The New York Herald Newspaper, January 5, 1869, Page 6

NEW YORK HERALD BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIBTOR All business or news etter ana telegraphic despatches must be addressed New York Hgraup. irre neaamanemanantite i THE DAILY HERALD, published every day in the year. Four cents per copy. Annual subscription Volume XXXIV........ oo Soe a AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING. PIKE'S rg 3 HOUSE, corner of Eighth avenue and 23d atreet.—La PRRICHOLE. FRENCH’ sae. Fourtognth street and Sixth ave- 8ue.—GENEVIRVE OLYMPIC deal oh —Houmpry Doerr. wita New Fearorrs, ee THEATRE, Broadway.—THE EMERALD NEW YORK THEATRE, Broadway.Tae FIeup oF we CLOTH OF GOLD. WALLACK’S THEATRE, Broadway and 18th street. — Mower. . NIBLO'S GARDEN, Broadway.—A¥TER DARK ; OR LON- pon BY Niort, BOWERY THEATRE, Lapel a Bowery.—Promrixa Bnoruens or Rome—VALENTINE AND 0! D'S MUSEUM AND THEATRE, Thirtieth street and ROARS Mieruosa and evening Pervormance. THE TAMMANY, Fourteenth street.—Las Fortine Paan's REVEL—NHOODEMUS, 0. UNION LEAGUE CLUB THEATRE, corner Madwon evonue and Mth street.—VANDENHOFF'S READINGS. STRINWAY HALL, Fourteenth street.—OLe BULL'S G@eanp Concert. ‘MRS. F. B. hoe dada PARK THEATRE, Brooklyn.— Biow row BLow. ‘KELLY & LEON’S MINSTRELS, 720 Broadway.—ETm10- PIAN MINOTRELST, ee ee NEVIBVE DE GRAW BAN PRANCIS0O "MINSTRELS, 885 Broadway.—ETHIO- PIAN ENTERTAINMENTS, SINGING, DANOING, Sc. BRYANTS' OPERA 8’ Tammany Buildi Mth atreet.—ETHIOPIAN MLst mney. ac. a TONY PASTOR'S OPERA HOUSE, 201 Bowery.—Comio ‘VOOALIGM. NEGRO MINSTRELSY, &c. NEW YORK CIRCUS, Fourteenth street.—EQu RSTRIAN AND GrMNASTIO ENTRRTAUHMEST, HOOLEY'S OPERA HOUSE, Brooklya.—Hoor.ny's MrnsTeRLs—THe Dutcuwan's Frow, 40. HOOLEY'S (E. D.) OPERA HOUSE, Williamsburg.— HooLEy’s MINSTRELSQ—PROGRESS OF AMERICA. NEW YORK MUSEUM OF ANATOMY, 618 Broadway.— SorENce Ae, AND APT. TRI PLE ‘SHEET. <> Ree York, hiram January Hes 1869. Monthly Subscriptions to Herald. ; We give notice to the public that hereafter monthly subscriptions will be received for the New York Heratp. The subscription will be one dollar a month, Many complaints have been made from purchasers of the Heratp outside of New York that the price charged by newspaper dealers and venders is too high, varying from five to twenty-five cents a copy, according to distance from the city. At even a short distance ten cents a copy is charged. In fact, there is no rule of charges by news- men, ‘who, taking advantage of the eager demand for the Hmratp, ask all sorts of prices for it. To remedy this evil and to accommodate the public, therefore, the price will be one dollar a month—about the same for country subscribers, at whatever distance, as for those in the city. The postage being only thirty-five cents a quarter, the cost con- sequently to monthly subscribers in the country will be little more than four cents a copy, which is the retail price in New York city. Monthly subscriptions will be received from this date. the New York THB NEWS. Europe. ‘The cable telegrams are dated January 4. The Greek government has asked a postponement of the Conference on the Eastern question until the arrival of the Greek Minlster. Owing to the late amneaty proclamation of Presi- dent Johnson a large number of ex-Confederates are preparing to return to the United States. The London Times of yesterday contains a letter ‘on the present political situation of France, and says that the year ends with the most precarious peace the world has ever seen. ‘The London press generally approve of the treaty concluded between Mr. Burlingame and Lord Claren- don relative to Engiand and China. The Chinese Ambassadors are to have an inter- view with the French Foreign Minister to-morrow. Africa. Ri in "Latest mews recetved in London confirms the re- ports of the safety of tone. He is near the western confinés zibar and is making his way for the sea coast, but his progress 1s some- what impeded by the prevalence of war aiflng the bative tribes. Cuba. Captain General Duice arrived at Havana yester- day and formally took possession of the government, relieving Lersundi. Bishop Martinez, who was ban- ished to Spain by Lersundi, returned with Dulce, No news has been received recently from Count Vaimaseda. A skirmish is reported near Manzanillo, in which the government troops were victorious, Miscellancous, ‘The repudlican members of the State Assembly in caucus yesterday nominated Truman C, Younglove for Speaker? and the democratic members nomi- nated William Hitchman, the Speaker of the last session. Among the names mentioned in Washington in connection with General Grant's Cabinet ts that of Charies Macalister, of Philadelphia, for the Treasury, Mr. Macalister is a gentleman of the old school and a warm personal friend of the President elect. It is reliably stated in Washington that efforts are being made to postpone the enforcement of the revenue law passed at the last session of Congress so far as it relates to the withdrawal of spirits and the payment of tax thereon from class B warehouses ‘on the 1st of April next, ‘The lobbyists at Washington have recently inaugu- rated @ scheme which promises to pay them well, and for their services have already realized a very respectable plum. The English advocates of the Canadian reciprocity treaty are’anxious to have the old policy revived, and are paying handsomely to those who ald their scheme, having advanced to the lobby ring the sum of $16,000 in gold, and are ready with another instalment as soon as it is needed to influence Congress. See: L. F. Rolfe, a claim agent of Washington city, was yesterday arrested for an alleged attempt to defraud the government by presenting claims to the Quarter- master General’s of which had been already paid. Rumor has it that Mr. De Bille, the Danish Minte- ter, will soon lead to the altar a young and reseed ing lady of New Jersey. ‘The Bustoed investigation case was renewed be- fofe the House Committee in Washington yesterday, Itt understood that the evidence thus far is of & mixed and incongruous character, leadjug to 20 definite conclusion on which to predicate charges of impeachment, General Gordon Granger, commanding in Mem- Phis, has sent Captain Poole, with 260 infantry, to Arkansas to investigate the reported militia outrages in that State. Captain Poole reports that he cannot trace the printed accounts of the outrages to any Tellable source. ‘The negro troubles near Savannah have quieted down. The military supported the Sheriff in the ex- eoution of his warrants and fourteen of the blacks surrendered themselves without any demonstration. ‘The Louisiana Legislature assembled yesterday and received Governor Warmoth’s message. ‘The Peruvian iron-clads at New Orleans are ready for sea and will sall for the Pacific coast with their convoys whenever the weather permits. ‘The argument on the appeal for a new trial of Whalen, convictea of the murder of D'Arcy MeGee, was heard in the Cours of Errors in Toronto, Canada, A decision will be rendered on the 22d Gus Holmes, a mulatto, was banged in Tarboro, N. C., on New Year's Day. for the murder of Matthew King, a negro, in May, 1867. He confessed to the crime before he died. While on the acaffoild the negro population, which was out in force, scaled the fence built around it in accordance with the law directing that executions should be conducted prt- vately, and sung hymns and prayed with the con- demned until he had vo request them to cease, He was unable to stand when the knot was adjusted, and the sheriff anda negro held him up untu the drop fell. The City. The Boards of Aldermen and Assistant Aldermen were organized yesterday. Mr. Coman was re- elected President of the Board of Aldermen and Mr. Monaghan President of the lower Board. Mayor Ball took posseasion of hus office and issued his first general order, which prescribes that the title “Honorable” sball not be used in connection with his name or office. Judge Michael Connolly also took possession of the Register’s office. ‘The report of Comptroller Connolly forwarded to the Common Council shows tbe estimatea amount required to carry on the city government during the year, for interest on the city debt and for the re- demption of the city debt to be inthe aggregate $12,187,282. Samyel B. Garvin, the new District Actorney, was formally presented in the Supreme Court yesterday by his predecessor, Mayor Hall, and the oath of office was administered to him by Judge Cardozo. An explosion of two torpedoes occurred in the lower bay on Sunday, about noon, by which four persons were instantly killed and others were wounded. One of the torpodeos was placed under the wreck of the steamer Scotland, about twenty- eight feet below the surface of the water, and the boats containing Captain Churchill, the electrician, and other persons connected with the Submarine Company moved off about 150 feet, only half the dis- tance usually allowed. The torpedo was then ex- ploded by thegaivanic battery, operated by Captain Churchill, and the force of it lifted the boats six feet out of water. Another torpedo in one of the boats was also exploded by the concussion, and the boat in which it lay was torn completely to atoms, Cap- tain Churchili and two men were blown to pieces and another one had his brains knocked out, The officers of the Submarine Company are engaged in investigating the affair. The Underground Railroad Company, incorporated by the last Legislature, have returned their charter and given up the job for the present. The condi- tions contained in the act of incorporation were so stringent that men of capital did not dare to invest in the enterprise, although the engineering dificul- ties are found to be much less than Would generally be supposed. The company will ask an amendmeut of the act and an mie of time for commencing operations. ‘the police captains of ‘tats clty and Brooklyn and one sergeant from each precinct assembled at police headquarters yesterday to consider the question of asking an increase of salary from the Legislature. An execative committee to take action In the matter and wake assessments was appointed, and the meet: ing adjourned for of week, Colonel Emmons Clark, for the Seventh regiment, declines to take part in the proposed competitive drili fora guidon and the honor of being the best drilled regiment in the First division. He claims that competitive drills are injurious to organiza- tions and are never satisfactory. At the same time the regiment does not avow or disavow its claim to be considered the best drilled regiment in the dl- vision. ‘The sentence of Garniss ©. Baker, convicted of complicity in the Tradesmen’s Bank defalcation, has been postponed until the last day of the January term of the United States Cireuit Court. ‘Thej Stevenson cotton case, in the same court, was postponed yesterday until the Blaisdell case is dis posed of. Isaac C. Pray, Who sues Henry Palmer to recover $160 for literary services in compiling a life of Ris- tori for the defendant, was yesterday awarded $140 by the jury. ‘The stock market yesterday was heavy and droop- ing at the close on account of unexpected continued stringency in money and adecline of seven per cent in New York Central. Gold was dull between the figures 135 and 13514. Beef cattle yesterday were in fair demand, and being in small supply prices were firm at the tollow- ing quotations:—Prime and extra, 17c. s 18¢.; fatr to good, 1534c. a 163¢c., and inferior to ordinary, 12c. a 16e, The offerings were 604 head at Communipaw, 550 at One Hundredth street and 180 at Hudson City. Milch cows—Common were dull but steady, while good were in fair request and firm. We quote:— Prime and extra, $90 a $120 each; fair to good, $75 $86; common, $608 $70; inferior, $45 a $65. Veal calves were freely sought after at last week's prices, viz.:—Prime and extra, 120. @ 13¢.; common to good, lOc. 8 113¢¢.; inferior, 9c. a 9%c. Sheep were in light supply and being in good demand prices were firm at 7Kc. @ 83¢c. for extra, 7c. a 73g. for prime, 53¢c. 6%. for common to good, and 4c. @ be, for to- ferior. Swine were dull owing to the light arrivals; Prices were firm at 10c. @ 103¢¢, Prominent Arrivals in the City. Lord Craven, of England; Senator T. A. Hendricks, of indiafia; Judge G. F. Comstock, of Syracuse; Congressman T. M. Pomeroy, of New York, and E. C. Boudinot, Ohief of the Cherokee Nation, are at the ‘St. Nicholas Hotel. Senator A. Conkling, of New York; J. M. Thayer, of Washington; Congressman George S. Boutwell, of Massachusetts; Or. 8. L. Cook, of Maryland, and A. 8. Upshur, of New York, are at the Astor House. 8. G. Reed, of Oregon; Dr. D, 5, Evans and George C. Gorham, of Washington; C. C, Washburne and A. H. Harris, of California, and T. ©. Owens, of Eng- land, are at the Metropolitan Hotel. General J. A. Austin, Colonel M. PF. M. Lanahan and Major M. F. McMahon, of Tennessee, and Cap- tain W. H. Fisher, of Texas, are at the Maltby House. Colonel M. Willard, of Delaware, is at the St. Julien Hotel. M. Gomez, Minister of Honduras and Nicaragua, and Dr. Carl Woerman, Jy., of Hamburg, Germany, are at the Clarendon Hotel. Governor RK. B, Bullock, of Georgia, is at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. Captain Ed, Sherman, of the United States Army, and EK. B. Bingham, of Ohio, are at the St. Charies Hotel. AxotHer Sop ror tHe LawyErs.—Wit- nesses have been summoned again before the Grand Jury with « view to obtaining another indictment against John H, Surratt, Itis said that the former trial of Surratt and the prepa- rations for a second one cost the government about one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The public lost all interest in this case when it wis Inst dismissed, and the Washifigton lawyers revive it, perhaps, only because there is another sop in it for them. They resemble those New York pettifoggers who daily study the newspapers for no other- purpose than to find a chance for either concocting or com- pounding a libel suit or a divorce suit. ithe? suits them so long as they can turn « penny by the overation, Railroad Jobs and Jobbers in Congrese— A Stupendens Badact of Spelle and Plander. The corruptions which have grown up in the national government from the general demoralizations of our late civil war are fear- ful to contemplate. One hundred: millions year lost to the Treasury from the spoliations of the whiskey rings ‘‘beats out of sight” anything in the line of whiskey frauds under any other government on the face of the globe; but on a corresponding scale with their field of operations the Indian rings, the Post Office and Interior Department rings, the tobacco rings, the frontier smuggling rings and various other rings, insiders and out- siders, jobbers, contractors, government offi- cials and private speculatora, are pretty well up to the percentage of the enormous steal- ings of the whiskey rings. The latest develop- ments, however, show that in the grandeur and number of their schemes of spoils and plunder the Congressional rings of railroad jobbers throw into the shade all the other rings of the lengthy catalogue of confederate Treasury robbers. A Washington correspondent who has been looking “into the business reports that one hundred and fifty-nine railroad bills and reso- lutions have been introduced in the Forticth Congress (the term of which expires on the 4th March next, with that of President John- son), and that tyice as many more are in preparation in the lobby; that one thousand millions of acres of the public lands and two hundred millions in United States bonds would not supply the demands of these cormorants. In other words, their stupendous budget of railway jobs would require sops and subsidies in lands and bonds which, reduced to a money valuation, swell up to the magnificent figure of half the national debt. Among the jobs of this schedule is the Atchison and Pike's Peak Railroad Compaty, or Union Pacific Central Branch, which, after having received government sops to the extent of six millions, puts in forseven millions more. Next comes the Denver Pacific Railway and Telegraph Company, which, having feathered its nest to the figure of thirty-two millfons, puts in for a little more; and this eompany is reported to be a mere gang of speculators, “without any known legal organization what- ever’—a lot of mythical John Does and Rich- ard Roes, who cannot be found when called for. Next we have the Leavenworth, Pawnee and Western Railroad Company, now known as the Union Pacific,’ Eastern Division, chartered by the Kansas Territorial Legislature in 1855, subsidized with Delaware Indian re- serve lands in 1861, and then in 1862, by a rider on the Pacific Railroad law, granted six- teen thousand dollars per mile in United States | bonds and every alternate section of land, | within certain limits, on each side of the road, and the privilege of a second mortgage, This is cutting it pretty fat. But it further appears that aclique of seceders from the old company illegally formed a new company, and, having by force of arms taken possession of the road, are pocketing the spoils which legally belong to the old company. All this, too, with the consent of the President, the Secretary of the Treasury and Congress. Are they ali birds of a feather, that they thus flock together? From another source we learn that some half dozen other Pacific branch or main stem railroads, Northern and Southern, are on the anvil, involving lands and bonds by tens and twenties and hundreds of. millions; that of all these schemes fully three-fourths come from the republicans in both houses; that Senator Pomeroy, of Kansas, has seven of these jobs on the docket; Senator Ramsey, of Min- nesota, four; Senator Conness, of California, five, and Senator Harlan, of Iowa, four. Senator Pomeroy, however, distances all com- petitors in the number and extent of his jobs ; for, as it appears, they include a line from Kansas to Mexico, three bills for roads from Fort Scott to Santa Fé, in Texas, a South Carolina line through the Sea Island cotton seotion, two or three lines from the Mississippi river through to Texas, and ‘‘a little private Atchison Pacific, one of the nicest and fattest speculations ever worked through.” Is not this a magnificent budget, and is not the audacity of these railroad jobs and jobbers positively sublime? Some of these schemes are in successful operation, but many of them are still in the caterpillar, or chrysalis, state, and there is a prospect that very few of this class will come out as the full blown butterfly. The parties concerned have only two months remaining of this Congress for their work, and these two months must ‘necessarily be largely taken up with the appropriation bills, negro suffrage, reconstruction, &. Then we depend upon Mr. E. B. Washburne, of the House, the right hand man of General Grant, to head off these bands of highway robbers until Grant himself grapples them. We have very little confidence in the capacity or the disposition of President Johneon to retrench or reform exist- ing abuses ; for, with all.bis professions, he has done precious little, and has not tried to do much, in retrenchment or reform. In fact, he has been so much absorbed with his ‘‘policy,” his chop logic on the constitution, that he has permitted the Treasury to run to waste like a barrel of whiskey turned over on its side and running out from bunghole and spigot, - We are thas S6mpelled to rely upon the vigi- | lant Washburne to hold these Treasury sharks at bay until General Grant comes to the rescue ofthe Treasury and the taxpayers, and the country at large. The New Mayor and His Message. Oakey Hall, our new Mayor, begins his administration like a man who means to do something. The usage so far with the Mayor has been to have his message to the Common Council already cut and dried for delivery the first thing after his New Year's reception, with any quantity of statistics of receipts and ex- penditures, and explanations and recommen- dations concerning this and that department, all signifying nothing but a steady enlarge- ment of our city taxes and the pickings of the rings and the perquisites of all the officials concerned. Mayor Hall, we are inclined to think, is going to turn over a new leaf. He did not deliver his message to the two Boards yesterday, because, as we understand, he was, not prepared tosum up his case until he had looked over the testimony—that is, -he wanted to examine carefully the reports from the several departments before submitting his opinions in reference to their operations during the past year, This iss good beginning and Uy NEW YORK HERALD, TUESDAY, JANUARY | and an expensive police force, yet the most (102% " af a ALTARS good sign. We hope it’ will prove to bes on higher in his execution of the duties of the Mayor than the mere signing of the bills and drafts upon the treasary of our Corporation rings, In this view we are in no hurry for the Mayor's message. Let him take his time, but let him remember that we consent to this delay only because we expect a message that will bear good fruit. Libels and Libet Suite. ‘ A Chicago paper some time ago published a report of a police case in which a situation flagrante delicto waa alleged against certain parties, The latter brought suit for libel, and the case has just been brought to a close in a verdict of seven thousand five bundred dollars damages against the defendants. The editors and propriotors of the paper showed that the publication was made against their expreas directions ; that it appeared through the negli- gence of the reporter and foreman of the office, and that every retraction possible was made after its publication. These’ pleas ought to have had some effect upon a jury, and no doubt they would had the paper in question exhibited a little better taste in its manner of reporting the trial, It was there motive was shown, if not in the original publication. But the whole thing shows thatthe law of libel is wrong in many particulars. In some cases it is too stringent, in others too lenient. The proprietor of a newspaper should not in justice and equity be held responsible for every line thatappears in his paper. He has to trust to the vigilance and fidelity of eubordinates; and where it is clear no malice is shown, and, in fact, where it is proven that an alleged libel- lous report has appeared against his express orders, it certainly seems that common sense should exonerate him from blame. The Chi- cago case, we see, is to be carried to a higher court, and we suggest that the proprietors of the paper allow it to be tested upon its merits alone, without bringing extraneous influences to bear one way or the other, right or wrong, upon the judgment of the jury. While on the subject of libels and libel suits we may state that we understand a dozen or more suits have been brought against those Bohemians who have recently been busily engaged in this city in calumniating the char- acter of some of our most worthy grocers and dealers. The developments on these trials will be cnrions and interesting. And, further- more, we understand that Hon. Reuben E, Fenton, late Governor of this State, will bring suit against Thurlow Weed for the publica- tion in his paper in this city of one of the most atrocious libels that the soured brain of a dis- appointed lobby manager ever conceived. The disclosures 1n this case when brought to trial will be highly refreshing, and no doubt illu- minate the entire tricks, lies, intrignes, back- bitings, double dealings and the myriads of other rascalities which have won for the Albany lobby an unenviable notoriety all over the country. Mr. Opdyke On Resumption of Payments. “We publish in another part of the paper a letter from Mr. George Opdyke, addressed to Senator Conkling, on the question. of resuming specie payments. Mr. Opdyke takes a sensible view of the subject on the whole, and gives a very interesting historical and practical analysis of it. He comes to the same conclusion we have—that ‘‘masterly inactivity” is the trae policy with regard to resumption. We have advocated this all along, and have shown that the country will grow up to specie payments in the natural course of things and through the laws of trade if the currency be left as it is, and that any other course must bring dis- aster. We think he over-estimates the volume of currency in actual circulation, as a large portion of the greenbacks are locked up as a re- serve inthe banks and remaining inactive in the Treasury. But even with his statement of seven hundred and forty-four millions of cir- culation, he admits that we shall reach specie payments in seven years by the natural growth of population andcommerce. He thinks it may be in five years, and that without any shock to trade, if the government should neither ex- pand nor contract the currency. Still he argues the government might contract the legal tenders at the rate of ten millions a year with- out injury to trade. This is «small amount, but, after all, it would be best undoubtedly to carry out fully the principle he laya down of “‘masterly inactivity.” We commend the sen- sible views of Mr. Opdyke to the consideration of Congress and the ) People. Increase of Crime. Crime, and particularly crime against the person, as that of murders and bloody assaults, seems to be an epidemic at times. and to rage like some fearful disease. Judg- ing from the daily record of murders and other dreadful crimes in the newspapers, we appear to be in the midst of such an epidemic now. Nor are these crimes committed only in out-of-the-way places, where there is little or no means of protection, but in this crowded city, on our public streets and even at our very doors in broad daylight. The murder of a respectabie and an inoffensive titteen, Mr. | Rogers ct is own door, im the heart of the city and centre of a vast moving popu- lation, the other morning, is fresh in the mind of every one. We hear a great deal of Italian banditti, of Mexican bandits and of highway robbers in remote country parts here and elsewhere, but the streets of our great cities have become more dangerous than the mountain passes of Italy or the roads of Mexico. The boldness of criminals here is surprising. We have in New York a large Specie daring and dreadful crimes are committed in open day. This ought not to be. It is said many of the police are employed in other ways than in guarding the city and people— as in performing duties for the various civil departments.and commissions. This is wrong. They should be confined strictly to their legiti- mate duty of protecting the public from crime and violence. There is certainly a want of efficiency in this respect now, and we ear- nestly call the attention of the Police Commie- sioners to the fact. Anvsk OF THE FRANKING Privinzor,— We are in- receipt of o variety of commu- nications complaining about the abuse of the fratiking privilege. If Greeley will send over & wheelbarrow he shall have them free of coat. , 1889. “TRIPLE “SHEET. Nateralimation Fraude—How to Prevent if “Shem. ans A al committee ‘has been in eession in this city for the last fortnight investi- gating the frauds alleged to have been com- mitted at our last Presidential election. Ite sittings have been held with closed doors, so | that none of its proceedings have been made public. Enough of them, however, is known to authorize the statement that the inquiry has turned almost exclusively on the point of the fraudulent naturalization of foreigners; and as that subject was thoroughly ventilated a week or two prior to the election on the pre- liminary examination ‘of one Rosenberg, who kept a naturalization mill in a lager beer saloon in Centre street, the public is probably as familiar with the question as are the members of the select committee after hearing the testimony of hundreds of witnesses. . It was in evidence in the Rosenberg case that any number of certificates of naturaliza- tion could be furnished on the briefest notice, without the necessity of going through any formalities before the courts, and without the personal attendance or even the actual ex- istence of the party who was to be nominally admitted to participation in all the rights and privileges of an American citizen. All that was requisite was to furnish the obliging agent with the names, real or fictitious, of the Germans or Irishmen on whom citizenship was to be conferred; and in a few hours after- wards certificates of naturalization, with the genuine seal of the court and the genuine signature of ite clerk, were forthcoming, at the moderate charge of two dollars each for the first hundred and a dollar and a half each for all over that number. How the thing was accomplished was not proved; it could only be inferred; and the inference was that it was done by means of a wholesale system of personating appli- cante and their witnesses, there being sucha rush of that sort of business in the courts’ that there was hardly any difficulty in the mat- ter. All this was published to the world in the Heratp reports of the Rosenberg trial; and we really do not see that the Congressional committee can throw much further light on the subject, unless, indeed, it may succeed in implicating the judges or officers of the courts in a guilty connivance with these frauds, which is hardly probable. There is but one practical way of putting an end to them at once and forever, and that is by abolishing the requirement of a five years’ residence, or any other term of residence, by foreigners before they can be admitted to citi- zenship. There is really no sense or reason in that requirement. No one can sustain the proposition that the German or Irishman or Frenchman who comes here is improved in morals, in religion or in political science by his having lived in New York, Boston, Phila- delphia or Chicago for five years. In nine cases out of ten the very contrary is the fact. The poor emigrant is much more likely to have all his good qualities spoiled than he is to get rid of his bad ones; and the man who, on landing in this country, is prepared to for- swear his former allegiance.and to take the oath to support the constitution should be , per- mitted to do so, and should begthereupon in- vested with the rights of citizenship. The United States laws on that subject, which are now, according to Judge Nelson’s opinion in the Rosenberg case, inapplicable to the prevention or punishment of such frauds, should be at once repealed and a statute en- acted simplifying and facilitating naturaliza- tion in the manner we have suggested. State and municipal laws may then intervene, as they do now, and require a certain term of residence in the State, county or district as a condition of voting. That would meet any possible objection that might be made in re- gard to the political power that could be exer- cised by emigrant runners, boarding house keepers and all such classes of people. Laws can easily be framed to obviate all difficulty on that score; but it seems they cannot be ‘framed so as to prevent naturalization frauds under our present system. We therefore put it seriously to this Congressional committee whether it should not recommend, and to Con- gress whether it should not immediately pass, a law by which foreigners who desire to be- come citizens of this country can do so at once on the simple condition of residence. We have absorbed all the negroes of the South into this free community; is it worth while to be extremely dainty in admitting to the same equality the industrious, energetic and (by comparison) highly intelligent men who leave the countries of Europe to seek homes among us? Letthe committee return to Washington, adopt our suggestion, and there will be no more trouble about naturalization frauds. Our Piers ae Wharvee—A Message to the i Common Coancil. Mayor Hall, very wisely and properly as we think, has declined to make any recommenda- tions to the Common Council in the shape of an annual message until he shall have reviewed and carefully examined the reports of the several city departments, in order that he may form an intelligent judgment as to what mea- sures he may deem desirable to be brought be- fore that body. In the absence of his ex- peoted communication we beg to call the atten- tion of the honorable Aldermen and Assistant Aldermen, in» acwapsper message, to a sub- ject which has heretofore recéivea Jue consid- eration from the press—to wit, the prevent condition and future management of our piers and wharves. Probably some of our city fathers may have already learned that the piers and wharves along our river fronts are, with few exceptions, a mass of tumble down ruins, a collection of rotten wooden structures entirely incapable of supplying the wants of our growing commerce and unsafe for the shipping in the harbor. They may have heard of other ports where the docks are solid stone structures and where safety and facility are afforded to vessels, although the commerce is not, nearly so great or so important as that of New York. It is just possible, also, that they may be aware of the repeated attempts of jobbers and lobby- men to get hold of our piers and wharves under the pretence of improving their condi- tion, but in reality for the purpose of preying upon the commerce of the city and obtaining possession of a valuable property for nothing. If they are well posted on all these points they will scarcely need to be told that the present condition of our piers and wharves is a disgrace to the city, and that no mote im- portant subject claima thair attevtion then jected, it is true, for the improvement of our piers and wharves, but they have, unfortu- nately, been almost invariably the jobs of sets of adventurers and speculators, who have had in view their own profits rather than the inte- reajs of the city. .Some have proposed to build iron docks and to throw out streets beyond the present water lines; others have offered to take the whole dock property on lease at a nominal rent and to put it in thorough repair for the dockage; but all have sought to secure some special privilege of warehousing or some- thing else that would afford them an opportu- nity to squeeze fortunes out of the rich com- merce of the city. Our dock property is of enormous prospec- tive value, and if sold at the present time and in its present condition would not fetch within many millions of what it 1s honestly worth. The great fault of our legislators has been an incapacity to comprehend the mighty future of the metropolis, and hence a narrowness of policy with regard to expenditures for local improvements. What the interests of the city really demand is that the Corporation should take this entire property into its hands, and that a fand of five or six million dollars, if neces- sary, should be appropriated to build solid atone docks and to make our plers and wharves than that of Europe at the presentday. In the onward march of civilization the American nation, itself buta birth of yesterday, is des- tined to become the centre of the world, and its own central point will be here, in the city of New York. Where now our commerce reaches thousands it will then reach millions. The men who legislate to-day should legislate not for the hour only, but for the great future that lies before us, and for that inevitable destiny which every intelligent mind must foresee is in store for our country. We therefore recom- mend the attention of the Boards of Aldermen and Assistant Aldermen, as well as that of the State Legislature, to the present dilapidated, disgraceful, dangerous and heathenish condi- tion of our rotten piers and wharves, and we call upon them, one and all, to use every effort in their power to secure a broad, comprehen- sive, far-seeing policy in relation to these im- portant public works. Let us have no more picayune attempts at tinkering and patchwork, and no lobby jobs, seeking to put the commerce of the city under the blackmail of private cor- _porations, What we need is an appropriation worthy the wealth and character of the city and large enough to give us a system of docks second tg none in the world for solidity, safety and extent of accom- modation. Greeley may howl about ex- travagance, and the whole pack of sore- headed politicians and bogus reformers may grumble because some other “ring” than their own will have the expendi- ture of the money; but the pickings and stealings of a few hungry officials will amount to a mere flea bite if we can secure such piers and wharves as are demanded by the great and growing commerce of the city. er ARRIVAL OF CAPTAIN GENERAL DoLog at Havana,—It will be seen by a telegram in another part of the paper that the new Captain General of Cuba, General Dulce, had arrived at Havana. He was accompanied by Bishop Martinez, of Havana, who was banished to Spain ashort time since by Lersundi. His arrival was not marked by any of the demon- strations that were expected, and his installa- tion to office was quiet and rather solemn. Neither Spaniards nor Cubans felt like making a fuss ; indeed, it is evident that both they and he have serious work before them and no time for grand flourishes. We shall probably hear soon of conciliatory measures being adopted by General Dulce, and the return of the Bishop of Havana with him indicates -such a course, but from present appearances the Cubans are not tobe subdued in that way. They seem deter- mined to have their independence. At all events General Dulce is not likely to have an easy time in his new office. - A Mopgt Onaror.—The charge of Judge Bedford to the Grand Jury yesterday is a model document and full of merit. It takes a broad, comprehensive view of the duties and responsibilities of a Grand Jury, and shows that the Judge has « proper appreciation of “the quality of mercy,” while resolved to execute justice inflexibly upon all offenders. PROBABLE Fatal ACOJDENT.—A man named Pat- rick Connor was strack by @ runaway horse and leigh last evening, one of fettbreast, cousin's probabiy fiat wound. = “M® Nose va. pombe oMcer O'Rourke, of the Tweuty-firat precinct, was attempting yesterday to arrest an insane man named Edward Jones, corner Second avenue and Tnirty-fifth street, the fellow cut hi h tl tan degeaS ongn em anwar o RAILROAD ACCIDENT.—Three young men, named John Amos, John A. Henry and J. Julian, yester- day attempted to cross the railroad track at Fora- ham as the Albany express was going north. The sleigh and horse were strack by s ae aioaed throwing the young men violent and injuring Amos severely about the + The —, hog instantly killed. Henry and Juitan were no! New Devot at HUNTINGTON. ~The new depot at Huntington, which is one of the finest on the road, will be completed and ready for use in a few weeks. HEMPSTEAD PLAINs.—A special town meeting will be held in the village of Hempstead to-day, for the purpose of electing commissioners to attend to the sale of the as Hempstead Piatns. BuRGLARyY.—The house of Andrew Smith, of North Hempstead, was entered by burglars om night last and fobbed of silverware and valuable clothing to the amount of about $300. Sap ACCIDENT.—Willle Carden, a boy about eleven years of age, obtained possession of @ pistol which his father kept in the house loaded, and while play- ing with it the disc! out one of one side of his — and rrightilly FATAL RAILROAD AccrpeNt.—William Conklin, am employé of the Long Island Railroad Company, while engaged in coupling ‘at the depot in the eusSeS