The New York Herald Newspaper, May 18, 1871, Page 6

NEW YORK HERALD |" Prev sot stn BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR. All business or news letter and telegraphic despatches must be addressed New York Heraw. Volume KXXVI... AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING, GLOBE THEATRE, 728 Broadwav.—Vaniery ENTED- TAINMENT, £0.—THE TEMPTRE FoiLen. OLYMPIC THEATRE, Broacway.—New VERston OF Jack SUBPPARD, BOOTH'S THEATRE, 23: between ib anz 6th are, — A Wrvrer's Tace. cote WOOD'S MUSEUM Rroatway, amces every afternoon anu evenin, ‘ner Sich st. —Performe HELP. WALLAGCK’S THEATRE, Broadway ana 13th street.— Ranpaut's Taums. eee NIBLO'S GARDEN, Broadway.—K11, THE ARKANSAS TRAVELLER, NEW YORK STADT TH Geewan Orrra—lour’ GRAND OPFRA HOUSE, corner of 8th ay. ana 23d st.— La GRanve Ducursss. LINA EDWIN'’s THEATRE. 720 Broadway.—Courpr or Ranx. , BOWERY THEATRE, Bowcry.—Tux Goup BELr— Youn Lire’s iN DaNcEn. FIFTH AVENUSK THEATRE, twenty-tourty street,— Not Svon a Foou as ti ACADEMY OF MU; ‘oarteenth street. —Granp OLE BULL Concer, RS. F. B. CONWAY'S FARK THEATRE, Brooklya.— MRS. Katy Dip. BROUKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC, Montague strect— IraLiay Orima—Faust, BRYANT'S NEW OPE: HOUSE, 21 at., between éth ang 7th ava,—NEGRO MINBrEELBY, ko, TONY PASTOR'S OPERA HOUSE, 21 Bowery.—Va- RAELY ENTERTAINMENT. THEATRE COMIQUE, 514 Broadway.—Cowto Vooay 16MS, NRGXO ACIB, do. NEWCOMB & ARLINGTO! INSTRELS, corner 28th at, and Broadway.—NEGRO MINETRELSY, £0, CENTRAL PARK GARDEN.—Tukopork Tuomas’ SUMMER NicuTs Conorers. NEW YORK MUSEUM OF ANATOMY, — ae MY, 613 Broadway. New York, Thursdey, May 18, 1871. = tie HERALD. CONTENTS OF TO-DAY'S Paes. 1—Adveriisements, 2—Advertisemenis. 3—News trom Washinzton—To Wnom Do the Gov- ernment Grounds Belong'—Rullof’s Last Day—Tne Cable Controversy—Railroad Mat- rs—Germanio JimJams—Murder in New Jersey—Dr. Cutter’s Crucible -Miscellaneous ‘Telegrams and Local News. 4—The iutnam Tragedy: Wa ting for a Jury; Men Who Know Tov Much and Men Who Know ‘too Little—Penis of the Rutl—Literary Chit-Chat— Awerican Art: Visit to Miss Vinme Ream’s Studio—Rattroad War in Brooklyn —Picuic of the Scandinavian Society—Row at a Picnic— Marriages and Divorces, S—Flectwood Park: Secoud Day of the Spring Meeting--Prospect Park Fuir Grounds—Fro- ceedings in the Couris—Department of Public Instruction—The Kyans Abortion Case—Poiltt- cai Inteliigence—A Discip e of Foster. Y%—Euitorials (Coutmued irom Sixth Page)—Per- sonal [ntelligence—The Dying Commune: The Versailles Forces Pressing ‘heir Operations— Miscelianeous Telegrums—Amusements—Local News—the Churchinen's Council—Israchtcs in Counci!|—Business Notices. 6—Editorals: Leading Article, ‘The Protocols and Debates of the Joint High Commission on tbe Great Treaty”—Amusement Agnouncements, S—Fmaucial and Commercial Keports—Keal_bs- tate Matters—Meeting of the Boara of Health— Farewell eimai Mecting—Tne Rockville Church Trouble—Marriages aud Deathe— Advertisements, @—Advertisements. 4@—The Coal Trouples: Terrible Tragedy in Scran- von; two Miners Murdered vy a Lavorer; ‘The Reduced voal Tolis Over ihe Reading Rau- road—ihe soundling Asylum; Lecture by Dr. G. Durant—Sbipping Inielligence—Advertise- ments, 31—Advertisements, Ad—Advertisemenis, Roiorr 1s To BE HaNnagp To-Dary in the jail yard at Binghamton, in this State. A HERaLD correspondent has given a very iu- teresting account of an interview with the condemned, and photographed the exact linea- menis of the condemned man’s mind, stripped of its hypocrisy and its sensational and emo- tional bearings. The details of the execution will be given in the Hggaxp in full to-morrow, and what philology loses in his death society will gain in its deliverance from a bad man. ~ Tue Scranton Myers still refuse to go to work and have been using unlawfal measures to prevent others from resuming. Two Welsh- men were killed yester?ay by a soldier while they, with a crowd of two hundred others, were busy throwing stones at the laborers who are again working. This Welsh iawlessness doubtless required a stern lexson to repress it. The duty of protecting hoaest laboring men from violence at the hands of discontented strikers is a new one to our militia, and proba- bly the soldier fired too soon: but the lesson doubtiess had a salutary effect. These Welsb- men, who have mobbed the laborers once or twice already, must bear in mind that we don’t want any Welsh rarebits of this sort brought into general usage here. Tre VANDALISM oF THE ComMUNE—Dz- STRUCTION OF THE CoLUMN VeNDoME.—For the last twenty years we have been hearing muoh about the “crowning of the edifice.” The crowning of the ed\fice is entirely a French idea. We have seen how Napoleon has crowned the edifice, We have seen how the Commune has crowned the edifice. The de- struction of the Vendome Column has killed the Commune, has killed European republi- canism, and has taught the world a lesson which it cannot and will not soon forget. The vandalism of the Commune has, unless we greatly mistake, made an ond of the glori- ous prospect of the United States of Europe, The edifice is crowned at Inst, and all the world now knows what, in the French sense, that means. Tae Svsitme Porte has snubbed the Holy See. It appears from our Constantinople despatch that the mission of the Papal Nuncio, Mgr. Franchi, who was sent by the Pope for -the special object of negotiating a concordat with Turkey, has resulted ina failure. The Holy Father has of late been unfortunate in his old treaties with the European Powers or in his attempts to negotiate new ones. Austria has take steps to abolish the concordat with Rome, and Bavaria will probably follow the example. Seeing his ill success with the Catholic rulers, the Pope bas new tried his hand on the Grand Turk, The turbaned infidel, in the fulness of bis pride, has refused toenter intoa convention with Rome or to have anything te Say regarding the quarrel between the Armenian Catholics, whom the Papal Legate has endeavored to conciliate, ef the Joint High Comminsion en tho Great Treaty. + Inthe official reco of the proceedings of the Joint High Commission, which, exclu- sively through the columns of the Hrratp, were laid before the public yesterday, we have a full and clear explanation of the delicate and difficult work embodied in the great Treaty of Washington, in the conflicting propositions and debates upon each of the several questions involved, and an explanation, too, of the mataal concessions made in the final agreement be- tween the high contracting parties. Jt appears from the official journal of the Comuiss'on that its first formal meeting was on the 27th of February, and that having, after several intermediate meetings, cleared the ground for action, the American Commis- sioners, at the conference on the 8th of March, plunged boldly into the merits of the main question—the Alabama claims, They stated that ‘“‘the people and government of the United States felt that they had sustained a great wrong, and that ‘great injuries and losses were inflicted upon their commerce and their mate- rial interests by the course and conduct of Great Britain during the recent rebellion in the United States; that what has. occurred in Great Britain and her colonies during that period had given rise to feelings in the United States which the people of the United States did not desire (o cherish toward Great Britain; that the history of the Alabama and other cruisers which had been fitted out or armed or equipped, or which had received augmentation of force in Great Britain or in her colonies, and of the operations of those vessels, showed extensive direct-losses in the capture and destruction of a large number of vessels, with their cargoes, and in the heavy national expenditures in the pursuit of the cruisers and indirect injury in the transfer of a largo part of the American commercial marine to the British flag, in the enhanced payments of insur- ance, in the prolongation of the war, and in the addition of a large sum to the cost of the war and the suppression of the rebellion; and also showed that Great Britain, by reason of failure in the proper observance of her duties asa neutral, had become justly liable for the acts of those cruisers and of their tenders; that the claims for the loss and destruc- tion of private property which had thus far been presented amounted to about fourteen millions of dollars, without interest, which amount was liable to be greatly increased by claims which had not been presented ; that the cost to which the government had been put in the pursuit of cruisers could easily be ascer- tained by certificates of government account- ing officers; that in the hop2 of an amicable settlement no estimate was made of the in- direct losses, without prejudice, however, to the right to indemnification on their account in the event of no such settlement being made. The American Commissioners further stated that they hoped that the British Commissioners would be able to place upon record an expres- sion of regret by her Majesty’s government for the depredations commit'ed by the vessels whose acts were now under discussion; they also proposed that the Joint High Commission should agree upon a sum which should be paid by Great Britain to the United States in satis- faction of all the elaime aud the interest there- on,” Here, it will be observed, that in breaking ground npon the Alabama claims the Ameri- can Commissioners did not mince the matter, but put their caso, without reservation, upon its merits, and suggested certain conditions essential to a satisfactory adjustment, And how were they met by the otherside? By substantially the old argument of Lord Claren- don and his plea of ‘“‘not guilty” to the gen- eral indictment. The British reminded the American Commissioners, too, that “‘several vessels suspected of being designed to cruise against the United States, including two iron- clads, had been arrested or detained by the British government, and that that government had in some instances not confined itself to the discharge of international obligations, however widely construed, as, for instance, when it acquired, eta great cost to the country, the control of the Anglo-Chinese flotilla, which, it was apprehended, might be used against the United States,” &c. But for the sake of peace Great Britain upon this subject had been and was ready to submit it to arbitration. The American Commissioners replied that they were not prepared for arbitration, unless the principles by which the arbitrator should be governed were laid down, in the form of rules or instructions, as to the duties of neutrals in the fature, such rales to be applicable to the Alabama claims. The treaty farnishes the compromise agreed upor, Great Britain, adhering to her plea of “not guilty” in the matier of these Alabama claims, expresses, ‘in a friendly spirit, the regret felt by her Majesty’s government for the escape, under whatever circumstances, of the Aiabaina,” &., and agrees to the three rules proposed for the government of the two coun- tries as neutrals in the future; and, farther- more, while still contending that these rules cannot be applied to the Alabama and her Confederate Anglo-rebel cruisers, they shall still govern the arbitration in the settlement of these Alabama claims. We have certainly, looking at the difficulties bridged over, noth- ing to complain of in this agreement; for if England is satisfied with the shadow we ought to be satisfied with the substance of the prin- ciples involved. From protocol thirty-six it next appears that on an inquiry from the American Com- missioners they were informed that her Ma- jesty’s government recognized no such thing as property in slaves; and next that the Brit- ish Commissioners did attempt to bring in cer- tain Canadiah claims for Fenian raids; but that on being answered from our Commis- sioners that they had no authority to touch that subject the other side gave way, and they had the less difficulty in doing so, as a portion of the claims were of a constructive and in- ferential character.” However, had our Com- missioners agreed to settle these Fenian raid claims on the condition that England should indemnify our government for expenses in- curred in maintaining our neutrality laws against the Fenians, we have no doubt there would be a heavy balance in our favor. But it will suffice that in dropping these Fenian raid claims England has yielded the point as decisively against her, _ and Mgr. Franchi will return a sadder, if not | Upon the fishery question we find that the @ wiser map 7 treaty is based upon the vrovosition, ema- uating from the American Commissioners, of a money compensation as an equivalent for a free run in the inshore fisheries of the British Northeastern seaboard provinces; but the fisheries settlement finally agreed upon was attained only after a lengthened discussion of varions propositions from each side, including. several appeals by the British Commissioners to London for instructions. Equally difficult appears to have been the laborious journey by which the Joint Commis- sion reached their comparatively simple agree- ment touching the navigation of the St. Law- rence. The whole question, in, all its bear- ings, including the old, abandoned Canadian Reciprocity Treaty, was thoroughly discusse4, and from the obstacles, on the one side or the other, springing up at every step, it is ap- parent that, had not both sides been animated by a fixed resolution to secure a comprehen- sive and satisfactory treaty of peace there was material enough on the Alabama claims or the fisheries question or on the St. Law- rence navigation reciprocities to occupy the members of the Joint High Commission till recalled from their exhausting labors, The old proverb, ‘‘Where there is a will there is a way,” has solved all these difficulties; or we may say that they have been settled by the three golden rules of St. Augustine—‘‘In essen- tials unity, in non-essentials liberty, and in all things charity.” The Northwestern boundary dispute is about a little island in that oceanic inlet, the Strait of San Juan de Fuca, which divides our Ter- ritory of Washington from the British posses- sion of Vancouver's Island. Tho line of the forty-ninth parallel from the Lake of the Woods, on the northera frontier of Minnesota, is our established Northern boundary to that inlet which cuts off Vancouver's Island from the mainland. Thence, by the treaty of 1846, the international boundary, in order to give that island unbroken to England, follows the main channel of the dividing strait around to the sea, But there are so many channels among the small islands in that strait that a dispute has risen as to which is the treaty channel. We claim. the channel which gives the dominating island of San Juan to us; Eng- land claims the channel which gives that island to her, and that is the difficulty, In turning it over, however, to the Emperor of Germany, we think that we rely upon an hon- est decision. But this submission to an arbi- trator, it appears, was granted by our Com- missionera in view of the larger concessions from England inthe other adjustments of the treaty. And so the protocols of the treaty justify its stipulations throughout, and confirm it, in spirit and in fact, as a great treaty of peace. The treaty is the result of the patriotic and conciliatory spirit which governed both sides of the High Commission, and in this view their frequent family dinners no doubt contributed much tolighten their labors and to, bring them toa “happy accord” upon each of the difficult questions they have so readily and happily adjusted. And yet, but for the facili- ties of communication with the government at London afforded by the Atlantic cable, the work accomplished in this treaty at Wasbing- ton ina few weeks might have ocenpied as many months, And so here, in that great agent of modern civilization, the electric tele- graph, by land and sea, we have a beautiful illustration of its wonderful power as an agent of peace. And so, with the government at London working with the government and Joint High Commission at Washington in this treaty, we are assured from the other side that they have nothing to learn concerning it and nothing to change. The Commune in Its Last Ditoh. Slowly but surely the army of Vorsailles ap- proaches the walls of Paris. A despatch from that city admits that their parallels are within three hundred feet of the ramparts; it is ru- mored that they are undermining the insur- gent works; the gates of Auteuil and Ver- sailles are in ruins; Point du Jour is unten- able; the terrific fire from the forts and bat- teries sweep the bastions of the doomed capi- tal, silencing their guns and compelling the Communists to crouch behind them in mor- tal terror for dear life. Sach, in brief, was the situation yesterday. Even as we write the scene of conflict may be no longer around the walls, but within the city, before the barricades; for last night the grand attack was expected to take place. Certainly the energy exhibited by Marshal MacMahon is worthy of the ancient re- nown of Frenchmen. Hampered os he has been by the temporizing and vacillating policy of M. Thiers—who, Micawber-like, has been waiting for something to turn up inside the city, which something the Commune has with firm hands kept from turning up—he has still done enough to convince the world that he isa soldier of ability. Unless Thiers inter. feres we ought, before the end of the present week, to tell the story of the death of the insur- rection. Allour despatches of this morning confirm this opinion. Not that there is any. thing new or startling in the military situation, for, indeed, there can be no change now until the Versailles troops force their way through the shattered gates and breached ramparts, Fort Montrouge is reported captured, but the place is of little consequence _ to-day, MacMahon seems to have achieved all that he aimed at in obtaining the positions his forces now occupy, commanding the entire southwestern corner of Paris. A telegram from Communal sources prepares us for bata feeble resistance at this point; hence we doubt if the struggle to effect an entrance will be very fierce or very san- guinary. Deserted by many of their leaders, who are said to be flecing the city in dismay, disheartened by the utter failure of all their hopes, the fanatical dupes of Blanqui, Deles- cluze and the other red republican chiefs are likely to be wantlag in stomach for the fight, At any rale we trust that the carnage will not be very great. More than enough blood has been wantonly shed already in a cause which covers the Parisians with unending disgrace and which all patriotic Frenchmen must ever remember with shame and humiliation, Tae Ku Kix Trovsies.—The Secretary of War has issued the necessary instructions to insure the co-operation of the troops with the federal civil authorities in the suppression of all unlawful combinations in South Carolina and the other States designated in the Anti- Ku Klux bill, NEW YORK HERALD, THURSDAY, MAY 18%, 187L-TRIPLE SHEET. re Radical Esdorsement of Geveral Sherman’s | British Art and Its Cestinontal Reinforce- | Emect of Legigiation om Insurance Come Views on the Hu Klux. The radical organ of this city confirms the views expressed by General Sherman on the condition of the South and exaggerated state- ments about the Ku Klux, although it assailed the General a few days ago for what he suid. It says :— our Sorcespoaieons have now been so long in the distur districts of the Sonth that we can form from thelr letters a distinct idea of the state of society in that unfortunate part of the Union, It is a melancholy ploture wat they draw for us. The most intelligent, the influential, theveducated, the really useful men of the South, deprived of all political power, have come to look upon themselves as the outraged subjects of a ic conqueror. ‘taxed and swindled by a horde of rascally fore adven- turers and by the ignorant class which only yester- day hoe the flelds and served in the kitchen, they care nothing for politics except to throw off the oppressive yoke; they have no interest in national adatrs; they would cali themselves of either party provided their rulers were only of the other. ‘The refuse of Northern cities who went Southward after the war, out at elbows and destitute of character and education, now roll in splendid carriages, drink rare wines, glitter with diamonds a3 big as Fisk's and steal taxes as fast as a New York street com- missioner. It 18 no wonder that the impover- ished planter, growing povres every day, the ex-Vonfederate officer, who fought so bravely for a cause in which he honestly believed: the pro- fessional men, accustomed all their lives to hoid ofice and leal the pane sentiment of their com- munities, look on such things with rancorous hearts. ‘They bei re submit to be ruled by soldiers who Lad eaten thei in battle; but here they wre plundered by sutlers and camp followers, ‘This is @ miserable state of things indeed fora republican government—a burlesque upon the sul- frage, when the only restriction upon yoting is that the votes shal not be caat for the most intelligent and virtnous citizens. We have often warned our party in Congress of the inevitabie result of the vin- dictive method of reconstruction, We have told thefh, and we tell them again, that there Is only one way to restore the Union—universal amnesty and’ impartial suifrage. We do not care to discuss the probable mo- tives for this change of base. It may be that the secret purpose is to strike General Grant in an indirect'way on the coercive policy he inaugurated and pushed through Congress, or that this assumed leader of the radical party, seeing the popular movement to make General Sherman President, wants to take him up and forestall*the democrats, In the subsequent part of the article, of which the above extract is the commencement, there is something said about the poor negroes and violence in the South, by way of qualifying what was said before ; but the gist of the whole isin what we have quoted, This Ku Klux matter is likely to prove a troublesome one to the radicals, and their organ here has sense enough to see it. The sentiment of the country responds to the views expressed by General Sherman, that the statements made about the Ku Klux arp greatly exaggerated and that the troubles in the South can be settled by the Southera people themselves, without the employment of federal forces, if the government would act wisely. Any attempt to control the Southern vote in elections, or at the next Presidential election, by coercion, under the pretext of Ku Klux outrages, will produce a reaction against the administration and radical party and defeat their object. It will be well if the warning note sounded by the radical crgan here be heeded by General Grant. Mrs. Sherman aud Suffragists. Another very satisfactory recommendation for General Sherman for the Presidency is the fact that his wife is leading the great conserva- tive movement of women against the fantastic doctrines of the long-haired and socialistic agi- tators for female suffrage. Ably seconded by Mra, Admiral Dablgren and Miss Catharine Beecher, she has made a vigorous onslaught upon the works of the agitators worthy of Old Tecumseh himself at Atlanta. By her addresses and petitions to Congress upon the subject she has cut a swath in the enemy’s ranks paralleled only by the flery swaths that Sherman cut in his march down to the sea, While continuing her good work through peti- tions and remonstrances, she does not fail to call in the aid of the press, and now publishes anew paper called Zhe True Woman, de- voted mainly to the advocacy of the anti- woman suffrage movement. Thus she brings up her heavy reinforcements at the critical moment and fills up the gap in the line as Sherman filled it with his Fifteenth corps at Vicksburg; and doubtless we shall soon hear of her cornering the enemy, com- pelling his surrender and then offering him generous terms, as Sherman did with Joe John- ston in North Carolina. She has entered ona heavy campaign and bids fair to conduct it with the relentless vigor that belongs to the name of Sherman. Some time ago we discoursed to the women’s rights women on the true right of suffrage, which they already possess, and which they seem anxious to barter for the meretricious right of casting the actual ballot. We instanced the commendable action of Mrs. General Logan in securing the election of her husband to the United States Senate merely in showing, by her genial hospitality, her ex- cellent manners and the brightness of her home, how much credit she would reflect upon the honest and sagacious Illinois farmers who chose her to represent thom in the social Sen- atorial circle in Washington. We instanced Blanche Butler, who guided her father’s great influence, and Vinnie Ream, who moved a Con- gress to sympathy and anappropriation. Mrs. General Sherman now comes forward as even General the Women a higher fepreséntative ot this trad womaniy principle of woman’s suffrage. Her pronuncla- mento against the American Communists is as great a master stroke of statesmanship as the General’s exposure of the Ku Klux myth. She aims to secure peace and tranquillity in the social circle, and he to insure it in our political and commercial highways. She strikes at a social dragon, lie at a political bugbear. She 13 conservative socially ; he politically. She would make an excellent lady of the White House; he an excellent President. Thus moving together, hand in hand, under the ban- ner of conservatism and on the unalterable principles of opposition to communist prob- lems and radical encroachments, General Sherman and Mrs. Sherman present them- selves—the most available candidates for the White House that the democratic party can ever hope to enter for the race in 1872, * A Despatou from Laguayra, Venezuela, mentions rumors of a new. revolution in that republic, but no importance was attached to them. An expedition which landed at Coro was attacked by the government troops and the greater part captured, All of which is hopeful of continued tranquillity. Nivz surors have been obtained in the Foster case. They are rather an intelligent looking ‘‘set,” and an ordinary physiognomist would hardly believe from a casual glance at them that they are such ignorant boors aa they swore they were, * ments. ~ The remarkably interesting description which one of our London correspondents has given of his first visit 40 the one bundred and third Exhibition of the Royal Academy attests the promising growth of British art beneath the sun- shine of royal, noble and popular favor. Art had long been considered almost an exotic in England until Hogarth, breaking the tragnmels that bound his aspiring countrymen to the rank of mere copyists of the Flemish and Italian artists, gave a decided spring and an original cast to native English genius in painting. ‘During all the long period of tute- lage under Italian and Flemish masters,” says Lamson, “no single native artist of eminent merit and independent spirit arose in England ; and it was truly a native and spontaneous germination and growth when the first masters of the English school appeared.” The recog- nized founders of that school were Reynolds in portraiture and Gainsborough in landscape. The works of their contemporaries, Wilson, Opie, Northcote, Barry and Fuseli, exbibited more originality in themes and styles than power in execution, Their successors, Sir Thomas Lawrence and Sir Henry Raeburn in portraiture, Haydon, Eity and Sir David Wilkie in history, fiction and low life, displayed eminent talent. But the truest native English genius has been developed in landscape, and Turner deservedly heads the list, adorned by such names as Constable (who, when ‘asked by Sir George Beaumont ‘‘what style he proposed to adopt,” replied, “none but God Almighty’s style”), Morland, Eastlake and Lands:er. The English school in water colors may boast of Turner himself, of Prout and Fielding. W.H. Hunt and the rest of the pre-Raphaelite brotherhood, notwithstanding certain errors ,and extravagances, have done signal service by insisting upon a direct study of nature. Lord Kmnes’ “Elements of Criticism,” Burke’s “Essay on the’ Sublime and Beautiful,” Alison’s ‘Essay on Taste,” Hogarth’s ‘“‘Analy- sis of Beauty,” Fuseli’s ‘Lectures on Palat- ing,” Reynolds’ miscellaneous writings, Hay's excellent treatises, Eastlake’s ‘History of Oil Painting” and Ruskin’s eloquent, if contra- dictory volumes, may be cited among the numerous works which sbow that the pen as well as the pencil has had its honorable share in the rise and progress of art in Enzland, Within the past twenty years the multiplica- tion of art exhibitions and of schools of design has wonderfully stimulated the interest of the British people in art. Its present flourishing condition is evinced at the Royal Academy Exhibition by the pictures of Millais, Leighton, Ward, Mrs. Ward, Armitage, Crowe, Wyn- field, Cauty, Marks, Hook, Calderon, Mason, Stone, Potts, Horsley, Anthony, Long, George Leslie and other distinguished British painters, What, moreover, is especially suggestive at this exhibition is the unusual proportion of pictures by continental artists. Not only are several of the British painters whose works are exhibited favorite pupils of Delaroche and other great French masters, but G¢rome and Tadema are among the continental celebrities who are personally represented on the walls of the Academy. Sihce the war the London studio of Crowe has been shared by Gérome, # famous fellow pupil of Delaroche. Gc¢rome is but one of scores of artists driven from Paris by the Franco-P: ussian war and kept away by the barbarous civil conflict which has followed it, These foreign artists have been hospitably welcomed in London. Already their distinct recognition of the scientific basis on which, according to Delsarte, all true art rests, is be- ginning to exert a happy influence. One of their works exhibited at the Royal Academy is, says our correspondent, a lesson to English painters for the completeness of its finish and its consummate dextexity in representation of texture and surface. This is, indeed, he adds, carried so far that it is doubtful whether it be not carried to the point at which it impairs the effect of everything that cannot be so accu- rately painted, faces first ‘and foremost. If, however, this danger b2 avoided—as well as the still greater danger that some London artists may be tempted to copy the meretri- ciousness into which, during the latter days of the second empire, so many Paris artists had fallen—the world may yet rajoice that British art has been so liberally reinforced from the Continent, Good will thus come out of the evil wrought by the war, nor will England’s gain be, eventually, anything more than a temporary loss to France, A Curious Case in a United States Court. The Grand Jury in the United States District Court, sitting at Rochester, have pre- sented to the court a series of resolutions “condemning in decided language the pro- ceedings of some of the commissioners and other inferior officers of the court and persons connected with the federal department, who have been and still are engaged in the perse- cation of ciiizens by taking advantage of technical yjoiuons of ane laws.” This isa very important matter. Beyond a doubt the whole thing turos upon the repréhensible practice of using stool-pigeons in making out cases to be presented to the United States courts. We have heard pronounced from the bench of the United States District Court in this city, frou the mouth of so eminent a jurist as Judge Shipman, direct asseverations that the stool- pigeon system is bad in the beginning, worse io its workings, and unfortunate in its results for the attainment of the ends of justice. Judge Shipman’s views, we are glad to see, are being carried out {n so respectable and re- sponsible a locality as Rochester—a grand physical centre of the northern part of the State of New York, RaiLroap Enoroacnments.—As if pur- posely to illustrate the grasping rapacity of railroad monopolies and to corroborate our remarks concerning them in yesterday's Herratp—to clinch our suggestions, as it were, beyond chance of cavil—comes now the news that the Pennsylvania Central has formed a combination with the Union Pacific and Cali- fornia Pacific railroads, so that it will control a through route from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Not only that, but it has also jostled the Reading Railroad out of the fight for the Camden and Amboy lease, and stands just now the most powerful and unscrupulous cor- voration gignt south of the Hudson, panies. We have already had occasion to allude to the question of legislative interference in ree gard to our life insurance companies, and the recent entire failure, in the State Senate, of the only bill which perhaps embodied any really good features bearing upon the management of these companies, convinces us that our law- givers at Albany have yet much to learn before they can master the subject. It is true that this bill, which was introduced by Senator Bradley, vested more power in the head of the Insurance Department than we are accustomed to see given to any one man in this country; but had it passed it would at least ‘ have relieved the public mind ‘and the compa- nies themselves from the uncertainty which necessarily exists when so many have a hand in directing the law. The insurance code is already stringent enough in this State and in the State of Massa- chusetts, and offers a strong contrast to the condition of the law that governs the insurance companies of Great Britain. In these States a zealous watch is maintained, requiring sworn, annual statements from all the companies and a strict compliance with the statutes. It is-only, in those cases where the affairs of a company are on so limited a scale that the occurrences ofa few months may create disaster that any danger is to he apprehended. In the requirement that a much larger de- posit should be made with the department by - . all newly organized life companies a direct blow was aimed at the establishment of suck institutions by irresponsible parties, This in itself was an excellent feature. We cannot, however, help regardiag life insurance as still in its infancy, and, as experience is the best teacher, we feel that improvement is not to be made by hampering with too much legislation the companies engaged in the business, So far the system has worked well when conducted with fidelity. But as no law can be framed which will entirely protect the com- munity from dishonest practices, whether in respect to the business of a life insurance com- pany or that of any other institution in which trust must be placed, we come pretty much to the conclusion that men must judge for them- selves of the integrity of those into whose hands the administration of such enterprises is confided. Because the Commonwealth Vire Insurance Company and other similar com- panies have met with disaster in consequence of malpractices, it must not be inferred that no men are honest, or that it is the fault of existing laws that the commuuaity has beea deceived. The insolvency of a life company will ar'e» from any one of the four following causes :— First, from an excessive expenditure in ob- taining or conducting the business; second, from the declaration of excessive dividends which the profits do not justify; third, from loss on investments, and fourth, from an ex- cessive rate of mortality. Mr. T. B. Sprague, M. A., Vice President of the Institute of Actuaries, in London, says, in alluding to these four causes, “there seems little doubt that the sys- tem pursued in America will ba effectual in preventing insolvency from the first of these causes. If the expenditure of an office has been excessive forta number of years it will be observable, year by year, im the reports made by the Insurance Commis- sioner.” Mr. Sprague adds that “‘similar re- marks apply to the insolvency of an office caused by the declaration of excessive bonuses” or dividends. We have quoted the words of Mr. Sprague, inasmuch as he is a leading life in- surance authority in England, and because they accord with the result of our own obsere vation, ‘ As regards loss on investments, this depends in a great measure upon the watchfulness of the Insurance Department, the simple duty of which is to see that a company’s charter has not been violated nor its assets placed in an- available securities, Excessive mortality will depend upon whether a company, either from fraud or from ignorance, has accepted to a dangerous extent proposals on unsound lives, or has accepted at inadequate rates proposals on lives exposed to extra risks from residence or occupation. This can always be deter- mined by a reference to the annual statements made by every life company in the State and published by the department, 7 As much protection, therefore, as can be reasonably expected, is now given to the pub- lic by our insurance laws, if these lawa are faithfully administered and a proper watch is kept on the proceedings of our insurance companies, It then becomes the duty of the public to see for themselves to the honesty as well as to the executive ability that-dis- tinguishes the management. of a company’s affairs, In the case of the Knickerbocker Life Insur- ance Company, it should be reassuring to know that certain vague complaints indus- triously circulated of late azainst this old and ery popular company have been s'lenced by the official report of Mr. G. W. Miller, the rietlant and energetic Superintendent of the” veers ates Crevy Insurance Department of the Bg of New, York. After a prolonged and thorougi? investigation Mr,. Miller finds ‘‘that the Knickerbocker has honorably and promptly met and discharged all legitimate claims, the gross sum paid for such claims upon policies since its organization amounting to $2,851,849, besides dividends paid to policy-holders amounting to $995,424.” The Superin- tendent also states wih pleasur: that “ths company has adopted the policy of as rap'dly as possible abandoning the ‘.o%e’ syst:m and effecting ‘insurances upon the all-cash basis, and that with this and other improved methods of business already established the company has every prospeet of continued success.'’ Not- withetanding the thoroug’ sifting to which its assets have been subjected, the Superintend- ent refers to the lowest estimate of the sur-, plus of its assets over its liabilities as, ‘‘show- ing the company to be entirely solvent and entitled to the confidence of ils policy-holdera and the public.” Such an official report, should, we repeat, be reassuring, although this end might have been even more fully attained had some statement appeared with a clear detail of the company’s assets, with their present market value. It is highly important for the stab lity of any insurance company that none but tho very best {nvestments should be solected. Only those companies which are particular ia