The New York Herald Newspaper, February 13, 1869, Page 6

6 NEW YORK HERALD BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR ane or news letter a telegraphic despatches must be addressed New Yore HERaLp, Letters and packages should be properly sealed. \ Regected communications will not be re- turned. THE DAILY HERALD, published every day in the wear. Four cents per copy. Annual subscription price @12. ¥ THE: WEEKLY HERALD, every Saturday, at Five Cents per copy. Annual subscription price:— One Copy. Three Cop! . & Five Copies. . 8 Ten Copics.. 15 ‘Any larger number addressed to names of sub- seribers $1 56 each. An extra copy will be sent to every club of ten, Twenty copies to one addresss one year, #25, and any larger number at same price, De sent to clubs of twenty. These rates make he WeextY HERALD (ie cheapest pub- lication in the country. OLYMPIC THEATRE, Broadway.—fluurry Dvarrr, with New Frarvaes. Matinee at Lig. BROADWA Lrve Ixnpran THEATRE, Broadway.—SOLoN SHINGLE— Matinee at 1g. BOOTIVS THEATRE, Twenty-third st. between 6th and ‘7th ave. ND LET. NEW YC HEATRE, Broadway.—MoKRAN Bu- OHANAN 4 LO. NIBLO'S GARDEN, Broadway.—Tar Burinsqn® Ex TRAVAGANZA OF THE FoRTY THIEVES. Matinee at 2. BOWERY TITEATRE, Bowerr.—Nrox or 1ux Woops, dc. Matinee at 2-FooTMaaks IN THE SwOW, ac. orner ot" Kighth avenue and ERS. Matinee at 2, GRAND 5d atrect.— FRENCH cy nue.—FL£Un DE TUR, v OF Mus Fourteenth street. —I'ratiaNn nee at IIL. TROVATORE. ACADE Ovrta. M. roadway and Ih street.— Twenty-fourth st.—AN Laisi ‘1508. woon's Broadway.—A M AND THRATRE, Thirtieth street and wnoon and evening Performance. THE TAMMANY, Fourteenth street.—THE RISLEY JaranEsE Teoure, &o. Matinee at 2. + MRS. F, B. CONWAY'S PARK THEATRE, Brookiya.— LANoasuiruk Lass, THEATRE COMIQUE, 5M Broadway.—Comte SKETCORS AND LIVING STATUES—PL.ULO. Matinee at 24. SAN FRANCISCO MINSTRELS, 535 Broadway.—Etaio- PIAN ENTERTAINMENTS, SINGING, DANOING, kc. BRYANTS’ OPERA HOUSE, Semen Building, Mth atreet.—Erii0PtaN MINSTRELSY, 0. TONY PASTOR'S OPERA HOUSE, 201 Bowery.—Comic Voca.i6n, NEGRO MINSTRELSY, &c. Matinee at 33). NEW YORK CIRCUS, Fourteenth stree!.—EQursTRIAN AND GYMNASTIO ENTERTAINMENT. Matinee at 2}y. IRVING HAUL, Irving place.—Granp IxsTaoMRNTaL anp Voca Coxcenr STEINWAY. HALL, Fourteenth THOMAS’ SYMPHONY SOIRER. strect,—THEopoRE HOOLEY’S OPERA HOUSE, MiNeTRELS—APrER Licut, £0. Brooklyn.—Hoocer's NEW YORK MUSEUM OF ANATOMY, 618 Broadway.— BCIENOE AND AZT. TRI PLE S SHEET. ‘New hacen Saturday, Pelirenry 13; “1869. "Notice to Herald Carriers and News, Dealers. Hera carriers and news dealets are in- formed that they can now procure the requisite number of copies direct from this office without delay. All complaints of ‘‘short counts” and spoiled sheets must be made to the Superintendent in the counting-room of the Herap establish- ment. Newsmen who have received spoiled papers from the Heraup office, are requested to re- turn the same, with proof that they were obtained from here direct, and have their money refunded. Spoiled sheets must not be sold to readers of the HzRatp. MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTIONS. The Dai.y Henarp will be sent to subscribers for one dollar a month. The postage being only thirty-five cents a quarter, country subscribers by this arrangement can receive the Heranp at the same price it is furnished in the city. tha, q p>] ci awa wi 8. Europe. ‘The cable despatches are dated February 12. ‘The Constituent Cortes of Spain was formally opened on Thursday last with great ceremony. The day was regarded almost as @ holiday tn the Spanish capital. Marsial Serrano, president of the Ministry. addressed the deputies, reviewing the causes which led to the revolution and urging the necessity of a n of power in order to realize the it was the errors of the past ned, that led to the present u@ expressed the hope that rtly be brought to a close, quet given on Thursday last to the new British Ministry Mr. Gledstone rema that the ‘Jast House of Commons had been condemned by the government of the day. ‘The Mayor of Dublin intends to present to Queen Victoria, at the first public levee, the monster pe- tition for the pardon of the Ferian prisovers, Persia. Despatches received in London yesterday state + that the Persian army, with the Shah at its head, has gone to Bagdad. Turkish troops meantime are concentrating on the Persian froutier. Brnail and Paraguay. Our Rio Janeiro letter is dated December 29. Ad- miral Davis, with his feet and the two prisoners, had arrived at Buenos Ayres, He expresses him- self satisfied with the explanation made by Lopez, and believes that Washburu, Bliss and Masterman ‘were all engaged in 2 conspiracy to overthrow the Paraguayan government. The remnant of Lope’ army was still at Angostara, Luque being at present his seat of government, Minister McMahon ‘was with him. Caxias’ army was very much in need of reorganization after the fight at Villeta, ‘and it was rumored that Porto Alegre nad been re- quested to assume the chief command of the army. On the 27th of December a fire broke out in the Ous- tom House in Kio Janeiro, and as no one was per- mitted tu open the doors uniess the Senhor Guardian of the Keys was present the fire gained euch head- way that before it was extinguished—two persons hnaving after a long delay concinded to smash open the doors notwithstanding the regulations —property was destroyed to the amount Of $250,000. NEWYORK HuERALD, SAPURDAY, FEBRUARY "13' i900 -NREPLAN setter. Cuba. ‘The steamer Henry Barden sailed from Jackson- ville, Fla., about the 7th instant, under ciroumstances ‘that lead tothe suspicion that she nas gone with arms ana munitions to the aid of the Ouban tnsur- rection, and most likely to take service under the revolutionists, Large sums of money were offered for volunteers to ship on her. Our Cuban correspondence, elsewhere in our columns thisjmorning, will be found very interesting, containing as it does full and connected details of our telegraphic despatches up to February 15. Congress. Inthe Senate yesterday bills were introduced to encourage telegraphic communication with Europe and to aid in the construction of the Texas and Pacific Railroad, Discussion ensued on @ motion to take up the act for the establishment of an American: line of mail steamships to Europe, and the morning hour expired while it was still pending. Mr, Shev- man’s currency bill was then taken up, and It was discussed during the evening recess until adjofirn- ment, In the House a bill to pay prize money to the crew of the Kearsarge for the sinking of the Alabama was passed. Mr. Boutwell reported a bill from the Re- construction Committee to organize a provisional government for Mississippi. Several private claims were discussed, and at two o’clock Mr. Butler’s ques- tion of privilege protesting against the rulings of Vice President Wade in the joint convention came up for discussion, Mr. Dawes occupying the Speak- er’s chair. Mr, Logan made a speech eulogistic of Mr, Wade, and Mr, Butler denied all intention of casting censure upon him, The whole subject was then laid on the table by a vote of 130 to 55, The bill for a military and postal raliroad between New York and Washington was then taken up and passed by a vote of 99 to 54 Tne River and Harbor Appropria- iton bill was discussed in the evening. The Legisiutare. * In the State Senate yesterday a bill was intro- duced to incorporate the Shipowners’ Association. Anumber ef unimportant bilis were passed, The committee to investigate certain charges of bribery reported that Heary Thompson, of New York, had fatled to appear before them, although subpcnaed, and a resolution was passed to compel his attend- ance. The Senate adjourned until Monday even- ing. Inthe Assembly a petition from the St. Regis Indians was presented. A number of bills of minor importance were passed, including one to open cer- tain streets in Brooklyn. Bulls were introduced re- lative to the pilotage of East river; relative to thé, construction of quarantine buildings on Coney Island; for the extension of Prospect Park, Brook- lyn. The bill to improve the Albany basin was re- committed, after which the Assembly adjourned until Monday evening. Miscellaneous. « Colonel Leavenworth testified before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs yesterday to the effect that im General Custer’s battle of the Washita only fifteen Indians were killed and only thirty lodges were attacked in all, thoagh General Custer in his report places the number of lodges at fifty-three and the Indians killed at 103, Mrs. Blinn, who was reported to have been murdered by a squaw during the fight, was ¢hot by our own soldiers, according to Colonel Leavenworth’s statement, sie having started to run towards them when the firing com- menced, y The steamer Nellie Stevens was burned in Caddo Lake, Red River, La., on Thursday night and sixty- three lives are reported lost, The application for a writ of prohioition against Judge Underwood, of Virginia, was argued in the Supreme Court yesterday and Chief Justice Chase announced that it would be considered. Judge Underwood did not appear in court. In the Missouri House of Represeatatiwes a bill for the enfranchisement of ex-rebels a the State was re- jected yesterday. General Grant and Mrs, Grant are to give a large reception a few days before the inauguration. The City. i. The Board of Mctropolitan Police Commissioners has been very rigorous in reorganizing the force of late. The system of discipline has been more rigidly enforced than heretofore, and fines against mem- bers to the amount of $4,000 have been assessed, where $1,800 was the average sum in corresponding periods heretofore. 1t has been determined, also, to apply to the Legislature for a bul increasing the force by about 600 men, and about half of the force are to be divested of uniforms. It is stated that a repubiican caucus in this city has prevailed upon the Tammany ring, by means of a consideration not yet made public, to secure the assent of Governor Hoffman to the passage of a law in the Legislature abolishing the charter elections of December and prolonging the term of all now in office in this city to January, 1871. The republicans, by this arrangement, will retain three republican justices in office who would otherwise go out. Gov- ernor Hoffman, it is announced, has agreed to give his assent to the bill. It has been discovered that among the numerous other rings in this city there is—what is more oppres- sive than all—a four ring, composed of certain ciasses of flour operators at tne Corn Exchange, whose alm is to monopolize the trade by ruling out the flour manufacturers of this city and Brooklyn. Severat parties were arrested yesterday at Staten Island and brought before Commissioner Jones, of Brooklyn, on @ charge of smuggling cigars to the value of $1,500. The examination of the parties charged with being implicated in tne Custom House fraud was com- menced yesterday morning, before Commissioner Jones, of Brooklyn. The District Attorney, in open ing the case for the government, made a statement that the amount paid out by the government on these franduient claims for drawbacks reaches the sum ot $700,000. Two men, alleged to be the robbers of Benedict Brothers’ show windows, in Broadway, were ar- raigned before Justice Shandley yesterday, and aMidavits partially implicating them in the robbery were taken. They were both committed to answer in defauit of $5,000 vail each. ‘The steamship Euterpe, Captain Gates, of C. H. Mallory & Co.'s Texas line, will leave pier No. 20 East river thts afternoon for Galveston. ‘The steamer San Salvador, Captain Nickerson, will sail from pier No. 8 North river, at three ovciock this aiternoon, for Savannah. The sidewheel steamship Manhattan, Captain Woodnull, wili sail at three o'clock this afternoon, from pier No. 6 North river, for Charieston, ‘The steamship Isaac Bell, Captain Bourne, of the Oid sDominion line, will leave pier No. st North river, at three o’ciock this afiernooa, for Norfolk, City Point and Richmond. ‘The stock market yesterday was very dull. Prices were depressed at the opening, but improved before the close of business. The feature of speculation were government bonds, which were activeand ex+ cited in sympathy with an advance in London of five-twenties to 77. Gold Muctuated betweea 155 and 196%, closing finally at 155%. Prominent Arrivals in the City. General J. A. Morris, of Indianapolis; H. ©. Lord, of Cinctonatl; General James M. Corse, of Chicago; Lieutenant J. M. Smith, of the United States Army, and Genoral James H. Ledlie, of Chicago, are at tie St. Nicholas Hotel, Major General T. W..Sherman and Colonel Van Vilet, of the United States Army; George 1. Cass, Adjutant General of Florida, and Dr. Hugh A. Maughlen, of Baltimore, are at the Metropolitan Hotel. M. Martinez, of Cuba; H. F. Sweetser, of Pennsyl- vania, and G. M. Tivbets, of Troy, are at the Hotman House. Major W. L. Haskin, of the United States Army, and P. Cameron, of Matanzas, are at the Astor House, P. A, Sollet, of Cuba, Major Hardy and P. R. Page, of Now York, are at the Maltby House. Dr. C. Woerman, of Hamburg; Captain Ball, of the Fifty-third regiment, Quebec; A. Fita George, of the Rifle brigade, and G. B. Crowley and A. Frazer, of England, are at the Clarendon Hotel. Major Russell, of Toronto, 0. W.; Sefior Rodriques, of Cuba, and Dr. E. Rt. Packer, of Philadelphia, are at the St. Charles Hotel. Senator R. 6. Fenton end P. Sheldon, of Jamos- town, and General Harney, of the United States Army, are at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. ‘How to Settle the Alabama Claims. The United States cannot be responsible for British insanity. The fact that Earl Russel! said that the escape of the Alabama from England was ‘‘due to the insanity of the law officer of the Crown” has nothing to do with the case, It may be a plea for us to show mercy in our demands and make them as light 8 possible under the circumstances, There should have been an addition to the expres- sion of opinion of Earl Russell. He should have stated that the insane law officer was the best representative of England that could be possibly found during our civil war troubles. That officer represented lord, merchant, boot- black. He was the exponent of English sympathy for the great republic, and of Eng- lish neutrality whenever an ocean port was found large enough to give shelter to any privateer that would fulfil the wish nearest to the English heart—the destruction of Ameri- can commercial supremacy. But we are will- ing to be gracious to a great people with whom we have so many traditions in common, and with whom we are linked in ties of religion and Janguage. We are beyond being satis- fied with a few paltry millions. of trea- sure as a salye to our wounded na- tional honor; for the destruction of a few ships was not and is not the point with us. We therefore propose that we shall do good for evil. Instead of pressing the Alabama claims through our gastronomic diplomat now in England, who will be recalled immediately that General Grant takes the executive chair, we shall propose to England, through a spe- cial commissioner, that we take Canada and the whole of British North America in ex- change for all the injuries done by the Ala- bama and other commercial representatives of English neutrality, and for all the grievances which have from time to time been heaped upon us while yet Great Britain was in the zenith of her power. The far-seeing wisdom of Russia caused her to sell Alaska to us. She saw the steady movement of the United States to the west and northwest, and knew that soon we should be pressing upon the Alaska frontier. It would be good statesmanship if England could have thegsame broad view of the march of events on this Continent, and acknowledge their inevitable tendency to territorial con- quest. These events are completely , beyond our control. They are the movable force that sends us onward upon this vast wave of Western civilization with a power that would swamp the republic were we to attempt to resist it, If England is ‘still advised by ‘‘insane law officers” she will cling to Canada instead of yielding it up to the United States. If she cannot see that the very elements ‘that bind us together as a nation are elements that laugh at and strike out boundary lines, it will be because she will not listen to the teachings of civilization and to our warnings. The whole of North America has been taken possession of by the modera forces which the liberal genius of Germany, France, England and the United States has called into action. Our Southern States, clinging to feudal principles which had, unfor- tunately, been planted upon their soil, tried to’ standin the pathway of this modern giant. They were crushed by it. Our constitution forbade the addition of territory to the old Union, and yet we went on adding, first the valley of the Mississippi, then Florida, then Texas, until, finally, we debouched upon the Pacific through California. Our eyes now turn northward and southward. Canada is essential to us and we are essential to Canada. The times will have it so, and in stating this we simply recogniap a fact. To England Canada is a burden, and a severe one, too, in view of the present condition of Europe. Europe, with six millions of men nnder arms, stands divided against itself, waiting, as it were, for the railroad, the telegraph and modern civilization to strike the tocsin which shall inaugurate the great final struggle be- tween the relics of feudalism, as represented in class privileges and great standing armies, and the liberal progressive movement of this century. We can bide our time; but, we ask, cam England do the same? She has an Indian empire to take care of, which keeps half of her cotton manufactories in motion. She has Australia and [reland on her hands—both nearer to the United States by adoption than they are to Great Britain by national ties, Is it not worth consideration on the part of British statesmen that, under the administra- tion of Grant, we shall always be prepared to settle the Alabama and other claims to our own liking? Perhaps we may settle them ac- cording to the example ‘set us by the mother country, which sometimes, in late years, has spoken with pride of a people who are appa- rently wedded to English habits and customs. If we undertake this method we promise to make old England very proud of us. Better, however, surrender Canada, and by making the amende honoradle to us prepare the way to friendship, which, in the coming European struggle, would be the only reliable foreign element upon which England could depend. Somermne Not Exrirecy New.—The re- port from Washington that General Sherman, if he desires it, can have a place in General Gropt's Cabinet. Tarice Bormp.—Mrs. Gamble, who died on Atigust 2, 1868, was finally buried February 11, 1869, and, whether it be trae or not that dead men tell no tales, this dead*woman certainly does tella very remarkable tale of the queér results that may be brought about in the jomble of legal investigation. From her first burial this woman was taken up for the Rock- land county investigation. From a second burial she was taken up for further inquiry before a coroner ; but the courts having put an injunction on the Coroner to take no further proceedings in the case he could not even bury the woman, and her last appearance be- fore the public represents her as ‘found on a cart in the city.” The rest and sanctity of Jurr Davis.—In pursuance of the Presi- dent’s late amnesty proclamation the Indict- ments in the United States District Court at Richmond, so long held over the heads of Jeff Davis and thirty or forty of his leading tebel confederates for treason and rebellion, have all been quashed, and thereby Greeley is released from his straw bail bonds, and Jeff is perfectly free to set up his shingle again in Richmond, Montgomery, Vicksburg, Washing- Hon. Ben Wade, President of the Senate, and the Hon. Ben Butler, of the House of Repre- sentatives (both Benjamin Franklins), on the counting of the votes in Congress for Presi- dent and Vice President, the other day, at the first glance would appear to be a senseless dis- pute upon. legal quibbles and technicalities. There is something more in the controversy than this, however. It involves a question of authority between the two houses—the ques- tion whether in joint convention the ruling of the President of the Senate can upset a vote of the House. The electoral vote of Georgia had been rejected by the House, and ac- cording to Butler this rejection ruled out Georgia. But when the two houses met again in joint convention to resume the counting of the votes President Wade, of the Senate, de- cided that Georgia must be counted because, as Wade understood it, by a concurrent reso- lution of the two houses adopted some days before, the vote of Georgia was not to be counted if it changed the Presidential result, but was to be counted if it did not affect the” result. So Wade insisted that Georgia must be counted under that resolution, and from that point Butler has been making his fight against the absurd idea thatit is the President of the Senate who counts the votes for Presi- dent and Vice President, and that in regard to the admission or exclusion of any State his opinion is the law. All this, however, would signify little or nothing, ifitwere not for the fact that the Senate aims to be the government and the master in reference to General Grant’s adminis- tration, The Tenure of Office law, so promptly repealed on the part of the House by the pas- sage of Butler's repeal bill, ‘‘sticks” in the Senate. Why? Because of the power which this Tenure of Office law gives the Senate over the President and his removals from ‘office. Before the enactment of this law, which was passed to head off Andy Johnson, the consent of the Senate was only required on Executive appointments. The President could remove Tom, Dick or Harry, and that was the end of the party removed, subject, however, to a restoration by the President’s reconsideration of the case. But under this new law the President must submit, not only his appoint- ments, but his removals and his reasons, to the Senate, and if the reasons given for a removal be voted insufficient the removed officer is restored, as in the case of Stanton, as Secretary of War. Thus, under this law, Vice President Colfax, as President of the Senate, may wield a power in the matter of Executive removals and appointments greater than the power of the President himself. Under this condition of things the House of Representatives becomes a mere tidewaiter on the Senate; and Ben Butler in his conflict with Ben Wade is really fighting to prune down a little the conceit of the Senate and the power of Colfax. In fact, Ben Butler against Ben Wade is fighting for the rights, not only of the House, but of President Grant, against the pretensions of the Senate and against the game of the anti-Grant radicals, with their man, Vice President Colfax. It will be seen, too, that Cataline Colfax, smooth as Oily Gam- mon, sides in this controversy with Wade. Colfax is the chosen apostle and embodiment of the radical party. Grant, taken up as a necessity, is to be managed by Colfax and the Senate. Butler understands the game, and from the vigorous fight he has been making for the House and for Grant he evidently ap- preciates the consequences of the upshot of this contest. We shall have the curtain lifted a little higher pretty soon, and, though baffled for the present, we guess that Butler in the end will win, ne he has the right on hia side. “A Goop Orricer.—Recorder Hackett de- livered from the bench the other day an elo- quent eulogium upon Captain Jourdan for his efficiency and honesty. All true, no doubt; and being true, would not Captain Jourdan be @ good man for Superintendent? Is it not bad policy to keep such an important post as that of Superintendent vacant at a time «hen vil- lany of every stripe flourishes as it does now? The Situation in Spain. The Spanish Cortes have met. The Presi- dent of the Ministry, Marshal Serrano, opened the meeting with a speech full of hope and encouragement in view of a permanent government to Spain on liberal principles, including the island of Cuba, He anticivated the establishment of freedom of speech, the press and religion and the aboli- tion of slavery, and the extrication ot the State from its financial embarrassments. He had full faith in the consummation of the great objects of Spain's decisive and comparatively bloodless revolution. these pleasing anticipations alized, but the trouble which has broken out in the Basque provinces does not convince us that the situation in Spain has become simple and easy of settle- ment. It soems rather to encourage the idea that the crisis has arrived with the assembling of the Cortes. Spain is unquestionably ina very critical condition. We do not say dangerous, because we do not thiak so. It is perfectly manifest that the provisional government know what they want. It is nearly as manifest that the provisional government are going to be allowed to settle matters according to their wishes. Dom Ferdinand, the father of the King of Portugal, a man who, during the minority of the King, governed Portugal wisely and well for several years, seems to be the favorite candidate. It will be well if Spain continues of this way of thinking. Dom Ferdinand will make a good king. He isa member of the house of Coburg, which, for governing power—partly through himself, partly through Prince Albert of England, but mainly through King Leopold of Belgium— has acquired rather an enviable reputation. In dificult circumstances in foreign countries they have, one and all, behaved well. Span- iards see that Dom Ferdinand will not only serve a present purpose by proving himself ioe constitutional sovereign, but that he will bring with him ® legacy of incalculable spite, therefore, of the fever of the Church and the nervous excitement of the Carlists, we are in good hope that Spain will work herself out of all this trouble in a manner which will compel the admiration of the world. We can see no’ good in the triumph of Montpensier. He is only a small edition of Louis Philippe. But we can discover much good in the triumph of Prince Ferdinand. It rests with Spain to do the wise thing. We must wait to see whether she will do it. Law on THE TabLE—Ben Butler's resolu- tions in reference to “Old Ben Wade's” invasion of the rights and privileges of the House. “Old Ben,” -by his blundering, had got the question into such a snarl that even Big Ben could not unravel it, nor Schenck, nor Shellabarger, nor Bingham, nor any of them. And so, with a spread eagle speech from Logan in the way of an apology for ‘Old Ben's” blundering, the snarl was laid on the table. But the affair, as between the Senate and the House, is not settled for all that. It will break out again, after a while, on some other question. The Abuses in the Sheriff’s Office. | Things are worse in the Sheriff's office than we thought. We have received frond the Sheriff the following letter in regard. to the escape of the convicts in Centre street :— SHERIFF’s OrFIce, NEw Court nome Crry AND County or NEw York, Feb. 12, 1869, To THE Epitor OF THE HERALD:— Str—An article in your issue of this morning in refereace to the secre of convicts has a tendency to reflect with great injustice on this office. Itis very evident that the writer of that article was not fully conversant with the facts, which are simply 23 Tolows:—The party having charge of those convic.s ‘was an officer of the Court of Sessions, appointed b; the Board of Supervisors, and not a deputy sherith, and consequently not under my control, nor amena- bie to me in any form. It has long been the custom for the Sheruf' of this county, at the request of the presiding ofticer of any court of justice, to depatize persons acting in the capacity of atteadants upon such courts as “special deputy siertifs,” who wear a badge thus engraved. This conveys no other authority than that to “protect the public peace,” and can be used for no gther purpose. You will there- fore perceive that in the present instance these con- viets were not under the charge of the Sheriff or be ed his deputies, and fey ty thai Uhis office no way answerable for their escape. iam at ail times ready to assume whatever responsibility my own official actions call for, but do not wish to have the acts of other parties over whom I have no con- trol linputed to me or to my subordinates. Very re- spectfully yours, JAMES O'BRIEN, Sheriff, The first observation to be made on this ex- planation is that in one line we are told that the officer who had charge of the prisoners is & deputy sheriff, and’in another line that he is not a deputy sheriff; and we cannot wonder at the occurrence of any dereliction of duty in the Sheriff's office when the kind of intelli- gence that presides there is of the uncertain, feeble, self-contradicting kind that writes this letter. , “The party having charge of those con- victs,” says the Sheriff, ‘‘was an officer of the Court of Sessions, appointed by the Bdhrd of Supervisors, and not a deputy sheriff, and consequently not under my control nor amena- ble to me in any form.” Here, then, is a sufficient reason for the immediate removal from office of this Sheriff, and we demand that the Governor remove him. Here is at once an abuse in the machinery of justice that the Sheriff impudentiy or ignorantly parades as his defence. By what right does he turn over to persons not amenable te him “in any form” the performance of duties that the law entrusts to him? Where did the Supervisors get the power to exercise a function belong- ing to the people at the polls—the power to designate, in the election of Sheriff, who shall have in custody the offenders against the public peace under sentence? Here ts just what we pointed to in the abuses of the Sheriff's office—the appointment by corrupt politicians of men to have charge of the pri- soners who are no better than the prisoners themselves, Fancy the men who are the asso- ciates of the ruffians at Allen's dance house on one day conductiug them to State Prison the next day. ry But the Sheriff shows by his leer that he understands that these men would have no authority to take charge of the criminals unless they received that authority from him. He says. it is the custom for the Sheriff to “députize” persons acting in the capacity of attendants upon the court, and these persons wear the badge of doputy sheriffs and do the duty of deputy sheriffs and have authority to protect the public peace. They are, in fact, men “deputized” by the Sheriff to perform, with his authority, sheriff's duty; ls how any man can set his hand to a declaration that snch persons are not deputy sheriffs it is difficult to say, It appears, then, that the Sheriff” gives the authority of his office in a loose, indiscriminate way, to cover any and everybody whom the Supervisors or any one else may appoint to have charge of criminals, and thus abuses the trust the people have reposed in him; and for this abuse, in which doubtless there are many greater evils than the occurrence in Centre street, he ought to be removed, and if he is not removed the Governor will be want- ing in his duty to the public. A Quxsrios asp AN Answer.—Is “Old Ben Wade,” as a profound jurist or diplomat, qualified for the position of Secretary of State? He must be when even in his blundering he is more than a match for Ben Butler. ‘Texas Convention Jobs. Compared with the constituency it represents the Texas Convention is pursuing a practice of jobbery far surpassing anything ever attempted in Congress. The last revelation is called the “Liverpool and Texas Steamship Bonus.” In order to encourage the running of twoor three old English steamers from Liverpool to Gal- veaton it is proposed to issue to the specula- tors half a million of dollars in State bonds, bearing six per cent interest, and to donate to them half a million of acres of State lands. The plea for this monster job is that it will benefit immigration to the State; but in reality it ie only a bonus that will be divided between the gotters ap of the job and the managers of | as the Page end | ttin the Conventioa, in constderation of landing in Texas any given sumber ef pespers from British almshouses and fugitives from British justice. Heavy grants to lobbymen and. legislative jobbers is not the way to induce the healthy immigration which Texas needs, nor is a State Convention, which was called many months since for reconstruction purposes, the proper body to legislate away the credit and the lands of the State. This usurpation of authority, for jobbing purposes cannot stand before the investigation which it will inevitably encounter from the people of Texas and from the new Congress under the purer adminis- tration which is coming in with General Grant, Tne Tenure or Orrick Law.—The whiskey rings are against the repeal of the Tenure of Office law, and as this law keeps the power of removal in the hands of the Senate it is evident where the friends and supporters of the rings are, Our Secarities iu Europe. Tho United States five-twenties, which are the barometer of our national securities abroad, continue to rise steadily in the markets of Europe. They have gone up in London to 773, which is the highest point yet reached. There has been a gradual improvement going on since the result of the Presidential election - was known, which shows that the European — capitalists have confidence in the stability and credit of our government, We notice this not because we are surprised at it, but as evidence of better sense and more enlarged views among the financial men of Europe with regard to this country. To us, indeed, it has been sur- prising that United States six per cent gold in- terest bearing bonds should have remained 60 long nearly twenty per cent below British three per cent consols. Our credit ought to he as good as that of England, or better; for we have more resources, more means and @ surer pros- pect of paying the debt. The five-twenties, to approach the market value of consols, reck- oning the difference of interest, ought to be as as high as 150 at least. Considering the credit of the government and the means of paying both the interest and principal, these Ameri- can securities are far cheaper than any others in the world. They must go up, and probably will continue to rise gradually from this time forward as they have been rising the last month or so. It is to be hoped our own citizens will get all they can‘ while the price is low, and hold them till they reach something like their maximum value. We do not wish to see the bulk of the debt go abroad at anything like the present market price, because for every hundred millions paid for it now by Europeans two hundred millions or there- abouts will be returned to them by us when we come to liquidate the debt. Besides, we do not wish to see an epormous and perpetual drain of specie every year to pay the“interest to foreigners. In natural wealth and resources this is the richest country on the globe, and it will soon be the richest in realized or accumu- lated capital. Why, then, should we be so deeply in debt to foreigners? A debtor na- tion has its nose always to the grindstone, and foreign creditors continually drain it of the profits of industry. If we hold the bulk of the debt at home and increase our productions and exports so as to have the balance of trado ingline this way the exchanges will be in our favor, and New York will become what Lon- don is—the money centre of the world. In all our financial policy this should be the object kept in view. Very Goop—The passage of the bill in the popular branch of Congress—yeas 99, nays 54— for an air line railroad between New York and Washington. Let the Senate do likewise, without loss of time, and then, should Presi- dent Johnson veto the bill on the old Southern fallacies of State sovereignty, we have no doubt it will be so strengthened as to pass easily in both houses over the veto. The people of New York have paid taxes enough to Camden © and Amboy and to Maryland for the privilege of going to and returning from Washington. A New Phase of Operatic and Dramatic Manngement. All of the twenty-five theatres in New York are now déing a prosperous business. Their unprecedented success has even galvanized to a certain semblance of life the corpse of {talian opera, But the day of Italian opera is over, and every attempt to revive it will prove, like the latest, a failure, until the fact is realized that nothing short of intelligont and enterprising and liberal management, that shall fuily meet the highest demands of im- proved musical taste and secure at any cost the very best operatic talent, can possibly restore its lost prestige to the Academy of Music. It is rumored that several leading capitalists are beginning to realize this fuct. Fisk, Jr., the new proprietor of Pike's Opera House, is said to be making preparations to hold forth the most tempting inducements to the Pattis and Nilssons and other first class artists to essay under his auspices and those of the Erie Railroad Company the revival of Italian opera in New York. Vanderbilt is also said to be maturing a similar scheme on a still grander scale and with still more ample resources to insure its triumph. Bel- mont, another prince @ of finance, is said to be seriously meditating whether, instead of cutting out fat work for the lawyers in fresh and multiplied lawsuits, it would not be better to fight fire with fire and, entering the lists himself, to establish Italian opera on the east side of the town in a style so tran- scendently magnificent that Fisk, Jr., and the west side shall be utterly eclipsed. Whether or not these rumors are true, it is undeniable that nothing but the efforts which our railway kings and princes of finance are capable of making to influce the foremost operatic artists in the world to make New York their home can renovate the faded glories of Italian opera, The Shakspearian revival which is now crowding Booth’s new and superb theatre and Wallack’s more familiar home of the legiti- mate drama with audiences as large as those attracted to Niblo’s Garden by Lydia Thomp- son's troupe and its revival of the “Black Crook” and “‘leg drama,” is a natural reaction from the surfeit of opéra bouffe in New York. Opéra bouffe, indeed, still holds its own at the Grand Opera of Fisk, Jr., with Tostée as Eurydice in “Orphée aux Enfers,” and will take a fresh lease at Grau's French theatre on Monday evening, with Rosc-Boll Donclaunas en the