The New York Herald Newspaper, January 7, 1858, Page 4

4 NEW YORK HERALD, THURSDAY. JANUARY 7, 1858. NEW YORK HERALD. JAMES GOKOON BENNETT, EDITOK AND PROPRIETOR. OFFIOK N. W. CORNER OF FULTON AND NASSAU STS. TERMS, carh om advance THE aie. HERALD, tico cents per THE WEEKLY HERALD, cory rape te ots conte por apr, oF $3 per annum; the Ruropman edition, $4 por annus tp or Britain, oF 85 to any part of inent, bot Bhlinae ” Tuk SUNILY HERALD, every Wednesday, at four cents per apy, oF $2 per anmu Votame XXII AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING, BROADWAY THEATRE, Broadway—Rovesruiax, Gru- Basic, MEMAGERIAL AND joanna Ex reeTauManrs, Bors Evowr BOWERY THEATRE, Bowery—Kovestnian any Grumas- mio Rxexcusse—! aM, THE Ino Son or '76. BURTON'S THEATRE, Broadway, Comwar Counress—Bivs Davus—He Couns. =e" THEATRE, c, Broadway—Tae Poor or New pues GARDEN, Broadway —Coxrnananoint—Thout oS. poaite Lypny ne street— OULD BE am AcTOR— LAURA KKENF'S THEATRE, Broadway—An Unnauar Maron—Haxiequis Bux Beard, Dm gia OF MUSIC, Fourteenth stroet—Gramax Ores BARNUM’S AMERICAN MUSEUM, Broadway— Afternoon Taurravion, om tux Iniau Kuicuant. Bvening’: Valentine dnp Onsow Sere BUrpinas. 861 and S68 Broad —G mora! Oauisrr & Wooo's Mixsraus—Naw Yean Cas. " MEOHARIC'S HALL, 472 Broadway—Buyawr’s Murstaeis —Ermorix Soxce—Goipes Kingpom. DODWORTH'S SALOON, 806 Broadway—GRanp Concert By Mun, De Brexvitis any Orneas, New York, Thursday, January 7, 1858. Average Dally Circulation of the New York Herald for Each Month tn the Years 1855, 1856 and 1857, with the Highest Day's Issue in Each Month. Average Daily. 49,721 August 8. September 28... October 3... . November 7. December 1 54,809 1186,672 155,411 January 1... February 9 March 20. April 19. 165,080 May-31. . June 56,965 June 27 July... 57,926 July 4. August, 58,043 August 2 58,000 September 1 October. 57,118 October 18. November. 67,664 November 5. . 5 December..... . 52,560 December 6... ..55,200 Yearly average per day............ 56,358 1867. January........51,652 January 24..... 6: February 15 December 2... ..’ Yearly average Be eae Yearly average. . 88, O38 56,358 62,495 2,730 Increase of 1856 over 1855. . ” 1857 over 1856 = 1857 over 1855. . The above is exclusive of the Sunday Herald, California Herald, ‘Weekly Herald, and European Herald, Family Herald. 16,137 ‘8,867 ‘The News. The steamship Atlantic, which left Liverpool on fhe afternoon of the 23d ult, arrived at this port yesterday afternoon with four days later advices jrom Europe. The news is interesting, both finan- cially and commercially, but there is nothing of po- litical importance to report. Cotton was in more active demand in Liverpool, and had advanced ore fourth to one-half a penny per pound, according to quality. Twenty-three thousand bales were sold. Flour was very dull and without change in price, and wheat quiet and steady, There were no sales made in the Liverpool provision market, The Lon- don money market was much easier, and consols advanced, on the evening of the 22d, to 934 a 934, which were the latest prices. It was expected that the banks of England and France would soon —— Saperintendent of the Assay Office. The Republican Central Committee met last night, and after refer- ring to an appropriate committee the cases of the contested seats in the First and Eighteenth wards, “adjourned to Wednesday evening. The Whig Gene- ral Committee for 1858 met last night and organised for the year by electing W. T. Jennings chairman; S.T. Hutchings and Walter Brady vice-chairmen; R. C. Guire and J. 8, Scofield secretaries, and J. J. Herrick treasurer. The meeting was called to or- der by J. P. Dodge, and Mr. Henry Synder officiated as temporary chairman. bd |, The proceedings of Congress yesterday were, in some respects, quite irteresting. In the Senate, Mr. Crittenden urged the necessity of increasing the duties on infports, and the substitution of home in- stead of foreign valuations upon imported merchan- dise. An amendment was offered to tax all bank notes, discriminating against those of small denomi- ations, 80 a8 to fWbce them out of circulation. The subject was finally laid on the table. A petition was presented asking that the Postmaster General be authorized to contract for carrying the mails between Panama and Valparaiso. In execu- tive session the nomination of Mr. Sedg- wick as District Attorney in place of John McKeon was discussed for several hours, and again laid aside. It is believed that the nomi- nation will finally be confirmed. In the House, resolutions calling for information upon the state of our relations with Paraguay and New Granada, and relative to the opening of the river Amazon, and also for all correspondence on the subject of our differences with Spain, were offered by the Commit- tee on Foreign Affairs and adopted. In Committee of the Whole the Neutrality laws, Commodore Paulding’s conduct in seizing the filibusters, and General Walker's position, were freely discussed, Messrs. Sickles and Haskin taking a very decided stand against private filibusterism. Gevernor King sent his Message to the Legislature yesterday. Its contents are already known to our readers. Quite a number of bills were introduced in the Senate yesterday, one to amend the law which makes railroad companies their own assessors of taxes; another to reorganize the Brooklyn police; also to amend the Port Warden bill. As the Gover- nor thinks this Port Warden law a good one, it is fair to suppose that no alteration of it will be made during his term of office. Mr. Mather endeavored to get his bill repealing the Metropolitan Police law referred to a special committee consisting of Senators from the Police district, but was unsuétessful, and the subject was laid on the table. Resolutions were intro- duced requesting our senators and representatives in Congress to oppose the administration's Lecompton constitution, and to favor the admission of Kansas only when her citizens presented a constitution voted upon and adopted by themselves. The As- sembly, after half a dozen unsuccessful ballottings for a Speaker, adjourned. There will probably be no organization of the Assembly until some time next week. A severe northeasterly gale prevailed along the Atlantic coast on Tuesday night and Wednesday merning, and tears are entertained for the safety of vessels that may have encountered it. As yet, how- ever, we have heard of but one shipwreck. The ship Serampore, Capt. Stone, bound from New Orleans for Boston, with a cargo of cotton, tobacco, &c., went ashore on Wednesday morning, during a snow storm, on Black Ledge Rock, Cohasset, and at last aceounts she was fast going to pieces. Her crew were saved, but were badly frostbitten. From the fact that quantities of wreck stuff had been washed ashore on Nantucket beach it was supposed that other vessels had been wrecked during the night. The schooner Sarah L. Hills has brought us ad- vices from Turks Islands to the 25th ult. The quan- tity of salt on hand was large, but there were no vessels to take it off. It was selling at 8}c. a 9c. per bushel. There were no American vessels in port. The CommisMoners of Emigration met yesterday and transacted considerable routine business. Ap- plication has been made to the goverument of the United States to pay for the care of sick seamen at the Marine Hospital. The Commissioners do not think they should be required to pay for their treat- ment out of the emigration fund. It is proposed to build an asylum on Ward's Island for the care of lu- natic emigrant paupers—a class of patients that have largely increased of late years. Mayor Tiemann, who is a member of the Board by virtue of his office, took his seat and announced hia intention of regu- larly meeting with the Board. In the Court of General Sessions yesterday John Murray was tried and convicted of burglary in the third degree, he having broke into the store of Dennis O’Brien in the Third avenue, on the night of the 6th ult. The premises were entered by four men, and the prisoner was in the act of escaping through the windew when caught by the complain- ant. Judge Russell said that he was determined to protect our citizens from the depredations of bur- glars, and sent Murray to the State prison for three years and nine months. Patrick Flood, charged with felonious assault and badtery, was convicted of an assault and sent to the penitentiary for one year. reduce the rates of discount to eight and five per cent respectively. Over $1,000,000 in gold was re- ceived in the Bank of England on the 22d ult. Notwithstanding the cheering aspect of the Stock Exchange there were some heavy failures reported. We have the following list :— LONDON, Charies Nicholson & Co., warehousemen. Their debts Are Fuppored to be $450,000 Lioyd Brothers, picture dealers and exporters to the United Staves. The amount of their liabilities is pre Bumed to be $176,000. Pinto, Dasto & Co., Spanish merchants. and Van Specht, foreign merchant, London. Liabilities, $125,000 LIVERPOOL Liabilities about $1,200,000 OLAsGOW Schwale & Co. for $150,000. EDINBURG William Reid for $135 000, ‘The money crisis had slightly abated in Hamburg, and was generally more moderate on the Continent. There was no later news from India; but Gexpatches, in anticipation of the mail, were looked for in London on Christmas day. Mr. Buchanan’s message to Congress attracted general attention in England, and was commented on in & favorable manner by the press. Some changes were looked for in Lord Palmer- @ton's Cabinet, and it was said that his Lordship had notified the East India Company that it was his in- tention to introduce a bill for bringing the adminis- tration of India under the direct government of the Kiingender Brothers. Queen. The Madrid papers were violently opposed to en tertaining any idea of the eale of Cuba to the United Btates, and even the friendly interference of Eng- Yand and France in Queen Isabella's affairs had Given offence to some patriots in that city. On the 17th ult. the kingdom of Naples was visited by & destructive earthquake, which partially de @troyed several towns and villages and killed some Ghourands of persons. The citizens of Naples had encamped in the open country. There was no hope entertained in Berlin of the witimate recovery of the King of Prussia. His me ‘ory was gone, and it was thought that extraordi- mary powers would be conferred upon the Prince of Prussia. In Russia an imperial rescript, dated the 2d ult., jhad inaugurated the commencement of emancipation to the serfs, by establishing a commission for that Purpose in the governments of Vilno, Kovno and Grodno. Our city politicians are again organizing their forces. One of the Democratic General Committees get at Tammany Hal! last evening, and elected Daniel Witter chairman, and Messrs. McCann and Woodruff pecretaries. After the appointment of a committee On contested seats, a series of resolutions that will Goubtless raise a precious breeze among the demo- racy was read and adopted. One of these resolu Mary Wood, alias Moll Hodges, was convicted of grand larceny and sent to the State prison for four yearsand nine months. She kept a disreputable house in Hudson street, and while Lawrence Riley was in company with one of the inmates of the house he was robbed of $270 by means of the panel game. The news per Collins steamship Atlantic left this city by the National Line at ten minutes before one o'clock yesterday, and was received in New Orleans at a quarter past twelve, New Orleans time. The rales of cotton yesterday, before the Atlantic's ews was received, embraced about 2,000 bales, without Change in prices. After it came to hand about 600 a 700 bales were sold, closing at an advance of one-eighth to one quarter of a cent per pound. Flour was steady, while sales were some lees active, and prices without change of moment. Sales of wheat were confined to a few lots of Southern and Tennessee white at prices given elsewhere. The chief sale of corn embraced about 6,000 a 8,000 bash. els Delaware white at 600, Pork was rather more buoy- tnt st the decline, with sales of old and new mess, part of the latter uninapected, at $14 75 a $15. The sales of fugars embraced about 600 bhds., chiefly Porto Rico and New Orleans,at rates given in another column, About 3,480 bags of Rio were sold by auction at 8c. a Pige., ave Tage 83xe., and 200 do. Santor at Oe. a 19%e., average 10¢., and 300 do. Rio, and 400 mata, with 50 bags of Java, Were sold to the trade at rates given in another place, The etock in this market consiets of 90,033 bags of Rio, and of packages of all kinds 126,53. In freights very little was done, as both shippers and shipowners were din posed lo await the developements of the AUantic’s news on our produce markets. Tue Destreetion or New Yore Harpor.— It seems that the Pilot Commissioners find that the filling up of the Battery is interfering with and seriously injuring the channel in the Kast river. This was to be expected. You canaot violate nature's laws or nature's arrangements with impunity. When nature laid out New York harbor, so much space was allotted to land and so much to water; if men now dis- turb that arrangement and steal from the water the space nature allotted to it, some cor responding disturbance must be expected to fol low somewhere clee. Nature is sure to avenge the injury done to her. The worst of these violations of natural ar- rangemente is, that it is impossible to foresee the shape in which nature's vindication of her- eelf willeome. Thedrying up of the East river channel was perhaps the last effect that might have been anticipated from the filling in of the Battery; though the latter was certain to have rome evil Consequence, When this echeme was firet proposed, it was’ oppored by all eminent ecientific men, who fore saw that mischief would follow. But it wae persevered in and became a job, and we sup- tions recommends the removal from office of the | pose that all the powers of heaven could not Pcetmaster, Surveyor, Navy Agent, Marshal and! prevail against it now. SE between the North and the South. We bad supposed that, with the reassembling of Congress on Monday last, (considering the sharply defined and emphatic shape which the Kansas question had assumed in the interval ef the Christmas holidays,) the Lecompton constitution would at once monopolize the de- bates of both houses, and that the report of Monday's proceedings would furnish us some important developements on all sides upon the paramount issue of “slavery” or “no slavery.” We had eepecially anticipated some disclosures of the strength or weakness of the Lecompton programme in the House of Representatives ; but we have been sadly disappointed. The exact whereabouts of the Northern and Southern democratic members of -that body, on the Kan- sas difficulty, remains as much a mystery as heretofore ; but with regard to Gen. Walker and his filibusters we have had, for several days, a surfeit of eloquent harangues—filibus- ter and anti-filibuster—South and North. Many of our unsuspecting readers will no doubt think it very remarkable that, not- withstanding the overwhelming importance of the Kansas issue, it should thus be completely set aside in the House, on account of the pom pous pretensions of Walker “the filibuster. But the thing is easily explained. Kansas, as she now stands, isa tough subject to handle. Any member of Congress who now touches it must define his position as in favor of the South or against the South. Any man who now advo- cates the Lecompten constitution must do so with a plea for the South in behalf of Kansas as aslave State; and any man who opposes the recognition of said constitution, though he may plead the plea of “popular sovereignty,” will be classed with the Northern party opposed to the extension of slavery. Here, then, are the perils to our Congressional politicians, cliqyes and parties which have struck them dumb. This is why Kansas has been a0 utterly ignored in the House since the adoption of the Lecompton constitution in Kansas, with the slavery clause. In this dilemma, Walker the filibuster has been a godsend to the men of Buncombe of all parties and sections in Congress. Nothing can be done with Walker, nothing can be done for Walker; and, whatever the Hon. Mr. Jones or the Hon. Mr. Smith may say about Walker, it is not likely to hurt anybody; but it may prove to he good for Buncombe. But all this time these men of Buncombe have been think- ing, and studying, and wondering “what in the name of God shall we do with a slave State constitution for Kansas, under the peculiar circumstances of the case, and the pe- culiaf situation of the North and of the South, and of our party and of ourselves? Everything will be turned upside down in the South if we reject this constitution, and there will be a hor- rible row among our people in the North if we accept it.’ Accordingly the members of the House remain standing upon the brink of this great question, like sinners upon the banks of Jordan, afraid to plunge in, for fear they would rise no more. A few bold and daring spirits of the Lecompton faith must lead the way; and these have not yet appeared. In the meantime Col. Forney, of the Phila- delphia Press, adheres to the doctrine that the Lecompton constitution should be rejected on the local plea of “popular sovereignty,” and says that our warning that a dissolution of the Union may follow the rejection of Kansas as a slave State is an idle threat, amounting to no- thing. To convince our incredulous cotempo- rary, and all others entertaining the same delu- sive ideas upon the subject, that the safety of the Union may depend upon the admission of Kansas with her Lecomption constitution, we publish elsewhere in this paper several very significant extracts from some of our leading Southern journals. From these extracts it will be discovered that the South will probably make the admission of Kansas as a slave State their ultimatum, and that her rejection as a slave State will very likely be the signal for the initial steps in be- half of the formation of a separate Southern confederacy, Disguise it as we may, the real difficulty in this Kansas business is slavery, and, the real contest is for the absolute political supremacy of the North on the one side, and for a South- ern balance of power, or check, on the other. There are Southern men who believe that, in admitting Kansas as a slave State, Missouri will be safe as a elave State; but that if we make Kansas a free State, Missouri will soon be compelled to abolish slavery. With this be- ginning, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware would soon follow next in order, from the pressure of Northern emigration and Northern political ascendency; and where, then, would be the safeguards for slavery, even in the cotton States? It is not Kansas alone, therefore, that the South will consider as de- pendent upon this Lecompton constitution, but the whole line of the border slave States from Missouri to the Atlantic seaboard. This Lecompton constitution, then, involves the decisive battle for political power between the North and the South. Thus far, from the clove ef the Revolution of '76, including the compromises of the federal constitution, the po- Mitical harmony of the Union has been main- tained by mutual concessions from the North and South, and particularly in reference to the admission of new States; and there never has been a case in which the harmony of the Union depended eo much upon the good old plan of admitting at least one slave State with two free States, as in the case of Kansas. If we admit Kansas, Oregon and Minnesota all as free States, we shall thereby establish a Northern majority of eight in the United States Senate, where the South has been anxious, above all things, to keep as near an equilibrium as posal- ble. But, apart from this consideration, the moral effect of the rejection of Kansas as a slave State will be such as to destroy the pres- tige of Southern influence in the general govern- ment, and to give to all sorts of free State and abolition enterprises the boldest activity in every direction. Briefly, this Kansas question involves the last foothold of the South; and froin the facts and the contingencies we have indicated, we se- riously believe that we are upon the verge of a sectional struggle for political power which will shake the mighty and beautiful fabric of our American Union from its turrets to its foundations. Presidential politicians, cliques and parties will be swept before this convulsion like the loore rubbish of a cornfield in a whirl- wind. Hence we are not surprised that, with half a dozen Presidential candidates in the Se nate, and a score of embryo Presidenta in the Toure, they ehould all be so suddenly reduced to silence in thie Kansas difficulty. A few days more and they will be compelled to slow thoir bands. Senator Mather, we perceive, has lost no time in giving notice of a bill to repeal the Metro- politan Police law. That that law ought to be altered if not repealed altogether, is too ob- vious to need demonstration; but we object to any euch partial tinkering of our municipal laws as a bill solely directed at the defects of the police system would clearly indicate. The whole fabric of our city charter requires amend- ment; the police system as well as, but not more than the rest. We hope that, if not Senator Mather himself, some other member of one of the two bouses will supersede the proposed re- pealing act by a general cbarter, in which all the evils and shortcomings of our present mu- nicipal organization may be cured, once and forever. There is the better reason for hoping that such a reform is practicable at the present time from the fact that a majority of all parties are now agreed on the general principle which ought to pervade the charter of the city. We, who have fought for years for the great princi- ple of the concentration of authority and re- sponsibility in the hands of the chief execu- tive and the subordination of all. executive ofli- cers to him, can remember the time when the idea had made but slender progress ar.ong the people; now, everybody agrees that it is the thing wanted. Mayor Tiemann forcibly urges its adoption in his message, and journals of all parties profess adherence to the same view. It seems that, with an honest and reasonable ef- fort by the city delegation, there can be no fear of the much needed reform failing this year. What is wanted is very simple: we want to return to the old principle of a central- ized authority in the hands of the Mayor; which principle was departed from solely in or- der to serve the corrupt purposes of politicians, at the cost of the efficiency of the city govern- ment. Let us now retrace our steps. Let the heads of all the executive departments, includ- ing the Corporation Counsel and the City Comp- troller, be appointed by the Mayor, subject to the approval of the Board of Aldermen; and let him bear the blame if the departments under their control are not properly organized, or the business allotted to them not efficiently and honestly transacted. Let all the several com- missions now entrusted with executive authority —such as the Police Commission, the Board of Education, the Emigration Commissioners, and the Governors of the Almshouse—be abolished, and their duties entrusted to officers appointed by the Mayor and approved by the Board of Aldermen. In a word, let the whole executive business of the city be grasped in the single hand of the Mayor, just as the whole executive business of the confederacy is grasped by the President; and let the Mayor be responsible to the citizens for the use of his vast power and patronage just as the President is responsible to the people of the country at large. Let us, for heaven's sake, have no more elections of subordinate officials of whose qualifications for their posts it is ut- terly impossible that the great body of electors can judge, and whose responsibility for the faithful performance of their duties has proved, and almost must prove, a mere delusion. Let us confine our discretion to the election of an honest and capable man for Mayor; this we can judge of, and, in most cases, his own ambition will render his responsibility real; for the rest, let ué trust to him, and to the conservative in- fluence of the Board of Aldermen. It is unquestionable that a reform in this di- rection would give us a chance of having as good a city government as we have had a bad one. It now remains to be seen whether the Legislature has common sense and patriotism enough to give it a trial. At the same time, while the internal depart- ments of the municipal government are being thus simplified and rendered efficient, it would be well for the Legislature to draw a line, for future reference, between the authority of-the State and that of the city. With all due re- spect to Gov. King, who seems to have been strangely misinformed on the subject of the Metropolitan Police act, it is quite certain that an immense majority of the people of this city do not relish the scheme of government by Albany Commissions, In- deed it my be questioned whether there be a éingk clear-headed and unbiased man in the whole country who is not satisfied that the usurpation of the Legislature last winter ‘was an act unjustifiable in itself, and calculated to prove highly mischievous as a precedent. Be his politics what they may, he must see in it a direct blow at the system of self-government, which is the corner stone of all our institutions. Reflection has led many persons who, twelve months ago, supported the bill, to entertain different opinions now; and it is not quite impossible that among these may be found many members of the Legislature. It is not unreasonable to hope that a majority of that body may be willing to draw a bold line between the State and the municipal jurisdic- tions, apportioning to each its proper ephere, retaining in the Legislature a general supervi- sory power over the whole State, but distinctly conceding to each city an undivided and inde- feasible right of self-government; #0 that, should any political party, at any future day, desire to disfranchise this or that city with a view to achieve political ends, this measure might stand as an insuperable barrier and a bulwark of municipal liberty. Wat 1s Linerry or tie Press?—Jvoon Ressent, ann 1s AssatLants.—Judge Russell's charge to the Grand Jury has elicited a good deal of comment, owing to the significant refe- rence made in it to the prea, Those journals which have been most active in assailing his judicial, as well as private character, are of course exceedingly indignant that We should express a determination to resort to the pro tection of the law against the falsehoods and misrepresentations by which it has been sought to tarnich it. They seem to be of opinion that what is called the liberty of the press is only a convenient term for literary licentionsness, If their theory be admitted, the reputation of a Judge or public officer becomes the property of every scurrilous and ill-conditioned scoundrel who has access to the columns of a newspaper. This is not our idea of the liberty of the press. We hold that its basis is trath, and its duty the protection of the public interests. No publication should be made amenable to the law of libel that complies fairly with these condi- tions, Unfortanately, the principles, or rather the practice of the law and the requirements of public policy are Ao conflicting that the honest and the un- principled are alike confoufided in its penal- Honec it fs that Iibellers like those of whom Judge Russell complains are afforded a chauce of sheltering themselves under cover of ee a a Sa ee Kanses as a Slave State—The Text Question | What Legislation ts Required for the City, | a doctrine which, though unrecognized by law, has a conventional value with the public. Such persons have in reality no more claim to its privileges than the guerrilla or maurauder to those of the regular soldier, and, like the for- mer, they must be content to submit to the penalties of an unfair and illegitimate warfare. It is not, we repeat, the liberty of the press which is involved in the punishment of malioe and vindictiveness—it is the security of the public against the abuse and perversion of @ powerful inatrument. The truth of these remarks was never more strongly exemplified than in the case of Judge Russell, When he entered upon his judicial career he found the city in a frightful condi- tion. Murders, burglaries and garroting were of nightly occurrence, and it was as much as @ man’s life was worth to be out after dark. Not only were the police inef- ficient, the public prosecutor lax, and juries indifferent, but the Judges themselves were in- fected by the prevailing apathy. The law and its instruments seemed to be completely para- lyzed, and crime literally ran riot through the city. _A conscientious Judge entering office at such a time could not help being appalled by the prospect before him. A' weak man would have sunk listlessly into the track of his prede- cessors; but. a man of energetic mind and just impulses, like Judge. Russell, could not resign himeelf to such a course. He resolved by his individual example to show what firmness of purpose and a rigid administration of the law could do to stem the torrent of crime. All must recollect the effect produced by the eeveri- ty of his first sentences. It was marked and immediate; and notwithstanding the outcry raised against it by a few, it met with the cor- dial approbation of all order loving citizens. Political partizans and some of the small journals hostile to the Judge—more especially the Sunday newspapers—finding that he was rapidly gaining in popularity by his course, sought to damage him in public estimation by a series of personal attacks the most unfair, malicious and calumnious that were ever directed against a public officer. After submitting to them in silence for a time, in the hope that the services that he was render- ing the community would shame his detractors, the Judge now expresses his determination to avail himself of the protection afforded by the law against unmerited abuse and persecution. None but his assailants will be disposed to deny his title to this. Even amongst the news- papers ‘the most violently opposed to him in a political sense, the purity of his motives and his judicial talent are freely conceded. It is only the lowest and most disreputable of the party organs that have ventured to call these in question. It will be rendering a service to the cause of truth and the interests of the press to enforce against these hireling defamers the full penalties of the law. European Fallacies in American Affairs— Are we Expanding or Contracting? Several of the English and French journals are much exercised at the events which are passing on this side of the ocean. Some of them see an imminent necessity for a standing army in New York to keep down by the bayo- net thousands of starving men; others find in Kansas the germ of a terrible civil war; others, again, look upon Utah and Brigham Young as the forerunner of a grand social cataclysm that is to engulf us; another set hold that the filibus- ter spirit prevalent among us is a growing de- fiance of all law and order; while the whole of them see but one possible result from all these things, which is an early breaking up of the Union. Now, the deduction that these Old World phi- losophers draw from all these indications is precisely the reverse of the true one. We are not going to break up s0 soon as they suppoee; on the contrary, the Union is growing stronger and stronger every hour, and as our centripe- tal force increases it exercises a more power- fully attractive influence over the adjacent countries. The fact is that a belief is prevalent among European journalists that the Ameri- can Union is becoming unwieldy from overgrowth, and must eventually fall to pieces from its great bulk. This notion they derive from # contemplation of its territorial propor- tions on the map of the world, and an utter want of a personal knowledge of the country and an acquaintance with the people. If Euro- pean journalists would travel a little more and expand the horizon of their ideas, they might obtain some inkling of the mighty things that are germinating in America, and redeem the European press from that insignificance which is its manifest destiny if it continues in the dull round it has been so long pursuing. When an English or a French editor has tra- velled over a distance about equal to that be- tween Boston and Richmond, he has made the tour of Europe, and returns home fully per- suaded that he has seen the whole world. Ame- rica has to his ear a colonial sound, and it never occurs to him that mighty empires are growing up there, with a social organizatien entirely distinct from that of Europe, and with @ political future to which the Old World offers no parallel. The United States in Northern and Brazil in Southern Ame- rica have nearly identical institutions and an identical destiny. He sometimes hears, too, of Australia, but never thinks more of it than as a semi-barbarous, wholly barren country, whose only use is to supply the vaults of the Bank of England with gold. Yet these are countries which, before many genera tions have elapsed, will place Europe in the se- condary rank of nations. Such are the men who see in the evidences which we give of life and progress the seeds of dissolution. So far as regards New York, it never was in lows need of a standing army than now. The few political demonstrations that, under the name of bread riots, so alarmed the European quid nunce a few weeks ago, were nothing more than proofs of the interest that all classes here take in the affairs of the commonwealth. So great is the certainty of social movement and improvement among us, that every man knows that in a day his position may be reversed, and the laborer of to-day becomes the millionaire of the coming year, and he who rides in his car- riage now may carry a hod to-morrow. Kan- sas, Utah, and the filibusters, too, instead of proving that the Union is becoming too large, prove quite the, reverse, and demonstrate as clearly as any problem in Euclid can be demon- strated, that it is not large enough. Kansas is & part of our Northern expansion, which, bounded by the isothermal line of the cold lati- tudes, seeks its developement westward. The filibusters are moved by the same social force southward, and the Mormons are in conflict with ua because our growth has already over- taken them in the desert. The fact is, that practically the United States are less extended to-day than ever they were, and are hourly growing more contracted. We need not go back to early times, when Boston was fourteen days journey distant from New York, whereas now it is only eight hours distant. Within the present generation New Orleans wes twenty-five days distant from us; now it is « little over five, and within a year or two wial have shrunk to three days journey. The time is still fresh in the memory of youth when the Pacific was synonymous with the antipodes; now its shore is only ten days journey from us, and before ten years have elapsed we mean te ride from New York to Sam Diego in fifty hours, Fifty miles an hour will do it in that time; bué we wish to be modest in our claim for the future, It will be seen, therefore, whatever European philosophers may think about it, that the Ame- rican Union, instead of expanding, isconstantig undergoing a process of contraction; and it ia from this that our danger lies. We are toe much compressed—we must expand faster, and then we shall have no difficulty. We hope the European philosophers will ponder on these facts. And we advise them to come among us and study us, and they will soon see that for ald social, political and practical purposes we are decreasing instead of increasing in bulk; and that this Union, bound by the iron bands that annihilate space, and the golden chains of com- merce that link millions of hearts to hearts, ia destined to a perpetuity and a power that cannot be comprehended by the miopic views. THE LATEST NEWS. SI ks on the Coast. TOTAL LOSS OF THE SHIP SERAMPORE AT COHASSET— OTHER VESSELS SUPPOSED TO BE LOST. Boston, Jan. 6, 1858. ‘The ship Serampore, Captain Stone, from New Orleans December 20, tor Boston, with a cargo of 740 bales cottem, 26 bhds. tobacco, 1,060 barrels flour, 1,020 do. molasses, 100 tierces tallow, 2,000 pigs lead, 300 staves, 100 bam- dies and 222 hides, and 70 packages merchandise, went ashore during the snow storm this morning on Black Ledge, Cohasset. The captain and crew were saved, but they were badly frostbitten. * ‘At tho latest account the vessel was fast going te pieces. The steamer R. B. Forbes, Captain Morris, will go down in the morning to render assistance. [The S. was built in 1845, was 494 tons burthen, and was owued in Boston. } A lot of wreck stuff was picked up on Nantucket beach this afternoon. It probably belougs to some vessel that has foundered on Cohasset rocks during the night. News from the State Capital NO SPEAKER—NO ORGANIZATION OF THE HOUSE— THE KNOW NOTHINGS STAND FIRM—SENATE IN WORKING CONDITION—THE MESSAGE, ETC., BTC. Axnayy, Jan. 6, 1858. Great crowds were attracted to the Assembly chamber thie morning. Mr. Richardson, Clerk of the last House, and candidate again, called to order. The business of electing a Speaker was resumed. The names were called, and upon. count there were found for Van Valkenburgh, 60; Alvord, 56, and Law, 9—the same as yesterday. A half dozen more trials were made, with the same re.ult, and after spending an bour an adjournment was had until eleven o'clock on Thursday morning. From present appearances there is no prospect of a choice for several days, as the few Know Nothings stand firm, though they bave no idea of electing their candidate. Neither the democrats nor republicans have made any overtures to the handful of Americans, and there is ne probability of any being offered. It looks now as ifa week or more may be consumed in endeavoring to effect achoice. It will be recollected that some three weeks were spent in 1866, when the three parties were nearly equally divided between Odell, Know Nothing, Prender- gast, whig, and Robinson, democrat; and finally the whigs Of presiding officer with “exceeding prompWess and strict parlian entary decorum. Mr. Senator Ely ——— Rew Wer, but ao ive to Port Wardens of the city of jew York; but as Governor King thinks the laws are ex- actly right and proper as they now are, it seems doubtful whether the honorable Senator will be able to succeed in making many alterations. ‘Senator Stowe, of Orleans county, is {beginning to fulfil his anti railroad pledges. This morning he i Senate that he intended to introduce a bill repoaling the law of 1867 relative to the assessment and collection of taxes imposed on railroad property, (The act referred to gives great discretion to railroad companies in the esti- mate of their ty liable to taxation, which Ans far- Dish to assessors.) Senator 8, it is thought, os te place the Meeps ge of railroad ty io same bing At 4 ‘that all other real and pe me aA on pe tg in the hands of the assessors themselves, and subject to similar tests of accuracy sagne Senator slso notified the Senate of bis inten- tion to bring ina bill prohibiting any railroad from presenting free tickets to all public officers. The has not yet seen the light, but it undoubtedly intends to include the mombers of the present Logislature, Of ooaree the members will not undertake tw enact any ex facto \aw, 60 they will be careful to have railroad in their pomen before voting for Senator Stowe'’s ill, Im fact, conatieution of the United States ex- Ppreasly probibita the passage of any law having reference to any matter or orons an anterior date. It is under- stood that the Senator bas other important matters in bis anti-railroad budget, which he intends to exhibit from time to time. Mr. Senator Wheeler, of the Ninth district, has pre- senied the Senate the Know Nothing Kansas programme. Yesterday Mr. Piven gave the ——- idea, and to-day Mr W. bas given us the views of his party. ‘te really the first plank in their platform which has been offiviall; Ratled down, and therefor mater of general - Tigence, a of his itions are here giver: Tb wilt be seen he goes only for “free white maie oiti- wena.” Resolved es (it toe ‘Assembly concur), That our Senaters and Representatives tp Congress be, and they are hereby, Tequested to urge the passage of @ bill authorizing: — vention to form a State coustitution for the Territory of Kansas; and providing for the election of the to such convention by a just » ment of them to the weveral counties of election dietricts according te the lation ; and ing, also, that every free white Male citizen of the age of twenty coeyycay ad ajar being at the time an actual resident of said Territory, and 4 trans Ngai bse = <p ng election of such de! snd providing, 0, for the protection such electors from all violence in the exercise of the elective franchise, an for punishing all fraads in refe rence to such aiection. Resolved, That such bill should also provide for eab- mitting the ‘comstitution to be framed by such Convention inal to the voters of said Ter: qualified am POL Tg Pag Resolved, That when such constitution shall have beam po submitted to and adopted by aaid qualified voters ora majority of them, then, but not ull Te, our Senators and Representatives in Congress are hereby requested to yote for the admission of Kansas into Union ase State—provided ie constitat Hin all reapents } J - accordance with the of the United SeResotved That copies of these resolutions be transmit- ted by the Executive to each of our Senators and Repre peptatives in Congress, and to the Governors of the seve ral States of State Prisons the annaal The ti report to the Senate thir morning. It is a bulky, volum- bre ious document, and will make hundreds of printed matter, most of it entirely worthless, never be read by any one. Here isa brief synopsis of some of its leading features Total number of convicts ‘in the ev several prisons at the close of the Bscal year, Sept. 30, 1867, 1,890; of which there wore at Sin) sing 973, Aubarn 643, Clinton 274 Number discharged by expiration of sentence, 476. Namber dis- charged by pardon, 139. Number disel by commeu- tation of sentence, 17. Number escaped, during Total number received enring Tone, Sad 60. Total expen Aitures, $205,612 67 the 712. wailable, earnings, available and a ‘over 6 i for ordinary 83. _Barnings at support 2,878 68. Ex $9, ne ‘apres my $72 118 x Fxpeodivares, 969 530 oon nditures, $45,656 66. Earnings of fernale prison at Si Ring “sah Faxpendituraa, 66,708 41 ‘Haines againet female a $5 $04 Total availableand an. available earnings over cayeaues of all the prisons $2,082 23. Many of the inmates evince a grateful appre- ciation of the means furnished for their instruction and provement, and a desire to benedt by their use. The iabore of the chaplains are more arduous and constant than any other officer of the prisone, and they are aay complimented aye apeeens. " Th the the opinion the i bo Money is more judiciously expended that for the ehase of books for the libraries in. addi. tion to the $20,000 appropriated lact year for building am asylum for insane convicts, the Agent and Warden at Auburn estimate that it will require, in adaition, Ved «og pA, fad ‘and warm the same. Consid @ is devoted to the presentation of the condition ion of ingane convicts, and the necessity of imme diate Legisiative action for their comfort. Those who been instrumental iting up re. sistance to prison ing Sing Auburn during year, were #o neversly punlehed as to them that white a violation by thera: of the laws of the land outside of tho prison had cousigned them to it for punishment, any infraction by them of the Soauley, Woah See KA Lape with ite ty, which wou! rigidly exacted. tore recommend that the L Tegilatare fix some ressmante torn (ie or teree years) fae the term of effice for all the off Cers of the prisons, subject toremoyal by the Bowrd of Im in at