The New York Herald Newspaper, January 26, 1870, Page 6

NEW YORK HERALD|™ ™~ BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES Gorpot BENNETT, PROPRIETOR. All business or news letter and telegraphic despatches must be addressed New York Hxgrap. . Rejected communications will not be re- turned. Velame EXXVesscscsssssesessee a = AMUSEMENTS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE TAMMANY, Fo Lol " a haere urteenth astrect.—TUX BORLEBQUB ones THEATRE, Broadway aud 13th atreet.— FRENCH THEATRE, Ith — DUCUESSE DE GinonsrEin, = SR’ Oh av ha Gnanpe GRAND OPERA HOUSE, corner of Eighth wd eJoctisssy THE JUGOLER CooL fea CUcUMDER, BOOTH'S THEATRE, 23d st., between Sth and 6th avs.— damier. OLYMPIC THEATRE, Broacw Macamye. Matinee at & FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE, Twonty-f: _— . 0B, SUMMER SvENES at LONG Benoa Sear: NIBLO'S GARDEN, Broadway.—Gnan Puar or Tar Duke's Morro, “gianna ces cat ahiga PAUL Pry—Ropeer WOOD'S MUSEUM AND MENAGERIE, Broadway, ner Thirtveth ,—Matinee daily, Perforinaice cvory evening. BOWERY THEATRE, Rowery.—Buox, Bvox, Ho MANY HonNS; Of, GOLD Ur 10 db, wo. ri BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC—UnNcLR Tom's Canin. ‘MRS. F. B. CONWAY'S PARK THEATR 3 .— Lirree Ew’.y. porta TONY PASTOR'S OPERA HOUSE, 201 Bowery.—Comic Voocauism, NEGO MLNSTRELBY, &C. Matinee at 24. ow THEATRE COMIQUE, 514 Broadway.—Comto Vooat- 18M, NEGKO Acts, &c. Matinee at 254. BRYANT’S OPERA HOUSE, Tammany Builling, sh. —BBYANT'S MINSTRELS. wi red areas tices PIAN MINSTRELSY, NeGno Acts, £0.—“Hi asa. SAN FRANCISCO MINSTRELS, 586 Bron ovay.-Kruro- mc) NEW YORK CIRCUS, Fourteenth street. Equroreran AND GYMNAGTIO PERFORMANORS, &C. Matinee at 23. HOOLEY'’S OPERA HOUSE, Brooklyn.-Hoougr's MoverRELs—Taar Rasoar Tuomas, &c. ASSOCIATION HALL, 28d street and 4th av.—GRranp Vooan anp InstTRUMENTAL CONCERT. APOLLO HALL, corner 2th street and Broadway.— Tus New Hingcsicon. NEW YORK MUSEUM OF ANATOMY, 61%’) Broad- way.—SCIENOE AND ART. RI New York, Wedpesday, E SHEET P January 26, 1870. CONTENLS OF TO-DAY’S HERALD. Paas. 1—Advortisement® @—Advertisements. ‘S—Washington: Virginia's ‘Troubles brewing; Speech of Senator Fenton on the Currency Bill; Washington Postal Telegraph B1ll—Priace : Round of: Visits in the National Capital; A Proposed Dinner and Ball in this City—Cow- ardiy Assault—Steamer Befozged. 4—Europe: John Brigh’s Exposition of the Glad- stone Democratic Platform; M. Rochefort in the Streets pf Paris and the French Legisla- ture; Prince Bonaparte’s Former Duel. and Coming ‘Trial—Australasia—Tne Martin Whiskey Crusade: Collector Bailey's Raia— The Latest AMnity—Delaulting Cierk in the Hartford Post Ofiice. S--Proceedings in the City and Brooklyn Courts— Captain Petty Under Charges—New York City News—Brooklyn City News—New Jersey In- telligence—The Greene Street Mission—The alexander Mystery—The Tenement House Tragedy—The Quakers Among the Winne- bagoes. @—Editoriais ; Leading Article on The New South- ern Balance of Power and the Next Presi- dency—Naval Intelligence—Amusement An- nouncements, 7—Telegrapnic News from all Parts of the World: Parliamentary Organization and Preparation in England; The Bourbon Exclusion Debate in Spain—Arrival of the Remains of George Pea- body at Portland—The Burns Anniversary: Brilliant Commemoration of the Birth of Scot- Jand’s Bard—Persona! Intelligence—Business Notices. 1 S=—Up the Nile: A Modern Guide for Travel on the Great River—Political Intelligence—Amuse- mepts—Explosion of a Fire Engine—Musical Review—Criticisms of New Books—Female Heroism—Custom House Cartage—Annual Meeting of the American Geographical and Statistical Soctety—Voice of the People— Balls Last Nigut—Tne Suez Canal—Starting Rumor. Q—The Old Indian Ring: The Great Cherokee Swindle Revived—Financial and Commer- cial Reports—Opituary—Biast Furnaces—Mar- riages, Birth and Deaths. 10—The State capital: Legislative Power of the As- sembly; the Fifth Avenue Pavement Nul- sance—The Erie Strike: Rioting and Bloodshed—The Great Tornado in Alabama— Strange Delusion in Massachusetts—Sicxness in Florida—Shipping Intelligence—Advertise- ments. 11—Cotton: The Supply and Trade of the World— Journalistic Notes—Advertisements. 12—Advertisements. NOTICE TO HERALD SUBSCRIBERS, We will esteem it s favor if our renders will inform us, by letter addressed to this office, of any dereliction on the part of the carriers of the Hera.p, either in furnishing the paper late, substituting other city papers, or leaving spoiled the Sixth Internal Revenue district of New York. This is very cheap compensation to him for running so far ahead of the republican ticket in this State. \d Tag Gop IxvestiGaTion.—Poor Corbin, who, in the words of Fisk, Jr., had gone “where ¢he woodbine twineth,” has been brought back, and is expected to appear be- fore the Gold Investigating Committee to-day, So Near anp Yet So Far.—The Atlanta Inteligencer says quite a crowd of people are seen following upon the heels of the colored members of the Legislature. If they are only upon their heels they are not likely to be very close upon the halls of legislation. Dawes has pecked his way into Robeson’s pericraninm at last. That gentleman, as Sec- retary of the Navy, has determined to dis charge several thousand employés in the vari- ous navy yards in order to reduce his bsti- mates to Dawes’ and Grandfather Welles’ figures. Tax Remains or Gzoxcx Paasopy arrived at Portland yesterday, conveyed by a war ship of England, and surrotnded by testimonials of the high honor in which that country holds him, It now remains for his own native coun- try to complete his obsequies and to pay him fs much honor and show his memory as much Mlection NEW YORK, HERALD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 1870.—TRIPLE SHEET. Southera Balance ef Power and the Noxt Presidency. The bill passed for the restoration of Vir- ginia determined the final conditions to Missis- sippi and Texas, the two remaining outside States. Within s few weeks, on the same terms, we expect they will be reinstated in Congress and restored to the control of their local affairs, when the transition epoch of Con- grossional edicts and Southern military district commanders will be ended, and the new Union, under the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth amendments of the national constitu- tion will be in full operation, We have in these amendments a greater revolution inthe structure of the government than that which transferred the American people from the crown of England to their own institutions under the original constitution of the United States, The framers of that con- stitution founded it upon the sovereignty of the people; but in its details the government was shaped upon the English model. The sys- tem of African slavery planted by England, and even the African slave trade, were engrafted upon our original constitution and protected in various special provisions, while the shame involved in these concessions was confessed. in the careful exclusion of all such words as ailave, slavery or slavebolder from the instrument, Its framers, however, while driven to these shame- ful concessions for the sake of union, con- soled themselves with the hope that negro slavery would, sooner or later, die out; and that the constitution, therefore, might so be shaped, meantime, as to disguise its recogni- tions of a ruling caste and a servile race, But the Yankeo invention of the cotton gin, with the wonderful development which it gave to the cotton culture, soon made negro slavery an invaluable Southern gold mine and the league of cotton planters the balance of power in the government. The political power of this Southern oligarchy was first made mani- fest on slavery in the Missouri Compromise of 1820, and next in the annexation of Texas as a concession to slavery; next in the Fugitive Slave law, as a sop to Cerberus, in the compromise measures of 1850; next in the repeal of the Missouri Compromise (1854) whereby Kansas and Nebraska, as Territories, were opened to slavery, and lastly in the Dred Scott decision from the Supreme Court of the United States (1856), declaring that under our constitution a negro.bad ‘‘no rights which a white man was bound to respect.” These suicidal pro-slavery decrees of 1854 and 1856, ,in a general and deeply set Northern political reaction, finished the Southern slaveholding oligarchy ; for in 1860 Lincoln was elected Presi- dent on the decisive platform of ‘‘no further extensions of slavery.” For sixty years this Southern oligarchy, with remarkable skill, boldness and tenacity, had, more or less, dic- tated the Course of every department of the government and every administration. So imperious and exscting, too, had these South- ern believers in King Cotton and slavery become that, defeated at the ballot box, they plunged headlong into an armed rebellion for an independent confederacy upon the corner stone of negro slavery. ‘ Hence the tremendous revolution which has followed—a revolution which has made the constitution of the United States of 1870 as widely different from that of 1860 as that one differed from the colonial system of England, Negro slavery, which was the ruling element, is extinct, and all its appendages, including the slaveholding oligarchy, State sovereignty and the legally degraded caste of color, are swept away. By the thirteenth amendment of the constitution slavery is abolished and inter- dicted; by the fourteenth equal civil rights to all colors are established; and by the fifteenth, neither the United States nor any State can abridge the right of suffrage on account of race, color or previous condition of servitude. To make sure these provisions Congress is invested with she power to enforce them. Such is the condition of things under which all parties will have to fight the: Presidential battle of 1872. But the issues of the battle will be new issues growing out of the money question in allits branches, and out of our foreign relations and our foreign policy, General Grant’ will doubtless be the republican candidate, and upon the old issues of 1868 and 1864 he would probably walk over the course. But they are settled, and he will have to stand upon the measures of his administration, So farhe has not exhibited that decision of character and tenacity of pur- pose in the Cabinet which he displayed so effectively in the field. He appears, indeed, singularly chinged to the policy of taking things quietly, trusting to luck and risking nothing. The chances are that this ‘‘easy-go- happy” policy will result in such a fusion of dissatisfied popular elements in 1872 as will need only a popular Union candidate to turn the tide of victory. Here we anticipate a new Southern balance of power. How it is to take shape we have seen in the new departure of the old line democrats and ex-rebels of Virginia. They accept the new order of things, they fraternize with and cultivate the negro vote; and the same policy generally adopted by the Southern planters and landowners will give them, as opponents of the dominant party, the balance of power, even in the elections for the next Congress, the balance of power in every Southern State from Virginia to Texas. This foothold gained, this new Southern party will be able, as the new Southern balance of power, to dictate its candidate and its policy to the National Democratic Convention. The right candidate will be a Southern man in high favor in the North as one of the shining Union ‘lights of the war. Such a candidate will still be needed to confront the military glory of General Grant; and such a candidate is at hand in that great and sterling Southern Union soldier, General George H. Thomas. Virginia may well be proud of him, and it may be truly said of him that his merits are only equalled by his modesty. Such » candi- date, we say, is the man for the opposition elements South and North. We do not mean, however, that he should be prematurely brought into the field; nor that we stand com- mitted to any party or any candidate. Wo mean that Virginia and the South, in being farther advanced under the new constitution than Tammany Hall, can more effectively take the lead for the organization of a new opposi- ee ee savin 2 oh al tlon party for the succession. We mean that the anti-radical elements of the South, by conciliating the negro, can secure his vote; that this, we expect, will be done, and that 80 we may look for a new Southern balance of power in 1872 competent to shape the Demo- cratic Convention to its policy and competent to decide the election. Spain, Coba and the United States. Tho course of our government with regard to Cuba will stand forever as @ shame to the nation. It will furnish the most painfui his- tory anywhere to be found of a golden oppor- tunity lost through pitiful vanity and silly fear, At the beginning of the Cuban insur- rection what was our situation with regard to the combatants and what our plain duty, sup- posing us governed by the principles that uni- versally sway nations qualified by our own theories and declarations in favor of freedom ? We had just come out of 8 war during which we had received from all the governments of Western Europe such evidences of unfriendli- ness a8 ought to have left no doubt what our course slYould be whenever we had any one of those Powors ‘‘on the hip.” The whole nation teemed with expressions of a desire to repay in kind the ill-will of England, and against France we had made our sentiments effective by driving her from Moxico, a coveted con- quest, simply through the assumption of a threatening attitude. Spain was the third unfriendly Power, and the only one, that lingered within our reach in this West- ern hemisphere. As if an evil. destiny would make her still more helpless before us she was disorganized by an internecine struggle—a revolution waged not for freedom ora republic, but only against a dynasty and in the interest of intriguers for power and place. Atsuch @ time and in such circum- stances a people near us, living within the radius of our influence, but held as subjects of the Spanish crown, revolted against the Span- ish rule, demanded their freedom, showed their readiness to fight for it and called for assistance. Will it be credited by the future that we suf- fergd this people to callin vain? Willit ever be believed that we squandered such chances as this fact gave to strike our declared enemy and to give a timely and vigorous assertion to that pringiple of our political system which contemplates the exclusion of European gov- ernments from this hemisphere? We had driven out France—why should we spare Spain? Every people that appealed for free- dom on the earth logked toward us for sym- pathy, if not for assistance. Why should Cubs alone fail to findit? Hungary, Germany, Italy and every free State of South America have felt the good effect of comforting and encourag- ing words from us, and we assume to sway the world with the force of free thought; but we permit our neighbors to be crushed in our presence by the most brutal and tyran- nical Power of Europe—a Power, too, with which we have a bitter score to settle. And what is the reason? Because this Power amuses us with diplomacy. Beeause it plays us like a trout on a line, and fools to the top of its bent the vanity of our State Department. There was the plain, straightforward, honest, bold, practical American way to end the mat- ter. Our duty was to recognize Cuba as 4 belligerent Power. That was the way to befriend her and to pay our debts in Europe. That was the way to show England the exact effect of her declaration in favor of the Con- federate States. That was the way to send Spain to the right about, That was the way to show that we really belioved in those doc- trines of the consent of the governed that we are always hurrahing about, But stay! Here comes from Massachusetts a reason why we should not recognize Cubs as a belligerent Power. It will affect the Ala- bama claims, Our theory on those claims is that England was wrong in her recognition of the Southern States; but if we recognize Cuba it will be doing just what she did, and so declaring her right. Pitiful trash, this, to come in the name of reason. When did England ever pay anything because it was right? When did she ever fail to withhold any payment because it was wrong? Our recogni- tion of Cuba might havo furnished England with @ new pretext ; but shall we lose 4 grand opportunity to assert our own power and principles lest we give our adversary one more pretext, when she has ten thousand already? Our way to make England pay the Alabama claims is to show her that we are a people not to be trifled with; and this we could have done to some extent by recognizing Cuba at the earliest possible moment. This argu- ment of the Alabama claims scems to have been the only one against recognition; and this feeble argument against’ recognition by proclamation pushed our feeble State Depart- ment to the plan of securing recognition by diplomacy. In this effort Spain, as we havo said, fooled us to the top of her bent, and so fool- iog us kept us quiet till the opportunity passed away, Henceforth our record toward Spain and Cuba will be just what the record of Eng- land is toward the Northern States and the confederacy, and we shall be hated by one side ‘and despised by the other. A Fiztp Day ror Prinozs Arraur—The triangular fight between Ben Butler, Farns- worth and Bingham in the House on Monday. His Royal Highness must entertain a royal opinion of American legislators after this speci- men of their forensic powers. Conxgortour Poxirics.—The Connecticut democrats have, it seems, concluded to run English again for Governor at the next elec- tion. From present appearances it really don’t seem to make much difference whether they do or not. That's the plain English of it, But for the sake of consistency they should again place him on the track, and consistency, according to the old adage, is a ‘‘ Jewell,” par- ticularly in the land of wooden natmegs. Tox Tarive QursTion IN THR LearsrA- rurx.—The Assembly yesterday adopted the majority report of the special committee favor- ing the repeal of the tariff on tea, coffeo, sugar, coal, salt, pig and railroad iron. Coming from a democratic Legislature, the resolutions will not, probably, have much effect on the radical Congress. The proposition to have a revenue tariff instead of a protective one would have been better than the proposed total repeal. . While relieving the people we must find some means to support the govorn- ment, Mr, Sherman’s Currescy Bill, Our Nile Hiver Despatches. Senator Sherman deserves credit for his | From Cairo, Egypt, under date of the 26th industry and perseverance as chairman of the Finance Committee of the Senate, and for the labor he bestows on financial questions, if for nothing else. He gave notice in a prelimiaary speech a fow days ago that he should take the earliest opportunity to bring forward his bill to “provide a national currency of coin and notes, and to equalize the distribution and oir- culation of notes,” and he has now fulfilled his promise, On Tuesday the bill was réad, when he and other Senators entered upon the discus- sion, Judging from the opposition his measure has met with thus far and the diversity of opin- ions in the Senate, as well as in the House, on the subject of the currency, it is doubtful if his bill, oreven a modified form of it, can pass. There is little knowledge in Congress on the subject of currency or national finance, and less statesmanship shown on one or the other than on any other subject. Almost every Senator or member of Congress has some crude theory of his own, and as the question is not likely to be made a party one, there appears to be little probability of any- thing being done, or at least of any compre- hensive measure being passed. Mr. Sherman fs correct in the first proposi- tion he laid down, that the currency (national bank currency) is very unequally distributed, and that the distribution of it should be more equalized. He said :—‘‘The present distribution of national bank circulation was grossly and palpably unfair, Three States—Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut—containing a population of less than two millions, have over ninety-six million dollars circulation, One- fifteenth of our population have thus one-third of all the bank circulation.” He then goes on to show that the rapidly growing Western States, where credit is most needed, have scarcely three dollars to each inhabitant, while the Southern States are practically with- out any bank circulation. All this proves the power New England has exercised over legis- lation and the government through the period of the war and since and to the special advan- tage of that section of the country. Mr. Sher- man is right, then, in denouncing the par- tiality to New England in the matter of cur- rency circulation and banking privileges as “grossly and palpably unfair,” and in de- manding justice in this respect for the West and South. He is right, too, in the ground he takes in favor of free banking. To make banking free would abolish the present monopoly! of national bank corporations, of States or sections, and would have the effect of equalizing circulation and banking privi- leges throughout every part of tho republic. So far Mr. Sherman is practical. But when he assumes that this free banking system, or any banking system at present, can be estab- lished on a coin basis he is evidently at sea, act- ing upon mere theory, which is impracticable, A law might be passed for the purpose of com- pelling the banks to redeem their notes, or the gold notes which he proposes they shall issue, in specie; but there is a higher law—the law of commercial necessity growing out of an insuffi- ciency of coin and our present financial condi- tion—which would make any law of Congress inoperative. It is easy enough to say resume specie payments, but itis quite another thing to resume. The English tried this forced resump- tion theory after the close of the wars with the first Napoleon, and broke down under it, When they did finally reach specie payments, years afterwards and after several disastrous efforts, the country was plunged into a succession of general bankruptcies. Are we in a better condition? There is a demand of eighty to ninety millions of specie a year to pay the interest on our indebtedness abroad, That, wo believe, is a larger amount than our mines of both gold and silver yield. How, then, are we to maintain specie payments with a contin- ued drain of the precious metals from the country? We might bridge over the difficulty for a time by sending our securities to Europe, as we have been doing; but this only increases the difficulty in the end and makes the drain of specie greater. Then there is the balance of trade, including the large profits on foreign shipping, against us, that calls for adjustment, either by an extraordi- nary exportation of produce beyond the natu- ral demand or by specie. It is said, we know, that a return to specie puyments would curtail importations, and thus tend to lessen the bal- ance of trade against us; but it is doubtful if our people or merchants would buy much less of European goods, and if they should what would become of our present large revenue? Forced resumption under our present circum- stances would place us at the mercy of foreign bankers and capitalists, and they could throw us into suspension at any time. The Bank of England could do this whenover it might choose. The true course is to establish free banking on the basis of a national circulation of legal ‘tender notes, to withdraw the national bank circulation and privileges, without increasing the volume of currency, and to let the country, by the natural increase of wealth, business and development, grow up to specie payments. In this way the government will save twenty millions or more a year to the Treasury, will have a uniform currency, equally distributed, and will have a circulation that foreign coun- tries cannot disturb or drain from us. The growth of the country will settle all the other questions relative to currency, specie payments or our financial condition, We recommend Mr. Sherman and other members of Congress -to drop their theories and to take a practical view of this subject. Frorta Senators—Curious Muppie.—On the 19th instant the Florida Legislature elected O. B. Hart United States Senator in place of Abijah Gilbert, whose election was declared illegal. The Senate opposed the movement, but, it is stated in the Savannah News, some ten Senators straggled into the House, were allowed to vote, and the thing wasdone. How does the question of illegality now stand? Tom Cnerokez Treaty Swinviz, which was exposed by the Hrratp over a year ago when it was about being lobbied through the last session of Congress, has come up again in the present session. Besides the swindle in the treaty of taking, as it proposes to do, some ten or twelve million dollars from the Treasury to purchase lands of the Choro- kee Indians, the whole affair shows up the in- consistency of troating with Indians as foreign Powers. of December, last year, we have the first in- atalment of special correspondence detail- ing the travel, route, experiences and obser- vations of our representative on a tour up the river Nile. The communication appears in our columns to-day. It will attract pub- Uo attention not only by its general contents, but also by the graphic, pleasing and attrac- tive style in which the writer presents and modernizes a subject hoary in its natural an- tiquity, and which has been rendered atill more venerably wrinkled and almost unfit for Purposes of popular instruction and general elucidation from the manner in which it has been treated by the learned pundits of the geographical societies previous to the time of Sir Samuel Baker, Livingstone and this Heratp writer, ‘ Our correspondent set ont in fine tone and spirits from Cairo upward. He tells of the mode of transit and the company, and photo- gtaphs the shore scenery and suburban halt- ing points. Many of the guests of the Viceroy of Egypt during the period of the Suez Canal fetes enjoyed short trips on the line of route, so that the river steamer asso- ciation was diversified and agreeable. Beauty and dance enlivened the shores, The news- paperexplorer of the Father of Waters was received at every point of landing as a cosmo- politan evangelist, so that we entertain not the slightest fear but he will ‘‘come out,” not only in the columns of tl® Hxnraxp, but at every place of fluvial and territorial interest as an instructor, geographer and discoverer worthy to rank with Livingstone and Baker, and enjoy- ing an immensely greater force for the-diffusion of his acquired knowledge through the agency and instrumentality of our type and printing presses in New York, So we progress as the world moves. ‘The Paris Excitement—A Financial Exhibit. The Paris Figaro has had a fit of common sense, instigated doubtless by the extreme measures attempted by the Reds whereby to cause an excitement. Taking the 12th of January, the day on which M. Victor Noir was buried, as an instance, it arrivés at a practical conclusion that such demonstrations don’t pay. At a moderate calculation one hundred and fifty thousand workingmen lost aday anda half. Many stores were closed, and those that kept open only incurred still greater losses. Then come the losses experi- enced by the business public generally, to which add extra cost for the police and mili- tary called out upon extra duty. The result is a definite loss to the city of Paris of some two millions of francs, or four hundred thou- sand dollars, in gold, Now, if M. Rochefort . were to have hold of the reins of government the Figaro, at a moderate estimate, thinks there would be at least one hundred such days annually—that is, judging from past experi- ence, At all events, one hundred days, at four hundred thousand dollars per day, would only be forty millions of dollars, or two hun- dred millions of francs, a year, which is equal to the imporlal budget of France. Figaro thinks it is dirt cheap, and, if the expense is not too serious an object, advises a trial. Virasia AND Her Conaressionat REPRE- sENTATIVEs.—The President will probably approve the Virginia Admission bill to-day and the House Committee on Elections intend immediately to report favorably on the creden- tials of all her representatives except four; so that Old Virginia may find herself back in the Union once more in a few days. It is noticeable that of the four members whose cre- dentials are detained by the House committee the only one who is charged with disloyalty is Porter, a carpet-bagger and former United States Army officer, who was the cause of a wrangle between Trumbull and Sumner a few days ago. It appears from our Richmond despatches that the passage of the bill has renewed the bitterness between the extreme radicals andgthe qpnservatives in the State. The negro radical leaders commenced taunting the conservatives at the demonstration in Richmond yesterday. Tur Wuiskey Case in which Barker, Bam- berger and others are the defendants was postponed yesterday until Friday, at the request of District Attorney Purdy, on the plea that several of his witnesses were absent. It is a new thing for the government to ask a postponement in these cases after they come before the Commissioner. Even Collector Bailey seems to have discovered the evil of delay and to have commenced prosecutions against the parties whonr he has so long sus- pended by his action from business, Tue FRANKING*PRIvILEGE.—Numerous pe- titions are continually being forwarded to Congress for the abolition of the franking privilege. Senator Chandler said yosterday that if the senders would pay the postage on the petitions they would give a practical illus- tration of their sincerity. We cannot under- stand how the petitions reached Congress without the postage being prepaid under the postal laws. Butas it seems they did, it is rather a practical illustration of how freely the privilege is abused, and therefore how fully it deserves to be abolished. Toe New ComMitrER oN THE PostaL TerearapH.—A good move forward for the postal telegraph proposition has been made in referring General Washburn’s bill to a special committee instead of Painter's com- mittee. Painter, it is now stated, proposes to furnish a clerk for the new committee, but General Washburn does not want him. Let the new committee by all means avoid Painter. If they touch Painter they will be defiled, and Painter himself cannot whitewash them. Oxp Barrers.—The bill to prevent the re- packing of flour, sugar, &c., in old barrels evidently touches sore spots all around the Assembly. It was called up yesterday and a stirring debate ensued, in which it was stated that the bill was of so sweeping a nature that it would substantially prohibit the uso of bar- rels, Grorata SENATOR.—It is stated that Gen- eral Terry and Judge Joe Brown have the inside track for the United States Senate from Georgia, with chances in favor of Terry. The election of the latter, from the expression of opinion already given by native Georgians, would not, it seems to .us, be very objection- able, ‘The News from Eurepe. The advices from Europe, by cable and mail reports, which we publish to-day, supply matter of much interest relative to the situation, political, dynastic and social, as it presents in the Old World. Our cable telegrams announce that the Spanish Cortes debated a direct motion for the exclusion of the Bourbons from the throne of the country. General Prim declared that the resolution was of a much too sweeping charac- ter, although he did not intend to save the claim or favor the pretensions of the Duke de Montpensier to the crown. The subject gave rise to a warm discussion, at the close of which the exclusion resolution was rejected by large majority. England was preparing actively -for the opening of Parliament on the 8th of February. All the material interests of the country, as well as the immaterial pre- sented by the Church, were in active and really healthy commotion. The miners and operatives’ trade ‘“‘strikes” at La Creuzot, France, were terminated. By mail we have a verbatim report of John Bright’s speech before the democracy of Bir- mingham, of which we have already given an ample synopsis by cable telegram. The de- tail confirms the fact that the right honorable gentleman is fully impressed with a sense of the serious governmental crisis which is im- pending over Great Britain, in consequence of the necessity which exists for a prompt, de- cided and unequivocal settlement of the great questions which will soon be presented by the people to the legislators and Crown, and that he is using his influence in a really pa- triotic direction, so as to harmonize, if pos- sible, the differert classes of the community towards an equitable adjustment. Paris sup- plies accounts of some interesting incidefts connected with the Bonaparte-Noir tragedy, its consequences and probable results; so that our budget of European news is in reality exciting and of serious import at one and the same ‘moment. Treasurer Spinner’s Report. We have heretofore published extracts from Treasurer Spinner’s report of the receipts and expenditures of the Treasury. The report, outside of the dry statistics, is full of other in- teresting items. Mr. Spinner recommends that the female clerks in the Treasury who do their work as well as the male clerks be allowed as large salaries—a proposition which certainly seems fair, and which will recom- mend the Treasurer very cordially to the good graces of the woman’s rights leaders. But the fact of all compensations in government offices being inadequate calls for some severe strictures. It is stated that whenever a promi- nent clerk gets fully posted in the business of the Treasury he resigns to accept a minor position in,some country bank, where the pay ig better. The Treasurer himself, who per- sonally and by his assistants has handled in the eight years of his official position forty-four thousand million dollars (a sum go large that the ordinary human intellect can hardly com- prehend it) without the loss or misappropria- tion of one cent, receives as his compensation the sum of six thousand five hundred dol- larsa year. Mr. Spinner, feeling that such good luck, as he calls it, will not last always and that the law of chances is strongly against him, wants to resign; but evidently he is too good to lose. Tae Peior is making himself quite agree- able and acting very much like a sensible, young man in Washington, After looking through the Treasury yesterday he slipped away with Mrs. Thornton and Colonel Elphii- stone to Mrs. Grant’s reception, where be paid his respects to the lady of the Executive Man- sion and assisted her in receiving her guests so informally that it would appearthese princes are not always hampered by diplomatic eti- quette, or compelled to speak by the card, or live, move and have their being only at the State’s behest. It would actually seem that, Prince though be is, he is to be allowed the privilege now and then of doing as he likes, He was present at a reception at General Sherman's last night. Tur Coat Tarirr.—The House Committee of Ways and Means have agreed to report a proposition tqadmit all coal free of duty by a vote of five to four. This action has created great excitement among the mine owners and the tariff men, and as a result of their efforts it is said to be probable that Maynard will changa his vote to the negative. If we do not mis- take Mr. Maynard, hé has grit enough ’to hold to his present position against all the coal tariff lobbies in Washington. Tne Dirtomats AT WASHINGTON seem de- termined to get us or our amiable Secretary of State, Mr. Fish, into a sea of troubles. The latest is the case of Tate, the Haytien Minister, who is terribly angered at his res- taurateur and has removed to another board- ing house. It is to be hoped that this will not involve us in a difficulty with Hayti, and that Salnave, who was not blown up, will not blow us up in consequence. Tn Revision oF THE Laws.—Senator Mur~ phy is paying a good deal of‘ attention in the Legislature to the revision of the laws of the State. He yesterday} introduced three sepa- rate bills to amend the Revised Statutes in criminal cases, No doubt the laws need to be improved, but it would be better to have them enforced. WAVAL INTELLIGENCE, Brooklyn Navy Yard. Sixty workmen were discharged from the Navy Yard yesterday and 100 on Monday, in pursuance of recent orders to the Commandant, Admiral Godon, directing a reduction of the numerical force a9 soon ag practicable with the interests of the public ser vice. The sensational versions given by one of the papers, to the effect that the retrenchment alluded to was made merely for the purpose of dismissing those who worked in the yardand reside in the Fit ward pecause of their alleged sympathy with tho victims of the late whiskey raid, is entirely without foundation. The discharge of so many employes is owing to the fact that their services were no longer required, the work upon the vessels on which they have been so long engaged being completed. ‘The Guard has sailed. ‘The Benicia will saii for Portland today. The Yautic 16 almost it readiness for com. mission, as 18 also the frigate Colorado. The present force 18 about 3,000, which number will be reduced gradually during the next two months, as the ser- vices of the men can be dispensed with in the vari- ous departments of labor until the whole will not exceed 2/000, The Navy Yard authorities are justly indignant at the constraction which has been put npon. the intentions of the government, in a partizan sense by irresponsible papers, in the exercise of the present measure of economy, as they disclaim being actuated ye political favoritism whatsoever. The Uni tates steamer Newbern arrived at San Francisco on Monday from Sitka, with General Jefferson 0. Davis and family on board.