The New York Herald Newspaper, January 10, 1865, Page 4

4 Appropriation which Conourred ta, and the the Secretary of the Treasury $o refund the taxes JAMES GORDON BENNETT, collected on spirits prior to March 1, 1864, and for other EDITOR AND FROPRIETOR. OFFICE N. W. CORNER OF FULTON AND NASSAU BTS. AMUSEMENTS THIS EVBNING. NIBLO’S GARDEN, Broadway.—Tus SaamBoce. BROADWAY THEATRE, Broadway.—Tas Live Is- 's Lawes. WINTER GARDEN, Broadway.—Hauust, WALLACK'S THEATRE, Broadway.—Sscanra Woata Kuowura. mas, New Year's or the 4th of July; to incorporate the Metropolitan or Underground Railway of New York; also @n appropriation to continue the improvement of the Bavigation of the Hudson river. Bills were introduced confirming the acts of town auditors and supervisors tn raising bounties; to provide means for payment of awards made by the Canal Board and Canal Appraisers, and to Incorporate the Cayuga and Ontario Ship Canal Com- pany. oururto THEATRE, Broadway.—Tus Sraaevs os Naw (Ou. In the Assembly among the bills noticed were one in Telation to collecting rent for gas metres in New York; for a railroad in Eleventh avenue and other streets of New York; the New York and Brooklyn Passenger bill, and for a railroad from Cold Spring to Huntingdon. MISCELLANEOUS NEWS. ‘There are three European steamships due at American Ports to-day, one of them (the Moravian) bearing news five days later than the report of the Asia. These ves- sels sailed in the following order. From. Dayof Sailing. q ee IL Pan Queenstown.. Deo, New York. Moravian. udonderry. Dec. 30....Portland. By the re last night of the steamship §Liberty we have advices from Havana to the 4th inst, They fur- nish, however, nething later of importance from Mexico. ‘The war in St. Domingo still languishes, and the great mortality among the Spanish troops, who have abandoned the interior of the island, shows little, if any, diminution. In Cuba the New Year carnival was not yet fully ended. The Board of Aldermen met yesterday, President Mor- gan L. Jones in the chair. The Comptroller's budget for 1865, setting forth his estimate of the city expenses for the current year, was received and ordered to be printed. It appears that the sum required to be raised by tax fs $7,284,089 91. The annual message from the Mayor was also received, and five thousand coples of the docu- ment ordered to be printed.» No little excitement was created among the Aldermen by the appearance of Mr. John Hecker in their midst with a claim for the vacant g.at in the Fourth district, occasio.ed by the death of Alderman McMahon. The chairman informed the gentle- man that {t would be necessary to petition the Board upon the subject. Mr, Hecker then withdrew, saying he would conform with tho suggesti n of the clairman; but up to the time of adjournment there was no appearance of any petition. The Board of Counciimen met yesterday and adopted a resolution directing the Comptroller to sell the property formerly occupied by the Colored Orphan Asylum, and to} purchase a suitable site for it above 110th street, President Hayes announced the standing committeos for the year. Another meeting of the Chamber of Commerce com- mittee having in charge the matter of furnishing relief to the suffering poor of Savannah was held yesterday. The sub-committee of five appointed to decide upon the manner in which to proceed presented the draft of an ‘appeal to the people of this city for contributions either im money or provisicns, and commit:ees representing the various classes of the morcantile community wereap- pointed to solicit the same. Mr. Simeon Draper, Collector of Customs at this port, reached Fortress Monroe on Friday last, en route to Sa- yannsh on his mission in reference 'to the cotton and other property captured by General Sherman, ‘The street sweepers and laborers, whose wages have ‘been stopped by the injunction of Mr. Hecker, held two meetings yesterday at 76 Prince street, to cousider the best means to obtain the arrears duc them by the city. They agreed, after considerable discussion on the sub- ject, to receive no money from any source but the Comptroller or City’ Inspector, and utterly repudiated any negotiation with the Citizens’ Association on the subject. A committee of three from each ward was ap- pointed, and will hold meetings daily until some com- promise’ can be made, The first mecting of this com- mittee will be held this morning at the City Hall, to consult with the Comptroller in relation to the necessary steps to be taken in relation to the matter. The state- mont made some days ago, that an offer to clean the streets for three hundred thousand dollars per year had been tendered to the city authorities by the Sanitary and Chemical Compost Company appears to have been prema- ture, Sealed proposals from this company, were, how- ever, received at the Mayor's office yesterday; but the amountof compensation demanded has not yet been made public, ‘The annual meeting of the Marine Society took place last evening. Tho receipts of the society last year were $5,042, and the exponditures $5,142 50, Tho officers of last year wero re-elected. Judge Leonard, of the Supreme Court, was engaged yesterday in trying an interesting etockdealing case. An operator named George W. Morgan sued Augustus 8. Peabody & Co. for selling three hundred shares of Quick- silver Mining Company without authority, and at ruinous rates, which involved a loas to the plaintiff of thirty thousand dollars. The defence set up was that the stock in question was held by the defendants, on account of the plaintiff, and that, the latter weylecting to make his margin good, they were obliged to seli to save themselves The case was not coneluded when the court adjourned. Notwithstanding the great length of time which the Opdyke-Weed libel suit has occupied In the Supreme Court in this city great interest in it ts still manifested by the people, There waa a large attendance In the court room yesterday. Th@argumont for the defenco was closed, and Mr. Field made his final address for the pro- secution. The case will be continued to-day, In the Court of Oyer and Terminer yesterday, before Judge Barnard, Henry Hawker, charged with killing John Brennan, adeck band on board the steamship Northern Light, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the fourth degree, Sentence in Lis case was postponed until the 20th inst, Thomas Hadden, indicted for kidnapping, ‘was brought up, but owing to the abseuce of counsel hia trial was postponed. Ira Garadier, charged with being connected with an alleged extensive gang of forgers, ac. counts of whose operations were published in the Herat a few weeks ago, and who is indicted for being concerned in forging a check en the Bank of Commerce for twenty ‘thousand dollars, is to be tried to-day, The verdict of the Coroner's jury in the case of the steam pump boiler explosion at pior 9 North river on iast Friday, by which Hamilton Merritt was blown overboard and drowned, was to the effect that the accident was caused by the nogligence of the engineer, thero being at the time a greater pressure of steam on than the boiler ‘was qualified to carry. In the Court of General Sessions yesterday Robert ‘Thompson, indicted for bigamy, pleaded guilty to that offence. There was aleo an indictment for grand larceny against Thompson. Judge Russel sentenced him to the State Prison for four years and six months. Margaret Mooncy, who stole a coat worth $45 from Wm. H. Devoe, of 145 West Thirty-seventh street, on the 28th of Decem ber, pleaded guilty, gnd waa sent to the State Prison for two yeara Jane McNulty, charged with stealing $16 in bank bills, the property of Peter Millen, of 61 Pike street, on the 2th of December, pleaded guilty to an attempt at laroony, and was sent fo the Ponitontiary for one year. Elizabeth A. Lewis, against whom there wore seven indictments of a similar nature, pleaded guilty to one, charging her with renting two Wheeler & Wilson sowing machines from Mary Ryan, 187 Ceder street, which she refused to re- turn when applied tofor them. She was sentto the State Prison for two yours and six months, Mary Klarner and Barbara Schubert, old shoplifiers, were convicted of stealing a doll from the store of Me- tilda Muffling, in Grand stroot, on the s0th of November. Apoliceman watched them, and found baskets full of stolen property in their possossion. They were both fent to the Penitentiary for six months and fined fifty dollara, There were other indictments against them Rose Kelly pleaded guilty to an indictment for false pre- tences, she having succeeded in dofrauding « number of brewers by golog round with « subscription paper repre- senting that adrayman lost his legs by a terrible noel. dent. Tho Judgment of the Court wad suspended. A number of cases on the calondar were put down for trial this wook, We have received a longthy communication from one of tho counsel In the case of Schormerhorn versns Wood; butas the querre! hetwoen the parties appears to boa personal one, and the document Is particularly dry and unintoresting, we refrain from publishing it, The Prussian Consul General having obtained from the Department at Washington the necessary legal authe- tity for the extradition of Guldenfum, the fusilive from Prussia, the prisoner wee condyoted on beard he NEW BOWERY THEATRE, sous Jack—My Otp Wire anv Young 7. —M ASEPPA—HAND- /MBEBLLA. BOWERY THEATRE, Bowery.—O'Nea, tam Gazat— Lorranr Ticxst—Paut Jones, ~ BARNUM'S MUSEUM, Broadway.—Two Mamworn Fat ‘Wowen--Livino Sxecktox—Dwarr—Luaanep Szat—Gnasp ‘Bracracts—Fanies, Tim Haves, &0.->Day and Evening. BST gure. MDMETERIG. mechenier’ Hally sway. —ErHiorian Sox an RLBSQUES, mos Wako Among tux lonuona.” 472 Broad- 0.—AstE- ‘WOOD'S MINSTREL H. 514 Broadway.—Hamer— ‘Sarrr Uxcis Tom-—Eruiorian Dance ao. SALLE DIABOLIQUE, 585 Broadway.—Rosent He.ize— Basiequin Santa roy i Steamship. United Kingdom. Edinburg VAN AMBURGH & CO.’S MAMMOTH MENAGERIE, 639 und. Sl Broadway.—Open from 10 A. M. to 10 P. M. HIPPOTHEATRON, Fourteenth . street.—Ey Alaxuegum Qyunastic anp Acgonatio ENTERTADTMENTS—] ‘Biceszamp. TURKISH Broad\ eH BALL, ™ lway.—OsCANYan’s ORIENTAL AMERICAN THEATRE, No. 444 Broadway.—Ba.izts, Pastoumrs, Boniesqves. ’o.—Gopensxr. VANNUCHI'S MUSEUM, 600 Broadway.—Morine Wax Frounss—Fuanz Mciren NEW YORK MUSEUM OF ANATOMY, 618 Broadway.— Open from 1) A. M. till 10 P. MM. sii New York, Tuesday, January 10, 1865. Samael THE SITUATION. One of our correspondents at Winchester, Va., gives ‘as an account of a conversation which he has had with @ gentleman who recently visited Richmond. It is atated that the rebel officials are now busily engaged in prepar- Ang for the evacuation of their capital; that much of the government property and many of the em- Ployes have already been sent into the interior of the South, and that hundreds of families have taken the hint and removed into Georgia and North Carolina It 4e sald that Joff. Davis has become convinced of his in- ability to hold Richmond much longer, and that the whole city is being mined, with the design of blowing it ‘ap as soon as it shall have been abandoned. Major Genoral Benjamin F. Butler has been removed dy the President from the position of commander of the Army of the James and the Department of Vir- ginia and North Carolina, and ordered to report at Lowell, Massachusetts, The official document in the ease directed him to turn over his command to ‘the person named by Lieutenant Gencral Grant as his tem- porary successor.” General Ord, lately in charge of tho Twenty-fourth corps, bas succeeded temporarily to Ske important position, “though there 1s occlisional shelling by the artillery, the general cessation of active military operations in front of Richmond and Petersburg continues, the weather being still unfavorable for any extensive movements, Secre- tary of War Stanton and Quartermaster Genoral Melgs, arrived at Fortress Monroe on last Friday, on their way to hold conferences with Generals Grant, Sherman and Foster, ‘It is reported that Mr. Francis P. Blair, senior, has de- parted from Washington on a second peace mission to Richmond; but as to the nature of his terms or epecial designs nothing has yet become public. It is estimated now that the rebel General Hood suc- ceeded in getting over twenty-five thousand of his men south of Tennessee river. General Lyon, who, it will be remembered, moved off with a detachment of two or three thousand of Hood's troops while thé latter remained bo- fore Nashille, and went into Kentucky on a stealing, do- predating and conscripting expedition, being driven out of that State by the national soldiers, recently, on bis retreat southward passed through McMinnville, Ten- nessee, where he captured a company of Union cavalry. ‘le tore up some of the Chattanooga Railroad track, near Tullahoma, and then proceeded in the direction of Rus- sellville. General Forrest, provious to crossing the Ten- nessee river, was obliged to abandon one hundred and fifty of his wagons. It ts reported that the Union troops have, by order of General Reynolds, evacuated Fort Smith and Van Buren, Arkansas, but that the President has revoked the order. Military affairs are represented as very quiet in the State at present, The Legislature has elected a United States Senator, and passed a war bill making appropriations te the amount of three hundred thousand dollars, Accounts from Morganzia, Louisiana, state that another ‘Union expedition recently went out from that piace to beyond the Atchafalaya river, but found few rebels. ‘There appear to be comparatively few of them in all that region just now. The Union gunboat Gazelle had de- stroyed the rebel residences in the vicinity of the place where Commander Thatcher was killed in retaliation for bis murder. ‘Tho latest rebel newspapers present a very interesting picture of the troubles into which the cardinal secession doctrine of State sights has brought ite advocates, The Governors of the different rebel Biates, from their disposition to be punctilious im regard to their peculiar rightful or assumed prerogatives, interforo seriously with that unity of action and des- potism which Jef Davis is desirous of maintain- ing. He has now on his hande « quaarrel with the Governors of Mississippl, Georgia and Als ama. Tho Richmond WAig thinks the recont alleged peaco mission of the two Binirs entitles the United States to Be considered the most impudent ‘Ration that has ever had existence. A correspondent of the Charleston Courter, speaking of the charge against Genoral Grant of the Richmond Sentinel, that he lavishly eacrifices his men, says that “Hood has butchered his Aroops as recklessly as ever Grant did." CONGRESS. In the Senate yesterday ® memorial wag presented by Mr. Shermaa asking for an appropriation for tho support of Southern refugees. He raid there were thousands of foyal refugees in Cincinnati, St. Lonts and Louisville, and their condition was deplorable. The memorial was ap- propriately referred. The resolution proposing to distribute the cotton captured at Savannah among the soldiers of General Sherman's army was indefinitely Poetponed. A Joint resolution was presented directing {inquiry into the treatment of Indian tribes by the author- ities, which was referred to the Commitieco on Indian Affaire, Tho joint resolution freeing the wives and chil- Gren of colored soldiers was then taken up. A number @f amendments to the resolution were offered by the op- position ; but they were all lost, and, after considerable debate, the resolution was passed by a vote of yeas 27, Bays 10. The Senate then went into oxeoutivo session, ‘end soon efter adjourned. ‘The House was occupied nearly the whole session In the discussion of the Senate's Joint resolution proposing an amendment to the constitution for the purpose of Gbolishing slavery throughout the country. No vote was faken on the resolution The only other business before tho House Was the Genate’a emendment te the Peasicn steamer Saxonia on Saturday. The parting scene between Guidenfuss and the lady who accompanied bim to this country was affecting, A Spaniard named George Fernandes was yesterday morning severely stabbed in the right shoulder by s poignard in the hand of some unknown person, during a wrangle among & number of his countrymea in « drink- tng house in Pearl street. ‘The woather yestetday continuing clear and oold, the skating of course remained in good condition. The ico was in a vory fine state, and the ponds in the Park and around the city were thronged throughout the day with thousands of people, of both sexes end all classes and ages. If the weather and the ice should be propitious there is to be & grand fancy dress ball on the Fifth avenue pond on next Thursday night, Ata meeting yesterday in Brooklyn of the Kings county Board of Supervisors a proamble and resolutions were adopted deolaring the quotas of the Second and ‘Third Congressional districta, which together have been fixed, at seven thousand six hundred and five, as ex- cessive, and the Bounty Committee were directed to take measures for having them reduced, if possible. The Brooklyn Common Council for the year 1865 was organized last evening, and the message of Mayor Wood was received and read. This dcoument presents a very favorablo picture of the present condition of the city. The Mayor also sent in his veto of the ordinance passed by the Common Council on the 224 of December, author- izing tho city railroad companics to raise their fares from five to soven cents, During an altercation, about eleven o'clock last night, on board # Williamsburg ferry boat, between a white man and a colored man, the latter drow a pistol and fired it, wounding the former in the leg. The. assailant was arrested. The Young Men’s Christian Association had @ very in teresting meeting last evening on the cocasion of the opening of [their new rooms, No. 161 Fifth avenue, A large assomblage was present, including a number of pro- minent gentlemen, among whom was General Robert Anderson. Tho entertainment consisted of addresses, music, &o. ‘The Miesouri Convention, now in session, have decided In favor of a complete reconstruction of the State constl- tution, and appointed a commitiee to report the neces- sary amendments. The steamer Knickerbocker, belonging to the People’s Line, of this city, sunk in Chesapeake bay during tho galo of last Friday, and it is thought ‘tliat all persons on board of her were drowned, It is supposed that there ia no poesibility of saving any portion of the vessel. ‘The New Jersey Legislnture will assemble at Trenton to-day. The Senate consists of thirteen democrats and eight republicans, and the House of thirty members of each party. A collision between @ passenger and freight train on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, near Farmington, West Virginia, cecurred on last Saturday, by which one person was fatally and several others severely injured. The baggage, mail and express cars took fire and were burned. The City Inspector reports 428 deaths in the city during the week ending on the 9th of January—an in- crease of 8 as compared with the mortality of the week previcus, and 55 less than occurred during the corres- ponding week last year. The stock market was dull yesterday. Government securities were moderately activo, and higher in five- twenties, Gold was steady, and closed at 226%, There was not much change in the commercial status yesterday as compared with last Saturday. The steadi- ness in the gold market rendered prices of merchandise Comparatively steady. Foreign goods weie quict, and but a moderate business was done in domestic prodace, and that generally at about Saturday's prices On ’Ohange the flour market was quict at previous prices, Wheat was dull, but firm, while corn was in limited de- mand at previous figures. Oats were quite active, at an advance of 2c. @ 80. Pork dull and" lower, while beef was steady in price, with a fair demand. Lard quiet, but frm: Freights quiet, while whiskey was lese active, but firm. The Issue Between Our Generals and the Abolitjanists—The Great Question of the Day. ‘The late magnificent military achievements of Sherman and Thomas, the present overwhelm- ing combinations of General Grant looking to Richmond, the hopeless situation and desperate expedients proposed by Jeff. Davis to save him- self, regardless of the interests or institutions of the Southern people, are kindling a power- fal reaction throughout the South in favor of submission to the Union. There can be nomis- take about ft. The fact isestablished, to go no further, in the feotious wranglings among the Richmond journals, Davis and anti-Davis, from day to day. So far exhausted, discouraged and alarmed, between Lincoln and Davis, are now the slaveholders of the rebellions States, that if ® proclamation were issued by President Lin- coin to the effect that with the submission of said States to the Union within the term of three months, they will be welcomed back again, with their local institutions, slavery and all, jast as the war has practically left them, to take their chances, we fully believe that not another baitle would be necessary to break up the Davis confederacy and end the war. Shall the war, then, be prolonged for the purpose of utterly extinguishing slavery as the only condition of peace, when peace may be at once obtained by leaving slavery lo die with- out farther terture and to be buried in a consti- tutional amendment? This is now the issue between the abolition politicians at Washing- ton and cur generals in the field, and it may now well be regarded as the great question of the day. General Grant, devoting himself to the one great object of demolishing the rebel armies, has not troubled himself about the abolition programme; Generel Sherman flatly repudiates it; General Thomas has studiously avoided it, and General Sheridan, as an earnest, faithful soldier, knows nothing about it, The army and the navy are fighting simply to put down the rebellion, while the abolition leaders at Washington insist upon using the army and the navy for the extirpation of siavery as the only acceptable condition of peace. That the sbolitionists are distrustful of our leading generals cannot well be doubted. Hence the proposition to create another Meutenant general or two, and the recent in- vidious cémparisons of certain abolition jour- nals between the late successes of Shermaa and those of Thomas; and hence, we guess, the mission of Secretary Stanton “to the front” in Virginia and Georgia. Generel McOlellan’s indifference to the grand project of negro emancipation cost him his high command, although his long delays, slow movements and profitless campaigns were the grounds upon which he was assailed and set xside. Grant, Sherman, Thomas and Sheridan cannot be dealt with in this fashion. They must be more cautiously manipulated, even in knocking their heads together. This is well understood among the politicians concerned, and hence they are very careful in the development of their new game. Greeley, the most timid and shaky of radi- cals, in bis preeent peace movemcn's at Wash- ington, is prudently providing for that coming day of reckoning when Southern fireepters and Northern abolioniste will get their just de- serts from the conservative masses of the people under the Union restored. Old Blair and young Blair, in their peaco missions to Richmond, having boen cast high and dry by the radicala— first in Missouri, and then at Washington— are only taking a uew departure for the spoils. In stealing tho thunder of Kirke, Jacqass, Gree- ley and Colorado Jewott they confess the loss of their original stook in trade, All these follows, however, are of a0 more importance in regard to the great issue of pedoe or war thXa the fly on the cartwheel, The only man who can determine this issue in favor of 8 speedy peace, or an indefinite prolongation of the war, is President. Lincoln. We submit to him that he has now a fine op- portunity for a decisive flank movement against Jeff. Davis on the slavery question. Jeff. has shown his band. He is willing not only to emancipate and arm the slaves within his reach to save his confederacy, but is ready to sacri- fice the confederacy itself in three separate par- cels—to England, France and Spain—to save his own precious bacon. These are the alterna- tives held out by Davis to the slaveholders con- cerned, with-s contiuance of the war. Let them understand that if they will submit to the Union, slavery, as the war shall have actually loft it in the returning States, will be permitted to take ite chances, and we are sure that such a call at this time will speedily start poor Jeff. on @ run through the Wilmington blockade. Why not try this experiment? What have the eman- cipation proclamations of Mr. Lincoln to do with slaves they have never reached? Why should he prolong the war for the sake of has- tening the abolition of slavery, when the institu- tion is so badly crippled that it must die, and die rapidly, do what we may? The present condition of our natfonal finances strongly suggests that we cannot carry on this war beyond another year without risking a collapse of the Treasury, and @ ruin- ous financial revulsion. We expect the re- maining rebel armies in the field to be de- molished within a much shorter time, unless the plans of Grant and his generals shall be interrupted by the intrigues of the abolition politicians, It is against this danger that we would now admonish President Lincoln, He is at last the absolute master of the situation. He has no longer any favors to ask of party convention managing cliques or leaders, We presume that ke has no clique or candidate to set up for the succession. We believe that he desires to see peace and the Union restored, the Treasury saved against all accidents, and slavery abolished during his administration. The first two of these objects we think may be now at once accomplished in the way we have indicated, and the third through the constitu- tional amendment now pending in Congress. As this, too, is the only way, after all, in which slavery can be permanently removed, why should emancipation proclamations or aboli- tion politicians be permitted to stand in the way which points to an immediate overthrow of Davis and his confederacy? Mayor Gunther's Message—‘ 11 the Sharks of the Lobby Poised oa Throbbing Fins. Mayor Gunther’s message, published in an- other column, is‘ neither better nor worse than might have been expected from that officer. It betrays in several places his grudge against the City Inspector, and is not without indications that the Mayor is humanly alive to his own large interests, We also gather from it that Mayor Gunther is decidedly in favor of leasing out our down town markets to private sfecula- tors, and is not averse to the creation of other markets to suit the needs of the upper portions of our island—probably on the properties fa- mous in our civic history as the “Fort Ganse- voort’”’ and “Lowber captures.” It would be an interesting incident, by the way, if our Legisla- ture should appoint a committee of experts to examine and report on the actual profits made by the two great gas companies of our city during the past balf dozon years, together with another honest and capable committee to report why and how it happens that the immensely valua- ble markets, piers and wharves, ferry fran- chises, and other estates held by the municipali- ty, only bring in cach year a sum hardly suf- ficlent to pay for the cost of its collection. These things, however, to which the Mayor briefly refers, aro but trivial when compared with the really vital questions relating to our city government which are wholly ignored in his present messaye. Why does not Mayor Gunther call atten. tion to the fact that, while our city taxes during the past year, including judgments allowed to go against us by default, amounted to very nearly the monstrous sum of seventeen millions of dollars, there were buta little over three millions of this aggregate disbursed under the directions of our elective city government—the balance of nearly fourteen millions of dollars being flung to tha winds, either by bodies of Commissioners appointed at Albany, such as the Police Commissioners, Park Commis- sioners, and so forth, or by the agency of the Board of Supervisory, a body created by the State Legislature, and in which—contrary to the constitution of our State—the minority are endowed with a powor equal to that of the ma- jority, no matter how decisive against such mi- nority may be the popular vote. At the last general election, for instance, our city re- turns showed over forty thousand democratic majority; and yet, despite this overwhelming expression of popular opinion, the nominee of @ party poiling about thirty-five thousand votes fe declared by Albany legislation to have equal voice and power with the representative of @ party which polled far more than twice that number of independent suffrages, It is thus made manifest that, while a great hue snd cry has been raised against our city officials, who have little more than three millions of ollars a year to expend, the really heavy bur. thens of taxation are imposed upon us by com- missioners and other officials appointed through Albany machinery, who annually squander very nearly five times that amount. And what do we do now see to be the con- dition of things at the State capital—a fact to which Mayor Gunther makes no allusion what- evert We see all the lobby sharks poised on throbbing fins, their heads facing towards our devoted city as their favorite plunder ground, and their heavy lower jaws already wagging in anticipation of tbe grontest feast thoy have ever yot enjoyed. All sorts of projects are on foot for the appointment of yet new commis- tlonors to take from us the last vestiges of self- government, and to place the whole property of Manhattan Island under the control of bodies of men appointed by the State, who will bave no other kind of Interest in our affairs than that taken by a herd of wolves in the neighboring sheep flock, deprived both of wateb dogs and shepherds, Our city charter fs to be tinkered this way and tinkerod that; patched, clouted, turned inside out and then turned beck again, to satisfy the hungry maws of these lobby monsters. Bargains are to be made for extending the terms of the Comp troller, Corporation Counsel, and certain other boeds of our civic denartmente— NEW YORK HERALD, TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1865. i ui { ie sf is i i : i & a Fees nil AHI itt] & § paige i Hil Ht , all their fins rippling above the water, all thelr fore jaws extended to the utmost tension, and boun- teous prey awaiting their arrival on the very moment of their heaving in sight of our much districts are invariably held in fee simple by the greatest rascals they contain. But insist upon it that the whole city shall be called upon to vote for each of our municipal legislators, and the various political parties will be at once compelled to put up respectable and able candidates, possessing the confidence of the entire community. Let all heads of depart- ments be appointed by the Mayor, and be re- movable by him for cause—this being the only means by which we can fix upon one man the responsibility for every act of official mis- conduct. With a civic legislative body elected on a general ticket, we should once more have our beat and most capable citizens contending for this species of distinction; and, should even afew bad men be elected, their tenures of office would be too brief to permit the forma- tion of any regular or well consolidated “rings” of plunder, such as we have recently groaned under. Ifthe Mayorand Common Coun- cil thus elected fors year prove worthy and give satisfaction we can keep re-electing them, year in and year out, in saxcula saeculorum ; while, if the reverse, they can be booted out of the of- fices they seek to disgrace before having had time for any material mischief. This, briefly and roughly sketched, is our well considered plan for a thorough and radical reform of our municipal affairs, and we gladly challenge comparison between its simplicity and direct- ness, and the nondescript tinkerings, term ex- tendings, commission sppointings and general plunder arrangements of the sharks who poise themselves on throbbing fins in the muddy waters of the legislative “pool” at Albany, all their heads facing towards our devoted island, and all their jaws wide open for the expected prey of our piers, streets and markets, ferry leases, railroad franchises and other such like booty. Ane We ro Lost Ovr Navan Evtsraunrst— Is a Drarr To Be Exvorcepi—We referred yes- terday to the movements in agitation in refer- ence to our naval recruits, and it is seriously apprehended that there isto be @ hitch, a lapse in our recruiting efforts, so far as filling our quota is concerned, and that a draft may yet be forced upon us. This, not from any fault or want of exertions on the part of the Supervisors’ Committee, but to a change of po- sition on the part of Provost Marshal Genéral Fry, or rather of an undoing what he has al- ready done, of unsettling matters that he has once fixed or assented to. The trouble, labor and expense the Commit- tee were at in securing credits on our quota for naval enlistments at this port are well under- stood, and a great meed of praise has been awarded to Chairman Blunt for the timely sagacity displayed in fer retting out those enlistmente .which re- ceived the acknowledgement of the War De- partment, and were duly credited to our quota on a late call of the President for half a million of men. A law of Congress had previously been passed to meet this and all similar cases of naval enlistments made since 1861, the same to be credited to the cities, towns or districts whore the enlisted men resided at the time of enlistment, Everything was done here in strict compliance with this law, the quota filled, and in due and proper form the full credit given by the government, which gracefully acknowledged our quota complete. Since then we have all rested in a state of pleasing security—the gov- ernment had the men and we had the credit. It is now feared that this whole matter is to be undone; that the account with us which the War Department itself, or General Fry, hed very properly closed, is again to be opened, anda new distribution of naval enlistments made, mainly on the demand of towns or districts which have been less active and efficient in filling their respective quotas than this city. Buch, we learn, is the tenor of » despatch from Washington. The whole thing strikes us as ex- ceedingly unfair if persisted in. It will undo what has been properly and correctly done, and unreservedly acknowledged by the suthorities at Washington. It will inevitebly result tn enforcing s draft upon us, which all should deprecate. This action demands from us, who have filled all our quotes, more men, that certain districts may be relieved which bave not furnished the number required. The Chairman of.tbe Com- mittee, Mr. Blunt, is now in Washington in reference to this matter, to consult with the departments and prevent, if possible, thie injas- tice being enforced upon the city of New York— city which bee done so much and s0 readily in support of the war, We have sent to the field and to the navy over one hundred and forty thousand men. We have, through the indefatigable industry of our Volanteering Committee, filled every quote demand, and government vouchers to this offect are in the hands of Mr. Blunt Let as, then, stand as we are, with a olean dill, in which case the present call, and sli future calls, will be as promptly responded to es have been all past ones; bat do not open closed books for the purpose of making us bleed a little more. A willing Borse should not be driven to death. All thet ia asked is simple justice, Cannvixa Concmaten Waarona—A large number of marders, brawls and shooting affrays have recently resulted from the prevalent prao- thee of carrying concealed weapons. This prae- Hoe is cowardly, manjeroms and (legal, Juation 2° nat ef E wears them as they now ase to the peace and order of the city. Gazsusy mo ras Wasnmeren Lossy.—It ap- pears that poor Greeley fs in Washington, ne? to negotiate for peace, but to lobby through © trigues in order to cover up his real designs, Greeley is by no means new in the lobby bush ness. Nobody has forgotten the Des Moines and free wool affairs, Let him: act boldly and he may yet get his railroad through. THE STATE CAPITAL, ‘The sole topic of interest here ts the forthooming ite) of Assembly committees The skeloton of these is um derstood to be definitely adopted. Based upon well understood interests, Mr. Weed and his friends have strength individually, but the cer om be merel; the controll Titiuen verse inieneee ate 7 aan and strife rolates to railroads. As may be at the last moment itis to that extemt uncortain. = pad ion between le The other committees stand to-night as follows:— nad, Colliney Canals; Dantel: Wood; Oitiey’ Me. Perey Commerce, jgton, banks ond merce, for chairman, Brandreth; Militia, Van Buren; Reed. On the Committee on Cities pees New York city. The e probably to-morrow. Very - are circulation as te the manner in wi both the 8; and his ‘means used. Whee have been put in position the announcement of finally some revelations are promised which then be more opesly diseases. ‘The interest which Mr. Weed has taken in Loge mad bas but zation atthe Oorytea stake York. Presence here ow Saturday, however, settled the most im % ri fo names’ and the’ Interests to be consulted. adhe. the entire organization, and that it has bees: Troceded. te so marked & manner ag a tribute ané offal to the made upon him. It Weed influence is now the controlling power here. No Special Election to be ber of Congress in Place Fenton—The Draft, do. under the last call for men in this division of the because of alleged inaccuracy im the apportionment of whe quota NEW YORK LEGISLATURE Senate. Axsasy, Jan. 0, 1008 BILLS NOTICED, fo amend the laws in relation to unlawfal marriages and tacest, ‘To incorporate the Home for Disabled Soldiers. To make Monday a holiday whenever it eucsss@s Christmas, New Year's Day or the 4th of July. To incorporate the Metropolitan Railway of New Yerk, known asthe Railway. Bo 1 eee BILLS INTRODUCED. Assembly. The Srmxe prescated the enna! report of the Com missioners of the Metropolitan Police. ‘ MILLS NOTICED. By Mr. McDoxarp—Relative to collecting rent for gas nietres in New York. By Mr. Lroxe—For railroad tm the Eleventh avenee and other streets in New York. By _ @. Farxea—The New York and Brooklyn Pa» songor in. ly Mr. Piart—For a railroad from Cold Spring to Ham tington. ¢ Governor transmitted the dence between Seward aud the Minister from Venesuela Tela tive to the purchase by the latter and transfer, when deemed of a house in New York. The passage © special act ib recommended, City Intelligence. Orrr TenScrarmo Faciinies.—We understand thet Mr. Henry Ward, who has been appointed Supes intendent of the city lines of the American Tele graph Company, has inaugurated are and of the f i 5 i ii Ht abil ; i F ij BL i iieket cal ete tis | I ; i | Hou H i | it H sitet i Hl Hf HE il the evil Dwronesrcs Awowo 6ramianne—Ows or Trew BrasEED. — About half-past two o'ctook yesterday morning a numbep of Bpantarde, who bad met in the porter house Ne. 660 Pearl street, got into an altercation, which resulted In 080 of them, named George Fernandes, being severety stabbed of tn the right by © polguard ia the hands of poms