The New York Herald Newspaper, February 8, 1874, Page 8

8 NEW YORK HERALD sRogpwar AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR, All business or news letters and telegraphic despatches must be addressed New York ‘Hemaxp. Letters and packages should be properly sealed. Rejected communications will not be re- tured. yee LONDON OFFICE OF THE NEW YORK HERALD—NO. 46 FLEET STREET. Subscriptions and Advertisements will be .d and forwarded on the same terms rec as in New York. Wolume XXXTR. 0 cee NOe © AMUSEMENTS TO-MORROW EVENING. BOO’ Sixth avenue and Twe B.M.; closes at 10:30 Yr. M. WALLACK'S THEATRE, Broadway aud Thirteenth street.—MONEBY, at § P.M; closes at LL PYM, Mr. Lester Wallack, Miss Jodreys Lewis OLYMPIC THEATRE Broadway, detween Houston and Bleecker streets — VAUDEVILLIG and NOVELTY ENTEKTAINMENT and Holman Opera ‘troupe, at 8 P.M; closes at 1 P.M. Matinee at z PM. K THEATRE, LUCIA 1d POM. BROOK DI_ LAM. BROOKLYN THEATRE, oklyn, MARTE Mrs. Bowers. BOWERY THEATRE, ; Bowery.—LIFE OR DEATH; LEND ME YOUR LOVER, Begins at 5 VM. ; closes at 1 P.M. METROPOLITAN THEATRE No, 58 Br BGPM closes at 10:30 P.M. on streets. —FUN . NONE, Begins at Vokes Fatnily OLLINE, ats P. Miss Ada Dyas. Fr ‘Twenty-third + closes at 10 GRAND OPERA HOUSE, Fighth avenue and ‘iwenty-third — street.—HUMPTY DUMPTY Av si 7 y ¢ SCHOOL and VARTETY ENTERTAIN. BENT, at 745 1. ML; choses at 00S POM. Mr GL. Fox, THEATRE COMIQUE, No. Sta Broad: ‘OLLEEN BAWN, AND VARTETY ENTERTAINM ges al UU PM. Mute Spee at 2:30 P. 4 A TONY PASTOR'S OPERA HOUSE, ». D1 Bowery.—VARIETY ENTERTAINMENT, at 8B. .; closes at LP. M. Matinee. Awenty-third stree' ars IN BLACK, .; closes at 10 P. cole Broadway, corner of Thi INGHT, at 1 P.M; Closes at 10 P.M. UM, y-fith street.—PARIS Bi closes at OP.M., same at 7 2. M STEINWAY HALL, eet—Kvening at SPM. GRAND CHAR. HARLEM THEATRE. ANCASHIRE LASS, at 8 P. M. rooklyn Park Theatre Company. QUADRUPLE > 3's hehe New York, Sunday, Feb. closes at 8, 1874, THE NEWS OF YESTERDAY ; "o-Day’s Contents of the Herald. PREMIER GLADSTONE’S DISASTERS! THE RE- SULTS OF THE ELECTION: HEAVY DAM- * AG TO COALERS ON THE THAMES! ENGLISH CATHOLICS ON THE GERMAN POLICY OF PERSECUTION—NinTH PacE. MURDEROUS AND REVOLUTIONARY MEXICAN PRIESTS! LERDO’S ENEMIES ORGANIZ- ING! FEMININE DUEL—Nintn Pace. LUBAN PATRIOTS CO) CENTRAL DEPARTME! DENT HOTLY PURS 'W PRE BY SPANIARL CAPTAIN GENERAL JOVELLAR PUBLISHES \ SPANISH REPORTS— | THE NEW LAW! NINTH Page. BYtEAMBOAT COLLISION SNOWFALL! CAPE FROM ANOTHER METIS CALAMITY— SEVENTH Page. MRIMINAL MISRULE AND ITS DEAD-SEA FRUIT IN LOUISIANA! LEADING PLOTTERS FLAYED—SEVENTH PaGr. STARTLING SEQUEL TO THE RING RAIDS BY MIKE NORTON, OF THE NEW COURT HOUSE COMMISSION—FACTS AND FIG- URES THAT WILL ASTONISH TAXPAY- ERS—THIRD PAGE. 00K ON THAT PICTURE! GOTHAM AER ON THE RUNNERS! A MAGNIFI DAY'S SLEIGHING—FiFTH Page. @HEN ON THIS! HOW OUR POOR ARE CARED FOR IN THE LODGING HOUSES! NOBLE WORK OF KIND HEARTS—FirTu Page, ENGLISH BOOKS AND BROCHURES—THE PENNSYI A DUTCH—THE IN THE BLINDING FALL OF CARTAG: —MARRIAGE IN HIGH LIFE— PETER COOPER'S PLAN FOR QUICK TRANSIT—Sixto Pace, CURIOSITY SHOPS IN THE AMERICAN METROP- OLIS—THE FISHERIES—SrventH PAGE. ONORCH SERVICES TO-DAY! THRE RELIGIOUS AND DENOMINATIONAL RECORD! JEWISH SERVICES IN 1HE TEMPLE EMANUEL— THIRTEENTH Pace. 4NDIANS AGAIN THREATENING A WAR ON THE PLAINS—THE NEW RULES AND BYLAWS OF THE NATIONAL TROTTING ASSOCIA- TION—FOURTEENTH PAGE. BENONI HOWARD SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS’ IMPRISONMENT! COURT PROCEEDINGS— LOCAL ITEMS—ELEVENTH Pace. SEWS FROM THE FEDERAL CAPITAI—TAE NATIONAL GRANGERS’ CONGRESS— WEATHER REPORTS—TENTH Pace. ANSON AND FIRE INSURANCE! LEGISLATION DESIRED—BOLD ROBBERY—Fovrregytu Pao. FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL TRANSACTIONS—Tentu Page. NEWS AND Tue Graxcrns’ Coxvesrion.—The Gran- | gers’ Convention in St, Louis shows that the Kellogg | ANTOINETTE, | ‘ay.—VARIETY ENTERTAINMENT, at | SHEET. | TRATING IN THE | A FEARFULLY NARROW ES- | NEW YORK HERALD, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1874.-QUADRUPLE SHEET, | Tne Daty of Public and Private Ohar- 4 tty=The Sufforings of the Poor. It haa been a matter of congratulation with those who have the disposition and ability to help the poor that we have had this year what is called an ‘‘open winter," and that the pen- niless and unemployed have thus at least | been spared the extreme suffering attendant upon severe cold. This has certainly been | fortunate, in view of the extraordinary destita- | tion occasioned by the financial calamity of last | fall. Nevertheless the thought of there being much unrelieved misery at our doors rarely oceurs to those who enjoy well warmed homes | and a sufficiency of wholesome food, and who | do not know how much misery is endured even in apparently moderate weather, by those who have but scanty clothing and more scanty ' nourishment. Although it is true that we have had but very few severe days this winter, the { weather has been cold, damp and unhealthy, anitbere has really been as much need of aid to the poor as if the thermometer had stood a great portion of the time | below zero. The snow and the frost again admonish us that the winter is not yet over. | The charitable societies and individual charity have yet a wide field before them, and if the efforts they have made go effectually in the past be cgntinued without relaxation much suffering may be spared during the next two or three months. | We have already shown how nobly New York is in the habit of providing for its poor, and have borne testimony to the benevolence of our citizens in their private capacity. | While we expend a million and a halt dollars of the public Commission of Charities and Correction, and find, in addition to this, some | one hundred charitable societies and instita- | tions in existence more or less of a public | character, we may well feel that neglect of the poor cannot be justly laid at our doors. We have besides a constant stream of charity flowing in for the relief of suffering, from balls, theatrical entertainments, | fairs and other projects, for “which we are in a great measure indebted to the ladies of New | York. Yet, even with all these good works to | our credit, we may well doubt whether we do ‘| our full duty towards our unfortunate fellow | beings, and whether we do not heedlessly | allow much misery to go unrelieved which a | very little additional exertion and liberality | might avert. ~ Probably there are few who | really understand how much suffering there is | ina great city like New York, especially in o season of commercial depression, when many ' thousands of industrious people, who are ordi- | narily enabled to earn a decent living for their families, are suddenly thrown outof work and | driven to choose between public aid, beggary | and starvation. Most of us have a general | knowledge that there are a great num- ber of unemployed workingmen in our | midst, and much want among the labor- | ing classes; but few think deeply enough | toform an adeqnate idea of the quiet, unob- trusive, silent misery endured by one class of the poor; by those who have occupied a good position in better days, and whose pride and | self-respect, combating with absolute starva- | tion, not unfrequently win the day and leave | their victims to die in misery, unnoticed and | unrelieved. It is to this sort of suffering that | we desire especially to direct the thoughts of | our public officers and of charitable individu- | als, for as the winter draws towards a close the necessities of these poor creatures become the greater. Fortwo or three months they may manage to keep body and soul together without aid, for they have generally some re- sources in the few articles of furniture or | wearing apparel they may have gathered about them in better days. But as time steals on | they part with all these, and then they have nothing to do but to lie down and die, unless Christian hands bring to them the necessary relief. Let those who doubt the ac- curacy of this statement make inquiry at the pawnshops of the city—those thermometers | of the people's sufferings—and they will be | startled at the descriptions of the customers | who have frequented their counters this win- ter, and of the articles with which, one by one, they have been compelled to part. The laboring classes have generally benefit societies to extend to them some aid, and they are, besides, wisely sought out by our public charities in order that relief, may reach | them before they are tempted into association | with the dangerous men who are the declared | | enemies of society, and who are constantly on the watch for their victims among the un- employed. But ‘genteel poverty,’ as it is sometimes called, is left to suffer in secret, and too frequently does suffer to the extreme | | end before its wretchedness is discovered or even suspected. It should be the effort of | charity to search out this misery, for, beyond | question, o fearful amount of it exists in New | York at the present moment. One way of accomplishing this is by the individual efforts | of charitably disposed persons and of the | visiting committees of churches and benevo- | lent associations. If the secrets of some of | the tenement house rooms and lodging | houses could be laid bare before | the public eye to-day we should, no doubt, be startled and horrified by the tragid stories they would reveal. In reflecting | present winter is one of exceptional suffering; | that our public institutions have been called upon to expend an extraordinary amount of money on the poor; that private charity has been taxed more heavily than ordinarily for the relief of the cases ihat obtrude themselves on public notice. We may be assured, there- fore, that the quiet, unobtrusive misery to | which we allude is aggravated proportionately, and that it needs more than ever to be sought out and relieved. But we may also do much in a public way to meet just such cases, if we will give this class of sufferers the chance of | obtaining nourishinent, at least, through the | means of free soup kitchens. A man whose — | pride and self-respect may induce him to bear the of hunger pangs | beg of strangers in tho streets would scarcely annually on the institutions under the charge | | upon these things we must not forget that the | | | | | members of that mysterious order are working | pass a free soup kitchen, probably with a half | hard to perfect their organization. Itis ex- | famished child by his side, without entering | tending rapidly in the South, and it is pro- | posed to extend its ramifications to Canada, | The grangers are hard, Practical people, and | seem to have made up their minds to put | down the system of monopoly which is ruin- ing the country. They will be heard from in | the next Presidential contest, and it would | not be at all surprising if a granger candidate should ask the people to send him to the White House. | soup kitchen. and enjoying a meal, Those who do beg, too—and the number is unhappily increasing day by day—would, in many cases, refrain from doing so if they could procure food at a And few will deny that the more we can prevent open street begging the better will it be for the good character of the city in the future. Begging becomes chronic after a while and does muéh to destroy self- respect and self-reliance. We are confident | that any lives were | and reasonable rather than to | that tho best uso to whioh some of the money 60 liberally contributed for charity can be put is to the establishment of soup kitchens ; tor we believe that this mode of relief, in which there is nothing that can wound the feolings of the recipient, would reach those cases of silent suffering, which are among the saddest stories in the history of the city’s miseries, and would do much to put a stop to the street begging from which New York has hitherto been tolerably free, but which is now capidly increasing. the Reign of Terror " Cuba. Captain General Joveilar has been rein- vested with the extraordinary power which was temporarily withdrawn under the govern- ment of the Republic. Hoe is now practically master of the lives and liberties of the unfor- tunate Cubans. The use he is about to make of that power is rendered clear by his procla- mation, which we publish among our tele- graphio despatches. It declares the island in a atate of war, ro-establishes the courts mar- tial in all their rigor, and forces all men be- tween twenty and forty-five into military service a3 well as ordering the concentration of the rural populations in points select- ed by the government. The most arbi- trary monarch could not exceed the mea- sure of power assumed by Captain Gen- eral Jovollar. With the memory of the massacre of the Virginius present in their minds the public will be able to form some slight idea of what is meant by the re- establishing of the courts martial for the trial of persons accused of sedition, with the power reserved to the authorities of sending men simply accused of ordinary breaches of the law before the same expeditious tribunals. Bat that the American public should have an adequate conception of the effects of a measure that will place the lives and property of every man and woman in Cuba atthe mercy of every ruffian soldier or designing knave is impossible. Men will be taken from their homes in the night for no known cause, and butchered for suspected sympathy with the rebels, without any man, or woman either, daring to ask an explanation why it was done. It would appear that Jovellar aims at imitating Valmaseda; but it may be that the very meas- ures he is adopting to suppress the insurrec- tion may lend it new force. If the Cubans of the cities are at all worthy of their fighting countrymen the new decree will send thou- sands of volunteers to the rebel standard. Renewing tu Tre EnGuisn AND Roman Carnorics.—Only a few days ago the cable informed us that the followers of Lord John Russell and* Mr. Newdegate held a meeting to express their hearty sympathy with the government of tho pious Emperor of Germany in its persecution of His Majesty's Catholic subjects. This action has called out the Catholic element, under the leadership of the Duke of Norfolk, to express sympathy with their suffering co-religionists. It is not very likely that these meetings will have much effect on the policy of the German gov- ernment, though they may show that England is not exactly a unit in the matter of religious belief. An anti-Catholic meeting held in Ber- lin adopted a resolution thanking the people of England for their sympathy with the Ger- map government in its persecution of the Catholics. It is rather amusing to notice the learned and enlightened Germans, with Von Moltke at their head, addressing Mr. Newde- gate and Lord John Russell as the people of England. Most respectable Englishmen are ashamed of these persons, and the English press almost unanimously condemned the ac- tion of their followers at St. James’ Hall. Tue Coxision Orr Watcn Hu.—The ac- cident which occurred off Watch Hill yester- day morning, in the collision of the steamer Newport and the propeller Doris, shows that our editorial remarks yesterday on the neces- sity of a better system of ocean telegraphy and signals were opportune. The occurrence of the collision in the same locality as the sinking of the Metis will startle the travelling community. It does not. appear lost or very great damage done to the vessels by this collision, | but there might have been a fearful loss of | life. The accident occurred in a thick snow storm. It might have been avoided by power- ful electric lights or acoustic signals. In such weather many parts of our coast are danger- ous on account of the great number of vessels steaming of sailing along. We urge the gov- ernment, our chambers of commerce and ship- ping merchants to provide, for greater safety | to their vessels and passengers, electric, acoustic or other improved signals. Two More Accrpents have been added to the long list of railway disasters directly trace- able to carelessness. In one case some cars break off from a train, and the loss is not dis- covered until the train arrives at a station. Then the incoming train is allowed to pursue its way when it is known to some one that it must inevitably collide with an engine which has been sent after the missing cars, It was somebody's duty to stop the passenger train, but somebody was indifferent to the perform- ance of his duty, and so the lives of the pas- sengers were endangered. If we possessed a law making criminal negligence of this nature a felony probably we would have fewer rail- road accidents. It would be a good subject for experiment. Frst Casz Unper tae Ramroan Law or Inurvors.—Many people doubted that the recently enacted law in Illinois to prevent railroads from making undue or extortion- ate charges for carrying freight aud pas- sengers could be made operative. It ap- pears now, from a Chicago despatch, that the qnestion is to be brought to an issue. The Attorney General of the State has brought a suit against the Chicago and Alton Railroad for violations of the law. He recites several cases in which more than fair compensation has been charged for passengers as well as for freight, and he demands legal damages. This is the first prosecution of the kind, and great interest is manifested ag to the result. Considering the vast power of the railroad companies and the important question involved, the case, no doubt, will be stoutly comtested and perhaps greatly prolonged. If decided in favor of the people it is probable similar restraining laws to that of Illinois will be passed in other States, and thus will commence a solution of the cheap transportation problem at which the Patrons of Husbandry and others have beon working, | lowship ? The British Blections—The Prospect. The election returns in the three kingdoms have, so far, resulted in almost universal dis- appointment. It was believed by many that tho general clection would not only retain the liberals in power, but would largely increase their working majority. A few hoped for a contrary result; but the situation, as it now stands, must be quite as much e surprise to Mr. Disraoli ag it is a disappointment to Mr. Gladstone, When the London Times and the Postand the Daily News and the Telegraph have abandoned all hope of a liberal victory the situation cannot be said to be full of promise for Mr. Gladstone. A large number of constituencies have yet to be heard from, and it is not at all improbable that in the new Parliament the liberals will still have a ma- jority; but the majority will be so small that it will be found extremely difficult for them to carry on the affairs of the country. It is not at all unreasonable to suppose that Mr. Gladstone, regarding the result of the elections as a vote of want of confidence, will resign, thus following the example set by Mr. Disraeli in 1868, and giving his great rival the opportunity of again trying his hand. Mr. Disraeli can hardly refuse to accept the reins of government and make one more effort as Prime Minister of England. It is quite clear, however, that Mr. Disraeli, without a majority in the House of Commons, will be quite as badly off as Mr. Gladstone. Mr. Disracli’s acceptance of office, therefore, will not make an end of the difficulty which at the present, moment divides the electors of Great Britain. ‘The situation is thus peculiar and almost without parallel in the recent Parliamentary history of England. A working majority is a necessity to whatever party should happen to be in power. The tory administrations since 1852 have been administrations of sufferance only, and they have all been short-lived. If Mr. Disraeli should succeed to power he will be largely dependent on the liberals for sup- port, and such support can only be bought and retained by a do-nothing policy. A coalition government, similar to that which was formed in 1852, under the presidency of the Earl of Aberdeen, is what England needs at the present moment, but such a coali- tion at this time seems impossible. Thero is no third party holding the balance of power as the Peelites did in 1852, except the home rulers should supply it; and such a combi- nation of forces is rendered all the more diffi- cult that it implies the retirement of Mr. Gladstone, or of Mr. Disraeli, or of both. A conservative-liberal Ministry, under such a man as the present Earl of Derby, would, we believe, command general approval through- out the three kingdoms ; but the grand objec- tion to this arrangement is that it would place Mr. Disraeli, now the recognized leader of his party, in a secondary position. The situation is thus, on every side, beset with difficulty. If Mr. Gladstone retains power at the head of a merely nominal majority his government will necessarily be weak. If Mr. Disraeli accepts office he will hold power only by suf- ferance of the liberals. A coalition Ministry would necessitate the retirement of one or both of the greatest statesmen of the day. In the circumstances, therefore, speculation as to the immediate future is vain. Come what may of the present crisis, it is safe to say that the present election contest is not decisive. The battle must be fought over again, and that at an early day, not in Parliament, but at he polling booths. Mr. Michael Norton to the Front. One of the numerous suits against the city growing out of the misdeeds of the old Tammany rulers is that of the Tenth National Bank, the complainant claim- ing over two hundred and @fty thousand dollars for money alleged to have been ad- vanced to the county of New York through the Court House Commissioners in the palmy days of the Ring. The Tenth National was then one of the deposit banks and kept the Court House account. The defence to the claim is that the money was never legally advanced to the Commissioners on the county account; that the ad- vances made were in fact made only to one of the Commissioners, without due au- thority, and hence that the county cannot be held liable. Yesterday the case came up, and affidavits intended to establish the non- liability of the county were read before the Court. One of these affidavits created no little sensation when it was announced that it was signed and sworn to by no less dis- tinguished a personage than Mr. Michael Nor- ton, one of those worthy individuals now under the depressing influence of a Grand Jury indictment, and whose abiding place is not supposed to be known to the police or to the officials in the District Attorney's office. As Mr. Michael Norton was gener- ally believed to be enjoying an ocean voyage with the Hon, Harry Genet and other distinguished tourists it may be well imagined that his affidavit, purporling to have been made and sworn to in the ‘‘city and county of New York,” on February 4, 1874, or Wed- nesday last, was looked upon as a very remarkable document. ‘The legal points involved in this suit will, ot course, be settled by the courts. But we may be permitted to ask whether the District Attorney is so much less of an expert than the city Comptroller as to be baffled in his search for a fugitive from justice upon | whom the Comptroller can lay his hands at any moment. Mr. Michael Norton is wanted. The invitation of a Grand Jury has been extended to him to meet twelve true and loyal citizens in @ criminal court at his earliest convenience. He has thought proper to de- cline the invitation, but it is the duty of the District Attorney, aided by the police, to press its acceptance upon him. According to the present affidavit Mr. Michael Norton was in this city on Wednesday last. Why was this not known to the District Attorney? Why was not the, honor of his company requested atthe Tombs? And where is Genet, where Coman, where Walsh and all the goodly fel- Echo answers—Where? It looks probable that Mr. Norton is making this con- fession of his sins the condition of a nolle pros. in his case. His story, however, will be found curious reading. Borper Rvrrianism anv Inpran Disturs- ances IN New Mexico.—From Sante Fé, New Mexico, via Denver, Col., we have the intelli- gence that in Lincoln county, New Mexico, border ruffianism prevails to such an extent that the civil authorities are powerless to bring of- nt fenders to justice; that five more persons, addition to those previously reported, have been killed by ontlaws in said county, and that among the victims wore a man and his wife, murdored in their bed. It next ap- pears that in the northwestern corner of New Mexico there have been some retaliatory mur- ders committed between tho Navajoe Indians and the Mormons, and that serious trouble is apprehended with thy Utes in that quarter in the spring. All these troubles may be briefly explained. As the general tide of white emigration in the Rooky Mountains, including border ruffians and outlaws, extends southward, it crowds upon the Indian,| reserves and upon the exposed white settlers, and in o sparsely inhabited region, like the mountain valleys of Northwestern New Mexico, a dozen bold brigands may prove too much for the civil authorities. Under the conditions reported in those mountain regions only a detachment of active United States mounted troops can maintain order in protect- ing the honest white settlers and enforcing peace between lawless whites and restless Todians. The New Evcolesiatioal Laws in Prussia end the Oivil Marriage Bill, Tt was long the Hoast of Prussian statesmen that, because of the fair and righteous manner in which the various religious bgdies wore treated, ecclesiastical quostions Formed no disturbing element in their political system. From 1848 to 1870 the history of religion in Prussia is a history of peace. Tho situation is now completely changed. An uneasy feel- ing, it is true, began to manifest itself after Sadowa. It was felt at Rome that one of the strongest pillars of the Churoh was gone. France, however, remained, and France was loyal; and the Holy Father, who has never abandoned his claims to the temporal power or given up hopes of ita recovery, steadily, up to 1870, looked to France for support. With the defeat of France it was felt that another source of hope had dis- appeared. It was then that the roligious trouble in Prussia really began. The Ecu- menical Council had, no doubt, something to do with the sentiment which has become so strong among the German liberals; but it was not till the war was ended that the imperial government took any decisive action. In of that visit was to induce Bismarck to interfere in the matter of the Papal tempo- ralities, Bismarck, however, was not to be Church. He would give it every advantage the State could afford. Butin the matter of the temporal power he positively refused to interfere, Interview after interview resulted as the first. Bismarck was anxious to obtain the support of the Catholic Church, but he would not purchase it at the price the Arch- bishop demanded. In the elections of the same year the ultramontanes in Prussia began to put forth their own candidates. The peace was ended; the war had begun; and so came those ecclesiastical bills. With the legislation of last year our readers are familiar. A bill was passed in May compelling the clergy to swear allegiance to the State. 1n consequence of the refusal of large numbers of the clergy | to comply with the requirements of the gov- ernment many of the parishes are now with- out priests, Under the pretext of meeting the wants of the situation thus brought about the Civil Marriage bill has been brought for- ward by the government. The bill, which has now passed the lower house, makes civil marriage obligatory; 4and baptism, which hitherto has been regarded asa condition of registration, is in the future to be optional. Marriage by a clergyman, of course, is not forbidden ; neither is baptism. But when the bill shall have been passed the State will recognize only the civil contract and the registration of births. It is not special legislation and purely anti- Catholic, as some havesupposed ; for the new law will be binding on the whole people, Protestant and Catholic alike. The bill has yet to obtain the sanction of the upper house ; but there can be little doubt that it will become law substantially in that shape in which it hag left the Chamber of Deputies. Such, in brief, is the history of that ecclesiastical legislation at Berlin of which of late we have heard so much. It is not strange that the Civil Marriage bill should have provoked so much opposition. By the orthodox Protestants it is as much dis- liked as it is by the ultramontanes. Marriage according to both is a religious ceremony, and in the Catholic Church it ranks as a sacrament. The principal objection to the bill, in our judgment, is that it makes the civil marriage obligatory and refuses to rec- ognize any other. Tho hardships of the situation, however, will be the less intolerable that the religious ceremony is not forbidden. Time will reconcile the various religious bodies to the new laws, and in the case of the Catholics, at least, it is simply absurd to supe pose that they will have the effect of weaken- ing their attachment to the Church. Ulti- mately the change must lead to the entire disconnection of the Church trom the State. Meanwhile this eoclesiastical legislation is the cause of great irritation. Tur Hamwonp Revrvars in St. Louis, which are still going on, have attracted a good deal of adverse criticism. This is little to be won- dered at if we consider the class of hymng sung by the revivalists. The other night Mr. Hammond, accompanied by some zealous men and women, went to a house of bad re- pute, where religious services were conducted in the presence of the inmates. At the close of the prayer there was scarcely a dry eye in the company, after which all joined in sing- sig Black marks of sin are on my soul, Sin is my only dress; 7 wickedness can ne'er be told, have no righteousness, Doggerel like this must almost inevitably drive the repentant to their former hardness of heart. Rarw Transtt.—Mr. Peter Cooper's prop- osition for rapid transit is a proof of the progressive and enterprising character of the founder of the Cooper Institute. His plan story of all the houses along Third avenue, the cars to be drawn by an “endless wire rope,” which is to be moved by being made to pass round two revolving drum wheels—one at Harlem Bridge and the other at the opposite end January, 1871, the Archbishop of Po- sen made a visit to Versailles, and it is now understood that the object moved. He would stand by the Catholic | contemplates a railroad through the second | of the line, somewhere in the neighborhood of the City Hall Park. It might be apprehended that this second story railroad would make the buildings unsafo, or at least bo annoying to the heads and nerves of the dwollers on tho floors above and below; but Mr. Peter Oooper dispels such fears by the announcement that the foundations of the houses are strong enough to bear it, and the rails oan be silenced by being well greased. As Mr. Peter Cooper offers to contribute one hundred thousand dollars towards the construction of this endless- wire double-drummed well-greased second- atory railroad we are bound to believe that he is in earnest. Current Topics of the Religious Press. The Christian Union takes up the question of Communism and Christianity this week and handles it very freoly and fairly. It recog. nizes the causes of discontent among the working classes—the accumulation of wealth in the hands of the few. It admits that witla a growing population the struggle of competi- tion becomes harder and more are crowded te the wall—especially in large towns and cities this must necessarily be a0. At present the Union thinks both the discontent and the sense of class power seem to be on the increase. The editor says ,it is o painful fact that we hear complaints of the failure of our churches to reach the poor, and thinks it is a grievous reproach to any church that it should fail te reach the laboring class, Christ's gospel is a gospel to the poor, and Protestant churches are incurring a heavy responsibility, and some of them guilt, for their neglect in this matter. The Union also advocates libraries for all ome prisons and gives some statistics to establish their worth, For a few weeks past the Methodist has dis- cussed the topic of “Plagiarism,” but this woek it devotes its editorial thought to a discussion of “What is Originality ?"’ and comes to the very sensible conclusion that absolute origi- nality is an impossibility. We must have com- merce in thought as well as in other things, and the great storehouse of literature is com- mon property, from which we all may build ourselves up. The Methodist wonders what we are coming to, because of tho mighty strides which Ohristianity is making in every quarter of the world to-day and the wonder- tul spread of our civilization among the na- tions of the earth, Tho Independent calmly reviews Mr. Sum. ner’s Civil Rights bill, which a fow days age was reforred to the Judiciary Committee, Aa it touches a new field of legislation altogether it should receive the careful scrutiny of the law committee of the Senate prior to its com- sideration for final action. The editor is mot able to see the constitutional basis upom which Congress can justly found such a law, and makes some strong circumstantial points against any such claim. The Evangelist sees in Dr. Livingstone’s life and labors and heroic death a hope for Africa. He was not only a hero of science, but stood among the very bravest modern champions of Christian civilization, and the Evangelist feels assured that the time will yet come when a regenerated continent will be bis enduring and noblest monument. iy The Christian Advocate very learnedly dis- cusses the question of races on this Continent, and thinks the incoming of large numbers of Asiatics is inevitable and should be so accepted by us. It therefore deprocates any class er State legislation that seeks to repress their com- ing or to hinder their peaceful stay among us. It thinks we have ample room here for white and black and red and yellow races, and it is a dictate of even the least elevated form of wisdom to adjust ourselves and our affairs to the situation. American Christians should especially recognize the Divine hand in send- ing those thousands of Asiatics to our shores. The Christian Intelligencer gives a brief sy- nopsis of the lately published bull of the Pope touching the election of his successor, and comments on the same, intimating that it is an intrigue to deprive the people and governments of all voice or influence in this matter. The Intell gencer thinks that we may again see the phenomenon of two Popes, hos- tile in dogma and in political combinations. The Cologne Gazelle vouches tor the authen- ticity of the document, The Freeman's Jour nal, of this city, however, does not hesitate te pronounce it a forgery. ‘The Catholic Review fires o broadside inte the Nation for its assertion that Cardinal Oul- len maintains that the earth stands still, which assertion the Review, in the words of Bismarck, pronounces ‘‘a wicked and auda- cious falsehood,” and challenges the proof, which is not forthcoming. The Review, in a less belligerent style, discusses tho late paa- toral letter of the Bishop of Halifax, N. S., on Catholic education. The Observer, moralizing on the recent depe- sition of Dr. Wadsworth, of Philadelphia, and Rey. Mr. Smith, of this city, for reasons and upon grounds which did not in the least im either case affect their moral character, thinks this extreme ecclesiastical act should be placed where the civil law now puts capital punish- ment. It should be inflicted only when the de- linquent has forfeited his moral character or hag embraced those errors which are fundamental and destructive. And the law and practice of the Church should be so modified. Church and State thinks the great need of our time is not a high or o low or a broad Church, but a common sense Church. And a little ex- ercise of that quality in the Church would tend to diminish the prejudices which aow exist therein. The Christian Leader thinks the only ques- tion involved in plagiarism, which some of its contemporaries have recently discussed, is the one, Is it right to steal? Which it answers, of course, in the negative. The Leader rojoices, too, in the leaven of Universalism which is working its way through orthodoxy. The Liberal Christian warmly advocates the | employment of lay preachers for small } churches, not only in its own denomination but in all others. It sees also in every ad- vance of religious or scientific thought a step toward perfection, in which it rejoices, ‘The Jewish Messenger makes another edito- rial effort to correct some of the abuses of the synagogue, and to inject more spirituality into its services. ‘Do we enter our syna- gogues with awe and leave them with a bless- ing?” it asks. The house and the servioe, the Messenger thinks, are yet too worldly, and the worshippers are not sufticiently impressed that the synagogue is God’s house, but they look upon it as their own. The Jewish Times takes the field against tha