The New York Herald Newspaper, February 20, 1860, Page 4

4 NEW YORK HERALD. JAMES GURDON BENNETT, EDITOR ASD PROPRIEDUR DEFTION N. W. CORNET OF NASSAU AND FULTON 81%. MES, cash on actrince. Money sont by wars will 6 ul the Hae te seater,” Prange sowie ot vecntned a0 ewbarrintton y oat fh used WS of wie month oa um “WoLUNTARY ewes, sodirded re Be erally ood ear do Paericvtamey ARarearen vo Beat AGan SENT US BO NOTICE taten of aromymous correepomdence. We de net Tofeeted coonmmentootions JOB PRINTING sxwcuiad with noatnees, cheapnees and de- AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING ACADEMY OF MUSIO, Fourteenth atroet.—Itaniun Gre- BA LUCIA Di LAMMEKMOOK. NINLO'S GARDEN. Broadway.—Cooxe’s Rovat aurat TDEATKE, PROWERY THEATRE, Bowery.—Avapoin—Lapr or tae Laks. WINTER GARDEN. Broadway, opposiia Bond street — A ConsvGa. Lesson—Jexny LIND—AN OBJECT OF INTEREST. KS THEATRE, Broadway.—Komance or a MAN LAURA KEENE’S THEATRE, 621 Broadway.—Jeanie Deans NEW ROWFRE THEAT. quar Pxven Saw a Wow wery —Worrcano—Yoora ORT MACAIRE. BROADWAY BOUDOIR, 44! Brosd-vay,—Waxpering Boys—Winwing a Hosnasp—Uarey Maw BARNUM'S AMPRICAN MUSKUM, Broadway.—Afer- moon and Evening—OcreKoon BRYANT? MINSTRELS Mechanios’ Hall, 472 Broad way —Buntesques, Bons, Daxcrs, &c—Scenzs at Paa- 10n's i NIRLO'S SALOON. Brosdway—Geo. Crnisty’s Min. mrbets uw Soacs, Dances, Sonursquas, &o.—Tae Muay. NINH STREET, or ‘Teenie veant of Broadway —SoLowon's New York, Monday, February 20, 1860, MAILS FOR THE PACIFIC. New York Herstd—Catifornia Mdttion, Tbe North Atlantic Steamship Company’s steamship Atlantic, Captain Pearson, and the mail steamsh-p North Star, Capt. Jones, will leave this port this afternoon, at two o’etork, or aspiowal! The matie for nia and other parts of the!Pacific Will chase at one o'clock this afternoon Te New Yous Weekiy Hexarn—California edition— containing the ‘atest wteltigence from all parta of the word, with a large quantity of local and miscellaneous matter, will be published at eleven o'clock in the morn- ing Single copies, in wrappers, ready for mailing, six cents. Agents will ploase cond in their orders as early as pos bibte. MAILS FOR EUROPE. The New York Hcrald—Edition fer Europe. The Cunard mail steamship Canada, Captain Lang, will Teave Boston on Weduesday for Liverpool. The Furopean mails wili close in this city to-morrow af- ternoon, at balf-past one o'clock, ‘0 go by railroad, and at three o'clock, to go by steamboat. The Ecroreas Epos or ras Hens will be published ‘at balf past nine e’clock tn the morning. Single copies in Wrappers, six cents. Subscriptions anc advertisoments for any edition of the New Yous Hanatp will be received at the following places 1n Barope:— tae. fee i Pa a en Paam..,...Lavsiog, Balawiv & Co., 8 piace de la Bourse, ee ee ee ee. oUly= Se nenad Hiavan.... . Lansing, win & Go. 5) rae Corneille. Hamavas.. De Chapesaronge & Co. ‘The contents of the Evaoraas Eernos ev rm Hemp ‘will combine the news veocived by mail and telegraph at the office during tho previoes week and up to the hour ef peblcetion News. By the mails received at New Orleans from Vera Cruz to the 10th inst., we learn that the army of Miramon that was advancing on that city consisted of aix thousand men with fifty-two pieces of ar- tillery. Juarez had five thousand men, and two hundred and fifty pieces of artillery, and was making active preparations for the defence of the city. The De Soto arrived from Havana yesterday with advices to the 14th inst. The Quaker City, with dates to the 15th inst.,came into port last evening. The coolie trade had been sus pended by government order, and, as it ‘was to fully expire within the present year, re- newed energy was given to the direct traffic in Slaves from Africa. A large steamer, with three other vessels, had cleared for the coast—the steamer leaving port under circumstances which promoted the idea of official connivance at her departure. Freights were improving. Sugar was coming freely to market, but rates had not altered. Ex- change on New York (sixty days) was at from two to three per cent. Some very useful import orders hhad been issued by the Captain General. Dates from Porto Rico are to the Ist inst. The inhabitants were enthusiastically answering the proclamation of the Captain General of Cuba, calling for sid to defray the expenses of the Spanish war with Morocco, and the contributions at St. Johns amounted to $81,000. Files of the Oficial Gazette of St. Domingo had been received at Havana to the 2lst ult., but they contain scarcely anything of general interest. The Senate had assembled and was discussing the law to reform the tariff on imports and exports of June, 1855. All articles to the letter B had been discugsed and approved on the 18th of January. The Virginia Democratic Convention, which ad- journed on Saturday, adopted a resolution pledg- ing themselves to support the nominee of the Charleston Comvention. After the Convention had adjourned, a mass mecting was held, and resolutions adopted recommending concerted State action as a measure of security for State rights, and that Vir- ginia should respond favorably to the invitation of South Carolina by the appointment of a commis. sioner to a united Southern conference. . Saturday night was one of the roughest ever known on the Sound. At Boston a severe snow storm set in during the afternoon, and later in the day was succee jed by rain and hail. The New York trains via Fall River, Stonington and Norwich left the city at the usual hour, but the Bay State steam. boat, of the Fall River line, was the only one that had succeeded in getting through at noon yester day. The Bay State left Fall River at 10:30 P.M on Saturday, encountered a furious storm from N N.W., but arrived at her pier in New York at eleven o'clock yesterday morning. The new Broadway Tabernacle was densely crowded last evening to hear a discussion by the pastor, Rev. J. 0. Thompson, on the subject of mo dern spiritualism. He pronounced, in the most unqualified terms, modern table tipping and kin- dred spiritual manifestations, humbuggery, mainly got up for money-making purposes. The discourse which occupied over an hour, seemed to meet with general approval. A discourse in behalf of foreign missions was de- livered yesterday afternoon at the North Baptist church, corner of Christopher and Bedford streets, by Rev. Wiliiam Ward, a returned missionary from Assam, @ province in India, where he has labored for the past six years. The reverend gentleman represented the condition of the Assam Mission as being in a very unprosperons condition, and earnéstly pressed its claims upon the attention of his auditors. Assam contains a population of pearly two million souls, with only three mission NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1860. stations and two preachers, and offers a wide field for wissionary enterprise, The details of the foreign news which came to hand oo Saturday by the Arabia were considered favorable for cotton. The sales in this market embraced about 1,600 pales, chiefly tm store, closing firm at previous prices. Floor was firm, while sales were moderate. Among the Waveactions were ome purchases for abipment to Georgia, u¢ some other Southern points. Southern flour was un- changed and anies moderate, Wheat was held above the views of purchasers, which tended to check sales. Corn was without aeration in prices, while sales were limited, Onte were Orm and active. Pork was quite firm, while tules were limited: new mess fold at $18 60, aud new prime at $14 75 a $15, Sugars were steady, with sales of 800 w 400 bhds. and 4,500 boxes, Coffee was firm, and in speculative movement for Java, aales of which embraced 6,000 mats at p. ¢., and 12,000 do. were reported sold in Boston on private terms; 800 bags Rio were sold at 12}¢c., ‘and a amall lot Santos at 130. Freights were steady, with & large amount olfering both for Eogland and the Con- unent. The Charieston Convention and Its Platform—Important Proceedings in Alabama. Iu another page we publish from our special correspondent a report of an important mass meeting of the democracy held at Montgomery, Alabuma, ratitying the resolutions of a recent State Convention, which will be found copied into the account of the proceedings. These resolutions were enthusiastically adopted at the mass meeting, and contain “cardinal prin- ciples” which the delegates to Charleston from the State of Alabama are instructed to insist upon as indispensable in the democratic plat- form to be adopted at the National Presidential Convention, At the State Convention the ma- jority of the resolutions were adopted without # dissenting voice, and one of them, which was “particularly objectionable to a distinguished leader of the democratic party,” was carried by a vote of 441 to 12, The leader alluded to is evidently Mr. Douglas, whose squatter sove- reignty doctrine and course of action are de- nounced throughout the whole proceedings. Forsyth. who, in revenge for his removal from the mission to Mexico by Mr. Buchanan, has been backing up the Douglas schism in the party with all the influence which his little paper could command, has utterly failed to effect anything fer his man. The resolutions proclaim the following prin- ciples:—The slavery question the great issue which absorbs all others; the unqualified right of the people of the slaveholding States to the protection of their property in the States, in the Territories and in the wilderness in which Territorial governments are as yet unorganized; the duty of the general govern- ment by all proper legislation to secure an entry into those Territories to all the citizens of the United States, together with their property, of every description, the same to remain pro- tected by the United States while the Terri- tories are under its authority; the Congress of the United States has no power to abolish slavery in the Territories or to prohibit its in- troduction; the Territorial Legislatures, created by the legislation of Congress, have no power to abolish slavery or to prohibit the in- troduction of the same, or to impair by un- friendly legislation the security and full enjoy- ment of the same within the Territories; the principles enunciated by Chief Justice Taney, in bis opinion on the Dred Scott case, deny to the Territorial Legislature the power to destroy or impair, by any legislation whatever, the right of property in slaves, and maintain it to be the duty of the federal government in all of its departments to protect the rights of the owner of such property in the Territories. Such are the principles enunciated at the Democratic State Convention of Alabama, and endorsed by the ratification mass meeting at Montgomery ; and these are the principles of every State in the South. The squatter sove- reignty doctrine, which gives Territorial Legis- latures the right to prohibit slavery in the Ter- ritories, is repudiated; and so opposed were the speakers at the meeting to the champion of this political heresy that they declared they would prefer Seward as their candidate to Stephen A, Douglas. Itis not very clear who is the man of their choice; for Lane, Black, Wise, Hunter and Fitzpatrick were named as men who woul sat- isfy them ; but Douglas, they say, would never answer for the South. And this,no doubt, is the expression of the general feeling at the other side of Mason and Dixon’s line; for with the exception of the Memphis district of Tennes- see, Mr. Douglas appears not to have a single delegate in the Southern States, and that dis- trict avails him nothing. South of New Jersey, therefore, squatter sovereignty is at a dis. count. Nor is the dogma popular in the North- ern States, as is assumed by some politicians who reckon without their host. In every Northern State in which it has been tried and made an issue by the democrats, they have sig- nally failed. In Ohio, in Illinois, in Min- nesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine, they have been beaten worse on this issue than in any other pre- vious campaign. On the other hand, the democracy in Oregon and California succeeded by the antisquatter sovereignty platform, as they have in every State of the South, including Maryland, in which the democrats were beaten in 1856. In Pennsylvania, too, at the last elec- tion, when the democratic party fought under this banner, it pulled down the previous ma- jority against it. An address was issued by the State Committee, combatting squatter sove- reignty, the priuciple of which was afterwards elaborated in the reply of Judge Black to the article of Mr. Douglas in Harper’s Magazine. The result was that the democrats, who were beaten in 1858 by 30,000 majority, succeeded in reducing that majority one-half, and in the next election they will probably remove it altogether. It is, perhaps, safe to say that not a single State in the Union could be carried in favor of squatter sovereignty. It is a mistake to suppose that the North is friendly to it. The anti-slavery party have al- Ways opposed it, for they have contended for the right of Congress te deal with slavery in the Territories, and it was in opposition to the anti-slavery Wilmot Proviso that General Cass, n his Nicholson letter, first promulgated he doctrine of squatter sovereignty, which was soon exploded, and remained dead and buried till Mr. Douglas recently raised it from the tomb. With any party rallying for the constitution, it cannot stand, in the face of the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States. The doctrine, therefore, appears to have no friends unless among asmall faction of the democratic party, known as anti- Lecomptonites. The democratic party must be consistent to save itself from destruction, and it must, therefore, adopt a platform at Charles- ton which will embody the rights of the whole Union, and proclaim a determination to carry out in good faith the compact and the guaran- tees of the constitution. Spain and Hor Creditors-The True Po- sittom of the Spanish Nation. We publish in another columa to-day some interesting documents upon the deferred debt of Spain, and the movement that is now being made to interest foreign governments in the effort to induce the Spanish government to act with justice towards its creditors, The fact of such a movement having been undertaken, shows the existence of a growing conviction on the part of European oapitalists that Spain has the means, if mot the will, tu sa- tisfy her debts. In fact, for the lust thirty years, but more particularly since the close of the earliest civil war, the Spanish nation has exhibited a marked advance in the develope ment of its industry and commerce. Its mer- cantile marine has exbibited a vast increase in the industrious provinces of Biscay and Cata- lonia, and the government has been able to build up a navy, reapectable both in numbers and efficiency. In its internal improvements, too, the Spanish nation has recently made great advances. An impetus has been given to the construction of a system of railroads which must produce the greatest benefits to it in an industrial, social and political point of view. It will bring the cereals and the wines of the interior within reach of consuming markets, thus giving a value to its surplus production which has never before been known. This facility of access is creating new demands in the interior, and producing a social change there which will, before many years, assimilate to the rest of Europe a people whose manners, habits and condition of life have undergone little change for centuries. In politics the social revolution will produce still more remarkable changes. By giving greater life to the industrial and mercantile interests, powers are created in the State to compete with, and eventually subdue, the mili- tary element, which, for so many generations, has controlled and contributed to the mis- government of Spain. Unfortunately the reigning family does not comprebend either its own position or that of the nation it rules. Belonging to the Bourbons of Naples, the most vicious, bigotted and retro- grade of the European dynasties, it has a priestly clique about it, with whose malefic influence the national sentiment is always con- tending. The consequence is, that in Spain two powers are almost constantly in conflict. One of these is the tendency of the people to developement, and the other that of the Court, striving always in favor of reaction, This struggle delays the advance of the country in commerce, industry and power, and even keeps it in constant jeopardy. At this very moment the priestly influence at court is placing the whole nation in a false position towards the rest of Europe and the only other purely Latin nation, which is beginning to enter upon the path to regenera- tion. Italy finds Spain to-day arrayed against her by the intrigues of a worthless court in favor of the rotten and falling temporalities of the Papacy. The continued rule of this influ- ence in Spain cannot but delay her advance, and place her, while the rest of the nations are Tising in wealth and power, in the position of relative retrocession. There are beginning to prevail in Europe other ideas, which the power of Spain must soon admit. England, from the time of Crom- well until a recent period, clung to a policy which was curtly expressed in the popular motto, “Ships, colonies and commerce.” The first of these words embraces the idea that in- stigated her naval wars against Holland, France and Spain, in order to drive them from the ocean. The second represents that combina- tion of theories which started with the thirteen colonies of North America, and is in danger of being finally exploded by the bitter experience of India. The third involved the complete scheme of monopoly which aimed to confine trade to British bottoms, the colonies to ex- change only with the mother country, and the world to the purchase of the products of British industry. The greatincrease of the trade of the thirteen colonies with England struck the first practical blow at this mighty group of fallacies, and the logic of free trade is rapidly sweeping its remnants from the world. It is now being admitted that ships are most profitable when trade is unrestrained; that colonies are drags, and not aids, to the true interests of the mother country, and that commerce and monopoly are direct antagonisms, Some of these truths are best demonstrated in the history of Spain herself. She is one of the youngest nations of Europe. Her real national existence commenced with the union of Castile and Arragon, by the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella, and their joint gon- quests of the Moorish remnants in the Spantsh peninsula. In her youth she discovered and conquered America, and contributed mainly to the creation of the mighty empire of Charles, the Fifth of Germany and First of Spain. But her vast colonies in America drew off her youth and energy, and returned only vice and corruption to her court. Yet she still clings to the old folly of colonial developement, and the colonies of Cuba and the Phillipine Islands keep her court to-day in that vicious system of policy which for three centuries has steeped the Spanish people in poverty and beggary: The day that shall dawn upon the separation of the last remnants of the Spanish colonial poseessions from the mother country will dawn upon the era of the true regeneration of Spain as a nation. Italy is entering upon the adoption of the great truths which have been developed, with twenty-seven millions of people just con- stituted as an Italian nation. Spain has sixteen millions, more industrious and economical, with a greater variety of soil and fruits, and better situated in every respect than those of Italy. In order to enter upon the new life that is dawning for the Latin race, she must con- centrate her energies and keep her youth at home. But to truly participate in the future of com- merce, plenty and power upon which the na- tions are entering, Spain must wipe from her national honor the stain of bad faith which has fallen upon itfrom her injustice to her creditors. She must restore the national credit by redeem- ing. the pledge of the national word to those who loaned her their means in her day of trouble. *This she can easily do by meeting the exigencies that are rising everywhere around her, ina manly way. Cuba is fast growing to be too rich and strong to be held in an odious tutelage. The railroads and other public im- provements in Spain require a fostering aid from the government. Her creditors are press- ing their just demands. The true impulse of honor lies in a manly sense of justice, and.not in a Quixotic touchiness. The separation of Cuba at no distant day is inevitable, and to- day it can be effected peacefully and with posi- tive advantage to every Spanish interest ex- cept those of the corrupt and depraved hangers op abevt the court, This country, or Cuba, will no doubt inour a debt of three thousand millions of rials for the cession of the present rights of the Spanish crown, and this sum, ap- plied to the railroads of Spain and the arrange- ment of herpublic debt, would nearly build the one and extinguish the other. There are thou- sands in Spain who admit these truths, and sooner or later they will prevail there. The sooner they do prevail the better will it be for the true interests of the Spanish people and the Spanish crown. Tue QUESTION OF PRIVATERRING SETTLED— Imrorrant ANNOUNCEMENT o¥ LorD PALMBRS- ton.—By our European news, published in this day’s paper, we have a very important an- nouncement of the British Premier, which vir- tually settles the question of privateering on the high seas. A deputation of merchants trom Liverpool, Bristol, Manchester, Leeds, Hull, Belfast and Gloucester waited on Lord Palmerston, urging upon him the adoption of the principle of exemption of the private pro- perty of an enemy from capture at sea in time of war. This question, which includes pri- vateering, was to have been brought be- fure the European Congress for settlement, bad it met; but as there is supposed to be no probability of its ever meeting, the British merchants now apply to Lord Pal- merston to endeavor to have the principle adopted by treaty or otherwise. The Minister, however, being a far better statesman than his advisers, wisely concludes that it would be impossible for the government to agree to any such policy, the very existence of the country depending on its possession of the command of the sea. “It was necessary, therefore, for that object, to retain the power of eeizing the ships, andespecially the seamen navigating the chips, of foreign Powers, for if they did not seize the seamen of the enemy ou board their merchant vessels, they would have to fight them on board their ships of war.” This an- nouncement effectually disposes of the ques- tion of privateering, as far as the government of the United States is concerned, and settles it, too, for the rest of the world, the two great maritime Powers agreeing about the principle. Lord Palmerston thinks it would be nothing short of madness on the part of the British go- vernment to give up its imaginary command ot the seas by foregoing its right to capture the enemy’s merchant ships and seamen in time of war, and our government holds that it would be equally insane on our part to give up our right to capture the enemy’s merchant ships and seamen. Our ships of war are not suf- ficiently numerous to accomplish that object, but we can do it by privateers,as we did in our two wars with England. Our privateers are our militia of the seas, and it would be as absurd to abandon our right to use them as our right to use our land militia in case of an invasion. When Mr. Marcy, as Secretary of State, was asked by the Paris Conference of 1856 to consent to the abolition of privateering, he replied that we would do so if the European Powers would consent to abolish the practice of capturing the enemy’s mer- chant vessels at sea with their ships of war. Of course the English government would not agree to this; and how strong Lord Palmerston’s opinion on the subject is the reader now sees. Neither can we afford to agree to abolish pri- vateering. It is as lawful and as moral as the British mode of warfare. We havea smallnavy, but a very large merchant service, and byarm- ing the latter we turn it at once intoa tem- porary fleet. It was by privateering that we sompelled England to make peace with us in the last war; and if we were to surrender this kind of navy, which costs us nothing, we should have to build an expensive navy proper, which could cope with those of Great Britain and France, just as we would have to raise and maintain a large standing army if we aban- doned our militia system. An attempt has been made by European governments possess- ing large navies to stigmatise privateering as piracy, and we are sorry to say that the sapi- ent Chamber of Commerce of this port have swallowed this nonsense, and recently played into the hands of those governments, which have everything to lose and nothing to gain by the retention of privateering, which is peculiar- ly an American institution. For the same rea- son they would be glad to see us abolish negro slavery. But we claim the same right to pur- sue our own mode of warfare on the high seas that we do to continue our own system of labor in cultivating the arts of peace. Tue Free NeGrors FRoM ARKANSAS.—We give elsewhere the protest of a dozen free ne- groes who have been obliged by recently enacted laws to leave the State of Arkansas, or, a8 some imaginative white man who has written the document for them expresses it, “to leave a genial climate of sunny skies to be homeless strangers in the regions of the icy north.” They open with a complaint that they find the same self-protecting legislation in many of the Northern States that some of the Southern ones have lately been compelled to adopt, and that Indiana shuts her doors upon them, Illinois denies them admission to her prairies, Oregon refuses them an abiding place, and even Minnesota has their exclusion under consideration. To this they might truth- fully have added that Governor Chase says Ohio does not want them, Western Pennsylvania is getting very tired of them, and Canada is disgusted with their idle, vicious and depraved deportment. Against these things, which they say are done “beneath the wing of the Ameri- can eagle, and under the shadow of the Ameri- can church,” they appeal to all sorts of good people, and entreat them to roll up the wave of the irrepressible conflict till it “washes away this stain,” and puts them back in Arkansas with all their abolition honors fresh upon them. Now, the good people appealed to by these eight negro women and four negro men will do no such thing; and they would do well to reflect that the evils they complain of were brought upon them by the abolitionists. The abolitionists first teach the free negroes to steal, and, having made them thieves, help the Northern communities to exclude them. Now the same teachers are inciting them to incendiarism and murder, and will be the first to abandon them when caught in the act and strung up, as Voltaire expresses it, “to encourage their fellows.” If the Northern States, which have no servile population to be stimulated to rebellion, reject the idle and vyi- cious blacks, the South, with its large slave po- palation, bas much more reason to thrust them out from its borders. The white man who is compelled to live in community with a large bumber of negroes has a duty to perform to his own wite and children, and to protect them from the machinations of the tools of aboli- tionists and political demagogues, The Growing and Prospective Trade with China ond Japan. It is announced by telegraph that two American berks sailed from San Francisco for Japan on the 24th ult, to obtain car- goes of faacy goods and other productions of that country, such as have recently sold in Cal- ifornia at enormous profits, and we are in- formed that some skilful designers accompanied these vessels with the purpose of furnishing Japanese mechanics or artists with models after which to manufacture articles better designed for the American market, the object being to get the advantage of Japanese skill in execu. tion for the manufacture of articles of furni ture, &c., after plans designed by Americans. The treaties recently negotiated between this country and the empires of China aod Japan are now in full force, and we may expect ere long to witness the fruits of these compacts in a Jargely extended trade with those countries, which offer so wide a field for American enter- prise. The treaties between Japan and the United States, England and France have been ratified, and we perceive that the treaty with Great Britain has just been published in that country. Unoer this treaty the ports of Hakodadi, Kanagawa and Nagasaki were opened to British vessels on the Ist of July last, aud two more— uamely, Nee e-gata, or another “convenient port” on the west coast ot Nipbon, oa the first day of the present year, and Hiogo is to be opened on the Ist of January, 1863. The du- ties on British imporis paid at the Custom House entive the goods to be transported into apy part of tbe empire of Japan “without the payment of apy tax, excise, or transit duty @®batever,” and British mercbants who have imported merchandise into any of the open perts of Japan, and paid the duty, are entitled to a certificate fur re-exportatioa to any other of the open ports without the payment of any additional duty, and all attempts at smuggling in any of the nos opened barbors of Japan en- tail the forfeiture of the goods and @ fine upon the ship of $1,000 for each offence. Tbe impor- tation of opium is prohibited under heavy penalties. It appears, too, the tariff is framed on a very liberal scale for Engtand, and articles of import are divided into five classes. The first contuins gold, silver, wearing apparel, household furni- ture, and books intended for the owner’s use, all of which are admitted free. The second class includes coals, breadstuffs, timber, lead, duty of twenty-five per cent. the future.” treaty, steam machinery, tin, cotton and woollen fab- ries, all of which are subject to a duty of five percent, Class third includes ali intoxicating liquors, on which a duty of thirty-five per cent ig placed; and by class fourth all articles not in- cluded in the preceding classes are fixed with a The Hong Kong Register of the 15th of De- cember says that “a large trade is already epringing,.up with Japan. Millions ot dollars are said to have been sent there for the pur- chase of gold and silk, and large profits have been realized. This country promises much in Thus immediate advantage is being taken of the facilities offered by this on both continents Of course The adoption of this important principle opese the interior porte of Bolivis, Paraguay and Brazil on the afMfluents of the Plata, those of eastern Peru and Ecuador on the tributaries of the Amazon, and those of New Granada on the Orinoco. The commission to settle the Ameri- can claims will no doubt begin its labors as soom as President Buchanan names the com- mission to act on our side. INTERESTING FROM WASHINGTON. Imauguration of the Statue to Wasting- tom—The Invitation to the Seventh Re §iment—The Printer to the Houso—The Admission of Kansas—The Homestead Bill—The Pa: am Commissioner— ks he Semate Caucus Committve=fhe louse Printing Investigating Commit- tee, &e., de. if OUR SPECIAL WASHINGTON DESPATCH. Wasineton, Feb, 19, 1868. INAUGURATION OP THE STATUR TO WASHINGTON—THK VISIT OF ‘TAS SEVKSTH REGIMENT. While univereal desire is exprecsed by the People to eee the Seventh regiment here on Wednesday, and a dis position is manifested to entertain them in a hospitadie Manner should they come, it is considered very extraor- diary that the Committee of Arrangements should invite eight hundred business men to abandon their private sflare and pay their own railroad bills, amounting at rega- Jar rates, outside of incidental expenses, to twolve thou- sand dollars. The ten thousand dollars appropriated by Congrese cn Friday to defray the expenses of the cele. bration is Hable, from present appearances, to be ex- pended in glorify img people here, instead of so disbursing it ax to patiovalze and dignify the occasion. ‘The appointment by Speaker Pennington of Mr. Keitt, of South Carolina, 8 Chairman of the Special Committee of Arrangements on the part of the House, is the subject of eurprine, growing mainly out of the fact that Mr. Ham” mond, of South Carvlina, is Chairman of the Committee on the part of the Senate, apd partly because the republicans think the chairmanship of the House Committee belonged to a supporter of Mr. Pennington. The Speaker appointed Mr. Keitt because the latter moved the resolution, and therefore was entitted to the honor on the ground of par- Lementary courtesy. Mr. Train, of Massachusetts, do- chines to serve OD the committee, THE SENATORIAL CAUCUS COMMITTEE. ‘The committee appointed by the Senatoral cancus, and to whom were referred the various resolutions before the Senate in regard tw the slavery question, have bad ene or two meetings, but thus far have failed to arrive at any conclusion. The object and aim of this committee is aot to bring forward @ resuiution or resolutions which is to ba considered as the platform for the Charleston Convention. The committee etates that they had no such idea in cen- tempiation, their object being merely to harmonize the conflicting resolutions to meet the views of the various Senators. It is vot at all certain that they will agree upon any resolutions, but leave the matter in its present shape. THR PRINTING INVESTIGATING COMMITTER. The Printing Investigating Committee have bad bofore them Quarles, one of the clerks in the office of Suporinten- dent of Public Prmting. He did not seem to know much ‘ about the corruptious in Wendell’s time, but made some fiatements in regard to the present superintendent in the purchase of paper, which will require some explanation. He states that the superintendent bad purchased some Cap paper and paid a cent and three-quarters more per pound for it than some articles which were being furnished by the contractor for. six- teen cents per pound. He algo made other Statements which seemed to reflect upon the present Superintendent, But it ie said that it is susceptible of explanation. But little if any evidence is elicited, except that given by Wendell, showing that thore has been much corruption, Most of the witnesses are regular Know Nothings. 4 ‘THE HOUSE PRINTER. ‘The report to-night is, that Mr. Defrees announces that he withdraws from all combinations and engagements ‘with combinations, and wil! stand alone’ if he can muster | strength enough, which is impossible. One or twe new men are talked of for the next bailot. ‘THE PUBLIC PRINTING AND BINDING. The House select committee, appointed to inquire into the existing laws and to report reforms ia the manner of execution and the prices paid for printing and binding, bad a long session yesterday, Superintendent of Public Printing Heart giving many valuable Lints from his long experience on that subject. The Select Commitiee on Printing, Engraving and Bind- ipg will meet on Tuesday. Some of the committee ure re- it cannot be expected that the pre judices of some four or five hundred mil- lions of people as exclusive as those of Japan and China can be overcome in the twinkling of an eye, or by the signing of an official docu- ment; but that a rich market, heretofore closed to the commerce of the world, is now opened, is guarantee enough that commercial enterprise will achieve results in those coun- orted im favor of letting the printing out to the lowest bidder. ‘THR ADMISSION OF KANSAS. ‘The Committee on Territories meet to-morrow, and will take up the eubject of the admission of Kansas. It isa Question what course the Senate will pursue relative to the subject. ‘The action of the republicans on the Mexican treaty ‘will undoubtedly have some influence on the action of the democrats about the admission of Kansas, per cent in four years, merce with these productive Asiatic nations. Tur Conviction or Lane, THE Bask Deravit- character ever obtained here, and the result, we trust, will have a salutary effect. It would be impossible to enumerate the many bank defal- cations constantly occurring in this city. Num- bers of them never see the light, but are com- promised between the directors and the offend- er, lest the reputation of the bank should suf- fer from a public knowledge of its loss. Thus public justice is sacrificed to private interest— a system which is very much to be condemned, because it not only brings the law into con- tempt, but actually encourages crime. It is far better that one or two young men should suffer the penalty of their misdeeds than that hundreds should fall into vice, encouraged by the immunity which they know their crimes will receive. The system of hushing up and compromising defalcations and embezzlements is neither just nor charitable. In the case of the Fulton Bank defalcation, there were no less than fifty-six different indictments found against the prisoner—thirty-nine for forgery, one for embezzlement, and sixteen for false pretences. Though ably defended, Lane was found guilty by the jury after a consultation of leas than an hour, and will be called up for judgment on Thursday next. Ovr Retations wirh Paracvay.—We publish to-day the official text of the treaty and con- vention with Paraguay recently ratified by the Senate, and which will no doubt be ex- changed at Washington in a few days. Senor Berges, whose arrival here we announced some weeks since, and who reached Washington a few days ago, is fully empowered by President Lopez to make the exchange, and to sit as com- missioner for the settlement of the claims of the Paraguay Navigation Company. This treaty establishes one pfinciple that will be of great advantage to all the river drained countries of South America, many of which had before admitted it, and the com- merce of the world at large. This is the free- dom of fluvial navigation through the terri- tories of Paraguay to the confines of Brazil. tries equal to those it has achieved elsewhere. We have an example of the increase of trade following the establishment of liberal rela- tions, in the fact that the imports of British cotton fabrics into China have increased sixty In both Japan and China the most friendly disposition towards this country exists; and when we once establich a trade with them, it will grow year by year, until we shall com- manda highly valuable interchange of com- ER.—The conviction of young Lane, the default- er of the Fulton Bank, on Saturday, is a some- whatuncommon event. We believe it is the first instance of a conviction for defalcation of this ‘The committee have, also, under consideration the sub- ject of Territorial governments for Nevada ixe’s Peak and Dacota bills, it is said, will be reported in these cases; certainly ag to the last named. The committee contem- plate nothing further for Arizona at present,than a Survey- or General and Judicial district, ‘THE WOMBSTRAD BILL. ‘The Committee on Agriculture have decided to reporta Homeetsad bill, which will pass the House, but its success in the Senate is uncertain. , SPECIFIC DUTTES, ‘The friends of protection are confident that the Commit- teeof Ways and Means will soon report a bill imposing ®pecific instead of advalorem duties, wherever the samo are practicable. THE FRANKING PRIVILEGE. Those who have closely scrutinized the subject say the House are most equally divided on the question of the franking privilege, and the preponderance of focling is against its abolition. ‘MR, GUTHRIE AND THE IRON INTEREST. Copies of papers conta ning articles on James Guthrie and the iron mterest are being sent to many democratic members of Congrees, with the view of producing convio- tion that he is the only democrat who can certainly carry Penney lvania and New Jersey. THE MAIL KETWEEN CHARLESTON AND HAVANA. The Hovse committee on the Post Office will, at an early day, give Mr, Mile, of South Carolina, a hearmg on the subject of restoring to the steamer Isabel the regular mail service between Charleston anc Havana, which is strongry urged by the merchants of Charleston, Savannah, Key West and New York. THE CHARGE AGAINST THE SECRETARY OF LEGATION IN PERU. ‘The statement which appeared yesterday in the stock jobbing biack republican New York paper, that the Secre- tary of our Legation in Peru is interested in certain claims pending sgainst the Peruvian government, and that be is here prosecuting them, is wholly untrue. That gentle- man brought important despatches to the govern. ment, and is now waiting for orders. The subject of our Peruvian difficulties is now under advisement by the Pre- sident. RECEPTION OF THE PARAGCAYAN COMMISSIONER. The Paraguayan Commissioner has met with a cordial reception from the executive officers of our government. After the formal exchange of ratifications ot the Bowlin treaty this week, he will enter upon his duties under the special convention for the settlement of the indemnity due to the Hopkins Company. THE RICHMOND DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION. The Convention at Richmond, which broke up last night Da row, has damaged Hunter’s prospects for the Preai- dency, a8 his friends confidently expected an endorse, ment by that Convention, while the friends of Wia> lofa” upon it as a triumph for the Governor. The National Union Executive Committee have decried © hold a nominating convention at Baltimore. The timei# © be designated bercafter. Virginia D:mocratic Convention. Ricusonn, Feb. 19, 1860. ‘The Democratic Convention adjourned last night, afer adopting @ retolution to support the nominee of the Charleston Convention. After the adjournment a mass meeting was held, com- posed principally of the mombers of the Convention, and the following resolutions adopted :— ’ Firat, That every suggestion of patriotism and policy favor concerted State action as a meas: of security constitutional State rights. is Secona, That the General Assembly of Virginia respond favorably to the invitation of the State of Carolina, by the appointment of Commissioners to & ted Southern Conference. After the mars meeting adjourned, a crowd waited om Gen. Starke, Commissioner from Mississippi to Virginia, who arrived yesterday. In his speech, he said Miesissipp; wanted the Conference for the Union and not for disunioa.