The New York Herald Newspaper, November 21, 1866, Page 6

NEW YORK HERALD JAMES GORDON BENNETT, AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING. BROADWAY THEATRE, Broadway, uear Broome etreot.—Macuxre. NEW YORK THEATRE, Broadway, oppoaite New York Hotel,-Gaurrir Gaunt, On JEALOUSY. TARATRE FRANCAIS, Fourteenth street. near Sixth evenue.—Many Stuant. GERMAN STADT THEATRE, Noa. 45 and 47 Bowery.— Der Rowan Kines ARMEN JUNGKN Mannns. GERMAN THALIA THEATRE, No. 514 Broadway.— Dea Process—Dus ScuwaBin—List uxD Pucxcus. bok DODWORTH’S HALL. 806 Broadway.—Prorxsson Hartz Wits Puavora m3 MixACLES.—Tax Mystery. STRINWAY HALL, Fourteenth street.—Srconp Wzpnxs- ‘par Porutas Concert, SAN FRANCISCO MINST! ‘the Metropolitan Hotel—In 585 Broadway, opposite Erutorian Eyrcrrain- BURLESQUES—=MeTxoRIC ‘ENTS, ANCL Suowers OR Fatiine Stas. FIFTH AVENUE OPERA HOUSE, Nos. 2 ‘Twenty-fourth street.—Bupworra’s MINaTRELS, —| eeerentar, Batraps, Burcesques. do. A Tair To THE oon. KELLY & LEON'S pa pay Broadway, oppo- the New York Hotel.—In tuxin Songs, Daxoxs. Ecozn- ‘rarories, &c.—Excunsion Akounp THR WoRLD, A Trot soux Legacy. UBLE- TONY PASTOR'S OPERA HOUSE. 1 Bowery.—Coxro fooaLism—NecRo MINSTAKLSY BaLucer DIVERTISSEMENT, ac.—Tan Farnies or tux Hicpsox. Matinee at 234 0'Clock. CHARLEY WHITE'S COMBINATION TROUPE, at Mechanics’ Hall, 472 Broadway~In 4 Vaniery or Ligur Np Lavcuaste Enrextainwents, Corrs pe Bauer, £0, Femane Cusnas tx Wasiincton, MRS. F. B. CONWAY'S PARK THEATRE, Brooklyn. Rooauno.s; 8, THY KNAvE or Hxants. ss HOOLEY'S OPERA HOUSE, Brooklyn.—Exmiorian Mix- ereetsy, BaLiaps, Buri AND PANTOMINES. SEAVER'S OPERA HOUSE, Williamsburg.—Ermiorian Muvsracisy, BaL.aps, Comic Pawtommens, £0. NEW YORK MUSEUM OF ANATOMY. 618 Broadway.— Lescroxes wre tur Oxy-HypRrocen Microscorz twice daly. Huap axp Kicur Aux or Puoust. Open from New York, Wednesday, November 21, 1866. THE NEWS. EUROPE. By the Atlantic cable we have a news and markets re- port dated Tuesday, November 20. Napoleon, it is said, will issue a Foreign Office note on ‘the Mexican question, conciliatory towards the United ‘@tates and inclining to a recognition of Juarez, ‘The Fronch troops are preparing to march from Rome ‘on December 16, Russia proposes to negotiate a large loan in London, ‘The Reform Leagues of England are determined to "head off” the tories in their plan to propose a sham reform measure to Parliament. General Floury, Napoleon’s chief aide-de-camp, is in Florence. The Emperor of France is said to have invited the King of Prussia to Paris. ‘Tho Paris Moniteur says Italy will observe the Septem- ber Convention with Rome. The mails of the Hibernian, dated to the 8th of No- ‘vember, reached this city last night from Portland, Me. Oar special correspondence from St, Petersburg and Florence contains matter of considerable interest. | Mr, Secretary Fox's style of oratory, as woll as the Yanguage in which he clothed his ideas as an exponent of the national sentiment of the United States during Ahis visit to Russia, are still commented on by the jour- mals of the empire and regarded as new and very pecu- lar by the people. The citizens of Florence are quite certain that Italy ‘will have Rome, and that the end of the temporal power of the Pope is just at hand. Italy is not frec, however, from danger. The financial condition of the kingdom is mot at all healthy, and it is alleged that Napoleon is already engaged in an active intgigue for the annexation of Sardinia to France, in return for national services already rendered, or to be afforded in the future. The commonts of the French, Italian and English {press on the Papal allocutions just issued are published at considerable length in our columns. Russia has formally annexed the territory of Tasch- ond, in Central Asia, to the empire. ‘The voyage of the iron yacht Themis from England to ‘the Sandwich Islands and Valparaiso, and thence home through the Sarmiento Channel and Straits of Magellan, @ reported. Consols closed at 903;, for money, in London yester- day. United States five-twenties were at 70}. The Liverpool cotton market was dull, with prices un- changed yesterday. Middling uplands was at fourteen Pence at the close. Breadstuffs slightly advancing. THE CITY. The investigation into the charges against Comptroller Brennan will be proceeded with on Friday next, as the ‘Comptrotier has waived his right of exacting eight days’ notice. His counsel will be the same that defended him against the same charges thirteen months ago. Last ovening, at their hall on Second avenue and Eleventh street, the New York Historicul Society cole- ‘Drated their sixty-second anniversary, by appropriate re- ligions exercises an able address by Rev. Samuel Osgood, D. D., on “New York in the Nineteenth Cen- tury,"’ in which he gave much vatuable statistical infor- mation Ata meoting of the line officers of the Third brignde ‘National Guard, held last evening at the armory of the Seventh regiment, Colonel Joshua M. Varian, of the Eighth rogiment, was elected General of the brigade, ‘vieo William Hall placed on the retired liet. In the Marine Court yosterday, before Judge Alker, in the case of Beneville vs. Daly, which was an action by plaintiff to recover compensation from defendant for translating into English four German certain plays, in- eluding that of the well known “ Leah,” the jury ren- dorad a verdict for the plaintiff of $146. ‘This verdict estab! tho fact that the plaintiff’ is the translator of “Leah ;” and it was sworn in evidence that the defend- ‘ant’s brother was to adapt the play to the stage. The Jumel! will case was on trial before Surrogate Tucker yesterday. The testimony was the same as that given in the trial at circuit and on its conclusion the Surrogate rejected the will on the grounds of unsound. ness of mind on the part of Madame Jumel, In the cases of Jamos M. Waterbury and the East River Forry Company vs. the Dry Dock, East Broadway and Battery Railroad Company, and some city railroad and ferry companies, which the June Generai Term of the Supreme Court, docisions wore recently given by .ustices Barnard, Sutherland and Clerko, defining and limiting the extent to which the companies concerned may extend their tracks and privi- loges. Commissioner Newton continued his examination ‘yesterday into the alledged distillery frauds which have deen recently discovered in the city of Brooklyn and vielnity, Four new cases were brought up, and testi- mony was taken for the prosecution. The cases will be continued to day, The steamship Florida, which arrived here some time ‘go with cholera on board, was released from quarantine yesterday. James Doughorty was arrested yesterday on the charge of being implicated in the murder of Walter Westoott, on the 34 inst., in Firat avenue. The steamship South America, Captain Tinklepaugh, ‘Will sail to-morrow (Thursday), at three P. M., from pier 43 North river, for Rio Janeiro, touching at St. Thomas, Para, Pernambuco and Bahta, going and returning. The smalls will clove at the Post Office at half-past one o'clock. The fine steamship Morro Castle, Captain Richard Adams, will sail to-morrow (Thursday), at noon, for Havana direot, Mesers. Garrison & Allen, the agents, sanounce that hereafter the vessels composing the United states mail line to Havana will ati every Thurs. day, at noon, instead of Wednesday. Tho steamship Andalasia, Captain Buraley, of Leary's ‘Tine, will sall ef three P. M. to-day, from pier 14 Rast river for Charteston, connecting with the steamer Dicta. tor for the Florida ports, Hereafter the steamers of this ‘Hine will safl regularly every Wednesday and Saturday a three P.M. the stock Marcot waafirm yesterday, Guid was siso {Ora and clovel at 14tu au, WEW YORK SERaw, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 41, 1866—TRIPLE SHEET, Tho wheels of commerce continue to be blocked by the depression of gold and the material decline in tho Premlum within tho week pash and “4 ——— markets yesterday were generally 4 quotations were to a considerable extent nominal. Sugar under @ manifest desire to sell ruled a shade easier, closing entirely nominal, Coffee was dull and heavy, Cotton steady. Petroleum irregular, Naval stores generally quiet. Freights quiet, and dry goods dull and drooping. On 'Change flour was generally held at previous prices, Wheat was about 8c. lower, Corn Je. a2c. lower, Oats 1c, lower, Pork decidedly in buyer's favor, new mess closing at $22 and no takers. ard and whiskey quiet and heavy, MISCELLANEOUS. Our correspondence from Saltillo, Mexico, is dated November 1, and from Brownsville, Texas, November 8. \Northern Mexico was alive with preparations for attacks \pon Durango, Zacatecas and San Luis Potosi. The ipperialists everywhere were acting on the defensive, as it\s believed they have barely force enongh to hold opey their line of communication between Mexico City and Vera Cruz until their final departure. Mejia was alone in command of San Luis Potosi with Mexican sol- diers omy, all the foreign troops having left. From Brownwille our correspondent furnishes full details of the arrest of General Ortega and his party, as well asthe ofMicisl correspondence concerning it, among which ap- Pears the protest of the General. Our special despatches from San Francisco, dated yesterday, state that the French commander at Mazatlan had agreed to surrender oa the 24th of October. General Vega, who left San Francisco with a detachment of Americans, had been outlawed by Juarez, and was trying to escape to Arizona. Revino had again deposed Lopez as Governor of Lower California. Minister Romero, at Washington, has received interesting information concerning Maxi- milian’s attempt at an informal abdication. Mar- shal Bazaine, it seems, suspected nothing when Maximilian went to Orizaba. The latter, however, sent word to the commander of the frigate Dandolo to be ready to start immediately, and the commander com- mounicated the fact to the French commander at Vera Cruz, who communicated it to Bazaine, and the latter countermanded the order. He further notified Maximi- lian that he could not leave without a formal abdication, as his doing so would leave the French troops in a ridi culous position. ‘The news from the seat of war in Paraguay comes by way of Rio Janeiro, dated October 9. Full details of the recent agsault on Fort Curupaity by the allies, and their disastrous repulse, are given by our correspondent. The iron-clads built by British contractors were com- pletely disabled under the fire of tho fort, Flores, who commands the Oriental troops of the allied armies, with- drew with bis forces after the battle, and has probably abandoned the war. Our letter from Buenos Ayres is to the 26th of Septem- ber. No nows of political or Mnancial importance is mentioned. The steamer Oriental, owned by Savory & Co., of New York, was wrecked near the harbor, and when our correspondent mailed his letter was going to Pieces in a tremendous gale, Our Vaiparaiso correspondence to the 17th ult. con- tains interesting accounts of the state of affairs in Chile, The preparations for defence are still going on, although nothing has becn heard from the Spanish fleet. There is ttle doubt, however, that peace will be permanently established, as two of the allied Powers had consented to an Anglo-French mediation, and the Chilean Minister was in consultation with the other ministers on the sub- ject. The matter would no doubt be definitely settied in a couple of weoks. General Vickers, of Philadelphia, ts to have the contract to build two railroads for the gov- ernment. Dates from Australasia to the 18th ult, are received. The New South Wales Parliament had passed several measures of public utility, and the financial affairs of the colony were in a gratifying condition, although commer- cial matters were seriously depressed owing to the panic in England and the faflure of crops in all the Australian colonies. The Parliament was prorogued on the 8th ult, The Maori war was stlil going on, the government, how- ever, obtaining several decisive advantages. The new tariff imposes duties on articles of American manufac- ture heretofore imported free. ‘The Equal Rights Convention called in May last met in Albany yesterday for the purpose of obtaining repro- sentation in the approaching convention for amending the State constitution. Lucy Stone Blackwell was placed in the chair in the absence of Lucretia Mott, who was absent sick. irs. Cady Stanton, Lydia Mott, Fred. Douglas, Parker Pillsbury and @ number of others of lesser fame were present, Resolutions were adopted demanding female and negro suffrage, and alternatcly lauding and denouncing the democratic party. The ceromony of laying the corner stone of the Ma- sonic Temple at Baltimore, took place yesterday. An imposing procession of the Masonic Societies was one of the features of the occasion. President Johnson arrived in the moroing and reviewed the procession from the steps of Gevernor Swann’s mansion. News from Japan says that Stats Fashi had succeeded to the Tycoonate, by proclamation. There are fifteen or twenty thousand troops concen- trated in Washington, and between that city and Balti- more, Various speculations are abroad as to the inten- tion in concentrating so large a force at the present time. A special Court will be ‘held in Toronto on the 10th Proximo, to try the balance of the Fenian prisoners tn thatcity. Two regiments of infantry are to be stationed at Bedford during the trials of the prisoners there. It is now alleged that the combinations of the Far Western Railroad party, the Express Company Mr. Erastus Corning, which has been formed for the pur- pose of clecting Mr. W. G. Fargo, President of the New York Ceptral Railroad, has been made for the purpose of aggrandizing the interests of the American Express Company to the exclusion of the Merchants’ Unton Ex- press Company, and that in the event of Mr. Fargo’s election the cars of the Merchants’ Union wil! be.driven from the Central Railroad, thas leaving that line open forthe American. A determined fight took place yesterday on the Vir- ginia side of the Potomac, below Al dria, between Robert White, ot Boston, and Michael 1, of New York, White broke his collar bone in the first round, but fought gamely to the last, and was declared victor after forty- four severe rounds, when Carr made a foul by striking him in the breast when down. Frederick Weed, a nephew of Thurlow Weed and well known in this city, committed suicide in Salt Lake City on the 10th of November. Ho left a letter, which stated as a reason for bis rash act that he was tired and dis- couraged. A colored preacher in Richmond was shot yosterday by another colored man, who caught him in a question- able situation with the latter's wife. He also shot his , but not dangerously. The preacher died and the morderer was arrested. Theodore Tilton lectured in Boston last evening, be- fore the Parker Fraternity, on the subject of “The Cor- ner Stone of Reconstruction.'’ Two merchants of Boston disappeared yesterday, leav- ing liabilities behind thom to the amount of $175,000 and assets to the amount of pine pair of boots and a hoop skirt, Governor Worth's message was sent to the North Caro- lina Legislature yesterday. He takes decided ground against the constitutional amendment, and recommends that the Northern States encourage the settling of ‘Degroes in their own section of the country. He says the difficulties of moving them there may be overcome by diverting the appropriation to sustain the Freedmen's Bureau to defraying the expenses of those negroes who prefer to move North. Governor Marvin, of Florida, in a message to the Lagisiature of that State, also takes ground against the adoption of the amendment. Ex-Governor A. G. Magrath, of Charleston, 8. ©., has written a letter strongly urging on his fellow citizens in the Legislature the adoption of the constitutional amendment. Judge Cooper, of the Marfressboro’ (Tenn.) Circuit Court, has decided that the present Legislature of that State is bogus and the franchise law is unconstitutional. Poor Tammany !—The used-up rump leaders of Tammany arein @ sad and pitiable con- dition. They ran John McCool for Register, and he was beaten by twenty thousand votes. Incensed at their ignominious defeat, they tarn spitefully upon two of thelr own members who threw off the yoke and voted for Miles O'Reilly, and make an effort to expel them from Tammany. But, elas! the rump leaders have not even strength on left for the gratification of revenge. . followers laughed at them and refused to tura out the Tecusant members. The whole rotten ooasern \s rapidly drovotag to plooes. ‘ President Johmeon’s Piae—The Pian of Con- @rene and the Plan Demanded by the Ortale. President Johnson’s plan of Southern re- storation, failing in the South, discarded by Congress and condemned in the North, is dead and done for. In the outset, with its three conditions precedent, viz.:—The recog- nition of the supreme national sovereignty of the United States, the ratification of the con- stitutlonal amendment abolishing slavery, and the repudiation of the debts and obligations of the rebellion, it seemed to be a fair and promising programme. It started off hand- somely, in the absence of Congress and under the stimulus of Exeoutive pardons, but the State reorganizations thus effected were alip- shod and too loosely put together to pass an examination under any test of the constitu- tion or the law of nations. The civil rights of the Itberated blacks and the important ques- tion of negro suffrage and negro representa- tion were meantime left untouched; for the leading idea of Mr. Johnson was to restore the disabled States, as far as possible, with their old State rights intact, as before the war. Thig wasa grave mistake, and it was followed too far, aa events have shown ; but it could have been easily repaired had the President adhered to his original declarations, that his provisional work was subject to the approval or rejection of Congress. This was the rock upon which he foundered—assuming an equal jurisdiction with Congress, and the popular verdict of the late Northern elections, in re- jecting his policy and his defence of the course he has pursued in his conflict with Congress, amounts to a decree from the sovereign people taking this business from his hands and re- storing it absolutely into the hands of Con- gress. Hence the present views, inclinations and purposes of the President in this matter are important only so far as they are likely to operate in facilitating or retarding a settlement by Congresa. The plan of Congress, endorsed by all the Northern States, is that embodied in the pend- ing constitutional amendment. It appears to be, however, in the face of these recent elec- tions, so bitterly repugnant to the South as to be hopeless of any voluntary ratification in that quarter during the existing generation of loading Southern politicians. The especially obnoxious feature of the amendment to those politicians is the section which excludes from all federal offices hereatter, till absolved by a two-thirds vote of Congress, a certain class of the Southern leaders identified with the late rebellion. Leaders and followers plead that the dishonor of their own condemnation in- volved in this condition they must at all hazards reject with scorn and disgust. This is a serious difficulty. How is it to be removed? The duty of solving the problem will de- volve upon Congress. The alternative pre- sented is the exclusion of the unrecognized Statea to the end of the present generation, or some modifications of the amendment, in order to bring them in without further loss of time. A general amnesty will at once remove the main difficulty indicated, and universal suf- frage will settle all the embarrassments arising from the negro question. But the prejudices of caste and color cultivated in the South for two hundred years are so infused into the blood and bones of the Southern white race that they revolt at this idea of negro political equality, and will never consent to it. What then? Is the Union to remain disorganized and discordant, is the South to be indulged indefinitely in.a quasi state of rebellion, with its vast resources of wealth, trade and pros- perity lying waste, and with its people drifting to sedition, riots and anarchy, because South- ern prejudices block the way? No! There must be s remedy for this evil, and for the good of the whole country it must be applied. President Johnson has said that if there are but five thousand good and loyal men in one of these disabled States they are enough for its reconstruction. Congress, then, in a law providing for certain organic State elec- tions, and defining, as the President has done, who shall be voters, with the power and authority given to General Grant to enforce the law in these elections, may very readily overcome this aforesaid obstruction of caste and color. Some such logislation, beginning at the bottom, is evidently demanded for Southern reconstruction. The interests of the South, the North, the Treasury, and of the whole Union, demand this legislation. Beginning the work of reconstruction, then, de novo, Congress, in an enabling act, has only to weed oul the impracticable secesh and fire- eating elements of the States concerned and to put General Grant on guard, in order to make the work of Southern restoration as simple as the rule of subtraction. The first essential is to accept the self-evident facts that the President's work of reconstruction is an embarrassment, that Congress must begin at the beginning, from Virginia to Texas, inas- much as the rebellion, from the Potomac to the Rio Grande, though disarmed, stilt remains to be subdued. ‘Tae Ixveetonrry or Tax Exortsn Inon-Ciava.— We published exclusively in the Henan of yesterday the official reports of the important naval battle between the allied fleet and the Paraguayans before the fort of Curupaity; and this morning we give additional particu- lars from our correspondent at Rio Janeiro, fully explanatory of the movements looking towards negotiations for peace, their failure and the battle, detached and unintelligible ac- counts of which have come to us by way of England and the cable. Those of our readers who are acquainted with naval warfare and war ships cannot but be deeply Interested in the facts developed by that engagement. It is apparent that the art of war, as practised in Paraguay, is but little behind our own in perfectness; that not only have these Powers large armies and powerful fleets, but that they are well equip- ped and splendidly armed with the best weapons of modern manufacture, while some of the engagements, including that before Cuarupsity on the 22d of September, have been of a magnitude and desperation second only to the late battles in this country. Tn the last battle the allied forces were sup- ported by a powerful fleet, embracing five {ron-clade, three of English and two of French construction. When moving to the attack the two French vessels, the Bahia and Lima Bar- fos, were placed in advance, as ff the allied Commeuder had greater confidence in their Strength than in those of Raglish make. Altbongh in the most oxposed position, ihe t latery, bolag but seldom struck, owing to the small surface above the water exposed to fire, and were not materially damaged when struck by the shots of the sixty-eight pounders of the enemy. The Brazil, an ironclad of English manufacture, and, like all English war veasels, setting high above the water, was, on the contrary, badly damaged and really disabled by the same fire as that to which the French vessels were ex- posed, even thongh she was not subjected to as close a shelling. The shots of the enemy frequently entered the portholes of the Brazil ; her guns were disabled and silenced, the helm broken and her casemate so started and shat- tered as to render her unfit to again go into action. This action is a farther proof of the inferiority of the English built iron-clads, and every experience of our own war and those in South America has shown the inferiority, not only of those of the English and French, but of the iron-clads of all other nations compared with our own. . City Gas and Railroad Companies and thelr Abuses—Tho Duty of the Legislature. The people of Boston are just now engaged in agitating the question of cheap gas, They have suddenly awakened to the fact that they are paying to the Boston Gas Light Company three dollars and twenty-five cents per thousand feet for their gas, while the city manufactures a better article for its own consumption at the public institutions at Deer Island and South Boston at a cost of only one dollar and thirty cents per thousand, which expense would, of course, be greatly reduced if it possessed equal facilities with the private corporation. The City Council, taking these facts into considera- tion, are debating the expediency of making the manufacture of gas for the whole city a public affair, repealing the charter of the Gas Light Company, and supplying the consumers at the minimum cost, after defraying the neces- sary exponses of management. In Cincinnati, a few months ago, a similar movement was made, and in the discussion to which it gave rise it was demonstrated that wherever cities are supplied by private companies the people are compelled to pay for their gas about double the price it costs when manufactured by the city. The agitation of the question is not confined to this country; for several English cities are petitioning for a law authorizing the municipal corporations to manufacture gas for public consumption, to be supplied to the con- sumer at the lowest possible cost. It is time for the citizens of New York to direct their attention to this important subject and to be prepared to press upon the Legisla- ture, which will soon convene, their demand for an immediate reform in this city and Brooklyn. Next to cheap food and cheap fuel the great mass of our people are interested in securing cheap light, cheap water and cheap transportation. The policy which made the supply of water a public matter and established the Croton Aqueduct Department has secured this great necessary of life to the public at a very trifling cost. The policy which has bestowed upon private individuals the gas and railroad franchises of the two cities has left the people at the meroy of greedy corporations and com- pelled them to submit to their extortions. In this city the price of gas is three dollars and a half a thousand feet. In Brooklyn there are two companies, divided by Atlantic street, one of which charges three dollars and seventy- five cents and the other three dollars and twenty-five cents. In both cities gas could be manufactured and supplied, after payment of all cost, for less than two dollars a thousand, leaving a profit to the city for the benefit of the taxpayers. In like manner the railroad franchises of the two cities have been given away to private individuals, who are making enormous fortunes at the expense of the public. The cities get no benefit from them ; the people are defrauded by them. Three years ago the Third Avenue Railroad Company divided eighty-seven and a half per cent, and every year it pays a dividend of twelve per cent. Other city railroads are realizing equally enormous profits, taken out of the hard earn- ings of the working population and put into the pockets mainly of political adventurers and lobby speculators. A city railroad bill passes in Albany with fifty names in it as cor- porators. Probably forty of these represent members and lobbymen, and are bought out by the remaining ten, receiving each a little fortune as his share of the plunder. All this outlay the travelling public have to make good, as well as to enrich & dozen individuals, comprising contrac- tors, 8, worn brewers, “ring” — politict out editors, ex-Clerks + the Assemb! ly, ex-Sen- ators and ex-Assemblymen from the rural dis- tricts, who remain in to run the concern and purchase houses, and live in a shoddy aris- tocracy style in the upper part of the city ont of the profits, But for the greed of these pri- vate corporations the laboring man could ride {rom one end of the island to the other for tree cente, and at that rate he could afford to live in a healthy, decent neighborhood and take his family out of the reach of the diseases that hover about the crowded cheap neighbor- hoods where he is now compelled to find a home. There is but one way to remedy these evils. The people are entitled to all the benefits and Profits to be derived from the valuable fran- chises of the city. There is no reason why poor men should any longer be compelled to pay exorbitant prices for light and transporta- tion to enrich private individuals. The taxa- tion of the city reaches twenty million dollars. It is not just that this heavy burden should be laid upon the taxpayers while they are debarred from realizing any benefit from the city franchises, The Legislature should repeal every gas and railroad charter granted to private individuals in New York and Brook- lyn and place them in the hands of the city governments. A Board of Public ie = should be created, and the manufacture gas and the running of the city railroads should be under its control. Light should be supplied and transportation farnished to the citizens at the lowest possible expense. The workingman would then be able to travel to any part of either city for three cents, and the housekeeper would find his gas bill cut dowa more than one-half, And even at these moderate rates & good profit would be realised by the city, which would go towards lightening and raflroed compenies in New York and Brooklyn oaanot be less than Bfteen to twonty milliga dollars angaally, Bvgew Aqilar of Pi this enormous revenue goes into private pockets, when it justly belongs to the people and should be appropriated to their benefit. The country legislators talk about the terrible democratic vote of wicked New York and naughty Brooklyn. Here is a way to wipe out these party majorities, Let the republican Legislature show that they deserve the con- fidence of the masses of the working people by repealing every private gas and railroad charter they have granted, instead of dealing out new jobs to the lebby; let them legislate 80 a8 to secure to the citizens cheap gas and cheap fare, through the medium of a Board of Public Works, and the popular endorsement of their conduct will soon be made manifest at the ballot box, even in these benighted municipalities. The Ocean Yacht Race in December—Sub- scription by New York Merchants, The meteoric shower, the benefit of Madame Ristori, the defeat of. the “ring,” Cornell’s more or less than Christian resignation, the Heratp’s new plan of reconstructing the South by means of another Union army, the varying phases of the Mexican question, the last new fashions of short skirts, no crinoline and bro- eaded silks, the improvements along Broad- way and Fifth avenue, the prospects of a bril- liant winter season, the pictures at the Acade- my of Design, the possible and probable can- didates for the Comptrollership, the anniver- sary of the founding of the Historical Society, the projected alliance between President John- son and Chief Justice Chase, the arrangements for public and private balls, the nomination of Greeley for Senator, and—last but not least— the weather, are current topics of conversa- tion in the various circles of society; but everywhere the topic that'seems to supersede all others in interest and to excite the most general attention and debate is the approach- ing ocean race between three members of the New York Yacht Club. No new developments have recently transpired officially, and the questions whether the owners of the yachts are to gail in them, and whether other yachts are to be admitted to competition with the Fleetwing, Vesta and Henrietta, are still unsettled. Never- theless, the newspapers continue to discuss the subject, and in theiz.articles, as well as in con- versation and in the letters of correspondents, numerous suggestions are made. One of our contemporaries, for example, tries to throw cold water upon the yachts- men—who will probably have enough of it before they get across the ocean—by insinu- ating that their only purpose is “lo win and pocket a given sum of money,” and that their yachts are bound “for Cowes and a market.” Nothing is to be gained by such ill-natured sneers as these. When our conteniporary talks of “Cowes anda market” in connection with American yachtsmen it commits a. posi- tive bull. We have already pointed out'the obvious fact that if yachtsmen simply desire to win money they can do so without going to sea. Up to the present time the members of our Yacht Club have been content to cruise about the Sound in pleasant weather, and their greatest achievement has been a race to Cape May and return. The sweepstakes now arranged will revolutionize all this and inau- gurate a new era in American yachting. It is true, as our contemporary states, that yachts have already crossed the Atlantic, and that the America, the Sylvie and the Alice have accom- plished this feat; but that it is no very easy journey is proven by the fact that only these three yachts have attempted it. Neither did the Sylvie, the America and the Alice under- take to race acroas, but they started for a mere voyage, selecting the summer months and not caring how long they were on the way, 80 that they could arrive safely at last. We have no intention of under-estimating the performances of these stout and stanch boats; but there is the same difference between their voyages and the race to be sailed in December as there is between riding around the Park roads for exercise some pleasant atternoon and dashing over the Jerome park course in a steeplechase over hedges, hurdles, walls and brooks. The latter may be a dan- gerous pastime, but it requires pluck, endur- ance and skill to perform; and these are pre- cisely the qualities to be developed in our young men by ocean yacht races, and are to be valued for themselves and for their effect upon our national character and reputation, quite aside from any pecuniary reward that may accrue from their cultivation and ex- hibition. But it is a curious instance of the diversity of public opinion that we should receive, on the very day that our contemporary’s article appeared, a letter from a South street mer- chant expressing very diverse views. Our contemporary seems to complain because there is some money at stake upon the ocenn race, while the South street merchant is anxious that the stake should be made larger by a volaptary subscription of one hundred thousand dollars, to be divided into prizes for the three yachts now entered. Such a sub- scription would be thoroughly American and exceedingly liberal and generous. The yachts- ‘men do not ask for it; indeed, so far as we are intormed, the contestants are very well satisfied with the terms of the race already arranged. These terms were not hastily proposed and accepted, but were deliberately agreed upon after considerable consultation. At the same time we do not believe that the yachtsmen would refuse to allow our leading merchants to interest themselves in a matier which is, as our correspondent reminds us, a national affair, involving our national pride. Each of the contestants is naturally hopeful of winning the race, and consequently gives no thought to the expense ; but as only one can win two must lose, and if our merchants choose to re- munerate the losers for the money expended in preparing for the race, the offer ough: not to be declined through any false sentiment. Every one will remember the effect which the victory of the America had upon the business of our ship builders and upon the estimation which English yachtemen bad for their breth- ren upon this side of the ocean; and as the December race will be even more national and more exciting than that of the America, we anticipate even greater results from it, partic- ularly as it is to be followed by a mateh be- tween the winner and the fastest British yacht. In this view the chaff of our contemporary about “Cowes and « market” is excessively fll-timed, and the suggestion of our South street correspondent deserves « careful and practical consideration from the large class of manificeat and publio spirited centlemen which he renresegts. The Recall ef Drevys de Lhuye—Sosthore Europo Against the Nerthern Powers. It is reported in Paris that M. Drouyn de Lhuys, recently displaced from the Ministry, is to be recalled, and will again have tho port- folio of Foreign Affairs. This fact—if it shall prove that the statement is true—will tend to confirm all that has been heard of the dan- gerous complications of Kuropean diplomacy that have occurred since the close of the war. It was very broadly stated in the summer that the Emperor had arranged his scheme with Prussia over the head of Drouyn de Lhuys, and that the Minister and the sovereign were at direct and even stormy issue as to what the role of France should be in the premises, The Emperor may very possibly now be convinced that his able and experienced Minister saw the case more clearly than he himself did. He may feel that he has been out-played in the great political game of the erection of Prussia into a first class Power, and, under the influ- ence of that impression, naturally turns to the astute adviser who warned him of the conse- quences from the first. If the recall of the Minister has any such starting point aa this, we may expect to see, under the joint influence of de Lhuys in France and von Beust in Aus- tria—the two great opponents of Bismarck and the Prussian policy—the initiation of a very earnest and practical Franco-Austrian alliance and attempt to recover the ground lost. M. Drouyn de Lhuys is perhaps the man who can be relied upon to make the most of the game against the Northern alliance. The Con- vention of September was his handiwork, and knowing best how to avoid it, he may yot ‘easily enough make Rome the price of Italian compliance with French plans. There are sev- eral escapes from the binding force of the con- vention, and he had his thoughts upon one of these long ago, when he informed the Italian government that in case after the agreement had once been actually carried out by France and Italy the Holy Father should oot be able to sustain himself, for such an event France reserved her “liberty of action.’ That is, France would take away her troops in 1866 because of her promise, but nothing should prevent her sending them baek in 1867 if she saw fit. Here is the price of another ally against the North, an ally ot the Latin race. And the consolidated kingdom of the Iberian Peninsula will farnish another. The Portuguese press has been refractory on the subject of the union of the fherian kingdoms. They have declared that Portugal did not desire such an event, and had no ideas of self-aggran- dizement or thoughts inimical to Spain. Just now M. Montholon, some time the Emperor’s representative in’ the important mission near this government, has been sent to Lisbon. Evi- dently, then, the Lusatian capital has becomes place as important ag Washington was during our great war and while the scheme of a Mexi- can empire was in full bloom. United France, Italy, Spain and Portugal, with Austria, wilt bea tair balance to the Russo-Prussian alll- ance, and the Emperor will even have reason to thank Prussia if the plans of that turbulent Power should help to a happy conclusion his pet idea of coalescing the Latin races. Tat Sovs or Downinc vas Fresr.—tIt is gratifying to know that some members of the colored race, who have attained a respectable and pecuniarily prominent position, have the good sense to stick to their business and keep clear of politics. The two sons of Downing, the firat colored king in the land of oysterdom, whose reputation for pickling the delicious bivalves on new and improved prinsiples has outlived his decease, are examples of good sense in this regard; for we peroeive that they are sedulously pursuing the policy of their suave, polite and distinguished father of im- thortal Broad street memory, by devoting themselves to pickling oysters and furnishing fashionable entertainments with the luxuries of life from their apartments in the Custom House building on William street, with a con- venient side door on Wall street for the modest denizens of that Rialto. It is true that one of the Downing fils some time ago undertook to lecture President Johnson in Washington oa the rights and privileges of the colored race, but finding the President too much of a bard- shell politician for his skill in the manipula- tion of mollusks, he wisely abandoned politics and fell back on his original base in tho cuisine department of the Custom House, for which we congratulate the heir of our ancient friend Downing, to whose ashes be there peace! . Esaorarion to Baast.-An agency for the transportation of emigrants to Brazil bas been recently opened in Broadway. It is situated directly opposite the offices of the Brazilian Consulate, and is said to be acting under its authorization. It promises, by advertisements and bills profusely distributed, a free passage and “homesteads,” the extent of which, how- ever, is not specified. The temptations thus held out have attracted large numbers of the poorer classes, and the entrance to the office is crowded from morning till night. From cir- cumstances that have transpired, and especially from the fact that the applicants are required to sign an obligation for the repayment of fifty dollars, it would seem that the passage is not free, as stated in the bills. If there is any doubt on this point it should be at once cleared up in the interest of those who trust to these promises. There are precedents in the con- duct of the Brazilian government towards the German emigrants—who have been forced to enter the Brazilian army or to work as peones at miserable wages—which suggest doubts whether these offers are not made to entrap recruits for the bloody campaign now being waged in Paraguay, or at least to secure labor- ers at the same starvation rates. The news just received trom Paraguay is of a character to suggest caution on the part of emigrants before they accept the inducements held oat to them in the bills of the Brazilian agency. If the doubts suggested are not well founded they ought at once to be set at rest by an off cial refutation of them on the part of the Bra- vilian Consul. ‘Tae New Powr Ovrwa.—The Board of Al- dermen has “amended the order” conveying the lower end of the City Hall Park to the general government, #0 9 to make the price one million dollars instead of half that sam. ‘The additional half million thus demanded above what the government is ready to give is doubtless for the “ring” ; but the demand isa groat mistake on the part of those financiers. It will delay the sale. Government is ready to give the half million now; but the demand for © gillian with throw the whale aulilagt baoke,