The New York Herald Newspaper, December 9, 1873, Page 6

‘NEW YORK HERALD BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR THE DAILY HERALD, published every day in the gear, Four cents per copy. Annual subscription AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING. * TARATRE COMIQUE, No. Sl4 Broadway.—Vagiert ALN MNT, OLYMPIC THEATRE, Broadway, between Houston Bieooker sts.—Tux Manwix Uxaie. NIBLO’S GARDEN, Broadway, between Prince and Houston sts —Tux Caitpnen ix tae Woon. WALLACK'S THEATR: street. —Uomn, UNION SQUARE THEATRE, Union square, near Broadway.—Lxp Asmnay. R Broadway and Thirteento WOOD'S MUSEUM, Broadway, corner Thirtieth st.— 1's Fuixwp, &c. Afternoon and evening. ORR MANTA THEATRE, 1th street 0 Bin Deticaren berase” . M avenue.— BROADWAY THEATRE, 73 ani TH Broadway.— Diane, a PARK THEATRE, Brooklyn, opposite City Hall— Tus Gusotaron ID OPERA HOL Bighth av. and Twenty-third jumerr Domrry A FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE, 23th st and Broadway.— Naw, Yean's Eve. LYCROM THEATRE, Fourteenth st—Stiut Warens A Bue in 4 Caixa Sur. BOOTH’S THEATRE, Sixth av. and Twenty-third st — Bicasn Our. ACADEMY OF MUSIC, Mth street and Irving place.— Bus Scnutrt vou Weos. METROPOLITAN THEATRE, 585 Broadway.—Variety ALNMLENT. MRS. F. OB. Guneva Cross, 2 TONY PASTOR'S OPERA Hi ‘Vanuery Extegtaruent. Mati CONWAY'S BROOKLYN THEATRE.— No. 201 Bowery.— aba BRYANTS OPERA HOUSE, Twenty-third st., corner th av.—Nacro Minsteeisy, dc BAIN HALL. Great Jones street, between Broadway and Bowery.—Tus Pucrim. ‘THE RINK, 34 avenue and 64th street.—MrnaceRix 4x Musxow. Afternoon and evening, TRIPLE SHEET. Bew York, Tuesday, Dee. 9, 1873. = w THE NEWS OF YESTERDAY. To-Day’s Contents of the Herald. eq “THE CUBAN SITUATION! SHALL WE HAVE PEACE THAT WILL LEAD TO WAR OR WAR THAT WILL LEAD TO PEACE?’— LEADING ARTICLE—Sixtu Pace. AMERICAN (1 NS’ LIVES IN GREAT PERIL IN CUBA? MINISTER SICKLES’ RESIGNA- TIUN NOT ACCEPTED! WHY OFFERED! THE MADRID BOURSE DEPRESSED! i. BURRIEL AT SANTIAGO! THE KANSAS f ON HAND! MOVEMENTS OF THE NAVY! SPANISH EFFORTS TO SET ASIDE THE PROTOCOL—SgvenTH Pace. SAFE ARRIVAL OF THE KANSAS AT BERMUDA! BUT LITTLE DAMAGED! OFF FOR SAN- TIAGO—FovrrTH Page. OUBAN BELLIGERENT KIGATS, THE SALARY GRAB REPEAL AND RETRENCHMENT CONSIDERED BY CONGRESS YESTERDAY— Fiera Pace, SPAIN’S ARMY RESERVE! THE SIEGE OF CAR- TAGENA! THE INSURGENTS ACTIVELY AT WORK—SIxTH Pace. THE RUSSIAN ARMY TO BE GREATLY STRENGTHENED! AN IMPERIAL UKASE ORDERS SIX OUT OF EVERY 1,000 IN- HABITANTS TO BE DRAFTED —Suta Paar. TTALY AND FRANCE! CONFERENCE BETWEEN THE ITALIAN KING AND HIS LATE AM- BASSADOR TO FRANCE—SIR SAMUEL BAKER'S LECTURE ON AFRICA—SixTH PagR, THE SINKING OF THE FRENCH STEAMSHIP | CONFUSED AND CONTRADICTORY RE- PURTS! CAPTAIN SURMONT DEFENDED— THIRD PaGs. AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC OOURTESIES IN MEXICO! THE INTER-OCEANIC RAILWAY GRANT REGRETTED! THANKSGIVING OB- SERVANCES—Skventu Pace, THE CONSECRATION TO THE SACRED HEART a BY THE ARCHDIOCESE OF NEW YORK PERFECTED YESTERDAY WITH MOST 1M- PRESSIVE CEREMONIES! “TE DEUM” AND CONSECRATORY PRAYER—Fovurra Page, THE BACK-PAY SINNERS “TROOLY” RE- PENTANT! THE MOVE FOR CUBA LIBRE! ROBESON’S REQUEST—Turmp Pacr. MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC AMUSEMENTS IN NEW YORK! LAST NIGHT'S FEATURES— SQUATTER WAR—OBITUARY NOTICES— 3 THIRD PaGE. ¥ THE NEW EL DORADO! THREE RICH GOLD FIELDS IN THE TRANSVAAL REPUBLIC, SOUTH AFRICA! THE “POOR MAN’S DIG- GINGS"—Tentu Pace, pf THE VARYING FORTUNES OF THE MONEY CEN- TRE! INFLATION SENDING “THE STREET” “UP IN A BALLOON!” BUSINESS AND j tae Cuban Siteation—Shali We Have Peace That Will Lead to War or War That Will Lead to Peace? The game of diplomacy just now being played between Spain and the United States is very similar to the children’s game of dee- saw. Peace sits at one end of the beam and War at the other, and, balanced nicely on he Fish-Polo protocol, we at one moment see the war end up and the peace end down, and in the next the peace end up and the war end down. The rapid changes of position are somewhat puzzling to the beholder; for we not unfrequently find them occurring on the same day in succeeding paragraphs in the semi-official utterances from Washington. In one we are assured our government is entirely satisfied that the conditions agreed upon by Spain will be successfully carried out and that a peaceful solution of the Virginius diffi- culty is regarded as certain, while in the next we learn that the situation looks graver than ever, and that active war proparations have not been abandoned. To base conclusions on this see-saw intelligence would be to change position half a dozen times a day; hence it is better to treat all the semi-official reports and rumors from Washington as designed to confuse as well as to amuse the public mind, and to apply the test of common sense to the facts actually within our knowl- edge it we wish to form an intelligent idea of the present situation and the prospect before us. We know our government has taken the ground that our flag covered the Virginius so long as she remained on the high seas and was not within Spanish jurisdiction; that, what- ever act the vessel might have committed in violation of our neutrality laws, no foreigner had the right to visit and search her on the high seas, but.must leave to us the enforce- ment of our own laws and the punishment of offenders. We know Spain has controverted this position and insisted upon her right to intercept and capture vessels known to be en- gaged in landing men and material in Cuba for the use of the insurgents; but, as a com- promise, has agreed to give us back the Vir- ginius without prejudice to this right, the alleged object of her expedition having re- ceived a bloody defeat, and the United States guaranteeing a further punish- ment of the parties interested in her either by ownership or association, provided it can be shown by Spain that they have broken our laws. We know our govern- ment has taken the position that the Spaniards had no right to kill citizens of the United States and others under the protection of our flag without proper trial, whatever may have been the character of the vessel on which they were found. We know Spain has justified, while deploring, the executions, and has con- sented to give up the prisoners who have escaped death. rfl The concessions on the part of Spain, insuf- ficient as they are and destitute of security for the future, have formed the basis of the Fish- Polo protocol. So faras Spain is concerned, here was an end of the matter. The other points, such as the salute to the flag and the “zeciprocal reclamations” which might or might not be referred to arbitration, are not worthy of consideration. The one is a mere sentimentality, the other means that for the next twenty years we may bluster about in- demnity for the murder of poor Fry and his fellow victims, to be met by counter claims from Spain for damages inflicted upon her by the act of every filibuster or Cuban who has managed to evade our friendly authorities and to land on the island within the last five years. But the fulfilment of the real conditions of the protocol settle- ment has been interfered with by the volunteers and the excitable spirits of the Casino Espafiol, and Havana is in a state of semi-rebellion against Madrid. To be sure, the reports from the forr-r city are also of the see-saw character. At one moment the Spanish population is said to be resolved on war in preference to surrender ; the Virginius is to be destroyed if necessary to prevent the threatened humiliation, and the lives of Americans in Havana are in danger from the mob. In the next the Casino Espafiol is re- ported as having swallowed its indignation and agreed to allow the orders of the Spanish government to be carried out. Nevertheless, itis certain that a rebellious spirit exists in Cuba; that there is great probability of an interruption of the conditions of the protocol and that the government at Madrid seems unable to enforce its authority in the island. Our special cable despatch from Paris to-day shows that the Madrid Bourse recognizes and appreciates the dispiriting character of the colonial news, and the pulse of the Bourse is the best indication we can have of the uncer- tain condition of the negotiations for peace. These are the facts as known to us to-day, and we may gather from them a correct idea of the situation. There are such grave doubts PRICES—MR, GREEN’S MONTHLY REPORT— EiguTs Pace. LEGAL PUNISHMENT SURE FOR ALL THE “RING? COULPRITS — NEWARK'S RING THIEVES—WALL STREET FURNISHES ANOTHER HEAVY DEFAULTER—Fourta ‘ Pace. is 7OHN 1. IRVING, THE NATHAN MYSTERY ; OONFESSOR, CONVICTED OF BURGLARY! COUNTERFEITING AND OTHER UASES— Nunta Pace. ‘Tar News rrom Mexico, by telegram, dated in the national capital, is indicative of a strong desire on the part of the Executive and Con- gress to promote a healthy legislation tending to the pacification of the country and the pro- motion of its material interests. A considerable amount of American speculation is still per- ceptible, but the relations with the govern- mont at Washington remain complete and of a friendly character. Srawsn Sprs at Key Wesr.—Some sus- of the ultimate fulfilment of the conditions of the Fish-Polo protocol, notwithstanding the spasmodic assertions of the final removal of all difficulties, that our government very prop- erly continues its warlike preparations. The Secretary of the Navy asks for money, which should be given to him instantly; our iron- clads are coming home and getting into con- dition for active service as rapidly as possible; an unfortunate and unforeseen accident de- tains the Spanish war vessel now in our har- bor; even the rapid passage of the bill which ought to have been passed long ago, granting universal amnesty to the South and repealing the test oath, looks in some eyes like a war measure, From all this it is evident that the administration at Washington, while desirous of peace and professedly confident in its pres- ervation, is by no means certain of the future. Indeed, if we reach the most favorable termi- nation of the present complications, the quiet surrender of the Virginius and of the surviving picious gentry have made their appearance at Key West. They are supposed to be spying on Uncle Sam in the interest of the bombastic volunteers. We hope the Casino will like the news they send to the ‘Ever Faithful Isle,” ‘The fleet is preparing to go down, and the sooner the spies can inform the Casino that the nionitors have steamed out the better the Aserican people will be pleased. ‘Tax Execrion is Texas.—This State has carried by the democrats, which will Richard Coke, of Waco, in the guber- nat chair in place of present incum- rent enero date, Edmund J. nga succeed Joseph prisoners, we cannot regard our complications with Spain in Cuba as ended. Leaving out of sight the danger of a repetition of the Vir- ginius outrage, we have to insist upon the complete release, in good faith, of all embar- goed estates on the island owned by Ameri- cang, and the protection of the owners both from danger and annoyance. The pledges of the Madrid government in regard to slavery, too, seem to warrant us in laying be- fore Castelar strong reasons why the island shall be made free, Certainly, after the expe- rience of the past, we must not leave the lives and property of Americans without sufficient protection in Cuban waters, and since the great danger arises from the state of insurrec- on the island, and not government to gravely consider the propriety of recognizing the belligerency of the Cubans as Spain recognized the belligerency of the Southern Confederates. On the other hand, if the rebellious volunteers and the slave inter- ests of Cuba prevent the fulfilment of all the conditions of the protocol, it will become necessary to enforce them. Fortunately the vessel and the prisoners are in Cuba, and hence any force we may be called upon to uso will be directed against the outlaws who have committed the wrong and defied their own government, and not against loyal citizens of the Spanish Republic. Castelar, if acting in good faith, cannot object to our alliance in subjugating the unruly spirits of the casinos and compelling the fulfilment of terms for which the faith and honor of Spain are pledged. But there is danger that the Castelar government may be overthrown. If so, its downfall will be due to the peaceful policy it has pursued in this Virginius complication, and its successor will necessarily repudiate the protocol and refuse all atonement for the insult and injury suffered by the United States. In that event it will become the duty of our government to recognize at once the independence of the Cuban Republic and to establish a protectorate over it. It is evident, then, that the prospect of a “peaceful settlement” with Spain is by no means so good as we could wish, and that the danger of war extends beyond the immediate questions growing out of the Virginius affair. The Henan earnestly desires peace, and haso large personal interest in its preservation, but as an American journal we have refused to ad- vocate peace at the cost of national honor, and as an independent journal we have declined to deceive the people either in the interests of Spain or of our own administration. With a few excep- tions the press of the country has united with us in demanding of our government none but an honorable peace, and in urging the wis- dom of finally settling the Cuban question now that action has been forced upon us. In- deed, President Grant has reason to be grate- ful to the American people for the disposition they have shown to back up any efforts he may make for the removal of this annoyance and danger at our very threshold. He has now the opportunity to accomplish a great and patriotic work. If he will do it in his own calm and dignified way every honest journal in the country will give him its praise and support. In a mes- sage to Congress he should review the whole history of our transactions with Spain during the past five years, showing how little reliance could be placed on the governments that have preceded that of Castelar. He should lay be- fore the country the official documents in re- lation to the embargoed estates and the corre- spondence connected with the Virginins out- buncombe ; but most of them mean business, and warn us of some formidable lobby com- prisipsiiews Among the other bills introduced in the Senate yesterday were bills to modify the in- ternal revenue laws; to authorize national banks without circulation; to amend or repeal the Bankrupt law; to explain the act in rela- tion to duties on tonnage; to restore free post- age to newspapers in the counties in which they are published, and to establish free bank- ing. In the House a bill was introduced for rage; and he should ask, in vieve of all the facts, the power to use the army and navy of the United States to protect the lives and property of Americans in Cuba and on the seas. If the conditions of the protocol should not be complied with it will be necessary either to propose a joint action with the repub- lican government of Madrid to enforce them or to take the bolder step and recommend the recognition of Cuban independence. Whichever course he may pursue, as well as in the recom- mendations he may make for fature security if the protocol should be fully carried out, the President may depend upon the hearty and enthusiastic endorsement of the American people. One thing is certain—a hollow and insufficient truce for the time being will not satisfy the expectation of our citizens. With- out any fault of our own this quarrel has been forced upon us. We have with us the approval of the civilized world. If by weakness now we fail to gain entire security for the future we shall be held to have forfeited sympathy and respect should the horror of the Virginius outrage be repeated. The sacrifices of war are great, but they can never be less than now if war is to be the end of these Cuban compli- cations. It is therefore to be hoped that our soldier President will yet take the Spanish question into his own hands, and that, what- ever may be the fate of the Fish-Polo protocol, he will insist upon such a satisfactory settle- ment as will give us a substantial and lasting peace. - Congress—Bill Day—A Grand Raid Cpon the Treasury—Amnesty. The chief duties of Congress are to provide ‘the ways and means for supplying the public treasury with money and for spending it. The two houses of the Forty-third Congress have commenced their labors with schemes of ex- penditure sufficient already, with the regular appropriations, to overtop by many millions all the anticipated receipts for the ensuing year from our internal and external taxations, How the deficiency is to be supplied it does not yet appear. In the Senate yesterday bills or resolutions were introduced providing, among other things, fora Niagara ship canal, for the incorporation of the Southern Trans- Continental Railroad Company, and to grant toit the right of way through the public lands—another Pacific Railroad scheme on a grand scale, providing for cheap and perma- nent transportation by a United States railroad for passengers and freight between New York and Chicago, and a bill to establish a national university of education and labor. This isa respectable list for the Senate for one day of bills calling for heavy drafts upon the pub- lic money and the public domain. The House list of such bills introduced yes- terday, however, reduces the Senate catalogue to a mere bagatelle. Among these House bills were @ bill for a breakwater at Milford, Conn., and for the improvement of the Honsatonic River ; a bill to refund the proceeds of cotton illegally seized (this measure, we conjecture, is that cotton refunding bill of last year, estimated to cover some seventy millions of dollars); a bill for a ship canal (alongside the Mississippi River) near Fort St. Philip; also for steamship service between New Orleans and Mexican ports; a bill to appro- priate the proceeds from sales of the publio lands to educational purposes ; bill grant- ing swamp lands for purposes of education ; and New York ; abill for the improvement of several rivers in Florida; a bill for a big Niagara ship canal ; o bill for « horse railroad on Rock Island; numerous bills, North, South, East and West, for the improvement of the admission of Colorado as a State, and-her admission having been recommended by the President in his Message we haye;no doubt that Colorado before the close of this session will be enrolled as the thirty-eighth State of the Union, crowning the glorious temple of States with the “Dome of the Continent.” A bill was introduced providing for the distribu- tion of $25,000,000 currency among the States that have not had their fair share; a bill to strengthen the public credit; a bill to repeal the tax on bank checks; a bill to repeal all taxes on whiskey and tobacco (pity it does not provide for the abilition of all taxes on all other things), and a bill for the issue of frac- tional currency and 3.65 bonds to be inter- changeable. The House, through the engineering of Mr. Maynard, of Tennessee, passed a bill, under a suspension of the rules, proclaiming a uni- versal amnesty, and substituting for the so. called iron-clad oath the modified oath now administered to persons from whom the rebel disabilities have been removed. The bill passed—yeas 141, nays 29—an affirmative vote considerably more than the two-thirds required to make the action of the House, on its part, effective for an amnesty. In the Senate, we apprehend, Mr. Sumner will repeat his ulti- matum of the last Congress, that his Civil Rights bill shall be tacked on as an amend- ment, and as an equivalent to the Southern blacks for amnesty to the Southern whites. It is probable, too, that, backed by the Presi- dent’s Message, he will succeed this time with this proposition. While the Amnesty bill was awaiting the action of the House Mr. Law- rence, of Ohio, inquired whether, under this bill, Jeff Davis might not obtain a seatin either House of Congress; to which Mr. May- nard promptly and properly replied that the late President of the late Southern Confed- eracy, as well as its Vice President (Alexander HL Stephens) might have a seat in either House under this amnesty, provided the people should ‘think proper to gend him, And why not, when even Jeff Davis has ceased tobea Southern MumboJumbo, and is re- garded more in pity than in anger by the great body of the people of the North, al- though the twenty-nine implacable republicans in the House voting against this amnesty do not appear to think so? During the day Secretary Robeson sent up a statement to the House of his expenditures undertaken in the absence of Congress to put our ravy in a fighting condition, and an ap- peal for the money required ($4,500,000) to complete the needful repairs of our available iron-clads and wooden vessels, which paper was referred to the Committee on Appropria- tions. The country approves the activity of the Secretary in this work, and the appropria- tion required will doubtless be readily granted. The special order tor this day in the House, and in the Senate too, we believe, is a bill to repeal the obnoxious salary law of the last session. Public opinion on this subject has had its effect upon both houses; but there is something childish and pusillanimous in the scare betrayed by the members and in their morbid anxiety to set themselves right. We await their action upon the bill of repeal, strongly suspecting that they will make a botch of itand a humbug; but we shall see. The Lives of the American Residents at Havana in Danger. Considerable uneasiness is felt by the Ameri- can residents at Havana lest the volunteer rabble should wreak vengeance on the defence- Jess Americans who live among them. It may be that the fear is exaggerated ; but looking back at the long list of outrages committed by the Hispano-Cuban volunteers it would be well if steps were at once taken bythe Wash- ington government to protect, in case of dis- turbance, the lives and properties of our citi- zens, It is carrying a little too far our respect for the tender sensibilities of the Havana Troughs to abandon our citizens to their mercy through fear of offending their suscepti- bilities! Might it not be well to teach those high-toned savages that if they desire much consideration shown to their feelings they must learn to conduct them- selves in a manner that will justify us in class- ing them among the more harmless tribes of barbarians? In the meantime the govern- ment is risking a terrible responsibility. Should any evil befall our citizens from the Havana rabble the country would not fail to demand a heavy account from the responsible authorities. Utah and Mormon Polygamy—Sena- tor Frelinghuysen’s Bill. , The President, in his late annual Message, called the attention of the two houses of Con- reas to the necessity of such a reconstruction of the organic law of Utah Territory as will establish the supremacy of the courts and laws of the United States therein. Mr. Frelinghuysen, in response to the President's suggestions on this subject, has introduced in the Senate the bill of the last session as reported from the Judiciary Committee of that body, with the amendments adopted in its consideration gt that time, and in this shape he advocates the passage of the bill. It will be remembered that within a few days of the expiration of the last Congress the President, in a special message, pleaded the necessity of an immediate law from Congress which would remove the deadlock between the United States and the Utah Territorial Mormon courts, in order that the door to the administration of the laws and the authority of the general government might be opened in said Territory. In pursuance of this re- quest the aforesaid bill was introduced and discussed, but from the lateness of the session and the pressure of other matters the bill fell through into the basket of unfinished business, This bill, which Mr. Frelinghuysen has revived, provides effectively for putting the administration of justice in Utah in the hands of the United States authorities, including the aire cA tgp NEW ‘YORK HERALD, TUESDAY, DEUEMBER 9, 1873.—TRIPLE SHEET. binations, right and left, before the end of Territory. In other woras, oy this Bill the concurrent jurisdiction which, under # ion of the United States Supreme Code (Ghief Justice Chase), the Mormon Territorial },The courts hold with those of the United States will be ended, and the supremacy of the federal courts will be established. ~But this is not the worst of it for the polygamous brethren of the Mormon faith. Their peculiar institution of a plurality of wives, for which they olaim divine authority from the‘patriarchs and kings of Israel, and from special revela- tions made to those Latter Day Saints, Joseph Smith and Brigham Young—in short, their saintly institution of polygamy is directly assailed. Upon this interesting subject this bill pro- vides that in all prosecutions for bigamy, polygamy or adultery proof of cohabitation by the accused with more than one man or woman as husband and wife shall be sufficient fora conviction, and that any wife of a polyga- mous Mormon may be divorced the same as if he had been convicted of adultery, and the wife or wives so divorced shall retain by de- cree of the Court control of the minor children and shall have a fair share of the husband’s property. Furthermore, the bill denies to the alien in the Territory while living in bigamy or polygamy the benefits of naturalization. Again, cases from the inferior courts of the Territory may be carried up to the United States District Court. Again, the bill knocks in the head a large number of the Territorial laws of the Mormons, and, in a word, it is de- liberately framed to put them under strict subjection to the laws and the legal authorities of the United States. When the organic Territorial law of Utah was passed (1850) the Mormons were compar- atively a small and inoffensive community, and they were accordingly allowed a liberal , margin of discretion in framing their local; laws and regulations. From that day to this, however, as they have grown in population, wealth and power, they have been building up and enlarging a system of Territorial laws, calculated in every thing and in every way to favor the Mormon and to harass tho Gentile. Hence these conflicts between the Territorial and United States courts, under which the administration of justice is, toa great extent, suspended, and hence this bill. We presume that it will be pushed through the two houses in the course of the winter, so that in the spring the Mormon polygamists will prob- ably be called to consider the question whether it js better to abandon polygamy or to sell out and leave Utah and strike for Mexico. Mr. Summte On Ove Retarions wire Srary.—It is good to know that Mr. Sumner deéms the murders committed at Santiago de Cuba to be “without excuse,” though that, apparently, is as faras he is willing to goin condemnation of the acts of the Spaniards against the Virginius. He compares tho seizure of this vessel to the seizure by our navy of English blockade runners during the war, and thinks that Spain ‘should have been allowed to vindicate the conduct of her officers.” All of which is in the nature of a rather querelous commentary on the facts, Perhaps Mr. Sumner might reason differently if he were Secretary of State, but if he would not, then here, at least, is one reason why we should rejoice that Fish is in that office, though we may safely challenge the world to produce another reason for such re- joicing. PERSONAL INTELLIGENCE. Polat Ex-Governor J. B, Page, of Vermont, is at the St. Nicholas Hotel. Captain W. T. Traxtan, United States Navy, is at the Everett House. Bx-Governor Lawrence, of Rhode Island, is again at the Brevoort House. Wendell Phillips arrived at the St. Dents Hotel from Boston yesterday. Secretary Belknap left Washington to-day for a brief visit to Kentucky. Ex-Governor Robinson, of Kentucky, has just married a Mrs. Herring. Baron Waldemar de Bodisco, Consul Gencral of Russia, is at Barnum’s Hotel. Captain Dauncey, of the British Army, is regis- tered at the New York Hotel. E. Welly Pugin, the London architect, has re- turned to the Brevoort House. Lieutenant Colonel Sanchez, of the Spanish Army, is staying at the Hoffman House. Dr. Alexander B. Hasson, United Staces Army, is registered at the Everett House, Colonel FE. H. Ludington, Assistant Inspector General, is at the Metropolitan Hotel. General N. P. Banks arrived at the Fifth Avenue Hotel yesterday on his way to Washington. Juage B. Platt Carpenter and Homer A. Nelson, of Poughkeepsie, are at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. State Senator C. H. Adams, of Cohoes, N. Y., is among the recent arrivals at the Coleman House. General Kemper, Governor elect of Virginia, will not resign to accept the United States Senatorship. Judge Nathaniel Shipman, of the United States District Court, yesterday arrived at the Clarendon Hotel. William Cullen Bryant has presented Princeton (OL) High School with $500, the income of which is to be yearly distributed in prizes. Mrs. Catharine Gift died in Lehigh county, Pa., recently, at the age of 93 years, She had 8 chil- dren, 48 grand children, 81 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. ‘The Davenport (Iowa) Gazette states that George H, Williams, nominee for the Chief Justiceship, formerly resided in Lee county, in that State, and in 1846 was elected District Judge, which office he held five years. \ It is proposed to appeal to Congress to dam the Omo River. One would imagine that the ejacula- tions of passengers on board steamers that have been “stuck in the sand” at a low stage of water were suMicient to answer all purposes in that direction. ‘The Calcutta Englishman of October % reports as follows:—‘An American passenger, Mr. Hamlin, attempted to shoot the Captain of the steamship Meinam while coming up the river on the last voy- age (rom Galle. He was supposed to be suffering from delirium tremens.’ Captain W. M. Vanderbils has been recalled to the service of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, he having retired in 1869, after 20 years’ service as superintendent. He started on Saturday for San Francisco to supertntend the butiding of several veasels and otherwise look after the affairs of the company. A letter from General A. W. Reynolds, of the Rgyptian Army, addressed to Major Willis, of Charteston, $. 0., states that the American Gen- erals, Stone and Loring, in the service of tne Vice- roy, have been promoted to the rank of major goneral, and that General Sibley has been dis- charged on account of physical inability. Sir Henry Thompson, the British surgeon, feels that it is not proper for him at present to refute the court charges that have been made against him of improper treatment of the late Emperor Napo- supper of the Midiand Medical Socicty in Birmin- ham, Sir Henry that he was reputation he in that case, and nection therewith, that yy cg leon, after remarking to this effect at a recent |. er SPAIN. Army Largely Increased—The Cartagena Insurgents Strong in Their Defences. . TELEGRAM TO THE NEW YORK HERALD. Mapp, Dec. 8, 187%. The Ministér of War reports that the reserve re>' cently called oat numbers 46,000 men. THE INSURGENT sami AND DRFBNOB AT OABTA- iA, Details of the bombardment of Cartagena show that the principal damage was to the buildings within the walla, The forts and batteries are almost intact. The insurgents are strengthéning cheir works and armament. RUSSIA. Imperial Order for Army Reinforcement ¥by. National Draft. TELEGRAM TO THE NEW YORK HERALD. St. Persrssora, Deo, 8, 1873. An imperial ukase has been issued requiring tha® six men out of every 1,000 inhabitants of Russia, including the Polish provinces, shall be drafted into the army. (The execution of this order will add largely te the recruitment strength of the Russian arm{ owing to the vast population of the Empire, de spite the fact that the quota ofmen demanded by the War Office is not excessive. Under the present Czar’a reign, according to the Statesman's Year Book, the area of the Russian Empire, including Finland, Poland, Russia and Siberia, is very nearly 870,000,000 square miles. Siberia and the Caucasm add nearly 9,000,000 to the population of the entire Empire, which stood, as nearly as possible ¥1,000,000 at the close of 1872, The density of Population to the geographical square gars from @ Maximum of 2,204 in Poland to a: minimaal of 17 in Siberia. — Ep. HERALD, ITALY. Boyal Diplomatic Consultation Relative to the TELEGRAM TO THE HEW YORK HERALD, Rome, Dec. 8, 1878, King Victor Emmanuel and the Chevalier Nigrap late Italian Ambassador at Paris, had @ iong cole ference this morning. It is understood Ohevalier Nigra will return @ Paris. ENGLAND. Bullion to the Bank and Specie for Export~< Discount on 'Change. TELESPAM TO THE NEW YORK HERALD. Lonpon, Dec. 8, 1873. The amount of bullion gone into the Bank & England on balance to-day is £15,000. SPRCIE FOR NEW YORK. The new steamship Pomerania, of the Hamburg American line, which sailed from Southampton of Saturday, for New York, took out $53,000 in specie’ DISCOUNT ON 'CHANGR. The rate of discount in the open market for three months’ bilis is 4% per cent, or % per con{ below the Bank of England rate. AFRICA. Sir Samuel Baker Relates His Travel Exx periences. TELEGRAM TO THE NEW YORK HERALD. Lonpon, Deo. 8, 1878. Sir Samuel Baker delivered a lecture to-night oa. his recent expedition in Africa. He had a large and brilliant audience, which applauded him with, enthusiasm. Among the distinguished persons present were the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Edinburg. WEATHER REPORT. ‘WAR DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SIGNAL OpFicRR, Wasainaton, Dec. 9—1 A. M. Synopsis for the Past Twenty-four Hours, The area of low barometer which was central im the Missouri Valley on Monday morning is now central im the lake region, where brisk and higt southerly winds and ra‘n are reported. The tem. perature has risen decidedly in the Ohio and Mim sissippi Valleys, and continues low on the Atlantis coast; cloudy and threatening weather, with light rain, prevail in Southern New England and thence southwestward +o North Carolina; partly cloudy and threatening weather, with increased pressu: in the Gulf States and Tennessee; light rain anc fresh southerly winds are reported from Virginia westward to Southern Illinois, Probabilities, For New England cloudy weather and rain in the southern portion and snow in Maine and thence: westward to the St. Lawrence Valley. For THE MIDDLE STATES FRESH AND BRIBE SOUTHEASTEBLY TO SOUTHWBSTERLY WINDS, WITH CLOUDY WEATHER AND RAIN. For the lake region brisk and higher vartabie winds and stormy weather. For the South Atisotic States slightly rising tem-. perature, with light rain on the coast, followed by: less cloudiness on Tuesday afternoon. For the Gulf States light easterly to southerly. winds, with light rain, followed by clearing weather. and lower temperature by Tuesday evening. For the Ohio Valley and Tennessee, cloudy and threatening weather, with rain in’ the easterm portion of these districts. Clearing weather, with lower temperature, tm the central Mississippi Valley. Colder and partly cloudy weather may be 6X+ pected in the Northwest. Reports have not been received fron@the upper, lake region, the northwest and westward to the Pacific coast. After the 10th inst. the display of cautionary sig- nals will be suspended at the lake ports forthe winter. The Weather in This City Yesterday. ‘The following record will show the changes im the temperature for the past twenty-four hours im the corresponding day of last Coe aD ndionved the thermometer at Hadnut's RALD Buliding :— barmacy, ae 187 3. 33 (3:30 P. 33° «6 P.M 35 OP. M 5 Cae ain M erage temperature yesterday. +oe0 Average temperata for corresponding date SERIOUS ILLNESS OF PROFESSOR AGASSIZ. Boston, Dec. 8, 1878. Professor Agassiz is lying seriously ill at his reai~ dence in Cambridge. His physician, Dr. Wyman,, spent all last night by the atck bed. DEATH OF A NOTED ORIMINAL LAWYER WILKESBARRE, Pa., Dec, 8, 1873. Lyman Rokes, well known throughout this State a8 @ great criminal lawyer, died in thiacity this morning, aged 67 years. His disease was acute softening of the brain, His remains will be taken to Delaware county, New York, for interment, THE LASH IN DELAWARE, Sentence of the Newoastle Bank Bars glars. Nawoastie, Deo. 8, 1873, The bank burglars were to-day Kentonced to pay f fino of $500 and the costa of the prosecution, to stand in tho pittor KS