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Zone BRANCH. George Francis Train at the Branch. HIS WITHDRAWAL FROM PUBLIC LIFE No Opposition to the Third Term. A LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT. Contribution to the Beecher Correspondence. LONG BRaNcH, August 30, 1874. Althongh the third term cause bas received womething of a drawback in the direct condemna- thon of the Kansas Republican State Conven- Uon, the indirect repudiation of the Pennsylvania Convention and the avowed opposition of Vice President Wilson, it has not been without some compensating ‘recent accessions, Mr. George Francis Train is at Long Branch, at the Ocean Hotel, and his arrival has been instrumental in eliciting the fact that he has withlrawn his op- Position to President Grant and will not contest, ifhe should not actively support, his re-election. Mr. Train refuses to take any part in politics or to have anything to do with the newspapers at the present time, declaring that he has abandoned all thought of becoming again a candidate for the Presidency or of doing anything but watch the eurrent of events. THE ADVANTAGES OF ADSTEMIOUSNESS. He bas entirely given up eating animal food, and to this he attributes the present coolness of his brain and the calm content that has taken ‘the place of his old restless ambition to rule and reform the country. He can now look on with comparative indifference and watch the arrival of those events already predicted by him, and which he believes will come to pass just as certainly as id the vindication of the woman whose truthful- Ress he maintained at the expense of his hberty. ‘What those events will in his judgment be can be Gathered from tne speeches he made when a can- didate before the people. The beginning of the end is to be the panic of 1874, which, according to Professor Train, 1s to occur some time between September 1 and November 1 of the present year, and to be of greater extent than the panic of 1837, 1847, 1857, 1867 and 1873 combined. Our financial Sdifice is likened by the ex-Presidential candidate to a five story building, the ground story being the first mortgage, the next the second mortgage, the next the third mortgage, the next the furniture, the next the wife’s dower and the roof outstand- ing bills. When the paniccomes it must knock away ali the structure except the ground floor or first mortgage, and as this will be immediately destroyed by legislation our property necessarilly falls to pieces like a house built ot cards, WHAT WE ARE COMING TO. it can readily be understuod what must follow according to the Train philosophy. The great theatre ut which the play of lite is being enacted is divided into two parts, the reserved orchestra chairs and the body of ihe house, In the select Circle are seated 100,000 favored individuals:who are all property and no taxes—the “bloated bond- holders” as Thad Stevens cailed them. In the body fof the house are the 40,000,000 people who are no property and ali taxes. It will not be sur- prising if the crowded andiénce behind should breay into and overrun the orcuestra reserved seats. All this might have been preventea if the people of the United States had elected George Francis Wrain their Presiaent instead of Ulysses S. Grant; but they did not doit and must take the conse- juences, Five conventions were held in the last residential canvass, and the platform was specie wyments and national banks in some, and na- jonal vanks and specie payments in others. Vox populi, with forty mulion people jumped on to the convention end of the see-saw, and vox Tratni, ‘With a thousand and twenty-eight at the other end, went up in the alr. Grant brought up atthe ‘hite House—@eorge Francis at the Tomps. Hence Mr. Train has made up his mind thav he ‘will Dave nothing todo with politics or press, and desires to keep out of public view. It will, how- ever, interest the people to know the reason of his retirement into private life; hence he will ex- cuse this relerence to his views. TRAIN AND THE THIRD TERM. Meeting a personal friend of President Grant to- day I mentioned Mr. Train’s presence at the Branch, ane was informed that President Grant, a Jew weeks ago, received a letter irom his oid oppo- | Ment of a very singular character. My informant, who had seen the letter, states that in it Mr. Train informs the President that he is no longer in the Presidential field; that he has made up his mind that President Grant is the people’s choice and the proper man for the Presidency of the United States. The Peele, have so decided. Beecher ts the fitting and chosen representative of religton, Wiliam EK. Dodge of commercial integrity, Colfax of Congressional honor and purity, and Graat of the eople of the United States, So Mr. Train begs to withdraw all he has said agamst President Grant, to advise him that he regards the prospects of a third term as very promising and to assure him that it ‘Wili not any longer find an opponeat in George Francis ‘irain, The President can, therelore, con- gole himsel/ for the impudent intermeddiing of Kausas and Pennsylvania by the knowledge that one of his rivals at least is out of the way. A CONTRIBUTION TO THE BELCHER LITERATURE, A weil known public character, whose name {s withheld for the reason that he does not desire to be mixed up in any pablic manner with the Beecher nastiness, has addressed the following remarkable letter to Frank Moulton, with whom he is intimately acquainted. Itisa curious addi- tion to the Plymouth Rock literature:— Lona Branch, Lrnanp's Ocean House, August 30, 1874 Francis 0. Moutton, Remsen street, Brooklyn : THE NEW THIRTY-NINE ARTICLES, “Bravo! Three cheers for Moulton! Oue man against | three thousand!” Out ot self-respect for manhood I sent that telegram serday. Your action Was grand. Nothing like it in his centzry. The reaction will be a whiriwind. Beech- er's now doxology is, “Give him hell!” His new creed, “Rush him!” “shoot him!” for Christ's sake. His new prayer, “Put him ont! God damn him!” Hig new amen, “Kill the blackmailer!”? ‘ ‘The fates are with you, The destinies are running this thing. It was God Almighty’s primary. Christ culling the Christian’s roll! The dervishes in Turkey, the fanatics of the Jugyer- aut, cunnot eclipse that sublime frenzy. Tammany under Rynders never surpassed that religious mob gamed the Fiymouth Church rat pit! 8 You're a liar,” to Raymond, was immense! Your ‘No? was a million voices. ‘Tilton, tor awhile, must aback seat. Your bul! was first in the ring, When sister” yelled out “ago,” she called Beecher the Moor; a mice character that! ‘When Raymond. told the dog story, his point was when paving the pound that the boy was the thief. Apply this. Beecher paid thousands to Moulton! Why? Because he was guilty! ‘ SWIM FOR LIFE. When Beecher tumbled into the Tilton yault you and Tilton plunged in to save him for a consideration; you ‘oth got asnore with soiled clothes without your man, The Investigating Cominittee attempted a rescue and came out with a feartul stench! Now the Church are pisoricg, through the filth of ages while the whole world olds its Nose | When rats commence gnawing the rotten timber of Christ's Seragiio in Brooklyn they little suspect that they will be buried in the ruins of the falling fabric, ‘on have no control over the forces that are pushing ‘ou to the tront. You are knocking “The life of Christ i ‘Ukites, ‘The cry is going out from “me Church of the holy Roger.” Down with hypocracy and up with the religion of health. Beecher's retigion ‘was {o save people after they were dead.t We want » religion to save them while they are living. Plymouth church strove to keep people out of hell instead of keep- ing heli wut of the peopie. THE REAPING OF THE HARVEST, The fact is those powders of the Church and pills of politics have produced chronic dyspepsia in society, while the previous compounds of tradition, education and custom have corrupted the whole people. The aug. mentation. of wealth has accumulated almost universal poverty. How much longer will ignorance and hunger alow the sods fo sit on the shore of Beecher luxury? ‘The wall of starving worcmen ere long may startle the pompous churchinen with the wild cry ot civil war. Man and monopoly have subdued land and water th pagh seeaca and electricity; but man and mind are still enslaved. ‘Art displaces nature. Colleges, schools. churches everywhere tor the rich, but no money, no knowledye, Bo food for the poor, Wait till the lava torrents of an en- aged people pour through the panic stricken cities with the fever frenzy of despair. Talk not of abundant crops Where eorn is cheaper than fuel. Can this restore par- alyzed industry? hen bulls and bears can corner food and legislation auperize the masses in favor of the few, wity Doast undant harvests? Where 2,00) protessional abortion- ts commit their hourly murders under the shadow of Flymouth church; where politics signity robbing the treasury; where feligion means Beecherism; where Pastoral Visits are called “nest hiding,” who can be sur- prised that talschood overcomes truth and everywhere vice is mistaken tor virtue? How can man be happy with dreams of perpetual aradive? Iftorty women should consent to crim con With he hay fever pastor his congregation would not believe it. We have not yet seen the end of the beginning, much noore the beginning of the end. SEPTEMBER AT THE BRANCH. There were quite a large number o1 arrivals at the hotels this morning, and the weather 18 eaghe3 with the best bathing of the season. eptember is asplendid month at the Branch—the very best of the year—and persons who have once epent a September here are certain to repeat the experiment, The days are not too warm; the sea is as calm as a jake, and the bright moonlight on he Aflantic ia very beautiful, io Meean ard NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, AUGUST 3h, CS aviEe remains open untf October and stil! sas a iarge number of guests. The Howland House reduces its charges twenty per cent alter September 1, and yet retains its music, hops and all the attrac- tions of the height ot the season, If the present delightful weather continues Long #ranch will be enjoyavle for the next four or five weeks. LITERATURE. CHIEF JUSTICE CHASE. The Life and Public Services of Salmon Portland Chase, United States Senator and Governor of Ohio, Secretary of the Treasury and Chief Justice of the United States. By J. W.Shuckers. New York: D. Appleton & Co, The admirers of the late Chief Justice, who com- prise a large proportion of the American people, will welcome this fair, friendly, authentic record of nis private life and public services, The publi- cation in the early part of the present year of Warden’s gross and malignant caricature—a voluminous biography, every page of which is colored by a vulgar sneer, and exhibits the career of the distinguished statesman with @ spurious truthfulness resembling that of a waiting woman, who should dress her mistress for a ball by putting on her satins and laces wrong side out, will cause Mr. Shuckers’ book to be sought with eager in- terest by a public wishing to know the real char- acter of this distinguished man, who played so conspicuous a part in nis country’s history during its most memorable period, Some time since we gave a brief notice of the present work, and we now cheerfully add another and final chapter to the criticism then commenced, Mr. Shuckers possesses some valuable qualifica- tions ior his task, accompanied with some draw- backs,+ He was for along pertod the trusted pri- vate secretary of Chief Justice Uhase, enjoys the fall confidence of the surviving members of the family, has written his book with their approba- tion and assistance, and has been allowed free ac- cess to the correspondence, dtary and other private papers of his illustrious subject. With these great advantages no other biographer can compete with him im the value of his materials. He was treated by the Chief Justice rather as an attached intimate friend than as a dependent subordinate, as is abundantly shown by some of the letters printed in this voiume with another purpose. His literary competency Jor such a task is also respect- abie, nis long habit of writing under tne guidance of a person of Mr. Chase’s taste for chaste, con- cise composition and contempt for rhetorical flourishes and verbiage having pruned his style of all tendencies to redundance and given it a manly clearness and simplicity. Mr. Shuckers’ detects are such as are incident to these advantages, He fails in breadth of view and independence of judgment, He has been so long accustomed to look at ail subjects in subservience to an intellect that dominated nis own, yielaing himself a3 a mere vehicle for the expression of Mr. Chase’s ideas, as to incapacitate him for discriminating criticism, and in the preparation of this work he has been as completely under the influence of Mr. Chase’s fam- ily as he was under that of Mr. Chase himself in assisting him in the preparation of his papers. ‘The biography of this statesman, to be fitly writ- ten, should be undertaken by @ person who, ifnot his peer in ability, has at least the free use of his own faculties in estimating public measures and the comparative services of public men. ‘The work before us has the merits and detects of an autobiography, being substantially such an account as Mr. Chase himself would have given of bis own career if he had seen fit to imitate many other statesmen who have written their memoirs. It lacks, indeed, the prestige of such an authorship and that treedom of self-criticism which candid bigh minded autobiographers some- times practise, but it is nearly-akin to that species of literature, Aiter this general description it 1s, perhaps, superfluous to say that the best portion of the con- tents of this volume consists of the copious ex- tracts from Mr. Chase’s private papers with Which its pages abound. The authentic inside views of important public transactions 1s often of surpassing interest as well as great historical value. Among the subjects which recelve new illustration irom this source are the differences which arose between President Lincoln and Secretary Chase while the latter remained in the Cabinet and which finaily led to his retirement; his strong repugnance to the issue of legal tender notes and the reluctance with which he yielded his opposition; the light thrown on the secret his- tory of the war and especially on the causes which destroyed confidence in General McClellan ; the play of motives in the impeachment of Andrew Johnson, 2nd—thougnh last, not least—the connec- tion of the Chier Justice with the movement to make him the democratic candidate for the Presi- dency in 1868. Our space does not permit us to go into all these topics with the fresh lignt shed upon them by Mr. Shuckers’ book, but we will sclect one or two on which the motives of Mr. Chase were impugned and which subjected him to vio- lent assaults by the political party that nad rec- ognized him as one of its most distinguished lead- ers. Reversing chronological order, we will begin with his avowed willingness to accept ademo_ cratic nomination for the Presklency. Itis abun_ dantly proved by the documents incorporated in this volume that Mr. Chase never sought such a nomination; that the popular movement for ten- dering it to him was entirely spontaneous, under the leadership of the independent press; that there were no bargains and next to no consultations between him and the democratic magnates; that he maintained an unswerving fidelity to his sife- long principles when this seductive prize was displayed before his eyes, steadily refusing to bate an tota from his inflexible devotion to negro suffrage or in apy way compromise his convictions. The truth is that the Chase movement of 1868 was set on foot by the HERALD without consultation with anybody. The HERALD acted on the same prompt perception of popular tendencies and political powsibilities which has so often impelled it to give good advice to parties | who did not perceive thetr opportunities, That it counselled the democratic party wisely in start- ing the Chase movement is now generally admit- ted, the most judicious democratic statesmen re- garding it a8 a capival mistake that Chase was not nominated in 1868, That the ball was set in mo- tion by the Heranp, is correctly stated by Mr. Shuckers in the tollowing passage:—‘The Con- vention assembled in the city of New York on the Fourth of July. If the friends of Mr. Chase had been left free to choose the place of its theeting, witn oa view to outside pressure, they would have chosem New York. The public sentiment of that city was overwhelmingly in his favor. It was not noisy and demonstrative, but was everywhere apparent, and was largely owjng to the powerful and persistent advocacy of his name by the HeraLp, For months that paper had urged the nomination.’ No public journal ever gave a political party more tmely advice, and no political party ever so signally Jailed to take advantage of a tide which woula have led ion to fortune. The most sagactous of the democratic leaders saw that the HERALD was Tight, and cautiously tried to have its advice adopted. About a month before the assembling of the Convention, Mr. Belmont, chairman of the Democratic Natioual Committee, wrote a private and confidential letter to Mr. Chase, with- out consultation with anybody, as he stated, but saying he was satisfied that most of the leading democrats of New York favored Mr. Chase’s nomi- nation. Among those leading democrats tne most pronounced was Horatio Seymour, on whom the Convention afterward forced the nomination; but he had no correspondence or otner communication with Mr. Chase. The volume before us contains a long and interesting letter from Mr. Seymour written less than twelve months ago upon this subject, The veteran and retired statesman, calmly reviewing the canvass of 1868, after the lapse of five instructive years, has no doubt that his party chose the wrong road and that its failure to nominate Mr. Chase was a@ great national calamity. Mr. Seymour closes bis letter by saying:—“I believe that if Mr, Chase had been made President in 1868 the dim- culties and dangers which now perplex our coun- try would have been at this time satisiactorily ad- insted.” Re bad no donb, that “Mr Chase wand “did not spring trom any personal prejudice in bis favor, for my acquaintance with him was very slight, and I had not seen him in many years. On the other hand, I felt a strong political and per- sonal Iriendship for the democratic candidates. At the outset there would nave been some feeling of opposition to him tn the democratic ranks, but that would have passed away as the character of the political issue made itself clear.” From a biographical point of view the interest of that memorable attempt relates rather to the political integrity and consistency of Mr. Chase than to the public consequences which might have followed his election. Superficially it seemed an unfit and mcongruons thing that one of the most eminent leaders of the republican party should have been willing to accept a democratic nomina- tion for the Presidency, A great handle was made of it by mob-courting partisans to convict Mr. Chase of inordinate ambition, and a willingness to barter bis principles for political promotion. The accusation was wholly unjust, as this volume proves by a superfluous abundance of testimony. The trath is that Mr. Chase had no hand in the effort to nominate him trom begtuntng to end. It was @ popular movement started by the HERALD without his or anybody’s complicity, and the sur- prising progress it made was due entirely to the public sense of its fitness. Mr. Chase had always been a decided democrat on every question except that of siavery and negro suffrage, and this differ- ence resulted trom his stricter logic in carrying out democratic principle. He stood immovably by his position on these questions in every attempt made to sound him previous to the meet- ing and during the sessions of the New York Con- vention in 1868. Governor Seymour’s tesumony is emphatic as to the absence of all intrigue. In the letter already quoted trom Mr. Seymour says:—“While bis name was thus brought into the discussions of democratic councils, there was no communication with him on the part of any democratic delegate, to my knowledge. I think I first suggested the propriety of his nomination, if the contingency should arise which would make it expedient; and I fre- quently presented to other delegates the reasons 1a javor of it. Yet in no way had | any communi- cation with him, directly or indirectly, nor did I ever hear that he looked upon his nomination as probable or desirable. We thougnt he could not reject it, if it was made on the ground I have suggested”? In reply to Mr. Belmont’s letter, already alluded to, the Chief Justice wrote, May 30, 1868:—“I beg you to believe me, for I say it in all sincerity, that I do not desire the office of President nor a nomination for it.” His confidential letters to intimate friends were of the same tenor. To one of them, after the adjournment of the Convention, he wrote :—Un- der all the pressure which preceded the Conven- tion I steadily maintained my own adhesion to the doctrines of universal suffrage and the recognition of the new constitutions as accomplished facts,’’ A full disclosure of the secret history of that move- ment 1s a complete vindication of the purity, con- sistency and propriety of every part of Mr. Chase’s conduct in relation to it. We have dwelt at such length on this topic that we cannot enter into the details of any other, although the im- pulse is strong to say something of the course of the Chief Justice in the celebrated impeachment trial, which drew upon him all the batteries of abuse of the republican party. His judicial firm- ness on that occasion is one of the proudest chap- ters of his life; and even Charles Sumner, who resolutely withstood him, and after one of his Tulings cried out, “Alas, poor Chase!” lived to say that the conduct of the Chie! Justice during that trial “was one of bis nobiest titles to fame.” We commend this interesting volume to all stu- dents o1 our history as containing much valuable information which 18 not accessible in any other form. POLITICAL ECONOMY. Some Leading Principles of Political Economy Newly Expounded. By J. E. Cairnes, M. A., Emeritus Professor of Political Economy in University Col- lege, London. 8vo, pp. 421. New York: Harper & Brothers. ‘This important book, by one of the most exact and patient thinkers of the period, and the ablest English expounder of political economy since the death of Mr.’MilJ, has not sufMcient popular in- terest to justiiy an extended review in a daily newspaper. The readers of such works form but @ small minority in any community, and we discharge our duty to them in in- forming them of the prompt publication ofan American edition in clear, large type and ex- cellent bindiag, which may be purchased at about half the cost of aa English copy. This is not an elementary work; if 1s addressed to readers who are already acquainted with the doctrines of polit- ical economy as expounded by its great teachers, and seeks to rectify the errors and misconceptions into whicn they have fallen and to set forth the principles of the science with more cautious limi- tations and some new applications, It has, more- over, an additional value py its intelil- gent discussion of the party problems, which are merging into scientific promi- | nence in connection with trades unions, strikes, co-operation and the wide range of ques- tions growing out of the relations of capital and labor, The most interesting portion to readers on | this side of the Atlantic is its coptous discussion, filling one-third of the work, of the principles of international trade, in which, besides correcting the misconceptions of 19rmer writers, Professor Cairnes presents an able review ot the recent com- mercial policy of the United States, exposing its errors and dangers with a bold and strong nand. No recent contribution to economic science so well deserves the thoughtful study of our statesmen and publicists as this Important work by a vigor- ous thinker, whose reputation has been long established and whose opinions are held in high respect by all competent judges, NEW YORK CITY. siehieentioe At a quarter before eight o’elock yesterday morn- jug Ernest Gunsch, sixty-seven years of age, was | found in the water Closet of his resisence with @ | pistol shot wound in his head, from whica he died, Coronor Crocker Was notified. At half-past ten o'clock yesterday morning Hugh Flannagan fell unconscious on pier 52 East River, and was removed to his nome, No. 613 | Water street, where he died before medical avtend- po could be procured. Coroner Crocker was no- tufled. William Gamber, aged thirteen, residing on Sixty-fifth street, between Eighth and Ninth ave- nues, was drowned yesterday afternoon while bathing in the North River at the loot of Sixty- second street. His body was recovered by Oflicer Morrell, of the Twenty-second precinct, and sent to his parents, Yesterday morning James Davis, of No. 110 Cherry street, and James Hogan, of No, 16 Roose- velt street, two promising Candidates lor the State Prison, were Sangin attempting to break into the premises No. 52 New Bowery, occupied by George Govtsberger as a brewery. When under arre: they made an effort to escape, but a few applic tions of the club induced them to abandon tne attempt. On Saturday night, as Robert Jameson was leav- ing the ticket office of the Long Island Railroad, a man named Thomas Servis, of Massachusetts, snatched trom his hand @ pocketbook containing $256 and rap away. He was pursued and overtaken by Oficer Vail, who took mm into. custody. ‘Thomas was held in $1,000 to answer for grand larceny. On Saturday night Willlam Patten and James | Boyd, two dear aad dom ‘tes, went into the | oyster saloon of John Clark, 240 Church street, and, after @ littie pantomime, were given two | stews. They were going away without paying for | them when the proprictor gave them to under- stand that they must fork out torty cents or take the consequence. This proposition they answered with negative grimaces and a deflant bearing. They then attempted to push their way out, but Clark and his assistant effectively barred their way. Hereupon they waxed wroth, made much noise and smashed pieces half a dozen lasses that lay on the counter. A policeman tly came in and took them to the ‘Laird pre- Justice Wandell fined them The other not locked up. ation house. $10. Patten paid each having the necessary stamps wi! “BROOKLYN. _ Martin Qallvy, of No. 299 Marcy avenue. while carried away by the undertow and drowned. The body has not yet been recovered. ‘The inquest in the Torrina murder case will be resumed this alternoon betore Coroner Whitehill. Edward Smith was committed to await the tion of the Grand Jury (or selling poticy ¢lips at No, 925 Myrtie avenue. ‘The policy business is rapidly being exterminated in Brooklyn. Henry Williams was snot in the left shoulder, by @ saloon keeper named Michael Dowd, at No, 127 Third street. The quarre! grew out of a dispute ree the payment o: drinks. Dowd is held lor nial. James Tierney, of No. 195 Sands street, was as- saulted by a young man, while on his way home, along Hudson avenue, at an early hour yesterday. ‘The fellow attempted to rob Mr. ‘Tlerney, but the iniser gave the rogue a good drubbing and sent him off on the “double quick.” During an altercation which occurred between ‘Thomas Fleming, Jonn Cain and Jobn Connelly, in the saloon of Patrick Breslin, York street, corner of Main, on Saturday night, the former was so severely beaten that it was iound necessary to re- move him to the City Hospital. The accused will be arraigned for examination to-aay. To-morrow the fifth annual regatta of the Wil- Namsburg Yacht Club will take place from their club house, foot of Eagle street, Greenpoint, to and around the Stepping Stones Buoy and return, The steamer Virginia Seymour will accompany the boats, with the judges. Start at ten o’clock A. M. The one story (rame stable No, 3 Little Nassaa street, owned by Joseph Welsh, was totally de- stroyed by fire at half-past eight o’clock last even- ing. Loss on the building, $300; insured in the Montauk company tor $200. ‘Two valuable horses that were in the stable were rescued by the police. ‘The cause of the fire is unknown, Yesterday afternoon, as Mr. Alfred Saxby, of Third avenue and Tenth street, was driving along Union street the horse became frightened and ran away. Mr. Saxby endeavored to escape by jump- ing irom the wagon, but tripped on one of tne wheels and {ell head foremost to the ground, frac- turing his skull so that death resulted almost in- Stantaneously. Mr. Samuel Henderson, who was in company with Mr, Saxby, remained In the car- riage, and escaped uninjured. The oody of the deceased was taken home by the police. LONG ISLAND. 3 el 4 Professor Henry W. Longfellow with two of his daughters 1s visiting Shelter Island, the guests of Proiessor Horsford. The Presbytery of Long Island will meet at Middletown (Yaphank station of the Long Island Railroad) on the last Tuesday of September, the 29th, at seven o’clock P.M. The moderator, the. Rev. Eusepius Hale, will preach. During the ser- vices haifa day will be given to # Presbyterian Sabbath school institute, The Democratic County Convention for Suffolk County to elect three delegates to represent the county in the State Conventton at Syracuse on the ‘16th of September, {8 called to meet at the Court House in Riverhead on Monday, September 14, at hall-past one o’ciock P. M. The county committee in issuing the call take occasion to make a better and more systematic organization in the various election districts, . The Suffolk County Teachers’ Institute com- mences its two weeks’ session at Riverhead to- day. The exercises will be conducted by Pro- fessor H. ©. Northam, of Martinsburg, N. Y., assisted by Miss Charlotte D, Himes, of Oswego. ‘The Teachers’ Association of Suflolk County will commence its semi-annual session, at the Court House, in the same place, to-morrow evening, to continue on the evenings of Weanesday, Thurs- day, Friday and Satutday. Ameeting of the Board of Directors of the Queens County Agricultural Society was held at the Fair Grounds, Mineols, on Saturday. Active prepara- tions are being made for the thirty-third annual exhibition, which will take place on the 7th, sth and 9th of Octover, and which will probably be the most important and successful one ever given by the society. The new grand stana has been com- pleted, with a permauent wooden roof tor both shade and shelter; a large number of additional stails for horses have been constructed and tne track has been rearranged and put in excellent order. Among the horses already entered for the exhibition are the foilowing:—Tue stallion Blaek- wood, the Hambletonian stallion Dictator (iull brother to Dexter), with several of bis get, from the Spring Hill Stock Farm at Fiushing; the won- deriul trotting gelding Prospero, owned by William M. Parke; F.G. Wolnert’s Hambletonian stailion Bismarck; §. A. Mills’ Hambietonian stallion Fear- Jul, and the trotting fillies Belle of Long Island, Victoria, Empress and Lillie Millis; Charles 8. Green’s famous trotting mares Lucille Golddust and Fieety Goiddust, with others. ‘limothy T. Jackson’s stallion Superb, with several of his get; Messrs. Henry and James Barclay’'s Hambietonian stallion Banker; and probably a bumber from the Prospect Park stables, In the matter of horsefesh, eure the exhibition will be eminently su- perior. STATEN ISLAND. An immediate extension of the Shore Railroad from West Brighton to Mariner’s Harbor is pro- posed, The Boara of Excise of the village of New Brighton will hold a meeting at the village Clerk’s oMce to-morrow, to receive applications and grant licenses. About one-fifth of the unimproved portion of Mariners’ Harbor and Oid Place, in Northfleld, is advertised to be sold under forectosure of mort- gage in September. A camp meeting of the African Methodist Episco- pal Church was opened on Saturday evening at | Winant’s Grove, on the Morning Star road, town of Northfleld, and will continue for ten days. The Bleecker street colored Methodist church, of New York, has charge of the meeting, and the Rev, H. M. Wilson, of Brooklyn, with others, conducts the services, Somebody, despairing of action to enforce the ordinance on the part of the authorities of the vil- lage of Edgewater, made a private raid upon the host of dogs running at large in the streets of that village on Friday night with polson, and on Saturday great numbers were found dead in the streets and removed by the Village Marshal. The same experiment, with @ like result, was tried on Saturday night. The Street Commissioner of Port Richmond, un- der the order of the Board of Village Trustees, is making a list of the names of all property owners who have failed fo put down flagging, curving and guttering in frout of their respective lots, with the view of having the work done by direction of the Board at the expense of the owners, to be col- lected by special assessment. A large gas main is now being laid on the Shore road from Huguenot Hail, Port Richmond, to Franklin Hall, Mariners’ Harvor. It will pass along the north shore, where gas has never before been introduced, About one-half the work is al- ready completed. Many houses on the line have been butit with reference to the use of gas at some period, and have pipes and otuer fittings throughout, but the improvement has been s!ow in arriving. itis thought that consumers will be found 1n nearly every house, The grand opening meeting at the new Sea View Driving Park, New Dorp, will begin on the 9th of October next and continue four days. It is pro; posed thateach member of the association shall contribute $25, thus making a purse of $3,500 for the grand Bp open to all competitors, The directors of the association are Henry Miller, Jr. ; 7. C. Jones, Garrett P. Wright, Jacob T, Hausman, Peter Duryea, Dr. Ephraim Clark, Thomas Luby, Isaac M. Marsh and George Clawson, and the asso- ciation is largely made up of sporting gentlemen of Richmond county. THE NEWARK INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION, Karly in the summer of 1872 a number of spirited citizens of Newark, acting upon the suggestion of another, resolved to hold an industrial exhtbi- tion, the characteristic feature of which was to be the exhibition solely ot articles of use and orna- ment made in the city, which justly boasts being able to turn out aimost everytning in the way of manufactures, irom @ needle to an anchor, a patent coffee pot to a steam engine, a baby's bonnet to a costly bridal troussean. The resolution was carried intu effect, the Rink, the largest building in the place, hired, and the exhibition opened in the fall. 1t was a decided success, and won igh encomiums irom beth Pres- dent Grant and Horace Greeley, both of whom visited it during their candidacy for the Presi- dency, It kept open six or seven weeks. Next year It opened under still more favorable auspices, but, fluancially, was not as great a suc. cess as in 1872. This year it has opened about @ month sooner than belore and las now been running a week, but with very unsatisiactory results so Jar, the nightly attendances a4 been very slender and the number of exhibi- tors the same. On Saturday night not over one hundred persons: wero present, and_ these could scarcely be seen in the vast building. Large vacant spaces and a beggarly array of empty cases stared the visitor in the face. President George A. Halsey and Secretary Molbrook express the belief that this week an impetus will be given to the enterprise by the citizens and manuiacturers, but in other quarters the opinion is expressed that the exhibition will uot be anything like the success this year it was last and tu 1872, The novelty of the thing has, to a great extent, worn away. This, with the hard times, it 18 thought, will operate to the disadvantage o! tie show. Among manufacturers there is great dilatoriness 1n sending their dianlava. be elected if nominated. This opinion,” he says, | bathing in the snrf at Rockaway, yesterday, Was | 1874.—TRIPLE SHEET. OUR PRISON SYSTEM. | A Lack of Discipline at Sing Sing and Its Consequences, CONVICTS VERSUS CONTRACTORS. Why Warden Hubbell Was Removed from the Management. MORAL SUASION. Since the recent action of the State Prison In- spectors effecting a change in the management of Sing Sing Prison speculation has been rife as to the causes which led thereto, Although many wondered at the apparently sudden termination of Warden Hubbeil’s philanthropic labors in be- half of the heretofore despised convict (which lavors, however, were by no means of a disinter- ested character), it is safe to assert that to no one was the summary removal from office 30 great & surprise as to himself, This is aecounted for by the fact that within two hours of the time when the vote ending his official existence was taken, one of the inspectors, while dining at the Warden’s board, voluntarily expressed his warmest appro- bation of the mannerin which all affairs of the prison had been conducted and cordially congratu- lated Mr. Hubbell on the security which he might Dow feel in regard to retaining nis position. THE REASONS WHY. Intent upon ascertaining, if possible, additional imiormation touching the reasons which brought about the displacement of Warden Hubbell a HERALD representative called last Saturday on a few Jeading citizens of Sing Sing, some of whom have made prison matters a study for the past filteen or twenty years. When tne name of Warden Hubbell was mentioned one and all of these expressed the opinion that he had in all respects proved A SIGNAL FAILURE in his management of the prison. It appears that as far back as September, 1873, when Mr. Hubbell presented his report for the fiscal yearending with that month, his fate was sealed and his re- moval decided upon by the Board of Inspectors. Of this report, it is under. stood from the most undoubted anthority, that while it showed upon its face a deficiency much greater than that of the pre- vions year, Warden Hubbell claimed that in the improvements made, at an actual cost of about $30,000, the State had been benefited to the qnrount of $130,000, thereby wanting to make ttSuppear that he had saved for the State the respectabie sum of $100,000 over and above the financial ex- hibit of the preceding twelve months. This as- sumed gaia, it may be stated, was easily made to appear as a bona fide item in the report of the appraisers of State Prison property, said appraisers having been appointed as such at the instance of Warden Hubbell himself. So plain was the absurdity upon its face that Inspector Kirkpatrick positively refused to sign the report in that form, on the ground that it Was transparently erroneous. The report, it is understood, was subsequently amended s0 as to conform to the actual financial condition of the prison, in order to secure the signature of the inspector named. Another prominent feature connected with the mismabagement which marked Warden Hubbell’s administration of prison government was the utterly impracticable and chimerical theory of “MORAL SUASION”? on which he essayed to manage the convicts, with a view to securing a greater share of beneft doth to the jailbirds themselves as well as to the State and to the community at large. It requires something stronger and more definite than an ambiguous sentiment of philanthropy to success- fully manege the crime hardened andin many cases incorrigible men who are constantly gravitating towards our State prisons, To many who are Jumillar with the antecedents of Warden Hubbell the professed humane views entertained by him towards convicts when he last took charge of the ison, are at once unaccountable and incredible. Tis is explained by the circumstance that during Mr. Kubbell’s first term of two years as agent and warden of Sing Siug Prison he attempted his Javorite rule of “moral suasion,” but wita no bet- ter success than that which has marked his later effort to gain popularity with perhaps too kind- hearted members 0/ the Prison Association, at the expense of discipline and the interests of the Staite. Suortly after the expiration of his first term of official existence at the prison mentioned Mr. Hubbell was elected a member of Assembly from his district, and, strange to relate, uhe only speech he ever made at Albany was in relation to tne manage- went of state prisons, and in connection with which he strenuously advocated a rigid treatment of relractory convicts, earnestly urging that TUE “CAT-O'-NINE-TALLS”” should be revived in all our penal institutions, Under these circumstances Warden Hubbell can 5 = RSE | plaints were made to the Warden the contractor jailed to obtain the desired redress. In addition to this the convicts stole nearly naif the cigars they made. At length, becoming wearied by the importunities of the contractor, who saw iis stock decreasing day after vay without any hope of a retarp for it, Warden Hubbell gave him permission to have punished any of the men on his contract whom be might detect in an act of disubedience or theft; that the punishment might take piace under his (the contractor’s) personal supervision, and that he also was to be the judge of the amount of punishment to be inflicted. Accordingly next morning the contractor ordered and witnessed the correction of two of his most reiractory men, and ip the afternoon of the same day the permis- sion to punish any more of the convicts on the cigar contract was revoked vy the Warden, Meanwhile the contractor was being robbed of his cigars by the whole- sale, while snch pamMng of “Tobianas” by the convicts and their keepers has not een Wit- nessed in the prison belore or since. The con- tractor was at length compelled to abandon the business, which he did during the present month, alter Sustaining an estimated toss of $20,000, Ab @ recent meeting of the Board of State Prison In- Spectors an iuvestigation into tue failuve of the cigar contract was instituted, THE EVIDENCE OF THE NIGHT GUARDS Went to show that every convict ta the prison was smoking cigars in tis cell, Manyof tne subor- dinate officials went around having their pockets hiled with tavorite brands of the same, woich had been liberaliy suppiied by the convicts in return for favors extended by the venal officials, such a9 carrying out contraband letters and perform- ing other little acts of irendship which are strictly prohibited by the prison rules. To discontinue the business and the same time save any portion of what little of his stock had not veeu stolen, tor some time proved a knotty apeaen for the piundered cigar manufacturer. He conceived a plan on the Ist inst., however, whici he thought would be fully adequate to the emergency. ‘This was to imform the men that the making of cigars would be dis- continued on @ certain Saturday, while it was bis intention to suddenly wind ap the business a week earlier, and thus, as be thought, throw the jail- birds completely off their guarl as to their opportunity for laying in a summer supply of “Tobianas.” His mortification may be imagined on discovering that the wily convicts had ontwitted him by aepleting his stock to the extent of about tity poxes of cigars, which bad aiready been packed and bore the government stamp, this last and CROWNING ACT OF ROBBERY having been committed only a day or two before that on which the cigar manufacturer had secretly resolved to abandon the contract. Jn his state- ment before the iuspectors the contractor said that not only ail of the night keepers, but also all the keepers in his shop, were in the habit of constantly receiving cigars from the convicts. At the investigation mentioned the cigar contractor not only satisfied the Board of Inspectors as to the shameful manner in which he had been robbed by the convicts and their keepers, but also demonstrated that $9,000 o1 his loss was directly traceable to a total lack of discipline, which permitted the systematic theft as well as the wilful destruction of his property. In short, the Board became so well convinced of the gross outrage Which had been perpetrated on the con- tractor that they offered to compromise the mat- ter by allowing him a portion of his ciaim. Warden Williamson will take charge of the prison to-morrow, and it is not improbable that the immediate future will reveal some addi- tional strange disclosures in connection with the administration of his predecessor. In view of the approaching change in the management a few of the high-tonea felons who promenade the grounds in velvet slippers, and who fare sumptuously, are just now exceedingly nervous, not knowiug* what ‘a day may bring forth.” MERMAIDS NEAR FORT HAMILTON. Swimming Match Between Girls—Five Thousand Spectators on the Beach— Young Women Striving for Honors in the Surf—The Naiads of the Lower Bay. Yesterday was a gala day at Fort Hamilton. Quite early it was evident on all the routes of the Brooklyn car lines that something extraordinary was on the tapis. Swarms of men, women and children crossed over Fulton, Hamilton.ané South ferries from New York and eagerly songht places on the Fort Hamilton cars. Upon inquiry by & HERALD correspondent the response was given that there was to be a swimming contest between a number of young girls at Fort. Ham- liton, the prize to ve @ gold waten and chain. Miss Bennett, who was instrumental in getting up the match, 18 a bustling little lady connected with one of the public baths in this city, and last Sunday week there was an exciting contest between a few of her pupils for the prize of a gold locket, which was won on that occasion by @ little water witch who is humanly known as Miss Annie Mason. The crowds then who thronged to see the present trial of skill in the surf amply testified to the interest New Yorkers felt in the present swimming match. The car lines put on extra cars and supplied extra relays Of horses, but all were insuficient. Men clung to the steps, jostled the drivers, crowded the plat | forms, surged in the interiors, clambered upon the roofs, and finally became a disorderly human mass, Wnere legs and arms seeined to be inextricably mingled, while the cries, yells, shrieks and oaths of the men formed a strange diapason im the chorus whose trebles were faintly varied by the wails of intants and the faint protests of suffer- ing women. If added to this interno be considered the oaths of the drivers urging on thelr panting and broken-winded horses, the conireicmps ot cars off the tracks always half enveloped jn clouds of Long Island dust, some idea may be had of the pleasure-seekers () from New York who went down to Fort Hamilton to see Miss Bennett's pupils dampen themselves for the amusement of the crowd. ab hardly lay claim to possessing the jewel of Nothing can certainly be finer than the outlook consistency. It will be seen further on | from the Fort with the Narrows in the distance, that Warden Hubbell’s philanthropy was | the long white line of Coney Island stretching to not universal; that when his immediate | the left and must-enshrouded Staten = Is- interests were at stake he could lay aside his | land opposite? but the marrow dusty road— “moral suasion” theory and in its stead figura- | crowded with all sorts of people in tively take up the “cat-o’-nine-tails,” which he so lavishly eulogized on the floor of the Legislature, have done literally just about as they pleased. If three or four felons became tired of working in a department where marble dust was manuiactured, Jor instance, the easiest way of securing a change to more pleasant employment was to throw a icw pieces of steel into the mull, thus insuring the in- evitable destruction of property valued at, per- haps, $1,000, besides stopping all furtuer operations in that department jor days while the niachinery was being repaired or replaced, This | | has been done, and on the contractor reporting it | to Warden Hubbell an immediate investigation | ‘Was promised, to the end that the guilty party or { parties might be punished, Accordingiy four con- victs were placed 1n a dark ceil, and at the expira- tion of @ couple of hours taken out and conducted to the Warden's office. Here they were asked with almost parental _ solicitude to confess vheir guilt, but, of course, the wily convicts ‘“couldn’t see it,” and, as @ tur- ther fllustration of the interest feit im their welfare, they were considerately removed to another department of the prison. This was ex- actly contrary to what the contractor desired, as by this means he was deprived of four of the | most efficient workmen in his employ, and not- withstanding his representations to the Warden, that official reiused to return them, thus sustain- ing the convicts in their malicious and insnvor- dinate attempts. On another occasion a quantity of sand was thrown into A CUPOLA OF MOLTEN IRON by one of the convicts in the saddiery hardware | shop, thus, as all workers in iron Know, endanger- ing @ loss of the entire blast. The matter was uuly reported to the Warden, but owing to the loose manner in which ail such investigations bave been carried on of late the guilty patty escaped without unishment. In the cabinet 8) ro the convicts ave more than once cut the belting of vhe machinery and deliberately smashed articles of furniture before they could be sent to market. It been no uncommon occurrence for the convicts employed in the shoe- shop to amuse themselves by not only severing the oelting but also by maliciously cutting into strips with sharp knives the boots and shoes awalting shipment to New York. In each of these instances the contractors latd their grievances before Warden Hubbell, but without deriving any consolation for their loss or guarantee against sinilar acts of malicious mischief in the future, until necessity compelled some of them to give up their contracts altogetne Under other prison administration, when @ strict system of discipline was carried out, it was invariably the custom to first punish the offending convicts for tances of insubordination as those jd then return them to their 3, having a lull knowleage of what they would again have to endure i! they repeated the offence. Un the contrary, Warden Hupbeil’s mode of dealing witi the convicts, as is | asserted, was in ail respects calculated | to bring about @ contempt of discipline, as in removing the unruly jailbiras from the contractor's work, whose property they may have perhaps destroyed, he was directly re- sponding to their own cherished desires. While this tate Of aifairs exists at the prison it need not be wondered at that nearly half the entire number of convicts are comparatively tdle, since contrac- tors find it unprofitable to hire their labor at auy price, THE CIGAK CONTRACT. About eleven months ago the manufacture of cigars Was commenced at the prison by a party from Syracuse, Who employed in bis department from sixty to one hundred convicts, whom the State had previously been compelled to sup. port in idieness, as there was no demand sor their labor. No sooner had the work been commenced tifan the contractor found out that, in Spite of his efforts to the contrary, the men fatied to perform their allutted task, although this was only equal to about half what an ordinary cigar maker accomplishes, Although freanant com. During his last term the convicts | ; Some of the young ladies got Iri all sorts of venicles—which environs the strong- hold was anything bul agreeable. Upon the beacn were assembled the expectant multitude, but the course Upon Which the swimmers were to contest was crowded with New York and Brooklyn gamins, who bobbed up and down in the waves ike buoys in a dangerous bay. There were snrieks and cat- calis, contests Of skill out to the police boat Sen- eca—which was moored opposite to the bathing hoase—and ail the water games known to the wharf rats of the great city. At length, when the girls who were to contest lor the prize appeared— only four of the water witches putting in an ap- pearance—they could hardly get into the water for the interruptions, aud when they did go in the “poys' surrounced them so completely thas the reporter could hardiy tell where the rivals were contending and who was likely to be the victor. It was more like a “scrub race” on land than any- thing else. The names of the contestants were Annie Hall, Katie Hall, Annie Bokenkamp and-Adeline Boken- kamp. {t was intended to start several more, but owing to the declination of Miss Lillie Lederer, who won the $450 piano prize two years ago, to swim htened and would not enter the suri or the match, even although the prize shouid be.dear to every young lady’s heart. Alter wading out a short distance the race be- gan. Only about three nundred yards was gone over, and Miss Annie pea | was declared the winner; time, tavo minutes. It is said there will be another match with more contestants probably this week. In response to a question by the reporter Miss Bennett stated that the reason these matches took place on Sunday was that it was the only day the friends of the fair contestanta could leave the city to see the performance, “NOT A DUBLLIST, To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:— In the course of a notice in the HERALD, of yes- terday, of the late fatal duel of Don Ferrer de Conto with Colonel Rosado, it is stated that in 1871 the undersigned sent a challenge to the former gentleman, Now I beg to say there is no accuracy in this statement. If I ever was “ate tacked ‘im unmeasured terms in £t Cronisia,” I never saw the article; and, assurediy, | never sent etther a chalienge to the editor or any note which in letter or spirit was ree Respect- uy, HOMAS JORDAN, NEw Yor«, August 29, 1874. ARMY INTELLIGENCE, ' A False Statement Against an Officer Contradicted. Fort CLark, Texas, August 20, 1874 To Tas EpiTor oF THE HERALD:— There is @ statement in the HERALD of the 1s of the present month, under the heading of “Army News,” to the effect that Lieutenant Kirkman, of the Tenth tnfantry, had been convicted by court Martial of continual drankenness, and, as it 19 entirely erroneous and highly injurious to his reputation, he desires you will publisn a contra- diction suMiciently conspicaous to attract the at- tention of those who may have read this item of news. Mr. Kirkman ts very frequently detailed as Jadge Advocate of courts martial rf in such capacity has lately conducted the trials of two officers ar- Taigned tor the offence in question, and it is sup- tons the carelessness of some person, intendti Make an abstract of orders publishing procee ings in the cases referred to has brougnt about , the substitution of his namte for that of one of the officers tried. He Is the first ileutenant of my com- paw, and, #0 far as my Knowledge goes, is excep- yepeny te the —_ C pia ae to him. respe: INN. , ad sass Cantam Tenth infantry,