The New York Herald Newspaper, November 18, 1875, Page 4

' Bee “THE GOSPEL SOWERS. Mr. Moody in the Midst of His Great Work. HIS RELIGIOUS COMMON SENSE. | The Proprieties of Prayer-Sankey as a Suppliant. 5 THE SERVICES, YESTERDAY. To raz Hmrror or Tuk Henatp:— I send you, at your desire, some details of the re- ‘markable meetings held by Messrs. Moody and Sankey in Brooklyn, Mr, Moody is a short and somewhat stout man, with ‘8 full, aark beard, rather smal! eyes and an active, energetic, but not nervous, habit, His manner is alert ‘end prompt, but not graceful; his voice {s unmusical, nd indeed harsh; his enunciation is very clear, but ‘somewhat too rapid, yet can be beard and understood ‘in every partof the Tabernacle or the Rink. In the Jatter place he has spoken to 7,000 people, He gesticu- lates but little, and his gestures are evidently extremely unstudied. His style of speaking is entirely conversational, and hearing him perhaps a dozen times 1 have never detected him im any attempt at clo- queace. He is evidently, by his pronunciation, a Yankee, clipping some of the minor words in his sen- ‘tences, as the farmers in the imterior of Massachusetts do; but he has no “Yankee drawl’? He speaks the Jafiguage of the people and has the merit of using al- ‘ways the commonest words; and that he had no early educational advantages is plain from his frequent use of “done” for id’? and other ungrammatical col oquialisms, In short, his appearance is not imposing; hhis figure is not graceful, but that of a farmer or hard- working laborer; his voice is not melodious, nor has it ® great range; his language is not choice. His externals, therefore, are alt against him. WIS MAGNETISM. Imspite of all these disadvantages be has succeeded In attracting in England and bere vast crowds day after day, who, at some of the Brooklyn meetings at least, are composed largely of cultivated people; he has, evi- dently, succeeded in interesting these crowds in what he has had to say; for nothing is more remarkable at the meetings than the absolute quiet and order, the attitude of interested listeners, which prevails among the audience. He has so entirely controlled his audi- ences that all noisy manifestations of religious feeling have been entirely suppressed; and at the same time no one who has sat in the meetings at the Rink or tho Tabernacle can have failed to see that Mr. Moody’s manner of presenting his subject is to an extraordinary degree effective in moving the hearts of his hearers, in Stirring devotional feelings, in producing a profound impression upon them of the importanco of the mes- sage he bas to deliver. indeed, it has been a common remark that the nudiences were even more remarkable than Mr. Moody, for not only are they spontaneous gatherings; to some of the meetings admittance can be secured only by the presentation of @ ticket, and these ticket meetings, where each person must be supposed at least to have had a desire to attend strong enough to induce him to take the trouble of securing a ticket, are as crowded as sny others. Nor are convenient hours selected for the | meetings. There is one from eight to nine in the morning, which yet has seen the Tabernacle filled with an audience at least a third of whom were men. There ts another at tour o’clock in the afternoon, and again not less than a third of those present have been men. After the Rink meeting in the evening there has been held a meeting in the Tabernacle for young men ex- clusively, beginning at nine o’clock, and this, too, I bave seen crowded, the large avyditorium being on several occasions incapable of holding all who came. Nor is this all. Not the least remarkable evidence of the real and profound interest excited by Mr. Moody's exhortations is seen in what are happily railed the ‘‘overflow meetings,” composed of persons who could not gain admission to the regular meetings where Mr. Moody exhorts and Mr. Sankey sings, and who adjourn to a neighboring church to listen to some bther preacher and to sing the songs which Mr. Sankey tas made familiar to them. If any considerable part 0 the crowds who go to the mectings were composed of | the merely curious these “overflow meetings” could aot exist. Nor is even this all. Mr. Moody does not hesitate to advise people to stay away from his meetings. He has tepeatediy urged that his labors are for non-church goers; that he desires room lett for this class, and- he bas taken special means to exclude from some of his | Meetings all who regularly attend a church—that is to say, he does not court his audiences, but the con- trary. Ifyou goto hear him it must be because you Want to; i! you go the second time it must be because he interested you the first, RELIGIONS COMMON SENSE. I bave heard bim a nomber of times, and always with interest and gratification; and it seems to mo that this arose mainly—aside from the interest which ‘ny thoughtful man may have in this subject—because he gives the impression of possessing remarkable com- mon sense, the clear bead of a business man, and a babit of attending to the one thing which he has on band and making all parts of the audience do the same. The meetings are opened and closed promptly at the NEW YORK HERALD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1875.—TKIPLH SHEET. who is laughing and jeering—the Son of Man comes to him to-night and offers salvation."” 100 MUCH PREACHING—WORK NEEDED, Though he aims to reach more particularly the non- chureh going population he concerns himself also about chureh-goers, “The churches,” he said on one occa- sion, “need awakening; it ts too easy nowadays to be achurch member, I you pay your debts and keep out of jail, that seems to be enough.” At @ meeting for young men, held at nine o'clock P, M. in the Tabernacle, he said, ‘You don’t need that I should preach to you, There is too much preaching. It's preach, preach, preach all the time; and you, young men, have heard sermons enough here in Brooklyn to convert every one of you. What you need is to work among yourselves, Let the converted speak personally with the unconverted—friend to friend. Then you'll sve results,” DRAMATIC UTTERANCES. He has a good deal of dramatic power, and some- times is very effective in a natural but strong appeal or statement, “When the prisoners at Philipp! with Paul cried Amen,” he said, “God himself answered them Amen!" Speaking of the probability that we forget none of the events of our lives, and that this is, perhaps, to be a means of punishment in a future state, he pictured an unrepentant sinner awakening in the other world, and his misdeeds coming back upon him. “Tramp! tramp! tramp! tramp!” he said, suiting the action to the word, ‘Do you think that Judas after nearly 1,900 years, has forgotten that ho betrayed bis Saviour for thirty pieces of silver? Do you think that Cain, after 5,000 years, has forgotten the pleading look of his brother Abel when he slew him?’ he con- tinued, In speaking of Bible incidents or parables he usually brings them in in a dramatic form—as when he | remarked, “If { want to know about some man “in Brooklyn I don’t ask only his enemies, nor only his friends, but both, Let us ask about Christ in this way. I call first Pilate’s wife’—and relating her warning to | Pilate went on to call other witnesses to the character | and works of Jesus. He has made an extremely, close study of the Bible, and is evidently that formidable being, a man of one book, and thus he is able to give often a novel view of a Bible passage. Thus, speaking of Jacob, he remarked that his life was a failure; pointed out that Jacob him- | self had complained of it, and enumerated his tribula- Uons, which followed his misdeeds. He enforced upon the audience the necessity of reading the Bible biographies not as though they were the lives of saints, but the truthfully written lives of mortal men, in which their bad as well as their good deeds were set forth for our instruction. EPIGRAMMATIC ELOQUENCE. Ho has in perfection that faculty of epigrammatic stgtement which one often finds among the farmers and laboring people of New England, and this bas some- times the effect of humor, Thus, preaching at the Rink from the text, ‘‘Where the treasure is, there the heart will be also,” he remarked:—‘“if you find a man’s household goods on a freight train, you may be pretty sure to find him on the next passenger train.”” On another occasion he told of a woman who came.to him saying that she had sought Christ three years without avail, “I told her there must be some mistake about this, because an anxious sinner and an anxious Saviour could not need threo years to find each other.” Speaking of persons who were ambitious to make themselves prominent, he re- marked :—‘‘It does not say make your light shine, but | let your light shine. You can’t make alight shine. If | itis really alight it will shine in spite of you—only | don’t hide it under a bushel Let it shine, Confess | Christ everywhere.” ‘Satan got his match when he | © me across John Bunyan,” he remarked. “Ho thought he had done ashrewd thing when he got the | poor tinker stuck into Bedford Jail, but that was one of | his blunders, It was there that Bunyan wrote the ‘Pilgrim’s Progress,’ and no doubt he was more thank- ful for the imprisonment than for anything else in his life.” Speaking of the goodness of God and of “grace abounding,” he told a striking story ofa rich man who sent to a poor friend in distress $25 in an envelope, on | which he wrote, “More to foliow.” “Now,” said he, | “which was the more welcome—the money or the gra- | cious promise of further help? So it is with God's grace; there is always more to follow. Let us thank | God, not only for what he gives us, but for what he | promises—more to follow.” Contrasting the law and the Gospel, he said, “Moses, in Egypt, turned water | into blood, which is death. Christ turned water into | wine, which is life, joyand gladness.” Speaking of | future punishment in one of his Rink sermons, he said, | “God will not punish us, We shail punish ourselves. When we come before God He will turn us over to our- | selvea. Go and read the book of your memory, He will say.” Urging the duty of immediate repentance and | the joy in heaven over a repentant sin- | ner, he said, “If the President should die to-night, or if the Governor of the State should be shot, that would make an outcry here, But perhaps even 80 great anevent would not be mentioned in heaven at all. But,” said he, raising his voice a little, “if some sinner in this assembly were just now con- verted, there would be a great shout of joy in heaven."? Dwelling upon the certainty of future punishment, he remarked, ‘‘Some people doubt it; they think God | is so loving that He will make no distinctions in another world, Butdo you imagine that when men had be- come 80 wicked that God sent flood to exterminate them because they were not fit to live on earth—do you suppose that when the waters came and drowned them, He took all this wicked generatton into his bosom and left poor righteous Noah to drift about in hisark? Do you suppose that when His chosen people crossed the Red Sea, and Pharaoh's host were drowned, God took those idolatrous Egyptians directly to heaven and let the children of Israel wander miserably over the desert for forty years?” : | TUR PROPRIETIES OF PRAYER, | Speaking of the real objects to be attained by prayer, Preappointed hour; there is not even a minute of time he meeting by delays; his own prayers are | brief, very earnest and directly to the point; and hii exhortations arf'a running commentary on passages of Scripture which he reads rapidiy, always asking the | audience to turn to the passage. Indeed, 80 far | as Mr. Moody is concerned, there is little | or no “machinery.” He opens a meeting | as though his audience were the stockholders of a bank | to whom he was about to make a report. He bas the | air of a business man to whom time is extremely valu. able, and slow and tedions people are evidently a trial tohim. In some of the prayer meeting? persons in | the audience take an active part; and \t happened not seldom in those that I attended that some earnest but indiserect soul made a long and rambling prayer. Mr, Moody knew how to bring buck the assembly to the | strict object of the hour. In one of the morning meet. ings aclergyman made a very long, loud and rambling prayer, full of set and stale phraseology. The moment he ceased Mr. Moody said, ‘Let us now have a few minutes of silent prayer; that will bring us back to ourselves, and that's where we need to get.” After a brief but impressive silence Mr. Sankey spoke a few words, pertinent, pointed and forcible, of prayer, and | the meeting proceeded. I hope I shail not be thought | disrespectful to the clergy if I say that the prayers | some of them speak at these meetings contrast un- favorably with the brief and pertinent petitions of Messrs, Moody and Sankey. The formal and threadbare phraseology of the former is strikingly inappropriate | In such meetings as these, and seemed to me often to | lar painfully on the feelings of the people around me, | NOT A FANATIO. Again, {n one of the morning meetings prayers were Asked by various individuals in the audience for people {n whom they were interested. Ono asked the prayers Of tho assembly for bis sister; another for her brother; one for her mother; sons for fathers; fathers for song | and daughters; wives for husbands; ono for a church | out of town; another for achurch in New York, Fi- ally a man shyly asked the prayers of the congregation | for himself. Instantly Mr. Moody said, “Thats right I | like that. 1 like to hear people ask prayers for them | solves, That’s where they are often most neede Such an incident seems to me to show that he is not an enthusiast who has lost his eeif-possession; and indoed e \s, of course, thusiastic In his work, but with the sovricty of a busj- cess man or of a general in battle, | Again, he {# never in the least afraid of hig gudience, Indeed, no one can hear him without feel- Ing that he ts entirely unconscious, as mach vo asa child) His own personality docs not trouble him. | Thus at the Rink evening, While impressing upon | the assemblage the importance of immediate conver. tion, he said:—‘l wish that friend over there would Just wake up, and I'll tell him something which is im- portant to bim.’? And agai, at another meeting, he said ;—"Salvation is offered to every man in this Rink, . to-night, at this very moment: to that man thore. he said, “If you havea thorn in your foot, you are to pray, not that God shall relieve you of the physical pain—He can uo that too—but what you are to ask Him for is grace and strength to bear the pain patiently. We should thank God for our’ tribulations; they are sent to us as blessings; they bring us to Him.” Again, “Many things we want God knows are not good for us; if He gives them it is that we may learn through suffering; if He withholds them it is because He loves us.” Again he said, “Suppose a man going from here to Chicago, who knows me and my wife. When he gets tuere he goes to see her, and he says, ‘I saw Mr. Moody in Brooklyn.’ And then, when she is naturally anxious to hear all about me, sup- pose he goes on to speak about himself, to tell her bow he felt on the cars, and where he stopped, and what he said and did and ate. Would not she presently tell him that it was not him she wanted to hear about, but me?” Nor is he backward in impressing upon those who listen to him their own Tesponsivility, ‘People attending these meetings dur- ing these two weeks,” he said, “will be either better or worse, They will not go away the same men and wo- | men. If did not want to be a Christian do you think I would ever go where the Gospel is preached? If any of you have made up your minds not to be Christians T advise you to get up and go out atonce. It is not safe for you to be here.” | MR. MOODY'S INFLUENCE. Ido not know whether these passages which I have given from Mr. Moody's exhortations will seem to those who read thom as forcible as they were to me who heard them. I took down at the time what ap- peared to mo his most striking utterances, as the best way of showing wherein ols power over his audiences consists. That he is a man of gonuine power there can be no doubt, He has gathored, and beld in silent atten tion, and deeply moved, some of the largest assem. blies that any speaker bas addressed in America ; at least in our day. For my part I do notdoubt that his words bave left a lasting impression upon a great many men and women. And he has done this without fran- tic or passionate appeals ; without the least of what we commonly eall eloquence. He has none of tho “ vehemence of Peter Cartwright or Elder Knapp, and none of the personal advantages or cul- Instead of all these be has a pro- he posses ture of un orator, | found conviction of the reality of the future life; @ | West, as counterfeiters Just idea of its importance compared with this life and | of the relations of the two and an unhesitating be- lief in the literal trath of the Bible. It is, of course, his own deep and earnest conviction which enubles him to impress others. Mr. Sankey bas an effective voice, a clear pronuncia- tion, and, I should think, aquick ear to catch simple and tender mol His singing was, I suspect, more effective and affecting in England than here, because | the hymns he tas familiar to his English | hearers us they are to Americans, most of whom bave | been brought up in Sunday schools, or have heard | | their children sine Sunday schoni bemns at home, He | ings were | seen pictures of evidently a favorite with the Rimk and Tabernacl audiences, and he bas a pathetic and sympathetic voice. Battome the main figure is Mr. Moody. Of course a daily paper is not the place in which to dis- cuss his theology, even if 1 desire to do 80, Those to whom his ereed 4s {also or offensive need not go to hear him. But asto the general tendency and usefulness of his work it seems to me clear that if there is afuture life it is usefcl to have it and its relations tothe Present life sometimes brought vividly before men and women actively and anxiously engaged in the daily gtruggle for bread, Mr. Moody addresses himself to a multitude thus absorbed; his exhortations raise them for atime out of themselves, out of sordid cares and engrossing pursuits, and present to them in a vivid, epigrammatic, often pathetic, always simple and natural way, the greatest questions and interests which can be brought to the consideration of a being gifted with tmmortal life, It is surely a great merit to do this, and to do it as’ these ‘evangelists’? do tt—calmly, without ‘mere Passionate appeals, without efforts to capture the imagination of their hearers, and without noisy or dis- orderly demonstrations among their hearers. CHARLES NORDHOFF, MORNING SERVICE AT THE TABERNACLE, In spite of the keen and biting wind that swept the streets of Brooklyn yesterday morning the Tabernacle was filled, The exercises, as usual, opened with the singing ofa hymn, and then a few moments were al- lotted to silent prayer, during which Deacon Hawley read requests for the prayers of those present in behalf of the students of Yale College, for the unconverted employés of a religious newspaper, for fourteen towns and cities that the work of grace might proceed in them, and wives, mothers, daughters and all other classes of wicked relatives, that they might be converted. Dr. Ormiston, of New York, led in prayer, and Mr. Moody reada few verses from the fifth chapter of Luke, wherein is related the miracle of the great draught of fishes, The narrative states that after the wonderful draught the fishermen were called by Christ to follow Him, and they forsook all and followed Him. In commenting on the passage Mr. Moody said he had often wondered why it was that Christ should have waited until after the fishermen’s great success, before He called them to follow Him ; but he had finally concluded that it must be so that they could have something to leav that it would require some sucrifice. He had talked with many inquirers, and had found that very many of them were willing to follow Christ if they could do it without its costing anything. The disciples woul perhaps, have found it easier to leave their business hac it not been for that great success, They had toiled all night and had caught nothing, but ‘at the com- mand of the Master they had cast their nets again, and Ho gave them a great success, They did not take the fish with them, but left everything. Many a man would follow Christ if he could pat the fish in a bag and sling it over his shoul- ders and take it with him, They do not want to make any sacrifices for the sake of Christ. But did you ever stop to think what those fishermen left be- bind them? Only a few lite fishing smacks and old nets, not a great deal, to be sure; but it was all they had. But what was their reward? The kingdom of “God, ‘hey became the found- ers of the Christian faith, ose fishermen moved the world—turned it upside down, their enemies said. ‘There must be some evidence of conversion, It seems as though there were a great many ‘sham conversions in those days. They enter the Snureh, and that is the last of them We never hear of their doing anything. Some one has said that man was born into the world with his back toward God, and conversion turns him right around with his face toward Him. It should make a decided change ina man if it be genuine. Christ said to the publican whom He found sittin) the gute, “Follow me,” and he arose and followed Him, ‘That was a sudden conversion, and he madea great feast and called all his friends together to meet Jesus, It was not a mere bread and butter tea, but a great feast, the best he had inthe house, He brought his friends together, thinking that, perhaps, by bringing them into personal contact with Jesus they would be con- verted. Conversion should make some change in a man, to be genuine. It should make him a better man, a better husband and father, a better business man. EVENING MEETING AT THE RINK. The usual complement of unconverted humanity crowded into the Rink last night, to find (If possible) the road that leads to heaven. By twelve o'clock yes- terday all the tickets for the evening mecting were given out about 7,000, and all except about 200 for to-night’s meeting. The meeting was opened by the singing of the sixteenth hymn. After a prayer Mr. Sankey sung, by request, the sixth hymn, “Ninety and Nine.” Mr. Moody then gave out the notices for the services during the two remaining days of their ministration, and notified tho congregation thut he expects to collect $10,000 from the various meetings to-day, The congregation then sung the third hymn. Mr. Moody began his remarks by saying:—‘Instead of taking a text I am going to take a subject—What Christ is to us—and, when I got through, if any one says He is not that to me, it is be- cause you will not have Him. First, we must have Christ a8 a Saviour. He came to save us from our sins, God’s alphabet commences with the letter S— Saviour, Next, Christ is a deliverer. A great many have got'to the topof Calvary and got hfe, but they have not got liberty, Turn for a moment to the forty-ninth chapter of Isaiah, twenty- fourth verse—"Shail the prey be taken from the mighty or the lawful captive delivered? But, thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible ehall be delivered; for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.” He comes not only to save, but to deliver us from THE POWER OP SATAN. We have got a terrible enemy; we are no match for him. There was a battle fought 1,800 years ago on Calvary between the tribes of Judea and Satan, and the conquerors’ voice went upin a shout for the victory | came over death and hell; and then Christ to be a ransom for sinners, He will de- liver us to the light’ Now, many of you have | some besetting sin. Perhaps yon drink; you resolve to stop; itis like aman trying to cut down a tree, and climbing up to begin cutting at the branches. You must lay the axe at the root. You must have Christ for a deliverer. Christ bas power to deliver. Men tell me _ their passions and appetites are so strong they cannot break them; they resolve | and try and try and fail Here ayoung man, sitting the platform, sud- denly rose and said, ‘Mr. Moody, I want to tell you I am one of that kind—" He was going on to say more, but was prevented by being pulled down in bis seat by those near him. Mr, Moody resumed—Let mo tion. I hope that young man's fetters will be | broken, but let us talk one atatime. (To the young man)—I will talk with you after the meeting. Christ came to the children of Israel as their do- liverer; Pharaoh was behind, and God said to Moses, “Stretén out thine arm,” and the waters separated, and | the children of Israel were delivered from Egypt. | He will deliver you if you will let Him; don't trust to your own resolutions Some say *‘the fact is if Iwas converted I would not know which church to joi. The Catholics. say theirs is the only apos- tolic religion, the Episcopalians and Methodists say the same; the Baptiste insist that yon must be im- | mersed.’” The Lord don’t leave you in darkness on | that point, Christ says ‘I am the way.” Follow | Him and He will never leat you the wrong | way. A good many complain of the way our fathers went before us, They are too wise for the book; they have got beyond it, Show me one that is better and | T'll throw tins away. When He is something else He is | have your atten- | mittee sitting atthe Fifth Avenue Hotel, INVESTIGATION. The Assembly and Senate Commit- tees Ventilating Abuses. WHY MURDERS ARE NOT DETECTED. The Great Sea Wall and Its Cost. The Assembly Committee on Crime resumed its investigations at the City Hall yesterday forenoon, A list containing the names of 250 persons committed to the Catholic Protectory by the Court of Special Sessions from January, 1873, to October, 1874, was submitted to the committee by the clerk, Mr, Saulsbury. CORONER YOUNG'S INTERESTING NARRATIVE. Police abuses were next made the subject of inquiry, ex-Coroner Nelson W. Young narrating in his testimony certain circumstances attending the discovery of the murdered Ryans in Broome street in December, 1873. Captain Hedden, the witness said, reported the case at tho Coroners’ office, and when witness, with Deputy Coroner Marsh, went to the tenement where the bodies were lying he noticed the room doors open and a num- ber of people who had no business there mingling with the officers; Patrick Ryan was crying, and Captain Hedden threatened to lock him up if he did not keep quiet; blood marks were found in all parts of the house; when Inspector Walling arrived he spoke of the impro- priety of permitting everybody to pass in and out; the room occupied by the Ryans was in disorder and the clothing was stained with bloody finger marks; the officers were asked by witness if they had handled the clothing, and one admitted he had; the witness and Inspector Walling agreed in the opinion that a double murder had been committed, but Captain Hedden pre- ferred to think that Nicholas Ryan had killed bis sister and then committed suicide; a small penkife was the only weapon found, and the biade of this was clean, though there were on the handle some blood stains, which might have come from the hands of the officer picking 1t up; with such a weapon witness did not think Ryan could have cut and mutilated his sister’s throat in the manuer in which it was discovered; be- fore witness reached the house Ryan’s vest was found on the rool; an officer told him that when the police first entered the vest, with a watch in its pocket, was in the room; he dia not remember the name of that offi- cer; the furniture had been disturbed, the bodies moved, boxes opened and nearly all THR CIRCUMSTANTIAL KVIDENCE destroyed before the witness’ arrival; witness thought the wounds were inflicted with a razor; the case was reported. on December 22, and witness’ term of office expired with the month; the inquest was not held until JSyuuary; thinking the case one of murder and sui. cide Captain Hedden did not look for a murderer; the law makes ita misdemeanor to remove the body of a murdered person before the Coroner’s arrival; in this case no excuse was offered for the removal of the body, which he hoa ger was ordered by Captain Hedden or a sergeant; the witness learned that on the night be- fore the murder the Ryans were visited by a hack driver named Leonard, who disappeared the day after the murder and has not been seen since. ‘At the inquest a policeman, who knew the Ryans per- sonally, testified that they were industrious peopie, of good reputation, APTER RECESS. After hearing the testimony of ex-CoronerYoung the cominittee took a recess, and, on reassembling, inquired into the disorderly house abuses in the Fifteenth ward. William T. Bith, of No, 284 Mott street, testified that for five months he acted as private detective for the Citi- zens! Association of the district; he handed to the com- mittee a listof disorderly houses*in and near West Third, formerly Amity street; Inst August a number of the keepers of those places were held in bail, but re- turned to the same business, and some were discharged without bail on being brought before the magistrates; since then the desire of the association has been to in- duce the landlords of the places to eject offending ten- ant: otorious female named Sarah Meyers, witness suid,’ was allowed by Justice Wandell, although previ- ously under indictment, to go on her parole; it was un- derstood that she promised to leave the precinct, but tf s0 she did not comply with her promise, resuming her offensive occupation one block from’ the place previously occupied by her; a fellow with several aliases, at present known as Garibaldi, witness be- heved to be one of the worst of those persons; ho keeps a disorderly house of the vilest character, and told witness he could buy Justices Wandell and Kil- breth for $100; the Citizens’ Association, witness con- tinued, had found it useless to apply ior redress at the Washington Place Police Court. . MOR EVIDENCE O¥ FLAGRANT VICK. Ernst Grunaherr, of No. 10 West Third street, testi- fied to the aggressive character of vice in his neighbor- hood, and the usclessness of applying to the magistrates; it’s no use going before magistrates, he said; we only spend the time foolishly; he had not gone before the Grand Jury, as he considered that the duty of the police when the nuisance was complained of. Mr, George H. Young, au attorney, who appeared on behaif of the citizens in some of the attempted prose- cutions of disorderly housekeepers, testified that, while he produced what seemed to him conclusive evidence, the offenders would be discharged. He believed that money was used to procure intinence by these people, though he was satisfied no one could approach the pres- ent Justices directly. John Nevilie, a seafaring man, residing at No. 228 Wooster street, complained that his daughters were unable to go to the window of their home without hav- ing forced to their notice the offensive behavior of lewd women in the opposite house. 5 A Stephen Moretti, proprietor of the Italian restaurant atthe cornerof Fourteenth street and Third avenue, described an assault made upon Billi, the detective, by the man Garibaldi on one occasion in his place. Gari- baldi called Biff a spy and threatened to injure him, but ‘was put out by Mr. Moretti. Francis Blair, of No, 12 West Third street, said he made several complaints, but, like his neighbors, with no definite results, Arrests sometimes took place and the more objectionable conduct of the offensive inhab- itants sometimes ceased temporarily, but soon the arrested persons were out again and as bold as ever, The committee adjourned after the examination of this witness, THE SENATE COMMITTEE. The general loveliness of the state ot affairs in tho Department of Docks was revealed yesterday in a most forcible manner by the testimony of the Presi- dent, Mr. Wales, before the Senate Investigating Com- The com- mittee was derelict this time, Mr. Wales being com- pelled to wait for his fellow republicans, Messrs. Booth and Davenport, an hour after the time appointed for the opening of the session. The sitting, which was exceptionally long, was wholly occupied with this single witnoss, who was as exhaustive in his statisti- cal figures as he was fluent in poetical quotations. Mr. Wales testified as follows:— MR, WALES’ TESTIMONY, In 1867 a commission was appointed to examine into | the value of the city’s water front property, and they reported it at about $15,000,000; in their opinion it would require about $1,190,000 to put this property in a good condition; about $100,000 in rents was in | arrears at that time from lessees, who refused to pay, owing to the wretched condition of the docks; the bulkhead property was highly valued by private own- alight unto our way. If your soul is in darkness | it is because you have got away from Christ. It is tot possible for a soul to | be in darkness following Christ, He is the | light of the world. The question is this, Do you want | this light or would you rather live in darkness? If | you want light, follow him. The troubie ts, many look | io us, and, because we don’t reflect the light very well, they stumble over us, “I am the light of the world,” | and all you want is to come near him, I have | Christ carrying a lantern and knocking ata door, Ido not like it. What does the sun want ofa lantern? A man meta blind man on | the road one night carrying a lantern, He wos curious | to know what a blind man was carrying a lantern for, | and asked him. “So that people won't stumble | over me,” he replied. (Laughter.) Let your light shine #o ‘that men won't stumble over you. If | we don’t keep our light burning, men will stumble over | sand say Christianity 1s alia mystery, Christ went | ) on high and said, “I will leave the Holy Ghost to | minate you; let your light shine.” It is the privi- | » of every soul here to walk in an unclouded sun | from to-night if he will, | A DANGEROUS COUNTERFEIT. A gentleman connected with a city bank called at the Herano office yesterday with a counterfeit $100 bill on the Central National Bank of the city of New York, which had been sent on here from Ohio, where it was | taken on deposit by a bank. The counterfeit is so much like « genuine bill that only experts could notice any difference. The shading of gome of the letters is a little dull and the engraving on the lower right hand corner it is seen is poor when closely scrutinized, On the whole it is a dangerous counterfeit; however, and it is quite likely that many similar ones are afloat in the nerally commence to circus | late there counterfeits on Eastern barks, FIR. “IN BROOKYLN. Shortly after eleven o'clock yesterday a fire broke out in the apartments of Archibald Riley, on the sre- ond story of the frame house, corner of Washington avenue and Pacific street, The building is owned by Albert Freeman, and the lower part of the structure is jeased by Jobn Freeman and used as @ grocery store. The jatter loses on stock, $2,000; Insured in the Lafa- yette Insurance Company for $3,000, Riley lost on furniture $200, The building was damaged to he ox- | considerable indignation, ers, some of them rating it as highly as $1,000 per foot, but it was his impression that this property would not be of great value after the new bulkhead wall had been finished; the private wharf property in the available district was probably more valuable than that of the city. President Wales defined the powers of the commis- | gion over the city docks, As regards the private dock property, no changes could be made until the consent of the commission had first been obtained. Under a new Jaw the Board bad the power to set apart certain streets for certain commercial purposes, and the leases must be awarded to the highest bidders. Under the old plan Jeases were limited to three years, but under the new system leases had been made for much longer terms, ‘The Erie company hada lease of thirty years, as they were about to make improvements costing probably $250,000, and as it was of great advantage to the pub- lic to have permanent railroad termini, SPECULATING IN DOCKS, ‘Thoro are men in this city,” sald Mr, Wales, with “who rent docks without having any interest whatever in commerce, and sim- ply for speculative purposes, There is one man who + makes $10,000 a yoar by releasing a wharf which he nad rented from the city." President Wales gave an account of the two modes of constructing the wall, and said, as grave apprehensions had arisen in the minds of the Commissioners as to the value of the mode of construction jast adopted, an in- yestigating commission had been appointed ‘by the Mayor, whose report would soon be ready. President Wales gave many figures in regard to the new bulkhead and other matters. The cost of the bulk- head wall for the proposed distance of five miles would, in his opinion, be less than $8,000,000. In the con- struction of such works, he observed apologetically, a groat many difficulties were encountered which persons unfainiliar with the work could not possibly appreciate, In the first place, the work bad to be done without a 4 ground to stand upon, and was principally , and many concessions had to be made to the requirements of local commerce. AN ORNAMENTAL FRONTISPIECE, Mr. Wales said the estimated cost of the stone pier No. 1 was $600,000, It was an ornamental frontispiece to a tne of works which were different in char tent of $1,900, and is insured for $3,000 in the Atlantic Ingurance Companys Ho waa asked a8 to the cost of that work nar lineal foot but he could not undertake to which might involve half a day’s figurin, an hand fashion. He would ask tnat this question be re- duced to writing, and he would reply to itona@ future Oocasion, e request was grant As to the insecurity i ths wall by tho alleged weak. ness of the piles, Mr, Wales said the charge was one en- tirely new to him The wall at Canal street had ‘de- flected a little,” “he understood, and at Christopher Streot it “sprung a little,” but this had been remedied 80 that no flaw was visible at prosent. The trouble with ~ wall at Christopher street, however, occurred before me connected with the department, aa difficulty, he undertsood, originated trom tor mecakening of the ' foundations, — As ° on omparativa advantages of stone and wooden piers, Mr, Wales remarked that it was sip Tntended to build more than two stone piers in he city, and @ wooden bulkhead wall, in his opinion, Would not be advisable, owing to the indurability of Wood. A capable. engineer had informed him that a wooden pier would rot within ten years; it would be infested with rats and vermin of all sorts, ‘Mr. Wales was asked whether the commission had taken the opinions of experts on this question, and replied that a long sitting of the commission was devoted to this very purpose, The conclusion come to was that the commission ‘would build a pier that would endure for. ever, ‘TLE ROLLING YRARS SHALL CRASE TO Movs.’ !? This outburst of poetical feeling on the part of Dock Commissioner, whose official duties give so little scope forthe cultivation of poetry, elicited general though subdued applause. In regard to the contraction of the river which might be caused by this bulkhead wall, there was no danger that the low of water would be narrowed tnjuriously on the North River, but along the Kast River there was some danger of such a contingency, as it was much narrower, and for that reason he. was opposed to the construction of such a wall along the East River. Concerning the cheapest mode of doing the work, President Wales said there was no doubt the contract work at the Battery was done on the day work system because it had already been commenced when the present Board came into power, : ‘The cost of dredging Mr. Wales estimated at twenty- five cents per cubic yard. He admitted that the cost of dredging as done by the commission at present was higher than it would be if done by contr: ‘One rea- son why it was done by the Commissioners was that the commission had “floating property” in the shape of derricks, &c., which had better be used, as it cost about half a million dollars and could not be sold now to ad- vantage. The cost of repairiug these derrick, &o,, was very high. A TIOKLISH QUESTION. Mr. Wales was asked if, in his judgment, one Com- missioner could manage the department as economi- cally and efficiently as three? Mr. Wares—I don't think I ought to be catled upon to answer this question, In doing so I might appear to disadvantage before my two colleagues, Who arg in perfoct accord with me. When driven by persistent questioning he finally said, “I suppose every department in the city could be managed by one Commissioner,’ but he would not openly commit himself to the policy of cutting off the heads of two of the Commissioners, COST OF THR DEPARTMENT. The entire cost of the department since its organiza- tion, five years ago, Mr. Waies stated at avout $5,000,000, in round numbers, and the revenue handed over w the city treasury would at the close of this year amount to about $3,000,000. The fand reclaimed without ex- pease to the city was worth about $1,000,000, as he had en informed, Mr, Wales denied that there were too many watch- men, or that the employés were engaged in other oc- cupations. He was asked whet he was aware that the assistant engincers had been engaged ip sutveying during their working hours, but denied that such was the fact, Since he became head of the department all “irregular practices” had been stopped by stringent orders. Concerning the chai of blackmail against Superintendent Fitzpatrick, Wales declared that no satisfactory proof had been submitted against him. He knew of no instance in which clerks of the depart- ment had levied blackmail on a contractor, and when asked specifically whether such a charge had not been preferred against Mr. Jackson he said all that was true ‘Was that the latter had BORROWED MONEY PROM 4 CONTRACTOR, and he had reprimanded him for doing so, and told him that he would be dismissed if he was ever guilty again of that damning and heinous crime. Mr. Wales ornamented this portion of his yposecig, Ae @ quotation from the “Serious Family,” saying that “he consented to ap- pear to be satisfied,” which elicited renewed admira- tion of his vast fund of literary acumen. Mr. Wales stated voluntarily that at his own desire he had charge of all the purchases of supplies, a very Ia- borious duty, but one which he was glad to perform im order to protect the interests of the city. The educa- tional qualifications of Thomas Murptiy, Superinten- dent of Instruction, were then considered, but that weighty quefion was nof probea, for. Mr. Wales only would say that Murphy's reports were signed by him, but he did not know whether he wrote them. And thus the question whether Murphy is a master of caligraphy will go unsettled to posterity, The witness was asked about the charges against Meehan, the auditor, to the effect that he (Meehan) had received a commission on Dills audited by him, and.said they had not been proved to his satisfaction. The reduction in the salaries of employés this year had been over $90,000, as compared with the preceding year, Mr. Wales reiteraied the oft-regefited fact that the dock facilities at present were inst! cient for the wants of the increasing commerce of this city. How the wharf leases had been frittered away by the previous Board was shown by the fact that the Union Ferry Company, tor whose privileges the city might easily obtain $125,000 a year, paid nothing whatever. The committee adjourned until Friday morning at half-past ten o'clock. THE QUARANTINE INVESTIGATION. The Assembly Committee to investigate the affairs of the Quarantine and Immigration Commissions met yesterday morning at half-past nine o’clock, in room 206 at the Metropolitan Hotel. Mr. Schuyler was in the chair, and Messrs, Alvord, Wachner, and Gedney were present. A number of persons were informally examined. Tho meeting was purely of a business character. THE MADHOUSE INVESTIGATION. TESTIMONY OF COMMISSIONER CUNNINGHAM OF THE BOARD OF CHARITIES—DR. ORDRONAUX CONCLUDES HIS LABORS. ‘The State Commissioner in Lunacy, Dr, John Ord- Tonaux, and the Citizens’ Committee resumed the in- vestigation of the abuses in the present management of the Kings County Lunatic Asylum, at Flatbush, ‘The first witness called was Commissioner John Cun- ningham, of the Board of Charities, He said he took his seat on January 1, 1873; Mr. Furgusson was then President of the Board; Mr. Wheeler succeeded Mr. Furgusson as President; witness had nevor sought to be President; he presumed the Board had endeavored to secure the best talent from among their number in the selection of the President; there had been oc- casional deviations from the bylaws of the Board; in 1874 the Supervisors had concluded to have the law changed governing the Board of Charities which at that time was under indictment; the Super- visors were responsible for the issuing of supplies at that time; no communication in regard to the short- ness of supplics at the asylum was sent to the Board ot Charities at that time by Dr. Macdonald; witness did not know of any advantages accruing from pur- chasing in open market; the saving of over $1,000 in the hospital stores during the past year was due to the purchasing of the articles by the Supervisors; if a bill ‘came in for supplies not ordered by the Board ho would vote against it; witness had voted against the accept ance of Dr, Macdonald’s resignation, and had voted against the appointment of Superintendent Blanchard; had fayored the appointment of Dr. Norris; he had voted for the appointment of Dr. Corey because of his experience in the treatment of insane patients; the board has not always been harmonious in its action; witness was present at the McGee inves- tigation and remembered that Commissioner Midas objected to McGee giving testimony, as he was a lu tic; the objection of Mr. Midas was overruled, and Mr. Midas was criticised by the other members of the Board ; the result of the examination was the CONVICTION OF THE THRER ATTENDANTS; the committee admitted the charges in the main; charged; the reappointment of Loselle did not come up before the Board; he was reinstated by the Commit- too on the Asylum, Messrs. Ruber and Midas, Witness could not account for the general and fre- quent complaints against the asylum; he thought executive ability is most essential in the management of the asylum; Dr, Chapin, who was in the institution as Superintendent, was decidedly the ablest executive they ever had; frequent changes in employds are detri- mental to discipline in the asylum and in every busi- public official as greater than that of individuals in civil life; he did not know whether the same views were entertained by his associates, Dr. Ordronaaxasked Mr, Cunningham if he was one of “the local aspirants for oflice” against whom Dr. Norris, _Prosident of the Lonrd, had warned him by writing, The letter was ‘shown to the witness, who said he had never seen !t bofore, and he would not have voted for it had it been laid be- fore the Board of Charities; witness believed it lis duty to invite Investigation nga public efllicial at all times; knew of aman named Pairick Corr, assistant engineor in the asylum, who had been discharged and ro-employed; the name would be on the engineer's roll; withess could not say whether Dr. Blanchard Le any knowledge of the presence of Corr; the stew- ard, he believed, ought to know whether he was thore or hot; witness thought the charges of impropriety pre. ferred against the man by the female atiendants wa sustained, and he voted for his dismissal; Corr wa: discharged in July or August, 1874; witness did not learn of bis reappointment until within the past month; he did not know who reappointed Corr; there were Seven attendants ordered from the asylum to the nursery, and they took their discharge in prefer ence to going there; there are sixt per week; the strong box atthe asylum js under the charge of th perintendent; it contains the offects or valuables of deceased patients; the Board had never had a report of its contents made to them; knew of no persons employed in the asylum at present whose moral character or lack of sobriety should disqualify, them from holding positions there; does not know | the ex-patient Killing: fememembered the insane Loselie was the least guilty of the three attendants dis- | ness in life; witness regarded the responsibility of a | or seventy pay | patients in the asylum at present; they pay about $% | 9th. | | | | | | Qeerecnevvosseneree: was to with attendants, and who subsequently said be had been robbed by his custodians; the bottom of his pocket was removed; the’ case had been thoroughly investi and he was satisfied that the money had been mn from the left hand pocket; the money was given to the Commissioners by | Mr. McGuire, who has been in the employ of the Board for one year; witness knew McGuire, and was satisied that the attendants bad been actuated by proper motives, Mrs. Stretbling, one of the Local Committee, hero interrupted the witness, and said that she saw the patient alluded to on Saturday last, and asked him how the money was taken from him, and that he repli “How could you tell how you were robbed if a pistol was held to your head by @ man who then took your money?” Witness said the amount taken from the patient in question was $47 86, and not $100, as the man claimed; the latter amount was a delusion, which grew out the fact that he imagined himself a policeman, and said he had $100 a month; witness said the Supervisors were slow in furnishing the supplies when the new law giving them supervisory power over the contracts first Wont into operation; the same cause of complaint did not now exist; the board for patients at the asylum will amount, On the average, to about $20,000 per an- num; the amount for salaries of Commissio! and employés of the Board of Charities for one year is about $100,000; it has gone up as high as $115,000; it wag true’ that it cost about $1 to distribute every $3 worth of charity, With this testimony the investigation was concluded, r. Ordronaux made a brief address to the gentlemen who had assisted him in his investigation, iv (he course of which he thanked them for the time and attention they had given to the task they had just completed. He will report the result of the investigation to the State Legislature, OCCULTATIONS BY THE MOON.’ To te Eprror or Tne Heratp;— Barly rising is an oxcellent thing. It tends to make men wise, Those who rise next Tuesday morning, be- fore two o'clock, to see the occultation of the brilliant star, Spica Virginis, will learn that the morning of the 23d of November, astronomical time, is not Tuesday, but Wednesday. The star will bea long distance east of the moon on Tuesday morning. Should they take fresh courage aud rise on Wednesday morning, several hours before day, they will learn something else—that ‘an occultation ofa star isa phenomenon of the same class as an eclipse of tho sun, arising from tho passage of the moon between the heavenly body and our eyes, and it depends altogether upon where our eyes happen to be whether it passes between or not. When the moon is between a star and England it {8 not between the star and the United States; so that the fact that an occultation fs to be visible in England is no evidence that it will be visible in the United States, ‘This lesson will be impressed upon the mind by observ- ing that when the moon rises at 3h. 41m., the star will be more than the moon’s diameter to the west of it. The occultation will be over long before the moon rises. The moon passes nearly through the same path in each successive revolution, occulting the same stars. But these occultations occur at all hours of the day; and it is usually the case that either the moon is below the horizon, or the sun is above it. The moon’s nodes retrograde one degree every nineteen days, and this produces a slight change in its path, so that after a few revolutions the moon ceases to occult these stars, and passes over another series of stars. For instance, the moon’s path commenced to pass over Spica on August 6, probably visible in Alaska. On September 2 Spica was again occulted; probably visible in Russia, At the next two revolutions, it was too near the sun te be visible anywhere. On November 24 the occultation will not be visible in the United States, In the fore- noon of December 21 Spica will again come in the .moon’s path, as seen from the Southern portion of the United States; but as it will be in the daytime Spica can only be seen with a good telescope, and in this lati- tude the moon will probably appoar to pass south of the Star. Atcach successive revolution the moon’s track will pass still further to the south, the occultation be- ing visible further and further south, until July 26, when it will be visible for the last time in the northern hemisphere for several months longer, the occultations being still visible in the Southern Hemisphere. Yet during this year and a half, in which Spica is regularly occulted once a month by the moon, there is nota sin- gle occasion in which the occultation has been or will be visible here; and, after next year, Spica will not be occulted at ail for several years, until the moon's path shall have so far changed as to command a new series ? of occultations. * A more interesting phenomenon is the passage of the moon across the Pleiades, In this respect we shail be moro fortunate, The moon has several times already passed over that group, but not soas to be visible here. On the morning of December 11 the moon will oceult the line of outlying stars, passing southward from Alcyone; but, as the moon will be nearly full, it will not be easily observed. In January the occulta- tion will occur by day, and probably before the moon rises. But on February 3, when the moon will be ina favorable position, there will be an occultation of the principal stars of the Pleiades, visible throughout the United States, and well deserving the attention not only of astronomers but of others. During the summer of the coming year we shall alsc be twice favored with another phenomenon, still more Interesting, the occultation of the planet Saturn by the moon, HENRY M. PARKHURST. AT REST. THE LAST SAD AND SOLEMN HONORS TO GEORGE G. BELMORE. The remains of the great English character actor, Mr. George G. Belmore, wore placed in Greenwood Ceme- tery, in the plot owned by Mr, and Mrs, William J, Florence, yesterday.afternoon. In the morning his most intimate friends—Messrs. Sam. Colville. John Brougham, H. J. Montague and several others of his profession with whom he had been intimately associated—gathered at No, 94 Fourth avenue, and, for the last time, looked upon his face, His countenance was plactd and calm. Despite his ex- treme suffering he appeared more like a man sleeping than one who was dead, There was @ massive silver plate upon the centre of his coffin lid, upon which was engraved the inscription wovevennansreesoroceoorerecence re nenneenny) GEORGE GARSTIN BELMORE, 3 Died Novembor 15, 1876, 3 Hy Aged fifty years, POONA LE TESST LODE CELE TE REDE ED: The funeral services were held in ‘The Little Church ‘Around the Corner,” which is located on Twenty-ninth street, and which was crowded an hour before the minister appeared at the altar, Never, perhaps, has the theatrical profession been so largely represented in one place as it was yesterday morning. Among tho congregation were noticed the following ladies and gen- tleMfn:—Loster Wallack, Heury D. Palmer, Horace Wail, T. S. Vincent, H. J. Montgomery, T. E. Morris, C. HH, Stevenson, Harry Montague, J. H. MoVicker (of Chicago), John Dyas, Mr. and’ Mrs. W. J. Florence, Samuel Colville, George Howard, Mr. and Mrs. Levy, Miss Lillian Conway, Miss Adolaide Lennox, Leonard, Mr, and Mrs E. M. Holland, W. B. Harrison, W. BL Floyd, J. P. Smith, J. H. McDermott, George Brown, Thomas Chapman, Mr. and Mrs Barney Williams, John Gilbert, Jolin Dillon, H. Bradiey, T. W. F H. Russell, B. “Lamb, H. B. Phillips, L. Forrester an John Hogan, THE onsRQcIRS. At about eleven o'clock the coffin was conveyed up the aisle, Messrs, Lester Wallack, H. D. Palmer, George Honey, William J. Florence, John Brougham, Harry Beckett, Kdward Arnott and B, F, Russell acting ag pallbearers Dr. Houghton, rector of the ehurch, then read the Episcopal burial service. The floral decorations of the coflin were magnificent. The casket mod iost in @ profusion of the rarest exotics, Over the head of the coilin rested a beautiful wreath, bearing the insertption:— Qe eben neceteLeLene TET tPCT TEE TOO lOtTtt tt Oey 3 NOT FRIENDLESS. POPOLOOO LESTE LOPOLELEDEOELOLEDE DE On the centre of the lid reclined a tablet, bearing the words :— @rereccrereresneeet st Penerene resect tee rere: 3 RACH “AND” OUR CHILDREN. ae Dance eee eeOre rete tl OPPLPOOLEELOLLOLETTIDTOLE OTE ~'This was presented by Mr. Montague, who was at the bedside of Belmore when bo died. . The services, though short, were very affecting. As the minister read the burial service many eyes inthe peonerees | audience were suffused with tears. BROOKLYN TAX BATES. —_—_— The following table, showing the rates of taxation by wards for 1874 and 1875, has just been prepared by Mr, Edward Cadley, chief clerk of the Kings county Board of Supervisors :— 1874, gtk, gsm . am $ cm $om eee Cae s 3230 3164 3627 8 $286 3173 304 3 3200 3174 go29 8 $21 3134 3063 3 3257 8140 309 8 3263 3134 3030 8 3629 5504 3650 8 3631 3505 3037 3 3632 3606 3035 8 3630 3607 3032 3 $639 3515 goal 3 3037 3611 3231 3 ete : 3632 3409 Average... ‘The reduction apparent this year is owing to the cute ting down of the estimates of the expenses of the seve eral dopartinents of the city governments