The New York Herald Newspaper, March 4, 1875, Page 6

NEW YORK HERALD BROADWAY AND ANN STREET, JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR. NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS.—On and after January 1, 1875, the daily and weekly dditions of the New Yor Henatp will be sent free of postage. THE DAILY HERALD, published every | | this country, but whether he ever became a | day in the year. Four cents per copy. An- nual subscription price $1%+ All business or news letters and telegraphic | despatches must be addressed New Yonx | Hen. Rejected communications will not be re- turned. Letters and packages should be properly sealed. LONDON OFFICE OF THE NEW YORK HERALD—NO. 46 FLEET STREET. Subscriptions and advertisements will be received and forwarded on the same terms as in New York. VOLUME XL- NO, 63 AMUSEMENTS TO-NIGHT. STE Fourteenth street —T BEHEASAL, at2 P. “aizomas 30 P. LYCEUM THEATRE, Fourteenth street, near piath avenne.—ELIZABETS, at SP. M.; closes at lU:45 P.M. Mme. Adelaide Ristori. 2 Broadway and Thirty fourth stre et. Two exhibitions daily, at 2 aud s P. M. BOOTHS THEATRE, of Twenty-third sirect and. Sixth avenue. = LADY OF LYON=, at 2 P. M.; HENRY V., at8P. Mr. Heb ‘M.; closes at li P.M. METROPOLIT. HEATRE, No. 585 Broadway.—VARIETY, at 8P. M.; closesat 10:45 PM SAN FRANCISCO MINSTRELS, Broadway, corner of Twenty-ninth street—NEGRO MINSIBELSY, avs P. oses at 10 P.M. ROBIN HALL, Sixteenth street—biGONE DULL CARE, at 8 P.M; loses at 10:45 P.M. Mr. Maccabe. TIVOLI THEATRE, Eighth street, between ~econd a Third avenuss— ARIETY, at 8 P. M. ; closes at 12 P. WALLACK HEATRE, —THE NTASGHRAUN, at 8 P.M; closes at mpoedwey- Ww Yr. Mr. Boucicault MRS. co Lied S BROOKLYN THEATRE. * arg P. closes at 10:30 P.M. Mr. Brook!, . Mey Lester Wallack. WOOD'S MUSEUM, Broadway, corner of Thirtieih street. KIDNAPPED, at BP. M.; closes at 10:45 P.M. Matinee at2 P. M. OLYMPIC THEATRE, Yo, 6 Broadway.—VARIETY, at8 . “ML; closes at 10:45 | ROMAN UIPPODROME, nty-aixth street and Fourth avenue.—PEDES- RIAN fist Protessors Judd and Weston. THEATRE COMIQU: Be, 514 Broadway.—VARIETY, at 8 P. Au: closes at 10:45 M. STADT Oy MIBATRE, pS ORF SEE AUXE RS, iC 45 P. M. ats P. M.; closes at sy TONY PAST! OUSE, pom Bowery.—VARI .: closes at 10:45 BROOKLYN PARK 1 THEATRE, | Fulton avenue. VARIETY, at 8 P.M; closes at 10:5 | MM | BRYANT West Twenty. third stre MIN-TRELSY, &c., at 8 Bryant. OPERA HOUSE, Sixth avenue.-NEGRO | oses at 10 P.M Dan | GERMANIA THEATRE, a street.—FROU FROU, at 8 "p, pa Meech Wa5P-M. Miss Lina Ma THEATRE, Boufle VIROPLE-GIROFLA, | PA Broadway.—French Op: Mile. Coralie Geoffroy. | até P. M.; closes at 10:45 NIBLO'S, ey oF? AND © SE, at8P. M.; closes at 385 P. Of. FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE. Twenty-elghth street and Broadway —THE BIG RO- NANZA, at 5 P. closes at 10:30 P.M. Mr. Lewis, Miss Davenport, TRIPLE SHEET. NEW YORK, THURSDAY. MARCH 4, 1875. From our reports this morning the probabilities gre that the weather to-day will be colder and | clearing. Wat Sreeet Yestexpar.—Gold advanced to 115. Money on call loans was temporarily stronger. Foreign exchange was dull. Stocks were strong. From tx health report for the last week the principal diseases in New York seem to be diphtheria and scarlatina. Consrprnmxc the severe and persistent weather we do not knowa better field for Arctic explorations than New York city. Tue Mayor is said to be considering the | propriety of offering a reward for the arrest of the author of the poem called ‘Beautiful | PUBLIC | NEW YORK HERALD, THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 1875. TRI | The Case of John Mitchel. Our London despatch to-day indicates | that the political status of Mitenel continues an American question, we have a large public in this country which watches its progress With active curiosity.. Not to dwell on our | large population of Irish parentage or descent who cherish a tond love for the land of their birth | or their ancestors and takes a deep interest in all that concerns its welfare, Mr. Mitchel has personal claims on American attention. He was for some twenty years a resident of | 5 refuge on our shores and sought protection | under the hospitality of our flag. When he | came among us he had done much ‘to justify the warm enthusiasm with which he was re- ceived. His reputation had preceded him, and we welcomed him as we had Kossuth, and as our countrymen are always disposed to weleome patriots who have earned the title of martyrs to liberty. After he had taken up his res- idence among us he might have become one of the most popular men in the United States | if his discretion had proved equal to his | abilities. But gifted men are not always wise. Mr. Mitchel is a brilliant and seductive writer, but soon after he escaped to this country his | impulsive temperament hurried him into grave and irretrievable mistakes. Nobody | can have forgotten the shock given to public sentiment when he flaunted his wish to be the owner of an Alabama plantation well stocked with fat negroes. In the existing state of pub- lic feeling in this country at that time that published wish was suicidal. It was unques- tionably sincere, for nobody ever suspected John Mitchel of uttering affected sentiments; but it stamped him as a man totally destitute of tact and sound judgment, and subverted his hold on American sympathy. He had come to this country as an Irish patriot and martyr, and his mission here as a public man, if he had any intelligible mission, was to strengthen the Irish senti- ment among us in opposition to English mis- rule and to conciliate and win over American public opinion in behalf ot the Irish cause. Considering the nature of his mission it was a mistake for him to meddte at all in our do- mestic controversies, and a greater mistake to attempt to stem an American current which was then rushing on with the resistless force of a Niagara. His preposterous wish for an Alabama plantation evinced not only a want of propriety in engaging in our domestic con- troversies, but a tatal lack of sagacity in esti- mating the drift of American, opinion. His evident sincerity only rendered the blunder more ruinous, This early declaration of his sympathies committed him to the Southern side im our civil war, which broke all bonds of relation between him and the majority of our Irish- American citizens. In the civil war there were no truer patriots than our Irish popula- tion. None enlisted with such alacrity at the outbreak of the war, and in heroic fighting qualities the brave Irish regiments out- ranks attested. They fought for their adopted country with the same noble and uncalculat- ing courage as they would have fought for Ireland itself, and the country owes them a debt of gratitude and remembrance which can never be repaid. It is too obvious that in these praiseworthy efforts they were out of sympathy with John Mitchel, who had given his impulsive heart to the Southern side. Had not have thus cut himself off from the respect and good will of that large class of our citi- zens whom he was best fitted to influence. ‘There were no Irishmen, or next to none, in the Southern States, and it was an inexcusable blunder for Mitchel to espouse the Southern | side and forfeit his influence with the majority of Irish residents in America. His blunders since hjs return to Ireland | have not been quite so egregious, but he has evinced characteristic bad judgment. He per- mitted himself to be elected to Parliament from Tipperary when he had no intention of serving, and had decided not to take the oath of allegiance to the Queen, which is required | of all members of that body. This was a dis- creditable trifling, both with his constituents and with British laws. It was repugnant to the general public feeling of Ireland and to the sentiments of Irish statesmen. We know no other instance of an Irish popular leader consenting to be # candidate for Parliament | with a fixed purpose not to take. the oath if elected. The Irish seats have always been filled by members who did not scruple to Snow.” We Have Anoruer wild despatch from Spain | sbout an Alfonsist victory. These despatches | would be more interesting if we did not feel | that all Spanish news was supervised by the Spanish authorities. tive of the observations of the transit of Venus as made in Japan by the French astronomers. The Japanese authorities gave them cordial assistance. Some of the phenomena are said | to have been very remarkable. | We Pvsuisn elsewhere an interesting narra- | | | Tae Boarp or Epvcatiow “yesterday con- sidered the question of truancy, but ‘came to | uo definite result. As truancy is the first step | toward State Prison there should be an effective plan of suppressing it. Boys who | can go to school and will not should be com- | pelled to do so. Ir Is Nora | ples ant thing to contemplate the fact that a church building should fall, slaying and wounding many innocent worship- pers, and that as yet no one sbould be pun- ished. Mayor Wickham, is a Jackson democrat. If Andrew Jackson had been Mayor of New York the Superintendent of Buildings, who is primarily responsible for the disaster on Duane street, would by this time be disgraced and removed. we believe, Tar New Srare.—The bill to admit Colo- fado to the sisterhood of States was yester- day passed by the House, after amendment by the Senate, and it will take effect after the next Presidential election of 1876. New Mexico was not successful, and the defeat of that corrupt bill is partial compensation for the success of the other. Both of these Ter- ritories, under the bills for their admission, would be rotten boronghs and new fields and pastures for the politicians. To have created & State out of New Mexico would have been @ ‘wrong to the “hole country. | serve their constituents to the best of their | ability. These members havg felt that 1t | was an advantage to their country to be able to vote against such measures of the | government as were detrimental to Ireland, and they have recognized the duty of looking | i after such interests of their local constituents ot a non-political character as might be in- | trusted to their management. Mr. Mitchel differs as widely from the great body of Irish | | representatives, past and present, as he dif- | fered from the great body ot Irish-American | citizens in our civil war. A man who always contrives to get so out of harmony with the majority of those with whom he would be ex- pected to act lacks sound judgment and prac- tical good sense, and can never serve any use- fnl purpose as a political leader. O'Connell rendered splendid service to the Irish cause asamember of Parliament, as Mitchel also | might if he possessed O'Connell's wondertul tact and abilities. The strongest point of ob- jection to him is that he is so whimsical and ill-balanced that he is no trae representative of Lrish good sense. The question as to Mitchel’s disquaiifi- cation to sit in Parliament is very simple. no doubt that Mr. Disraeli’s were well taken and that the vote of the House ot Commons was in strict conformity to law. Whatever may be There can be points exclusion by the status of Mitchel morally there is no room for question as to what it is legally, He stands in the position of a convicted felon who has neither expiated his offence by ing out his sentence nor been pardone his Sovereign. As a question of law t competency to sit in Parliament does not mitof controversy. There may, he a question as to whether Mr. Disr - ernment has acted wisely in not rem: disabilities by a pardon. When he wi proposed as a candidate by his supporters in | to be a subject of livety interest in the British | metropolis, and although it isa British, not | | citizen we do not know. At any rate, he was | regarded as a man of mark when he first took | stripped all others, as their terribly thinned | he been a discreet, circumspect man, he would | first | tenes the Pde seemed careless of | results, and its attention was not drawn to | the legal difficulties which came up as soon | as he was declared elected, The legal | obstacles were none the less real because the government so long ignored them and suddenly discovered their existence when it was compelled to face the question. The long lapse of time since his escape was a good reason for the forbearance of the government in not arresting him; butthere is a great difference between allowing him the ordinary tights of a private subject and acquiescing in | his election to Parliament. The right to hold | office is a high privilege, and as Mitchel’s | undisturbed enjoyment of his liberty without arrest was due to mere indulgence and for- bearance, he had no title to expect that the laws of the realm would be set aside in his favor in a matter where forbearance is not in the discretion of the Crown. The only legal method of removing Mitchel’s disability to sit in Parliament was bya pardon, and we incline to think that such a pardon would | have been wise. As there was no | intention to arrest him and_ inflict the penalty a pardon would not change his condition as a private subject, and from a political point of view nothing would so belittle Mitchel’s factitions importance as a complete removal of his disabilities. Once | admitted to Parliament so indiscreet a man would soon find his level There is not strength in his arm to bend the bow of O’Con- nell, and instead of a perpetual thorn in the sides of the government, as O'Connell was, | Mitchel would sink into utter insignificance. His whole career demonstrates his incapacity to act in concert with his Irish compatriots, and instead of a powerful leader of the Irish members he would be a mere solitary indi- vidual, a political cipher in a body of practi- calmen. The only mistake Mr. Disraeli has made in this matter is in not procuring from the Queen a iull pardon of Mitchel which would give him all the political rights which belong to any other Irish subject. The Blackwell's Island Case. It is not easy to understand how a man could come to his death, as in the case of Stockvis, except through the grossest care- lessness on the part of the Justice who com- mitted him and the utmost brutality from the officials at Blackwell's Island. The public will not bave forgotten that a poor emigrant girl, not long ago, was outraged by a brutal male nurse at that institution, and that the nurse was not even punished, but reinstated in his place by Commissioner Laimbeer. While outrages of this kind are possible peo- ple will be slow to believe that this unfortu- nate man, who was suffering for days with paralysis, was wounded by a lunatic, dis- graceful as that hypothesis is to the authori- ties of the institution, but will rather incline to the opinion that the wounds from which Mr. Stockvis died were inflicted by some nurse or official. But, accepting the state- ments of the officials, from the policeman who arrested him to the officials whose duty it was to care for him on the Island, the conduct of all of them, including the Judge who commit- | ted him, is most indefensible. They all be- haved as if the prisoner had no rights which they were bound to respect. The police offi- cers assumed that he was intoxicated, which appears to bea license for brutality on their part, and took no pains to inquire into his condition. Justice Flammer, in committing him on this unfounded charge, acted witha haste and carelessness that on their face seem little short of criminal, for he neither knew nor cared to know anything about the man. On Blackwell's Island nobody inquired into his condition, though he died by exhaustion occasioned by suppuration of the arm. From beginning to end there was gross neglect, re- flecting the greatest discredit upon the police, the Police Justice and the officials on the Island. Is it possible we have a judge in this city who could commit a man suffering from paralysis and unable to speak upon a charge of intoxication without any inquiry whatever? This is what Justice Flammer has done. His conduct and that of the other officials connected with the case is almost incredible, and if their carelessness is estab- lished upon investigation they must all be re- moved from office. It will not do to intrust | the safety ond liberty of individuals in the hands of men who perform their duties with such reckless disregard of the rights of others. | General Grant’s Party. No better test of the.men who compose General Grant's party in the Congress which expires this day can be found than in the vote on Ward’s substitute for the Arkansas resolu- | tion, The substitute embodied the views of | Grant’s recent Message in favor of Brooks, | and was defeated by 152 to 79. Among the republicans voting against it were Dawes, Garfield, Hale of Maine, Hawley of Connecti- cut, E. R. Hoar, G. F. Hoar, Kasson, Kellogg, | Killinger, McCrary, Merriam, E. H. Roberts, Poland, Starkweather, and, indeed, all the | real leaders of the party in the House. In its favor were the Southern carpet-baggers like Hynes and Sypher, and the men who have been left at home for the future, as the two | Butlers, sna, Harmer, Maynard, Myers, Sco- | field, Sessions, Shanks, Tyner and Williams | of Indiana. Nothing more unfortunate for | Grant’s third term aspirations could possibly have happened, and he has, beside, the cha- grin of knowing that he precipitated it himself. But while we rejoice in the result we cannot help feeling some degree of pity for the Presi- | dent. It must be a sad thing for him to read this list of his friends; for, sinco Falstaff’s famous muster of his reernits, no more pitiful picture has been seen. A beggarly array of disappointed politicians is all that goes to make up Ger | Toern We eral Grant's party. 2 no new points in the Beecher trial yesterday. It continues with commendable slowness and is already among the institu- tions of the country. Tverybody is anxious for Mr. Beecher to take the stand. Tae Centenstan.—Our report Centennial shows that our friends in Phil delphia are pushing on the Centennial Ex- | hibiti from the | 1 with commendable zeal. showing the deepest i The time fixed for the opening nged from April to May 10, and | tober to No ® capricious month, w hospitable and con- | ready done moro than | in the way of making while New York does nothing. foreign are rest in thi has | for elc April is May is regarded as more sistent. Japan ha our own govern ing from Oc vember 10. aid to be ready — | proved a success. or the crumbling belt of tropical re- | publics, or the group of despised na- | tionalities that lie around the Andes. We inight be as Germany was fifty years ago— State armed against State, inviting foreign Powers to come into our territory and profit | to-day a dishonored death is not the party ot \ Lincoln, of emancipation, of the war for the The Close of the Forty-thira Con- gress. The Forty-third Congress will come to an end to-day. The termination of the labors of as important a body as a national Congress is an event worthy of note in the history of re- publican government. Although we may find much in the official life of our Represen- tatives and Senators to criticise, and many features of party legislation exceedingly ob- jectionable, in the higher aspect of democracy the uses of a Congress are best understood when we look back upon what it has done during its whole career and the influence of its work on the future of our country. Every nation where the will of the people finds ex- pression by the suffrage is subject to change. But we question if, in our history, there has been any transformation more marked than the political feeling which controls the nation to-day compared with the political feeling which brought the Forty-third Congress into being. The gentlemen, so many of whom will retire to private life to-day, came into power on the extraordinary flood-tide of pop- ular favor which swept General Grant for the second time into the Presidency. Only two years have passed since then, and yet how big they are with events! Two years ago the re- publican party seemed to lay itself down at the feet of a triumphant and popular General. President Grant's first four years of adminis- tration had shown him to be what the poet calls ‘rich in saving common sense.’’ There had been wisdom, moderation, hesitation about extreme measures, anxious solicitude for the best interests of the country, a yielding of favored measures when they were found not to be in accordance with the will of the people. There was prosperity in the Treasury, especially in the funding of our debt, apparent success in reconstruction, the establishment of general peace, the restoration of the Union, and—as if to crown all—a victory of diplomacy which Castelar afterward described as “the sublime humiliation of Geneva.”’ All these circumstances contributed to strengthen the President and the party which summoned him to power. To-day that party fulls dis- honored, discrowned, overwhelmed with dis- comfiture. The reasons for this may not be apparent. Yet, when we look closely into the events of the last two years, it is difficult not to see them. Success turned the heads of the Presi- dent and his followers. They waxed proud, and instead of regarding themselves as the servants of theycountry and the party which elected them to office, they felt that they were our accepted masters. We can only comprehend the course ot the President and the majority in Congress during the last two years upon the theory that he and they believed they were necessary to the salvation of the country. It was the same spirit that made Cesar believe himself to be necessary to Rome, and Na- poleon that his Empire was the only govern- ment that could perpetuate the greatness of France. Consequently, the whole aim of the administration during the last two years has been to consolidate the power of the Execu- tive at the expense of the other departments of the government. This has given birth to the spirit of Casarism which fell like an evil influence upon our institutions. Grant, in his power and might and his victorious sup- port by the people, no longer modestly aimed at the fame of Washington—a double term and a quiet retirement into private life— but believed that the country was actually willing to bestow upon him an _ honor that Washington put away—the honor of a third term. And although the traditions of our constitution and of our po- litical life revolted at this violation of a ra- cred precept, our strong-willed and stub- born President, with his complying foi- lowers, drove on and on, determined to win, by the sheer force of Executive power, this unusual and dangerous recog- nition. It was against this principle that the people in the elections of last fall proclaimed a revolt. A wise President—such amanas Lincoln, for instance—would have accepted the expression of the popular will in its true sense. He would have instantly changed the administration to meet the wishes of the people; for we contend that the elections of last fall were not necessarily the destruction of the republican party, but a warning to it. That party was told that it could not follow the wishes of ambitious and extreme leaders in defiance of the will of the people. A change in the Cabinet, generosity in dealing with the South, the removal of certain officials whose course had been offensive to public morals and good discipline, a’ conciliatory policy on the part of the President toward all those inde- pendent republicans who had preferred the right to the expedient, a general purging of the party of its baser elements, might have reconstructed it and taught the democrats republicanism was by no means dead, and that their advent to power was not a victory, but an experiment. In all this tho administration failed, and*+ the Congress which passes out of power to-day takes with it the republican party. We can understand many contingencies which may bring the republicans again to power. They rest only upon the probable mismanagement of the democratic leaders, If the new men are wise they will re- new themselves with the victory of last autumn, and continue on to a supreme vic- tory in the Presidential canvass. And yet it is not withont a feeling ot sadness that we see the republican party, after so proud, 60 illus- trious and honorable a reign, pass out of power. It has done noble deeds. It saved the Union; destroyed secession; emanci- pated the slaves; lifted the Republic from the position of a group of contending, angry States into that of a proud, defiant nation, ranking with the great Powers of the world. The United States 1s to-day a better country, we are a better people, our fing is more re- spected because of the achievements of the republican party. Let us think what wo might be had the Southern Confederacy We might be as Mexico, by our strifes. We are a nation, and this we | owe to the republican party. But here the debt ends. The republican party that dies PLE SHEET. Union. It is the party of Grant, of Casar- ism, of struggles for perpetuation of power. And we cannot but fee! that this country, entering upon its new condition, has done a wise thing for pure democracy and even for the republican organization. The Comm mse of Rapid Transit. The Heraxp’s suggestion that rapid transit could be achieved by building the Elevated Railway, now in operation to Thirty-fourth street, so as to make connection with the Har~ lem trains, and thus give us one continuous steam line from the Battery to Westchester, meets with universal favor. This road has proved itself a success, We do not think it is sufficient to meet the wants of the city; but it is always wise, when we cannot have what we want, to take what we can get. Now, by continuing this railway from Thirty-fourth street to Forty-fourth street, and thence to the Hudson and Harlem depot, spanning the avenues with light and graceful bridges, we could have within thirty days a complete sys- tem of steam communication from the Bat- tery. This would be a step in the right direction. It would be a beginning of rapid transit. Give this to the people and in time we should have another road on the west side, and a continuation of the Van- derbilt line on the east side, probably through Witliam or Nassau street, to the Battery. If our rulers were statesmen they would adopt a comprehensive plan, embracing—first, the building of east and west side railways ; second, the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge, with steam communication to Long Island; third, the opening of a tunnel un- der the Hudson, with a steam line to New Jersey. These are the three points in the chart of New York’s future greatness. If De Witt Clinton were alive and the head of the democratic party he would seize upon them with the alacrity with which he ac- cepted the opportunity of the Erie Canal, and thus, in building up the property of New York, give himself the enduring tame of a tar-seeing and practical statesman. Ice Gorges. Public interest is more deeply concerned than appears for the moment in the operations on the ice attempted at Philadelphia in a fool- ish, infantile way, and rejected at Port Jervis as impossible, Ice has been made this winter as it has not been made before in this country for a generation, and the channels of all the smaller rivers are choked. From the Tennes- see and its tributaries, from the Delaware and the Schuylkill and from the Housatonic we already hear of troubles due to the vast accumulations of ice, and ina short time we shall hear the same story from the Ohio, the Susquebanna, the Mohawk, the Connecticut, the Upper Hudson and other streams. Calam- ities due to the spring floods are common enough every year, but this year will witness them on a scale that will belittle the history of recent events of this nature. Already it is estimated that two million dollars will not re- pair the damage in East Tennessee, and in our own State a fine, populous town is men- aced with partial ruin. From what may be reasonably anticipated in the condition ot the rivers twenty million dollars will perhaps not repair the loss likely to be inflicted on manufacturing industries all over the country witnin the coming month. It is therefore desirable to:-know what can be dove with these gigantic obstructions that dam the rivers and flood the valleys. In Philadelphia they tried the ice with charges ot a pound and a half of powder in bottles. One is tempted to wonder why they did not buy ten cents’ worth of torpedoes, such as the children use on the Fourth of July, and project these against the ice—one ata time, of course. At Port Jervis Mr. Chanute, an engineer, seems to be of opinion that the proposition to blast the ice up there is in some degree ridiculous. This gentleman’s name is not precisely the same as that of the famous Canute of other days whose opinion in regard to the tide on the British coast has been often quoted, but as the old Dane was also of opinion that noth- ing could be done ubout it there seems a fam- ily resemblance in their intellectual opera- tions. In the judgment of this engineer there is an apparent inconsistency. He deems the ice structure so gigantic and so difficult that operations against it by engineering science are hopeless; yet he regards this same struc- ture as of so small account that he believes the ordinary operations of the river will carry it away without causing any flood. He also oust be thinking of charges of a pound and a half of powder in bottles, like cough medicine, Wuat Sauz We Do without our Ben Butler in Congress? The democratic journals will accept our condolements. Ir Is Axxouncrp that we have concluded to recognize the Prince Alfonso as King of Spain. The power of this monarch rests upon military usurpation. Nothing is moré natu- ral than that an administration animated by a spirit of Cesarism should hasten to recognize a monarch whose only claim to power is the fact thata mutiny of the army has enabled Oh for one him to seize and hold Spain. hour of Thomas Jefferson ! Tue Monicrea, Cuanaes recently made are treated of in a special review elsewhere. The reasons for the appointment of General Por- ter are detailed, and it is thought to have been decided upon by Mayor Wickham without con- sultation with others. The opinions of Mr. Kelly and other prominent politicians upon the situation will be found interesting. - Axornen Lrsson to bo learned from the dis- aster on Duane street is the necessity of care- fully examining the unsafe buildings of New York. We have too many shells and clumsily built and badly protected houses. Why should not the Mayor insist on a thorough examina- tion of the whole system? Wherever there is a shaky building let it be tested, and if unfit for use let it be rebuilt or torn down. New York is too great a city to be merely an ag- gregation of trembling, inflammable build- | ings. liable to go down before a gust of wind | or the first touch of flame. Can we not learn | a terrible lesson from Chicago and Boston? Can we not imitate the wisdom which has made Paris not only the most beautiful of cities, but the safest, and, by building houses | that will not burn down, practically stamp out any danger of fire? This is a good deal more Jmportant than the removal of Delafield Smith, and if Mayor "Wickham will give at- tention to it he will gain a new title to the esteem of his fellow citizens, et The Progress of New York. Commissioner Martin bas prepared a most interesting statement in reference to the im- provements of the upper part of Manhattan Island which will be submitted to the Park Board to-morrow. This report will show the value of the improvements and the economy of maintaining them. In this statement we have a history of the parks and the expenditures, It shows that the expenditures have been re- duced since 1869. The effect of the Central Park improvement is seen in the largely in creased value of uptown property. The Park improvements have increased the revenué from taxation and added to our municipal wealth. For the next five years Mr. Martin estimates that the city should pay seven mill- ions four hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and that it will possess in landed estates, when these payments are made, over a hundred millions of property. The increase in taxa tion will be very great. The surest way to relieve taxation déwn town is to increase the value of property up town. The argument upon which Mr. Martin bases these conclu- sions would seem to be incontestible. The only man in New Yorkin high place who holds a contrary opinion is Comptroller Green, whose theory seems to be that the way to ine crease the value of city property and the wealth of the metropolis is to stifle all im- provements and to strangle the city instead of adding to its value by a system of generous development. Surenmrenpent Wauurne insists upon em forcing the law against masquerades. This may be a hardship to our frolicsome and capering friends, but we do not see how it can be helped. As President Grant once said, “The way to secure the repeal of an obnoxious law is to enforce it.’’ We Have a Serres of exultant despatches from Arkansas showing the joy in the State over the passage of Poland’s resolution. “Whiskey flows freely,” say our despatches, “and symptoms of universal hilarity are everywhere manifested by exhilarated demo crate.” Tax Protest Acamst Czsanism.—The passage of Mr. Poland’s resolution in refere ence to Arkansas shows the existence in the republican party of a sentiment of indepen- dence which makes us hope for better things, This act is a protest against Casarism. If it had only been made three months ago it would have been better for the administration, for the South and for the people. Tue NortH Porz.—We publish to-day very interesting letter from ‘‘An Old Salt," suggesting a new method of reaching the North Pole. One important portion of his plan is to establish storehouses along. Smith Sound, starting from a general depot at Port Foulke, the entrance. Our correspondent seems to consider the Pole as a fortress which can only be captured by siege, and not by sudden assault. There is much common sense in these views. PERSONAL INTELLIGENCE. Will M. Buffet make a Cabinet or will it result only in another im-Broglie-o ? Colonel George W. Patten, United States Army, is quartered at the Coleman House. Mr. George W. Riggs, of Washington, arrived last evening at tne Brevoort House. Judge israel 8S. Spencer, of Syracuse, is among the late arrivals at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. Mr. Sebastian B, Schlesinger, German Consul at Boston, 1s sojourning at the Westminster Hotel. As Porter is an ex-engineer of a mining come pany and an ex-General they count him as double X at least. General John J. Abercrombie, United States Army, has taken up his quarters at the Hotel Brunswick. Mr. M. Hall Stanton, President of the Philadeb phia Board of Education, ts registered at the st James Hotel. Senator-elect Francis Kernan and Congressman elect Benjamin A, Willis leit this city yesterday for Washington. Mr. John W. Forney, Commissioner or the Cen tennial Exhibition at Philadelphia, arrived yester: Gay in Florence, Italy. Mr. N. C. Stevens, United States Vice Consul at Amoy, China, arrived 1m this city yesterday and is at the Filta Avenue Hotel. Mr. M. E. Ingalls, President of the Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Lafayette Railroad Company, 18 residing at the Windsor Hotel. Mr. Palmer's bronze statue of Robert R, Living. ston, of New York, was placed in the old hall of the House of Representatives at Washington yesterday. One of the Rassian jeunesse dorée has made an enormous bet that he will go from St. Petersburg to Vienna in twenty-one days 1n the saddle, This is three times as far as the German officer went in the same time. Mr. William D. Bishop, President of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Com pany, and Mr. Isaac Hinckley, President of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Rallroad Company, are at the St. Nicholas Hotel. fis Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh hag invented and brought into use a style of dress in which the tops of the shoes are made of the same material as the pintaloons, which must tend ta largely increase the shoemaker’s. bill. ‘There was likely to be great distress in the Vale of Cashmere when the Cashmere shawis went out offashion, but the Maharajan made a contract with a shrewd heatuen trom Christendom in virtue of which ali the women of that country are now working at tapestry instead of shawis, ~Paris 1s pluming itself on a new fancy in ladies, dress, which is a species of tackle by which, when a lady wishes to dance, the train of her dress is drawn up to possible dimensions. This tackle is made so as to be ornamented with fowers or ribe bons, and to become a great addition to the toilette generally. Frederic Stiepman, watchmaker in Paris, said his soui had passed into a watch at which he naa been working for twenty years. One day this watch lost many minutes—the next day it gained many; thereupon Frederic went to bed and saia he was very ill. The watch stopped, aud Frederic, when he saw the hands motionless, sprang up from his recumbent posture and fell back—dead, It would appear that the taste of the Prussian soldiers for timepieces was once possessed by French soldiers also. At Lausanne, in Switzer. land, there 18 a clock that was made in that city in the time of Louls XIV. by one Golay. It was stolea thence by a soldier and carried to Berne. From Berne it was taken by a French soldier in 1794 into France, an? trom France It was taken again ty the mevitable Prussian and sold beyond the Ruine Dr. Hubner made some experiments on Decem ber 1, in the Theatre-Marie, at St, Petersourg, ta ascertain the changes that occur in the air of crowded places. He found a constant and con. siderable increase of heat, an increase oO! moist. ure tothe extent of eighty-live per cent, and a sutnration by carbonic acid suficient to prodace @ markedly poisonous effect on persons nabitw ated to pure air. Raoul eval publishes the story that Napoleon's first thought in the disaster at se ian was to ey cape in disguise; that he propose to pne on tre dress of & peasant and follow the bye-ways through the forest to Mezie es. M. Cornebors, in Spector Of the forest and supposed to be familiar with the paths, was fixed upon fora guide, But 1t took an hour to find this person and during that hour the Emperor changed his mina,