The New York Herald Newspaper, November 14, 1869, Page 5

PETER COOPER. Long Work Reaching the Golden Road to Fortune—Makes Hats, Carriages, Furniture, Patent Machinery, and Becomes a Grocer—Goes Into the Glue Business, Sticks and Makes a Fortune — ‘The Cooper LInsti- tute—Ocean Telegraphing— His In ventions—Political and Personal Life. Firmness of resolve and unqnenchable hope were the sole primary gifts of Peter Cooper. These were his capital with which to begin life, These were his foundations upon which to build his fortune. Among our self-made men, among those born to wrestle against worldly adversity, among those who have shown themselves heroes in the strife, his name stands in the foremost rank of honor and reveals a Fare and illustrious record of noble achievement Over the despotic antagonisms of a seemingly per- verse destiny. Few have commenced life under greater disadvantages. Fow have more falthfally, more earnestly, more worthy striven, and few have been more brilliantly successful In reaching the goal of wealth, honor and influence. His early Jesgons were acquired iu the severe school of ad- versity. In this school was generated his strength. For years it was slow, up hill work. Nothing daunted nim, He saw what patience would accom. Pilsh and he was patient, He saw the power of Perseverance, and he was unyielding, He saw the invincibility of honesty, aad he Danoplied himself with the sterling virtues of a srue and brave spirit. No one need be told the resuiz, fe has gmassed large wealth. his is not all, He has glyen His influence on the side of trath and honesty, He 4as sought to lessen corruption in our State Legislature, in vur municipal councils and in every department of the city government, He pas not stopped here, Feellng the want of an early education bimsel!, ang With & heart stirred with déop saympaiby for the thousands of poor young men and young women in our city like himself debarred the privileges of education in their youth, he has built ths Cooper Union and given it, with ali its appliances of an extensive reading room, and wchoolrooms and teachers and Jectures, a perpetual gift for their benefit, It is an enduring monument Rot only to the fulness and spontaneity of his bene- volence, but the wisdom of his forethought aud com- prehension of 4 great and growing want wholly ignored by every other public aud private charity of the city—a monument like the statue of Prometheus touched with the heavenly fre, shedding the glory of its living light through all the coming centuries. He has built his own monu- ment while living, as William B. Astor and Danig) Drew have since done, and as A, T, Stewart is now doing. re deeds which will not pass away, An nie6 that will not wither, Tothe young men of our country the career of Peter Cooper presents a slining example of what can be accomplished by hard labor, unswerving tn- tegrity and the inspiration of a lofty benevolence Anterpreting its life mission, not to accumulate and hoard wealth or debase its uses im wild dissipauion or extravagant frivolities, but use it in doing good, and thus exalt it into the medium of a sure and grand beneficence, His life, parttcularly the early part of it, was one of varied employments, and his later years have been devoted also to divers pursuits, making @ mass of varied materia from which to make up a biographical sketch. Tue chief atmculty is compacting in the space of a newspaper sketc h materia! capable of elaboration into a volume, HIS EARLY LIFE. Jn what used to be known as Little Dock street, now a portion of Water street, on the 12th of Febru. ary, 1791, Peter Cooper was born, Iewas the fifth of nine children, seven sons and two daughters, of woom only one, a younger brother, is now living. Ue great-great-grandfather was the fourth male child born iu Dutchess county. His paternal ancestry came irom England and his maternal ancestry from Scotland, His grandfather was s deputy quarter- maater tn the Revolutionary army. When the British forces captured New York he narrowly escaped be- ing taken prisoner avd becoming an inmate of one of the prison ships through being rescued by a tory irtend from the pressgang, who had taken him cap- tive. His father, who was a leutenant in the Revo- Jutionary army, was one of a party who went over to Governor's Island during the night and put up Sortiiications for defence against British ships in the harbor. It will thus be seen that he comes from a food Revolutionary stock. At the time of his ih his father Kept a smail hat store in the house where he was born. After remainiug here three years his father removed nis hat store aud family to the corner of Broadway aud Varley street—the present Duane street. At ‘this time the City Halli Park was a cabbage garden attached to the old Bridewell Jail and Poorhouse. Where the City Hospital now ts was then all open ground, with a large bailey fleid adjacent. His mother remembered when in the rear of what Is now Duane street there was a chevaur de Jrise as a protection against Indians. Quite a plot of grouna, ‘with several sinall buildings upon it besides the one coupled by his father, his granafamer held on a sixty years’ jease. It 13 worthy of mention as an dateresting fact im this connection that while his grandfather was absent withthe army Mrs. Duane, ‘the owner Of this plot of ground, collected the rents. Being a tory, she expected the land would be contis- oa! and she offered, if he would allow her to Tetain the rents sho had collected, to give him the ey in fee, which he todo. Before the papers ere Raye Mr howeVer, she died, and the heirs, andin: land would not be confiscated, Feil to er up the deeds, and thus revented ., Cooper's ‘andiather = becom- ig a very rich man r. Qooper’s father remained at this second hat store several years, car- Tying ou a small and not very prosperous business, ‘Oung Peter's first essay at lavor was in pulling hair and cutting fur in helping his father mako hat and thus progressively until he could make a At length, abandoning the bat business, his removed to Peekskill, where he built a brewery. This entailed a different kind of tabor on Peter; but he helped his father what he could, and in fact learned every branch of the business. Peter was kept hard at work during this entire period. He hever went to scliool six months all together, so all the education he got was what he acquired by studying by himself evenings and during the inter- vals of his labor. Meantime his father found his brewery at Peekskill did not pay, #0 he sold out and built another at Newburg. Peter remained here avout two years and then came to New York to learn o trade. APPRENTICED AS COACUMARER, A quiet, self-possessed, robust and earnest youth of gcvenieen was now Poier Cooper. He had no special predifecuon for any evocation, ‘The world was ail before him. He looked about him, He passed through street after atreet, looked tn shops, Clambered up dark and rickety stairways and in- quired if they wanted an apprentice boy, Nobody Wanted his services. At length he went into the cartiage shop of Burtis & Woodward, located on the site of Mr. A, T, Stewart’s down town store, Do you want an apprentice boy?’ be asked Mr. Woodward, as he bag been yg Bcores of others, “How oid are your” asked Mr. Woodward, “Seventeen.” “Know anything about the business?” “No, ai “Have you been bronght up to work !** sXes, tar cong ei te hate id my father.” er Willing you shoul wane @ you should learn uils ‘Iie has given me my choice of trades,” # You siay and work your time out If [take ‘Yes, air.” vages ain't much—your board and twenty-five @oliars @ year ili your ume is out.” “Slow long wiil tue time be?” “Til you are twenty-one.” The proposed terms were accepted, and young Peter entered upon his period of apprenticeship. Heo worked faithtuily his four years. by working extra hours at carving he made some exira money, but not muck, and this be spent mainiy ta books. The carving he worked at was carving blocks, bars end waiilletrees for other coachmakers—a species of work very much in vogue then, as giving orna- mental beauty to Ane carriages, His time out, his eniployers offered to aet hia up in business in the Bowery, but he liad @ horror of debt and reiused the kind over, VAHIETY OF AVOCATIONS, For two years he worked at Herapstead, 1. 1., making machiuery for shearing the nap frous cloth, used In Woollen factories, At the end of this time he bought the patent right, and through making an important improvement in the machiue found & rapid sale for them. During the war of 1812 the demand for them was very great, but filer the war woollen factories, from’ not beng able to compete with imported fabrics, 1 elt much atopped work, and, like Othello, a occupation was @. In the meantime he bs Married @ Miss bedeil, a young lady living 10 ¢ place, aud bought himself & house aud lot. He turned hs shop into vingt and furnitare found this slow and uoprofitabie busine: ling Out came to New York, whore he opi grocery store at tho corner of th wery and yd iy wreet, Alter remaining here for ayear 4 Wght au unexpired lense for ni eteen years of blot of grouna and several ama franve Bulids i fe it, where the Bible House now gtanda He pt two oF three gaditional frame buildings, aud oo wrocery store. Thin peoved ® od corner opened a Very snocessful venture, and the grocery store was Ukewlse profitable. oe eae BEGINS GLUE MANUFACTURING, Fortune, whose strangely fantastic freaks have bewildered from time himemorial the brains of the world’s wisest philosophers and is likely to do #o for all time to come, now opened to Mr. Cooper the pathway to a more golden future. As In the turning oint of nearly all men amassing large fortunes e struck into tls unexpected pathway by what some would call accident, but what he and others consider a providentia! shaping of the ends of human destiny, While an apprentice boy he used to purchase tools for carving of Jobn Vreeland, who then kept @ hardware store on the present site of the HERALD Building. Mr, Vreeland passing by his Grocery store one day, saw Mr. Cooper standing ip or, ‘How 1s business?” asked Mr. Vreeland, ery good,” answered Mr, Cooper. 1 Know of a chance where you can do much bet- ter,” contnaed Mr, Vreeland, What is it?’ further inquired Mr. Cooper. ‘Buy out the glue factory on the old middle road.” “Does the owner want to sell it?” “T was told so this morning.” “Why does he want to seliy'? “Tt has been badly managed, probably, and don’t pay. “I willlook after it.” said Mr, Cooper, ‘The old middie road was the present Fourth ave- nue, ‘The gine factory was where the Harlem depot is now. Within half an hour Mr. Cooper was talkin; with the proprietor. Half an hour later they hi agreed on the price, the money was paid and the buildings, fixtures and a twenty years’ lease of the ground became the property of Mr. Cooper. Heat once went into the business, He knew nothin, about it, except having learned as coachmaker and while iu the furniture business that the glue maau- factured im this country wasa very inferior articie. All the good glue came from ireland, and cost three tines as much as that manwactured bere, By tm- provements in the ingredients and in making the glue he soon did what he determined on doing {2 the outset, furnished @ glue superior to the imported article, ‘The result was that te soon had the entire trade in his own hauds, His sales were large, and with large profits he rapidly amassed a fortune. in connection with the manufacture of gine he also manutactured isinglass, ae it in competition with the Russian isinglass, and In fact driving the latter amost wholly out of the inarket, Russsian isinglass then sold for four dollars @ pound, whereas he sold if at seventy-five centsa pound. The demand for isiuglass in refining liquors and making jeilies, and for other purposes, being very large and he having the mouopoly of the trade the protits from this branca of the business were also considerable. fe remained here twenty-five years, when he built alarge manufactory on Maspeth ave- nue, in Williamsburg. About a year after the iatter factory was built it was burned down, His tosses were $49,000, ‘There was no insurance “Your factory was burned down last night,” ols foreman toia uira Sarty In the morning, “AN burned up?” gakod Mr, Cooper, «fiver thug, destroyed—bpuildihg, stock afid ail, “Go over at once, engage alot of carts and have the debris removed as fast as possible,” said Mr. Cooper to him, “and I will hurry over some work- men and lumber to put up a new bullding right away.” i By nine o'clock there was lumber on the ground, and the work of putting up a new building was commenced. ‘The present factory, which 18 900 feet long and altogether nearly three times as large as the foriner building, 18 SUL standing, and the manu- facture of glue in large and successful operauon. fle made here the bulk of his fortune, Although the business is still conducted in his vame, he has de- rived no profits from it for several years, paving given tne management and proiits to his catliren and nephews, wiio how conduct it, - WIS TRON BUSINESS, An important if not chiei auxiliary to the accumu- lation oi Mr. Cooper's fortune has been his exten- sive manufacture and trade in iron, He first buiit the Canton Lron Works in Baltimore, A long story might be told in reference to this enterprise, but we will make it very brief. He was drawn into it early 1n lis business life, Two men who claimed to po3s- Sess a large capital offered Lim one-third mtorest in 9,000 acres of land in Baltimore. tie paid 1m $105,000 and found that neither of the o.her parties had paid in anything. He gave them $10,000 each wo witil- draw and built the Canton Iron Works on a portion of the ground, It proved a loss to him, His great iron Works are, as is well known, at ‘Trenton, N. J. He firat, bowever, bulit some iron works in Thirty: third street, near Fourth avenue, put continued the business here only two or three years, His ‘Trenton iron works have been in operation for the last twenty ears, Hoexpended $75,000 for machinery for roiling eams. He also built three lai biast furnaces at Pluilipsburg, Pa., and bought the Durham furnaces, twenty-five miles from Trenton, all of which are now in successful operation. He paid for the latter $260,000. ‘fo carry ore from his ore beds at Andover he built a railroad eight miles long and through a very rough country. It was wholly @ private enter- prise, not only building the road Dut putting on the Jocomotives and other rolling stobk. In his glue factory, iron works and mining ore ne employed over 2,600 workmen, And this 18 notall, During ail the Quancial disasters sweeping over the country there has never deen a faflure in their prompt pay- ment. We should mention that he also owns a lurge wire mill connected with hig Trenton establishment. We will not enlarge on this topic further, only to say that he is not only one of the t tron manufac- turers in this country, but that ule revenue from this branch of trade has been proportionately large. THE COOPER UNION, ” Through all the years of assiduous labor and con- Unued accumu'ation of wealth to whic we have referred, Mr. Cooper was inspired with one hope and one determination. This hope aud this de- termination was the earnest subject of his thoughts —b; T were the all-pervadiug subject of his dreams night. They were the hope to get money enough together to build an institution that would help supply the want of edu cation to poor young men and poor young women, and the determination to do so ag soon as he had acquired the necessary means. Long before any dreamed of his higu resolve he fixed in his mind the locality, and with this view kept buying the lote and buildings on which the Cooper Institute Is now built, Sixteen years ago he commenced to build. At the end of five years the butiding was completed. Everybody knows the building. Its massive propor- uuons—having @ front of 195 feet on Third avenue, 146 feet on Eighth street, 165 feet on Fourth avenue aud 90 feet on Seventh street—the towering height of its expansive brown stone facades, the plain but becoming and imposing of its architecture and its central tion have made it thus widely known. On the 20th of April, 1869, he gave @ deed of the pro- perty to the trastees named in the act of incorpora- ‘ion passed by the State Legislature. The extent and purpose of this gift, aud as showing something fe toed and nobler than the mere spontaneity of the gift we cannot do better than quote the opening and ceees sentences of Mr. Cooper's letter to the ustees accompanying the trust. “it is to me @ source of inexpressible pleasure,’’ saya Mr. Cooper in his opening sentence, “after so many, many years of continued eifort to place in your hands the title to ali that piece and parcel of land bounded on the west by Fourth avenue and on the north by Astor place, on the east by Third avenue and on the south by Seventh street, with ali the far- niture, rents and income of every name and nature, to be forever devoted to the advancement of aciencd and art in their application to the varied and useful purposes of life.” ‘The following 18 his closing sentence:—“Please .accept my heartfelt assurance of sincere desire that under your care thousands of the youth of our country may throng its halis to learn those lessons of wisdom 8o much needed to guide the inexperience of youth amid the dangers to which they are at all times exposed.” These sentences tell the whole story. No better eulogy of this grand charity can ve written. ‘The building cost $654,000, Mr. Cooper gave $10,000 in money besides when he gave away the building, 80 that there might be no running into debt, He has contributed vartous suns from tle to time since, and only recently gave $20,000 to furnish it with a museum. Aitogether, in the original gift and subse- quent donations, he has expended about $700,000, The beneficial results thus far accomplished by the insti- tution are inestimable. During the past year there Were 210,915 visitors to the reading room and library. ‘The supply of newspapers and periodicals is very complete, comprising 23 New York city datly pi 26 dailies from other leading cities, § Buropean rit papers, 72 American wee! pee. 39 European weekly papers; 48 Ainerican, 37 British, 18 German, 8 French and 1 Stallan monthitea and quarterlies, making a total of 275 periodical publications reg- ularly flied for the use of visitors, Every one comes In unquestioned and passes out the same. All have arm chairs to sit in while reading, except where the New York datltes are filed, where they have to stand, the object being to prevent too pro- tracted monopoly of theso papers, It ts a disagree- able fact, however, to have to record that although the furnishing of these papers is a charity that in only one or two cases are either papers or period- icals furnished free. The library, however, 1s smail, containing only about 6,000 volumes. Large as are the resources of the institution, they are all con- sumed in carrying on the other departments, and as none of these can be curtailed the library has necessarily been left for its growth to the generosity of private donors, who, anfortn- nately, have thud far been few and far between, What is needed, and what it ts intended by and by to have, if possible, are two libraries, ono for refer- ence aud the other for leading free to every working- man and workingwoman in the city. A look through the institution shows how judiciously and fully have been appiled its resources, and amply explaing the necessity compelling the’ trustees to appeal for aid for an increase of the library instructors of the free night schools are twerity-four im number, and their class rooms are nightly crowded, excepting ia the classics as thorougn an education cau be obtained here as at any college in tie country, the full course embractay ve years. A Spal feature, as is well known, 18 the “gctiool of art for women,” opening congental careers for refined women, and the means of earning honest livelt- hoods. A most interesting and successful applica tion of their artistic _Kuowledge has shown itself in their proiiciency in the art of wood engraving. The School of telegraphy lor women has likewise furnished an attractive opening for female labor. Twenty young women are here now learning the art of telegraph- ug, aud @s (ast aa they perfect themselves they machinery, command good and remunerative positior The free courses oi lectures npon science and art in the great hail i# & most useful feature. It 18 diMeult, although it 18 going over familiar ground and telling @ more (han “thrice fold tale,” to curb our inotination to descrive at length the workings "and beuefts of thig magnoulcent charity. The institution tte tufancy. Itis intended to open the mu mec nics and Natural science, jam of Which, ag already stated, Mr. Cooper has recenty contributed $20,000, fo tho blic during the day, and it 19 also hoved jy Close of anobuer year to inaugurate a day Henes, THE truetery Bow begin to see their way Searls 10 roviaias for all the objects con- templated tn Dian of Mr. Cooper, except fur- nishing the two libraries needed, great desire 4s to see all the space now rented out appropriated to the great work of educating, improving and ele- vating the working classes of the city, Mr. Cooper's heart and soul are as earnestly devoted to the work as ever, There is hardly @ day he does not pass some time in trying BD pokes the plans for its increased improvement and usefulness, “The bufiding of this institution,” satd_@ gontle- Man, fully competent to know, “cost Mr, Cooper the bulk of his fortune. Every pulsation of Mr. Cooper's heart 18 philanthropic. He cannot help giving. Je regards inmuelf a steward, and he meaus to give the best account of his stewarashlp.”? “What first suggested the building of this institu- ton?’ a gentieman recently asked Mr. Cooper. “My own defective early education was Lie start- Ing pomt.? “ But it must have taken you a long time to elabo- Yate the plan.” “And go it did; but I was indebted for the first suggestion of the plan to Dr, Rodgers, an alderman at the game tithe with myself, He had just returned from France, and he told me how thousands ol poor young men lived on a@ crust a Cay to attend the lectures at the Polytechnic Iustitute in Paris.”” “It proved a most happy piece of information,” added the gentleman, ~ “I have done my best to improve upon the infor} mation,” said Mr. Cooper, and, he added with an emphasis, “I have determined to live on @ crust of bread rather than that the mstitution shall want for funds while | am living.” among the few donations given to the institution by outside parties are Raphael's decorations of the Loggia in the Vatican at Rome, given by the lave archbishop Hughes. “tL uave seen nearly all the great charities in the Old World and in this country,” said the Archbishop at the time of making the gilt, “and 1 like this the best of all, It is not sectarian, and its benefits are Led ak and deeper and more enduring wlan all the rest,’ We have dwelt at greater length than intended on this msUtuvon, but i 1s the great reature of Mr. Cooper's career, AS we have said, bis heart and soul are wrapped Bp in it and its success, 1 18 the cherished hope of his existence. it 18 the work of his ie, fe van say as says the poet— Until my work is done I cannot die, And then 1 would not live, In this connecuon it ts a pleasure to be able to state inat the late George Peabody, whose death @ few days since has sent such a thrill of regret over the civilized world, tro; bis visits to this jastitution wile In tis country no @oubt conceived and put into execution his late large schemes of benevo- jJence, Several years ago, when he came to the United States, he was @ frequent visitor here and studied carefully its plan and workings. One day, when dining with Mr. Cooper, he 13 said to have re- marked, “Your mstituuon in its desiga is the best 1 know of, and m iis scope and beneilits of inealcula- ble worth.” Mir. Vassar, who built the Vassar Col- lege at Poughkeepsie, received the inspiration of his grand bericvolent scheme at this source, And this remiads us that Mr. Cooper made his tirst business sale to Mr. Vassar. This was ihe sale of one of his machines for shearing cloth, and he also sold him the right of the county in which is Pough- keepsie, Tuere has always been warm friendship bee twéen the iwo ihen—tr. Cooper, as wi >? remem: bered, presiding at the inauguration of his Merean- tile College. Kichard Cobdeu, when 1a this country, also took adeep interest in the institution and was a jrequent diner at tue house of Mr. Cooper. MR. COOPER AS AN INVENTOR, Itis not generally Kuown that MF, Cooper is an inventor, but hig inventive genius is of a high order, Wwe Will only allude to Some of the most un. Portant. After be had built the Canton iron works in Baltimore, to which we have ailuded, the Baltl- more snd Ohio Railroad would have been 4 taiure butfor the aid of bisinventive powers. Only thir. teen miles of the road had veen built, and the work was about being abandoned on account of the short curves being considered an obstacle against the use of Jocomotive power that could not be overcoine, He went to work and builta locomouve. 1b was the first locomotive that drew passengers in this coun- try. ‘This was in 182), and tue rest of the road was at once bulit. Before water was put tuto the Erie canal he made some experiments on the Bast river to show how ail elevated water could be used as motive power to propel buats on the canal. Governor De Witt Clinton went to see tho final experiment, He propelled by his method boats two miles in eleven minutes. ‘The only odjec- tion Governor Clinton had to find was that tue boas were propelied too fast for the safety of the banks of the canal, and the result was Utis motive power ‘was not adopted. He also a good many years ago— as long ago ag when au apprentice—inven.ed a pro- cess of utilizing coadensed air as a propelling power. At one of these experiments at Fulton Terry—that is, where Fulton ferry is now—the great Fuiton who made the first steamboat was present and expressed himself highly pleased with thie result. Fifty-seven yeura ago he made a model of a mowing machine embracing the principle of mow- ing machines how 1a use. Among his very oariiest inventions was @ self-rocking cradle, Aiter he waa married and @ cradie became one of the necessities of his household appointments, tuey were Woo poor to keep A servant and the result was that he was galled upon to rock the cradle witn inconvenient frequency. He therefore invented a self-rocking cradle, and not only that bat @ fan atiachinent to fan the infant aud keep of the files, aod last and not jeast important of ail, a diminutive calllopean arrangement to soothe with 1s sweet har- monies the infant to repose. He look out a patent for this and sold it toa Yankee. One of his inven- tions was a demonstration of tue loss of power by use of a crank in rotary motion, Ten years ago, through the medium of an endiess chain three miles in length and on the same priuciple now in extended use in England and France, he conveyed iron ore to one of his furnaces over rough and impassable gorges. When a boy at home he ripped up an old shoe and, discovering how it was made, soon mae lasts and shoes for the family, He made a maciine for grinding piate glass of any size vo A perfect plane. During his Spprenticaship he made @ ma- chine for making hubs of carriages similar to those Dow in use. Another of his inventions is a cylindri- cal machine for puddling iron aud for reducing ore and pig metats to wrought iron, an invention some. body cise has just brought out in England and 13 Making a fortune from. Twenty-two years ago he flied a caveat and specifications for this invention, There 1s, in fact, scarcely any end to his inven- tions. He got up a most ingenious contri- vauce for colveying, by meaus of an end. less cham, cars running on rails placed one over the other, and thus carrying back and forth loaded and empty cars. While naking experi- ments mm some kilns attached to one of his tron foundries with burning charcoal he caure very near Josing his life by the gas taking fire. In tryimg to turn to mechanical account one of the most power- ful gases known in chemistry he nearly Jost the sight ofan eye. Thus, as will be seen, while his inventions have been numerous he has pursued them with tne zeal of the alchemists of vid. Like Most inventors, however, the profits Irom his inven- lve genius have been very small, CONNECTION WITH OORANIO TRLEGRAPHY. Mr. Cooper's connection with oceanic telegraphy is well known. For the past fitteen yeara he has beon President of the New York, Newloundiand and London Telegraph Company. The zeal with wich he worked in fiers 2 the laying of the two Atlantic cables {8 well remembered, He had faith in their Success when others were ready to give up tn des air, He risked largely of his fortune, The result ag shown not only the correctness of his judgment, but the broad scope of his public enterprise, He believed in @ transatlantic telegraph being a com- howe success; but, more than this, he belleved in tts igher mission as a great peacemaker between the nations of the Old and New World, POLISICAL LIPEs It requires Duta brief paragraph to describe the political life of Peter Cooper. About forty years ago he was elected Assistant Alderman for threo terms and vuce ag Alderman, This was in tue good old times when the Mayor, Recorder, Aldermen and Assistant Aldermen sat in council together, and when our city aifairs were administered somewhat differently from what they are now. Of course he received no pay for his services, tie fashion of re- quiring pay for such services not thon having come in vogue: and, for that matter, he hag never heid a salaried political ofice in ils life. As is well knowa, he once on @ time was an honored Sachom of Tam~- many Hall. His democracy was of that kind believ- ing in promoting the greatest good of the greatest bumber, whe change that came over the spirit of Tammany’s dream and its members and mauage- ment was too much for him, aud he abandoned the Tammany democracy. The speeoh he made twenty years ago as presiding oficer at tne old Tam- many was lately repudiished in a daily paper strikingly and ably pertinent in its teachings to po! ticlans of the present day. His convection with the Citizens’ Association is well Known. His efforts to enforce honest administration of our city govern. ment and to reduce the tax jevy have been as earnest and persistent ag they have been wisely aad honestly meant, No oue has shown a deeper tute- rest in the subject of public education than Mr. Cooper. He had the good fortune to be a member of the Common Council forty years ago, when the vote wus iaken to tax the elty far the support of our public schools, and gave his vote in favor of che scheme pon Whicd has since been established the esent system of onr pubdiic school education. Ince this time he has been, for twonty-tve years, either one of the school trustees or meruber of the Board of Education. PERSONAL LIPR. AS stated In the early part of our sketch Mr, Cooper waa married to a Miss Bedeli, of Hempstead, I. 1. Toey were martied (ily-six years ago, and tho celebration of their golden wedding is atill fresh in the public memory. They have had six children, two sons and four daughters, of Whom only a aon and daugiiter are living. Both himself and wile are in the enjoyment of excelient healt They tive at No, 9 Lexington avenus, where thoy have resided for the last sixteen years. For twenty-seven years pre- vious to this they \ived at the corner of Twenty-eignth street and Fourthavenue, a large old-fashioued trae dwelling, which {s stil standing, Mr. Cooper is a Unitarian and a regular attendant at Dr. Keliows’ church, No man Is more Widely known personaily; and to have soen lim once 14 never to forget him, His benevolence 13 not confined to his institution. He 1 large contributor to both public apd private cuarities. He haga kind word to say to every one. In private life he is the most gentai of men, stil active and energetic and goes to his place of business in Burling #iip daily, His father lived to the advanced age of oighty-five aud he gives every Indloation ot ee the saine lengthened lease of Mle aud with it added years of labor and usefulness. — At Lafayette, Ind., one morning Inst week, a young girl Sixteen years old, who was approached With luguiting proposals, instead of screaming of running away, very promptiy picked up a brick, Which #he threw at the osender with suo’ force aud precision that he dropped senseless upon dhe pave- Mens, She then walked deliverarely away. He | RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE. jous Services To-Day. Bishop Snow will preach in te University, Wash- Ington square, this afternoon, at three o'clock, on “$be True Doctrine of the Future Lire.” Atthe Everett Rooms Mr. N. Frank White will speak before the Society of Progressive Spiritualists athalf-past ten A, M. and half-past seven P, M. Rev. Dr. Verren wiil preach this morning, at ha\f-past ten o'clock, in the Prench Chureu du St, Esprit, A series of discourses on “The Family’? will be preached on Sunday morning in the Spring street Presbyterian church, near Varick street, oy William Aikman, D. D. ‘Topic to-day, “She Husband and His Daties,* At John Street Methodist Episcopal church Rev. William P. Corbit will preach at half-past ten o'clock A. M., and the Rey, Dr. Henry Slicer at seven P. M. The Church of the Puritans will attend divine ser- vice to-day !n Apollo Hall, corner of Twenty-eighth street and Broadway. Preaching by the Rey, Dr. Cheever -at half-past ten o’clock, on “A Divine Redeemer, the Only Offer ana Proof of a Divine Revelation.” Rey. George Hepworth will preach in the Church of the Messian, Park avenue, this morning and even- ing. Subject in the morning, “The [mumortal Life.” At the Murray Hill Baptist chapel, Lexington ave- enue, near Thirty-seventh street, preaching at half past ten A.M, und at seven P, M. by Rev, S.A. Corey, D. D, At the Church of Our Savlour (Sixth Universalist) Rey. J. M. Pullman will preach at a quarter to eleven A. M, and at half-past seven P.M. Subject, “Vica- rious Atonement in the Creeds.”* Free Episcopal services at the Home Chapel, N East Twenty-ninth street. Services at haif-p A. M. and half-past seven #. M. ‘The Rey, Dr. Pric wild preach in the morning aud the Key, Mr. Brae in the evening. . Rev. J. Hyatt Smith and other proimlsent speakers Willaddress the Morning Star Sunday scuoo!, In Apolio Hall, at two P.M, At Zion church, Madison avenue, Rev. N. He Chamberlain will lecture on “The Bible and the En- glish Reformation” at eight o’clock P. M. At the Canal strect Presbyterian church Rev. David Mitchell will preach this morning, at haif-past ten o’clock, on “The Little Hebrew Maid,” “Swedenborg and Spiritualism” will be the sab- Ject of alecture, by Mr. I. 1. Williams, at the Adel- phi Academy, Prooklyn, Lafayette avenue aud Hall street, this evening at half-past seven o'clock. “Swedenborg and Orihodox, or the Old and New Theology Contrasted,” will be the subject of a lec- ture by the Rey. Chauncey Giles, at the Cooper Union, this evening, at half-past seven o’clock, The Washington Heights Methodist Episcopal church, corner of 1534 street and Tenth avenue, will be dedicated tis morning. Bishop Janes will preach the dedicatory sermon at half-past ten o'clock, and Rey. Drs. R. 8. Foster and W. H. Ferris respectively at three and balf-past seven in the afternoon and evening. Celibacy Sisteroods and Monastic Orders, ‘To THe EviTor oF THE Heat In these days of religious discussions, when some do not seem to know wiiat is right or wrong, do not know truth from error, it is only right that all sub- Jects which have a bearing on Christian character and influence should be noticed, In regard to celibacy, or an unmarried clergy, it has its good points, and perhaps, at times, 1ts poo } in th Jesus Christ, the founder of the Christian Church, | and the true model for all priests, as He walked about this world in His missionary lavors, had neither wife, sister nor friead. Now, that chareh Uhat believes in Apostolic succession, in an Apos- tolle priesthood, should make its priests, as near as mortals can be, in form and tact, followers of Jesus Christ. This would seein reasonable. But all men are sliful, human and fallible. All men, from Pius 1X. down to Brigham Young, haye passions, strong and natural, less or more. Bul it does not seem orderly to our eyes that a young miaister of the Gospel, fresh from the amorous emoraces of B new bride, should mount a Christian pulpit, and, looking down on his assembled cougregation, preach the “glad tidings” of salvation. Taen, on the other hand, it may be urged that want of domestic peace and happiness which the union of man and woman as Chriguans begets, would tend to unseitile the minod of the bacheior priest and lead him, therefore, to sip, But Christian prayer, earnest and enthusias Uc. will overcome natural passion, will it not? The Roman Catholic priests, fat and rosy a3 many fre with some of the Ceitic portion, developing ten- dencies to hot “voddy” during visits among their well-to-do laity, would not seem to have their atten. tion entirely taken from the world betow. But, whether celibacy sits them or not the Catholic Church flourishes, and they, in the main, seem to do their duty. The lonely missionaiy, luke Kavier, like Augustiu, like Henry Martyn, like St. Pacrick, would not need, ta Leathen lands, a Wile, The family would bea burden, But, for the settled parochial clergy, for convenience sake, it Woula seem better to have pious, orderly, saintly wives. Now, my priest should not kiss his wile as a layman does, In fact, I would not give him a handsome wile at all, A plain, simple, wifely woman, spiritual and inteliec- Vaal, like Elizabeth Barrett Browning; one who would keep his house aud ve a true heipmate in the Christian warfare. in regard to sisterhoods, convents, £c,, the secular worldly spirit of tis age has but one opinion, and that not favorable. There is sometaing secret and hidden tn those dark convent halis which the mula tade know nothing about; therefore, it is Wrong. It is not possiple, according to te age, that hand- some, lovely Women cali leave the world and, in convent ceils, live imoratly and rightly. But they in my opinion, and do live far better, in the eyes of God, than if they were tied to the world. Look at the iabors of the Sisters of Charity, visiting the sick, reclaiming the wicked, like angels’ passing through the world; constant aud continuous prayer, living tn communion with God, raises thear up fre tue common fesily passfons of earth, and makes them walk about as hgavenly creatures, Sioce the day that Martia Luther, the monk, mar- ried Catherine von Birra the nun, Protestantism believes the itighest destiny of woman is to be We toy and worldly friend of man, to raise him children sometimes, and sometimes not. (See Bishop Coxe’s Lenten Pastoral.) Maria Monk stories aud tue ’ lations of the treatment of Bosborn Albryk may, for tue Lime, WLLL the common treligious jajorily, Scout to pass a death sentenve on suck orders, vat sill ihe good work of charity, of Christian education, of their inaster’s Work gocs ou, till in heaven we will give them the final crown. Of the monastic orders, stich as the Carmelites, Passiontsts, Franciscans, Domiulicaus, evc., inch Who assemble in religious houses, give Liwiiseives to prayer, to devotiona: aud missionary preacting, and, to the extent of their ability, carry our the work of Jesus Christ, it may be said thal uy material civilization and secular prog good work in the world. Are tuey not gre) the evangelical progress of the Caciott These men sally forth from their uy tudes and give ‘missions’ ab ciure spirit of religion among the people, reviv and prevent Onristian ile from dying our And i we study history aright We cannot velp watraitig tw spite of NEW YORK HERALD, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1869.—-TRIPLE SHERT. ive position, glad to maintain Ite own grounds, but boldly asserts its claims as the only religion which is in full harmony with the wants of the heart, the demands of the mind, which alone establishes a continuous link between the remote past and en- Ughtened future, rhe reforms proclaimed and introduced are not the effect of an outside impulse, they establish nothing foreign to the spirit of the Jewish religion, they create nothing but what has been inherent in the Jewish religion since the of its existence, Be- cause the Jewish religion was mntended from its orl- Gin as the religion of the world, it ever effected the reforms tn ity ceremonial worship from an impulse directed by the spirit mherent therem. From the words in the Bible, that religion is not to be fetched from the heavens, i# nothing supernatural, to the prophets who proclaimed with powerful voices that the ceremonies are only the means to lead men to- Ward moral purity, down to Talmudical voices, WhO proclaim that tue ceremonies had only a national significance and to Matmonides who allegorizes the ideas of God, th contradiction to the impressions made by the letter of the Bibie; philosophy, reason and logic were maintained in their rights and never made the slave of @ supernatural bellef. ‘Religion is for this world,” can be read from between the iines of every Jewish thinker and scholar, and ‘rell- gion is for this world,’ is the sum and substance of the declarations proclaimed by the reform rabbis. We are aware of the opposition that will be made among Israelites, of the misconception that will arise On the part of other creeds, but we are not fearful of the result. We know that people conform practically to the spirit of modern times; we know that there are very few Jews in this country who observe strictly any of the precepis which they clamor to uphoid in theory, and we Know well that there are many Jews and Gentiles who, knowing the Jewish religion merely from its outward mantlesta- tions, deem it lost if these are abolished. Truth, however, has ever been cradled in the cracible of opposition and fauaticism, and her trae champions never feared the contest. By many of our co-re- Saini however, the resuits of tals Conference are hauled with uafeigned pleasurs and enthusiasm. Reformed Judaism has not only w do battle from now ou againgt the orthodox in the Jewish camp, but against the worn oat fallacies so stabbornly naintamed by the orthodox o1 other creeds, and with truth on its side, it will ever be prepared to pt the challenge, no mailer froia whence it es, A Protestant Ecumenical Council. {Prova the Cleveland Evangelical Messenger.) One good result will certainly follow for Protest. anism, It will teach Protestants and remind them more forcibly than ever of the necessity of union among themeclves, Bvangelical Christianity gives evidence of one great feature of weakness. It is two divided; its fovees are not concentrated; they do not always work in harmony and too often waste their energies in frictions produced by the jealousies of denominationalism, There is no common under- standing as vo the course to be pursued in regard to the Sabbath, to temperance, education, mildelity, Popery, &c., which is equally opposed toall, Itisa sort of guerilla warfare, in which each little party fights upon ‘te Own hook,’? without — refe- rence to what others m: do or not do. Now, if the coming Protestant Ecumenical Council would recommend that the highest legisiativé boay of every Protestant denomination should appoint a certain number of delegates, their number Lo be ap- poruoned according to the number Of communtcant members, of each denomination, and have these Meet at Fegular intervals or otherwise, and organize a Church Congress, one for every nation where diife- rent churches exist, and one £cumenical for all nie vions—if these were to meet it would be @ egrt of Rcamenical Counct! of Protestantism that had at thority, It weuld give a common impulse to Evan- gelicat Christianity, unite their energies, give them wu Weil defiued policy, compact their forces and ren- der them far more formidable than now to all her eneuites, The strength of Romanism 1s in her thor- oughly pted organism, their union and dis phne, akness of Protestantism 13 In her divl- sions, her want of organization, her want of discl- }lue aud in the divergence of her forces: Taking the White Veil. Anna Maher took the white veil in St Matrick’s churei, Hartford, last Sunday afternoon, presence of a throng of lateresied spectators, Ne Hartford Courant gives the following account of the exercises:— First, a part of the altar candles were lighted and three chairs placed on the highest of the altar steps for Father fugues and his assisiants. The choir—a 5 See eee eEIIEIIET imeem En A WOMAN CHAMPIONED. The Bissell Divorce Case—The Trouble of Shaking off a Marital Obligach What Constitutes a Binding and Valid Marriage Decree of Divorce Granted to Mra. Bissell, Judge Barnard, at chambers of the Supreme Court, yesterday, rendered the following interest ing opinion and decision in the case of Beatrice Bissell, ap wfant, by her guardian, against Jonn B, Bissell This 18 an action for limited divorce on the ground of abandonment, under subdivision 8, section 61, ar- lucie 4, title 1, chapter 8 of Part 2 of the Revised Stat- utes. The allegation of abandonment fs not contested, but the defence rests upon a denial of the marriage. ‘The plaintiff was examined as a witness in her own behalf, and the substance of her testimony is that she made the acquaintance of the defendant in Janu- ary, 1867, while she was residing tn Brookiga with the defendanv’s brother and his wife in the capacity of nurse, ‘The defendant resided at the same place, and there commenced paying autentions to her, which continuei for several months and resulted in an offer of marriage in the latter part of June, 1867, which, after some hesitation on the part of the plain- tif, by reason of the disference tn social station be- tween ber and defendant, was finally accepted by plainulf. Very soon after the engagement the de- fendant stated to the plaintiff that he did not belleve in marriage ceremonies; that they might be legally married without apy ceremony; that there were many such marriages, and be wished her to waive the ceremony, This at first she refused to do, bat a series of conversations followed, duriag which the subject was discussed, the defendant urging his views and contending that the marriagé he proposed would be perfectly valid under the laws of the State of New York, @ they would be as validly married ag it three clergy: doen should marry them and a8 much man and wife a4 bis brother and his wile were. ‘The defendant’ arguinents finally prevalied, aad about the lat of July the marriage day was appointed, The time fixed was the 15th of July, Tne defendant furnished plaintiff with means lo procure her marriage outfit, and, with the assistance of her married sister, Sciesi, the plaintiff made her preparations for the marriage. On the 15th of July, the day appointed, the plaintid lefs her sister's house, stating to her thatsne was going to be married. She met the defend. ant in New York, and they proceeded to Central Park, Where they took an open carriage, and while in the carriage the defendant produced a plain gold weddlog ring which had been made from another ring which she had given him for the purpose about alortnight previous. He placed the ring upon Ler finger, staung, “This is your wedding ring; we are married.” She received the ring a3 & pace § ring. He then said, “We are married just as muc! as Charles is to his wife (referring to his brother and his sister-in-law). 1 will live with you and take care of you all the days of my life as my wife.” To this she assented, and they thereupon went to No, 110 Waverley place, where he had previously engaged board for himself and wife, They were met at the door by the sister of Mrs. St. Clair—the laay of the house—who asked if they were Mr. and Mra. Bissell, and the defendant answered in the aMmirniative. ‘They lived there together a3 man and wile for about flve weeks; during all the ume the defendant freated her ay his wife, addressed her and spoke of heras sich, Sometime {n Adgust the defendant, on the pens of having met with pecuniary losses, Induced the piaintif’ to go to live with her aunt until bis circumstances should improve. Since then he has abandoned and repudiated her and entirely neglected to provide for Her or his child, which was bora about May, 1868, shortly before abandoning her he induced her to sign @ paper drawn by him- selt stating that no marrlage ceremony had been performed between them, The defendant was also examined as @ Witness and testified that he never agreed to take the plaintu? as his wile, but alleges that it was agreed that she should live withhim as his mistress aud that he should pass her off as his wife. And he alleges that he gave her the wedding ring 8o as to deceive other people and not excite the suspicion that she was not bis wie, as he feared that if they found out in the boarding house thas they Were not married they would turn them out. There is no pretence that up to the time of the alleged marriage there had been any {illicit inter- course between the parties. The testimony of the plaintiff Is corroborated by Mrs. St. Clair, who kept the boarding house, by her sister and her niece, who lived there, and who prove that before coming there to reside the defendant engaged board for himself and wife. That while there they lived together as man and wife, treating and speaking of each other as such. Iso by the testimony of Mr. and Mrs. Stiesl, who testify Tendant assured them that although no ceremon: volunteer one—began @ hymn, and the clergy and erving boys entered the sanctuary in the usual way and took their places. Immediately after another procession entered from the sacristy, passing In Iront of the altar rail to the gate at the head of the centre aisie. First came some young girls in white, headed by a girl cross-bearer; then the Duns, two by two, and last the superior, leading the pos- tuant, Miss Anna Maher, who was dressed in bridal costume, and looked very earnest and sweet, each of the nuns carried a lighted taper. Entering the sanctuary they ranged themselves along the sides, the superior and another remataing with toe postuiant, for whom a chair bad been placed just within the altar rail and directly tn front of the oftl- ciating clergyman, After brief devotional exercises the latter asked Miss Anna what she came to seek of the Church of God, and whether she was fixed in ber purpose to enter the religious state and continue in that the monks of the early and middle ages in thee | roly solitude copied the sacred Soriptures and o1l y works, and did a great deal to advance the c.use of enlightenment and civilization, 18 the foureenia century there was Koger Bacon, and lu (he niaeloentit there i# Father Hyacinte. But men object that these men are not making Money; are not engaged in worldly pursuit B Chriat pays, “MY kingdom is not of this wor fsnot by bread sione that life js sustained hope and charity haye something to do witn men. This is not an age of lively Curisuan falta. It 1s Lot an age of miracles or direct manifestauons of God's power, Buvit jaan age of sin and moral misery, of intellectual and moral imbecility; truta accepted for error and ergor for truth, and mea would fain be- ileve that tliey are great here below. it ts nearly two thousand years since Jesus was on eartit, but His voice yet, tirdugh a Chureb, speaks to the world, ang though men ma, disregard and stine (he volce'it gtill sounds and résounds, and will yot be heard, high and iow, far and wide, until ali inno- vating errors and mau-made, Vulgar, self-suiticie: systems shall have passed aWay, as the mormug mists fade beiore tae biaze of the rising sun, WESTERN CATHOLIO, But ‘The Rabbinical Conference, (From the Jewish Times, Noy, 12. The call issued in June last by Rev. Dra. Adler and Einhorn for thelr colleagues to meet in confer- ence, was responded to by fifteen rabbies, and the reverend geatlemen met in a quiet, unostentations manner at the house of Rev, Di, Hirsch, in Philadel. | pha, on the ad inst. The whole proceedings and resolutions passed are | characterigod by @ spirit of earnestuess; they bear | evidence that the men who counselled together were fully impressed with the magnitude and importance of the cause they represented, that they knew their duly towards the religion im whose name they met, and that y we determined to fearlessly pro- nounee the result of thew investigativus and con. vicious, Though many congregations have Lbs agat’& realized in thelr public Worship the principles lat down by the Conference, the unanimous concur: rence therein of 40 many representatives of the Jew- igh religion, conferred upon them an authority Which they Dave lacked until now, Judaism, henge forsh, leaves the retroat aud seclusion and euters the ena of the World, it malate! no longer & defon- | this country, | cent persons,, it, He then asked the supericr whether she had made the proper inquiries. All these questions being satisfactorily answered tne service proceeded. Father Hughes preached a short sermon, describing the rise of asceticism in the Christian world and dwelling with much feeling on the greatness of the sacrifice which the young girl before them was about to make. At the close of the sermon she was led by her two attendants tuto the sacristy. After a rather tedious interval, during which the choir sang several hymns and the rest of the altar candles were lighted she reappeared tu the plain dress of a religious. A lighted taper was placed in ber hand, the usual prayers were said, holy water was sprinkled on ber, ler veil Was blessed and placed upon her head, the thurifer swung the incense, a solemu hymn was begun and Sister Georgianno prostrated herself on her face before the altar, Rising after some min- utes she exchanged the kiss of charity with each of the nuns present and then took her place among them, The novel ceremony was closed with the benediction of the most holy sacrament. The Moravian Charc! The oficial statistics of this denomination, just published, show 14,871 communicants, of which 4,896 are in Germany, 3,208 in Great Britatn, and 6,707 in North America, The communicants in mis- sion flelds are not taken into consideration in the above consideration. The Moravians were the first missionaries who carried the Gospel mnto Greenland, and to this day they have a very elroug church tn that country. and a Funeral Service at the Same Time. \From the Newburyport (Mass.) Herald, Nov, 11.) The Rey. Mr, Timlow, of East Cambridge, was called upoa on the sth instant to perform a double service and of directly opposite nature, tt was that of a marriage and funeral in the same family and at the same hour. The mother liad died, and just he- A Marriage | sore her death requested her daughter to have her contemplated marriage consummated as soon after death as practicable, It so happened that conven- lence and other thlugs potuted to the hour of the funeral service, Aud so It occurred (hat, by the side of the mosher’s coMa, the daughter was married, Tiere was the weeping father, with the sacred mar- riage Ue just broken, and there was the daughter just tormlag the te, and with emotions that can hardly be imagined. Just after the marriage cere- mony Mr. tiiuiow proceeded with the burial ser- Vices. It was a season of great solemnity, and yet must have impressed all the spectators as very strange. ites: n Bible Society. The Czar has just ratified the regulations of the Russian Bible Society. The object of this associa- tion is to circuiate among the people the two Testa- ments in the Russian language. Up to this time the Slavonic Bible has been most extensively used; Dub as the Slavonte dialect i# but little known among the people the Synod bas had a Russian translation made, and the work has met with great success. Methodist Local Preachers, The Methodist tocal preachers number 10,000 In They have just held a Convention in Cincinnati, These men are not pastora, but, having usuaily some secular calling and also gifts to preach are licensed and ordained, They have been a gi eat ached in that church. They resoived at this meet- ug that none ought to be licensed as “local preach. ers who does not feel such & burning zeal for the sal- vation of men as to go into the highways and by- ways In searcl of Opportunities to preach the Gospel to the poor.’? Spanish Restrictions on Passp Cubans—More Atrocious M by Spanish Troops, We have received private correspondence from Remedios, dated Octover 30, from which we publish the following extracts;—General Cabailero de Rodas has issued @ decree that no Cubans can obtain pass ports to leave the “Ever Faithful Isle” forthe United States, Mexico or the Archipelago of Colombia with- out previously giving bonds for $5,000, taking oath that they are good Spaniards and that they will not lavor for the cause of the revolution abroad, Innu- merable executions are continually being made by tho Spanish commanding oMcers, mostly on tnno- Amovg the latest victims are Don Juan Castellanos and the two sons of Don Francisco Santos, all of whom were known to be quiet and lnoMensive persons, and whose only crime Was their being Cubans, ‘These murder, 80 Our correspon: dent states, are kept secret from the superior au. thorities by the officers Messrs, Rodrigues Cobre and De ae by whose command they were por petrated, Hven the Spaniards who inhabit the Im- Medhate vicinity of the locality where these ac were committed could not refrain SV aiving vent to their tudiguation, ris Granted to re Committed had been petformed he had married the plaintif, wud she was his wife and entitied to bear his name, and that if they had children they should be en- titied to bear his name, and that they were as much man and wife as Mr. and Mrs. Stiesi, whose mar- riage had been solemnized in the usual form. There can be no doubt that the testimony of the plaintit proves an actual and valid marriage between the plaintuf and defendant. ‘The Revised Statutes de- Clare that ‘marriage, 80 far a8 its validity in law 1 concerned, shall continue in this State a civil con tract, to which the consent of parties capable of con- tracting shall be essential;” and it is well settled that no religious ceremony or form of any descrip- tion 1s essential to the validity of a marriage. All that is requisite 1s that the parties should be capabie of contracting, and that they sbould actually con- tract to be man and wife. A mere agreement to marry at some future time, followed by cohabita- ton, Will not constitute a marriage; but an ayree- ment made in the present tense, whereby the par- ties assume towards each other fhe marital relation, is an actual marriage. This agreement may be writ ten or verbal, with or without witnesses, and may be proved like any other contract; wuen proved to the satisfaction of a court of justice, it constitutes a Jawiul marriage. The cases cited by the plaintif’s counsel abundantly establish these propositions, (Bishop on Marriage and Divorce, secs. 78 and 162; Fenton vs, Reed, 4 Jobns, 52; Clayvon vs, Wardell, 4 New York, 230; Ferrie vs, The Public Administrator, 3 Brad., 161; Tummacy v8. Tummaty, do., 369; Grotgen Vv jrotinen, do., 373; Rose vs. Clark, § Paige, 57: latter ot Tayler, 9 do., 611; Cheney vs. Arnold, 15 New York, 845; Hayes vs. Peopie, 25 do., 300.) In cases affecting the legitimacy of tasue, rights of succession to property and many other cases, Such a8 Contract Of marriage, may be proved by circumstantial evidence, by admission of the parties, by their living togeiber as man and wHe, &c. But there 18 another class of cases, such as prosecutions for bigamy, crém. con., &c., in which there must be direct evidence of the aotual mar- riage. By actual marriage is meant, not the solemni- zation before a minister.or magistrate-for, as has aiready been shown, no such solemnization ts requisite—but What Is intended is that the actual mukivg of the marriage contract between the par- ties must be proved by direct evidence and not lett to be inferred from circumstances, admissions and the like, Until by recent legtaiation the wife was Made @ competent witness in actions in which her husband is a party, It is evideut that where a mar- riage of this description was contracted in the ab- seiice of any Witness there Was no Means of furnish- ing the direct proof requtred in this class of ¢; and offences of this description might be committed with comparative impunity, Bat now, the wile being made @ competent witness, her testimony, if corroborated and entiiled to credit, is suMeient to establish the marriage. The only question in this case it seems to me 1s asto the creaibility to be attached to the testimony of the plaintiif and de- fendant respectively. ‘ihe plaintiff stands unim- peached and uncontradicted except by the defend. aut, While she Is corroborated by the testimony of Mrs. St. Clair, Miss Birch, Miss Knight and Mr. and Mrs, Stlesl, The elaborate cross-examina- tion to whien she was subjected tailed to disclose any material discrepancy in her evidence, and noth- ing Was shown to cast suspicion upon her trathful- ness. Opposed to her evidence are the denials of the defendant, His testimony 1s im direct conflict, not only with that of the platnti?, but also with that of Mr. and Mrs, Stiesi. Independent of this direct contradiction by two apparently respectable wit- nesses, not parties to the litigation, the position assuraed by the defenaant, in IMs own testimony, is not one which commends him to consideration. According to bis own story he was endeavoring to seituce the plaatit, The circumstances of the case —even those detailed by him—indicate that she was a virtuous girl, and he himself testifies th: first the shamefal proposals which be asserts it jade were rejected by her in such & manuer as to jead him to suppose that they would never nieet again. The defendant now comes into court stating that, notwithstanding this rebud, he persisted in Nis iMfawwous attempt, aid finally sfcceeded accurmplishing her ruin; ahd n mits that without cause hé subsequently abandohed her and con- tracteda marriage with auother party, who, 1¢ 1s proved, was fully cognizant of the peneeney, of this action, having been @ witness in the defendant's behuif in one of its preliminary stages. And now the defendant, confessing hiniself capable of the depravity with Which ne fius charges Dimeself, ast to be credited asa reliable ana candid witness ta bis own behalf. Considering the impeach. ment of his moral character which is fur- nished by the defendant's, own testimony the direct contradiction of his statement by at least two creditable witnesses, beside ¢ piaintim, in a very material point, (viz, as to hie declaration to them that he was lawfully married to the plafatii), and bis admissions and conduct toward the plaintim, the Court feels wi HAY fer in discredit - ing and rejecting the defendant's version of the travsaction, aud 18 satisfied and decides that an actual martlage was contracted between the parties as testified to by the plaintid. If this be 60, there is no reason why the defendant should not be held to the consequences of lis acts, and if, while endeavor- ing to accomplish a seduction he has blundered into matrimony, le has no one but himself to blaine, If tho practice 18 as common as the defendant alleges of men passing off their mistresses as their wives, and allowing them to bear their names without any marriage contract, it is ime that they shoula learn tho risks towhion they expose themselves in thus tri- fling with the marriage institution, and that a check should be put upon pracuces so dang good order of society, There should bea de declaring the plaiauit to be the lawful wife of defendant, and their child to be legitimate, adjudging & limited divorce and alimony, with costs and reasonable expenses of the litigation, and the temporary alimony allowed by the order of Judge Ingraham should be increased, Charles A. Rapallo and A. ©. Brown for the plaintia; T. # Donovan and Henry Santon for the defendant, Tho journals of Odessa mention a fearful mardor that Nas lately been committed at a locality called: Moldowanka, From the appearances it would ee entire ey ot oy persons were mur- dered in tue sleep, by repeated blows of a OF O\ber instromenh eae