The New York Herald Newspaper, February 28, 1871, Page 6

+ © NE BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR. ae W YORK HERALD Volame Sear: AMUSEMENTS TH THIS EVENING, GLOBE THEATRE, 128 Broatway.-Vatiery Exrer- PAINNENT, KC.—APTER THE WAR. NEW YORK STADT THEATRE, 45 Bowery.—Tas Hueuenors. » aay vag ,pocrrs ‘igyepmeinme 234 t., De:ween 5ib and OtD ave.— seve dom MUSEUM Broadway, o: noes every afternoon and erent: NIBLO'’S GARDEN, Broadwa TRE BLAk Cnook. WALLACK’S THEATRE, Broadway and 18th street.— Ovrs. er Bch st.—Perform: THe SPROTACLE oF LINA EDWIN's THEATRI Down; Ox, Tuk Two Livres ‘0 Broadway.--HuNTEaD Many Lricu. GRAND OPERA HOUSE, corner of 8h ay. ana 33d st.— La PRRIOAOLE. OLYMPIC THEATRE, Broadway.—Tur RICAELICU OF THE PERIOD. BOWERY THEATRE, Bowery.— —Tonr; on, Way Down Soorm—Jaqcts Bruor. FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE, Twenty-fourth strect,— BABATOGA. MRE, F. B. CONWAY'S PARK THCATRE, Brooklyn. BakaTOGA. pprooany N ACADEMY OF MUSIC -Greman Orrra— TONY PASTOR'S OPERA HOUSE, 261 Bowery.—Va- BIETY ENVERTAINMENT. THEATRE COMIQUE, 514 Broadway.—Comto Vooan Im, NEGHO ACTS, &6. BAN FRANCI80O MINSTREL HAUL, 685 Broatway.— NeG@uo MINsvkETSY, PaRoss, Boacnsqurs, £0. BRYANT'S and 7th avs.. W OPERA HOUSE, #20 MINSTRELSY, Hi i et., between 6th TRICITIEG, £0. HOOLEY'S OPERA HOUSE, Brooklyn.—Hoouer's ax KELLY & Leon's Mrneree: APOLLO HALL. corner 28th Dr. Conrr's Diozawa or Tnx street and Broadway.— SOMERVILLE ART GALLERY, © Fi aren ue—EX WILITION OF Wonas oF ART. NEW YORK CIRCUS, Fourteeath stv: THE RING, ActOUATS, NEW YORK MUSEUM OF SOIBNOR AND A -Scesss 1s ANATOMY, 618 Broadway.— DR. KAUN'S BOI:NEE AND Aw CONTENTS OF Teepay's | ERSLD. Pace. i—Advertiscmenta Meeting of uitation—News from + Propositions it High Commission: Fi Members in on—The State Capi! t the Coal Famine. ry of the Princess Loulse Be- nd Commons: Life at the Im- perial Headquarters at Versatiies; Dreadfal Sutferings of the French Soldiers in Switzer. land; the Bla Se: een ee Coal Troudles—Ri : Discussion by ork Clty News—- tas Ww fore the Lon ence— Burned to Death— S—Procee!ings in the Conrts—The Antmals' Pea. | boy 2 West Virginia Tutell zence—Real tera—Conflagration in Pateh by 5 ea “Waiking the Plank ading Artic tion of Fra: The Preliminaries of tions for tie German Vietor’s Return—Gen France—Reitef f 5 ropean 1 trom Haye —Busi- ness Notices. S—Tinancial and Commercial Markets—Advertisments. 9—Advertisements. 2O—A Market An loping Washington Market in a Wal- liane Wind — isis intimates that martial law is needed in the coaLregions. Martial law would have annihi- lated the capitalists and the railroad companies and all the rich couspirators long masters, ond he would have hanged these #oal operators. Mr. Genet has a magnificent plan for a rapid transit, which from all accounts is the accepted one of the ell-powerf2l “ring” lead- ers. Itis to run from the Battery through Greenwich, Laurens, Washington square, Seventh avenue and Broadway to Harlem river. It proposes to cut through in any way that | may suit the fancy of the engineer, sometimes underground, sometimes on the surface, then again elvvated on sticks like the old Green- wich street road, and again running its rugged way through blocks of houses, Mr. Genet seems to have despaired of any impreve- ment on the many plans now before the Legis- lature for rapid transit, and to have made up bis measure by kneading all of them together. the House of Representatives which is to meet on the 4th of March shows that the republicans will have a majority of thirty- five ina House of two hundred and twenty- seven members. There are two members yet to be elecied to fill recent vacancies, and New Hampshire, Connecticut, Texas and California have ye! to hold elections for their full dete- gation. These will add seventeen more to the fall representation, making the aggregate mumber of members two hundred and forty-three. California and Connecticut may possibly send all democratic mem- bers, seven altogether, end Texas will certainly return two, if not all four, of her ap- portionment democratic. New Hampshire, of vourse, is eafely ropublicun, She will return three members to swell tie republican ma- fority. There are a number of democratic seats contested, but as the roll stands at present the two-thirds majority of the republicans is TION.—This Convention assembled in ‘Akcon on the 23d fost. So far as fun and jollity were concerned it must have been a decided success; but what benefit will arise from its deliberations is yiot quite so clear. The meinbers bad not the courage to meet the deadhead issue face to Yace and declare their independence of rail- youd companies, steamboat lines, hotel keep- ‘ers, and so on; and in this they exhibited a Jamentable lack of profes A resolution denouncing pe ip conducting editorial dise us was passed. ‘Phis was a very good thing. If it can be made to apply tg ggme me twopolitan editors it | will be o still better thing, Oa the Baa} the Ohio Ediioria! Convention, for 4871 may be reyarded as affording our country brethren @ fine cpportmalty for sel(-admiration and Paabling ‘ii Quang a jolly time generally. | ‘ Demented Nabob—Army | | to speak at all of 1870, i Reports—Havaua | before this. | Napoleon used to bang ineficieat quarter- | nal independence. | ral defamation | aut ~NEW YORK HERALD, ‘TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28. 1871.- TRIPLE SHEET. The Peace PE Prostration France=Tbo Meayy Exactions of Ger- many. Once more Kaiser William thanks God, and this time not unwisely, Te his beloved Queen Augusta he telegraphs these words :—‘‘With a deeply moved heart, in gratitude to God, I in- form you that the preliminaries of peace have been signed. Tae Bordeaux Assembly must yet ratify them.” All the world rejoices in the prospect ef peace, and in so far as Kaiser William’s words encourage or assure that prospect all the world will ssy to them, “Amen.” $ So far as the preliminary peace terms are known to us they are these :—France cedes Alsace and a certain amount of territory to the westward, lncluding what the French have been proud to call their maiden fortress, the fortress of Metz. Belfort, it is said, is to. be restored to France and the war indemnity is fixed at five milliards of francs, or one thon- sand millions of dollars. As we announced yesterday the G-rman forces will occupy a certain amount of French territory in addition to the above until the indemuity is fully paid. Contrary to what was reported some days ago, the German soldiers are to en- joy the full fruition of their hard- fought fights by temporarily occupying a cer- tain portion of Paris, and by means of a sort of triumphant procession, showing them- selves off to the ladies of the gayest centre of the world’s population. Had we been fight- ing in the German armies we might have’ in- sisted on this spocial reward for our labors and sacrifices, As it is, however, we think the German demands rather hard in this parti- cular, The National Assembly of France, of course, must yet ratify the preliminaries of peace, | No unprejudiced mind can look at these pre- liminaries, thus stated, and say they are un- just. But as little can any such mind look upon them and say they are other than hard. After a six months’ war France finds herself more prostrate, more oxhausted, than she was after all the wars of the Revolution and all the wars of the First Napoleon, The fact is that to-day France is, to all intents and purposes, demoralized in every depart- ment of trade and industry. According to | our skilful estimate France has actually lost | in this war, as nearly as possible, twenty-five thousand millions of dollars. This loss is ter- rific, and we do not think it overstated. But to understand the financial condition of France to-day we must think of France as she was | before the war. The last year before the war for which the accounts are closed was the year 1867, In that year the actual income, from all sources, was about three hundred and sixty millions—the aciual expenditure being about three hundred and ninety millions. According to calculations which we have been at some pains to examine the deficit of 1867 - | was rather under than over the average of the ' preceding and sueceeding years of the empire. | It is not, in fact, unreasonable to conclude that the annual deficit in 1868 and 1869, not was over fifty million | dollars, It is well known that there had been | for twenty years a chronic d-ficit, the expen- | diture having increased upwards of one hun- dred and fifiy millions of dollars, the charge for the debt fifty millions; although in conse- | quence of the general prosperity ef the conn- | try and the consequent productiveness of the | old taxes the financial manipulations under the | empire contrived to make it appear that the impositioa of new taxes was uncalled for and unnecessary. It is not unreasonable to infer | that there was before this war broke out some unexhausted taxpaying power in the country ; but as French taxes have all along been high i this unexhausted taxpaying power cannot be great; and it is extremely difficult to see how the French people, by curtailing expenditure on the one hand and by increasing taxation on the other, can pay interest for any loans which may be contracied for liquidating the burden of the war. It ought to be remembered, too, that the France which will have to bear this war burden will not be the France of 1867. In that year the Bas Rhin, the Haut Rhin and the Moselle yielded from direct taxes, from indi- rect taxes and from registration dues some ten millions of dollars; but the greater portion of this territory is no longer French. And in addition to all this we mast make large and liberal allowance for the falling off of revenue from the influences of the war on the products and trade of the country. The presumption is that in addition to all her old burdens France would need to be able to spare for the interest of a new debt some seventy millions of dollars annually. It is difficult, however, to see bow she will be able to spare twenty-five or thirty millions, The sum which Germany demands is not so large as was at one time anticipated ; but it is still so large that France must feel it like a millstone around her neck for many years to come. It will be well of the National Assembly if it decides to accept Germany's terms. Should the Assembly rebel war will be resumed, and France will be hopelessly and forever ruined as a great Power unless the other so-called great Powers interfere, not by force of mere worde, but by force of arms. Itis not at all likely that the Assembly will unqualifiedly en- dorse the treaty. It is much more likely that an earnest request will be made for the pro- longation of the armistice—a request which, in spite of all present appearances, may be com- plied with—and that the German demands may yet be considerably modified. France in her humiliation and sorrow begins again to command the sympathy ef the nations. On this Continent, in Great Beitain and among all the peoples of Europe, the Germans alone ex- cepted, there is heard a powerful undertone, and the language of that undertone, when ' translated, means that France is being too much bumbled—that the exactions of Germany | are merciless and revolting to the better sense of civilized humanity. On all hands it is felt and confessed that in those exactions there is too much of revenge, too much of man’s iabumanity to man, and too little of the milk of human kindness. It will not be good for Germany—it will be bad for Europe | aad the cause of civilization generally—if Count Bismarck or Kaiser William insists upon his ‘ps poung of flesh. Ki ~ At, ig. a principle well finderstood, a principle recogn' alzed in jnterna- tional law, that a victorious nation which takes territory shall take nothing else. We com- mend to the attention of Count Bismarck an4 his Poll of | master a notable exainple. After our successes against ihe Mexicans we decided to obtain the possession of a certain amount of territory which hitherto had been considered to belong to the enemy. It was not known to us then that tho territory we took from Mexico con- tained ‘‘the gold mines of California and the silver mines of Nevada;” but it was neverthe- leas felt that the extent of the aequired terri- tory exceeded the requirements of justice; and, as became a great and law-loving people, we paid down to Mexico several millions of dollars by way of adjustment. We have no oases to be ashained of that magnanimous act, But fGermany, yletding to the iufluence of men who, after all, have no sympathy with the people properly se called, will abate nothing of her demands, the time may come when Germany in her tara will look in vain to men and Heaven for mercy. True, tho first Napoleon—and France through him—was cruel to Germany, and espocially cruel to Prussia, But is there to be no forgetting, no forgiving? Is the progress of civilization to exercise no restraining influence on the bad passions of men and nations? Is each suc- cessive war to sow the seeds of another war, still more bloody, still more destructive? Is magnanimity to cease to be a characteristic of the victor? Is our vaunted modern civiliza- tion only barbarism made more cruel? Let us hope that the French National Assembly will, in considering those terms of peace, show no lack of wisdom. Let us also hope that in this the hour of their glorious triumph the rulers of the German Fatherland will remember mercy, and kindly show forgive- ness, as they hope to be forgiven. v High Comwmission=The Urelim!- mary Meeting. At eleven-o’clock A. M. yesterday the Joint High Commission met at the State Depart- ment, Washingion. All the United States Commissioners except Mr. Hoar and Sena- tor Williams were present, and all the British Commissioners except Sir Stafford Northeote, en route from England, and Sir John A, Macdonald, of the Dominion Parliament at Ottawa. We publish to-day a very interesting report of an interview between a HERALD correspondent and Sir John, from which it will be seen that this Canadian mem- ber of the Joint High Commission has the views upon the subjects to be discussed of a broad-minded statesman, and that, as the representative of the New Dominion, he is prepared to make all reasonable sacrifices for the sake of ‘‘a happy accord” between Great Britain and the United States. The meeting of the Joint High Commission yesterday was merely a meeting for organization and the arrangement of the subjects to be discussed. Asin all treaty negotiations, the Commission sat and will sit with closed doors, and we may not learn the precise details of their treaty until its submission by the Presi- dent for the ratification of the Sonate. That there will be a treaty, and that it will be satis- factory to both countries, very little doubt seems to be entertained. Nor does it appear that the Canadian claims for indemnity for Fenian raids, or the claims of those Anglo- rebel cotion loan bondholders, or the claims of English cotton speculetors for cotton purchased of the so-called Confederate States and destroyed by the armies of the United States during the war of our late Southern rebellion, will be allowed to interfere with the proposed honest settlement of our Alabama claims, Sir John A, Macdonald, in reference to the Fenian raid claims, has materially lightened our mis- givings upon this subject, and, from his standpoint, the Joint Higi Commission clearly means peace. The Joint Mr. Mr. Sumner proposes to deliver a new speech on the St. Domisgo question to-day, and we may confidently look forward to a great shaking of dry bones again. Mr. Sum- ner’s normal condition is war and opposilion, He must have some object to fight at, and nearly any object will do. He is not particu- larly fastidious about it. All that he wants is to see a head that he may hit, and he will hit it. This St. Domingo business, for instance, is a small matter. It has amounted to nething more than the appointment of three Commis- sioners (and very creditable appointments they were, too) to spy out the land and let us know all about it. They are mot authorized to annex the black republic at once, Baez, Fabens and all, whether or no, nor even to advocate annexation among the uncivilized barbarians that they seem most likely to en- counter there. They are nothing more, so far as their powers and authority go, than a trio of Don Quixotes, with a comfertable retinue, seeking adventure in a strange land at govern- ment expense. They have already created a good deal ef hubbub, it is true, but that was because some landlubber of the press started a panic about the loss of the vessel upon which they sailed, and for this the Commission was in no way whatever responsible. The good souls did not knew at the time, and probably do not know yet, what an excitement they were creating. So, as we say, the St. Do- mingo business is a small matter, and yet Mr. Sumner sees in it enough to call forth his hottest invectives against the administration, and to warrant him in a war of opposition to the Executive of that party with which he has been identified all his life, There is a posibility, if Mr. Sumner sticks to his opposition, that this St. Domingo busi- ness, insignificant and outlandish as it is, may break up the republican party. Squatter ‘sovereignty in Kansas did as much for the democracy in the days of Douglas and Breckin- ridge ; and that was a matter that ninety-nine out of every hundred of our people took no interest ia. Things of little moment are often the cause of great effects; and it would be too bad, indeed, if so meagre a matter as the appointment of the St. Domingo Commis- sioners should end in a total disruption of the great republican party. Sumuers Speect. Mapamn S£EBACH IN Brooxiys,—Afier a long absence Marie Secbach will present herself this evening before a Brooklyn audi- ence at the Academy of Music. She will ap- pear in one of her most touching, if not her most powerful characters—Marguerite, in Goethe's delightful poem-drama of “Faust.” We doubt not she will be welcomed, even in this Lenten season, by the critical people of the City of Churches, who have always appre- ciated, the eenjus of thie great tragedicune, A Warning Voice to the New York Demo- cracy. . The democratic party stands to-day upon the verge of a glorious success in the future, | the fruition of which is the possession of the Presidential office and the control of the national government in 1872, We say, ad- visedly, that it stands on the verge of success, because it has not the prize yet within its grasp, though all its opportunities would seem to place it within ensy reach. The fate of parties, and even of nations, has been de- cided sometimes by very small things, Great events bave been moved from their original centres by unbalancing the plyot or demoral- izing the leverage ; and this may be done again. A good deal of what must make the future of the democratic party, for good or evil, rests with the democracy of New York, and that means, in fact, the democratic lead- ers of Tammany. With their commanding majority in the city and State, their expe- rience in managing all the intricacies of poli- tics, their power is not to be despised. But we warn them that there are many little pit- falls in their path, into which, with all their sagacity and foresight, they may tumble. We have supported the democratic party as represented by Tammany for some time past in their contest with enemies, inside and out- side the ranks, We stood by them in their fierce fight in Albany last winter with the Young Democracy through all the difficulties and dangers that beset them. Even when the leaders were filled with doubt, and scarcely knew whether to uphold their standard, or yield the field to the enemy, we stood shoul- der to shoulder with them and encouraged them to the end. And why? Because we believed that the plau wirich they introduced into the Legislature for the government of the city was about the best we had seen; that it was an improvement upon the then exisiing system, and much safer to adopt than any experiment attempted to be forced upon us by abranch of the undisciplined and unwashed democracy. We are noi disappointed in the result of that struggle, The men who know something about governing the city are in power, and we cannot say that up to this time that power has been abused. On the con- trary, the people generally appear to be con- tent with the present management of our municipal affairs, But, apart from questions that sre merely local, the future destiny of tho deniocratic party, which involves the Presidential succez- sion—if it cannot be secured in the coming election, at least can be counted as certain in the election of 1876—depends in a great Measure upon the good sense wiih which the democracy of this State shall use their power. The democratic party, with all its success, is not quite ‘‘out of the woods,” and cannot afford to halloo too soon, It is stil! like an army in the enemy’s country. It is surrounded by foes, who are to be found not only among the soreheads within its own circie, but in the ranks of the republicans, who are watching every weak point in the daily action of the party, eager to take advantage of anything that may be used against it. Therefore, in a spirit not unfriendly, and believing thai the democratic party is based on broader, more generous, more American principles than the republican party, which represenis cen- tralization of: authority, concentration of wealth amd unrepublican exclusiveness, we warn the triumphant democracy of New York that they must not imperil their chances of obtaining power in the government of the country for the next quarter of a century at least. The prize, as we have said, is almost within their grasp, but they must not go too fur even in what may seem small maiters. If there should be even a suspicion that certain pending legislation—such, for example, as the tax levy or the water bill—may in the least degree jeopardize the future fortunes of the party, wisdom would suggest that such legislation should be abandoned. If there be aremote chance that such measures may be used successfully by the republicans to weaken the power of the democracy in its march toward permanent control ef the national government, as it undoubtedly will, then we think sagacious leaders would not urge these measures to the bitter end. We have much faith in some of the leaders of the New York democracy because they have been tried, weighed in the balance and not found wanting—because their experience is large and, as far as we know, has been usefully applied. But they ought to exercise some con- trol over a few of their restless and reckless colleagues—imen of hobbies, who will ride them, whether on water or on land, without regard to the interests of the party or ita fature as a great national organization, * At the same time it is very foolish for some of our contemporaries to heap indiscriminate abuse upon a whole party because ef the self- ishness of a few. It is like mixing up mean scrub oaks with a grove of the live monarchs of the forest. While we abuse no one we give a friendly advice to all the leaders of the New York democracy that they must not. allow their future prospects as a grand national party to elude their grasp for the sake of small temporary advantages. Tie prize is in view. Let them secure itupy cautious and wise action. Tuey Have Gor a Governor—The people of the District of Columbia, and Henry D. Cooke, of the firm of Jay Cooke & Co., is the bappy man. The happy people of the District, promoted to the status of Utah and a Terri- torial Governor, and with a banker as their man, ought to get up another carnival for the Governor's inauguration, Best of all, they will, like Utah, New Mexico and the other Territories, have a delegate of their owa in Congreas to look after the special interests of the District, which is a very good idea, and they will have a Territorial Logislature; and so, what with all these things, and what with negro suffrage and thé expectations of woman suffrage, the people of this national district have a right to be proud. Jersey always leads us a dance of sensa- tions. Now they have’ a coal famme anda gas famine in Jersey City, whilo her citizens are yet exhausted with the bitter but successful warfare which they have been waging against the “ring” who wanted to thrust a swindling charter upon the city; and in Hoboken—devoted Hoboken—they sre not only inthe midst of a decimating charter war, but they have the gmallnex, Refuncing the Debt—Tho New Loan, The Secretary of the Treasury will begin in afew days the experiment of refunding the outstanding five-twenty six per cents, which form the bulk of the national bonded debt, into the new loan, which is divided into five per cents, four and @ half per cents and four per cents. We trust for the sake of the credit of the nation that the effort will prove success- ful, butein view of the plain patent fact that the six per cents which are to be redeemed by exchange for the new issues are selling at leas than their par in gold, and as the new loan may not be placed on the market at less than its par in gold, it is difficult to believo that the process of refunding will meet with other than such temporary success as is promised it by the few proposals already on file at the Trea- sury Department, Mr. Boutwell will have no reason to com- plain if the whole plan fails; for he has se- lected a season most favorable for its em- barkation, Money for a week past has been almost a drug in Wall street at four per cent, and before midsummer is likely to be worth less than three per cent. Peace is assured in Europe, and the political horizon looks par- ticularly bright for ourselves, what with the Joint High Commission sitting in Washington and a special commission doing the pioneer for our expansien into the rich islands of the West Indies and Caribbean Sea. But a silk purse cannot be made of a sow’s ear. And certain broad and inobviable obstacles confront Mr. Boutwell’s plan for transforming the debt. We say Mr, Boutwell’s, because the bill for re- funding the debt was the Treasury Secre- tary’s special sugyestion to Congress, and was the subject of his incessant solicitation with the commitiees prior to its report to the two houses, which at length passed it. For this reason, should the new loan prove a failure, there will be less discredit to the country. People here and abroad will know that it was the mistake of a man, and not of the govern- ment, Of the obstacles in the way not the least which will be encountered is the discrepancy between the price of the six per cents and the price of gold. Last night the 1862's, which are tho earliest of tho five-twenty issues, closed 112 in Wall street. Deducting the accrued interest, which is about two and a qnarier per cent, the bonds are worth 1104, with gold at 111}. In other words, six per cents can be bought in the open market for 110$, when Mr. Boutwell offers five per cenis fer 1114, and can- not sells them at less. Of course there is a difference in the permanency of the in- vestment, but not enough to make so great a superiority in the five per cents as to render them universally preferable or even desirable. If this be the casa with the five per cents what is to happen with the four and a half and four per cents? So far some enthusiastic per- sons have sent one hundred thousand dollars of six per cents to Washington to be exchanged for the new five per cents, and the host of bankers throughout the country have solicited agencies for placing the new lean; but these facts argue nothing, Individuals will be pa- triotic, and bankers are professionally bound to try and earn the commission promised for disposing of the new bonds, Io all this matter of refunding the debt we have taken little heed of the experience of history. The Secretary of the Treasury and the Finance Committees in Congress should have taken the pains to investigate what was done by England, France and Germany in the several centuries of their existence, when they were from time to time forced to become great debtors. England, with a national obli- gation as large as ours, pays only three per cent. Why can we not borrow on as cheap terms? Simply because we do not offer so durable an investment, Should Mr. Bout- well’s present plan fail we suggest that a loan at 8.65 per cent (which would be popular because of the cent a day ioterest on a bun- dred dollars), running fifty to a hundred years, would gradually replace the present debt, with its burdensome rate of interest. The Government Weather Reports. We have been carofully watching for some days paat the daily weather reports of the Government Signal Service Bureau, and its statements of the condition of the skies in different parts of the Union, the courses of the great sterm currents, and the probabilities of the weather for a day or two ahead, Hast, West, North and South, and from these observations we are satisfied that this meteorological insti- tution is in a fair way to render eigaal service to the country on the land and water in regard to approaching and disappearing storms. Fer insiance, in the official weather report of Sunday last from Washington, at 11:25 P. M., after noting the winds and rains in different sections of the Union, the opinion is given that on Monday “‘fair weather, with fresh winds, will probably prevail on the Gulf and Upper Lakes,” and brisk winds aud clearing-up weather on the Atlantic coast and Lower Lakes.” The report for Monday is a complete fulfilment of these predictions. This late storm or ‘“‘wet spell” covered so much of the country east of the Rocky Mountains that in breaking away the whole intervening country has cleared up, We say we have great hopes from this Signal Service Bureau of signal service to our landsmen and seamen, especially our coasters. . The: season, teo, is near at hand when, with the breaking up of the winter, we may expect heavy floods and freshets, especially in those rivers which drain off the surplus water from our melting mountain snows, and here our Washington meteorologists may prove them- selves eminently useful in giving in the most important cases a seasonable warning of a coming storm. The bureau is doing very well and is making some very interesting discover- fes in relation to the movements of our storms from the west to the east and from the south. to the north, and we should like to sea the area of its operations still further enlarged, Tux Surremz Court, Generar, Tsym, yesterday rendered its decision in the case of John Thomas, the negro recently convicted in the Oyer and Termiuor of the murder of Wal- ter Johnson, another negro. This decision sustained the verdict of the latter court. Ag the respite granted Thomas expires on the 10th of next month there can be no escape for him now from undergoing the extreme son- tence of the law, unless Executive clemency in further extended in hia behalf Conaress Yesterday=Failuro of the “Omnle bus” Bil—The Conflict of Jurisdiction Between the Two Houses—Legisintive Abortions, The “Omnibus” Appropriation bill came to an untimely and unexpected end yesterday in the House. After spending four days upon it, discussing it and voting on it paragraph by f paragraph, the House suspended the rules, and, by the necessary two-thirds majority, agreed in a single vote to the last quarter of it. Its passage would then have seemed to be & mere matter of course, when a motion to lay it on the table was made by an Indiana demo- crat—Mr. Holman—and was carried by a vote of 115 to 71. This must have been a matter of astonishment as well as annoyance to Mr, Dawes, who, as chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, has had the trouble of getting up the bill in committee and of managing it in the House, He promptly moved to reconsider the vote, and then got the House to adjoura without acting on that motion, thus securing time to flud out what the troable is and to take steps to bring members to their senses, The apparent excuse for the hostile action was the fact that the bill contained such large appro- priations for public buildings; but inasmuch as most of those items were voted into the bill by a two-thirds majerity, it is more likely that the hostility came from those members whose districts were not included in this partition of legislative favors. We expect that the Honse will undo to-day its action of yosterday and pass the bill, otherwise the Committee on Ap- propriations will be obliged to get up a new bill and pass it under a suspension of the rules, without the House having an opportunity, perhaps, of being even acquainted with its contents, The conflict of jurisdiction between the House and the Senate, in regard to the right of the Senate to originate the bill to repeal tho income tax, was made the subject of a report from the managers of the conference com- mittee on the part of the House, They report a resolution maintaining the exclusive autho- rity of the House over subjects of revenue, and denying the right of the Senate to origi- nate any measures affecting the revenue, either by iacreasing, reducing or repealing taxes. This idea is based upon English Par- liamentary precedents ; but the analogy is not very close, inasmuch as the upper House there—the House of Lords—has no repre- sentative character, but exists by right of descent, whereas the Senate is an elective body. Besides, the more adoption of such a resolution has no more effect than a mere expression of opinion on the part of the House, the practical remedy being for the House slinply to reject any such measures, The Senate spent nearly the whole of yester- day in consideration ef the Post Office Appro- priation bill. One of its first acts was to defeat the proposition for doubling the service and subsidy of the China branch of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company. The question of compelling a change of plan in the construc- tion of the bridge across the Ohio river, be- tween Cincinnati and Newport, was discussed at some length, but the proposition to that effect was defeated by a close vote, The action of the Ku Klux cominittee was made the subject of an attempted personal explanation by Senator Blair, one of its mem- bers, who complained tbat its chairman, Sen- ator Scott, had exposed the secrets of the committee in a republican caucus. The Sen- ate, however, declined to go into that subject. Senator Cragin also offered to make a per- sonal explanation in reference to the failure of the Naval Committee to obtain action on the bill regulating rank in the navy. This, also, the Senate declined to listen to, preferring to go on with the Appropriation bili, The appli- cation was made on the part of the Ka Klux commiitee for leave to sit during the first session of the Forty-second Congress, No action has yet been taken on the request ; but it will be coniplied.with as a matter of course, for the main object of creating the committee was that it should exert an influence over the next Presidential election, The amount of abortive legislation at this Congress is remarkable. The business on the Speaker’s table which is likely to fail from want of action on the part of the House includes the following bills:—To revive the navigation and commercial interests; to authorize the building of a military and postal railway between Washington and New York; to establish o system of national education; to increase baaking facilities; to authorize the registration of foreiga built iron vessels; the General Am- nesty, bill and for the removal of the Brook- lyn Navy Yard. All the foregoing ars measures reported by committees of the House, many of them during the last session, and which found their way, by various parlia- mentary avenues, to the Speaker's table, never more to be brought to life. Besides these are the following two House bills with Senate amendments awaiting action: —To fix the time for the election of Representatives. to. Con- gress, and to provide for celebrating the one hundredth anniversary of American iudepend-. ence by an int-raational exposition in. Philadelphia. in. 1876. Then there are no less than one hundred and fourteen Senate: bills on the Speaker’s table, thirty-two of them being there since last session, of whch twenty-six are Land Grant bills, Only two. such bills found their way, there at the present session, probubly: because the Senate was convinced; that they stood no chance of passing in the House. portant Senate bills are tha following :—To- provide forthe redemption of copper andi other coins; increasing pensions by twenty, per cent; to define and protect the rights miners and to encourage the devotopment. mines; authorizing mail steamship service, between: New Orleans and Mexico; for, “tho relief of loyal citizens of Loudon county, Vir- ginia, whose property was taken Or de- stroyed by United States troays, The bill to repeal the income, tax is on the calendar of tha Committs¢ of the Whole on the State of the Upion, There will be ai effort to-day or t>-morrow to get at the busi- siness on the Speaker's table, The calendar of -business 4n the Senate shows four hundred; and twenty-seven bills awaiting action, About hal{6f this number come over from last ses sion, None of them, excepting the appropria- Aion bills, will receive any attention, The Naval and Army Appropriation bills aro or this calendar, ang these, with tho “Omaibr Among the most im= ©