The New York Herald Newspaper, May 16, 1870, Page 6

NEW YORK HERALD MONDAY, MAY 16, 1870.—TRIPLE SHEET. Can We Revive Them? NEW YORK HERALD | S05 ore BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR, All business or news letter and telegraphic despatches must be addressed New York Heratp. Volume XXXV.......sccrsseenrerereseees No, 136 AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING. GRAND OPERA HOUS! er id 3d a —ToE TWELVE Tenbsamons, aurea WOOD'S MUSEUM AND MENAGERIE, Broadway, cor- ner Thirtieth «t.—Matines daily, Performatice overy evening. NIBLO'S GARDEN, Broadway—Tuz Deawa oF Mos- Quito. BOWERY THEATRE, Guanp—Lion oF NuwL. BOOTHS THEATRE, &: Fox Versus Goosx—Losr A WALLACK’S THEATRE, Broadway and 13h street.— ‘Tox Lancers. FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE, Twenty-fourth st.—Frov- U. jowery.—VETERAN OF THE OLD GOOD FOR NOTHING, between Sth and 6th avs.— ORE. FRENCH THEATRE, Mth st. and 6tb av.—Tur Lapy or Lyons. THR TAMMANY, Fourteenth street.—Granp VARIETY ENTERTAINMENT. ACADEMY OF MUSIC, 1 In TROVATORS. OLYMPIC THEATRE, Broadway.—Tuk Farr ONE WITH Bionpg Wie. MRS. F. B. CONWAY'S PARK THEATRE, Brooklyn.— Tus Lone StRikx, THEATRE COMIQUE, 514 Broadway.—Comio VocaL- 18M, NEGRO ACTS, &C. TONY PASTOR'S OPERA HOUSE, 201 Bowery.—Comio VooaLisa, NEGRO MINSTRELSY, £0. BRYAN?’S OPERA HOUSE, Tammany Building, Mib 8t—BRYANI'S MINSTRELS. SAN FRANCISCO MINSTRELS, 685 Broa iway.—E7u10- PIAN MINSTRELSEY, &C. KELLY & LEON'S MINSTRELS, No. 720 Broadway.— Cuine Cuow Hr HOOLEY'S OPERA HOUSE. Brooklyn.—Hoo.Fy's MIN- STRELS—PANORAMA, PROGRESS OF AMERIUA, &C. treet.—ITALIAN OPERA— CENTRAL PARK GARDE! Sth ats.—THKODORE THOM. between 58th and ‘2 CONCERTS. COOPER INSTITUTE, Astor place.—LECTURE ON NI- TROUS OXIDE, OR LAUGHING Gas, NEW YORK MUSEUM OF ANATOMY, 618 Broadway,-~ SCIRNCE AND A\ New York, Monday, Pace. ees 1—Advertisements. Q—Advertisenents. B—Keligious: Sermons, Services and Sabbath Soundings in the Depths of Sin; Credulity and Crime Dissvlved, Dissected and Dis- cussed; Specimens of Spasmodic Sanctity Spankedin the Puipit; Fout Races in the Time of the Apostles Considered from a Religious Poiut of View; Fuil Churches and Feeling Congregations; Pu:pit Denunciation of Wo- man’s Rights, 4—Religious Services (continued from Third Page)— Senator Morrill Vouches tor Speaker Blaine, 5—The Red River Expedit'on: The Canaitian Sieamer Chicora Stopped at the St. Marle Canal; the Canal Closed to Men and Supplies; Unexpected and Prolonged Delay ot the Expedttion—Musi- cal and 'rheatrical N ‘The Election Law— Pubiic Ed 3 he Public Schools What They Pretend to Bey—Old World Itens. GE iitorials: wg Article on Our Shipping Interests and Commerce, How Can We Kevive Them—Amusement Announcements, Y—Telegraphic News trom All Parts of the Worl The Papal Council Debating Infatlibility; Cabinet Reconstruction in | France—The International Yacht e: The Sappho Again the | Winner—T Soldiers’ Re- treat—Shoo Fly _Justice—News from Wash- ew York fage—Suicide City News—Rates Near New in this City—Business Notices. S—Broadway Rescued: Veto of the Arcade Railroad Bill; Power of an Independent and rupti- ble 'Press—The Tendencies of Government, Mrs. Victoria C. Woodnull’s Last Lesson in Political History—Real Estate Matters —Court Calendars for To-day—Marine Trausfers—Mar- Tiaves and Deaths. 9—Fivancial and mmercial Reports—Singular Physiological Fact—Adveritsements, 0—McFarlend’s “xposition: More of Mrs, McFar- jaud’s Letters to Her Husband in 1863 and 1864—City Politics—The Battle of the Snades— ‘tne Missouri Rallroad Slaughter—Fasnion- able Life’in London: Disraei’s New Book, “Lothan”’—Shipping Intellgence—Advertise- ments. L1—Alvertisements. L2—Advertisenents. PourricaL Nonsexse.—The Philadelphia Age states that ‘‘in city and country the demo- cratic party is a unit in opposition to the fraudulent and infamous fifteenth amendment. There is not a break in the line.” Well, what will all that amount to? You might as well talk about repealing the Ten Commandments as to attempt to repeal the fifteenth amend- ment in this day and generation. Where toe Money Went.—District At- torney Morris is a man who seems quite ready to answer any questions his opponents over the river may be disposed to ask. The last query was as to the disposition of certain public money, and came from a ring man. The District Attorney answers that the money was spent in an effort to secure the con of his questioner’s associates for the crime of swindling honest people of their votes. What is the next question? Tuk Rep River Expepirios, a programme of the operations of which was announced some four or five weeks ago, has been delayed owing to the refusal of the United States authorities to permit the steamer Chicora to pass through the Sault Ste. Marie Canal. In another column of the Hratp will be found a letter from our correspondent accompanying the Canadian forces, and from his communica- tion a glance at the slow and bungling man- ner in which the expedition has been con- ducted can be obtained. On Turrr Goop Benavior.—We hope the Tammany leaders will not suppose that they are altogether out of the woods by the mere possession of the new Charter. If they do not mean to honestly enforce that law they will convince the people they are only trick- sters. That law meant a political revolution. It meant new men. It is not enough to give five good names and then saddle these with a bevy of the same material that filled the Board of Aldermen before, The people want not only other men but another class of men, Tnx Cororep Vorers in tHe Sournern SrarEs.—The Trenton (Miss.) Gazette in an editorial article on this subject avers that it does not see how any party, contending for the control of the government, can ignore the colored vote South, and adds :— ‘The interests of both races in ti cal, and wisdont and sound poiic that we should make them our tr serve their interest, and consequently the interest of the entire South. This is a sensible view to take of this ques- ‘tion, and the sooner our Southern friends, “native and to the manner born,” realize its importance the better for the South and all who dwell upon its luxuriant soil—white and black, ction | ‘There is but one opinion as to the necessity of doing something to restore the shipping and commerce of the country. Every Americen mourns over the departed glory of our former maritime greatness. Ten yedrs ago the ton- nage of the United States exceeded that of any other nation, We had over five and a half millions of tons, inclusive of registered, en- rolled and licensed steam and sailing vessels. Now we have less than four millions. This is @ decline of over a million and a half tons in less than ten years, The greatest falling off has been in the tonnage employed in foreign trade. The cause of this is well known. The terrible civil war which we lately passed through drove our shipping from the oceans, and transferred both the ownership and the carrying trade to foreigners. But that is not the worst. We have been going behind relatively to other maritime nations, and particularly to England, ever since, Our great maritime and commer- cial rival has got a long way ahead in the race. She has not been slow to improve the advantages given to her by the war, and con- sidering her resources and facilities for ship- building she will maintain her supremacy un- less extraordinary and wise measures be taken to revive our shipping interests. What can be done, then, to restore our ship- ping and commerce? That is the question, and no easy one to solve. But our shipping interests can be resuscitated and we may again take the first rank among maritime nations if proper measures be adopted. We are told, it is true, that the wages of labor being so much higher here than in Great Britain and other parts of Europe and the interest of money so much greater that we cannot compete with foreign shipbuilders. Then they have the ma- terials for building and all the things that enter into fitting up and navigating vessels far cheaper. Nor can it be denied that in Great Britain, and particularly on the Clyde, they have attained a high degree of skill in shipbuilding, as well as having superior advantages in the abundance and cheapness of materials and labor. In the matter of skill in modelling and constructing vessels we are equal to the British, if not supe- rior, and there could be no doubt about find- ing within a short time all the skilled labor necessary for any amount of work. Nor can Great Britain beat us in the quality of timber and iron used for shipbuilding, while we have a thousand times over more in quantity. It is, then, simply a question of comparative cost in the price of materials and labor. This we cannot over- come. We cannot bring the wages of Ameri- can labor, either in preparing the materials or in putting them together, to the level of British labor. Nor can we bring the interest of money or capital down to what it is in Europe. There are so many opportunities of employing profitably here, and such a demand for it in the development of this new country, that money must continue to be more valuable than abroad. It is evident, there- fore, that we cannot compete, under such unequal conditions, with Great Britain in shipbuilding. Committees of Congress have been long and carefully examining the matter as to how the tonnage of the country can be increased and our shipping and commercial interests revived, and there have been a number of propositions made in and to Congress with a view to accom- plish this object. But the easiest, most prac- tical and surest plan seems to be the one that finds least favor. We mean that of changing the registry law so as to permit our merchants and capitalists to buy vessels abroad where they can get them cheapest and best. If American merchants were permitted to have vessels so purchased nationalized the same as if they were built here we should soon see a vast increase of our tonnage. It would not be long before we should have splendid steam- ship lines competing with those of England on the ocean. If even the American built vessels which changed their national character and passed into the hands of foreigners during the war were allowed a register again under the old flag a great many might be repurchased by our citizens, and thus our tonnage be increased. But it is urged that the repeal or change of the registry law would damage or retard shipbuilding here for a time, if not almost ruin that branch of in- dustry. It might possibly check shipbuilding here at first, but in the end that interest would not be damaged, for the increase of our com- merce would develop new wants and give more employment in time even to our own shipyards. Then competition stimulates enter- prise, and, with a gradual return to the normal condition of things as they were before the war, our mechanics, inventors, iron workers and shipbuilders would soon learn to rival those of Great Britain. But, after all, the shipbuilding interest is not the greatest in the country, and in importance does not begin to compare with the interests involved in a large mercantile marine and in the foreign commerce of the country. The interests of a few ship- builders, of the iron workers of Pennsylvania and of the lumbermen of Maine, are insignifi- cant compared with those of general com- merce and the carrying trade. To increase the tonnage of the country, to bring us up to our former marilime greatness and to make the United States the successful rival of Eng- land, throw all other questions and local interests into the shade, This is the one supremely important object to be considered. Among the crude schemes submitted to Congress for increasing our tonnage is that of giving bounties or a direct bonus of money on every ton of ships that may be built. This is the most absurd, ruinous and corrupting scheme ever proposed in a Legislature. It would be a stupendous fraud upon the people and Treasury for the benefit of a few individuals and must lead to greatcorruption. Something might be done, and, perhaps, ought to be done, to help shipbuilding by taking off the duty on fron and other materials actually used in the construction of vessels. The interests of navigation might be promoted also by a | drawback of the duty on things that are used on board ships. A liberal compensation for | mail service to important steamship lines | might foster that important branch of the mer- | cantile marine. But, perhaps, the most effec- tive way to both stimulate shipbuilding and to rapidiy increase our tonnage would be to make @ difference in duties upon imported merghan- dise when carried in American bottoms. If ten, fifteen or more per cent of duties were taken off imported foreign goods when carried by American ships our merchants would very soon import their goods under the flag of the United States. It may be said that such a discrimination in favor of American and against foreign bottoms would give offence to other commercial nations and cause them to retaliate. Well, we are not afraid of that. They are compelled to seek @ market here for their silks, satins, cloths, bijouterfe and luxu- ries of all kinds, and it would do no harm if we did not consume so many of these, while our staples of cotton, tobacco and other things they must have. In fact, they could not retaliate so as to do us any serious harm, Our own interests, and particularly those of our shipping and commerce, are first to be consid- ered. To discriminate largely and wisely in favor of American bottoms in the carrying trade between this country and foreign coun- tries would rapidly increase our tonnage. It is to be hoped Congress will drop all the crude and little schemes for reviving the shipping interests of the country, and especially that monstrous one of a bonus on tonnage, and will adopt some comprehensive plan worthy of statesmen, Two Eminent Scottish Preachers—Dr. mond and Dr. McLeod. Among the preachers yesterday in this city were two eminent Scotsmen—Dr, Edmond, of Islington, London, and Dr. Alexander McLeod, of Birkenhead, near Liverpool. Dr. Edmond preached in Jane street United Presbyterian church, a church and congregation founded, we believe, by the father of his ancient friend and colleague, Dr. Stark, of Dennyloanhead. Dr. McLeod preached in the F ourteenth street Presbyterian church, a church so long and ably presided over by Dr. McElroy. The outlines of his sermon will be found in another column. Both of the reverend gentlemen are alumni of the University of Glasgow. Both of them, having occupied for a time subordinate spheres in the country, were translated to Glasgow. In Glasgow they both filled important posi- tions. But both, yielding to ambition, sought new spheres of activity and usefulness. The one found his in London; the other found his in Birkenhead. They are men of mark both. When quite a young divine Dr, Edmond re- ceived a compliment from the late Professor Wilson (Kit North), which did much to give him a name and to sustain his spirit in years of delicate health. He has long enjoyed a high reputation for pulpit eloquence. Dr. McLeod is a severer genius. Less easy, less natural, less graceful as a speaker and more ambitious of being thought original as a thinker than his companion, Dr. McLeod en- joys the reputation of being a hard student and a correct and effective pulpit orator. In his college days Dr. McLeod won a prize for the best poem on the ‘‘Age of Chivalry.” Dr. Edmond has written some respectable biogra- phies in “‘Mackenzie’s Dictionary.” With such exceptions neither is known in the world of literature. They both come to this country as delegates from the English branch of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland to take part in the forthcoming celebration of Presbyterian Union in Philadelphia. We ad- vise some of our Scotch churches now in need of good men for their pulpits to consider whether they would not be acting wisely in securing the services of two such men. We could name more than one church and congre- gation which is sadly in need of building up. Such a salary as is given to Dr. Hall would retain either of them, unless we greatly mis- take. In New York either would be a power. A word to the wise. The Whipping Post. In the growth of what is called refinement and intelligence a great many of the old- fashioned pains and penalties of misdoing have been swept away as “barbarous.” In English history and literature the whipping post and the pillory figure very conspicuously, and because of that figure the world seems to have coincided in the judgment that has con- signed them to its lumber limbo. In some of. our States, however, these ancient instruments linger, are constantly used, and are believed in as effective restraints against crime. We reported yesterday six cases of whipping for minor offences in the State of Delaware. If we judge by the example that State presents we may well consider whether or no there is not good reason to revise the decree so gene- rally given against the whipping post and the pillory. Was it not the abuse of these instru- ments that caused the world generally to give them up? And if we are to give up all pun- ishments subject to abuse which shall we at last retain? Nobody likes to think of Daniel Defoe in the pillory ; but unjust laws and un- just judges would make equally infamous use of any conceivable penalty. We believe that the abandonment of these punishments was merely an early effect—one of the first—of that philanthropic sentimentality toward crim- inals which now demands the abolition of capi- tal punishment, and which, as a next step, will demand that all prisons be torn down or turned into free lunch houses, and will, per- haps, never stop till it establishes the full im- munity, if not the meritorious character, of every offence against the peace of society. Some pitiful scoundrel commits a small and shameful offence, Why should society there- upon assume the charge of his support and visit upon him no evil but the loss of a liberty for which he cares nothing? Is it not more rational to give him a hearty physical disci- pline on the spot? There is found in Delaware, one most eloquent fact in support of this view. The whipping plan actually prevents crimes of the sort that are punished at the whipping post. So much can scarcely be said for any other punishment. ‘‘Revolvers” and “‘repeat- ers” who keep the prisons full in all other places are not known there, It is but very seldom they have to whip the same rascal twice. Ed- Tue Law or THE Lamppos People who are in the habit of trusting their papers on top of the letter boxes because they cannot put them in should notice that a decision has been given to the effect that the taking of these papers is not theft. One of the Celes- tials, in want of good reading matter perhaps, helped himself to a newspaper and was taken into custody, but the magistrate decided that the paper, as it was not in the box, was not in the custody of the Post Office, and discharged the Celestial. The Arcade Rallroad Swindle Srustrated. This morning Broadway property holders breathe freer. The State Executive has shown his integrity and independence, and by listening to the voice of right and justice has confirmed toits legitimate owners the title to property in Broadway, and effectually demo- lished the most stupendous wrong that has ever been attempted to be perpetrated upon the Empire City, Governor Hoffman seldom takes a step of great importance without care- fully considering its. results, and when the Arcade Railroad bill was presented for his signature he examined it critically, and, dis- covering its infamous provisions, squarely and boldly rejected it as unworthy a place in the statute book. The Governor reads the HeERALp, and thereby became acquainted with the feeling of the people in regard to this gigantic job. The importance to be attached to this veto is seen in the fact that the Governor is not obliged to give his reasons for withholding his signature to bills presented to him afler the adjournment of the Legisla- ture; but in this instance, in view of the vast interests involved, he felt called upon to de- part somewhat from common usage and state fully his objections to this bill. His veto con- denses the arguments which the independent press have advanced against the Arcade Rail- road bill, and his reasons for vetoing it are un- answerable, He disapproves of the scheme as chimerical, the plan being new and untried and condemned as a visionary project by some of the most skillful engineers, as it would en- danger the safety of every building on Broad- way. For once the Albany lobby has been de- feated, even after putting forth their most powerful exertions to secure the support of the country members to this infamous swindle. The Arcade Railroad bill is dead, never, we hope, to be resurrected, and New York rejoices over its demise, Fashion and Literary Sensationism in Eng land=“‘No Popery” and a Dramatic Fiasco. Our special correspondence from London, published in another column to-day, is pecu- liarly attractive and interesting. It presents the people of the old England when under the influence and excitement modern sensationism ; reading ‘‘Lothair” in the drawing room and Cabinet, and attending on the sheriff in his action against the drama by effecting a dis- traint on & theatre. Our special writer affords the public considerable insight of the circumstances which immediately influenced or produced the situation. The author of “Lothair” appears to have been moved by re- | ligion; the fervor of the ancient faith dete- | riorated vastly by a longing after the ‘‘flesh- pots” of Downing street—but not by its charity. He attempted to array David and Solomon against St. Augustine and Arch- bishop Manning and Pius the Ninth, and thus, perhaps, ride into office again on the flow tide of a revived ‘‘No Popery” cry. ‘‘Lothair” was published in London the day but one be- fore Mr. Newdegate made his Parliamentary motion respecting conventual establishments, John Bull was ‘‘tickled” almost ‘‘to death” at the idea, the bright hit of the author. If immorality is about John Bull likes to see it; he likes it to be unblushing, to come out in the light of the sun. John wants scandal to be placed on the law record, as in the in- stances of Mordaunt and other divorce cases, trials and the many clerical escapades which have been just recently reported in the Court of Arches and elsewhere. Mr. Disraeli and John don’t want infamy—if there be any-—to be veiled and hid away, but demand the plain speaking ideas of the ancient times and of the old Testament; ‘‘the Catoism of lending, the Judaism of divorcing and the lib- ertinism of exchanging wives.” In the the- atrical case it appears that an editor wrote a play which in its progress to the stage in Lon- don brought the sheriff to the door of the theatre attended by a numerous sidewalk audience. The ne sutor ultra crepidam—or “the cobbler should stick to his last”’—of Horace verified again. City Government. The problem of our city government is apparently a very difficult one, and nothing yet seen in the political shuffle of election time promises any improvement. How to give us adecent government, administered by decent men, is a question as unanswerable as ever, for it cannot be pretended that one good name on an Aldermanic ticket can save fourteen names of hopeless material, some of these being the names of the worst political trash the city ever knew. Must ii, then, be given up that so far as the reorganization of the Board of Aldermen goes, the new Charter is a failure, and that the corrupt councils in the wards triumph over the better will of the Tam- many leaders? These facts must be conceded; the democratic triumph has been regarded as so certain that the opposition have acted on the thought that effort was hopeless. Nomi- nation, therefore, is equivalent to election for the democratic ticket. Instead, then, of the people making certain persons Aldermen, the certain persons ure made such by a com- mittee, and the committee considers its own purposes and not the will of the people. This will never do. This course persisted in will draw the lines of political division here so the party differences will not be in political opinion but in social position—character and honesty. Tue New Posr Orricg Dirricutty.—The new Post Office is an excellent thing, or likely to be, and the same may be said of the new law giving the parks into the power of certain Commissioners and requiring them to set them in good order. It would be a pity if a good law and a useful public labor should be brought into unnecessary collision by wrong-headed- ness on either side, and we hope the Commis- sioners and the Post Ofice builders will not push their respective an@ hostile views of the same subject to ill-natured extremity. OxsrRUcTING THR Streets.—The city an- thorities have just had a judgment rendered against one of the horse car companies for ob- struction of a street near their depot. The company in question occupied the greater part of the street with its old cars and other lumber as if the thoroughfare was its private property, and claimed to have a right to do this under its charter; but the court decided otherwise. This is a goud step. Will the city authorities keep in mind that there are a great ™many more offendors of the same aort? The Army and Navy. No one can have failed to notice the disposi- tion on the part of certain gentlemen in Con- gress to depreciate the officers of the army and navy who most distinguished themselves in putting down the rebellion, This extends to the smallest matters, and there is scarcely a subject brought up in which the names of any of our distinguished officers are mentioned that some one in the Senate or House of Rep- resentatives does not have a fling at them. Fortunately this disposition is not universal, and extends only to those who have had little to do with saving the country from destruc- tion; yet, strange to say, the majority listen to the men who are disaffected towards the army and navy and do not sufficiently inform them- selves regarding the two arms of national defence to enable them to judge independently. Some members of Congress who have served in the army in prominent positions are among the foremost of those who are now lending themselves to its destruction; for it can be called nothing else when the attempt is made to reduce the force to a corporal’s guard and cut down the pay, which was considered scarcely enough to live on in times when the price of living was much more moderate than at present, These discussions about the pay and future assignment of our distinguished officers have one good effect. They bring out the noble traits of character of those legislators who are only governed by great national motives. Who is there that does not applaud the gene- rous sentiments of that noble old Roman, Senator Nye, when he says:—‘‘What man would not take one of our brave defenders to his hearthstone and make him comfortable? And yet here upon the hearthstone of the nation it is proposed to pauperize them. No nation can afford to be ungrateful to its helpless and crippled soldiers, and I protest against the bill inthe name of a generous people.” These words will be remembered long after tho Senator has left public life, and long after the Spencers and such as they are consigned to oblivion. It is to men like Senator Nye that the officers of the army and navy have to look for the vindication of their conduct and for the support of their reputation, There is no instance where officers have done anything in or outside the line of their duty that could possibly call forth the malignant feelings that seem to animate certain legislators, and they can only be accounted for by the want of suc- cess of these same legislators when they held positions in the army for which they were in nowise fitted. The recent debate in the Senate in relation to the pay of the chief clerk of the Navy Department is a specimen of the style of two- penny legislation, and the opportunity could not be allowed to pass without letting slip a broadside at the naval officers holding high positions in the department, who are most likely there from no choice of their own, and who would gladly change their stations for others more consonant with their tastes, which would remove them from contact with politicians and their importunities for small offices. It was rather strange, however, to see the honorable Senator from Ohio taking part in the debate on the small item of three hundred dollars increase in the salary of a clerk, and reflecting upon prominent officers of the navy—officers who are endeavoring to lift the service out of the mud in which it was left by the administration of Andrew Johnson. There was a gleam of satisfaction in the fact that such men as Cole, Warner, Cragin, Drake, Anthony and Nye were on the ground, ready to stand by the navy and expose the ignorance of those who attempted to depreciate it. The want of knowledge of naval matters among many of our legislators is really wonderful, and people are, therefore, astonished that they should get up on the floor of Congress and show to the world how little they do know. In many cases it is pure ma- levolence that prompts their action, and they frequently misrepresent matters knowingly. All these discussions will, however, in the end, havea good effect. They will enable the friends of either branch of the service to put at rest the attacks of the opposition, and will show the magnanimous people of the United States how it is intended to treat those but for whom their position at this time might be very different. - Had Lee’s army reached Philadel- phia there is no knowing how matters might have gone. Had Sherman failed in his march through the South the rebellion might have ended in a manner less consonant with our wishes. Who can measure the services of our distinguished officers by the amount of pay they receive? It is now proposed to cut their salaries down to one-palf what they were before the war, and to take from the navy the thirty-three and one-third per cent, which will make the pay of the latter about one- half what the officers of the army receive. Fortunately they cannot do more than this without reducing naval officers to a condition that will drive them to places where they can eke out a miserable subsistence and raminate on the ingratitude of republics. How much better it would be for the coun- try if our legislators would do something to build up our navy, and let the United States rank, as it should do, among the foremost na- tions of the earth. They would be placed in a humiliating position if we should suddenly be involved in a controversy with England, which may happen at any moment, Then the people would ask—‘‘Why were these men sent to legislate for us when they knew so little the duties of statesmen, spent millions in endeavoring to break up the army and navy and brought such bitter fruits to the nation?” DeatH Struecie or tHe Rovan Demo- oracy.—The lasf act of the expiring rough and tumble followers of Jack Morrissey, Jimmy O’Brien and Wash McLean was exhibited on™ Saturday night ata meeting in the Twenty-first ward. They stoned the democratic speakers, threw half hatched eggs at the band and dis- charged fire-works among the one thousand quietly disposed democrats who were present, and thus broke up the meeting. Iumicration—Stinn =Tugty Come.—Last week nine thousand Europeans were landed in this city from emigrant ships, in search of new aomes. From Ireland and Germany came five thousand, in about equal proportions, while England and Sweden had the bulk of the remainder. So we draw from the best physical and intellectual sources of the old world—aud we improve all wa qct. £ o The Churches Yosterday. Yesterday was more like summer than like spring. A warm sun, untempered by wind, made the atmosphere close and almost uncom- fortable, Nevertheless the churches were crowded to their utmost capacity, the clear weather giving all persons an opportunity to display their piety and their attire. That the firat was of greater consequence to the worshippers than the last we sincerely hope, although it must be confessed that the dresses were the most conspicuous. We shall not, however, enter upon any speculation regard- ing the devoutness of the congregations. Mr. Beecher said yesterday that there were plenty of men who loved prayer and who had gone to hell, and we presume he ought to know, so that, after all, it seems excessive devotion is not always agure means of getting to heaven, The reverend gentleman also deeply regretted the failure of Christianity to convert the world, and attributed this to the inconsistencies of Christians, arising from the sectarian spirit. As this is the same opinion advanced in the Heratp some time ago, we heartily agree with Mr. Beecher, who was, by the way, un- usually facetious, Plymouth church resounded with peals of laughter when he described the change which eomes over maid-servant and mistress after they have been really converted. Why the apostle of the Brooklyn tabernacle excites the mirth of his flock every Sunday we cannot imagine, Perhaps it is because he fears the odors of the flowers by which he is always surrounded may have an enervating effect upon his aristocratic congrogation. Who knows? And this suggestion brings up the sermon delivered at the Central Presby- terian church, in Brooklyn, by Rev. Dr. Tal- madge. He preached on the subject of spas- modic religion and flower-pot Christians, and expressed a fear that the religion of the day “was getting to be @ sickly, sentimental thing.” Now, we do not object fo its being sentimental, but we sincerely pray it will not become unhealthy. Sick Christianity is only a species of Spiritualism. In the way of vigorous preaching Dr. Chee- ver bore off the palm yesterday when he de- clared the great Catholic Council an ‘‘Ecu- menical Council of human liars,” which wasa severe thing to say, but one we hope the Ro- man bishops will not wax angry about. In contrast with his energetic language was the calm, dignified farewell of Rev. C. B. Smyth to his pharisaical congregation. The church was densely crowded and the general feeling of those Present was one of sympathy for the reverend gentleman, He offered no re- proaches, but candidly told those who had been instrumental in effecting his retirement that they would live to regret it. Of course all the Praise God Barebones present rejoiced at Mr. Smyth’s losing his pastorship, and after the sermon was over expressed their joy in severe- ly sanctimonious language. Considering the tribulations of these righteous mortals, we advise them to engage the services of Bishop S. S. Snow, who solemnly avowed yesterday at the Church of Spiritual Jerusalem that he had been ‘commissioned by God” to set crooked things straight, on the strength of which the bishop delivered a sermon in which there was a good deal about the allegorical explanations of lightning, thun- der voices and earthquakes. Whether these have any connection with the ‘importance of Christian activity,” on which subject Rev. Mr. Stratton preached at the Lexington avenue Methodist church, we cannot say. It might be, however, that they bear some relation to the ‘‘wanderers from the fold,” of whom Rev. Mr. Foote discoursed most eloquently at the Christian church. But be that as it may it is quite certain all the preachers were active, with a few elo- quent, on the Sabbath day just passed. And there were some sermons breathing the spirit of a pure Christianity, and others rather mixed up with the peculiar tenets of our mod- ern moral reformers. On another occasion we shall consider these last referred to. Aside from them, the religious services and discourses of yesterday were interesting and calculated to do much good to religion, A Good Time for the Opera Goers. After all the flickerings of Malian opera during the last winter and this spring we are to have really one short season of the genuine article. Ouir fashionable people are not to go. away to the places of summer resort before they have tasted this most delightful of all amuse- ments, The company is a sort of combina- tion one, to which the best and most popular singers belong. It is under the direction of Albites; but that famous tenor, Brignoli, is the head and frontof it. Brignoli comes back fresh to New York, afier a successful tour to California, the South and the West. He will uneage his sweet birds at the Academy of Music to-night in ‘‘Trovatore,” when he, Miss Kellogg, Gazzaniga, Petrili and Fossati will perform. This cast cannot fail to fill the Academy. Then on Tuesday evening we are to have ‘‘Martha,” with Brignoli again, and that charming, fresh and popular American prima donna, Miss Isabel McCulloch, with a new importation from Europe, Miss Clara Perl, who, it is said, has a splendid voice. With “Lucia de Lammermoor” on Friday, and a succession of other attractive operatic enter- tainments afterwards, the fashionable world of New York ought to be very thankful. More Last Worps.—Mr. Sumner proposes another law for the special good of the negro, which he earnestly declares is, so far as he knows, to be the last. This law is to give the negro the same rights on steamboats, railroads and such places, as white men have. Itis, in fact, a recognition of the failure and insuffi- ciency of the Civil Rights bill. That bill gave the negro the same rights as the white man everywhere, and, therefore, of course, gov- erned these cases; but it is found ineffective, and hence the present effort to give again, by special law, what was fully given before, In this necessity for iterative legislation we se@ the futility of attempts to establish by legal means facts that the people are not willing to accept, Negroes may travel in the first cabin in Massachusetts because the people of that State are pleased to indulge themselves with that little vanity of superior philanthropy; but they will not elsewhere, dospite a great many laws of Congress; for courts are in sympathy with the people, and there are few judges not sufficiently acute to find in the wilderness of the law plenty of valid points against an unpal- atable statute. i i