The New York Herald Newspaper, December 14, 1867, Page 4

4 BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. ee JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR. At! business or news letters and telegraphic Gespatches must be addressed New Yonrs Hraicn - Letlers apd packages should be properly sealed. Rejected communications will not be re- torned. XXXII. Wotum SMUSEMENTS THIS BVENING. WALLACK'S THEATRE, Brotdway ané 13 strest.—« Yows anp Country, BROADWAY THEATERS, Broadway.—Twxet or Leave Mam, Matinee at 13, , —_— FRENCH THEATRE, Fourteenth street.—Uee Con- Weruie Que Awat omy Nox. Matinee at 1—Gaano Ducuxss, | | pres {TUBATRH, Bowery.—Haang Or tx Grear 18%, N STADT THEATRE, Now @ and 47 Bowery, - Barer. | ” vrais GARDEN, pa ui ® 3 ‘EW YORE THEATR! ite New Ye iF goon rian Ganga Matinee es hit Te Molen Brosdway.—Hiéce Groox, Matinee : | OLYMPIO THEATRE, Broadway. Mipgoune Wicet'a Dusan Matinee at 14, so lines 4 ACADEMY OF Braxow, Matinee at NEW TORK CIRCUS, Fourteenth street, ~Graupasries, Ravasraranism, ac, Matinee at 94. Prey Fousteeath street.—Goipen FIFTR AVENUE THEATRE, Nos. ® and 4 West Mth Btreet.—Ym Gaanp Quan Buss. THEATRE COMIQUR, 614 Broadway.—Warrs, Corrox & Suserier's Mixstegrs, Matinee at 25. SAN FRANCISCO MINSTRELS, 68 Broadway.—Eraro- wisn Burestainuaxts, Sincing, DaNcinG amp Buccesquas. _tOWY PASTOR'S OPERA HOUSE, 201 Rowery.—Comic ‘ousLom, Necud Minstaxisy, 40. Matinee at 234. RUTLER'S AMFRICAN THEATRE, 472 Broadway.— Bavusz, Yauce, Pasromine, &c, Matinee ab 2g. "RUNYAN HALL, Broadway and Fifioouth atreet.—Taa Fivunue Matinee wt 3 * DODWORTH HALL, 805 Broadway. —Caricarves Patnt- ‘thos wita Lecrunm Matinesat 2. MOOLEY'R OPERA HOUSE, Brooklya,—-Eratorias Minstumcsr, BaLtads ND BuRLesquas. ' SEVENTH REGIMENT ARMORY, Tompkins Market.— Quand Bano Conceat, SOMHRVILLE ART GALLERY, 45 Broadway,—Ex. SuaitioN of Ow Paitixes, NEW YORK MUSEUM OF ANATOMY, 613 Broadway.— Bciancn any Agr. THE NEW EUROPE Hy speciai telegram through the Atlantic cable, dated $n London last night, we learn Shat a daring attempt, Biiended with disastrous consequences, was made to biow up the Clerkenwell Green prison in that city, in ‘which Colonel Burke and other members of she Fenian eryanization are imprisoned. A barre! containing gun- _ Powdor wus rolled against the wall of the prison and exploded, just opposite ihe yard in which the mmates xorcise, The jail wall was biown down toa cone & lo extent, several of the opposite houses shat tered, four persons killed and abeut forty wounded. None of the prisoners escaped, as they bad been locked up fust imnpodiately before the explosion took place, The city of London was greatly excited, Stringent measures are tobe taken against Fenmianism. An outbreak was anticipated ia Liverpool. The police are inadequate to bbe crisis, The newa report by the Atlantic cable ts dated yester- Gay evening. Funerals in memoty of the Manchester ¥oenian opnvicts were prohibited in Boifast, ireiand, and Oiaagow, Scotland. poleon is likely to dissolve the Frenob Legisiature peal to the people by & genoral @loctiau, The Ital! erpipent (ears an insurrection~ ary outbreak 1 addrossed a note question idenucal in exprossion with the late speech of ‘M. Rowher, The London imes says that Napoleon's Romana covference would be ridiculous after the speech of Mntster Rouber, The United States Dimister in Pektn will, it is said, Teave for Washington on @ special mission from the Ximperor of China Consols closed at 927; for money in Londo, Five- twenties were at 7111-16 in London and 76 11-16 in Frankfort. The Parts Bourse was improved and rentes advancing. The builion tn the Bank of Fraace in- creased fourteen millions of frapes in the week. ‘Tae Liverpeol cotton market closed withoat improve- meant, with middling uplands at Td. aT%¢d. The Man- chester trade report is unfavorable. Hreadsuffs and provisions without marked change, CONGKESS. To the Senate yesterday the bill regulating tha solee- tion of jurors in Utah was reported favorably by the committee and its passage recommended. It provides for marriages in that Territory and expressly forbids polygamy or sealing of wives, according to the teach- of the Mormon Church, The bill forthe exemp- Sioa from tax of cotton grown after 1867 was called up end postponed after a slight discussion untel Monday, ‘Tie House bill to regulate bounties was passed, The House resolution to adjourn over the holidays was ro- considered and adopted. The bill to raise the value of Tegal tender notes to par wes referred to the Committee on Finance, and the Senate adjourned till Monday. Io the House a resolution of inquiry ae to whether @ach malo member of the Shaker communtfty at Loba- on is alowed aa exemption of $1,000 on his income tax, or whether the exemption applies to the community aaa wholo, was adopted, The day was mainly devoted bo gouera! tebate on the late impeachment project. THE CITY. City Chamberlain P. B. Sweeny yoaterday seut a com- munication to Comptroller Connolly, informing him that hhe bad received the sum of $10,424 a8 the net proceeds terest for the month of November last on moneys of ‘and county in hiv custody over and above sal- aries and oxpenres of his office, making, with a previous payment, the total sum of $94,015 now standing tothe city’s crodit on that account * The sieighing yesterday was excelient in the city, the Pork and on the different roads leading from the efty, Hundreds of sleighs were out in the different sirests, and g the afternooa and evening the sir in the vicinity Park was musical with the chime of bells, The City railroads are pow runing more regularly, The Coroner's inquest over the body of Thomas Sbarpe, kilied in the aflray on Broadway on Weduosday, wat bold yesterday, Samuel Sharpe was released on This own rocognizance, Kelly refastng to enter any com- piaint against him, and Leon was discharged, Sharpe making deposition that be ba? mo charge to prefer ‘fjainat that gentleman. Two young girls, as we reported the other day, have ‘Deon missing for some time from their home in Brook- tym, On Wednesday night while thoir father, Joho Hastings, was searching for them, through the soow Storm, he was assaulied and robbed by bighwaymen. A national bank messenger was assaulted and robbed of $3,290,000 iu exchange checks and $500 in bills yes. terday io Wall street in broad daylight and in the midst of the usual throng of busy pasrors, The exchanges checks fortunately are useless, and the bold robbers have secared only the $500 booty. A gontieman sitting fin the Gold Room recently hed $8,000 in stocks taken from his Dreast pocket by an expert thief. In the case of Vernon K. Stevenson, who (e charged by the government with funding the proceeds of certain Confederate cotton during the war, for his own benefit, & motion to postpone on aecount of the absence of gov. ernment witnesses was made, bul decision on {hws reserved. ’ : The Inman line steamship Etna, Captain Bridgman, wil lonve pier 45 North river at noom to-day for Queens town and Liverpool. The mails for Ireiand wik close at tho Post Office at half-pasi ten this morning. ‘The Hemburg-Americaa Packet Company's steamship Porasio, Captoin Franseo, will leave Hobskon ot 12 M. | NEW YORK HERALD, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1867. © NEW YORK HERALD, | cer’iniaie ana tse corman Slaes wit coe ab tbe Post Office at halt-past ten o'clock this morning. The departure of the steamship Santiago de Cuba, Captain Smith, has been postponed until Monday next, 26th, at moon, when sue will sail for Sam Francisco via Panama, The stock market was firm yesterday. Government Securities wore steady, Gold closed at 133%. Basiness in almost ali branches of trade was mate- riaily checked yesterday by the snow embargo, Prices were generally nominal, Cotton was in fair demand, aud prices were i¢c, higher, Coffee was dull and une changed, On ’Change flour was dull, but unchanged. Wheat was dull and nominal Corn was not so firm and quiet, while oats were in active demand and firm, Pork was lower, while beef was steady and lard heavy. Naval stores were in better demand. Petroleum was steady, Wool was freoly dealt in, aud some kinds were Ormer, MISCELLANEOUS. The late storm swept with great fury all along the Atlantic coast, and its results are told in th» stories of shipwreck that are reaching us, The steamship Atlan- tic, from Southampton, had a fearful voyage, noarly all her upper cabins being crashed and her main saloons flooded by the heavy seas. ‘The sloop Maria was wrecked off David's Isiand, in Long Island Sound, and one man was lost, Several other disasters on the lakes and Oanadian rivers are also reported, by one of which ‘weive men were lost, A bark, @ hermaphrodite brig and a fore and aft schooner are reported aehore on Scituate and Sandwich beaches, outside of Boston harbor, * In Montgomery, Als., yesterday, a meeting of con- Gervative colored people was held, and.steps were taken towards an organized opposition tothe proposed consti- tution, In the Virginia Convention, yesterday, a resolution” favoring a momorial to Cougress for the retention of the Freedmen’s Bureau in the State wntil reconstruction is complete, and another asking General Schofield or the authorities at Washington to remove the State officers or give the Convention power to do a0, were laid on the table. The resolution relative to the intimidation of colored voters was laid ovor until to-day. In the Georgia Reconstruction Convention yesterday, @resolution asking the repeal of the cotton tax was adopted. A white delegate, Mr. Blount, protested against the action of the Convention generally, de- claring that the majority were conniving af fraud, and were aiming to do great wrong to the people, and offered bis resignation. The extremists have # ma- Jority of twenty. Au account of the earthquake shocks at St. Thomas and the great tidal wave accompanying them, is given in the Heratp this morning, and will be found valuable for the data which it furnishes to acience on the aubject, In the Constitutional Convention yesterday, the ques- tions of securing another hall in Albany, and adjourning on the 20th inst., were postponed till Wednesday, The judiciary report was again considered, and several Bections were adopted. A The Tennessee Legislature has passed the Common Carrier bill, which gives to the negroes the same privi- Jeges of travel on railroads that are aongygee to white People Anogro named Joseph Marshall, who was arrested In- St. Louis recently on suspicion of being concerned in the murder of a German farmer residing near that city, was on Thursday night taken from the constable who had him in charge by a party of Germans and lynched. A deputation of loyal leaguers from Virginia and the Carolinas, composed in the majority of colored men, Visited Thad Stevens and Ben Butlor yesterday. Both those gentlemen freely expressed thelr vie! on confiscation, disfranchisement and reconairuction to the deputation, ‘Tho soldiers and gailors of tho Uaion will hold a con- ference at Washington, December 16, to take into con- sideration the proprioty of nominating a Presidential candidate, The pork packers In Loulsville have already closed their establishments for the season owing to stringency tn the money market, oulside combinations against them and the exorbitant price demanded by feeders. The Wabash avenue Skating Rink at Chicago, which was opened last summer, was deatroyed by fre yes- terday. The Indians at Fort Laramie ¢ontiaue to talk peace, and furntsh provisions to the hostile tribes, ‘The democrats in the California Legistature are baflot- ing in caucus for e United Siates Senator, Sugene Cas- sorly and W, F. Wallace are the favorites, Mexico and temala—The Approaching War and ite Possible Tesues. The declaration of war by Mexico against Guatemala illustrates on a small scale the belligerent and aggressive ideas which often take possession of States inflated by military successes. Scarcely emerged from her late struggle for life, and still heaving with those turbulent elements which have involved her in anarchy since her separation from the parent State, Mexico should be the last country to wago war, especially against a sister republic with whom a friendly alliance is almost essen- tial to the permanence of her own nationality. Sanguinary disputes and empty bombast seom to be inseparable from the Spanish character. Hence we hear of vainglorious Mexican leaders breathing defiance against the United States, to whom they owe their deliverance from the foreign yoke, while their press indulges in Quixotic speculations apon the possible cap- ture and annexation of Cuba by Mexico; and, finally, war is declared against its next door neighbor, Guatemala, Already forces said to be several thousand atrong have crossed the Guatemalan frontier, and, doubtless, by thia timo the café au lait Inhabitants of those vol- canic regions are at each others’ throats in the most approved Spanish-American fashion. The immediate result of such a contest is of slight importance to Americans, Guatemala, anti-progressive in policy and shut up within itself by a Japaness exclusiveness, has little insympathy with the growth of repub- lican ideas. From the era of its independence up to about twenty years since, when the In- dian President Carora usurped dictatorial powers, Guatemala hae presented a scene of bloodshed and crime quite equal to anything in Mexican annals. Under the iron rule of Carera, as well as that of Corna, his successor, the Executive has wielded the functions of roy- alty to all intents and purposes. Guatemala loaned decidedly towards the late empire, and Juarez owes her o grudge for her ill-judged sympathy. During the French intervention a secret alliance was in negotiation with Guate- mala, by which that State was eventually to have been annexed to Mexico. A part of this plan was to bring in the other Cen! Ameri- can republics and form a grand Spanish- American ompire ; but those little soverelgn- ties peremptorily declined, and the acheme was abandoned. Soon after this the withdrawal of the French troops was announced as decided upon and ringing the knell of the empire. Gua- temala thereupon hastened to wash hor hands of the proposed alliance by a circular sent by Sefior Aycenons, then Minister of State, to for- elgn governments, denying all intention of surrendering ita sovereignty to any Power whatever, This affair, however, has been fo part made a pretext in Mexico for warlike de- monstrations, . Bince the overthrow of the Spanish authority fn 1821 the city of Guatemala has been to a great extent controlled by » sort of provincial nobility, the remaants of the old aristocratic families who flourished under the vice-royalty, and some of whom retain their titles to this day. The mongrel classes, such as comprise the patchwork populations of Mexico, exist proportionally in Guatemals tom less extent than in any other Spanish State, the extremes of rich eristo cratic families and the vast Indian hordes who comprise four-fifths of the inhabitants being more distinctly defned. The earliest intes:ine wars of Central America grew out of this aris- tocratio reactionary element, guided by the priesthood, aiming at a centralization of power in Guatemala over the othes four republics, and which for half a century has effectually prevented a federal union. The ideas of this controlling party are anti-republican, and, among their leading men, even monarchical. Their. readiness to listen to the overtures of the late imperial government in Mexico was only in continuation of the attempt of the old vice royal families in 1822 to incorporate Central America with the empire of Yturbide. But with all these local repellant forces Guatemala will probably be vigorously sus- tained by her little sister States fo this war with Mexico. There is still a latent bond of union between them, based upon a common origin of race and religion, which is invariably aroused by foreign aggression. An attack upon any one enlists the sympathies of the whole, as was instanced in the Mexican in- vasion in 1822, and the more recent combined efforts of the whole to expel Walker and his filibusters from Nicaragua, The present in- vasion, therefore, by Mexico of Central Amer- ica will tend to unite the five republics on the principle of selt-preservation; for it is well known that the alleged settling of dis- putes about Chiapas and Soconusco ere only pretexts for extorting money and even of acquiring farther territory to the southward, by forcing from a weaker Power what a stronger one has taken from Mexico to the northward. To extend the Mexican re- public, divert the public mind from their. pres- ent embarrassments into other channels, dazzle the people with visions of national aggran- dizement, and come to # reckoning for the sympathy shown to the French intervention, are the objects of the war. Should Guatemala invite to its aid foreign elements, from whatever source, as Nicaragua did Walker in 1854, Mexico would find herself menaced from a new direction, and this time not alone by het own race; nor could she count upon having the tremendous moral force of the United States in her favor. She would be left to fight her own battles against those who have bitter scores to settle with her, and whose assistance Central America would gladly accept. Thus, instead of aggrandizing herself by attacking an unoffending neighbor, Mexico may yet fing herself in the condition of the raven who attempted to fly away with the ram. Central America is being Americanized far more rapidly than Mexico, owing to the several routes of interoceanic communication now at- tracting the attention of capitalists of Amer- ica and Europe,.and the great immigration schemes on foot; especially as regards Hondu- rae. This Mexico-Guatemalan war, ‘therefore, may be the first step towards the downfall of the Spanish-American governments on this Continent and their absorption by the great republic of the North. Sad aah * Murder, or, as we choose to name it for the sake of ears polite, homicide, is the prevailing passion of the hour. It has come down upon us like and with the siow shower. Whether it has any connection with the meteoric display with which we sublunary mortals have recently been favored, or with the cyclones, the earth- quakes and the volcanic eruptions which have been puzzling the philosophers, we know not, butit fs not the less undeniable on that account that murder is the order of the hour. The Heratp yesterday was not unwilling, in the interests of the public, to give almost an entire sheet to cases of homicide. In this country the cases really have become alarm- ing. It is not a New York question or the question of any State in the Union; it is an American question. We have no desire to go into particulars. The cases are too revolting tobe reproduced. The news of the last few woeks has been quite sufficient to produce the conviction that in New York (we might take a larger area) life is continually in danger. Gentlemen visit barrooms; rowdies frequent them. Gentlemen do not carry either pistols or bowie knives, but rowdies do. The natural consequence is that in barrooms inno- conce may suffer and rowdyism may escape. Barrooms, in particular, have become danger- ous places, Gentlemen will be compelled to avoid them unless they have made up their minds to carry, every hour of the day, their lives in their hands. What is the cause of all this? It results from one cause chiefly. The earrying of fire- arms, or rather lethal weapons, is not held in sufficient check. The rowdy minstrels have made this abundantly plain. All the cases recently reported confirm this opinion. What is the cure? Let the law on the question be announced with sufficient clearness and ‘erophasis, and then let the ‘law be put in force. If we have no law, let us know the fact. If we have a law, let’ it be enforced. It we have no law, wo cannot too soon have one. If we bave ® law, wo must bave proof, and proof of a very satisfactory kind. In writing this article we are not forgetful of General Cole or indifferent to the interests of Mr. Kelly, but we do insist that republican institutions shall not be allowed to degenerate into lawlessness. The Reduction of Tolls on the Atlantic Cable. We have recently published in the advertis- ing columns of the Hxrarp the reduction of tolls for Atlantic cable messages. We now recur to the subject because we age strongly of the opinion that many business houses, and especially many newspaper proprietors, fail to comprehend the extent of the reduction, It may be interesting to review a few facts connected with this enterprise. The cable was landed at Heart's Content Friday, July 27, 1866, and since that date communication across the Atlantic has nover consed. The line was opened for public use Saturday, July 28, 1866, ate tariff of one hundred dollars, gold, for ® message in plain language of twenty words, inclusive of address, date and signature. Two hundred dollars was then charged for cipher, or code, messages of the same length. November 1, 1866, the rate was made fifty dollars for a plain word message of twenty words, inclading address, date and signature ; one hundred dollars for cipher, or code. December 1, 1867, the rate was reduced a third time, giving, free of all charge, five words employed for address, date and signature, abolishing extra charge on messages in code, making the minimum message ten words for twenty-five dollars, and granting the press en additional reduction of fifty per cent on general and political news, At these rates any newspa- per can obtain its special telegram from London for twelve dollars and « half, at which it would seem that every enterprising journal would de- sire occasionally to receive its own correspon- dent’s despatch, The Effects of Capital Punishment. There are, perhaps, few subjects upon which there is more diversity of opinion than the effect of the punishment of death in repressing crime. Of late we have had public executions in this country attended sometimes with great horror, from the inexperience of our execa- tloners, In England there have been similar events lately, clothed with political signif- cance, that have provoked from the press of Great Britain sharp controversy as to the pro- priety or the policy of carrying out “the extreme penalty of the law.” All these things have set men’s minds to thinking about the general effect of capital punishment as a method of repressing crime. For our part we never had any doubt about the terrors of the scaf fold as a preventive of the crime of murder. It is true that we have seen bravado applauded at the gallows and enshrined in the memory of the mob as heroism, and we have had fre- quent instances of religion enfolding the crimi- nal with the vesture of a martyr, and the fatal drop which breaks the neck or, io clumsy hands, sometimes subjects the wretch to protracted torture, represented as the stepping stone to eternal salva- tion; or we have seen or heard or read of shocking orgies around the gallows which’ reduce the solemnity of-death to the levity of @ spectacular entertainment ; but these things are inseparable from public displays to which the lower elements of society are attracted, and it is these elements, and rarely any others, that are always found in the neighborhood “where a fellow being is to be publicly strangled. Demoralized public sentiment crowds the housetops in the vicinity of the place of execution. It clings to the trees, if they happen to be about; it begs admission at the doors of the jail; it cries “bravo” to the last words of the criminal if they are plucky, and, maybap, it turns away in disappointment ifthe poor creature does not die game. Now, the point is, who does die game with ahalter around his neck? Who feels like a hero when the black cap is drawn over his face and the light of life is shut ont from him forever? The political victim whose trans- gression is, in his judgment, a virtue, and who feels that history will go record it and do justice to his memory, may greet his last gleam of sunshine with a smile; but the man who dies upon the scaffold conscious of a great crime has no such consolation, and to him a death like this must be invested with ineffable terror, disguise it as he may. Assuming that capital punishment is not only desirable but necessary, there ts yet much to be said Khout the mode of 4Aflicting it. in no instance should the execution of a criminal be made a public exhibition, In every case there should bea skilful executioner employed instead of a clumsy sheriff, whose very ner- vousness often makes the death penalty a butchery, and the scene one of horror and disgust. The Recent Railroad Disasters. Scarcely has the horror created by the ter- rible disaster on a railroad in Ohio, by which four lives were wantonly sacrificed, subsided, when the telegraph wircs bring us news of a still more appalling scene on a Vermont rail- road. A train filled with mechanics was backed up towards a precipice, where a bridge was being constructed, and the engineer, unable to stop it in time, sent the en- tire party over the declivity. The fall was seventy feet. Fifteen men were killed on the spot, and there are others that cau- not survive. Scarcely any of the seventy workmen in the cars attached to the train escaped serious injury. A locomotive of a passenger train exploded on a Virginia rall- road on Wednesday last and killed the en- gineer nnd fireman. Again, we have intelli- gence from Obio of s freight train breaking through @ bridge, the engine and ten cars being precipitated inte the Sandusky river, The conductor is supposed to be killed. Now, thesa accidents, or rather murders, on railroads are becoming of too frequent occurrence. Not ® day passes without news of some of the kind, and it is high time that stringent measures should be taken to put @ stop to them. It is a subject in which every one is interested; for tMese is scarcely @ person im this country who is not obliged to entrust his or her life some time or other to the tender mercies of a railroad. The entire system of railroad management in this country ise nuisance aud an evil. Tho real cause of these disasters may be found in the fact that the majority of railroad directors are too much taken up with stock jobbing operations in Wall street, using the stock of their company for that purpose, and too fond of large dividends without a proportionate expenditure for the necessities of the road, to bestow a thought on the safoty of their passen- gers and employés. It is too frequently the ease that the directors monopolize all the contracts for cars, locomotives, rails and other railrosd material, and they wish to provide these things at as little expense and greata profit to themselves as possible. To carry out their Wall street schemes they try to put their stock up to the highest point bys criminal system of economy in the most neces- eary particulars, It has ofien becn remarked by passengers standing on the rear platform of the rear car of a train that the miserable threadbare rails over which they pass quiver and tremble as if they would break or start from the ties. The Hudson River, Harlom and Central Railroads, under tho management of Commodore Vanderbilt, may be trasied by the public as exempt from the results of criminal carelessness on the part of the directors, On other lines, however, the evil bas attained such dimensions that it imperatively calle for a thorough investigation and remedy, Tha late disaster in Vermont may have been cansed by an incompetent or careless enginser, But there are other parties who should be held to atrict account for all so called accldents of this nature. Every part of a train and all material used on & railroad should be of the best kind, and carefully inspected, and none but thor- oughly competent employés should be put in charge of 9 train, Let the proper suthorities make a signal exemple of the guilty party in each of these railroad murders, and they will be Uke angels’ visite, “few ond ter between” The Late“ Napoleonic Idea, -<«- His Majesty the Emperor of the Brench proposes @ new “J xposition”—a grand international fair for the exhibition of the products of human ingenuity in chip. building, navigation, chars, ship stores, sailors’ toggery—the whole multitude of articles and spparatuses that can be classed as having relation to maritime sience and effort. The official announcement states that this Exposition will open at Havre in June, 1868. Elaborate lists of the classification are already out His Majesty the Emperor is an illustrious busybody, but his meddling has a method in i. His new Exposition, like the one in Paris, like the German war, like Rome, like even Mexico, diverts the attontion of the French people and feeds the popular thought with bril- liant notions of the Emperor's ommisclence. This latest echeme has in it rather more than this, It has been seen how well the Exposition of the present year was made to play upon the national vanity. All the peoples of the earth were brought to submit their products to French judges; and the French judges decided that the people of France—her artists and artisans— were superior to all. “Good,” say the people of France, “we always thought so. It takes the Emperor to prove all this.” Now we have an Exposition especially maritime, and this is to prove to Franoe that she is also the greatest of naval Powers—under the empire. Ship- builders will show theie plans, ingenuity will be exploited and scientific thoughts pondered, and then French shipwrights, inventors and thinkers will get all the premiums, and the world at large be once more made to endorse the Emperor to his doubting subjects. But perhaps the world may not go to the fair Never mind ; the reports can be made out just the same. Vive la bagatelle / , The Dickens’ Ticket Sale. We have received many communications io regard to the sale of the Dickens’ tickets, and have heard many statementa of fact on the same subject from trustworthy persons, snd all together furnish convincing evidence that the seats for the second series of readings were not fairly and honestly sold. Whoever may be to blame, it seems clear that it is a mere pre- tence to say that the regular method of selling the seats was departed from in order to defeat the speculators. That is an insufficient cover for the transaction, and does not conceal that the worst of the speculators is somewhere on the inside of the line that separates the man- agement from the public. Mr. Dickens and Mr. Dolby are in bad hands, and the sooner they recognize {t and mend the matter the better they will stand in the regard of all honest and sincere admirers of the great novelist. THE SLEIGHING CARNIVAL. New York on Ruanors—Scones on the Road— stormy Male senegn yshered In the sleighisg cernival, and all Now York iibt ¢duid afford thé laqury ‘and were courageous enough to brave che keen, atpping wind thab blew fiercely and strong from the northeast yeaterday enjoyed themselves on ragners, Tho subsidence of the terrific gale of Thursday had left the atmosphere clear and bright, and with the glorious beams of an efulgent sun streaming dowa upos the unsullied snow, which Iay thiok and = glisteriag upon the ground, bearte were made light and bodies made heavy with furs and warm woollens, by the pree- pects, anticipations an@ preparations for an actual dash ever the gurface of the hard, crisp mantie that bad covered old Mother Earth's deformitioa, The carly morning etillness was broken by the sweet and incessant tinkling of numerous sleigh bells, at one ume chiming faintly aed again ringing out clear and resonant on the morning air, Asthe day advaneed these merry sounds became louder and more frequent, and before nightfall the whole alr was vocal with the sweet and pleasant Jinglings, and every thoroughfare contributed in a man- ner to swell the wiotry chorus, When night had fairly set in, however, many more eleighs filed with happy mortals of beth sexes @han had deen enrobed and bianketed during the Gay might have beon seen gliding along in cutter, chariot and famtiy equipage, all sing- ing, Jaughing or shouting joyousiy, heeding not, earing mot lor tbe piercing biasta of Boreas ner the blinding and unpleasant anowers of drifting snow which ever and anoa was whirled into their faces, but with spark- ling eyes and raday cheeks were bent upon enjoying themselves to the fullest extent, while their hearts kept time to the melodious music of the bells. Livery stables ware ransacked for conveyapces of the prevailing order, dusted and brought out, and wore soo Biled with mulling faces, SLMGWNG IX THA CITT, ‘The majority of ous streets are a: no time very sefe or enjoyable for pleasure riding, and they are much more uncomfortable when filled with heavy snow drifia and dwarfed Alpine rangos piled high beside the Ubreatening one wiih —: and numer. temerity to voniure with ther {rail cutters the great central artery had, &s & general jog, very bard i to travel, The through the . Tt was simoss an wi to pase ibe siages, for the miniature mou heaped up ucar the sidewalks forced all traffic into the centre of the street and barely lett room for those com- ing In opposite directions to keep elear of one anotuer, ‘and compelled those iraveliing over tuis road to conteat themselves with jogging along at a slow gait, ON THE YUTH AVENUR Here on this stacey thoroughfare of princely man- gions omoibuees and drays were rather scarce, and were the order of the day. ‘Four in band’’ to fashionadie turnouta before the doors of lordly tmpationtiy pawing the snow while Mew fair ~~ while ® contin uous string of sloighs, ready filled, dashed by and made their way towards tho upper part of the en Toe gotuie ornamentation of churches was brough: out in bold reitet by the fleeey drapery that still %0 their deep moilioned cuttings, and ‘over windows, doorr and balconice the white trimmings Up magmidecatly im the light of tue seiting sun, sad jooked Lixo settings of briiliants against a dark in nvany places the snow bad been biown from the pavement, and this made pleasant; bat this was borne with > idl iu tu@ bopes of better enjoyment after reach- is Par PARK. This spot wee of course more exciting and interesting than acy otber inbo vicinity of (hecity, All its varions thorough we crowded throughout the day with gay ands id equipages, comprising every descrip- tion of (he feotastic yelicular construction reserved by it @ carriage buiider especially for sivighe, Fast beaeliful women, magnificent turnouts, y \axurious appointments in the way loos and furs, contributed to render this favorite resort ¥, deep te the desolate and forbitding char- ‘coral landscape, as on the Drightost day of @uromer ‘uraa, when the Park, with ite glo ries of foliage and scenery and al! \ts artificial embelliah- —_ seems iovely as some artist's dream of Paradise. u the aftern INODALA ROAD S.Ssaaem gm THR BLOC Probably one of the weet thors ‘he wind aad other a wes wee | jor the fortnnate ¢hance e@ct ons Leen permitted to exercise, or at beast not te 40 saeealy Seow Sunatel tamsensn,, eer Son tae _ Jority of pleasure on senate Ste: Setpercapncoms nn tp ttt eg tat people of fashion to be abroad until hours and hours after the rising of the moon (which, the way, was fuekily yesterday nearly at the full) every variety and form of the genius sie: {rom the stately chanes, scoommoditing with ease & ly of a dozen, chil. dren not iuciuded, ¢ with a “funkoy? decked out in all questionable glories of liveried grandeur, down to the delicate little cutter, juss capabie of containing two not unwilling to sit ae grey This road was especially the Se Taare as nsirna tants Sess ras) unity a! ep to ddvantaxe pend pid the merits of their own parties ular Specimens ‘of equine speed, ‘“Two-forty” seemed » ridiculously ordinary and common rate of transit, when aro impartially alongside of the almost ineredible of swifiness which were either performed or re to be performed om this road yesterday. 1 “tall driving’ current could the ownersof the most illustrious of the race track marvels have cause t tremble for the laureis of But, foel as sensitively f ‘. ES H st ae Z 2 £ : 3 & ges = H Re H sy FH Hi : 3 e if a 5° is gueistetiey agian: Sy ‘anipintny ond pay Dumerous and almost inoumerable chariot, whereu; ae & matter ble paterfamilias and — apparently in terms more paomceeorpe pag fMharrvegee pel iW gre the later immediately a P insignificant cutter by his side provoked a yell of derision, directed chiefly a the mediocre quality of their antagonistic be josh, The matter at once became a contest of im which the rivals sought to prove by the supe- jor prowess of their borses their own superior to consideration, For several minutes the rivalry come timued to Increase in interest, Faster and faster the steeds over the snow; more and more excited grew the occupants of the sleighs; louder and became the exclamations of encouragement tothe horses. and of contempt for the various parties concerned, some time the vebicles travelled along side by aice, ‘at length the superior bottom and endurance of chariot coursers to tell visibly, and the saucy li! cutter was di ‘an advant was steadily maintained, But alas for the human triampn! Just af this very moment, whem victory seemed within the grasp of the venes rable paterfamiliag before roferred to, & sui deflection in tho road caused his vehicle lurch vigleatly to one side, avd although for a second Smo the result seemed doubtful, its equilibrium Was leasi its soaten the a of an immense snowdr = which ihe Pa Site hs sulle of the dole bor oe ner tooohed ‘he cold and moist snow; loud and startling were the shouts of the — {ely on! deep Leet tory rere ancate Cad the’ general eusatrephe." 6 for old Harlem 28 FE iE to foveral dave of clear weather, i Jt fn ghort, Just fitted ‘for the" of sleighing. It these favorable auguries shi pily prove trae the sport will probably be pursued ‘® geet aod earnest Bess greater than on yesterday. CHARLES DICKENS. pathetic story of “Little Dombey,”’ which he relieved by ‘@ repetition of the mirth provoking ‘Trial from Pict wick.” How well this trial bears repetition! Mz. Picks wick stood up, when escorted inte court, in as interes ing “a state of agitation,” snd, when the finding of the Jury was declared, drew on his gloves with as great @ nicety, and etared as Intensely at the foreman, as on hig ‘was heard 9s well as seon agai, Sergoant Buzfus was as overwhelmingly eloquent, Mr. Winkle as nervous and Sosannsh Sandere es garrulous ag over, Samived Weiler was greeted with as great enthusiasm, and bis Fy He BEE HI f j 4 z g &g at tay Bz ; I a sistit E ri “3 thik be the pous Mr, Domt the ‘De. Biimber, Mrs Chick, sire Fiponts, or . Mr. Fooder, B. A. Briggs or the sighing co etes bie TN Lute himself, Umer vlog. the iinteiced ld ‘Nurse, or any other creation with whieh be peopled our memory. ee SWINDLING OPERATIONS, A very genteel looking young man called at the howre of Mr, Tuttts, Fopty-cighth street and Fifth avenue, yesterday, |, Purporting to be an expressman, gave to Mrs, Tetfta a package which be sald came from Boston, jt 45 for charges, Mrs. Toflts the om, anonted bundle being opened it was Wena to comtain a note stating that the goods Lad been checkea, and a blank bank check. ‘About noon yesterday & man entered the clothing store No. nd ird avenup and aiir linen handkerchiefs and anne aud asked $60 for the lot, While the proprintor of the store was making ® bargain anotber roan ore 19 and offered $100 the same goods, and asked the storekeeper to wait until could got heck cashed. He then paid $30.in ney for s sui clothes and lef to get the obeck ashed. Soe Rene | along time [he Ta a. to return the storekeepor examined the goods and’ covered that they were worth not more than $10, tee {wo men are described as being German Jews, STABDING AFFAAY. James White, an expressman, white deliveries pote tove at No, 878 Second avenue last evening, tonne en, g.ged in a quarre! with Edward Balkart, @ Garmnn, tly> the quarrel adiek Ie nad siadboa Boul. fieting severe un, often of Comarga to