The New York Herald Newspaper, May 16, 1866, Page 6

NEW YORK HERALD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 1866. —TRIPLE SHEET., be in its A change ct ae in would | and ruinous consequences. — —- “OF pesmi Thad wrongfully detained certain articles of gold and il: | spoils of to-day, bei vith Ge tink = ne oma postin 3 P- oma teick,” | greatly on eneees rte <A w eae: NEW YORK HERALD. | vr csioaring to to plaintit g; | Bignder ot tomnegromyy: rr CE oP. aainament would be allowed to co | gress will educate neo. anon Sn gles Be Sand eee Potor A. Burley, formerly « member of the Metronell; ye - sgt aoe ie Fe @ Whole WF whole Searon Srawaat on Reconsravorion.- JAMES GORDON NETT, tan Police, entered bis f8theF"S sore on monday ever. vue of Mr. Seward’s newspaper orgens has | @04 wo w.—.- “bp ~w~wua ot an carly | ator Stewart, of Nevada, does not * aap eevee ing, and, drawing © pint oc MA pulled the ‘reser; | Yoened he republican party that if thie thing Oe ct Caen: Se eda of | 2 reconstructing the Union it will not be ——eee but it mind fire, A struggle ensucd Setwben fatner | Of the res of the Southern States be not | #¢ ww of Congress, imperfect d w ‘ ich is worthy A sattled isd bad as it may be, is properly and humanely There is anow.. cause he does not make the effort. QFFICE N. W. CORNER OF FULTON AND NASSAU STS. | and son, when the former secured the pistol and gave his son in charge of the police, He pleaded guilty to as- sault with intent to kill, and was committed. The Cunard steamship Java, from Queenstown May 6, is due at this port with European news two days later. The fine new steamship Merrimac, commanded by Captain Edward Van Sice, now belonging to the North American Lloyd's line, will sail to-morrow, 17th inst., at noon, from pier 46 North river, for Bremen via Cowes. ‘The mails for the German States and the northern part Of Europe will close at the Post Office at half-past ten in the morning. Three ferry leases between this city and the Jersey shore, for ten years, with dock privileges on this side, were sold yesterday. One of them is to bea new ferry, before the Presidential election there will be civil war. But wo say it wiil be set- tled, if we can settle now the Presidential ques- tion, and we believe that in the public mind this question is already settled. General Grant is the man. A million of Union sol- diers are waiting to give him their suff frages, and another million or more of the Union men of the war are ready to back their soldiers. Convention or no convention, he is good for the solid vote of the Northern States and for some of the Southern States. No divis- enforced; that injustice is not done; that the public good and resources are not made to subserve private ends, and that, instead of keeping up irritation and harassing the feel- ings of a conquered but proud and brave peo- ple, they do all in their power to restore har- mony between the North and the South, and plant the Union upon a firmer foundation than ever. Without they do this, and unless they can furnish better evidences of the beneficial workings of the system than those now before Volume XXXI.. = AMUSEMENTS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING, BROADWAY THEATRE, street. —Magurra. Broadway, near Broome WOOD'S THEATRE. Broadway, opposite the St, Nicholas oo Niel Euyus—Cxossixa Tue Ling, Matinee at 13g O'Clock, TONY PASTOR'S OPERA HOUSE. 2) Bowery —Siv7- mo, Dancwa, Burixsques. &c.—Tus Outcast ov Kiut- LARNEY. Matinee ut 2g 0'Clock. SAN FRANCISCO MINSTRELS, 685 Brostwar, opposite Sr one oe incronuken in gounection | 1088 Or Teconstructions of parties or States can the public, the whole system must eventually Sieese Seerwens His Stave, stegrosbern ait sai eee Pal nego touch him, because he is the champion and the be abandoned. The Evils of the National Banks and Mismanagement of Government Fi- nances. The rottenness of the Merchants’ National Bank at Washington ought to arouse the peo- ple to. consciousness of the evils of this na- tional bank system. There have been some failures before, but this is the worst of any. We may very justly denounce the men who have been concern-d in these failures, and those who have been guilty of such gross mis- management of other people’s money. In this last caso of the Merchants’ National Banks there seems to be good ground tor # criminal prose- cution; and itis to be hoped that, if the gov- ernment can reach any of the parties in this way, they may be arrested and tried forthwith, The managers of the bank, Bayne & Co., Pay- master Paulding, and every one concerned in this infamous transaction, should certainly be overhauled without gloves. But it is not this particular case that concerns us so much as it is the whole rotten system of national banks. They are 9 snare for confiding depositors and s fraud upon the country. We have been endeavoring to make the people understand this for some time past, and now we think their attention will be aroused. - There are undoubt- edly many sound banks, and particularly in this city, organized under the National Bank act, but this is not because they are national banks. They were sound before as old banks, and af sound independent of their existence ag national banks, But throughout the country the new system gives facilities for the wildest speculation and swindling. . These national banks have not been long in existence and have greater advantages than banks ever had before both to preserve their credit and make money; yet we see by the late failures that they may be as rotten as the worst wildcat banks. The peo- ple have been disposed to regard them as safe as the Sub-Treasury itself because they are called national banks, and bave no. doubt trusted them with deposits to a very great extent on that account. It is seen by this last failure that an agent of the government placed a very large sum in the hands of one of them and lost it. Others may do the same. We caution the public not to be too confiding. The bonds deposited as security for their cir- culation are no security for deposits. It is the duty of the government to protect the people in this respect, especially as the banks have been given a sort of national character by the legislation of Congress. If there be any law in existence by which these institutions can be overhauled they ought to be thoroughly ven- tilated at once. If there be not such a law Congress ought to pass one immediately. Let all their transactions be exhibited to the public at short and regular intervals, and let the gov- ernment have an inspecting and supervisory power over them, The sooner they are put out of existence the better; but while they exist uader the authority of the general government it is the imperative duty of the government to sve that the people be not swindled by them, for they have been brought into existence by and in the name of the government, and the p2ople trust them on that account. It may require a little time to remodel our banking system, but the process ought to be commenced at once. The present national bank system hes not yet got so deeply rooted as to create much disarrangement in eradicat- ing it. Let the monstrous evil be uprooted, ‘The annual election of officers of the Mercantile Library Association took place at Clinton Hall yesterday. ‘A woman of intemperate habite, named Caroline Southeriand, was put in acell In @ station house on Mon- day evening, and on Tuesday was found dead. The stock market wasstrong yesterday. Governments were quiet and steady. Gold weakened and closed at 129%. ‘ Thore was not a great deal of activity in trade circles yesterday, yet there was considerable buoyancy, espe- cially in Imported goods, which, as a goneral thing, were held with firmness at full prices, Domestic: produce ‘was irregular, and prices fluctuated considerably. ‘The market for beof cattle ruled firmer under a good demand and moderate receipts, and prices were from Age, to 1c. per pound higher,-varying from 180, to 180.) with some very fair offerings at the down town yards aslowas lic, The bulk of the offerings ggid at from le, to 17. Milch cows were irregular, prices varying from $35 to $95 cach, Veals were in demand at from 9c. to 12¢,, with scallawags as low as 8. Sheep and lambs wore steady at from $4 to $0.0 $10. Hogs were heavy and lower, varying from 10. to 1030. Tho total receipts were 4,972 booves, 67 cows, 1,795 veale, 15,181 sheep and lambs, and about 9,000 hogs. MISCELLANEOUS. The Prosident yesterday signed the bill amending tho Habeas Corpus act, protocting military officers frém proses cations for acis done while in the execution of their official duties, The reception given by President Johnson and his two daughters, at the White House last night, was one of the largest assemblages of rank and beauty ever seen before in the capital. The army, the navy, the Senate and House, nearly every foreign nation and, it is estimated, every State and Territory in the Union, North ond South, were represented in the brilliant throng. Our correspondent at Fortress Monroe says it is ru- mored there that President Johnson has sont a special rk publish to-day a ¥ from Major Gene- message requesting @ report as to the health of Jeff | Tal 0. O. Howard, Commissioner of the Freed- Davis, in condequence, he presumes, of statements made | men’s Bureau, in which that officer attempts an by Becretary McCulloch, =” ‘ os explanation in regard to charges made about Our representative, yesterday, was by invitation ad- | tie workings of the Burcau in the Southern mitted to an interesting and lengthy interview with Gene-al Sunta Anna. The Genoral denied the allegations | States. We also give a letter from Assistant published against him, and uttotly repudiatos all con- | Commissioner Whittlesey, in charge of the nivanco with Maximilian, He intends to despatch a | Freedman’s Bureau in Raleigh, North Carolina, staff officer to Juarez to-day and send a communication | in which he acknowledges the fact that a freed- to Romero explanatory of his tntentions in this country. | man was brutally shot by one of the atlachés Zeno Burnham, the mock auctioncer, has been par- doned by Governor Fenton. of the Bureau; but neglects to say any- ‘The biil legalizing liquot selling was defeated in Massa- | thing about other charges preferred in chusetts yesterday by a large majority. the report of Generals Steedman and Fuller- ton. It will be seen that Genoral Howard admits one of the main accusations; that is, Colonel Jacqueas, of Itinols, who has been under trial the report of the Reconstruction Committee wers made | for murder, at Louisville, for the past week, was ac- that the chief and subordinate and representa- tives of the Bureau in certain localities were special orders for the 29th and 30th inst, The vill | quitted yesterday. amending the organic acts of certain Territories was A fire at North Royalton, Vermont, destroyed the “running plantations” and furnishing rations to their negro hands at government expense, for passed. The Tax bill was then considered and several | house of Mr. Burbank, on Monday night, and he and vorbal and unimportant amendments inserted. two girls, ono his adopted daughter and the other a tom- THE CITY. porary visitor, were burned to death in the flames. A.grand Fonian demonstration took placo at Jones’ | hes ada on hepemcaerideetc pad ine ae their own personal benefit. Nor does he deny Wood yesterday in honor of tho arrival of James ago to the amount of eoventy-five thousand do\ars or explain the charge that the same officers Stophons, C. 0. F. B, About fifteen thousand persons e were bartering away the services of the freed ‘were present, and Mr. Stephens, in a long speech, gave eee : adotailed account of the operations of the organization | The Administration, Congre General | negroes and allowing them to be sent away from its inception to the present time, and at its close Grant and the Next Presidency. from home associations and separated from Stated that the object of his visit to America was for the There is a hitch between Congress and the | family ties, under circumstances of as much purpose of restoring harmony and union between the | administration, Reconstraetion is the difficulty. | crueliy as ever characterized similar acts on two factions, and promised that active operations would | he Prosident has adopted his plan, which is | the part of the Inte rebellions slaycholders, commence in Ireland for its liberation from English tale before the close of the present year. The greatest | Cenounced by Congress, and Congress has pro- | The Commissioner, when he refers to the high enthnsiasin prevailed, and Mr, Stephens received a most | claimed its plan, which is opposed by the Presi- | personal eharacter of a Rev. Horace James, one cordial wolcome from the vast assemblage. Mr. Ste- | dent. There is an “irrepressible conflict” be- | of the managers of the Bureau in a Southern tween the two departments, and yet the recon- | Siate, neglects to mention another reverend gentleman, a Rev. Mr. Fitz, also a bvveau sn- perintendent, whose inhuman conduct toward the poor blacks under his charge is only ri- valled by the Andersonville atrocities, He en- candidate of the great Union party of the war. The case is very simple. This party owes to General Grant a heavy debt. If they cannot pay it they intend to recognize it by his elec- tion to the White House in 1868, and because they know that he is the man for the place, especially in the reconstruction of our foreign relations, which will then be the main work in hand, Accordingly, leaving the copperheads out of the question, the inquiry recurs what have the radicals to gain. from their present factious opposition to President Johneon and his policy, or what have they to lose by supporting him when the public sentiment of the whole country is in favor-of his plan of reconstruction, and when Stevens himself has been constrained to adopt” it in order to carry his additional restrictions? Why all this sapping and mining for the next Presidency, when that affair is a foregone con- clusion? It isa radical blunder to be hedg- ing and ditching against Andrew Johnson as a Presidential candidate. Common sense, as well as common justice, should teach this Congress to abandon its factious absurdities and all such stultifications as that third section and that Colorado bill, and to deal honestly with an honest and consistent administration. GEORGE CHRISTYS—OLp Souoou oF MinstRersy, Battavs, Musica Guas. &c., Fifth Avenue Opera House, Nos. 2 and 4 West Twenty-fourta sireet.—Puree Firss, ow mux Man Anout F BRYANTS' MINSTRELS, Mechanics’ Hall. 472 Broat- mS pane Comicatities, Burursquas, &c.—Tux Leanns> IRVING HALL, Concert To WALTER HOOLEY’S OPERA HOUSE, ‘GTRELST—BALLans, BURLY <QUKS Irving place.—Grawp CompLimentaRy Busse. Jomnson. Brooklya.—ErmioriaN Mie Np Paxtouimes. BROOKLYN ATHENAUM.—Bump Tox's Suconp Con- ozrtr. Matinee at Three o'Clock. DUSSELDORF GALLERY, 625 Broadway.—Paunting oF tae Vauier anp City oF Mexico. COOPER INSTITUTE, Astor Place.—Dx. Coxton's Laorums ox Niruous Oxipu Gas. NEW YORK MUSEUM OF ANATOMY, 618 Broadway.— Open from Wd A. M. till 10 P. M. SOMERVILLE ART GALLERY, 845 Broadway.—Mr, pa Piororne, “Szacens Crusucp by Ice. TRIP LE SHEET. New York, Wednesday, May 16, 1866. ‘TO ADVERTISERS. Advertisements to insure a proper classification should be brought in before half-past eight o'clock in the evenjng. The Freedmen’s Bureau and General Howard’s Explanation. THE NEWS. 1 CONGRESS. Ta the Senate yesterday a bill changing the time of Molding the United States Courts in Virginia 1 the first Monday in May and Decemb:r was passed. Tho bill to establish a system of quarantine Was passed, with an amendment striking out tho words “President of the United States wherever they occur and inserting “the Secretary of the Treasury.” The bill to prevent smug- gling on the Northern frontier was passed. The Prosi- dent’s message returning the Colorado admission bill without his signature, and inclosing his objections, was received, but the reading of it was postponed until this morning. In the Hous® a joint resolution relative to the appoint- ments to West Point was passed. The bills appended to phens was the only speaker, and on the conclusion of ee orias apa From the reports | 8truction scheme of Congress in all its essential 18 yest r. mm is of tho Sanitary Superintendent and the Buroau of Vital | features is but a rehash of the scheme of the Statisties—wh'ch wit! be found in the proceedings—it | administration. will be seon that the work of sanitary reform 1s being After sitting for five months upon a nest full pressed forward with vigor, and a marked decrease in | of all sorts of reconstruction eggs, good and j tirely ignores the existence of the specific the weekly mortuary report is noted as among tho grati- t joint be fyieg ranula which tare boon ciatned. ‘The Governor's | DAG» White, Black, bins mai ee, net oe spencers emg — proclamation was sled received, which grants ths adai- | Committee of Fifteen have hatched’ ont Sie sma alloged in report of Generals Steedman tional powers asked for by the Board to remove the un- | brood of chickens over which the Sennte is | and Fullerton, and dismisses the whole report derground cellar population and execute such other | now elucking. And what are they? They em- | under the sweeping declaration that the friends measures as “gs may deem necessary for the preserva- | }yrace a constitutional amendment declaring, | of the Brveau may rest assured that every tion of health. pomp i iii, ereiigiecilihe tuaion nt neues peikersiy atten: | orth SS UOMLL Seg. ips Seni the | shadow of — of oe in —— - noon five hundred additional licenses were granted, of equal protection of the laws. a super- | the‘part of the officers of the Burean in Nort hich number ninety-one wore fr Brooklyn. An in- | flaous eafoguard, or the Civil Rights bill isa | Carolina “is utterly without foundation.” teresting correspondence which took place between the | mockery. Secondly, where suffrage is restricted | Generals Stecdman and Fullerton are men of District Attorney and President Schaltz in relation to on account of race or color the enumeration of honor; they bear a military reputation beyond the application of the latter for permission for the Attor- ; : nev. ofthe Rastee Booed to appear bette Suslice Led.) oo people for Congressional representation | reproach, and no soldier can ever do | then, before it acquires too much power. tt with for tho prosecution of certain persons recently ar- | Shall be proportionately reduced, This is,sub-|s0 against whom a charge of a wil- | has all the elements for becoming more power- ful and dangerous than the old National Bank. Congress ought, therefore, during the present session to repeal the act cresting the national banks. It ought to provide for the withdrawal of their circulation and substituting for that its own legal tender greenbacks, which would be a far more desirable and sounder currency. The amount thus issued in greenbacks, in place of the national bank currency, would buy up or retire the interest paying bonds now deposited by the national banks as security for their cir- culation, and save from fifteen to twenty mil- lions of dollars a year to the country. At the samo time we should be saving this vast amount the people would have a currency they much prefer—a currency based upon and guaranteed by the government itself—s cur- rency which would approximate to a specie standard much sooner than any other. The entire volume of the currency would not be increased; it would be only substituting one kind for anothet—the national bank for the greenback, the less valuable for s more valu- able one. ‘The more we look at this matter the more wé are struck with the glaring inconsistency oflend- ing the national banks and the capitalists con- nected with them money in the form of national eurrency—a currency based upon the credit of the t—without any charge, interest or advantage, while at the same time it is pay- ful want of veracity can tairly rest, General Howard Is surely committing a breach of military etiquette when he makes a public siatement of this kind against officers who speak from a knowledge of facts obtained on the spot, while the Commissioner himself is de- livering sympathizing speeches to negroes in this city, fur from the scene of operations. The General says nothing about General Ely, of the Bureau, running five plantations in South Caro- lina at government expense—an interesting fact that is just being ventilated. In short, General Howard seems to have adopted the plan of the radical newspapers, and by raising a hue and cry about Generals Steedman and Fullerton confining their investigations to the opponents of the institution as far as they have gone, to screen the misdeeds of those into whose hands the administration of the concerns of the Bureau in the Southern States is in- trasted. The whole system is a bad one badly man- aged. It reminds us of the times when Warren Hastings was the British Governor General in India. History tells us that Hastings was un- scrupulous and cruel, but resolute. He depopu- lated whole districts by his exactions and com- mitted acts of signal injustice. But, like the radicals in Congress, success followed him. He defeated opposition in his council, overawed the minority, refused to obey the orders of the Board of Directors of the East India Company, and was denied the support of the home gov- ernment. Edmund Burke, in 1786, brought ar- ticles of impeachment against bim. He was charged with numerous acts of oppression, with desolating whole regions of British domain, with peculation and corruption, with exciting useless wars, and with various acts dishonoring the British name. But he so adroitly managed to flatter the British that public opinion changed in his favor, and instead of the charges being sustained, they were all dismissed. It would, no doubt, be the same with our radieal Con- gress were charges brought against any officer of the Freedmen’s Bureau, from the highest to the lowest. No matter how plain « case of cruelty, peculation, corruption or oppression could be made out against any of the officers of the Freedmen’s Bureau; no matter how clear @ case of dishonoring the American name, which these men are continually doing; no matter how ehamelesily they may work for the eternal dismemberment of the rested for violation of that law, will be found in another | stantially, the amendment suggested months column. ago by President Johnson. ‘Thirdly, that Tho Board of Supervisors mot yesterday. Supervisor | neither the United States nor any State shall Ely moved that if the Governor should deem it necss- | Hay of fe any debts of the rebellion, nor sary to Gill the vacancy occasioned by the death of Coro- wer Cottin before the next election, that he be gohcited | Shy claim for emancipated slaves. All this has to appoint Dr. William Schirmer to the oifice, as he was | been provided for in the aciunl reorganization the candidate at the last election who recetved the largest | of the Inte rebel States under the President's Rare tik pin fig saniyraanessiotlny | reece trndeit Uigptli Ssa Li) lon atten: e Fenian ist in Jones’ Wood was accepted, ‘The Board thon adjourned further provides to exclude from all federal till Taesday next at two o'clock P. M. offices certain classes of leading and active par- ‘Tho trial of Dr. Henry Otto Clans for the murder of | ticipants in the rebellion, a provision which is Charles Carson, at a “free and ensy,"’ in West Thirty-sixth | also based upon the administration policy. ctront, Prot rong vende bard Nec onasy aeaageilin st Thus far, then, the plan of Congress is but a pee that the fatal blow was inflicted in self defence, clamsy revamping and half-soling of the Prosi- The summing up will take place to-day, Mr. Gunning G. | dent’s plan. Tho point of divergence ts the Bodford appearing for the prozecution and James T. Brady | third section of the joint committee’s amend- WT puiasacs "rei tied 'n tos Clelhignibiabinen Stone’ am > rang _ yee ao one ee mon Pless, | 4th of July, 1870, all persons concerned in giv- before Judge Cardozo, yesterday, om a promssory note slloged to have been made by Mr. Wm. 0. D. Mcintosh, | ing voluntary ald and comfort to the late re- avon-in-lew of Commodore Shubrick. The considera. | bellion, Strangely enough, too, this proposi- tion money was advanced by Mr, John R Ford to pay | tion passed the House against a majority the the expenses of a trip to China, which Mr, McIntosh was | other way. But how? The answer to this advised to take for the benefit of his health. Mr. McIntosh dying im China, his brother, Angus, was sued question solves the whole case. There as endorser of the note, and a verdict was given in favor | 8 three factions in Congress—the red of plaintiff for the full amount claimed. cal republicans, the moderate republicans The Tilt divorce suit again occupied the attention of | and the copperheads. The radical taction a the Supreme Court, Cham- | and the copperhead faction are each operating bers. On a motion made to compel the defendant to ie securty for Glimony ead. the expensne'6f he ts | Omen MuRepenitiedt tack for the next EremBeney: Judge Barnard granted an order directing the Sheriff to The moderadoes, or third faction, are cutting hold the defendant to ball inthe um of ten thousand | in and out for the spoils of the present ad- doliars, on affidavits showing that he had threatened to | ministration, but at every blast of the party sell out bis property and leave the State, Qivil suits have been commenced in the Supreme Court by the City Raiiroad Companies against several of the strikers who attacked drivers during the late | brick of these disturbances, and orders of arrest bave been issued | conspienous am ong the opponents of this afore- Tiipian Ua vestnees Dolio Berend esterday, 1 me a hey ene, od , in the Supreme Court, Chambers, which ancbait lhe it in hia vote, under the whip of Ste beng painful facts, ‘The complainant is Miss Kate Busted, | the most prominent feature in the day's pro- who alleges that in March last she was married toa | ceeding. young man samen tee? Wilson, and that shesudse- | It is the next Presidency that has divided quently ascertained he & wife in Bristol, England. gro these wrangling She is the niece of Judge Busteed, formerly of this city. onl Mra a re “ + sel of ‘A divorce has been grantod between the parties on the e next Presktoncy spoils alleged connivance of the defendant, who took this | te present administration, But if we can course, as It appeared, in order to save himself froma | settle now, as we think we can, this question criminal prosecution. An application bas been made by | of the next Presidency , we are satisfied that the father of the lady to set aside the decree. Further | Congross will find it easy work to fall in fairly hearing in the case was set down for Thursday next. with President Johnson's Sout poliey. He Anne Birtsal, a waiter girl in the Casino paloon under the St, Nicholas Hotel, was awarded one hundred and | ba® declared that he is not s enndidate for fifty dollars and costa against the keeper of the saloon, | another term, and we believe him. He is not, ia the Marine Court, before Jadge Gross, yesterday. | therefore, engineering tor another election. pool ressineoathaelye en ibenen Amnon es The copperheads are noisy in their admiration keeping some of the tickets she had received. of him; but who imagines that they dream of Judgment for five hundred dollars was awarded to Leopold Hora in the Marine Court, before Judge Grove, | making him their candidate? The moderate A'FANT, Qga'nH Anthony Dover, who it was plieced republicans co with the administration for the makes a gift to a class of capitalists of some twenty millions of dollars a year ander the act of Mr. Chase creating the national banks, without the least equivalent. The people of course have to pay this indirectly. This is the worst kind of class legislation. It is en- Pa reese tr ae ids Sa a SP shape in which the Judge (Barnard) has con- cluded to set it down for some early day, to be beard in open court. Some months ago a female spiritualist lecturer, who was making “hing On “he sub- notice, now that we are wu. Spe” ject of our national finarices. The governmiény has been paying five per cent on depceite made in the Treasury. It pays this for the use of the money of individuals as bankers do. It lends its own money, in the form of the national bank currency, at the same time, for nothing. Such inconsistency in financial operations is without a parallel in modern times. The men who make the laws upon such matters, and the Treasury officials who make regulations re- garding them, have the crudest notions. All they do seems to be for the benefit of the bankers, or a moneyed monopoly. They act as if they were the agents of the banks and capitalists and not the servants of the public. They have but one idea, thatof banking for the profit of individuals. They cannot divest their minds of counting-house notions when managing great questions of national finance and currency. Yet, strange to say, if they were to act upon the- same principle as man- agers of banks as they do in acting for the government, they would soon ruin the busi- ness committed to their hands, Itis reported that the five per cent interest that has been allowed on deposits is to he reduced to four per cent, This may be very well; and we do not see why the government need pay in- terest on anything except the debt and actual loans. The amount of money deposited in the Treasury by individuals is of little if any ad- vantage to the government, while it may be ® great convenience to the depositors. It is worth something to have one’s money in such s perfectly secure place; and the certificates of deposit, being made transferable, are very convenient in trade, saving the trouble and expense the transfer of specie would in- volve. The government does not need this money if the Treasury Department be properly managed ; then why pay interest for it? The benefit is all on the side of those who make the deposits for their own convenience. Banks pay an interest on permanent deposits, or on such as can only be drawn out within a given period, because they use the money in business end make 1 profit out of it; but the govern- ment does not use the money in that way, and does not need it at all. To pay these deposi- tors interest, therefore, seems unreasonable. {t is in keeping with our general crude an defective system of financial management. Divorce By ReFEREES ND Star CHAMBER mat tid not suit in all ought to get something to suit by thn and make himself famous as the great pacifica- tor, which he appears to be laboring so hard to accomplish. As none of his projects will answer we advise him to make one more effort and offer the plan of President Johnson ase substitute for his own and all others now be- fore Congress. This is the most sensible and practical way for him to make himself usefaly ——_—_————_——_ City Intelligence. Avorion Sane ov Ferry Leases,—The Tights to operate three ferries ‘between this city and New Jersey, fortem years from the 1st of June next, together with the dock privileges on the New York sido, were wold yesterday @& the-City Hall, under the direction of Comptroller Bren- nan, Tho leases disposed of were those of the Jersey City ferry, at Cortiandt street of the Weehawken ferry, ae by eee! street, and of w proposed now ferry from the foot of ring sient to any pant ‘on the New Jersey shore that may be found practcabie, The lease of the Cortlandt street ferry was first and was welt at Sunn Lerpany. the resent omners Tue an nt rtation Com , the owners. secuiduect sald that thks pchise was worth $40,000. ‘The lease of the ferry to be established at the oot of Spring street was ucxt offered, and after some lively bidding was finally sold for $8,000. The lease of the Forty-second street ferry was the last one put up, and was sold to the Weehawken Ferry Company for $330. ‘the loft over Franklin Market was tien dixposed of for five years for $1,625 a year, and thus ended the sale. It is understood that the now ferry to Hoboken will be es- tablished soon, and will run in connection with the ferry to Fort Lee. MERcantie Lmpraky ASSOCIATION—ELECTION oF Or vicers.—The annual election of the officers of the Mer- caatile Library Association took place yesterday, at Clinton Hall. The polls wore open from eight o'clock, A. M., till nine o'clock, P,M., and during the entire Datiour” ¥8 kept wel inky by the numerous trian; the respective candidates. o'clock in the evening Mero were voters crowding forward, eager to r but who found themselves ‘- ‘00 late at tho fair. os The election resulted in the “dolce of the imeciyr officers:—President, Aaron C. Ailes Vico Prosident Judson Stone; Corresponding Secrotd¥, Natbaniel D. White; Recording Secretary, George B. be “i ‘Trea- surer, ‘Samuel B. Lyon; Directors, Charles M, Pairick, “eymour A. Bunce, William L, Bailey, E. P, Norion, Geo, T. Arnoux, John M. Coulter, Edward G. Matorin. neering op Tam STREET CLEANING COMMIBSIONER:.—AS meeting of the commission tor cleaning the strecta, held at the Mayor's ollice yesterday at ten A. M., a reso- lution was passed authorizing the paymnt of the semf- monthly contractors. Mr. Jackson Schuits concurred ia the resolution. Convmia Contec Commencaaent.—The commence- ment exercises connected with the law school of Co- lumbta College will take place this evening at the rooms of the Historical Society, corner of Eelevonth street and Decrees.—The process of divorcing married Second ‘avenue. in ciidivon, to the weet ce one parties by decision of referees and special de- | sums) orations on Scuie tah nie ke con. crecs of courts in chambers is becoming 80 ‘and the frequent as to involve a serious question as to the propriety of this mode of separating man and wife and its moral effect upon the commu- nity. A few days since we had the case of Tilt versus Tilt in chambers, in which the defend- ant husband alleges that the plaintiff wife is urged through the influences of spiritualism to seek a divorce. The parties are wealthy, and supposed to be respeciable, the defendant being charged with receiving an annual income amounting to from thirty to thirty-five thou- sand dollars—a sufficient amount, in most cases, to secure the stamp of “respectability.” This case has thus far been heard only in chambers, principally by affidavits, the com- plaining and defending parties both being heard through counsel. The case has now assumed a The customary ferred upon the members of the graduating class angual prizes awarded. - A Lomner Prix Nevsaxce.—The attention of the Police Commissioners is called to a nuisance existing at the corner of Bethune and Greenwich streets. It consists of ‘8 pile of lumber standing on the north side of Bethune street, convenient to some shade trees and partially cov- ering Lyte a Lesage itself bad e made still worse ‘vory reapecta- Sie Maluhborhood being converted Tato 2 place of nightly rendezvous for # number of shameless of both sexe’, who scandalize the ladies and gent pomagyy their actions and obscene conversation. It would be well for the Met jitan Police to remove the lumber and thus break up the concern. Lavamne Gas.—Dr. Colton will give one of his exhi- bitions at the Cooper Institate this evening, at which twelve gentlemen and six ladics are to inhale the exhil arating element, Drain mt A Cett.—On Monday evening officer Mooney, of the Fifth precinct, arrested Caroline Southerland, @ ‘woman of intemperate habits, on the charge of having stolep a silver watch, worth twenty-one dollars from hee employer, Mr. Charles C. Ronald, living at No. 3 Dew Ddrosses: Caroline was placed in acoll, where, at four o'clock morning, doorman Ferris discov. ered her ina dying condition. Police Surgeon Kenneay was called, but bei ‘he reached the station Careline was dead. Gamble was notified to hold an im quest. Masical. DR. CUTLER'S CHORAL FESTIVAL. One of the grandest and most soul-stirring musical entertainments given this season in the metropolis waa presented to a large and critical audience last night af Irving Hall. A number of selections from Mendelssohn's Elijah constituted one part of the programme. Master ‘Tocdt’s rendering of the grand air “Hear ye, Israel,” was admirable in every respect. The choruses, conducted by Mr. George W. Morgan, were given with a precision and expression such as no chorus of mixed volees could supply. Those sixty boy sopranos with young, clear, fresh and pure voices, supported by forty tenors and basses and accompanied by Dr. Catler on the organ, and Messrs. Gilder and Johnston on the two gran@ pianos, should be hoard by all lovers of music in this city in the wonderful chorus, ‘Thanks be to Ged; He loveth tho thirsty land.” The words came forth [rom the hundred voices as distinct as if from one; not the sligh- est shade of expression was wanting, and, above all, at every pause no one could detect a want of unity oF pre Tt seemed as ff s polyphonic chord was great deal of money, got rid of her husband through a star chamber decree in Brooklyn. One of our courts in chambers has now on hand the case of Saxton versus Saxton, in which an effort is made to deprive a minister of the gospel of his better or worser half by a decision of referces, without the defendant having had a particle of intimation that such an action was, going on, other than what he ascertained through the law reports of a newspaper. The grounds of divorce in this case are based upon the fact that the hosband has visited fant str places in certain streets, in regard to which he solemnly declares he has not the slightest knowledge. The witness upon these allegations did not appear when the case was up, and counsel stated he could not be found. Whereupon open court. There should be no more refer- ences by him. If people are too ‘respectable’ to come into court, let them keep out of it.” We believe this determination to be a proper one. The referee system of procuring divorces is a corrupt and dangerous one. It existed for «long time in England, but we believe it has been abandoned, and except where all parties agree all divorce cases are now tried in that It operates who, ignorant are divorced caprice or frivolous without « wach @ case naticism, hamn.cf Greet. Si Macatee er [ne comptes Cee a tae ine eee tainly, {t would appear from thotr sworn affide- | jn seosea duo from La Povortia, che gave ws a closing vite, are entitled to seme opportunity for de- by Bays, ‘Even fending themselves and depth of against damaging 9 conesnetta by which any pettifogging and poy Fe