The New York Herald Newspaper, June 22, 1874, Page 4

4 NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, JUNE 22, 1874.—-TRIPLE SHEET. _ NEW ITALY. | Step by Step Towards a Constitu- tional Government. fINANCIAL PROSPECTS, | ROME, May 21, 1874, { promised in @ former letter that I would give | our readers some account of the subjects which | ave, during the course of the present parliament- | ary session, been occupying the public attention | here, aud Of the measures by which Signor Min- ghetti’s cabinet have endeavored to regulate them. And this I wil: now attempt to do as fully as may be compatible with the space you are able to ac- cord to me, ITALY AND “GEOGRAPHICAL EXPRESSION.” When Italy, but the other day ceasing to be merely “a geographical expression,” was becom- ing @ nation, the political wiseacres of Europe Prophesied all sorts of difficulties alicad and indl- | cated shoals of all sorts on which the chances ‘were, it was said, that the young nation would make shipwreck. Civil war would be raised by the | adherents of the old, dispossessed dynasties, The | rivalries of the different municipalities woulda be found irreconcilable, Other nations would inter- fere to dash the cup of Kberty from the lips that had so long thirsted for it, Democratic violence would reuder a stable government impossible, But Italy has not been wrecked upon any of these | Yocks. Either the threatened dangers never pre- @ented themselves in her course or they have been overcome. But there was a| danger which nobody taiged about in those days—a danger of a more vulgar mature chan those difficulties of a sentimental kind | which occupied the attention of the veteran states- men of Europe—a diticulty which did lie in the path of the youngest member of the European fam- lly, as it has troubled some of her seniors—tbat of paying her way! How to make both ends meet. | 'Phis is the great problem of the day in ltaly ; this is ‘the real Kuot of all the diMcuities with which her statesmen have to contend. When nations spend more than their income the excuses they offer are apt to be very mach of the same nature with those ofthe head of a hoasehold who falls into the same error, They must bave this, that and the other costly article. And in the case of the nation it is generally still more useless than in the case of the Bspiring family for a looker-on to protest that ne cannot see the necessity—as the French judge is | reported to have said toa thief who pleaded that | he must live! Italy provests that she must have a | ost of civil servants very much larger than is Sound necessary by some other nations who have | far more work to do and do it much better; ‘and, above all, she must have a large | aod powerful army. Soldiers have been called | the playthings of kings: but it must be adimit- | @ed that in the case we are considering it is the woice of the nation that insists loudly and persis- ‘tently that Italy must have a great army. The | other “must have,” above referred to, is the cry rather of the government and the heads of depart ‘Ments, whose interests and likings in this respect May easily be understood to be not altogether the ame as those of the body of the nation. Mean. ‘while, the fact is that what with the needs of an excessive civil service, ofa large military force and | the pressure of debt already incurred, Italy is not | paying her way. I shall bave some remarks to | make presently on each of these three neads of | expenditure. But with the view of completing the gketch of the present political situation here, | ‘Wiich I entered on in my last letter, I will first | Bpeak of the means which Signor Minghetti, our Finance Minister and bead of the Cabinet, 1s adopting for the purpose of dealing with the exist- i ing deticit. THE FINANCIAL SITUATION, ‘The deficit for the current year is estimated at * 130,000,000f. A large portion of this sum, how- ever, consists of expenses undertaken for the com- pletion of the railway system of the peninsula And Signor Minghetti reckons that, by spreading this disbursement over several years, the deficit bearing on 1874 may be reduced by 50,000,000f., | leaving 80,000,000f. to be provided for. Among | other anticipations of Signor Seila, our late Fi- mance Minister, some of which have not veen real- | ized, there was one estimate, the justice of which hhas been vouched by the results, and whic! in trath, forms the brightest spot in the prospect of | Italy's future. Signor Seila deciared some years ago | (hat an elasticity of revenue might be reckoned on In Italy to the extent of 10,000,000% a year. | The sum is not so large @ one as to take | one’s breath away. But, considering the heavy | burden of taxation—unquestionably excessive in Ba economical point of view—which 1s pressing down Italy, it i8 much that the revenue should Show any elasticity at all! And this elasticity has been equa! to the amount Signor Sella expected | from it. The prodnce of the taxes has mcreased | yearly by 10,000,000f Signor Minghettl, deeming that this force of expansion 13 still an increasing | one, considers himself justified tn expecting for , 1874 30,000,000f. from this source. There remains | then 50,000,000f. stil! to be provided for, if both ends | are to be made to meet. Signor Sella proposed to | meet tnis by increased taxation; notably by a tax on textile fabrics, and aa additional tenth on the existing direct taxes. Signor Minghetti rejects ‘oth these proposais, With the exception of some ‘very smal: matters, to be noticed presently, he will not bave recourse to fresh taxation. But neither will he admit the possibility of diminished expendi- ‘ture, Italy must have her little luxuries in the ‘way of a handsome staf of servants and an army not too inferior to those of her neighpors. What, } | A | to make a few remarks. | decided during the remainder o’ | one of the most important and interesting. | Would be extremely dis; | of which will confer upon the payers of it the boon of legalizing ume bargains, which the law, as it at prenens Stands, does not recognize, will, it ta hoped, produce 3,000,000f, A small tax on alcohol and beer 18 credited with — 1,500,001, tax on heavy railway goods trafic is ex- soon to yield 3,000,000f., and a tax on chicory 00,0008, A very small duty on custom house operations, to be called @ statistical duty (I wonder whether the Minister thinks a rose all the sweeter when called by that sweet mame!) is to give 2,000,000f. A moaification of the regulation under which private individuals are permitted to grow tobacco in Sicily Wil, it is hoped, produce 6,000,0001, The abolition of the privilege of receiving their letters free, at present enjoyed by Senators and Deputies, is ex- pected to result in au addition to the revenue de- rived [rom the Post Oaice of 2,000,000f. ‘Tne Minis- ter made the House laugh when making this prop- osition, obeerving that it needed no great heroism to give up a privilege which in fact did not profit them, buttheir correspondents, and which cer- tainly resulted in causing them to have many more ietters to answer than they would have if their correspondents had to pay the postage of their letters, An Improvement on the assessment of the tax on weigats and measures ts expected to yield 1,000,000/, A simtiar sum is expected from @ modification ofthe law on preventative imprison- ment, A small house tax at present levied by the provinces for their own provincial purposes, whtch itis proposed to assign to the imperial exchequer instead, will give 6,000,000f,; and finally a tax on the circulation of bank notes will produce Six. other millions, It will be seen that all these various “‘mickles’’ make up a “muckle’’ Of 52,000,000f., the sum needed, with a balance of 2,000,000f, for contingencies | HOW ITALY CAN PAY HER WAY, Such are the Ministerial provisions and hopes for the supply of the 50,000,000L needed to enable Italy to pay her way, or, let us say, to make Brey lair and creditable progress towards doiug so, [t would be perhaps too much to expect that all these Various Ministerial eggs should be hatehed into chickens as fast as the Ministerial hopes. But there Was one of these hopeful projects on which, as [ intended when mentioning 1t in the list, | wish It 1s that which proposes to enact that all the deeds, contracts and documents of all kinds at present subjected by law to & registry pe should be held to be null and void law unless the law on the subject stall have been com- plied with. And from this provision the minister, as was stated, anticipates an increase of revenue to the extent of 9,000,000. But law as it stands subjects these documents to registry duty, What more, it may be asked, is Mmecded? The reply is, that woat is needed is a | means of compelling people to obey the law. As Matters stand at present, this is what happens. Lf it should go turn out that it becomes necessary to bring any document of the kind speciiied into courtior the purpose of litigation, the holder of the document then causes it to be stamped, pay- ing the proper Jee together witha fine. And the consequence iS that very few documents are stamped at all. Every man knows that it is a thousand to” one—provably much more— that no necessity will ever arise of producing the contract or other document he is executing in court. Should such necessity ever arise, he says to himself, it will be time enough then to register it. Butif such, after registry, were im- possible—if every man were certain that the deed | or contract he was executing, ora party to, was absolutely useless for all binding purposes if not Tegistered then—in that case all deeds would be registered. The Minister, ashas been seen, esti- mates the lossto the revenue arising from this State of things at 9,000,000f. But, since his state- ment was made in the Chamber, I have had the Means of obtaining various independent opinions from some of the persons most competent to form a, judgment on such subjects in Italy as to the amount of the loss so stated. And [ find the universal opinion to be that the amount is very far underestimated. ‘there is reason to believe that in the course of two or three years after the enactment of the law proposed by the Minister, it would be sound that 40,000,000f, was more like the sum gained to the treasury by it than the nine too modestly named by the Minister—a sum, it need hardly be pointed out, ofthe utmost importance tothe future | of Italy—and of her creditors! This proposition of the Minister has not yet come before the Chamber for aiscussion. Of the matters pending and to be the session it is There ought, of course, to be no shadow of a doubt about its patsing the Chamber by a large majority. But as a friend of Italy I grieve, and if I were an Italian Ishould be deeply humiliated at being obligea to write that very grave doubts are entertained on the joint. And yet, what is it that the Chamber is asked to do? Not to impose a new tax! Not to make a new law! But simply to make compliance with the law as it stands obligatory! ‘fo remove facilities ior fraud! Tbe man who re- juses to give his vote for the Ministers’ proposal says in effect, “prefer to leave a loophole open by means ot which I may deiraud the revenue! J refuse to be constrained to obey the law, which I have myself voted!” And lawyers in the Cham- ber, and Wire-pulling lawyers out of it, probabiy say to themselves that ifthe expense of registry were necessarily contemporaneous with the exe- cution of a deed, fewer contracts would be made. | It is felt by some of the best men in the Chamber and in the Senate that there would be a cynicism of immorality in the rejection of the measure that aceful to the country. And it is still hoped that such a disgrace may be spared it! Thus far, as have said, the conduct of the Chamber has during the current seesion been creditabie; perhaps more so than any other since the Legislature has been estabushed in Rome, The “Left’’ has not been fac- tious; that portion of the “Right” which is com- osed Of the adherents of the late Ministry has not been ungenerous or unreasonable in its Opposi- tion; and the Minghetti Ministry is probably at this moment the strongest which Ital has known for several years. The princi- pai work of the Chamber has Consisted in examin- ing and framing a law regulating the paper currency, ana modifying the position and privileges of the National Bank; im examining a proposal (much needed) lor unproving the law of juries; in examining, criticising and discussing at great length the proposals of the War Minister, General Ricotti, for improving the dejences the country; im discussing, and, I am sorry to say, in throwing out, a bill on elementar; instruction, and in passing the estimates o! the aif- ferent departments, which, in this country, are dis- cussed separately, one after the other. A few orief observations on each of the projects of law I have named will enable the reader to form a competent notion of tne general political situation here—ex- cept, indeed, a8 regards What to the world in gen- eral is the most interesting part of all—the rela- tion vetween the government of Italy ana the Church, between tue Quirinal and the Vatican. But this part ofthe subject must be reserved for another letter, It is far too large and important a one to be treated in the small space that remains to me ou the present occasion. THE NATIONAL BANK. Returning, then, to the taws which have occu- pied the Caamber this session, it may be said, per- haps, that the most important of them is that on the paper currency and the privileges of the Nationai Bank; as 4iso it was mainly to the oppo - sttion between the Chamber and Signor Sella on this subject that the late Ministry owed its fall. The scope of Signor Minghetti in this bill is to piace tive provincial banks—two established in Florence, one {n Naples, one in Sicily and one in Rome—on the same footing with the National or the | | | Pasha, he advised the Prince to address himself to TURKEY. The Sultan His Vassal—How Min- isterial Changes Come About—Return of the United States Minister. CONSTANTINOPLE, May 29, 1874. In my last I mentioned that the removal of Raschid Pasha from the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs was sudden and unforeseen. From the first | it was understood that his dismissal was in some Way connected with the visit of the Prince of Servia; but is was only lately that I became ac | quaintea with the details of a plot, cleverly got up | by the Russian Ambassador, whicn resulted in the | ousting of @ deserving aud painstaking Minister, the restoration to favor ofa narrow-minded, anti- progressive Grand Vizier, and the damaging of the good effect of Prince Milan’s visit to the Sultan, | which was, aiter all, the main object of General | Ignatiem’s scbeme. The situation, as already men- tioned, had been one of great tension between Turkey and Servia, and to bring about a better feeling was a matter of great difficulty. ‘This, Raschid Pasha, in his own quiet, conciliatory man- ner, had succeeded in effecting with Juagment and | tact, The question of the junction of the rail- | ways had been definitely settled, He had per- auaded Prince Milan to pay his long-deferred visit of homage to the Sultan, it being well understood that the other Servian grievance—the retrocession of the village of Littie Swornik—should be left over for discussion until after the Prince should | have made himself personally agreeable to the Sultan and after his departure from Constantino- ple. But, with the thoughtless imprudence of youtb, the Prince imagined he might with safety alter the programme latd down for him by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and, witn this new idea in his head, he sought the advice of Gen- eral ignatiei, who, at a glance, saw how Raschid Pasha’s great work of conciliation might be upset in a moment and his own mischievous designs be made to triumph. Accordingly, unknown to Raschid an influential oficial of the palace, Ali Riza Bey, Grand Master of the Ceremonies, who had ac- quired great favor with His Imperial Majesty—first, ide and Country, for Recreation and Thought, Just now, when the watering places and sammer resorts are most attractive, tt is a very serious question what books the market affords for sum- mer reading, It must be confessed that the list never was less enticing. Still there are some books espectally designed for the season, one or two of which are admirable. No summer book, for instance, could have a more attractive name than Dr. Prime’s, “Under the Trees,” It is a book full of delightful little essays giving glimpses of nature in many parts of the world—on the Hudson, in the Adirondacks, with the Oid Man of the Mountains, in sunny Italy, among thesAlps and atsea, Then there are esSay3 Oa the garden, the roses,the birds, sunshine, showers, insect life, bugs, dogs and authors, besides others on more serious sub- jects, the whole making the volume a good sum- mer book, “The Great Ice Age’ 1s a fitle for a book which has a cool and refreshing sound in summer, but is stil not entirely free from the suspicion that it is serious science. Though this suspicion is not un- founded, Mr. Geikie’s work is withal a good sum- mer book, It is tobe hoped there are some per- sons left not entirely content with what is known as “light reading,” and if among them there are any who wish to study the changes of climate in the glacial epoch, they will find this an interest- ing and valuable volume. It is true the book is more cosmic than comic, but even at a picnic cold roast beef is as necessary as the strawberrics and cream, Should the seeker after summer rest settle Jown at some farm house and there turn his thoughts toward pastoral or bucolic studies, we are sure he would rejoice in Henry Ward Beecher as a gay companion and vivacious guide, And nothing delights the Plymouth divine more than to be ac- cepted as a Sage counsellor on questions aifect- ing tarnips, ploughs and plough horses. Like most | men of sedentary habits who are able to afford | it, Mr. Beecher has a farm, to which he resorts every summer, Here he sows flower seeds while as his purveyor of fancy poultry; then as a success- ful tumbler and buffoon, in which character he so delighted His Majesty that his emoluments were doubled aud he was despatched as _ spe- cial envoy from the Sultan to receive the Shah of Persta some few years back, | on the occasion of his pilgrimage to the holy shrines of Kerbela. Ali Riza Bey is apparently gifted with sharp sight, and it is on this occasion that he saw, or pretended to sce, what ough: not, certainly, to be found 6n the person of royaity, | and on his return so tickled his imperial master’s ears with his accounts of the want Of cleanliness of the great Shan that he was promoted to the post | of Grand Master of the Ceremonies, This indi- vidual, well primed by the Russian Ambassador, | assured the Prince that he might safely make is Tequest, that the ground had been caretully pre- pared, and that the Sultan was disposed to listen to it. Accordingly, om his next visit, which was also his last, the Prince unhesitatingly requested His Majesty to restore Little Swornick tothe Servians. The Sultan, greatly taken aback, replied by a sharp retusal, ‘Majesty,” pleaded the Prince, “1,000,000 of my people ask this favor at your hands.’’ “Forty millions of mine refuse it,” promptly re- | plied the Sultan. “Your Majesty has already ceded | to us the undisputed possession of many fortresses | to which we had less right than we have to Swornik; extend your generosity @ little further and grant us this one also.”’ “Then let the possession of the many fortresses to which you have so little right com- pensate you for the loss of one which you shall not have,” replied His Majesty, and so ter- minated the interview. On the departure of the Prince the Sultan summoned the Grand Vizier, and angrily demanded who it was that had | allowed Prince Milan to make so preposterous | @ request, to break in upon his rest and disturb his peace of mind. The Grand Vizier asserted his in- nocence and ignorance of the whole matter, ana, | not sorry to give Raschid a secret thrust, said these | matters did not concern him; that they belonged | to the Foreign Department, and who could be the | guilty party bat the Foreign Minister himself, who had always shown himself so stanch a supporter of Prince Milan? The Sultan accepted this expla- | nation, and, venting bis wrath on the head of the unsuspecting Raschid, torthwith signed the order for his dismissal. We frequently hear of fresh laws and wise re- forms devised by the Ottoman government, but beyond reading their official publication in the locat prints we seldom hear anything more about them. The probibition against carrying arms is one of those laws which comes under this category. In theory itis very stringent, but in practice it is totally disregarded ; hence stabbing and shooting but too frequently result Irom quar- rels begun on the most trivial grounds. The Croats und Montenegrins are especially reaay with their Knives; they hold human lite very cheap, and @ wrong done intentionally or unintentionally to one of this fierce, bloodthirsty race is one be expiated by the death of the offender. The in- stances are numerous in which @ cruel and savage vengeance has been taken by these people, and 1 have now to relate one more, which has caused much painful excitement in this city within the last few days. Cap- tain Nicolitch, a leading member of the European community of Constantinople and hold- ing the important post of chief agent to the Aus- trian Lioyd’s Steam Company, was basely assassin- sted by one of these Croats in the employ of the company while waiking through one of the busiest and most frequented thoroughfares of Constantinopie and in the broad daylight of a@ summer forenoon. The assassin walked out of a drinking shop, shot his victim in | the back, and quickly disappeared in a side street. A Weak attempt at pursuit was made, but as it | Was speedily observed that many of his country- | | men were at hand armed, as usuai, to the teeth, | ‘then, is vo be the stroke of the magician’s wand , old Sardinian Bank; to Make the credit and the re- | ‘which is to prodace the much needed 50,000,0001. ? | Served 1unds of all of them guarantee the paper Iv is to be accomplished mainly by a better system portion the rights of each of these establishments Of Managing an4 collecting the existing taxes. in respect ol issuing paper, and to attain the very NEW SYSTEMS OF TAXATION, | important object of getting rid of the scandal and circulating in the country; to regulate in due pro- | great inconvenience of a state of things under | The special proposals which are to effect ts | which (for example and briefly) adebtor might | are as follows:—An improvement in the method pay wis creditor 1,000,001. at Rome in paper of collecting the tax on “ricchezza mobile,” or income tax, as we should call it, will, 4t is hoped, produce 4,000,000f. Those who know how very badiy, unequally and imperfectly this tax is collected at present, willnot deem this by any means an exaggerated expectation. Im- | Proved metuods of assessing and collecting the tax on grinding corn—the ‘‘macinato,” as it is called—is to give 3,000,000% This was a favor- ite tax with some of the worst of the oid despotic | governments of Italy. It hasa very bad name, and its imposition by Signor Sella was a very bit- ter pill for the country to swallow. And the pill | has been made more bitter by the inquisitorial ‘means taken for tre collection of it. In fact, it is | one of those taxes which cannot be collected with- out Means more or less objectionable on that score, | Signor Sella caused to be invented a mechanicai contrivance, called a ‘“contatore,” or counter, “which was to register the amount of four ground Dy every pair of milistones in such a fashion that ‘the miller could not tamper with it, The appilca- ‘tion of this machine, the construction of which in whe requisite numbers cost the country an | enormous sum, was extremely unpopular with all classes. The millers resisted it to ine utmost. The critics of the government declared, on the other hand, that the honest mitlers only distiked it, and | that the dishonest of the cra:t approved of it ‘highly on the ground that they could make it tell ‘whatever tale they chose. A clever Yankee told when all the world here Was talking about the “Contatore,” that if the government would give him the commission he Would undertake to pro- duce an instrument for the purpose which should render all fraud in the master impossible, it was Generally believed, however, that Signor selia's “‘Contatore”’ was @ failure, aNd so great was ite un- popularity that, when shortly before his resignation he Was beaten in the Chamber on @ Motion on the subject, the motof an American-born lady friend of mine, Who said that she supposed the phrase rendered 80 familiar by the Latin grammar, ‘/er contatorem fugito”—get you gone because of the | contatore,’’ much about characterized she situa- tion, Was not only ben truvato but vero in real trut An ameliorated collection of the stamp | which popular legislative bodies are jiable. | troops, rather than for stationary ot the Roman Bank, which at; Rome is a legal | tender, while the man who has so received the money at Rome cannot pay his creditor at Milan, say, with the paper he las been compelled to ac- cept, bute in order to do so, must change it into paper of the National Bank, for which he mast pay apremium! it needs no words to point out the monstrosity of such a state of things, which it was one great object of Signor Minghetti’s bili to get rid of Of course, the measure W@s opposed to the uttermost by the bank and the bank’s Iriends, who are very uumerous and very infuential, with Signor Sella at the head of them. But Minghettt had the country with him, and carried his bill by a larger majority shee had been expected. ENAL LA’ The active and_highl. Jastice, Signor Vij fan |, has prepared and will oriy bring beforé te Chamber an entirely new code of penal laws. And Jes tion on the duties and powers of juries Mav pe considered in connection with that targe subject. EDUCATION. ‘The rejection of the bill on elementary instrnc- tion was greatly regretted by the country generally, and the miscarriage cost @ good and useful Min- ister of Public Instruction, Signor Scialota, his post. ‘The mishap was due to one of those accidents 10 Ina thin House, the members of the extreme ‘Left’ who disapproved of the amount of patronage in the appointment of school inspectors retained in the hands of the Minister, suddenly united them- selves with the men of the extreme “Right,’’ who disiike ail secular education for the people, and thus contrived to snatch @ vote of hostility to the bil. On Signor Scialoia’s resignation no new Min- ister of Instruction was appointed; but Signor Cantelli, the Minister of the Interior, assumed that WS. enlightened Minister of | portiolio ad interim, and will reintroduce a mill | which it is said will be in some respects an im- | provement upon that which was rejected. THE ARMY. General Ricotti, Minister of War, has recently Succeeded in carrying through his bill for the ap- propriation of 79,000,000f. to the completion of the defences of the country, not without considera ble Opposition from a small body of economists, who understand that a balance at the banker's is in these days a more indispensable element of na- tional strength than any amount of pricks and mortar on the frontier, and trom @ larger bod y, | who wished that the money to be expended should be used jor the more perfect A a of the fences, The duties is pat down to produce 4,000,000f; and ab @ct | Opponents of the former sort were avery smal) declaring al! deeds not registered according to law ghail be Dali and void is expected to benefit the | treasury to the extent of 1,000,001, TI shail bave to | say afew words red on this last proposal. But | before doing so | will complete the list oj measures | by which the Finance Minister hopes to obtain the | a nh We ag Mg aged | wo grounds hopt t— 20, 000, | fe by the means above stated. Thirt core remain | $0 ve found. Ataxon stock operations, | body; tor, as T have said, the country 18 bent on becoming a great miiltary power. Ui course, the only Fey excuse for such military vellé 8 the danger of attack trom France. How far this is a probable contingency will more conveniently be considered when I come to speak, as i hope to do in @ future letter, of those relationships between Bay and the Church, which will furnish to France least the ‘ostensible motive for such an atvack, indeed, she should eves need such a pretext, he was allowed to make good his escape. The un- fortunate gentieman lingered in great agony till the next day, when he expired, the ball having { lodged in the spine. The motives ior this dastardly | act were purely revenge. The deceased had | aeemed it advisable in tne interest of his com- | pany to suppress a post Of overivoker on the death of the man who lately held it. The brothers of this man, who fully expected that one of them would be selecsed to fill the place, in thelr disap- pointment vowed vengeance, and took the | earliest opportunity of ootaining it. A large pub- lic tuneral testified the respect in which the late Captain Nicolitch was held by all the Europeans | and natives and their abhorrence oj the dastardiy | act. ‘The distress im the famine districts ts still very great, and the wretched population seem to have Teacued the utmost verge of misery and destiiu- tion. [ cannot better describe their condition than | by quoting a letter of a correspondent who writes | from Angora :—‘‘Such 1s the condition of the groups of starving wretches who every day crowd into Angora With the vague hope of being relieved by private charity ; their strength, barely suiticient to | rag their enfeebled limbs so lar, soon jails them, and they are to be seen lying about the streets in the iast stages of exhaustion. Previous to any | measures of relief being commenced the number of deaths on one occasion was as Ingh as twenty, bat from the best information we can ovtain the daily average does not amount now to more than ten. One jygtange, of which hundreds might be given, ts ‘that of 4 family (found by a resjdent here early one morning the — siregt, where tney had passed tne night,) con ist lug, of a Farber two lads and thé thother, with ait Infant oh her breast; they were all so famine stricken that they looked more dead than alive, but with a littie soup carefully administered they were brought round, with the exception of the father and bread-winner, who was inabie to swallow, and died in spite of ali the efforts that could be made to save hum, The means of miti- | gating the distress are nndouptedly inadequate. ‘The local government has set apart a large empty barrack near the town capable of containing 1,400 persons, and makes great Fading of furnishing abundant provision, securing medical attendance, | &c., but, a8 sometimes happens with such enver- prises, the performance nas come much short of , the intention, It seems only to have concentrated | the misery, and the poor wretches within make frantic efforts to escape trom what they find to be | only another Sort oi prison. The piace contains at | present about 600 children, 600 women and goo adult males, The rations are 300 drams of black bread jor adults and 200 drams for cull dren. No attention is paid to cleanliness, the stench isawtal, and the probabilities are that it will be- come @ hot bed for epidemics, A more successful means Of relief is In the shape of a soup kitchen es- tablished in the market piace, where from 400 to 600 people receive every day one substantial meai of | rice, pillar and wholesome bread. For those too | exhausted tor this solid fare seup is prepared, No distinction of creed or nationality is made in distriputing; the most miserable have the best chance, generally famishing women and littie children. To keep this excellent institution open for two months fener further snbseriptions are prayed for from the English speaxing inhabitants | of Constantinople, with Whose money it Las been | chiefly until now supportea, The Hon. George H. Boker, United Minister at the Porte, and Mrs, Boker have retarned from their tour tp Ita} General Meredith Read, Minister of the United States to Greeee, bas returned to Athens iter @ week’a stay in Copstantinopi le, | The fancy farmer caanot fail to ponder for hours | could not well do without them. his “farmer” cultivates less poetic vegetation, Under such circumstances it is not to be wondered at that the good natured clergyman has come to think himself something of an agriculturist, and as talking and writing about wnat he happens to be thinking of are his principal occupations, we are not surprised to find that he has written a book on farming. it is a very amusing book—Mr. Beecher in his funniest vein. 11 is, indeed, as he calls it, “Pleasant Talk About Fruits, Flowers and Farming.” Out of all the agricultural writers Ik Marvel so deliciously described for us a few years ago the three F’s had not a chronicler halfso pleasant or haifso funny. But Mr. Beecher’s book is not altogether humorous, either in Its scope or purpose. It is a work as deftly constructed as one of Wilkie Collins’ plots. Itisadouble acting hoe cultivator, neither covering over the paral- | lel lines of corn nor uprooting the straggling turnips which grow between. For the gener- | ous lover of farm life who grows poetic ideals in his onion beds it is grave, interesting and in- | structive. For the hard working, cross grained, money making son of the soil its gravity disap- | pears, while its gentle humor bubbles up and over. upon Mr. Beecher’s chapters on fodder for cattle, good breeds of cows and keeping pigs warm in winter. can most fully appreciate the wit and wisdom of such sage remarks as that {n winter ‘‘cows should be provided with a comfortable stable; that sheep “abhor wet;’? that the reason why “live geese feathers are the best’’ is that “so long as the bird is alive the feathers are as much an object of nutrition as the flesh, the bones or any other part | ofthe body;" or that “it is’ desiraole when one bas prepared good sticks for supporting carna- tions, roses, dahlias, &c., to preserve them irom year to year.” Every page bristles with sentences It is the practical farmer, however, who | | class than ordinary.” as fine as these; but why the book was | written is past finding out. Its com- monplace 18 marvellous. Indeed, its very originality consists in its complete abnegation of new ideas. There is nothing in it jrom cover to cover that most people do not know. great charm of the book. 1!t 1s like being told that itis @ wet day when it rains, that the weather is | Mr. | fine when the san shines and the air is baimy. Beecher'’s bucolics are pecuiiarly his own, and though there was no special need for them we Aman who ts in the habit of forgetting his own Dame might con- sider himself fortunate in having it written down in his memorandum book. In the matters of fruits, flowers and farming Mr. Beecher has learned the names of things, and his bucolics are their memoranda. And he is so sweetly uncon- scious of the tun of nis writing on these subjects at all that his earnestness fairly makes his book | quiver with excitement. He need not be sur- prised to find his bucolics take their place with the finest specimens of American humor, and, indeed, it is not impossible that the quick appreciation of his countrymen may give him the highest place | among American humorists. Then there are summer books which are half advertisements and half a necessity to some people. One of this kind is “Richfield Springs and Vicinity,” by W. T. Bailey. Like most books of the kind it ts both histéry and geography; but Mr. Bailey, whom a close scratiny of the volume reveals as the vil- lage dentist, goes even farther anu presents his readers with the biographies of most of the local celebrities. Thus the temporary awellers at Rich- fleld Springs are made acquainted with botn the past and the present and with men as well as places, Then, again, for summer reading comes the inevitable guide book, the latest work of this kind being Moriora’s “Short Trip Guide to America.” To the native the vook is almost useless, but to the | traveller from abroad it may prove suggestive, as itis tullof hints for short excursions from New | York and other cities. The same remark may | apply to people who want to go somewhere, but do not know where. Some Theological Books. ' We have now before us @ number of books, aly bearing more or less directly on the leading theo- logical questions of the hour. The books are all of American origin. One is from the pen of a well known divine, the Rev. Mark Hopkins, D. D. Dr | Hopkins grapples with the old dittiqnity—the efti- cacy of prayer. But, while he handles the question with ability and skill, we must be allowed to say that ne furnishes to the theological thinker not a single thought that is new. It is the old story, reason- ably well told; but it neither enlightens on the one hand nor converts on the other, Subjotned | we give aspecimen of the Doctor's reagoning:— | «Wobat tsa miracle?” he asks, “In the Bible the supernatural and the miraculous are not carefully distinguishea, Indeed, the word supernatural is not In the Binle at ail. The two are grouped as ‘signs,’ ‘wonders’ and ‘miracles,’ but we need to find a distinction in kind, In itself miracie is not different from any other event, That an event should become a miracle requires two things. First, there must be Jaws of nature previously es- tablished and those laws must be transcended. In | the beginning, before the laws of nature were established, a miracie was iinpossible. The crea- tion of the world was nota miracle. And, sec- ond, the laws of nature must be transcended by a direct act of will. If I toss this book in the air it ‘will fall by the law of gravitation. That is natural, If 1 suspend it from the ceiling by @ cord I counteract the law of gravitation by the stronger law of cohesion, ani 80 change the result, This is nota miracle, because T nse one law of nature to counteract another, It {8 all natural, except that act of intervention by which the counteraction is brought about. That {9 supernatural, but not miraculous, But if now! were to toss the book into the air, and, bya direct act of my will, with no means inter- ‘This 1s the | by a stronger law, through an adjustment made by intelligence and Will; in the other case will acts directly. A miracle, then, will be a physical effect, in which a law of nature is overcome, or the ele- ments of nature are controlled by a direct act of will, This reveals @ personal power above na- ture, which a uniform law—that is, nature— could not do, Suck was the feeding of the 5,000 by Christ and His walking on the water. Ac- cording to this, 80 far as the dividing of the Red Sea was Cue to the east wind, it was not a miracle, It was a wonder, & maryel, like the effects of fire and of tornadoes, which are such that but for the evi- dence of our senses We could not believe them. It Was supernatural, and, under the circumstances, as signally an interposition of God as if it had been a miracle; but that it was not.” All this is well enough, but we doubt whether such language would have any eflect on the mind of men like Tyndall! and Carpenter and the rest Whose name ts legion, Dr. Hopkins, from the standpoint of the trustfal Christian, does well; but the “Prayer Gauge,” as he calls his littie book, will not greatly enrich the theological library. In spite of Tyndall, men wili pray to the great Supreme, and although Dr. Hopkins cannot explain the reason why, the habit will remain to the end of time. And why chould it not? The great and good in all ages have found relief and Strength in retirement and prayer, D LITERARY CHIT-CHAT. He CIE Tue Emperor oF Cuina has ordered a collection tobe made of Chinese poecry from the earliest times downwards. This collection will be pub- lished in 200 volumes. It is also stated that the Emperor has in his possession a library number- ing over 4,000,000 volumes, There must be some- thing 0! Oriental exaggeration about this. THB MANUSCRIPT of the notorious nove! of “Fanny,” by Ernest Feydeau, bas just been sold at auction at the Hotel des Ventes, Parts. It is entirely in the handwriting of the author, and signed by him, and forms a volume of 300 leaves in quarto, bound in brown morocco, with fy-leaves ofgreen satin, edged with gold tnstde the cover. Put up at 500 trance, this volume was sold for the large price of 1,900 francs, ‘ng HiTueRTO UNPRINTED Parr of ‘Pepys? Diary” relates to the London theatres at his time, one of the most interesting penods in dramatic history. Hurd & Houghton wili publish the book. Osaoop & Co. aunounce for speedy publication Hoiyoake’s “History of Co-operation in England” and William Godwin’s “Autobiography aud Cor- respondence.”” PROFESSOR BLACKIE’S ‘*Wise Men of Greece” will be reprinted by Scribner, HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN says that not one of all the foreign publishers who have transiatea and printed nis books ever sent him a penny in recog- nition, except an American publisher, who, of his own accord, sent him $800, Tue PRopccT OF THE PRESS in France during 1873 amounted to 11,530 books and pamphlets. THE Gentleman's Magazine will print ‘Eros Atha- natos,” a fine poem, by Robert Buchanan. Messrs. Ispister & Co, will shortly publish a ' novel yy Mrs. Muloch Craik, tue author of ‘John Halifax, Gentleman,” entitled “My Mother and 1.” Mr. Exror, the President of Harvard College, is now in Engnd, taking notes of the management of British universities. M. ERNEST RENAN has commenced a course of lectures, at the College of France, on the Book of Job, Puneh has the following:—‘Paterfamilias (who believes in the employment of women) writes to ask why young women should be kept out of the pulpit while there are so many old ones let in 9? ‘THE Btsuor of Derry, says tue London Hornet, has been Dogberrying himself at St. James’ church, Alter a sensational sermon on sensationalism he made an appeal in favor of poor people “of a higher This 2s very good. Let us amend the Bibie so as to read, ‘Ihe poor ye have always with you, especially those of a higher class than ordinary.” PROsPER MERIMER’S ‘Letters to an Unknown” will be added by Scribner, Armstrong & Co. to their “Bric-a-Brac” series, Divor Freres, Paris, have just issued ‘The French Grammarians, 1520-1874,” by J. Tell. “PARIS A TOUS LES DIABLES” is the title of a new work by Pierre Veron, in press, by Lady Fréres, Mr. GLADSTONE Is engaged on a volume entitled “Thesauros Homerikos: A Register o! Matters Noted irom the Text of the Hiad and the Odyssey.” Mr. BROWNING'S new poem is expected to be out in October. It will be on an entirely new subject. Mr. TENNYSON is writing some new “Idylis of the King.’ One is said to be finished. The new idylls will probably precede ‘‘Vivien."” SIR FREDERICK POLLOCK has undertaken to edit, and Messrs. Macmillan to publish, the autobiog- | raphy of the late Mr. Macready, with selections from his copious and interesting journal. Mr. MuRRayY has in preparation, with an original map and iilustrations, “The Last Journals of Dr. Livingstone,” including lis researches and wan- derings in Eastern Africa, from 1365 to within a few days of his death, edited by his son, Mr. T. Steele Livingstone. The volume comprises all the journais sent over by Dr. Livingstone through Mr, Stanley; aiso journals that have been transmitted since, as well asall the papers received by the Foreign Office. THE CITY DMECTORY. Appearance of the Work for 1874-°75— Some of Its Peculiaritics. The “City Directory” for the year 1874-'75 has ap. peared. This 1s the eighty-etghth volume, making the Directory the oldest regular publication now in existence in this country. Every year the volume | has been increasing in size and the number of vening, 1t wero to remain suspended, that would | peamiracie, There would be no violation or sns- pension Of any law of nature, as some suppose there must be, ina miracle, Gravitation would act as before, as itdid when the book was sua pended by a cord, but would, as in that case, overcome by a stronger force. in both cases there is an intervention of will, Tne difference is, that in the one cage the law is overcome names it contains. The Directory for 1872-73 con- tained 211,244 names, an increase of 10,000 over the previous year. Last year the number of names Was 228,161, an increase of nearly 17.000, and the | present work contains 229,503. This comparatively | disgusted many hundreds of the | better than his party. | the old parties alike, THE TEMPERANCE MEN. The Prohibition Convention at Auburn Next Week—A “Third Party” and a Separate State Ticket—General Dix’s Temperance Réoord and Republican Corruption, AUBURN, N. Y., June 21, 1874, On Tuesday next, 23d inst., that section of the people of the State of New York who believe that the all-important issue in the politics of the State, at the present time, Is prohibition of the manufac- ture, importation and sale of alcoholic beverages, meet in convention, in this city of Auburn, to pre- pare @ “platiorm” on which to enter the election campaign next fall, and to nominate a full State “ticket"’ to place before the electors of New York State. A minority of the temperance men, within the republican party, fearing the result to that party of any large withdrawal of the temperance element from their ranks, have proposed that the opposition of the temperance voters should Das directed solely against the renomination of Gov? ernor Dix. They desire to make & “scapegoat” of General Dix on the ground that he made himself ob- noxious to the temperance men of the republican party, because he last year vetoed the “Local Prohibition” act. They wish the republican party to nominate a new candidate for Governor who would be free from any record of *his kind, and ready to promise the temperance voters any- thing and everything for the future. These men feel anxious merely tor the safety of the republi- can “ticke’ next November, and not for any mat- ter of prohibition principles, They know right well that Governor Dix merely vetoed the ‘Local Prohibition” act at the dictation of the leading wirepullers of the republican party. This was seen in the fact that although the bill was passed throagh the Assembly and Senate by overwhelm. ing majorities yet they failed to sustain these ma- jorities in attempting to pass it over the Gover- nor’s veto, The party passed the bill to please the temperance electors and then got the Governor to Veto it to please the German supporters of the party. This was the height of their party tactics at Albany. THE WIRE PULLING POLITICIANS amongst the temperance men now wish to throw all the blame of this veto upon General Dix, and then ask that he be thrown overboard by the party and that a professed prohtbitionist be nomi- nated in his stead to head the republican “ticket.” Of course gentlemen like Mr. John O’Donnell, Clerk of the assembly, nominal leader amongst the Goad Templars and Sons of Temperance, do not want to witness any departure of temperance electors from the republican ranks, Tue sustaining of the party and maintaining it in power, means contin- uence in office for Mr. John O'Donnell. The ques- tion, therefore, put by this class to the temperance electors is:—Would you vote for a prohibition ticket and thereby allow the democrats to carry the State? In order to meet the objections of the | temperance voters arising {rom the act of Govern- or Dix in vetoing the ‘Local Pronibition” act, ts | has been suggested by these men that General Dix should be put aside by the republican party; a@ hew candidate for Governor be nominated; the temperance electors be retained by fair promises s the republican ranks, and thus evade the risk oO LETTING THE DEMOCRATS CARRY THE STATE. This scheme has failed already of its purpose. It has only aroused the antipathy of the most earn- est men in the probibition party to ultra oppo- sition to the republican wire-pullers. They say, “Governor Dix did nothing but what the republi- can party desired him to do. He is, if anything, They have no right to throw him over, because he carried out their be- hests.’” And these prohibitionists are determined not to be led into any special opposition to Gov- ernor Dix. They proclaim open hostility to both They affirm that the demo- crats and republicans are both “tied neck and heels to the whiskey ring.” This 1s the ground taken by these out-and-out probibitionists. They, teretore, purpose to have their own full “ticket” for every Office in the State, and to make no com- promise With either republicans or democrats. ‘These prohiviciontsts have called the convention which meets on Tuesday in Auvuro. They have invited representatives from all the temperance orders ane organizations in the State. Tue basis on which they are to meet Is that of A DISTINGT “THIRD PARTY.” There is no room left tor any consideration ot Whether they are toact with tuis party or with that, which may promise most for temperance leg- isiation. They have gone far beyond that ques- tion. They prociaim themselves fo be an existing | ‘cuurd party” tn the state, perfectly and wholly in- dependent of republicans or Jewocrats. Whoever attends the convention on Tuesday will have no right to raise any question of compromise with either of the old parties, The questions before the convention will simply be What are the best means to employ and who are the best men to nominate to lurther the objects and progress of the prolubition party of the State of New York. The gathering of temperance men in this city next Tuesday is expected to be very large and mfuential. There is no ignoring the fact that they embrace a very important element in the State of New York. ‘They were never so resolved as at the present time to make their weight felt ina separate party. The acknowledged cor- ruption in the ranks of the Lats Oe power has st men among the republicans. They are not prepared to go ; Over to the democratic party, but they are quite | Teady to unite with a new party based on one os issue which they designate “the Living issue” and with Prohibition as the watchword, to form a new party which will go for purity in oftica, and above all PROHIBITION OF THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC. This is the question which the convention meets to take action upon on Tuesday. The republican party may well dread the resuit of the course to be taken by this convention. It was to . endeavor to ‘take the wind out of their sails” that Governor Dix’s letter on bis temperance record Was publisted in the Syracnse Journal. That communication will have no effect whatever on the question at issue. General Dix was, evidently, led to believe that the objection of the Pail was to him personally. This is @ mistake. There 1s no objection among them to Governor Dix. The real objection 18 to the entire republican party in the State of New york... The record of General Dix for or ugainst temperance would not now have the least effect on the action of the prohibition convention. A separate and distinct “ticket” is certain to be put forward by the prohibitionists. They have miany very.excellent men to nominate for every oulice in the State, und tley will not now consent to play "second fiddie" to either of the old parties in the State. Their conventiun meeting thus | early in the year will give the republicans and small increase is to be attributed to the pantc of | last September and to the fact that the very large increase of last year was partly owing to the in- crease of population by the Westchester annexa- tion, It wiil be seen, however, that in spite of the panic the population of the city has iucreased over 7,000, AS & matter of course the new Directory, like those which preceded it, has @ humor which is confined to this species of publication. It has its redundancy of Smiths and Browns and other Jamiliar names; but there is no Jonger any fun in recounting thelr number, Yet the Smith family is suggestive even now, especially as illustrating the modern taste for double names. Joun Snuth, of democrats the opportunity of ascertaining what may be expected from these movements, while it Will also give the prohibitionists plenty of time to Ccativass the State in support of their ticket.” AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE IN SPAIN. (From Galignani’s Messenger, June 10.) A brilliant party assembled in Barcelona on the morning of the 3d inst., at the house of the Ameri- _ can Consal, Mr. Henry Ruggies, to witness the marriage ceremony between Lieutenant Charles C. Cornwell, of the United States Navy, and Sefior- ita Dona Sol Cerda, daughter of Sefior Don Tide- | fonso Cerda, late President of the Diputacion di course, liolds his old supremacy; but, from Joun A. | to John W. Smith, all the letters of the alphabet are | used for middie initials, except F,OandQ. Jobn C. Smith, John E. Smith, John G. Smith, John H. Smith, John L. Smith and John 8, smitn are com- mobplice enougu aud are dupli ed very olten, With no more effect than if some other letter was used; bat when the middie Dame is speiied out into John Cotton sinith, John Elliott Smith, John Galt », John Henning simith, Joun Lee Smith and Sabine Suiiti, the ordinary patronynuc fairly bulges out with importance. The Macs and the O's also fill their oldtime places. Beginning with Mr. Ambrose McAdam on page 708, we end with Deputy Coroner Macwhinnie on page 849, making more than fifty pages. For the other from the O'Gradys to the O? Pooles,-much less spa is required, represented in whe New York Directory. ule opens with Aab and e ouly is every natiouulity represented, but t a | and new poets and dramatists (gure in the book. | There are Lo Shakespeares, 16 is true; out, then, ere are aby Number oO! Sheridans and a respecta- ble company of Miltons, plenty of Popes, but only two Dryde ridge bor a Wordsworth, but no Longiel ‘e is not a Cole- There 18 one ‘ieunyson, w, though there Longheads and Longstaits and Longstreets., There are pleuty of Couinses, but oat of the lot twenty- five are put down as Thomas and not one as Tom. Which ot them sed so much trouble recently does not appear. George Washington figures quite extensively in the book, and, as a rule, ve 18 not proud—indeed, he ts so humble m his avoca- tions that he ance & barber and five times a waiter, The Dij ory gives no information on the question whether each one of him had a itttie hatchet. Among other curwsities it 1s noticeabie Every nationality tinder the san is , ? that the name of Wham M, Tweed has disap. | peared, Complaint is made in the pretace of want 01 public co-operation in periecung the Work, and, strange to say, the majority of the names refused Bat the Directory seems as pearly pericct asa work of the kind can pe made, and its appearance within six weeks afer the May movings shows much activity on the part af its projectors, bo | are in Fifth avenue or in blocks adjacent to it, | Barcelona. Among the distinguished guests pres- ent were the commanders and many of the officers of several foreign ships-ol-war of various nations lying in port; the Marquis de Forbin Janson, Consui General of France; Baron de Lenk-Woltsberg, Consul General of Aus- the Chevalier Arnoldo de Martino, Consul of Italy, together with @ iarge num- ber of notable citizens of the town. The excertor of the Consnl’s house, as well as the taterior, was gayly decorated with Spanish aud American flags and a profuston of beautiful fowers. When the ceremony Nad terminated and reiveshinents served, the bride and bridegroom were escorted by the officers present and some personal friends tothe French steamer Danube, bound for Marseilles, where they received the part- ing bon voyage to the United States, The civih murriage services, under the Spanish law, were previously performed in the Audience Chamber of the old palace, where Ferdinand and Isabella wel« comed Columbus on his retura from the discovery of America. HEBREW FEMALE ORPHAN DOWRY SOUIETY, This organization, now chartered under the laws of tne State of New York and consisting of seventy directors, held a regular session sesterday morn. ing in the fine rooms of the Progress Ciub, No, 110 West Forty-second street, The regular order of business having been proceeded with, an election Jor permanent Officers was held, resulting in the choice of the following ticket, Which Was uD@Di- mously elected :— iresident,—Mr, Simeon Gutman, A President.—Mr, Morris Goodheart. Recording Secretary.—Mr, Benjamin Gardner. Financial Secretary.—Mr. B, J. BachiMane Treasurer.—MT Levi A Pera ae be Committees on.Applications and Bxpenditures.—~ tr. 1. Bamberger, chairman, and Messrs. Joseph suitzberger, af, Thalmessinger, J. Wallach, Louis Strassburger H. Kitzinger and A. Wormser, i Pinonce Committee—Mr, M. Goldman, Chairman Messrs, G, Heidelberg, Lazarus Morgenvhatl Herrman, W, H. Stern, Dr. Morris Buinger and Mr. 1. Isaacs.” A vote of thanks to the cotising ottcera ‘Was Unanimously adopted. After the transaction of other routine business the meting adiourocd, sublect to the call of the Chairs