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

** MEXICO’S NEW ERA! THE INAUGURATION OF ‘NEW YORK HERALD BROADWAY AND ANN STREET, JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR. All business or news letters and telegraphic despatches must be addressed New Yong Heap. —_-—__—_ TRE DAILY HERALD, published every day in the vear, Four cents per copy. Annual subscription Volume XXXVI : AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING, FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE, Twenty-fourth street— ‘A Bouo Stxowz ror 4 Husnann. WALLAOR'S THEATRE, Broadway and Thirteenth wtrcet.—Our Amxnican C THEATRE COMIQUE, 514 Broadway.—Araica; on, LAvVINGSTON AND STANLEY. BOOTH'S THEATRE, Twenty-third street, corner Sixth avenue.—Tax Littr or France, ILYMPIC THEATRE, Broadway, between Houston \ a Bleecker sts.—La Barve ewes. | GRRMANIA THEATRE, Fourteenth street, near Third av.—Dss Naconstsn Havsrrav, £0. \. 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NEW YORK MUSEUM OF ANATOMY, 618 Broadway.— Science anv Aut. EE ‘TRIPLE § Fourteenth street.—Lectura, New Yerk, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 1872. THE NEWS OF YESTERDAY. To-Day’s Contents of the Herald. “QIVIL SERVICE REFORM! THE OPINIONS OF THE NESTOR OF OUR NORTHERN POLI- TICIANS"—LEADING EDITORIAL SUBJECT— Sixta Pace. DIRE WORK WITH THE KNIFE! Z. E. SIMMONS BUTCHERS N. W. DURYEA, A’ RIVAL POLICY DEALER, IN LIBERTY STREET— SEVENTH PAGE. ‘THE FRENCH PRESIDENT BEFORE THE ASSEM- BLY COMMITTEE! THE BOURSE EXCITED! MARKED DECLINE IN RENTES—SEVENTH Pace, THE NEW ORLEANS SCRAMBLE! THE ATTI- TUDE OF THE GOVERNMENT: THE ACTION | OF THE SUPREME COURT AND OF CON. GRES3—TaikD PaGE. FEDERAL CAPITAL NEWS! A BUDGET OF BILLS FOR THE HOUSE: SNUBBING SUM- NER: THE TEXAS FRONTIER—Tuaigp Pacg. EUROPEAN CABLE NEWS—PERSONAL PAR: GRAPHS—AMUSEMENTS—SEVENTH PAGE. .A RUMPUS OVER THE BALLOT BOXES IN MEX- IJO—BRAZIL—THE EMIGRANT PASSEN- GERS BY THE FRANKLIN RESCUED—NEWS FROM JAPAN—SEVENTH PaGE, ‘POISONING EDWARD 0, ANDERSON! CLOSE OF | THE PROSECUTION IN THE IRISH TRIAL: | “IRISHTOWN" DESPERADOES: THE COM- ING FIGHT—Tirra Pace, BURLESQUE ARRAIGNMENT OF EX-BOSS TWEED! READING THE MAMMOTH IN- DICTMENT TO HIM: A PLEA OF “NOT GUIL2 Pace. BOSTON'S “COMBINATION” AGAINST THE GOY- ERNMENT TREASURY! ACTUAL RESULTS AND WHAT IS SOUGHT TO BE ACCOM- PLISHED—Founta Pace. 3% THE DAY FOR TRIAL—Firra PRESIDENT LERQO DE TEJADO: RECEP- TION 20, AND, SREBCH OF GENERAL DiAz— EIGHTH Pace, CONGRESSIONAL PROCEED! | ADVOCATING THE FRENCH SPOLIATION | CLAIMS: THE HOUSE SUSTAINS THE | PRESIDENT ON THE LOUISIANA QUES- ‘TION -FourRTH Pace, RES IN THE OPERATIONS ON GE! FURTHER ISSUE OF AND AD- | 'N ROCK ISLA FREE BANKING 'S—NINTH Pace. PROCEEDINGS IN THE LEGAL TRIBUNALS— | TROTTING IN A SNOW STORM—MUNICI- PAL—Firtu Page, | NON-ABANDONMENT OF THE UNDERGROUND | 3! MR, CAMERON | RAILROAD—REAL ESTATE—GAMBLING IN CUBA—Ninta Pac | “T, W." ON CIVIL VICE REFORM—IN- AL IMPROV S—LITERATURE— | SKATING AND THE STORM—Fovurta Page. TWO CATHOLIC CHILDREN ABDUCTED BY A TARIAN MINISTER'S DA TER! HIR RESCUE; MORE THAN ORPHANED. | Cabinet, NEW YORK HEKALD, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1872—TRIPLE SHEET, Otvil Service Reform—The Opinions of the Nester of Our Northern Poll- tel “T, W.,"" who may be styled the Nestor of our Northern political philosophers, from his active participation and rich experience in all the vicissitudes of our administrations and parties through the long and eventful period of halfa contury, has furnished us tho com- pact and plausible argument, which will bo found on another page of this paper, against the prevailing theory of civil sorvice reform. He says that this invention originated with Senators in Congress, who, by their diligent efforts in procuring appointmonts for relatives and friends, generally in utter disregard of fitness, did much to make civil service reform necessary and popular; that tho din raised upon the subject by liberal republicans and domocrata in the late Presidential can- vass constrained the republican party to ac- cept itas an issue; but, now that the theory is going to be tested, itwill be found utterly impracticable or productive of far greater abuses than any we have hitherto experienced. In support of this emphatic and unqualified condemnation of tho reform in question ‘T. W." says that the system exists only in despotic or monarchical governments; that in England it enables the ruling aristocracy to fasten their dependants upon the government in snug positions; that it is repugnant toa republican system; that the attempt to build up an aristocracy of office-holders will fail; that as an institution for the education of a privileged class the West Point Military Acad- emy itself was obnoxious to the public senti- ment until experience had proved its value ; that a special education, indispensable to the army and navy, is not needed in the civil ser- vice; thata college training is not wanted for this service; that if all the people have not a right to compete for these offices our republi- can institutions aro a sham and a fraud; that this new theory here converts the departments at Washington, our Custom Houses and Post Offices into close corporations; that it would rule out most of our crippled Union soldiers; that the late Philadelphia case, as settled by General Grant, proves nothing; that the idea of binding the President in the choice of his Cabinet to these new rules for the civil ser- vice is preposterous; that rotation in office is the proper rule; that Joefferson’s qualifica- tions, “Is he honest, is he capable, is ho faith- ful to the constitution?” are all-sufficient; and that it will not be long before these are the prevailing opinions of the country. Such is the essence of the argument of our venerable contemporary in politics and jour- nalism, “T. W.,"’ against this new theory of civil service reform—‘this great panacea for all our existing political abuses."" Mr. Snapp, of Illinois, the other day, in Congress, deliv- ered himself of a snappish speech, covering much of the same ground, from which it appears that the administration is not going much further in this civil service retorm ex- periment without opposition from the party camp. Believing, however, that, upon the general theory upon which he is venturing, the President is right and that our venerable political historian, ‘‘T. W.,’’ is wrong, we un- dertake, on a leading point or two, briefly to answer him. And, as we can judge of nothing for the fature but from experience in the past, let us first turn for a moment to the expe- rience of the government in this matter of the civil service, From the first inauguration of Washington as President to the retirement of John Quincy Adams from the White House it may be said that the Jeffersonian test of honesty, capability and fidelity to the constitution was the para- mount law of appointments in the civil ser- vice. But there was also another law of appointments, first broadly promulgated by Jefferson, which even in support of this new idea of special qualifications we do not pro- pose to abandon. In consequence of the tie in the electoral yote—73 to 73—between Jeffer- son and Burr for President in 1800 the election was thrown into the House of Representatives, and in that body the members from Maryland, Delaware and Vermont agreed to settle the contest in favor of Jefferson, with his agree- ment to certain reasonable conditions which they proposed. From the affidavit of the representative, James A. Bayard, of Delaware, on the subject, among these conditions was this: ‘that subordinate public officers, em- ployed only in the execution of details estab- lished by law, shall not be removed from office on the ground of their political char- acter, nor without complaint against their conduct;’’ and with his acceptance of this with the other conditions offered Jefferson was elected President by the balance of power in the House, which had been held in reserve by Maryland, Delaware and Vermont. This is the rule, the benefits of which we would still give the Prosidont in this civil ser- vice reform. Nor do we suppose that any idea is entertained by General Grant of ex- tending the new rules as the law of the civil service upon which hoe has entered so as to make them applicable to the the foreign missions, the im- portant Custom Houses or Post Offices. On MIGUTH PAGE. ELATIONS OF A DY ‘G KU KLUX—THE | HOTEL HORROR—EX-CONSUL BUTLER’S | DEFENCE—CHILD LI EIGHTH Pace. | MORE ITALIANS—BRET NARTE ON THE ARGO- NAUTS OF EL DORADO—STREET SWEEP. | ING—MARINE NEWS—Testu Pace, | HOLIDAY CHARITY! THE FAIRS FOR THE RE- LIEF OF THE DISTRESSED: WHAT OUR CHRISTIAN PHILANTHROPISTS ARE DO- | ING—TenTa Pass. | A FATHER ROASTS BIS SON—ELeventu Pace, Anoraen Horrpre Care stains the annals | of the metropolis, another wealthy assassin | will have luxurious lodgings in the Tombs, and the community is doubtless doomed to | witness the farce of one more murder trial, beginning in heat and ending in nothing, The account of this awful tragedy, which we present in another part of this issue, will be read with feclings of indignation and genuine alarm, That one ruffian should slay another is perhaps not so much a matter for deep grief on the part of law-abiding citi- zens; but it is a cause of indignation and | alarm that the murderer should have | no fear of punishment before his eyes. If the butchery cf Nicholas W. Duryea by his partner in crime, Zachariah E. should result in awakening the citizens toa realization of the weakness of our laws for the punishment of crime and stimulating them to | demand a remedy, the sickening tragedy of the contrary, as the heads of the departments are but the secretaries of the President, he, of course, will continue to exercise the right of appointing them upon the good old rule of harmony between himself and them—-upon the political principles and administrative policy | which he represents by the will of the people. So, too, a large margin of discretion will be retained by the Executive in reference to all other appointments materially involving the success or failure of his administrative meas- ures at home or abroad. Having thus dis- lodged “T. W.'' from his premises on this branch of his argument, his objections touch- ing the absurdity of a Cabinet appointmont by & committee of editors and schoolmasters may be dismissed. In the next place, may a merciful Providence save us from an aristocracy or privileged class of office-holders, We have heard that Presi- dent Buchanan, towards the close of his melancholy administration, bewailed his chiof alms to hungry office-seekers, and that Presi- dent Pierce compassionated the average foderal office-holder, with his beggarly salary and un- certain tenure of office, as among the most unfortunate of men, And yet “T. W."’ is ap- prehensive that this civil service reform will give us an aristocracy of office-holders—an | aristocracy of poor clerks, living from hand to mouth. Practically, from Washington to John Qaincy Adams, inclusive, we repeat, our civil Jast night will have had its use, Service was in accordance with thiy newAystem ee adopted by General Grant, Good men hold- ing places requiring special accomplishments and experience were retained from administra- tion to administration till they diod or failed in the harness, Under Washington's admin- istration—eight years—there were nine re- movals from office, and one of thoso was a defaulter. Under John Adams—four years— there were ten removals, and one was @ de- faulter. Under Jofferson—eight yoars, new party in power—thore were thirty-nine re- movals. Under Madison—eight years—thero wore five removals, three of them defaulters. Under Monroe—eight years—there were nine removals, six for causo, Under John Quincy Adams—four years—there were two removals, both for cause, And this administration of the younger Adams, from the record, is now universally recognized as, in every respect, one of the very best in the whole history of tho general government, Rotation in office, nevertheless, is one of the strong points of “T. W.” against the presont administrative policy of civil servico reform. The proclamation of this doctrine by General Jackson was the opening of Pan- dora's box upon the country, the ending of the old régime of honesty and capability and tho beginning of a new epoch—this still un- expired epoch of spoils, plunder and corrup- tion, which General Grant has undertaken to bring to a close, General Jackson opened his administration by clearing out the office- holders of the administration displaced, to the ery of “Rotation in office!’’ Marcy sub- sequently proclaimed it in the plainor English that ‘To the victors belong the spoils;’’ and the demoralizing exemple thus introduced has, from that day to this, been fruitful only of corruptions, spoliations and public scandals and crimes of every description. Back to this dark fountain we may trace the whole poison- ous stream of our party politics as it lies before us. Tho frightful scramble for the spoils, “rotation in office,’ inaugurated by Jackson, has, with the incoming of every new President since that disastrous begin- ning, been a disgrace to the country. It cast out Van Buron, it killed Harrison and Taylor, it demoralized Tyler and Johnson, and dis- gusted even Buchanan; butit has made slaves of them all, more or less, to their party men- dicants, not excepting General Grant, Desirous of conducting his administration not only honestly and faithfully, but in every senso with a becoming regard for public decorum, can we wonder that he has entored upon this new departure of civil service ro- form? Hoe seeks to lessen the tortures and annoyances he has suffered and still suffers, from this endless procession of office beggars; he wants a little time for the consideration of publio affairs; he wants competent men and stability in the executive departments; he thinks he has found the key to these treasures in this schome of civil service reform. Tho country has approved the undertaking. Let it have at least a fair trial, and then lot us judge the troo by its fruit, The Boston Oilice-Grabbing and Treasury Rings. Our Washington correspondence, pub- lished in another part of the paper, lets some light upon the combination, operations and duty in the White House as the dispenser of | influence of the Massachusetts ring of poli- ticians who have controlled the Treasury De- partment and other dopartments of the gov- ernment, and who are plotting to control them still. This powerfal clique is called in Wash- ington the ‘Boston Ring.’ It has now the Secretary of the T'reasury, and is working to get Mr, Boutwell into the Senate and to be Chairman of the Committee on Finance, and then to put Assistant Secretary of tho Treas- ury Richardson at the head of the Treas- ury Department in place of. Mr. Boutwell. It had recently, or has now, the Attorney Gen- eral, the Minister to England, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Rela- tions, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Military Affairs, Chairman of the Senate Com- mittee on Public Lands (Mr. Pomeroy being a Boston man and belonging to the clique), Chairman of tho House Committee of Ways and Means, Chairman of the House Commit- tee on Foreign Affairs, Chairman of the House Committee on Banking and Currency, and a number of other important positions and offices, Bosides these it bas the Vice Presi- dency. The great object, however, is to hold control of the Treasury and the financial legislation of the country, for these Massa- chusetts men always look to the main chance, The whole government might as well be turned over to this Boston combination and the seat of goverument removed to Boston, Tae Louisiana Case anp tHe Surreme Count.—The Supreme Court at Washington | has decided that an appeal from Judge Durell’s action in the New Orleans troubles will lie as soon as a final decision is reached the Court has no jurisdiction to issue a writ of prohibition until an appeal is taken, As the republican papers have already predicted, no decision will ever be reached, and so the State of Louistana will bo hande@ over to a revolu- tionary cabal, supported by federal bayonets, | until the time shall arrive for another ex- pression of popular feeling. Then, probably, | the decision will be s@ emphatic as to prevent | auy further outrage upon the freedom of the State. Mextcay Mustorpar, Wrovstes.—By tele- gram from Matamoros we are informed that | the work of counting bio vote which was cast at the receut municipal election culminated in @ quarrel among the scrutineers, and that the agitation became so gérious that troops were called to the scenes Two delegates who dis- appeared suddenly were supposed to have been kidnapped, but whether the event of their absence will affect the constitution of the Republic in any way is not stated, The new customs tariff will go into operation on New Year's Day. | tier Commission are engaged busily at work— to the American people, Revran Assacras upon women mist be frightfully common in Leeds, England, as, in iv chargo to the Grand Jury at the recent opening of the Assizes there, Mr. Buron Pigott observed that that crime constitated a large portion of the cases before the Court. Goutd not sorae of our women’s sifrage agi- tators help Teed4 to improve its mannera by making that city tho sceno of theie labors? We could space ther, in the cage now beforo that Judge, but that | The members of the Fron- | 4n important fact and of considerable interest | Tho New Iron Building on Nassau | 0D tho wholo satisfactory, although ft ts not Strect—The Improvements Round the Now Post O@ice, ‘Tho progress and prosperity of the oily of New York within the last decade have been marked as significantly by the improvements in the business localities below Canal strect as by the settlement of tho upper part of the island and the stretching out of the popula- tion into Westchester county. Without enu- merating the many splendid blocks that have sprung up between Obambers and Canal streets on Broadway and back to and upon Church street, wo find Stewart's building on Chambers streot, the new Staats Zeitung estab- lishment, tho graceful Times Building, tho Heaarp Building and the Park Bank adjoin- ing, the Equitable Insurance Building, the Drexel Building, besides many others, and lastly the new building on the site of the old Heap office, on Nassau, Fulton and Ann streets, standing as landmarks to point out the new era of architecture which is fast pushing aside the combustible piles of the old city and filling their places with erections wholly or in part proof against fire, Wo are still, however, only entering on the threshold of the revolution which must before long sweep over the great business centre of the metropolis, The completion of the new Post Office building will make the locality of Park row, Ann, Nassau, Fulton, Spruce and the adjacent streets the most valuable property, not in New York alone, but in any city in the world, Yet all this neighborhood is more or less crowded with wretched, insecure, worthless buildings. Here and there the front streets present a fine appearance, with their substantial buildings, such as those wo have named; but, likea goodly apple rotten at the core, tho rears are choked up with rookeries which occupy ground as precious as virgin gold, and area disgrace as well as a danger to the city. The new iron fireproof building on Nas- sau street, running from Fulton to Ann street, wo claim to be the pioneer in the new movement of downtown improvements, invited by the near completion of the Post Office. It has swept away one of the objectionable piles at a single swoop, and has given an increased width to that important section of Nassau street. Its erection will compel the widening of Ann street, at least from the corner of Park row to Nasssau street, thus relieving the overcrowded space between the Park and Fulton street on Broadway by opening a channel down Ann street, Nassau and Fulton to the ferry. The Huparp and Park Bank buildings were erected indepen- dently of the Post Office; but the new Nassau street building marks the commence- ment of improvements clustering about the Post Office, and with its completion it will be impossible to keep Ann street long in its present condition, If the owners of the property on the north side of that street have not the spirit to avail them- selves of the splendid opportunity before them, they should sell gut to those who are willing to keep pace with the progress of the city. Ann, both sides of Ann street and Nas- sau street, from the Park to the old Post Office, should be covered with buildings equal to the new iron structure on Nassau street, and it is to be hoped that the fine design of the architect, Mr. Arthur Gilman, may be ac- cepted as the model for all the new buildings iu that locality. We shall then have an im- portant business district, not only presenting the handsomest buildings in any city in tho world, but entirely seoure against fire. The design of Homer Morgan, the agent for the new building, is to confine the tenancy to banks, insurance offices and law offices, all of which will naturally cluster around the new Post Office. The advantages of thus cen- tralizing particular classes of business are unquestionable, and with that idea in view Mr. Morgan has refused admirable offers for some of the best offices in the building for other purposes. He has already made leases for some of the highest offices to prominent legal firms, and it is evident from the demand that many similar buildings would find no difficulty in filling up with the same class of tenants. The new improvements in elevators and other accommodations make the upper floors almost as accessible as the ground floor, and the height brings the valuable advantages -of good light and pure air. When to these benefits are added perfect security against fire it is not surprising that the demand for accom- modation in the new Nassau street iron build- ing should exceed the expectations of the agent, and afford a strong argument in favor of a multiplication of such buildings in the same locality as a profitable investment for capitalists, The Italian Government and the Jesuits , ja Rome, 5 Since the occupation of Rome by the Italian troops, and particularly since the ancient city of the Cosars became the capital of the new Italian kingdom, a fight has been going on between the religious orders and the govern- ment. The government at Turin had already abolished the religious houses throughout the entire kingdom, and it was well known that, so soon as Rome became part of the Kingdom of United Italy, the same policy would be pursued towards the religious houses hitherto sheltered in the Pope’s dominions and under the shadow of the Vatican. ‘The final action of the government bas been long delayed. Many and serious difficulties lay in the way. Much of the religious property was owned by foreigners and was really under the protection of foreign governments, These property difficulties have, it seems, so far at least, been got over, and the long-deferred action of the government is about to be made, A committee of the Chamber of Deputies on Saturday last adopted a resolution ‘‘declar- ing that the suppression of the Society of Jesus, including the chief establishment of the Order in Rome, is impoeratively demanded by the interests of the nation.” The an- nouncement, we are told, was received by the liberal Deputies with enthusiastic applanse, We have no reason to doubt that the report of the committee will be adopted by the Cham- suppression of the Jesuits in Rome will become a fact. It is a curious fact that tho | Jesuits are as little in favor in Roman Catholic Italy as they are in Protestant Germany, It is gratifying to know that, whatever may become of the various religions houses, the property will not be diverted from its original bers and endorsed by the King, and that the | Park row, from Beekman street to | Conoeivable that the suppressed orders will be at all pleased with the change. It is cortainly 6 hard time for the Jesuits. Congress Yesterday. The pathetic revival of the ancient French spoliation claims by the venerable Simon Cameron, as Obairman of the Foreign Rela- tions Committee, in the Senate yesterday, was tho most important feature of tho day in that body. As 4 stalking horse for the introduc- tion of historical recollections of the aged Senator's youth they may servo a recondite and, possibly, @ useful purpose; but as a standing annoyance they are unrivalled. They have been for nearly three-quarters of a cen- tury a subject always in reserve, and have been brought forward until the French spo- liations have become a byword. It has been a6 steady a friend to dull times as the Prince of Darkness is to a coun- try parson. Of the rightfulness of tho claims there is, unfortunately, no question. Everybody admits that they are just and should be paid. The “average Amorican” would laugh to scorn the idea of our inability to meet them. Why not, then, pay them and got them out of the way? It is understood that most of these olaims are in the hands of speculators, and, perhaps, that may account for tho deaf car Oongress has turned to the ory of those who, the aged Simon informs us, “stalk through the land testifying against this glaring outrage."’ Cannot Congress once for all settle the little bill and stop this stalking and talking? In the House Mr. Hale, of Maine, was chosen for the task of ‘heading off’ the reso- lution offered in the Senate by Mr. Sumner for the blotting out of the names of the bat- tles of the rebellion from the army rogisters and peeling them off the regimental flags. The House, in passing the resolution, which was, of course, the exact reverse of Mr. Sum- ner's, indicates what will be the fate of the latter when it is reached. ‘‘’Twere a con- summation devoutly to be wished’’ if all these battles could be washed from the nation’s memory as well as from their flags; but, until they have become of ag ‘little party meaning as nowadays Bannockburn or Marston Moor is in England, it is almost hopeless to begin obliteration with musty papers and regimental standards. Over the trifles and inanimate relics of the war it is useless to raiso what may be called battle cries of peace, In the bringing together of the sections so sadly sundered for a time these things will not stand in the way if those in whose power the question now is will only throw no obstacles in the way. A resolution was passed asking information from the President on the extent of the federal interference in Louisiana, and one directing the Judiciary Committee to inform the Houso what legislation was needed to ward off the threatening dangers to liberty and peace in Louisiana, Alabama and Ar- kansas, wee A HR he ti ‘Tae Conanessionay Investicatina Fance.— Tho Oakes Ames investigating committee—it ought to be written Hoax Ames—continues to be the subject of speculation among the Wash- ington politicians and letter writers. We are promised day after day ‘‘startling disclosures, "* and are favored with dark hints as to the parties implicated in the bribery and corrup- tion notorious in all this Pacific Railroad business from beginning to end. As, how- ever, the honorable Congressmen are investi- gating themselves, and very wisely doso in the dark, we have no expectation that the Blaines smelling committee will nose out any- thing more than is usually discovered by such bodies, and so we may as well make up our mind toa verdict declaring Oakes an injured innocent and all the suspected Congressmen the victims of misconception. Tue Frence Srrvation 13 UNcHANGED.— After the petition debate of Saturday public attention has been turned to the work of the Committee of Thirty. M. Thiers appeared yesterday before them and argued for the crea- tion of a second Chamber. Tho defeat of the radicals, implying a large majority pledged against dissolution, will probably embolden the monarchists of the committee to continue their work so as to keep out the republican tide as long as their pitchfork will fill the gap. The advantage which M. Thiers possesses he thus makes the committee share with him. He is always willing to profess acquiescence in anything beforehand, but he somehow manages to have it so happen that when the time comes he acquiesces only in what he wants. It is curious also that his opponents as well _as his supporters gonerally come out pleased with the result, Important TO THE Money Suavens,—Tho Court of Appeals had declded that the usury laws of the State of New ‘otk apply {2 tho transactions of national banks on contracts made in this State, and that a violation of such laws subjects the offending bank to the penalty they impose. The decision hinged upon the case of the First National Bank of Whitehall against James Lamb and others, the defendants pleading usury to resist payment of a promissory note. The Judge at Circuit gave a verdict for the plaintiff, holding that the State laws against usury did not apply to national banks, This decision the Court of Appeals sets aside, declaring the defence of usury available, and orders a new trial. Judge Rapallo pronounced the decision, Chief Jus- tice Church and Judges Allen, Peckham, Fol- gerand Grover concurring. Judge Androws was absent. Poatw anv Fancy Sxatina.—Thore is quite a tempest in a teapot among the numerous devotees of skating. It is a rather unseason- able subject to get excited over, considering the present condition of the season, Tho “fancy fellows,’ as those who have attained high proficiency in the noble art are irrever- ently termed, wish to keep tho profanum vul- ms at a distance, and therefore petition the Lark Commissioners to reserve a portion of the lake in Central Park for their exclusive use, The profanum vulgus naturally become indignant, and consign the “fancy few’’ to one of the duck ponds, The clerk of the weather stepped in last evening and kindly relieved both parties of the necessity of further discussion, When the season comes it is likely that the Commissioners will reserve the lake for tho uso of the public in the broadest kecposes of charity, Tho greumacsmontes weap A tous of Ug wort, The Late French Inandatioas—The Previston of Cateclyems, The tidings of tho great inundations im Trance can hardly convey an adequate idea of the havoo thoy have procipitated over hor beautiful and populous plains, The ro- cent great storms and aerial waves of the Atlantic, bearing the evaporation of an ocean, have penetrated the elevated watersheds of Southern and Southwestern France and poured down their acoumalated torrents.. Tho Pyrenean chain of mountains is continued from the Spanish frontier bg minor chains and table lands far to the north- eastward and reappear in the Oevennes, the Montagnes Noires and the great plateau of Auvergne, which act as condensers for tho moist and vapor-laden winds which come from the warm, tropical Atlantic, and dash against these now chilly and icy summits, ‘These cataclysms which have desolated the fair Valley of the Loiré have probably descended, with varying force, through moat of tho valleys which trend westward and dis- charge their waters into the English Ohannel and the Bay of Biscay: Like tho similar visitations which have this year marked the watercourses of the Po, spreading ruin over Lombardy, they have so far defied the power of scientific provision of forewarning, It ia not impossible, but highly probable, that the recurrence of great inundations is ascribable to the abnormal or cyclical activity of the solar radiation, evaporating unusual an@ enormous quantities of tropical ocean water, which, in the course of a few weeks after their formation, are borne to the great Continent by, the upper currents of the atmosphere, Tha past year, according to the observations the Italian scientists, has been distinguished by an extraordinary emission of dark solar radiations and by remarkably high temperatures, That such periodic returns of. copious and torrential rains are referrible to some natural law within the power of science to discover and define can hardly be doubted. ' It is also highly probable that the lato flooda of Italy and France are manifestations of ‘‘the great atmospheric wave," which, aa our weather office has recently shown, is a con- tinuous hiemal phenomenon, The inunda- tions of the Nile have for ages been so punc- tual that they are reckoned upon with perfect certainty, and computed, both as to their beginning and end, to withina day, Ina the year 1237 so high a flood existed in England that Westminster Hall was sailed in with boata;- and the same visitation occurred in England in 1256 and 1287, in nearly eleven-year or sun- spot periods, The greatest flood of the Middle Ages was that which overflowed the banks of the Severn in October, 1483, and brought with it “tho sweating sickness." The classic Tiber comes in for its share of historic floods, ag that which immediately preceded the death ot Cesar, in the year 44. Tho Seine deluged Paris in 1689, and, according to the testimony of the Emperor Julian, more than fifteen huns dred years ago, it then showed a difference between high and low water forels hich it still maintains—of about thirty-three The Garogne, one of the French systems of rivers ROW devastated by the foaming torrent, in April, 1770, attained the shorméus flood level of forty-two and a half feet above low water mark, and almost buried the town of Castets. It is certainly a subject worthy of accurate scientific investigation to determine, if possi- ble, the years and times of the year in which these dreadful destructions may be looked for. The great strides of modern physical researcls inspire the hope that such inquiry may not be without its reward. A Singular Feature in Our Cuban Policy. The interesting correspondence from Peru, published in the Heratp yesterday, containg one singular piece of information, Wo have been accustomed to hear much praise of our government for its friendly intercession be- tween Spain and the governments of Chile, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador, and for its arrange~ ment of a treaty of peace between them, The part taken by the administration at Washing- ton has been generally regarded as in the in« terests of republicanism, and there has been on impression that we have acted the part of @ powerful protector of the rights and liberties of the peoples, Spain has been supposed to have held her hand from hostile acta against the South American Republics in consequence of the friendly but resolute and earnest position of the United States. It is not gratifying to our national pride and self4 esteem to be undeceived on these points and to receive the impression that our government has all the time been acting as the ally of Spain in her efforts to crush the independenca of Cuba and in yelioving her of the dangerous interference of States which sympathized with the cause of the struggling Cubans, \ It appears that the treaty arranged by our government between the contending parties contains 9 Clause which binds the South Amer- ica Republics not to assist Cuba in any way— with men, materials of war or any active aid—during her attempts for freedom, unless they shall have previously obtained the sanction of the United States for such acts>: This, of course, would tie the hatmls of all the sympathizers with Cuba in the South Ameri- can States, and vould compel the governments of those Republics to exercise as sharp a vigi« lance in the interests of Spain as is practised. by our Washington authorities, Peru indig+ nantly rejects such a proposition. Herpeople detest Spanish tyranny and will not be made, its agents, They sympathize with Cuba and care little for Spain or her trade, which, after all, is of little value, Peru therefore withe holds her ratification of the treaty, and the efforts of our Secretary of State to do am friendly act towards Spain at the expense of Cuban freedom, by shackling the hands of the South American Republics, will prove abortive, Impersonal Journalism. The Buffalo Courier, in an editorial upon “Journalism and Its Recognition,” remarks that “journalism is becoming more and more impersonal. In the past individuals neces. sarily became identified with their papers in. building them up. Many of them made the paper a sort of tender to their personal ambi+ tions and personal intrigues, like Weed, Raymond, Forney and others; but it was’ always done to the detriment of true journal- ism.’’ Tho Courier is right. Whatever may be said to tho contrary, it is nevertheless @ fact that the old system of considering the editor of @ paper the embodiment of its opinions and pugacations ig giving way ta a