The New York Herald Newspaper, January 11, 1873, Page 6

6 NEW YORK HERALD BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR. Volame “MXXVII eeeececcesecences seeeesMOQe 11 AMUSEMENTS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING, ACK'S THEATRE, Broadway and Thirteenth ei rormen Sam. Matinee at Lis, OTH'S THEATRE, Twenty-third street, corner Sixth wteeincnaup IIL. Matinee at 2 THEATRE COMIQUE, 514 Broadway.—O'Connon's Omit. Matinee, YMPIC THEATRE, Broadway, between Honston and Bleecker streets —LEs Baicanps. Matinee at 2, ROWERY THEATRE, Bowery.—Two Sronts—Crmme; on, Secrets ov City Lire. GERMANIA THEATRE, Fourteenth street, near Third ay.—Der MEIN OIDBAUER, WOOD'S MUSEUM, Broadway, corner Thirtieth st.— Tux Fasrest Boy tx New York. Atternoon and Evening. « GRAND OPERA HOUSE, Twenty-third st. and Eighth av.—Rounp tux Crock. Matinee at 1g. ATHENEUM, No. 585 Broadway.—Tag Devi Amona me Tartons, Matinee at 24 NIBLO'S GARDEN, Broadway, between Prince and Houston streets.—Lxo anp Lotos. ' Matinee at 134. UNION SQUARE THEATRE, Broadway, between Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets.—Atuxxixy Count. MRS. F. B. CONWAY'S BROOKLYN THEATRE,— Divorce, BRYANT'S OPERA HOUSE, Twenty-third st.. corner Cth av.—NeGro Minstaeisy, Eccentricity, &c. Matinee. TONY PASTOR'S OPERA HOUSE, No. 201 Bowery. A Muvun's Lire, Matinee at 234. SAN FRANCISCO MINSTRELS, corner 28th st. and Broadway.—Eruior1ay Minstrevsy, &¢. STEINWAY WALL, Fourteenth sircet.—Granp Srm- raowy Concent’ NEW YORK MUSEUM OF ANATOMY, 618 Broadway.— ECIENCE AND ART. TRIPLE SHEET. New York, Saturday, Jan. 11, 1873. THE NEWS OF YESTERDAY. To-Day’s Contents of the Herald. “SECRETARY FISH, THE CUBAN QUESTION AND THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT!"— LEADING EDITORIAL ARTICLE—SixTH PagE. SORROWFUL BEREAVEMENT AT CHISEL- HURST! LAST HOURS OF NAPOLEON III: EUGENIE OVERCOME WITH GRIEF: SYM- PATHY OF THE ENGLISH QUEEN .AND PEOPLE: THE NEWS IN FRANCE—SEVENTH PacE. CABLE TELEGRAMS FROM EUROPE AND CHINA! THE CELESTIAL EMPEROR KNUCKLES TO THE FOREIGN AMBASSADORS: CARLIST DEFEAT: M, THIERS REGRETS THE DUKE DE GRAMMONT’S DISCLOSURES: GER- MANY, THE POPE AND THE PRESS— SEVENTH PaGE. DUTRAGE UPON A LADY SEVENTY-FOUR YEARS OF AGE! THE FIEND, A NEGRO, HUNG YESTERDAY! HANGING PIETY—Taimp Pack. ADDRESS OF THE FUSIONISTS TO THE PEOPLE OF LOUISIANA! CHARGES OF CORRUP- TION; PINCHBACK’S STATEMENT—Tairp Pacs. UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD HISTORY! CREDIT MOBILIER CONTROL : EX-PRESIDENT THOMAS ©. DURANT TELLS THE FACTS ABOUT SOME PARTIES AND SHARES AND CONTRACTORS—Fovurti Pace. ABOVE THE SNOW! SOLVING THE RAPID TRANSIT PROBLEM : EXTENSION OF THE ELEVATED RAILWAY: A RIDE OVER THE LINE; THE GILBERT ROAD AND FOURTH AVENUE IMPROVEMENTS—ELeVENSTH PaGe, &CONOMY VS. PROGRESS! HOW THE DEPART- MENT OF DOCKS IS HAMPERED BY THE ACTION OF THE COMPTROLLER: ITS TREASURY EMPTY AND MOST OF ITS WORKING FORCE DISMISSED—ELEVENTH Page. FEDERAL CAPITAL NEWS! THE PERSECUTED ISRAELITES OF ROUMANIA: THE VALUE OF GOAT ISLAND AS A MEANS OF DE- FENCE: A LODGE OF SORROW—Tutrp Paar, CONNECTICUT DISCUSSING THE APRIL GUBER- NATORIAL ELECTIONS! GOVERNOR JEW- ELL’S RETIREMENT--MARITIME INTELLI- GENCE—TEnTH Page. 4 FOLL JURY IN THE TWEED CASE! COLONEL BLOOD, WOODHULL AND CLAFLIN AT THE BAR: THE JUMEL ESTATE CASE DRAWING TO A CLOSE: OTHER LEGAL BUSINESS—EIGatTH Pace. ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND CHILDREN IN IN- COMPETENT HANDS! GENUINE REASONS FOR ALARM—COMMERCE AND NAVIGA- TION—FirTe PaGs, CONDITION OF OUR CANALS! STEAM CANAL- LERS—JONATHAN OLDBUCK TO GOVERNOK DIX—BROOKLYN—ELEVENTH Page. VERDICT OF THE CORONER'S JURY IN THE CENTRE STREET CREMATION! SUNNY SYMPATHY OF CHILDREN—THE KILLING OF JOHN J. DORRINGTON—ELEVENTH PGs. RAPID ‘DEVELOPMENT OF THE LONE STAR STATE! MILLIONS READY TO PROMOTE HER GROWTH—WHAT A HERALD COMIS- SIONEK SAW OF THE PEOPLE, PRODUCTS, ROADS AND CITIES IN A WIDE TOUR— Firra PaGE. TOMBS COMFORTS! THE MOOTED QUESTION OF THE TREATMENT OF PRISONERS: A HERALD REPRESENTATIVE INSPECTS THE INSTITUTION: HOW IT IS MANAGED— Firre Pace. EXTRAORDINARY VERDICT OF A JERSEY JURY! THE JERSEY CiTY BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS DECLARED NOT GUILTY, BUT CENSURED—Firri Paces, MRS, WHARTON’S TRIAL PROGRESSING! HER COUNSEL RESOLVE TO CONTINUE THE CASE: JURORS’ OPINIONS: THE ACCUSED ANXIOUS FOR A VERDICT—Fovurtu Pace. ON ‘CHANGE! IMPROVEMENT IN THE MONEY RATE: STOCKS DECLINING: SPECIE EX- PORTATION—NINTH Pace. CONGRESSIONAL PROOEEDINGS—NEW BOOKS AND THEIR AUTHORS—TREASURY IN- STRUCTIONS 10 CUSTOMS COLLECTORS— | Fourtn Paoe. | Forrton Dirromacy at tHe Court or | Cunta.—News from Hong-Kong, China, to New York, and published in the Hxraxp, within twenty-four hours, affords another re- | markable proof of the rapid progress of the ‘civilizations which sre interlacing the peoples of the earth in the community of knowledge. Apart from the fact of the rapidity of its transmission the despatch is not of very great importance to the outside popula- tions, It tells of the arrangement of an NEW YORK susexaLD, SATURDAY, JANUARY 11, 1873.—TRKIPLE SHERBET. Seerctary Fish, the Cuban Question and the Spanish Government. The State Department has spasmodic fits and relapses on the Cuban question and in its intercourse with the Spanish government. The history of its treatment of that question during the four years of civil war in Cuba is a curious one, aud not at all complimentary as to the consistency, ability or humanity of the American government, The long Washing- ton despatch we published yesterday, reveal- ing the action of Secretary Fish and Minister Sickles with regard to the Cuban insurrec- tion, slavery in Cuba, the conduct of the Spanish authorities in the island toward American citizens and other matters pertain- ing to Cuba, shows one of these spasmodic but utterly fruitless efforts to induce Spain to execute her often repeated promises to do justice to our citizens and to grant reforms to Cuba. The substance of the matter contained in this synopsis of official correspondence between Mr. Fish and General Sickles has appeared before and been commented on in our columns, though our Washington de- spatch of yesterday was more full and authori- tative. The communication referred to from Mr. Fish to General Sickles is dated the 29th of October last, and is an energetic protest against Spanish faithlessness, the mainte- nance of slavery in Cuba and the terrible state of things in that island. But since that was written the State Department appears to have relapsed into a state of indifference, being satisfied, we suppose, with huving made the usual wordy red tape demonstration. We aro led to this conclusion from the anti- Cuban and pro-Spanish tone of Secre- tary Fish’s remarks to our Washington correspondent a few days ago. Thus the see- saw of remonstrance and indifference, of ap- parent sympathy for Cuba and apology for Spain, is kept up, making this great Republic appear ridiculous in the eyes of the world and creating disgust in the minds of the American people. While we regret that our government has not pursued a more consistent course, and that it did not persistently follow up the policy General Grant avowed shortly after his inau- guration and while General Rawlins lived and was one of the Cabinct, we are ready to give Mr. Fish all the credit he deserves for his manly, vigorous and high-toned American de- spatch of the 29th of October to Minister Sickles. He calls General Sickles’ attention to the fact that the present Ministry of Spain had given assurances to the public, through their organs of the press, and had confirmed the assurance to General Sickles personally, of their intention to put into operation a series of extensive reforms, embracing among them some of those which this government has been earnest in urging upon their consideration in relation to the colonies which are our near neighbors. The Secretary then goes on to show that the Spanish government, partly at the instance of the United States, passed a law providing for the gradual emancipation of the slaves in the West Indian colonies, and that this law remains a dead letter; that, in fact, the regulations issued professedly for its execution are not only inadequate to effect emancipation, but are really in the interest of the slaveholder and for the continuance of the institution of slavery. This is a serious charge against the Spanish government, though wrapped up in as polite diplomatic language as possible. It has not only broken its pledges to the United States, but has aggravated the offence by deception. If the Spanish Minis- try ever did intend to act honestly in carrying out the law of emancipation, which is question- able, it is evident Spain was powerless to do 80 against the will of the volunteers and slave- holders of Cuba. In truth, we have seen that Cuba is no longer governed by Spain, but by that revolutionary Spanish faction which has sent a Captain General home, which slaugh- tered the boy students and which commits other outrages regardless of the will of the home government. Secretary Fish, while acknowledging as a general rule the obligation of one nation to abstain from interference in the domestic affairs of another, claims that there are cir- cumstancee which warrant an exception to tho rule, and then argues that the position of Cuba to and relations with this country jus- tify action on the part of our government. As a consequence General Sickles was instructed to remonstrate, in decisive but respectful terms, against the ap- parent failure of Spain to carry into effect the emancipation act to which she is committed. He then adds that if Spain permits her authority to be virtually and prac- tically defied in Cuba by a refusal or neglect to carry into effect acta of the home govern- ment of a humane tendency it is tantamount to an acknowledgment of inability to control the insurrection in Cuba. Here the Secretary has hit the nail on the head. Spain cannot execute the emancipation law if even she would. She cannot control the insurrection either of the Cuban patriots or of the volun- teers, The volunteers and Spanish slave- holders, with others who are interested in maintaining slavery and who are making money out of slave labor, will not permit the Spanish government to abolish the infamous institution. In this, at least, they are as much insurgents against Spain as the Cuban patriots are revolutionists. There are, in fact, two insurrections in Cuba—that of the Cubans, who have formally and actually abolished slavery as far as they have the power, and that of the slaveholders and volunteers, who equally defy the home government. “Four years,’ says Mr. Fish, ‘‘the insur- rection has now lasted. Attempts to suppress it—so far futile—have been made, ata cost probably of more than 4 hundred thousand lives and an incalculable amount of prop- erty."’ Is this not an acknowledgment from the highest authority that o state of war actually exists? that the Cubans have been and are able to carry on the war? and, by parity of reasoning, that the Cubans are well entitled to be regarded as belligerents? The Secretary admits that our commercial and other connections with the island compel us totakeo warm interest in itsfate, Why, then, should we not extend to the Cubans that recog- Asiatic-foreign diplomatic court coat-tail ana | breeches question near the throne of the | Emperor, ‘The forcign ambassadors have | gained theix point, and are to enjoy their triumph over time-honored nativist custom on the first day of the next Chinese Moon, whenever that may oceur. Perhaps the youth- ful monarch will find, like to the Old Man in the Moon, that bo “came doyn t90 soon,’” nition of their status as belligerents which humanity, justice and sound policy dictate? Especially why not, when Mr. Fish knows that the war has lasted four years, and all | efforts to suppress the insurrection have | Proved futile? After adverting to the vigilance of our government in preventing the sympa- thy of the people of the United States giving practical armed expeditions, and thus showing the good | The Deatn-Bed Scene of Napoleon Ill.—/| The Goat Island Job and San Fran | noesuits of the Sherman Astronomical faith that has been observed toward Spain, Mr. Fish says that unless Spain shall soon bo more successful in suppressing the insurrec- tion and ending the war this government will be forced to the consideration of the question whether it is not a duty to itself and to the commercial interests of its citizens to demand some change in the line of action it has pur- sued. He concludes by the remark that tho inattention of the Spanish government to the claims of American citizens for causelais seiz- ures of property and other damages, and the referring backward and forward these claims between Madrid and Havana, have reached the very verge of the exhaustion of all patience. We have no idea that the Spanish govern- ment either will or can act differently. It will, no doubt, go on promising emancipation of the slaves, a suppression of the insurrection and justice to American citizens, but will do nothing. It has not really, as we said before, any power to carry out its will in Cuba. What, then, will our government do? Will all these brave words of Secretary Fish we have quoted end insmoke? For four years the Spaniards have deceived and mocked the American government, and will continue to do so as long as it does nothing but multiply words of remonstrance. Surely it is time for action. The Cubans themselves would solve the whole difficulty about the island and make emancipation a fact if our government were to give them that recognition to which four years of heroic fighting and the inability of Spain to end the war entitle them. Another Cold Speil—More Snow and Rain Coming. Again we have strong indications of the approach of a cold spell from the region north of the lakes. For two or three days a heavy storm of snow and wind has been pass- ing, from west to east, over the southern part of British America and has just reached the eastern shores of the Continent, near New- foundland. The great snowfall, telegraphed from Lake Michigan on Thursday morning, extended yesterday to Lake Huron and Lake Ontario, as the weather reports show. Fol- lowing eastward, behind the storm centre, the moving bank of cold atmosphere has given the boreal northwesterly winds and zero tempera- tures to the lakes and the lake-bordering States as far as Western Pennsylvania. The latest thermometric readings give fifteen degrees below zero for the North- west, and the thermal gradient thence to tho Alleghany, the Catskill and the White Mountains is by no means steep, but hardly perceptible. When this cold undu- lation has reached our seaboard and pre- cipitated its storm-breeding air into the Gulf Stream vapor we may look out for the usual sequel of excessive change and the descending snow and rain, The Winter conditions are, however, now so firmly established over the United States that it is hardly possible we can have the southerly or equatorial current of air for a period long enough to furnish moisture for such a snow- fall as took place last month. That pleasure must be reserved, probably, for a short time, until the sun, in his northward swing, nears the Equator. Meantime the immoderate changes of temperature, which are the curse of our Eastern climates and make some sigh for the mild and balmy shores of the Pacific slopes, must be guarded against. English Love of Justice. There is nothing like English justice. When a scoundrel knocks down and robs an unof- fending citizen he receives twenty stripes with the “cat,’’ administered by a shrivelled old pensioner. When a seaman cxcites the dislike of his officers, and is goaded into some slight act of insubordination, the penalty is four dozen stripes, being eight more than double the number dealt to the greatest villain on land, laid on by four of the strongest men, who leave not an inch of the victim’s back unlacerated. Then, tomake Jack Lar truly loyal to that portion of Britanoia which rules the waves, he receives, at five o'clock in the evening, o basin of boiled tea and & quantity of biscuit so very hard as to require much soaking before it is in condition for mastication. And this isall the nutriment allowed a hard-worked seaman until eight o'clock the next morning, when the same sumptuous banquet is served, cocoa, however, being substituted for boiled tea. Is it marvellous that friend Jack deserts on the first opportunity? Andis this not wise policy to pursue when every man costs some hundreds of pounds to fit him for fighting service? Going ashore, we find that English agricultural laborers and farmers are emigrat- ing because they cannot afford to improve land belonging to landlords who can eject them ona six months’ notice, Verily, Eng- land is a model for-this demoralized Republic. Tue Creprt Mosier Cornvrtions.—We publish in the Hrnatp to-day the statements of Dr. Thomas C. Durant in an interview with one of our reporters, regarding the history of the Union Pacific Railroad and its connection with the Crédit Mobilier. As Dr. Durant is an interested party his version of the story will of course be taken for what it is worth, It is evident, however, that he knows enough to make him a desirable witness before the Poland Investigating Committee. The Wilson Committee met yesterday and decided to call for the books of the two companies. It is to be hoped that the second inquiry will not be made to interfero with the business of the more important committee, charged with the duty of discovering whether the most promi- nent Senators, Representatives and other high officials have been guilty of selling their ser- vices and votes in Congress for a corrupt consideration. ‘Twenry-s1x AMENDMENTS to the constitution are now pending before Congress. With but one or two exceptions they are all jll-timed and unnecessary, and ought to be withdrawn. They only furnish material for members to do @ little buncombe tinkering on their own account, instead of attending to the legitimate business of the session. Tue “Next Panty’ bas been started at Toledo, Obio, It is moulded after the man- ner of liberalism and the ‘diberals of America are called upon to organize and lay the foun- dations ofa great national party, which shail demand the entire secularization of the national government.” This new party has an organ called the Index, which, it is inti- Sympathy for the Bereaved. The last scene in the life of the late Em- peror of the French was, according to the latest news, singularly touching. As we said yesterday, there was evidence that he was con- soious to thelast. Twice over, in his latest moments, he spoke to the Empress in a very feeble voice. The last life sign was a smilo when the Empress knelt and kissed her dying husband. In addition to the Empress there were present at the closing scenes the wholo household of Chiselhurst, The Prince Im- perial, who had been summoned from Wool- wich, was fifteen minutes late. The poor boy was deeply affected, and with streaming eyes kissed his dead father frequently. The Em- peror died peacefully; there was no sign of pain; but the Empress, completely overcome, fainted ot the bedside. When all was over the Empress refused to leave her dead hus- band, and for several hours remained by the bedside on her knees in prayer. The dead Emperor, the sorrowing Empress, the weep- ing Prince Imperial, the household looking on in sorrow—it was a sad, sorrowful, but withal beautiful tableau. In his last moments the dethroned Emperor was not without the con- solations of friendship. ‘The English Queen has already signified her sympathy with the bereaved lady. The Eng- lish heir apparent paid a visit of condolence to the house of mourning, accompanied by the Prince Teck. The English newspapers publish laudatory obituaries of the deceased. A ball at London in honor of the Prince of Wales has been postponed, and tho plays in the French language running at the English capital will, at the Prince of Wales’ request, not be performed for some nights. Tho prominent supporters of Bonapartism in France are hurrying to Chiselhurst. Prince Murat and Prince Charles Bonaparte have already arrived. The question of where the ex-Emperor’s remains will be buried does not appear to have been settled. The autopsy of the dead ex-Emperor reveals that he died be- cause of the failure of the heart to act—a very open verdict as it reads. In France the news of Napoleon's death does not appearto have caused any remark- able sensation. What is described as a ‘“‘pro- found impression’’ means evidently a general surprise at the suddenness of the death. The French Assembly did notadjourn. Rentes rose yesterday in Paris as they did the day before in New York. Marshal McMahon, in a formal report to President Thiers, declares that the army, the supposed stronghold of imperialism, is ‘not affected by the death of Napoleon.’ In face of this the ex-Empress is about to pub- lish a proclamation declaring herself regent during the minority of her boy. The Parisian journals differ widely in their views, Le Pays, edited by the Cassagnacs, the Mamelukes of the Second Empire, appears in mourning. T’ Ordre andthe Gaulois, the special Imperialist organs, also appear in mourning. The ably- written Journal des Débats says :—‘‘ He was the great delusion of the country; the mass of the nation dreamed with him; the awakening was terrible. Now the Empire is peace—the peace of the tomb.’’ The monarchists are all hopeful and their organs pray for union. The Journal Oficiel retains its temper, as M. Thiers desires, and thinks the number of pretenders lessened. It is gratifying and creditable to French good sense to learn that the nation can man- age to let an exile dio, even though once an Emperor, without precipitating itself once more into chaos. The misfortunes which fell upon Napoleon were visited heavily upon France, and the chastening appears not with- out good fruit after all. The Economy of English Monarchy. Monarchy may be the bulwark of England's liberty, but we doubt it, and certainly think that the people pay a deal of money for tho luxury of supporting an imported family in idleness. This bulwark costs no less than £1,000,000 sterling annually—£700,000 being spent upon the royal family alone, £12,000 on furniture for their palaces, £40,000 for stabling purposes, £60,000 for the Queen's “pin money’’ and £385,000 for the civil list, other- wise Her Majesty’s houschold expenses. We hear of Victoria's generosity. Do naive re- publicans remember that the Queen annually receives from Parliament £23,210 to ex- pend in charity? The people are taxed this number of pounds that “the first lady in the land’’ may not put her hands in her own plethoric pocket when the munificence of a Peabody and the daring of a Stanley suggest the presentation of a por- trait and a snuff-box. The people—not the Queen—are responsible for these gracious acts, and it is about time for us to give credit where credit is due. Generosity is not a peculiarity of the descendants of George the First, whose one aim in life was to squeeze English money into Hanoverian chests, Danger in the School-houses. A wholesome effect is to be hoped for from the recent horrors which have called attention to the terrible insecurity of life in New York. When the Superintendent of Buildings asserts that there are many buildings as dangerous as that lately burned in Centre street he confirms a lurking fear in the public’ mind. In many of our edifices where people are gathered by hundreds there are abundant threats of casual- ties coupled with a general lack of means for escape. This is especially true of our school- houses. There are more than one hun- dred public schools in the city, in each of which is an average daily attendance of about one thousand pupils, ranging from almost helpless infants to youths fully grown. Hardly any of these schools are so situated or so furnished with facilities of escape that their occupants could possibly all safely flee, even froma false alarm of fire or other oc- casion of sudden panic. Many of the houses are warmed by steam boilers. It is believed the majority of these are under the care of persons who, though we admit them to be careful and anxious to do their duty, are not educated to control an apparatus of such dangerous capabilities. Are we justified in subjecting one hundred thousand school chil- dren to the risk of steam explosion by em- ploying engineers inadequate to the task of properly managing an engine? Every con- sideration of prudence and humanity de- mands a full investigation of these dangers and the prompt application of efficient remedies, A Fort Jury Was Onrainep Yzsterpay in matod, shall point the way the political wind | the Tweed caso, and the trial will proceed on Lie the Cubans through gag go 2 Wik blow few yews homer pot sgomets Mondo, olsco—Opinions of Army Engineers A Hint for the National Treasury. The Secretary of War yesterday, in answer to o resolution of the Senate calling for infor- mation relating to the expediency of reserving the island of Yerba Buena, or Goat Island, for military purposes, and also relating to the effects, if any, upon the harbor of San Fran- cisco, in approaching said island from the mainland with railroad structures, submits a report from two boards of army engineers on the subject. The Secretary says that these reports substantially agree that certain por- tions of the island may be surrendered for commercial purposes without materially impairing the power of the seacoast defences projected for the island, and in this opinion he concurs. He thinks that no damage will result to San Francisco harbor in bridging the bay from the mainland, east side, to Goat Island, provided the structure is upon piles or piers of minimum dimensions, placed in the direction of the currents. The Pacific Coast Board of Engineers, how- ever, say that the whole of Yerba Buena, or Goat Island, should be retained by the gov- ernment for the defence of the harbor and city of San Francisco, and that the effect of ap- proaching the island by a bridge of piles, or by a causeway, would work serious damage to San Francisco harbor; that a surrender of any part of the island would interfere with the de- fence of the city, in resulting “in a com-. mercial town in the middle of the bay, which, in time of war, might easily be set on fire, and this necessitate the abandonment of the fortifications on the top of the island, and lead to the capture of the city of San Fran- cisco, They therefore strongly oppose the proposed relinquishment.”’ This ‘commercial town in the middle of the bay’’ is really the main question, Let us briefly explain it. The city of San Francisco lies on and between the bay of the same name and the Pacific Ocean, and on the south side of the outlet to the ocean known as the Golden Gate. The bay extends south of the city some forty miles, and varies from five to twenty miles in width. »Another large bay, San Pablo, connects on the north with the Golden Gate at San Francisco, and into this northern bay the two great rivers of California—the Sacra- mento and San Joaquin—are discharged. All these bays and rivers, therefore, are tribu- tary to San Francisco. But here is the misfortune. The city, lying between the bay and the sea (some five miles only from the latter), is cut off from the main land east and north. The Central Pacific Railway terminus is at Oakland, some five miles, more or less, across the water from San Francisco. From Oakland the road carries its passengers and freight across to San Francisco in ferryboats. But between these two points, in the middle of the bay, lies, or, rather, rises, lengthwise in the stream, this island of Yerba Buena (Good Herb), or Goat Island, a beautiful but timber- less mountain, as are all the mountains around Son Francisco. This island embraces a super- ficial area of several thousand acres, with suf- ficient space of low ground on its flanks for the whole commerce of San Francisco. . Now, here we get the key to this ‘‘irrepressi- ble conflict’? for this island. In truth, it is hardly needed for the defence of San Fran- cisco, as the lofty island rock of Alcatraz and the walls of the Golden Gate below afford such advantages of defensive strength as no other city in the world possesses. But here is the point: Should the Central Pacific Railway get possession of Goat Island its purpose is to build a bridge or causeway across the water toit from Oakland, and to make the island the receiving and discharging depot of all its traffic. Trains from New York, for instance, will go directly through by the Union and Central Pacific roads to Goat Island, and from Goat Island their goods will be shipped to the interior towns or for ports along the Pacific coast or for the Sandwich Islands, China, Japan, or Australia. The return trade by the railway will, in like manner, be delivered at Goat Island, and thus, within ten years, the Central Pacific Railway Company may get within their hands the bulk of the trade of San Francisco, if they are given a foothold on this Goat Island. The foothold which the company contemplate would be a bargain, we dare say, at one hundred millions of dollars; and yet they expect to get it asa free gift from the government. What, then, is to be the action of Congress upon this subject? Congress has been giving away the public domain with a lavish hand to railways in every direction; but there should be some limit to this business. If the govern- ment has no use for Goat Island why not sell it to the highest bidder for cash, after duly advertising the proposed sale? If parties are to be found who, if put to the test, are ready to give twenty, fifty, seventy-five or a hundred millions for this property, in cash or good securities, why not save this money to the ‘Treasury, for the general relief of the people? Why not add so much to the redemption of the public debt? We hope that this view of the case will not be overlooked in the dis- cussion of the subject in Congress. If there were a gufficient depth of water at Oakland for ships of heavy draught there would be no conflict for Goat Island, and Oakland would soon become a great city at the expense of San Francisco. As it is, Goat Island, in the hands of the Central Pacific, will, by a bridge or causeway, be the projection of Oakland into the deep water of San Francisco harbor. In view, then, of its commercial value, if the island is not wanted by the government, it ought to be sold to the highest bidder. Concress Yusrenpay Was in A Financtan Moop.--The Senate endured a speech on the Banking act and then referred the matter to the Committee on Finance. It occupied the remainder of its time in dealing with the In- dian Appropriation bill. An amendment was passed for the appointment of five Indian in- spectors, to receive three thousand dollars 4 year and expenses, The gaping office-seekers | will be gladdened to learn this good news, but whether poor Lo will be a gainer is extremely doubtful. The cutting down of the force of Internal Revenue Assessors has thrown quite number of chronic office-holders on the market, and we may expect all the Congres- sional plausibles to occupy their ingenuity in placing their followers’ heads once more neck deep in the public manger. The House, after receiving the regular Friday stock of private bills, took up the Legislative Appropriation Pill aug got thegvah pevenak clamor, ’ Expedition, The results of the-astronomical expedition sent last Summer to Sherman, tho summit of the Union Pacific Railway, have beon partly made known, and promise to be of great value and interest. This expedition was organized under the auspices of the Coast Survey for the purpose of securing a series of astronomi- caland meteorological observations on some elevated point of the Continent, and prin- cipally to determine what advantage would accrue to spectroscopic work by placing the instruments at such great elevation. The temporary observatories were erected near the railway station, about eight thousand three hundred feet above the sea level, almost in sight of the Laramie hills and under the lee of mountains capped with perennial snow. Tho solution of the principal problem at- tempted—the increased visibility of the heav- enly bodies from this great altitude—is one which has long interested astronomers. In 1856 Professor Piazzi Smyth scaled the vol- canic cone of Teneriffe, in the trade wind belt of the North Atlantic, and, though often assailed by the tempestuous upper currents of the atmosphere, he ascertained that its summit afforded unsurpassed advantages for telescopic gaze. The speciroscope, that matchless in- strument, the analyzer of the most remote atoms that form the far-off suns of space or are consumed on their burning crusts, was not then ready for scientific use. If between us and the stellar world there intervened ne opaque and impure atmospheric medium, capable of reflecting light and obscuring o¥ corrupting the testimony of the telescope and spectroscope, the sciences in which they are employed might make rapid advances. Although the highest stations of astronomia observations that can ever possibly be occu- pied cannot escape the disadvan- tages of such a medium, they can be greatly diminished, and on the lofty level of Sherman our observers found they had left more than a fourth of the whole at- mosphere beneath them. When the sky was unclouded the air was found ‘‘of most exqui- site transparency,”’ says Professor Young, and “at night multitudes of stars invisible at lowes elevations were easily seen, so that it waa estimated nearly all the stars of the seventh magnitude were fairly within reach of tha naked eye.’’ In the bowl of the ‘Dipper'* nine or more were visible to the unassisted eye, where in New England only thrée can ba seen without the glass. The telescope entered the field with greatly augmented power and revealed astonishingly clear and full images. But the spectroscope was wonderfully aided and its power heightened by the altitude. Nearly three hundred bright lines—or threa times the ordinary number—were discernible in the spectrum of the sun's chromosphere, and, at moments of unusual solar activity or eruption, there were glimpses of double that number. These results foreshadow the early occupa- tion of the higher points of observation for the great instruments-of science, and, as Pro~ fessor Young suggests, it may make a differ. ence of years and decades in our knowledge of solar and cosmical phenomena “if the new artillery opens its attack upon the heavens from the mountain tops instead of from the plains.” ‘The Centre Street Fire. The verdict of the Coroner’s jury in the case of the Centre street fire will be found in another column. It contains a number of useful recommendations and some rather im- practicable ones. It distributes blame and censure with an equally lavish hand. The careless use of tbenzine is properly con- demned, and for the very sufficient reason that the floors become in time saturated with it. The employers are denounced for not in- forming the working girls how to escape in case of fire, and for not seeing that the fire escape was in proper order. A good recom. mendation is that employers should have printed notices posted in their warerooms how to act in case of an alarm of fire. ‘The hose recommendations are good in their way; but of what avail would they have been in such a fire in such a tinderbox as that on Centre street? There are a number of build- ing recommendations, such as making all staircases of iron, cased with corrugated iron; putting stone or iron floors in press rooms; covering the ceilings of all factories with corrugated iron; move ing the elevators away from the stair- cases, which, ad dressed to house-owners, with- out the force of law, go for nothing. It will appear strange in the mass of censures that the Department of Buildings does not come ia for its share. To condemn the house-owner was doubtless just; but why not censure the officer whose duty it was to see that the requirements of the law relative to a fire escape in good order were complied with, The commendation of tha, Coroner for waiting until private citizens camé forward with subscriptions before ‘taking upon himself to exhume the bodies’’ is some- what curious and might have been spared. The case of John McGloin is different. The model Coroner's jury seems as far off as in Skakspeare’s time. Frencn Common Scnoots anp THE Copz.— Monseigneur Dupanloup, Bishop of Orleans, made an effort to explain his views on the im- portant subject of public education to the members of the French National Assembly during the session yesterday. The learned prelate was interrupted by the excitement of a personal altercation which sprung up sud- denly between two of his co-legislators, and. which was terminated only by the retirement of the disputants from the Chamber and their ultimate arrangement for a duel. The Bishop will, no doubt, become still more firm in his conviction that France requires an improved system of school discipline, Exzction or Unrrep States SmNaTORS.— The Chicago Tribune took some pains to ine form its readers the other day that the Legisla- ture of New York would vote for United States Senator on the 7th inst., also that the Nevada Legislature has postponed the election of Senator until the 2st inst, The Tribune forgets that the time for election of United States Senators by the State Legislatures is fixed by law of Congress, passed July 25, 1866, to take place on the second Tuesday following the meeting and organization of the Legisla~ tures, which, in the case of the States of New York and Nevada, occurs on the 2st inst. LUnder this lay gome_ States which hold only,