The New York Herald Newspaper, February 28, 1867, Page 6

6 NEW YORK HERALD. JAMES GORDON BENNETT. EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR O OFFIOR N. W. CORNER OF FULTON AND NASSAU STS, Broadway. street. —F aay Oumcix—Costom oF Tue Counter. BROADWAY THEATRE, near Broome ORK THEATRE, Brosdway, opposite New York oi” Eoneworts Tus’ Frau Monge Bamaxie, OLYMPIC THEATRE, Brosdway.—Sraeets oy New Your, DPOPWORTH'S HALL, 806 Broad wie Paavo His Mrracuss—Tar Tus inotas Basset TRick—Prorevs. .—Proresson Hants mw rae Au— SAN FRANCISCO MINSTRELS, 58 Broadway, opposite ‘tha Metropolitan Hotel—In taxa Ermorian EXTRRTAIN- MenTs, SINGING, DANCING 4xD Buniesquas.—Tax Buace Coon—Tax Bxacray Curis. KRLLY & LEON'S MINS’ L3, 720 Brosdway. oppo- site the New York Hotel.—In rain Songs, Dancrs. Ecc ex ” &c.—Cinper-Leon—MadaGascar FIFTH AVENUE OPERA HOUSE, Nos. 2 and 4 West Twenty-fourth street.—Grirrae & Crmisty's: Minsreens.— Bruorian Missrexisy, Burcesquas, &c.—Tax Ocean Yaour Kace—Tux Biack Crook, TONY PASTOR'S OPERA HOUSE, 201 Bowery.—Comic Vousuuss Negro Minsreetsy, Baicer Divertisement. 4c.—Tue New Vora Vovunrarns. CHARLRY WHITE'S ¢ NATION TROUPR, at Mechanics’ Hall, 472 Broadway—Ix 4 Variety or Licut axp Lavgnaaue Kareetatyueyts, Corrs pe Baier, 4c. Tun Lowe or CLarterpurry, RS. ¥ B. CONWAY'S PARK THEATRE, Brooklyn.— Tus New Lean HOOLHY'SOPERA HOUSS, Brookl; erkursy, Ballas AND BURLESQUEE.—' Eravorian Mix. Back Croox. THK BUNYAN TABLEAUX, Umion Hall, corner of Treaty third street and Broadway.—Movina Mimnor oF aux Puck's PRoGREss—SIKTE MAGNIFICENT SCENES CLINTON HAL! iat Lectures oN Astor 'ECULIAR lace.—De. Hespann's Prce- HRMS. NRW YORK MUSEUM OF ANATOMY, 618 Broadway.— Keap ann Ricur ARM or onst—Tur WAsuixcton ‘Twins--Wownens iv Natunat. History, Screxce anv Aur. Jecrowes Date, Open from § A. Bi, till WP, ML DARBY'S NEW ART ROOMS, 845 Brondwas Fancorrion oy Paninas.—Rosa Boxuren’s Hoi Now York. Thursday, February 28, 18607. EUROPE. By tho Atlantic cable we have a news report dated yestorday eventing, February 27. ‘Tho mombers of the English House of Commons who follow the lead of Mr. Roebuck have united with the Kewht reform liberal party. The Admiralty decision in th» Uaited States claim case of the ex-rebel war steamer Alexandra is reserved. In the French Chambers the radical reformers insist on the Parliamentary right of Teply to the Emperor's specch, notwithstanding its abo- lition by the late tmperial letter, Garibaldi is in Venice. Coasels closed at 91 for money in London. United States Qve-twenties were at 73% in London, 76% im Frankfort, and 6276 (bouds of 1862) in Paris, ‘The LAverpool. cotton market was more active, wilt middiiog uplands at 134d. Breadstufls dali. Pro- ‘Viniuns agchagged. x A By thesteamsbip ‘Periere, at this part yesterday, we’ revcivod full dotaits of our cable despatches to the 16:h it.e.ant, embractng the complete text of the speech de- livered by the Emperor Napoleon to the French Legisla- tare at the opening of the session, with a report'of the Tecaptioa accorded to the Emperor, the Empress and tho members of the imperial family in the streets and (mide the Chamber, The literal rendering of the im- perial address placea it in quite a different and im- Poriant tight before the people, much so more than did the synopsis forwarded through the Atlantic cable. ‘The comments of the leading Paris journals en the Kmpecor'a apeech appear in our columns. We publiah the articlos of basia of the now North Gorman Confederation. CONGRESS. ta the Senate yesterday the bill to amend an act in re- Javon (9 (he Davy, and an act toamend an act forthe romovat of the causes in cortain cases from the State courts were parsed, Mr. Sherman's Compound Interest Nolo bit was taken up, and the question belag upon aubatitating this bill for the Hougo bill, It was agreed to, An smevdment that no national bank shall pay iutercat on tts reserve deposited in any other natioual dank, end that compound interest notes shall not be hold as part of their reserve after July 1 waa adopted, amd the biti was passed. The House bills legalizing certain proclamations and acts of the President done in suppression of the rebellion, and amendatory of the eet doolaring who shall act as President in case of va- eancies ia the offices of President and Vice President, ‘wore reported from the Judiciary Committee, ‘tho latior adversely, and its consideration was post ponsd owing to a want of suiicient time in the present eeasion. bo Omnibus Appropriation bill was called up, anda aharp ‘iscussion ensued on an amendment propo- fing toatrilce out the section abolishing the office of Com- msioner of Public Buildings and authorizing the olec tion of a superintendent oi the same by the Senate. Mr. ‘Wauls oppose its adoption on the ground that Congress: Bad heen threatened with violence by the President, and, io cine was was inaugurated between the two branchés ef the government, Congress ought to surround itee!f with guards Pending consideration a recess was taken, aod on conaembling the joint resolution relative to the erection of am equestrian statue to General Scott was pasted, with an amendment ordering it to be erected in Fraaklin aqgoare, Washington, or wherever the Secre- tary of War may designate. The consideration of the Ownibus Appropriation bill was resumed. An ‘amendment proposed by the committee, that the Secre- tary of the Treasury pay assistant asseasors in the rebel States, called forth violent invectives from Mr. Sumnor agaiast the Secretary, in which he said that he had been guilty of a crime in appointing these men. Mr Sherman said Mr. Sumner’s language was unparliames- tary, ungontiomanly and falee. Mr. Cheudier then poured forth a torrent of abuse against the Secretary, and pending farther consideration of the amendment the Senate Ia the House the Naval Appropriation bili, with umoreus amondments, was passed. The rules were suspended and the House went into Committee of the Whole on the Tariff bill, The discussion on the various amendments assamed a purely sectional character, the division being between Eastern and Western members. Forty-dve of the amendments of the committee were'dis- posed of, and pending the vote upon a proposition to close debate the House took a recess, In the evening fewion the Senate bill to provide for a temporary in- crvase of the pay of army officers was passed, with amendments, The consideration of the Tariff bill was Towmed in committee, and the eighty-second amend- Ment was reacbed, when the committee rose. Mr. Morrilt gave aotice that he would try and press the bili to © vole wo-dlay, Mr. Raymond asked leave to Offer a resolution declaring the establishment of a king- dom in Canada to be menacing to the safety and peace Of the republic, and requesting the President to inform the Hoase whether any Temonstrance against the com- federation schome has been made by the government. Mr. Chanler objected to the offering of the revolution, and s vote boing taken on a motion to suspend the rules St was found that a quorum was not present, and the Hoase adjourned. : THE LEGISLA’ In the Senate yesterday the Constitutions! Conven- tion bill was taken op, and the amendment increasing the number of delegates by the addition of thirty-two at large was rejected. The bill was then made the special order for to-day. Several bills of a jocal or unimportant character wore reported apon or introduced, and the Senate adjourned, In the Assembly the report of the Metropolitan Hoard of Excise was presénted. A dill allowing collectors to gates was lost by 83 to 90, and the amendment providing for thirty-two delegates at large was adopted. Tho Assembly hoa adjourned. : THE orry. ‘Aytpeatad mosting of tke Board of Supervisors took (giants prmmert%y, ot which several bills for work om the NEW YORK BERALD, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1967.-TRIPLE SHEET, et are a New Coart House were passed, and also the bill of the Coroners for the last quarter of 1868. Peter B, Sweeny was appointed City Chamberlain yesterday by Mayor Hofman. The Board of Aldermen had a special meeting and coadrmed the appointment by a vote of twelve to two. The Exvcative Committee of the Union Republican General Association held a meeting last evening, when officers were chosen for the ensuing year and a com- mittee of nine was appointed to confer with the Gov- ernor and the Legislature relative to questions affecting the interests of the city and county, The “Workingwomen’s Protective Union” of this city held their fourth anniversary meeting at the Cooper Institute last eventing. Addresses were delivered by General John Cochrane, James W. Gerard, Mayor Hoffman, Luther B. Marsh and others. Mr. Adams, of the Quartet Club, was in attendance and sang some ap- propriate songs. The annual report was read. ‘The report of the Metropolitan Police Commissioners on the cause and extent of the social evil in this city and Brooklyn is pablished in our eolumns this morning. The particulars of a gold swindling operation in May, 1866, by which a broker named John Ross fraudulently obtained $600,000 fa gold from various bankers in this city have finally come to light. The money was obtained by gold certificates, apparently signed by the Continental Bank. Ross escaped with his booty in a vessel named the Dakota, which was kept in readiness forthe pur pose of carrying him away. He is now presumed to be im Brazil, where ne is safe from the clutches of United States officials, there being no extradition treaty be- tween the two countnes, Several suits have grown out of the case, two firms sueing the Continental Bank for the sums named on the gold cortificates, and claiming that the signatures are genume. In the Supreme Court, Circuit, yesterday, an action was brought by Horne against Jackson to recover rent of a house which the plaintiff, as trustee for defendant's wife, had leased to the defendant, On the trial it ap- peared that the defendant had deserted his wife at Rah- way, N. J, and had been living with a woman named Smith in this city, and that his wife had procured a divorce in New Jersey. Verdict for the plaintiff for $1,022 72. A writ of error and stay of proceedings was granted yesterday by the Supreme Court in the case of Charles B. Manuel, the mulatto who was sentenced in the Court of General Sessions, on Tuosday last, to be hung on the 19th day of April, for the murder of Henry Schlosser, a young German, on the 29th day of December last. The trial of John Kane, on the charge of murder in the first degree, in heving, as the prosecution alleges, caused the death of Mary Sandford, by maliciously set- ting fire to a tenement house, bis property, was re- sumedjyesterday in the Court of Oyer and Terminer, before Mr. Justice Ingraham anda jury. The case for the prosecution was closed, and evidence for the de‘ence was entered upon, The farther hearing of the case will be resumed this morning. In the United States Commissioner's Court yesterday, before Commissioner White, the further examination of the charge against Adolphe William Schwartz, of having forged bills of exchange to the amount of 160,000 florins, at Grosswardein, in Hungary, was resumed. The evi- dence for the prosecution was closed and the defence wilt be entered upon on Monday next. Gabor Naphegyl, formerly the host of General Santa Anna, on Staten Island, was arrested yesterday charged with obtaining money under false pretences,’ He de- clared that his name was sonnenberg, and gave bail in $1,000 but on leaving court was rearrested ona civil ‘process, and was again released on giving bail im two sureties for $25,000 each. Santa Anna, will, it is eaid, bring # suit against Napbegy!. ‘Tue jury In the case of Martin McCormack, one of a gang who broke inte the house No. 202 North Seventh street, Brookiyn,.—, D.; om December 2, 1868, anf rey ished three girl, Yoturded a verdict yesterday, after Deing locked up all might, convicting the prisotier. Jobe: Monaghan, the leader of the gang, has afready deen con- ted. er case of George N. Carleton, who is accused of having, while engaged in the capacity of Treasury Agent at Memphis, Tenn., embezzled property belonging to the United States to the amount of half a million of dollars, had been set down for further nearing yesterday before Commissioner Betts; but it was postponed for a week in consequence of the abseace of the dofendant’s counsel, who is engaged in the deience of Kane in the Court of Oyer and Terminer. Towards pine o'clock last night the Right precinct police, for the second time within a week, made a de- aceot upon the alleged gambling house located on the second floor of the premises No. 579 Broadway, known 1¢ Hall, avd (here arrested Alexander Mar. reputed keeper of the place, in company with of his pairona. arket was dull yesterday. Gold was ex- cited and closed ut 129%. alter selling at 14044. MISCELLANEOUS. Our letters from the South, ia addition to their gen- eral news toms, give some information as to the mau. Ber in which the passage of Sherman's Reconstruction b ll is recetved among those whom it more immediately affects. In Georgia the white poople sigh at the evil times upon which they have fallen, aad the negroes await eagorty tor a chance to vole, The preas of Rich- mond are vehement in their denauciations of the bill. Tt i# supposed that there will be twice as many white voters im Virginia as black. The crops promise well, the only drawhack being @ scarcity of negroes. The Supreme Court of Alabama has decided that the emancipation prociamation of President Lincoln did not take effect im that State until May, 1866. Extracts from the Mesican Times of January 20 and February 4, wbich we pablish this morning, are import- ant as foreshadowing the policy of Juarez when the quoodain empire shall have been finally overtarned. Hoe deprecates the punishment of Mexicans who have jomed the imperialists or the ooniscation of their eatates, and the C1 to be allowed untrammelied control of her own affairs, Bong Kong (China) advices, via Yokohama, to January 13 have been received, A disastrous conflagration, de- stroving thoueenda of houses, had occurred at Jeddo, The rebels wore threatening Hong Kong, There was great destruction of fice by the flood near Perang. The United states frigate Sheuandoah was expected from Caloutta, The reported arrival of the Colorado on the 23d ult, was confirmed. The burned district in Yoko- hawa was being rapidly rebuilt. The Japanese embassy of five persons and their suite would proceed to Wash- ington on the return trip of the Colorado, Lhe case of Captain Olney, of the steamer Washington Irving, who was arrested on a requisition from Covernor Pierpont, of Vircinia, has been transferred by Governor Fenton to Attorney General Martindale for an opinion. It is reported in Montreal that John A. McDonald will be made Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada and Jobn Rose Lieutenant Governor of Lower Canada. The name of the confederation will probably be the Dominion of he atv bag = has been received by the Secretary of the ‘Treasury that steps have been taken towards forming an organization among merchants in England for thé pur- pose of smuggling goods into the United states through Canada if the high tariff bill becomes a law. Governor Fenton has refused to commute the sentence of Wagner, the wife murderer, and he will be hanged Investigating Committee, appointed by the Mis- sour jintature to inquire into the alleged fraudulent sale of railroads in that State, bave closed their labors, and their report, it is understood, will entirely exonerate Governor Fletcher from all saspicion of fraud on his part in the transaction. The Radical State Convention of Maryland assembled at Baltimore yesterday, and was numerously attended. Resslations were adopted prociaiming universal man- hood euffrage and threatening the conservatives of the State with Congressional interference if they called a State Constitational Convention, A large mass meeting waa held at night. ‘The Indians in Arizona and New Mexico are reported to be «till og the war path, The military camp on the Membres had been broken up and the settlers in that vicinity had been compelled to flee. Several murders had been committed aad @ large amonnt of property destroyed or stolen. The alleged mardorer of Mrs. Kays at Stewartsviile, XN. J., on the 15th inst,, was arrested yesterday morning 4: Vineland, Camberiand county, in that State. ‘The rebel regulators of Kentucky bave served a warn- ing on Governor Bramiette, threatening him with vio- ,| lence if he issues any more proctamations against their lawless proceedings, and ordering him and other promt- Rent Union men of Frankfort to leave the State. Five magistrates of Norfolk, Va., have been arrested for refusing to receive the testimony of colored people im legal proceedings. Five dead bodies wore found among the freight ia the Grand Trunk Railroad depot at Buttalo yesterday. They ‘Wore packed in flout barrels ia a nade stale, and bore Se marks of violonog, The State Constitutional Convention—The ‘ Work to be Done. The constitution of the State of New York adopted twenty years ago was based upon the principle of decentralization. Under the preceding constitution all judicial officers ex- cept Justices of the Peace were appoinied by the Governor and Senate, The Chancellor and Judges of the Supreme Court held office during good behavior or until they attained the age of sixty. The Secretary of State, Comptroller, Treasurer, Attorney General, Surveyor and Commissary General were simi- larly appointed, and held office for three years, except the Treasurer, who was chosen annu- ally. The constitution of 1846 made all judi- cial and State officers elective, limited the terms of the Judges of the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court to eight years, changed the Senatorial districts from eight to sixteen, made the Senatorial term two years in place of four, and dispensed with the freehold qualification for Senators. Power was diffused as much 28 possible among the people. The experience of twenty years bas exposed the defects of the constitution of 1846, and the judgment of the State demandsa radical re- form of the fundamental law. As foretold by the best legal minds in the convention of that year, O’Conor, Kirkland, Judge Stowe and others, an elective judiciary has proved a sig- nal failure and a great public evil. It has been found that Judges who are compelled to wade through the mire of political caucuses to secure a nomination and to manipulate the dirty tools of party to ensure an election seldom carry unstained garmenis and clean hands to the bench. Men indebted to poli- ticians for judicial positions cannot easily shake off the load under which they have placed themselves. Under the elective system justice has been practically denied to the people, and the calendars of the higher courts have be- come so crowded and choked up that ten years would not more than svffice to clear them off, without the addition of any new business. A thorough reform of the judicial system of the State is therefore one of the principal duties that will devolve upon the approaching Convention of Revision. We must have judges appointed by the Governor and Senate for lite, and thus rendered independent of the people. An office thus held will be worth preserving ; the neglect and dilatoriness of our courts will be succeeded by diligent at- tention to duty; honesty will take the place of corruption and impartiality of political favoritism. The judge who does not owe his election to political wire-workers, grogshop canvassers and ward bullies will dispense justice with fearless hands, His time will not be occupied uor his decisions controlled by paying off party indebtedness during one-half of his term of office and by laboring for a re- of justive “whall be plaged xbove the Jovel of party politics and presided over.by fear less and independent men. Upon this re- form the people insist, and no convention will venture to withhold it. Such of the present judges as are found to be honest and capable should be retained in office and receive life appointments under the new constitution ; but the present pernicious system should be root- ed up and swept out of sight forever. Another question which will come before the Convention of little less importance than the judiciary is the manner in which New York otty shall in futare be governed. At present the municipality is Mexicanized. It is divided up under a score or 80 of independ- ent chiefs, all of whom do business on their own account and make as mach as they can out of the muddle. In one respect we are worse off than the Mexicans; for we cannot occasionally lead out a ‘few of the leaders into the Park and shoot them or hang them, and thus get them off our hands. Between grogshop rulers, legislative commissions and municipal rings, the city is left without any consolidated effective gov ernment, and the tax list is ro!led up to over twenty millions of dollars a year. All this must be changed. The new constitution must leaye us no longer in this condition, a prey to official corruption, with the commerce of the city suffering and the supremacy of the State endangered. The whole people of New York have an interest in the metropolis, and in the fundamental law should be written the system by which it shall in future be governed. We have already sug- gested, and now repeat, the plan of govern- ment which we believe the best calculated to remove all existing evils and the most likely to prove acceptable to the people. A couneil of three mayors elected by the people, the first three elected to hold office for one, two and three years, and their successors to be chosen for three yoars, would give us an exe- cutive bead responsible directly to the people and compelled to submit their action to the verdict of the ballot box every year. In these mayors should vest all the execu- tive power, and the whole government under them should be held within their own grasp and control. They should have the authority to appoint and remove the heads of all the subordinate departments, so that those heads would be directly responsible to them as they would be to the people. The Board of Supervisors should be abolished as a body powerless for everything but evil—an offensive excrescence on the government. To. the two boards of the Common Council should be given only legisiative and investigatory powers. The necessary municipal ordinances should be passed by them, subject to the ap- proval of the Council of Mayors, and they should hage the right of investigation into the conduct of the mayors and the management of every department in the city government. But they should be left without one iota of executive power. We can conceive no other plan that would [ao effectually secure a govern- ment calculated to promote the prosperity, happiffess and safety of the people, The prin- ciple of self-government would be vindieated by the election of the mayors. With three persons sharing the responsibility there would be little likelihood of corruption in the chief executive department, and the annually re- curring elections would put the control im the hands of the people. We believe that the great majority of the people would be satisfied with such a system, and that under it the burden of the taxpayer would be materially lightened and the city efficiently governed, ‘The Convention will have other matters of importance on its bands. The canalé of the Btate stould be more effectually shieldéd from Oorrapt mapaggment, and an ofoaive yarrier ~ ~-> should be ,raised against the system of claims now so pro,‘fic of fraud. All public officers, from the Gova7nor down, should receive fair and liberal salar", 80d no longer be paid a less sum tlmn competa"t bookkeepers and sales- men expect for thelr services. ‘The legislative system should be refohned and the compen- sation of the members bk’ made annual and raised to a decent amount. Something should be done to obviate the necesxity of crowding insignificant local tou faagen the Legis lature, and the laws to prevent xod punish bribery and malfeasance in office sould, if possible, be made more than mere shams. There is urgent need of thorough reforx” in these and other matters, and no unnecessa"y delay should be suffered to occur in the assem bling of the Convention of Revision. When the magnitude of the interests involved is con- sidered, it seems worse than folly in the Legis- lature to hesitate in the performance of the duty imposed upon them by the constitution to provide by law for the election of delegates to the Convention, or to involve themselves in partisan squabbles over 30 important a subject, Collector Smythe nad the Politiciaas. There appears to be a strong undercurrent of war against the Collector of the Porton the part of the politicians, the object of which is either to force him to resign or to bring about his removal. We hardly think, however, that the object will be effected. Mr. Smythe is not a politician; therefore he does not understand the machinery of that destructive, corrupt and designing class of the community. He isa merchant, and he thoroughly understands the wants of this commercial city; and, moreover, he is evidently disposed to afford every facility to the interests of commerce by remodelling the Castom House system. If bis plans, con- cocted with a view to this desirable end, have not been fully carried out up to the present time it is probably because he has not been long enough in office to perfect them fully, and partly becanse be has been harassed and ob- structed by the politicians, There is mani- festly a conflict going on in the Custom House between the two interests. Collector Smythe, who regards his office in the light of a trust for the furtherance of the business interests of this great maritime port, cannot be expected to accord exactly with political leaders who con- sider the office simply asa depository of the loavos and fishes; and hence there is a collision between Mr. Smythe and the politicians. But the Collector, baving got the right side of the question, and sustained as he is by the whole mercantile community, should not allow bim- self to yield an inch of his position 4o the ‘Forty-two yeats ago John ‘Banidolph, | of Roanoke, and Tristam Burges, of Rhode Island, were emphatically “representative men” in Congress, the one of Virginia and the South, the other of New England. During their memorable war of words,.and before the latter demolished the former by a final blow, thanking Heaven that “monsters cannot propa- gate,” Mr. Randolph won « signal advantage over “ the bald beaded eagle of Rhode Island,” by exclaiming in response to his antagonist’s eulogy ot Yankee shrewdness, “What you call Yaukee shrewdness we call Yankee swin- dling!” But even Randolph could have had no adequate conception of what he ao sharply stigmatized, nor of auch an astonishing incar- nation of it as, in the person of P. T. Barnum, was already “cutting eye teoth” at Grassy Plain, in the wooden nutmeg State. P. T. B. himself little dreamed of the dizsy heights of humbug which he was destined to olimb. He was then content to mix sugars, teas and liquors, to sell cotton for wool, wool and cotton for silk and linen, burned peas, beans and corn for ground coffee, and corn meal for ginger, and to get rid of old bottles and tin by an ingenious lottery swindle. At least so he informs us in “The Life of P. ‘'T. Barnum, written by himself.” He had not yet been inspired by prophetic visions of Joyce Heth, Niagara Falls in the museum, the Feejee mermaid, Tom. Thumb, the Swedish Nightingale, the woolly borse, the happy fam- ily, Iranistan, the Capitol at Washington and the White House “at the other end of the avenue.” Now, however, after having “ener- gized bis functions,” as Dr, Rush used to say, in a surpassing variety of ways, Barnum stretches himself for new and still more audacious flighia, Asa Congressional candidate’ he begins by exhibiting a characteristic correspondence with a mysteriously anonymous writer—whose real hidden name may be Outis or Noone, for aught we know—and which we print to-day. This correspondence. might form a curious ad- ditional chapter in the next edition of the “Model Letter Writer” or of the “Apocrypha,” lt bears a striking family likeness to the Feejee Mermaid, which was so fearfully and wonder- fully made. It is a political Feejee Mermaid. It finely illustrates. certain suggestive queries which the illustrious showman, with something like second sight, made two years ago, under: the head of “Personal Reminiscences,” in his work entitled “The Husmbugs of the World.” “Need [ explain to my own beloved country- men,” he asks, “that there is humbug in politics? Does anybody go into « political campaign without it?’ Obviously he does not wist to be suspected of being so green himself as to “go into a political campaign without it.” What a future smiles upon the aspiring Barnum! How shrewdly he hae. chosen, his moment for entering the politicabarena! The radical party is without a leader, Sick of Sumner’s midnight oil orations, sore. under ‘Thad Stevens’ lash, tired of Banks’ attitudl- nizing and sonorous monotones, bewildered by Raymond’s feats of ground and loity tam- bling, 1 of light-fingered Ben Butler, vexed at Asbley’s blunders, they await im- patiently the coming man—and his name is Barnum. He recommends himself to’ them by writing his own letters of introduction in this bogus correspondence. His denunciation of bribery and corruption is so sincere that they must adore his immacvlateness. We fear that perhaps he almost overshoots the mark by taking such pains to throw out the impression that he will give no money to secure his elec- tion. If he bad said nothing about it who would have suspected him of ever giving away anything but free tickets to hie Museum? Under the leadership of Barnum the radical party Will be thoroughly reconstructed om the grand historical principle humbug. Barnum has mastered :prin- cipte. He has fully revealed it to the world in the two works to which we have alluded, “The Life” and “The Humbugs.” Together these compose what may be called Barnum’s Bible. From Gibbon and the encyclopedists he has collected the history of all humbugs, from the Father of Lies humbugging Eve in the Garden of Eden, through the Witch of Endor, the Egyptian magicians in the days of Moses, Apollonius Tyanwus, Cornelius Agrippa, Cag- liostro, the Count of St Germain, George Psalmanazar, Prince Hohenlohe, Joanne South- cote, Matthias, Joe Smith and the Mormon Bible, the Davenport brothers, the Japanese jugglers, and the rest, down to Barnum bim- self—the last, but by no means the least ! The Connecticut election will be eventful, carious and intensely interesting. If the democrats should chance to carry the day, whicld is not impossible, farewell to the hopes which Barnum’s candidacy inspires that the radical party and New England itself will, under his leadership, be reconstructed on & new moral basis of swindling! The country will lose the benefit of the lessons which the Great Panjandrum of Humbug might give to Chase, and McCulloch, and Jay Cooke and the other financial illusionists at Washington. Pretty tricks as they know how to play with the national finances, they might yet learn much from Barnum. The Legisintive © York Fire Department. The Assembly committee empowered to inquire into the causes of the increased des- truction of property by fire and the general management and efficiency of the New York Paid Fire Department were in session in this city during the recess of the Legislature, and elicited some curious and interesting facts. The Fire Commissioners, the Chief Engineer and the Superintendent of Buildings were among the witnesses. Tho Commissioners all believe, of course, that the present department is well managed and very superior to the old volunteer system. Mr. Engs, one of the members of the Board, tesii- fled, however, that politics sometimes influences its action, and it appears from his evidence that the regulations in relation to storage are not properly enforced by the Board. Mr. Mc- Greggor, the Superintendent of Buildings, goes to the root of the evil, and attributes the con- stant ocourregce of fires in the city and their destructive character to the want of a stringent building law. The large stores on Church and other streets, he says, are se constructed that df afire takes place in them the whole ‘building 4s almost certain to be destroyed, and the theatres and places of amusement in New York ho describes ag. mere tinder boxes, though: built in conformity with the require. j-ments of the existing law. He cites the new ‘Bneszo Sullding 28 » model Sreproof building aad believes all lorge warehouses and stores . should be constructed ons similarly secure plan. Mr. E. Bonnoll, of the old department, made aome curious statements. He considered Mr. Abbe the only Commissioner who‘ under- stood his business ; had scen the Commissioners interfere with the engineers at fires, and had met one of them at a fire in a state of intoxica- tion. He had been told by Mr. Engs, when the Board was in session, that the’ Commie- sioners were holding a political caucus. vs ‘Tho efficiency of the present Fire Department may be sustained by the testimony of the Com- missioners and of the Chief Engineer, but the practical-evidence of the badly managed fires is all. the other way. Commissioner Engs ob- jects to the old department because it was in the habit of throwing too much water upon a fire; but as water generally subdues the flames, it might be well if the present department would sometimes fall into the same error. There are, no doubt, many valuable sugges- tions in the remarks of Mr. McGreggor and Other witnesses in relation to ® more stringent bnilding law, the proper enforcement of the sborage regulations, &.; but the general im- pression prevails that the Fire Department sadly needs overhauling, and the evidence of Mr. Engs and other Commissioners and the curious statement of Mr. Bonnoll, ‘are’ quite sufficient to prove thet Governor Fenton may make sweeping changes in the department with much advantage to the public. ‘The New Post Ofice-Opposition to tte Park , Jeb. The proposition of Mayor Hoffman and his committee to locate the new Post Office at the lower end of the City Hall Park, in the midst of crowded and dangerous crossings, excites more and more opposition every day. It has eyerything to condemn it and no single re- deeming feature.. Independent of the sacrifice of a valuable piece of public property for a mere song, the job would choke up one of the few breathing places of. the city, and increase the crowding, delay,.confusion and hazard to life and limb that at present mark that portion of Broadway, by adding a large accumulation of mail wagons to the cars, stages, coaches, trucks, carts, carriages and vehicles of all de~ scriptions that pass andimeet and jostle each other and get jammed up together there during all the business hours of the day. ‘The principal.evil. under which the business men of the city now suffer is the crowded and often impassable condition of Broadway.. Some time ago an-attempt was made to relieve: the worst part of that thoroughfare by opening Ann street to the river. Mayor Hoffman thought proper to veto. that improvement, and he now seeks to increase: alli the inconveniences and evils which he then refused to remove. The people protest against the job. They desire to have room to do their business and move about, instead of being crowded and crippled more than they are at present. They demand that the Fifth avenue shall be extended down to the Battery, that Ann street shal? be made one hundred feet wide to the river, and that other thoroughfares shall be thrown open, so that the trade and commerce of the city may have tree circulation. So far-as the location of the new Post Office ts concerned, if the general government cannot purchase the Astor House, or St. Paul’s chapel, or Stewart's Chambers street building, it had better procure a site in the midst of the old Five Points, build a Post Office there, and pre- pare the way for the improvement of that in- fected district, and its opening to business and respectability. Some six years ago the Hera proposed that the rookeries and 4ens of that should be cleared away and pub- lic buildings and warehouses cake their place. ‘This is good time to If 06 Post Office betwen ‘that proposition. | streste, boon rua over ‘sf one of the phabviy boa rmsor ot rrinpamng hg iggeaeron «er fmprovemenis would speedily ww, and @ material relief to Broadway would be effected, while the whole community would be benefited by the rooting up of the disease and crime which rankle and fester in that long neg- lected portion of the city, \ The Pviloso, » the Statesman and the Bil- ingegate Orator in Oue Day. The le reports in yesterday’s Heratp presented a\curious compound for a single day’s inte! .1 entertainment in New York- In the first placed we had Professor Agassia’s lecture upon “ ys,” next General Coch- rane’s lecture upow the Elements ot National Prosperity,” and ey ta Garrison’s leo-. ture upon “Our National Sitintion.” The first was a treatise upon the origin’ of animal life, eminently worthy of one of the profoundest naturalists and philosophers of the age, although he might have instituted researches nearer at home—the city of Washington, for example—and discovered some extraordinary specimens of the monkey tribe not to. be found in the valley of the Ammzon. Gemeral Coch- rane’s effort was statesmanlike, eloquent and erudite; for the General is more of a states- man than many who, by sufferance, wear the badge of such a distinction nowadays. But the last—Lloyd Garrison’s «ffair—was simply a Mrs. Candle lecture, with billingsgate trim- mings. For vituperation Garrison has no competitor outside the State of Tennessee. He out-Brownlows Brownlow; and, after the lat- ter’s powers fail, Garrison would make a capital substitute for the slang-mongering Gov- ernor of Tennessee in the executive chair of that State. These lectures, diversifled as they are, show the varied tastes of our people, and .on the whole are more intellectually beneficial than the gross and immoral representations to be seen nightly at some of our demoralized and demoralizing theatres. CITY INTELLIGENCS. Auction Sane o¥ Coat.—The salo of Scrantom coal yesterday was well attended. The amount sold wae sixty thousand tone, The bidding was active, The fol- lowing table shows the variation in price from the auc- tion eo~ month :— 7 fo, of tons. : . re $535 2 $5 0 40 2420 575 « 610 ,000 ogg 525 a 530 14,000 stove. . 51 a 6 BT 7,000 cheat’ 545 0 5 he The sales of this month exceed those of January by twenty-six thousand tons. In the prices, however, it will bo seen that there was adecline on steamboat, grate, egg, stove aud chestnut, while apon lump there was a slight advance. Tux Free Commisasionses. —The Board of Fire Commis- sioners met yesterday morning, President Pinckney ia the chair, A preamble and resolutions, requesting the Croton Aqueduct Department to instruct their inspectors ator wai the Bout adoursed. ‘Tax Souraenn Retixr Commmssion.—The appeal made in behalf of the destitution tn the South for the trans- mission of food, clothing and moncy by the steamship Bat oF The Srarxtive Corazm—The third eaacal bail of the above mentioned sociable came off on Tees- day evening at the New York Assembly Rooms, aod was every way @ very successful aed enjoyable affair. Thao cataual Giaplagy 06 tioe toute wenetery ustbeable cost distinguished & A —— Place o Monday last. at the Primary School No, 32, ‘Washington, of which Miss Annto Mortimer is principal, i Hg i i Hi the presentation of books the principal to her pupils, Atreuer at Svictor.—An elderly man named! Isnec Carroll attempted to commit suicide about half-past nine "clock: ferday morning, by jumping of the pier foot of iaghiy-aigih stroat inte tha laos iver ‘He was rescued by two citizens and taken to the residence of bis son, with whom he lives, in Eighty-third street, between Third and Fourth avenues, ‘ Banur Cacsaxp.—A colored man named Francia, who resides on North First street, Williamsburg, was Deadly crushed between a ong Plank and acert ot the foot of pier 21. North river. was taken home Free ix Oana Sraeer.—At a fow minutes pam tea o'clock Jast night a fire occurred in the garret of the dwelling house No. 480 Canal street, o'clock this merning, ia the restaurant and. wine cellars of M. Morgenthau & Co., known ss the “Bremer Raths- keller,” at 294 Broadway. The fire is supposed to‘have inated in the kitchew, in the extneme rear of the res- = one hat and twenty fect from Broad. ‘way, and as there was no rear and the smoke ‘and beat when the doors wes opened nearly suffucat- SXeagrsion be necortatned. The fee, is We oe. t bet ; far it has been He q BL ill lying ander the archway care vorg s ee