand men is reduced to twenty individuals wrecked among the coral reefs of the West In- dies. We and this small party survive—are carried to Greytown in a British vessel—are received by the inhabitants with a hearty wel- come, which is shortly followed by the elec: tion of the gallant Col. Kinney as their Gover- nor. His policy is exclusively conciliatory and pacific, and resting upon the doctrine of “ popu lar sovereignty.’ He advertises his Mosquito purchase as being open to settlers, and upon the basis of liberal donations of the richest lands in the world, he invites them in, Yet he and his agents, and all concerned in his peaceful adventure, are watched by our admin- istration with an evil eye. Cushing, perhaps, may consider this the fulfilment of the Monroe doctrine; Marcy may regard it as his line of duty under the Clayton-Bulwer treaty ; but we apprehend that it is as difficult for Mr. Pierce to reconcile it to the one thing or the other, as to our Premier’s original circulars prescribing the cut and the cloth of our diplomatic coats and breeches to a fancy court ball. The next chapter in this Ceatral American imbroglio is the daring and successful enter- prise of Gen. William Walker. He satis from the port of San Francisco in an armed schoon- er, with a body of armed men on board, avow- edly to wage war in a foreiga country with which we are at peace. Why was he not inter- cepted? Tis departure from Sau Francisco was the very crisis at which our government should have acted to arrest him and defeat his perpose. But he escaped to Nicaragaa--he succeeded in revolutionizing the government and in establishing another—that which is now, de jure and de facto, the government of that State. Ife and his associaies trom our shores have been outlawed—-thcy are no longer citizens of the United States. We must cither deal with them, then, as fillibusteros, or a3 officials or citizens of Nicaragua, in which country they are thus recognized and adopted. We hold that the government of Walker is the bona fide government of Nicaragua, and that we cannot go behind that fact, and disown it on the ground that Walker is an interloper and 4 usurper. It follows that that government has the right to invite immigrants to its soil, to give them donations of land, and to provide for their shipment from New York or any other quarter of the world. From a statement of Mr. White, it appears that Walker has exacted of the Accessory Isthmus Transit Company, upon his owa terms —whatever they may be—the transportation by the company’s vessels of emigrants to Ni- caragua. This may be construed into a violation of the rights and privileges of the company under the Clayton-Bulver treaty; but as they have not complain- ed, we must rest this executive hostility to Walker's emigrants, and the vessel engaged in their transportation, upon some other plea. According to our special despatch from Wash- ington—published yesterday—the real ground upon which the administration has proceeded in the detention of the Northern Light ia, that Walker is a filibustero and his government an imposition and a fraud. But how, under the circumstances, our Cabinet can act upon this presumption, without assuming the right to prescribe what shall be the government of the State of Nicaragua, we cannot divine. There sonly one remaining plea of justification, euch as it is, to wit: That Mr. Pierce regards Walker and his associates as he regarded the inhabitants of Groytown—that is, “as a camp of savages,” liable to extermination with or without a specific cause of offence, and by any means that may be deemed most expedicat for the purpose. We dare say, however, that Mr. White has hit upon the true explanation of the scrupa- lous attention of Mr. Pierce to our obligations of neutrality in this business, He desires to show to the British Cabinet that in the sup- pression of Mr. Crampton’s unlawfal enlist- ments here for the British army, there was no- thing of trickery for Buncombe or political capital for the succession. Oh! no! Look, my Lord Palmerston—look, my Lord Clarendon, at the uniform vigilance of our administration in the faithful observ ance of our neutral obligations. Look at our persecution of Kinney, and our cold shoulder to Gen. Walker. You will thus perceive that we do not treat your Minister more harsbly than our own citizens, We ask, therefore, hag Crampton may be recalled for offences tlanflar to those for which we outlaw and pun- ish our own filibusteros, In fact, it is quite possible that this Northern Light affair is but 4 bonus offered for the recall of Crampton. Almost apy other democratic administration Claiming to be of Jacksonian descent, would dismies Crampton without further ceremony, and apply the Monroe doctrine as meaning that the independent States of this continent shall have the right to manage their own do- mestic affairs in their own way. But, alas! there is the Clayton-Bulwer treaty, We can- not perceive its application to this steamship; but we may be enlightened by the President's Message. It may be that the States of Central America are but dependencies of England, placed by Clayton and Bulwer under our pro- tection as such, The time is at hand for a de- finite understanding one way or the other. What comes next? A Year's War, We present elsewhere a chronological table of the events ef the European war during the past year. It will be found useful to keep for reference hereafter. At the close of the year 1854 the position of the belligerents was as follows: The com- bined armies of England and France had lain for some months before Sebastopol, and had made an unsuccessful attack on the works. Winter was upon them, and the bitter predic- tion of a Russian general, that Generals Janu- ary and February would settle their business, bade fair to be accomplished. Nothing but the remembrance of the victory at Inkermann kept up the spirits of the troops. Eupatoria was held by Omer Pasha with o small army of Turks. The Russians were advancing rapidly upon Turkey in Asia. At St. Petersburg all was hope and confidence. In London and Paris all was doubt and dismay. Lord Raglan was arraigned for incompetency; Sir Charles Napier was assailed for having accomplished nothing in the Baltic; the whole army estab- lishment of England was covered with merited abuse: while in Paris, sneers at the Emperor were freely bandied. At Vienna, nothing was talked of but the prospect of peace which was held out by the diplomatic conferences. Such was the situation of aflairs at New Year, 1854. During the first week in January the hopes of peace were raised high by the diplomatists assembled at Vienna; but after some discussion, and a reference by the envoys to their respective governments, the confer- ences broke up. Close on the heels of this dis- piriting news, Mr. Roebuck overthrew the Aberdeen ministry by moving his inquiry tnto the conduct of the war. At thismoment things looked gloomy enough for the Allies. The accession of Sardinia to the alliance was a reviving symptom; and a defeat of the Russians at Eupatoria still further raised the spirits of the Western Powers. In the begin- ning of March, the Czar Nicholas died, and was succeeded hy his son Alexander. A vulgar impression had prevailed in England and France that the war was a personal concern of Nicholas, and would end with his life; this blunder was rapidly corrected by a warlike manifesto from Alexander. A new peace con- ference, however, opened at Vienna, simul- taneously with a new bombardment at Sebas- topol and several sharp skirmishes in the Crimea. It held nine sittings, but failing in ar- riving at any satisfactory adjustment of the question at issue, adjourned sine dic early in April, and was finally dissolved shortly after- wards. On the 9th of April a new bombardment of Sebastopol, from batteries of unexampled weight and power, was begun; but no substan- tial results followed. From day to day sharp skirmishes took place, the Allies generally gaining the advantage. At last, the pub. lic in England and France losing patience, General Canrobert was superseded by General Pelissier, a soldier of unscrupulous daring and reckless energy. The change was soon evident, On the 23d May, the French attacked a place Warmes erected by the Russians outside the cen- tral bastion, and garried it, after two nights’ hard fighting. Meanwhile the English fleet took Kertch, seized a quantity of provisions there, blew up the Russian forts at Arabat, destroyed 160 vessels, bombarded Genitchi, and occupied the whole Sea of Azoff. Within aweck, the Mamelon and the White Towers were attacked and taken by the Allies, though at a severe cost of life. Flushed with success, the Allies made a flerce attack on the Redan and Malakoff on the 18th June, but this time were repulsed with enor- mous loss. The disappointment, acting oa a frame exhausted by the fatigues of the cam- paign, led to the death of Lord Raglan. He was succeeded by General Simpson, of whom at first the public entertained expectations which he has never realized. In July, another bombardment was com- menced without effect. Large reinforcements strengthened the Russian army; and on the spur of the moment an unsuccessful attack was made by Gen. Liprandi on the Allied lines near Traktir Bridge. A few days before, the idle fleets in the Baltic had given a slender proof of their desire to distinguish themselves by bombarding Sweabourg : the place was destroy- ed, but the strong forts behind were not in jured, or, indeed, attacked. At last, on the 5th September, @he final bom bardment was commenced; and on the Sth the French carried the Malakoff by assault, while the British were repulsed after a gallant at- tack on the Redan, The Russians evacuated the place in the course of the night, after blow- ing up most of the public buildings and setting fire to the town in various directions, The fall of the town of Sebastopol may be regarded as the close of the operations of the year. Such affairs as the capture of Kinburn are not worth recording after such a siege as the one we have rapidly sketched; and though the heroic defence of Kars by the Turks ap. pears to have some importance, as effectually checking the Russian progress against Asiatic Turkey, it will suffice here merely to mention the fact. . Whatever their sympathies may be, all will be struck by the contrast between the posi- tion of the Allies to-day and that which they occupied twelve months ago. Now, they have accomplished the work they undertook—the reduction of Sebastopol; they have beaten the Russians in every fight in the field, and in every assault against stone walls, save one; they have demonstrated their capacity to raise money for the purpose of carrying ona war, without destroying their commerce or their in- dustry; they have shown what immense damage they can inflict on their powerful foo, without risking another Moscow, or even ano- (cit W JARI EA ) ther January and February at Sebastopol; they have seized the strongest fortress of Southern Russia, occupied the whole coast line, from the mouth of the Danube to Kars, sunk the Russian fleet, and finally have sealed hermetically the Russian nation within its own territory. This is very fair work for a single year. Reflection upon it will lead one to accept with some readiness the flying rumors of peace. The latest of these ascribes the settlement to Aus- tria, and asserts that the Black Sea is hereafter to be closed against ships of war of all nations, It may be so, Who knows? The source is not particularly reliable, and there is a looseness and inconsistency in the story; but let us not be hard of belief, when it is so evidently the interest of all parties to make peace. Deaths froma Political Causes—Annual Mor talityin Kogland, france, Prussia, Austria and Russia, over that of the Ualted States, Old Mortality fs certainly more at home un- der the sway of absolutism than under repub- licanism, He gathers up his victims there more readily—he sows and reaps with more sucness. He is with us, democrais, too, but it is more like an agency than a principal office. In proof of this, let us look at the following statement of the annual percentage of deaths in the six great nations presented :— ‘ most in numbers, wealth and civilization—the great poineer and controlling governments in the world. They have not only given the law to Europe, but have assumed all the airs of su- periority, and have haughtily undertaken to chide, if not direct, the people of the United States, We have hardly yet closed our ears to their lessons and intimidations upon the al- leged lawless and buccaneering spirit of this republic. They have treated us far more as a band of pirates than asa nation of freemen. Nominally admitting us into the family of States, they have lost no opportunity to render our association with them uncomfortable, if not intolerable, nor to impose upon us a sys tem of espionage and offensive dictation wholly inconsistent with our rights and dignity as an independent nationality. As the primary ob- ject of government ought to be, and in this couniry is, to secure “ the greatest good to the greatest number,” and as there is no better test of success or failure, in this respect, tak- ing whole communities together, than is to be found in consulting the yearly mortality in cach, we append a statement of the excesses of deaths, according to the foregoing per centages and populations in the five European States, over those of the Federal Union, viz.:— Countries, Exess of Deaths. ++ 216,009 ‘ 2,512,000 Here are the deaths of more than two and a half millions of persons in a single year, over and above the current mortality of the United States. This enormous excess is due to suf- ficient operating causes. A considerable por- tion of it is contributed by France and Eng- land—two of the healthiest countries in the world—the common resorts of our enfeebled constitutions, impaired digestions, and our lovers of pleasure—countries long siace res- cued from the miasmas attending the first operations of agriculture, low land and river improvements—the very seats of science and medical skill, It is obvious at once that we must look for the solution of this problem some where else than in climates, soils, and mere occupations. We must open the great book of politics--search out its records—an- alyze ifs laws, and be prepared to credit its astounding testimony. We purposely, and we think logically, confound politics with educa- tion—moral and religious—and with civiliza- tion and progress; because the former, in its various stages of developement, is a result of attainments in the latter, and it will be suc- cessful and stable and firm just as it is based upon the acquisitions of the mind. In this connection it is remarkable to ob- serve that in the five European States named their annual deaths, greater or less, are found to correspond with our ideas of the political, intellectual and moral conditions of the masses composing them. If we add the United States to the number, it will go far to strengthen the conviction that death is produced far more from moral than mere physical causes, Independent of education, moral, social and political conditions, the people of this coun- try are far more exposed than either France, England, or Prussia; and it is believed even more than Austria or Russia. Our population is altogether mercurial in its nature. It is en- gaged, and has been since the discovery of the continent, in felling our forests—dredging our tivere—digging our canals—draining marshes A tearing up, exposing and purifying soils, and all the time inadequately supplied with medi- cal attendance and skill, and often beyond the reach of human sympathy. Excluding the ac- tual condition of our people in all that relates to their education, to political and social com- .petence and independence, and it is obvious that the amount of mortality would be greater in the United States than in England or France, It is enough to show this to recur to the face of the country at the present moment. We are thus driven to the conclusion, much against our will, that the European system of govern- ment, including that of England, is responsible for the sacrifice of two and a half million’ of lives every year—sacrifices required, be it re- membered, to maintain the present aristocra- cy, which derives the tenure of its power through the ignorance of the people. This, in truth, is the cost in blood to main- tain the real s/a/ws quo on the other side of the water. The men who are so profoundly dissa- tisfied with the republican institutions of the United States—they are sorely moved by the enormous wrongs and inhumanities of American slavery, to overthrow and obliterate which they would, if need be, destroy the fabric of our free institutions, Viewed in the light of effecta— and it is not clear how otherwise we are to re- guard political en causes—the govern. ments of the 0! ‘orld carry off every year more persons than are in bondage in the New. We admit if the character of that bondage was such as to preduce here in this country the re- ‘ sults of which we complain in Karope, gug a | slavery would only complicate us in the gene- ral wrong, and make us responsible for our share of its annual deaths. But fortunately for our character as a nation, and more fortunate- ly still for the cause of humanity, our mortali- ty returns show that, for instance, in the cen- tral slave States of Georgia, Alabama and Flo- rida—certainly fair examples both in regard to the institution itself, and soils, climates, pro- ductions and exposures—there are fewer deaths even, in proportion to population, than in the strictly healthy agricultural districts of the North, East and West. Now, we infer that good treatment, kindness, abundant food, genial go- vernment, large social liberties and enjoyments, religious freedom and independence, do not increase the sum total of mortality. They pro- long life; and we point to their fruitsin the slave States of the Union, compared with any other population on the globe, as a triumphant practical vindication, if not of the institution itself, at least of the humane spirit in which it is administered. To illustrate this by compari- son, are there not more men, women and child- ren in this city to-day suffering from hunger, cold and neglect than in the whole slave States combined? It is from such sources, here and in Europe, that we must’ look for an increase of mortality. It is not, then, in soils, climates and occupa- tions that we are to find the sources of disease and death—it is not to the want of medical skill—it is not rightly considered, because population is crowding on production—it is not to defective physical organization—-it is not to epidemics—it is to ignorance, to de- pressed moral and intellectual conditions and attributes, to religious fanaticism and intole- rance, to political dependence and subjection. These causes operate in a modified form in Eag- Jand and France, more severely in Prussia and Ausiria, and most of all in Russia ; and they bear their fruits of death just about in the proportions assigned to each of these govern- ments of civilization and political equality. Again, adding the United States, they will serve greatly to fortify the general conclusion to which we have arrived in surveying these mortality statistics, viz.: that death is caused, toa frightful extent, by the political institu- tions of the Old World. Making all due allowance for an increase of Population in the five European nations refer- red to--much of it resulting from arbitrary an- nexations without, im fact, affecting numbers-— it is not too much to claim that their excess of mortality over that of the federal Union, within the period of its constitutional existence, has been seventy millions of men, It is something more than folly, in this view of the conditionof the human family, to concentrate the eye of the philanthropist and the philosopher upon the operations of armies, and upon the theoretical dependence and hardships of any portion of the American people. By the whole theory of civil government, the first object is the preser- vation of human life, It is for this that our criminal codes were established; for this soci- ety has surrounded the citizen with a panoply of guards; but it is evident that, practically, it was only intended to prevent individual kill- ing, giving governments and aristocracies the uprestricted power of universal slaugliter. THE LATEST NEWS. BY ELECTRIC AND PRINTING TELEGRAPHS, From Washington. CHRISTMAS AT THE WHITE HOUSE—THE SPEAKER SHIP—THE NICARAGUA EXCITEMENT. Wasninctoy, Dec. 25, 1855. The President entertained large number of his per- ronal and political friends to-day. Several anti-Banks men will be absent from the House to-morrow, and the possibility ofan organization is an- ticipated. ‘The course of the administration towards the Nicara- guan immigrants, is exciting great interest here, _E. Disaster to the Ship Timor. Hyanvis (Mass.), Dec. 25, 1855. The ship Timor, from New Orleana for Boeton, struck on Great Rip this morning, where she remained for some hours. The steamer Island Home succeded finally in getting her afloat, and towed her into Edgartown, She has an assorted cargo. Christmas Day: ite of the Weather. Bostox, Dec, 26, 1865. To-day has been one of the most inc’ement of the sea- son, raining, hailing and snowing by turns, with a strong northeast gale, Christmas day has been generally observed by the closing of places of business, services in the churches, &c. To-night there will be extra theatrical performances, Pmtaperema, Dec, 25, 1855. We have had a érizzling rain storm here all day, and the weather bas been very cold. All e883 WAS suspended. The places of amusement are packed to suf- focation to-night. Police Intelligence. DESCENT UPON AN ALLEGED DISORDERLY HOUSE. The Seventh ward police made a descent on Monday night upon the German lager bier house of Henry How- enbines, No. 551 Grand street, which is kept asa place of prostitution, and there arrested the proprietor and two of his female boarders, named Mary Meyer and Susan Hecker. They were taken before Justice Wood, and all committed for examinaticn. SUSPECTED STEALING A GOLD WATCH. Win. Watkins, a painter, was yesterday arrested, chargod with stealing « gold wateh and chain, valaed at #85, from tke house No, 118 Orchard street. The pro- yerty was recovered. The actused was hell by Justice Wood to answer the charge, SUSPECTED PICKPOCKET AT WASHINGTON MARKET’ A youngster named Richard Geer was arrested yester day at Washington market, charged with picking the pocket of Mr. Richard Gaughan, residing at No. 105 De- lancy street, of a wallet containing $43. It appears that Mr. Gaughan, while bargaining with a butcher, folt some person aitempting to rob him, and instantly seized Geer, but found no money in his possession, he having, proba- Vly, passed it to a confederate, who made off with it, and owing to the density of the ‘crowd effected an escape. Gecr was taken before Justice Connolly and locked up in the Temba for trial. ALLEGED PASSING COUNTERFEIT MONEY. Jobn Farle and Eliza Williams were yesterday arrosted on suspicion of having passed counterfeit mong at Wash ington market. As soon as Earle was captured he crammed a bank bj!] into his mouth, and though the ofi- cer endeavored to choke it out of him, he was successfal in swallowing it. Both ef the prisoners were taken be. toro Justice Copnolly ang mitted for examination, ‘The female prisoner is to be an adept at passiag counterfeit money. ARREST OF AN ALLEGED FUGITive. Paniel Cunard, charged with being a fugitive from Massachusetts, was yesterday arrested by oflicer Jordan, of the Lower Police Court, and locked up to await a re- quisition from the Governor of Massachuset‘s, Jt is alleged that in May last he made a felonious assault at East Cambridge, upon the perron of James C. Nute, then a private watchman of that place, and fractured his skull by @ blow with a cart rung. He afterwards fled to a vil- Inge calledgCape Ann, where be lived until recently, yea be proceeded to Brooklyn and engaged in « glass lactory. Personal Intelligence, ARRIVALS. -Rev Wm Curtie, Dr Florian Albert rane, Mrs Bralisford, Miss Livingston, Mrs and Mise t ‘Siranss, Theo Clark, Chas Rosell "J Statis, Mr at fowls MP horian, W Cusningham, A Sevurmann. hues Crawford—7 in the steerage. . mont, Ee Hanks, MM Ward, Bt Badd nurse, 3 jeard, Alex Ro’ srt. w driehy i ‘gon, C Jones, Mrs Lineey, 1M Judson—13 in the win, CA Ton ‘and ees Racer—Mr Porcival M From Liverpool, in ship Racer—Mr Percival Mee Alaswor ! Miss Owen ard aster, Mis Moore and servant, DOC O's ond lady, Mies Linnot, Frew Bilsiv, Brg, & vais Trova Wes Hae A DISMAL CHRISTMAS, THE DAY IN NEW YORK. Yesterday was not a merry Christmas out doors by ang means. It stormed dismally ali day long, and, until late in the evening, there was no evidence of a cessation of the rain. Business was very generally suspended; law courts, banks, the Custom House and other public build, ings were closed, and the frequenters of them had an op- portunity to enjoy the bad weather or # good dinner, whichever suited their humor. Appropriate religiow. services were held in the Episcopalian and Roman Cath« lic churches, and quite a number of exhibitions and an- niversaries of Sunday Schools were held by the other de. nominations. But the gloomy weather chilled all out oor enjoyments, and the hacks, wagons and magn ficent turn outs that were got in readiness for s displsy on the avenues and on the riding grounds adjacent to thi city, kept back until a more favorable season. Down town had a deserted and dreary appearance. 4 few unfortunate wights who had no homes and no Christ mas dinner to enjoy, might be seen atealing along th streets with a downcast countenance, as if they wee conscious that the weather typified their melancholy co* dition, The restaurants and eating houses, usually > crowded, were comparatively deserted, with here at there a sling guest eat his turkey and puddin; pearpetie 23 ude ieelf with the Hes that he wa enjoying @ very capital diuner. jut all day long the isin kept pouring down pitilessl; pattering pi foie § the winds and making « dismi music on the rvofs of the hodses and through the street: But the day was not all gloomy. In doors, at least, i was pleasaxt enough, aud the creature comforts custom ary at this time of the year were indulged in toa grea extent, Hark | the rurkies’ plaintive cries ! Puddings rare and pumpkin pies, Chickens fat and dopatinats Tound, Hissivg, 8 ing, Sweetly i Sweeter memories up ‘With the Hail, merry Christmas, and good living— May they here abound, As Christmas is a day set apart ‘er family re-unions and home comforts, perbaps the unfortunate state of the weather outside intensilied the it of those who, haé homes to go to and Christmas 8 to eat. Of the target companies, of which there are a great number who general); one on Christmas, there were | but very few out, ard the ranks were but Thiny filled. ‘There was one or two fantastical companies out, but the murth they created was of a very melancholy fo mee companies out we noticed ‘The Ulster Guard, under the command of Captain Gor. man, Lieuts. Ward, Galway, McKechnie and ly, pa- raded yesterday, (Christmas day ) and proceeded to Mott Haven, to contend for Ftsea, w were awarded as fol- low#:—Ist prize, a gold watch, presented by Mr. J. W. Scott, won by Mr, White; va, Capt. Corman; 34, Lieut, Ward; 4th, Mr. J, Mahon; 5th, a massive silver’ porte- monnals, presented by Mr. Gribbon, Mr. Hannan; 6th, Lieut. McKeebnie; 7th, Mr. Johnston; 8th, Mr. ; Mr, Cashep; 10th, Mr. Cunningham; 11th, Mr. H, Mahon; 12th, Mr, H. Tayler; 13th, Mr. McKillop.” The company then’ partook of an excellent dinner, provided by Mr. Ward. After tke cloth had been removed, Mr. J. W. Scott, in neat and happy terms, distributed the seve: ral prizes to the successful competitors. The compan; then proceeded to New York, where they arrived welt pleased, notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather. ‘The Jobn M. French Guards, Ceptain Fields, ‘Tiley turned out twenty mu:kets, The Independent National Guards, Captain Parnell, twenty: five muskets, on their return from Hoboken. THE DAY IN BROOKLYN. MISSIONARY FESTIVAL IN THE SANDS STREET CHURCH. The seventh annual missionary festival of the Sands street M. E, Church Sabbath school was celebaffed yea- terday in the church and Sabbath school room of the above congregation, The children, numbering between five and six hun+ dred, together with the teachers and officers of the Sab- bath school, assembled in the school room about nine o’clock, where they were arranged in order by their Surerintendent, Mr. M. F. Odell, and proceeded to the urek. The exercises were commenced with singing by the schoo! anda prayex by Rev. Mr. Phillips, Mr, O'Neil, President ot the Seciety, then stated that Rey. Mr, Weed, pastor of the church, would read off the different names of the «lasses into which the society was divided, when one reprerentative of each class wor come torward with the amount of their contributions. The names were then cutled, in all numbering about fifty- four, which contributed the sum of $080 74 for F missionary cause. Mr. Odell, Superintendent of the Sabbath school, them came forward, and addressed the pastor ef the church, Rev. Mr. Weed, stating that the Bible classes ot the Sab- bath school considered this a fitting Spportoalty of pre- showing their regard and 3 resented him with a magnificent gold watch, bearing the tollowing inscription :—:« Presented to Kev. L. 8, Weed, by the Scholars of Sands street Me- thodist-Fpiscopal Church, Sabbath School, Dec. 25, 1855)? Mr. Weed accepted the gift in an appropriate speech, thanking them for the prevent, which he ‘would siways look upon with feciings of for the higia re- gard shown him by them. by Ms. Chartes Shelling, Odell then Addresses were then made Rev. J. Miley and H. Duvis, Eeq., which, with a bensdie- tion by the Rey. Mr. Searies, closed that part of the cere- monies, ‘The scholars were then conducted to the schoo] room, which was appropriately decorated with evergreens, mottocs, &e. r schoo! came to order, several presen- tations were made to sume of the teachers by Mr. Odell, on behalf of the scholars. A boy named Marryfult, about twelve years of age, was then introduced, who enter- tained the audience with several airs upon the violin. After which each scholar received a Chrittmas present, and were dismissed to their homes highly pleased with the interesting festive occasion, SOUTH BROOKLYN HOME MISSION AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL. There was a large gathering of little children at Mission Hall, on the corner of Court and Nelson streets, yester- day morning, notwithstanding the miserable state of the weather. The children belong to the most needy class of that section of South Brooklyn, aad are induced by the present of a dinner every day to attend. Clothes are also provided where the necessity requires. This cele- bration was gotten up by the of the Sun- day schcol, who provided suffisient of the sub- stantial as weil as the delicate things of the sesson for the accommodation of the little enos. s—- table was spread, and 124 children eat dowa to an excel- lent Christrras dinner, with which they were all satisled, ond ha happy as could be. The hall had been nea tig: decorated with evergreens, and, with the cha\tering oc- pepecp presented an interesting and bie right. The school fs under the ey eng wd Charles P. Bald~ win, Esq., assisted by Miares Holines, Doubleday, Stevens and several other philanthropic ladies. auit- able to the understanding of the children, were made by Rev. Mr. Backus and others, The proceeiings closed shortly after dinner, and the children ran off to their se- veral homes. # On Saturday evening industrial schools Nos. 1 and 2 assernbled here, and had their celbration, No. 1 meets in Mission Hall, and numbers 78 scholars; and No. 2 meets in Concord street, and numbers 80 children. A dinner was set before them, to which they did full justize. Ad- dresses were madej ané songs were sung, and altogether they bad » Sappy tad i PRESENTATION TO THE RETIRING COUNTY CLERK. Yesterday morning ® committee of the officers and Juror attached to the courts of county assembled at Capt. Hopkins’, under Montogue Hall, tor rpose of presenting to Charles A. Denike, Esq. the Couaty Clerk, a suitable testimonial of their ‘regard and esteem on the cvent of his retirement from oMee, The present consists of a valuable hunting case ‘gold lever watch, ef exquisite yot plain ‘workmanship, with the Yollowing in- scription engraved thereon:—‘Presented to Carles A. Denike, Keq., County Clerk of Kings county, by the Jurors and Officers of the several courta, as a mark of their ex- teem and d. Dec. 25, 1855." Addresses vw by Gerard M. Stevens, ty County Cle. Jobn L. White, Esq., cn behalf of the officers, wile were teelinely and appropriately responded to L; the wordhy recipient. THE DAY IN WILLIAMSBURG. Yesterday forenoon the Sunday school scholars attach- ed to the Dutch Reformed chureb, in Fourth street, con- vened at the church, where they were addressed by Rev. Dr. Porter and others, after which a collation was served up. Last eventog the anniversaries of the Sabbath schools of the First M. E. charcb, fo South Second street, and the: M. P. church, in Grand street, took place. The exercises consisted of singing and recitations. Notices of New Publications, Soxas axp BALLADS OF THE AMERICAN Revoe- TION. By Frank Moore. D. Appleton & Co., New York; London, 16 Little Britain, When Sir Walter Scott set about compiling the ‘‘Min- streley of the Scottish Border,” ro much time had elapsed after the, stirring events which gave rise to them, that great numbers of the war songs of the period had disap- peared forever, Not so with the field of labor of Mr. Frank Moore. Having the acquaintance of many of the Revola- tionary sires, and with fuil access to the fine historical collections of Mr. J. Carter Brown and Mr. Peter Forse, the brarios of Yale College, Brown University and ont New York Historical Society, he has given us 4 coltection of the minstrelsy of the Revolution that every reader of history will have to possess, The influence ot there songs in the cause of liberty was unquestionably great. We all know how the tory leaders writhed under the lish of Me- Fingal, the Yaniee Hudibras, and how much enthnsiaem was aroused under the martial notes of Yankee Doodle. Kariow, one of the poets of the period, and whose name ond fame =!!! ever be associated with tho Revolution, said, ‘‘Tdo not know whether I shall do more for the canse in the capactty of chaplain than! could im that of poet. Ihave greattaith in the in fuence of songs. and shalt continue, while fulfillirg the duties of my appolatment, to write one now and then, and to encourage the taste for them which I find in the comp. One good song '* worthy a dozen addresses or proclamations.’ We find ia this volume ‘American Taxation,’’ “The Cow Chase,’ “The Taxed Tea,” ‘Battle of the Kegs,’ ‘Yankee Dovde's Vielb lee Llaml,” ' neionu diele, *