The New York Herald Newspaper, March 3, 1868, Page 6

6 NEW YORK HERALD. BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR. Volume XXXIIL.....-+00+ AP eneneareeeeeenees AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING, WALLACK’S THEATRE, Broadway and th streot— Paut Pay. \' preg's OPERA HOUSE, id st, corner Bighth av.— Lina pt Cuamoumix, BROADWAY THEATRE, Broadway. -Sau. BOWERY THEATRE. Bowery.—Ganew [Hiics oF tue ‘an West—Frepenice tas Gasat. "ew YORK THEATRE, opposite New York Hotel, — Nosopr's Davonten. FRENCH THBATRE.—Geaxv Docusss. OLYMPIC THEATRE. Broadway.—FAancuon.g NIBLO'S GARDEN, Broadway.—-Taw Waits Fawn. BANVARD'S OPERA HOUSE AND MUSEUM, Broad- ‘Way and wth st.—Tas Octoroon, ' NEW YORK CIRCUS, Fourteenth street, —Gruwasrics, :Bqorstaranise, £0. “THEATRE COMIQUE, 614 Broadway.—Bostow Batter D Pantomime TROUPE. } SELLY & LEON'S MINSTRELS, 790 Broa ‘Dances, Eocentnicirizs, &¢.—Gnano Dorca Songs, | ‘ F SAN FRANCISCO MINSTRELS, 585 Broad way.—Etmto- ‘eian Burertaixments, Suvaine, Daxcuta ano Bugiesquas, ® TONY PASTOR'S OPERA HOUSE. 21 Bowery.—Coxio ‘VocaLism, Nxcko MixstRELsr, &0. ' } BUTLER'S AMERICAN THEATRE, €73 Broadway.— ‘Bast, Fance, Parrouian, &¢. BUNYAN HALL, Broadway. and Fifteenth street.—Tas ‘Puma. Matinee at 2, ‘ BTEINWAY TIALL.—Reapings nom SuAKsrEanz— Mipsumze Niour's Daman. , MRS, F. B, CONWAY'S PARK THEATRE, Brooklyn. Sessus Brows. HOOLEY'S OPERA HOUSE, Brooklyn,—Ermiorian Mucrasisy.—Buatusque or tas Wit Faws. * BROOKLYN OPERA HOUSE, Williamsburg.—Warr be Wisa-rox-wisu—Jaxny Linn, &c. * NEW YORK MUSEUM OF ANATOMY, 618 Broadway.— Boence and Ant. TRIPLE SHEET. New York, Tuesday, March 3, EUROPE. the vews report by the Atlantic cable ts dated yester- Gay, March 2, + Mr. Disraeli’s Cabinet is said to becomplete The Premier has summoued a legislative caucus of the tory members of Parilament, The German Zollverien Con- ‘Vention 18 in session. Changes have been made in the War Department of Turkey. Admiral Tegethoff is pro. mMoted to the chief command of the Austrian navy. A North of Irolaud grand jury condemas all party proces- sions, CONGRESS. In the Senate yesterday the consideration of the im- Peachment rules presented by the select committee was resumed, the particular question being on tho limitation of time for speechos of counsel during a trial. The first part allowing two persons to argue on each side was adopted, but the second part allowing two hours to each was lost, Am amendment striking out tho words “High Court of Impeachment” wherever they occur, and substituting “ihe Senate," was adopted and the rules wero passed. The Senate at a quarter of eleven o'clock P. M. adjourned, Tho House resumed the session of Saturday at ten o'clock, the discussi8u upon the articles of impoach- ment being continued in Committee of the Whole, At twelve o'clock Monday's session commenced, and the discussion was continued. An additional article was Proposed by Mr. Butler, charging the Presiden: with making inflammatory and scandalous harangues ‘against Congress during his Western tour. Tho article was ected by @ vote of 50 to 14. Progress was reporied to the House, and Mr. Kidridge, on behalf of forty-five democratic members, asked the privilege of presenting a protest azainst the action of the house and having tt read. The Speaker id not consider ita privileged question. Unanimons eonsent was asked to presont it or to have it printed In the Globe, but numerous oljections were made. The articles were then ali adopted separately by an average vote of 125 to 41, only two repub- Iicans voting no. The vote was then ordered for seven managers of the impeachment The democrats Geclined to be represented among the tellers and also declined to vote upon the election of managers. Mossrs. Stevens, Butier, Bingham, Boutweil, Wilson, Willams ‘and Logan were elected. Resolutions notifying the Genate of thia action and that the articles be carried to the Senate by the managers w opted. The House then adjourned. THE LEGISLATURE. Tho Senate mot yesterday and adjourned for want of ® quorum. In the Assembly a bill was introdused to impoee a toll on freight carried by railroads runuing paralio! w tue State canals. THE CITY. Darnum's Maseam, on Broadway, near Spring street, took Gre at about half-past twelve o'clock last night ana was entirely consumed, The giraffe, while offorts wore making to rescue the animals, fell against the doorway and offectually prevented egress, ‘The rest of the ant- mal: th the exception of # few who were rescu d by the Mercer street door, were burned up. Tho fire ox- tended to the Prescott House and created great con- fusion among the boarders. A high wind was prevail- tng at the time. ‘A mass meeting was held at Cooper Institute last evening for the purpose of raising an educational fund for Washington College, Virginia, of which the ex-Con- federaie General Leo is President. Speeches were do- livered by Professor Hitchcock and Heary Ward Beecher. In the course of bis remarks the latter said that if be bad been born and bred in the South he might have done as General Leo did as the breaking out of the war, ‘The snow storm which commenced at noon on Sun- day continued through the night and all day yesterday, @ sti gale accompanying it and blowing th huge dritt now Into Groat (nterraption was experienced in ds, and eome detention Ironds loading belog almost tothe city, The storm was quit equally severo in Brookiyo, New Jersey, Boston, Canada, Missouri, Wisconsin and elsewhere, In lowa bat little snow is reported to Lave fallen along the lives of rail- road, 1a th6 Board of Aldermen yortorday tho resolution impeaching Governor Fenton of bigh crimes and mis. dou@amors was referred to the Committee ov Law. MISCELLANEOUS. In tho coming impeachment trial it t+ understood ore that objections will be made to the presonce of 8 wi Wate and Pi n, the former as having an inte tho result, and #0 nearly the President as to ve biassed in his conviction Our Panama correspondence is dated February 23, Later intelligence had been received there from Central Amer- fos, but ft was ouiwportant, A series of severe earth- quakes bad occurred at La Union, Salvador. The news from Ecuador was intorosting. The new President, Dr, atin wed to NEW YORK HERALD, TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 1868.~TRIPLE SHEET. ee life near Santiago, War with Peru was considered | and men and horses are wanted to abate this imminent- A large fire had broken out at Valparaiso | nuisance, Nothing else will abate it by which $200,000 worth of property, includiog the residences of soveral Americans, was destroyed. The McArdle case, contesting the constitutionality of the Reconstruction acts, was called up in the Supreme Court of the United States at Washington yesterday. Judge Biack argued for his client, McArdle, at consider- able length, but no decision was rendered, and the case was continued, ‘“ Charter elections tn Portland, Lewiston, Bath and Baco, Maine, yesterday, resulted im victories for the republicans, In Portland a demooratic gaiz over the fall olections is reported. Tho North Carolina Convention bas agreed to adjourn on the 12th of March, The Louisiana Convention yesterday completed and Adopted the new gonstitution, six members alone voting agalnst it, Tho Impeac Proceedings (n Cons agrese Yesterday. The House of Representatives was occupied until four o’clock in the afternoon yesterday in general speeches on the impeachment of President Johnson, the republicans pleading the duty and urgent necessity devolving upon Congress to expel said Johnson from the White House, and the democrats denouncing the whole proceeding as a high-banded, despotic and dangerous exercise of power for party purposes, and in defiance of justice and regard- tess of the constitution and the liberties of tho people. At the hour appointed the House proceeded to vote, one at # time, upon the articles of impeachment, and they were thus adopted substantially as reported from the Committee on Reconstruction. Mr. Butler, of Massachusetts, proposed an amend- ment in the form of an article in- volving the “high misdemeanors” of Mr. Johnson in his speeches in the summer of 1866, when “swinging round the circle,” as they say, from Washington to Chicago and back; but the House, satisfied that nothing could be made out of this thunder, rejected the proposition, Another amendment from Mr. Jenckes charging Mr. Johnson with the high crime of attempting to flank and capture the. United States army shared the same fate. The whole case of the House against the President rests upon his order appointing General Lorenzo Thomas Secretary of War ad interim, and the other order directing Stanton to vacate the premises forthwith, and upon that little conversation between the President and Gene- ral Emory, tortured into a conspiracy to seize the War Department at the point of the bayonet. The articles of impeachment having been agreed upon, the following members, nomi- nated in committee, were adopted as managers of the prosecution of Andrew Johnson befdre the Senate, in behalf of the House of Repre- sentatives and all the people of tho United States :—Messra. Stevens, of Pennsylvania ; Butler, of Massachusetts; Bingham, of Ohio; Boutwell, of Massachusetts ; Wilson, of Iowa ; Williams, of Pennsylvania, and Logan, of Illinois. As the democrats were not repre- sented in th® committee they declined to vote in reference to its adoption, but as they had to a man arrayed themselves against the impeach- ment they were necessarily excluded from the prosecution. The final proceeding called for on the part of the House in this business was consummated in a resolution from Mr. Bout- well authorizing the aforesaid seven managers to submit in due form to the Senate, for its consideration as a High Court of Impeachment, the indictment of the House. This service will doubtless be performed to-day; and then, we presume, after organ- izing itself as a court, Chief Justice Chase presiding, the Senate will cause a notice to be served upon President Johnson requiring his attendance in person or by proxy in the character of the prisoner at tho bar. [t is given out that the counsel of Mr. Johnson will be David Dudley Field, William M. Evarts, George Ticknor Curtis and Charles O’Conor, all of New York; Caleb Cushing, of Massachu- set(s, and Jeremiah S. Black, of Pennsylvania— a powerlul array of learned expounders of the law; but they have to deal with a powerful array of experienced adversaries. Meantime, after a lengthy discussion, the Senate has adopted a series of rules for its government as a court, with the special object in view of bringing the trial to a speedy conclusion ; and if upon some preliminary point of law operating es @ teat quesiion, the majority dis- cover that the game is in their bands by a two- thirds vote, we may expect short work with the party accused, but « leagthening of the trial indefinit ely should the wind in the outset appear to be in favor of Andrew Johnson. It seems to us that he would be justified in be- ginning with a remonstrance against a trial before a tribunal which, in advance of his arraignment, has condemned him. ‘Ibis was done in the evening of the day of Stanton’s removal. The Senate had received a commu- nication from the President announcing the removal of Stanton and the appointment of General Lorenzo Thomas as Secretary of War ad inlerim, and after considering it they resolved, and, as it has been reported, by a party vole, “that under the constitution and laws of the United States the President has no power to remove the Secretary of War and designate any other officer to perform the duties of the office ad inferim.” This judg- ment having been pronounced in advance by the Senate, the trial of Andrew Johnson by that body under charges from the House of having disregarded his oath of office and violated the constitution and laws would sce to be a mere mockery. In this view of (bo case, at all events, a much graver responsibility attaches to the Senate than would belong to it if it bad not pronounced a net the accused in advance of So paltry, however, in the light of common sense appear these “high | crimes and misdemeanors” upon which Mr Jolneon is arrvigned that we cannot imagine how justice can airain them to his removal, evea in @ two-thirds r, Senate. Mr. Bingham, of Ohio, the g nment manager as counsel in the Surratt trial, is the head of the managers of the case against Mr. Johnson, so that he judgroent « his indict Kepinosa, was inaugurated on the 20th of January, A cabinet had Veen formed and the extraordiaary ses gions of Congress had been clo Our Lima, Peru, letter 18 dated Febranry 18, The two Poruvian iron-ciads Huascar and lodependencia had arrived from Valparaiso, Conseco had issued bis prow clamation calling for an election of President and a now Congress, fixing the let of April as the day. The Nacwmal, a nowspaper in the English interest, had bit terly attacked General Hovey, the Amorican Minister, bocnuse he expressed biy Inability to recognize Can- aceo’s government until it on occepted by the The charges against him, however, bad been Ably refuted by a Peravian, Our Valparaiso letter is dated February 1, The Peru- Vinn ox-Prosident Prado bad arrived om the United States steamer Nyack. His reception by the people was OF the Warmost kind, He intended remaining ln private —_ need expect no mercy from that quarter, The tnountain fs in labor, howevor, and we expect the grand result will be another little mouse, Tue Srneers.—If neither the Street Com- missioner, nor tho Board of Health, nor the Croton Board, nor tho Metropolitan Police Commission, nor tho Mayor, can do anything towards the opening at least of some of the atreot crossings for foot passengers, we would submit that the city Councilmen and Alder men would be doing something to thelr credit in taking this business at once in hand. The streets of New York are now a perfect nui- | sance, and picks, spades, shovels aud garis | American Citizens Abroad=Tho Treaty with North Germany. Official advices received in Washington from the United States Minister in Berlin confirm the important intelligence, communicated to the public a week since by special cable tele- gram in the Herato, that the preliminaries of the treaty between the United States and the North German Confederation in regard to expatriation and naturalization negotiated by Mr. Bancroft have been formally signed, and that the treaty is already on its way to the United States capital. This is another proof of the advanced views of the government of North Germany. A govern- ment which shows such intelligent readiness to advance with tho advancing times is enti- tled to success. Henceforth Germans will be free to emigrate at will, and we are little likely to hear more of stupid arrests when the sons of the Fatherland revisit their native country. This vexed question of citizenship as between North Germany and the United States may now be regarded as virtually eet- tled. The example is good and is certain to be generally followed. Asget, however, the difficulty remains with Great Britain. On this question, indeed, England is less.in harmony with the conditions and requirements of modern times thay any other European Power. It is the only country which denies to its citizens the right of expa- triation. The theory of indefeasible allegiance is still held nominally sacred. The statute law of the land to this day confers the character of British subjects upon the foreign born sons and grandsons, if not tho remoter descendants, of Englishmen, Scotchmen and Irishmen, All this is manifestly absurd. The absurdity of auch 8 law is, perhaps, best proved by the fact that it is impossible to put it in practice. It is a lingering relic of feudalism which the liberty- loving people of the nineteenth century would not for a.moment tolerate. It is only fair, however, to say, if we may judge from all the more intelligent writers in the British journals, that there is no desire on the part of the British people to preserve such an anachronism on the statute book. One “very superior person,” styling himself “Historicus,” does write mag- nificent and highsounding nonsense in favor of what is, deprecating any change in the law, on the ground that it would seem to be yield- ing to unjust and unreasonable clamor from without; but, having made these excop- tions, it is onty truth to say that there is singular unanimity of feeling as to the necessity of conforming the law to the con- dition, and requirements of the times, and we are glad to see that the question is to be brought fairly to the notice of Parliament by the member for Bradford. It is not, therefore, unreasonable to conclude that the government of Great Britain will not be found unwilling to meet the government of the United States half way io order calmly and dispassionately to discuss and, if possible, satisfactorily to setile the question. It is manitestly neither for the interests of the United States nor for the interests of Great Britain that the bullying system should be carried further either on the one side or the other. It is not for tho British government recklessly to resist our demands. It is not for ug, on the other hand, recklessly to force our demands upon the British gover®ment. The dispassionate and patient discussion of the whole question is the more necessary that a rash and hasty settlement might create other and even more serious difficulties than those from which it was its object to deliver. It is above all things important that we should not be asking other governments to do that which we have not done or which we are unwilling to do ourselves. It is claimed by certain British jurists, on the authority of Kent, that the law of Great Brisain and the law of the United States are precisely the same in regard to native born citizens, Is it true or is it not true that a native born American can- not cast off his ollegiance witaout permission of bis goveroment, to be declared by law? If this be the law then we are manifestly as much at fault and as far behind the age as the gov- ernments of which we complain. It is desir- able that all this be calmly and diligently inquired into. Of such laws, wherever they exist, the mildest judgment that can We given is this: that they are totally unsuited to the new conditions of sociely in the later years of the nineteenth century. and that they ought to be wiptd out of existence. At the same time, ii they are to be replaced by other and better laws, the replacement cannot be proceeded with too cautiously. As it is in the last degree desirable that there be not one law as between the United States and North Germany, and another law as between the United States and Great Britain, and another law as between the United States and France, but that the rights of citizenship should in every case be deter- mined by the same principle or class of prin- ciples, it is a question not unworthy of being discussed by the collective wisdom of all the great leading nations in an international con- gress, It is a thoroughly international ques- tion—an international question developed in the course of humon progress, and for the first time in history really touching tho interests of all civilized nations. Mea. Kemble’s Shakspearian Rendings. The superiority of Mrs. Kemblo’s readings over those of any competitor is to be attributed not only to her matchless accomplishments as an olocationist, but to her extraordinary claims to admiration a6 an interpreter of Suakspeare. A thorough study d a full comprehen- sion of the works of the great dram@tio creator, “the poet,” ia the old G sonse—and, wo mist add, a subile knowledge of human na- inre and a fine imogination not woallied to his genius—bave qualified her for this exalted miasion. For Shakapesro Fanny Kemble has done all that Rachel did for Racine, Both bave thrown additional light upon scenes and characters with which all of us were familiar; both have infused frovh life and fire into “thoughts that breathe and words that burn 5” and both have identified themselyos in our memory with the persons which they have chosen to sammon irom the pages of their re- spective authors and reanimate, There are lines and single words as well as characters in Racine which are inseparably assoviated with the tones and gestures, the piercing eyes and inspiring presence of Rachel; and so it is with Shakespeare and Fanny Kemble. The’ readings of Mrs. Kemble have, moreover, this adyaninge oyer the stage representation ol Shakspeare—that they do justice to the minor no less than to the principal charactors of each play. An excellent erltio tas observed that they thus combine‘in th» most delightful and satisfying harmony the charm of acting and ~ pleasure which a scholar takes in studying @ plays in the /closet; and it is this union whioh makes these performances so remarka- ble. Thousands whom religious éeruples pro- vent from going to the thoatro may derive from Mrs. Kemble’s readings unalloyed de- light, Conspiracy Ag Is Guilty? As the final count in its accusation against the President Congress presents a charge of conspiracy. This was put last in the bill as an absolute crusher. Congress, even the country, might have doubts of the President’s guilt under all former charges; but this_ should be a sockdologer and no one should dare to doubt. Such is the appearance and expression of the thing. The committee had at first intended to rest ita whole case on the removal of Stanton; but having gone over and under and through that point, and having, by the exercise of the most astonishing legal ingenuity, stretched it into nine articles—so as to try the Prosident nine times for the same act—it seems to have oc- curred to rome member of the committee to read over these nine articles. His evident consternation induced another member to read them. So it went round; and the com- mittee, having calmly read all the nine articles over, was in despair. There was actually nothing in them—no case atall, It was Stanton, Stanton, and nothing else; and the very impeachment committee itself saw that it would not do to go before the country charging the President with nothing worse than an act that had been done, without question, by every President of the United States, and for which George Washington had declired a Prosident must have full authority. Drowning men catch at straws, and when somebody said conspiracy it was caught at ag the very thing. Conspiracy is a good word, and when the elder Weller dwelt on the character of “circumwent”’ he evidently had not learned to spell “con- spiracy.” Conspiracy suggests to the popular mind so much of mystery and evil, such sly and malevolent dodges, that a conspiracy was determined upon nem. con., and it was all the better for being a conspiracy with Emory, who is a Marylander. Looked full in tho face, what does this con- spiracy anount to? The actual charge in the bill is that the President did, “on the 22d day of February, in the year of our Lord 1868, at Washington, in the District of Columbia,” de- clare to General Emory, commander of the troops in Washington, that the second soction of a certain act of Congress “was unconstitu- tional.” Pretty bad. No doubt a very bad and outrageous thing fora man to do! He de- clared an act of Congress “unconstitutional!” On the 22d of February, too! In Washington! It is no defence to say that thero is a clause in the constitution providing thatthere shall be ab- solute freedom of speech in this country. That pars of the constitulion moans, as the “sixty lawyers in Congress” can abundantly show, nothing—nothing whatever. But there is a point here that should give us pause. If the President is guilty of conspiracy for having said that an act of Con- gress is unconstitutional, which one of us is innocent? Who is cast the first stone? There is hardly o aane man in the United States but has declared’ one or Yhe other of the laws of Congress “unconstitutional. We have even heard that Chief Justices of the Supreme Court have done it; all the politicians have done it except Thad Stevens, and all the ora- tors except Wendell Phillips; and as that is the only thing he has never said people sup- pose it may be true, Here, then, people ought to remember that the President's case is theirs, and that if he is punished no man may escape ; there isa guillotine for all. Nothing else, be it remembered, “is charged. No act is al- leged; no step was taken to obstruct the law; no command given as to the movement of troops. Emory’s testimony printed in the Heratp of Sunday tells the whole story, and the conspiracy from beginning to end consists in the President’s telling Emory that a law “was unconstilutiotal.” A high crime, no doubt; but if he is punished for it men who have said the same thing to their wives had better make up their domestic quarrels, Soriously, has there not been a worse coa- spiracy than this set on foot within a short time? Eaough is now known to fix the fact in the public mind that a faction in Congress is seek- ing to set the Executive Aside by any means, foul or fair. This is the real conspiracy against the goveryment that it behooves the people to keep*their eyes on and that it be- hooves the President also to provide against. It is his duty to seo that the laws are faithfully executed ; and tho first of all the laws that he must guard and execute is the original law, the constitution itself. He must defendit not only against foreign but domes- tic foes, and as well against the fulminations of @ faction coming in the shape of laws as against any other danger. All the legilimate action of Congress is entitled to respect, and the privi- lege of members covers all that they may do in Congress; but it is worthy of present thought that all these proceedings against the Executive have been planned and arranged in conspiracy, in secret meetings called caucuses, in which what is done is not covered by that mantle of law that protects the utterances of members in debate ; and it is worthy the con- sideration of the President’s law advisers how far the proceedings of such assemblages, in which all this removal of the President has beon deliberated, come within the terms of the law of 1861 “ to deflae and punish certain con- spiractes.” Let us know who te really guilly of conspiracy. The High Carnival of Crt Thore are glorious doings in the name of faith, morality, religion and virtue going on in tho churches. Revivals and conversions are numerous; critical sermons upon theatrical matters and denunciatory of vice in all ehapes yesound from the pulpits; but all these things aro confined to the uppér stratum of society. The lower stratum, meantime, is enjoying a high carnival of crime. Murder in its most brutal form stains the records of our daily lifo, Thero have, perhaps, rarely been two instances of depravity so fearful as the murder cases in Greenwich street, in this city, on Saturday in a condition to | evening, and that at Worcester, Maasachusetts, on Friday. We will not recount the horrible details of these butcheries, We have already published them in our nows columns yester- day, but we are led to the reflection that the morals of the community are not much exalted by pulpit eloquence, by ecclosiastical quarrels (as in the Tyng case), or by the political oxhor- tation that ocoupies the attention of so many of our divines, Nono of these tafuences seem to exercise any control over the violence of buman passion, as demonstrated in the Green- wich street murdor, or to retard the progress of that reckless spirit and greed for gain which led to the shocking butchery of the profes- sional gamblor in Worcester. Probably we should not charge these crimes upon the churches or upon the neglect on the part of the preachers to give us more whole- some counsel than usually emanates from the pulpit ; but we may suggest that if the legiti- mate business of the parsons (the saving of souls) were more conscientiously attended to, to the exclusion of politics and egottatic vanity, the crust which divided the upper atratum of society from the lower might be occasionally pierced and some little light let in upon those who every now and then turn up as atrocious criminals, It is evident that religion, as now preached and practised by those whose mis- sion is supposed to include both duties, is doing very little to reclaim the masses from the error of their ways. We must have more sincerity, better example and fewer words from the parsons, before sinners are brought to repentance, Opera and Bal Masque. Derpite the Alaska-like condition of the weather and the penitential season of Lent, Italian opera and Prince Carnival are still on the metropolitan boards, the former using up Verdi and Gounod and the latter jingling his cap and bells. The departure of the La Grange and Brignoli company from the Academy leaves Pike and Harrison without a competitor, and the one hundred and ninety-nine and a half stockholders are in a quandary. They fall back ‘on Prince Carnival for assistance and call upon his jolly Arions to mount guard at the Catacombs for one night. A cosmopolitan garrison, therefore, in strange attire and speak- ing in an unknown tongue (at least to opera- goers), will take possession of the Irving placo opera house on Thursday night, and hold it against all comers “until five o’clock in the morning.” This will be the last grand demon- stration made on the east side until the return of La Grange and Brignoli on St. Patrick’s Day. Meanwhile, Pike is campaigning on Eighth avenue and stubbornly fighting Jack Frost and the street cleaning contractor, who are his worst opponents during the present season. Not content with the opera, he has engaged the services of Prince Carnival, who will for- sake the Academy after this week. At the head of a motley and merry crew called Purim, the Monarch of Fun will take possossion of Pike’s Opera House on Monday next. Here, then, we have a bal masqué war instead of the operatic hostilities which are suspended in consequence of the retroat of the Academy forces. On one side are the one hbun- dred ond ninety-nine and ao half braves marching around Irving place in fnll paint and all the panoply of war, with the numerous scalps of unforlunate impresarii banging at their belts, chanting their war songs, “Away with Pike, whether in Season or Out of Season!” and “Up with the Stock- holders’ Flag!” (a prima donna on a green field looking for her voice), and flourishing their carnival tomahawks in defiance of the Eighth avenue foe. On the other hand Pike dons the livery of the jolly Prince, surrounds his boau- titul Opera House with strange devices and the emblems of Momus, and places himself it the head of the merry Purims. The prepara- tions for both these balls at the rival opera houses are of the most extensive character. Among the novelties in the costumes of this year’s masked balls the most striking are bor- rowed from the “Grand Duchess.” General Boum and Prince Paul were the great altrac- tions at the first masquerades of the season ; and itis likely that the entire court of ber Offenbachian Highness will ‘be represented at the closing soirées of Prince Carnival. On Easter Monday an interesting event in opera will take place at Pike’s, Wallace’s “Lur- line’—one of the grandest works in English opera—will be produced in a style which promises to nuke it an entire success. This will bo the most important event of the sea- son; and as America has the best claim on the composer (he production of such a work will command a special interest, Tho Fires of the Winter. The losses by conflagrations during the past winter months have, in the aggregate, been severe ; but the statistics show a remarkablo exomption from those of a heavy character in the city of New York during the same period. During the month of December there was but one fire where the loss reached one hundred thousand dollars, and but two or three where it exceeded twenty thousand dollars. During January thero was not a single fire in this city where the loss reachod twenty thousand dol- lara, and the aggregate of all below that sum was less than one hundred and seventy thou- sand dollars. The losses for the month just closed (February) were much hoavier than dur- ing either of the previous two months, but com- paratively small when compared to the devas- tating wintor conflagrations of only a few years past. To whatever causes may be attributed this comparative exemption from heavy confla- grations in this city during the most inclement and usually most destructive months of the year, whethor to tho introduction of steam fire engines, to iho paid system or to the better management of tho department generally, our citizens have much cause for congratulation. Without disparaging the old systom, which won an enduring reputation for activity and efficiency, praiso should not be withheld from the new when it is fairly entitied to it A comparison with the losses sustained {n other cities—Chicago, for example—during the winter months, also shows a result extremely favor- able for this city, During the month of January last Chicogo was visited by the enormous number of four hundred and forty-one firos, occasioning an aggregate loss of about a million and three-fourths, St. Louis had two hundred and sixty-cight Mis, with an aggro- gate loss of nearly two millions. During the same month thero wero but seventy fires and alarms in this city, with the loss as above stated. These Ggures show where insurance r, 5 companies incur the great preponderance of losses,and as most of them are Easterm companies, Eastern merchants and citizens ar obliged to submit to an increase of insurance premiums jn order that underwriters may maké good their balances and dividends. But tho reputation the metropolis gains among capital- ists, importers and extensive mercantile im terests generally, from the excellence of its system for the extinguishment of conflagra- tions, is ample recompense for any trifling advance in the premiums of insurance, and goes far to prove to the Old World that New York, while being the most fourishing and most enterprising, is, upon the whole, the safest city for persons and property that existe on the American Continent. It is gratifying to notice that the aggregate of losses by fire in the United States, where the amount reached or exceeded twenty thou- eand dollars, during the winter months of the present year, was upwards of a million dol- lars leas than during the same months last year. The introduotion of steam fire engines has, no doubt, contributed to this large reduc- tion in the amount of losses. Decline of American Securities In Europe. A curlous chapter in modern history might be filled with facts relative to tho introduction and experience of American securities in Europe. The eagerness with which the most devoted adherents of monarchical institutions, including even monarchs themselves, have in- vested in the securities of our great republic, especially during revolutionary times at home, is strikingly suggestive. The Rev. Sidney Smith’s most caustic remarks, occasioned by the losses of British capitalists on account of the failure of the United States Bank, have not prevented large investments in American se- curites by subjects of her Majesty Queen Vio- toria, In Germany, thanks to tho reflex influ- ences of the immense German immigration to the United States, American securities of all kinds have long maintained high importance and value. The letter which we published yesterday from our special correspondent at Frankfort attests this fact. During and after the war, says this correspondent, all economies were invested in United States bonds, and large sums of Austrian and German stock were sold to make room for investment in American stock. Now, however, he continues, “we witness the reverse. Austrians go up every day, while Americans are drooping. This bas beon mainly brought, about by the continuous fall in the gold premium at Vienna, which, after a calamitous war, is now at thir- teen premium, while American currency loses forty-three per cent. The debate in Congress about paying the capital, due in fourteen years hence, in greenbacks, is, as one of our com- mercial papers justly remarked, just as if European Cabinets debated whether thoy should pay their debts in clipped moncy.” Foreigners have no realizing senso of the vast territorial extent and inexhaustible resources of this country, nor of the marvellous recupera- tive forces of its population, Neither do they comprehend the true furcicul nature of the im- peachment of the President as a desperate partisan manceuvre. And they rogard, not without reason, it must be admitted, the experi- mental policy of a radical Congress towards the South and one of its fruits, the virtual expulsion of whites for the sake of securing political supremacy to illiterate blacks, as . suggesting serious doubts as to the stability of our republican institutions, which have hitherte been considered firmasa rock. A great de- crease in European emigration to the United States and an inevitable decline in American stocks abroad are among the earlicat di- _ plorable consequences of the madnoss which rages at Washington. A French Fleet at Ha Late advices from Hayti report the arrival in the harbor of Port au Prince of a French Admiral with three ships-of-war, The Admi- ral may, perhaps, have just dropped in, like Paul Pry—“hopeI don’t intrude”—and sup- plies of wood, wator, coal and cocoanuls may be the objects of his visit ; but still there may be something more in his instructions. Haytiis the old French end of the island of St. Domingo, the republic of Dominica (Spanish) occupying the other and larger division. Huyti ise genuine negro republic, where tho white race is tolerated but not trusted. Dominica is a sort of Mexican establishment of mixed breeds and political and social equality. Dominica, however, with a considerable infusion of the white element as the controlling power, gets on with comparative success, and only a few years ngo whipped out olf Spain against an effort of hers to recover her ancient colony by she strong hand. Hayti, under negro supre- macy, is retrograding rapidly to African bar- barism, and Salnave, the present Congo despot of the so-called republic, is in great danger of being sacrificed or driven off the island by the revolutionary Cacos, or wild negroes, from the interior. He has suffered heavy losses in bis Jato campaign against them, and may aot any moment be squelched in some decisive blo from bis enemies. Napolecn, aware of all this, may possibly have an eye to the reannexation of Hayti to the dominions of France. And why not? The French is the languago of those negroos—at least of the tame ones ; their laws and customs, as far as retained from the good old colonial times, are also French, and that mighty, pompous and consequential old Dahomey darky, Soulouque, set np his empire after the French model, and bis French tinsel, gimeracks and perfumery tickled bis African subjects amazingly till called upon to foot the bills, A French regimont could easily take the capital and hold it, and thereby hold the country under subjection ; and who knows bué this may be the opening of the next chap- ter of Hayti? Wo think, too, it would be a good thing for those poor negroes, unless Mr. Seward wants them. A Suspension or Leerstation.—It seems to be understood that pending the trial of Andrew Johnson before the Senate the busi- ness of legislation will be suspended by Con- gress, This may be considered safer than the susponsion of the Executive; nor do we sup- pose the country would lose much if tho sua~ ponsion of this Congress were to last till the election of the noxt. Ratner Rovon oy Drcxens.—Mr. Murdoch is advertised to give « series of readings im Chicago for the benefit of Mrs. Dickens, » poor widow in that city, and sister-in-law of Charles Dickens, whose writings abound in benevolent obaraoters and open-handed charities, Where is Dickens, with bis readings t