The New York Herald Newspaper, December 16, 1868, Page 8

8 i Sac THE POSTAL TELEGRAPH. : Win an Opposition Telezraph Line te tho Dominion Make Money ¢ inion (Canada) Telegrapher.) mie yer) might as well be asked if two competing mercanule establishments of the same eharacter in one place will pay. ‘Perhaps the most satisfactory way to answer the question 18 to a the oreo at tnnanee re graph companies now enjoy: eee aniness in the Dominion of Canada and the United States:— THE MONTREAL TELEGRAPH COMPANY commenced its business with a short line, aud grad- nally increased by extending their lines and par chasing otiers, until they now enjoy a monopoly of the telegraph business In Canada. ‘The capiial stock of this company on the 28th day of July, 1847, stood at $60,000, By act of Parliament it was afterwards increased to $250,000, On the 27th day of May, 1857, by a similar act, a further increase ‘was authorized to $2,000,000, Book" for 1868-publishes the The “Canadian Year paid-up capital at $750,000 and estimates the value of the property of the company at near $2,000,000. The shares ure forty dollars each and are quoted on the Stock Exchange at 150, Dividends have been reguiarly paid half-yearly at the rate of ten per cent T annum, Pome surplus accumulations over and above the pad dividends, Which have been very Jarge, have en expended in the construction of new extensions and branches and in the purchase of oter lines, and the value of such extensions, branches aud purchases have been distributed to the sharehulders in the form of stock bonuses from time to time. How many of these stock bonuses, in the form of extra dividends or gilts, have been distributed to the fortunate holders of shares and to what extent the gene- ri public have but little knowledge, as the company have never deemed it to thot pInteront to ublish any statements of the times Bnot ‘enue, or of their monthly receipts aud ex- nditure: peme gradual expansion, however, of the paid up capital stock, from $60,000, in 1347, to $760,000, in sus, with a leeway of $1,250,000 more, of authorized capital, shows where all the profits can be conve- niently stowed away for many years to come, to the tage and entire sausiaction of the share- airs of the corporation have been managed at executive ability creditable to the oificers: and directors of the association, and the working of tue lines have been conducted by the superintend- enis with emment skill and prudence, The surplus in the treasury this year, after pay- ing all the expenses and a ten per cent dividend, 3s some $45,000 bo $50,000, to be divided as stock bonuses, and thus ‘added to the capital whenever the directors think proper. By this it will be seen that ‘this very successiul company have been accumulat- ing ap immense property at the expense of the pay- ing public, spread over a vast extent of country, whose coutributions drop sofily into thelr cotfers av ‘Montreal without a single grain of competition. THE WESTERN UNION TELEGRAPH COMPANY. In the examination of the atialrs of the Western Union Telegraph Company of the United States we have more light and stand on firmerground. Its growth has been more rapid and its management More reckless. No other business in the world, aud no other company, can compare with itin the rapid growth Of its receipts ana the electrical expansion of ts capital stock. Commencing with @ nominal capi- ‘tal of $60,000, at $100 per share, upon which we subscribers paid only $25, 1ts oficial report January 1, 1868, declares its capital to be over $41,000,000, By stock bonuses and purchases of other lines, 1ts Modest capital of $460,000 had reached, on the 1st of January, 1863, $3,000,000. At this interesting Perea of the Rleeen Be history eactr original share gone to seed and produced a crop of shares, each one of which was saleable at the New York Btock board at $240. Now mark its wonderful Course :. March 2, 1863.—It was watered by exactly the number of shares by an 2 doublin, issue to its stockholders of another...... $3,000,000 May 28, 1864.—Iv was further increased by purchase and extension of lines......... 6,000,000 May 2, 1864.—Same time and year, th whole of its stock, aimounti to $11,000,000, was again doubled by issue to stockholders of an extra gift of $11,000,000... ... sees eeeeee eee 22, ‘This last issue had the effect of reducing the value of the stock to $117 per share. In January, 1866, the stock had advanced to $161 per share. ‘At some period, or at different periods tween this date and January 1, 1868, the stock was farther expanded $19,000,000 more, making its present enormous capital. And the company, in addition to this, contracted a debt of some $5,000,000 in its efforts to construct the Kussian American line, which proved a total loss, in consequence of the success of the Atlantic cable. By the following extract the reader can forma condensed idea of the increased receipes from year to year of ail the telegraph lines in the United Siates:— INCREASED EARNINGS OF THE TELEGRAPH COMPANIES IN ‘THE UNITED STATES. The gross earnings of ail telegraph lines in the United lates or the following Jeary ars — . 4,2 pe 42,710 2,252 63,933 1485. asin: 64,887 ast 7387 186d. 103) An accurate estimate of the value of the Western Union Telegraph Company stock for eight years past ean be formed from the following quotations:— The price of the stock of the Western Union Telegraph Company for the last seven years at the board in Wall street, foie York, Js a8 follows, notwithstanding the frequent water- 1B: — Market Price. g125 Market Price. 1200 cl 2340 1863—May, issue of stock doubled. 11 ,000,- 00y to $22,000,000. “he New YoRK HERALD, m commenting on the ofMcial report of January 1, 1868, says:— The report starte out with the statement that the capital stock of the company in October, 1865, was, in round nam- ‘ers, 422,000,000, and proceeds to show how it has been sub- sequontiy Increased to $41,000,000, but It sidgularly omits to set forta the process by which it was first watered from S00 a» to $22,000,000 before it took ite final leap to Another paper goes more into detali, on a small Beule, which might throw some light on the omission \poken of in the HERALD. See also the following statement from a party in- ‘trested in the Western Union ‘Telegraph Company Sowing how often and how largely the stock of that canpany has been inflated, with prospects of still layer inflation:— an early day of this telegraph speculation, says our it forvant, a xentieman of Rochester purchased flirty shares Pc} each) for $750—twenty-five cents on the dolfar; soon teuthe thirty shares were increased to four times the amont, ‘Bich is 120 shares. Again it was doubled, making Sixty shares were then added, making 300 shares. ly K was again doubled, making 600 shares; nod, two hundred were added, making 80 shares upoo Wwhichhe received ten per cent dividends. Again {t was double, making 1,600 shares, sad now it has been still fur- th up millions upon milligns of valu Ned in the whole history of worid. dx in @ manner naparail eslepterprise in any part o' The Telegraph in America, (From the New York Times.) In a fomer article were given the most important facts in Nation to the telegraph in Europe, set forth in the (Mvately printed) letter of Mr. Gardiner G. Hubbard, f Boston, to the Postmaster General of the Unitedstates, From the same source we cull such statisles of the business in our own country and such uggestiona toward the nnion of the tele- graphic andpystal systems as are vf gcneral interest aud yet not pnerally known. ‘The Westey Union Telegraph Company transmits More than tle-tentus of all the messages sent over the wires in te United States, The ta ad pub- lishes no stathyc 8 of their business; but, knowing their aggregat\ returns aud estimating on the basis of the figures 4 other companies, it is belleved that they transmitta 6,952,000 messages during the year ending in June, \s68, Their receipts during the same Deriod were $6, ‘an increase of about six per cent over the yealbefore. There is no unifrn tariff? of rates, established on distance, in the Vaited States. The charges are often less to a distan\ station than to an Interinediate one on the same lite. The lowest charges between any large cities are twenty-five cents between New York and Philadelphhg and thirty cents between New York and Boston ior a message of ten words— or, rather, as the averages of dates, #ignatures and Address show, twenty-ive words. Rates between New York and Boston—ad the same tacts probably apply elsewhere—bave factuated greatly. in 1860 a lie-sage cost fifty vents; m 1862, twenty cents; later, fifleen cents; (hen forty cents, This was subsequent- ly raised to sixty-fve cents, but in 1866it was Guced to thirty cent. The needs of general busi: had nothing to do wth these prices. fn 1852 the re- duction was caused ly great competition. Soon after, gays Mr. Hubbard, tie validity of Mr. Morse’s patent was confirmed by the courts, mavy of the competing companies were enjoined ‘and compelled to wind Up or sell out, and some failed, In the Eastern and Southern States the American Televraph Company, it which Mr. Morse friends were largely inerested, ty the companies and continued territory for many years without ‘The various companies in the ¥ cy a South , forming groups of feebie organization, were ally merged into one corporation under the of the Western Union Telegraph Company, In he United States Telegraph Company, formed 4 consolidation of thr pompanies, was or. #anized to oppose Ons mono; id entered into a ern Union, prices reduced in conrequence, and the business in- ased with great rapidity-—as has always been th case in Kurope on a lowering of rates. in 1686 t American Telegraph Company, the United States ‘Telegraph Company and te Western Union were united under the corporate tame of the last corpora- tion: prices were again raisea and this increase of rates caused fst @ less ratio ¥ increase, and then, if the returns are correct, an acwiai decrease in the telegraphic business of the country. ‘The returns tude to the Commiasoner of Inter. nal Kevenue show that the receipts frote all the com- panies were for the years ending June 30:— ¥e Receipts, Inrease, «$4,300,000 -~ + 6,168,700 43 per cent 7,986,400 30 per cent tose 7,166,639 10 per cent ue returus of the Western Colon Company a alone for the yea. ending June, 1468, show, as we have already stated, an increase of only six per ceat. Mr. Hubbard shows the diiference dn the theories and practice of European and American telegrapa com a In other countries the rates are reduced with the growth of business and-are Sever, Faised, ur thie. country ty are re: duced by competition, followed by cousolidation of the com- Beting companies and mubsequent Increase, of rates, without recard to the growth of the business. ‘The rates are never Published, and are without uniformity or ayatem. The con- wence js that the public are universally ignorant of the ‘and many do not, for Wat reason, eo use of the tele- erapt In per charge for the first twenty words juarce! seers sete ey hei, foo Matton every additional ve words or are much er, From New York to Feisty Bo ion the rales, Yor the hrst twenty-ive ac! ‘The ral lor words are one cent for ae te ee Words are two and three cents—four and ‘would be charged if the Swiss rule was adopted. Mr, Hubbard then enters into an elaborate statis- tical examination of the reasons assigned to justify the admitted fact that the lowest American rates are higher than the average foreign rates, and the aver- age rates aeveral times higher than the f He does not consider them valid, Without troubii: our readers with the ent, we shall quote sucl detached facts advanced in it as tend to illustrate the magnitude and character of the business in our country. ‘The entre imvestment of the Western Jnion Telegraph Com} to June last was $47,877,360, The income from the date of the present ion, in 1866, to June, 1968, was $13,521,199, of which $8,304,314 was out for ope- rating expenses, The annual profit on investment was five and a half percent, The average cost 0! foreign lines ia $80 per mile. Lines built in tne best manner, aud equipped ready for working, cost less than $150 per mile of wire, with an average of four wires to each mile of line. The length of wire owned by the Western Union and United States companies 18 60,000 miles; average cost, based on tie united capital, is $450. The lines of the American Company embrace 30,000 miles of wire; the average cost per mile, based on the capital,gs $133 33, The presidents of the leading telegraph com- panies, in a joint letter, declared that a reduction of rates would quickly lead to ruin. Against their theoretical exhibit Mr. Hubbard places the actual results of such areduction. The rates in Great Britain were reduced twenty-six per cent (from 23, 104d. in 1862 to 28, 1d. in 1866). The messages transmitted by the Electric and in- ternational ‘Telegraph Company during that period increased from 1,534,590 to 3,150,149, or 10) per cent. The revenue increased from £219,441 to £836,458, or 63 per cent, The from £148,609 to £203,739, or onl, per net income increased from £70,852 to £1 per’ cent. The proportion of working expenses to gross revenue was reduced from 67 per cent to 62 per cent; of net revenue to capital increased from 7 8-10 per cent to 12 per cent, while the number of Messages per mile of wire increased from 44 per cent to 66 per cent. In short, “the European stittis- cs prove that, with lines built for cash, reasonable reduction in rates, not forced by competition, but based on the tnerease of business, will greatly in- crease the number of messages and the net profit.” - good operator can easily transmit 2,000 words an hour, From the New York office of the Western Union Telegraph Company 2,448,000 words, or 97,920 mes- sages of twenty-live words each, can be sent each day. The average number actually transmitted is 184,378 words or 7,875 mi es. On an average nearly eighteen hours a day the wires are idle. ‘These various statistics should certainly induce some of our companies to try the experiment of a low tariff. Fatlmg such voluntary action, what remedy can be devised for the evil? Postal Telegraphs. [From the Philadelphia Press.) The proposed ol e of our telegraphic system from the hands of corporations to the general gov- ernment is one which will command the early at- tention of Congress. It is a measure Tangs with more than usual importance, because it will bring material relief to tuose now sependent upon this means of communication for business data, but more especially because it 18 tmmediately in the line of that great column of progress which is now mov- ing the nation and shattering effete systems. The question was raised in both houses of Congress last winter, but its novelty proved its grave. Before arguments had time to SRUlAIAy, in its favor it objections such as usually meet every wise motion, and first among them were those covered with the rotten rags of selfishness. ‘There were but few who looked upon the pro} i change as the genesis of a national system full of ameliorating influences. Many, entirely too many, heard only the wail in the lobby, and suffered their judgments to be made captive by their fears or ignorance. Heaithy consideration of the subject through the leisure of a long vacation must have done much to develop its salient points and enable Its friends to present it anew in an attractive and forcibie light. The bill, framed, we believe, by Mr. Hubbard, -of Boston, the leading provisions of which he descanted upon at a recent meeting of the Commercial Com- mittee of the Board of Trade at Chicago, 18 perhaps the compietest yet made pubilc. The Post- master General is to be made the recipi ent and dispenser of powers. He shall provide, &c., and then follows the machi- nery for adapting the telegraph lines of the country to the wants of every citizen, at rates uniform aud within reach of all, It is unnecessary to describe fully all the minutle, for the objects and purposes of the act may be inferred irom & compa- Tigon of the results it is expected to accomplish with those already reached by the Post Office and mall system of the United States. It is an effort to nationalize an arm which has become potential since the inception of mail facilities, and which is in every sense of the word an auxiliary to them. Our people are familiar with the principle involved in their mail system. Itsprung from the idea that the general government was the proper depository of a trust that concerned all the people alike, and which, if allowed to remain with the States or to be controlled by corporations, must ever have been inharmonious- ly ana ineffectually exceuted. ‘The responsibilities of such a trust were too grave to be given into the hands of @ less dignified trustee than the central government. And the government felt no delicacy m the assumption of the trust, for tt looked upgn itself as the heart of intelligence and business, a pro- per dissemination and despatch of which depended upon generous laws. For years the government was the sufferer to the extent of millions annually, for it had not yet learned that the established rates of made the sys- tem a convenience only to those able tw enjoy it. When it resolved to popularize its favor by bringing it within reach of the poorest the Pds: Office Depart- ment began to charge itself with neat balances in its own favor. All the patronage bestowed thus far upon the tele, graph is a deducuon from the mat! system. The tele- graph, by oftering greater facilities in the transmis- sion of information, has stolen from the Post Ofice just that element which would have enabled it to be abundantly se}{-susiaining. The two agents, then, bear the same relationship to the pablic. They per- form identical functions and are productive of lke results, If, then, the reasoning which gave to the government @ control over the Post Omce be without faw—and who las thus far dared to attack it?—it is but necessary to repeat it to convince the most ardent opponent of postal telegraph of his error. The government is the best depository, because the most responsible, of all these powers in @ nation, If the inancral strength of a corporation is necessary to cover the pee mg | with a web of telegraph wires, how much more people—abie tu accomplish the same? The bitterest, complaints against SEairot companies are those of high charges. These will lave to be endured s0 ion as corporate selfishness is arule with no kuown ex- ception, unless the pian proposed by Congress be allowed to come to the relief of our citizens, Want of uniformity in rates and unfair schedules of appor- tlonment are aiso crying eviis of the present system. The new law proposes entire uniformity. The objections to postal telegraplis are few, but they are virulent. Only two are worth recounting, ‘The first is ratner an objection to the principle that these pudlic beneficences cannot with proilt be ex- Wnded to every man, woman and child; that ts, made 40 cheap (hat all can become partakers. Our national expericnoe with the Post Office is a standing refutation of tue argument. A uniform price of three cents for letters brought in a much larger revenue than when five cents were charged, and to-day itis believed by economists that @ one cent postage would prove more remunerative than any igher price. Indeed, this has already passed be- youd the region of theory and has met practical solution in wore than one European country, What sort of dividends would our passenger railway coin: panies declare with any other than their low-priced uniformity’ Every transmissive agent, whetuer of matter or thought, 14 to-day engaged in discussin, the principle, and its general adoption will be h alded as soon as selfishness and fogyisma are wre in their winding sheets. There ts no good why the Pennsylvania Central Railrow should not carry @ passenger from Philade Hestonville or to Pittsburg for twenty-five cents some other cheap and uniform standard, and se more profit thereby, than there is that the ( Passenger Railway should not carry a passenger from “he Baltimore depot @ single square or to Kensington for seven cents, and thereby realize a larger profit, The principle is a sound one; it is in strict Keeping with the spirit of the age, and every hour Of ita postponement is a trophy in the cap of liberalism. Nor ix the other objection to postal telegraphs any more serious, It conceras the danger of throwing too much patronage into the hands of the govera- ment. But has it ever occured to these pseudo-plil- losophers, these nervously-constitued, a«pen- hearted illustonista, that the government is the only true source of all patronage as well as power? That & corporation, be It ever so powerful, or even a State, except wherein it claims by reservation, has on any patronage at its bestowal, 18 due to the gener tty 0) the central government, remotely or «directly exercised, And this fact 1s certainly established beyond con- troversy, that as truste or franchises depart from the centre and near the circumference they become irre- sponsible and consequently corrupt. ihe remedy is to call them in ‘and abolish them or exercise them through direct agents. ‘This, if we mistake not, will be done in the matter of naturalization, and if, in the Creation of & postal telegraph aystem, the patronage how in the hands of huge corporations be brought to ita real home, where its bestowal will always be un- der jealous survelliance by the people, it must surely inure to their benefit. The management of corpora- tons in this country has but little to commend it. The public seldom know what wron: are actually subjected to until occurs, and then they stand corruption and abuses, it is they some explosion Appailed at the nnecessury to Inetance } to ‘January, the government—a corporation of ali tie | EW YORK HERALD, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1868—TRIPLE SHEET. the reoent Brie Ratiroad developments. And there is no classé of Corporat.ons sv compactly knit as tele- graphic. They seem to defy inspection, laugh at at- tack and feel secure in the very liberai privileges they enjoy. Their management may be an excep- Lon to the ruic in such cases, but we do not know ii, and ask for proof before it is paraded as an argu- ment against the new measure soon to be before Congress. The ex) of the government will prove simply nothing, All the arguments in favor of the change are predicated upon the new system being self-sustaining. ‘This, we have shown, is within probability; hence the ri an expense ate not worthy of being considered arguinents against the ‘undertaking. ‘Thus the whole question, viewed from the most general and enlarged standpoint, is one. possessing great merit. itis one worthy of the study of statesinen, and, if determined finally during the next session of Con- gress, the members will have added an important stone to the monument of their herculean labors. Postal Telegraphy in Belgium. {From the Cincinnati Commercial.) The proposition to esiablish a system of postal telegraphy in tue United States is not a new one. AS Jobg ago as 1840 and when the telegraph system was. in its infancy Congress was urged to take hold of the inatter and estabusn lines to be under the control of the government and to be connected with the posta! service. There the matter crepes. but was revived again in 1866, twenty years later, In 1863 the Hon, E. B, Washburne submitted an exhaustive paper on the subject, showing the workings of postal telegraphy in belgiuia and Switzerland, in connec- tion with bills to establish a United states Postal ‘Teiegraph Company and to establish a postal tele- graph system. ‘This paper and a letter on the subject by Mr. Gardl- ner G. Hubbard to the Postmaster General supply valuable information to Congress, should it proceed to perfect the measure, as sooner or latter it un- doubiedly will. Froin the sources already indicated we propose to draw some interesting facts in relation to the posta! telegraph system in the little kingdom of Belgium, the area of Which is not more than one-fourth that of the State of New York. In 1550 the private lines were purchased by the government and consolidated With the railroad and postal service, The rates at that time were one and # hail francs—say thirty cents in gold—for @ message Oi tweuty words for any distauce in the kingdom. in ists they were re- duced to one franc, and a further reduction to half a irauc (ben Cents) look piace in 1886, Date, aduress and signature were, as they always are on’ the Con- tinent, we Believe, count mh. ‘The result of tis revuction is shown by Mr, Hubbard as follows:— in isé2 the injand messages, at 1 uum : 105,274 2,718 In 1867 the inland messages, at 3¢1., number! 808 ‘The effect, 1t will be seen, Was the sume as followed the introduction of Sir Rowland Hill's cheap postage sysiem in Great Britain, The number of mess multiplied in proportion a3 the cost upon wher Wa ‘This change, of course, did not atfect the the class of messages known as international, -the rates of which are determined by negutiation with the surrounding foreiga Powers. A few figures in regard to this system will not prove uninteresting. Krom 1850 to June, 1863, the rates, as we have stated, were one and a half francs per message. This made the telegraph too expensive for ordinary use, and accordingly we find that there were but 196 stations in the king- dom at that time, delivering but a fraction over 100,000 inland messages. When the rates went down to one franc, and within the first year, the number of stations increased to 280, the messages to 262,501; aud when again reduced to half a franc the stations increased te 374 and the messages to $19,608. The entire receipts of the telegraph trom January, 1850, , 1868, Were 8,777,544 francs. The cost of construction and operation for the same period was 7,784,634 trance, leaving @ net profit to the govern- ment of 992,910 francs. Thus is conclusive that @ cheap system of tele- graphy, judiciously operated, can be carried on with proiit Lo the government ‘and with inestimable bene- tits to the people. The consequence 1s, that the tele- Papin has become a household convenience to the igians. ‘They use it socially as well ag commer- cially, and carry on correspondence by its means as we cio by the muiis, and with an iniuite despatch of business. The rates are go low, that it 1s made available to all classes not absolutely pauperized. It has been suggested that were suca a system in- troduced here it would have the eifect to diminish the business of the Post Oiice and materially reduce the number of letters,transmitted by mail. Such, however, has not been the effect in Belgium. Thus, when the number of inland messages was but 97,945 the number of inland letters was only 19,185,400; when the messages increased to 252,501 the number of letters had increased to 22,271,808. Again, when the messages in 1867 had multiplied to 819,663, the number of letters had advanced to more than }, 000, 000, ‘this shows that when an agency is introduced into society to facilitate its business and social transac- tions it quickens all other agencies designed for the same purpose, and helps rather than injures them, The human id keeps pace with the accelerated motion and finds its capacity expand with the better opportunities afforded it, The value of this fact ought to be taken into cousideration by governments that seek to loster education, the skilled industry and the commercial and trade interests of their people. It has been questioned whether a postal telegraph aystem would work as successfully here as in Bel- gium, which has smail area, dense population and cities Contiguous to each other. Antwerp 1s but fifty minutes by rail from Brussels, and yet Antwerp is on the very frontier of tue kingdom. Except in the cost of construction, distance is of no conse- quence in telegraphing. The same electric impulse that will send a despatch to Columbus will carry it ou to New York by connecting wires and with no appreciable difference in point of time, _ It 18, indeed, doubtful ‘Whetner the postal telegraph could be as economically here as in Belgium, where three interests are consolidated and the operatoi clerks and officers are fewer in number than wont be required to operate each system independently. But then there are other considerations in our favor, and these are so lorcibly stated by Mr. Hubbard that we reproduce them in tits connection. He says:— This country {s unsurpassed in the advantages {t possesses for the successful development of the telegraph. The cli- mate, character and habits of the people, the various centres Sf vusiness and the vast extent of territory combine to give it this superiority, The climate is generaily dry and the tele- ph is operated with greater (actilty than in most countries in Burope. The character and habits of the people demand despatch, while economy, both iu business and domestic If ia lees practised here than abroad. It possesses one great monetary capital—New York—aud cne civil capital--Wash- ington —with smaller State is. There are centres for different kinds 01 busiugss—aNew York for foreign come merce and money; Boston for New England manufactures; Chicago, St. Louis and Toledo for grain; Cinctnnatt an Chicago for pork and beef; New Orieans and other Southern cities for cotton, Each ot these centres regulates the price of its own staple; each Isa commercial monetary centre for its own section, and each has communication with the other ting to its stapie product. In addition, the great hich separate the various sections of the country d tacilities for sending messages by night as well as by day aud yet anticipate the mali by many hours, It is a Vast interest here as at present conducted, ‘The amount paid for telegrapling in 1867 Was nearly $5,000,000, and nearly “equals the amount annually by all the natious of Hurope for corres- e by telegraph,” though the number of mes- sages will bear no comparison. Thus in all Europe there Were trausinitted in 1565 15,640,243 messages, at a cost of $5,585,311. As our companies keep no account of the number of esuges—ab least, Make ho report—it is only possibile to approximate Uh namber by a careful estimate, whica Mr. Hubbard enters into, and the couctusion of which is that 1m the year ending June, Iss, the number of messages transmitted tn the United States was 6,962,000, at an average cost of one dollar eact. but we shall con- sider the American systew hereafter, ‘The practical fact is that tue cost of telegraphing here is #o great aa to deprive the people, as a whole, of its benefits in the speedy transmission of intelli- gence. itis used only in important transactions and grave emergencies, Whereas it ought to be made as available for their uses a+ the post itself, How this can be accomplished 1s the question. Whether the government ought to purchase existing lines, estab- Nish thdependent ones, or corporate a United States posal telegraph company, giviag it pownr to con- struct lines, the Postmaster General then to receive bids from all companies for tie transmission of stamped messages, wot to oxcoed twenty-fve cents, including five cents pone for twenty words, for every 500 miles or fraction tuereof, or tive cents for each added five words—as is proposed in the bill how pending in Congress—are open questions, and will receive consideration when the bill comes up again. The erfect of even that system would be, in Mr. Hubbard's opinion, to reduce the coat on @ mes- sage twenty-five per cent to stations within 600 miles, sixty-two percent to stations between 600 and 1,000, sixty-seven per cent between 1,000 and 1,600 miles, and fifty-six percent between 1,500 and 2,000—an average reduction of fifty-three per cents S.NGULAR CASE OF SUSPENDED ANIMATION, (From the Danville (Ind.) Commerctal.} A friend, whose reliability is undoubted, relates us the following most wonderful occurrence, t parucalars of which he learned while ona recent visit to Plainfield, Indiana:—two you ladies, daughters of @ Baptist clergyman of that place, were walking in the woods a few days since, when one of them handed to her sister a wreath of autumn leaves she had been forming, asking her to keep { for her when she was dead, saying that she had had a dream in which she was told that she should soon die, but would come to life seaie ‘after eight daya, Her sis- ter simply ridiculed the idea and thought no more of the matter, But on the next day the one who had the dream was taken seriously li and on the follow- ing day died, or appeared to die. Numerous phy- sicians from the vicinity and from Indianapolis had been to see the supposed corpse, who, at the time our informant (who also saw her) left, had been in 4n inanimate state for nine days, and most of the eres pronounced her dead, But, although she had been kept in a warm rooin during alt this time, no sign of mortification had shown itself, Her friends had not ceased to use restoratives and to rub her limbs, the muscles of which were still pliable and warn. If life is extinct it seems to us that mor- tification must bave commenced, and the fact that it has not done so @ hope that the pavient ts in @ prolonged tran Russia continues to reguiate the administration of the vast territories she has snevessively annexed to the north and east of the Casptan sea.” Au imperial ukage reorganizes the provinces of Kirghises, Oren- burg and Siberia, that of Semipalatioss and the ter- ritorles of the Cossacks of the Oural aua of Siberia, Henceforward these districts will bear the names of the provinces of Vara, Tours) Akwolitex and mipalatinsk | marked, SPIRITUAL MEDIUMS. A Week's Visiting Among the Spiritual Me- diums of the Metropolis—Daniel Webster as an Inspirational Orator and Logician—The Humbeg of Clauirvoyancy—Guessing as a Sub- Mmated Sclence—Fact and Fiction in Strike ing Contrast—Masculine Mediums Attempt- ing the Afinitat Dodge on Their Lady Vis- Mors. Of all the varied species of arrant humbugs the spiritualistic species—for the growing prevalence of this class of charlatanism entitles it to the name of a special species—is decidedly the worst, the most unpardonable of all modern frauds, the meanest and vilest of all human, or rather inhuman, trickery. It deals with the strongest, weakest point of our com- mon humanity, or, it would be better and more truthfully expressed, with our commonest humant- ty, those of weaker intellects and more imaginative and susceptible mental organ- isms—for mo one, we claim, of terse vigor of intetlect, of strong native energy of will and every-day, practical, common sense views of life and its duttes can be humbugged by the most skilled exhibitions of these spiritualistic jugglers, or hoodwinked by the pompous periods of its sacrile- gious seers or baser satellites, No one has any idea of the number of these spiritualistic thimbleriggers— we can call them by no milder name—abounding in our city, these people of pretended potency as me- diums, these exorcisers of the spirits of the dead, these pseudo revelatora of our past history, with equal capacity to unfold our exact present sur- roundings and present at the same time a faithful panorama of our fature life, There are hundreds of them now, and the number promises soon to becom legion. They live and flourish like the green bay tree—live and Nourish on the credulity of others, live on the fat of the land and flourish—tie men on the best broadcloth and beavers and most spotiess of linen, and the women in silks and satins and most expen- sive of paniers and loudest of showy plaids and pinchbeck jewelry. The guiding principle of these people is to live without work, and they hit on, to thein, the happiest and easiest way of doing it. What is Spiritualism and how much of itcan be be- Neved are agitating many. What idea more fascinat- jog than this, that our friends, whom we have wept over and buried out of sight, are not only really liv- ing, but actually so near that conversation 13 possi- ble? What a cheering thought for those of us who have watched our brightest treasures fade and die— have known what it is to part with all on earth imost precious. It 18 an unquestioned fact that Spiritualism numbers among its stanchest adherents the speculative, imagina- tive and bereaved. ‘the desire to believe thoroughly the truth of any theory has an immense though sometimes ap unconscious miluence with all seekers after tests, Que of our reporters has been spending a week in visiting some of the leading spt- ritual mediums of the city, and gives the following sample specimens of the persons visited and results of his visits:— ‘My firat essay 1n the work of investigating spiritual- istic phenomena began on Sunday evening in attend- ing a public meeting of Spiritualists, where, it was@ advertised, a first class inspirational speaker was to edify the audience. There was a pretty numerous attendance, made up of the usual number of long- haired, hatchetiaced men, and brainless-looking women. The speaker was introduced, and it re- quired no clairvoyant quality to understand that we were to be treated to a first class humbug. She was neither very old nor very pS f—eVi- dently not a spring chicken—and decked out with an indescribable amount of laces and After a few spasmodic jerks and twitches our lady commenced her subject. “The occupation of spirits’ had been previously an- nounced, and the congregation were informed that an individual of considerable earthly celebrity would inform them on this important topic. Now we were to be told what spirits occupied and amused them- selves with; and having always heartily sympathized with the old sailor wio, when congratulated by a minister on the near approach of fete life, seriously objected to “picking a tent by moonlight on a on gewgaws. cloud.” I listened intently to a long, super-sul mated discourse, which not the slightest anal- ogy to the subject under consideration, ‘There was the usual spherical bombast; but, shades of Lindley Murray! what grammar. At the close of the exer- clses | approached the speaker. “You spoke of the spirit who controlled you,” I remarked, “as being that of a very celebrated man in his life on this earth, May I inquire his name?” “Certainly,” she replied, with a grand flourish of arms, ‘Daniel Webster.’’ Is it to be supposed that any sane, educated per- son after hearing this could be made to believe that woman anything save a detestable fraud ? un- grammatical, unrhetorical twaddle an emavation Irom the prince of orators and logiclans! Ridicu- lous! But there were those peed who, from the seraphic expression on their elongated faces, actually credited the statement. ‘This woman ‘received twenty dollars for two of these inspirational lec- tures dictated by the spirit of Daniel Webster. The spirit of Edward Everett was announced to dictate her next discourse. It is to be hoped that this cul- tivated writer and exquisitely chaste orator spoke better sense through the medium of better lish. On Monday morning I visited @ place pretty well up town. 1 was ushered into a reception room, where, carly as it was (ten A. M.), eleven persons had already preceded me. A copy of Andrew Jackson Davis’ “Harmonial Philosophy” and a book of ms by Lizzie Daten adorned the centre table. Having to wait for these eleven to be attended to first did not present a. very encouraging prospect; so by dint of a little strategy 1 optained an interview with Madame, who promised mea “sitting” in an hour anda half. time 1 called on another female medium in the neighbor- hood, whom I had the good luck to find alone. After a searching glauce at my face and dress she com- menced to wink and blink. Those who have wit- hessed trance “mejuims” enter their uliar con- dition know how Strangely harrowing are the initiatory to an observer. However, after about two minutes of fearful facial contortion Madame commenced. Her tone was strangely whining and unnatural. “Tam your grandmother,” she whined out. “Well, what has grandmother wo say to me?’ I inquired, with a view to test the genuineness of the spirit. “Oh, how you suifer physically! continued my good-natured progenitor. “I am with you often and know all about your difficulties,” and then she went on to turn my stomach, liver, heart and lungs inside out, until, aye J ipo [raphe i one myself not the possessor of one healthy organ—had s tuber. culous difficulty of the left lung, a siight bronchial affection, digestive apparatus considerably impaired, enlargement of the liver, spinal Weakness and a host of other ailments, “Which of my grandmothers is this’ I inquired, “Your paternal grandparent,” was the reply. “She aust have become a graduated M. D. since her residence in the spirit world,”’ I observed. “Such Is the case. Poor humanity stood so much in need of medical advice and treatment that she has made it a speciaity,’’ quickly responded the me- dium, Now this woman had been totally deceived by my personal appearance. it is my misfortune to pos- sess @ certam delicacy of physique and very litte color; but as my digestion almost equals that of an ostrich and my lungs can bear four miles of quick walking on a cold, bracing day I declined, therefore, urchasi nuomberiess gon of Madame’s concoc- on, Which, a8 4n especial favor, she would sell at the low price of one dollar per bottle. Notwith- standing my grand maternal progenitor’s earnest eutreaty and expostulation | remaimed firm on tus point, and, after paying the usual fee, departed. Leaving my mother’s spirit to find its own way back to tl piritiand the best way it could, i returned to my irst calling place. By the time arrived at this latter locality the exciteyent and the walk had transformed me into a very different look- ing person. This woman, now that we were about to enter on busitfess, gave me @ quizzical examina- tion, but proceeded to her business ina very dif- ferent manner from the last one, with less of tlie jerk and more of the lackadaisical. “Did you come to consult me about any domestic inharmony ?” was the first question, “You advertise, Madame,” I answered, ‘to tell past, present and future events. I shall be perfectly satisfied if you will confine yourself to facts concern- ing the first two | A for the present.’” “L gee a littie girl Semacing by your side,”’ she re- lightly nonplu: l. she is in iy form hed i about years of age have not, Madame.” ‘Here ia a fine-looking lady, with beautiful face and golden hair, who seems to be very fond of you. She is not In the Spiritiand. She is living, but her |t follows you.” it is very strange,"’ I answered; “I acknowledge my inability to recognize the invisible beauty, but assure you ‘of my incapacity to admire visible ugli- FT “Ah, how you long for some congenial nature,” she continued; “but you mast not allow yourself to waste tune in fruitless repinings. I see you don’t follow any pursuit, and, moreover, are utterly in- capable of doing C~ pand ap a! thought or ap- lication on account of this desire to be understood ppreciated.”” jaine,’? 1 answered, rather hastily, “I do fol- low a pursuit. Iam compelled to think and write daily several consecutive hours out of the twenty- four, with the cry of “Copy” incessantiy ringing in my ears. The desire fora sympathetic friend com ay trouble me. You are a good way oif the tracl “Some persons are very averse to hearing the truth,” said the scarecrow, following me to the door. At the next place I was treated to another physio. logical discourse, and here found myself threatened with inflammatory rheumatism, @ trouble which medinm No, 1 had not foreseen, “You have children?’ was the first statemeat made interrogatively. “Indeed ?” said I, “What are their ages? and T putthe the question in @ way as if teliing her that she was mistaken. She immediately switched of onto agother tra “You are ve sho continued; ting.” suis Woman Wasa ‘writing medium.” I waeedifed “cannot tell whether Have you @ living child of fond of children, and they of you,” see several bear Where you are sit- by two ope 8 Of Soreens closely written, with the name Mary” attac! There were several sentences stolen entirely from Swedenborg’s “Ar. cana Celestix,” and ended with a two verse quota- | tion from Shelley, without the customary credit | marks, That was all, She extended her 4 for the fee, and I took my leave. The next in order was a masculine humbng, and when men come down to this siyle of fraud—the men usually proceed on a much larger scale, Buch py Metrouding overnment, robbing banks and the’ like—they certainly carry off the paim. A lady and gentleman of color were waiting their tara when I entered. The room was very close and warm. When the medium made his appearance my olfactories must have been slightly elevated. Giving me aquick, earnest glance, he inquired whose turn it was next, and very urbanely requested the colored parties to wait @ iew moments longer, Upon their signifying their willingness to do this he beckoned me to follow him. ‘This spiritual clairvoyant, after describing my tastes, disposition and general health, informed ie that my braim was a Little too active, but that neces- Biiy was the cause, and Hae apcing with quite @ mi- nute description of my business, habits, &c.. As he went of iis face became more and more familiar; and when J had reached the acme of astonishment and satisfaction in regard to the correctness of his spiritualist, powers J had succeded in “placing” lum. He knew me, but did not think 1 knew bin, ‘The imposition was plain, “Are you satisiied Y” he asked. “Perfectly,” | answered, ‘on one condition.” “Name it.?? “{ want to hear your revelations to your next lady visitor and see if you can hit her case as cor- rectly as mine.”” “Add two dollars to your fee and it is done,” he quietly answered. 1 paid the two dollars, He put me into an adjoin- ing room, leaving the door very slightly ajar. He was not long getting through with tue colored lady and gentleman, If at were not for the space 1t would occupy it would be worth while showing up the con- sumumate deceit he practised on these unsuspicious descendants of Ham, A gentleman followed them, He got through with him with equal brevity and with a cunning look of giee on his face—for | could not resist the opportunity to watca him from my place of concealment. He began counting over his morning’s receipts, when a lady was announced. She had the appearance of a genuine lady, easy, graceful manners, a fine figure, quite young abd pretty and tastefully dressed; though what could bring her there puzzied me at first. it ‘Was soon evident tiat alie came with serious and implicit faith in his powers as a@ spiritual clairvoy- ant. he was excessively polite, and his tones were modulated to a surpassing silvery sweetness, It is unnecessary to follow him through his long rigma- roie of glittering generalities in the way of diaguos- ticating upon her physical condition and guessing at her habits, vocation and surroundings. “When he had got through he advanced to where she sat and extended his hand to her, “What is that for?” she asked, pointing to the delicate outstretched fingers. “You are acquainted, my dear woman,” he re- plied, with the law of affinitiesy Your intelligence and loving nature must long ago have made you ta- miliar with the doctrine of counterparts; and what lorious ideas are thus embodied ! Now { feel as if in some strange, precious manner you were & part of self, “God forbid !’ spoke up the lady Inalenaney. “To belong to a knave would be bad enough; but to be, however small, apart of a fool would be infinitely worse, Good morning.” The lady leit. I came from my place of conceal- ment in the adjoining room. “Oh! I had forgotten you being there,” he re- marked, with a look of surprise. a essed as much, or you would not have dared to insult that lady.” “What do you mean?” “I mean what I say; you are an unprincipled scoundrel,’ “You are a fool, and I’ve got your money,” he hurled at me, as I left his presence. All the above on one day. A large portion of the Buc three days I devoted to this search after truth, but with about the same success as described. I was thrown in contact with several sharp, quick- witted women and men, who, hadI thrown out a single clue in to my manner of living or oc- cupation, would have hashed me up a very nice dish. But that was not on my bill of fare. I had now called on fourteen, and can truthfully aver that each one failed to convince me of his or her right to the title of spiritual clairvoyant or medium. Subse- quent calls, occupying the rest of the wi upon six- teen others were attended with like result. Speak- ing from the standpoint of my week’s experience, 1 can say this much of advertised mediums—three- thirds of them are humbugs. BROOKLYN CITY. TBE COURTS. UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT. The Farmers and Citizens’ National Bank— Important Decision. Before Judge Benedict. Frederick A. Platt, Receiver, vs, John H. Broach and Others.—Judge Benedict rendered the fol- lowing decision in this case yesterday:—This ac- tion is brought by the receiver of the Farmers and Citizens’ National Bank to recover the amount of a promissory, note made and endorsed by the de- fendants. It now comes before the court upon a motion for judgment upon a verdict for the plaintiff, which was taken by direction of the Court, subiect to the opinion of the Court. Among the other points taken by the defendant in opposition to the motion is this:—That the evidence did not show the note upon which the suit is brought to have been stamped, as required by the Revenue laws; while on the of the plaintiff it is insisted that inasmuch as the note in evidence bears upon its face the proper stamp, pur) been duly cancelled on the day of the date of the note, itis presumed to have been duly aMxed on that day. There appears to have been some misunderstanding of the evidence given upon this point. As the notes of the trial show, the to the note who left it at the bank swear that the note was not stamped at all when they left it. The ident of the bank, with whom they left it, e did not put the stamp on, and does not know 10 did; and the cashier of the bank shows that he did not put the stamp on. There was no evidence as to when the stamp was affixed, or that there were any other persons connected with the bank than those sworn who were author- ized to stamp notes, or that the cancellation stamp is that of the bank, and the present holder is not asked whether the stamp was upon the nete when it came into his hands. In this position of the evidence the defendant was entitled to go to the jury upon the question of fact raised in regard to the stamp. The motion for judgment must, therefore, be denicd and 4 new trial granted. The cause wili be placed upon the calendar of the present term. UNITED STATES COMMISSIONERS’ COURT. Representing an Internal Revenue Officer. Before Commissioner Jones. Peter Rourke was taken before Commissioner Jones yesterday to answer a charge made against him by John Hopkie of attempting to extort money on the representation that he was an Internal reve- nue officer. In the complaint Hopkie, who keeps a distillery, swore that Rourke came to him on the 28th of November and demanded $100, stating at the same time that he was an internal revenue oificer and intimating that unless his tenons was complied with he might give him some trouble. When the case was calied up Hopkie did not seem inclined to oe igen if to what he had sworn to tn the complaint, and on motion of Mr. Porris, Assistant District Attorney, Rourke was discharged. SUPREME COURT—GENERAL TERM. A Lost Trank. Before Judges Gilbert, Barnara and Tappan. Jonathan F. Travis, Appellant, vs, David D, Smith etal, Respondents.—This was an action to recover damages for the loss of a trunk. It appears the ap- peliant put his trunk on board one of the boats run- ning from Nyack to New York and belonging to the respondents. It was to be delivered to him at the foot of Harrison street; but when he called for it it was not to be found. A’referce held that the steam- boat owners were not responsib! after the trunk had been landed. The respondents heid that it was the duty of ft appellant to call for his trank immediately, aa he must have known that it was the custom of the respondents to land their freight as soon as it arrived at the dock in New York, and that when the trunk was so landed their responsibility ended, e still On. K.NGS COUNTY COURT OF SESSIONS. Before Judge Troy and Justices Hoyt and Voorhies, CONVICTED OF ROBBERY. George Williamson was convicted of robbery yes- terday and sentenced to imprisonment in the Stato Prison, at hard labor, for the term of four years and six months, The prisoner stole a watch chain from George Wilson, on the night of November 4 last, while he was asleep on one of the Fulton ferry boats, THE AUTHORITY OF A POLICEMAN. Henry Rogers and James Carroll, two reapectablo looking men, were placed on trial, charged with as- saulting @ police officer while engaged in the dis- charge of his duty. ‘The jane witness was omicer Henry Lee, of the Forty-fifth precinct, who testified thai on the oth of August last, about noon, the prisoners were creating a disturbance and he undertook to arrést them. The prisoners refused to be arrested, when he struck Rogers with his club and .@ fight ensued, during which he was badly Pein reply to fons fi in reply to questions from the Court the officer said that neither of the prisoners was drunk at the time he attempted to arrest them; that the only dia- turbance he saw was one of them swinging a ham- mer back and forth, and that before any of the pri- inert struck him he struck one of them with his club. ‘There being no other witness for the ention the Court charged the jury that on the testimony of the offiver they could not convict the prisoner under the law. A police officer had @ right to arrest only by power of a warrant or when @ criminal offence Was cowmuitied i lis presence. In this case the of ficer had no warrant and no offence was committed in his nce, and therefore his attempt to arrest the prisoners was cleariy an assault, w! ‘was ag- ated by the officer striking one of the rien his club. If any assault had been committed it ‘Was done by the officer, and nut by the prisoners. He directed the jury to find a verdict of ‘not guilty.” CONVICTED OF AN ASSAULT. Walker was placed on trial charged with felonious assault on Charles Cozzens (colored), re- siding at 201 Jay street, by striking him on the With @ slungshot ou the night of the Sth of No- vember last. From the testimony of- the complaining witness it appeared that on the night in question the prisoner Was at his house, when a dispute urose about some person with whom the prisoner quarreiled. ‘The prisoner made 80 many threats that witness did not think tt safe to have him in the house, and put him out, Soon after witness went out, wlien he was ati by the prisoner, who struck nim several times with a slungahot. Witness had him arrested, and on the way to the station house the prisuncr choked wit- ness until the officer had to strike away his handg- with a club, when a razor fell from his hand. . ‘The testimony of this witness was corrovorated by officer Whitney and others, and the prisoner was convicted and sent to imprisonment for three years and six months in the State Prison, COURT CALENDAR—THIS DAY, BROOKLYN C:T¥ COURT.—NOS. "124, 125, 129, 135,. , 198, 142, 143, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 4,'155, 158, 157, 158, 159, 160, 8 Cou SUPREME COURT—GBNERAL TERM, —y » 30, BL 34, 35, 6, 37, 38, 39, 40, 42, 43, 44, 7, 48, 49, 50. BROCKLYN INTELLIGENCE. | SIxrH AVENUE BAPTIST MIssION.—The ledies of this congregation will open their fair and festivak this afternoon in the school room of the mission, which wiil be continued this evening and to-morrow. ‘Vhe proceeds are to be devoted towards defraying part of the indebtedness of the church, } STOLEN Prorerty.—OfMicer Kalph, of the Forty- second precinct, recovered a portion of a coppes still from two thieves about two o’clock yesterday morning in John street. The thieves were lugging the copper through John street, near Little, bug when they observed the officer they dropped 1t ang ned. ’ ACCUSED OF BURGLARY.—George Bennett, a saals and blind maker, was arrested at three o'clock yeas terday morning on suspicion of burglary. ‘The stord: of Aaron Altmage, No. 209 Myrtle avenue, lad beer broken into a short time previous, and oilicer ares on searching about the locality; discovered the ac: cused in the yard of the house adjoining. He was ljocked up to answer. 4 CHARGE OF RoBBERY.—James Connerton was ary rested and locked up to answer in the Forty-eighth precinct station house on a charge of stealing \ pipe from @ number of unoccupied houses in t! Eighth ward. An unoccupied house in F h ave nue, owned by James Sharkey, was dal to considerable extent by the lead pipes being torn oug of it by thieves. ef ATTEMPTED BURGLARY.—Mrs, Hayward, residin; in Third street, near Bond, was somewhat startle¢ about half-past ten o’clock on Monday night by seex ing a strange man peering into her bed-) room.” ‘The “fellow entered the. house {0 the purpose of robbing it, but on finding he was dis- covered he ran duwn stairs and made hig escape through one of the basement windows in the rear., He ed an entrance by prying open 4 grating the rear. . FaTAaL RAILROAD ACCIDENT.—A boy about twelv4 years of age, whose name was not ascertained, fell from the front platform of car No. 56 of the Coney Island line, while the latter was on its way to Park« ville on Monday evening, and was crushed bencath the pedestal boxes covering the end of the axles, which are attached to the bottom of the car. The boy was Soaantiy killed. The Coroner was notified. Deceased resided with his parents at Parkville. 4 PARTIAL DeSTRUCTION OF A VARNISH FACTORY BY Firg.—The varnish factory of Brooks & Fitz- gerald, North Tenth street, near Fifth, D., tooR fire about nine o'clock last night, but the fameg were eile, eee promptly, with an estimated loss of $1,000. The fire originated in the office, and phen the police arrived at the place they found the oj ere. There was a large quantity Of var- a n the place, and but for the promptitude of the rs @ disastrous conflagration would have re- sul AN East RIVER FERRYBOAT MysTERY.—The pilot and deck hands of the New York and Brooklyn Ferry Company’s boat Commodore Perry report that aman dressed in dark clothes was thrown overboard from that boat between seven and eight o’clock on Mon- day evening by two ~ with whom he to be quarrelling. The affair occurred, as |, two, or three moments after the boat left her siip on the New York side. It does not appear that the pilot made, any effort to save thé man alluded to, nor was the occurrence reported to the police until near mid- night. The story is given for what it is Worth. ‘ _ PuyMouTH BETHEL Mission.—The third one of the series of popular entertainments in aid of thé Plymouth Bethel Free Reading Room will tak place this (Wednesday) evening. The program! embraces the performance of several choice musical; vocal and instrumental selections, in w! Messrs. UG. ap, Buckalew, Comstock afd Gilder, and Mrs. Comstock, Wisewell and the members of th Amateur Philharmonic Society will take part. atvendance during the past week at the men’s reads ing room was 974, w! the number in the boys’ room within the same period was 1,604. ‘ SEIZURES OF DISTILLERIES.—Assistant Assessore Willey ang Hubbell, under the direction of Assessor Williams, of the Second Collection district, yesterday afternoon séized a distillery in full operation, with, some 700 gallons of Tangh on hand, in’ Columb! street, pot g mg located in the rear of a shanty 1 the premises. bad oy aed was tarned over to the proper authorities for confiscation, te Yesterday Luke O'Riley, Deputy Collector of tile Third Inte rnal Revenue district, seized a diatitiery Hudson avenue, between Gold and Lit fe otrcotat No person was found on the premises, and the tu! stills and quantity of mash were taken pi session of and ed over to the proper officers {¢ confiscation. FIRE AND SEIZURE OF A STIL1..—Between ten and eleven o’elock yesterday morning a fire broke out in some sheds at No. 25 John street. The Inspector of Police repaired to the place and found about a dozen men running about with wrenches and de- taching pipes. On closer inspection he discovered an illicit still on the premises, but it was impossible to find any owner for it. The parties whd were so much interested in disconnecting the pipes declared they had nothing to do with the still. The pe thereupon placed several! officers in charge of the still and notified the internal revenue officers of od seizure. The fire caused a damage of $450 to the al a. ARREST OF AN ALLEGED BuRGLAR.—Last evening detectives Corwin and Frost arrested a fugitive from justice in the person of a young man named Christo- pher Boyd, on Broadway, near Broome street, New York. The prisoner in question was arrested by detective Corwin on the 224 of July last im come pany with a certain William Denmore, while endeavoring to break into the residence of D. K. Baker, No, 270 Cariton avenue. Boyd was subsequently admitted to bail by Justice Cornwell and had not since been seen, though sought after by the authorities. His co: anion, Denmore, was tried and sentenced to the Penitentiary for two years and a half, The meeting and recognition betw Boyd and the officers was urely (and painfully so to the former) accidental. le offered some fesistance when first taken hold of, but finally succumbed and was brougit over to this city and here locked up for trial. ARREST OF ALLEGED FORGERS. William ©, King, alias H. Hoyt, was taken before Justice Buckley yesterday afternoon, with his wife, both being charged with passing forged checks. The parties are about twehty-(ve years of age and of genteel appearance. The complaining witness was Mr. J. W. White, who keeps a dry goods store at No, 179 Fulton street, and who was victimized to the’ amount of $128 50, Mrs, King, it appears, was stopping at Woods! American Hotel, in. Fulton street, with her husband, and had been in the habit of making her purchases in Mr. White's store, She invariably paid her bills im checks, and as they were always found to be genu- ine, the one for $182 60 did not create any suspicion. On this occasion Mra, King purchased about thirty- two dollars’ worth of silk and received $160 50 in change. When the character of the check Was "discovered Mr. White repaired’ to [he hotel to inform Mrs. King, but found | thi both she and her husband had poatealy taken their departure. The matter was then | ges 4 in the hands of the police. On m nig! ie officers found that King and his wife returned to Woods’ Hotel, but thelr names were coed ae H. Hoyt and lady. When arraigned bel Jourt Rit leaded guilty and was committed to await the scien. of the“ Grand Jury. ee patie exonerated his wife from all blame, stating that she had no knowledge of the character of the check, It was ascertained tiat King had recently checks. He passed een oe of Detmonico's Pabout alleged, his wife one for $650 and she fate a Fitany's owel store to purchase a set of Jewelry with it, When handing the check as pay- ment she requested tl clerk to satisfy himseit ae to its being genuine. It was sent to the Fourth Ni i Bank, Where tt was pronounced “irregu- a ing took it and left the store, The checks were forget in the name of Thomas ©. Du- rant, ¥ice President of the Pacific Ratiroad Company, in whose office the prisoner was employed previous to October. : |