The New York Herald Newspaper, December 25, 1858, Page 4

4 + NEW YORK HERALD. OPFICT N. W. CORNER OF FULTON AND NASSAU STS & advance Money sent hy marys MO rece! if money. THR DAILY HERALD, to conts por copy. $7 por cnmem: THE WLEKLY HEKALN, every Soturday, at she rents per oem, 0 BS per annum: the Buropean Bdition $4 any pert of Great Urdatn, oF 85.0 any part of the © THE POILY RERALD, every Welncaday, copy, oF SP re annum VOLUNTARY CORRESPONDENCE, containing timportant ners, sokeited from any quarter © tcowkl: if weed, wall be Wherally pail sor HOR FOXGIGN “ORRESPONVENTS ARE Parmicucshiy Kequesten TO Seat Ala, LATER AND PAck- AGES SENT U5, NO NOrit E taken of anonymous corrempondence Ma commuoinations. ADVERTISEMENTS reneined cnery day: avlnertisements tn i) ie Weenie Hiwatt, Pawiuy Man suo, und to a bw Edition: exccrded with neatnoss, cheapness ant de- cush nent ett be at the tend 7. ad us cudecriplton F annnene Dantineet, both t four cents per We do not “ AMUSAMENIS THIS DAY AND EVENING. ACADEMY OF MUSIC, Fourteenth street —Evening— G¥Ad) Se Rep OnstoRIo OF THE Messran. VL ADWAY THEATRE, Broadway —teresrnien ax Gea 5 afternoon CLOWN 18 THE BekBek NmEY OF Beazi. Se BOWERY THEATRE, Bowery.—Aflernoon—CHICDREN IN eae Woop AsrHOpet—KoBexT Macarke. vecing—Lost Trrescin — Po CA-BOn-TAS— Magic TeOMPRT ~ PLEASANT. Ngicuvos. | URTON'S N THEATRE, Afternoon — adway —! Unix To's Camm Cunpses ix tae Woon. Ryeniag— RICHARD 1i—STAGs STRUCK WALL CB's THEATRE, Broadwa)—Mercnaxr or Ve wicw. LAURA KEENE’S THEATRE, No. 6% Rrondway.—Atter moon ard Kveving Ver sMERICAN CoustN—Pim CAPTALN 1S Nor 4 Miss ~PRIB /ANSANT Day. Gand SP. ALPINE MatoCovis as res WOON'S MINSTREL BUILDING, £61 and 863 Brondw — Pyeng HTANOMAN Sones, Mancss, &6— ws LLLUSTKATED, RECTAN ICS HALL, 427 Broadwry—Bry sore? Miverrers: Altern ot and avenmg—NEGKY SuNGs AND BURLESQCES—T Aint got 21m Te Taney CRMPHELUS MINBIRELS, 444 Broxdway—Afternoon Ane Dveulng—SMWOMAN OMARACTRMISTWS, BONG, &e.— Megicwtn FLORESIINE GALLE 618 Broadway.—CuassicaL Powmiscs To ne Seen at aL Houns, New kh, Saturday, December 25, 1858, dhe News. Vy the arrival from Aspinwall of the brig Caro- line, Captain J. Potter, at this port yesterday morn- ing, we hawe severaidays later advices from Cen- tral America than those brought by the Moses ‘he Caroline left on the 7th instant. The jl steamer frown Greytown arrived the ve. The South Pacific steamer had not ar- d nothing was heard of the Valorous. hip Washington, which was to have sailed for San Juan del Norte, Nicaragua, yester- day, did not leave her pier as was expected. The reason of this was because she had not all her cargo and stores on board, and consequently was poticady fo goto sea. The agents affirm, how- ever, that she will positively sail today. The Washingt takes ovt two hundred passengers, ninety-three of whom are those who returned with Ler on her last inp, when it was found that they could not proceed to California through Nicara- gua. The cargo of the Washington is stated by the ts to be 10°} arrels of flour, 600 barrels of bread, anda targe wantity of tea, sugar end other provisions. She has also one thousand tons of coal on board. If it is found impossible to pasa through Nicaragua this time, the steamer will pro ceed to Sun Franciseo via Cape Horn direct. A feel. ing of discontent seemed to pervade the passengers yesterday because the vessel did not sail, There were seine sumors afloat yesterday, to the effect that the W; gton had arms and other munitions of war on board for the use of Walker and his fili- busters. Que of these was that she had 800 mus- kets on board and several packages of gunpowder. All these rumors, however, are emphatically de- nied by the agents and the officers of the vessel. Ke of Aldermen last to fix the ¢ are, instead of 000, and | salary ot $9,000 pers leputy Co! r (appointed by the Com r) at $2,500 t up and | ¥ nto f favor | he City Inspe Departme +| J referred. jutio “a . the Hi ti | , mittee to r e how « 4 seceived from Ira 8. Libby other ' street ex h the on of Ald lireet- in « ccuptrolier to advertise tur prog «for ge way thr the lower end of ! were laid over. The Board aed to 8 ye Court of Gon ' ter Ma) . f the pre r M large pum! ames Larkin, w! in the firet degree « Dow enced ; fo in rison, Bernard | 1 n ‘ } ns nh 1 were a . Mag r ¢ itn a at | ” Y d b r ¥ held Wort ine, to | . rtaln & “ int Brovet I et J. BG misaary of | =wi { guilt « ity with the “ | ¢ for th ply of nieeari »| foun hat w o guilty inteotions | on his art, and thet mo furiher pr ee | in “ nb ry. ‘This tinding, with a resers as to some minor fe vtures of the opinion of the court, hae beeu approved by Colonel | Bonneville. dudge Rossel! rendered his decision yesterday, denying the motion of connsel for James Sutton El. Hott. the ged Englich defaulter, to discharge hin from custody nm g Christmas day, the law courts have ade Journed over to Monday. The December term of the Soperior € + is contin sver for the pur. Y f finis we ease of Slater against W The Commissioners of the Patent Office, with the concurrence of the Secretary of the Interior, has | ty, now Oinds that the weved cirenlars to certain of the Jeading agricattn. Tints in different sections of the Union, to attenda convention to be held at the Patent Office building on the Sd of January next, at 10 A. M., for the pur, pose of discussing such facts in practical hoehand ty as may have come under their « wd observation, and of aagee<ting moans by which oar crops may be increased, iwproved in quality, aud made more profitable to the producer. The De partment will allow the delegstes a milerce of five cents to Washington and back, with on additiona sum of twenty-five dollars to cover their hotel ex meen. The Police Commissioners met yeeterday, paced fnother resolution disapproving of the crying of S nduy newspapers, complimented policemen Da, vieon, of the Bighth ward, for his reeent bravery, re lostated two dismissed policemen, and decepita ted one. Youtorday being Christmas eve, waa not without its in flere on the general transaction of business in proda®. Cotten wes dell, while the sales embraced about 700 a 90 Doles, clowing with a rather unsettled feeling. The four Market Was Without change of moment in prices, while Whe couans Was light aud gales moderate, The owly lot xperier of wheat fol! of moment waa one of prime Kontacky white at $1 55. Corn was firm and im good demand, with ales Of Western mixed si 770. # 78. in store and deiiver- e0; new Southern yellow sotd at The a 760., and now white at T2e. aT4c. Pork was tess buoyant, while small sales of pew mese were made at $18 12, and of now prime at $13 76. Sugars were rm, with sales of about 400 bhds. aud £,700 bags at rales gives in another column. It is ascertained Wat the stock of ( reign sugars in this market, including bags, boxes and hogsheads, does not exceed in atnountover 12,000 hogsheade, Coffee was in fair request, with scaler of Rio at steady prices.’ Freight engagements were light and rates unchanged. The Political Events of the Year Behind us, ard the Prospects of the Year Before us. In posting np our books for the calendar, the last sands of which are running out, we prosent our readers to-day the first instalment of our summing up, in the shape of & recapitulation of the political events of the year behind us, federal and local, within the limits of the Union. Thus, within the compass of a few brief paragraphs, the great questions and issues and movements of our general and State governments, and of cur political parties, together with the revolu- tiouury manifestations of the State elections of the year, are given, as in a birdseye view, to the inquiring reader. in this record, Kansas, of course, oceupies the foreground; aud between the dreadful Kansas excitement, the Lecompton and anti-Lecompton party complications, the Douglas rebellion, the trembling Northern democracy, and the ferocious republicans of last December, and the dead calm upon Kansas which bas followed the labors of the administration to settle this disgusting iu- broglio, there is « very remarkable contrast. The people of Kansas have rejected the English vill; and thus, having overwhelmingly de- cided against the institution of slavery, the question is settled in behalf of a free State. With their destiny thus positively fixed, the people of Kansas appear to be in no hurry to assume the expenses of State sovereign- ty, but rather disposed to suffer a year or 80 longer the burden of their government liabili- ties to be borne by the federal treasury. ‘The returns of the Northern elections of the last spring, summer and autumn, however, pre- sent a startling array of figures against the de- moralized demoeracy. Of the seventeen North- ern, States we find but two, (indiana and Califos nia), which the opposition have not carried upon the popular vote. So much for the geueral re- sult, But upon the Congressional issue the con- sequences have been scarccly less disastrous than those of the fearful anti-Nebraska revolutionary reaction of 1854. And why? Because of the unpopularity of Mr. Buchanan's administration? No; for his admivistration is stronger now, in the party and out of the party, than it was in December last. Why, then, these election disas- ters from Maine to Minnesota? They are the consequences of the demoralizations and defee- tions created among the democratic rank and file by the factious and rebellious proceedings of the aspiring leaders aud unscrupnious dema- gogues of the party, in both houses, at the last session of Congress. Tn this connection the rebellious course of Mr. Douglas against the Lecompion constitution, the English compromise and the administration, has done its fuli share of mischiet among the tender- footed of the Northern democracy on squatter sovereignty, and among the scheming managers and pipe leyers of the party for the Presidential succession. Close upon the heels of the results of the November contest in New York and in lilmeis, the democratic managers and organs in the interest of Douglas, and the republican engi- neers and organs devoted to Seward, were ma- tually emphatic in Uieir declarations that the po- pular voice of the North, beyond # petadventure, had determined in favor of Douglas as the demo- cratic candidate, aud of Seward as the inevitable coampion of the opposition, for the next Presi- ney. A month bas intervened, and mark the change! Donglas, hy bis democratic peers and judyes of the Sevate, has been put into a back seat in the ty synagogue, where he is at Wherty to choose between the policy of submission and repen- tance, or the uty herbage upon the bleak hille outside the party pasturage. Nobody now supposes that be has a living chance for the Charleston nomination, and every body ie prepared to see hin fly off at a tangent, aiter the furbion of Van Buren in 1848, Next, with regard to Seward—it is manifest that thet bold and comprehensive abolition Ro- chester Manifesto has settled the business of 1460 for him with the conservative balance of power of the republican camp. Even the Chevalier Webb, who so lately decreed the inevitable nomi- nation of Master Seward by the republican par- iecussion of the question of a Presidential candidate “is premature and mis- cbievous,” and that the party has not yet as- eumed a definite ehape, bat is still in the canl- dron, bolting and bubbling, and that in its erys- tallization 1t is now impossible to tell what ele- Usink to the bottom and what will rise surface. Northern elections, therefore, so over- carried by the revived Kansas agi! ovratic party, under the rebel- Douglas & Co., have practi- cally, in reference to the great political parties of the day, accowplished nothing more than a general overthrow of the Northera democracy, a general dislocation and fermentation in the opposition camps, and the shelvin of Douglas and Seward. The administration, instead «oof having gone down under the general pressure, has risen bravely above ff, and now occupies & position before the democratic perty and the country of command ing strength. On the other hand, with the ex- piring embers of the late Kansas conflagration, ments w | the republican party, organized upon this issue, is all adrift: aud Seward, from his bold step in advance, has gone beyond the reach of anything but an abolition caucus or convention. And so Douglas, from hix desperate experiment to crush the adminirtration and to dictate the law to the Charlestou Convention, bas himself been ctushed aa between the upper and the nether millstone, The administration has not been shaken by these Lote political revulsions, but they have turn the opp on and the democracy into a num- of clashin,, canes and factions, North and South, The democratic members of the Senate havecom- meneed th work of reconstrnction with the excommenication of Doagiw; but whether the defections of the party will or cau he healed in season fur 1860. upon this or any other basis, is ly doubtful. The opposition factions, meantime, ere casting about for some common gtoumiwork of # coalitivn: bot their efforts to this end thus far are altogether unpromisiag. And this, from the polities! events of 1858 upon our domestic affairs, from their devclopemont down to thie day, and from all the signa iu the political horizon, on all sides, the prospects for 1859 aud 1860 ave much more strougly signifi- cant of 4 general scrub race for the succession, sud ef an election Ly the House of Represcnta- tives, than of a sbarply defined sectional battle, like that of 1856, Thir, with the uncertain lights before us, is NEW YORK NE? ALD, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 95 a“, 1858. or any other Le caneclied. Tt seems probable that, in the exees# of bis matignity, the poor old wean went too far, and that bis iaetructions will never be carricd out. There will probably be a the best horoscope we can give of the drift and | good des! of talk, much legal lore, and then an manifest deetiny of the dinoralized avd disor- | ganized political cliques and parties of the diy. With the opening of the new year we may ex- pect, in Congrese and out of Congress, come new and more positive indieutions of the shaping of the democracy and the opposition for the Presi- dency. ‘The Extraordinary Will of Mr. Thorndike, the Boston Miliionatre—Post Mortem Re- venges. Tt bas been generally supposed that the flinty hearted iathers who cccupy eo large a space of the comedies and romances of the last century went out of existence with the tie wigs, knee breeches, siage coaches and sboe buckles. In faet, it is the general theory that now-a-days, owing perbaps to the great progress of the age—the telegraphs, railways, and so on—the World has so far advanced that the order of things domestic has become entirely changed, and that parents obey their children, instead of the old rule of patriarch! discipline, But there is occasionally a marked exception to this rule, and the stern parents of real life go far beyond the testy old gentlemen that figure in romance. Fielding, Sheridan and Goldsmith always make the j atriarch forgive his erring child at some convenient time after the mischief is done; but euch cast iron fathers as Mr. Augustus Thorn- dike, of Boston, whose will we print else- wicre, carry their malignity beyond the grave, and make their revenges posthumous. The attendant circumstances of this Thorndike affair are interesting. Many years ago—say be- fore the war of 1812, when Boston was an im- portant commercial city—Isracl Thorndike was one of the greatest merchants in the Modern Athens, He was the compeer and the friend of Thomas H. Perkin-, William Gray, and other fine old gentlemen of the same school. With them he carried on a creat trade in the Indies and China. ‘Thea Boston monopolized the traffic in silks, teas and other Oriental products. Great were the gains of the Thorndikes, the Perkinses and the Grays of that day. Right royally did they live, too, those princely merchants, and died full of years, honors, crusty port and Old South Church sermons. - Their sons belonged to the aristocracy. They inherited fortunes that bad been acquired in trade, and sneered at persous engaged in the pursuit of commerce which the old fellows, the fathers of the sneerers, were so proud of. Well, Thorndike the elder left three sons, Israel, Charles and Augustus, with « com- fortable fortune of half a million each. Of course they never sold tea or traded in silks or opium or fire crackers. They were all gentle- men, and brought up their children in a proper way. One of these children—the daughter of Chastes, we believe—intermarried with the French Minister at Washington, the Count de Sertiges. Another, Rebecca, daughter of An- gustus, is the wife of M. C. Marin, a leutenaut in the navy of the United States. The last mar- riage provoked the anger of Mr. Thorndike pére to an alarming extent. Some people said he had a personal dislike to the husband of his danghter; others, that he had lived so long in Europe as to have become a thorough tuft hunt- er, and was disappointed because bis son-in-law was not a nobleman. Whatever may have been the cause, the enmity of the old man never died or even softened. Lieutenant Marin bears the reputation of being ® good officer. He served with distinction in Mexico, was secoud in command to Hunter, who captured Alvarado in the Scourge, and was selected, on account of his acquaintance with the Spanieh language, to com plete the arrangements for the formal transfer « the port to the authority of the United S Under the action of the celebrated Board of Fit teen he was placed on the reserved list of the navy, but has lately been restored by the Pre- tident. The davghter—Miss Rebecca-—hud certainly attained the age of discretion before she was marricd, being seven and twenty when she eloped with th old Thorukike seems to have been (hat every- body was scheming to get his money, and, haviag made dollars his ouly god, he gradually broaght himeclf to believe that every one else held the same faith. Althongh a free liver, he never had a honse of his own as a residenck, and endea- vored to evade the payment of taxes on h's per- sonal property. The city of Boston gained a uit brought by him to test this ¢ The tiwe came, however, when ev te sireet could not save Thorndike. ite as it may appear to persons who have a proper respect estion. ) lin } for grim archer flow a shaft at this man with the plethoric baok ac- count. In bis last illness he refused to see his donghter Rebecca, and in his will he attempted to guard in every sible against ber or the children by her present mar- Hage receiving any benefit more than a «mall annuity from his estate, which is supposed to be Her selatives forbidden to assist ber in any way: they, as well as other legatees, will forfeit all claim to the bequests in case they recognize her or ber children. Harvard College revives a be- quest for a Professorship of Music, subject to similar conditions. We presume that this bind- ing clause i. clearly illegal, eo far av the College is concerned. It is certainly ab<ord. James Stewart, son of the sume Mr. Augustus Thorn- dike, married his cousin, Henrietta Dolprat. This conection was likewise unpopular with the head of the fumily. The testator also cute off his daughter-in-law, who was also his nieoe, and ber fumily from any sbare of bis cstate, and tics up his bequests to the son in the most formidable way. In the event of the death of his children, Mr. Thorndike leaves the bulk of his property toa young man named Perkins, grandson of Thomas Tl. Perkins, of Boston, This residuary legatee is not connected with the Thorndikes by blood, but bears the name of the testator, Should Per kins decline to comply with the provisions of the will, half the property is to be devoted to the proportionate incroase of the annuitics, legacies, &c., especially mentioned in the testament, and the other half to Harvard College. We have read mony remarkable testamentary devises, but this of Thorndike’s is the most curi- ous of all. It is really ap extraordinary doou- ment, and in ite dry legal phrascology is a more graphic exhibition of the worst passions, meannerses and revenges of the human heart, than ever could be limned by the most eloquent, graceful and graphic descriptions of the ablest romancist. The testator bas prepared for the contesting of the will, and has filed sevetal others, to be taken up in regular order, should the first way t balfa million. i] amicable agreement between all parties. The issue depends very much upon the residuary legatee, Perkins. We incline to the belief, on the whole, that Thorndike’s little revenges will never be necomplished, and that bis labors will have no other result than to inercase the bank accounts of some of the leaders of the Suffolk bar, aud dimi- nish those of the unfortunate legatees in the same ratio. Defects of Our Consular System. The chairman of the House Committee of Waye and Means has reported to Congress a bill moking appropriations for the consular and diplo- matic service, The connection which this phrase expresses between the consular and diplomatic service, and which was established by the present law regulating those branches of service, ia an im- propriety in fact, and inflicts a great inj iii ¢ upon one of the most useful claases of our public officers. While the diplomatic eervice is one of limited labor generally, the consulay is ove of setive employment. Onur ministers abroad, with few exceptions, and particularly in Europe, have little to do but study the fine aris an) 6 ek fier thumbs. Our consuls, on the contrary, are the active servants of our commerce. Wherever an Amer‘can ship goes she has calls upon our con- sul for both service and protection. As ® natu- ral consequenee the labors of any consul are great or small, according to the maguitude of our trade with the port where he resides. Under our 0 consular system, which appropriated the fees of office to the pay of the consul, that offi- cer received a remuneration in cxact pi0- portiin io the Iabor he performed tut cm tain wiseaeres in Congress, in the fullness of their wisdom, insisted that they could improve upon this equitable system of remu- neration, and the present consular law was enacted. The great working consulates were cut down, and the multitude of little idle ones were lifted up by 9 schedule of fixed salaries. We will only cite the cases of three of the working consulates to show the effect of this ridicvlous alteration. London is one of these. The work which the consul there is obligated to perform cannot be done with less than three clerks and the necessary office room. The official fees for this labor amount to about $25,000 a year, and yet the salary is cut down to $7,500, with an allowance of ten per cent on that for office expeuses. As a natural consequence, Gen, Campbell, afier paying office rent and clerk hire, bas to Jook to his plantation in Texas for bis own living. The consulate at Liverpool was formerly estimated as equal to or better than the Loudon consulate. It is now cut down to 37,500, and ten per ceat for expenses, When the law was passed, Mr. Hawthorne, the incum- bent, wrote to Gen. Cass that he could only send there as consul “a rich man or a rascal.” None other could pay the clerks, office ex- penses, and live out of the salary. Mr. Hawthorne resigned, and considerable dif- fieully was found to get a successor who would promise to work for nothing and find himself, At last Mr. Beverly Tucker agreed to accept it; but as he was neither “a rich man nora rascal,” his friends made up a purse of $10,000 to enable him to do his duty to the government and our commerce without plunging hbimeeli over head and ears in debt. He is now filling the office, but how long be will continue to do so for the poor, pay of “more kicks than coppers,” depends upon his own good nature. But the most flagrant case of all is the consu- late at Havana, The salary there has been cut down to $6,000, and ten per cent; but to make the pill more pleasant the incumbent is raised to the grad of consul general. The number of American vessels that clear annually from Ha- vana is one-half greater than that of those clear- ing from Li tis true that their agero- gate tonnage is less, but this doesnot in any way diminish’ the labor of the consulate. Besides this, while the labors of the London and Liver- pool consulates are transacted entirely ia our pool. Vieutenant, The theory of | own language, the necessities of the Havana consulaie require its clerks to be well versed in two languages—Spanish and Eug- lish. Besides the increased expense of clerks from this cause, Havana, in comparison with any city in England, is doubly as expensive as they. The price of living, rents, and cvery concomitant of social intercourse, hears the some increased proportion; and, in ad- dition to all this, the incumbent is obliged to perform much diplomatic duty and to keep up a semidiplomatic state, The consequence of this state of things has been that we have not for some time been able to retain a consul there for any long period. Bitter expericnce soon drove them away, and the duties of the consulate lapsed into the hands of clerks, who were unequal to the charge de- volved wpon them. The records were not kept up. the public documents were scattered and lost, and the buriness finally got into such a snarl that a public ontery was raleed against its condition. On throwing up the office a year ago, Consul Blythe wrote to General Cass, “the compensation provided for this office is mean, contemptible. aud unworthy of our government. After paying the expenses of the effiee the ba- lance of the salary is insufficient to procure food.” In fact, the necessary business of that office cannot be performed with less than three clerks, end when these and the office rent are paid, the only resource fur the consul general for a livelihood is to suck his own thumbs. This state of things is disgraceful, and shoald not be permitted to continue. Our legations, with nothing to de, have better salaries and a further allowance for secretary aud office ex- pensea. Our consuls are necessities for our chips and merchants. and their dntics increase with the increase of our trade, The number of our veseels fs increasing, and we hope will con- tinue to increase until they are ae thiek us ties in eommer. Tt it anold truth thet the laborer is worthy of hie bire; and in mvdance with it, the system of remuneration to our consis should be entirely reconstructed. Will some justice loving member of Cougross take up the subject, and bring in at onee a WI for that purpose? : , Tim Catiorie Curnew ty Conaress-—The Senate chamber at Washington oa Thur peeeonted a novel spectacle at the oy the day's proceedings. The prayer for th having been allotted to the pastor of the lie Church of St. Patrick, he perforined the remony in the black castock ond white surplice of his order, and was surrounded by a wumbor of other pricets similarly attired, which imparted to the eeone an ait not alone of novelty but of awe. We arg Wold at much interest was gri- cr denced on De occasion, and i Senators showed eymptome of anoeual devotion, Proba bry they faveicd themselves in Rome for the Lonee, though tbey did net do exactly as Rome doea, nor did the inspiration of the moment vi vert them inte grave aud reverend Rewaa sena tors, The account of this scene will be read with some surprise in Catholic countries. Peo- ple there will begin to think that the United States fa all right, that they have reposed their several heads ov tbe bosom of Mother Cuarch and become a part of the family. The explanation of this deviation from the ordinary method of opening the proceedings of the Senate is very simple. The custom of ap- pointing a chaplain for the whole session has been abandoned, aud the President of the Senate, a few days before the seseion commenced, made out a list of the clergy of every denomination in Washington—including, of course, the Catho- lic—and allotted to cach a day upov which to officiate, By this arrangement Thursday fell to the lot of the pastor of St. Patrick’s, when the vestments of the Catholic priests were seen in the halls of Congress, Persegorion or Amenican Naruratiep Cint- zens Aunoap.—We bave reccutly received several letters calling attention to the bighhanded acts of cer ain of the German governments in regard to such of our naturalized citizens as are induced either by business or pleasure to revisit their native States, An Ameorican passport affords no sort of protection to its b-arer, prpvided the go- vernment in which ho happens to be thinks it has a previous claim to bis allegiance; aud in vain, we are assured, are the resident Ministers of the United States appealed to to interfere in euch cases. It is time that all snch vexatious proceedings on the part of foreign governments should be put an end to, either by au iuternational ar- rangement —if such an arrangement be possible — or by an explicit declaration on the part of this country that it will no longer tolerate the perse- cution of persons who have established their title to American nationality, The common sense of the world is now ready to recognise the fact that no government has any right of property in an individual who bas voluntarily renounced his ailegiance to it, and shaken off all the social duties and responsibilitics which bound him to his native soil. The principles enunciated by Secretary Marcy in the Koszta ease are those which must ultimately govern the intcraational relations of the world, and we consider the pre. sent a favorable period for hastening their adop- tion, by inviting foreign governments to a con- eideration of the benefits which would result from their general recognition. It is evident that in the event of a general war breaking out it would be mpossible for the European govern- ments any longer to put in force their arbitrary doctrines in regard to perpetual allegiance. They might as well, therefore, at ouce make a merit of necessity, and concede willingly a principle which at some future day they will be forced to admit. Latest from Central America, THE BRITISH STEAMSHIP VALOKOUS NOT YET AR- RIVED AT ASPINWALL—ARRIVAL THERE OF THE BRITISH MALL SHIP FROM GREYTOWN. ‘Tho brig Caroline, Capt. J. Potter, from Aspinwall Dec. T,arrived at this port early yesterday morning. The Caroline anchored off Sandy Hook on Thureday evening— making the patsage home in sixteen days, and bringing advices three days later than those received by the Moses Taylor. iusinesa at Aspinwall was uncommonly brisk, and everybody seemed to be occupied; quite a large aumber of yersols were lying ip the barbor. At the time that the Carolize jeft tho United States store ship Retief weighed anchor and set sail or New York. The Brit'sh South Pacilic steamer Lad not arrived at Pa. nama at the tite of the departure of the Caroline, but was hourly expected. The British mail cteamer from Greytown arrived the day before the ©. sailed, but brought no news of interest. Some distinguished personage arrived by it, and was im mediately taken on shore by th> boat of the United Sue hip Roanoke, Commodore Melutosh, then lying at Aspinwall. The British steam frigate Valorovs had not arrived with Sir William Gore Ouseiey, bat was expected with conside- rable {oterert. Ov bis arrival Sir Gore will have an ii terview with Commodore Mclutosh, after which he wiil proceed across the Isthmas to Panama, where the British steamer Alertgwails to receive him. He is to proceea to Costa Rica to M¥ve a diplomatic confab with President Mora. Hie veat vets President Guardiola, of Houduras, relative to the retrocession of the Pay Idtands t) that republic. The Caroline had her forceail wife forevopsail reat ia the gale of Wednesday last, ‘The t crmometer, in the shade, off Cape Florida, on Friday that, wae eighty six degrees, which Captata Potior thought remarkable for the present season of tie year. Captain P. and crew bad to don their lightest garments, and on deck were at that uncomfortably warm. Tun Norwat Senoor.—T) Normal school, where the teachers of our commen schools were wout w re- celye an education befitting them for their position, har, wo believe, beca abolished by the present Board of Kdueation; but we trust that the new Board, which comes into office ou the Ist of January next, Will see the necessity of re-opening it, It is hard to con. ceive @ better plan to ensure good teachers than to select them from an establishment specially devoted to their traming, certificates from which may be some guarantes Of their qualifications. It is certainly proferabie to the system Of gelecting teachers from personal, political or family considerations, The rovent digenssions coacerning the conduct of our common schools in this city havo shown tho importance of having inteidigent and well edu caicd persone at their bead. ‘The datiy Normat schoo! was formally opened on the 70h of Mareh, 1866, with a register, number and attend. ance of 121 pupils. Tho fargest attondanes at any time from the abows date to the present was 183, the wholo number of certiticates of qualification granted, was 195; and of pupils, who have roceived A (the highost grade), before their appointment 26. Nine were regularly gradu. ated by the Commissioners; 35 were relieved from atiend- ance at the weekly Normai school, of whom have received B grate, 49; of whom have received © do., 88: of whom have received Ndo., 29. Appointed aa teachers fram the ice that t!.e pupils riid*net come to the school ‘well prepared, is appended somo further data. Of those who hay tidcates of qualification, there wero entered in the lowest class — #, nod rewarded with A, before appointment receive B, ‘ FE cinge was merely clomontary. Th jacod in A had very httle of po knowledge of alge’ In must be ob. served, that before receiving even the lowest rade, 1, they uct be prepared (algebra cited as one example of qualt- ) thon ample equations. The members of that with but few exceptions, wore persona of vory ater attamments. Indeod urge proportion af them Wore admitted at firet ae more probationoes, not having attended the ward echoole, and consequently not familiar with the required routin Audly omeontial for aimeeion—thas forong extra attention after echoot honrs: to be given 10 make up their deficieacy. The qualifiea- ties heeenwery ap to the dave of september 1, 185%, t ob- tain certificates of the 1 by the Oty Sipertatencdent, included al . Wat sings then at gebra bas bee 0 drain of teaebers OF continwone stricken out of wrod ? wn the Nerraal «choot hag teen © Pereonad totelgences RIV ATA ahip Saxon VY CW sated 83h: the eecond en Frm Fambs et Meera Frota Ivana, In the hark Tecony—Cant Dotby and crew of brig bideRs, of Hattinera, before reported low. Fev Kingston, Ja, w the brig Norfolk Str Perris and lady. THE LATEST NEWS, AFFAIRS AT THE NATIONAL CAPITAL, Cor Special Washington Despateh, MFAM AN DEPKEDATIONS ON OUK COMMERCE AP TAMI —~ATIEMPT TO MAK GARZA DI GOKGE— PocTAL RRCORM—THE FILIBUSTER —TUK PENSIOS abby ba. Wastivoro, Dee, 24, 1858 Parties intimately connected with Mexico, aud bav ng a widely extened knowledge of Mexican affairs, wre Luglbg UpOm Our goverbmens the sending of several vee. te.8 of war to Tampico, with positive orders lv compel Cam to restore what be has plundered from Awercan ciliate, m the same way thal ke was compelled make restitution to the Spenish merchants, Five American veescls have been fired into, detained ant! robbed by bim, and the cargo of one was ordered te be discharged on the beach whlic he was besieging the cut), and Wae then seut by bim into the interior ou bis owt account, The vessel wae then mado a cover to his taonches in an attack on e fort, wits perforated with shot bolca, and the chief mate's hand shot away. Her com- Mander, Capt. Trevis, was imprigoued for eleven days, apd only released on the arrival of the United States Steamer Fulton; but no indemty was exacted, Strong protests have been made before Mr. Chase, the Coasul;, but he, of course, has no means of enforcing them, while the want of nection on the part of our goverument renders his official protection of lite avail, and his influence daily weaker. The Spanish Consal is now the only strong man in Tampico, and Spanish iuteresta the only oucs respected, by Gov. Garza, ‘The Poetmaster General will respond to the cail of the Senate or intormation as to how the expenditures of bis department may be reduced and how its income may be increased, bot will not connect with his report aay re- commeniation beyond whet ig in bis annual report, leav- ing 1 to Congress 0 act aa it pleases from information he will give. ‘Ye administration has not yet been informed of the lauding of the filibusters in Nicaragua, although (hece is no doult they bave landed, Si ot likely the pension bill just paased the House Will pass the Senate, and it is generally known and freeiy apeken of that a great many meaibers would not have voted for it but that they expected it woald be detoaed in the Senate. : THR GENERAL NEWSPAPER DESPATCH. ‘ Wasainoton, Dec. 24, 1853, It as said that Senor Tasarra, the Spanish Minister, bag officially informed Secretary Cass that the diff -ultice be- tween the Spanish authoritios and the authorities of Tampico are settled; but letters from 4 commercial houxe in Tampico, just received here, contain & reverse gtate- ment, end further say, that as svon as the weather will permit, the Spaniah fleet will concentrate on the whole coast, frou: Laguna to Tampico—thus confirming previous advices. ‘Tho corrected fist, from an official source, of the naval nominations recently acted upon by the Seaate, shows the positions which have been assigned each officer. Capt. Voorbees is transferred to the leave and pay lst, and Captains Paine, Ramsey and Inmap, to the active liat, Commonders Promoted or Transferred. —Lecompte, to the leave end pay list; and Armstrong, Lord and Jobustoa, to be captains on the active list; also Shaw to the active tit,” Lieutenants Promoted or Transferved.—Vorter, William. son, Carter, Bissell, Glason, Kilty, Cuandier, Meade, and Gibson, to be commanders on the active /ist; and Flagg the leavPand pay list. inutenania on the Active List.—Walbach, Doyle, Marvia, Rit, Perry, Rolando, Parker, Fitygerald, Rhind, Moar- anu; apd Watson, Harrison ond Hunter to tho leave and pay 8. Midshiymen Promoted.—¥iall, Pyrons and Mereer, to be lieutenants on the active list. ‘The above includes several of the nominations that were confirmod yesterday. : ‘The balance in the Troeenry on Monday was $3,114,000, Tho receizhs of the previous week were $1,072,000. The amount of the drafts paid was $1,969,600, and the amount: of the drafts issued, $2,208,000—e reduction from last week of $1,226,000, The Secretary of the Treasury hae decided on appeal that beet root ured im the manufacture of paper is charge- able w th a duty o 15 per cent; the cotton velvet part of dyed Coburg robes a quille, 24 por cent, and the worsted: part 19 por cent: cotton duck i to be charged 19 poe cent. The importer bad claimed an entry at 16 per comt sor “said duck,’ but no such article is spocitiod iu the tariff of 1867, Pearls, through etrung on thread, if im- jorted to © set in the United States, aro to be charged , 4 per cent. Bugs of Alnerican manufacture, exported from the United States, filled with grai abd afterwards imported empty, Or exported empty and afterwards im- rorted Glled with grain, will be admitted froe of duty. Tea, 1den on bonrd of junks im waters within he territoria limit: of China, i# considered a “ladem ia the ports of that country; but toa, the prodact of Chima, purchased and laden on board of Chi- hese junk, in the roadstead, harbor or waters of Slaga- pore, canpot be treatef ax coming from the country of production, and will be subject to d Tho Secrutary bas overruled the decasion by which duty war charged on muli stones, aud places them with bure stones, Wrought or unwrougut, but unmanufuctured. The following regulabons have been proscribed under the tar iil of 1846, and have been roe-affirmod on questions arising on appeal under the tariff of 1867)— Dutable merebandise imported into the United Statee, and afterwards exported, although it may Lave paid duty on the fret importation, is lable to duty on every subse- quent importation, Wheat, whea imported in moderate quantities exclu- sively for experiment and improvement in agriculture, is to be five of duty. ‘The joint resolution introduced in the Senate by Senator Frown, creating the brevet grade of Admiral, was not pared, ax crroneourly stated in yosterday 's despatch, but referred to the Navel Committee. The telecraph wade a mistake yeeterday in saying that the Senate was full of priests when Father Boyle opencd it with prayer. Tho despatch thould have read that he was in “Soll pricat’s drers,”’ instead of the Senate being “full of priests.” MORRIS’ POPULAR SOVEREIONTY ILL. ae POR AN ACT CRANTING TO THE PROPLA OF THR MtVERAR (© ASIZED TERRITORTRR OF THE UNITY STATE! THR mIGHe TH PROVIDE, THROUGH THEIR RESPECTIVE LEOISLATCRRS, vom WE AVPOINTNEST OR ELECHON OF THER GOVEKNO POR! AND ALL OTH TRERITORIA? OFFICERS, IX KvEHT MODE ON MANNED A® SAlD LEGISLATURE MAY BY LAW DErEe- waxe. Section 1. Be itenacted, &o,, That the people of the foveral organized ves of the United States be amd > appoint of Ail other Territorial of. fe, mruch mode or manner aa their respoctive Laogista- tures may by law determine, and to dotine their powers and prescribe dhetr dutice: Provided, that nothing herous contaived shall rfere with the right of the cxieting officers in raid Territories, or those Ubat may be herealver appointed by the Presidcnt, vo botd their respective offices until theif shovessors arc appointet OF clected and qnahfed in parsnance of the laws of said Territories. of the Territorics hereafter orgun. See, 2. The ove by act of Congress shalt be vested with the same Tight ond power ef appointing or electing their Governors, gus, oa all cated Yeryuorios ofticers, and dotining thete powers and prescribing their duties, which, by the pro Virion of the foregoing section, aro coniorred on the people of the Territories now organived. See. 3. That ell svite and causes of action in the said ‘Territofies, arising under the constitution and laws of the United § shall be tried at such times and in suct manner a» Congress may by Inw provide. So. 4. That the people of any Territory of the United States sow orgumiaed, or which may be hereafter ized, are herewy authorized and empowored to Pm 4 convention and frat siod into the Union Legislature may by law preacribe: Provided, that "e, plication for such admiseioa inte the Union shall not toate until the population of each Territory shall be euill. crenuly numerous te entide it to ene representative in the Honse of epresentatives on tho basis of apportionment of reprenentation eatablished by Congress for the several States: And provided farther, that uo auch application shall be received or entertained by Compress until the constitrtion framed for ear! Territery ehall be rubmitted to the people thereot by a direct vote for thelr approval oF rejection, of d ebail have been approved hy & i hag the legal voters of raid Torritery: And provided furtl that nothing berein contained shall operete against immodinty admitelon of Saneae ant Uregon inte the 6. All acts and parts of aett comlog in confi’ with thie act Shall bo aud the game are hereby reopened. PHE SOLDIBIE VENSION PHtb. ‘The Hponker of tho House stated tho qiestion to be on and engrossent of the Ponsion bill a ny your 130, ways 73. bill aa artopted:— That eaclt of the Rurviy oiticera, tausieiane and pri the regular army Hate tray in the war declared by nom the 18th day of Jane, & pousion from thw United from the fret day of the {combine durme bis matieal Ite, 4 Surther et tod, Thateveh of the of. cers, non commiseioned offeor®, Muneiciin® and prigates, who bay o served ap the Foouior Army = State toopa, volun” Yeors oF tuilitin—of any State or Territory tor the space of d to revel — gan —_