The New York Herald Newspaper, February 21, 1858, Page 4

4 JAMES GORDON BE EDITOR AND PROPRIETO! OFPICE N. W. CORNER OF FULTON AND NASSAU STS. THE DAILY HEPA LD. to conte BT per annum. THE DAIL 2 "00 ' Rica Btureday sete THE WEEKLY HEKALD, every cents per '».0r 8B per annum; the Buropean edition, $4 per annum. te +4 of Great Bruin, or $5 to any part of Ure Continent, both No. 51 "AMUSEMENTS TO-MORROW EVENING. ACADEMY OF MUSIC, Fourteenth street—Trauian Oren 1 Posimans, BROADWAY THEATRE, Broadway—Omovs any Mena- G@ERLE—HPRCTACLE OF CINDERRILA, OWERY THRATRR, Kowery—Dawn ov THY STARS aD aoe Nan wiin THE IRON Masx—PLOATING BEACON. BRURLOR THEATRE, Broadway, opposite Bond strent— Cowepy of EkkOwS—METROPOLITAN POLICKMAN—LOVE aND Monpae WALLACK’S THEATRE, Brosdway—Jmestx Baown, on tus Keuer or Luckwow. LAURA KEENK'S THEATRE, Broadway—Courter or Lroxs—Vinace Lawren, BRARNUW’S AMERICAN MUSEUM, Broadway—After- noon and Rvening: Ploxexn PatRior. WOOD'S BUILDINGS, 561 and 563 Broadway—Grorce Crnisty & Woops Minstneis—Werro, Tux Sessinix MONKEY BUCKLEY'S SERENADERS, No. 444 Broadway—Necno IKE AND BURLESQES—TEN Minctes Tair To TUE ACADE &Y oF Mvsic. MROH ANTC8’ HALA, 472 Brondwar—Bevanr's M) sTRELs —Frim@rian SOnGs—BRYANT'S Dky am OF SHOVEL RY. New York, Sunday, February 21, 1853. jews. The steamship Africa, which left Liverpool on the (th inst, armed off hiv pert ahont six o'clock yesterday afternoon, and came to anchor off the Light Ship. She brings three days later news. The steamship Black Warrior arrived at this port about half-past one o'clock this morning, with ad" vices from Havana to the 15th inst. The sugar market had improved, and rather higher rates pre- vailed, the chief inquiry being for the higher grades of yellow for the United States and Spain. The ‘stock on hand was about 7,000 boxes. Molasses had also improved Excliange was in moderate request, at half to one per cent premium on New York. There was nothing stirring in political circles, the festivities of the carnival proving more attractive than affiirs of state. We have news from Camp Scott, the headquarters of the Utah military expedition, to the Ist ult., two weeks later than previous accounta, It is quite satisfactory. The troops were in fine spirits and eager for a brush with the eaemy. Governor Cumming was performing his gubernatorial duties, so far as circumstances would permit. Colonel Jobnston was well informed as to the movements and designs of the Mormons. They were actively preparing to resist the advance of the troops in the spring. A terrible catastrophe happened in St. Louis yes- terday. The Pacific Hote! in that city took fire about three o'clock in the morning, and the flames spread with such rapidity as to cut off all the ordi- nary passages of egress before the inmates of the house became fully awake to the peril of their situa- tions. Many in their freuzy precipitated themselves from the windows, and fel! lifeless upon the pave- ment beneath, while others perished in the flames. ‘The names of twenty-nine killed and six seriously wounded are given in our telegraphic report of the calamity; but there were between forty and fifty persons missing, many of whom it was feared had also pe) ished. The gas pipes in the basement of the Methodist | Episcopal church in Sixth street, near Race, Ciacin- nati, exploded on Friday evening, tearing up the | floor and demolishing the pews, windows, doors, &c. Eight or ten persons were severely wounded, several of whom were not expected to survive their injuries. A desperate attempt was made on Thuraday night by five convicts to escape from Sing Sing prison. While the prisoners were marching to the mess room for supper the party suddenly bolted from the ranks, | issues on this continent. with the design of crossing the river on the ice They had, however, proceeded but a short distance when the bullets from the revolvers of the keepers effectually stopped the flight of the fugitives. Two of the number were captured unhurt, one was NEW YORK HERALD, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2i, 1858. NEW YORK HERALD. | cersmzi ‘untcieric todays ares Bible Society, at a meeting held on Thuraday last, after @ warm discussion, accepted the resignation of the Committee on Versions, and appointed a com- mittee to nominate candidates to fill the vacancies. In our columns this morning will be found Adju- tant General Townsend’s report on the present con- dition and organization of the Military Department of this State, It is more precise and elaborate than any document that has emanated from the Adjutant General's office since the days of General Dix. It is apparent, from the statements therein made, that a culpable negligence prevails throughout the State amongst the military commissioned officers of the higher grades—that the discipline of the mititia is in a deplorable condition—that the organization is extremely imperfect—that the people utterly disre- gard the commutation system—and that the volun- teers, who freely undertake to conform to the requi- sitions of the United States laws and constitution and our State laws, have assumed an onerous bur- then, with scarcely any encouragement from the people. To military men the statements contained in this report cannot fuil to prove in the highest de- gree interesting. The February term of the Court of General Ses- sions closed yesterday, when a large number of prisoners were sentenced. Recorder Barnard, in the spirit of ap editorial in the Hxraxp of Saturday on the cause of the increase of crime, expressed his de- termination to punish all offenders severely, and to render promenading in the streets of New York as safe as in our own parlors—“‘a consummation de- voutly to be wished.” Counsel for Jacob Boarges, indicted for an alleged violation of the lottery laws, in an elaborate argument moved to quash the indict- ment, after which his Honor adjourned the further hearing of the case till Wednesday. ‘The cotton market exhibited rather more firmness yes- terday, without change in quotations, ‘Ihe sales embraced about 2,00 bales, based upon middling Uplands at about IXe. 117%. Flour was firmer, with more anima- tion, and the market closed at an advance of fully Sc. per barre!,and in some cases even more; included In the eales were rome lots for export. Wheat was firm, but quiet, with ¢mall irregular lots of common red and white south- ern; no sales of moment were reported. Corn was firmer, with enies of good yeliow and white Southern at 70c , and ‘smal! lots of the latter were reported atic. York was easter, with sales at the opening at $14 60, while at the close holders were firmor. Sugars were firm; sales of about 1,000 bhds, old Cuba muscovado and New Orleans, with 200 bhcs. molado, at steady prices. Coffee was firm, with sales of 500 @ €00 bags Rio at 9%. lle. The stock cf Rio in this market docs not much exceed 40,000 bags, Freight engagements were quite light, and rates vuochanged The United States, Spain and Cuba—True Position of the Cuba Question. The Kansas question is rapidly drawing to a close, for the country is heartily sick of it, and the present agitation upon it in Congress is only kept up by a faction to further their own setfish ends. There isno point now in dispute, for all parties acknowledge that the same results will follow, whether she be admitted under the Le- compton or the Topeka constitution. The isothermal! line, and not the politicians, bas set- tled the matter, and Kansas can never be any- thing elee than a free State. She will soon be admitted into the Union, and then the at- tention of the government can be turned to other things. We have no doubt that it is the intention of Mr. Buchanan to take up at once the pending questions in our foreign relations, and particu- larly those with Spain, Mexico and Central America, which have become most preasing. | The recent revolution in Mexico is likely to give rise toa large number of claims by our citizens, and perhaps to involve new political The re-establishment of a feudal and ecclesiastical tyranny in an American republic is likely to lead at no distant day to serious complications. With Central America matters are in a fair process of settle- ment. The policy initiated in the recent treaty with Nicaragua promises to produce the richest and the ripest fruits. The spirit of lawless filibustering is checked, and the greag impulse in the hearts of the people, which lies at the slightly wounded, while the remaining two received | bottom of it, is leading to a mort healthy de- wounds that will probably terminate their existence. Our Kansas correspondence, published elsewhere, contains the official orders and instructions of Goy- ernor Denver to the troops on the day of elec- tion on the 4th ult. These orders and letters show how earnestly the Governor desired to se- cure a free and fair election on that day. The troops were mostly under control of the free State party, and especially were they at Kickapoo, Shawnee and Oxford, precincts where the alleged frauds are said to have taken place, We commend the perusal of these orders and letters to our readers. They establish beyond doubt or cavil the fact that neither the administration, the Governor, nor the troops, had any connection with the frauds, nor could they have prevented them. One of the letters gives some interesting facts in re- gurd to the free State party, what its leaders have sought and «till seek, why and how they have kept up the agitation, and, in short, the entire course aud condition of the internal politics of that Territory. The ship Diamond State, formerly called the James Ray, took fire on Friday night, while lying at her birth at Camden, opposite Philadelphia, and was totally destroyed. The loss is estimated at fifty thonsand dollars. According to the weekly report of the City Inspec tor there were 473 deaths in the city during the past week, an increase of 30 as compared with the mor. tality of the week previous n increase of 86 as compared with the corresponding week in 1556. The following table exhibits the number of death« during the past two weeks among adults and children, dis tinguishing the sexes Men. Women. Boys, Girls. Total. Week ending Feb. 13......88 100 123 44g Week ending Feb. 20 eC) ee |) Among the principal causes of death were the fol lowing :— —Wak ending— Fats. “Fes. 90 Consumotion .......... - 8 6 Convuirions (infantiie) . Ipfammation of the bangs, Intammation of the brat SBeariet fever... Mareewmur (infantile, Dropay in the head Measles... a 35 16 Ww ‘tion of the brain, 15 of congestion of the lungs, 5 of orysipelas, 7 of puerperal fever, 6 of disease of the heart, 11 of hooping cough, 4 of teething, 24 of smail- velopement. A similar policy developed in a treaty with Mexico would lead to similar results in that republic, and her rich mineral and agricultural wealth opened he enterprise of our people, to the manifest afaitage of both. But it is with Spain that our most pressing and most delicate questions, lie. For a long time she has refused to listea to our overtures for the early settlement of the question of Cuba, which forebodes serious difficulties in the future, and obstinately refuses to accord justice to the numerous claims of our citizens against her. In our diplomatic intercourse she has per- tinaciously adhered to the policy of studied in- eult toward us. The commuhications of our minister to her court are left unanswered year after year, or only euch fs euit her purposes are replied to. Had a tithe of the discourtesy that has been shown to our Ministers by Spain been exhibited by any of the strong Powers of Eu- | rope it would have caused a war long since, She still pursues this course, refusing or unable to read the signs of the times. We publish in another coluinn an article from one of her Minis- terial journals, commenting upon Mr. Bucha- nan’s first message to Congress, which breathes in every line the spirit ot her policy. To see a decrepit and worn out nation like Spain hold- ing a tone of such insolent bravado is melan- choly in the extreme. Sh@does it confiding in her weakness, for the very idea of her being able to do a bundredth part of what she there boarte is preposterous. But, weak as she un doubtedly is, her weakness should not be her warrant and her shield fémpersisting in wrong. The savage announge t7What she has long made, of her determin in Pe; toCuba. and which is reiterated (n the Comelyding portion of S the article published¥n another chlumn, is only 4 another proof of the nbée ty of early and vi- gorous action on ouf part in “relation to that island. Cuba is not alone a colony of Spain. It is an integral and an important portion of the great scheme of civilization. The abundance of its productions makes its existence felt in every mart of the civilized pox, 2 premature births, 31 stillborn, and 9 from | world. Its political and social stability must Violent causes. The following is a classification of the diveases, and the number of deaths in each class of during the week:— Fb. 13, Feb, 20, Bonen, joints, &e.. . 6 1 “ 10 22 40 147 Oia : “ 4 Skin, &e., and eruptive fevers. 7 Bul'borp aud premature 33 , bowels and oth. he 473 The number of deaths, compared with the corres. ponding weeks in 1856 and 1557, was as follows Week ending Febroary 23, 18% Week ending February 21, 1857 Week ending February 19, 185¢ Week ending February 20, 1868 The nativity table gives Btates, 70 of Ire 4 of Beotland, 2 of Prussia, & Our usual weekly © $60 46 eee 478 tives of the United of Poland, and 1 each and Britich Ax be preserved, not only for these reasons and for its own sake, but because it has a direct and disewse, | tangible connection with our own progress and welfare. To us the duty of this preservation devolves, and the sooner we set about it the Wetter. Delay will briag only new complica- tions and new difficulties. We are giad to learn, therefore, that Mr. Buchanan is deter- mined to take up this, and all our other ques- tions with Spain, and press them atonce to an early and just solution. Spain may talk about war, but she dare not gotowar. The firing of the first gun would be the signal for the loss of Cuba and Porto Rico without an equivalent—for the sweeping of her reviving commerce again from the ocean, and perhaps for a complete change of the dynasty in possession of her throne. As for any intervention by England or France, the Spanish writer is right in admitting that they dare not interfere. Should either of them do so it would lead to a perbaps throughout Eurepe, that would change revolution in both of those countries, and the face of the whole world. The commercial ties that bind the United States and England and give life to her industrial population, once ruptured, could not be again entwined in their present form, ard the material changes that would ensue might drive the house of Hanover from the kingdom. Louis Napoleon may send his armies to seek glory and new acquisitions in Africa and China, but a war with a maritime nation would arm the manufacturers of Rouen, Lyons and Paris against him. His throne, too, is bound by the’ cotton twist. Let Spain be wise in time. Cuba is necessary to our deve- lopement, and nothing can prevent its coming into this Union. Any attempt on the part of the mother country to put imto execution her barbarous tbreat, that it shall remain Spanish or become African, would affect the whole civi- lized world, and awake against her the ire of Christendom. Deterioration of the Anglo-Saxon Race in America—One of the Causes. Some of the London papers are commenting upon the supposed decay of the AngloSaxon race in the United States. They ascribe the fact to the effect of climate. That # decay or deterioration does take place in the physical man after one or two generations have lived and died on American soil has been asserted too frequently and by too high autho- rity to be flippantly denied; though it may properly be inquired whether the standard of comparison which has served to condemn the Anglo American has been thoroughly fair. Persors coming from Europe to this country and comparing the physical forms of the men one mects in Broadway with the peasants of Normandy or Devonshire would uaturally be led to form a poor opinion of our race: though a contrast between the men of Normandy or Devon and the farmers of Illinois or Connecti- cut, and another between the city bred people of Manchester and the city bred people of New York, might not tell so severely against the pbysical American. It may well be asked whether those who have most strenuously as- serted the inferiority of the Anglo Saxon race in America to the Anglo-Saxon race in Earope have taken care that the examples of the two races which they compared were analogous in respect of training, vocation and babits. However, assuming the fact of the deteriora- tion to be admitted, the question of the effect of climate must be excluded from consideration, from the simple reason that no one understands it. Science hasnot unravelled the mystery of climate, and its effects upon the human frame. Persons of respectable attainments and high po- sition may be heard to this day teaching that the climate of Africa turned the descendants of Ham black. Others believe that the tawny bue of the American Indian is the natural color of denizens of this hemisphere, and that we are gradually approaching that elegant shade of color. We mention these absurdities simply to Ulustrate our assertion that the effect of climate upon the human frame is not yet understood; and that no philosophical argument can be based upon any supposed influence which it may ex- ercise upon the human frame. We can however, without risk of error, lay our finger on one prominent and obvious cause of physical decay in the population of the United States. This is the infrequent use of bodily exercise in the open air by all classes of our people. With the exception of those whose business obliges them to work out of doors, it may be positively asserted that no citizen of our large citics, whatever his position or calling, | remains any longer in the open air than he can helpit. If he could be conveyed from his house to his office or place of businessin a covered van, | he would not willingly breathe a breath of fresh | air from year’s end to year’s eud. As to ath- | letic exercises, no one ever seems to dream of | such a thing. The great games of cricket, foot- | ball, rowing, huntiog, archery, shooting, &c., which divide with business the life of a healthy European, are either wholly unknown here or are only practised by a select few who know enough to deviate from the usual rules. No | one ever heard of our lawyers or doctors, or | merchants or professional men generally giving full play to their muscles at any trial of strength or endurance, Even our collegians and school- boys have grown too learned and too dignifieds to play; when the lads should be batting a ball or leaping a fence, you may find them reading # newspaper, and smoking segars, It is very sad to think, in congection with this undoubted source of physical dechy, that a clas of public teachers who ought to be fore- | most in correcting public evils are actually put- ting themgelves forward at the present mpment to d&ecourage physical exercise in the open air. We allude, of cout*e;"to the recent attempt of thy clefgy of this city ‘to drive the working clasees to church on their only day of rest, and to deprive them of the wholesome ex- ercise which they have heretofore enjoyed in the open air on that day. Sunday | is the poor man’s day for exercise, enjoyment { And freeh air. It is the only day on which he | can take his wife and family to the country, and admire God in his works. It is the only | day on which he can really labor for the im- | | provement of his physical health, Yet these | pricets are now trying to take from him this solitary day of exercise and relaxation, in order to swell their congregations, and increase the audiences who sit under their ponderous ser- | Mons. We hope that the poor people of New York | will remember that God knows neither times | nor places, and that those who seek to worship | Ilim need no church to do it in, no Sunday for especial glorification. God can be best wor- chipped in His works, and most especially in the due developement and perfection, under the laws He has provided, of the most perfect of his creatures—Man. The Sabbatical institution which the New York hierarchy is striving to force upon us is an old Jewish form, which, abolished in ite entirety by the early Christians, was revived by certain ascetics in Scotland and elsewhere, ahout two centuries and a half since, and has since been overspreading all the Pro- testant realm. It is time it were stopped. The early and purest Christians knew no Sabbath observance, no Sundays, no churches even; the best Christians on the continent at the present day, Protestant as well as Cathviic, see no barm in enjoying the Sunday in sensible relaxa- tion in the country. Why should our prieats wish to set these examples at defiance? Do they propose to make us better than the apostles and their cotemporaries? Better far it would be for these ambitious priests to set their wits to the finding of some method of healing the differences which now degrade them, and the silencing the scurrilous and mean sheets which are published under their auspices, than to try te rol the poor man of hie day of rest, | A Religtous R. volution. Ry the accounte of our reporters, it will be seen that the movement among the churches, technically known asa revival of religion, is as widely spread as it has been sudden and spon- taneous. The world of commerce, literature and finance; the world of fashion, frivolity and folly; the world that on the fourth floor of the tenement houee, the world that re- sides in a Fifth avenue palace, with'a butcher's bill of seven dollars per month, are all equally exercised upon the subject of religion. Nor is the movement confined to the metropolis. In other cities and towns the public heart is won- derfully stirred. In the icy, correct, puritani- cal city of Boston a eet of philosophers have seceded from the evangelical churches, and are holding daily meetings, where they discuss the question ag to whether or not there should be some radical change in the religion of the country. - In this city we are told that the daily prayer meetings down town are thronged every day with merchants, bankers, politicians, financiers— men of all classes and conditions. These re- pentent sinners make oral confession that they have done those things which they ought not to have done, and have left undone those things which they ought to have done; they pray, likewise, that they may have strength to resist the devil and all his works hereafter. Uptown the daughters of fashion, in all the pomp of sables, and velvets, and Honiton and crinoline —gilt-edged, bound in extra Turkey, full calf Christians—throng the daily prayer meetings at the Church of the Puritans and elsewhere, and send up to heaven rosy petitions, couched in the most eloquent language, and wafted on high by the perfumes of the legitimate suc- cessors of “Araby the blest.” We are all becoming very pious. The move- ment seems to be deep, profound and sincere. In one of the religious journals we read that at a small village in Rhode Island forty-two backsliders have been renewed and restored to their duty as Chris- tians. In Connecticut, in one town the baptisms amount to one hundred and twenty since the revivals commenced. In Kansas, a brother is laboring earnestly in the vineyard, and he must have a tough time of it attending to “eleven preaching points” per day. In an- other religious paper we read of four young men who met at midnight, prayed, and then sang a song of Zion, upon the banks of an orna- mental lake upon a gentleman’s estate. They then made a hole in the ice, and proceeded to immerse one of their number. fae nee” Terman, Sees and inquired “what oa earth they were about?” They replied that the wet and dripping individual who was shivering before them had just become converted, and coulda ’t wait until morning to be baptized. In this city, which our rural friends are fond of comparing to London, Gomorrah, Babylon, and other disreputable places, the movement is com- pared to the encampment of the children of Israel under the palm trees, and by the pleasant waters of Elim. A writer in the Christian Jn- telligencer says:— The still over crowded prayer meetings every noonday in the Fulton street Consistory room, the newly opened meting in Ninth street, the thronged lecture rooms and prayer meetings of many city congregations—all testify thai the eburch of New York is encamping at present in Kim. But where is Elim Turn to the fifteenth cbagter of Exodus, and you will see taat after a long and painful march Over the scorching Gesert sands, the cniidren of leraet “came to Flam, where were twelve wells of water and three score and ten palm trees.” With the silvery plumes of the palms flouting above thom, and the deep, cool wells rippling their delicious music through the cap, GO Dot wonder that Israel pitched their tents, and abode by the waters. Christ's church in New York (yes! and in many other places, too,) is euca:mping unaer the faim trees of spi. riwual refreshment and delight. We are gathering around one deep ‘‘well of salvation,’’ which Jesus has opened. Thirsty sizwers are coming hither to draw. Ministers and laymen, wi:h an ardor uukuown before, inviting, in earnest tones, “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come to the waters!” Deaf ears are beginning to be un stopped. Ibe siow of speech are becoming eloquent. ‘The gift of tovgues is descending. Those who could not pray now love to pray. Truths once preached to sleeping congregations how vail every ear add eye to the pulpit. In tuct, we are im the opening glories of a general and a genuine revival. fs has beea a long and a dry march over a Sabsra of barrenness and drought to get bere, but thanks be to God, we are here at last How we all got to these shady groves, cool wells and pleasaat palms seems to be a matter of doubt—certainly, the clergy had nothing to do with it. They found a movement organized and placed thehivelves at its head. The move- ment extends toya}l the evangelical denomina- tions— Baptists, Methodists, Unitarians, Presby- terians, and so forth, They are all orthodox in ro much as this—they agree in certain practical truths of Christianity, but dispute in relation to dogmas and points of church discipline, which are really of no vital consequence. We can never understand the mystery of the Deity, nor decide distinctly as to the doctrine of fature punishments. They belong to the Infinite, and it is not given to us, who are finite, to solve them. The clergy, however, of all denomina- tions ~ py all the time in quarrels upon these doctrinal points, and their, flocks, becom- ing disgusted with theological disputes, wander away into forbidden fields. Within the church there is no excitement, no enthusiasm, and | there Isa certain class of believers who crave this excitement and enthusiasm. These persons wander away to Mormonism, or spiritualism, or Fourieriem, or transcendentalism. It was thus that the physical manifestations made by a family of morbidly nervous women at Roches ter attracted the attention of a large class of the community, and for a time excited the curiosity of the scientific world. It was thus that Brigham Young was enabled to establish a State half way between our Atlantic and Paci- fic coasts. It thus shat the apostles of Fourierism and frecloviem were enabled to | count their adherents by thousands, We all know how diversified are the ideas of various persons upon any of the disputed dogmas of the Obristian religion. The old woman who said that her idea of heaven was that it was a place where they could sit all day in a clean white apron and sing psalms, was not probably any further out of the way than many of the visionary enthusiasts of the present day, who are too wsthetic and too visionary to think about clean linen at all. It follows, from these pre- mises, that were it not for the periodical revi- vals the Christian religion would fall into dis- use and contempt. Now, what causes the re- vivals? What conserves the religion of our fathers? It is held by pure theoretical Christians that the revivals are simply manifestations of the inward latent spiritual grace which exists in every one, and that that this grace is always developed when it is needed. Others say that the depression of business which succeeded the panic persuaded many worshippers of Mammon to turn from the error of their ways and to seek shelter in the bovom of the church. Our theory, as above elaborated, is that the laxury and laziness and laxity of the churches—-the ten- dency of the clergy to theorize and philoso- phize upon purely technical points of belief— was the cause of the backsliding of the mem- bere of the churches; and that finding no refuge out of the ark, they have now attempted to in- { fuse come of the divine auction into it, ‘There can be no doubt that there was great laxity in the church,.and that now there is au attempt at something better. The only way to bring about euch a reform is to return to the plain common sense platform of the early Christians, founded upon the teachings of the New Testament—the best moral code that was ever written. In some of the prayer meetings we notice that no con- troverted points of belicf are permitted to be discussed; this is an admirable regulation. It is only by such prohibition that « general ga- thering of miserable sinners can be made to inure to the spiritual benefit of the penitenta. We are glad to see that this religious revolu- tion is extending its bounds. We hope that preachers will come forward and expound in their purity the simple and beautiful teachings of our Savior as promulgated in the Sermon on the Mount. Let them preach short, terse, practical discourses upon “Christ and Him cru- cified,”” and they shall be as successful fishers of men as the Apostles themselves, Sie Practica. LeaisLation—A GensraL Bank rvpt Law.—If, instead of raising party issues on questions which will ultimately have to be decided by the great constitutional principles which govern all such contests, Congress were to apply itself to the measures urgently called for by the necessities of the country, it would be fulfilling its duties as a sensible and practi- cal body. The fight over the Lecompton con- +titution only admits of one possible conclusion, and all this skirmishing and waste of oratorical strength can in no degree alter it. It should be remembered that there are other legislative demands which it is vot safe to postpone, and in comparison to which the Kansas struggle is of comparatively minor importance, Foremost amongst the-e is the question of a general Bankrupt law. When we take into con- sideration the tremendous ordeal through which the country has rcccntly passed, and the state of commercial prostration to which it has led, it will be conceded that any measure that is cal- culated to raise us from our present state of exhaustion should have the precedence of mere political abstractions. Kansas can wait, but the hungry bellies of our industrial population will admit of no delay. Any measure that promises to afford them prompt relief Is therefore entitled to priority of consideration on the part of Congress. The gereral rentiment of the country paints to analteration in the legal relations of debtor and creditor as abeolutely called for at the present moment. Whether that alteration should be temporary, as in the Bankrupt law of 1841, or permanent, in view of the benefits con- ferred by the English and French systems, is of course a matter for reflection. Our own opinion inclines in favor of a continuous mea- sure applicable to any state of circumstances that may arise. The general principles of such a law are as easily definuble in our own care as they were in either of the systems referred to. We can never admit that there is anything exceptional in our circumstance which removes us beyond the necessity of such a law. Oa the contrary, the difficulty that commercial mea experience in recovering from the shock of each successive crisis that visits them, and the immense amounts of capital lost under the present system, prove that temporary mea- sures, like the act of “41, are but palliatives, and only tend to render our condition progres- sively worse. What we really stand in need of, and what the honest portion of the trading community will never be satisfied without, is a general Bankrupt law, applicable to corporations as well as individuals. This law should be perma nent in its character, and subject only to such modifications and improvements as Congress, after a few years experience of its working, might think fit to make in it. That it would afford great present relief, and impart a sound and healthy character to the trade of the coun- try, is easily demonstrable. Under the operation of the existing system, not only is a wide latitude opened to rascality and fraud, but the honest debtor can never ob- tain relief from the pressure of his burdens, Legitimate trade creditors are swindled out of their chances of partial indemnification by the privilege accorded the bankrupt of preferring and satiefying in full one or more of the parties to whom he owes money. Under the cover of such preferences, of course it is easy for a dishonestly disposed man to make away with the entire property of his creditors, On the other hand, the debtor who honestly surrenders his assets for equal di- vision amongst his creditors does not thereby obtain a release from the remainder of his obli- gations. He is consequently left to struggle under the discouragement of a load from which he may never be able to relieve himself. Both these conditions of things are vicious in prin- ciple, and are provocative of fraud. The arguments in favor of a general Bankrupt law are—first, that it will create uniformity in the legal relations of debtor and creditor, by upsetting the present inefficient State laws, which, conflicting one with the other, are practi- cally of little use to persons engaged in mer- cantile transactions; secondly, it will make merchants more careful to whom they ex- tend their credits, and will thereby im- pose a check upon the undue expansion of trade; thirdly, it will release thousands of en- terprising men from the burden of obligations which they will never be able to meet, and thus give them a chance of again raising their heads; and lastly, it will enable the creditors of swind- ling corporations to wind them up before they have had time to make away with the property entrusted to them. There are few persons engaged in business who would not hail with pleasure the passage of « law ensuring these results. If the present Congress desires to leave some enduring memo- rial of ite labors, it cannot do better than to proceed at once to the consideration of some such measure. Tux Conmition or tHe Potice Force,—It would appear, from statements published in the journals which advocated the substitution of the Metropolitan police for the old force, that three of the captains of the Metropolitan body were arrested one evening last week while in the enjoyment of a grossly indecent model artist exhibition in Broome street. The Mayor's police had received orders to close the establishment ; they must have been terribly shocked to find that the principal supporters and most earnest spectators of the illegal and disgusting perform- ance were three Captains of Police. The fact still further illustrates the corrap- tion of the present police force of the city. There probably never was a time when the police was eo corrupt and so utterly inefficient as Ht is now. No one seems to be arrested ; burglaries increnee frightfully ; asaenits abound every night; almost every law is broken; the police seem to be asleep. There is every reason to believe that they are not only inattentive ow their duties, and unfit for the station they fill, but also that in many instances—as, for instance, in the case of the gambling houses and the model artist clobs—that they are actually im league with the law breakers. A pretty change we have made in getting rid of the old force, and substituting the Metropo- litans! The journals which reported-the scene in Broome street must congratulate themselves on their handiwork. THE LATEST NEWS. ARRIVAL OF THE AFRICA, Sanvy Hook, Fed. 20, 1968, ‘The steamship Africa, from Liverp>oi 6th inst., bas an- chored off the Light Ship. She will probabiy reach her berth during the night. THE UTAH EXPEDITION. ‘Two Weeks Later from Camp Scott—Prepa- rations of the Mormons for the Spring Cam- paign—State of the Weather, &c. Sr. Louis, Feb. 20, 1858. Tho Independence correspondent of the Repudlican, under date of the 16th iust., says that the Salt Lake mai arrived there last night. Conductor Denver reporta the snow from one tosix fect deep on the mountains, aad the weather intensely cold. He left Camp Scott January 1, and the troops there were in good spirits, earnestly wishing to make a descent on Salt Lake City. Frém the Mormon prisoners and straggling Utah Indians Colonel! Johnston was well advised of the movements of the Saints, who were making active preparations to continue their resistance to the troops in the spring. Their municipal regulations were very stringent, and they looked with suspicion upon everybody the least inclined to fayor the action of the United States government. Governor Cum- ming was performing the dutice of his office, as far as he was able. The outward bound mails were making geod progress, and the many Indians whom they met manifested friendly feelings. SHOCKING CALAMITY IN ST. LOUIS. Burning of the Pacific Hotel—Twenty-nine Persons Killed—Six Seriously Injured, and Between Forty and Fitty Missing. St. Louis, Feb. 20—A. M. The Pacific Hotel, in this place, was burned at three o’cleck this morning. Eight or ten persons were killa and many others seriously injured by jumping frora the windows. It is at present impossible to ascertain the names of the killed and wounded. Exomrr O'C1ocx, P. M. ‘The burning of the Pacific Hotel proves a much more terrible calamity than was reported this morning. About one hundred persons were in the house when the fire broke out, forty or fifty of whom are missing. The following are the names of the persons known to be killed, 80 far:— Messrs. Bruce, McKnite, Burkheart, Wurst, Paul, Stee- rett, Mrs. Jenny Jones and child—all of St. Louis. Mr. Jobnson, of Chicago. Henry Rochester and J. H. Hart Strong, of Rochester, N.Y. Mr. William Saunders, Mr. Taylor, Geo. Crane, and Miss Jouee—residence unknown, Wm. Cunningham, of the Terre Maute and Altow Rail- road. Mr and Mrs. Hubbard Also, nine persons in one reom, whose names ars ua- known, and a negro boy. The following are sericusiy injured — Jemes F. Geary, reporter of the St. Louls Leader. Ethew Hayes, of New York. Jonathan Jones, Mr. Towns, Wm. Turner and Mr. Sharpe, watchman of the house. The fire caught in the drug store under the hotel, and spread so rapidly that the stairways were enveloped in flames before the inmates could be roused. All ogress was thus cut off except through the windows. Many leaped from the third story and were horribly mangled or instantly killed, and many more were unable evan to reach the windows, and were burned to death in their own rooms, Several more bodies are supposed to be ta tho ruins, and hundreds of exc'te:t men are energetically engaged in removing the rubbish and searching for them. The wounded were promptly taisen charge of by their friewds or sent to the hospital, where their injuries were immediately attended to. Several of the wounded can- not possibly recover. The lows of property is upwards of $50,(00. TERRIBLE EXPLOSION IN CINCINNATI. Methodist Church Destroyed by the Explo- slon of Gas—Several Persons Injured, CiwewnaTt, Ohio, Feb, 20, 1858, Last evening about 7 o'clock the Methodist Protestant chureh on Sixth street, near Race, was partly destroyed by the explosion of defective gaa pipes. At the hour mea- tioned some fifteen persons were assembled in the base- ment for meetings, when a #trong odor was felt and an effort made to discover the ieakage. A light was appliod to the metre, when the blaze burst forth, but was extin guished by a bucket of water. Quiet was aimost restored, when the explosion took piace, tearing up the floor, shatter. ing the walls, and making a wreck of the basement. More than half the pows tn the church were torn up, windows were blown out, and portions of the floor blown as high ae the ceiling. Doors were forced from their hinges ant biown into the street. The explosion was heard ata dw stance of half a mile. The windows of many buildings io the vicinity were destroyed. Eight or tea persons were severely wounded, and two or threo of them are not ex pected to survive. News from Washington, FRACAS BETWEEN MESSKS. CLAY, OF KENTUCKY, AND OM, LAT® CLERK OF THR HOUSE—MINNKSOTA PORTS THE KANSAS POLICY OF THE ADMIN ISTRATION, ETC., ETC. Wasatnotoy, Feb, 20, 1855, A personal difficulty between the Hou, Mr. Clay, of Kentucky, son of Heury Ciay, and Mr. Cullom, iate Overt of the House of Representatives, resulted in a regular fist fight between theso gentlemen at Brown's Motel to day. Tt appears that Mr. Clay and Mr. Cuilom wore drinking at the bar of Brown's Hote}, when Cullom proposed as a toast “The illustrious sire of a degenerate son,” at which Mr. Clay naturally felt and expressed himself indigaant, when Cullom struck him. Information of importance has been received here with regard to the action of the Legisiature of Minnesota upon the question of the admission of that Territory and Kansas, ‘as States, into the Union. Resolutions wore introduced into the Legislature on the 9th inst. condemaing the administration in ite Kansas policy, declaiming against the Proposition to unite the two Territories in one act of ad- mission, and instructing their Senators and members elect to oppose the admiasion of Kansas with the Lecomp- ton constitution, The resolutions were promptly voted down by a majority of four—the vote being thirty-five to thirty.one—thus showing that Minnesota endorses the administration. The Minnesota delegation waiting here to take their seata are Mesers. Rice and Shields, Senators; and Mosars Rocker, Phetpe and Cavanaugh, members, Rice and Becker are with the administration, Shields with the Douglas opposition; while Phelps and Cavanaugh are doubtful. It is doubtful if the threo members elect will be admitted to seats, Should they not, the one or the two having received the greatest vote will probably be ad. mitted. At least, #o it is understood. Becker hed the largest vote. ‘The Galifornia mai! to day carries out land gramte from the United States for important ranches, called “Cotate” and the “Canada de Jonive,”’ the claims to which bare been confirmed by the courts The State of Alabama having rojected a portion of the railroad grant made by the act of Congrees of June, 1956, to that State, @ considerable bedy of lands, known in the northern part of Alabama as the “Huntsville district,” have been ordered to be restored to market THR GRNRRAL NEWSPAPER DREPATCH Wasiivatos, Feb. 20, 1858. This morning ex.Licutenant A.C. Rhind posted Com Mander Bovtwell as a liar and a coward, near the Navy Department. It is understood that the difficnity betweeo them originated several years ago on the Pacific, but was recently renewed before the Nava! Court of Inquiry Willaw Cakiwell bas Dera seappoicted Cvotmasion