The New York Herald Newspaper, December 6, 1872, Page 6

% NEW YORK HERALD] "=" BROADWAY AND ANN STREET, JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR. * Volume x XXXVI, AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING WALULACK’S THEATRE, Broadway aaa Thirteenth since. —Ovr Ausmican Coustn. TMEPATRE COMIQUE, 14 Breadway.—Arrica; on, LivixGstone aND STANLEY, ROOTH'S THEATRE, Twenty third street, cormer Sixth ayewue.—As You Like It, OLYMPIC THEATRE, Broadway. between Houston ant Bieccker sts—Biue Bearn. BOWERY THEATRE, ‘Taw Seago. Bowery.-Box axp Cox—Care WOOD'S MUSEUM, Broadway, corner Thirticth st.— Os Hap, Atternoon and Evening. ACADEMY OF MUSIC, Fourteenth strect.—Tratian Overa—Linpa—Fra Diavow, &e. GRAND OPERA HOUBE, Twenty-third st, and Fighth ay.—Rounp 11 CLocK, ee ERMANIA THEATRE, Fourteenth street, near Third —Das Gerarnaniss. NIBLO'S GARDEN, Broadway, between Prince and Houston streets—Leo axp Lovos. STAOT THEATRE, and 47 Bowery.—Orena—Tae ewes. UNION SQUARE THEATRE, Broadway, between Thir- tecatt aud Fourteenth streets.—AGNEs, FIPTH AVENUE THEATRE, Twenty-fourth street.— savy Wives or Wixpsor. MRS. F. B. CONWAY'S BROOKLYN THEATRE.~ Son or rae Nigut. BRYANT'S OPERA HOUSE, Tweaty-third st. cerner 6iay.—Necre Minstaxtsy, Eccentricity, &c, NEUM, No. 685 Breadway.—Sriespto Variety LILES. or CANTERBURY VARIETY THEATRE, Broadway, be- tweou Bleecker and Houston.—Varisty Exrkrtatxment. TONY PASTOR'S OPERA HOUSE, No. 201 Bowery.— Geanp Vaniety Exrenrainment, &, SAN FRANCISCO MINSTRELS, corner 28th st. and Hroadwoy —E1uioriay Minstretsy, &c, MUSEUM, MENAGERIE AND CIROUS, BARNU treet, near Broadway.—Day and Evening. Fourtee NEW YORK MUSEUM OF ANATOMY, 618 Broadway.— ‘FcmNC AND ART, TRIPLE SHEET. New Yerk, Friday, Dec. 6, 1872, © - == <= THE NEWS OF YESTERDAY. TTo-Day’s Conteuts of the Herald. PUAN THE PRESIDENT AND THE ASSEM- BLY: THE SITUATION CRITICAL'—LEAD- ING EDITORIAL THEME—Stxtu Pacer. ANOTHER HORRIBLE RAILROAD SLAUGHTER! SEV PERSONS KILLED AND FIVE WOUNDED ON THE PENNSYLVANIA RAIL- ROAD!—SEVENTH Pace. ANTAGONISM TO THIERS! SELECTING THE COMMITTEE OF THIRTY! THE FRENCH PRESIDENT IN AN EMBARRASSING POSI- TION! PARIS GREATLY EXCITED! FIGHT- ING PROBABLE! MacMAHON TO OBEY THE ASSEMBLY! PRUSSIAN REOCCUPATION! THE EX-EMPEROR MOVING—SB8VENTH PAGE. BARTLE FRERE’S MISSION! VICTOR EM- MANUEL SENDS A GOLD MEDAL TO DR. LIVINGSTONE—REASSERTION OF THE | LOSS OF THE DALMATIAN—SEVENTH PAGE. BY CABLE! CLOSING ENGLISH AND AMERICAN SCHOOLS IN ROME IOLENT STURM AND | INUNDATION IN THE PO VALLEY: LON- DON WITHOUT GAS: GAS EXPLOSION IN WALES—SEVENTH Pace. AN INTERVIEW WITH THE NEW GOVERNOR GENERAL OF THE NEW DOMINION! HOW HE LOOKS AND WHAT HE HaD TO SAY ABOUT CANUCK LOYALTY, THE YOUTH | IR NEW YORK HERALD, FRIDAY, .DECEMBER 6, 1872.-TRIPLK SHERT. sembly—The Situation Oritical. Our news from Paris, printed elsewhere in these columns this morning, ia not encourag- ing to thoso who hope for the contiuu- ance of the authority of tho present government in France. At @ aomowhat late hour in the afternoon of yesterday the Assem- bly took action on the motion of M. Dufaure, President Thiers’ Minister of Justice. It will be remembered by our readers that the motion of 'M. Dufaure, carried by the Assembly on Friday of last week, provided for the ap* pointment by the Assembly of 9 committee of thirgy, whose duty it should be to draw up a law regulating public powers @nd pre- seribing the conditions of Ministerial respon- sibility. It has been known for the past weeks that the appointment to be made yesterday would test the strength of parties and reveal the actunl situation, The committee, aa our news of this morning shows, has been organ- ized. As organized it reveals the character and composition of the Assembly. Of the thirty members who compose the -com- mittes nineteen represent the Right and eleven represent the Left. It is ‘not at all to be wondered at that the appointment of the committee should have’ created’ considerable. excitement, not only in France, but throughout Europe. One of our despatches has it that Berlin is alarmed, that the German government has taken steps to strengthen the army of occupation, that ex- citement prevails at Chiselhurst, and that, in the event of the outbreak of hostilities in Paris, the influence of Bismarck, with the consent of Emperor William, will be exerted to restore the Empire, with Napoleon at ita head. We are not disposed to lay stress on vague and ill-defined rumors. It may be that the actual situation is not so serious as reported. The committee, as appointed, is a reasonably fair representation of the Assembly. The ma- jority in the Assembly is notoriously conserv- ative, and the conservative majority in the Assembly is represented in this fresh commit- tee. It is not conceivable that the organiza- tion of the committee can be any surprise to the President or, indeed, to any intelligent member of the French Assembly. It was a foregone conclusion that the majority in the new committee provided for by M. Dufaure’s motion would be anti-republican. Tho situation of to-day is most unquestionably more critical than it was a week ago. It was evident then—it is more evident now--that the vote of the Assembly delayed, but did not pre- vent, a crisis. It is in some respects a dis- grace to France and to the French people that such a crisis should have arrived. The present government has don® well, and it ought to have been allowed to complete its task. That task ‘cannot be regarded as completed until the last centime of the war indemnity is paid, We are willing to admit that the obligations under which France has come would be honorably discharged by any party which might come into power ; but as the government of M. Thiers has been a compromise government and rendered possible only by the conflicting sentiments of the various factions, Germany could not be blamed if it said, on the occasion of the fall of the present government, ‘Our guarantees are no longer of any value."’ Nay, Germany might be justified in adopting stronger measures aud saying, ‘‘We have trusted the Republic, which has failed. We shall now, if France favors the idea, deal with France through the man who surrendered at Sedan. It AND GLORY OF ENGLAND AND GENERAL | GRANUS CONSERVATISM—Fourrs Pace. | NEWS FROM WASHINGTON! THE &£ENTON- | CONKLING FIGHT: POMEROY'S PROHIBI- | TION BILL: INCREASING THE NAVY: | ANOTHER TREASURY SYNDICATE—Tairp | ( GRANT AN LL. OF HARVARD— CE NE) N’S RE NATION—LOOK, | ING FOR LIVINGSTONE—THE FEUD OF MANHATSANVILLE—Tuirp Pace. ; PERSONAL NEWS GOSSIP—CINCINNATI'S COM- | MERCIAL PROGR STATE AND PROBABIL AMUSEMENTS—MARITIO TENTH PAGE. SEVENTH PAGE. F WEATHER— ELLIGENCE-- MORE WARRTORS FOR THE HERALD! TRE | L RARY CONQUERORS ©) A: HOW THEY PROPOSE TO OUST T) PANIARDS: | SUBMARINE MONSTERS AND ARMY CORPS; ONLY $1,000,000 REQUIRED—Firru PaGE. JAY GOL ACCOUNTABILITY TO ERIE! MAK- | ING UP THE AFFIDAVIL: COUNSELLOR BARLOW EXPLAL THE RELEASE BY THE OLD BUARD: A MILLION OF STOCKS FOR EXEMPTION 'H PAGE. ROGERS TO BE EXECUTED TODA AND HISTORY OF THE HORROR FROM His OW ING TO DROP THE LIFE CURTAIN—Fovati Pace, | GOLD, GOVERN 'S, STOCKS AND MONEY IN THE WALL STREET EXCHANGES! EST, ERN UNION AND ROCK ISLAND ADVANCE: | PROSPECTIVE GOLD “SQUEEZE"—Nintu | PAGE, JUSTICE GEORGE M. ‘TIS' MALFEASANCE! QPARTLING TE MONY OF THE WORK- TINGS OF THE } NE COURT RING—Firtu | Pave. | PROCEEDIN = COURTS! TWEED'S IN- | DICTM! JAY GOULD AND THE ERIE | REL AXING SALARIES OF STATE OFFICIALS: KING'S CHILDREN~Eicura Page. | FLAT-RACING IN) ENGLAND! THE GREAT }| SHROPSHIRE HANDICAP AT SHREWsS.- | BURY: OFFICIAL PRESSION OF BET- | TING—ELEVENTH PAGE. | A BUSY DAY IN REAL ESTATE! EXTENSIVE SALES AND HIGH PRICES—MUNICIPAL ITEMS—QUARANTINE—BROOKLYN AFTER INCENDIARIES—ELEVENTH PAGE. LITERARY GOSSIP—MUSICAL AND THEATRICAL NOUTES—FourTH PAGE. { INSTALLATION OF REY. GEORGE 4H. HEP- WORTH! CALLED TO THE PASTORATE OF THE CHURCH OF THE DISCIPLES: | THE CEREMONIES : ADDRESSES BY NOTED PULPIT ORATORS—Turnp Page. @EORGANIZING TAMMANY! INEFFICIENCY AND INFIDELITY — CHAMBER OF COM- MERCE—ROWING IN ENGLAND—ElouTa Page. $ANITARY CONDITION OF THE CITY! MEET- ING OF THE’ BEALTH BOARD = THE GREAT JER: INJUNCTION CASE —OR- GANIZING THE CONSTITUTIONAL COMMIS- SioON—Firtn | Tae Canrrorx1s Diavospy Fravp turns out to have been developed on the same grand scale as the big trees of Mariposa, and in the fall of that famous Stanton ruby valued at | two hundred and filty thousand dollars to a soft garnet of the value of one hundred dol- Jars we have a fall on the scale of the falls of the Yosemite. Everything is developed on graud scale in California. j and, | decisive action. France wants monarchy the only possible form of monarchy is the Empire.’’ The one alarming fact of the moment is, that Germans can dictate to France, and, if need be, compel ‘her to submit ; and it is not to be denied that the government of Emperor William, while it has the wish, has also the power, and that, too, with the consent of a large and powerful section of the French people, tore-establish the Empire and to restore the Bonapartes, It is this fact which, more than any other, makes | the present situation alarming to those who | would wish to see the Republic successfully established in France, It is hardly possible that the republicans would allow Germany to interfere without | making one other bold and vigorous effort. Our letter from Paris, published in the Heratp of yesterday, leaves us little room to doubt as to what are the feelings of M. Gambetta in this particular crisis. What Gambetta felt or thought would to us be of little moment but for the fact that we know that he, more than any other man, knows and represents the sentiments of the great mass of ‘the French people. That he should like the American Sumner dislike the English Gladstone does not surprise us; for M. Léon Gambetta is aman of impulse, and his likes and dislikes | are to be measured by the same standard, What suits him and pleases him he accepts; what does not suit him and please him he | despises and denounces. It is undeniable, however, that he represents young France, the hopeful Franve of the hour and the strong France ofthe early future. When France fell under the crushing blow delivered at Sedan M. Gambetta was the man who, coming to the rescue, made his country noble by the revelation of her strength in the hour of her humiliation and sorrow. That he failed | in his immediate purpose was no disgrace to him. He did his best, and, fully recognizing his defeat, he has fortwo years remained in the background waiting his opportunity. It does now seem as if Gambetta should be forced to say his opportunity had arrived, and that the necessities of the hour compelled him to With President Thiers he has never been in sympathy. With the policy of the President he has forborne, hoping and waiting for the best,.the best meaning the Republic. Again and again he bas said, and again and again the Heratp has echoed his sentiments, that there was no hope for the Republic unless the present Assembly was dissolved and a fresh appeal was made to the people. “The really important question,’’ as the ex- Dictator said to our correspondent, ‘‘was the dissolution of the Assembly. The monarchists are aware that if we were to have an election | to-morrow there is hardly one of them who would be re-elected.”” Our latest news en- courages the belief that Gambetta clings to | the opinions expressed to our correspondent, | for at a special meeting of the party of the Left he powerfully advocated the dissolution of the Assembly, and it is a source of gratifi- cation to us to know that the party of the Left | hope that the Senate will take this bill up tying them into practice. It remains but to be said that the committee which haa now bees appoiuted may, after a careful consideration of the situation, act in such @ manner as shall avert rather than pre- cipitate what seems an impending and most serious crisis. It will be well if the commit- tee, which has the immediate future of France so much in its hands, ia guided to a wise de- cision, France cannot do better than wait. Until the last centime is paid and until the last German soldier has left her soil she ought to content herself with things as they are; and no man in the peculiar circumstances in which she is placed is so woll qualified to preside at the helm as M. Thiers, If Franco will not continue to submit to the rule of M. Thiers the next beat thing is a dissolution of the As- sembly; but as a dissolution might result in revolution, and possibly a fresh German in- vasion, we dread the experiment. faternal Improvemeats—President Gia nt and Gavernor Walker, The opposing views on thé subject of great internal improvémenta of two recently issued public documents—namely, the Message of President Grant and the Message of Governor Walker, of Virginia—aro‘worthy of note. The President, as is generally known, recommends an extensive system of internal improvements by the fedoral government, and particularly by canals of great length and cost, with a view to promote commerce between the West and At- lantic seaboard. He mentions, among other projects, for which he recommends government aid, the James River and Kanawha Canal. Governor Walker, in his Message to the Vir- ginia Legislature; does not favor any such policy, though his own State might reap the benefit of it. Ho does not believe Congress will give the aid rec- ommended. He says:—‘‘LThe government of the United States, in my judgment, will never undertake the completion of the James River and Kanawha Canal.’ He is opposed to the principle of government undertaking such works, He advises tho owners of property in the canal, including the State, to transfer the title of all their interests to a company of responsible gentle- mon of established reputation for probity and financial ability, upon condition that the work be completed in a satisfactory manner within a specified period. He says the argu- ments in favor of this scheme of internal im- provements by th’ federal government have been worn threadbare in the case of the Niagara Ship Canal, the Dlinois Ship Canal, the Fox River improvement and other like schemes. He endeavors to dispel the illusion | of such a national undertaking, and urges the people and State of Virginia to trust to their own efforts and the oapital they can obtain elsewhere. The Governor is right on ‘the principle involved, and gives good advice. To show what may be done in such great internal improve- ments where the people and capi- talists of any State undertake them, without aid from Washington and by such in- cidental encouragement as the State itself can give, we may mention an important work about to be accomplished in Maryland and Delaware. We refer to the ‘‘Maryland and Delaware Ship Canal.” It is toopen a water communication for large vessels between Chesapeake Bay and the Delaware River, and thns to avoid the long, expensive and dan- gerous voyagd round Gape Charles. “Te will bring tho trade of Baltimore, Washington, Anuapolis and all the lowor region of Mary- land and Delaware in close connection with New York, as well as with Philadelphia, and would in time of foreign war exempt the com- merce which is now carried on by sea from in- terruption. Such grand enterprises as this one is, promoted by private capital and in- cidental State aid, should be. encouraged, Capitalists will find out what will pay. Governor Walker is right in his view of the matter, and the President is wrong in pro- posing gigantic and expensive schemes of in- ternal improvement at the cost of the national government. Congress Yesterday—The New Sloops of War. Although the Senate has not achieved much beyond laying trains for future oratorical ex- plosions, the House of Representatives already presents us with an important bill which it has passed. The original proposition of the Naval Committee was considerably modified, and in certain points we think justly, Per- haps the least reasonable was the reduction of the namber of vessels from ten to six, because if, as generally admitted, we sadly need a serviceable addition to our navy, other conditioas being satisfied, it is unwise to defer the construction of the required number, Mr. Garfield's amendment requir- ing full plans and estimates to be reported to Congress and an appropriation made before work is commenced, was much more to the point, as the necessity for strict super- vision over these details is too well known to need comment. The vote on Mr. Hale’s amendment giving half of the vessels to private shipyards for construction indicates the force which the compromise coalition wields in the present session, the | result being a probably large slice for the shipbuilders of Maine and Pennsylvania. We without delay and let the country have some war vessels that it can rely on. The amusing episode in the debate by which the “pig-iron’’ champion received a short and sharp lecture on inconsistency gives a promise of liveliness, even for the short time the present Congress has to live, Waar a Faria Orr Was Turre!—The ladies and the connoisseurs have been excited recently by descriptions of the great Stanton ruby, said to be worth two hundred and fifty thousand dollars and to be one of the finest gems in the world, Dark beauties have, no doubt, sighed as they pictured the splendor its rich color would impart to their charms, flash- ing from brow or neck. More mercenary minds have, no doubt, reflected on the profits they might realize out of it as they dreamed of its weight and purity. But, alas! those stupid, matter-of-fact fellows, the lapidaries, have been testing the coveted gem and have made the cruel discovery that it is a soft gar- net, worth one hundred dollars. What a pity for the owner that the illusion could not bave been kept ap, at least until the famous ruby had changed hands | the Governor Generel. Our special correspondent in Canada fur- nishea us with an interesting account of an interview with the new Governor General of the Dominion, which will “be found in tho Heraup to-day. Lord Dufferin has been among the Canadians for six months, and during that short time has succeeded in making himself exceed- ingly popular. Our correspondent indicates the secret of this success when he deseribes Lord Dufferin as 9 gentleman of courteous bearing, manly instincts and genial disposi- tion, Tho conversation of the Governor Gen- eral shows that with these. qualities he com- bines good sense, a reflective mind ‘and diplomatic shrewdness. We are told that the representative of Her British Majesty across the border is in the prime of life, under the mid- dle size, slightly round-backed, witha studious, thouglitful face, high cheels bones and an “aris- tocratic lisp."’ It is therefore fair to conclude that his popularity does not depend upon out- ward attractions, but has the more solid and lasting foundation of amiability and culture. In this respect our neighbors have been for- tunate in their imported Executives, and Eng- land can at least claim the crodit of having sent some of her best citizens to represent the Crown in her Canadian colony. Tt will not surprise any person to find that Lord Dufferin has discovered no desire for in- dependence, much less for annexation, among the people over whom he has been placed in authority. The Governor General of Canada would not be exactly the person to whom those who reflect soriously upon the question of sep- aration from the home government would express their views. Wepresenting royalty in a country where the institution, like a shadow thrown at’a distance, appears larger and more massive than the original, although it lacks its solidity, that distinguished colonial officer no doubt hears more of the gushing loyalty of the people than does the monarch herself. We can, therefore, believe Lord Dufferin to be sincere when he expresses the opinion that there is no desire on the part of tho Canadians to change their position, and that they are not disturbed by the recent remarkable advice of the London Times, that they should “take up their independence” and shift hereafter for themselves. It is probable, however, that if he follows closely the discoveries of our cor- respondent, he may find that his judgment is at fault, and that while the Canadians are un- questionably loyal to their present government, they are nevertheless disposed to reflect serious- ly whether the establishment of an independent Republic of Canada would not prove advan- tageous to both England and her colony. As an Englishman Lord Dufferin, no doubt, has all the faith ho professes in the ‘lusty youth’ and power of that nation. We have no dis- position to question his statement that England is stronger to-day than she was after Waterloo; although we might remind him that her present strength must be judged, not by a comparison with the England of 1815, but by a comparison with the nations of to-day—with great Powers like Germany, Russia and the United States, capable of put- ting armies of a million trained soldiers into the field. But we believe that greater expe- rience in America and a closer study of the subject will convince the Governor General of the error of his conclusion that Canada, if it be her choice, can remain forever a colony of Great Britain and yet develop her resources sid bcomnd peoapAt ad powerful, Tle Canadians are a brave, intelligent and enterprising people ; yet their country has not kept pace in progress with the States of the Union. The emigration socicties of Europe seud out annually many thousands of British subjects to Canada; yet the statistics show that of the emigrants who land in the Dominion all but a fraction sooner or later find their way to the States. Itis certain that this is attributable in a great measure to the danger of a conflict between England and the United States, which would neces- sarily involve the colony in the struggle. As an independent Republic, in commercial alliance with the United States, Canada would have none of the drawbacks of this unnatural position—unnatural in this age of intelligence on a Continent where monarchies have no place. Lord Dufferin gives it as his opinion that in the ‘‘sad calamity’’ of a war between England and the United States, in a strate- gic point of view Canada would be useful to the former Power. ‘However strong America might be,”’ he says, ‘‘she could hardly view with indifference such a formidable base of opera- tions as England would still have on this ter- ritory. She might be driven from Canada and Canada might be conquered; but the undertaking would cause vast loss and injury to the American Republic.” In these words Lord Dufferin unwittingly proves how Canada is endangered and damaged by the English connection. If a war should unhappily occur between the two Powers, Canada, with probably no share in the quarrel, would bear the principal burden and suffer the worst hor- rors of the conflict. The homes that would be desolated would be Canadian homes, the blood that would flow would be Canadian blood, and in the end, although ‘‘at vast loss and injury’ to her foe, Canada would be con- quered. Is this just towards a brave people who have dug their own fortunes out of a new land? Would not this young community, three thousand miles away from England, be safer, more free, more prosperous, more happy ag an independent government, released from such entangling and hazardous reliances ? Lord Dufferin furnishes yet another plea for a Canadian Republic when he expresses confidence in the conservatism of the Ameri- can government and gives utterance to the truism that “any offensive war on the part of a Republic weakens its intrinsic power and predisposes it for an imperial despotism.’ As Americans we desire the independence of our neighbors for their own good. As repub- licans we would proudly hail the formation of a chain of independent republics all over the American Continent and the adjacent islands. As a powerful and conservative peo- ple we repudiate the idea of forcible annexa- tion, and should respect the independence of such free governments, as we require our own independence to be respected and as we hope for the perpetuation of our institutions. Tre Constrrvtionat Commission aT ALBANY paid a tribute to the memory of Horace Gree- ley yesterday, and adjourned until January 8. The body will probably move slowly, but this will not matter if its work shall be well done, tion of Rates. Almost simultaneously with our record of the pradent determination of the Board of Fire Underwriter# to raise their rates of pre- mium it has been publicly announced that an old-established life insurance company, which has hitherto been considered a3 most conser- vative in its management, has determined to reduce ita rates, This announcement has startled the community all the more on ac- count of the solemn promise made by that company about a month ago, in a published account of its remarkably prosperous career from its organization in 1842 to October 1, 1872. This promise was thus worded: —‘The company will continue to guido its business in future by the same principles and rules which along experience has shown to be most con- ducive to the safety and best interests of its policy-holders, It will issue polices of all ap- proved descriptions and at its usual table rates.’ But by a Girgular issued on the 30th ult., it seems already to have abandoned that position. It now proposes to issue its policies at a reduction from “‘its ugual table rates,” of about twenty-two per cent upon life policies, and eleven por cent upon endowment assur- ances, The learned actuary who has recom- mended this new departure from “the princi- ples and rulea’’ of life insurance, has held his actual office, we are informed, not more than two years—a very brief offset to the in- surance experience of a hundred years. Ho nevertheless steps boldly forward to dictate a novel policy in opposition to that which has been so successfully tested both in Great Britain and the United States. The “Encyclopa#dia Britaunica,”’ in its elab- orate article on insurance, says in reference to Mutual Societies, “A higher rate of pre- mium than the risk demands is generally charged, to defray expenses of management and at the same time increase the basis of security.’ For a century past the closest serutiny by the first mathematicians of the age of the principles which form the founda- tion of life insurance has resulted merely in a strict adherence on the part of all reliable companies in Great Britain to the old-estab- lished rates—rates which are, indecd, far higher than our own. Life insurance is of no value unless it gives security in the future. It is for this reason that a yearly charge is made, sufficient not only to cover the cost of insurance, but also to provide for contingencies which may be beyond human control, Among such con- tingencies are increased mortality arising from epidemics, or errors in the mortuary tables; the possibility of changes in the value of money—a most important feature in the sys- tem—and various others, against which all business men deem it but prudent to provide. To consider the chances of unexpected claims should be the guide for all well-managed life companies. From these claims, as we have recently seen, the fire companies have no im- munity. Experience teaches that unless am- ple provision against them be made there is no real security for the public. Tn view of these obvious facts, and of many others which equally contradict the argu- ments urged in favor of the newly-recom- mended reduction of rates, it is not surprising that grave apprehensions have been excited by it. Not only are the seventy-seven thousand policy-holders of the company in question, to- gether with their heirs and assigns, deeply in- wor . eats 9 $ exposing them to injustice—but the policy-holders of all other companies are no less deeply inter- ested in it as revolutionary in its theory and its consequences. It is true that there is no legal restriction in respect to the reduction of rates—each company being at liberty to de- cide for itself. But all companies, including the one which has just proposed it, will be directly or indirectly affected by it. Eighteen or twenty leading life insurance companies in New York have already, we understand, met for consultation on this subject of great im- portance to them and to the public at large. Why should not a convention of all the com- panies throughout the Union be called to de- liberate upon it? Why should not an appeal be made to our most eminent actuaries to de- liver an authoritative opinion upon it? If, as the actuary who has initiated this attempt at revolution in life insurance intimates, “the poorer classes,’’ and all other classes, have been hitherto ‘‘compelled to advance money beyond the true price of assurance,’’ the pub- lic should be enlightened as to what the ‘true price’ actually is, Let, then, experienced actuaries declare and prove the real principles of life insurance, and let all the life com- panies agree to abide by them. Perts or tHe Lages.—Winter brings its perils on the lakes as well as on the ocean. Two barges and two schooners have been wrecked on Lake Superior, and all on board are supposed to have perished. , About this season of the year there is, indeed, greater danger on our inland seas than on the ocean, and the tragedies on the lakes for the past twenty years would furnish volumes of sad reading. Yet there is probably even more recklessness displayed in their navigation than in the fitting out of the mantraps called steamships for ocean voyages. Tux Lovtstana Trovsies.—Governor War- moth, of Louisiana, has issued his proclama- tion announcing the result of the canvass of votes for the State legislators, and declaring the members designated by his Board of Can- vassers the duly elected Legislature. To- morrow, probably, a counter order will be issued by some United States Court undoing the Governor's work. In the midst of this anarchy we are asked to believe that the South is ina blissful state of political peace and satisfaction, Boston Is Ligery to AFrorD A Pracricat | illustration of the truth of the poet's words, “When sorrows come they come not single spies, but in battalions!’’ Another fire in that city yesterday destroyed eighteen horses. Let us hope this is the last burning Boston will experience for some time. Hore Lire mm Cutcacgo.—While a New York jeweller was enjoying his supper at a Chicago hotela thief broke open his trunk, transferred sixteen thousand dollars’ worth of watches and trinkets to a valise, went to the office, paid his bill and disappeared. The Chicago thieves are getting to be as sharp and as cool as the divorce lawyers of that enjer- priging city, President and the A! endored bis sentiments and insisted on car-| Camadian Independence—The Views of | Life Insurance—The Proposed Medace- ‘The Sew Supreme Jadge and Our Now Minister to Russia. The nominations by the President of Ward Hunt, of New York, a9 Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, in place of the vom erable Justice Nelson, of New York, resigned, and of James L. Orr, of South Carolina, as Min. ister to Russia, will meet with general approval. Judge Hunt, of the Commission of Appeals of this State, has the reputation of a jurist well versed in the law, and will, doubtless, prove himself eqnal to the highest require- ments of the tribunal of last resort of the judicial department of the national govern- ment. Mr. Orr, we conjecture, owes bis appoint- ment as Minister to Russia in no small degree to his services in South Carolina in the work of Southern reconstruction, He was, before the war, for several terma-a member of Con- gress from South Carolina and Speaker of tho House, for the first Congress under Bu- chanan’s administration. During the war he was with the Southern Confederacy, but after the war, from his example, his influenca and his arguments in favor of submission to the great political issues of the day, as settled by the war, be contributed much to smooth the way in South Carolina to recon- struction as now established, Doubtless the. consideration of his services im this work and of the good effect in the South of recognizing such a conspicuous example of Southern conservatism has had much to do with this appointmeut. Mr. Orr, in Oon- gress, proved himself s good parliamentarian. As Speaker of the House, without possessing the commanding abilities of Henry Clay or the brilliant qualities of Banks, ho discharged the delicate duties of the position to the satia- faction of all parties, As a diplomat, though Incking iu the accomplishments, learning and experience of such men as Charles Francis Adams and Bancroft, he possesses much of that natural good sense, that sterling patriot- ism and that broad sagacity which in Wash- burne have proved equal to the most difficult diplomatic emergencies. Mr. Orr is a man some sixty years of age, ripened in political experience at home, a conservative in the beat sense of the word, a safe man, cool in delibera- tion, but firm in action. Our friendly rela- tions with Russia are so securely established that only a Hotspur can disturb them, Me. Orr may be relied upon to maintain them, even in the face of a Catacazy imbroglio at Washington, if the recurrence of such a thing may be considered within the range of possi- bilities. We think, in a word, that Mr. Orr will prove a safe aud acceptable man at St. Petersburg. Rovat Ivattan Musyace to Livingstone. — Sir Bartle Frere was in Rome yesterday, on his march to the African coast in order to join the British expedition which is commis- sioned to operate ,for the suppression of the slave trade. His Majesty King Victor Em+ manuel accorded him an audience, at which he gave him a gold medal bearing the royal effigy, requesting him to ‘hand it to Doctor Livingstone, as a pledge of his esteem.’’ This complimentary attention does great honor both to the head and heart of the ruler of free Italy. It is meet and proper that from the ancient centre of civiliza. tion and Christianity there should go forth a ray of modern light to a land which bas grown aged in its benightedness, and thaé Rome to-day should thus reply to the moyruy fal afjaration of the “Captive Jugurtha a dying within its walls—‘‘Gods! where’s the worth which sets this people up above thing own Numidia’s tawny sous ?’” Ramnoap Catasrropae IN PENNSY¥LVANTA.— According to our special despatch from Mifflin township, Mifflin county, Pa., there was a ters rible accident on the Pennsylvania Central Railroad last night. The intelligence is toa meagre to allow us to form an idea as to theex- tent of the disaster, but our correspondent states that up to the time of forwarding the news (one o'clock this morning) seven dead bodies had been recovered from among the debris. It appears that the second section of the Cincinnati express, bound east, ran into the first section, telescoping two Pullman cars, erushing them up and killing and injuring tha passengers, as stated. Divinrna THe Honors.—The first ballot of the Electoral College (Greeley and Browa electors) of Missouri resulted in eight votes for Gratz Brown for President, six for Thomas A. Hendricks and one for David Davis, while for Vice President Gratz Brown had six votes, George W. Julian five, John M. Palmer three and W. S. Groesbeck one. These electors were chosen by the popular vote of Missourt to give the electoral vote of the State to Gree- ley for President and Brown for Vice Presi- dent; but the death of Mr. Greeley throws them all into confusion. We find similar dis- agreements, tco, among the Greeley and Brown electors of several other States, It is apparent from all this that had Mr. Greeley been elected by the voice of the people in the choice of the electors his death might have resulted in the election of some man by the electors for Presi- dent never contemplated by the people. The only way to avoid such difficulties hereafter lies in an amendment of the constitution which will provide for the election of the President and Vice President, against all probable con- tingencies, directly by the vote of the people, Is Ir Peace on War?-—We have had a vast amount of glorifications over the success of the Geneva tribunal as the beginning of s new era of peace, in which arbitration here- after will take the place of war in settling all international disputes; and yet with the meeting of Congress the first thing taken up | for deliberate consideration is the proposition. to build ten additional ships of war, with alk the modern improvements. So much for the Geneva tribunal. OBITUARY, — O. C. Maxwell, General 0. C. Maxwell, & gallant officer of tae Army of the Union, committed suicide in Dayton, Ohio, yesterday, by shooting. He died instantly in his room, General Maxwell was formerly Assessor of Internal Revenue in the Third Congressional district of Ohio, He was one of the most gatiant officers from Onto during the war, and was wounded inaction five times. [tis said that financial em-, barrassment was the immediate cause of the rast’ ‘The Genoral leaves a wife ani three childrette He was highly esteemed in the commanity, A HALP-BREED SENTENOED TO BE HUNG. Curyvenne, Wy. Dec. 5, 1672 Kensler, hall-breed Sioux, copvicted of met der, was sentenced yoatorday by Cilet Justice, Fusher to be hanged on the 2d of January,