The New York Herald Newspaper, December 22, 1868, Page 9

FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL. Monpay, Dec. 21—6 P. M. Wall street, atbelt used to sarprises more or less Btartling and biice with sensations, Was moved to ‘the wildest excitement this morning by the follow- ag annoucemeat whica appeared in the advertising olumns of the HERALD: — Ata meeting of the directors of the New York ventral Railroad company, held on the 19th day of yecember, 1sés, the following resviutions were wv neces this company has hitherto expended of ia earnings for tue purpose of constructing and Puntpping its road, and in the purchase of real tate and other properties, with a view to the im- preave of its trauic, moneys equal in amount to ighty per cent vi Ue capital stock of the company; Whereas the several stockholders of the com- ny are entiticd to evidence of such expenditure, -fad to relmburscineut of the same at some coa- enient future period, now, therefore, | Resolved, That a certificate, sigacd by the Presi- lent and treasurer of this company, be issued the stockholders severally, declaring that such kholder is entitled to eighty per cent of tue mount Of the capital stock held by him, payable ~fatably with the tier certificates issued under this olution, at the vption of the company, out of 1s juture earnings, with dividends thereon, at the same aud times as dividends shall be paid on the of the capital stock of thecompany; and that uch certificates way be, at the option of the com- ny, Convertibie into stock of the company, when- wer the compauy shall be authorized to increase capital stock io wu amount sufficient for such inversion. Resolved, That such certificates be delivered to the tockholders of this comps at the Union Trust mpany, in the pity of New York, om the presenta- ion of their se\erai certificates of stock, and that he receipt of tue certificate provided for in these ang snuli be endo on the stock certifl- cal Resolved, Tha: a «iividend of four per cent, free of ernment ta... is uereby declared, payable on the th day of February next, upon the stock of this upon the interest certificates us day authorized, « | The interest ve: \idcates authorized by said resolu- ons will be issucu to the several stockholders ntitied thereto ai tue office of the Union Trust Com- any, in the city of New York, where the same wiil ready for deiivery oa the presentation of the stock rtificates. } anticipations toi been indulged in some weeks @go of the declaration of a dividend by the New York om the occasion of their annual aud the election of a new board; at mo such wc: having been thus taken, after 6 little disappoimtment the matter was appa- tly forgottea, aud tue stock, which had previously (Bdvanced upon tie ruraor, settled down,to its former igure, the sire: plilosophically regarding the ‘promise and assurance, thus contradicted, ag but fone of the mauy speculative ruses so frequently walled of in Jobbing operations, It appears now i the recent movements of the Erie Railroad rection towards ‘tie establishment of a through ik line to the West under their control, which tie icase of the Atlantic and reat Westeru Railway was only a part, the | of other aud counecting lines, already consum- Or in contemplation, forming additional inks in the chaiu, simulated the enterprising and ble head of the Ncw York Central management to ‘peek similar priviieges, in order not to be bebind- in competing (or the immense traMc sought to secured. With cis view it became important at the didereuces which existed between the roads Rontrolied by Couinodore Vanderbilt and connect- Bng Western lines suouid be adjusted, and terms of ®ompromise having been arranged, asa means of ‘Biving colat to the matter, and it may be, alding in Ata satisfactory couciusion, it was decided to make a ribution of the surplus earnings of the Central which was acvordingly done in the manner ve set forth. } The exact terms of the convention entered into by | Pommodore Vanderbilt and the Western managers ve not yet been made public, but they are said to ude an arraugeiucat whereby the right of the (Western men to estaviish rates of freight—which the | tral, Harleia aud Hudson River wiil pro rate 1s nceded—the svitiement of bridge tolls and terminal and insuriag full connections to Chicago, @iving Mr. Vandervilt a commanding influence in the @ontest for propouderance in the railroad interests of the country long in progress between him and the Eerie party, besides securing to New York much of ‘The trafic now diverted to other points. | ‘The meeting of tie New York Central directors 1s Gaid tohave becn livid late on Saturday night; but. | lowever that may have been, the matter was kept / Profoundly secrei, aud only those in the ring had any suspicion that any such action was contemplated, The consequence was but little of the stock was in ‘ther hands, and wiicu the market opened this morn- fitg the price, wiich uad closed on Saturday night at to 184, sustained a sharp andvance to 165. I, Wever, decliuci soon to 161 and subsequently ‘exhibited the following fiuctuations:—i61, 162, 259, 156, 157, 15, 154, 152, 152% 156, 157, as83,, 154, 153, 151, 152, 15034. At the first open board e first sales were made at 15134, and others as fol- Vows:—152, 151g, 151, 150%, 15036, 1503, 16134, 151% 1614, the stock closing at 151% a 152, Between } board and the {irst regular board, on the report ‘Mhat legal proceedings were institated to prevent the Pesue Of the scrip dividend, extensively circulated by She “shorts,”’ who were in despair, the price broke to 2463;, but on their attempting to “cover” rallied again to 15134, and was quoted at the close of the first regular board at 151 @ 1513. The great- @st excitement was exhibited both in the ‘Doards and on the street, and the price of stock rose Bnd fell like the waves of @ troubled sea, changing ‘@srapidly. At the second open board it was quoted 16455 @ 154%, while at the same time, under the pressure exerted upon it in the street, it fell to 151, and subsequentiy to 150% a 1604, closing in the Yast regular board at 150% a 1613, and, the excite- Ment somewhat subsiding, continuing within that margin until near tne close of the Long Room, when BM again advanced, aud finally closed on the street, & quarter to six o’ciuck, at 1545 bid, the lest sale ing at 154. Appiication was carly made at the office of the Wonton Trust Company for the certificates, it being @pprehended that un iujunction would be sued out No restrain their dulivery. It will be borne in mind Yhat the directors are already enjoined against juing any aduilivusi stock, and the present issue scrip is regarded in some quarters as equivalent foan evasion of chis injunction. It ts, however, Btated that anotier injunction enjoining the issue of Che certificates was to day granted by Judge Bar- Nard; but we could uot earn that It had been served. We learn that soiwe fourteen millions of stock has ready been preseuied, upon which such certificates Dave been issued. » What the future course of the stock will be it is ble to determine. The suddenness of the nouncement of the dividend of course had its to-day iu causing the very considerabie ad- and the excitement thereby occasioned in Pustotning it, Kariy ia the day the open Board of Brokers adopted a ;esoiution directing its executive ficers to confer with the regular board in regard calling the stock ex dividend. ,When this is done, in @ comprehension of the virtual heavy watering the stock which the addition of scrip to the jount of 80 per cent, presumptively conver- bie at no distant day, is quite as sud- len @ decline below Saturday’s price as advance has been, is not beyond the range of Laegmse while the prospect of protracted litiga- ion, 4 la Erie, preseuted in the injunction said to have been issued on the application of Isaac N, Fenks, returnable December 29, renders any prog. Hostication regarding it exceeding difficult, Fail. ures are reported of some small operators, who were caught “short” Uils morning, and compelled to de- liver, but none of auy considerable house; while nu- merous parties who had the inside track, and others who were fortunately “long,” realized large sums, one of our largest capitalists, who counts his income by millions, having, it 1s said, added another million to his bank surplus. Money was active to-day, without, however, any Btringency. Early in the day call loans were freely made at seven per ceut currency, and leading houses could obtain funds at that figure up to the ciose of business. Late in the day, however, the market Worked a degree closer, and small borrowers were obliged to pay in instances as high as seven, gold. It is said that the parties who have managed this Central coup provided some considerable funds Against the existing stringency. This is pro- bably the source of the relief the market felt on Saturday afternoon, and was fur. mished in view of this morning's operations. Commercial paper was dull, except dry goods, dis- Counts for which ranged from 7 to 8 por cent for Drime names, Foreign exchange waa vory active NEW YORK HERALD, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2 and higher, responaively to the advance in the gold Premium, on the basis of prime bankers’ sixty days, 109%; short sight, 110%. We quote:— Sterling, sixty days, commercial, 108% @ 100%; bankers’, 100% @ 109%; short sight, 110% @ 11034; Paris, sixty days, 6.208 5.164; short sight, 6.13% @ 6.124; Antwerp, 5.20 a 5.16; Switzerland, 5.20 @ 5.1644; Hamburg, 355 a 36%; Amsterdam, 40% a 415¢; Frankfort, 40% a 4134; Bremen, 7854 @ 79; Prussian thalers, 715, @ 72. Gold opened this morning at 134%, sold up to 135% and closed at 1353s. The market was active, and exhibited @ good demand towards the close; 5, 6, 7 and 1-32 of one per cent were paid early in the Gay for carrying, later only 2 per cent, and in some cases loans were made without interest to either borrower or lender. The character of the European news to-day and the course of gold show the ex- treme sensitiveness of our market, In the morning, under the pressure of the pacific despatches regard- ing the Eastern question, the market opened 14g of the closing price of Saturday night nd continued for some time dull, In the after- noon, a8 on Saturday—a coincidence deserving of note by those interested—on the report that our bonds had declined in Europe the market became excited, and with large purchases the price har- dened. The transactions at the Gold Exchange Bank to-day comprised the foliowing:—Gross clearances, $91,454,000; gold balances, $1,497,751; currency bal- ances, $2,410,448, The improved character of European news and the reljef feltin @ full understanding of the monetary situation induced @ better feeling in governments to-lay. The market opened steady at about the closing rates of Saturday, weakened slightly under Limited inquiry, but later, except in the case of the 6's and 5-20's of '62, advanced about 4 to x, and ciosed firm, The following table will show a com- parison between Saturday night's prices and this evening’s:— Dec, 19. Dec, 21. U, 8. 6's, reg., 1881.... 109 109: 109 8 109% U. 5. 68, coup., 1881.. 114% @ 114) 114% a 1146 U, 8, 5-20's, reg....... 106% & 106 105% a 106 U.S. 5-20's, coup., 62. 110% a110% 110% a 110% U. S. 5 20's, coup., ’64. 10654 a 106% 10634 & 106% U, S. 5-20's, coup., 65. 107% 8107% 107 8 1076 U.S. 6-20'a, cp., RW, "65 100% a 100% 110 # 110% U. 8. 5-20, cp., DW, 67 109% a 109% no alloy U. 8. 5-20's, cp., nw, 68 110 @110% 110% a 110% U.S. 10-40%, reg. 102% .8102% = 102K a 103 U. 8. 10-40"s, cou, 105 810555 10534 & 10534 State bonds were quiet, without any feature of in- terest, to-day. The closing quotations at the regular board were:—Tennessee 6's, ex coupon, 68% a 69; Tennessee 6’s, new, 68 a 69; Virginia 6's, ex coupon, 55 a 56; do. do., new bonds, 57 a 5754; North Carolina O's, 65 & 6534; do. do., new bonds, 62), a 63; Mis- souri 6’s, 90 a 92, The advance in New York Central induced a buoy- ant feeling throughout the general stock list. This was especially noticeable in Pacific Mall, Rock Island and the Northwestern shares. The former is said to be the subject of another “move- ment,” but its character, and the in- fluence exerted in it, does mot seem clearly understood. A report started in the morning, that a ‘liberal dividend would be declared in February, coming during the first surprise of the announce- ment of one in Central, gained some currency, and the stock advanced during the day to 118% a 119, This was more likely, however; but the rebound, upon the removal of the “bear” pressure, which, with a story of a lawsuit in California, depreciated it last week, than the result of any faith in the divi- dend story. Rock Island also advanced four per cent. The foliowing table exhibits ® comparison between the closing prices of the stocks principally dealt in to-day and their closing prices Saturday night:— : ‘New York Central . 15435 0 151% 68 118% 9 119 9934 bid. M1” 9 111% 113% a 13 18% a 79 Erie throughout the day was weak and neglected. The following were the closing quotations of other stocks:—Cumberland, 36a 30; Adams Express, 48% @ 50; United States Express, 45 a 46; Merchants’ Union Express, 165% @ 1634; Quicksilver, 20 — 22; Canton, 47% a 48%; Western Union Telegraph, ex div., 33% @ 33%; Erle, 87% @ 27%; Hudson River. 128% @ 126%, Wavush, 66 @ 66%; Milwaukee and ‘St. Paul, 66 @ 6734; do. preferred, 853 @ 86; Ohio and Mississippi, 29% a 30; Michigan Southern, 87% a 8734; Illinois Centrai, 1423¢; Pittsburg, 8444 = 843; Toledo, 96% 8 97. SALES AT THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE. Monday, Dec. 21—10:15 A. M. 3 sonnei agesec gas z 100 Quite! io? Big oo 72 20 200g i 300 NY Cen 20 do. 0 do. 200 200 do. g & Two $3000 10 she 0 ‘5000 8 N Y¥ Cer 160 10000 20 Ene RR 89 2500.0 109 do. 33 110000 Yoo tien Cent 126 ‘6000 100 Mich South 816 ‘s0L00 60 Cleve & a 8000 100 Chic & 80% 100 3 cer & 9656 ‘50000 400 Chic & 10 she 2ou do. i % Bx of Comm 58 do.. 100 Qu’kailver Min Co. 100 Mil & 800 "do. 200 Pitts, For Bret meee 5 ‘Bo Boston COMMERCIAL REPORT. Monpay, Deo. 11-6 P. M. Corton.—Recetpts, 9,289 bales, The market was firm at the opening, but heavy at tne close, and the amount of busi- ness done was light. The sales were confined to 1,645 bales, ineluding 731 for spinning, 414 on speculation, 100 for export and 300 {n transit. For future delivery the sales were :—100 ales middling for January at 25i¢¢., 100 do. low middling for January or February at 24%¢0., 150 do, for February at 20. 60 do. for March at M4ig0., and 200 do.for March, part at na-—The market for Rio was quit, but prices, were x P. 0.” Warwick, on pri- " mathe eipts, a Cpe) LOUR AND URALN.—! ), 8,334 bois. flour, 4, i born neni, 14,989 bushels corn, 43'd0. ryeand 1,100 do. — ‘The dour market was dull and heavy, and, though hoiders lly refused to grant any. o some sales were ‘at a reduction of We. w Bic. ; all would have had to make ‘8 corresponding reduction in order to sell to any extent ie fornia tour was duliand nominal. The males wore 6,000 bois. Routhern four was dull and nominal at oer quotations. ‘82d bbis. Ry an Col on do Round hoop Onto, shipping brands. Round boop Ohio, trade breads: Bt. Lonts low extra. St. Lon Louls chot le Bt. Louis choice family. Southern chotes and fam! Me a tin OL Ue BLS 8! LI for do. tn store, Se. & 6t whhe Cet ay’ were dali 2 1068—TRIPLE SHEET. Of barley 3,000 bushels Barley malt was dull and FREiGu's continued all were f no GUNAIES were dull. Bags wore quoted at 7c. » 17}¢c- and cloth Iie. a ive. : ‘Hove were slow of aale, and were heavy at 160. a 200. fo prime (and choice grades, ‘a Ibe, for fair to good do., 8c. a lUe. for to common ana 15e. « Ic. for foreign. HAY was in fair demand, ani prives were steady, at 8c, & #1 for sbippicg, and #1 U5’ gl 4, for retail lots. Rye sirew Way quoted at RL 20 for Jong, and #1 n 31 08 (or short. Motasons’ We hoard of no sales of any deasription, Dut Were unchanged. ig NAVAL Sx0REs.—Keceipts, @) bbls. ntine, 1,00 do. romia, For the tormer the marcet was dally but firm, at 45igc. a sys. for merchapiable and sbip- ping ots, | Sales bbls, Dole Nol att Ss. "Wo quowe: Strained, G2 49 lob at 4 a ot fe quoke: reine e a 50; No, 2) $4 65-a $2 15; No. 1 bd.a 44 2; pale, $8 BOs exira dow $6 @ OB Wilmington tar was seady at O1L8.--Linkeed was dull but steady at $c. a $1 OL in casks and bbis, Other kinds remained quiet but steady. Provisto.xs.—kecelpts, 888 Ubls. york, 5) do. beef, 1.121 Packages cut meats, ‘Ad do. lard and 184 dressed’ hogs.” ihe market for pork continued to rule dui, but pi re mained firm. The sales were. eat, about 730 bbis., at B26 a B26 60 for old do. Prine and extra prime were quoted at $20.8 $22 and 8 8x5 75. Live hogs were slow of sale, current being #30. 9.0. Bent ‘27 50 for new mess, moderate Bent was steady, demand, the sales being 200 bbls. at $11 a ¢1/ for plain mess and $12 aid for extra do, Tierce beet was steady, with small sales within che range’! $27 & 80 for prime mess and . for India There ware tin Beet th ‘small ons to quiet, were ‘at a quiet, “but steady, stern pickled shoulders, t, 1skc.; long clear, 1430. ; short do., 1536c.; long rib, 14c.; ahort do., Isc. T' market for lard was quiet, but values were unchanged; the sales were 600 packages at 160. a 175yc. for No. 1 to prime steam and kettie rendered ; also 800 tiercas, for the balance of this month, at 174¢c., seller's option, PRTROLEUN.—| 11,774 bbls, refined and 238 do. cpide. For the latter af l8c, at 18\c. There were sales of 5.0 bbis., 18%0," Refined was slow of sale, there being scarcely any mand, and the market was not ve! closing, however, at Saturday's prices, vis:—Blise. a Bc. bbls. were sold at Palsy active, UR ato. lower peicans ‘Phe salsa ware ba active, but at le. lower prices, were bbis. stan white at B0c. = RIOR.—Carolina was quiet but steady at Sigo. 90, Ran- goon was dui! and nominal. SEEDS.—Linseed was dull, but was quoted at $2 25, gold. (La Hmotiy ane rong ‘were duil at previous quota- ns. . SUGAR.—The demand for raw was more active, and a moderate business was consum: I eR ee for olarited. Refined was id ulet, and prices wore a alade lower, We quote :—Hi Ibxe. a 16.0. ; soft white, igo. a laser; yellow, sige. nibh and cnt mene ‘ALLOW was mode active at former es. 000 Ibs. at lic. a 124s. ‘HISKEY.—Receipts, 655 bbls, We heard of no sales of moment, bui prices were steady at former quotations. SOUTHERN COTTON MARKETS. New Onixans, Dec. 21 Pe aL cic : ous Aln., Deo. 21, 1868. Pith heh aero Dales; exports, 1,560 bales.’ 1868. mid- MEmMPHis, Tenn., Dec. 21, 1868. Cotton firm at 9890. a 2c. receipts 2,406 bales, ‘exports 788 bales. 8uj tn tous Gora 652. Go baie aah Séc,a Sia, Mos pork, dull at as. Lard dull at ibe, Te. nominal, Bulk meats quiet; shoulders Iie. ; clear sides 15}s0. AvGuBTA, Dec. 31, 1868, The cotton market o firm, but closed ‘weak at'léo. for middling; sales 348 bales; receipts 1,190 bales. Cotton quiet but steady; malddlings Me; suiee 1,408 bales; reoetpis 2673 bales, if ht " CHARLESTON, Dec. 21. Gotten, Srmer, bat holders are resiricied for wad of stock. exports—constwise, 41 bales. nied : REAL ESTATE MATTERS. Ro tigre! To-day will be a busy one at the Exchange, and al- though the present condition of the market would not augur favorably for the result of the sales, yet the value of the property to be disposed of and the fact that a similar opportunity for profitable invest- ment may not be presented in some time, may tend to enhance the interest and achieve for the property in question fair and satisfactory prices. The chief attraction for to-day is, of course, the celebrated Morris estate, near Me The unsurpass- able eligibility of this property and the su- lor facilities which it enjoys—located, as it within easy distance of the business centre of the city and in the immediate neighborhood of of all the grand improvements which have been in- angu or are under consideration at the upper end of Manhattan Island and the nearer portions of rract the pro) G Trunk Railway, run- ning from New York to the Pacific, is to have its eastern terminus. There is little or no rock to be excavated, and when it has been built upon, the BIAS Ashtead, rene Maura e gon to the East river constructed the value of this roperty will be largely increased. Under the cir- Sanatanoss the sale aay should be entirely suc- cessful, Bn Feert can be bo doubt that Mr. aluer's work will be brisk ‘Ogden Farm,” near New- The remainder of ihe « ark, N, J., will be di of to-day by the Messrs, ith the above mentioned and Bleecker, and this, several other sales that are announced, will open the Teal estate week in lively style. Real Estate Notes: Among the recent sales of New Jersey real estate the sale by Dr. Lounsbery of thirty-four plots on the line of the New Jersey Central Railroad, at Cran- ford, is reported. These plots average six building lota each and were sold for about $700 per plot. Most of the purchasers are those wb intend to build on their ns and thus enbgave the value of Se roreety and contribute tothe growth of the v The follor ia the territorial extent in square miles of several cities in the Union:—New York cit} 22; Philadelphia, 1264; Buffalo, 37; Pittsburg, Louisville, 12 8-10; Chicago, 28%; Brooklyn, 26;' Cin chi i. The estate of ex-Governor Wise, in Princess Anne county, Virginia, is to be turned over to him on rg id 1969, by order of the United States govern- ment ‘Sixty thousand acres of land on the Kansas Pacific Railway, in Missourt, have been sold within the last mont Transfers at Detrott during the past week repre- sent i eighteen parcels, valued in all at about the transfers recorded st Columbus, Ohio, on De- comber 18 show that some thirteen of pro- A tation of 1,480 acres in St. John’s paris! perieley, near Charleston, 5. ©. sold recently =} 000, iKnother plantation of 1,247 acres near Charleston sold for $1,000 ANSFERS IN NEW YORK CITY. Plot Wo ta, Dyckinan sataters. sree “hie fo oe Plots Nos. 64 and 141. one t w of Lexi 25,000 i THERGHSEE S22. Bedford st, N: es 5 lo Broadway, Now 38 etbexitss § = L 99H 96 $782 G0: aeSteass Lr 1x8). ud’ B8, 69, biock & O. (Cavaraie) Lote 48 to i wad 441 to dad, Ls Groen Sections 1 to 4, G Cowenhoven a8 es fin & & HE 1,600 oo 00 rd Witlow st, w 6, 1910/0 noF Franklin a, 6Ox100........ WINTIBLD, Franklin oot 9 bik Q, $5x100. Old Boosh rond.e.n Meadow aad Beach land adj O'Doa- abue...., A a8 wee steenongerses TBANGFE! ‘TOMPSTER NTY—I Foniteld road, a 0 2, 100 ft from Masterton road, MOBRIBANL AL 143d st, n 8, 381 ft e of Alexander av, 252100. Willis av, w s, 60 ft 6 of Liat at, 235x103. YONEERS, Laurel st n 9.260 fw of Oak sty Oix100 RY IN RSLEX COUNTY Vroemau st, ¢4, 651 1h. of Bowery, sixi00 KAST OLANGR. Grove st, © 8, W. R Baynes OWANGR. Valley st, w 4, 150 ¢% 8 of fremont av, 92x150. TBANSIEUS IN RULON COUNTY, Me J Jersey and Kaliroad avs, n ¢ cor, 168x746... HUDSON OLTY. Palisade, corner of Reservoir ay, 5uxl00.. error 1,000 Road from Newark Pike to Hackensack, w 8, adjoining ‘a eto Hac ” C Dougheriy's, 9 acres. ss-ccrorsseeenteres ene 1 ‘ MARKABO! Manor ay, from Bergen to Sussex M libel to Bused (MOF AY, © & trom 50 ‘Manor av'and Jersey st, s 6 cot, 20 Manor ev and Wilhelm sh a 9 cr raid its te ir ® iots 77, 78, block 4,'Kingslaad map, 6Ux100 > 4th ot, w 8, LW itn of Eemiiton oh 5x10. oeeee . sence - 20 BRAZIL. River Navigatiop—The Obstacles to Be Over- come—A Reconnolssance by Enterprising Capitaliste—The Falls of Paulo Affonso. Rio JANEIRO, Oct, 26, 1868, The steam navigation of the great water courses that traverse the immense plateau of interior Brazil has, within the last twelve months, become the ob, ject of various attempis at its realization, one of which is probably at this time being put into prac- tical operation. The subject has assumed more im- mediate importance since the virtual unsuccess of Brazil in the Paraguayan war has forced upon its rulers and upon various intelligent and far seeing of the ruled the desirability, nay, the absolute ne- cessity of having facile communications with the western region of Brazil, passing alto- gether through Brazilian territory, inasmoch as the war has established the very unsatisfactory fact that the steam communication through the Parand and Paraguay is completely at the mercy of the Argentinés and Paraguayans, and even at that of the Bolivians, should these erect batteries command- ing the river channel, a contingency which might also ocour in case of ® war with Peru, in which this Power, while invading Matto Grosso, might by its cruisers Off the river Plate effectually cut off assist- ance to the west, since, in despatching a brigade of troops from Minas-Geraes and San Paulo overland to Matto Grosso it was only after five months’ actual journeying, and after experiencing much privation and disease that the troops succeeded in reaching any part where their presence could avail in pro- tecting even its nigher parts from the Paraguayan raids. Merely looking at the map, it would seem an easy Problem to any one uuacquainted with the real dim- culties intervening; for one sees five immense rivers descending from the plateau into the Amazon, any one of which could bring the interior and west suf- ficiently near for praciicable defence from the richer eastern provinces, ifthe navigation could be utilized and submitted to anorganized steam régime. More indirectly available would be the San Francisco, which flows from Minas-Geraes and enters the sea upon the east in Braztiian territory. Unfortunately ofall the rivers fowing from the great Brazilian plateau the long and valuable water course which bears the name of Paraguay above, Parana between, and La Plata in its lowest part, is the only one which is not em- barrassed by great rapids or waterfalla near the outlet; but asthe Jower parts of this river are in possession of Powers which may become in- imical at any moment, and who, it is proved, can close it effectually in a single night, it becomes un available in cage ef war with them, although un- doubtedly the foe it Mere ed peace, ong the various cts t inde- pendent communication wi the vulnerable pro- vince of Matto Grosso the one most advanced to- wards realization is that which contemplates from the city raguaya, or Rio Grande, as it is called on maps, whieh is freel, 1 La Plata, or » Which ocean at the mouth of the Amazon and the city of Matto Grosso, are at the at the terrene lying bedw ean ie nuvi ie part of the jaya and that city, @ distance of “some 360 miles over aD easy stretch of ground for a road Or @ railroad. ‘The individual to whom Brazil will be indebted for the most important steps towards the realization of this valuable project is Dr. Conto de ns, one of those men who having once taken up an idea in it by at is journey and strongly advocat the removal the capit a @n upheaithy region, althot id times a flourwning mining town, lon of the Ara- guage, where it it become jum of all that which Amazon the navigability of the Araguaya lends itself. Inthe removal of thee capital he was not successful, gut the practical demonstrafon of the navigability of the river, given In his parrative, procured him, three bering, the vice presidency of Pard, with the in- tention of allowing him an opportunity of carrying out his plans of realwing its steam navi ry oe of ppd ce bata! Ma : m England, one of which, althougn small, was of very great power, and was intended to ascend the rapids and Carry on the navigation above as a tug- boat of cargo while the other would main- tain the service below. The vessels came, but by the time the attempt to ascend the falls could be made the low was and it was the most favorable time. The Dr. Conto de Magalhaens and a num- ngineers and others, ascended part of the rapids without much difficulty, but in the explor- ‘and cl of a side cl el round the greatest pote, Bene time was occupied, and finally, an officer being drowned and the Vice President barely ceca. With bis life after carried down the rapids through the upsetting of his boat while Lp eecion and as the crew and workmen were mostly di by —— and it was impossible to procure others, the was abandoned until @ more favorable time, when the rise of the river would make the channels fuller. The new attempt has, however, not yet been made, as Dr. Conto was, soon after the first attempt, relieved of the presiden- tial duties for reasons of state, In 1866, however, he was sent to Matto Grosso to organize the ‘incial forces, and he utilized the Araguays 80 as to get up from Para by it various heavy articles needed for the steam fotilla of the province. In 1867 he retook Corumba from the Para- ans, but was forced by smallpox and the news of reinforcements from Paraguay to abandon it at once, and returned to the capital with tne disease ravaging the and extending over the prov- ince until it swept away 6,000 persons. Dui this Tiod he caused a small steamer to be gutted of transport overlan ae these being put together at the A! Ty) er is now there essaying the object of his aspirations— the navigation of the Araguays, to which @ good road is now maxing from the city of Cuyaba, The improve- ment of the rapids of the Tocantins or the formation of aroad around them will be the complement of this virtual junction of La Plata basin with that of the Amazon by @ practicable course of internal communication. The distance embraced on the Tocantins taciudes 990 miles, but the rapids are de- flats, are also feng) for bo} same purpose, yh they present the same not far from their influx into the Amazon; but their course is not 80 long nor so well known as the Ara- ’s and that of the Madeira, and some of the {alia are Teal cataracts. In fact, of all the rivers flowing into the Amazon the Madeira’s head approach nearest to those of the Paraguay, so near that tn the wetseasons the Indians pass their boats through channeis connecting them. This river 8 Brazilian commisaon is now examining, chiefly as to the cost of making a road around the rapids, which commence tointerrupt its steam navigation fat about 600 miles from its mouth (at the Amazon) and disappear 300 miles further = leaving above them @ stretch which, although utilized in former times by has not been suiiciently examined to decide upon tts navigability in all or a large part of its a ‘The utulung hal the ym — ae a4 the advantage of ¢pen! up fot a) supposed to be the mouth in the Madeirs is situated between the falis of this river. Althougt the extremes of the rapids are 800 miles apart the interrupted navigable of the river above and below could be joined by a road of 180 miles, as the river makes a bend there, and the actual length of breken water tn the 300 miles is only twenty miies, waile the height of the principal fail, that of Theotonis, 18 about thirty-five fect. ‘the utilizing of.the me er ly by Engineer Lieutenant Eduai ig the author of ition to join the San Fran- cisco, above if with ‘unembarrassed Parnahyba by means of the string of lakes and streams which run from the head waters of the Gurgucta (a soutnern tribu- of the ba) om toward San Franc.sco. fro uel eve aavigaane ir Ww! and easy means of teeneporting gene end men te the Madeira. A plan which the government in view Was to construct ® road across the son Re ae tribai the 1 of na ao foud of no gress extent would go to tne hoad of navigation of tae le S tributry of the Peraguay: The terreno fot tb line of communication 1s over very practicabie Lstovermnsnt inet a 2 wait See ould not ont eat facilitate the deience of southwestern ih Dut Would enable an cifensive war to be carried on against eastern Paraguay without crossing over neutral ground, ‘Lhe navigation of the upper San Francisco is also to be tied. In Bahia they have been trying for more than a year to drag or transport the sections of an tron steamboat to @ poimt above the eat rapids, said to be as grand as the alis of Niagara. After lying in the mud half-way for more than siX months another eilort is making for the pan of $37,000 to get then to their destination. As original of the Steamer, $12,000, will be increased to $80,000 or more before the vessel will be at work, it ap) that it would have been better policy to have hired & Western sieambout builder to have rua up haifa dozen river boats tor tue same money, and 60 have also more useful ones. For the navigation of the Rio Velhas, wich flows through Minas-Geraes into the upper San Francisco, two small iron steam ves- 8¢ls have been brought from France, which, it 1s said, will draw only ten inches when laden, and widen will be sent on in pieces. ‘hus this year should give Brazil two great lines of internal navi- geen thas of the Araguaya and that of the San ‘ranclsco—in practical operation. The complement which the navigation of *the San cisco requires ig @ road o1 some kind joining the river above tue falls with the navigabie part below, or with Bahia or Peraambuco, as was intended when the raliroads terminating ‘tn those cities were Projected, From the falls back to Boa Vista there is & stretch of 180 miles in which are some rapids, but the fall of the water in that length is only 220 feet, With a velocity of current of six miles an hour, and the rocks are or ‘01 removal, so that the unnaviga- ble rapids and falls range over only eighty miles, the descent of which (640 feet) gives an average of 1% in 1,000 for the road or Tallroad which may be constructed on the Alagoas side, The surveys for this road are in pro- gress, and in anticipation of its construction the pe of Penedo, situated in on the north « of the river, was last year made a port of entry and loading for vessels engaged in foreign com- merce, ‘The character, however, of the country through which the San Francisco is not of general fertility, and a large proportion of it is better adapted to grazing than cultivation, but the great length of the stream and its capacity for serving a8 the highway for the central and northwestern parts of the populous province of Minas-Geraes give reat importance to the effo.ts now making to utilize it. The ieearans of the river is aa follows;— Rio das Velhas, from Sabaré weag0) From the tail of (above the mouth of the Velhas) to Joazeira, 1,000 miles, interrupted by only the small rapid of Sobradinho, caused by a dike of easy removal. from Joazeira to Boa Vista there isa further stretch of clear water ry, nee long. From Boa Vista to Vargem Redonda there are 180 miles available by ald of removing some rocks. Between Vargem Redonda and Piranhas is the great fall of Paulo Affonso, which, with various rapids, occupies the eighty miles between those places; and, , from Piranhas there is: 8 Pest Co mallee ¢ to ite mouth in the ocean, the r wi navigable even by vessels of great draught, giving a total length from Sabara to the ocean ot fower"2,000 m and passing through or by the five provinces of Minas- Geraes, Pernambuco, Alagoas and Sergipe. company in Pernambuco is geiting up an excursion to view the great falls of Paulo Affonso, which are spoken of by some travellers as being in no way infenor to Niagara itself, presenting also in the te gee atl ig ae. milrets the company Lange to frank the water travel neceasary for the enjoyment of the scenery, and to furnish food, &c., until the re- buco. The Princes of Saxe ought to y that part of the San cisco; and jenkips Lap} to possess a talent for describing aught besides the festa! boards oe scraping of Brazilian manda- ring, we may hope for some idea of the locality, inasmuch as the princes have i advan rs tae way of ‘conventences and guides over unprincely wane, LECTURES LAST NIGHT. The Mastodon and Mammoth Period. Dr. J. F. Boynton delivered the sixth and last of his series of lectures in the large hall of the Cooper Institute last evening, the closing subject being The Mastodon and Mammoth Period.” The at- tendance, as at all the previous lectures, was large and appreciative. Referring briefy to the subject matter of his preceding lecture, he said that when we arrive at the tertiary formation we come to the period of warm-blooded animals. Among those have been found animals of the marsupial department of animated nature, like to the kangaroo. The Marsupial race have @ second embryons state, the young remaining in the female pouch till they are capable of taking care of themselves, Miko vther emtesais, shortly efta= thaw ara horn. He next came to the onoronethas species, with a beak like @ duck. The lecturer here described the pe- cullarity of this bird and its connection, anatomically speaking, with birds and reptiles. The creatures first suckle like animals, then they become more birdlike. They can be domesticated for a time, but if they ever get freedom to go where they like the animal never returns. Referring to the orders of life atthe present time he would now refer to his dia- grams. There were animals which walked upright and others that walked horizontally. On the diagram he pointed out the tertiary period of animals, in which the ordera of life were not nearly so numerous as in the preceding ages—the Devonian and others. The first figure presented on the chart was the turtle. These animals when they are hatched from the eggs are a perfect type of the older animals. Remains of turties have been found of such size that when they were in this life they must have weighed aton. The next presented was an animal that can be tamed and made very familiar in the houses of the people. This was the horned lizard, a hideous looking, put a very harmless animal. The animal, not more than three or four inches in length, sits like a squirrel cracking nuts. The next animal presented was the parasite of the tertiary formation, s very small animal, known as @ louse, found on mice. ‘The next was the “wicked flea, that no man = sues, but is always pursued by the ladies.” ts animal lives on the su rfaces of animals and is gen- eave ihe brain iver, lungs aud esi, that c Hearth as iat tha tnd dhe these are the ani that attack and th ne disease of which we have ® good deal but which is not dangerous, should the fesh be properly roasted, fried or boiled. The germ of these animals lies in the flesh of the hog. bay oe juare inch of ham there are no leas than two hundred and fifty thousand of these germs; so that if a man eat four square inches of ham infested with this germ he will have swallowed one million of this trichnea, or hog worm. If the meat infected by the trichnea is saved mest, like dried ham that may be eaten raw, the person eaung of it will have swaliowed the living germ, and. the _sisease in ‘that May become apparent very The next tation on the chart & waterspout, which it was supposed had overthrown whole districts, cutting down trees and ae animals, the remains of which are yet tobe found. Having closed his hi of the tertiary period, he now came to the ostrich—the largest of all the bird Species—the bird who, “when he spreadeth his wi " as Job. “gpurneth the horse and his rider.’’ In the island of Madagascar were known birds very much larger than the ostrich of the present day, whose egg was thirteen and a half inches in. length end four inches in diameter. He came next to animals that live on the surface of the sea, like whales and others. This 5) in the full wh state, are but em- bry ofa higher state of life. The various ant Hom the lowe order to the higher order. were then descril representa on the chart and by the ores jescri aoe me lecturer, touchi: order —the opossi New Holland and others of the same species. After these came the up & gap between the lower orders of snim: and those of a higher state. The latter were represented in the later rtion of the tertiary age. The lecturer referred to another species of the age—animals called the tapers, of Southern Asia and South America, though these ani- mais, apparently alike in the two distant countries, Were not altogether of @ similar species. Cuvier reconstructed many of the antinais that have passes away—reconstructed them by Fm er the we es and the shoulder blades. This was sib hat was requisite to an anatomist in natural tie tol ‘an architect could tell by fndmg the ap or of @ Corinthian pillar that the ruin before him was formerly of Corinthian architecture, #0 could the naturalist tell from @ few bones to what defunct animals bel ‘The next animal represented was the rhisoceros, which bore some resemblance to the larger reptile Of another age. The reptile of whict the rilnoceros was acertain type had also a horn, ‘This was one of the larger reptiles. ‘The lecturer then presented ‘on his chart the cow, the lion, and finaty man, the great and crowning Work of the creatoo. On the chart were presented excellent lifelike busta of the two candidates at the late election for the Presi- cency- mour and General Grant. After them Same the White. House, the goal to which they had, on different tracks, Does aiming at, and after this came the Capitol. These represeatations were very fine and elicited the plaudits of the audience. ‘The lecturer then closed aud the andience separated. LOAFING AND LABORING, Lecture by Mr. £. P. Whipply at Lyric Hall. Mn & P, Whipple, the essayy,¢, delivered an in- ‘resting looture last night @, ;,yrio Hail, in Sixth 9 lect audience, He commenced by saytng that a pat- losopher bad divided bomen beings into two Cinsses—benefactors and malefacwors it would, perhaps, be a more comprehensive classification tod vide them into laborers and loafers, for in whichever direction we looked we found the people who \oafed more or less undoing the work of the people who la- bored, The laborers brought us out of the woods, The loafers would have been content to ran wild in them forever, To the laborers we owed salvation; to the loafers most of the evus which disfgure it From the tiller of the soil to the occupations of arts and professions the man who shirked his work wae the great disorganizer. The right man in the right Place—oh that we always had him! The wrong man in the wrong place was too often our exasperating experience. Charles the fec- ond, @ profigate and idler, was King of England, and the Dutch fleet sailed up the ‘Thames, The Duke de Richelieu commanded for the French King in Germany, and the general who dis- placed him wrote to Louis the Fifteenth;:—‘I have found your Majesty's army divided into three bouies; one above ground, which has become a parce! of thieves and vagabonds, all in rags; another pnder ground, and still a third in the bospitals. 1 demand your Majesty’s instructions whether I will bring \he first army or whether I shall wait until it has jomed the otuer two,” Woe to the nation which had its profligutes in places of trust aud power. The loafer was ever the curse of others. ‘Ihe causes of loaferism in human natare were reducible to imbecility of will and iee- bleness of persouality, Balzac, the great French rr, said:—“Waen | took my modest riment in Paris I had numerous debts to dis- ol ; and what 1 had to face them with were a ream of paper, a bundle of Ce! @ penkuife and a toestle of ink, with an iron will and» stroag Serer tw overcome all dificuities and break througu ail obstacles;” and, of course, he succeeded, 1. wap oniy hard to be a laborer because it was bard to be # man. No man could be bappy and lazy. Yet how many men there are such as farwers, mechanics, merchants, lawyers and so fortu, whe were ooking hoperdlly forward to the period when the results of thelr labor would enuadle them to be loafers, Guizot, the great French states- man, recently said at a meeti trieuds:— “after my sudden downfall from February, 1848, Lresolved to turn wy grivi py: work, an it mace, me sons we ery yeeey 4 vigorous’ i totbe more than four score.” "Fhé'wioment we tras indisposiuon to labor was by pepsenal eo abit of wor! , UNtli the Ww! 108! sno. A in nations in the Wome Spe epatod ceses shor e most antagonistic vo’ 1esiers most hospitab.e ‘o laborers, Our country is and is Lo be the great field for labor, Our mission was toedu- cate men for work and not for the shirking of work. Whatever might be said of ua, let it never besaid tuas we were @ loating nation. Having referred to ladia, Turkey and Spain as loafing na.ioas, he contrasied the industry of Holland and Belgium with tiem. He then drew a paraile: between Great Britain aud the United States. Our population was but a little more than that of Gi britain and ireland; but the area of the United Staves was a great deai more, being three and a ball miliions of square mules, ‘ihe coal regions of the United Staies covered a space larger by @ hundred tnousani! square miles than the whole area of the United Kingdom and et. England mines four mes more coal the year tuan we did. But the uaiural resources of Great Britain had a limit, while ours were uolin- ited. Over thirty millions pl gr tce were placed in & eountry nearly a8 big a8 burope ip an age which excelled all ra in mechadical inventions and discoveries, If we had ten times our present population they could nut do the work which machines now did under human directioa—and ma- chines never loaied. In the course of @ cen- tury we should probably do miracies where we now only perform marvels. The dificulty with land a8 com! with this country was uer re- strictive area. ‘Ihe popu had increased with the increase of wealth and it had no outlet but in emigration. It was the inventive genius of England, andjnot her great rais aud statesmen, that made her prosperous. We had lost all our wonder at the marvels produced by mechanical inventions, be- cause they had now become so common. As bacon they eae tunis : scutes rh " oluies, wr oid ta and leaders of the le, these les or demi- lawgivers, tyrant! red, but with the title of wot Tuas pies omtnact ide, Auch a8 Were inventors. arta were over considered gods, while on the oth and discoverers of ne among the gods themselves.” We might look nope- fully forward to the time when machines would do all our dirty work, even, perbaps, the dirty work of our politicians. In ughter.) ‘he unskilled lavor of America was better than th . this loctora, lawyers and clergymen. erring (rae pheielb) with war he said everything de- pended on a commanding inieliigence placed to um mediate contact with reality. japoieon for example, the rapidity of whose work gave to bis labor of inspiration, What we calied bis mt ol (rong i atu knostieage, master, ‘a sane ae ae oe before, 4 and froiw his force iL @aviCe tw the students. ana of the technic at Paris was—“Do not waste half an hour, for that half hour may determine your 3? our own rals, in te recent Among gene! war, Phil Sherigan his great mark on the puo- ie mind pn en ye ners @ ere mer activity of and soul. He seemed to be a thought on ho time could not effect or bullets uit, reeback Having a glowing eulogiaim on General Shert- Gan, tie Recturer fi © glance at the character of moral loafing, amongst whose votaries he taciuded uch people as had pity for men who had coisnitied fonts ne the civil and the moral law, and who w now call Jef Davis “an unfortunate rebel” and Wilkes Booth ‘an unfortunate assassin.” ‘The lecturer concluded by advovating the West as the great fleld of iabor, where all anxious to wake their mark should hie. Rev. Stephen H. Tyng, Jr., will deliver the next lecture of the course. Lecture by the Rev. Matthew Hale Smith. ‘The Rev. Matthew Hale Smith delivered a lecture last evening at the Fifty-t 1ird street Baptiss churen, for the benefit and support of the church and the relief of the poor. The audience was rather slim; but this fact did not seem to affect the speaker any way unfavorably. The subjecs of the lecture was “Our Times and Oid Times.” Upon being introduced the reverend lecturer said:— We are told that three thousand years ago croakers flourished, and were loud in their praise of the past and ever complaining of the present; and it is one of the commonest things of our day to decry every- thing of our generation and glorify the din pass; to disparage what is and magnify what has ceascd tobe. History, however, enables us to see whether we are moving on or going back—fightiug the old battles and going round and round as it were. People say, “‘we wish we had the old times. Now, every age must be measured by its own light and its own standard, and 14hink, if we make the contrast, that ofir age will be found the finest, noblest aud best that the world has ever seen. ‘The first pound of tea that was carried to Eng made @ present to Queen Filza bev, tnd the way she’ couked ft was by volling it in @ pot, straining off the water, which was throwa away, and eating tho jeaves. Sir Walter Kaicigh was the ‘as first man who smoked cobacco, and was well soused by his servant, who thought he was va fre. The Ells cottages we hear sv muck of nowadays bad only one room, were bage aul cold, and at the rcyal levees it was considered an extray~ agance to have the floor carpeted with straw. And now religion comes in this connection. Go vo Kurope to-day aad you can tell whether you are in a country where the Bible is read. The bible gives you civil- zation, dne buildings, schools, colleges—every thing. One of the evidences of advancement ts connecind ‘with tmvel and the means of travel. Take syria to- day, where 1s little else than barbarism, and con- pare it with Eng! or this country, with ite rat roads manufactories, &c. In Italy it is the sare way. there were no railroads there unid within a few ears. It was English and Yankee relivion that ht them there. In the time of Elizabetha siaie “coach was not as good as a Jersey farmer's ox team. A Man would make more fuss lung ago w cone from Vermont to New York than he wouid mw to go to China. In the time of Oharivs ye Second there was no place sow ns inp nity, and an insane fellow who propo vo light the city by putting @ light im every vino uo reo was denounced as @ erous innovator. ow then look at the mass of Inventions of the prescut a rans the present day in all civ: ears more than it was. There were no’ jong ago but the barber. He drew your bloo! and let you run. Look at the duinb, They are tarygit’ t speak and the blind to read, and insaaity, whict used to be deemed tneurabie, is now suvceseli| 7 treated in our asylums. When it was proposed | o m um x by introducing vaccine the poopie ee runes a and Yaid, “it you attempt tabs om will turn us into cattle.” The lecturer spuka ¥ of our superior education and arked tha! man in this city could give iis son as / ‘an education a8 Queen Victoria could give hor The noble barous wrung the charter from John could nos write their names. In Mathew EH time any man who read the Lord’s Prayer w titled to certain emouments from the Grown ia the Ys library, at there ta & Biov> um which Queen Mary Wrote the folovw/« ‘Thia book yeomee to the King and me at 7,¢ 09 nation.’ The lecturer next touched on tie ’,,veral of our the free tolerance Of ail 6y%F us ol Fr gion, and the great and enlightened vanity where prevails. During the deity ery of the leo- ture tne al 08 Were frequemtiy oonvuised wiih some amusing aneoi ug of anol at wees nnd pruot.ces of tae NeW 7 ,ngiaudora. aud o& avenue, On the AbOVE Bubjey, Hofore a large and se | COUdMAIAg was heartily a)