The New York Herald Newspaper, August 17, 1857, Page 4

4 NEW YORK HERALD. sarees GORDON CDHNNETT, 45D PROPER. £TOR. OPPLCH K. #. CORNER OF FULTON 48D NADSAU os momar, AB. pat a feo amde rm ere. 33 ‘creat Brata, 0 GS ts any bart wn bob 4 sine F HERALD, cory Wednesday, at four cents per au... |... Ke, BUT AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING. oimos sya, Broadway—Tiaet Rors—Beiis, La Bowery—Himse— SowmnY THEATER, ‘Hiog Lirs asp THEATRE, Broadway, opposis Bond st. ~ Tea —Lvouszus Bosca" WALLAOK’S PTURATEE Dow Oman ne 4s ‘SAs—SETLOCK, O8 THE MrRowant oF Verios PRASERTED. LAURA KBEWE’S THREAT! Broadway—Bascty 40D cu Dou—omer Olan ACADEMY OF WTSIO—Guamp Ononai Orsaa By Onn Sowpaan asp Twr > r-rive Pwaroamens. BARNUW'S 4MEXICAN MUSEUM Brondway—Brmiorus Simeramsr—Opawernas. 2 [BOW ANTOR TALI Broadwey~Nws20 aoe Doww is Ausscuas iy Baranes Saepenms New Work, Monday, August 17, 1887, ‘The Gews. \ider Etpde, late 8 Mormnon prophet, delivered to @ small sadience at the Academy of Music yester- day afternoon av interesting lectare on Mormon- ism. He gave come curious particulars of the Mor. mon creed, mode of initiation and practice. He told some queer stories of Brigham Young's power smong the Sainte, and said that of his style of oratory Henry Ward Beecher was a wonderfa! counterpart. He expresaed the opinion that the steps taken by the goverment, ia sending out soldiers and jatges, will be of little utility in suppressing Mormonism, a3 the Mormons will gain more recruits than the sol- ciers, and the judges will have no causes brought before them to try. The true remedy he reserves for a future lecture. There was some consternation yesterday among the crews of the veseels at the lower Quarantine anchorage, owing to a report that one of the crew of the Express lying at this anchorage had been removed to the Marine Hospital sick with yellow fever. It tarned out that one of the crew had been taken to the hosp‘ial and sborily died, but that his death wae caused by a fever produced from a fall a day or two previous from one of the masta of the vessel to the deck. Two vessels, the bark Indian Queen and brig | Truxillo, came up yesterday from the lower to the | upper Quarantine anchorage to discharge their car- goes. The brig Croton has received permission to discharge her co>vo today, which will leave but three vessels at the lower Qnarantine anchorage ‘There has been 20 arrivals from iufocied parts since last Tharsday. The brig Milton, from Jacmel, ar- rived et Quarantine yesterday, having dodged up to New Haven, Conn., first for the purpose of evading | Quarantine. | ‘The Roman Catholic church, near Glen Cove, was yesterday afternoon dedicated to the service of | God by appropriate religious exercises. Bishop McLaughlin preached a discourse suitable to the oc- casion. We give @ report elsewhere. A letter from our Albany correspondent, pulr lished in another colamn, will afford our readers an , insight into the operations of the New York Land Commissioners, with reference to the disposal of applications for grants of land under water in the | counties of New York, Kings, Queens and Rich- mood. The meetings of the American Association for the | Advancement of Science were continued in Montreal on the 13th aud 14th inst. There were a number of distinguished individuals present—apart from those classed as savans—including em-President F'illmore- ‘Sir William Logan's paper on the “Geology of Cana- da;” the paper read by Mr. Hunt on the “Formation of Mineral Springs,” and that of Mr. Jones off “Zo- discal Light,” produced very learaed discussions | ‘The Natural History Society entertained the mem: bers of the association and a party of invited guests, to the nnmber of one thonrand, on the evening of ‘the 13th inst | Onr correspondent at Bridgetown, Barbadoes, | writicg on the let instant, says:—Quite o limited quantity of breadstuffs from the Unived States has | srrived during the last fortuight. By this means | the stock of flour, &c., has been greatly reduced, | which has caused an advance in the prices of those | articles. Lumber end shingies are also in fair re- qnest, az well as other building materials. The weather is beeutiful, with abondance of rain, but none to excess. The growing crops will exceed any | previous years The export of sugar aad mo- | lasaes bas already reached 49,000 hhds.; very tit*le of either from lust crop on band. The island is very healthy, and planters seem at ease about the present and future labor of the island. The eteam-hip Columbia is now due at this port, | with Faropeau news to the Sth inst., four days later thaa previous advices. The value of foreign roods imported at the port of Boston during the week ending th insi. amvanted to $492,797. The value of imports of the corresponding week in 1856 was $1,006,327. | ‘Lae annexed taole shows the tenperatare of the | Btuospbere in this city during the past week, the fange of the barometer, the variation of wind carrenta, snc the state of the weather, at three pe- | riods dariug each day, viz: at 9 A. M., and 3 and 9 | o'clock P. M.— i tas 21 i tl 75} @atarday—Clear al! day and Suvoay— Clear ati day. moonlight aight Monday —M. alte overcesi, glernon and night rainy. Tuesday —Licar a. dey and au. Wednencay—Overcas: warm all day and night Thoreday —“oudy : a! 00 clear aud warm. iriday—M roving cicar aud warm, a@ferapon and night Clrer eKCerm vely hot Saturday—eer ara warm ‘The aales of cotton on Saturday were confined to 4000 500 Gales, et very full prices, aod cicaed without willing eel Li render L5%6. & 15X60. for middiing uplands, and at 160, | for middling New Orleans. The Sour markot was dull and sales modernise, closing with « tendency to lower rates, eapecially for common qualiies Wheat was less buoy- ant, while ea'ee were chief y con‘ined to new Southern red ot $1 708 817%, aod white do. st $180.0 $1 82, and alot of ‘Milwaakio clab was reported at $142. Corn cosed heavy. Gaies of Western mixed avers mate to a moderate extent Gi She. 8 800. Pork was firm, with salen of mons at $24 75; | a Southern sectional and eecession party. tatt.00 | Mantas—The Gouthern Fire-Eaters Threat- ening War—Poltcy of Mr. Buchanan. In another part of thir paper our readers will find a batoh of inten:ly interesting contributions from the eeccwioa tire raters of the South ou | Kaoras affairs, to w'l:—A brief but poloted aud pungent editorial from the Charleston Morrury, expreseive of Its “hopes of Kansas’’ and oi its “great faith in the fighting capacities of Southern men ;” another letter from Gen. Atchison de- nouncing Gov. Walker as worse than “Chave, Hale or any other abolitionist; and a flaming and consuming “White Sulphar”’ letter from Col. Keitt against Walker, the democratic party and Mr. Buchanan and his Cabinet, This chapter of rich materials we submit as the text for a few passing observations apon the present aspects of the Kansas imbroglio, aud the crisis to our politi- cal parties, eoctions and institutions. ‘The Charleston Mercury informa us that the pro- elavery party in Kansas ere con‘ident of euccess— that they will (at their September Convention) “adopt a constitution with slavery acknowledged in it,” and that “ if this constitution is referred to the people for ratification, it is inteuded to refer it only to the registeyd voters, who will, doubtless. ratify it.” But the next two eentences in this connectioa wear a very euspi- cious and bloody complexion, to wit :—«We have more hopes of Knosas thac we ever had. We have grent faith in \t2 fighting capacities of Southern men.” We eey that there is something of a sinister and sanguinary meaning in this lan- guage, and particularly in juxtaposition with the remark of Gon. Atchison, that if the Kanaas con- stitution “is to be referred, as Gov. Walker says, to all the people who shall be in the Territory on the day Oo voting then we must and will have a majority at the polls on that day.” Now taking this “ majority” of Gen. Atchison, and tbe Southern “ fighting capacities” of the Mercury together, we interpret them as signifying that on the day of voting referred to, anotber armed invasion of Missourians may be ex- pected in Keneas, which “must and will have a majority‘at the polls on that day.” We regret that our Charleston cotemporary should be Griven to an extremity so desnerate as to chuckle and rub its hands at the prospect of the success of slavery in Kansas, through the lawless and de- moralizing agencies of a plot so wicked and | treaonable as this. We, too, have “great faith in the fighting capacities of Southern men;” but though there be furions fire-eaters and foolish | fanatics in the South, as in the North, we serious- ly incline to the opinion that this threatencd Missovri invasion of Kansas will be a fizzle. | Since the fall of 1856 not less than thirty thou- | sand free white settlers have been added to the population of Kansas, including some ten or twelve thousand voters—a force of itself which, duly notified, will be fully competent to protect the polls of Kansas against any force which can he bronght over from Missouri by General Atchi- son. Under this impression, we apprehend there will be no armed invasion from Missouri “on the day of voting,” and for the all-ewficient and self- evident reason that “it cannot be made to pay.” But, supposing that the people of Kansas shall offer no resistance to an armed pro-slavery inva- sion from Missouri; that Governor Walker shall | wink at it, and slyly encourage it; and that thus the majority which General Atchison ‘must and will have” is secured in favor of a pro-slavery State constitution, what will it amount to? Nothing—worse tban nothing; for it is utterly preposterous to suppoee for an instant that such a State constitution for Kansas, so ratified, can secure the approval of Congress. Nor must we be considered so very verdant as to entertain the idea that our Southera secesejon fighting men count upon this bringing Kansas into the Union as a slave State. This is not their game. Their game is the destruction of the aéministration—a sectional re-construction of parties—a fierce rectional contest for the suc- cestion—the division of the Union and the spoils and plunder of a Southern confederacy. Here the letter of Col. Keitt comes into play, He is a young and enthusiastic man, clever withal, avd naturally ambitious of Southera pro- motion sad distinction. What may be expected of him and the whole secession schoo! in this next Congress, he has, with his usual frankness, broad- ly foreshadowed in this consuming letter. He does not beat about the bush, like the Richmond lathering poor Walker; but he boldly lashes the ministration. Te says that Kansas is lost to the South “through the nefarious and fraudulent intervention of the fede- ral government,” which, with a good deal ultra Southern declaration of war against the administration and the Northern democracy. What, then, is the policy of Mr. Buchanan? If he enforces the admiseion of Kansas into the Union according to the letter and the spirit of the Kansas-Nebraska bill, Kaneas will unguce- tionably come in asa free State —a solution which will split the present democratic party of the | South into fragments, and raise upon their ruins On the other head, should Mr. Buchanan consent to aid | Union as a slave State, the Northern democracy | will be annihilated, and the administratioa will | become even more impotent and contemptible than that of poor Pierce. “Let justice be done though the heavens should fall.” Let the ad- mimstration pursue the straightforward course | which it bas adopted, and the American people will eustain it, Let it fall back and it is lost. Let the fate of Pierce stand ae a warning, and the example of Jackson as the guide for the pre- | eer@ treatment of all sectional agitators of dis- cord ang disunion. The only choice to Mr. Bichanan in this next Congress will be the absolute surrender of the Northern democracy to W. Tl. Seward and Com- pany, or the lows of a reetlest, reckless aod im- practicable Southern faction from the party camp. The dissolution of the present democratic ‘while prime was held ot $21. Sugars were sold to a fair extent, 700 bhds Cuba murcovedo, without farther change Go prices. Coffee was firm with fair males at full prices. ‘The public mie held on the 14th inst. wae a very ood one, and protiy woll up te the full current prices of the trade, Freights wore wilhout change of moment jo rates, while engagements wore moderate A Goon Br ron 4 Brorxto.—The little ‘alf- avd-'alf democratic organ of this city, the Ves, gete off the following good joke: Ln tle matior of (he advancement of foregners, the democracy is both cautious and Coservative, a thoogh they do not excinde or proscribe foreigners from other, by far the largest and share of the emorumente eat Becore of pubte Dastnes Gn6 pubis otiows & eoyeped by the na‘ives of the count'y. ‘ not this caution ali tbat oy American caa properly require? Sure enough. But what do you propose to do for Mr. Brooks. That's the question for Tam- many Hell. Will the amiable Abbé McMaster be pleasadl to att as conductor® party, North or South, however, Is but a paltry trifle compared with the duties of the administra- tion to the constitution and the country. Huck- ttering politicians may bargain end chaffer with parties and factions, but a Pr: st, in the posi tion of Mr. Buchanan, while » factions and parties, may still be exalted or cast down before the bar of public opinion. ‘The administration, as it stands, has th. »ppro val and good wishes of the eolid masses 0 *0- ple, Northand South. Let it etaod fas! mn. front will plich wonders; but a little /linch- ing on % of tc howiings of Soathern or Northern disergavizors will lend, as in the case of poor Pieror, io ewift aud inevitable destraction. Our faith is unshaken that we have neither a “hys- terical President” nor a “shivering Cabinet” atthe head of affairs, and we await in tie faltest confi- dence the developements of the next Congress, South, nor fix his eyes upon Mr. Buchanan while | master as well asthe man, and flatly confesses | | that he has as little faith in the existing demo- | cratle party as in the present democratic ad- more of such language we construe into a formal | theee eeocssionists in smuggling Kansas into the | he reach of ‘The Interoceanlo Routes—What are the Proe- pectat We publieh elsewhere the new charter of the Louisiana Tehuantepec Company, and with it an article from the New Orleans Delia, anda lotter from correspondent, explaining the past tory and present condition of the famous huantepec project. From all of those ments it appears that the clouds which obscured the prospects of the #F have “Louisiana Tebuantepec Company,” just organ- ized at New Orleans. So itis said. It is therefore not Ut to hope that some practical step may shortly be taken to turn tho grants to good account and open the route to actual travel. We hear already that arrange- ments have been made or are in progress for the establishment of a line of mail coaches from the Atlantic to the Pacific terminus of the route; and likewise of contracts with eminent steamship owners for lines of eteamers to connect in either ocean. The eminent advantages of the Tehuan- tepec route will indeed justify a considerable outlay of capital in throwing it open to commerce; we trust that now that peace and barmovy have succeeded quarrels and suicidal contentions, the gentlemen who control the scheme will not allow it to be wrecked on that great peril for incorporated companies, in- adequate fivancial arrangements, Simultaneously with this consideration of in- terests we hear that the republic of Costa Rica hae granted the interoce wie right of way by the river San Juan to a company of which Webster was a principal or the priccipal representative in Central America. It isstated that the present government of Nicaragna has concurred in the grant; this however is denied by perronsclaiming since the government of Nicaragua conceded the grant to “a party of gentlemen ia this city”— Commodore Vanderbilt and his friends, we pre- ;eume. Itis likely that this route will not be | opened until these rival interests are consolidated, other; the government of Nicaragua, stould it avoid new filibustering schemes, will, like the lady in the old story, sit by quietly to see which whips. Further North, the Honduras Railroad enter- prise is progressing with commendable vigor. spot, directing the labore of the iaferior races; and, up to thisiime, nothing hes occurred to jure the prospects or dim the hopes of the com- pany. This line of interoceanic communication will naturally be one of the most important; no other hus 20 good harbors on both oceans. In New Granada the Panama Railroad is in a peck of troubles, of which the unadjusted claim of the Untted States for indemnity for the April massacre, is one of the least complicated. On a satisfactory solution of the difficulties through the agency of Mr. Herran. Finally, the government of this country, as is known, have appropriated $25,000 for further surveys of the Isthmus of Darien, with a view to make another final aitempt to discover a way across that inconvenient belt of land. These are the projects and enterprises by which it is now proposed to cross from the Atlantic to the Pacific. They may ail be said to be feasible—eome more so than others, but all sufficiently so for prudent men to iavest their money in them so long as they are in the hands of honest managers, In the course of the next four or five years it is likely that all of them will be in successful ope- the Honduras Railrosd, which is sustained by English capital, will be ready before then, and will probably prove a most serious rival to the Panama line. There is reason to believe that theae routes may all be opened without interterence or trou- ble from Great Britain. There was a time when the acquisition of such power on the Isthums as the opening of these lines will confer on their owners, might have led to angry disputes be- tween thiscountry aod England; now, we sus pect Great Britain will have enough to do to at- tend to India for the next year or two, leaving Central America to our charge. Especially since Lord Palmerston has pronounced his opposition to the Suez canal, will it prove necessary tor Engiand to leave to competent parties the duty | Of opening a right of way which will be of the | highest service to her in communicatéiag with In- | dia. It is no lees her interest than ours that all these roads should be opened without any unne- | ceseary delay and that the two oceans should be brought frequeatly together. One hint we may give to the projectors and proprietors of ocean routes. Let them have as | few dealings with the Spanish-American govern | mente as they can; and in their contracts let them leave as little room for cavil and dispute as tract on the part of the companies to pay to the governments a per centage on their business or any part of it; euch covenants can lead to nothing but trouble. ‘The companies should agree to pay 80 much money twice or four times a year to the governments; and the sum should be sorapulous- ly paid. +They should agree to maintain police enough to keep the roads safe; but this had better not be a stipulation with the governments By confining their transactions with the governments to paying so much money at certain dates, the new interoccanic companies may support the Cen- tral American governments in comfort, and secure all they want for themselves easily and pleasantly. Ovr Strate Extecrioy—Mn. Sewanp’s Tac- Tics.—From the call upon the republican party in the Albany Journal of Friday last, we per- ceive that they intend to fight the battle of our State election next November upon the “ vital is- sues’ of the slavery question, Kansas, Dred Scott, and such. But as this would be playing Hamlet with the part of Hamlet left out, it will not do, The transactions of the last Legisiatare must be met before the people, aud cannot be smothered up with the nigger question Mn, Toomes Has Avotuen Ptay.—We see it stated in the newspapers that Mr. Senator Toombe, in a recent speech in Washington, Georgia, satd that if Governor Walker remained in office till his appointment came up for ratification in the Senate he would be deprived of the power of any further official opposition to the South, Mr. ‘Toombs is entitled to the credit of the discovery of thie notable plan for making Kansas a dave State; but we fear that even this expedient of re- to be well informed, who assert that some time | or fight it out till the extinction of one or the | One hundred intelligent Anglo-Saxons are on the | more than one occasion hostilities with New Gra- | nada have hardly been avoided; though, now, | the best information from Washington promises | ration, from the Tehuantepec to the Daricn route: | poseible, For instance, there should be no con- | Jecting Walker will not increase the laveholding voters of Kanses, Mr. Toombe ia a hard man to pleaze. Hoe threatened last scammer to blow the Union to atoms ehould Fremont be elected, and now he is just as hot after the administration of his own choosing. Garious customers, these Southern fire-caters, Judge Ingraham’s Decision—Conover Ad- Judged in Contempt. According to previous announcement, Judge Ingraham delivered his decisions on Saturday on the two cases relating to the Street Commis- sioner’s office pending before him in the Court of Common Pleas. The first case wason a motion for attachment against Conover for contempt, in violating the injunotion order issued by his honor, restraining him, the Sheriff, his agents or attorneys, from interfering with the books and papers ap- pertaining to the oflice of Street Commissioner. ‘The second case was on a motion to continue said ‘njunction, made oa behalf of the Mayor and Com- monalty of the city of New York. In a lengthened exposition of his opinion, which we published in our columns yesterday, Judge Ingraham adjudged Mr. Conover in coh- tempt. He declared that the evidence showed the contempt to be deliberate and pre-arranged, and therefore meriting puuiehment. Bat ia order to give the defendant an opportunity to escape the penalties due to the offence, his Honor reserved his order on the case uutil Monday, suggesting that it Mr. Conover restored ail the books. and papere, and eurrendered possession of the office to the lawful officer, he might purge himself of the contempt, and thereby escape pun ishment on payment of costs. Thus ene act of this tedious drama is con- eluded for the nonce. And now let us have no more applications for oertioraris; no more legal ehifts and expedients to evade the law; but let there be on the part of Conover and his counsel a respectiul submission to tne order of the Court. The public are sick to disgust of this protracted legal skirmishing. To the lawyers and the ins and outs of the Siceet Commissioner’s department itis no doubt very exciting; bat the people want the business of the city to be attended to. It has been neglected too long, and it is only by some- thing like a miracle that ihe public health has not suffered materially long since in consequence. We hope, then, Mr. Conover will take advice frgm Judge Ingraham and come into Court today, confess himecif willing to defer to its decrees, restore the documents he has taken | from their lawful guardian, put his hand in his | pocket and pay the costs; and then retire like a respectable citizen into private life. Li is due to | public decency as well as the public interests that he should do co. But from the course of bis counsel all through the case, we think it highly | probable that no such result will be obtained. Although pothing emanated from the Supreme Court up to the close of business on Saturday, it is very likely that a certiorari in this cage, as well as tm the others, has been privately applied for; eo that we may look out for avother scene in Judge Ingraham’s Court this morning. In the injunction cax Judge lograbam decided ' that the order should continue in force against all | the defendants except Mr. Field; but as to hia it was dissoved, as he did not seem to have done anything except what fell strictly within his province as counsel. In delivering this op!nion his Honor took occasion to mark his disapprobs- tion of Mr. Field’s course in regard to the viola- tion of the injunction, and to repeat the opinion he gave in the habeas corpus case--that the the office of Street Commissioner is not, in his judgment, valid, and confers no right thereto. Tn this opinion, as well as in the justice of the Judge's decisions on Saturday, a vast majority of of thet majority the adherents of the Albany fac- tion have 20 respect. They will persist obsti- nately in their mischievous course, in utter disre- gard of the interests of this metropolis and of the public peace. For weeks past we have seen this cage dragged from court to court; the proceed- ings before one Judge reviewed and annulied by another; political partizanship flaching out through the eloquence of counsel, and interwoven with their subtlest arguments; a spectacle calcu- lated to leseen popular respect for the law, to af. feet the dignity of the bench and to damage the reputation of the legal profession. Let us have done with this diecreditable litiga- gation, in order that the functions of the Street Commiseioner’s department be resumed. We have suffered too much already from the delay caused by a fanatical paesion for usurpation of power in a clique whose wicked machinations have involved this great and prosperous city in almost inextricable turmoil. Ove Crry Laeistators.—-it is a fact which cannot be controverted, that for some time back the sessions of the Common Council have been devoted to prating about politics, to the neglect of important practical measures, The members bave been engaged in partizan, angry and undig- nified discussions, rather than in legislating for the best intereets of the city. At the close of | rious important measurcs, affecting not only the passed over for want of time to act upon them, emong which we may mention the confirmation of and avenues which are not already provided with them. It will be remembered that some time ago the Common Council ordered the sewers to be laid, but in consequence of a technical objection on the part of the Comptroller, not one of the contracts has been commenced. Thos aa im- portant wheel of our municipal machinery is clogged by the whims of a crotchety official. The reply of the Croton Aqueduct Board to a resolution offered by Councilman Warner was referred to the Committee on Tinance, several weeks ago, with a view of reporting such action as would be necessary to induce Comptroller Flagg to participate in opening the bide, that the sewers might be laid, but they hore not reported. The best part of the summer is past, and if the work is to be done at all it will be absolutely neceseary for the com mittee to report atan early day, in order that the sewers throughout the city may be construct- ed and regulated before winter. Livixe on Hore.—The Buffalo Hypres, a prominent Seward organ, says:—‘‘We hope to see the day when the representatives of the people in a republican Legislature, and not a corrupt and greedy lobby on the outside, shall frame our laws. Woe hope to remain with the republi- can party unti. |. offices of State may be be stowed justly upon honored and capable mem- bers of the party, when in power, and not be bought and sold like cattle in the shambles,” Ten to one that man has suffered from some sharp practice in his dealings with Thurlow Weed. Very well—the old maxim abowt rogues falling ont, Xe., will here apply. the contracts and specifications for cleaviog the | streets and the laying of sewers in those streets | NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 1857. appointment under which Conover claims to hold | e | their susceptibilities, we will make no further Whe Krorvitle Commercial Uonvention=! 1+ Goal Views of Southern Ses. We publish today @ full report of tho two Gret sittings of the Southern Commervial Conven reply by e Southerner to the atrbotarce roocatly Fisecd by us on tho proceeding: of the Old l'vlat Convention. Whatever resential feeiing may be excited on tue part of the members of these con- veutions by the commentaries we have indulged in regarding them, they cannot complain that we have not afforded them the fullest opportunities of making themselves heard. No o‘her Northern, or even Southern paper, has devoted so much of its epace to reports of their proceedings and statements of their individual views. We deserve the more credit for this, as we place but little faith inthe practicabllity of tae echemes pro- pounded at these conveniiona, and we have not in general to thank them for mach courtesy in their relations with ua . Witness the efforts made by Mr. Pryor, and certain other rabid eecession- ists at the present convention, to exclude tha rc porters of the Northern press—-efforts understood to be specially directed against the New York Hera for its endeavors to protect the people of the South from the delusious attempted to ve practised upon them. Passing by a matter which only affords us amusement, and which, besides, has been sect tight by the common sense of the majority of the delegates, we have again to repeat that no jour- nal in the Union is more disposed than ourselves to further any project promising to advance the interests of the South, always provided that it be not obnoxious to the welfare of the country generally. We invite the members of these con- ventions to show us any one measure suggested hy them which can be eaid to bear that character, or which indeed has been attended with any practical result in connection with the interests of the South iiself. If they will cast a retro- spective mlance at the schemes brovght forward at their Southern commercial diets, they will, we think, be forced to arrive with us at the conclu- sion that pever was eo much deliberative and ora- torical energy expended with so little real advan- tege. Ont of seven or eight of these conventions held at Richmond, Nashville, Memphis, Charleston, New Orleans avd Savannah, what have been the actual fruits? Plenty of novel and imgenious theories, euch as Maury’s idea of the Amazon and Missis- sippi, and Calhoun’s famous idea giving to the rivers and lakes of the South the designation of “ inland eeas;”’ but nothing, we repeat, like sub- stantial or practical results. Of tie multitude of projects for the multiplication of railways and canals, the establishment of direct lines of trans- atlantic communication, the extenaion of Southern trade in South America and a hosi of other such achemes, not esingle one has beea realized. The first step of a really practical nature that has been taken by any of these conventions was that adopted at the Bristol meeting this year. ‘The delegates actually decided to send Mr. W. Ballard Preston to England, to induce tho projectors of the Great Eastern to let her make her firet trip to Norfolk. We will say nothing more of the other effort made et the Old Point Convention to give helping hand to Dudley Mann’s transatlantic steamship scheme by the magnificent subvention of $8,000, the calculated cost of the four steamers necessary for this service being $7,000,000, It will be seen by the letter appended to the Knoxville proceedings that the subject is a sore one with our Old Point friends, and therefore, out of consideration for allusion to it, In regard to the other complaints advanced against usin that letter, we have only to refer the the citizens of New York agree; but for the will | Writer to Mr. Blunt’s speech, reported elsewhere, | for a full confirmation of the opinions that we have advanced in reference to this scheme. Whether the Knoxville Southern Convention is reeolved to turn over a new leaf in the history of these bodies and to establish for tteelf » cha- | tacter for practical good sense and energy of the last ecesion of the Board of Councilmen va- | comfort but the health of our citizens, were | action, we are not as yet in a position to doter- mine. So far as their deliberations have trans- pired we are sorry to say they do not impress us very favorably. Discussions on a motion for the exclusion of a press without whose aid these con- ventions would never have been heard of, and on & proposition for a renewal of the slave trade— analagous in its practicability to a project for peopling the moon—are but sorry evidences of the business like objects and ideas of this body, That there are a few individuals in it like Mr. Blunt and Mr. McCrea, who have their heads screwed rightly on their shoulders, is a fortu- nate circumstance for the convention. Were it | not for common vense men like these, their pro- ceedings would be likely to degenerate into broad farce instead of being confined to the domain of protaic absurditics, Tar Stramnoat Coniston on tar Sounn ‘Tue Loss ov Lire.—-Another of those appalling disasters which shed. a gloom over so many homes, and Which are unfortunately too frequent on our waters, occurred on the Sound on Satar- day morning, the harrowing details of which we gave in the Henacp of yesterday. The circumstances under which the collision between the steamer Metropolis and the prop ler J..N. Harris occurred, indicate a singular remive. nees in carrying ont the regalations governing or supposed to govern veesels trading on the Sound, or they show a serious want of some provision in thore regulations as regards propellers. It appears that the rule is when steamers mect head to head, that they shall both port their helme and paes to the right; but when a steamor meeta a railing veesel she must give her her this instance the propeller had a forward sail up, which seems to have obscured her head light, which, as well as the fact of having her canvass spread, gave her the appearance of a sailing ves- eel, The pilot of the Metropolis, accordingly, in- stead of taking the course he would bave done, had he known the approaching vessel to be a steamer, attempted to pass her on the left; and, as the propeller kept on her regular course, a | collision was of course inevitable. In this account the officers of both agree- o that there does not appear, as mat- ters now stand, to be any grounds for censure on either sido. But we think that while there is a possibility of such a catastrophe as this occurring, whereby fifteen persons, aleep- ing in fancied security, can be hurried into eter- nity without a note of warning, and that too when all was still and calm on the waters, with out a gale to ruMe them, without a fog to ob- eoure the vision, and in‘) bright clear «tarlight of a summer morning—\ \'e auch a thing is pos- sible, we say, under enel circumstances, it is evident that there is cither a glaring defect in the law which regulates navigation in there waters, or there is culpable negligence in enforc- ing it. Why should not propellers, which are 80 likely to be mistaken for eniling craft, be gom- pellel to cary come signal et night by which they coi bo distinguished srithout any danger of muxtuke f Uf there be any defeet 2 the law governi there matters, lef the United Stator Disteiet at‘ torney, whore daty wo believe it is to take ese nizanre of accidents Occurring ont the water of this district, look into it at eve, and have it corrected. And if on an investigation, which we trust will be bad, and a searching oate too, it ap- pears that there has been any violathyn of rule ia this unfortunate case, let the parties 0 violating be held to a atrict accountability. Acctpens ow ocr Ferrmes—Corrisn’ Neout- Gence ap Brxacu or Law.—It is no exaggers- tion to eay that the lives of thousands‘of persons whose business or pleasure calls them: to h'roek- lyn, Williamsburg, Btaten Island, Jersey OMy or Hoboken, are daily in peril from the grose m gli- gence of the ferry companies in not providing adequate means of rescue in case of accident. It is 8 monstrous grievance that there should be abeolately no provision of this kind on the ferry boats, where thousands are continually travelling, and where mishaps from various causes are hourly imminént. On Saturday one of the boats on the Peck slip and Williamsburg ferry—the Niagera— ran down a small boat containing five boys, whe would unquestionably have been drowned hed they not, fortunately for them, been good ewim- mers. Had it been otherwise no exertion on the part of those in the ferry boat cottld: have saved them, for there was not a single boat on the steamers deck to be used in such an emergenoy; and the boys had actually to be drawn on board by means of coats which the passengers extended to them. There are times when, on all the East river ferries, any collision would inevitably result in a fearful loss of life; for as many as five hundred people are often crowded into the boats; yet im none of them are there the necessary appliances for rescuing any one from the water. In some, indeed, an old boat may be found on the hursi- cane deck, but in such a position that, even if she was seaworthy, which is doubtfal, she could not be made available in time. How is this? The law requires that every ferry boat shall be provided with 2 row boat, attached im euch a manner that it can be launched instantly in rule observed. On the 23d of July the Superin- tendent of Police, Mr. Tallmadge, issued an or- der on this matter, which was published in the Heraup of that date, in the following terms:— immediately and Jovy, 1867. | The District Attorney has now an of enforcing that law; and we insist upon it that it is hia duty to prosecute the ferry boat Niagara and hold her owners responsible for the flagrant violation. Let a wholesome example be made im | this Instance, and we may hope to see some re- form established and some security to human life guaranteed by the ferry companies. Fieney’s Fients.—In the Heraun of yes- | terday morning we gave an account of a fight between two fire companies, which took place under the windows of our office on Saturday evening. Happily, it was less serious in its results than many previous affairs of the same kind, but that does not lessen the disgrace | which attaches to the transaction, and tothe whole Fire Department. It is much to be regretted that such things should occur to ctaia the fair fame of a body #0 reapectable and re- spected as a whole—so devoted to their praine- | worthy dutice—so gnilant, self-sacrificing and | brave. ‘There is no class in the community to which | the public are eo much indebted, nor whom they are more ready to honor. If # fireman falls, pub- lic sympathy is poured out lavishly, without stint or bounds As the protectors of property and | life—ns the unpaid and willing defenders of the city in case of riot or invasion, they are entitled to all respect and honor. But unless the recar- rence of such scenes as that which was witnessed | on Saturday evening be prevented, our citizens | will cry out, as have the citizens of other cities, | against the fire organization asa shame and a nuisance. ‘The ecenes enacted in Baltimore and Philadel- Pe agpedagimg times, expecially in the latter city, have left a cloud upon the repatation of the | Vire Department which it will take a long time to remove. In Cincinnati, turbulence and rioting among the firemen reached euch a pitch, some four years ayo, that peaceful people became dis- gusted, and finally the volunteer force was dis- banded aud a paid department established in its stead. Such must be the inevitable result in all cases when forbearance is exhausted. Laat Fire Department it must be said that it noxious to censure on this score than that of other cities. We hope Mr. Harry Howard wilt go zealously to work and “reform it altogether.” It is disoreditable, and should be put an end to. csieenssinciliniepieetittics Judge 7. Fesiinanrenguod bis west onthe Suprome Stephen of arrived at Madison, wn Soar Rin iat’, en renter Be Peal, Daniel declines being ® candidate for Jadgo of the cooatl bout of indians. indictment Prenton of the Journal and Darret of the Courts] aurcs toad pon earh Olher in the sarc ee in the brig Mary Pieros—W V Henriq: .