The New York Herald Newspaper, January 20, 1873, Page 4

4 NEW YORK HERALD}. BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR. Volume XXXVIIL,..........s:seeeereee+ Oe 20 AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING. NIBLO’S GARDEN, Broadway, between Prince and Louston streets.—Lxo anp LoTos, UNION SQUARE THEATRE, Broadway, between ‘Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets,—ArueRLey Court. WALLACK’S THEATRE, Broadway and Thirteenth sireet.—bromen Sam, POOTH'S THEATRE, Twenty-third streot, corner Sixth fvenue.—Lucivs Junius Brutus. THEATRE COMIQUE, TO, 514 Broadway.—Kexo xp OLYMPIC THRATRE, Broadway, between Houston and Bleecker streets ALHAMBRA, Spain and Ouba—An Extraordinary Loan—The Costs - the tlon—The nmpacelae wae Leaving, for the present, as it stands tho diplomatic qaestion of veracity pending be- tween our Secretary of State, Mr. Fish, and Sefior Zorilla, Prime Minister of Spain, in reference to the remarkable despatch of tho former of the 29th of October last on the abo- lition of slavery in the Spanish West Indies, we turn to the consideration of another ro- markable official communication—that which we published yesterday from our Minister ‘at Madrid to Mr. Fish, bearing the date of Au- gust 16, 1872, on the finances of the Spanish Cuban government, and on the frightful costs and loss of life resulting from the insurrection for Cuban independence. This despatch, it appears, has been shown by Mr. Fish to sev- eral members of the Diplomatic Corps and of the Senate, as justifying his note aforesaid on BOWERY THEATRE, Bowery.—Stasnzn ap Crasuer —Tux Twaive Taxrratjons. WOOD'S MUSEUM, Broadway, cornor Thirticth st— ‘Wirp Oar. Asternoon and tvening, GRAND OPERA HOUSE, Twenty-third st and Eighth Qy.—Caranact or THE GanGes. ATHENEUM, No. 58 Broadway.—Graxp Vanterr Ex- RERTAINAENT, MRS. F. B, CONWAY'S BROOKLYN THEATRE.— ‘Tua anp Tux Hour. et BRYANT'S OPERA HOUSE, Twenty-third st. corner 6th av.—Nzexo Minstasisy, Eocenteiciry, &0. TONY PASTOR'S OPERA HOUSE, No. 201 Bowery.— xouz Antony. FAN FRANCISCO MINSTRELS, corner 28th st. and Broadway.—Etuiorian Ninerneisy, &c. NEW YORK MUSEUM OF ANATOMY, 618 Broadway.— fCRNcE axp Art. WITH SUPPLEMENT. New York, Monday, Jan. 20, 1873. THE NEWS OF YESTERDAY. To-Day’s Contents of the Herald. “SPAIN AND CUBA! AN EXTRAORDINARY LOAN! THE COSTS OF THE INSURRECTION: THE EMANCIPATION QUESTION '—LEADER— Fourtn Paas. THE BLOODY-MINDED DONS! THE SPANISH PRESS IN CUBA AND THE HERALD NEWS COMMISSIONERS! LA CONSTANCIA DE- FINES MR. O’KELLY’S RISK! SHOOTING “FOREIGNERS!” HOW BLOUD IS NOW BEING SHED—Trrmp Pacs. SUPREMACY IN ASIA! RUSSIA ENDEAVORS TO SECURE AN ALLIANCE WITH ENGLAND! FAILURE OF THE EFFORT! BRITISH FEARS AS TO THE OZAR’S INTENTIONS— Firrn Pags. WHE COTTON TAX REFUNDING JOB! MINISTER SICKLES AND THE SPANISH QUESTION! SWEDISH FOREST CULTURE! THE POs- TAL TELEGRAPH! DUPLICATE SYNDICATE DESIGNS—Firr PacE. IMPOSING MILITARY DISPLAY IN GER- MANY—PERSONAL NEWS—THE WEATHER REPORTS—LATE TELEGRAPHIO ITEMS— FirrH PaGs. DANGERS FROM THE SYNDICATE! LEADING NEW YORK AND PHILADELPHIA BANK ERS TESTIFY BEFORE THE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE: MR. #¢BOUTWELL’S PECULIAR VIEWS—SixTH Paas. ONE WEEK OF WASHINGTON SOCIETY! THE SELECT COTERIES OF THE LAW, THE aN NAVY, THE CABINET AND CONGRESS ! DINING, WINING AND LOBBYING—FirTa Pace. RED-HANDED AND RED-SKINNED ROBBERS! THE EVILS WHICH THE APOSTLES OF THE INDIAN PEACE POLICY IN THE EAST ARB FOSTERING! THE TREACHEROUS SAVAGES NEED PHIL SHERIDAN’S MEDI- CINES—TENTH PAGE. ALBANY SOLONS COMBINING AGAINST THE NEW CHARTER! SOCIAL LEGISLATION: REPEALING THE USURY LAWS: SENATOR CONKLING’S PERIL: A NEW YORK BOARD OF COMMERCE—SixTH Pack. FIGHTING FIRE! ARE THE CROTON CONDUITS SUFFICIENT TO AVERT CALAMITIES SUCH AS RUINED BOSTON AND CHICAGO? THE QUERY ANSWERED BY A SRoTON EX- PERT—Tuigp PAGE. fi RESUME OF THE WEEK'S BUSINESS IN WALL STREET! THE “ARCTIC WAVE” IN STOCKS—SUNDAY JOYS AT THE PARK— TYNDALL ON SUPERHEATED STEAM—OUR CRIMINAL CLASSES—Nintn Pace, ABSTRACTS OF YESTERDAY'S SERMONS! UN- FOLDING GOSPEL TRUTHS FOR THE HERALD CONGKEGATION—COMPULSORY EDUCATION—EicuTH PacE. TAXING FOR STOLEN FUNDS! HOW JERSEY CITY IS‘OPPRESSED! PROPERTY-H@LDERS IN A FEARFUL QUANDARY! MEASURES OF RELIEF INAUGURATED—SIxTH PaGE. VERITABLE MONSTERS OF THE DEEP! A YANKEE SHIP CAPTAIN IS POSITIVE HE HAS SEEN SEA SERPENTS! WHERE, “WHEN AND HOW—POSTAL TELEGRAPH ECONOMY—Srxtu Pace. Geeman Trrumpr Over Conquenep France. — ‘The German Imperial Crown has resolved, ap- parently, that the French people shall not for- . get the humiliations which their country en- dured in tho late war. Eighty-six French flags captured in battle were solemnly placed in the garrison church of Potsdam yesterday for the decoration of the walls of the building. His Majesty Emperor William, the Empress Augusta, the Imperial Princes and a number of the most distinguished commanders of the army were present. The scene was completely national, of a compound of military, religious and corporate citizen character. The Emperor addressed the assemblage, and thanked the army for its heroism, pronouncing, like unto an infallibist, the eternity of its glory. Whether France will accept the dogma, now that Napoleon is dead, remains to be seen, Tax Russtan Marcu in Cenrrat Asta AND ‘Burrisu InTEREsTS IN THE East.—The Russian special envoy to the Court of St, James has failed to convince Queen Victoria and her Mimisters that the Ozar’s armed advance on Kiva and the English interests in Afghan- istan are of identical import, and that the two great Powers can march unitedly, but on sep- arate lines, towards the consummation of a grand Christian and commercial triumph in that quarter of Asia, M. Schouvaloff, the St. Petersburg special representative in London, has not been able to accomplish the object of his’ commission from Alexander, and has con- sequently returned to the Russian capital—the cable despatch says, ‘without effecting an ar- rangement.” This is a very diplomatic way of placing the event before the public, but the words are no doubt apropos to the caso, The proposed arrangement in Central Asia is likely to fall through somewhat after the fashion of that which was projocted fora joint admiinis- ‘ration to the effects of the “Sick Man” of slavery in Cuba, which Sefior Zorrilla says he has not received. We are obliged to the Soc- retary of State, in any event, for the produc- tion of this August despatch from Madrid, becanse of its important official disclosures touching the condition of Cuba. We are thus informed of an official publica- tion of a decree, accompanied by a report of the Colonial Minister, authorizing the Treasury of the island of Cuba to issue bonds amount- ing to sixty millions of dollars, at eight per cent interest, and pledging for the payment of interest and principal of the loan the proceeds of the war tax, estimated aj five millions a year, and the surplus derived fro all other sources of revenue, ordinary and extraordi- nary. It next appears in the report of the Colo- nial Minister that the Cuban Treasury owes the Bank of Havana fifty millions of dollars; that twelve millions of this sum were borrowed to pay the expenses of the several expeditions against St. Domingo and Mexico, and that the remaining thirty-eight millions have been ad- vanced by the bank towards the expenses of the Cuban insurrectiou. ‘The whole fifty mil- lions, it further appears, was advanced by the bank in paper money, the universal plan in times of war; but tho largo addition, ten mill- ions, thus made to its paper money, has, it ap- pears, brought things financially to a crisis in that section of the island held by the Spanish forces. This, too, is one of the inevitable consequences of a protracted war. But it further appears that the amount raised in Cuba by taxes and imposts during the last fiscal year was twelve millions, which deserves a moment's attention. The whole population: of Cuba is within a million; but we will "say it is one million. Of this aggregate the black element numbers half a million, of which four hundred thousand are slaves. One-fourth at least, we suppose, of the white element is actively identified with the insurrection, which leaves a white popu- lation of some three hundred and seventy- five thousand, men, women and children, or say seventy-five thousand taxpayers, to raise these twelve millions of money, and with the island suffering all the evils from a protracted and still existing civil war. Of course under this condition of things there is a financial crisis. This loan of sixty millions is intended to clear off all the accumulations of colonial debts to the Bank of Havana, first, for the amount advanced for the Spanish contingent to the late Emperor Napoleon’s Mexican expe- dition ; secondly, for the sum advanced to meet the expenses of the Spanish expedition for the reconquest of St. Domingo, and then ten millions are to be paid into the Cuban Treasury for the prosecution of the war against the insurgents and for the other current ex- penses of the next fiscal year. But after meeting all these requisitions there will be thirty millions of paper money due the Havana Bank, and to raise this sum the embargoed estates on the island are to be leased for a term not exceeding six years, and the proceeds, with certain. Treasury credits and the income from Crown property, are to be applied to this redemption. But as these sources of revenue have not hitherto produced anything, we apprehend that the bonds issued upon such collaterals are not likely to com- mand a high premium in the market. Sub- scriptions are to be invited to the loanin Havana, Madrid, Paris and London. New York is not to be favored with these attractive bonds, and doubtless she is excluded from the favored cities for very good reasons. The loan is to be managed by fifteen commission- ers, but the Captain General may suspend at pleasure any action of theirs on the subject. In the presence of this inviting schame let our Crédit Mobilier and Crédit Foncier enter- prises hide their diminished heads; but let all inclined to venture into this Spanish-Cuban loan of sixty millions first read up the rise, decline and collapse of the South Sea Bubble. Such as we. have presented it is substan- tially the official exhibit of the finances of Spahish Cuba. It is, too, in this condition of affairs, as our Minister at Madrid puts it, that, after a four years’ war without quarter, ‘‘Spain is‘about to appeal to the civilized world ‘to lend money on a pledge of the revenues of the island,”’ and for the purposes of perpetuating African slavery and compelling the unwilling allegiance ‘‘of a large majority of the sorely oppressed native population.” In this rela- tion a statement is produced from the IJmpar- cial, a semi-official journal of Madrid, that “from the beginning of hostilities in Ouba 13,600 insurgents have been killed in battle (acciones de guerra) and 43,500 taken pris- oners, and that 69,940 insurgents have vol- untarily surrendered.’’ As it is believed that the prisoners captured in battle were shot as fast as caught, the total number of insurgents slain in this island war may be set down at fifty-seven thousand. And yet, though some two years ago Mr. Secretary Fish represented the insurgents as reduced to a few bands of strag- glers in the swamps‘and mountains, which would doubtless soon be subjugated, there are probably not less than twenty thousand in- surgents in the field to-day, and better armed and equipped than at any other time since the proclamation of the revolution. The Spanish side of this war account as pre- sented in this official despatch of August last from Madrid to Mr. Fish is equally suggestive of the stubborn fact that the efforts of Spain to subdue these Cuban insurgents have involved a greater sacrifice on her part of men and money than any other conflict against any of her revolted colonies from Mexico to Peru. It was known at Madrid, from official sources, that in August last the Spanish army in Cuba exceeded a hundred thousand men ; that its average yearly loss in the island, largely from tha climate haa hean at least fifteen thonsand \ men, and that ita aggregate loss may be safely set down as at sixty thousand men for iho four years of this destructive war. Tho worst of it is that even with the subjugation of tho insurgents the island, from tho waste and demoralizing effects of this war, especially upon the slave population, can never more be a valuable possession to'Spain. Nevertheless, the Spanish government is evidently impressed with the idea that with the suppression of this insurrection, aud with the prolongation of her Cuban system of African slavery—the most terrible system known to the civilized world—Cuba may again become the financial mainstay of poor Spain. There can be no profit to Spain from Cuba with the abolition of slavery. Tho examples of Jamaica under slavery and under emanci- pation, and of Hayti and Dominica, éstablish this proposition. When Sefior Zorrilla, there- fore, declares ‘that Spain will do nothing towards the practical abolition of slavery in Cuba until the last of the insurgents shall have laid down his arms, ho means that, as Cuba would be valueless to Spain without slavery, sho will maintain it while she holds the island. Spain means to hold the island, if she can, and to make it again, under her slavery system, if possible, what it was bofore the war—a source of golden revenues, and not an island gone to decay, like St. Domingo and Jamaica, under emancipation. But in this design the moral sense of the civilized world is all against her. She stands now almost alone among civilized States as the upholder of this abomination of . human slavery. Butin her desperate extremities she cannot yet think of relinquishing the rich profits she hopes to recover from the system in Cuba. Hence the diplomatic hedging of Sefior Zorrilla. He may not, however, have seen that disputed despatch of Mr. Fish. If not, can anything be easier than the sending him another copy of that interesting paper on emancipation in Cuba? President Grant, in our judgment, struck the keynote for the emancipation of the island in those brief re- marks in his late annual Mossage on the ques- tion of the emancipation of the slaves thereof. The insurgents, in proclaiming their revolt, proclaimed tho abolition of slavery, because they foresaw the consequences to Spain, and our government, in taking up the hint and in pushing the cause of emancipation at Madrid, next to the proclamation of belligerent rights for the Cubans, is doing the best thing it can fairly do for the cause of Cuban independence. Upon this point we call again upon the four millions of emancipated blacks of the United States to prosecute in every city and town of the Union the agitation which they inaugurated’ recently in Cooper Institute for an active diplomatic intervention on the part of our government in behalf of the liberation of the four hundred thousand slaves of Cuba; for in the united voice of the colored voting element of the United States, seven hundred thousand strong, there is a power in behalf of liberty to the slave which cannot be disre- garded at Washington. Lord Lytton. A great man has passed away from the world of letters. Tor more than a quarter of a century Bulwer Lytton has been one of the prominent literary favorites of the English- reading public. A man of talent rather than a man of genius, highly cultivated, tasteful, industrious and fired with literary ambition, he fought for and won his place in the front rank of literary Englishmen. His efforts were numerous and varied. He tried the romantic novel, and he almost equalled Scott. He tried the society novel, and his success was gener- ously admitted. He tried history, and his un- finished work on Athens gave proof that devo- tion to historical study might have given him a place side by side with Hume and Gibbon, and Macaulay and Grote. He tried pootry, and if his success as a novelist had been less his poetry would have commanded the atten- tion of a larger and more sincere circle of ad- mirers. He attempted tho drama, when many had failed and when failure on his part would have been dangerous, and his ‘Lady of Lyons’’ promises to keep its hold of the stage so long as light comedy is cared for by an English-speaking audience. He tried his hand as an essayist, and, although he had not the ease and polish of Addison, the rough strength of Henry Rogers, or the brilliancy and vigor of Macaulay, he gave abundant evi- dence that he was a man of large knowledge, of liberal views and of great powers of expres- sion. His published ‘speeches are not nu- merous, but his addresses to the associated institutions of the University of Edinburgh and to the students at the University of Glas- gow, as well as some of his Parliamentary ora- tions, show that, although he had not the easy and ready utterance of Burke, he was not far behind him as a master of eloquent language. Few men have tried so much and done so well. It he had attempted less his success could scarcely have been less great, but he might have left a deeper impression on English liter- ature, It was not in the man to be a leader ‘of thought in the sense in which Goethe was a leader, or Coleridge or Carlyle; but he has left us some novels which in the great ‘future will take their place side by side with the best novels of Scott, and some poetry which will be as lasting as English speech. He was not a Thackeray; he was not a Dick- ens; but his “Eugene Aram;” his “ Last Days of Pompeii,”’ his ‘‘Zanoni," will be read and admired so long as there isa taste for “Vanity Fair’ or for “David Copperfield.’’ Having reached the ripe age of sixty-seven, it cannot be said that Lord Lytton died young, but it is not unfair to say that in the whole course of the nineteenth century few men have wielded the pen with more persevering indus- try or with greater success. It cannot be said that he has left the world any great legacy of thought, that he has made it either much bet- ter or much wiser; but that he has con- tributed to the world’s happiness and given an impulse to the cultivation of literature must be admitted, and such man cannot be said to have lived in vain. He had won his lau- rels before Dickens commanded attention and before Thackeray was known. The illustrious three, the friends and teachers of our younger years, are gone! When shall we see their like again? Full of years and full of honors, Bulwer has laid his pen aside and gone to his rest. For the pleasure he has given us let us be grateful. The impulse he has given to the cultivation of literdture let us try to catch. The example he has left behind him, so far as that examoJe is worthy, let us endeavor to imitate. The Comptroller's Battle for the Cham- periaimaip=A Suggestion for the State Lrgisiature. Whatever may be the decision of Judge Barbour in the case of Palmer against Foley, in regard to the appointment of the Deputy Chamberlain, it is evident that Comptroller Groen, who is so eager to undertake the man- egemont of the Chamberlain's bureau, is igno- rant of the practical business of tho office, and would be likely to involve it in inex‘rica- ble confusion. In the matter of the interest on the city deposits the Comptroller refused to allow the interest tobe collected by the Chamberlain and paid over to the credit of the general fund by that officer, as had been done by Chamberlains Sweeny and Bradley, after deducting the expenses of the bureau, and insisted that the banks holding the do- posits should calculate the daily interest accruing on each separate fund, credit the same to that fund, and pay the several amounts only on the warrant of the Comp- troller, countersigned by the Mayor or the President of the Board of Supervisors, accord- ing as the accrued interest might belong to a city or county fund, This order is of isself sufficient to show the unfamiliarity of the Comptroller with the sim- plest business of the Chamberlain's office. One bank alone is designated by the Chamberlain as the depositary of the public moneys, but the law provides that at least three banks shall hold the deposits or balances, which shail be equalized as far as practicable between them. The designated bank originally receives all the cityand county funds—they cannot be paid into either of the other banks—and koops a regular account of the several separate funds. When portions of the balances are transferred to the other banks of deposit they are drawn out of the designated bank in a lump sum: on ® warrant signed by the Chamberlain and countersigned by the Comptroller, and the banks receiving them receive them in a lump sum, and have no record of the particular funds to which they belong. If these banks pay interest at all they must pay it in one sum, without regard to the separate funds, and hence they could not, if they would, obey Comptroller Green’s singular and” unautho- rized directions, We could multiply instances to show how detrimental to the public interests it would be to gratify the Comptroller's unaccountable ambition to draw the Chamberlain's office under his immediate and direct control. We coufd show the injustice and absurdity of forcing the Chamberlain, who is under one million two hundred thousand dollars bonds for the safe keeping of the public moneys, and who has frequently millions within his reach, to accept at the hands of a third partya deputy who is by law clothed with all the powers of his principal except that of desig- nating the banks of deposit, and who could at any moment bring the responsible head of the bureau to ruin. The very absurdity of the proposition should suffice to prove that the law could never have contemplated such an injustice. But it is only necessary now to point out the importance of some im- mediate legislative action by which the pow- ers, duties and responsibilities of the several city departments and burcaus shall be defi- nitely settled, so that the disgraceful and in- jurious conflict of authority and departmental squabbling and fighting, to which the city has tor the past twelve months been subjected, may be brought to a speedy close, Judge Bar- bour's decision will probably prevent a repeti- tion of the scandalous scene enacted in the Chamberlain's office a few days since; but there are other public offices that are either kept in turmoil or paralyzed by similar contests, and the sooner the Legislature puts an end to them, one way or another, the better it will be for the credit of the city. The Indians and Their Doctors Morality. While State rights, the currency and the tariff have each their doctors of rival schools and opposite treatments, our interesting savages can put in an equal claim to being the victims of the schools of lead and of hymn books. When they were not directly treated by either these patients of ours have met with quackeries of every class, from smallpox inoculation to whiskey dosing, and from being taught the art of cheating by agents and border ruffians, to being left to their own sweet wills for a change. It has long been conceded that the prime evil of the matter is the Indian's existence at all. Since, however, he has pfoved to possess a disagreeable tenacity in holding on to this life his com- plaint has been generally diagnosed as an exuberance of animal spirits, leading him to consider murder in its most atrocious form a delightful pastime and robbery. a high virtue. The hymn-book doctors aver that the ounce-dose-of-lead doctors have had full fling at the patient, and that the treatment, though ‘‘heroic,"’ was not success- ful. So the Great Father gave the hymn- book doctors a chance at Poor Lo, For some three years past they have been pelting him with government rations and paper pellets inscribed with holy phrases, but the exu- berant savage only seems to have taken notice of the food supply part of the process. He saved his ammunition during the Winter, and then when the grass was long went cheerily on his melodious way scalping as before. Friend Tatum, a worthy disciple of the hymn-book school, as described in a letter to the Henatp elsewhere, confesses himself discouraged ; but his colleagues of the hymn- book University are still sound in their faith. At a recent meeting in Washington the Faculty assembled and held forth on the suc- cess of their efforts.’ Although the company looked at that article under the most powerful microscopes of complacently pious egotism they could not discover much to comfort them, and if they only examined it with the naked eye they would discover much less, Tho most determined professors of the lead school allow these gentlemen the merit of earnestness, and the magnanimous way in which they have given numerous shades of Christianity a chance to walk the hospitals— we mean the Territories—is evidence thereof. Still, there is not a little subject for satire left in the pious squabbles over the exact ratio in which the various sects should administer to the Indians their respective doses of Christian- ity. They are also sufficiently eclectic to ad- vocate at times peouliar modes of cure. Tho enthusiastic Mr. Lowry believed that we should adopt the policy of the British in India by haying Indian troops for service in NKW YORK HERALD, MUNDAY, JANUARY 20, 1873—WITH SUPPLEMENT. 1 sho Indian country, Itis a very bad hymn- | he will pity again take any active part in book :ont, <fow much Warren Hast- fngs or Oiive belioved In “we hyma book for the heathen Hindoo, or what oven!4 & Deint and Lucknow the employment of native troops led to, Mr. Lowry possibly has forgotten or never learned, The humane picture of Lord Strathnairn blowing the Sepoys from English guns he might just as well recall and how the hymn-book people in England thanked God for the consoling sacrifice. Until he informs himself he had as well let the Indian troop theory alone. But “of such is the kingdom of heaven.” We should indeed hesitate before saying an unkind word for these benevolent folk, but it is plain that they must fail unaided. Their most experienced disciples, not the stay-at- homes, admit it, and, however odorous of sanctity the project may appear, it should not be allowed to merge into a. pious but pernicious ffaud. The Kiowns, Comanches, Apaches or Sioux, to name a few tribes, can never be subdued by bisouita, beef and Bibles alone, They must feel that murder and robbery will be punished inexorably before they will be amenable to milder treatment. The sad spec- tacle of a-perishing race is one that appeals to most human sympathies; Sut the most extrava- gant humanitarian, in weeping over the deca- dence of a race of constitutional murderers’ and thieves, should not allow that feeling to degenerate into maudlin apology for their crimes. From Montana to Texas they are a problem to settlers of the same kind as tigers to travellers in the jungle. Let them be caged, then, in their reservations with Uncle Sam’s armed keepers to prevent their pulling down the bars. Then, by all means, let the hymn- book. doctors move on them in battalions. The doctrine of love can have no chance with them.until the doctrine of fear has been sternly taught, The Samana Bay Scheme—The and Little “Niggers” Pile. In article ten of the convention, as it is pompously called, between the government of St. Domingo and the Samana Bay Company, it is provided that “the company and its territories shall remain under the united protection of the Dominican Republic and the United States of America, and the company and its agents, when they deem it necessary, shall ask the protection and intervention of either of these nations or both.’’ So the United States government is to be dragged into protecting this company and intervening to sustain it. Who gives this assurance? Does General Grant or Congress know any- thing about it? Or is this mere assumption on the part of the speculators in order to get off their bonds and stock ? Then we find the cunning Baez looking after the main chance and protecting his pecu- niary interests in article eleven ina manner that may prove embarrassing to the company and lead to appeals to the United States. After stating that annual payment of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars in American gold shall be paid in advance by the company to the Dominican government (that is to Baez), it is provided that ‘‘the non-payment of the an- nual rent, alluded to in article ten, or the breaking out of war, or other circumstances of force majeure, will cause the said convention to be considered null and void after thirty days’ notice has been given by the Dominican gov- ernment.’’ Baez not only wants his money in advance, as a prudent lodging house keeper does from a doubtful tenant, but should the company not pay up promptly the whole grand scheme will collapse. Should, therefore, the company be inipecunious and not have the money ready at any time—the first, second, third or any succeeding year—‘‘in advance,”’ what is to become of the vested rights or prop- erty of immigrants, should there ever be any immigrants, acquired from and paid for to the company? Would the immigrants have any remedy? Would they be subjects of his mulatto Excellency, Baez, and have to remain in his dominions without redress? Or could they appeal, as citizens of the United States, to the government at Washington? These aro some of the complications likely to arise, and it is well to know in time how they are to be settled. Unless the company can sell its bonds or stock under the spur of the extraordinary advertisement it has skilfully evoked we fear the hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year “in advance’’ will not be realized from Sam- ana, Why did not the company propose to pay Baez in bonds or stock? Perhaps he was too shrewd to listen to such @ proposition, American gold he will have every year ‘in advance,” or the convention will be null and void. 4 Another ‘ni; ’’ in the wood pile appears to be seen in the provision about sailing ves- sels ‘‘with the Dominican flag, or with any other which the ¢éompany has a right to use.’’ This last clause of the sentence means, of course, the American flag, for in a following paragraph it is said, ‘‘all vessels of the com- pany which have the American or Dominican flag shall be manned and commanded by citi- zens of the United States or of the Dominican Republic.’ Is this intended to be o cunning evasion of our Rregistry and Navigation laws? This mixing up the American flag and Ameri- can manned and commanded vessels with St. Domingo and a company of our citizens hav- ing the powers of an independent government looks as if there were some such intention. Does President Grant know anythiug about this proposition? If not, it will be well to look into that before giving countenance to this stupendous adventure. At all events it will be well for our people to guard against being misled by the great flourish of trumpets the Samana Bay Company is making. prea Mtge. 2 Aha TT Tur Retrmement or Mansuat SERnano rrom Pustrc Lirz.—In a letter which he has just written to Sefior Sagasta Marshal Serrano Big in the Wood \ has announced his firm intention to retire from public life. It will be remembered by our readers that only a few days since Serrano had a long interview with King Amadeus. ‘What was the object of that interview we have not yet learned. It is not unreasonable, how- ever, to conclude that, in the peculiar circum- stances in which Spain is now placed, with ill- suppressed insurrection at home and with her most important colonial possession in open re- volt, the King is anxious to rally to his sup- port the leading statesmen of the country. Serrano was one of the young King's first friends, and it is most natural that the King should seek to benefit by the venerable states- man’s wisdom and large experience. His let- tor to Sagasta leaves little ground ty hope that public affairs, When we remember that Ser- Tano was born towards the close of the last century we have the less difficulty in under. standing why he hag no longer any strong do sire to eitter the stormy arena of politics. The Department of Parks-Why Mr. Green’s Place Should Be Filled. Mayor Havemeyer in his recent Message directed public attention to the evident im- propriety of allowing a Commissioner of a Municipal Department to agt as a member of the Board of Apportionment, and in the latter capacity to pass upon the estimates for his own Department. As Comptroller \ Greem holds two important offices undor the city gov- ernment—the head of the Finance Department and the Vice Presidency of the Department of Parks, and is alsoa member of the Auditing Board—he not only passes upon the estimates he himself makes for those two Departments, but, as Comptroller, he audits and pays all his own bills as Park Commissioner. The Hznap approved Mayor Havemeyer’s condemnation of this old Tammany practice, and insisted that ‘Comptroller Green should relinquish double office-holding and withdraw from the Park Commission, as a matter of consistency under a reform government. Mr. Green there- upon tendered his resignation as Park Commis- sioner, but Mayor Havemeyer has not acted upon it and filled the position. Wo insist that he should do so at once, and we are pre- pared to give reasons for the demand, aside from the reproach of a ‘reform’? city officer holding a plurality of valuable offices, after the fashion of Tweed and his associates of the old Tammany Ring. . A provision of chapter 683 of the laws of 1871 says, ‘No liability for any purpose whatsoever shall be hereafter incurred by any department of the city of New York exceed- ing in amount’ the appropriations made for such purpose ; nor shall the city or county of New York be held liable for any indebtedness so incurred.’’ Comptroller Green has this extract from the Board of Apportionment act printed on the weekly statement of the condi- tion of the appropriations for the several de- partments, and he very properly holds them all strictly to it. But we understand that the law has been disregarded in the Department of Parks ; that in that Department the appro- priation has been exhausted, and that a sum: of eighty thousand dollars, or thereabouts, | has been illegally taken from trust . funds and disbursed on the mainten- ance of the Parks over and above the appropriation. We also observe that while all the other city departments have reduced their expenditures and estimates for 1873 the Park Department alone asks for and receives an increased appropriation over 1872. We do not charge that this money is improp- erly or unwisely spent, but we do insist that it is a remarkable illustration of the evil to which Mayor Havemeyer alluded in his Message, and shows how undesirable it is that the Commissioner and Vice President of the Park Departmont should pass upon his own estimates as the principal member of the Board of Apportionment and pay his own bills as Comptroller. We do not suppose that Mayor Havemeyer is in favor of reform only in the case of his political opponents, and hence we expect that he will appoint a Park Commissioner in place of Comptroller Green without further delay, and put a stop to the unpleasant rumors of a ‘“‘job’’ now too cur- rent in the city. The Resurrection of Our Streets and Ratiroads—A Lesson for the Future. For nearly three weeks after the great Christmas snow storm many of our streets and portions of our city railroads lay buried in graves of snow. Saturday was the first day of the complete resumption of travel, when the rails on Ann street were resurrected and ready for the cars. The stoppage of Ann street, which is fast becoming one of the most important business thoroughfares in the city, occasioned great inconvenience, and has again directed public attention to the necessity of the proposed widening of the street, now more imperative than ever. Years ago it wag conceded that the best way to relieve Broad. way in its most crowded part, below the City Hall Park, would be to widen Ann street to the river, and thus afford an catlet to the enormous traffic passing in that direction and now driven to seek the inconvenient streets below Ann. The project was then defeated by the “Ring,”’ whose members failed to secure that pecuniary interest in it to which they believed themselves entitled. Now that the Post Office hasebeen located in the Park, and large, com- modious buildings, such as the great fireproof iron building on Nassau, between Fulton and Ann streets, have been erected toraccommo- date the increased business of the neighbor- hood, it is absolutely necessary that Ann street should be made a fine, broad thorough- fare, capable of thoroughly draining Broad- way and affording facilities for the quick transit of the mails, At present Broadway is a destructive impediment to business in the lower part of the city, and between the lum- bering stages, wagons and trucks the constant blockades are the means of sacrificing as much valuable time and money during the year as would suffice to build and equip five miles of railroad. ‘There is another lesson to be gathered from the extended blockade of many of our streets. It is certain that we have not yet hit upon an effective method of clearing away the snow when it falls in large quantities. Under the old contract system it was suffered to lie until it melted. The present street-cleaning au- thorities have done much better, but have not shown success in the late stormy period. It is certain that a combination of separate forces may be used with advantage in such an emer- gency, and probably if every individual house- holder would undertake to dispose of all the snow opposite his house and half way across the road, by sc ne means or anothg; we might find more speedy relief. But our recent experience has especially to mind the wisdom of compelling the city railroads to clear the snow from the streets occu- pied by their tracks as ® compensation tor the valuable franchises they enjoy. These corporations are interested in such work, for by promptly clearing their tracks they would fivoid loss of business and of money. If they were bound by their charters to do so they would provitle the means to remove the obstruction efficiently and speedily, and this could readily be done by means of large snow carts, which might be filled and drawn off on tracks provided fos