The New York Herald Newspaper, April 1, 1873, Page 8

8 NEW YORK HERALD BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR. Volume XXXVIITI.............0:0000+..NOo OL = AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING. OLYMPIC THEATRE, Broadway, between Houston and Bleecker streets.—Husery Dumrrr. " UNION SQUARE THEATRE, Union square, between Broadway and Fourth av.—Cousin Jack. WALLACK'S THEAT! street. —Davip Garmicn. BOOTH'S THEATRE. Twenty-third street, corner Sixth avenue.—Davpr O'Dowp. Broadway and Thirteenth GRAND OPERA HOUSE, Twenty-third st. and Eighth av.—UNCLE Sam. GERMANIA THEATRE, Fourteenth street, near Third Bv.—AUS DER FRANZOSENZEI®. BOWERY THEATRE, Bowery.—vsox Hargawar— ‘Lovers in Tux Corner. THEATRE COMIQUE, No. 514 Broadway.—Deama, Burwesqus any O110, NEW FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE, 728 and 730 Broad- way.—New Yuan's Ev, ‘WOOD'S MUSEUM, Broadway. corner Thirtieth st.— Mava Cex, Afternoon and Bvening. ATHFNEUM, No. (& Broadway:—Geanp Vanirty EX. TERTAINMENT, NIPLO’S GARDEN. Broadway, between Prince and Houston streets.—Tux Scourms or tax Praiutx. MRS. F. B, CONWAY'S BROOKLYN THEATRE,— Roswpaus. pean PRYANT'S OPERA USE, Twenty- he Gu av--Neoso Minsraxter, £07" U7 ura St corner TONY PASTOR'S OPERA HOUSE, No. 201 Bowery.— Vaniney Exrxncainease. ‘Matinee ot 5, 00 Powe" uae HALL, Fourteenth street.—Granp Con- BARNUM'S GREAT SHOW.—Now » At Night. Bink, Sd. avenue saa 6d stress feerBoo and LENT'S CIRCUS, MUSEUM AND MENAGERIE, Fourth ‘@y. and 26th st, Afternoon and Evening. ie ‘a ASSOCIATION BALL, 234 street and 4th av,—Lecture, ‘Far Noxtaeen Lire anv Scxnxny.” FW YORK MUSEUM OF ANATOMY, 618 Broadway.— Science anp Arr. QUADRUPLE SHEET. New York, Tuesday, April 1, 1873. THE NEWS OF YESTERDAY. ‘Lo-Day’s Contents of the Herald. “CRIMINAL NEGLECT OF POORHOUSES!”— LEADING EDITORIAL ARTICLE—EiguTa Page. AN AWFUL CALAMITY IN A TRENTON CHURCH! A CONGREGATION, FRIGHTENED BY IMAGINARY DANGERS, RUSH FROM THE BUILDING! MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN TRAMPLED UNDER FOOT! EIGHTEEN PER- SONS BADLY INJURED.—Firtu Pace. FRANCE AN UNSTABLE REPUBLIC! GENERAL DUCROT NARRATES THE HISTORY OF THE LAST DAYS OF THE BONAPARTES AND THE OPENING OF THE TBIERS REGIME! ANOTHER STRUGGLE PREDICTED! ALLI- ANCES A NECESSITY! WHAT WILL COME AFTER THIERS’ DEATH—Six7TH Pace, AGOLD FRENZY! THE PREMIUM ADVANCED TO 118% AMID INTENSE AGITATION! A RELAPSE! A GAIN OF SEVEN PER CENT IN TWO MONTHS! THE SCENES IN THE GOLD ROOM AND THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE MOVEMENT—TeEntH Pace. A WALL STREET CLIMAX! THE CLIQUES IN GOLD AND MONEY FORCE THE GOLD PRE- MIUM UP AND TIGHTEN THE MONEY MAR- KET TO AN EXTREME! THE RESULT IN THE STOCK EXCHANGE AND POSSIBLY UPON THE NATIONAL TKEASURY — ELEVENTH PaGE. {HE SPANISH TURMOIL! A LAWLESS MOB RAVAGING BARCELONA! THE BURNING OF BERGA! AN ARMED COMMITTEE OF TEN THOUSAND PRESERVING ORDER IN MALAGA—SEVENTH PGE. jf NUMBER OF MEN ATTACK A PARTY OF ROMAN CATHOLIC BOYS! SEVERAL OF THE LATTER INJURED! CABLE NEWS FROM THE EUROPEAN STATES—Ninto PaGE. RAILROAD ROYALTY IN ARMS! THE FRAY BETWEEN TOM SCOTT AND JUHN W. GARRETT AT MOUNT PLEASANT, PA.! THE FORMER VICTORIOUS! A SHARPER CONFLICT IMMINENT—NintH Page. KING LUNALILO ON A TOUR IN A UNITED STATES STEAMER—Nintn Page. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THE GOODRICH MYSTERY! A SUPPOSED ROSCOE AR- RESTED! NOT THE MAN! THE QUAR- RELS BETWEEN THE SPANIARD AND THE DECEASED GENTLEMAN—FirtH Pace. JHE DEXTER PARK JULY MEETING! THE EVENTS UN THE CARD! A $40,000 MIXED MEETING—ADDRESS OF THE TRAINERS AND DRIVERS’ ASSOCIATION—SgvENTH Pace. MEXICAN BORDER TROUBLES! LO, THE “UN- TUTORED” RED MAN! THE NEW COINAGE BILL! VICE PRESIDENT WILSON DECLINES THE BACK PAY RAKE—FirTi PaGE. SCHEMES! TESTIMONY OF CORRUPT PRACTICES BY PROMINENT OFFICIALS! THE “LITTLE BILLS” OF THE NEW YORK CENTRAL AND FOR “LEGAL SERVIVES"— SEVENTH PaGE. AMUSEMENT FEATURES—THE COLLEGE OF PHARMACY—MARITIME TIDINGS— TWELFTH Pace. pun FOOLS’ DAY! HOW IT HAS BEEN OB- SERVED—RECENT BOOK PUBLICATIONS— THE McSWEEGAN HOMICIDE—INFANTI- CIDE—SixtH PaGE. ‘ SVEYING THE DARIEN ISTHMUS! THE WORK DONE BY THE UNITED STATES EXPEDI- TION! THE GEOGRAPHY, TOPOGRAPHY AND HYDROGRAPHY OF THE ISTHMUS— THIRTEENTH PAGE, HE MURDER OF CHARLES PHYFER! NIXON i ARRAIGNED! DEFRAUDING THE GOVERN- MENT IN A WHISKEY DISTILLERY! WIND- ING UP A LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY— THIRTEENTH Pace. JAPANESE DIPLOMACY! THE COOLIE COMPLI- CATIONS WITH PERU! MINISTER DE LONG'S INSTRUCTIONS | GENERAL NEWS—SIxTH Page. {TAKING TWENTY-EIGHT “YOUNGS” TO MAKE ONE “TWEED! THE WARRANTS SIGNED ‘BY THE FORMER CLERK TO THE SUPER- ‘VISORS, AND WHAT BECAME OF THEM— TENTH Pags, “Tue Ruope Istanp Strate Exzction takes splace to-morrow (April 2). Last April the .fepublican majority for Governor was 1,065, but the democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor was elected by 239 majority. Grant's »majority last November was 8,336. The follow- ing is a list of the principal candidates to be -woted for to-morrow :— Republican, Democratic, lenry Howard. Benj. G. Ohace. C. Van Zant. Samuel H, Wales. |, M. Addeman. Chas. E. Gorman, Samuel Clark, W. P. Congdon. illiam Sayles. George N. Biiss. can party this year being ina state of porfect nnity and accord, ‘Little Bhody’’ will probobly cleet the whole repub- fe haa Liaeck temas ee NEW YORK HERALD, TUESDAY, APRIL 1], 1 73,-QUADRUPLE SHEET. : ann a a a a oe Ere: x euunaemnonecemarnneeanemeee ee without the removal of specie, and the timo is | the legal sentence the public will approve of Death of Mrs. James Gordon Bennett. It becomes our painful duty to announce the death.of Mrs. James Gordon Bennett, which took place yesterday morning at Kinig- stein, Saxony, after a brief illness. The office of the Hznaxp will be closed to-day until six o'clock P. M. ES Criminal Neglect of Poorhouses. In 1857 a select committee from the Senate reported their deliberate opinion that the great mass of the poorhouses inspected by them were most disgraceful memorials ot public charity; that common domestic ani- mals were usually more humanely treated than the paupers in some of these institutions. In 1844 Miss Dix first told her harrowing story to the Legislature concerning county poor- houses—a story that did not bear fruit until 1867, when an act was passed empowering investigations of all State charities at least once in two years, and annual reports to the Legislature. Owing to the passage of this act, and to the more enlightened views now held by local authorities, our poorhouses are no longer the disgrace they were five years ago; nevertheless, the system upon which they re founded is radically un- sound, and when it is remembered that New York State contains fifty-six county poor- houses, six city almshouses and twelve State asylums, the necessity. of reform becomes ap- parent to the most callous mind. Feeling the importance of a thorough revolution, the State Charities Aid Association have within the past year labored zealously in its behalf. Belonging to no one political party or to no one creed, theirs is neither exclusively man’s work nor woman's work. They are earnest, cultivated men and women, labor- ing together, supplementing each other's powers with the sole object of helping and elevating the poorer classes. They make no distinctions on account of race or sex; they are swayed by no considerations of political partisanship or sectarian prejudice, and if the evils lately existing in certain public institu- tions are now somewhat mitigated it is because of the untiring devotion of these indefatigable philanthropists. But effective for good, as they have been, their reforms have been frustrated in the poor- house of Westchester county, the visiting committee for which was organized in Janu- ary, 1872. Oontaining three hundred and seventy pauper inmates, it is the fourth largest county poorhouse in the State. Here men and women—sick and insane, deaf and dumb, blind and idiotic—are thrown together pro- miscuously. So long as the ladies of the vis- iting committee worked themsclves and made no criticisms upon ‘the management of the in- stitution, peace reigned in Westchester county, but the momext the commit- tee complained of an absence of classification that led to gross immorality, the moment they suggested enlightened treatment of the insane, the moment they discovered that the sick were not nursed and that the children were as badly fed as clothed, a change came o’er the spirit of authority's dream. Though on hearing of the hapless condition of these infant paupers the Secretary of the Children’s Aid Society offered to take all free of charge and provide them with homes in the West, the Superintendent declined, on the ground that the institution wishes to know what be- comes of them. What becomes of children left to grow up ina poorhouse? Is it necessary to ask? It is no exaggeration to affirm that in the majority of county poorhouses no nursing of the sick is attempted. The keeper's wife, who is generally occupied with other duties, gives what spare time she can to it. The most helpless patients are generally cared for by occupants of the same room who are less in- firm. Occasionally an able-bodied pauper is put in charge or called in on an emergency. Con- sequently the Westchester Visiting Committee repeated their request for better treatment of the sick and young, offering to pay the wages of the nurses until the Board of Supervisors met, andas a reward of virtue the Superin- tendents notified them that their official services were no longer required, although they would be received as ordinary visitors. All intercourse being thus broken off, this un- daunted committee petitioned the Board of Supervisors, suggesting alterations in the cells of the insane, a separate room for confine- ments, and such alterations of the buildings as are necessary to secure complete separation of the sexes; but notwithstanding that the Board gave most respectful hearing, they confessed themselves powerless, the Super- intendents being a body corporate, elected by the people, with full authority, im connection with the county Judges, to make all rules and regulations for governing the poorhouse. In January, however, the Board of Super- visors did dare to expostulate with the Super- intendents, since which time the Visiting Com- mittee have been denied access to the poor- house, “because they belong to an associa- tion!'’ Now we make bold to ask, What are the legal rights of citizens and taxpayers in reference to public institutions? Should they not be permitted, under certain neces- sary restrictions, to examine into the adminis- tration of their own trusts? Does not hu- manity demand it? Picture ‘hundreds of helpless human beings left to the mercies of brutal keepers! The Visiting Committee ask for no power saving the right of free access to all public institutions, binding themselves to observe all rules, but not binding them- selves to silence. Who cares for the cry that is not heard? And we make equally bold to ask whether, in this era of civil service reform, the time has not arrived for the appointment, rather than for the election, of officers in charge of county charities? How can men with no special fitness for the position, and in one short term of office, grapple with the great questions of pauperism, of insanity, of diet, of venti- lation, of occupation for the blind and instruc- tion for the idiot? Can we not have carefully selected and thoroughly qualified persons re+ tained in office as long as satisfaction is given ? Are not the great improvements in city chari- ties due to long terms of service? Moreover, unless we promptly act in this matter we shall have fastened upon us hereditary [serie the vampire that is now sucking the life blood of Great Britain. Ovr whoie oor-l.w system isan inkeritanc, from En | eangot land, and if there be no revolution we shall feel the curse of shameful neglect. Already in this State, in a population of between four and five millions, there are more than two hundred thousand persons supported wholly or partially by public money. One pauper to every twenty-three workers! This ig a bad outlook for a yopng nation, an almost inex- cusable stain on a republic, To diminish this growing evil there should be erected’ work- houses, where young, strong able-bodied men and women could be made to work, and not, as now, be allowed to fill our almshouses in Winter at the expense of an industrious community, in order to pass their Summer vacation in begging and stealing. If their choice lay between working for pay as honest laborers and toiling without wages in a workhouse they might prefer the former. Then, too, children should be speedily removed from county poorhouses. A child born of paupers and associating with pau- pets must become a pauper. It is not unusual to discover three generations of paupers idling listlessly side by side. Remove the child, place him under healthy influences, and he is rescued from worse than death. The picture we have drawn is not evolved from our inner consciousness. It is strange, but it is true, and we call upon public opin- ion to strengthon the hands of the State Chari- ties Aid Association, that flagrant wrongs may be righted and the Republic saved from the cancer of pauperism. President Thiers and the Fronch Army. Americans watch with unflagging interest the experiment of France as a republic. From time to time the Heraxp, recognizing this, has given to its readers, in addition to the current record of political events as they occur in France, reports of the utterances of its most widely known citizens, embodying their opinions, aims, hopes and fears for the future of the nation. Among others, we have lately given interviews with the young ex-Dictator, Leon Gambetta; the venerable prelate, Bishop Dupanloup; President Thiers, Louis Philippe’s Prime Minister Guizot, and to-day we present one with General Ducrot, commandant of the army in one of the four military sections into which France is divided. He has long served in the army, was on the Rhine frontier before the war, and held the chief command before General Wimpfen’s surrender. He tells an interesting story of how the fall of the Em- pire was wrought by lack of promptness in the opening of the campaign, whereby Napoleon suffered South Germany, which sympathized with him against Prussia, to be drawn into an active alliance wifh his foe. He thinks, had his advice been followed, the names of Woerth and Sedan would not have been linked with French defeat, and the war would have had a conclusion just the reverse of that in which the Empire disappeared and France passed under the iron heel of the Teutons. But more pertinent to present questions are the Gene- ral's views of the prospects of the Republic and President Thiers, In some sort he may be held to represent the sentiment of the army, and when he criticises the head of the State as apt to meddle indiscreetly in military matters it is quite credible that he speaks the current opinion of his class. Still he gives that energetic Executive high credit for the politic art which enables its possessor to lead even those who do not agree with him; he thinks him patriotic as well as able, and believes he will prolong his rule till his death— ® point not so very far in the future for a hard-working public servant whose birth dates back into the last century. General Ducrot, for all: he inclines to favor a Bourbon head, or, next, a new Empire under the young Woolwich cadet, is yet willing to lead the army under the orders of the President whose administration has astonished the world in developing the resources of French industry and finance and in rapidly delivering her terri- tory from German military occupation. The French Army, though perhaps inclining to the restoration of some form of monarchy, still is composed of citizens who have faith in the ability and wisdom of President Thiers and are glad to see the Republic prosper while he exercises the functions of Chief Executive. Spain—The Situation More Critical. According to our despatches of this morn- ing the situation in Spain is becoming criti- cal in the extreme. All the accounts from the North show that in that region the govern- ment is without power. Barcelona is ina condition bordering upon chaos. Intelligence had reached Barcelona that the town of Berga, which had been captured by the Carlists, was destroyed by fire, and that before applying the torch the insurgents had taken care to satu- rate some of the buildings with petroleum. The Carlists have little to hope from Barce- lona; for that city is pledged to the federal Republic. ‘The Carlists, it must be admitted, are dangerously near; but the Carlists are hated even more than they are feared. A vigilance committee of vast proportions has been formed in one of the municipalities, but the vigilants appear determined to secede from the authority of the Republic and the royalists equally and to set up independently for them- selves. They adhere to the socialistic rule of a general divide of property all round, and have commenced the partition in the sanctuary, as it was and just has beenin Paris, All this trouble bodes evil to the Republic, and it will not surprise us to learn at any moment that the necessities of the situation have called Serrano from his retirement and made him Dictator. If this should prove to be the fact Spanish history will record another revolu- tionary failure. What is to be the end? For that we must wait. Ifthe Carlists are playing the réle of the Commune it will be bad for the Church. M. Thiers is reinforcing the French army serving on the frontier line towards Spain heavily. The French President is an excellent judge of popular revolutions and of the point at which they culminate. Tur New Onteans Republican congratulates the new Collector of that port—Colonel Casey— upon his reappointment as a renewed mani- festation of the confidence of the administra- tion, It is one of those manifestations that is rather more personal than spiritual or politi- cally judicious. Tae Curvenann Herald (republican) thinks that when the democratic party gives up its name it gives up all it has, The quotation used to be He who steals my purse steals trash. According to Governor Hendricks the reading in the case of the democratic party now should be “Fo who steals my name steals trash.”” He you sive it away. ilmportationsThe Gold Premium—The Prospect Before Us. Tho extraordinary importations of foreign merchandise for the Spring trade and the rise in gold call for some remarks, for these are matters of deep interest to the whole com- munity, and to business people especially. We have noticed from time to time the vast amount of imports during the past few weeks, and now we learn that they amounted last week to nearly fourteen millions of dollars, over threo and a half millions being the value of dry goods, and a little less than ten and a balf millions of general merchandise. It is evi- dent that our merchants had no apprehension of dull times or a want of customers and means, though some are complaining now of the long Winter and backward Spring and begin to fear their stocks of. goods will not go off.as readily as was expected. There is, however, time enough yet, if the Spring should , open soon, for an active business. Besides the preparation our importers made for a large trade by giving extengiye ordors, looking to the general-prosperity of the country, foreign- ers have been investing largely here, and many of their investments come in the form of merchandise. From this cause, atid be- cause there are enormous stocks of goods abroad wanting an outlot, the market has been forced, probably, beyond the actual demand. The rise of the gold premium may be ac- counted for in part from the unusual amount of the precious metal our importers have needed to pay duties on these large importa- tions, and partly also from the recent action of the Bank of England in raising the rate of discount. But there is, evidently, another and more general cause operating, for gold has been rising steadily from 112 toward the close of last year to 118}, which it touched yester- day. The export of gold to a greater amount than the production of our mines lessens, of course, the stock in the country. Since the first of January we have exported $13,347,318. This is at the rate of $53,389,272 a year. We do not know what the present*gold production of the mines is, but, probably, not over twenty-five millions a year. The product of both gold and silver will hardly amount to fifty millions. To say nothing of the use of the precious metals in the arts and for jewelry, or of the loss by wear and in other ways, it is clear that at the present rate of exportation the country is being steadily depleted of gold and silver, and particularly of gold. This fact of itself is sufficient to cause gold dealers to force an advance of the gold premium. Then the stock of gold in the Treasury is much less than it was last year, or than it had been from year ‘to year since shortly after the close of the war. The demand for gold to take up the five-twenties and to fund the debt, together with the amount required to pay interest on the debt, will keep down the sur- plus, though the excessive importations of merchandise will furnish the Secretary with a considerable sum from duties. Nor do wo see how the export of specie is to be checked while imports are so excessive and the balance of trade is so largely against us. Heretofore government bonds and other securities havo gone abroad to balance the account, but there is a limit to this resource. We cannot always pay in bonds. We must either pay in gold or by the export of produce, unless, indeed, our foreign creditors choose to iet what we owe them remain on this side for reinvestment. But drawing from us gold at the rate of fifty- three millions a year looks as if they preferred to have the hard cash at home. Nor must we neglect to notice the vast amount of specie taken over or drawn trom this side by the thousands of Americans crossing to Europe or living there. Still, there is another and a more cheering side to the picture. The cotton crop of 1872 has proved larger then was expected. The total receipts at all the ports since the crop began to come in last Septem- ber amount to 3,011,056 bales, an in- crease over last year of 583,000 bales. What amount remains yet to’ come to market we are not informed. Supposing the total should be three and a half millions of bales, the value would be at least two hundred and fifty millions of dollars. The export has reached 1,850,029 bales, and it is fair to pre- sume it will reach over two millions of bales. That would make the value of this article of ex- port alone nearly a hundred and fifty millions of dollars, Of course some of these figures are only approximate, but are near enough to show generally the amount, value and move- ment of the crop of 1872. We can afford, then, to import largely with such export re- sources. And here it may be well to call attention to this great and valuable production of the South under the peculiar and depress- ing circumstances in which that section of our country has been involved. It shows that the South has risen from the most terrible war destruction that ever fell upon a people as if by magic. Though utterly ruined for the time, impoverished almost beyond precedent, with no money or credit, a capital of two to three thousand millions swept away in two or three years, the whole system of labor revolutionized and disorganized, oppressed by political and social disabilities resulting from the war, and then fearfully plundered by a horde of carpet-bag strangers who had no abiding interest in the South, the Southerners have accomplished what would have seemed incredi ble and what hardly any other people could have accomplished. And it is fair to say that much of this is due to the good conduct and labor of the emancipated negroes as well as to the industry, taet and forbearance of the native whites. The basis of this wonderful resuscitation, however, is in the rich soil and genial climate of the Southern States. So with regard to tobacco and other products of the South which contribute largely both in help- ing to pay for our imports and to promote in- ternal trade. As a set off to the drain of specie mentioned we must consider the large aggregate amount brought by immigrants. This, probably, is little less than twenty millious's year, and is independent of the much greater valuc of pro- ductive labor diffused throv)out the country in the persons of theseimmigrants, Nor should we lose sight of the change which rapid com- munication between Europe and America, and especially by means of the telegraph, is mak- ing in financial affairs. It is not as necessary now as it used to be to transmit specie from | one country to another. The telegraph rogn- lates the exchanges to a considerable oxtagt, | coming when that agency will be more used. Then the country is making such progress in the development and aggregation of wealth that, with a sound financial system, a few millions more or less of gold will have littls effect. For the present, however, it will be well to look the existing state of things squarely in the face. It js all very well to talk of combinations to corner gold or to send up the premium; but, though such combina- tions may temporarily affect the market, it is evident there are, as we have said, general causes at work to advance the price and to keep it high. THese we have noticed. Un- less the balance of trade against us: be kept down the drain of specie must continue, and the prospect will be anything but flattering. The Erie Investigation—Railroad Mo. rality. ‘The investigation of the affairs of the Erie Railway Company, now being made by a com- mittee of the State Legislature, promises to form, when completed, one of the most curi- ous chapters ever written in the history of railroad management, The facts that have already been developed in relation to the fa- mous coup d'état, by which the Gould régime was overthrown, are full of interest, and af- ford a striking commentary on the general morality of railroad corporations. The change in the Board of Directors, effected so suddenly and so dramatioally, in the presence of a United States Minister to a foreign Court, enjoying a brief and profitable leave of absence from his official duties, a United States Marshal, a pla- toon of police officers, a number of highly re- spectable citizens and a counter force of Eighth avenue roughs, was, of course, paraded before the world as a great triumph of reform; but, fortunately for the reputation of the prin- cipal actors, the carpenter’s machinery behind the scene and the tarnished tinsel on some of the dresses was not visible to the public eye. It was not then known that an English stock-brokers’ firm had “put up” a large sum of money to effect the desired change in the interest of reform and the Atlantic and Great ‘Western Railroad corporation; that the con- scientious directors, whose eyes had been opened to the iniquities of Jay Gould, held in their pockets convincing evidence of his wickedness in the shape of nice little checks varying from twenty-five thousand to a hun- dred thousand dollars each; that the laborers in the cause of reform had all a liberal reward in store for their disinterested virtue—in a word, that in this particular instance honesty paid and paid well in money down. * As the old manggement was so corrupt and demoralizing, no doubt those mythical indi- viduals—the stockholders—were well satisfied with the change, however costly it might have been, and although it was destined to be paid for, either directly or indirectly, many times over by the new management. But what will the people in géneral think of the character of @ reform which sanctions the fraudulent payment of a dividend that has never been earned for the purpose of advancing the in- terests and schemes of English stockjobbers ; which sets itself to work in its infancy to con- trol legislation ; which pays out thirty thou- sand dollars at one time and seventy-five thou- sand dollars at another time for “services at Albany,” without knowing what those well- paid services were or by whom they were per- formed, and which is as ignorant of its own business, apparently, as is the most experi- enced lobbyist of the State capital when called to the witness stand? Will they not regard it as the duty of Congress to pass some stringent general law in regard to the duties and respon- sibilities of railroad directors, so that the public may be in some measure protected in the management of corporations which enjoy special privileges and monopolize the real highways of the country? Our New Grand Inspector and In- quisitor of Consuls and Consulates. When a man is out of his regular line of employment he will often turn his hand to anything rather than rust or starve. Vide Newman, the divine, who not long since was the delight of the delightful congregation of the Metropolitan Methodist Episcopal church of Washington. The Rev. Newman, for some cause not positively known, lost his parson- ship, sweet chimes and all. He could pray at the Chief Magistrate nq more, and the chap- laincy of the mighty Senate was insufficient to solace him. Where could he find comfort? Our amiable President has found it for him. The Washington correspondents tell us that his ex-parsonship has been appointed to the exalted office of Grand Inspector and Inquisi- tor of Consuls and Consulates to China, Japan and all the Oriental countries. Of a verity he was in luck in losing his parsonship. Poor pay and plenty of work were his lot in the Methodist temple. Rich rewards and easy times are before him now. He has noth- ing to do but travel like a prince, draw without limit on the Treasury and study the Heathen Chinee, Who wouldn’t be parson to His Excellency on such terms? When he returns all he will be expected to do will be to imitate his wonderful predecessors—to wit, make a bill for anything under one hundred thousand dollars against the government, write a long- winded and ungrammatical report about his “4nspections,”” and look wise forever after. Well, we are coming to the opinion that these Consular inspections are about ‘played out,” to use an inelegant but forcible expres- sion. If it is worth while at all to send a high- toned detective abroad to look after our Con- suls and their doings, surely it is worth while to send some one equal to the duty—some one having a knowledge of our commercial rela- tions and possessed of broad views and busi- ness experience. Does the divine Newman possess this knowledge and experience? We fear not. In his manwuvres about the lobbies of the halls of Congress he may have picked up some limited notions of “commercial rela- tions,’’ but hardly enough, and certainly not of the right kind, to fit him for his new field of action. If our amiable President had made this illustrious ex-parson Inspector General of Hell Gate widening it would have been scarcely more inappropriate, Procress was made yesterday in the case of Nixon, indicted for the murder of the carman, Phyfer, in Chatham square. Nine jurors secnred, the panel exhausted, anda new fone hundred talesmen ordered for this No doubt the jury will be com- ploted and the trial proceed to-day. As it is ow waderstood that a conviction for murder Ldggres indicates om, cxeoutign of porning. tho fix to this and all other capital cases ali needed to thoroughly place the facts law before the jury, giving the the full benefit of his rights; but can excuse any idle waste of the time of Court. Long speeches and irrelevang dialogues with witnesses have disgraced our criminal proceedings and made a farce of justice, Prompt trials and sure punishment of offenders are the demand of the times, and nothing else will satisfy the public, Peter Cooper to President Gramt em @ur City Charter. Our venerable champion of city reform, Mr. Peter Cooper, has just been writing « tsen- chant letter to President Grant in reference te our city charter, and, enclosed in the same envelope, were copies of two other letters te other parties on the s ae subject. Insatiate archer, would not one suffice ? And jn the first of those letters Mr. Cooper frankly tells the President how some of his Professed friends on the charter are working their little game of euchre at Albany. ‘Thus it appears that ‘these men have the audacity to quote you (the President) as favoring their views;"’ that ‘‘we shall ever be slow to believe that this is done with your approval;’ ¢hat ‘it is opposed to your past and present atti- tude in the administration of the general gov- ernment,’’ and that ‘‘we (Mr. Cooper) trust you will rebuke and silence in your own way any such imputations upon your character.” Mr. Cooper, nevertheless, does not wish to evoke the official interference ‘‘of the Presi- dent,’’ but rather desires him to “renew your previous recommendations, and thus to deters others who profess to represent you from throwing any weight derived from the general administration into the scale of legislation that is now deciding the destiny of this city for many years to come.” Has it, then, come te this that the managing republicans at Albany are engineering their city charter as @ measure of the national administration, and for their party purposes looking to the Presidential succession? If so, as an independent, no- party city reformer, Mr. Cooper may well be indignant. And yet it appears to us that alk these letters to General Grant are so much ammunition wasted. If these complaints that he is used as a makeweight in this charter legislation are noticed by him at all, it will probably be only to say that he bas not interfered and does not propose te interfere until such federal intervention shall be* necessary to maintain law and order and preserve the peace, as for example, at New Orleans. What, then? Mr. Cooper will discover that all these letters te the President, requesting his intervention im behalf of a non-partisan city charter, are blank cartridges. What, then, should Mr. Cooper do as a last resort to head off Mr. Murphy? He should write a long and strong letter to Senator Conkling, who is charged by the administration with the safe keeping of New York asa republican State, and he should impress upon ‘our high reaching Bucking- ”* in ‘ine upon line and precept upon precept,” the folly of attempting to hold New York by that stupid republican system of parcelling out the spoils which was blown aky- high with the old Tammany Ring. This ia the best advice we have for Mr. Cooper—a good long and strong letter to Senator Conkling. But should it fail? Fail, did you say? ‘In the bright lexicon of youth there is no such word as fail.” At any rate, as the republicans at Albany appear to be running their city charter as a party machine, the only way to head them off is to get the ear of Senator Conkling. He has the Statein charge, he is looking ahead, and he is, perhaps, opem to conviction ip the cause of city reform. lil rl Many Barrisn Jovgnats appear to entertain the notion that the only American news of interest to their readers is the details of the latest swindle. They would convey the idea that society in the United States is merely a hotbed for great commercial and political frauds, ignoring the fact that no small portion of our criminals are imported in the finished state, graduates of British penal establish- ments with tickets of leave for diplomas. Not sothe Dublin Times, which, in alate issue, has a most sensible and pertinent editoriaE upon the disgraceful disclosures of Congres- sional corruption. It stigmatizes the current criticisms of our British cousins, which take our venal lawmakers as samples of American morality, as being unjust to us, and doing small credit to the honesty or the. intelligence of our detractors, and concludes. with an cx- pression of -its faith, ‘that the quick-witted community across the Atlantic will not be iong ata loss for the remedy, and that the commer- cialand political immorality which has beem developed by the fast and furious pace of America’s material progress will soon be & mere echo of a dead fact.”” PERSONAL INTELLIGENCE. Judge Thomas Groom, of Boston, is at the New York Hotel. Ex-Mayor W. J. Frisbie, of Detroit, is staying at the St. Nicholas Hotel. The Rev. Multinomial Murray, of Boston, has ar- rived at the Everett House. General Hagner, of the United States Army, has quarters at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. Major General J. L. Donaldson, of the United States Army, ts at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. Inspector General Hardie will leave Washingtom early in April for a tour of inspection on the Pacific coast, It was thought last week that the condition of James Brooks, who is ill in Washington, was im- proving, but yesterday it was not so favorable, King Oscar, of Norway and Sweden, beiore his coronation at Drontheim, in July, is to make a tour of his kingdom, going even to its bleakest parts in the North. The remains of the late Rear Admiral Mont- gomery were yesterday interred at Oak Hill Cem- etery, Washington. There was a large attendance of officers of the navy. The Emperor of Brazil rules ten million souls, two millions being slaves and a quarter of a mil- liom Indians, scattered over @ territory fifteen times the size of France. ‘The President, with Mrs, Grant, Miss Nelve Grant and General Babcock, will leave Washington on the noon train to-day for New York. They will remain here the greater part of this week. “Ppiaying at hanging” was unfortanaicly flias trated ins town in Massachusetts the other day by 8 boy, who used for 8 platform a wheelbarrow, which turned over and he was strangled to death. Secretary Belknap and General Sheridan are ex- pected at Parsons, Kansas, on Thursday, on their way to Texas to inspect the forts onthe Mexicam border and to establish new posts for its protec- tion. Fx-Covernor Wiiliam L. Sharkey, of Misstssippl, who figured prominently during the recoustruc~ Von of a dour, 1s dangerpusly iil in Washington a]