The New York Herald Newspaper, January 17, 1872, Page 6

NEW YORK HERALD BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR. ——— Volume XXXVII.. AMUSEMENTS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE, Twenty-fourth street, — Tux New Drana or Divoxoz. WALLACK'S THEATRE, Bi nad - sATALL AOR roadway and 13th street. NIBLO'S GARDEN, ‘ay, between Houston sircets.—BLadK Choo” Matinee al Prince and toh, BOWERY THEATRE, Bowery—B a Wine oe eo cote Bowery—BriGANnps OF CAt.aRIA- ST, JAMES' THEATRE, . - wan JAMES 7 E, Twenty-eighth street and Broad OLYMPIC THEATRE, Broadway.—Tu® BALLET PAN- TOMIME OF HUMP1Y DuuPry. Matinee at 2. AIMEE’S OPERA BOUF! rE, OF BaRur BLEuz. pista 7% Broadway.—OPERa BOOTH'S THEATRE, Twenty. aa ‘putsek ene E, Twenty-third st., corner Sixth ay. GRAND OPERA HOUSE, Ub Pavacvanssae, i, corner of Sth ay. and 2éa st— MRS. F. B. CONWAY'S C _ COMEDIES AND Fanors | DROOKMYN THEATRE. * STADT THEATRE, Nos, id 47 a ‘outtieeinitee E, Nos, 45 an Bowery.—Tue Orena THEATRE COMIQUE, 514 Broadway.—Cowr Ve Mehlt, NEGHO AciB.&Ge—WANTE CHOOK. Madinee al Die UNION SQUARE THEATRE, Fourteonth st. and Broad- ‘way.—NEGRO AOTS—BULLESQUE, BALLET, £0. Matinee, STEINWAY MALL, Fourteenth street.—Granp Con- ORT. TONY PASTOR'S OPERA HOUSE, No. 201 Bowery.— NEGRO ECOENTRICITIFS, BURLESQUES, &O. BRYANT'S NEW OPERA HOUSE, 234 at., between 6th and 7th avs.--BRYANT’S MINSTRELS. SAN FRANCISCO MINSTREL HALL, 585 Broadway.— THE San FRANCI800 MINSTRELS. ST, PETER'S HALL, West Twenti a JARLEY's Wax Wonks! aap NEW YORK CIRCUS, Fourteontn strem.—ScENRS IN THE RING, AcnovaTs, £0. Matinee at 234. NEW YORK MUSEUM OF ANATOMY, 618 Broadway.— BOrENOE AND Axr. LEAVITT ART ROOMS, No. road’ | -. sion ov Patnrinas, OMT? N® S1¥ Broadway.—Exmisr-« DR. Pee ARTO MICAS, MUSEUM, 745 Broadway. — SOLENCE AND TRIPLE SHEET. Sew York, Wednesday, January 17, 1872. = —— CONTENTS OF TO-DAY’S HERALD. rar — Advertisements, 2—Adverusements. 3—Washington : Travelling Round the World in & House Debate; The Syndicate Management; Charges Against Judge Field; England Afier Russian Treaty Intrigues—The Tariff: Sena- tor Trumbull’s Bill to Regulate Import Duties; Important Reductions Proposed—‘Let Us Have Peace: Warmoth’s Fondness for the Military Rebuked; the President Will Not Interfere in the Louisiana Muddle; Attorney General Williams on the Situation—Weather Report—Miscellaneous Telegrams. 4—Congress: Sait and Coal Duties in the Senate: Helping Plucky Chicago: the House Louisiana Committee Appointed: A dering Debate on Consuls, Wooden and Iron Ships and Civil Service Appointments; the Great American ‘Traveller; Surfmen for the New Jersey Coast— Bishop vs. Priest: The Catholic Quarrel in Pennsylvania--The Ring Prosecutions—Around the City Hatl—John OC. Heenan—The Exempt Firemen—Ovituary—Kulled in a Duel: A Young Italian Advocate Pierced Through the Heart by the Equerry of Ismail Pacha—New York City News—runeral of a West Point Profes- Sor—Art Sales—A University Social Club—The Brennan Coterie Ball. $—Mrs. Wharton : Professor aiken Creates a Sen- sation in the Annapolis Court Room; A Disap- Poluted Audience; Dr. Williams Recalled to the Stand; Tne State Closes Its Case Against the Prisoner, to the Great Joy of the Court and Jury; State’s Attorney Revell Summing Up—Jersey’s New Govern r: Inauguration Joel Parker at Trenton esting Display—The Jersey Vigorous Charge of Judge Jury—sectarian Scramble . ang of the Pai Uj -lor Notes—American Sy ri Notes—Amuse- mente—Masonic—A ki 4 Raid—Slaugh- tered on the Rail. @—Editoriais: Leading Article, “. ie Presidential succession—General Grant and His Dificul- ties”’—Amusewent Announcements, Q—EHditoriais (Continued from Sixth Page)—Rus- gia: HERALD Special Report from st. Peters- burg; Interesting Rumor Concerning the Grand Duke Alexis; His Imperial Highness Said to Have Been Married to a Russian Lady do America—Telegrams ‘rom England, Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzer- jand—Affairs in Cuba—Alexis’ Grand Hunt : The Second Day’s Raid on the Builaloes; tis Highness’ Success as a Sportsman—Miscel- laueous Telegrams—Persona Intelligence— Ice Boat Kace on the Hudson—Business Notices. 6—The Custom House Committee : Additional Revelations of Corrupuion; Thievery and Abuse of Patronage; Very Little About tne general Order business—The Parsons on Fisk: Spicy Correspondence on the Sermons of Sunday; Fisk No Worse Than Uther Men; Willis tses to Explain—A Remarkavle Bank Siege : The Run on the Third Avenue Savings Bank—Franklin’s Birthday—Wisconsin Mat- ters—Repubiican Central Committee—The Kings County Democracy—Political Move- meats and Views—Another Post OMice Rob- very—The State Military Association, @—Court of Special Sessions: 1 he Obscene Letter Writer's Case Postponed Till Saturday; the Kerosene-fhrowing Scoundrei; Judge Dowling on Pickpockets—Another Lady's Experience with Dr. Vernon—An Exile from Erin— Muti- nous Satiors—An Unnatural Mother—Trouvie Between Horse Dealers—Brooklyn Afluirs— Financial and Commercial Reports—Domestic Markets—Marriages and Deaths, 10—The State Capital: The Name and Fame of Charies O'Conor m the Legislature; Passage of the Grand Jury Bill; Mr. Strahan’s Bili to Bring the Erie Railroad Directors Up with a Sharp Turn; The Senate Committees Com- leved; Charges Against Senator Wood; jomptroiler Green To be Empowered to Ratse $4,500,000; Affidavit in Denial Charges Against Mr, Jaines Terwilliger—The Com- esterday; Inter- imicipal Frauds: dle to the Grand rT a Soul—Meot- aternity—Horse mmittee of Seventy—Maryiana e Unitea States Senatorsiip—Senator Harian’s Succes- sor—uveral of Daniel O'Connell—Suicide in a Cell—Fire in Tenth Avenue—Femaie Cutung Atfray—Stabbing Affray—European Markets— Shipping Intelligence—Advertsements, 11—The Courts: interesting Proceedings in the ‘New York and Brooklyn Courts; Jurisdiction of the United States Courts; a Custoin House Case; Proceedings in Admiralty; the Erie Litigation; Desertion from a Ship; the McDer- mott Habeas Corpus Case; the Tammany In- junction; Business in General Sessions—The arbor Master Imbrogiio—fhe Ice Crop— Crime in Nebraska—The Wilson Homicide— The Trichina Victims in Cleveland. -Adver- tisements. 1Q—Advertisements. Ir Is SeTtLep—The disagreement between Speaker Blaine and Senator Morrill, of Maine, All quiet on the Kennebec, Mr. Somvyer’s Supplementary Crvu. Rients AMENDMENT does not properly belong to a general amnesty. His bill belongs to the usual order of bills passed by a majority of each House and approved by the President. Amnesty, in reference to the rebel political disabilities, requires a vote of two-thirds of each House, and is then perfect, without the President’s approval. Mr. Sumner’s amend- ment to the Amnesty bill should be rejected as clearly out of order. Preswest Tarers Mvzzuina tHe Frexca Pexss.—A despatch from Paris says that the public sale of the newspapers Gauois and Con- | stitution has been prohibited by the Minister NEW YORK HEKALD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1872—TRIPLE SHEET. ‘The Presidential Succession—General Grant and His Difiiculties. While the State elections of 1871 distinctly foreshadow the renomination and re-election of General Grant to the Presidency in 1872, the increasing difficulties of his administration, at home and abroad, promise, at least, a very interesting and exciting Presidential contest. In General Grant’s present position there is much to remind us of the party feuds and hostile factions which cropped out against General Jackson and against Abraham Lincoln as candidates for a second term, Jackson, in 1832, was confronted by the national ‘repub- lican party of that day, which subsequently took the name of the whig party; and by the absurd anti-Masonic party (in the organization of which, over what was pretended to be the dead body of a recanting Mason, named Morgan, Thurlow Weed, of this State, was a very active agent); and by the South Carolina nullifiers, under the lead of Calhoun, who had quarrelled with and broken off from Jackson. Thus there were, in 1832, four parties in the field; but they could not shake the popularity of Jackson, as was shown in the electoral vote which came out—For Jackson (democrat), 219; for Clay (national republican), 49; for Wirt (anti-Mason), 7; for Floyd (the Oalhoun vote of South Carolina), 11. Nevertheless, after the election it was stoutly contended that if those opposition elements could have been united upon a single ticket they might have defeated Jackson, looking at his slender popular majorities in many of the States; but as these discordant hostile factions could not be combined they frittered their strength away in their divisions. In the case of Lincoln, as in the case of Jackson, there was a powerful opposition to his re-election among what we may call the political aristocracy of the country, including the aristocracy of his own party. The homely manners and backwoods simplicity of the honest rail-splitter, like the rough, frontier training and plain directness of purpose which characterized Jackson, were offensive to the political aristocracy of all parties ; and we find the same objections from the same high and mighty classes applied to the plain and unpretending General Grant. And yet we have seen, from the time of General Jack- son down to this day, that the great body of the American people are apt to prefer a Presi- dent from their own ranks to the grandest and loftiest political giant. Hence, while such great statesmen as Clay, Webster and Cal- houn, with all their efforts, failed to reach the White House, such men, from the ranks of the people, as Jackson, Harrison, Taylor, Polk, Pierce, Lincola and Grant, have been triumphantly elected. The very objections, therefore, that are pleaded most earnestly against General Grant, touching his common habits and manners of life, and ways of thought and action, and his ignorance of books and precedents, and of refined states- manship and diplomacy, are really his strong- est recommendations with the masses of the people, because he is of them and for them, and because they sympathize with him as their representative against those pretentious poli- tical nabobs who affect to look down upon the unlettered masses with pity or contempt. In this view of the subject, therefore, that which his adversaries represent as the special weakness of General Grant is the secret of his strength; for here he stands to the people in the same light as Jackson, Harrison, Taylor and Lincoln, and that is as a man from the body of the people and with no pretensions to stand above them. But when we come to the spoils and plunder we find that the difficulties of the President as a candidate for re-election have increased since the time of Jackson with his patronage. In every appointment of any consequence from five to five hundred men are disappointed, and some bolters in each case are the consequence. So, resulting, in the first place, more or less from a division of the spoils, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas and Missouri have been lost to the ad- ministration; and from the legislative squabble which threatens a general riot in New Or- leans, Louisiana, too, may be counted as lost. Next, our Custom House quarrel, Fenton against Conkling, resulting in the present Custom House investigation, may cause the loss of New York to General Grant, although recovered to him, according to Mr. Greeley, by a shrewd employment of tbe spoils of the Custom House last fall. In addition to the States lost by the ad- ministration through factious quarrels over the spoils, Sumner threatens a break in Massa- chusetts, Fenton and Greeley and their fol- lowers threaten all sorts of troubles at Albany, Cox and his clique are bent upon mischief in Ohio, and Trumbull in Illinois, while Carl Schurz is operating everywhere for his new departure with a new party. At the same time the two democratic Senators on our Custom House Investigating Com- mittee, Messrs. Bayard and Casserly, are working like beavers to make up a case of corruption which will neutralize the awful dis- closures of Tammany Hall through the length and breadth of the land, and with some prospect of success. One would think, too, with all the opposition elements and floating material, We haye pointed out, that if the democrats in Congress, or a Democratic Con- vention, can bring them into a harmopious coalition, General Grant will have a sharp and doubtful battle before him; but bere again, in the difficulties to this opposition alliance, lies the safety of Grant, But again, on the Spanish-Cuban question, on the Mexican question, on the Russian Cata- cazy question, there are difficulties suggested to the administration which may resuit to the advantage of the opposition; but in regard to Spain and Cuba and in regard to Mexico there also are opportunities offered to General Grant which, if properly seized upon, may clear the track of all obstructions to bis re- election and carry him in by acclamation. The best thing that can be done with the Catacazy imbroglio—a very foolish thing—is to of the Interior. What is the matier now? ‘What does the Minister of the Interior mean? President Thiers’ arbitrary measures toward the press is not calculated to strengthen his tule, and may work evil. The imperial gov- ernment always acted with considerable cau- tion in this regard. The muzzling of the press fis always accompanied with danger, and more go in France at the present moment than any other European nation which practises such a course, settle it as quietly as possible; but the oppor- tunity for a great and popular line of action in a settlement with Spain and in behalf of law, order, trade and enterprise in Mexico, should not be thrown away. The failure of the administration to meet the just expecta- tions of the country upon these questions may possibly give a ‘‘new departure” to the be- wildered democracy which will astonish all parties in its political consequences, The Republican Presidential Convention meets in Philadelphia on the Sth of June, from which it is understood that the present session of Congress will close before that day. From present appearances the prospect in the interval of any substantial relief to the country in the lessening of our heavy load of national taxations, internal aad external, is very gloomy. The sectional and factious divisions in Congress upon the tariff and the income and other internal revenue taxes are apparently irreconcilable upon any general bill of relief; and so it is most likely that the hopes of the people in this ses- sion of Congress will be disappointed. If so, General Grant, as the Presidential candidate of the responsible party in power, and every republican candidate for the next Congress, will bave to share ia the responsibility to the country in the State elections and in the na- tional election of next autumn, from the Atlan- tic to the Pacific coast. Here, then, General Grant may have another batch of difficulties to meet in the coming campaign, in all sections of the country, which will seriously embarrass him, provided always there is anything like unity or co-operation among the opposition forces, General Grant will be the republican candl- date for the Presidential succession. His overshadowing personal claims, availability and popularity will give him the nomination agalnst all comers and all combinations, The democratic leaders and organs generally con- fess that he is too strong for their party as it stands, and that, without considerable rein- forcements from the republican camp, it will be useless to fight against Grant’s re-election. But still the chances are that, as in 1852, these discordant opposition elements will re- main divided; or that, as in 1864, the admin- istration bolters will creep back again to the administration camp, and so give General Grant an easy victory. Considering the many diffi- culties which confront him, and the mutinous leaders, cliques and factions of his party, he might be defeated by a coalition of all the hos- tile forces ; but as such a coalition appears im- possible his re-election seems as plain and easy as that of Jackson or Lincoln. Tue Greek Bricanns AGain.—The bri- gands have again made their appearance in Greece, under the leadership of their old chief, Spanos. This notorious robber recently ap peared at the head of a band of seven fol- lowers, at his old haunts near Oropos. His relatives dwelt in this place until after the murders at Delissi, when they suddenly took their departure to other scenes. A short time since a party of thirty riflemen of the Grecian army came upon Sparos and his gang, and strange to say that, although they were within fitty paces of the despe radoes when they fired upon them, none of the wretches were hurt, and the whole party escaped. The efficiency, honesty or capacity of the government rifle party is not much to be commended if this is @ fair sample of the usual way they discharge their duty to the State. Russian Reports oF INTEREST TO Avexis.—A HeEratp special telegram from St. Petersburg, which reached us yesterday by way of London, informs us that a rumor prevailed in the Russian capital tothe effect that the Grand Duke Alexis had married a Russian lady since his arrival in America. We are told, also, that the Czar, his father, has been opposed to the idea of the union, and imagined that the ‘attachment which existed between the Grand Duke and the lady had been broken off.” This news is really Interesting—a lady in the case, and Love laughing at a frowning father and braving, it may be, a ukase. His Imperial Highness Alexis has been a favorite with the fair ones of America since the moment he landed ; but if this Love-triumph rumor turn out to be correct he will be idolized—‘‘so gallant in love and so daunt- less”—away out there on the Plains and every- where else. Toe First Party IN THE Fiexp with its Presidential ticket officially will be the na- tional prohibition or temperance party, for their national nominating convention meets at Columbus, Ohio, on the 22d of February. About the same time, however, the national labor reformers meet in the same place, and they may put up a Presidentiul ticket, The woman's rights women will wait to see what course tbe anti-Grant republican party takes before they move ou the subject. By August next we shall probably have four or five Presi- dential tickets and parties before the people. Prinor Freperiok CHArves At St. PeTers- BuRG.—Previous to the departure of Prince Frederick Charles and the distinguished men who accompanied him to Russia from the Muscovite capital a large deputation of the German residents there waited on them and tendered their congratulations, The delega- tion desired to do honor to the heroes of the recent war. The members were graciously received, and the kindly ‘sympathy they evinced for the Fatherland the Red Prince considered as the keystone of the Russian- German feeling during the progress of the late war. i GovERNOR PARKER delivered his inaugural address to the New Jersey Legislature yester- day. It is democratic to the core, and filled with sound and practical suggestions regard- ing the welfare of the State. In case Gov- ernor Parker should become the democratic candidate for the Presidency this inaugural will furnish an abundance of good matter for an electioneering campaign. Tae Frenon AarraTion against the gov- ernment project for the imposition of a direct tax on raw material to be used in manufac- ture, is extending all over the couniry. It will eventually evolve the most serious question which the French government will have to answer—free trade or continued protection ? A Peorpte Wao Ovent To Be Harpy--The people of Florida, with their plentiful supplies of game and fish, their flowers blooming in the open air in January, and with a State debt of less than a million of dollars. Mr. Jupp's Jury Bint is a just and proper Measure and ought to “take effect immediate- ly.” Why, then, the amendment postponing its operation for six months? We should like to know. “ALL Quint oN tHE Potomag,” and like- wise in and around our City Hall, With two Mayors on hand how could it be otherwise ? Congress Yesterday—A Freo Debate in the House—The Tarif, Civil Service and American Shipbuilding. The House of Representatives has certainly @ most remarkable talent for getting up ex- tempore discussions on every variety of sub- ject and on the least pertinent text. It manifested that talent yesterday in a con- spicuous degree: first, apropos of a bill appro- priating ten thousand dollars for the support of surf men on the life saving stations of New Jersey. The irrepressible funny man of the democracy, Mr. Cox, managed to get up 8 comedietta between himself and the solemn Dawes, of Massachusetts, the burden of which was that the republican party was getting credit before the country for al) the popular and humane measures, if any such there be, that pass the House, while the democratic party, which really deserves all the credit, gots none of it. One of the measures specially referred to was the General Amnesty bill passed by the House on Monday last, Mr. Cox claiming that that was a democratic measure, and reminding Mr. Dawes of the compliment which he (Mr. Cox) had paid to Mr. Dawes’ proposition for an unconditional and universal amnesty in characterizing it as Christian measure. To this Dawes replied, with equal truth and wit, that that very endorsement from such @ source had caused the rejection of the bill. After the curtain fell on this scene another heavier act came upon the stage. The pro- logue to it was a bill fixing the salary of the Consul at Tien-tsin, China. With this asa text, remotely connected with the subject, a debate sprung up and occupied most of the day, embracing the questions of tariff, ship- building, civil service reform and the shame- fully inadequate compensation of United States consuls in foreign countries, Mr. Brooks, of New York, having but recently returned from his Oriental trip, and being thus specially posted on the subject of the Tien-tsin Consu- late, assumed the leading réle, and, starting off with a lament over the disappearance of American built ships in Chinese waters, gradually and naturally branched off into the causes of the decay of American com- merce and shipbuilding, which decay he im- puted, as a matter of course, to the influence of a high protective tariff. Mr. Kelley, of Pennsylvania, could not sit silent and hear anything said against the holiness of high taxation, and accordingly he joined in and attempted to refute Brooks, Then Mr. Shella- barger, of Ohio, who bas recently been Minis- ter to Portugal, and may be supposed to be cognizant of the miseries which ill-paid Ameri- can Officials endure abroad, drew a most dole- ful picture of consuls and their wives and children starving in third and fourth rate garrets in European cities. This drew out Mr. Dawes, who, in his capacity of Chancellor of the Exchequer, or Chairman of the The International Telegraph Conference at Rome—Achievements and Progress of Med~ era Science. The despatch which we published yesterday from Rome shows that the convention adopted by the International Telegraph Congress has been signed and the delegates bad left. There was, however, a grand display in the city in honor of the Congress before the departure of the members, The Coliseum was illuminated, and presented a magnificent spectacle. Ata given signal the whole of the majestic ruins were instantly flooded with light, This was produced, undoubtedly, by the electric spark, and was, therefore, particularly appropriate to the occasion. The beautiful experiment was repeated, simultaneously with the firing of rockets, producing different colors in the gal- leries, much to the delight and astonishment of the assembled crowd. This was the crown- ing act of a most interesting event. The in- cidents previously reported to us by telegraph from Rome were also eminently interesting and suggestive. The Conference concluded its deliberations at the expiration of the dying year, and on the advent of the new-born year of 1872 the members were entertained by Mr. Cyrus W. Field at a magnificent commemorative ban- quet. It was announced that the Conference would reassemble at St. Petersburg in the year 1875. Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs also gave a dinner to the delegates to the Conference. The gentlemen who were present at the com- memorative banquet, we are told in our special telegram, countries, six hundred millions of people and twenty-six different languages, while the finan- On the following evening the represented twenty-one cial interests of private telegraph companies represented by the delegates amounted, in francs, to three hundred millions, There is an immense amount of meaning in that single sentence. open up at once to the reader's mind the history It suggests a theme which will of the whole human race—the rise and fall of empires, the systems of civilization that have existed at different times in various nation- alities, and, in contrast with them, the won- derful achievements of modern progress; and atthe same time it will inspire the imagina- tion with the amazing possibilities which the future triumphs of Christian civilization will attain with the universal communion of the peoples. An interesting item in the cable telegram was the fact that the Conference met in Rome. It is a curious coincidence that such an assem- blage, representing the progressive spirit of the nineteenth century, should have convened in a city which so many centuries ago was mistress of the world. Gazing at the ruins of the temples of antiquity and the crumbling monuments of long departed ages that sur- round them, the members of the Conference could not fail to be impressed with the sig- nificance of the facts that all the ages of des- potism, such as had characterized the reign of infamous Emperors like Caligula and Nero, had forever passed away, and that in the re- deemed capital of a new and united Italy they were enabled to confer together for the further amelioration and happiness of hu- manity. Very early in the Christian era, when the Roman empire was at the zenith of its glory, it included all Italy, Spain, Gaul, Britain, Dalmatia, Macedonia and Greece, Asia, Syria, Phoenica and Palestine, Egypt, Africa and the sbores and islands of the Mediterranean, and all its incorporated coun- tries and provinces, gained by conquest and controlled by force, contained an estimated population of one hundred and twenty mil- lions of inhabitants. Rome was then mistress of the world. But now the world is changed. Twenty-one different countries, six hundred millions of people and twenty-six separate lan- guages, we repeat, were represented at the Conference which assembled the other day in the centre of government of the ancient world. The fact that we were enabled to chronicle the event a few hours after the guests sat down in the banquet hall is one of the marvels of mod- ern science. The improvements and discoveries in the arts and sciences that have been made in modern times, especially those that have been made in recent years, have contributed to work the wonderful changes that have been wrought, Facilities for rapid transit by steam on sea and land, instantaneous eommunication between far distant points by telegraph, and the general diffusion of information by means of the printing press, have been the most powerful agents employed in so quickly chang- ing and improving the condition of the civilized Committee of Ways and Means, must establish a character for economy, and who saw in Mr. Shellabarger’s pitiful appeal to the charitable an indirect assault upon the Treas- ury. According to him the great evil of our civil service lay, not in the inadequacy of com- pensation, but in the want of discrimination on the part of the appointing power. He thought that if the Executive would only establish the rule of refusing offices to all who brought recommendations from members of Congress it would go far to cure the evil. In illustration of his position, that large com- pensation did not secure good and faithful services, he instanced the case of a travelling agent who was sent out to China and Japan to inspect consulates, and whose claim for mileage entitled him to the appellation of the “Great American Travel- ler,” and yet whose report to the Department was not deemed worthy of being published. Mr. Butler wound up the play by replying to his colleague’s comments on civil service re- form, and claimed that he and every other Representative knew more about the men in their respective districts who would make good officials than any board of broken-down schoolmasters could pretend to know. The one thing proper and right which the House did yesterday was the passage of a bill allowing all contributions from abroad for the relief of the sufferers by the Chicago fire to be entered free of duty, and allowing a drawback of duties on all materials. used in the repair or erec- tion of buildings on the ground burned over. Strange to say, the latter provision, which will result in the exclusive use of foreign glass and such other materials as are cheaper without duty than the domestic arti- cles, met no opposition on the part of the high protectionists. A somewhat similar propo- sition was also before the Senate yesterday, and was supported in a speech by Mr. Logan; but the bill went over without final action. The same fate befel a bill for the remission of taxes on dividends, interest and undivided profits, heretofore collected or assessed from corporations, except such taxes as were levied during the first seven months of 1870, The House bill to repeal the duty on salt and coal was reported in the Senate from the Finance Committee, and after an ineffectual effort on the part of Mr. Trumbull to keep it before the body for action it was recommitted. The only other matter of interest In the Senate was the introduction of a bill authorizing a semi-monthly mail between San Francisco and China, instead of the monthly one now pro- vided for. The same proposition, however, has been before both houses for the last two or three sessions without favorable action. Tut Lecat Texper Decision,—The opinion of the Supreme Court of the United States, delivered by Mr. Justice Strong on Mon- day last and published in yesterday's Hratp, on the Legal Tender act, is very clear and satis- factory touching the powers of Congress upon the money question; and the decision that the paper money of the United States is a legal tender in payment of debis contracted since the war and before the war, which necessitated the passage of the act, is a good decision for the government and the country. It keeps everything in order in our financial system, and enables us all to go steadily on without fear of any general financial derangements. Itis a good thing that Chief Justice Chase upon this subject has been overruled. Tur “Onto Law” takes the place of the famous ‘‘Maine Law” io the temperance nomenclature in the West, Itis the ‘Punish. the-man-who-makes-the-man-druok” law. world. and telegraphs are constantly being estab- lished, and these important agencies are still destined to penetrate regions not yet fully open- ed up to modern enterprise, The principal ob- ject of the Conference in Rome was to point New lines of steamships, railroads out the necessity and adopt measures for se- curing the speedy union of interests in behalf of the cause of complete international tele- graphic communication. It was apparent to the delegates, as it is to us, that this desirable result will be facilitated by the support of the governments represented by the delegates to the Conference. In order to this enda step in the right direction is indicated in the news we have trom London, that already the idea has been started of transferring the property of the Atlantic cable companies to the joint con- trol of the governments of Great Britain and the United States, and that the proposition is favorably received. The management of the telegraph lines in Great Britain by the govern- ment, instead of by private companies, has pro- duced the most favorable results in reducing the telegraph tolls and facilitating quick com- munication, The same results will follow here when our government assumes control of all the telegraph lines in the United States. We look forward with pleasure to the period when there will be complete tele- graphic communication between all the nations of the earth, The electric wire is the bond that will at no distant day, we trust, bind the whole human race in the blessed bonds of universal brotherhood. Elec- tricity, assisted by the printing press and aided by steam communication, is the sub- tle agency that will contribute most to make all mankind feel that they are members of one common family. When the city of Chicago was destroyed by fire it flashed over every section of the United States and to distant countries the news of the sad calamity; and in turo it cheered the hearts and inspired the hopes of Sy the destitute inhabitants by the messages of sympathy and of coming assistance it con- veyed from all quarters of the civilized world. And while these messages were passing om the wires railroad trains were rushing on with accelerated speed bearing the promised aid to the suffering and starving thousands assembled in the suburbs of the stricken city. Soom steamships were crossing the Atlantic bring- ing the contributions of the benevolent in Europe. This is an illustration of but one of the ways in which these important agencies are the allies of Christianity. Means for the diffusion of general information and of rapid transit are distinguishing features of the pro- gress of the nineteenth century, and in their perfection and universal application they will be the ministers of happiness to future gene- rations. The Erie Railroad in the State Legislae ture—Is There a Prospect of Reform? There appears to be a desire on the part of some of our representatives at Albany to at- tempt a reform in one shape or another in the management of the Erie Railroad, although it is very doubtful, from the general complexion of the Legislature, and especially from the character of Mr. Woodin’s packed Railroad Committee in the Senate, whether any legis- lation adverse to the interests of the present direction can be effected this session. Immedi- ately on the organization of the two houses Mr. O’Brien introduced a bill in the Senate to repeal the law known as the Erie Classifica- tion act, which was notorlously bought through the last Legislature; and now Mr. Strahan, of the: Assembly, proposes to give to the Super- visors of the several counties through which the road passes the power to select the persons who shall alone be eligible as directors. Other measures will no doubt make their appearance on the scene In due season, as the object of the existing Erie Railroad ‘‘Ring” will be to so befog and mystify the Legislature and the people that the real issue involved may be lost sight ofin the multiplicity of conflicting propositions. Mr. Strahan’s bill is regarded by some as belonging to this category, while others insist that it is a genuine measure of reform. AL though, like the Classification act, of which it is an amendment, it is applicable to the Cen- tral, Hudson River and Harlem roads, as well as to the Erie, it may be considered with reference to the latter corporation alone. The Gould, Fisk, Tweed and Lane lobby combina- tion made the Classification law general asa matter of policy; yet it is well known that no road except the Erie has acted under its pro- visions. Mr. Strahan’s bill in its present shape seems at least of questionable practicability. Each county on the line of the road is empowered, through its Supervisors, to name one person only as eligible for the office of director, and from the list thus nominated the Board of Direction is to be chosen at the stockholders’ annual election. But no candi- date is to be selected by the Supervisors un- less he be a resident of the county for which he is named and a dona fide stockholder in the road to the amount of at least ten thousand dollars of the stock at par value. Provably in three-fifths of the counties through which the road passes no resident taxpayer thus qualified could be found, and the main apparent object of the bill—the representation of the counties on the line of the road on the Board of Direc- tion—would thus be a mere sham. The prin- cipal objection to the measure, however, lies in the fact that it seeks to tinker up and save a law unjust in its provisions and secured by wholesale and scarcely disguised bribery and corruption. It does not repeal the Classifica- tion act; and, should it become a law, it would leave to the present Erie managers the full term of power assured to them by a debauched Legislature. It is on this account that Mr. Strahan’s bill is looked upon with suspicion, and that its seemingly fair provisions for a representation of the counties and for com- pelling the transfer of stock to dona fide owners are regarded only as the tempting bait that conceals the deadly hook. The honest reformers at the State Capitol have learned to fear the Greeks and the gifts they bear. The proper thing for the reform Legislature to do is to pass at once Senator O'Brien's plain, straightforward bill, and to repeal the rascally Classification act altogether; to blot out from the statute book of the State a law conceived in fraud and brought forth in cor- ruption. The people demand this action atthe hands of a Senate and Assembly elected in the service of reform. It cannot be evaded without direct treachery to the principles vindicated atthe ballot box last November; ond Senator O’Brien has proved his fidelity to the cause in which he then fought so prominently and so wellin promptly inaugurating a measure of justice against the most unscrupulous combination that ever de- bauched a State Legislature and plotted against the rights and interests of the people. Nothing less than a repeal of the Classification act will satisfy the popular sentiment, and this fact is well known to Senator O’Brien, who is of the people and with the people, and understands their wishes better than all the Committees of Seventy and highly respectable antiquarian reformers that could be congregated in a month, The young leader has a hard task before him, but he is ofa nature that does not shrink from labor or quail before difficulties, The new policy of the pald lobbyists of the Erie “Ring” is shrewdly conceived, but it must not be allowed to mislead any disinterested Repre- sentative. They now pretend to condemn the appliances by which the Classification act was originally secured and the special object for which it was designed, It should not have been passed, they say, by corruption, or for the purpose of retaining power in the hands of Gould, Fisk, Tweed and Lane; but now Fisk is dead, the “Ring” is broken, the special object of the law is at an end, and, as a general principle, the act is a good one and should not be repealed. They seek to maintain this plea by the argu- ment that if competent and honest railroad managers are on & board of directors it is in the interest of the stockholders and the public \ {| to keep them there, and they urge that the | Classification act, by only changing a small | proportion of the directors at each stock- holders’ annual election, insures the pres- ence in the board of a majority of experienced men. Plausible as this : arrangement may at first sight seem, it im the very essence of sophistry, If good and