The New York Herald Newspaper, April 14, 1859, Page 6

6 NEW YORK HERALD. AMUSEMENTS THIS UYENING, BOWERY THEATRE, Bowery —Pinares or he Mrssrs- wrei—bap Guome—Baian Kououmun, METROPOLITAN THEATRE (Late Burton’s)—Musar- WaNce—10 CBLIGE Banson. WAILAOK® THEATRR, Brosdmay.—Souoisn—Buve amp Cusurr. LAURA KESNE’S THEAT Mo, 694 Keondway.—Ovr Anapioax Oocmx—Janny oy TEMATRR FRANCAIS, 635 Brosdway—Lu Mant 414 Camrscus. BARNUMS AMERIOAN MUSHU! Broadway. Aftar- | Ll Lost #on—Lineriox Sore ‘Kvening—Ove Las BULLDLNG, 661 and 668 Broadway— pk rtd Sones Dabens. ‘40.— drazus Loves. BRYANT® MINSTRELS, MECHANICS’ 437 Broad- way.—hwozo Bones, £0.—Boniseque Iranian ACADEMY OF MUSIC. Fourteent) street —Dr. Souppsr’s Lagcros ror THE Bewsrrr or Tae Woman's Hoserrat. TRIPLE SHEET, lew York, Thursday, April 14, 1880, ‘The News. ‘The steamship Star of the West reached this port yesterday evening, from Aspinwall, with the Cali- fornia mails of the 2ist of March and $1,618,000 in treasure. The news is not of great importance. ‘Trade was not in a very satisfactory state, although the weather was fine. Money was growing more fcarce and was in greater demand, and the country consumption of goods had fallen off. The receipts of gold dust from the mines had, however, improved during a few days. Miners were working with ad- vantage, but could not forward much ore during the carly part of the month, owing to the bad condition of the roads, The Indian war in the northern portion of the State had ended, but General Clark was arranging for an attack on the Mobaves. ‘There was large emigration to Guaymas und San Blas from San Francisco, the emigrants intending to settle in Sonora. Ned McGowan had gove there. A bill, having for ita object the almost complete discouragement” of Chinese emigration, had been submitted to the As- sembly. There was much activity in the Mare Island Navy Yard. The Mint statistics for the month are favorable. The question of the removal of the capital was again agitated. A number of mules had been shipped from San Francisco to work, it was said, ona British Pacific railroad. Travellers had reported the existence of a burning mountain in the State. Important and interesting advices have reached us from Central America, A report was preva lent at Realejo that the Cass-Yrisarri treaty had been ratified after being modified in two important particulars, though nothing was officially known. A bearer of despatches with the treaty is reported to be on his way to Washington. Mons. Belly had received his second reinforcent of canal ope- ratives, and was’to have left for the interior. A dispute had arisen between him and the Nicaraguan government relative to a grant of land, which the Senaté refused to ratify. The es- timated cost of the canal is $80,000,000, which M. Belly states had been all subscribed. Gen. Lamar ‘was said to be on his way tothe United States. The Nicaraguan government had offered to restore the steamers Cass-Yrisarri and Catharine Maria to the agent of the Joe White Company, who had re- fused to receive them. Full details of the news are given elsewhere. We have news from tho Sandwich Islands dated at Honolulu on the 18th of February. The late freshet in Nuuanu Valley caused much damage. A party of excursionists had visited the volcano at Mauna Loa, and one of them writes:—The stream of Java was flowing at the rate of eight miles an hour, sweeping everything in its way. The sides were fifteen feet in height, rising at an angle of ninety- five degrees; the width was nearly half a mile, ‘and came running on with a force irre- sistible. It was glowing at a red heat, while occasional openings would give an insight to the inner mass, heated to a fervent heat. The British war ship Calypso sailed for the scene of destruction, having the King and the English Con- sulon board. The officers ofthe ship were pro- vided with instruments for taking observations on the mountain, andif practicable would ascend to the crater. Captain Boyle, of the ship Eliza, of New York, will accept our thanks for late files of Cape of Good Hope papers. Advices of the same date, February 5, had reached us from Mngland. By the arrival of the steamships Philadelphia and Star of the West, yesterday, we received our files and letters from Havana, dated on the 9th instant. ‘There was nothing of political interest transpiring on the island. Onr correspondent gives the par- ticulars of the losses sustained by the late fires on the sugar estates eastward of Matanzas and Car- denas, and south and west of Havana. The inost fatal losses were on the Bella Eduardo estate, where one white man and four negroes died from their injuries, and all the buildings were lost. About fifty thousand boxes of sugar were destroyed. The rich planters suffered most. The new inventioa of Col. Btewart, of Louisiana, for clearing the juice 1 phurous gna, was found very usefal in from portions of the damaged cane some fi Don Jose Zambrano, who had gone from a special mission to Central America, Havana, having \een fc Onseley. Don Juan Par Minister from Mexicc city, on his way he cal position in the ec Ad\‘ces from Tampico to the ist inst. state 4 revolution had broken ont there and was ra, violently. The strife was so des te among the parties that passengers for that city dared not go onshore, but went on to Havana. It is stated that the original intention of Miramon, in case he suc- ceeded in taking Vera Cruz, was to burn and sack the city, but he had been positively assured by the allied naval forces in that harbor that uothing of | the kind would be allowed. The trial of Mr. tinued yesterday ings seems to be as dee) occupied by counsel in argument as t bility of the written confession of Mrs. Sickles. The question was finally settled by the refusal of Judge Crawford to admit the paper, on the ground that its admission would violate well established principles and rules of law. To this ruling, iow: ever, counsel for defence took exception. The testimony, so far as taken yesterday, went to show the state of mind of Mr. Sickles on the day of the ccourrence and immediately previous to the writ ing of the confession by Mrs. Sickles, and the ‘waving of the handkerchief by Mr. Key. Your wit mosses only were examined—Mr. Mann, Dr. Miller, Mies Ridgely and Bridget Duffy-the latter of ‘Whom underwent a rigid cros#examination. A convention of bolting democrats, opposed to the administration of Mr. Buchanan and hostile to the action of the late regular convention of the Gemocratic party of Pennsylvania, met yesterday et Harrisburg. The Convention adopted a series of resolutions denunciatory of the ldte democratic Btate Convention, repudiated ita platform and Dominations, and recommended the calling of a Btate Convention to nominate a new ticket. The Convention approved of the course of the Hon. Stephen A. Douglas, and endorsed the administra. fiom of Governor Packer. The procgrdings are given elsewhere under our telegraphic head, There was a grand celebration yesterday at Pas- ckles at Washington was con. | eminent Jerseymen took part in the ceremonies; Ee ON ET ER ae aan aT a aan RET Sy epee vegeta ee NEW YORK HERALD, THURSDAY, APRIL .14, 1859.—TRIPLE SHEET. taic, New Jersey, on the occasion of the completion of the Dundee Manufacturing Company's canal, on the Passaic river, an a’so at the Jaying of the cor- ner stone of a large dam to be erected for the pur. pose of developing the immense water power of the above river. The event was celebrated by a military and civic parade. Gov. Newell and other the former officiated in laying the corner stone of the dam. After the celebration the Governor, with other guests, partook of a collation at the Passaic Hotel. ‘The Hon, Michael Ueshoeffer was nominated yes- terday as one of the Police Commissioners, in place of General Nye, and the nomination of Issac H. | Bailey for the same office, in place of Libbeus B. Ward, confirmed. The registry law, as agreed on by the Senate Committee, passed that body yesterday by a vote of 19to 13. The New York tax bill passed the Assembly without the appropriation of $250,000 for the Commissioners of Records be‘ng re-inserted. ‘All the nominations for Port Wardens were con- firmed by the Senate yesterday, except that of Mr. Mullen, which was laid on the table. | The Republican Central Committee had a protract ed and stormy meeting last evening at their rooms, 618 Broadway, the principal subject under discus- sion being @ resolution reiterating the opinion of the body, “that grants for railroads in the city of New York should be given only to those who shall agree to carry passengers at the lowest rates, and that such grants should be open for public compe- tition.’ The action of the Legislature and the course’of those seeking to obtain the pending char- ters/were_denounced in strong language by Judge Welsh and others, while ex-Judge Peabody defend- ed the railroad men. The reiterating resolution was finally passed without a dissenting vote. The movement for the increase of the wages of laboring men seems to be spreading fast. ‘Yester- day some four hundred of the men employed on the Erie Railroad tunnel struck for higher wages. We give elsewhere an account of the affair, as well as of the recent movements among the various trades in this city and elsewhere. The Emigration Commissioners met yesterday at Castle Garden, Mayor Tiemann being pressnt. Pie committee which had the matter of licensing emi- grant ranners referred to them, reported in favor of licensing fifty, Some discussion on the subject ensued, in which the Mayor expressed himself in favor of licensing all the rcnners, s» that when frauds were committed the police would know where to reach the perpetrators; but he finally gave his sanction to the licensing of fifty, for a trial of how"the system would operate. It was finally agreed to license fifty ranners. The architect’s es- timate for repairing the roof and floor of Castle Garden was reported to be $500. The subject was referred to a committee. The number of emigrants arrived during the week was 662, making the whole number for the year, so fur, 7,856, a decrease of 531 on the number arrived to the same period last year. The number in the institution and Marine Hospital is 956. The income for the weck was $2,036, and the overdraft yet remaining is $16,151, The jury in the libel suit of Edwin Forrest a zainst N. P. Willis, in the Court of Common Pleas, brought na verdict for the } laintiff of $500. Most of the cattle received during the week were on sale yesterday. The offerings were of a fair average quality, with but little that was inferior on the market. The price for first quality beef was from 10c. to 11jc., and ivferior Sc. to 9c., with cor- responding rates for intermediate grades. The veal market was inactive, and most of the calves sold at from 5c. to 6c. Sheep and lambs were plen™ tiful, and declined in price. The swine offered were of poor quality, for which there was little demand: and prices were nominal at our quotations. The total number of cattle off-red during the week was 2,982 head: cows 236, calves 1,019, sheep and lambs 4,468, Toe sales of cotton yesterday embrace’ about 2,500 bales, about half of which were made in transitu. The market closed rather tamely, though without quotable change in prices. Flour was without change of moment, while it closed with some less buoyancy. The galea were orfined chietiy to the domestic trade, with some pur- chases for export to the British provinces. Wheat was heavy bot in rather better request, with gales of Western red at $1 40a $1 42.0 $1 45, the latter figure for choico lots, and Kentucky white at $180. Corn was heavy and sales limited at 86c. a 87c. for Jersey and Southern yellow, with small lots of prime do. at 88c., while Western mixed was nominal at 85c. « 85340. Pork was rather more buoy- ant aad in good request, especially for future delivery, with sales of pew mess at $17 55 a $17 60, and of old do. at $17 50, and prime at $12 6234, withsales of consider. able parce!s of mess for delivery in May and June at beth buyers and seiiers options chiefly at $17 50. There was a movement in sugars, and the sales footed up about 2,400 hogsheads at rates given in another column. Coffee was quiet, and sales i'mited. Freight eogagements wero moderate and tales unchanged. To Antwerp a consider- able quantity of coffee was engaged at 10. Our Munictpal Affair: at Aibany—Terrible ‘Times Among the Politiclans and Lobby Jobbers. The proceedings among our Jaw makers at Albany, of the last few days, in reference to the municipal affairs and lobby jobs of this great metropolis, have been intensely exciting. Our Corporation epoils and plunder of twelve mil- ons a year, and numerous city railroad echemes and jobs for laying out new streets, covering many millions more of lobby profits aud joint stock pickings and stealings, are the stakes for which the contending parties are struggling. The republicans, on their part, have shown from the vir desires and their purposes; and led thus far to secomplish their » of that inevitable difficulty of viously among themselves all this ule of spoils and plander, which they have resolved, if possible, to appropsiate to j their own party purposes, without the elightest regard to the » ill of the popular majority of this island. By reference to the proceedings in the Legis- lature our readers will understand the pro- grees made in the important work of our new city charter, and in behulf of those interesting railroad and otber jobs for the relief of the poli- ticians and lobby jobbers concerned. One of our city cot my or Says, that with “so many schimes and pi ’ on the slate, and with 1@ mouny interests involved, iufluences | scarcely ever felt before have been brought to bear upon all points.” Of course this tremendous contest has drawn to Albany a host of our leading representative men of all parties, all interests, all cliques and lobby com- binations. Prominent among them we find the names of Comptroller Hawes, Peletiah Perit, George Law, Fernando Wood, Bevjawia Wood, O.B. Field, Judge Edmords, A. Oakey Hall and Jorepb Blunt. Some of these men are concerned in the work of defeating, and some in favor, of passing the new charter, which has passed the House, and which bangs before the Senate like end, itis he dividing bar ra immense § the coffin of Mabomet, between heaven and earth, The opponents of the bill expect to defeat it upon the nice and difficult question of dividing the spoils. If, according to the great cardinal principle of Tittlebat Titmouse, everything could be given to everybody, there would be very little trouble in the matter; but between the shorten- ing of one man’s fat office and the lengthening of that of another; between the device of mere spoils and mere political power in this depart- ment, and a reduction of the power and the spoils in that department, the politicians and the | iobby jobbers are all in 8 state cf “confusion worse confounded” than ever. We do not con- sider the issue, bowever, »« decis vely + tled against the new charte:. The political neces sities of the republican party in the premises are pressing, and the late decision of the Court of Appeals in favor of the old police force demands some counteractiog influence against the demo- cracy of this city, which may not be neglected by Thurlow Weed. The political subjugation of this city, regard- less of the expense, is a paramount object with the political and lobby managers of the Albany republican camp. ‘0 tbisend they have bun powerfully assisted throuzh the late dise-usiou- and divisions of our demooratic city camp, Tam- many and anti-Tammany, insiders and osiders. But now, when there is @ prospect shit theec democratic squabbles and b oils will be ended in a treaty of peace, the n+cessity to the opposition of some new device whereby to re-open the breach among the “unterrified” must be munifest to every member of the republican junta at Albany. . Should the new charter, therefore, be defeated, the result will indicate a serious break ia Thur- low Weed’s lobby machinery; but should it be passed, it may still be brought to a violent death before the Court of Appeals. Between this sweeping bill of munici,al changes aad recun- tions, and its numerous railroad aad other appendages of the lobby, there may be « general break down. But should there be a general suo cess, the results, we presume, will at least op: rate to awaken our sleepy taxpayers and pro- perty holders to the duty of a more uctive part hereafter in our political elections. With the lights at present before us, we can only predict that the adjournment of this republican Legisla- ture will find us saddled with an additional mil- lion or two of taxes, charter or no charter. We are almost disposed to the opinion that “any- thing in the way of a change” would be acceptable to this city. The administration of its local go- vernment has become eo rotten, so expensive, 80 loose, corrupt and unsatisfactory, from one year to another, and from bad to worse, that a posi- tive despotism of one sensible and honest man, ora Council of Ten, rich enough to govern us without stealing, would be a substantial reform. We regard our republican reformers at Albany somewlat as the fox regarded the offer of the swallow to drive away the swarm of flies that nad fattened upon Reynard’s head while swim- ming ja stream:—“If you drive these away,” said he, “they will be succeeded by a hungrier swarm, that will suck every drop of blood from my veins,” But still we contemplate the pros- ect of these municipal reforms with something of the indifference of despair, and with some- thing of hope in a wholesome reacting revolu- tion. Aud so we await the closing labors of this Le- gislature with the same composure with which we awaited the adjournment of the late corrupt, demoralized, lobby jebbing and President mak- ing Congrces, Jet the parties controlling the wires dojwhat they intend to do, and go home. Against all unconstitutional encroachments, at least we can appeal to the Court of Appeals. AvoTner SexsaTioN—Toe Great Broun Marcu—Youne America Aga Excrrep.— A curious instance of the peculiar mer- curiality and excitability of our people has been offorded by the match that was played at Detroit on Tuesday last, by two pro- fessors of the cue, for the round sum of five thousand dollars. They played the full Ame- -rican game—the victor to make three thousand points before his opponent scored the same num- ber. The hays, or, more properly speaking, the baize, enwreath the brows of the New York champion, much to the joy of his metropolitan back« re. This match, whereof some details may be found in our news columns, was made, in all probability, with a strict eye to business. Some ove desired to sell some billiard tables or books of instruction in the game, and so a grand tour- nament was arranged, wherein the question of superiority was to be finally settled. But the public entered into it con amore, People who never played at billiards at all, and who knew nothing of the theory of the game, even, betted their money upon it. It is estimated that up- wards of a quarter of a million of dollars depended upon the result of the game, For the time being it was considered an important public event. Every one took as deep on interest in its result as in an im- portant election, or an absorbing criminal trial, It was conflict for superiority, and as such, it became intensely interesting to a people which is always striving for the lead in every- tbing and in every way—a people which does notcare for time, trouble, labor or money, when the question of keeping in the van comes to be considered. It is this feeling that made Mr. Stevens send his yacht America to meet and beat the fleet cutters of Britain, off Cowes. A similax motive inspired the pablic interest in Hobbs’ locks, Steers’ clippers, the Hoe printiag presses, the Yankee sewing machines, the M’Cor- mick reapers, the Goodyear overshoes, the Colt is, the Ten Broeck borsea, the Morphy chess cor The billisrd match was, therefore, the town topic for several days, and the reports of ils progress and result were looked for with the greatest anxiety. The match was the new- est and freshest excitement of the hour, and was so taken and considered in the metropolis and throughou the country. Hundreds passed a sleepless night to bear the resnit, and the tele- graph offices, all the way between here and Detroit, were kept open from sundown to san- rise, for the benefit of the thousands interested in the progress of the game. In England or France euch « thing a8 & man travelling a thousand miles to play & game at billiards would have been considered an absurdity, and no journal would bave obticed it, Equally Quixotic was the expedition of Morphy, who came from one end of the country to the other to play a fiw gemes of chess; now he is extending bis tri- umphs to the veterans of the London clubs and the Cafe de Ia Regence, and his progress excites &s much intercst here as the threatened Italian war. Europeans cannot understand this enthu- siaem omong us—this intense desire for suprema- cy—because with them the repressive system terals to paralyze individual action, while our government offers the widest field for the exer- cise of the freedom of invention and unshackled individual action, Our people are continually on the gui vive, and ready for the exoitement of the day, no matter whatit may be. This recog- nition, so prompt and so infa!!\hle, «timulates in dividaal exertion to a degree unknown in other countries, snd fully accounts for the admitted superiority of man» American inventions over and above their fore'gn counterparts, “Go ahead!” is the public motto, and he who falls be- hind, even fora moment, is forgotten in the shouts that welcome the sistor in the race. ste, eee Ps te RI a at tA A Rs SS nC SNe nS NSS en SSS eee ere The Bremch in Bicyragua—The Proposod Beily Canal—Colontzing the Country. The advices from Central America, received Jast night by the Star of the West, apprise us of the arrival there of the second party of M. Belly’s canal and colonization expedition, with additions to his retinue of princely secretaries avd martial engineers, and a detachment of Jaundreesea, whose names we are happy to find are given in fu } for the benefit of history. We are a little s prised to observe that they are simple mesdanes. Judging from the composition of the masculine contingent, we looked for nothing less than Marchionessea, But badinage aside. Belly has undoubtedly arrived out, and notwithstanding the fantastic personnelle of his expedition, and the bombastic style in which its movements are announced, it has nevertheless reached the dignity o’ a fact, and it may now be worth while to inquire if it has been organized with a sincere purpose of ex- ecuting a great work of public utility, or only of oreatiog complications in the interests of French ambition, and pretexts for French inter- vention. We have said that if it should clearly appear that the proposed canal, although possi- bly feasible in an engineering sense, is utterly beyond the range of rational enterprise, that then the public mind would be apt to regard this expedition as designed for sinister purposes, offensive to the dignity and dangerous to the interesta of the United States. Leaving this alternative probability for future consideration, we confine ourselves now to the question of the feasibility of the proposed work, not physically alone, but financially, and with reference to the most important of all questions: Will it pay? The project of a canal in Nicaragua began to be entertained almost immediately after the con- quest of the country by the Spaniards. It was made the subject of memorials to the Crown of Spain as early as 1527, But it never advanced beyond the sphere of mere speculation until \781, when a partial survey was made with refe- ence to its feasibility by Don Mannel Galisteo, wder the ordersof the Spanish Crown. This vas followed by another imperfect survey in 1338 by Mr. John Baily, an Englishman, under tle authority of the federal government of Cen- tinl America. It was not, however, until 1851 tht a survey was made at all conforming to mo- dan engineering requirements, This was effect- ed by Col. O. W. Childs, formerly Engincer-ia- Clief of the State of New York, on behalf of the “Allantic and Pacific Ship Canal Company.” Uniil this survey was made it had always been assamed that the river San Juan, as well as Lake Nicaragua, could easily be made navigable for shiys, and that the only obs'‘acle to be overcome was the narrow belt of land between the lake andthe Pacific. But Col. Childs found tliat the realdifficulties in the way of the execution of the wort were the en‘ inadequacy of the river SanJuan for ship navigation, and the shallow- nessof that portion of tho lake from which the tives debouches, rendering necessary a stupend- ous gystem of damming and submarine excava- tion|as well as large extents of lateral canalling. He fund it entirely impracticable to construct a canal of the dimensions required by the charter of thy company for which he was acting, and whichstipulated that it should be of dimensions suffident to admit and pass vessels of all sizes, withspeed and safety. He accordingly drew up hie plans and estimates fora canal seventeen feet deep, fifty feet wide at bottom, and 118 feet widh at top—a capacity, as we shall see further on wholly inadequate for the only class of ves- sel, and the only kind of commerce which would be Ikely to use the work when completed. Some ides of the difficulties to be encountered in con- structing acanal, of even this limited capacity, may beformed from the fact, that to obtain a depth of seventeen feet it would be ne- cessar} to effect an average under water excavation in Lake Nicaragua of eight tet for five and a half miles, and to con. struct dams across the river to secure slack water md depth, varying from eight to sixteen feet in heighth. The enormous increase in the extent of this under water excavation, and in the heignt and cost_of the proposed works on the river, i case the canal was made of greater depth, en scarcely be estimated. A greater depth wuld further involve immense excava- tions in he bed of the San Juan, often in rock, or in quicksnds more difficult of management than rock itser. The cet of the work on the reduced plan pro- posed t Col. Childs was estimated by him at an aggrgate of $31,538,000. After the conclu- sion of he survey his plans and estimates were laid, bythe company for which he acted, before acommitee of Evglish engineérs, who, while commenting the accuracy and completeness of his surwy, expressed their belief that the esti- mates wee too low, and that the aggregate cost would ne fall below $25,000,000, At the same time they expressed themselves decidedly against the dimeisions of the work as proposed, on the ground if inadequacy to meet the requirements of comnerce. On the whole, the opinion of the British mgineers was regarded as favorable to the enterprise, and the plans, &c., were next laid before ¢ committee of English capitalista, of which Mi Bates, of the house of Baring Brothers, was chairman, with a view to their co-operation. By this committee the whole enterprise, in its materiel and financial aspects, was subjected to a rigid itvestigation. It was found that the pro- poved dinensions neither met the stipulations of the charter nor the requirements of commerce, The larg merchant ships, such as are generally cmployel in the Eastern trade, draw from eighteen to twenty-five feet of water, and would require, ‘o say nothing of war vessels and large steamers canal of from twenty-five to thirty fet in depth, and of correspond- ingly imreased width. Assuming twenty-five feet of depth anda proportionate width, it is easy to calculate the increased amount of exca- vation, bat by no means the increased amount of cost which the work would involve, for the diffi- culties of excuvation increase ata rapid rate ag the depth increases. Leaving aside this latter consideration, however, and aesuming the cost of removing a cubic foot of earth in both cases to be the some, we find that a cross section of a canal of 17 feet deep, as above, would be 1,428 test, and that of a canal 26 feet deep and of pro- portionate width would be 2,800 feet; in other words, tha: the latter would involve double the amount of excavation with the first, and raise the estimated cost from $31,000,000 to $62,000,000, But, a* we have said, the cost would really in- creaee iu &.much more rapid rate. Locks, dams, under water excavations, é&c., would all be aug- mented in cost in a geometrical ratio, and carry up the aggregate cost to not less than ninety or one hondred millions of dollars, After 8 full consideration of the subject, the English committee declined entering into the undertaking. They objected to the proposed work og inadequate for the great purposes of commerce, aed only available for small steamers and coasting vessels, the retarns from which would uot mect the current expenses of the werk, They objected to the audertaking gene- rally, on the ground that, if built of requisite size for large vereela, it would be at acost so heavy that existing commerce, under any circumstances, woold not be likely to pass through it, and would fail, under any reasonable tariff of tolls, to give a fair return on the capital invested or on the risk incurred. They argued, further, that a canal at any point across the American coutinen' would be used chiefly, if aot wholly, by ships and vessels carrying heavy aud bulky freight; but as most articles of this kind are kept in stock in all the principal ports of the world, it would never be of 60 much conse- quence to have rapidity as steadiness of supply, and that, consequently, unless a canal could be built 80 economically as to admit of a moderate tonnage rate, vessels would find it more profitable to follow existing routes than to pass through the canal ; and nothing could be more certuin than | that passengers, mails, treasure, and lighter, or , what is called express freight, would never go through a canal, if railways, on shorter lines, were open for their accommodation and use, Time is the measure of the relations of places, and no man bound, we will suppose, from New York to San Francisco, would ever think of making the long defour by way of Nicaragua, for the mere sake of passing through a canal at that point, when by simple transshipment at Hon- duras or Tehuantepec, or Panama even, and transit by raiJ, he could effect a saving of from five to eight days in his journey. For it must not be forgotten, supposing no detention on account of locks or other causes (calculated by Colonel Childs at two days), that it would be necesrary for eteamers passing through the canal to stop for coals and supplies more than quad- ruple the time that would be occupied by pas- sengers in crossing the Isthmus by railway. Under such conditions as regards cost aud pro- bable support, is a ship canal at hig IE of adequate dimensions, a rational, or, look- ing to the all-important question of returns, a feasible enterprise? Is it one which capi- talista or the moneyed public in any form would be likely to take up? Clearly not. If, before the establishment of the Panama railway, or the initiation of the Honduras and Tehuantepec enter- prises, the project failed to command the favora- ble consideration of capitalists in the great mo- neyed centre of the world, how much less likely it will be to obtain their support now? And ifa company with a powerful array of enterprising and practical men was unable to secure the pub- lic support in favor of the enterprise, what are the probable chances of effecting this object on the part of a French Jiterateur, with his Quixotic retinue of princes, and jlaneurs from the boulevards of Paris? The prestige of French enterprise outside of France is not very high, and even in France itself little has been achieved in the way of public works, except through the aid of English capital and skill. The various attempts to form French establish- ments on this continent—at Tehuantepec, at Cape Gracias and at the Gulf of Dulce—have all been miserable failures. Yet they all had counts and viscounts, and dukes, and the Lord knows what other dignitaries, attached to them, and, withal, like Belly’s expedition, or s Spanish- American army, more officers than men. Yet they failed. Titles coulan’t save them. The bypothesis, therefore, that Belly or his backers, whoever they may be, are acting in this matter in good faith as a commercial gnterprise, is inadmissible. The proposed work» impracticable in the best of hands, becomes simply absurd in such as theirs. We are therefore compelled to believe, if there be any- thing at all in the accounts of Belly and his movements beyond the rhetoric of an excited Gaul, that he is the stalking horse of other de- signe—an instrument for the accomplishment of purposes not yet avowed, and put forward, as we have before suggested, to create complications and pretexts for French intervention in a part of this continent where American interests are paramount, and where American influence should prevail. This conclusion is not supported alone by the course of reasoning which we have pur- sued, but by evidence of a direct and posilive kind. . TraveL to Evrorpe—How Wr. tae Turkat- NED War Arrect Ir ?—With the opening of the tourists’ season the travel from this country to Europe commences very briskly. The two steamers which sailed from this port yesterday— the Persia and Edinburg—took out about two hundred cabin passengers each. It would ap- pear from tbis fact that the danger of a general war in Europe does not deter our tourists from paying a visit to the Old World, when, even in this early part of the scason, we find so many passengers booked for Liverpool. If war should oceur, there is no doubt that Americans trave)- ting in Europe will be greatly inconvenienced, even though the theatre of battle should be con- fined to one locality. The difficulties of travel- ling from one State to another will of course be multiplied, und the freedom of transit will be reatly impeded. There cannot be lees than tea or fifteen thousand Americans at present travel- ling ia Europe, and with the increase of steam- chips on the various lines, and the approach of the travelling season both combined, that num- ver will be vastly augmented during the coming cummer. Should the complications and troubles of a European war necessitate a hasty retreat of our citizens, the ocean will be studded with steamehips, bringing the disappointed wanderers back io our shores; eo that interoceanic com- munication may possibly be greater than ever, and the Atlantic steamship business be very ac- tive, at least for a time. Demooratic Disterpances mm Vinernta.~~ Among the intestine troubles of the Virginia de- mocratic camp isa feud which has jast broken out in the district represented in the late Con- grees by Mr. Faulkner. The Clarke (county) Journal, a democratic paper of said district, has hoisted the name of Mr. Hunter for the Presi- dency, Mr. Letcher for Governor, and is firing bot shot against Mr. Faulkner, the regulardemo- cratic nominee for Congress, Gov. Wise, Doug- Jas, and all concerned. An anti-Faulkner demo- cratic movement has been started in the district; but the Richmond Enquirer, though somewhat distressed about it, says it will not amount to anything, being dictated by “motives of mere personal hostility.” We 00g Pyrite t Plame ' , and the a rival demo- prvi een for Congress to Extra William Smith In bis district, and eome other democratic disturbances, here and there and ev here in Virginia, afford a good deal of solid encourage- ment to the new opposition party. Accordingly we may expect some very surpricing results in the May election of that State. That hoisting of the flag of Hunter in Clarke shows where the shoe pinches at Richmond, where Gov. Wise rules the camp. —_—— he Uravenged Outrage at Jail: —Protection of Americans Abroad, We learn by the last European wails that the imqafry &'4 the outbreak of the 15th of June, at Djeddab, ba 4 resulted in the dvoapitation of two of the crimina 's, the deportation cf nice others to Constantino, ®, and the imprisonment of oue who was too sick 40 be removed. The investiya- tion has clearly shov vn that the instigators of the riot were the Turkish functionaries of the town. Thus it would appear that the demauds of jus- tice have been fully satisfad against the authors of this cowardly massacre, and the lesson, so far as the safety of English and Pitench life and pro- perty is concerned, will no doubt prove a salu- tary one. We question, howevar, if i will ex- ercise the eame protecting influance over those of American residents, The policy of the United States, in its dealing with weak States, or such as are supposed to be unable to comprehend fully the duties of nation- ality in their exterior relations, has always been that of great moderation—a moderation which has not been understood, and which has no doubé refleoted most unfavorably on American inte- rests all over the world. In a few instanoes, it is true, we have not been slow or very particular in adopting measures of redress; but we have not always been fortunate in our ebullitions of energy. We may instance the ridicolous bom- bardment and burning of San Juan. Such blunders must always occur when we act spas modicalJy and not from settled policy. Furtive dieplays of vigor, amongst nations as amongst in- dividuals, come naturally to be looked upon es mere manifestations of ill temper—simple acts of irrational violence—and fail to secure the only useful object to which an exhibition of force should be directed—namely, that of warning and prevention. We are led to offer these remarks in conse- quence of the publication of an official com- munication from Commodore Lavalette, dated from Beyrout, on the 2d of November last, conveying the intelligence that the outrage on Mr. Dickson and his family, committed at Jaffa, in Syria, in the month of Jannary of last year, still remained unatoned for, and that the criminal participators are likely to escape punishment. It will be remembered that the house of Mr. Dickson was entered by a gang of ruffians, who murdered his son-in-law, violated his wife and daughter, leaving Mr. Dickson hisa- self for dead, snd carrying off all the moveable property of the house. Turkish justice never interferes in behalf of the Christian, and it is not at all probable the authorities of Jaffa would have taken asingle step toward the apprehea- sion or punishment of the criminals uvless they had been urged or forced to do so by exterior pressure. Mr. Gorham, our Consul at Jerusalem, understanding perfectly the necessity ofinterven- tion, lost no time in urging the authorities of Jaffa to action; but his efforts were without any eensible effect. Mr. De Leon, our Consul General ia Egypt, prompt to the call, started for Jaffa, ia an Austrian mail steamer, having in vain solicit- ed the commander of the United States corvette Constellation to carry him to the scene of the outrage and lend him the efficient aid of a visible power to the efforts of the American representa- tives. Merers. De Leon and Gorham, however, no- thing diecouraged, proceeded to Jaffa, and pre- senting themselves before the authorities, de- manded the immediate arrest and punishment of the offenders, who were still at large, enjoying perfect impunity, and confident that the anthori- ties would never trouble them for the murder of a Christian. After three weeks ofapatby, hostility and treachcry on the part of the Turkish officials, Mr. De Leon was able to announce to the go- vernment that he had succeeded in forcing them to detect and seize the criminals, four of whom were lodged in prieon, with the Sheik of the tribe of the fifth, as a hostage for the production of the latter by the tribe iteelf. “Had we been eup- ported by the actual presence of a visible force,” wrote Mr. De Leon to Gen. Cass, “the work that it took three weeks to accomplish might have been done in forty-eight hours.” An order for the execution of the criminals was immediately applied for, and after some de- ly the necessary Vizirial letter, ordering the execution, was duly issued and dispatched te Jaffa. Thus, withia three months from its o0- currence, the affair, as it would appear, had bees brought to a satisfactory issue, notwithstanding the declension of the “visible force” of the United States to assist. The consequences of this energy were obvious everywhere, not only in the increased reepect for Americanos, but in the almost entire cessation of outrages, before fre- qnent, against Christians and foreigners gene- rally, or conrse, after the publication of the doca- ments connected with the above proceedings, the’ public were Jed to expect that justice wonld take its course; and probably mast people arc now under the jmpression that the outrage at Jaffa was duly atoued for by the execution of its per petratore, The letter of Commodore Lavatette| will undeccive them. That officer made his ap- pearance before Jaffa in November last, when ha] learned that the fifth criminal bad not yet t arrested, and that “it woald be contrary to com- mon ueage, if pot to the law of Turkey,” to pro-| cerd to the punishment of the fow already con vieted until the fifth should be apprehended] Yet he condercended to argue the point, and “remonstrate” and “represent,” instead of pro} ducing the imperial order for execution, andj with shotted broadside, demanding its instante, neous observance by the anthorities. It thus appears that more than a yeor haf elapeed since the order for exeention was jaan against the offenders at Jaffa, snd stl the ou rage remains vnavenged. Does any man enp that if the victims in this case had been Englt men or Frenchmen, a resvlt so lame and a o clusion so impotent would have followed? any one suppose that any English or Freno!| officer would bave sailed to Jaffa, mildly “rom trated,” and then eailed away again, as Co modore Lavalette bas done? The events Djeddah are of too recent occurrence to admit a any such supposition. The outrage there was timilar character with that at Jaffa, only the vi tims were Englishmen and Frenchmen; and the lifeless bodies of its instigators swing, 9 terre to evil-doers, from the walls of Djeddah. No ef violating “common usage,” no equivocal references from one frresponsible authority another, were here allowed to stand between tice and the criminal; and we will venture to that Englirhmen are vastly safer to-day in ao about Djedéah, than are Americansin Jaffe- Commodore to the contrary notwithstanding. ‘The energy and ability of our diplomatic consular officers are of little avail, aod their terferences woree than idle, if the “visible of the country is ‘o remain thus apathetic or efficient. ‘The viit of the Constellation to J in the first Inat8nce, would no doubt have