The New York Herald Newspaper, December 17, 1859, Page 4

4 NEW YORK HERALD. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. BFFICH N. W. CORNER OF NASSAU AND FULTON STS inadvance, Money sent by mail will be atthe eS ne Pouage dainpe not receloed ae subscription worn LY HERALD, too conte: 1. $l por annum. ee ane WERALD. every at ‘conta eon, 07 $3 ner anu; Coe Per copy. Si.per annum to any part af Great rd Ws the Continent, both to tnchude the 2 een Heim on the Shand BR of each month ot ofa ‘onts Pe TN oS TERALD on Wednesday, at four amie por $2 annum. PRT WEARY CORRESPONDENCE, containing important ‘of the world; ‘will be news, solicited from any of the Y wed, sh a a Fousiox PaxricviaRix Requested to Seat aut Lerrars amp Pace vm A070 ‘NOTICE taken of anonymous correpondence. Wo do not Weturn " ISEMENTS renswed very ie Sethe Wenaur eeu, Pamir ‘and ta the and ” itiona. NPHINTING execused with neatness, cheapness and de- Volume XXIV. -.No, 349 AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING. NIBLO'S GARDEN, Brosdway.—Travux Orzna—After- Boon—TROV TORE —LomBaRdI—Locrezta Borgia. Evento, Pefrow Ousst—SSieriOm PROM OFBLAS—ROBEEY MACAIEE. WERY THEATRE, Bowery.—Insunnecriox—Goop Pret Ganrituan Mave Tove_Cuow Osow. WINTER GARDEN, Brosdway, epposiie Bend street — Ovronoon. WALLACK’S THEATRE, Broadway.—Everrsopr’s FaiEKD—POrPiNc HE QUESTION. LAURA KEEN®’S THEATRE, 6% Broadway.—Distant Brarioss. NEW BOWERY THEATRE. Bowery.—Mawon AnD Pyruias—Stace Stavce—Laisu Exton axt—Macic Taumrer. BARNUM'S AMERICAN MUSEUM, Broadway.—After- noon and Evening—Doom or Davuia. ’S MINSTREL’S, 444 Broadway.—Ermorian Soncs, nine de Peres Pires Pzrree Popa! BRYANTS' MINSTRELS, Mechanics’ Hall, 472 Broadway— Box.esques, Sones, Dances, &c.—Auv’r Got Time to Task. NIBLO'B SALOON, Broadway.—Geo. Cuessrr’s Mun- Brags un Songs, Dances, Buruasquas, &c.—Biack Staros. NEW OPERA HOUSE, 720 Broadway.—Dnirron’s Pan- wR Crane axe Lruro Proveras—Matines at Two o'Clock— Ouviena, tax Viotumst. CHATHAM AMPHITHEATRE.—Equesreun Pssroru- =— ‘&c.—Afternoon and Evening—Dick Tousrin—Fast TEMPLE HALL, Ninth street—King Soxomon's Taurus. HOPE CHAPEL, 72) Broedway.—Wavan's Frais. New York, Saturday, December 17,1859. The News. So far as concerned the active participators in John Brown's foray, that affair reached its finale yesterday. About noon Green, Copeland, Cook and Coppie were hanged at Charlestown. The malefactors deported themselves with calmness and resolution. An immense throng witnessed the execution, the particulars of which are graphically described in another column. On Thursday evening Cook and Coppie madea bold attempt to escape. They had succeeded by patient labor, and with the assistance of an old knife and a bedscrew, in sawing off their manacles and in digging through the wall of the pri. gon, and making their way into the prison yard. Nothing now -stood between them and liberty but a wall about fifteen feet in height, They easily reached the top of this barrier; but just at the critical moment, when the heads of the prisoners appeared above the top of the wall, the sentinel observed them, and gave the alarm by discharging his musket. They were speedily weized, and proper precautions taken to pre- vent any further effort to escape. The body of ‘Cook was despatched to New York, while that of Coppie was sent to his friends in lowa. Some colored persons in Philadelphia have requested that the remains of the two black men might be delivered to them for burial, but we are not ad- vised as to whether Governor Wise acceded to the request. The Senate was not in session yesterday, having adjourned over til! Monday. In tha Honca Man Bonham, vf Sout Varolina, and Sims, of Kentucky, delivered speeches on the relations between the North and the Sovth, signifying their preference cor a dissolution of the Union rather than endare the continued aggressions of the North upon the constitutional rights of the South. These gentle- men having concluded their remarks, the House proceeded to ballot for Speaker, with the following result:— Soe aegis = rn opposition. 96 86 co) WBeccccsevecceers - 9 —No election. On this ballot fourteen republi- cans deserted Sherman and voted for Gilmer, Ieut the democrats declined to follow their exam- ple. Mr. Gilmer here withdrew from the contest, and nominated Mr. Boteler, of Virginia,a member of the Southern opposition, and representative of the Harper’s Ferry district. Another balloting was had, which resulted as follows:— iz democratic members held a caucus last night, and tacitly agreed to stand by their candidate until some new combination can be effected. There seems now to be little prospect of an organization mntil after the holidays. The steamship America, from Liverpool via Queenstown, arrived at Halifax yesterday. She brings advices to the 4th instant, three days later than previous accounts. The news, however, is unimportant. The composition of the European Congress occupied a large share of public atten- tion, and Lord Palmerston was urged as the repre- fentative of Great Britain. The French fleet had demolished two forta of Morocco, at the mouth of the river Tetuan, and had subsequently assumed a position of neutrality. The London money market had undergone no change, and consols on the 3a instant were quoted at 96j 2 963. The Liverpool cotton market was dull, and a decline of one-eighth of a penny per pound on all descriptions is reported. Breadstufls and provisions were dull. The Supreme Court in Columbia county has issued an injunction, by which the sale of the ferry leases now held by the Union Ferry Company, which was to take place to-day, has been stopped. The grounds for this order of the Court are set forth in a legal document, which may be found on the second page of to-day’s Hzraip The Board of Police Commissioners held their regular meeting yesterday afternoon. The resigna- tion of officer James G. Finch, of the Twenty-first Precinct, was received ang accepted. A resolution ‘was passed requesting the District Attorney to Proceed against the poll clerks of the Fourth dis- trict, Twenty-second ward, for their alleged mis- condast in the canvass of the votes at the last elec- Mien. A communication was received from a large ‘number of merchants, asking that a boat’s crew be retained at the Quarantine to enforce the sanitary regulations. It was referred to the General Super- intendent with power. In the Special Sessions on ‘Thursday, officers Bowers. and Woodward were sen- fenced to pay a fine of $50 each, for an aggravated assault and battery upon Jane McCord, keeper of B house of bad repute. To-day, at ten o'clock A.M.,a meeting will be held in the Jewish Synagogue, in Greene street, for the purpose of devising measures and Procuring aid for the relief of the unfortunate victims of the war between and Morocco. Rev. Dr. Raphall, the rabbi, ‘eddrens the meeting. ‘The foreign news received yesterday was considered ‘more favorable for cotton, ani the market here closed tan advance of 346. per Ib., especially for middling up deude, which Wy BEN queig at L. wt bbe le, NEW YORK HERALD, SATURDAY, DECEMBEE 11, 1969. embraced about 2,400 bales, including 1,308 in transitu. ‘The nows affected the flour market unfavorably, and com. mon grades of State and Western wore 6 cents per bbl. lower, while the higher qualities were dull, and sales of all kinds moderate, Wheat was heavy, with small salcs. Milwaukee club was at $1 20, and prime white Indiana and Michigan at $1 40 @ 81 50. Corn was firm, with moderate sales. Pork was less active, and closed at easier rates. Mess eold at $16 10 and prims at $l1 50. The sugar market was firm, and closed at an advance of 34c. per Ib., with sales of 1,400 bhds., 216 boxes and 10,000 bags Manila, at full prices, Colfve was firm, but quiet. Freights were firm, with moderate engagements- ‘The Union Meeting—Is It to be a Failure ora Triumph? Such is the jeopardy into whieh the social fabric is brought by the progress of treason and revolution—to such a degree is the publio mind excited by recent events, that alarming symptoms of riot developed themselves at the meeting held at the Cooper Institute on Thurs. day evening for the ostensible purpose of col- lecting money for John Brown’s wife and child- ren, but more probably for the organization and arming of another insurrectionary expedi- tion to the South. The incendiary language used on that occasion, inciting to massacre and revolution, seems to indicate that the latter is the real object of these meetings. Nothing prevented a bloody termination to the pro- ceedings but the presence of a large force of police, On the same evening at Philadelphia a similar meeting was held, and the same scenes occurred; and there, too, it was only by the active exertions of the police that a san- guinary outbreak was suppressed. And in the halls of Congress, where there are no police, the same violent language is heard and the same excitement prevails. A few days ago al- most a riot took place onthe floor of the House of Representatives, where the members are armed to the teeth. There is no knowing at what moment a deadly encounter may begin there; and nothing, in fact, but the good sense and moderation of some of the members can prevent a conflict which seems almost irre- pressible. And all this is brought on us by the reckless demagogues of political factions, which are working the rapid ruin of the country. At no period of our history was the nation so pros- perous as it is now, and never were such bright prospects of future glory and pros- perity presented to any people’s view; but since the foundation of the republic never was the country in such a state of political anarchy and demoralization as at this moment. A revolution is making fearful strides, which, if not speedily arrested, will not only destroy all our present prosperity, but blight our pros- pects forevermore—splitting this mighty con- federacy, which now commands the respect of the world—splitting it into three or perhaps four geographical sections, each embroiled with its neighbors in sectional wars, like the nations of South America. Thus, becoming the prey of each other, they would soon be swallowed up one by one by the great Powers of Etrope, which now‘envy our greatness, fear our commercial rivalry, and still more the suc- cessful example of our democratic institutions. To such a fearful catastrophe does the thicken- ing plot of red revolution now hasten. In the midst of this impending crisis, four or five thousand of the merchants of New York—the commercial metropo- lis of the Union—sign a call convening a meeting at the Academy of Music on Monday next, to denounce the insurrection at Harper's Ferry, to reassure the South of the friendly feeling of the North, and to protest against all sectionalism and revolutionary ten- ins "Ta wien Laled da dhen ano thangy Sh de wet that two ex-Presidents—Martin Van Buren and Millard Fillmore, citizens of this State—are in- vited to attend. Whether they will come or not we cannot say. It is a movement of whose objects, as announced in the call, every good man must approve. But there are two things that onght to be guarded against: one is, that the meeting be not perverted to a totally different purpose from that which is intended by the signers; and the other, that the meeting do not content itself with a mere expression of sentiment, or the passing of a set of resolutions. If attention is not paid to these two points, the great Union meeting will end in a bottle of smoke, and all the speeches will be mere “sound and fury, signifying nothing;” or, what is still worse, this great gathering will be used as an instrument to lift a dirty outcast faction from the gutter, wash its face, give it a new suit of clothes, and introduce it to decent society. This movement was secretly set on foot by a desperate clique, known as the Albany Re- gency, to retrieve the ground lost in the late municipal election by their confederates in Tammany Hall, and to make smooth the way for their delegation to Charleston, which might otherwise have a hard road to travel. The ob- ject is to bring Seymour out prominently at the meeting, in order that it may be a sort of pass- port to him at the South, ard enable him to elbow other men out of his way at the National Convention, where they hope to inflict a nomi- nation on the country worse than any that has been ever made, Now, it is easy to see how the merchants fell into the trap of signing the call. They signed it because they felt that it tallied with their own ideas and that the times demanded it, and they did not see the real and secret designs of the movement; but they know it now, or ought toknow it, To be forewarned is to he fore- armed; and it rests with themselves whether they are to be sold, or whether they will turn the occasion to their own account, and render it profitable to the good cause. Let them look sharply after the preliminaries. ‘The preliminary arrangements are all cut and dried for the meeting, and are of such a cha- Tacter that that eminently national democrat, Judge Bronson, cannot approve of them, as may be seen by his letter in another column. It is evident that there is “ something rotten in the state of Denmark”—something dirty in the proceedings of the Coal Hole dynasty. Let the merchants, therefore, beware lest they should be dragged through the mire at the tail of Tammany Hall and its kindred clique a Albany, who, ® short time ago, played #0 dishonest a part in reference to the private letter of the Governor of Virginia. The signers ought to attend in full force, and take the management of the meeting into their own hands. Have not the merchants of New York a better right to the control of a great Union movement than any number of the leaders of a rotten old faction? Have they not greater interests at stake? Why should not they originate a great conservative move- ment, and thus defeat the tricks and schemes sa sek of political ngareps at Albany, whg want {o use the commerolal men of New York for their own base purposes? We are greatly mistaken in the character of these gentlemen if they will permit their names and themselves to be placed in the mean position of utensils for » defeated and degraded faction. Let the merchants assume the direction of the proceed- ings, aud not only denounce treason and dis- union, but erganize a comprehensive course of action, the first step of which is to nominate a man of the right stamp for the Presi- dency on a Union and conservative platform; not some obscure nobody upon whom the people cannot rely in the hour-of danger, but aman well known to the whole country and respected and loved by all classes, The man who best answers to this description is General Scott. Let him, therefore, be nominated on Monday evening, and an electric effect will be produced throughout jhe land, The conserva- tive elements of the country will then have a standard bearer around whom they can rally with enthusiasm, and the revolutionary party will be overwhelmed with defeat as gure as that to-morrow’s sun will rise. We hope New York, the centre of political light to the rest of the Union, will take the ini- tiative in this great movement; and that the merchants of the city will neither allow their meeting to be used for the vile purposes of a faction, nor to pass away as a mere fizzle, but that they will make it a splendid triumph, the first of a series of Scott meetings as enthusiastic and successful as those which carried the election of old “Tippecanoe” in 1840. But whether they take any practical action or not, we call upon the public throughout the country to set the ball in motion at once. Let meetings be held in every State, and county, and town, and let delegates be sent to a con- vention to meet in this city to confer the nomi- nation on the man most worthy of it, and the man best fitted to save the Union from the shipwreck to which it is so fast drifting with wind and tide, upon a lee shore. Tue Union Ferry Leases—Tae Save Srop- pep BY InsuncTion.—It will be seen, by the legal documents published in another column, that the sale of the ferry leases, which was to have taken place to-day, has been stopped by injunc- tion. The order has been obtained from the Supreme Court in Columbia county, it not being considered desirable to make the appli- cation to any of the local judges. The bill on which it has been granted sets forth two points. The first concedes the claim of New York to the franchise involved in the ferries, but insists that they are vested in the Corporation; that they are a part of the delegated sovereign power for political and governmental objects only, and that consequently the Corporation are bound to exercise the franchise, not for pur- poses of emolument, but for the benefit of the inhabitants of the two cities and of those who use the ferries. The second alleges that the powers of the Corporation being of this charac- ter, have always been and still are subject to legislative control,and that by an act passed in May, 1845, the Corporation were divested of all control over the ferries,and the power to grant licenses to run them vested in three commis- sioners. Whatever validity there may be in these ar- guments, it is a matter for congratulation that the efforts made to force on a premature s.i+ of these leases have been defeated. They dono expire for another sixteen months, and t!:>re- fore the haste that has been manifested in re- gard to them has justly afforded zrounds for tha cnaniatnn stwecne People of Brooklyn were being unfairly dealt with. That feeling has not been weakened by the unaccountable failure of the Committee of Conference, ap- pointed by the Board of Aldermen to consider the matter, to make a report—the more es- pecially when they seemed to have arrived at an agreement with the Brooklyn delegation. The specific charge of collusion which is made in the bil] seems to be founded on the fact that, although by the terms of the leases originally granted of the Catharine and Wall street fer- ries, they do not expire until May, 1863, those leases have been shortened by agreement be- tween our corporate authorities and the Union Company, in order to secure a sale in one lot of all the ferries at present in their hands. In connection with this latter arrangement we may mention that a ramor is prevalent that an agreement has been recently entered into between the directors of the Union Company and the proprietors of the ferries of the Eastern district, to the effect that as soon as the leases are obtained by the former, they shall consoli- date the whole of them, from Red Hook to Greenpoint, in the hands of a single monopoly, maintaining the passenger fares at a uniform rate of two cents. We repeat, therefore, that it is a subject for felicitation that these corrupt compacts have been for the moment defeated, and that time will be obtained for the people of Brooklyn to try by a suit the force of the arguments set forth in their bill The citizens of New York are equally interested in the assertion of the principles involved in those arguments, for the question is one simply of the expediency of suffering powerful moneyed corporations to override by the weight of their influence all considerations of public policy and con- venience. W. H. Sewarp Cominc—Preparations FOR His Receprioy.—We understand that the Hon. W. H. Seward is expected to arrive at this port from Europe, perhaps to-morrow, and certain- ly within two or three days, and that private circulars are afloat among the republican man- agers involving the necessary instructions for @ grand republican reception in this city, and for liberal demonstrations and a large con- sumption of gunpowder, at every available point along the Hudson river, and the Central Railroad all the way up to Auburn. Very well, #0 be it We hope that Mr. Seward, however, will avail himself of his reception here to de- fine his position concerning his “ irrepressible conflict” and Brown and Helper, so that the Gerrit Smith abolitionista, as well as our more conservative politicians, may clearly under- stand him. Govervon Morcay’s Mxzssace.—We under, stand that Governor Morgan, in his annua message, will touch the slavery trouble very gingerly, and especially Brown and Helper. ‘These two enthusiasts in the common cause have been a little too fast, and the damages which they have thus inflicted upon the repub- lican party must be repaired as quietly as pos- sible. When a party is thus compelled to beg the question it is in danger of being routed. Thus the old adage is fulflled—“Too many gogbs spall the broth.” ‘The Albany Regency and Their Candi date for the Charleston Conventtom, When it was first given out last summer that the Albany Regency intended to pack a delega- tion to Charleston that would be a unit, it was also reported that their plan of operations at Charleston comprehended a good deal of beat- ing about the bush, as in 1852, and finally a bold push for Horatio Seymour, and his nomi- nation after the fashion of poor Pierce. Our readers also know that at the Regeney State Convention of last September a complete dele- gation was appointed to Charleston, and of such materials, and under such rules, as to be a unit in the hands of Dean Richmond & Com- pany. Butit is equally well known that there was another Democratic State Convention at Syracuse at the same time with that of the Re- gency, and utterly opposed to their plan of packing for Charleston, and in favor of the election of delegates by the Congressional dis- trict system. Of this unruly division of the democracy the Albany Regency denounced Fernando Wood as the alpha and omega; and so, between the Regency and Tammany Hall, it was resolved that Wood should be destroyed. Thus ad monished, Mr. Wood resolved upor an appeal to the national and conservative democracy of this city, in defiance of the Regency and Tam- many Hall. Alarmed at this,'and aware of his popularity, poor Tammany was much embar- rassed what to do; but finally hit upon the desperate expedient of nominating for Mayor Mr. Havemeyer, and for Counsel to the Corporation Mr. Téiden—two prominent lead- ers in the Van Buren Buffalo abolition move- ment of 1848. The object of this ticket was the conciliation of the black republicans; but, although one of our black republican organs was induced to take the field in behalf of this democratic republican coalition, and although many republicans supported Havemeyer, he was handsomely defeated by the indepen- dent national democratic candidate, Fernando Wood. Thus this attempt of the Regency and Tam- many to put this man down and out of the way ef any further interference with their Charles- ton programme, resulted in his elevation to a very high position of power in the regular na- tional democratic camp. And so it was that the Regency game of working Mr. Seymour through the Charleston Convention by the ba- lance of power of the solid vote of New York was spoiled. The triumph of Mr. Wood settles the question concerning a contesting New York delegation. Such a delegation will be elected in the manner indicated, and doubtless it will be accepted as the legitimate delegation at Charleston. The Albany Regency and Tammany Hall thus having been rebuked by the national de- mocracy of this city, upon a test question, and thus being driven to their wits’ end, have hit upon the notable device of a grand dis- play in our approaching city Union meeting, in order to cover over the disgrace of their late defeat and its damaging affiliations with black republicanism. Hence we find the Tam- many leaders very conspicuous in this Union movement; and hence we find Horatio Sey- mour designated as the leading orator for this great occasion. Thus Tammany and the Re- gency may suppose that Mr. Seymour, backed up by the conservative mercantile interests of New York city, will still be available at Charleston, notwithstanding the late crushing vote of our city democracy against him and his Presidential enginaare - ‘We venture to say, however, that the Charlea- ton game of the Regency and Tammany has been played out—that the certificates of our New York merchants will not save them, and that however eloquently Mr. Seymour may eulogize “our glorious Union,” he will still be regarded at Charleston as the aspirant of an unscrapulous clique that does not represent the wishes of our national democracy. In this view, this Tammany Union dodge is a regular political swindle, and as such we denounce it to the country. But this unscrupulous clique of political spoilsmen, who sold a private let- ter of Governor Wise for twenty dellars, and then charged that it had been surreptitiously taken out of their hands, are ready for any trick to save their bacon. Anrr-Suavery iv THE THEATRES.—We pub- lished in yesterday’s paper a communication announcing that the principal persons engaged in getting up an anti-slavery drama for one of the city theatres had withdrawn from the es tablishment, having been intimidated by let- ters threatening personal violence to them should they continue to appear on the stage. This emeute is nothing more than what might have been expected by any one who is familiar with the effect of abolition sentiments upon the Politics, religion and literature of the country. In less than twenty-five years niggerism has killed off two great political parties—the whigs and Know Nothings—and it has divided and demoralized the democratic party. So much for the politicians. If we look at the Ameri- can church we shall find that the introduction of the slavery question has already divided the two most numerous, powerful and wealthy sects in the country—the Baptists and the Methodiste. We have the Baptist church North and the Baptist church, the Methodist Book Concern and the Methodist Book Concern South; and the most bitter enmity exists between the Northern and Southern members of the same sect. The slavery question has likewise been @ bone of contention in the American Tract Society and various other religious and philan- thropic institutions of the day, diminishing their receipts, lessening their power of usefulness, and bringing them general- ly into public contempt. Latterly we have seen Doctor Cheever’s church, once among the wealthiest and most fashionable in the city, losing, through the introduction of abolition doctrines into its pulpit, the better part of its congregation, and compelled to ask eleemosynary aid from Britiah abolitionista. The same influences have ruined the light lite- ratare of the North, and killed several maga- zines—Putnam’s Monthly for one. Everywhere, 80 far, the abolition infection has resulted fatally. And now we see it in its latest phase, on the boards of one of the Broadway theatres. The result promises to be the same as usual. Only a few days have elapsed since the “Octoroon” play was produced on the stage, and already there are dissensions, and quarrels, and indica- tions that portend the early @ssolution of the concern. For a brief period the exhibition of the almighty nigger on the stage may attract the attention of the curious theatre- goes; huh the publig will geom Gad some other sensation, and the Winter Garden theatre will go down, with Cheever’s chutoh, the Methodist Book Concern, the Baptist church, and the Tract Society. The Publie Administra- tor will be called upon to act in his official ca- pacity, and seal up the mask of Thalia, the poisonand dagger of Melpomone (now changed to a revolver or a bowie knife), and keep them in good order. for the next customer. And that will be the fate of all the anti-slavery theatres, if we are not very much mistaken, Prosprors or New York Meronants Down Sourn,—The traveller on the European Conti- nent must have his passport, with its indispen- sable visé, and it must pass the inspection of the police from place to place, before the bearer can pass. The present fearful crisis of the slavery agitation appears to have created, by asort of spontaneous combustion, a pass- port system in our Southern States, and for the especial benefit of our New York merchants. But we find, from an example before us in the Weekly News, published ata place called Ea- terprise, Mississippi, that a Seuthern passport to our merchants may passa good many in the lump, and that the visé of a local newspaper editor will make it all right. Thus the editor of the paper aforesaid gives his visé to the pasa- port of over half a dozen New York firms, in this fashion :—“We endorse the above named gentlemen as being entirely sound on the nig- ger question, and connected with good and re- liable houses.” Our Southern newspaper edi- tors may thus very often do good service to the New York merchant; and we are happy to recognise the friendly endorsement aforesaid of our Mississippi cotemporary. Tae Execution ar Cuartestown YEstTER- paY.—The last scene of the Harper’s Ferry tra- gedy was enacted yesterday at Charlestown, Va., in accordance with the fiat of the law. The two free negroes, Green and Copeland, were hanged at a little after eleven o’clock, and the white men, Cook and Coppie, at a few minutes before one in the afternoon, after having made an unsuccessful effort to escape on the previous night. The painful event was witnessed by about ten thousand persons, exclusive of the military, but no disturbance whatever took place. Thus, by the execution of these five traitors, has the law been vindicated, and trea- son againat the peace and security of the South been justly punished. AFFAIRS IN WASHINGTON. Southern Opinions of Northern Sentiment on the Slavery Question. The Negotiations for Speakership. TWO MORE BALLOTTINGS AND NO CHOICE, é&e., &e., &e. the @ur Special Washington Despatch. ‘Wasttixctox, Doc. 16, 1859. THE SPRAKERSHIP—CURIOUS TACTICS OF THY REPUBLICANS, ETO. ‘The South Americans held @ caucus this morning, and agreed to cast their entire ballot for Mr. Gilmer, which ‘was accordingly done. Two ballots were given for Bo- toler, and one ballot for George Briggs, of New York. ‘Their object in changing was to give the democrats an opportunity to cast their votes for some one of their num. ber. The Americans will, it is underateod, continue to change around until they bave exhausted their entire number, . This, at loast. is their nrasent programme. Anumber of democrats have expressed a willingness to ‘vote for a moderate American, if thereby they can defeat Sherman; but it is very questionable whether the en. tire democratic vote can be thrown in that direction. The Object of the caucus now in session isto consider this question. Quite a number of republicans are getting very restive, and would gladly abandon Sherman for either Corwin, of Ohio, or Pennington, of New Jersey. The only chance of electing Sherman is the adoption of the plurality resolu: tion. The democrats will not allow its adoption, for some ‘weeks yet at apy rate, This has been positively dotor- tained upon. ‘The republicans have performed a coup d’eiat to-day truly startling. This morning the city was rife with ru- mors that the democrats would go over to the Americans and support Mr. Boteler for Speaker. The report did not ®eem to disturb the republicans in the least. About ‘two o’clock the balloting commenced, and to tho amaze- ment of every one except the initiated, fourteen republi- cans who have voted steadily for Sherman left him and voted for Gilmer, the owner of one hundred irrepressible niggers in North Carolina, Gilmer’s vote by this move has run up to thirty-six, and Sherman’s down to ninety- six. This not only nationalized the republicans at one leap by voting for a slaveholder, and verified the pledge of Etheridge, made a day or two since, that Gilmer’s vote could exceed thirty, but it afforded the democrats an op- Portunity to go over and elect a Southerm man, an oppo- nent of Sherman, who has denounced the Helpor book as an infamous work, and the Harper’s Ferry insurgents as traitors and murderers. They could have elected him by eight majority, and sayed the Union, which they have insisted for the last two weeks would be dissolved if Sherman was elected. They declined doing so, Before a second ballot was taken Mr. Gilmer, with the smut of a black republican embrace fresh upon him, thanked his friends, South and North, for the honor’ they had conferred upon him, and withdrew his name from the list of candidates, and nominated Mr. Botoler. Now evory one was on tiptoe to witness a verification of the rumor mentioned above; but the democrats seemed tospurn & man who had just been voting with black republicans, and only four—Anderson and Woodson, of Maryland, and Dejarnotie, of Virginia, and Underwood, of Georgia—voted for him, The following are the republicans who voted for Gil- mer, and whose votes would have clected him had thd democrats united, namely:—Campbell, Hale, Jenkins, Morris, Schwartz, Scranton, Morehead, Stevens, MUk ward, Wood and Verree, of Pennsylvania, Haskin and ‘Van Wyck, of New York, and Nixon, of New Jersey. ‘The most earnest appeals havo been made by demo- cratic members to all parties in the House, to sacrifice their preferences and unite upon some conservative man. ‘The failure on the part of the democracy to take advan- tage of the opportunity presented them to put their Preaching in practice, and prevent Sherman from being elected, is a subject of surprise to many. On the second ballot to-day Sherman again recovered his relative strength, wanting four votes of an election. Mr. Davis, of Maryland, adhered to Gilmer. The democrats and Americans are caucussing to-night, with a hope on the part of some of each party that a Ucket naming all the officers of the House, with Boteler at the head, will be agreed upon, Botelor is said to be the only man in the South American ranks for whom the democrats can vote, because it is asserted ho is an old line whig, and was never a Know No- thing. If this is true, how came he in the National Know Nothing Conyention that nominated Fillmore in February, 1856? I am satisfed from a canvass that Northern demo- crate will not yote for him. ‘There is hardly one of thom who would be here except for the foreign vote in their several districts, hence thoy cannot elect to the Speaker’s chair a man whoee political principles lead him to oppross the foreigner, On the othor sido, it is assorted that there ig note manin the democratic ranks upon whom tho Americans would unite, Mr. Davis, of Indiana, is Dou- glas’ candidate, and the administration democrats would not vote for him. I feel safe in asserting that all the anti-Lecompton democrats and some of the Americans would vote for Sherman, if, by doing so, it would prevent an adminis tration man from an election. There is good authority for asserting that the plurality rule will mot bo adopted uml after the holidays, go the House will not be organized nutl January, onlees ama devine vote pecomplehys ib, Thy mcmbers why wie iby ——— ES, ET ftterest opponcsts of the plurality rifg « ethos whe were members of the Thirty-fourtl: Cotg, °@*, whee under that rulo bir. Banks was elected, The democratic cauous rosulted in adhering te * Booook, and refusing to allow the plurality rule to 9 verate ‘Twenty members declared that they would never w te for no of the Southern opposition. The Amerieaus feel | thas they have done all that they can do to organizetite Hig We Humphrey Marshall has done his utmost to unite 4 88 South Americans with the demoornts. ‘The republicans are quite elated by the doings of tie | democrats to night, and were never more firm for Bikers, man. I hear a report that the Americans will vote for Botelar until he withdraws, whem they will concentrate om Etheridge, and notify the republicans that they oanses have the plurality rule and muat unite on Mr. Etheridge, Such a course will only put off the organization te am im terminable period, and the responsibility will reat wii) the factious ilibusters. In the meantime, the creditors of the government are starving or sacrificing their certificates for a song. PROCEEDINGS OF THE DAMOORANO CAuCEs, Ademoocratlo caucus was held at the capital ‘Mr. Houston was chosen Chairman and Messrs. Cox and ‘Wright, of Tennessee, Secretaries. Fifty-eight members ‘were present. On motion of Mr. Rurvix, speeches were limited te five minutes, ‘Mr, Bococx expressed his thanks to the democratie members for their confidence in him and his willingness to withdraw if the caucus thought another man could get 8 larger vote. " Mr. Woratow spoke in favor of adhering to the nomina- tion of Mr. Bocock. Ho proferred by far an anti-Lecomg- ton man to an American. ‘Mr. Sravaxson spoke against the plurality rule. ‘Mr. Jomw Cocmmars was in favor of the domoorats maintaining thelr present position. ‘Mr. Cox spoke to the same effect for the largest dele- gation of the North. He was unwilling to vote for aay Know Nothing, er any man supported by them, unless that man should bea democrat. But he was willing af the proper time to vote for an anti-Locompton democrat when it could be shown he could be elected. ‘Mr. Mowrcommay took a different view, thinking there might be a union between the national men of the Ame- ricans and democrats go effected aa to crush out sectionall- ism. Ho thought it dangerous that republicanism should have the patromage of the Capitol. Mr. Hanns, of Va., made an earnest appeal to gontte- men to stand by democratic principles and mea. He would not ask Northern democrats to make such a saori- fice as to vote for a South American. Mr. Garxert interrupted Mr. Harris by stating that members of the American party had informed him that they were ag,willing to vote for Mr. Bocock as any other democrat. Mr Crata, of Missouri, after seme remarks, moved that a committee of three be appointed to confer with the minority of the House on the subject of organization. Mr. Burerr urged his view of the matter, and opposed. the motion. He inquired who asked to confor with us that we should have such a committee, Hemovedanad - herence to Mr. Bocock. Mr. Horan said he nover would be transferred by a caucus to any ono but a democrat. Mr. Dz Jarners explained why he voted to-day for Mr. Boteler. Ho thought ho had voted for Mr. Bocock as loug ‘as there was a chance for him. ‘Mr, Cumaws offered the following resolution, which was merely read for information:— Resolved, That it is our duty to adhero to the nomina- tion heretofore made in caucus until such time as it is de- monstrable that some other person can secure the whole yote recorded and an additional vote sufficient to elect him; and, in that event, the committee heretofore ap- pointed are hereby authorized to call another meeting for the purpose of conferring together on the subject. ‘Mr. Pryor, after some preliminary remarks, offered 8 substitute Mr. Craig’s resolution, as follows; — ‘That the members of this Conforence persist in the sup- port of the democratic nominee for Speaker until his de- clination or a conference of the party shall determine otherwise. Mr. VaLLanpiGHa concurred in what Messrs. Cochrane and Cox had said, as tothe sentiment of the North aad ‘West on the subject of organizing. Mr. Pryor’s proposition was generally acceptable, but without a vote, Mr. Craig and others previously makiag speeches in favor of it, the caucus adjourned. ‘THE SENATE STANDING COMMITTERS. ‘There bids fair to be trouble among democratic Seaa- tors in regard to the arrangement of the Senate commit- tees. The South have had for some years the chairmaa- ship of all the leading committees, ignoring Western and Northern democratic Senators. They ask now that some of the chairmanships of the leading committees, such as Commerce and Post Office, may be given to the North and West. If thelr request is refused, they throaten te denounce the affair in the Senate when the committees come up for election. An effort is making to put Senator Douglas at the head of the Committee on Public Lands, ag an offset for leaving him off the head of the Committee on Territories, but that will not heal the wound. There will bea sharp debate In the Senate on the subject. The de- mocratic Senators caucus relative to the matter te- morrow. ‘THE PACIFIC RAILROAD, Senator Gwin’s Pacific Railroad bill is nearly the same asthe one reported by him last year. It is thought that there will be # special Joint Committee for the purpose of considering the bill for a Pacific railroad. ‘THR PAY OF THN NAVY. Senator Mallory’s bill for the increase of pay of the navy is the same as the one reported by him last year. THIRTY-SIXTH CONGRESS. FIRST SESSION, House of Representatives. ‘Wastnarox, Deo. 16, 1869. On motion of Mr. Nisiack, it was resolved that till the election of a Speaker, the Clerk of the last House be au- thorized to exercise the power devolving on the Speaker for preserving order in the galleries and on tho floor of the House for the time being, under the rules of the last House; and that the Sorgeant-at-Arms, for the hke pur- pose, be under the direction of the Clerk. Mr. Mirzsow, (dem.) of Va., in explanation, denied that heever said that any man who endorsed Helper’s book ‘was not fit to live. SPEECH OF MR, BONHAM ON THE NATIONAL CRISIS. Mr. Borman, (dem.) of 8. C.—We are now drawing te the close of the third week of this cossion, and we have not y@8 organized this House. Tho attention of the whole country is directed 10 the procedings of this body, and the question which’ the country will naturally ask is, ‘How is it that this branch of Congress cannot organize the House and proceed to tho business ofthe country? Gentlemen on the other side may flatter themsolves that they appear %® more advantage before the country than wehere on this side. It is true they have the larger num- ber, but, nevertheless, the majority of this House are un- willing to see placed in that chair any endorser of the n- famous compend of the Helper book; and this ma Jority aro quite satisfied to submit this question to the tribunals of public opinion as to the regult, and as to who will be held responsible for this disorganization. The majority are opposed to the election of the honorable member from Ohio to the Speakership of this Houso, as one of the endorsers of that book; and wo feel that we are justified in that opposition in our own eyes, and, in the te of the country, and are justified in resisting, by all honorable means, his (Mr. Sherman’s) entering upon that high position. The resolution of the gentleman from Mis- souri declares that the member from Ohio, who endorsed. the sentiments contained in that wicked and infamous pampblet, was not fit to be the Speaker of this House. To that resolution I sive my most unqualifed assent, Tsay nothing of She psabersan ly, but, speaking in a political sense, I fully endorse the sentiment contained in that resolution. 10 iueman from North Caroli- na submitted a resolution, which contains sontimonts which, however, I cannot endorse. I do not ques- tion that tieman’s motives, but I say that hie is calculated to do injury to his own side of the House, and to embarrass them in getting yote upon the first resolution introduced by the gentle- man from Missouri. ver may be the gentleman’s ol the result has been deleterious to the issue sub- to the House. With regard to the compromises that have beon allegod to have becn violated by the South, 1 say here, and the country will sustain me ta saying 4 vital orror when the compromise that we committed 1860 was accepted by us of the South. We committed a fatal error when we that portion of it whereby we destroyed our right to bring tho question of 6! into the Legislature, and by which California was ted into tho confederation, and by which we were de- Prived of equal rights in the torritory ad by common Diood and the common treasume. gentleman from North Carolina (ar. Gilmer) was 48 a democrat up to his vote of yesterday, amd Yet claim to belong to that party; but I think member of this House who shared in tho. 1858, and who remember how that gon! the admiesion of Kansas into tae Union, over him as a member of the democratic party since Ho js theonly member of the House known va a who voted for that incasure; and | tol him the imp his vote made upon the public mind at the time was, he had gane over to and must belong to the party for ever. But in loaving us ho fired his Grrows Atva, and among othors the plurality rule. ‘The 0 hes been introduced 48 8 point of the rae Wis Of vAEt ew eo to the rights of the o Peibaeveie Cables dbguld Ye Qt, i Hens i gs i aut)