The New York Herald Newspaper, May 3, 1875, Page 6

8 NEW YORK HERALD BROADWAY AND ANN STREET, JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS.—On and after January 1, 1875, the daily and weekly editions of the New Yorx Henarp will be | gent free of postage. THE DAILY HERALD, published every day in the year. Four cents per copy. An pual subscription price $12. All business or news letters and telegraphic Gespatches must be addressed New Your Hiznatp. Rejected communications -will not be re- turned. Letters and packages should be properly sealed. Teh eae) LONDON OFFICE OF THE NEW YORK HERALD—NO. 46 FLEET STREET. PARIS OFFICE—NO. 3 RUE SCRIBE. Subscriptions and advertisements will be received and forwarded on the same terms as in New York. WOLUME XL-----eeceersserseresenecsrsecseeeNO, 123 AMUSEMENTS TO-NIGHT. BOOTHS THEATRE, | Twenty-third sireet and sixth avenue—AMY Soaks, USP M,; closes atl P, M. Miss Neilson. LYCEUM THRATRE, Fexves® street nese Sixth avenue-—-BENATA DI RANCIA, at 8 P.M. Mme. Kistori. SAN FRANCISCO MINSTRELS, lway. porihneyn Vwenty-niath street—NEGBO ERs 7, at8 P. M.; closes at 10 P. BM, TIVOLI THEATRE, th street, between Second and’ Third avenues— IBTY, at ¥. M.; closes at 12 P. M. WALLACK'S THEATRE, roadway.—ROAD TO RULY. ars Y. M.; Closes at 20:40 Pst Mr. Montague, Miss Jeffreys Lewis. | BOWERY OPERA HOUSE, | Ho 01 Bowery.—VARIETY, at 8 P. 3; closee at Ins NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, MAY 3, 1875,—-TRIPLE SHUEET, The Mecklenburg Deciaration—A His- terical “Hornet's Nest.’ The interesting letter of our correspondent at Raleigh, which we print this morning, be- tokens the heat and zeal with which the con- troversy about to be waged will be conducted, at least on the North Carolina side. To doubt the genuineness of the document in question it apocryphal dare not say so openly, lest they be injured in their business and put under a ban of social ostracism. Instances of this local intolerance are recited by our correspondent, who states that some ot the best informed men in the State have no faith inthe document. This is one of the disputed points in our Revolutionary history which must be settled in connection with the ap- proaching centennial celebration at Charlotte. But it must be settled by argument, not pas- sion. The interest which the occasion excites will secure universal attention to the discus- sion, and, let this question be de cided as it may, the general public will be instructed by examples of keen and able historical criticism by some of the most accomplished writers of the country. Specimens of the present state of historical erudition among us will be a valuable contri- bution to our centennial exhibitions, not Jess important than proofs of our arts, industry and physical resources. Our Raleigh correspondent gives a faithful summary of the arguments on both sides of this controversy in its present state. But a great deal remains to be said. We do not wish to prejudge the question, and we advise the public to reserve its judgment until the argu- ments are allin. We have some reason to fear that the Mecklenburg side will not be quite as fully set forth as the other, and we will, there- fore, state it as strongly as we can, notas pre senting our own final conclusion, but as ex- hibiting some points we think it incumbent on the historical sceptics to meet and confute if they expect a verdict for their side. We shall put the case sgainst them in a somewhat new light, and, perhaps, satisfy some readers that the victory of the sceptics will not be quite so easy as they imagine. We call attention to the phrase “bornet’s nest,” employed by our correspond- OD'S MUSEU! wo: ™, Broadway, corner of Thirtieth street.—TBE SOLDIER'S Sow at 2 P.M. ON HAND, at 8 P.M; at 43 PLM THEATRE COMIQUE. { Broadway VARIETY at SP. Mf; closes at 10:45 | THEATRE, BIEDERMANNER, at 8 | GPRMANIA ee street.—FALSCHE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, West Fourteenth sireet—Open from 104. M. wo SP, BROOKLYN PARK THEATRE, pe avenue.—VARIETY, at 8 P. M.; closes at 10:65 OLYMPIC THEATRI | Fo Broadway.—VARIETY, at 5 P. M.; closes at 10x45 | FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE. nth street and Broadway —TH® BIG BO- niyo: ieee at 8 P. M.; closes at 10:90 P, M. Mr. Fisher, Mr, ES? Miss Davenport, Mrs. Gilbert. METROPOLITAN THEATRE, Bo. 585 Broadway.—FEMALE BATHERS, at SP. M. ROBINSON HALL, West ‘ixteenth stree.—THE QUIET FAMILY, at SP. M. TRIPLE SHEET. | NEW YORK, MONDAY, MAY From our reports this morning the probabilities @re that the weather to-day will be clear and warmer. ‘Tre Broceapz of the coasts of the Carlist provinces has been re-estsblished. | 3, 1875. | | Tux Answer or Brxerma to the last note | from Germany is pacific, and does not enter | fully into the merits of the point in dispute. Belgium is as inclined to be diplomatic as Prussia is to be peremptory. Tue Srrvation at Aubany, which resembles in many particulars the situation at Donny- | brook Fair, is described by an Albany corre- spondent. Mr. Green has his lobby in array | of battle, and the boys will soon have a lively | time. Tae Beecuen-Trton Cast.—This is the eighty-first day of the Brooklyn trial, and we see the beginning of the end. This week the | rebuttal testimony for the plaintiff will be | offered, and his friends claim that it will re- fate much to which the defendant has sworn. What Mr. Bowen's feelings are may be in- ferred from our Chicago correspondence. His | testimony is expected by the public. } Tue Rev. Ma. Grexpeystyc, of unhappy notoriety, preached yesterday m the church | at Jersey City from which he was suspended by the Presbytery. The death of poor Mary Pomeroy did not seem to affect the reverend | gentleman, and some trouble was feared from | the indignation of the citizens. He is now in | open defiance to his Church as well as to | the community. Ma. Beecner axp His Cavacn.—lIt is cer- inly a triumph for Mr. Beecher that yester- jay more than one hundred persons were received as members of his church. Ata time when he stands accused of crime it must gratify him to find so many believers im his innocence. These hundred new mem- bers of Plymouth church represent a large portion of the community which has not lost faith in him and will not lose it, no matter who may be the witnesses or what the testi- mony against bim. Tue Pourrr.—Some of the sermons preached yesterday were more than usually interesting, ws they dealt with questions that have recently igitated the religious world. The discussion of the relative merits of Protestantism and Cath- olicism by Mr. Frothingham at the Masonic Temple was remarkable for its boldness and ability and the extreme views which this tlergyman, who hangs upon the very verge of the Christian Church, seems always anxious to advance. Catholic influence, in respect to the public schools, was the subject of inquiry by the Rev. Oscar Hugo, a Hangarian, who took strong ground against the Pope, the Fesnits and the rest of that fraternity. Pro- fessor Macloskie, of Princeton College, lec- tured upon the Moody and Sankey revival, and gave the weight of his personal testimony in its iavor, The Rev. Mr. Hepworth preached a very eloquent discourse upon the atouvement, rich in thought and poetic descrip- tion. The Rev. Mr. Chapin pointed ont the way to attain to righteousness, and Mr. ent as illustrating the feeling this controversy excites in North Carolina. He thinks the stings will be exceedingly sharp and vicious on this occasion. This phrase, ‘hornet’s nest,” is historical Irving quotes it in his “Life of Washington,’’ and attributes it to Lord Cornwallis, whose army was once post2d | at Charlotte, in Mecklenburg county, and who called it ‘the hornet’s nest of North Carolina.” Irving also uccepts the tradition that Mecklen- burg is the “heady, high-minded county where the first Declaration of Independence had been made.” This soubriquet of “hornet’s nest” has an important historical bearing on this controversy, as indicating tbe character and temper of the people and enabling us to judge what they would be likely to do in an emer- gency. They were of Scotch-Irish descent and conbined the impulsiveness of Irishmen with the strength of conviction of the old Scottish Covenanters. This element of character has | not been duly weighed by the disputents on either side, and we offer it as a possible solu- tion of the conflict in this historical evidence. It supplies a plausible explanation of all the difficulties raised by the historical sceptics, as | we proceed to show. We, who celebrate these centennials, are better qualified to judge of the physiognomy | of great political changes than any other generation of Americans since the Revolution. The Emancipation Proclamation may be taken asa parallel to the Declaration of Iadepen- dence. There were ardent abolitionists who spoke out boldly for emancipation at the very beginnjng of our civil war, and even before it commenced. But the republican party as a body discountenanced and belittled them, because, although the party thought the con- test might ultimately come to that, it knew that to make that issue in the outset would disunite the North and defeat its cause. In the same manner the Mecklenburg Declara- tion, assuming it to be genuine, was in ad- vance of the general sentiment ot the country, and would have fatally injured the cause of the colonies had it been generally published and approved. There was no printing press in Mecklenburg county nor within two hundred miles of it, and the editors of distant news- papers ignored and suppressed the Declara- tion, becanse they saw that it would strengthen the tories and repel vacillating whigs. This seems a sufficient reply to the argument that it appeared in none of the newspapers of the time. The milder resolutions passed at eleven days later were hurried into print as a means of counteracting the rumor of the Declaration which was deemed so rash and unseasonable. If this hypothesis be accepted | as tenable it will parry all the arguments and account for all the difficulties raised by the historical critics. Had it been in the power of President Lincoln to prevent the publica- tion of the premature emancipation orders of General Fremont in Missouri and General Haunter in South Carolina he would undonbt- edly have done so; but as the activity of the press rendered that impossible he could only countermand them. The Mecklenburg Declar- ation was felt to be premature and damaging, and for that reason it was kept out of print and not allowed to get abroad in the colonies. Unless this hypothesis can be refuted by legit- imate historical reasoning all the arguments against the Mecklenburg Declaration will fall to the ground. Weare not aware that this natural hypothesis has ever before been so distinctly propounded, and we are curious to see how the impugners of the Mecklenburg Declaration will meet it. We shall not per- mit them to ignore it, for it is too intrinsi- cally probable to be put aside without a refu- tation. It may be asked how the Mecklenburg patriots happened to be hurried into an act which their contemporaries thought it neces- sary to keep out of printand put out of sight? ‘The answer is simple and easy. They assem- bled at Charlotte on the 19th of May, and on that very day a messenger arrived announc- ing the battle of Lexington. No wonder that such a atone flung into the Scotch-Irish ‘‘hor- net's nest” roused a commotion and set the maddened hornets whizzing through the air. No wonder that they gave way to their indig- nation and expressed it in the strongest form. gives such offence that residents who believe | the same place | naturally enough for men in their situation, men of their ‘‘heady, high-minded’’ character under the sting of so great and sudden a provocation. When, on cooler reflection, they found that they had been precipitate; when | their compatriots in the reighboring counties | convinced them that their too impulsive ac- | tion would give a handle to the enemies of | liberty, they magnanimously met again, | eleven days later, and adopted another serics | of resolutions, pitched in a lower key, which were published in the newspapers of the time, to protect the intentions of the colonists against misrepresentation. This hypothesis reconciles all the apparent conflicts in the historical evidence and undermines the chief arguments which have been made against the genuineness of the Mecklenburg Declara- tion. It satisfactorily explains its non-pub- lication in the newspapers of the time, which is the main argument against it. It explains why the resolutions of May 31 were so promptly spread before the public to occupy attention and obliterste the effect of rumors founded on the unprinted facts of the 20th. It leaves unimpeached the testimony of seven different witnesses, who participated in the transaction, and who many years after, when they had become scattered to distant places, gave their statements under oath, and all of whom swore positively to the 20th of Mayas the date of the Declaration. As there could have been no collusion among them the most natural explanation of their agreement as to the date is that their memory of it was distinct and that they gave it cor- rectly. We do not wish to dogmatize; we will not commit ourselves to any opinion in this stage of the controversy; but we are un- ‘willing that any point of view should be overlooked, and throw out this hypothesis as the most natural explanation of the historical discrepancies which have occasioned this dispute. We suspect that the critics will need all their ingenuity and acumen to refute it, At any rate, they must understand that there are two sides to this controversy. The Two Bishops. The investiture of Cardinal McCloskey with the berretta last week has been rapidly followed by events searcely less important. The con- secration of the Rev. Dr. Thomas A. Jagger as Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church of Southern Ohio has already been fully described in our columns, and yesterday the intereet in his elevation was renewed by the solemn ceremonies he conducted at the Church of the Holy Trinity, Philadelphia, of which he has for a long time had charge. The Bishop confirmed thirty-two persons who had been brought up in their religion under his pastoral care, and administered the rite of holy communion to seven hundred members of the church, Many eminent Episcopal clergymen participated in the services, and the sermon which the Bishop preached was particularly impressive, as being one of the last which he will deliver before assuming the charge of his diocese. Our Philadelphia cor- respondent furnishes us with a full report of this thoughtful address and of the religious ceremonies which preceded it. While the new Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church was thus preparing to separate from his flock to enter a broader field of labor Buston was the scene of cere- monies of similar importance to the Roman Catholic Church. The pallium was imposed upon Archbishop Williams of that city, in the Cathedral, with services hardly less solemn and grand than those which attended the conferring of the berretia. The Cardinal himself imposed upon the Archbishop the emblem of his rank in the Church, Our special despatches describe vividly the splen- dor and majesty of the event, at which the Papal envoys and a large number of other clerical dignitaries were present. The ser mon by Bishop de Goesbriand, the address of the Cardinal, and the Papal briefs are in- cluded in this report. These two events in Philadelphia and Bos- ton were widely different in character, and | yet have a similar interest for the thought- | ful public as evidences of the wonderful prog- ress that Christianity in two of its most intel. lectual organizations is making in the United States. The Governor and the Mayor, The general satisfaction given by Mayor | Wickbam’s appointments on May 1 is a fact | which deserves Governor Tilden’s attention, if | affairs of the metropolis. One of his admirers | and apologists in the press excuses his four | | months’ neglect of city interests on the singu- | lar plea that the duties ofa Governor are an- alogous to thosé of a presiding judge of a court, who must try cases in succession and cannot be expected to take up a new one until that in hand has been disposed of. If this be | intended as covert ridicule we can appreci- ate it. It would make a pretty topic for the | artists in the pictorial comic journals. A car- toon representing a Governor dipping his | head beneath the muddy water of the “raging | canawl” and keeping it so immersed that | he could not see or hear anything going |on in the State would be an amusing representation of the suspension of guber- natorial functions. Would it not be chari- | table for Governor Tilden’s friends to pull him | | out of the depths of the cansl in which they represent him as buried, and try to restore his suspended official animation? What are we to think ofa Governor who proceeds at the rate of lookimg into three subjects in a year, and who might as well be drowned, or be in Europe or the moon, #o far as relates to the | discharge of his current duties? If he were | trying the Beecher case instead of Judge Neilson we could understand his inability to attend to the ordinary business of his office ; but all the facts contained in his Canal | Message could have been gathered for him by. | a capable newspaper correspondent in less than a week if the reporter had been given access to public documents and records. The | Governor is bound to keep his attention on all the great interests of the State, and to put forth a prompt, rectifying hand as often as the law requires it He is not engaged in trying cases, but in administering a government, and there is little resemblance between ju- dicial and administrative functions. | We trust pe may now lift his head out of the | depth of the canals long enough to take notice | of what has just taken place in New York. The Mayor has made appointments of such recog- Beecher explained the following of God in | If, in their impulsive heat and anger, they | nized excellence that the Board of Aldermen, Jove. These and other sermons are reported framed a declaration of independence that | republicans and all, not only confirmed them im our columns to-day, | might and adopted it the next day. they acted | without @ word of dissent, but expressed | he can find time to bestow a thought on the | thetr unanimous thanks to the Mayor for the fitness of his selections. And this is the same Mayor whom Governor Tilden declined totrust with the appointment of a new Cor- poration Counsel and Fire Commissioners. Having this conspicuous proof of the rafety of permitting Mayor Wickham to fill city | offices it is to be hoped that Governor Tilden will at last consider the cases of removal which he has so long neglected, and decide them on their merits, as it was his duty to do four months ago. If he chooses to keep Cor- poration Counsel Smith in office rather than trust the Mayor to appoint his successor let him openly take tho responsibility, instead of shirking a plain duty under the thin pre- text that he cannot find time to examine the charges. Since the compliments and strong marks of confidence paid to the Mayor on Saturday by the unanimous Board of Alder- men, the Governor should be encouraged to believe that, even if Comptroller Green were removed, the Mayor might appoint a man almost as urbane, capable and honest as that beloved idol of the people and pink of cour- tesy to fill his place. The pretence that the Governor cannot find time to examine the pending charges against city officials is a very left-handed compliment, indeed, to his capacity for the despatch of executive business. The real reason for his long neglect to examine the charges against Mr. Smith was understood to be bis wish to dictate the appointment of the new Corporation Counsel, but the popularity of the Mayor’s recent appointments renders that ground untenable and preposterous, Green’s In= People’s The Comptrollership—DIr,. termeddling with Other Business. Mr. Andrew H. Green is Comptroller of the city, The business of his'important do partment is so loosely and incapably man- aged that neither its head nor anybody else knows to-day the true condition of the public finances. Nearly two years ago the Commis- sioners of Accounts examined the Comp- troller’s books and found his office to be ut- terly destitute of system and his accounts in- comprehensible. On looking over the securi- ties of the sinking fund they discovered one bond for a hundred thousand dollars bearing date fifteen months after the money had been taken from the fund for its purchase, and an apparent deficiency of other bonds called for by the books to the amount of over ninety thousand dollars. It was afterward alleged by Mayor Havemeyer that these missing bonds had never been issued, but that the receipts representing them, which were the only vouchers and se- curities the sinking fund possessed for the amount, were, at the time of the examination, “lying outside the box” in which the bonds and other securities were kept. A year ago last December, in making his annual balance sheet, the Comptroller, either through blunder or design, represented the outstanding bonded debt of the city to be six hundred thousand dollars less than it actually was, and under- stated the amount of outstanding revenue bonds nearly ten million dollars. These facts, joined with the further fact that every person who has transactions with the Finance Department is subjected to annoying pro- erestination, are sufficient to show that the business of the department is either im inca- pable hands or is shamefully neglected. Mr. Green’s indiscreet friends are now ac- eusing some of the Commissioners of the Park Department of manifesting ‘“unreasoning hatred of Mr. Green” in their official conduct in the Park Board. It is alleged that they are “obstructing and disorganizing’’ Mr. Green's arrangements in the Park Depart- ment. But Mr. Green is not a Park Com- missioner, and cannot legitimately have any arrangements in the department or any share in its patronage and management. Any inter- meddling on his part must be of an illegitimate and pernicious character. He was for eleven or twelve years connected with the depart- ment, and managed to draw from its funds from ten to twelve thousand dollars a year for his services. But he has no official con- nection with it now, and, furthermore, as the auditor and comptroller of all city accounts, he cocupies a posi- tion which makes any undue interference with any other department than his own an improper and suspicious act. It is well known that he has attempted such interference and has established a ‘‘spy’’ system in the depart- the present and former Commissioners as in- consistent with its proper management and | injurious to the public interests. Comptroller would attend to the duties for which he receives his liberal salary, and keep his meddtesome fingers out of departments ment, which has been denounced by some of | If the | ity and power; so that this office, justly in- tended to be monitory in its functions, and necessary, of course, to good government, has, by the cfforts of the Tammany Ring, by the wicked legislation of Tweed and his followers, and finally by the extraor- dinary interference of a judicial mandate, be- come the most powerful under our govern- ment, This is the root of all the evil now distress- ing our local government. True reform would dictate the immediate elimination from the Comptroller’s office of the functions that do not belong to it and the curtailment of the powers that have been heedlessly and cor- ruptly assumed. ee The Intercollegiate Athletic Tournas ment. It is pleasant to note that arrangements are in progress which promise to insure this summer probably by far the finest athletic meeting ever held in America, if not one of the finest in the world. As all are aware, the University race is set down for the 14th of July. Often, as was natural, there gathered around this important event other contests of an interesting nature; this yearthere being two—one between the freshmen of the various competing colleges, and another between the best scullers selected from all the classes. These altogether will occupy two days, and, judging both from last summer's gathering and from the fact that where there were then but nine colleges represented there are to be fourteen this year, will prove sufficient to bring together thousands from all sections of the country to witness the re- sult of the great aquatic battle, Having this in mind, and with the view of rendering the programme of the regatta week still more attractive, the Saratoga Rowing Association has very judiciously decided to establish an athletic meeting, substantially similar to those held annually at several of the British universities, this reunion to take place the day following that of the intercol- legiate race. Though for nearly twenty-five years these contests have taken place never till year before last, at Springfield, was there an opportunity for any general display of the students’ skill and powers of endurance other than at the oar. A good beginning was ef- fected then in a two-mile ran, the winner, it will be remembered, proving to be a fleet- footed Canadian from McGill College, Mon- treal. Last year, instead of one event only, there were five, with nearly fifty entries, the tournament proving exceedingly interest- ing in every particular, and, in the opinion of some, more entertaining than the boat race. The programme for the coming athletic games is not entirely made up, but is under- stood to embrace substantially the contests of last year—namely, the hurdle hundred-yard, one and three mile runs and the seven-mile walk—while it is not improbable that other events will be added, among them a quarter of a mile running and a one-mile walking race. At the annual Dublin University Athletic Club sports, in June, 1873, there were twenty- nine different events, extending over two days, the interest culminating in the seven-mile walk. The contests in question, coming, as bas been noted, on the day after the boat race, will enable the one hundred and thirty- eight rowers to take part and afford an excel- lent opportunity for their friends and the pub- lie generally to see the winning oarsmen in- dulge in another branch of outdoor exercise, and, as often happens, the college proving the victors in the one sort of contest losing in the other, thus affording an equalizing consola- tion healthy in its results. While the association purposed giving very liberal prizes a suggestion is in order which might add an element to these meetings and render them more interesting. It is this: — As the morning is to be devoted to the under- | graduate contests two or three of the prin- | cipal and more arduous ones could be re- peated in the afternoon and thrown open to graduates only. This would bring up many of the good men of former years, would show where lies the superiority—with the athlete of then or now—would bring about many pleasant reunions under very happy circumstances, | would help solve the problem whether a man | is tougher physically at twenty or several years later, would bring together just the men | whose hints toward the conduct of these con- | tests would be most valuable, acquaint the | younger members with the very men at whom | many of them had looked as models and | would entail many other manifest benefits. | But what we have chiefly in mind, and which, to our view, is worth more than all the rest, is that at last we are in a fair way to | see vigor and health of body not confined, as heretofore, to a very small proportion of the | with which he bas no business to interfere, | ™oTe favored youth of our land, but to see his retainers would not be led into the blander | these almost priceless attributes beeome gen- of supposing that the official action of a | eral, if not universal, When it can be said of could be induced by “‘anreasoning hatred of pose being represented in the University.race, | Mr. Green.” Park Commissioner or a Dock Commissioner each of the fourteen institutions which pur- | | as Charles Astor Bristed said of Cambridge | ‘The Comptroller’s office is necessary to every | government. We have it in Washington, in | the State and in all our national and munici- pal systems. Its function is expressed in its | name—to control the expenses of the treasury. | It isa monitory, almost judicial office, and in | Washington, where the rage for political | patronage has brought nearly all offices | within the disposal of parties, the Comptroller- ships have been generally regarded as some- | thing above party. The Gomptrollers of the | | Treasury are, we believe, men who have long | | held their functions. ‘They are appointed for their merits, and kept in office during good behavior. Their duty is to see simply that | | the law is carried out in the disbursement of | the public funds, This is the duty of | | the Comptroller's office in Albany; this was the fanction of the Comptroller's office in | | New York. But the leaders of the Tammany | | Ring planned their gigantic raid against the treasury. They added to the office of the Comptroller exetutive and, we might almost say, judicial power. Therefore, from being simply a monitory department, watching the disbursements of the treasury and checking ngance and violations of the law, it rose into an imperial, absolute power, | | combining legislative, judicial and executive | | functions. It was thus under Connolly, and | when Green succeeded to the office his power was strengthened by the remarkable order of Judge Baroard, which made him absolute | master of New York. By the terms of this | order the whole government of the city of | New York binged upon the will of the Comp- troller, He was above discipline, reaponsibil- University, England, when he was there, “that | there was hardly a man out of the whole twenty-five hundred students who did not daily take a respectable constitutional, and that even a single case of consumption among them was unknown,” it will be a bright day for our country, and, from present appearances, much | of the credit for bringing about this welcome result may justly be laid at the door of the Saratoga Rowing Association. Tue State Patsons.—An unworked mine of corruption no doubt exists in the State prisons’ management. Mr. Beardsley's prop- osition for an amendment to the constitution | changing the whole prison system no doubt looks toa reform, It proposes the appoint- | ment of a Board of Prison Managers by the | Governor and Senate, and gives to this Board | the charge and superintendence of the State prisons and the power to appoint superintend- ents, clerks, physicians and chaplains and to remove them for cause. The superintendent of each prison is empowered to appoint all | | the recipient of @ benefit at the Fifth Avenue subordinate officers and to remove them at his pleasure. This plan seems to make the re- sponsibility distinct and direct. The term of office of the Board of Managers—ten years— may be too long, and there may be some other objections to the details ot the proposition; but there is no doubt that reform in this direc- tion is needed. Under the present system we might have some desirable changes if Governor Tilden would turn his searching eye in the di- rection of Auburn, Clinton and Sing Sing. As he promises to put so many prominent public characters in the State prisons the least he can — nn enema do is to seo that those institutions are prop erly and honestly mavaced, Watne Wess tax Porice?—It is startling to read that a man could be robbed of his watch in daylight in Broadway, could give chase to the thieves from Park row to Cort landt street ferry without seeing single policeman, and should only succeed in captur- ing the iugitives in Jersey City. Another outrageous case in which the policemen wert not to be found is reported elsewhere, These affairs will, no doubt, receive the attention of the Police Commissioners, for if they cannot arrest a murderous rowdy perhaps they could catch @ policeman, PERSONAL INTELLIGENCE, The Boston Post has found perpetus! motion—im Henry Wilson. A newspaper out West calls Brooklyn “that bald-h haunt of ain,’ Professor Fairman Rogers, of Philadelphia, ig staying at the Albemarle Hotel, Baron R, Usten Sacken, of Cambridge, Maes. i¢ registered at the Hote) Brunswick. Colonel Theodore Yates, United States Army, ia quartered at the Metropolitan Hotel, Senator Henry B. Anthony, of Rhode Island, hag apartments at the Fiftn Avenue Hotel. ‘Tbe block in which Miss Ida Greeley was married on Saturday 1s called ‘Matrimonial Row.” General George J, Magee, of Schuyler county, N. Y., has arrived at the Metropolitan Hotel. Mr. David O. Cox, United States Pension Agen? at Washington, is stopping at the Gilsoy House, Mr. Reuben E. Fenton, of Jamestown, XN, Y., ts among the late arrivals at Fifth Avenue Hotel, Captain C. P. Patterson, Superintendent of the United States Coast Survey, is at the Everete House, Rear Admiral Roger N, bel, United States Navy, has taken up his quarters at the Fifth ave- nue Hotel, ‘The health of the Empress Charlotte, of Mexico, bas not improved and her death may be expected at any time. Mme. Adelaide Ristori and family have returned to this city and taken up their residence at the Clarendon Hotel. Now that Sir Gillery Piggott and Mr. Ginnery Mitchell are both dead we shall miss two names of singular euphony. . Lieutenant Governor H. G. Knight and Mr, ‘Nathaniel Thayer, of Massachusetts, are sojourm ing at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. Vice President Wilson remains at Lexington, Ky., the guest of General Wiliam Preston, until this morning, when he Jeaves for the West, A Frenchman deseribe: 1 Russell a8 one in whose ‘awkwardness there 1s nothing of the per fidious art of some of his contemporaries,” General W. W. H. Davis, eaitor of the Doyles town Democrat, is favorably named for the dem ocratic nomination for Governor of Pennsylvania. The great question in Boston now is whether Charles Sumner stood up or sat down at the bam quet to the Prince of Wales. The conundram originated with Wendell Pniliips. The worst use to put an American sailor to ex- cept hanging him ts to compel him to hang some- body else, and this was the disagreeable task re- quired of one o! our tars at Cork the other aay. The Salem Post thinks that if George W ton had only been cross-examined by Judge Ful lerton before he died it would have turned out that he really lied about the cherry tree, after all. A petition 1s before the Massachusetts Legis- lature praying for a formal repeal of the sentence of banishment pronounced against Roger Williams by tbe General Court of Massachusetts Bay in the year 1635, “Dishevelled, but dauntless,” says Louisa M Alcott, were the women who charged up the hill at Concord oa the 19th ult., with veils “close Teefed, skirts kilted up, arms locked,” a “light brigade, rosy and red-nosed.”” Tne real promoters of Garlbaldi’s scheme for canalizing the Tioer and making a new port for Rome are a firm of English contractors, who are willing to accept a concession for the work with- out subsidy or consideration of any kind, The “Home Rulers” in Ireland intended bolding @ meeting in Dubiin to protest against the visit of the American Rifle Team tn Jane “as unbecoming under existing circumstances—while the Irish na- tion is deprived of the use ofarms.” Tne speakers absented themselves and the meeting dispersed, Any gentleman of a retiring disposition and tn- clined to hate the world has an eligibie opportu- nity afforded him to indulge his penchant for solt- tude. This advertisement has just appeared im the RoussiZon, a paper published at Perpignan:— “Wanted, a hermit for Notre Dame de Péne, Ap ply for particulars to M. ie Curé, at Cases-de- pene.” M. Eugene Pereire, the Paris banker, whose great grandfather invented the system by which deaf mutes are taught to speak and to under. stand from the movement of the lips, has just an- nounced that @ school of instfuction, to be sup ported by his tamily, will be opened in Paris is August. This institution will be under the care of M. Magnot, wno has shown such excellent re sults from tue Pereire system at bis school @ Geneva. MUSICAL AND DRAMATIO NOTES, A benefit at the Grand Duke’s Opera Houm Tealized $20 for the Bryant fund, Miss Adelaide Nelison bas given a check for $10 to the Dan Bryant Testimonial Fund. Stage Manager Jonn Vincent, of Booth’s, hass benefit next Thursday afternoon. He offers @ great bill. Fanny Davenport ts to bave a benefiton the 15th of May. A strong bill of attractions will be offered on the occasion, On Satnraay next the German Opera Company will perform “Girofé-Girofia” at @ special matinée inthe Fifth Avenue Theatre, with Lina Mayr is the title réle, Miss Clara Morris’ engagement at Booth’s wit) be opened with Sniei’s tragic play of “Evadne* on Monday evening, May 10. Mr. George Clarke has been especially engaged to strengthen the cast. George Rignold and Rose Eytinge appear in the | “Lady of Lyons” in tne Brooklyn Academy of Music on Wednesday evening. Mr. Rignold is alse to appear as William, in “Black-Eyed Susan,” the same bight. Lille. Aimée will reappear in “La Jolie Parfa- menuse,” and Robert Buchanan’s poetical comedy, “The Madcap Prince’ will be produced for the first time in America at the Fifth Avenue Theatre Wednesday, May 12. The principal engineers, artisans and operatives of the locomotive works throughout the State will visit Daly's theatre inabody on May 11, having decided by vote that “The Big Bonanza” was the best attraction tn the city, Miss Netison makes her farewell appearances in America at Bootn’s Theatre this week. By reason of its success “Amy Robsart” will be continued every night op to and Inciuding Thursday. Un Friday evening Miss Netison will Dave a benefit, Woen, it is understood, “The Hunchback” will ne offered, On Saturday evening, in addition to the regular play, the balcony seene of “Romeo and suliet” will be given, wita Mr. H. J. Montague, of Wallack’s, as Romeo, Mr, James Lewis, the popular comedian, will be Theatre on Wednesday afternoon next, May 6, tor which occasion a bill of unusual attraction hag been prepared. The success of 1875, “The Big | Bonanza,’’ together with selections from Flotow's operas of “L’Ombra,” “Stradella” and “Martha” by well known artists, under the direction of Ma: Maretzek, will be produced. The famous actor, Mt Frank Mayo, has also generously volunteered, ant will appear in the charming comedy, “Faint Heart Never Won Fair Lady,’ supported by Miss Davenport and Bijou Heron, and in order to adé more cream (0 the periormance those well knows society artists, Messrs, Birch and Gackus, have consented to appear in their own adaptation of “Damon and Pythias,”