The New York Herald Newspaper, March 2, 1871, Page 6

BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR. All business or news letter and telegraphic despatches must be addressed New York Hera. Letters and packages should be properly eealed. Rejected communications will not be re- turned. jo. 61 AMUSEMENTS TiS EVENING. BOOTH'S THUATRE. 25: RiouKriey. Matinee at 2 nerween Sih ang 6th avs,— MLE CONCERT. WOOD'S MUSEUM Broadway, corner 80h st.—Perform- Qnces every afternoon and evening, NIBLO'S GARDEN, Broadway.—TH® SPECTACLE CF Tue BLack Croox. s! WALLACK’S THEATRE, Broadway ana 13th street.— BoManoxk anv Reatity, LINA EDWIN'S THEATRE, 720 Broadway.—HUNTED Down; Ox, THE Two Lives OF MAtY LEIGH. GRAND OPERA HOUSE, corner of 8th ay, ana 22d st.— La PRRICUOLE. ie OLYMPIC THEATRE, Broad’ ‘Tax PrRiop. y.—Tuk RICHELIEU OF BOWERY THEATRE, Bowery.—Powr; on, Way Down SouTa—ZELINA. et FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE, Twenty-fourth street.— | BARATOGA. NEW YORK STADT THEATRE, 45 Bowery.—Tux Mexny Wivxs oF WINDSOR, GLOBE THEATRE, 728 Broadway.—Vantery ENTKR- TAINMENT, &C.—APTER THE WAR. STEINWAY HALL, Fourteenth street.Gnanp Con- oxRT, BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC—Granp Conoxnt BY ‘HIF BROOKLYN CHORAL UNION. MRS. F. B. CONWAY'S PARK THEATRE, Brooklyn.— SARATOGA. TONY PASTOR'S OPERA HOUSE, 201 Bowery.—Va- RIELY ENTERTAINMENT. THEATRE COMIQUE, 614 Broadway.—Comic Vocat Tas, NEGRO ACTS, 40. BAN FRANCISCO MINSTREL HALL, 885 Broadway.— NEGRO MINSTRELSY, FAROES, BUELESQUES, &0. BRYANT'S NEW OPERA HOUSE, 234 st., between 6th ang 7th avs.—NZono MINSTRELSY, ECOsNTRIGITIES, £0. HOOLEY'S OPERA HOUSE, Brooklyn.—HooLry’s AND KELLY & LEON's MINSTRELS. APOLLO FALL. corner 28th street and Brondway.— Dx. Cousy's DIORAMA OF IRELAND. GALLERY, 82 Fifth svenue.—Ex OF ART, SOMERVILLE LIBITION OF We NEW YORK CIRCUS, THE RING, ACKOMATS, &O. fourteenth astreet.-SCENRS IN NEW YORK MUSEUM OF ANATOMY, 618 Broadway.— ScrENOB AND Aut. DR. KAHN'S ANATOMICAL NUSEUM, 745 Broadway SCIENCE AND ART. TRIPLE SHEET. New York, Thursday, March 2, 1871. ——— = CONTENTS OF TO-DAY’S HERALD, Pace, L—Advertisements. 2— Advertixemente. 3—Entrance of the German Army Into Paris. 4—Froveedings in Congress—The New Hamburg Disaster—The Coal Questio) ational Banks’ Special Deposits—New York Legislature—New Jersey Lexislature—Sir Rolert Peel on the War—Smalipox Stories—Roard of Heaith— A Strange Story—The Speckled Beauties—In- | cendiarism tn Jama.ca. S—Spiriting Bonds: The Last Massachnsetts Sen. sation; Strange Story of Matrimontal Infetici- | tes in Hign Life—Mixed Matrimony—Tne Fashions—Ainbition and Love: Life and Ad- veutures of @ Spanish Dansense—Amuse- ments—Once More in Paris: A First Dinner in | the Capital after the Si —Kiopement With a | Pugilist—Next Season's Fruit Crop. | @—Filitorials: Leading article, Triomphal | Entry of the Germans Into Paris—Ratfication of the Terms of Peace by the French Assem- biy—The Crowning of Victory’—Amusement | Announcements. H 7—Editoriais (Continued from Sixth Page)—Ratif- cation of the Treaty of Peace by the French | Assembiy—The Jount High Commission—News from Cuba—Miscellaneous Telegraphic News— | Business Notices. 8—Proceedings in the Courts—Aid for France— | ‘The Carbolic Acid Poisoning Case—Financial | and Commercial Reports—Real Estate Mat- | ters— Marriages and Deaths. | 9—The Public Debt Statement—Confagration in | Brooklyn—Mortality in Brooklyn—Brookiyn | Street “Lighting—Ihe Foundlings—advertise- | meuts, 10—News from Washington—The Erie Classifica- | tion Fraad—Shipping Inctelligence—Auvertise- ments. 1 t—Advertisements, 12—Advertisement THe Coat TRovBies are becoming compli- cated again. The Reading and the Northern Central roads hare also raised their tolls. The aim seems to be to overwhelm the miners by hurling immense forces against them, and cer- tainly the fight is a very unequal one but with the aid of Congress and the press the tyran- nous corporations will yet suffer a Sedan defeat. Tur Frsr or Maxon this year, over nearly | the whole area of the United States, was a day | of enjoyment and a dsy of promise as the in- auguration of spring. It was particularly ; beautiful from the butterflies and flowers which it brought out on Broadway and Fifth | avenue, though they are not yet of the spring varieties, We have a fair prospect, in the | weather and the fashions, of « beautiful spring | season. Tux Cminpeen’s Arp Sociery of this city— an institution which has been doing a vast | amount of good in gathering up and providing | for the homeless waifs drifting about our streets—has been subjected to a searching in- vestigation at Albany on certain absurd charges made against it, and has come out “clear as a whistle.” In this Children’s Aid | Society, it appears in fact, we have at least | one public institution in this city which is not afraid to show its books. Taz AvsBaMa Raitroap Bonps.--The | Montgomery Mail avers that neither General | Clanton nor the democratic party of Alabama | is’ opposed to the sixteen thousand dollar | (per mile) endorsement of the bonds of the | Alibama and Chattanooga Railroad, What | they objected to was fraudulent issues not | ordered by law in excess of this sum. The Mail states that General Clanton is a consis- | tent advocate of internal improvements as | connected with the railroad aystem of Ala- bama, and represents his party’s views on this | subject, Tas Erm Direcroxs’ Bit.—Mr. mayd and other gentlemen favorable te the re- peal of this imposition had a hearing before lhe State Senate Committee on the subject yesterday and made very able arguments for its repeal, It is stated that the committee is favorably inclined that way. Certainly, Tam- many and the democracy ought no longer to bear this outrageous burden in their race for political favor, and there can be no party ex- NEW YORK HERALD | "mest mer of Gorman: NEW YURKK HERALD, THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 1{871.--TKIPLE SHEET. Inte Parle—Ratification of the Terms of Peace by the Assembly—The Crowning ef Victory. The Germans have entered Paris. So far as we know at a late hour, while we write, the Parisians have not behaved so badly as some have been trying to make believe they would, The Germans have had their triamph—a triumph which a high philosopby must de- spise ; but, things being as they are, it is grati- fying to know that the affair went off in such a manner as revealed a fair amount of common sense on both sides. The Germans are in Paris and Paris is not in flames. The Gormans have had their triumph—a triumph to which they were fairly entitled; but Paris, so far as we know the facts, has yielded to the influence of wisdom and has given proof that she was not, after all, a bad representative of the con- centrated common sense of the world. So far this is good. But the news from Bordeaux is more important than the news from Paris, It is well known to our readers that the National Assembly appointed M. Thiers and Jules Favre to act as the repre- sentatives of France at the Prussian Court of Versailles—tbat M. Thiers and Jules Favre in their difficulties had the assistance of a large Consultative Committee, and that these con- joint powers were authorized to sign the pre- liminaries of peace. The preliminaries of peace agreed to by M. Thiers and M. Favre, we now know, endorsed by the Consultative Committee ananimously, have been accepted by the National Assembly by an overwhelming majority; Two most important points are thus gained—Paris has not gone mad because her German conquerors have insisted on seeing her beauties, and the National Assembly bas not rebelled against the German terms of peace. In other words, the Germans are now in Paris and France has accepted the arrange- ments made by MM. Thiers and Favre and the Consultative Committee of the Assembly. Few, very few, who have been students of this war from its commencement until now, will be sorry that things are as they are to-day. The war is ended. The line is drawn between the past and the present; and a new era for Europe and the world offers itself for our consideration. In so far as the past is concerned, no one can refuse to admit that France has had her deserts, and that the Parisians, properly so called, have no cause Tae French people made this war a necessity even more than the foolish traditions associated with the House of Bona- parte or with the first republic. The neces- sity was French and French only. The result ofthe war has proved that if France had been wise she would have recognized no such of complaint. necessity. Germany was not interfering with France or French affairs when the elected | chief of the French people declared war upon her. As France began the war France has no reason to complain that the j war has turned out to her burt. War is always, or ought to be, a doubtful game, and those who proclaim it ought to be prepared to abide by the conse- quences. For the third time in less than sixty years Paris is occupied by the stranger and the conqueror. But Paris has no just cause of complaint. The Parisians, like the rest of France, were ‘responsible for the war. If France had been successful, the Parisians, like the rest of France, would have insisted not only on the acquisition of territory, but on the right of the French army to enter Berlin. If Paris to-day is partially in the hands of the invader the Parisians ought to remember that the time has been when they had not much mercy on Rome, on Milan, on Vienna, on Berlin, and on Moscow of painful memory, The tables are turned, but the French people as a whole, and the Parisians as a special unit, have no good reason to object to the principle, whatever they may think of the fact. All things considered, they ought rather to be grateful than otherwise for the comparative clemency of the conqueror. The humiliation of France, now accepted by the National Assembly, opens up fresh ques- tions which are full of interest to all men everywhere who take any interest in the wel- fare of nations and the fuiure of mankind. It is not to be denied that, unless some unfore- seen circumstances should arise, France must | be contented for at least half a century to take a secondary place in the European system ot nations. France under N¢poleon III. made Italy a great nation. The policy which made ltaly great humbled Austria, the proudest for many centuries of all European monarchies, and gave Prussia her opportunity. Italy isa powerful unit. Austria is no longer at the mercy of France. Germany, by the help of Prussia, bas found that autonomy for which for many years she has been sighing and dying. The enormous strength which Germany has developed pusbes Russia completely into the background, This war has, in fact, not only | South- | altered the complexion of Europe, byt changed | the destinies of nations and materially affected the future history of the world. It is fair, we think, to say that aa an ag- gressive Power, in this most aggressive age, France is, to ali intents and purposes, dead. It is as little unfair, we think, to say that hitherto France has been felt to be a kind of cuse for it any longer, as the peeple in whose restraining power iu the European system. interest it was passed are of vo guppy nye to. Thet rostvaiat ix uanara-and-theguectior~is; wena how will the different nations of Euroye act im their new circumstances? Will the weakness of France encourage war and conquest, or will it encourage peace and genuine development ? It is a fact patent to all intelligent minds that if Prussia and Russia are agreed they can divide between them the whole north of Eu- rope. Holland and Denmark are still in the way of Prussian development, and Sweden is to Russia an inconvenient neighbor. Austria is weak, because of her internal divisions, and Great Britain has practically ceased to be a continental Power. Is the humiliation of France to mark the commencement of an era of peace or to furnish an opportunity for the triumph of wrong? Who can tell? All things taken into account, we are not disposed to act the part of the prophet of evil tidings. We admit that the spirit of conquest which drove France into this war, which has made Germany somewhat cruelly exacting, which has made Italy regardless of the most sacred rights, is not highly encouraging. At the same time we cannot deny that amid all the wild confusion and apparent anarchy right has been prevailing and important steps have been made in the world’s progress. War has been found to be dreadfully expensive and dreadfully destructive, as well as painfully uncertain in its results. Public opinion— world-wide public opinion—has revealed a power which it was never supposed it could possess. The interests of humanity have been found to be so much identified in all nations and among all peoples that hope rather than despair finds encouragement. The era is new, full of doubt, full of danger, but not by any means absolutely discouraging. Let us hope that, as one result of this war, the peoples will learn that their interests are identical. If this lesson is properly learned the new era will be one of peace, not of war. Poor France may yet recover and find happier times than she ever found before. Smallpox Rumors. Rumors of an epidemic disease are often no less epidemic, and sometimes even more alarming, than the disease itself. These rumors recur at certain intervals in every large town, in which there are always sporadic cases of the disease, whatever it may be. We are glad to be assured that the smallpox romors occasioned by the rezent multiplication of cases in Brooklyn, and especially at the Flatbush Hospital, just beyond the Brooklyn city line, as well as in Hoboken and elsewhere, do not justify serious apprehensions in New York. Here very few new cases have been reported. It is to be hoped that the energetic measures taken by Dr. Carnochan to prevent the spread of the pestilence in Dutch- town, the eastern part of Williamsburg—to which point its latest outbreak has been traced—in Brooklyn, in Hoboken, and in other cities adjoining new York, may be equally effective. Meanwhile, the proper au- thorities should redouble their vigilance in providing against the possible visit of the smallpox, or of any other epidemic, to this metropolis. If due precautions were inces- santly taken against everything that can either provoke or aggravate infectious and conta- gious diseases the latter would be stripped of more than half their horror and of almost all their danger. The Racing of the Coming Senson. With the opening of spring commences the work of preparation in the racing world. The horses are now andergoing the cleansing pro- cess, and in a few days will begin their gallop- ing to get in readiness for the coming cam- paign, which from all indications will be the most brilliant one that ever took place in America. The American Jockey Club will lead off with eighteen capital races for their spring meeting, which commences on the 10th of June and continues on alternate days to the 17th. The Monmouth Park meeting follows next, beginning on the 4th of July and con- tinuing four consecutive days. Then the first meeting of the Saratoga Association will begin on the 12th of June, and there will be running for six days. The horses will next ‘hark back” to Monmouth Park for the August meet- ing of four days, and then they will return to Saratoga for another six days of exciting sport. And this will close the summer season. After a short respite the autumn meeting at Jerome Park will bring them again to the post, and then all the horses that have stood up to the work during the arduous campzign and are fit to run will be taken to Baltimore to meet fresh ones for the purses and stakes offered by the Maryland Jockey Ciub, the running to be over the Pimlico course. This latter meeting will close the year. From the number of horses that are already engaged in the sweepstakes— numbering nearly eighty in some—and others that will be in readiness to contend for the purses, including hurdlers and steeplechasers, we are sure of seeing large fields in every con- test from the beginning to the end of the season. PouiticaL Storm SigNats in Evrope.— The fact of the workingmen of Liverpool, British and Irish, coming forward in mass meeting to condemn the “incompleteness of Premier Gladstone's amnesty to the Fenians,” and urging that all the convicts now held in prison for offences against the present system of British rule in Ireland be set free—as re- ported in our cable telegraph to-day—consti- tutes in itself a most significant evidence of the rapid fasion of the European peoples for the furtherance of the cause of political radi- calism. Jt don’t matter, app2rently, whether the motive agency be caJled Fenianiem or Car- bonarism, so long as it acts as # leverage against the existing system of absolutism in government. Such are the political “storm drum signals” of the Old World. Nor Dezp ExNoven—The bill in Congress removing the duty on bituminous coal, there being no duty on anthracite to remove. We say it is net deep enough, because it does not touch the railroads concerned in these anthra- cite combinations. Congress -will have some day to “regulate” these and all the other rail- ‘Ways of the Country, amd the sooner the better.® Sir Robert Peel om the Franco-Prussian War. By the Hamburg steamer Cimbria, which arrived in this port yesterday, we have received mails which anticipate those expected by the Cunard steamer, now due here, Among the files we have papers which con- tain the speech of Sir Robert Peel in the English House of Commons on the evening of the 17th ult, Sir Robert, in speaking to the motion of Mr, Herbert, ‘‘that it is the duty of her Majesty's government to act in concert with other neutral Powers to obtain moderate terms of peace, and to withhold all acqui- esconce in terms which might impair the independence of France or threaten the future tranquillity of Europe,” uses bold and un- mistakable language, and of such a chiracter as is not calculated to please the powers that be in the now powerful empire of United Germany. The present greatness of Germany is a source of infinite alarm to the English statesman, and the present government in England is blamed for not taking a more decided stand, when it perceived that not only was France prostrate at the feet of the invader, but was even hu- miliated, ingulted and persecuted in her pros- tration. The niggardly policy of England toward a country which had been a close ally and friend for at least twenty years—‘“toward & country which upon twenty battle flelds had, in unison with England, sacrificed her best blood and noblest sons”—was treated by the honorable gentleman with that warmth of ex- pression which he is so capable of putting forth, The selfish isolation of England has enabled Germany to consolidate, and this con- solidation he considers a matter of the greatest moment to Europe. ‘‘The unification of Ger- many under a military despotism could not be for the good of Europe.” This is the expressed opinion of Sir Robert. Behind this unification he perceives the coming together of the peoples, a movement which must result in the “‘earnest development of democratic principles.” He has a good word to say for the republic in France, and expresses the regret that her Majesty’s government should have been in such a hurry to hail the new born empire of Germany, yet had not one kind word for republican France. He was con- vinced that the only system of government that could prevail for good in France was the republic, Though the motion of Mr. Herbert did not prevail, it is plain to be seen that British statesmen are not altogether dead to the events transpiring around them. The Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad. Our law report to-day discloses the fact that the answers and denials put in by the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad Company to the petitions filed against them in the Southern district of New York by James Alden and Adams’ Express, praying for an adjudication in bankruptcy, have been withdrawn. It is probable that Judge Blatchford will to-day sign orders adjudging the railroad company bankrupt, as papers with that import were drawn up yesterday and made ready for pre- sentation to the Judge for his approval and signature. It is to be regretted that a great undertaking like this important railroad should prove to be commercially unfortunate; but corpora- tions of this character as well as other char- tered bodies following different courses of busioess will now and again get into financial embarrassment. In that case the only alter- native is to get out of the embarrassment in the best and safest possible manner. We would suggest that there ought to be an amicable settlement of these bankruptcy pro- ceedings. The railroad company, by its with- drawal of the answers it had put in, seems to be mnclined for peace; and we believe the best thing under the circumstances would be for the representatives of the company and the credi- tors to come together and accept such compo- sition as the company may, after an honest and faithful investigation of its pecuniary affairs, be able to offer. If this course be not adopted litigation must inevitably proceed, and much of the money which otherwise would go into the pockets of the creditors will assuredly find its way into the purses of the lawyers, who in railroad suits always expect and generally receive ‘‘big fees.” Tak REBELLION IN CuBA.—By telegram from the Hxratp’s special correspondent in Havana we learn that a desperate encounter bad taken place between a force of six hun- dred rebels and four hundred Spaniards. The latter fought with great determination until their ammunition was exhausted, when they retired, with a loss of one hundred and sixty killed and wounded; the rebel loss supposed to be equally as large. Four hundred rebels m&acked an entrenched tower near Puerto Principe, which was defended by only twenty- five Spaniards. The attack lasted two hours, when the rebels were driven off. The Spanish loss was three killed and twelve wounded. Many an animal is dangerous in its dying flurry, and such appears to be the case with the Cuban rebellion, It may be best to remain at a distance and not suffer unneces- sary loss while the death agony is upon it. Tue Mersopist Boox Svs-Comirrer, having re-enacted ite old farce, has adjourned until the 29th of this month. For instraction in the art of ‘how not to do it” commend us to this committee. Here it has been in ses- sion more than a week trying to select a couple of bookkeepers and accountants to examine the books of the Concern for the frauds alleged to exist therein, but by some process of leger- demain not understood by the outside world it has failed in this simple duty, The committee and one of the referees, Judge Fancher, had agreed upon a gentleman; but Dr. Lanahan’s counsel, Judge Reynolds, acting, no doubt, under instructions, refused to endorse him, and here the matter ende. The members of the committee have gone back to their respective conferences, and in a few weeks more they will be here again to sit for another while and then probably to adjourn in the same manner, and every trip they make and every day they sit the Concern has to pay the bills. It looks as if this vexed question was never to be sat- isfactorily settled. Mr. Mrxe Norron’s new Police bill is a rather ridiculous affair. Although the Metro- politan Police was a republican ides, it is one ‘ly favored by the citizens of New York of all shades of politics, moet this bent uot to meddle with it, Congress Yesterday—The Speaker's Table— Indian Treatles—The Treasury Opened to Southern Raidera—The Coal Bill. The House yesterday made one-clean sweep through the bills upon the Speaker's table. All the land grant bills, of which the Senate was 60 remarkably prolific at last session, were permitted to remain in the sepulchre to which they had been consigned, and for which there is, to them, no resurrection. Not one of them waa passed, nor was any other bill of a public character passed. It was only a lot of ponsion and other private bills that felt the vivifying influence of the action of the House. All the rest were left to sleep the sleep of death. In the first .progress of the House through the calendar a single objection pre- vented action. It was only on recommencing the calendar that the sense of the House was tested on motions to suspend the rules and pass bills. The result of such motions was so uniformly defeat that the House, convinced that it was only wasting time upon them, voted to adjourn before four o'clock—a circumstance perhaps unparalleled in i.s history within two days of the termina- tion of the Congress, The conference report on the Indian Appro- priation bill was presented in both houses and agreed to. The bill, as it leaves the hands of the conference committee, puts an ead to the absurd and corrupt system of Indian treaties, the Senate agreeing to renotince its right to treat with any Indian tribe or nation hereafter as an independent power capable of contract- ing with the United States. The bill also con- tains provisions intended to prevent frauds by Indian claim agents and Indian contractors, but we are rather sceptical as to the possi- bility of doing so. A bill of much interest to insurance compa- nies was passed by the House, having pre- viously passed the Senate. It provides that no tax shall be imposed on any undistributable sums added to the contingent fund of insurance companies or on any unearned premiums, An effort to get up the Apportionment bill failed. The session of the Senate was occupied by the Army and Navy Appropriation bills. An amendment was put upon the Army bill which opens the Treasury of the United Statee to the attacks of new hordes of claimants, and which will drain the public coffers of untold millions for the benefit of claim agents, sharpers and speculators, We refer to a provisjon allowing payments to be made for quartermaster and commissary stores supplied to the United States army during the rebellion by loyal citi- zens in the Southern States. The effect of it will be to make the government responsible, not only for all the horses, cattle, fodder and provisions taken by our troops while raiding in the South and while marching with Sherman from Atlanta to the sea, but will re- sult eventually in making us pay not only for what we got ourselves but also for what the rebel armies got, and for what was destroyed by both armies, and for the cotton, tobacco and other products seized by the army and navy and made prizo of war. The idea of confining it toeclaims of loyal citizens of the South is simply preposterous. There were no loyal citizens there after the rebellion spread and the war became general; but yet, when it comes to making good their claims against the government, they will all turn out to have been perfectly loyal, and to have been all the time offering up earnest vows for the success ofthe Union arms. We presume that the next move which the Senate will make in that direction, and against the national Trea- sury, will bs to provide for the payment of Confederate bonds and scrip and the pensioning of wounded rebels. We might as well come to that at once. And yet the Senate, while making such raids upon the Treasury for the benefit of speculators, who will buy up and fabricate claims, and for the enrichment of such great corporations as the Pacific Railroad companies, does not lose sight of its political aims in the South, but has authorized its special Ku Klux committee to sit during the first session of the next Con- gress, in order to collect ridiculous tales of midnight masquerading and outrage in the Southern States, most of which are the merest Munchausenisms, only calculated to frighten aged negroes and children. A motion to make the testimony public as it goes along, so that the people of the South might know what was testified to, and might have a chance of contradicting or explaining it, was made yes- terday by Senator Casserly, of California, but was rejected by the Senate. The House bill repealing the duty on coal was presented yesterday in the Senate by the Vice President, but its second reading was prevented by an objection from Senator Vickers, of Maryland, the rule in the Senate being that a bill cannot have its first and second reading on the same day if objected to. We hope that it will be brought up again to- day and passed. A resolution calling for a detailed state- ment as to the financial management of the Union Pacific Railroad Company was offered, but objection being made it was laid aside. The Army Appropriation bill was passed, after a tirade from Senator Saulsbury, of Delaware, in which he declared the determi- nation of the democratic party, if it should succeed in the next Presidential election, to inaugurate its President, even though it had to wade knee deep in blood. We doubt whether the democracy will have any chance of putting in execution the threat of its sanguinary spokesman. At all events, the contingency is too remote to talk about. One democratic rebellion is quite enough for one generation. Tne ExcrreMent IN WALL STREET AND Rise iN Stocks.—The rising markets in Wall street are the counterpart of the drama enacted in that region eight months ago, when Europe was plunged into what was then believed would be a general war. Yesterday evening the whole Stock Exchange was a scene of the utmost excitement when it was known that the treaty of peace between Prussia and France had been ratified. The brokers bought everything on the share list, and prices rose amid a tumult and clamor that attested the brilliant future which peace opens up to the eyes of commerce and finance. The beautiful spring weather, the news of peace, everything, in fact, seemed to combine to make every one a “bull.” The ‘‘bears” changed their coats and came out strong on the other side of the market. The general serenity and good feeling made them believe the millennium about to arrive, n ‘The Fine Arts in Now York. Notwithstanding the tendencies which oppose the development of art in this olty if is manifest that there is a growing desire for the gratification to be derived from works of art. The concerts which, this season, in the deplorable absence of Italian opera, are the only musical entertainments offered, show how eagerly and liberally New York audiences applaud artists of real merit, while at the same time serving to bring forward the latent talent which exists in private circles, We have frequently alluded to the well known fact that New York possesses voices requiring only certain amount of training to exhibit both musical power and rare dramatic quality. Acting, although still lacking the scientific basis on which every art must rest, has been illustrated here this winter by such names as Seebach, Janauschek, Miss Glyn, Booth, Forrest, Feohter, Jefferson, © Wallack, Brougham, Gilbert and Fisher. Opéra bouffe itself was admitted to display by Silly, Aimée and Gaussin of the better qualities of the French school of acting, while the Majiltona, at Niblo's, have shown that even acrobats may be artists. All the leading theatres, in the correctness, beauty and splendor of their Scenery and costumes, have complied with the exactions of the public taste. It is rumored that the season may not close before the production of an original and important play, written for the purpose of introducing a promising young American actor, who has gone through an exceptionally severe course of study at Paris under Delsarte, the famous teacher of Rachel and other European cele- brities, In the palatial stores and residences of our millionnaires, in the miniature predecessors of the rising cathedral on Fifth avenue, as well as in the new buildings for the accommodation of many families under a single roof, the intel- ligent skill of our Gilmans, Hunts, Upjohns, Vauxes and Davises attests the rapid progress of architecture, The extraordinary multiplication of elegant art shops and galleries, which are now scat- tered all over town, from Johnston's art cabinet, near Wall street, to the galleries of Poillard, Schaus, Snedecor, the Miners, Somerville, Avery, Knoedler, Bogardus and the rest—thus following the upward move- ment of population to the utmost limits of fashionable dwelling places, proves that works of art have become household neces- sities, The numerous picture sales at auc- tion, where thousands of dollars are expended in a single evening, likewise indicate a grow- ing demand which in art, as in trade, must be met by a corresponding supply. However unsatisfactory some of the official exhibitions at the National Academy of Design may have seemed as a promise of fulfilling this universal law of supply and demand, it must be remem- bered that our industrious artists enjoy fre- quent opportunities of selling their best prodac- tions directly from the easel. Itis to be re- gretted, indeed, that by these very opportuni- ties too many of the most industrious and best known among them have been tempted to fabricate pictures hastily, lured instead of warned by Goethe’s dictum— “The artisan is paid; the artist never.” Too many landscape painters satisfy themselves with commendably conscientious ‘‘studies,” which they somehow fail to work up into such completed compositions as are alone entitled to rank as works of art. Others again, neglecting indispensable preliminary “stu- dies’—refusing even to take the trouble to learn to draw—imagine that pleasing color can supply the absence of form. Even the ma- jority of our very few figure painters have not the slightest knowledge of proportion and anatomy. It is encouraging to know that this deficiency is beginning to be felt, and that steps to remedy it have been taken even at the Academy. The anatomical lectures of Dr. Rimmer at the Academy cannot but be useful. The efforts of Mr. William Hart, at the Brook- lyn Academy of Design, and of Mr. Victor Nehlig, at the Cooper Institute, are equally promising. The Central Park offers a fine field for the genius of our sculptors. The re- markable success of the Palette Club is largely due to its life school, which is conducted on the same principles as similar schools in Europe, and, like them, must infallibly create good draughtsmen, whether they aspire to be- come sculptors or painters. The. recent de- lightful festival of ‘‘The Palette” was one of the most encouragivg signs of the times, so far as relates to the fine arts in New York, The New City Post Office. The House on Tuesday appropriated u million and nearly four hundred thousand dollars to our new city Post Office. Nearly five millions have been appropriated so far during the ses- sion, but it seems to have been done grudg- ingly. This latest appropriation was made after sharp discussion, and, indeed, except for an extraordinary amount of parliamentary strategy it would have failed altogether. It has yet to be passed in the Senate, but there is no reason to anticipate any trouble there. As soon as the appropriation is fully made we hope to see lively work re- sumed upon the much-needed edifice. The pedestal stones for the columns on the Broad- way side have been laid and the crossbeams on the first floor are all in position. The im- mense cellar has been dug and the heavy foundations finished. The work now is above ground, and with this balmy weather and the incoming season of genial spring and summer there should be big brigades of laborers, car- penters, masons and architects set to work with the energy of bees in a hive to bring the goodly proportions of the building so far into existence as at least to let hungry New York- ers have a sight of it, nowand then, over the top of the unsightly placarded fence whieh at present obstructs both vision and travel. The fact that sharp discussion takes place over every appropriation for this work is little creditable to the honesty or judgment of our Congress. Thereis evidently no job in it, no chance for the little pickings that attend land grants and steamship subsidies, or else it would slide through easily enough. So far as the appropriations of money bestowed by Congress have permitted the work has been done faithfully and energetically, and the de- lay has been due only to the grudging spirit of the House, There is not a member of that body who cannot see how wofully we need the new Post Office. If there is, let him pay one visit to the little church on the ooxnes of { i