The New York Herald Newspaper, December 19, 1871, Page 6

NEW YORK HERALD BROADWAY AND ANN STREST. eee JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR, All business or news letter and telegraphic deepaiches must be addressed New York HERALD. Volume X XX¥I i AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING, NIBLO'S GARDEN, Broadway, beiwoen Prince and Houston streets.—BLack CROOK, BOWERY THEATRE, Bowery.—Pate—BuoTntr BILL awp Broturn BEN. ACADEMY OF MUSIC, Fourteenth strest.—Tur OretA or Faust. OLYMPIC THEATRE, Broadway.—fwe BALLET PAN- TOMIME OF HusPry Dunpry. BOOTHS THEATRE, Twenty-third st, corner Sixth av.— Hamer. WOOD'S MUSEUM, Broadway, corner 35th st. Performs ‘ances afternoon aud evening.—110akT OF LRAVE MAN, GRAND OPERA HUUSE, corner of 8th av. and 23d st— CHARLES O'MALLEY. FIFTA AVENUG THEATRE, Twenty-fourth street. — Tue New Dana oF Drvoxor, LINA EDWIN'S THEATRE, No. 720 Broadway.—OPeRa Bourrk—Baver BLEvE. WALLACK’S THEATRE, Broadway and 13th astrect.— Joun Ganra. MRS. F. 1B. CONWAY'S BROOKLYN THEATRE.— ROMANOE OF A PooR Youne Man. THEATRE COMIQUE, 514 Broadway.—Comto Vooa 18M8, NEGMO ACB, ac. UNION SQUARE THEATRE, Fourteenth st. and Broad- way.—NEOKO ACTS—BURLFSQUE, BALLET, &0. TONY PASTOR'S OPERA HOUSE. No. 201 Bowery.— Ne@Ro EOOENTRICITIFS, BURLESQUES, &0. Matinee. BRYANT'Ss NEW UPERA HOUSE, 231 at, between Oth and Tb avs.--BRYANT'S MINSTRELS. SAN FRANCISCO MINSTREL HALL, 585 Broadway.— Tak San FRaxorsco MINSTRELS. NEW YORK CIRCUS, THE Ring, ActowAT NIXON'S GREAT SOUTHERN CIRCUS, 728 Broadway.— SORNES IN THE BiNG, £0. Fourteontu street.—SCENES {N &O. Now York, Tuesday, December 19, 1871. CONTENTS OF TO-DAY’S HERALD. Paar. 1— Advortisements, 2—Adverrisements. 3—Washington; Retrenchment Finding no Friends in the Senate; Debate on the Republican Cau- cus Committee; Attacks by Sumner, Tram- bull, Logan aud Bazard on the Administra. ton; Nefusal to sympathize with the Dead of the Commune—Amusements. 4—Impeacnment: Will the Inventor Be Tortured by jt? Secretary Boutwell in a'tight Place; the Ways ana Means Committee Propose to Inves- Uzate the Syndicate Operations—The Alabama Ciaims: Meeting at Geneva; Statement in Be- halt of the United States—Tha Victories of Peace: Mectinz Last Night at Cooper Institute to Glority the Washington Treaty—Grand Duke Alexis—Art Sale—A Waif from Chica- ion Aneieee Fire in Chicago—Smalipox in ersey and in Brookiyn—Meeting of the Fed- eral Council of the Internstionais—Lawyers in Council—Stabbing Affray—The Government of Prince Edward Island, : G—Europe: Rossel’s Journal Before His Execution at Satory; tho british Press on President Grant’s Message: the Tichborne Triai—Around the Municipal Oifices—Judge Bedtord’s Grand Jury—Brooklyn Reform— Daring Deliverers—Railroad Communication With the Red River ery my aged Notes, Political and General—fhe Liquor sos, 5, sete, Sera 0 y TO! Grooklyn—Views of the Past. G—Euitorials: Lea “The Democratic Yarty—Decine pse of the ‘Possum’ Policy—What Next ?”—Personal Intelugence— , The Enverprise of the New York UsKatp— Wroming Politics—Amusement Announce- me: 7—Ireland: Londonderry Conyulsed_ by a Riot; A _ Number of Persons Wounded—The Eclipse ot the Suu—The INness of the Prince of Wales— Miscclianeous Cable and Domestic Tele- | Sey and Conno!lly—Rumors of on ‘urther SS en, Tae Notices, roceedings e gs unte ing: ‘Trial of Miner, the Alleged ounterie al That Biack Friday Suit; The Charge of Tam- poring with the Jury—Tombs Police Court—A ‘olitical Row—Brooklyn Common Counci!—A Jersey Horror. @—The Broken Banks: The Rottenness of the Ocean Bank—Tne Comptroller of the Currency Speaks—Proceedings of the Board of Alder- mon—Financial and Commercial Reports— Domestic and European Markeis—Probable Murder—Marriages and Deaths. 10—The Trial of Mrs. Wharton at Annapolis—Man to'Senorita’ Caroling ‘De Creeagh Suipping morta Cal y Intelligence— Advertisements, U1-Warwick Castle: The Wreck by Fire of the A£ao'ent Seat of the Karla of Warwick; the Art Treasures Destroyed and Saved—Indiana Tammanyts—Unchristian Commerce with Liberia—Tne Vark Tragedy in Indiana—ad- vertisements. 19—Advertisements, Aw Onio Exonance states that Senator John Sherman is about to start a country gro- very. It takes brains to make a successful grocer, Anybody can be a Congressman. Tag InrzacumEeNr oF Governor Scorr in the South Carolina Legislafure was the subject of a special resolution, brought in by Mr. Bowen yesterday, the same energetic gen- Ueman who has had charge of the committee to investigate that “‘little matter” of an over- issue of about seven million dollars’ worth of State bonds. Anotner Girt From THE Russian Privox bas just been announced. While visiting the numerous attractive spots selected by the “Hub” Committee, the imperial visitor is said to have observed that even the streets of the forensic city were not altogether free from poverty, and, before leaving for Canada, he placed one thoisand five hundred dollars in the hands of Mayor Gaston, with a recom- mendation that he would distribute it to the deserving poor in Boston. Taken with the fact of the yandsome donation for similar purposes in New York, it shows that, while fully enjoying himself on his tour, he is not anmindfat of those whose daily life is a struggle for the bare necessaries of existence, and to whom a few additional dollars will be @ peculiar assistance just at this season of the year. Tue Oxteans Prisors anv Toeir Rients tn Franog.—The question of the claim of the Orleans Princes to representative righte as Members of the French Assembly still presents a subject of difficulty to the French govern- ment, It was debated again yesterday. President Thiers was absent from the House. His argument was presented by M. Oasimir Pereire. It was undecided, and, as it appears from our telegraph report, slightly equivocal. M, Thiers appears to set up the existence of a private personal agreement made, as he alleges, by the Executive, with the Princes as a temporary offset to their immedi- ate assertion of a citizen right. The Deputies of the left opposed the idea of the restoration ofthe Princes vehemently. In doing so they drew a comparison between the Orleans royal- ists and Napoleon as monarchists, A govern- ment motion to pass to the consideration of the order of the day was rejected. The primary budget of debate was fiaally excluded by the exercise of what may be called a legis- lative equivocation. The question of right still presents in Fraoce—for tho Princes, for the people and for the President, NEW YUKK HEKALD, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19, ‘The Demecrailo Party—Deciiac and Cel lapse of the “Possum” Pelloy—What Nextt The democratic party is now in the condl- tion of a great army in a hoatile country— broken up into numerous detachments, scat- tered about over an immense territory, with- out a general-in-chief or common leader and without a fixed plan of operations. By their astonishing victory of March last in New Hampshire the party leaders flattered them- selves with the delusion that it was the begin- ning of a sweeping political revolution, and that all the State elections of the year would run in the same channel, cleaving the way for an old line democratic President in 1872, But the April Connecticut election blotted out all-such old line democratic calculations, Then was tried the new democratic departure of accepting ‘‘the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments ;” but it came too late. Then came the crushing exposures against the Tammany Ring, and s0 on, from the Maine and California elections of September to the recovery of New York hy the republicans in November, on the platform of General Grant's administration; and then came, by certain democratic organs and leaders, the agitation of this passive, or possum policy, which, while still under discussion, bas suddenly col- lapsed, This “possum” policy was first proposed by the leading democratic jouraals of Mis- gouri, It was the policy of carrying over the democratic party to republican bolters from General Grant, and of cumbining democrats and anti-Grant republicans ona sort of no- party ticket in a reform fight for the Presi- dential succession, Uader Governor Gratz Brown and Senator Carl Schurz as the leaders of the bolting republicans, and under General Frank Blair and others as the leading demo- crats, this ‘an'i-Grant combination policy had been tried and crowned with great success in Missouri, carrying, for instance, General Blair into the Senate. Naturally enough, therefore, the parties directly concerned in this Missourl experiment of sinking the democratic party in a faction of republican bolters thought it could be successfully applied to the whole United States. Tho Missourians, in their ad- vocacy of this policy, in this view, were at first earnestly supported by several leading democratic journals in New York and else- where in the East; but since the meeting of Congress the old line democratic presses of the country—Easi, West and South—have whistled the cowardly project down the wind. So, here we are again, Mr. Merriman, and what are you going to do now? The New Hampshire democracy, the first in the field for the next year's State elections, have fallen back into their old party entrenchments, pre- pared, hit or miss, to stand there till called to take bolder ground by a national party con- vention. Meantime, from the democratic leaders in Congress we have no sign. How- ever, a few days hence they will be dispersed among their constituents for the Christmas and New Year holidays, and then, with their return to Washington, we may have ademo- cratic Congressional caucus which will throw some light upon the subject. It seems now to be generally agreed that the party is not dead, bat that it still lives, and that, notwithstand- ing the downfall of Tammany and the loss of its prestige and financial and material aid, the only course compatible with the dignity, strength and general sentiment of the party, is still to keep the old party flag flying and ‘full high advanced” in the face of the enemy. Unquestionably the inducements held out by the unti-Grant republicans for the possum policy are universally regarded as too doubt- ful, uncertain and slim to justify any further serious thought by democrats of this sort of new departure. In truth, this talk of disbanding the demo- cratic party in view of a new party organiza- tion for 1872, this special pleading for another change of base on the eve of the battle, is preposterous. From its very beginning down to this day the history of the democratic party is a history of party expedients from one campaiga to another. It first came into power with the glory of General Jackson from his glorious battle of New Orleans; the popularity of his war on the old United States Bank re- elected him, and the flush times of % paper money inflating pet State bank policy elected his chosen successor, Van Buren, But then came that financial reaction and the collapse of that inflated bubble of prosperity in 1837, which raised that popular whirlwind of 1840, and which it was next supposed had finished the democracy as an effective national organ- ization. It may be safely said, too, that but for the death of Pfesident Harrison and the defection of John Tyler, the whigs, in all probability, would have held the White House for two or three Presidential terms in succes- sion. As it was, even with the popular demo- cratic war cry of the annexation of Texas and the desertion from the whig ticket in this State of fifteen thousand whig abolitionists, a change in 1844 of less than five thousand votes in New York would have defeated Polk and elected Henry Clay. That was a narrow escape for the democratic party; but it was the beginning of the end of the old whig party. In 1848 it rallied on General Taylor, fresh from the Mexican war, and, with the aid of Martin Van Buren, he waselected. Van Buren had been cut out of the democratic nomination by General Cass, and, as the independent free soil candidate, “the Little Magician” had his revenge in carry- ing off the balance of power in New York and in electing General Taylor. In 1852 the de- mocracy, with Pierce as their candidate, took the new departure of Henry Clay's great com- promise measures on the slavery question of 1850; and, though the whigs, under General Scott, stood on the same platform, they had become so mixed up with the abolition agi- tators that North and South a great majority of the people rallied to the support of Pieroe, for the sake of peace, on Clay's compromises, and so Pierce received the vote of all the States except Vermont and Massachasetts, in the North, and Kentucky and Tennessee, in the South, Had Pierce and his party stuck to that platform the democracy might have been in power, and Southern slavery and King Cotton might have continued masters of the government to this day. The Southern slave-holding oligarchy, how= ever, who aftor the retirement of General Jackson raled the democratic party, were so far emboldened by the success of Pierce as to demand concessions to slavery never before 187L—TRIPLE SHEET, steamboat transportation of cattle—the same | OMictal Pickings and Stoalings—A Necded @reamed of. Hence, in 1854, that repeal of | Coagress Yosterday—The Anth-Admiaistra- Clay's adjustment in that memorable Kansas- tlon Fight Romzewed ia the Sonate—Bille Nebraska bill, which -has been fitly described | and Buncombe tm the Hense, as the overture to the Southern rebellion. Then with that Kansas agitation and border war came that overwhelming Northern reaction on the slavery question which would unques- tionably have elected the first candidate of this republican party, General Fremont, President in 1856, but for the disturbing third party ticket of Fillmore in the North and the suppression by violence of aay hint of anti-slavery ideas in the South. Of course, this alate of things had to come to an end, and it came to an end in 1860—first, in the bolt of Douglas and his Northern democrats against the extreme demands of the Southern oligarchy on slavery, and next in the election of Lincoln, Then came the rebellion and the great constitutional revolution accomplished in the fifteenth amendment. But still, from its sweeping defeat of 1840, from its marrow escape of 1844, from its defeat of 1848, and iis overwhelming success of 1852; from ita narrow escape in 1856 and its apparent fatal disruption, demoralization and dispersion in 1860; from ita heavy de- feats of 1864 and 1868, and all its disasters of 1871, including the terrible overthrow of the amighty power of Tammany and the loss of New York, the democratic party still survives and is still a power in the land. Many of its strongholds in the time of Jackson—such as Berks county, Pa.—are its strongholds sill, Tf it has lost some States it has gained others, and, upon the whole, it needs only a bold and united advance to the front line of the living issues of the day to make a splendid fight in 1872. It is true that some seven hundred thousand colored voters, nearly all republi-- can, have lately been added to the voting elements of the country, but it is also true that thig colored vote is nearly neutralized by the democratic gains in the Southern white vote. But, in abandoning the Missouri possum policy, what next the democratic party called upon to do? The next thing most urgently demanded is a national convention for the reorganization of the party. Let this convention be called right away, and let the nomination of the Presidential ticket of the party be postponed till after the republican convention has put its ticket in the field, and, peradventuro, there may be yet an opening for .a political revolution next November. Who can tell? The Londonderry Riots. The Heratp special cable despatch from Londonderry brings information that the "Prentice Boys have been “‘at it again,” and have had a collision with the police and mili- tary after the real Irish fashion. Although the report describes the affair as a savage riot, it does not appear that any lives were lost or any very serious injuries inflicted. The cause of the disturbance was the attempt of the Apprentices to celebrate the anniversary of the “closing of the gates” of the city, wecord- ing to their old custom, in defiance of the pro- clamation of the Lord Lieutenant, issued under authority of the Ireland Processions act, forbidding the demonstration. Informer years the celebration was constantly the occa- sion of a fight between the Catholic and Protestant portions of the population, but the new act has changed the issue, and made the Apprentices the offenders against the law and the peace of the city. The “closing of the gates” is a custom which dates back as far as the times of James and William. To the Catholics the custom has always been offensive. It is a stupid relic of an obsolete past, and in his wise attempt to make an end of it the Lord Lieutenant is entitled to all praise. Ireland is not the United States; Londonderry is not New York. The ‘‘closing of the gates” has been a fruifful source of trouble. It is well, there- fore, to put the practice down. Here we choose not to know King James or King Wil- liam, the Catholic faith or the Protestant faith, but only the civic rights of all. Even the International, little as we care for it, must be allowed to have its little innocent parade when it thinks proper, The British govern- ment and the United States government both agree in this—that while rights are not in- fringed peace must be maintained. Jadge Bedford’s Grand Jury—More Work for the Lawyers. TheGraod Jury of the General Sessions yes- terday made another request for an extension of time to enable them to complete the work of retribution on which they have been now for nearly seven weeks engaged. Upon their ap- pearance in Court yesterday morning Judge Bedford reviewed the facts connected with tie first extension of the term to the 1§th of De- cember, stating that when the jury had made the application he had hesitated to comply with their wishes until he had thoroughly examined the question of the power of the Court in the case. To that end he had con- sulted Charles O’Conor and District Attorney Garvin, both of whom had coincided with him in bis view of the statute, and had given it as their opinion that the power of the Court to extend the term was unquestioned. Thos confirmed in his reading of the law, he had no hesitation in granting the prayer of the jurors for still longer time, and further extended the term to the 30:h of the Present month. It seems evident now that the Grand Jury mean business. Yesterday afternoon they again appeared in Court and presented another batch of indictments, but against whom is at present known only to themselves and the Sheriff. Of course the air is filled with rumors, but as they can only be guesswork it is neither just nor expedient to give them currency. Nevertheless it seems certain that many of the bills that have been found are in connection with the city frauds, and that others are against those who are alleged to have committed offences against the election laws. It is an ill wind that blows nobody any good, says the old proverb; and certainly the lawyers are in a fair way to reap a harvest out of the rich field of muni- cipal corruption. Tue Mixep Commission in Genuva.—We reprint from the Boston Advertiser an inte- resting statement regarding the Anglo-Ameri- can Mixed Commission in Gonbva which as- sembles to adjust our Alabamé claims, The statement Is evidently incomplete, but we shall examino the subieot further aoa, We bad hoped that the caucus of the repub- lican Senators last Friday would have had the effect of restoring peace and harmony among them, and that the country would have wit- nessed no renewal of the scenes of discord and strife which had been exhibited in the Senate Chamber last week. That hope, however, has been cruelly disappointed. The republican brethren in the Senate, instead of presenting the spectacle of the beauty of dwelling to- gether tn unity, spent the whole day yesterday in abusing each other and attributing to each other motives the reverse of honorable or patriotic, The quarrel was renewed over the resolution, offered by Senator Authony, of Rhode Island, as the spokesman of the cau- cus, pominating seven Seuators as a Com- mittee of Investigation and Retrenchment to examine into official corruption, The Senators named were Buckingham, of Con- necticut ; Pratt, of Indiana ; Howe, of Wis- consin; Harlan, of Iowa ; Stewart, of Nevada ; Pool, of North Carolina, and Bayard, of Dela- ware, the latter being the only democrat on the committee, Subsequently, however, another democrat, Casserly, of California, was added to it, Mr. Sumner was the firat to at- tack the committee, and he did it on the ground that it was composed, not of Senators who had arged and voted for inquiry, but of those who had opposed and voted against it. He argued that this was not only unjust but unparliamentary, and quoted the rule laid down in Jofferson’s Manual, that ‘‘those are not to be put upon a committee to consider a subject which they have voted directly against,” as a child is not to be put to 9 nurse who cares not for if, He held that, under parliamentary usage, Senators Trambull and Schurz, who had proposed and advocated the inquiry, should be on the committee, and that even if they were to be oyerslaughed in the Watier the chairman (Mr. Patterson) and members of the like committee, which had been in existence for the last three years, should not have been treated in the same manner. He insinaated pretty broadly that the organization of the committee had been got up with a view to smothering, not to pro- moting, an investigation, His points were strong and ably put; and although they may have been ineffectual as addressed to the Senate, they certainly will not be without ia- fluence on public opinion, At waa ja ygia for Senator Anthony to try and parry the thrusts aimed at the | secercer by throwing himself back on the character of the Senators nomi- nated, and challenging any denial of their eminent respectability. The question, as was shown, was one not of general good character, but of the special position of the Senators o> the question involved. The debate went on, chiefly turning on this point, throughout the whole day, and far into the night. Finally Senator Anthony's resolution was adopted, aud a proposition which was subsequently offered by Senator Wilson, authorizing the committee to send for persons and papers and to sit during the session, but not during the recess, was adopted—yeas 27, naya 17. The committee stands as in the regular report, although Sen- ator Pool announced that he could not serve upon it, Mr. Conkling tried to obtain action on his resolution directing the committee to investigate Senator Schurz’s charges affecting the management of the Custom Hous in this city, but failed, and then, after a long and exciting session, the Senate adjourned. | Prior to the breaking out of this question several matters of minor importance had been presented to the Senate. A report on the Georgia Senatorial question was made from the Committee on Privileges and Elections in favor of giving the seat to ‘Thomas M. Nor- wood and against the claim of Foster Blodgett. A new plan for reaching specie payments was embodied in a bill introduced by Senator Cor- bett, of Oregon, the plan being to require the national banks to add three per cent half yearly to their gold reserve until the propor- tion of gold to circulsting notes reaches fifteen per cent, What is to happen after that is notstated. Senator Conkling, in order to show how aoxiously he desires to purify the civil service, introduced a distinct resolution in reference to the famous “‘General Order busi- ness” of the New York Custom House, which he characterized as ‘‘a monstrous abuse, sus- tained against the protests of the merchants of New York and against the wishes of the Sec- retary of the Treasury,” and directing the Committee on Investigation and Retrenchment to inquire into the matter fully, and particu- larly as to whether there is any collusion or improper connection with such business on the part of any officer of the United States, The resolution was allowed to lie over for fu- ture action. Under the Monday call of States for bills the usual large supply of the article was fur- nished and referred to committees, never more to be heard of. The most nota- ble among them were several proposing wholesale raids on the public “lands—some under the pretence of granting bounty lands to soldiers and sailors, and others in ald of the construction of railroads. Several pro- posed the removal of political disabilities, either at wholesale or retail, and one was introduced by General Butler declaring Women entitled to suffrage under the four- teenth amendment to the constitution. Quite a large demand on the public treasury was made in the shape of bills for the erection of government buildings all over the country, It may be supposed that the liberal provision made the other day for Chicago in that respect has stimulated members to put forward like claims for their respective districts, Then, outside of these classes, there were other bills of a special character, such as one int ro- duced by Mr. Roberts, of Utica, authorizing the payment of fifty per cent of customs duties in legal tender notes; one by Mr. Poland, of Vermont, to encourage the laying of ocean telegraph cables, and to obtain them for the use of the government; one by Mr, Duell, of Syracuse, to abolish stamps 02 written documents; one by Mr. Mercur, of Pennsylvania, to change the standard of silver coins and to limit the amount of their issue— rather needless, so long as there is no-silver coin in circulation; one by Mr, Pierce, of Mis- sissippi, to pay the women employed by the goveroment the samo rates for the same classes of duty as men; one by Mr. Wilson, of Ohio, te orevent gruelty in the railroad gad bill that was passed by the House in the Forty-first Congress, but was lost in the Senate; one by Mr, Stevenson, of Ohio, to do an impossible thing—prevent the appointment of dishonest or incapable gov- ernment officials, and to make the appoint- ing and nominating powers responsible for the misconduct of such officials; one by Mr. Blair, of Missouri, to legalize polygamist mar- riages (we hope he means those. already contracted) and to dismiss all criminal pro- ceedings against polygamists in Utah—a sen- sible proposition; one’ by Mr. McCrary, of Towa, for the establishment of a National Uni- veraity; one by Mr. Hazelton, of Wisconsin, to repeal the Bankruptcy act; one by a Cali- fornia member, to prohibit contracts for ser- vile labor—directed against Chinese cheap labor; and one by Mr. Taffe, of Nebraska, for the admission of Utah as a State. These embrace all the propositions of # public character introduced under the call of States. After the call was completed an opportunity was given for the offering, under a suspension of the rules, of resolutions of a miscella- neous character. Mr. Cox got one adopted instructing the Committee on the Library to examine into the subject of an interpational copyright law for the protection of foreign and home authors. Mr. Haldeman, of Pennsylva- nia, was not so successful in getting the sanc- tion of the House to a buncombe and impertl- nent resolution condemning the severe course of the French government towards the Paris incendiaries and murderers. The proposition, however, got the support of all the democrats who voted, except one—General Slocum, of Brooklyna—and of quite a number of promi- nent republicans, including General Butler, of Massachusetts, It was somewhat remark- able, however, that Mr. Hoar, of Massachu- aeits, who eulogized the Communists the other day in the House, and who assumed the paternity of the International Society's bill, voted against Haldeman’s resolution, as did also his supporters on that -occasion— Messrs, Dawes, of Massachusetts, Kelley of Pennsylvania, and Shanks, of Indi- ana. Haldeman’s resolution having been thrown out from consideration, through its failure to get a vote of two-thirds in its favor, the vote ot ninety-five to eighty-six, Mr. Hoar madea flank movement so as to put himself right with labor reformers and the Internationals, and offered a resolution, which yas adopted bya unanimous vote, declaring the aympathy of the House with all efforis to establish self-government and republican {a- stitutions, and with the families and friends of all who have lost their lives in the fleld or on the scaffold or elsewhere in the cause of civil liberty—a very safe and non-committal declaration, and one bounded by no limits of time or space in the past history of the human race. " These buncombe propositions being thus got out of the way the House proceeded to mani- fest its regard for the safety of public life on board of steam vessels by passing a bill allowing stéamors on the Mississippi and other Western rivers to run up the steam pressur2 in their boilers from- one hundred and ten pounds to the square inch—*the present legal limitation—to one hundred and fifty pounds. Is that an invitation to a fresh and large crop of steamboat explosions after the manner of the Westfield? The House does not seem to have asked or cared for any explanation on the sub- ject, and we certainly are not cognizant of auy reason why Western steamboats should be run at higher pressure than those on the Hudaon, the Sound or in New York harbor, unless it may be that travellers on the Mississippi and Ohio are used to being blown up and do not wish to be deprived of their accustomed excite- ment. The last matter brought before the House yesterday was a proposition, offered by Mr. Kellogg, of Connecticut, instructing the Com- mittee of Ways and Means to report early in January a bill to abolish the income tax; but before the vote could be taken on suspending the rules and adopting it a motion to adjoura was made and carried. And so there is an end of the matter antil after the Christmas holidays at least. The French Assembly—The Threat of the Legttimists. According to one of our latest cable despatches eighty of the extreme legitimists in the French Assembly have declared it to be their purpose to secede from the monarchical party in the event of the Duc d’Aumale being chosen as their leader. This does not much surprise us. It is only a day or two since we said that the legitimists must be counted out of the future fight. When the eighty secede from the majority of the monarchical party what will they do? Will they retire from the Assembly, or will they sit as dummies? In either case they will not affect the situation seriously, The difficulty will begin when the legitimists transfer their votes, for the trans. ference must be in favor of the republic or the Bonapartists ; but how can the legitimists vote for the one or the other? The simple truth must be told. The French National Assembly numbers somewhere about seven hundred members. Of these fully two-thirds are known to be legitimists. The eighty legiti- mists who threaten to retire will, by retiring, kill the cause of Henry V. Their main objece tion, it seems, is to the Duc d’Aumale. It is not, therefore, we think, unreasonable to con- clude that the object of the forthcoming fight is narrowing itself, and that the question soon tobe decided by the Franch people, in regard to their future form of government, lies more and more between the republic and the em- pire. If the monarchists divide their cause is lost, As Bourbaki said, some days ago, “The salvation of France rests with the re- public or the empir ALL Quiet on THe Neva.—On the author- ity of the London Zimes, we can contradict the report which originally appeared in the Lon- don Standard, that the Czarovitch, in a recent private quarrel, made an assault on the Prince de Reus, the German Ambassador. We thus have the opportunity of correcting the falso impression which the reported assault produced, and not a few of our readers will be pleased to learn that, after all, European princes are gentlemen who think twice before they strike. Public opinion is now strong. Year by year it grows in intelligence and extends its Sphere of observation, Ii is tho great and growing master of the times, The time has when any moro than Tam- ree Reform. ec ‘The nioe little pickings—and steallngs—per- . taining to our municipal offices are now gradually leaking out. The position of Colleo- tor of Assessments appears to have been & Pretty snug affair. Tho.duties of that officer are not much more laborious: than those ~ of a day laborer, and he receives two and a half per cent for all the moneys he collects and two per cent on all he does not collect, owing either to non-payment or remiasion. The incumbent is Henry Starkweather, who has held the office from May, 1867, and his fees from that time to July, 1871—a period of four years—have reached the comfortable sum of $544,237 96. As this and several similar berths are in the gift of the Commis- sioner of Public Works, William M. Tweed, + it is not difficult to understand how the ‘‘Boss” secures 80 many friends. One of the most important reformations looked for in the new charter ia the abolishment of all these feed offices in the clty government and the payment of fair and even liberal salaries in their place. The Sheriff, it is well known, makes nearly two hungred thousand dollars a year. The Regis- ter receives for very light duties about seventy thousand dollars a year, and as this office is now passing into the hands of a reformer be will, of course, be eager to prove his honesty in the cause of honest and economical gov- ernment by urging the reduction of this shamefully exorbitant pay. So long as the city offices yield such enormous profits, all of which come in one shape or another out of the pockets of the people, it will be impossible to deprive them of their political character. In any new charter we may have the emoluments of every public office should be fixed at a reasonable amount, and we shall then have . ” them filled by competent mon and not by po- litical tools, Gzorata Exzotion.—The apecial election in Georgia for Governor takes place to-day, the democratio candidate being James M. Smith, the republican James Atkins. The Atlanta Sun seems to have been surprised at the announcement of the Inttss’g nomtan-, tion, its editor having been informed in Atlanta that the republicans intended to rua no candidate, and was only undecelved on the subject by a paragraph in a Northern paper. Is our Georgia contemporary losing his political = .- sagacity? Has he been so long In public’ life and not yet learned that small politicians, like one of the class in New Orleans lately, | are in the habit of making statements ‘so near the truth they are worse than falsehoods?” It is too bad to bamboozle an old political atager in this manner, and the radicals who” were guilty of it deserve the contempt of évery tri8'on of Georgia. In ‘the meantime the chances are that Colonel Smith will be elected to-day. What is Acting Governor Conley, who seems to regard himself as glued => to the gubernatorial chair, “going to do about it?” + Tatton 8 ee Personal Intelligence. State Senator W. H. Conover, of New Jersey, has Come over to the city and is stopping at tho St James Hotel. 2 General H. T. Reid, of Keokuk, ts quartered at the St. Nicholas Hotel. Ex-Congressman Tuomas H. Canfield, of Ver- mont, is sojourntag at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. Ls General J, H. Robinson, of Binghamton, is stop- ping at the Granda Central Hotet. oa Colonel G. W. Paschal, of Texas, is temporarily residing at the Astor House. Colonel J. H. Nicholson, of Kentucky, has quare ters at the Grand Central Hotel, £x-Mayor F. ©, Wells, of Chicago, is temporarily domiciled at the St. Nicholas Hotel. ’ General W. L. Blanchard, of Portland, Me., 1s 80- journing at the Madison Avenue Hotel. Judge KE. D. Winslow, of Boston, ts among the recent arrivals at the Grand Central-Hotel, J. M, Forbes and A. H. Hunnewell, of Boston, yea- terday arrived at the Brevoort House, A. Cowles, of the Uhicago 7iioun>, ts domiciled at the St, Nicholas Hotel. ‘ Lieutenant Commander F. R. Smich and Paymas- ter George Cochrane, of the United States Navy, have taken quarters at the Hofman House, William 8. Groesveck, of Ohio, the eminent law- yer and democratic statesman, last night arrived, from New England, at the Metropolitan motel, Alexander K, McClure, the Pennsyivanta polt- ticlan, stopped at the Hoffman House for a short ] time yesterday while en route to Boston. Mrs, Tyler, reiict of ex-President Joun Tyler, yea- terday took apartments at the St. James Hotel. Mrs, Tyler's home is on Staten Island, wuere she owns & handsome estate. THE ENTERPRISE OF THE NEW YORK HERALD. {From the Pall Mall Gazette, Deo. 5.) The New York Lexawp, having given to its read- ers the earliest intelligence of the arrival of the Grand Duke Alexis of Russia, points out that “the Journalistic triumph” it thus secured ts by no means an isolated or even an extraordinary one, although, perhaps, “more remarked than usual from the fact that the whole population of New York was eageriy awaiting the appearance of His Imperial Highness, Day by day, says the H&Raxp, its columns present similar instances of exclusive shipping news, and its list of arrivals ts every morning {ar more full and complete than that published tn all the other dally papers, The expense anc laoor of coliecting this information ts enormous and incredibie, but, of course, the HERALD does not grudge the coat, only ’ it cannot help giving Itself credit for a magnificent feature of its establishment, which enables it thus to keep up its cnaracter as the most enterprising newspaper in the world, It 1s, perhaps, not - erally kuowD that the HmRALD keeps u eet of stemtn yachts, and from the account jt gives of these fas they must be as beautiiul as they are uselul. says:— Our fleet of steam yachts is now an essential ant valuable patt of the HERALD establishment, These smart litte yachts dash and dart about outeie Sandy Hook at all hours anu in all manner of weather, Keeping sharp lookout (or homoward-bound vessels, boarding them and ateaminy rap- jearest telegraphic station or tp to headquarters The panting of their ensiaos 1s heart nd malst while thay are themselves tavisible ataceful forms are seen riding saul and beating onward in the teeth o purgug thelr adventurous, and im. all hours of the night and (ar into e early morning, while others sleep, these vigiiant and un- Uring eolectors of news are busily employed at s heavy ex- 86 in order that those who send forth their wealth ou to he wacertain ocean may learn at the earliest moment the SaCe arrival of their veatures. = It was by means of one of these remarkable ves- sels that the H&nalLD was enavied to inform its , readers that its reporters hud seen the Grand Duke On board the Svetiana, dressed in a blue untform, With a Nat pancake cap on his head and hls hands in h:s pocket. ‘The Grand Dake saluted the Hgrato reporters with ‘‘well-vred courtesy,” and whtle he “nnpent (rom his haperial ctiquotte they had a good took athim.” They found him to be “very faire“ skinned, with large blue Re) very light hatr and a straight nose,” and over six feot ties. As the Hun. ALD truly remarks, “when the public benelt of ite Splendid system 0. coliecting ship news 1s tllustrated 1u 80 gratifying @ manner, and by so signa) a tr ump, it may te pardoned for alluding to ite great A piel a and 1D priding itself upon the successful rtant labor. WYOMING POLITIOS. Onrvenne, Wyoming, Deo. 18, 1971, The Legislature adjourned at twelve o'clock on Saturday night, Governor Campbell renomtanted J. H. Hayford, Auditor, and J, W. Donnelion, Tréasurer, who were Unanimously confirmed by the Council, thus dis- of the charge of it against tucar