The New York Herald Newspaper, November 14, 1872, Page 6

6 NEW YORK HERALD BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. ‘The Profligacy of Geographic Re- JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR. ‘All business or news letters and telegraphic despatches must be addressed New Yorx Henarp. Letters and packages should be properly sealed. Rejected communications will not be re- turned. $ AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING, UNION SQUARE THEATRE, Broadway, between Thir- feenth and Fourteenth streets.—AGnzs. OLYMPIC THEATRE, Broadway. between Houston and Bleecker sts.—ALADDIN THE SxcOND. WOOD'S MUSEUM, Broadway, corner Thirticth st.— Burrato But, Aiternoon and Evening. FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE, Twenty-fourth street.— Everrsopy's FRieNp. WALLACK’S THEATRE, street.—Our Amentcan Cov: ‘oadway ana Thirteenth Ph caailated COMIQUE, 514 Broadway.—Atappin No, NES ROOTH'S THEATRE, Twenty-third street, corner Sixth avenuc.—ARRAH NA Pocur. . GERMANIA THEATRE, Fourteenth street, near Third ay.—Insrecror Braksic. BOWERY THEATRE, Bowery.—Counterreit; oR, True anv Fase GRAND OPERA HOUSE, Twenty-third st, and Eighth ay.—Ro1 Carotte. t MRS. F. B. CONWAY'S BROOKLYN THEATRE.— Sanarocs. BRYANT'S OPERA HOUSE. Twenty-third st.. corner (th av.—Nucro Minstretsy Eccentricity, &c. 718 BROADWAY, EMERSON’S MINSTRELS.—Granpd Exnrortan EccxntRicitixs, WHITE'S ATHENZUM, 585 Broadway.—Necro Min- STRELSY, &C. TONY PASTOR'S OPERA HOUSE, No. 201 Bowery.— Graxp Vantety ENTERTAINMENT, &C. BAN FRANCISCO MINST' corner of 28th st. and Broadw LS, St. James Theatre, —ETH10PIan MINSTRELSY. BAILEY'S GREAT CIRCUS AND MENAGERIE, foot of Houston street, East River. ASSOCIATION HALL, 234 Santey’s Wax Works. ‘ NATIONAL ACADEMY OF DESIGN, 23d st. and 4ih SY.—GENERAL Exuipition or Paintixcs. reet and 4th av.—Mrs. AMERICAN INSTITUTE FAIR, Third av., between 63d and 64th streets, i NEW YORK MUSEUM OF ANATOMY, 618 Broadway.— ScrENCE AND ART. TRIPLE Si ba New Yerk, Thursday, Nov. 14, 1872. THE NEWS OF YESTERDAY. To-Day’s Contents of the Herald. “THE PROFLIGACY OF GEOGRAPHIC RESEARCH! POLAR VERSUS AFRICAN EXPLORATION” — LEADER—SIXTH PAGE. THE BOSTON DISTRESS! HUMAN BONES FOUND! PLANS FOR REBUILDING: CON- FERENCE OF CITIZENS: NO MORE TINDER TOPS: HEAVEN-BORN CHARITY+TuirD PAGE. EUROPE! SEVERE GALE ON THE ENGLISH COAST: OCEAN CABLE BETWEEN PORTU- GAL AND BRAZIL: FERROL INSURGENTS CONDEMNED: BANCROFT’S AUDIENCE WITH THE SULTAN: ITALIAN CHOLERA SAFEGUARDS—SEVENTH PAGE. AUSTRALASIA! SENDING NEWS TO CORAL CAVES: MAIL SERVICE, MINING, EDUCA- TION AND THE SLAVE TRADE—SEVENTH PacE. : MEXICO COMPLETELY PACIFIED! DIAZ 8UR- RENDERS—FEATURES OF LAST NIGHT'S AMUSEMENTS—SEVENTH PaGE. THIERS' MESSAGE TO THE FRENCH ASSEMBLY! “CRUEL DISMEMBERMENT, FRIGHTFUL BURDEN” AND HEAVY BUDGET DEFICIT— SEVENTH PAGE. WASHINGTON! CABINET RECONSTRUCTION : WILLIAM M. EVARTS PROBABLY FISH'S SUCCESSOR: OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEN— SEVENTH PAGE. A DANGEROUS PHASE OF THE EQUINE PESTI- LENCE! BERGH DISCONSOLATE: THE FIRST FORM YET PREVALENT: FEARS FOR ENGLAND—TentTH Pace. MERITED FATE OF A FEROCIOUS NEGRO! HANGED FOR MURDERING HIS AUNT! MURDEROUS ASSAULTS ON HIS KEEPERS: FAST LIVING—Fovrtu Pace. THE MYSTERIOUS POLAR OCEAN ! THE PROB- LEM OF A NORTHWEST PASSAGE: EF- FORTS TO DISCOVER IT—Fourrn Pace. THE EAST AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE! FAREWELL DINNER TO SIR BARTLE FRERE—SCHOOL AND CHARITABLE DONATIONS—LIGHT- HOUSE CIVIL SERVICE—TurrpD Pace. LATEST ELECTION RETURNS—FIRE IN PHILA- DELPHIA—SEVENTH PAGE. NEW YORK'S DANGER FROM MANSARDS ! CAUSE OF THE BOSTON FIRE: DEFECTS AND REMEDIES—Fovurtu Pace. INSURANCE! FAILURE OF THE MARKET COM- PANY: OTHERS UNSTABLE: FEARS OF MORE COMPLICATIONS—BOARD OF COUNTY CANVASSERS—Fovrru Pace. COURT PROCEEDINGS! REMINISCENCES OF AN OLD FIRE: THE GOLD-BADGE ERA: GREEN MANDAMUSED—Eicurta Pace. WALL STREET BUSINESS! SEESAW IN STOCK REACTIONARY SCHEMES: BOSTON V TIMS DECLARE AGAINST INFLATION: GOLD OFF—BOARD OF EDUCATION—Firru PAGE. DARING ENGLISH BURGLARY ! EARL DERBY'S RESIDENCE SACKED—VICTORIES OVER JERSEY MUNICIPAL CORRUPTION—Tuirp PAGE. {IMPORTANT REPORTS UPON THE CITY'S SEW- ERAGE: THE BOARD OF HEALTH AT WORK: RECONSTRUCTING THE HOUSE VAULTS—MARINE WS—TENTH PaGe. Tue Bostoy Mercuants sent a request to Mr. Boutwell yesterday not to issue any green- backs and declining governmént interference in their behalf. We have heard of ‘the pride that rans before destruction,” but this is the pride that comes after it. Terxecrapuic Communication Between Evrorz anp Brazm.—A telegram from Lisbon reports that the Portuguese govern- tment has signed a concession to an English company empowering its direction to con- struct and lay a telegraph cable from Por- tugal to Brazil. This project has engaged the attention of capitalists and men of science both in Brazil and Europe to a degree of ear- nest interest during some few years past. Active measures have been taken in the same @irection during the past few months. ° Of the feasibility of the undertaking our readers will be enabled to juige after reading the facts which we append io our news despatch from Portugal NEW YORK HERALD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1872—TRIPLE SHEK1. became despondent and abusive, and when led | and determined to pay tho national debt as search—Polar Vorsas African Explora- tion. * We reprint to-day, from # late issue of the London Telegraph, @ significant appeal to British pride in behalf of now Arctic explora- tions. This plausible paper, evidently from the pen of a great physicist, is a wail of goo- graphic remorse that, while all England and the world were verbosely debating the fate of Livingstone, Stanley was already cutting his way through African wilds to the relief of the great British explorer. Stung with mortifica- tion at having beon outrivalled by the early Portuguese discoveries in Southern Africa and the Spanish acquisition of a new world under the lead’of Columbus, Henry the Seventh of England, in 1497, inaugurated the daring and wild undertaking of retrieving his lost oppor- tunities of fame and opulence by finding a northwest passage to India; and now our great English contemporary would have his countrymen console themselves for their Afri- can humiliation by seeking fresh glory amid the unconquered terrors of the Pole, where The earth is rook—the heaven The dome of a greater pataco of ice, Certainly nothing can be more remote from our desire than to repress, if we could, this spirit of geographic research; and the whole world will attest that in the advocacy and furtherance of every movement looking to an increase of scientific or popular knowledgo of the globe the Hzranp has been ever foremost. But the magnificent ideas of the Fnglish journal, or rather the entire modern scheme of North Polar discovery, is a double anach- ronism. Viewed in the light of present geographical progress, nothing can appear more inconceivable than the project of sail- ing around the shores of Northern Europe and Asia to find a practicable and safe ship lane to India and China. But about the mid- dle of the fifteenth century the Turkish mas- tery of Constantinople and the discovery of the passage around the Cape of Good Hope by Vasco di Gama had entirely broken up the old channels of Oriental commerce (via Suez) and thrown the world’s carrying trade almost “exclusively into the hands of the Portuguese, with whose naval power the English could not then vie. This circumstance, rendering the London merchants so dependent and des- perate, suggested the precarious endeavor of northeast passage. It was undertaken os a forlorn hope by the dauntless navigator, Se- bastian Cabot; but the Iuckless result has perpetuated the memory of his own and Sir Hugk Willoughby’s failure in the poetic lines of their countryman— He for the passage sought, attempted since So much in vain, and seeming to be shut By jealous nature with eternal bars, The schemo of Cabot was, however, based upon a national necessity in developing the trade and material prosperity of his adopted country, as well as in the hope of securing to her the sovereignty of the seas. The modern ambition of Polar enthusiasts can lay no claim to such solid and useful ends, but, with all its high sciontific aims and moral heroism, is unsupported by any promise of gain or recom- pense at all commensurate with the lavish out- lay of men and money it exacts. It is not strictly true, as our contemporary so elo- quently asserts, that McClure and his company “have shown that it is possible to set sail from Liverpool, and so, leaving Greenland on the right, skirt the great North American Con- tinent, leave Kamtchatka on the right again and cast anchor in the waters of the Mikado." If Dr. Scoresby and others have found whales, harpooned in the North Pacific and swimming transfixed with the unmistakable barb, in the Greenland waters, showing an open north- western passage for them, it does not by any means follow that any navigable way exists, unless we assume that a vessel may venture to follow in the Arctic track of a right whale. The further assumption of an open and glo- rious sea around the North Pole, ‘where the whale wallows and the seal and walrus herd,”’ has as yet been verified by no mortal eye. The theory of a continuous undercurrent of warm sea water ever moving toward the Pole and rising near it to form a huge and mild Arctic sea for the mariner’s keel to furrow at will is at variance with the most authentic and accurate observations of surface currents and deep sea explorers. We know, from the reports of Carpenter, Thomson, Irminger, and from the monographs of Petermann, Von Mid- dendorf and Von Freeden, that the warm Gulf Stream moves on the marine surface with con- stantly diminishing temperature, and does not pass as an insulated undercurrent, retain- ing its heat, but is freely radiative. The most ardent advocates of Polar research have never claimed the possibility of a safe navigation through the moving ice masses of the Circum- polar Sea; and, while the current of popular belief in the existence of an open Polar sea has sometimes been strong, the most eminent living Arctic explorers, as Sherrard Osborn, McClintock and others in England and on the Continent, strenuously deny that the report of Kane’s party under Morton, even if accepted in good faith verbatim, can prove the exist- ence of anything more than a small sheet of open water. It is unquestionably true that out of the one hundred and twenty Polar ex- peditions not one can lay claim to any mate- rial usefulness. These enterprises, begun under the finest auspices and conducted with result, and the paltry successes won have been attained only by crossing immense plateaus and mountains of ice with infinitely more Napoleon's passage of the Alps. naught of the unspeakable sufferings of Wil- loughby in the misnamed and ill-fated Espe- ranza, even now reposing in the harbor of death ; of Sir Humphrey Gilbert, whose fate is still a mystery; of Hudson and Baffin, which animus meminisse horrd, think of the issue of Franklin's adventure and the frightful catastrophe by which Crozier, his second in command, survived his leader, and, with others of the party, for twenty years re- mained, unrelieved by death, a prisoner in the midst of frozen desolation. The national poet of Portugal, Camoens, represents an ap- parition rising at the Cape of Good Hope in the night and hovering athwart his ships to warn Vasco di Gama not to disturb his repose. southern waters has since that time, trans- ferred his terrible and vengeful supremacy to the icy ocean of the north. The finger of modern progress points the consummate skill, have been sterile of all solid | and Behring and Barentz, and the | pitiful tale of the fearful end of thou- sands who perished with them, at It seems that this spectral guardian of the | | doings when away from home. pains and perils than attended Hannibal's or | To say | hardy and heroic explorer to ficlds rich with something more than harvests of ice and snow, which alone reward Pow research; and it is high time to postpone the gratification of this scientific luxury and concentrate the prodigal energy of oxploration in » more profitable direction. While millions of dollars have beon spent on testing the antiquated theory of Cabot, which, at least, should be ro- served for a later generation, other grandly opening regions of the globe have been left comparatively unnoticed. The gem-like islands of the Pacific are scarcely known. Tho great current and submarine circulation of the ocean has been but skimmed over by science. The Antarctic Continent has remained since Boss’ discovery a terra’ incognita, Our own Darien Isthmus, through which the civilized world seeks water passage for its ships, is yet but half surveyod. Tho magnificent empire in Northwestern North America, including British Columbia and our own great North- western and North Pacific Territories and States, has, till recently, been regarded as the now fairest portions of France, Germany and Britain were, at the period of trans- Alpine Roman expansion, by Cawsar's legions— as inhospitable wilds, fit only for barbarian occupation. And last, but not least, the im- mense territory of Central Africa, with its un- doveloped and luxurious countries, inhabited by peoples who could be won over to civilizn- tion and made happy, contented and pros- perous, has been loft to the enterprise of a handful of travellers, and its teeming millions of inhabitants abandoned to the fate of heathenism and slavery. . Wealthy beyond compare in mineral re- sources and in the exuberant fertility of soil, elevated by the hand of the Almighty—as a lofty table-land—above the waves of the sea, and thus blessed with a mild and lovely climate, this new world of the southern hemisphere—the legacy of Livingstone's genius and devotion—commonds itself to the attention of all who advocate enlightened governmental researches and of the pioneers of geographic exploration the world over. It is high time, we repeat, that, instead of fritter- ing away the activity and sympathy of the age upon the ventures of Arctic expedition and in treading the ‘glacial treadmill,"’ the investi- gations hereafter to be set on foot be made to converge upon the vast domain of Central and highland Africa. The interests of civiliz will now bo ably pioneered in Afriea by Sir Bartle Frere. He goes to Zanzibar to investi- gate the slave trade, and will doubtless lead a determined and effective crusade against this great and tremendous incubus of Africa. In this long-neglected region lies the richest harvest field for future geographic enterprise. Great Britain and Russia in Central Asia. A cable despatch from St. Petersburg, dated November 11, informs us that Russia is about to conclude treaties of commerce with threo of the principal States of Central Asia, viz, Khokan, Bokhara and Kashgar. The samo de- spatch, quoting from the St. Petersburg Gazette, states that ‘‘the present relations between Rus- sia and Khiva cannot.be maintained,’’ and adds that ‘‘the safety of the Russian border depends upon the relations with Khiva.” This is a bold move on the part of Russia, and it seems to imply that the government of St. Peters- burg is determined to occupy Khiva. Khiva has long been a source of trouble to Russia, the Khan of that State having a peculiar habit of stealing Russians and selling them into slavery. Itis now some time since we were made aware of the fact that the Russian government had sent forth an expedition against Khiva, to punish the Khan and to re- lease certain prisoners. Fearing the approach of the Russians, the Khan sent an embassy to the Viceroy of India, imploring aid. The aid was refused, and the advice given by Lord Northbrook, the present Viceroy, was that the Khan had better mend his ways and make peace with Russia on the best terms he could command. It is well known in certain quar- ters that there is a secret understanding be- tween the governments of Great Britain and Russia that neither shall interfere with the other so long as a certain line of neutral terri- tory is held inviolate. Great Britain may not encroach on this territory on its southern border. Russia may not touch it on its north- ern border. From the answer given by Lord Northbrook to the embassy from the Khan it is not unreasonable to infer that Khiva lies to the north of that neutral territory. The ad- vance of the Russian troops on Khiva, although it will bring the Empire of the Romanoff more dangerously near the confines of British India, will thus not bring those two great Powers into war. Sooner or later they must fight for supremacy in Central Asia; but so long as these secret obligations are not violated each will be allowed without interference from the other to extend and consolidate its anthority on the Asiatic Continent. The Execution in Pennsy day. George Grant, one of the most desperate and unrelenting criminals of the present de- cade, yesterday suffered the last penalty of the law at West Chester, Pa. It is seldom that negroes prove as untractable in the hands of the authorities as this man Grant. After a long life of degradation and crime he finally planned the destruction of his aunt, ia Yestere | Amanda Spence, on the imaginary wrong that she had informed his wife of some of his The cowardly and cold-blooded manner in which he dis- posed of this aged and probably unoffending female is related elsewhere in the Hrranp to-day. Having been sentenced to death and confined in the county prison, under the sur- veillance of the Sheriff, he became savage, im- patient and revengeful, and his conduct was more that of a demon than a human being, Failing to escape after repeated attempts, he at length hit upon a plan of murdering the keepers, in conjunction with another prisoner, and thus gaining again the liberty he had shown himself unworthy to possess. Seizing a favorable opportunity he struck down the warden while on a visit to his cefl, and, being almost secure against bullets by reason of blankets with which he had padded himself, well nigh succeeded in regaining his freedom. He was overpowered only after a desperate | struggle, and on returning to his cell swore that he would sell his life at the gallows as dearly as possible. It required four persons to put the manacles on him, so determined had the culprit become to resist the authori« ties. Like most of his race when placed under complete subjection he subsequently to the gallows yosterday had scarcely the moral courage to respond to the prayers offered up for him by his spiritual adviser. The Treasury Department and the Money Market. Mr. Boutwell appears to have an irresistible desire to meddle with the money market. He imagines it is his duty or privilege to regulate the financial operations of Wall street and the business of tho country. We havo heard a great deal within the last few days of what the Secretary was prepared to do in purchasing bonds or selling gold in order to relieve any pressure in the market that might be caused by the disastrous fire at Boston. Wo have seen that just previous to this calamity he inflated the legal tender circulation nearly five millions. of dollars. It is well known that scarcely a woek passes that he does not in one way or another interfere with the gold, money or stock market, and, consequently, with values and the natural current of business, He may not violate any law in doing so, and it may be legally within his discretion to issue tho reserve of greenbacks held by the ‘Treas- ury, to buy more or less of bonds, or to soll whatever amount of gold he may think proper. He may be at liberty to do these things to some extent privately or publicly, and might even, if so disposed, do them in a way to bene- fit certain parties and to injure others. This is a dangerous power and liable to abuse, and has a tendency constantly to make the market feverish and speculative, to disturb values and to place tho regular and legitimate business of the country at the mercy of speculators and those that may know the secrets of the Treas- ury Department. Let it be admitted that Mr. Boutwell’s ac- tion has had a good effect sometimes in break- ing up cornering operations in gold and cur- rent money and in relieving the business com- munity temporarily from the embarrassments caused thereby, still the evils consequent upon the Secretary's general interference with the money market are far greater than the good resulting from such cases of exceptional re- lief. Besides, this practice of Mr. Boutwell is contrary to good policy, to the freedom of trade, to the principles of our government and institutions, to the proper functions of the Treasury Department, and to the management of the national finances throughout the history of the Republic anterior to the war. The Secretary seems to have taken the idea of regu- lating tho money market from the practice of the Bank of England. His action, it is true, is somewhat different, but the effect is similar. The Bank of England makes money easy and fosters speculation by lowering the rate of discount, and squeezes the market, checks business operations and prevents the oTiaow of snecio by raising the rate, Boutwell uses the gold and legal tenders the Treasury to contract or expand the money market in like manner and according to his pleasure. He is an autocrat in this respect, and is governed neither by law nor established precedent, as the Bank of England is. The Treasury Department was created for no such purpose. Its functions should be confined to receiving and disbursing the income of the government. The money and stock market ought to be left to the operations of individu- als, the same as the buying and selling of mer- chandise. It would not be safe to trust such power as Mr. Boutwell assumes to a great financier or statesman, and in his hands the danger is greater because he is incompetent. There is nothing Mr. Boutwell has done that has alarmed the business community more than the recent reissue of nearly five millions of legal tenders. What security, it is asked generally, have we against another and larger reissue? If the Secretary can expand the currency four or five millions, what is to hinder him expanding it twenty millions, or to the extent of the whole of the legal tender reserve? Everywhere protests are made against the expansion of the currency. Even in Boston, where, from the late disastrous fire, money will be in great demand, the Relief Committee has passed a resolution and for- warded it by telegram to Washington, protest- ing against the issue of additional currency. The people all over the country are hoping for and looking forward to the time when specie payments will be resumed, and fear the post- ponement of that period by an increase of the volume of currency. Itis natural, therefore, that they should regard with alarm the power Mr. Boutwell has assumed in issuing, within a fraction, an additional five millions of green- backs and the power he may have of expand- ing the currency much more. While there is no wish to have the present circula- tion contracted, as contraction might lead to embarrassments, a shrinkage of values and to an _ interruption of business, there is no less opposition to expan- sion. Our people believe that the country, by its wonderful progress and increase of population, will grow up to specie payments, and they are willing to wait till the laws of nature and trade, aided by such prudent leg- islation as Congress may adopt, shall bring about that state of things. But they will not consent to have specie payments deferred by the arbitrary action of the Secretary of the Treasury. It will be necessary, therefore, for Congress when it reassembles to place restrictions upon the Secretary—to limit his power over the cur- rency and business of the country—and to confine the Treasury Department to its proper functions of collecting and disbursing the government income. Then, in order to in- spire confidence in the management of the national finances, the President should ap- point another and an abler man as Secretary of the Treasury. In our finances, as in our politics, we have remained too long under the ideas and influences of the war. It is time that we returned to a peace basis in both. Mr. McCulloch inherited the war views of Mr. { Chase and Mr. Cameron, and Mr. Boutwell hold to them still. Everything is on too ex- travagant a scale. The government raises too much reverue and spends too much money. We want a Secretary of the Treasury who will manage the national finances purely with a view to a peace estab- lishment and to what is required in this time of peace. The credit of the government ought to be improved so that our national securities shall stand as well as those of any other country in the world. Our six percents are worth little more in the markets abroad than the British three per cents. Yet who doubts that this Republic is as stable as the govern- of | ment of England, or that it is both as able England isto pay hers? Indeed, if we look at our wonderful resources and great future, our national securities ought to stand higher than those of almost any other country. The only reason they do not isin our defective financial system and the bad management of our national finances. France, with all her recont war disasters with Germany and at home, with all the stupendous cost and in- demnity she has had to meet, stands far bet- ter financially than the United States, although our war ended over seven years ago, and not- withstanding the enormous production and re- sources of this country. Wo need a better and sounder financial system, ond tho first step to attain that isto have a thoroughly competent Secretary of the Treasury. The Hast African Slave Trade aad England, Englond is just now deeply moved by the daily revelations about tho East African slave trade, to which Dr. Livingstone’s letters havo called attention. With the laudable desire of suppressing the horrible traffic in human beings the English government proposed to several European Powers the adoption of con- certed action in a new crusade against slave- trading. For reasons unexplained the Powers addressed refused to join England in the work, while expressing deep sympathy with its ob- ject. The cause of this apparent contradiction may, perhaps, be traced to the fact that Eng- land, by virtue of a treaty with the Sultan of Zanzibar, hag been the “regulator’’ or pro- tector of the infamous traffic which Dr. Liv- ingstone has go eloquently denounced. Now that light has been letin on this dark spot, the press of England, as well as the government, make loud professions of their detestation of a scandalous traffic which has been carried on for years under the eyes and with the sanction of British officials without eliciting any of the hypocritical horror which is now professed. We shall not, however, look too closely into the motives of England if she will put down, in the name of humanity, the infamous and accursed trading in the blood of the wretched Africans, which is carried on at the very door of her dominions. The picture of misery and suffering which we gave a few days ago in the case of the slave dhow captured bya British cruiser has quickened the sentiment of disgust and detestation with which all right-thinking men regard the abandoned wretches who for sake of profit inflict such untold misery on their fellow men. But, while we applaud the action of England in the East, we demand that she shall prove the sincerity of her pro- fessions by putting down in the South Sea a slave traffic as infamous as that which is the eurse of Africa. While English philanthro- pists are making an exhibition of their humanity, and denouncing with fervid elo- quenced the Gnormities diifinitted by the Arab traders, it is notorious that English ships, cleared from British ports, authorized by the officials of the British Crown, are fitted out for ‘labor cruises’ in the Southern Sea. What this euphemism ‘labor cruise’ means we may learn from the account of the trial of the captain and crew of the brig Carl in Sydney. This brig was seized at Levuka, Fiji, by Her Majesty's war ship Cossack, on the information of her owner, a certain Mr. Murray. ‘This man _ had fitted out the expedition, but in a fight with the natives was happily wounded. The avarice of the captain and crew was excited, and they neglected the owner in the hope that he would die, so that they might be able to take all the profit of the cruise. Having reached Levuka the owner, in a fit of resentment, turned Queen’s evidence against the captain and crew. The story, as he tells it, is one of the most shocking in the annals of crime. Sailing in to the Solomon group the “labor cruisers” anchored off Santa Anna, Numbers of peace- ful natives came around in their canoes to trade; suddenly the ruffians on board cast heavy pieces of iron into the frail canoes and sunk them, picking up as many of the natives as they could, and drowning quite a large number. This scene was repeated at every anchorage. At Bourgainville they captured seventy men in this manner, but these were not willing to submit, and, attempting to escape from the hold, the crew began an indiscrimi- nate slaughter, firing down into the hold until they had murdered seventy of the captives and mortally wounded twenty more. In the morning the bodies of the victims were cast into the sea, and, horrible to relate, thesa British sailors tied the feet of the wounded men and cast them also into the sea with their dead comrades. This is only a tame recital of some of the facts sworn to in a court of justice and supported by the damning testimony furnished by the bullet marks and blood stains in the ship’s hold. Such crimes are the natural outcome of the system of “Jabor cruising’ which is permitted by British law, and until this foul stain is wiped from the English flag we hope that the English oiators and writers will not waste all their elo- quence in condemning the crimes of the Arab slave dealers. Our government ought not to remain an idle spectator of the outrages against humanity committed by the English slave dealers in the Fiji group, and we would sug- gest to General Grant the propriety of request- ing the assistance of the European Powers in suppressing the infamous traffic in blood which England permits under the innocent title of “labor cruising.” President Thiers’ Message. The executive message of President Thiers was received in the French Leg- islative Assembly and read to the mem- bers yesterday. The main points of the important paper of State reached us by telegram from Paris last night, and are reported in the Henarp to-day, The venerable chief of the national gov- ernment paints the situation of the French Republic, its depression and exhaustion, its power and means of recuperation, its diffi- culties and dangers, and the necessity which exists for a conservative course of policy as a means of regeneration and cure. Speaking generally, France is prosperous. Th» ex- istence of an extremely heavy deficit in the Treasury budget balance indicates, however, that her material and financial interests are being depleted from some partioular cause or other, despite the consolation which is contained in the expression of a pious, faithful hope of a speedy revovery. War has produced territorial dismemberment, but it established the republic. The ‘slightest fault’? may wreck this svstem of rule, Reaction is to be feared ; counter revolution dreaded, sbhorred and avoided. France needs absolute Her present situation inspires confi, dence in the surrounding nations; her Parliament can initiate and perfect measures o constitutional reform, but if the nation is patriotic, and prudent as patriotic, {¢ may, experience the horror of ‘“‘a most terrible revo- lution.”” President Thiers presents, no doubt, @ fine official pen picture of France as it is, and may be to a very considerable exten¢ prophetic of what she would become ander. the excitement of sudden, unnecessary or violent change. The situation is certainly an anxious one—anxious for the head of the French government, anxious for the French people and unequivocally anxious for the great national interests which exist under the Crowns which neighbor the republic. Our Safeguards Against Fire—-The Wa- ter Supply in New York. The calamities that have visited the cities of Chicago and Boston very properly direct the attention of our citizens to the danger to which we are ourselves exposed, and to the position we are in to resist the spread of a fire in New York under circumstances similar to those which have attended the conflagrations in our sister cities, ‘I New York Fire Depart- ment is admitte !!y .» ‘) cat and well-organ- ized force, and ‘' v yet failed in its duty or rendered ite! Linh! \o a suspicion 6f incompetency or »\:ct, \ partisan assault is made upon the ()soers!i members of the Commission, as a oaiter rse, by their political opponents, »: ox! ous to secure the offices for thems i:os bul. everybody knows that this is on!» dog an excuse for turning the democ: publicans in their plo I rew Come missioners are a8 comipeien! “fi they displace the people will no ou! selves about the change, an " well be made without ou, apology pretence. The fact that the dep t has been well managed and has done: its duty faithfully and effectively for the past three or four years is attested by the results of its labors and by the approval of the insurance companies and of intelligent citizens generally, and all the people will ask is, that the politi- cal change contemplated in the Board of Com- missioners will not be suffered to reach tho force of the department or to turn a really valuable body of men into a piece of partisan machinery, But the false good discipline, courage and effi- ciency of the Fire Department are not all we should have to depend upon to prevent the spread of a great fire in the city. uz yatex supply bag peen admittedly in sufficient to meet a heavy demand such ag might unfortunately arise. The Croton maina have hitherto been entirely inadequate to the’ ordinary apts gf onstitiers below Canal street, as well as In the higher portions of thy city up town, and would be almost useless in’ case of # fierce conflagration on a stormy. night. There is enough water for all pur-, poses in the reservoirs, but there are no means of getting at it, especially in the lower portion’ of the city. The mains have been notoriously insufficient both in size and in number. Tha Department of Public Works is now laying a! large main on the east side of the city, which’ will remain untapped until it reaches Cham- bers street, and will then afford an ample supply to the consumers down town, and so’ relieve the present main as to give a stronger force from that for the consumers up town. This will be a great advantage in case of fire, but it will not yet be sufficient in a great emergency. Ifwe had another new main of large size along the west side we should then have a Croton supply in all parts of the city sufficient to drown any conflagration that would be likely to occur. The Henatp a few days ago suggested tha’ laying of pipes all over the city, from tha North and East Rivers, to be fed with river, water by force pumps erected for the purpose and tapped by hydrants at convenient dis- tances, to be used in case of fire and for sani- tary purposes. There are, however, soma objections to this scheme, and if the money, that would be required to carry it out would be sufficient to lay the proposed new main’ from the Croton reservoirs we believe it would be better invested in that direction. The sup- ply of Croton water is reported to be ample if it can be thus reached, and the improve- ment would be an advantage to the consumers, who would benefit by it in their dwellings and business if it should fortunately never be needed for a great fire. At the same time wa have the means within our reach of making’ the river water available without cost to the city, by a very simple pro- cess. The ferry companies are all enjoy- ing valuable franchises granted by the people, and they should be willing to give the people something in return. We propose the passage of a law by the State Legislature compelling every ferryboat plying to the city to carry a sufficient force pump,! worked by a donkey engine, with nozzles of a required size to connect with the hose of the Fire Department, and placing such boats, im’ case of a fire, at the command of the Chief Engineer. By this means we should have always at hand a strong force of river fira engines. Twenty or thirty boats could be concentrated at any desired spot on cither side, of the city, the hose could be carried as far as necessary and a supply of water secured suffi- cient for any conceivable emergency. This means of protection can be secured without delay, and it would be available for Brooklyn as well as for New York. The subject is worthy the attention of our citizens, and we believe it will be found to be the best sugges= tion yet offered as a safeguard against the ca- lamities that have befallen the cities of Chi-* cago and Boston. Mruisten Bancnorr 1x ConsTANTINOPLE.— Some few days ago we were made aware that Mr. Bancroft had set out from Berlin om a tour of visitation to the East. As will be seen from a cable despatch which we publish . this morning, Mr. Bancroft has arrived in Constantinople and been presented to the Sultan. Our Minister at the Court of Berlin has fairly earned his right toa holiday. Of his conduct as our reptesentative near Em- peror William we have had no reason to complain, but, on the contrary, much cause to be satisfied. In circumstances of more than ordinary difficulty, where tact and skill were both needed, Mr. Bancroft has honorably: represented the feelings and wishes of his countrymen; and we are willing to believe that the judgment prouougeed in our favor im,