The New York Herald Newspaper, December 10, 1874, Page 6

6 NEW YORK HERALD Le BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. seiiiitmediaae GORDON BENNETT. PROPRIETOR JAMES THE DAILY HERALD, published every day in the year. Four cents per copy. An- nual subscription price $12, NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS.—On and after January 1, 1875, the daily and weekly editions of the New Yors Hegaup will be sent free of postage. All business or news letters and telegraphic despatches must be addressed New York ‘Hzzaw. Letters ard packages should be properly | sealed. Rejected communications will not be re- | turned, LONDON OFFICE OF THE NEW YORK HERALD—NO. 46 FLEET STREET. fubseriptions and Advertisements will be received and forwarded on the same terms as.in New York. Volume XXXIX.. AMUSEMENTS TO-NIGHT. METROPOLITAN THEATRE, Fe. 58> Broadway.—VARINTY, at 8 P. M.; closes at 10:30 OLYMPIC THEATR! Ptah: Broadway.—VARIETY, ats P. M. ; closes at 10:45 ND OPERA HOUSE, Eighth avenue.—THE BLACK atuP.M. Twenty-third si and Cx00K, at 8 P. Mj closes PARK THEATRE, Broadway, between Twenty-first and Twenty-second Sireets—GILDED AGE, ats P, M.; closes at 1030 P. M. Ir. John T. Raymond. THEATRE COMIQUE, 5 a Broadway.—VARIBTY, at SP. M.; closes at 10:30 BOOTH'S THF ATR’ corner Twenty-third street ard Sixth avenue.—RED TAP and | HE WIDOW HUNT, at &P, M.; closes at 1040 P.M. Mr. John 5, Ciarke. ROMAN HIPPODROME, Twenty-sixth street and Fourth avegue.—FETE AT PLKIN, aiternoon and evening, at2 and 4 WALLACK’S THEATRE, .—THE >HAUGHRAUN, at8 P. M.; closes at Mr. Boucicault. Froadw: Ww PL TERRACE GARDEN THEATRE, witty olen street and Lexington avenue.—VARIETY, wto P. HL; closes at 10:30 P. M. NEW YORK STADT THEATRE, Bowery.—DUKCHGEGANGE WEISER, at 8 P. M.: closes at 10:20 P.M, Miss Lina Mayr. FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE, Twenty eighth street and Broadway.—YORICK and MY UNCLES WILL, at §P.M.; closes at 10:0 P.M. Miss Sara Jewett, Mr. Louis James. BRYANT’S OPERA HOUSE, West Twenty-third street, near Sixth avenue—NEGRO MINSTRGLoY, Ac, at 8°P. M.; closes at 10 P.M. Dan ryan BROOKLYN THEATRE. JANE EYRE, at 8 P.M. Miss Charlowe Thompson. MINSTRELS, roadway, corner of Twenty-ninth street—NEGRO ANSTKELSY, ata P.M, Ww P.M. NEW PARK E, BROOKLYN, THE HOUDLUM. Mr. W. A. Mestayer. ROBINSON HALL, Fixteenth street-—ZEGONE DULL CARE. Mr. Mac- Cabe. GLOBE THEATRE, Broadway.—VARIETY, at8 P. M.; closes at 10:30 P. M. LYCEUM THEATRE, Fourteenth street and Sixth avenue,—CHILPERIC, at8 P. M.; closes at 10:45 P. M. Miss Emily swldene, GERMANIA THEATRF, Fourteenth street. —DER VEITER, at 8 P. M. WOOD'S MUSEUM, Broadway, corner of Thirieth street—THE TICKET- OF-LBAVE MAN, at2 P.M. THE GAMBLER'S Cv IME, et 8 P. M.; closes at 10:5 P.M. Mr. Dominick Murray. TRIPLE SHEET. York, Thursday, New Dec. 10, 1874. From our reports this morning the probabilities are that the weather to-day will be cool and gen- erally clear. Wax. Sreext Yesterpay.—The stock mar- ket was - without important feature. Gold opened and closed at 110}. Money on call was quoted at 2}.a3 per cent. Foreign ex- change was heavy. Sunpar Amusemznts.—A motion made in Court on behalf of Mr. Strakosch to restrain the police from interfering with his Sunday ‘performances has been denied. This action does not, however, materially alter the ques- tion of the legality of Sunday performances, which will be argued regularly before the courts, It is important only as conferring discretionary power on the police until such time as the question has been finally decided by the courts of appeal. Tae Bux Inrzopucep by Mr. West, of Louisiana, providing for the construction of a United States postal telegraph line between Washington and Boston by way of Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and Hartford, is the | pioneer movement of the postal telegraph sys- | tem in this country. The proposed line is in- tended to test the practical operation of a system here which has been found to work advantageously to the public in Europe. While there may be differences of opinion as to the expediency of placing the telegraphic business under the control of the government there ought to be no objection to the test pro- posed by Mr. West’s bill. Let us see howa government telegraph between the designated pointe works, and we shall then be in a better position to judge of the wisdom of bringing the whole telegraphic business of the country within the jurisdiction of the Post Office De- partment as a national undertaking. Tur Von Ans Cass mx Covrt.—Bismarck | and Von Arnim have at last come to close quarters. The Prussian Chancellor has opened fire with all his batteries and the struggle for power must soon be decided for or against the parties. The (gdictments are divided into three heads—the Mpropriating of papers that Von Arnim claims as personal, the disap- | pearance of others, of which he denies all knowledge, and finally the carrying off ‘of papers since returned. The indictment cnarges that Von Arnim admitted writing a jutter to Déllinger, but denies that he was a> sponsible for the publication of facts relat- ang to diplomatic movements which found tie'r way into the newspapers. The struggle is uow fairly engaged, and should Bismarck fail to secure the condemnation of his op- povent his own influence will probably suffer. ‘Whatever the result he has damaged himself in the estimation of Europe by the harsh and arbitcary course be has pursued toward Won Arnim, The First Debate of the Session on the Finances. We do not concur in the view expressed in the House by Mr. Cox that currency discussions at this session can produce only mischief and ought to be avoided. He is, doudtless, correct in his opinion that such Giscussions will lead to no legislation in the divided state of opinion on this subject in Congress, but we cannot accept his inference that to debate it will unsettle business by diffusing a feeling of uncertainty. If Mr. Cox would allow that the business commanity is as intelligent as himself he would see that they are as capable of judging whether Con- gress will legislate on the currency as he is, and that debates which are certain to result in nothing cannot be a disturbing element in their calculations. Discussion can do no great harm even if it does no good. As to legislation the way is effectually blocked on the side of the greatest danger. If an inflation bill should pass it would be stranded on the President’s inevitable veto; so, let Congress do what it will, business is subject to no kind of uncertainty on that side. Legislation in the other direction is more to be desired than expected. It ought to be rather a ground of hope than alarm. But no such good fortune awaits the country at present. ‘Ihe course of business will not be materially affected by the abortive projects or heated discussions of the present session. They will be beneficial in keeping a great subject before the public mind and contributing to the public education. We shall never reach a sound currency except as the result of widespread popular agitation, and the debates in Congress, however wild and absurd, lift the subject into prominence and enable the press to hold public attention while exposing inflation sophistries and main- taining sound principles. The more discus- sion the better, both in Congress and out of it; for truth always gains by opportunities to grapple with error. We thereiore totally dissent from the view of Mr. Cox, who wishes the problem to be silently passed over toa democratic Congress. The democratic party needs a great deal of educatiou on this sub- ject, and every occasion should be improved for so enlightening public opinion as to mako understandings of creditors, This precious scheme is as objectionable im form as it is ridiculous in substance. Even from its own standpoint, that greenbacks are money lent to the government, the process is cumbrous and absurd. Supposing green- backs tobe money the scheme converts the Treasury into a savings bank for keeping the spare money of the people and paying it back | on demand, with a moderate interest. Why, then, use the clumsy machinery of bonds in- stead of simply keeping an account with the depositors? A bond isa form of obligation given for debts having a considerable time to run. It is ridiculous to resort to the formality of bonds for debts payable on demand. The scheme is preposterous in another view. The inflationists have all along been contending that-we have no excess of currency for the busy part of every year, when the grain and cotton crops are seeking markets. By their own showing, then, every dollar of the greenbacks would be called back into circulation for a considerable por- tion of each year. What, then, becomes of Kelley's argument and Butler’s argument that the greenbacks received for the interchange- able bonds could be employed in redeeming the six per cent public debt and thereby fund- ing it at a lower rate of interest? When the new bonds were all returned to the Treasury in August and September how could the gov- ernment pay them on demand if it had parted with the means of doing so by purchasing five-twenty bonds? The scheme is really too absurd for serious argument, and we are curi- ous to see what proportion of the members of the House are crazy enough to vote for it. Such a vote would be a gauge of legislative folly. The Transit of Venus. Scarcely had the wonderful event of astro- nomical history passed its closing stages yes- terday morning when the multitude of scien- tists scattered over the face of the globe hur- ried to grasp the electrie chains that future legislation easy. This currency debate, though precipitated on a supremely foolish measure, may be of some service in developing, at an early stage of the session, the relative strength of the in- flationists and resumptionists and showing to what extent the elections have changed the position of members. It will be found, we suspect, that there has been no considerable change since the last session, and as soon as this is demonstrated it will be clear to every- body that President Grant's financial recom- mendations are a failure. If members adhere to their former views it is too evident that the majority who were foiled by the veto will successfully withstand all legislation looking toward specie payments. That majority was, indeed, made up of inflation- ist democrats as well as inflationist republi- cans, and it is quite supposable that some of the democrats may incline to waver, But the party leaders are unwilling they should be put to the test, and it is in that view that Mr. Cox remonstrated against any action or discussion at this session, shrewdly masking his purpose undera pretence that such de- bates tend to disturb and unsettle business. The democratic leaders hope that by postpon- ing the subject they can let their own infla- tionists down easy and pave the way tor an appearance of party unity at the next session. They are unwilling, on one hand, that the re- publicans should have the credit of sound measures, and, on the other hand, they shrink from a new exposure of the democratic division on this question. It is, accordingly, the democratic policy to defeat all financial legislation, whether good or bad, at this ses- sion, and the irreconcilable differences among the republican members will render this an easy task. It is noteworthy that the first discussion of the session has sprung up on a proposition which flies in the very teeth of the President's recommendations. Mr. Kelley's bill bids bold defiance to the policy of the President. The resolute promptness with which he called it up illustrates the weakness of party discipline among the republicans and notifies the coun- try that the President has no personal or official control over a large section of his nominal sapporiers. The inflationists in Con- gress have practically renounced their alle- giance to the President, and are ready to oppose him with as little scruple or respect as the reconstructionists exhibited for Andrew Johnson. The ordinary forms of respect for a President of their own party should have held the republican inflationists in check until the recommendations of the Message had been referred to the appropriate committees and time had been given for maturing and re- porting suitable bills. But instead of this they hasten to meet the President on the frontier and fling down the gauntlet of defi- ance. Their unflinching opposition and the unwillingness of the democrats to act on the subject at all confirm the foregone belief that there will be no financial legislation during tbe present session. Kelley’s bill is foolishness itself, but we hope it will be brought toa vote in order that the country may see how many of the republican members are prepared to go to extreme lengths in thwarting the policy of the President. We trust there is no possibility of so insane a measure passing the House; but the vote on it, if it comes to a vote, will be an instructive indication of the want of coherence in the re- publican majority, Of all new ways to the pay old debts Kelley’s echeme is most grotesque and preposterous. The bonds and the greenbacks which he proposes to make constantly interchange- able are alike evidences of debt against the United States. In both the gov- ernment promises to pay so many dollars to | the holder. Now, when the greénbacks are presented for payment it is proposed to dis- charge the debt by giving an equal amount of bonds, and when, the next day or the next week, the bonds are presented for payment, it is proposed to discharge them by giving the government creditors an equal amount of greenbacks, and so on, without limit of time or any other provision for payment. It is the same as if a debtor who owes you a large sum on book account offers to pay by giving his note on demand and stipulates to pay the note by taking it up whenever you wish, and branch through the continents in order to convey to the anxious hearts of the scientific world the results of their patient and energetic labors. From many of the isolated islands that seem to the mind's eye to be fixed away beyond the confines of earth itself, it is true that instant communications do not come. But from regions hitherto un- explored and impervious to the progress of the traveller the marvellous tongue of the telegraph speaks to us across the ocean and the continents of the genius, the progress and the successful labors of the glorious army that went forth many months ago to perform the wondrous operations soon to result in such benefit to the human race. ‘Who would have imagined, one hun- dred years ago, that in tracts of territory among the Oriental climes, sep- arated from us by mountains, rivers, oceans and continents, events of vital moment to men would transpire and the news thereof be carried to the remotest ends of the earth within the limits of a singleday? This has never been realized to such an extent as in the case of the observations of the long-waited for transit of Venus. From the extreme recesses of Siberia, the most distant regions of China, from Africa’s desert bosom and from the shores often as you want to be paid, but new? taking any other steps to discharge the obf, ™ion. Such a hocus-pocus is no payment, Ut % trifling with the patience and an insult to the NEW YORK HERALD, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1874.—TRIPLE SHEET. The War of Races. We publish in another column two inter- esting communications concerning the war of races which has broken out in Mississippi. the ‘usual divergence of opinion and fact whiot avarks all political information that reachés us, from the opposing parties in the South. The* democrats claim that the trouble was caused’, by the effort of the negro Sheriff There will be noticed in Crosby establish himself in his post by'=yiolence. His election does not seem be disputed by the democrats, but they allege that he failed to qualify by giving ¢he necessary bonds, The taxpayers, therefore, requested his resignation; a request’ with which he complied, according to the democratic version. A visit to Governor Ames seems to have greatly modified his views, for he returned to Vicksburg and is- sued a card calling on all republicans to rally to his support. This appeal was immediately answered by the appearance of armed bodies of colored men. A series of combats, attended with regrettable loss of life, was the result. The editor of the Vicksburg Herald tele- graphs us these facts on behalf of the white people. He denies that color or race had to do with the question, which was merely one of protecting the people against being plun- dered. On the other hand Governor Ames sees in the refusal of the white people of Vicksburg to allow Mr. Crosby to act as Sheriff without giving bonds an attack on the equal rights of the colored people. According to his view the shooting of the negroes who attacked Vicksburg was the natural re- sult of the late democratic victories, In view of these conflicting statements it is difficult to say which party is in the right. Both have shown a proper appreciation of the value of appealing to the American people through the columns of the Henaup. In this they follow the example set by Brooks and Baxter in the Arkansas difficulty and Penn and Kellogg in the Louisiana trouble. The Railroad Schemers at the Frent. Although the session has but just opened the petitions for railroad grants are already besieging Congress. The Texas and Pacific and Atlantic and Pacific Companies have joined their forces, and through Thomas A. Scott and A. Pierce, Jr., their respective pres- idents, have presented a memorial, of which the substance will be found in our news col- umns. All their arguments are specious fal- lacies; but even if these begging roads had a better claim to national bounty the condition of the Treasury and the heavy load of debt under which the country is staggering would be a conclusive reason not merely for denying their petition but for refusing even to con- sider it. It is not to be tolerated that the weight of our oppressive taxes should be in- creased for building railroads through long stretches of wilderness with scarcely an in- habitant. The memorialists declare that they rest their cause solely on their arguments and will not attempt to use personal influence with the members. This shows a wholesome sense of the odium into which the lobby has fallen and the felt necessity of putting on a mask at their first appearance. But the mask will soon drop if Congress consents to give them a hearing. The objections to the whole proposed sys- of the Empire of Japan, the intelligence reached us last night of the varied success of the astronomers in scrutiniz- ing the transit yesterday. Our cable de- spatches to-day furnish ample testimony to the resistless march of science and civiliza- tion, and the part which the press deems it an honor to take therein, by giving to the world with a promptitude and precision unsur- passed, the fullest details of every struggle fought and every laurel won by the votaries of science and the friends of progress and human ireedom. We publish to-day, particulars of the work done by many of the astronomers throughout the world, especially by those in whom Ameri- cans take a special interest. These have, in every place where it was possible to do so, made the most accurate measurements with the micrometer, the result of which will be that the planet’s track will be known with perfect accuracy. They have taken photo- graphs which will aid them in this work, and they seem to have determined with surprising accuracy the exact locations of their respec- tive stations. Thus nothing has been left undone to have America play as prominent a part in this grand scientific labor as possible. when the results are made known it Abe found that we will have ample reason t rejoice in having sent forth our own army of observers, whose fame for success in this enterprise will not be less than that of more pretentious scientists. Toe New Youre Senatorsmrr.—A corre- spondent of one of our contemporaries intro- duces an interesting feature into the contest for the Senatorship. This correspondent says that the liberal republicans hold the balance of power in the next Legislature and may control the election of United States Senator, and that among these liberal republicans there is no statesman who could control the repub- lican vote go effectively as Colonel Frederick A. Conkling. This gentleman served in Congress some years since, and has been a candidate fora great many offices with the same success that attended Henry Clay and Daniel Webster in their aspirations to the Presidency. If Mr. Conkling should be elected to the Senate we should have the romantic spectacle of two | brothers representing the State, each heading rival political organizations, On reflection we think this is a very wise arrangement. During the time of the Scottish civil wars the cautious landowner sent one of his sons into the army of the sovereign and the other into the army of the rebels, so that which- ever side won the estates remained in the family. Pepestaunism.—Professor Judd continues hid“undertaking with unflagging courage. He has already walked over two hundred miles and feels confident that he will succeed, Con- siderable interest is felt in the Professor's ex- periment, and he is visited daily by large numbers of ladies and gentlemen. Mr. Judd’s powers of endurance have been severely tried on former occasions, and if the feat he has again charging you an equal sum on his books, offering to recivrocate these forms as undertaken be not beyond human ability to perform he will probably achieve success, tem of railway legislation may be summed up in our objections to this memorial. In the first place, these roads are to be built through a country without agricultural resources, with- out population, without business. In the second place, the government credit is asked for forty thousand dollars the mile when a great many Western railroads have been built upon the credit of twenty thou- sand dollars per mile. In return for this credit the company proposes to give to the government only a part of what it receives from the government. If the com- pany should become bankrupt then the whole business of managing the railroad would fall directly upon the government. Unless we change our whole policy toward our railroad system this is the one thing to be particularly avoided. Finally, there is no guarantee that the government would not be swindled as it was swindled by the builders of the present railway, who, after they had ob- tained credit from the United States for their road, built it as cheaply'as possible, and di- vided the government subsidy among them- selves at the rate of ‘eight hundred per cent dividends’ on Crédit Mobilier stock. The truth is that the whole Orédit Mobilier experience tonvinces us that it is impossible for any honest system of legislation in favor of Pacific railways to pass through Congress, This is because the whole proposed system is, in it- self, dishonest. Corporations which have noth- ing whatever, not even credit, which have not advanced a dollar in capital stock, which take none of the ordinary business risks of entar- prise, come to the government and ask to be endowed with its credit, its lands, and to be put in possession of » vast interest. It is not the function of the government to give land to defunct corporations or to give substance to imaginary enterprises. All the profit in this enterprise—if there is any profit—goes to the corporator. All the loss—if there is any loas— falls upon the government. Wherever a govern- ment has attempted to strengthen with its credit private corporations, not only in America but in Canada, we have seen scandals, embarrass- ments and corruption. The whole system on which it is proposed to build railways to the Pacific is wrong. We can see no possible good in any of these schemes. There is no surer way for the republican party to increase the volume of the *‘tidal wave'’ which came with the last canvass than to identify itself with these measures. If President Grant is as alive to the interests of the country and his own fame as he was on inflation he will crush them with his veto os firmly as he crushed re- pudiation. Laraverre's Ware: inister Washburne performed yesterday a pleasing duty in re- storing to the family of Lafayette the’ watch presented to him by Congress, and which was stolen from him in this country. Some time ago it was recovered, and the government sent it to France for restoration to Lafayette’s family. This pleasant ceremony was made an occasion for the interchange of expressions of good will on the part of representatives of both coun- tries, The memory of Lafayette is guarded with equal veneration both in France and publics are not always ungrateful. The Beccher-Tiltom Scandal. What bas been known so long as the so dreary a story could have an amusing side nothing would be more so than the tactics of the lawyers who are managing the case. First, the Brooklyn Oourt opens. Here the issue is the civil suit of Tilton against Beecher for one hundred thousand dol- laws. In this all the evidence that has been printed—letters, , statements, conversa- tions—will be brought’.out, and Tilton will have his whole story under oath. Conse- quently he is anxious to have this tried first. It is his strongest ease, and victory or defeat in it will be victory or defeat’ in the whole proceeding. Accordingly the Tilton law- yers rise and scream for “immediate trial;’” the Beecher lawyers rise and say that they cannot “‘sacrifice the rights: of their client to popular clamor,”’ or to “trial by newspapers.” So ends the first act of the comedy. Then the federal Court opens. The issue here is between Miss Edna Dean Proctor and Francis D. Moulton, Miss Proctor claiming that she has been cruelly and wantonly libelled, and also asking one hundred thousand dollars damages. This issue is simply a eide--event in the Beecher scandal. The evidence in favor of Moulton is weak compared to that in favor of Tilton, and, as there has always been a prospect of a verdict against the ‘‘mu- tual friend,” the Beecher people thought that such a verdict would prove a moral triumph to their cause. Consequently the Beecher counsel, who.clamored for delay in the Brook- lyn Court, came into the Rhadamanthine pres- ence of Judge Woodruff and insisted upon “immediate trial.’ The Tilton lawyers, who bad been pathetically picturing the agonies of their client at the prolonged delays of Brooklyn justice, insisted that the “rights of their cause should not be sacrificed to popu- lar clamor.” This preliminary skirmish’ has ended in the rout of the “mutual friend,’’ who, by agréement of counsel before the referee; consents to payasum of money in compensstion for a technical libel. In ac- cepting the referee's decision General Butler, of counsel for the defence, stated that while admitting the ‘technical libel they did not mean to admit. that the statement had not been made to them. 5 Seriously. speaking, itis time this comedy should end. We are glad it is now at last in a fair way of settlement. No man in this country is more interested in the termination of the cause than Mr. Beecher. After all, he is the person on trial It makes compara- tively little difference to the country what be- comes of the other parties involved if ruin is to fall upon the head of this extraordinary, gifted, and either atrociously sinning or cruelly sinned against citizen. Congressmen as Attorneys—Mr. “Bell Punch.” The bill offered by Mr. Beck, of Kentucky, forbidding members of Congress, under ‘heavy penalties, to serve as counsel for clients having claims against the government, is a necessary but humiliating measure, The need of such aprohibition, enforced by penalties, marks the degeneracy of Congressional morals. The self-respect of members and their sense of personal honor ought to bea sufficient guar- antee against this abuse of their'trust. There is no good reason why members of Congress who are lawyers should not ‘argue ordi- mary private cases before the Supreme Court or. other tribunals, Webster, Pinckney, Clay and other eminent men always did this without reproach, but they would have shrunk with recoiling delicacy and a sense of insult from the offer of a re-- tainer to argue against the government a case relating to any matter on which they might be called: to: act as legislators. They would as soon have accepted a fee to go into a court and argue money out of the pockets of their own fathers, But although Mr. Beck's proposed bell punch for Congressmen is a badge of degra- dation which bears witness toa painful de- cline of legislative honor we trust he will succeed in getting it adopted, and that those whom it is meant to restrain may not suc- ceed in circumventing it as some of the car conductors supplied themselves with false bell punches, @which gave the sound, but enabled them to defraud their employers. We preter not to go into the recital of well known instances in which prominent Senators and members of the House have taken large fees for this kind of service which it is the purpose of Mr. Beck's bill to prevent. It would give us no pleasure and.be of no advan- tage to the public to put individual members to shame, and we trust it may not be necessary to. do this as a means of correcting the evil. Let the bell punch be put impartially into the hands of all, and there will be no need of indi- vidual acousations. Each member will be at liberty to class himself among the honest ones who might safely. be left to be alaw unto themselves. Steamboat Racing. The investigation by the ‘‘local inspeo- tors of steamers” into the collision be- tween the Harlem and Sylvan Glen steam- boats, has resulted in one of those farcical de- cisions which render any punishment of per- sons endangering the lives of the public quite hopeless. The Inspectors, it appears, after weary labor, came to the conclusion that’ pilots and steamboat captains, in charge of river steamboats, are in the habit of breaking the laws enacted for the protectiomof the lives of passengers, Every one who has sailed on one of these boats to Harlem knows this fact quite well, though it took the Inspec- tors of Steamboate, who are supposed to know all about snch matters, so long to find it out. In the case brought under their notice the public reqnired that more than 8 mild censure should fall on the guilty. It was a case in which the full penalty of the law should have been inflicted. But the inspectors finding it impossible to white- wash the offenders, instead of putting the law in force, simply give notice that on some future occasion the law may be vindicated. The public have a right to ask why the guilty should not be punished in this instance as well as in some future case. Why should the aw punish a man to-morrow for what it Beok’s paid to the great | méfely censures another man to-day? Will man through his family cannot fail, therefore, | the Inspectors rise to explain? to increase the good feeling of Franes toward i America. It will also tend to show that re- The Civil Service. ‘There was just the least bit of temper in that part of the President's Message referring to the civil service. The President says, prac- tically, that he had done all in his power to “Beecher-Tilton scandal” bids fair to be | secure this wise reform; that Congress had known as the *Beecher-Tilton comedy.” If | hindered him; that unless Congress gave him the legislation to enforce it he would abandon the whole scheme, No doubt tae President feels that it would be the crown and jewel of his administration to introduce’ the civil service into the government. At the same time he should remember that he hime self, in the transfer of General Sharpe from the Marshal's office to the Surveyorship, and the consequent resignation of Mr. Curtis from the Commission, gave his own plan the first, and, we think, the fatal blow. If, however, he bas any doubt about this Congress passing the necessary legislation let him wait another’ year and see what the democrats will do. They come into power pledged to civil service reform. Mr. Tilden means to introduce it into New York, where there are more officers in the various departments of the govern- ment than in many of the monarchies of Eu- rope. The President should not abandon the reform because his party abandons it. Let him cling to civil service reform, or so much of it as: is left, and see what the democrats: will’ do when they come into power. The Indian Question Again.: We observe that a motion has been intro- duced into Congress to “extinguish the rights. of the Indians to their reservation in the Black Hill country.” This means that our federal: troops ave found gold in this region, and‘ that the Indians are to be driven out in order that the white men may go in and dig- for gold. We suppose that the inevitable ten- dency of civilization will be to remove the tribes. But we never see a suggestion of this kind without wishing that our government had statesmanship enough to adopt a sound Policy of dealing with the aborigines. The President began his administration with the best intentions on this subject, We wish we could feel that these intentions had been sustained. But the Indian Ring—and there is none more shameless in the history of corruption, because it lives upon the plun- der of the ignorant and helpless savage—is stronger to-day in Washington than it has been at any time in our history. ‘Manifest destiny’’—by which swelling phrase we gen- erally mean national selfishness—points to the extinction of the Indian race. At the same time it is a cruel and cowardly thing . that, as s government, we have never yet made a serious effort to treat the Indian: tribes with justice and humanity. It will be a'good time to begin fair dealing in settling : this Black Hill question. PERSONAL INTELLIGENCE. Ex-Mayor A. O. Wilder, of Rochester, is staying at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. Colonel Anson Mills, United States Army, is stopping at the Astor House. Mr. Keverdy Johnson, Jr., of Baltimore, is regis- tered at the Clarendon Horel. P. C. Hill bas entered the Nova Scotia govera- ment as Provincial Secretary. Captain W.G. Temple, United States Navy, is - quartered at the Everett Houss. Mr. Anthony J. Drexel, of Philadelphia, has ar- Tived at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, Lieutenant Governor John C. Robinson is so Jouroing at the Metropolitan Hotel. Judge Dwight Foster, of Boston, is among the latest azrivuls at the Windsor Hotel. In the Commussion of Accounts, as now consti- tated, Comptrolier Green has no Joy. Madame la Marechal MacMahon will give twe - grand balls this winter at tne Elysée. Rev. Dr. A. R. Yan Nest, of Fiorence, Italy, has apartments at the Westminster Hotel, Mr. Joseph Jefferson, the comedian, has taken. up his residence at the Hofman House, The total cost in one year of the combined pe- lice and fire department ot Paris is $3,978,650, Congressman Robert M. Knapp, of lilinots, te residing temporarily at the Metropolitan Hotel. President M. B. Anderson, of Rochester Univer- Sity, arrived in this city yesterday and is at the Everett House. M. de la Rochefoucault, recently second seore- tary of the French embassy at Madrid, is appointed | first secretary at Washington. Yoshida Kizonari, the Japanese Minister to Wash- ington, left San Francisco yesterday for the East, accompanied by his wiie and Secretary of Le- gation, Rev. Dr. Maconochie, the Englisn ritualistio Preacner, has appeated from the sentence sus- pending him from the exercise of his functions for six weeks, The vote at Giasgow for the Rectorshtp of the University was as ‘ollows:—Totai number of stu: dents, 1,402, of wnom 202 did not vote; for Disraell, 700; for Emerson, 500. Mr. W. E. Foster :—Sir—Powell Brixton and Pre. fessor Bonamy Price are in Washington, and were. on the floor of the House of Representatives yes terday. They dine with Vice President Wilson to- Gay. An inevitable consequence—All the endeavors te manage the Indians by Peace Commissioners have failed, and so what shall be done with the agen- cies? Give them to one of tne Grant family, of course. Hon. James M. Pendleton, Representative to Congress from the Western district of Rhode Island, who has been seriously ili for some time at bis home in Westerly, wiil be able to take nig: seat next week, The members of the Havana Casino gave a ban- quet on Tuesday to Sefior Don José Ferrer de Conto, editor of £t Cronista, of New York, who was severely wounded last summer in Beigium by the Cuban patriot, Colonei Rosada, in a dael, The bronze statue of Jefferson, the gift of Captain Levy, of the Navy, to the government, which.for some years stood in front of the Presi- dent’s house, has been returned from Phila- Geiphia, where it was sent to be cleaned, ana Pisced in the old Hail of Representatives, among Other statues, Did the Pope say that Gladstone wasa viper? ‘Twelve or fifteen persons who were present at the Vatican on the occasion—the 10th of November— reported that the Pope used that phrase, and they reported {t with pleasure. But‘now the Pope him. self says he didn’t, and, as the Pope 1s infatlibie, of course the twelve or fifteen are in a hole. Several conversations at Berlin between. Gortschakof and Bismarck, and they did not talk, anout fancy shots at billiard: Was war at any moment imminent on the issues they went over? And was that reported letter from, the German. Ambassador at St. Pewersbarg, which is ‘ioutt? with the Arnim papers, of any consequence in the case? And was Bismarck’s anxiety to get it due to the apprehension that it might come out at an unfortnnate moment f Biamarck’s reference to the “Jesuttical infil. ences” which made the Franco-German war touches a subject hitherto much discussed in Europe, Kugenie, the mpress, undoubtedly boasted “c'est ma guerre’—this is my war; and Eugenie was the medium through which Rome affected the imperial policy, Bismarck’s view of the canse of the war 1s not merely his own, and | the high sources of information he alludes to ta Perhaps one or another of the members of the im. berial Cabinet,