The New York Herald Newspaper, April 10, 1869, Page 6

NEW YORK HERALD BROADWAY AND ANN “STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR, Letters aad packages eone be properly sealed, Allbusiness or news letter and telegraphic despatches must be addressed New York HERALD. Volume XXXIV AMUSEMENTS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. WOOD's MUSEUM AND THEATRE, Thirtisth street and Broadway.—A/ternoon and ming Performance. BROADWAY THEATRE, Broadway.—Tur EMERALD Ring. Matinee at 1s. NIBLO'S GARDEN, B TEAVAGANZA OF TUE adwal TY THIEVES. ~—THR BURLRsgue EXx- Matinee at 2. FRENCH THEATRE, Fourteenth street and Sixth ave- pnue.—La VIE PARISIENNE. Matinee at |. FIFTH AVENUE THE ATRE, Fifth avenue and Twenty- fourth sireet.—BELLE HELENE, Matinee. WALLACK'S THRATRE, Broadway and 1% street — Scuoor, Matinee at GERMAN STADT THEATR MAN Suont EINen Enziz OLYMPIC THEATRE, Broadway.—Houmpry Dompty, with NEW FeatcRes. Matinee at 1). fos, 45 and 47 Bowery.— GRAND OPERA HOUSE, corner ot Fighth avenue and fe atreet,—Tue Teves, "Matinee at 135. BOWERY THEATRE, Bowery.—Tax Srvex Dwanrs; Of, HARLEQUIN AND THE WoRLD OF WONDERS. Matinee. ACADEMY OF MUSIC, Mth street,—GrRMan DRaMa— Matinee—TisBE. Even: NORLT. between Sth and 6th avi vening—ROMEO AND JULI BOOTH’S THEATRE, 2% Matinee—-MARMLE HEAR! WAVERLEY THEATRE. 720 Broadway.—E1.1ze Hours: BURLESQUE COMPANY—IVANHOE. Matinee at 2. THEATRE COMIQUE, AND LIVING STATUES. Broadway.—Comto SKRTOMES 010. Matinee at 2g. THE TAMMANY, Fourteenth ‘street,—Tar Horse Ma- Rinks, dc. Matinee at 2. MRS. F. B, CONWAY'S PARK THEATRE, Brooklyn. ARRAH-NA-POGUE. SAN FRANCISCO MIN! Pian ENTERTAUNMENTS-— BRYANTS' OPERA #1) atreet.—ETHIOPIAN MiNST? TONY PASTOR'S OPERA HOUSE, 201 Bowery.—Comto Vooa.iss, NEGRO MINSTRELSY, rh Matinee at 2'y. NEW YORK CIRC AND GYMNASTIC 8, 585 Brontway.—ETm1o- OF THE BLONDRS. fammany Building, 14th . &C. urteenth street. EQUESTRIAN INMENT. Matinee at 259. ER HOOLEY'S OPERA HO MINSTRELS—THE 4 Ey Brooklvn,—Hoorey's . Matinee at 23. NEW YORK M""! NATOMY, 613 Broadway.— SCIENCE AND ART. TRIPLE. ‘SHEET. April 10, 1869. ee York, Eo TO ADVERTISERS. All advertisements should be sent in before eight o'clock, cation. THE HERALD IN BROOKLYN. P. M., to insure proper classifi- Notice to Carriers and Newsdealers. BROOKLYN future receive their papers at the Brancu Orrick or THE New York Henan, No. 145 Fulton street, Brooklyn, ADVERTISEMENTS letters for the New York received as above. THEN 3 w 8. Bacaees, ‘The cable telegrams are dated April 9. ‘The English papers are divided in their views regarding the annual Budget. The Evening Stand- ard, a conservative journal, sharply criticized it. The bul for creating life pecrages was read for the first time yesterday in the House of Commons. The Hudson Bay Company has agreed to cede its ter- ritorial rights in North America to the Crown on the terms proposed, The government is preparing a bill based on the recommendations of the neutrality commission, The Spanish government is going to buy American monitors for Cuban warfare. The proposition to establish a triumvirate has been abandoned, Politi- cal excitement runs high in Madrid, and party feel- ing, it 1s thought, will resalt in acts of violence. It is not yet determined who will be appointed Captain General of Cuba. Bahama Islands. Nassau, N. P., papers to the 3ist ult. state that the excitement throughout the Bahamas iu regard to the action of the Spaniards in recapturing the Comandl- tario in British waters is very intense. It is stated that a number of marines from the Spanish fleet were sent ashore on the Berry islands and searched through them for Cuban refugees, aud even fired upon the Bahama wreckers. Nassau papers claim that this 18 an act of war aginst Great Britain. Cuba. Leon and Medina, two insurgents, were garroted in Havana yesterday. Hoth met their death calmiy, Leon exclaiming “Viva independencia ! on the scaffold. Leon, it is claimed, was a naturalized citizen. Carriers anp Newsmen will in and Svsscriprions and all Hewarp will be Colombian, Our Panama letter, dated April 1, states that the mails from Bogota have not been received. It is stated that the banished leaders of the late revoln- tion in Chiriqui are plotting in Costa Rica for an- other outoreak. Smallpox exists to a considerable extent in Panama. Central America. The five republics continue in peace. The con- tract with M. Chevalier for a canal across Nicaragua | has been ratified by the Nicaraguan Congress. Ecuador. The dates from Guayaquil are to the 25th of March. An outbreak bad taken place at Guayaquil! against Moreno’s administration. A fight occurred m which the insurgents were worsted, and those who escaped have left the country. Congress. In the Senate yesterday Mr. Anthony was again elected to preside during Vice President Colfax’s ab- sence, The House bill authorizing constitutional elections in Virginia, Mississippi apd Texas was taken up. Mr. Morton offered an amendment that the fifteenth article of amendment to the United States constitution must be adopted by each State | After a | before it can be entitied to representation. short debate the, amendment was agreed to, The bill was finally passsed by a vote of 4 to 9, Senator Sprague voting nay with the demo- craté. A proclamation from the President was re- ceived convening the Senate in extraordinary session on “Monday, the 12th day of Aprilnext,” for executive business. At Mr. Fessenden’s suggestion the message was returned to the White House for correction, and the word “next? was stricken out, ‘The Senate then went into executive session. Inthe evening the Pacific Railroad bili was again dis- cussed and finally passed, In the House the Senate amendments to the Whis- key Tax bill were non-concurred in and @ conference committee was asked for. Mr. Paine, chairman of the Committee on Elections, moved that the Connecticut representatives be admitted. Although they had not received their regular certificates they had creden- tials satisfactory to the committee. After some de bate the motion was agreed to, and three of the new members were sworn in. Mr. Myers, of Pennsylvania, who eontests the election with Mr, Moffatt, was declared entitied to his seat and was sworn in, A resolution paying Mr. Moffatt $1,800 for his expenses in contesting the seat was adopted under a suspension of tie rules, A bill relieving a Jarge number of persons from political disaviities NEW YORK HERALD, was reported from the Reconstruction Committee, and the previous question was then moved and seconded, A motion to suspend the rules and have the bill passed was made, when Mr. Brooks de- manded to nave the biil read, but the Speaker de- cided that under the pending motion tt could not be done. The House chen refused to suspend the rules and the bill was taken up for discussion, In the evening session it was passed, both parties dividing onthe yote. The Senate amendments to the bill providing for constitutional elections in Virginia, Mississippi and Texas were concurred in. The Legislature, Bills were reported in the State Senate aaversely to amending the law relative to public processions in New York; adversely to increasing the pay of members of the Metropolitan Fire Department; favorably for an observatory in Central Park; au- thorizing the appointment of commissioners to lo- cate anew State Prison, and several others. The Committee on Internal Affairs reported adversely to the blll amending the Metropolitan Excise law. The report was disagreed with and the bill committed to the Committee of the Whole. A number of bills were ordered to a third reading, and several of minor importance passed. The Broadway Surface Railroad bill was discussed till adjournment, It was made the special order for to-day. In the Assembly the pro rata Freight bill was reported adversely, and bills were reported favorably to extending the time for the expiration of licenses in the Metropolitan district; regulating the sale and power of gas in New York; for additional notaries public; relative to the Central Elevated Railroad along Broadway, and several others. The bill divid- ing the Seventh Judicial district (Judge Connolly's) of this city was passed. A report on the New York sewerage system was presented; also a report on the bill pronibiting the leasing of railroads. A reso- lution relative to the New Capitol Commissioners was passed. At the evening session a number of bills granting State aid to railroads were ordered to atuird reading, The special committee appointed to investigute the affairs of gas companies submitted a report, Miscellaneous. ‘The steamship General Grant was burned at the wharf in New Orleans on Thursday night, proving almost a total loss, During the flre her commander, Captain Quick, whose mind seemed affected, at- tempted several times to throw himself in the burn- ing vessel and perish with her. The propeller Thames, which sailed from New York for Galveston on’ the 4th inst., was completely destroyed by fire on Wednesday, fifteen miles oi Hatteras. All on board have arrived in Norfolk, Va., in safety, except five of the crew, who put oif in a small boat and have not since been heard of. Despatches dated at a late hour on Thursday night state that the fre in the Gold Hill mines in Nevada was still burning, but was more eifectually under command and would probably be subdued by morning. At least forty men are known to have perished and twenty-eight boales have so far been recovered, The Pacitic Railroad Committee of the House yes- terday adupted a resolution which will be reported to the House, directing that no more bonds shall be issued to the Central Company for work done east of Monument Point, or to the Union Company for work done west of Ogden, while the present inves- tigation of the alleged illegal issue of bonds is going on, or until the completion of each road and its ac- ceptance by the government. The City. Mrs. Mary FE. Wail, who was fearfully burned by a Kerosene explosion on Wednesday night, died in the Long Isiand Hospital, Brooglyn, on Wednesday. Beiore dying she exonerated her husband, who had been arrested, from all blame in the matter, as she, in a quarrel, had struck him with the lighted lamp just between the eyes, but in the explosion that fol- lowed she had received the oniy injures. The jury returned a verdict accordingly. The trial of Deputy Sheriif Moran for allowing a prisoner to escape was to have commenced before Recorder Hackett at the Court of General Sessions yesterday, but was adjourned until Monday, as only seven jurors could be empanelled. Giynn, Kenthers and Murphy, oficera of the emi- grant ship James Foster, Jr., charged with murder, waived an examination in the United States Com- missioners’ Court in Brooklyn yesterday, and were heid to await the action of the Grand Jury. ‘The steamship City of London, Captain Leitch, of the Inman line, will leave pier 45 North river at one P. M. to-day for Queenstown and Liverpool. The mails for Europe will close at the Post Uiice at twelve M. The National line steamship The Queen, Captain Grogan, will leave pier 47 North river at three P, M, to-day for Liverpool, calling at Queenstown to land passengers. The steamship William Penn, Captain Billinge, will sail attwo P, M. to-day from pier No, 3 North river for Liverpool direct. Tne Merchants’ line steamship Crescent City, Cap- tain Holines, will leave pier No, 12 North river at three P. M. to-day for New Orleans direct. ‘The stock market yesterday was very active, Hud- son River and St. Paul were the features, selling, re- spectively, at 150 and 79. Gold advanced to 133%, and finaily closed at 13355. Promineut Arrivals in the City. Colonel Finley Anderson, of London, England, formerly of General Hancock's stad, ia at the Astor House. Senator James W. Grimes, of Iowa, and Judge Amasa J. Parker, of Albany, are at the Brevoort Honse. Major A. J. Dailas, of the United States Army, and Surgeon W. Wills, of the Uniled States Navy, are a) Denis Hotel, pionel Williamson, of the United States Army; Governor Marshall, of Minnesota; Colonel Rathbun, of Washington; Hamilton Harris, of Albany; Com- mander Bridgman, of the United States Navy, and Judge Comstock, of Syracuse, are as the Fifth Ave- nue Tote. Lieutenant Governor Allen C, Beach, of New York; FE. P. Ross, of Auburn; Judge H. A. Nelson, of Poughkeepsie, and Attorney General Champlain, of Albany, are at the St. Nicholas Hotel. Judge F. J. Moses, Jr., of South Carolina; P. W. Kellogg. of Mobile, Al: Solonel Moore, of Philadel- phia, and Captain H. P. Connor, of steamer Rising Star, are at the Metropolitan Hotel. Captain M. Leahy, of the United States Army, and United States Marshal Charies Eaton, of Nevada, are at the St. Charles Hotel, Captain J. Ferriss, of the United States Army, is at the st. Julien Hotel. Mr. A. G, W. Carter and Calvin W. Thomas, of Cincinnati, are at the National Hiotel. Judge Hammond, of Maryland, and J. J. Pleasants, of Huntsville, Ala., are at the New York Hotel. General E. W. Smith, of the United States Army, and Paymaster Batione, of the United States Navy, are at the Hoffman House, Generai Batel!, of the United States Army; Gene- ral C, A. Johnston, of Newburyport; Congressman Burt Van Horn, of Lockport, and General EB. M. Ellis, of Hartford, Conn., are at the Astor House. Prominent Departures. Ex-Postmaster General Randall left for Syracuse, Colonel J. W. Allison for Philadeiphia, Major ©. H. | Gaylord for Cleveland, Ohio, and Captain T. M. Clark for Boston. Nor Very Crearn.—“Here,” says Dame Quickley, “will be an old abusing of God's patience and the king's English.” In Grant's message we find this sentence:—‘I desire, also, to ask the consideration of Congress to the question whether there is not just ground for believing that the constitution framed by a convention of the people of Mississippi for that State, and once rejected, might not be again submitted to the people of that State in like manner and with the probability of the same result.” Now, the two negatives left aside altogether as a small fault, what are we to think of Grant’s perspicuity when we find him calling the attention of Congress to the Mis- sisippi constitution in this way. It was ‘“‘once rejected,” and may it not be submitted again “with the probability of the same result?” We hope the thinking is better than the writing. SATURDAY, APRIL 10, 1869.-TRIPLE SHEET. ake Die ee eae mo oe ae moked Sane Senator Sprague’s Last Spread. and the Troubles in the Republican Camp. When the office-seekers are ten times or even five times in number the offices to be filled by the President he is sure to make more enemies than friends in the distribution of the spoils, He cannot avoid it. It is a simple matter of arithmetic. We may then safely conclude that however wisely General Grant may dispense his favors his administration will not be strengthened thereby. General Jackson commenced the system of rewarding his political friends and punishing his enemies, and the squabbles among his friends kept him continually in hot water. Van Buren, in ‘fol- lowing in the footsteps of his illustrious pre- decessor,” completely broke down. Polk, adhering to the same idea that his strength was in his patronage, found himself too weak at the end of his first term to make any serious struggle for a second. Ditto poor Pierce and Buchanan; ditto Tylor, Fillmore and Andy Johnson, To be sure, in the cases of Pierce and Buchanan the spoils were overshadowed by the revolutionary issues raised on the slavery question; but still both these men were sadly worried in the division of the spoils. Pierce, for instance, it will be remembered, in his appointment of Redfield as Collector of New York, reopened the old quarrel between hardshells and softshells, and split the de- mocracy of the Empire State into two nearly equal hostile factions in the next State elec- tion. In short, there is only one plan in which General Grant may possibly satisfy in suc- cession a decisive majority of the office-seek- ing patriots of the republican party. This plan is to change his Cabinet every month and to leave the distribution of the offices to his secretaries. But when we come to think of it even this will not do; for if the collector, assessor, marshal or postmaster appointed in April is to be turned out in May the difficulty, instead of being mended, will be made worse by these monthly rotations, even with the con- sent of the Senate. But we like none the less General Grant’s fundamental proposition to change his Cabinet whenever he finds it inefficient, although he may thus be required to change it every week. We hear, too, that a change of two or three members may be soon expected, and we are not sorry to hear it; for if half that is said of the present Cabinet be true it is ‘‘a balky team” and not calculated to pull together up the steep hills of our foreign relations nor through the mudholes of Southern reconstruction. It is said that Mr. Fish ia too much of the “‘old line whig” of twenty-five years ago on Cuba, St. Domingo, Mexico, Canada and: the Alabama claims for the “Young America” of the present day; that Boutwell has not the grasp of mind for the reforms needed in our financial system, and that Mr. Borie is not the Secretary of the Navy. Acopperhead journal, which assumes to know all the ins and outs of the administra- tion, attributes this observation to Admiral Porter :—‘‘Mr. Borie is a nice little man; he does everything that I tell him to do.” Such things as these may be only the ‘‘weak inventions of the enemy,” but they are -ereating troubles in the republican camp. The late facetious and enthusiastic Dana, the devoted and persistent volunteer Cabinet- maker for General Grant till the General had made his own Cabinet, is no longer facetious over Greeley for the Court of St. James nor enthusiastic over the hero of Vicksburg. Dana, indeed, has become sour and spiteful over the President's appointments and perfectly out- rageous in his dings at Borie and Porter. Gree- ley is evidently under a cloud, Raymond is befogged, and the waterfowl poets of the Post, in most unseemly wrath, have been exercising their poetic fancies against Senator Fenton's influence at headquarters. All these clashings and family jars in this locality may be divided between Messrs. Morgan, Conkling and Fen- ton in Washington, and one result will most probably be, with the aid of the Albany Legislature, a general demoralization of the party in this State in time for the next fall election. But what more could the republican mana- gers or expectants of any faction or color ask of General Grant in giving out the loaves and fishes than he has done and is doing? Has he not been as impartial and comprehensive in his favors as man could be? Among the recipi- ents of his bounties are there not, in fair pro- portions, radicals, conservatives, soldiers, sailors, civilians, rebels, women, Indians and niggers? Wendell Phillips, who is not an office-seeker, finds General Grant up to the mark of his high calling; Miss Susan B. Anthony, in behalf of women’s rights, says “well done ;" and Fred Doaglass with many compliments, while recognizing the dawn of the millennium, declines the missionto Hayti. But the simple fact is that it is as useless for Gen- eral Grant to try to please everybody as it was for the miller on that famous journey with his boy and donkey. The only course for the General is to distribute the offices regardless of cliques and factions, and to shape out and pro- claim a bold American policy on our foreign relations, which, in commanding the endorse- ment of the people, will compel the co-opera- tion of Congress. The present session is about to close, In the long interval to December next the whole weight of the government in its domestic and foreign affairs will rest upon the shoulders of the President. His responsibilities will be great; but his opportunities will also ‘be great for the development of a general policy which will make his administration a great and glorious success, To this end let him, first of all, stick to his text concerning his Cabinet, bearing still in mind that ‘masterly inactivity” isnot the policy for the present age of progress, action and expansion, and be, ey will be ‘‘no such word as fail.” Extra Saseton or THe Unirep STATES Senate.—In accordance with a joint resolu- tion adopted some days since by both branches of the national legislature the first session of the forty-first Congross will adjourn to-day. President Grant, finding that a large amount of business, relative to official appointments particularly, remains unfinished, has by proclamation convened the Senate in extra session to assemble on Monday. This step is rendered necessary to secure the confirmation of quite a number of official appointments and the transaction of other important business. The Senators will remain in session until this executive matter is disposed of. Olive Branch Supreme. The Senate has wisely grasped the olive branch extended by the President in his mes- sage recommending that the three unrecon- structed States be permilted to vote on the constitutions prepared for them, and has passed the bill of the House, with an amend- ment, proposed by Senator Morton, to the effect that neither Virginia, Mississippi nor Texas shall be admitted to representation in Congress until their respective Legislatures shall ratify the fifteenth amendment to the con- stitution. This proviso was resisted by Senu- tors Trumbull and Conkling as a breach of faith to the States in question, and as arrogat- ing to Congress, which has only the power to propose amendments to the constitution, the right to coerce States to their adop- tion. But the republican ring which con- trols the Senate was blind to everything except its fear of the probable effect upon the Presidential election in 1872, and insisted upon the amendment. The House promptly con- curred in the Senate amendment, and the bill will this morning be sent to the President for his signature. It has been the scheming for the next Presi- dential election, and not, in fact, any evidence of disloyalty on the part of the Southern peo- ple, which has so long delayed and troubled the question of reconstruction of the Southern States, and which has to-day forced the Senate to an unwilling grasp of the olive branch extended by General Grant, Turn the electo- ral calculations whichever way they would, the republican managers saw that the ten Southern States would hold the balance of power in the next election. For _ this reason they sought to hold control of these States. But the brooding dissensions in their ranks came to overthrow their plans for fur- ther delay. In the struggle between Butler and Schenck for leadership in the House the danger loomed up that Butler might obtain the control of this fearful political balance. He had been a democrat, and in an emergency he might return to his first love and leave the re- publican managers out in the cold. Hence the sober second thought of the majority led them to reject the report of the Judiciary Committee and to permit the remaining States to reconstruct and the work of peace to go on. In his action on this question the Prési- dent has shown political wisdom and conferred a material benefit upon the whole country. His timely message brought the question, with all its complications, fairly and squarely up, and the result has justified his course. ‘he people are tired of these political schemes which interfere with the in- dustry and material prosperity of so large a portion of the Union, and wish to see produc- tion and trade fairly restored to their supre- macy over the political needs of this, that or any ring of party managers. Let the South go on now with its material development and restoration, under the olive branch which the President has offered; and let the politicians in the Senate and out of it keep their schemes within the dictates of prudence and common sense. Spanisn Barsanitres 1X Cupa.—The Cuban revolution must soon terminate, either in the assertion of independence or the continued en- slavement of the people. Francisco Leen, an American citizen, and Augustin Medina were garroted in Havana yesterday. They bore their fate as men and patriots, Leon crying out “Viva Independencia !” as he mounted the svaf- fold. The spectators were intensely excited, and some of them uttered words of sympathy. On this the volunteers who guarded the place of execution faced round and fired on the crowd, killing six men and wounding many others. Cun nations hold colonies by the gar- rote, the bayonet and fire musketry in this age of civilization ? Tak Mission ro Russta. —At a meeting of the Cabinet yesterday it was agreed that this important diplomatic post be tendered by Presi- dent Grant to ex-Governor Curtin, of Penn- sylvania. Wants To Stiok.—Senator Sumner, who never voted yea on a question of adjournment, on Thursday moved to rescind the resolution for the final adjournment of Congress to-day. Sumner evidently wants to sit in the Senate until he takes root. Tue Twrrcwent. Su —Some points in the close of Twitchell’s story suggest that a little investigation into the doings of the prison authorities might not be thrown away. They were warned intime of his attempt, but did not sufficiently guard against it, and complete evidence of their inefficiency is in the fact that his poison was found in his cell when too late. Warned before it had been used, they should have found it then, as clearly and certainly they could have done if they had acted with proper spirit. DI A Tg Srore-y.—There is Jacob Stiner and there is Joseph Stiner—both deal in tea. Joseph has seventeen stores in the city, Jacob has a store at 49 and Joseph a store at 51 in the same street. Therefore, being neighbors, they have their little difficulties. They hate each other as thoroughly as the real original Jacobs hated the real original genuine Jacobs, They are always looking out for promising stands at which to open new tea stores, Jacob found a capital place in Greenwich street— store vacant. He went to Newburg and opened the business with the owner. Owner said he would call on Jacob when he came in town. He came in town, went to see ‘‘Stiner who keeps a tea store,” and instead of falling into the hands of Jacob, at 49, he fell into the hands of Joseph, at 51. Joseph leased the store and spent money fitting it up. Jacob sued Joseph for possession and got it in one court, and now Joseph sues Jacob in another. It is almost as bad as the Erie-Central Pacific Railroad muddle. Waxixe Ur ti Wroxe Passusonns, —Ray is a distiller and Tucker is a revenue officer who secured his place because he had heard that fortunes were to be made in whiskey by officers who would not see too much and who would sign the papers, &c. He could shut his eyes to anything and sign anything provided Ray would show cash reasons. But Ray did not want to be put in the plural by any one making a raise at his expense, and thus Tucker is up for attompt to levy black- mail. Bad for Tucker, but good for the rest of us, Senator Sprague, of Rhode Island, has again electrified the Senate and the country with an- other of his pungent, stirring and character- istic speeches, His theme, like his pioneer effort, was the deplorable condition of the country, taking the whiskey and tobacco tax as the text upon which to hinge his sparkling effusion. Although on reading his speech it is at times a little difficult to discern what he is exactly driving at, yet it must be remembered that one of England’s most remarkable men, Sir Horace Walpole, was noted for occasional obscurity and ambiguity while giving utterance to noble thoughts. Senator Sprague is the Walpole of the American Senate. Like Wal- pole, he rarely addresses the Senate, but when he does he stirs up the old fogies amazingly. As was said of Walpole so we may remark of Sprague—his life is devoted to the gratification of a fastidious and whimsical taste, and ina measure to retailing and recording the politi- cal gossip and fashionable scandal of the day. Furthermore, and in continuation of this an- alogy, Sprague, like Walpole, is placed in comfortable circumstances so far as worldly possessions are concerned; has a_ taste for pictures, prints, books, manuscripts, relics of antiquity, objects of vertu and a thousand odds and ends; in brief, he is a sort of gatherer up of uncon- sidered trifles, with which he amuses himself and edifies his friends. Moreover, Sprague, like Walpole, to continue the figure, is famous for his letters, the style being singularly easy and appropriate—take, for example, the brusque note addressed lately by Mr. Sprague to the editor of a Rhode Island paper; and as was said of Walpole, so it may be repeated of Sprague: ‘‘the most eccentric, the most arti- ficial, the most fastidious, the most capricious of men,”he is, nevertheless, just the man for the times and for the United States Senate as at present constituted. He startles the old drybones of that body with a sudden shock that a telegraph operator sometimes feels while manipulating his instrument during a thunder storm. If he does not make them howl he makes them laugh, which is evidence that at any rate he enlists their attention—a merit that Garrett Davis’ long-winded harangues upon blown-up topics cannot boast of. There is one thing, however, decidedly translucent in Senator Sprague’s last spread—he declares that he has not bought the National In- telligencer. Were he shows wisdom. There is no indication of vacillation, no exhibition of imbecility of mind, so far as that opera- tion is concerned. And while his col- league, Senator Anthony, attempts to put a rosy and facetious glow upon Senator Sprague’s stunning oratorical effort on Thursday last, by pronouncing him, with more truth than jest, a leader of finance, in the same breath in which he characterizes Colo- rado Jewett aga diplomat and George Francis Train as a general statesman, Sprague himself subsides amid the approving ‘smiles of a galaxy of fashionably attired ladies in the Senate gal- leries. Sprague does not like Anthony, Neither do we. Anthony is envious of the advancing celebrity of his gamecock colleague. Hence Anthony's wings are likely to be clipped im the little bantam State of Rhode Island, and Sprague will crow louder than ever. Sprague is useful in the Senate. The eighteen-year settlers in that body are growing mouldy—like oldcheese. They are getting tough and cor- rupt. Their Indian puddings, famous as New England is for making them, are bad jobs. They require ventilation, and Senator Sprague is just the man, with his pluck, brains and cash, to give them an airing. He can afford to speak out. He wants nooflice. His ambition is tosave his country. Go on, Senator Sprague— the Walpole of the American Senate—you are developing a splendid mine of intellectual wealth, and every patriot in the land will wish you God-speed in your sublime efforts to re- form the corruptions and abuses that have crept into the high places in our potitical tab- ernacle. Tue Suowre Barn.—lIt is said that the re- cords show that but ninety-eight persons were showered in Sing Sing in 1868, It is easy to judge of the manner in which the records in this particular were kept. Every keeper irritated or annoyed by a prisoner rushed him into the machine and showered away. It was easier to do it than to threaten it; and with such complete license it was no doubt done fifty times where it was recorded once. Lee's Surrenper.—The Providence Jour- nal, April 9, suggests the following :—‘ ‘To-day is the anniversary of Lee's surrender, which was virtually the downfall of the rebellion. Hang out your banners, friends; let us keep alive the memories of that glorious day.” A fair field. Grant is becoming wiser and wiser every day. “One or Our Frienps in New York.”—Mr. Sumner has a friend in this metropolis who writes letters that Sumner reads before the Senate. His friend is afraid that Congress will adjourn without altering the naturaliza- tion laws, and is convinced that in such case “the republican party can never win an elec- tion in this State.” This is the substance of his last letter. Itis a good thing to know exactly what the objects of legislation are, Syortiva For Berou.—When the Williams- burg boats come in at the foot of Roosevelt street and the tide is low the ferry bridge is rather steep for travel. Often at these times there are trucks on board with twenty-four barrels of sugar to a load and only two horses. As the horses snort and struggle and tear their very lives out with such a load up that steep ascent they look as if they wondered when Bergh would come henhad way. AsrHaLtv at. Another attempt is to be made to lay asphaltum here, This time the scene of the experiment is Tompkins square, where myriad urchins will not let the grass grow and where the parading militia find most inconve- nient mud on rainy days, Our extremely hot summer and extremely cold winter make it diffi- cult to temper this material for both seasons, but its advantages would be cheaply purchased in that square though it had to be renewed every six months, Denicactks or tie SkAsON.—Shad, straw hats, strawberries, violets, wagon loads of rickety furniture in all the streets and an active trade in all sorts of ‘“‘cold pizen” for bedbugs. —————————_—_————— Spanish Outrage on British Territory. It will be seen by the news from Nassau, which we publish in another column to-day, that the Spanish naval officers, in their zeal to capture the steamer Comanditario and her crew, have gone far beyond the bounds of dis- cretion. As appears by the accounts, the cap- tors, after obtaining posséssion of the ship, touched in the outer harbor of Nassau, and after obtaining there a supply of coal, steamed northward, When near the Berry Islands they were chased by two Spanish men-of-war, on seeing which the crew ran the steamer on the reef, and all escaped to the shore except five of the firemen. These were captured with the ship. The Spaniards, having manned their boats and taken possession of the prize, sent a body of marines on shore to hunt up the fugitives. At the same time they overhauled an English schooner at anchor under the island. It does not appear that they found the fugitives, for none are reported to have been carried to Ha- vana. The landing of the Spanish marines on British territory was a high-handed outrage and has caused great irritation throughout the Bahamas, and we presume immediate repara- tion will be demanded. If we continue our diplomatic palaver with these zealots much longer we shall not be surprised to hear they have landed at Key West for the purpose of keeping our sympathizing re republicans in order. Navigation Interests ‘in " Conaress. The select Committee on American Naviga- tion Interests has been authorized by the House of Representatives to sit, during the vacation of Congress, at such times and placea as may be deemed advisable, for the purpose of taking testimony, to be reported to the House on the second Monday in January next. This action of the House is very well as far as it goes; buf the real work remains with the committée, ‘and if the committee would do its work properly it must not be idle during the summer and fall. The navigation interests of this great republic and maritime nation pre- sent a subject of the highest importance and one which, under the present depressed state of those interests, calls for prompt and thorough investigation and the application of whatever legislative remedy can be afforded. The direct and principal cause of the decline of American shipping was, as all know, the late war. The cause of our shipping interests remaining so depressed is partly on account of the high price of materials and labor, and consequent great cost of shippuilding, and partly owing to the ridiculous law which forbids American regis- ters to vessels built outside of the country. It is evident we cannot compete with England in shipbuilding under the present condition of things, and all the protective laws we could pass would be comparatively unavailing in restoring our mercantile marine to what it for- merly was. True, we should encourage ship- building as much as possible, but the effectual way to increase American tonnage and to pro- mote our navigation interests is to allow our people to buy ships wherever they can get them cheapest and best and give such ships Ameri- can registers. Let us hope the committee will take broad views of the subject and report some such measures as we suggest to restore the shipping interests of our country. Tue Darien Ship Canal—Our Political aud War Necessities. The resolution of Mr. Wilson, of the Senate, to authorize the President to appoint a com- mission to survey a ship canal or ship railway route across the isthmus is most opportune. Heretofore the whole attention of the country has been attracted to our national effort to push through to the Pacific Ocean by a railroad route, This is now virtually accomplished, and the next great object which follows natu- rally inline is the transit of the isthmus for loaded vessels. This done we shall have ren- dered our geographical position as nearly com- plete as is possible under existing circum- stances. In addition to the numerous reasons we have from time to time adduced for the cut- ting of a ship canal between the two oceans we now call attention to the political features at- tendant upon the enterprise. Our Atlantic and Pacific coasts are very widely separated in regard to naval access. The naval forces which we use on this side cannot, under an emergency, be used on the other. It there- fore, in time of peace as well as war, becomes necessary to keep what may be characterized asa double naval force where, in case there was a ship canal, we could freely use the same vessels on both coasts. Our fleet divided into two sections would, in a combined attack of foreign countries upon us, run great risk of disaster, and with the loss of our navy would come the desolation of our coasts, both the Californian and the Atlantic, There have been many peace congresses, philanthropic and somewhat Utopian argu- ments used in favor of a union of the great maritime Powers for the purpose of piercing theisthmus, This looks broad, perhaps states- manlike; but we believe that, as nations have no world’s congress as yet, and self-progress is the great moving lever of nationalities, it becomes the United States to study her own political interests in the Darien ship canal question, and not the interests of Europe. Were France and England to unite with us in the prosecution of the work it would of neces- sity be under a contract that, in time of war, the canal should not be used for the passage of naval craft, The isthmus would simply be useful to the merchant marine of all nations. This would be of immense value to France and England, and, while it advanced their great commercial views, would not in any manner affect their naval power, owing to the com- pactness and the position of their territory. So far as the defence of the United States is concerned the Darien canal, built under such an arrangement, would not be of any value whatever to us. The war value of the work would be ve entirely in the hands of our maritime rivals, and we should thus forever surrender fo foreign governments one of the principal pegs to our future commercial and national greatness.” Another political value which the canal would give us is the greater ease of access to our coast line on both oceans, as regards the interchange of products. While freight over the Pacifig Railroad from San Francisco to New York cannot be brought for less than four cents a ton per mile, or about one hundred and twenty - five dollars per ton for the entire distance, it will find its way through the Darien canal or less than « fourth partof this price. The