The New York Herald Newspaper, December 7, 1875, Page 6

6 NEW YORK: BROADWAY AND ANN STREET, GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR seetee—eansidironaaineg NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS.—On and after January 1, 1875, the daily and weekly editions of the New Yorx Henarp will be rent free of postage. JAMES THE DAILY HERALD, poblished every year. Four cents per copy. Twelve dollars per year, or one dollar per month, free of postage, to subscribers, All business or news letters and telegraphic despatches must be addressed New Yore Herawp. Letters and packages should be properly sealed. Rejected communications will not be re- turned, LONDON OFFICE OF THE NEW YORK HERALD—NO. 46 FLEET STREET. PARIS OFFICE—AVENUE DE L'OPERA. Subscriptions and advertisements will be received and forwarded on the same terms as in New York. day in the VOLUME XL.- “AMUSEMENTS 10-NIGHT, GLOBE THEATR: Nos. 723 and 790 Broadway.—VARIETY, at 8 P.M. COLOSSE! Thirty-fourth street and Broadway.—PRUSSTAN SIEGR OF PARIS Opea tom 1 P.M. to 42, M. and from 7:30 P.M, to lo OLYMPIC THEATRE, No, 624 Brosdway.—VARIETY, at 8 P.M. WALLACK’S THEATRE, Broadway and Thirteenth street.—CASTE, at 8 P. M. ; closes a l045 PM. Mr. Harry Beckett, Miss Ada Dyas, PARISIAN VARIETIES, Sixteenth street, newr Broadway.—VARIETY, at 8 P. M. Mutines at 2 P.M. BROOKL Washington street, Brovl Gworge ¥. f THEATRE, —LITTLE EM'LY, at 8 P.M. UNION SQUARE THEATRE, Broadway and Fourteenth street.—ROSE MICHEL, at 8 THEATRE COMIQUE, No, 514 Broadway,—VARIETY, ut 8 P, M. BOOTH’S THEATRE, Twenty-third street and Sixth aveuue,—GUY MANNERING, | ao? M. Mrs, Emma Wal ‘s PARK THEATRE, Broadway and Twenty-second street. THE MIGHTY DOL. Lak, a3 2. M. ‘and Mrs. Florence. f GILMORE'S GARDEN, and 1 Petison avenue aty-sixth street.—HEBREW FIPTH AVENUE THEATRE, Twenty-clztith street, near Broadway.—OUR BOYS, at 6 P.M. ; closes at 10:30 P.M. EAGLE THEATRE, Broadway and Thirty-third street.—VARIETY, at 8 P. M, SAN FRANCISCO MINSTRELS, Now Onera House, Broadway, corner of Twenty-ninth street, ase ML, WOOD'S MUS! roadway. corner of Thittieth closes at 10-45 P.M. Matinee ai t.—RUBE, at 8 P. M.; M. F.S. Chanfrau. TONY PASTOR'S NEW THEATRE, 585 and 587 Broadway.—VARIETY, at 8 P.M. Mati- wee at 2 P.M. LYCEUM THEATRE, Fourteenth street and Sixth avenue. —LABIME. at 8 P. Mt echter. THIRD AVENUE THEATRE, Third avenue, between Thirtieth and Thirty-first streets.— MINSTRELSY and VARIETY. at 5 P.M. UNION LEAGUE THEATRE, forner of Twentz-soventh street end Madison avenue.— CONCERT, at 8 P.M. Miss Carlotta Cburch. TIVOLI THEATRE, Eighth street, near Third avenue.—VARIETY, at 8 P.M. GERMANIA THEATRE, Pomrteenth street, near Irving place.—DER CONFUSIONS- BATH, a 5 P. BOWERY THEATRE, Bowery THROUGH BY DAYLIGHT, ae TRIPLE 8 P.M. James SHEET. NEW YORK, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1875, From our reports this morning the probabilities are that the weather to-day will be warmer, with rain. ‘Tue Heracp sy Fast Mac, Trams.— News- dealers and the public throughout the States of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, as well as in the West, the Pacific Coast, the North, the South and Southwest, also along the lines of the Hudson River, New Yorle Central and Pennsylvania Central Railroads and their con- nections, will be supplied with Toe Henaxp, free of postage, Extraordinary inducements offered to newsdealers by sending their orders direct to this offiee. Watt Srrzer Yesrerpay.—Stocks for the moment were stronger. Gold ended at 114 3-8. Investment securities were in fair demand. Rag money, 87.42. Two Txrrmie Mrsixc Accents are re- ported from England, in which the loss of | life amounts to at least one hundred and fifty. This is a frightful tribute to negli- gence. Tax Gexerat Discrepir thrown in Europe } upon the rumors of war being possible bo tween Spain and the United States on the | Kellogg's Cuban question is reassuring to those who | ,,. desire peace. Tax Loxpon Tres 1s Penxriexep about the escape of Tweed. Our special despatch shows that the Thunderer traces the possi- bility of such an official crime to the return of Tweed’s old followers to power in Tam- many Hall. Not far wrong! A Fancne m toe Linen Trave is re- ported from Belfast. This industry has been so fortunate in Ireland, where manu- factures for the last two centuries have been steadily trodden out in the interest of the English markets, that we hope the failure noted will not have more than a momentary influence on the staple industry of Ulster. Ir Dovs Nor Loox os though Alfonso’s | government had fully made up its mind to be ruled from Rome. The fact is that be- NEW YORK HERALD, TUESDAY, ERALD | ™ First Battle Serisduer kaoenes a Representatives. ‘The first session of the Forty-fourth Con- gress osened yesterday, and the democrats of the new House of Representatives stum- bled badly. Fora time it was believed they would get a serious fall. The contest which enlivened the opening hours of the session was notonly interesting but important. In the organization of the House the first step is the call of the roll by the Clerk of the last House. When he came to the State of Louisiana Mr. McPherson explained that four of the six members had presented to him credentials from Governor Kellogg andalso from Mr. McEnery; that two members had only Governor Kel- logg’s certificate; that the seat of one of these, Mr. Frank Morey, was disputed by Mr. Spencer, who claimed it under a McEnery certificate, and that, acting under the law passed for the guidance of the Clerk, he would call the names only of those who had presented Kellogg certificates. As he was acting clearly in the line of his duty nothing was said, and he went on reading the roll, and, this completed, Speaker Kerr was elected, installed, and he began to swear in the members, always a tedious operation, When the name of Frank Morey was called and he advanced to take the oath, Mr, Fernando Wood rose and quietly objected. Whereupon Mr. Morey stood aside, and thus it became known that the dem- oeratic leaders had determined to begin the session with a blunder. If the Clerk, Mr. McPherson, were an astute poli- tician, instead of a quiet and easy going middle aged gentleman, we should suspect Lamar and Mr. Cox. It was not necessary that he should explain to the House the con- dition of the Louisiana delegation. Doubtless he thought it but fair to give notice of that which had come to his attention, and, in any case, he prepared a pitfall into which the democratic leaders incontinently tumbled. When the House had been sworn in, Mr. Wood arose and presented a resolution de- claring that, whereas Mr. Spencer claimed a seat under a certificate from Governor McEnery and Mr. Morey claimed the same seat under a certificate from Governor Kel- logg, be it resolved that the House turn over the two contestants and their certifi- cates to the Committee on Elections, to de- termine by an inspection of the certificates which was entitled prima facie to the seat, and, having spoken briefly of the matter, ho moved the previous question in order to limit debate, and presently gave Mr. Blaine ten minutes. And thus the battle opened. It was a brilliant little affair. Mr. Wood urged that as there were two certificates it was the duty of the House to refer them to a committee, whose serutiny would determine which of the two was valid.. Mr. Blaine replied that there were not two certificates in any proper sense of the word; that Mr. McEnery was not in any sense Governor of Louisana and had never exercised the functions of Governor; that Mr. Kellogg had been declared the actual Governor by resolution of the House at the last session; that the action of the House had been formally accepted by both parties in Louisiana, and that any John Smith might as well buy a State seal for two dollars and a half and give his next friend a certificate entitling him to Mr. Wood's seat. He suggested that the democrats, claiming to be the friends of State rights erred, in an act which was a wanton insult to the recognized head of a sovereign State. Mr. Lamar, of Mississippi, replied, asserting that all the precedents of the House were in favor of the proposed action, but did not cite an ac- ceptable one, on Mr. Blaine’s demand; and seeing by this time that the resolution of Mr, Wood was needlessly offensive in assuming that McEnery is a Governor equally with Kellogg, Lamar adroitly offered a substitute, merely handing Mr. Morey over toa com- mittee, without any allusion to Spencer or McEnery. Mr. Wheeler, who last spring went to New Orleans to superintend the adjust- ment known by his name, now declared, as a matter directly and positively known to him, that one of the terms of that adjustment ac- cepted by the Louisiana democrats, and under which they had received additional members of the Legislature, was the full recognition of Kellogg as acting Governor. By this time the democratic side was in confusion. Mr. Wood had evidently begun his manceuvre without full consultation with the leading men of his side and without notice to the rank and file. These strayed into the lobbies and smoking rooms and dis- cussed, not only the resolution, but its author also, and not always in complimentary terms. Presently Judge Holman, of Indiana, a wise old democrat, rose and said that, in his opinion, as Mr. Kellogg was the ac- knowledged and acting Governor of Lousi- ana, whether nghtfally or not was not the question, and as McEnery had no jurisdic- tion, Mr. Morey ought to be sworn in on certificate. Mr. Cox seemed suggest that, as the democrats in the last House had not favored the action regarding Louisiana, they need not hold themselves bound by it, and after some farther light skirmishing the vote on the previous question was taken, and resulted 135 for and 134 against. Thus the democrats gave way, and on the direct vote Mr. Lamar’s mild substitute for Mr. Wood's resolution was voted down, and Mr. Blaine at once moved that Mr. Morey, holding a certifi- diately sworn in. Mr. Randall object. ing to the mention of Kellogg’s name, Mr. Blaine laughingly amended the reso- lution so that it only required Mr. Morey to be sworn in, This was done, and the con- test closed with great good nature on both sides, and with satisfaction to everybody ex- cept Mr. Wood and the few of his side tween the strong. clerical influenes on ono | the whole democratic side at once saw to be side and the desire to keep pace with the |. iistake: spirit of the ago the boy King’s advisers are | The republicans naturally were delighted. | in a difficulty that needs more courage to They had secured the first success of what dispel than they dare to exhibit. promises to be a long and arduous session. ‘Tween has still the be st of the specula- , They had seen the democrats put themselves tions on his whereabouts. Clews are pre- | clearly in the wrong before the country, and senting themselves, as they elways do, and | they Sheriff Conner is awake to any chance of | if the capturing the fugitive, because he cannot | sleep since he saw his trusty Dunham on Saturday last, Tho detectives, we may add for the benefit of the community, are at york, had beaten them; but we doubt lesson does not prove a whole- some and fruitful one for the democrats | as well. The rank and file on that side | showed that they could not be led by any | rash chief, no matter what his position or in- him of having set a trap for Mr. Wood, Mr. | cate from Governor Kellogg, be imme- | whom he had persuaded into what almost | fluence. We notice that among the demo- erats who voted against Messrs, Wood and Lamar were a good many Southern men— nearly the whole Texas, all of the Arkansas and most of the Kentucky delegations, as well as others; and among Northern men such leaders as Judge Holman, General Elijah Ward and Hiester Clymer, There is not « shadow of doubt~ that Messrs. Wood and Lamar were in the wrong. It was a part of the Wheeler ad- justment, freely accepted by both parties in Louisiana last April, that Mr. Kelloggshould be acknowledged the de facto Governor. As part of the adjustment, a number of demo- crats were seated and republicans ejected from the Legislature, and we will not believe, without further evidence, that the demo- cratic leaders of that State consented to this attempt to procure from the House of Representatives by indirect means a quasi acknowledgment of Mc- Enery as Governor. If they are guilty of this they have blundered more seriously than they can afford, and will lose the sym- pathies ofthe country, which they gained by their peaceful and orderly submission last spring. There is apparently an intention among the democrats in the House to revive the Louisiana question. If they are wise they will not do it. If it is forced upon them by the republicans that is another mat- ter, but the wrongs of Louisiana are now very well known. The story will not bear retelling. The country is tired of it; nor is it likely that these wrongs will be repeated. A Word to the United States Supreme Court. An unpleasant report comes to us from Washington, which we mention with some hesitation. It is that shortly after the argu- ment before the Supreme Court on the Union Pacific interest case was completed, and before the decision was rendered, the whole Court, including also its clerk, dined with the principal counsel of the railroad, and that later, but still before the decision was given, several members of the Court dined with Mr. Sam Ward. Of course we do not for a moment pretend to think that the Supreme Court was influ- enced in its views on this important case by these dinners. But we take the liberty of telling the Judges that such dining as we speak of was, under the circumstances, im- proper. It gives rise to unpleasant remarks about the members of a tribunal which Americans have been accustomed to venerate and look upon with pride. We are living in a period of unusual social demoralization. In the last few years many even of our high- est public officers have shown less reserve and true dignity than the people would like to see in them, and many of the social re- straints which formerly and very properly guarded men in the higher public offices of the country have been cast aside by them | with a somewhat cynical and dangerous con- | tempt. General Grant has, since he became | President, set a very bad custom in this re- | gard, which has not unnaturally been imi- tated by some of his subordinates, and not the least injury he has done to the country during his Presidency lies in the bad example he has shown to younger men of openly keeping low company. When the President of the United States makes men like the recently convicted McDonald in | St. Louis, and Harrington and Shepherd in | Washington, and others, who shall be name- less, in New York, his chosen companions and intimates, and when Governor Tilden, in New York, makes a professional gambler his adviser at Saratoga, such conduct does much to demoralize the young men of the country, to lower their standard of pro- priety and their nice sense of honor, and to open the door to grave abuses. In such times as these, and with such bad examples in high places, it is doubly impor- tant that a body like the Judges of the Su- preme Court should take care to break down none of the old guardgand decencies which have made them from the earliest days & peculiarly dignified and irreproachable Bench, and a model to all the courts in the land. It is certainly an impropriety that mem- bers of the Supreme Bench should dine with the counsel or agents in an important case pending their decision; and when we con- sider in this case the immense interests in- | volved, the eagerness of speculators to get itt advance at the mind of the Court, and the effect of a dinner to unloose the tongues of even the most prudent men, we do not wonder that Washington gossips are just now retailing stories which would, if they should hear them, vex and mortify the Judges, and which certainly should warn them to be more decorous and reserved in future. Have Eastern Democrats any Ricuts Wuica Western Democrats are Bounp To Respect ?—It will not escape attention that the democratic caucus which assembled on Saturday elected to the principal offices of the House none but Western and Southern democrats. The Speakership was given to Indiana, the Clerk to Kentucky, the Post- master to Virginia, the Sergeant-at-Arms to Ohio and the Doorkeeper to Texas. Of the democratic majority at least sixty come from the Eastern States. Althongh this is little more thap one-third of the number, still we think, considering the importance of the States this majority represents, that one of these offices might have been given to an Eastern democrat. ‘This alliance between the South and the West for the control of the patronage of the House does not look well for a comprehensive schome of the finances, | especially when we consider what the South and West would have done in the last Con- gress but for the firmness of President Grant in vetoing the Inflation bill. Tue Parncerox Srvupents who were dis- missed from the college a fortnight ago on account of their connection with prohibited secret societies have acknowledged their error and promised to dissolve their organi- | zations. The ends of discipline having been attained the Faculty has revoked its previ- ous action, and the students will now be permitted to return, This is wellas far as it goes, but while Tammany remains the war on secret societies must not cease, The | people of New York can abolish Tammany | Hall quite as effectively as the Faculty of | Princeton destroyed the objectionable secret | from the mind of the reader. | societies in the colleca DECEMBER 7, 1875.—1'KLPLE SHEET. Jay Gould and the Gambling Act. In an action before our courts to recover from Jay Gould the value of a contract made by him as a speculator in Wall street, his counsel, Mr. Shearman, has entered an ex- traordinary plea, which is worthy of consider- ation from several points of view. Mr. Shear- man takes the ground that Mr. Gould in deal- ing in “puts” and ‘‘calls” is simply gam- bling, and that therefore when he loses he is not to be compelled to pay his contracts. In other words, Mr. Gould appears in the court through his lawyers and practically swears that his business is nothing more nor less than betting, and that he is entitled to the same release from any obligation it involves that he would receive if he were the keeper of a faro bank or a lottery, or if he had made a wager on the result of an election. We have always contended that, morally, this business of “puts” and ‘‘calls” on Wall street was gambling. We believe that if the courts were to decide the question from a strictly equitable point of view they would so rule. If Mr. Gould’s defence is sound, then what is Wall street but a vast gambling concern? Our ‘business prosperity,” our “increase in stock values,” are no more than the passing of gamblers’ chips over the faro board, For the last year Wall street has been as much of a gambling den as Mr. Morrissey’s saloon at Saratoga. The princi- pal stocks bought and sold have been gam- bling stocks. Jay Gould, the principal operator, swears to that fact. He swears that while he was doing business in the eyes of the world he was gambling in his own eyes; that while he was making ‘‘contracts” for stocks and gold he did not mean to keep them unless it was to his own bene- fit. The shamelessness and frankness with which Mr. Gould makes this defence would be looked upon as an astounding revelation in any age but the.one in which we live and from any man but Mr. Gould himself. There really seems to be no end to the infamy of which this man is capable in prosecuting his designs upon the credit of the community. If the Court should accept his plea and decide that this kind of Wall street opera- tions falls within the legal’ definition of gambling quite a new phase will be put upon that species of business. It would then be the duty of the District Attorney to get the whole street indicted for gambling and pro- | ceed to enforce the penalties. There would be no more excuse for not breaking it up than for not interfering with the other ; gambling dens of the city. Rarrp Transrt.—In considering the various schemes for rapid transit there is one thought that should not be allowed to pass Here we have the Fourth avenue improvement running from Forty-second street to Harlem. It is one of the best railroads in the world. It belongs to a private corporation, but for the building of it the city paid four millions of dollars, practically making that sum a gift to this corporation. Now, if we had enough engineering genius in New York to run a road from Forty-second street to the Battery, or make a connection between the elevated railroad, which now extends to Forty-second street and the Grand Central depot, we could have rapid transit in a very short time. Of course, the owners of the Vanderbilt railroad have a right to do their own business in their own way and to take as much as is given them by the city and the State. The fact that the Fourth avenue improvement cost the people four millions of dollars certainly entitles us to suggest that it might be utilized in the completion of a rapid transit system. A Beavriru, AnranceMent.—One of the instructive correspondents at Washington informs us that the democratic party is to be governed by a triumvirate. Mr. Kerr, as the honest man, is Speaker ; Mr. Randall, as the capable man, is to be Chairman of the Com- mittee on Appropriations and to lead the party on the floor, as ‘the only man who can fight Jim Blaine ;" while Fernando Wood is to have the Ways and Means and be the ‘Mentor,” or, to use a phrase german to the hour, “referee” for the triumvi- rate. These three gentlemen are to control the party and govern its decisions. The ob- jection which the World, the leading organ of the party, made a day or two ago, to the effect that if Mr. Wood or Mr. Randall were elected Speaker he might cost the party a half million of votes, seems to have sud- denly died away. We suppose there is nothing in it, and that it was really one of the electioncering cries of the canvass, which may as well be forgotten now that it has served its purpose. We shall watch the triumvirate with deep interest. The party with one head makes mistakes enough. Let ts see how a party with three heads will succeed. Tue Bonarantists.—The information in our special despatch from Paris, that the Bonapartists are anxious to combine with the republicans against the government, shows that the conservatives believe they have strength enough to carry their point. The republicans must, however, remember that the alliance has always been fatal to them. The followers of Rouher combined with the monarchists to overthrow Thiers. They are ever seeking the side, a victory for which tends more or less to disorganization, for in the hurly-burly only can they hope for a chance to grab at power, according to the Napoleonic method. The Republic, despite all odds, is rooting itself in France, and the party of progress should look carefully at a proffered alliance from the Republic's enemies. Secret Socretres 1 Poxrrrcs.—Dunham, the Warden of Ludlow Street Jail, is the es- pecial protégé of John Kelly. He was Dep- uty Sheriff when John Kelly held the office of Sheriff. At the expiration of Mr. Kelly's term of office he subsided into private life and came to the surface when Kelly got con- trol of Tammany Hall. He was made a Sachem of Tammany Society, John Kelly being Grand Sachem. He was appointed Warden at the especial request of Mr. Kelly. When Genet escaped the Sheriff who had charge of him was alsoa Sachem in Tammany Society as well as the prisoner. The ques- tion will arise naturally, now that we are discussing this question of secret societies in politics, Are the members of Tammany So- ciety bound by a secret oath to help and pro- tect each other under all circumstances¢ Let Us Revise Our Justice. The extraordinary escape of William M. Tweed from the Sheriff has reopened the whole question of the administration of justice in New York. The New York Times calls attention to the subject in an able ar- ticle, in which it says that John Kelly, the head of Tammany Hall, contrived to induce @ coroner to release a political partisan who was accused of shooting another man dead in the street, ‘Still later,” says the Times, “we find this same John Kelly, according to the evidence given before the Legislative Committee on Crime, going privately to the foreman of a grand jury and urging him to bring in an indictment against certain per- sons who had made themselves, obnoxious to him as politicians.” We dwelt upon these circumstances, which require attention, coming as they do from a journal as _respect- able as the Times, because they show that the maladministration of justice in New York is to be attributed to the undue influence of politicians. Not one of the manifold villanies of the old Tammany Ring are as painful as the blight which fell upon justice. If the wrongs com- mitted in the city of New York by ‘‘judges” could only be known, it would be seen, we think, that, compared to these crimes, all that Tweed and his colleagues stole would be small indeed. When we look back upon ‘justice’ for the last ten years there are many painful revelations. The escape of Genet and Tweed, the practical acquittal of Scannell and Stokes, the dilatoriness shown in the trial of Croker, all show that justice” is always subordinate to a political expedient. And how can we expect any- thing better when we see judges holding their places at the mercy of politicians; when we find politicians, as was sworn to before the recent committee, dictating appoint- ments and clerkships and attendants in courts; when courts become nests for the protection and comfort of political adventurers, and when we have judges takinga prominent part in political meetings. In the degrada- tion which has fallen upon our government in New York this was inevitable. As the stream never rises higher than its source, so we cannot expect the Tweeds, the Sweenys and the Connollys to place men upon the Bench who would be intractable or would fail to do their bidding. The time has never been, for the last ten or fifteen years at least, when the leader of Tammany Hali could not control the decisions of any court; and, therefore, when we find Mr. Kelly, accord- ing to the Times, using his influence with grand juries and coroners, he is carrying out a policy which he inherited, and is ad- ministering Tammany Hall upon the same basis as Tweed and Sweeny. This whole business must be reformed. We look with anxiety upon the report of the Senate Com- mittee of Investigation, now in session in New York, for such suggestions as will ena- ble us to enter upon the work with imtelli- gence and promptitude. The Poor and the Winter. The poor we have always with us, and winter comes upon them year after year with the same iron tread and hard-lined face. As we sit behind the pate glass pane and scan the thermometer that hangs outside exposed to the nipping air, with the mercury shrink- ing down to hide itself in the bulb, we do not think, perhaps, that its decreasing scale marks a rising one in the miseries of the poor. As we note that the gutters are frozen over we may think of skates and ringing laughter; but we do not recall that the fetters upon the waters are also chains upon the limbs of outdoor labor. In fact, as man is happily constituted, the brighter side of things presents itself with much more per- sistency than the gloomy side, and the rich, the warm and the comfortable, will therefore be glad that the journalist, under whose eyes the sorrows of the poor pass continually, writes his line to evoke sympathy for those who need it. How often do we see among a crowd of well-clad pleasure seekers a swift response to some pressing case of need! The dry chuckle of Croesus, the laugh of lusty Mercutio, the courtier's simper of Osrick, are arrested in a moment; purses are brought forth and want is handsomely relieved. Suitor-beset Belinda has opened her morocco portemonnaie, and Juliet has ceased her sighing to give quarter to the cause of charity. The impulse to be charitable is not lacking, but tothe thought- less, the gay and the busy, the opportunity to help a suffering fellow creature does not always present itself when the heart is sym- pathetically awake, Stillin the depth of winter it is never hard to find proper objects for charity. The cold blasts will find them out; the pangs of hunger discover and seize them. Let, then, those who have a season of balls, theatre-going, fireside chats and cosey little dinners before them, allow a glimpse of the misery of their less favored fellow beings to flit occasionally across the brilliant perspective. It will supply a little shadow which the picture needs. By giving generously to the poor within reach these shadows will take on a new glory to them- selves, and the season of pleasure will be all the brighter. Give generously, give jutli- ciously, and give promptly. Tue Ropzers or THR Poon.—We trust that there will be no delay in the efforts which are making to investigate into the condition of the broken savings banks. The more we think of this business the more we feel that the mon who have controlled these banks to | their downfall deserve the sevorest punish- | ment. The directors of these banks are nothing more nor less than robbers of the poor, There is no excuse for any savings bank failing if properly managed. Let this investigation be pressed home and all who have taken part in the infamy be punished, either by the courts or by public opinion. Amono THE ORGANIZATIONS Which receive our | sincere sympathy, on account of the sudden | departure of Tweed, is the Tammany Society, of which the notorious exile is an influential member. It might be well for Tammany to pass a series of resolutions expressive of its grief, and send a committee composed of men like Thomas Dunlap, E. J. Shandley and T, J. Campbell to find Tweed and to urge him to return to the bosom of his favor- ite and once obedient society. One thing is certain—this committee would know Tweed if they were to see him Grant om Stanley. We give to-dey Colonel Grant's paper on Stanley's discoveries in Africa as it was read at the meeting of the Royal Geographical Society in London, November 29. Colonel Grant's name is honorably associated with the history of African discovery. Ho was with Speke on the famous journey in which the Victoria Niyanza was first seen by white men, at least in modern times, and the names of the two were formerly always associated; but the ‘Speke and Grant” of the title page has nowgiven placeto Speke alone. Colonel Grant’s view of the difficulties of the labor in which Stanley is engaged may be regarded as tho testimony of an expert, and from such a source every word of appreciation and praise has peculiar weight. How generous and handsome is this wasm tribute to Stan- ley: “Who among us would have had hia energy? Who would undertake a cruise in an open boat, and absent himself from hia camp for fifty-eight days? Who would risk such danger to life and exposure to an Afri- can sun in the month of April? Who of ua are able to guide, provide for, lead and_at- tend to a little army successfully, and in the midst of all this take their observations for latitude and longitude? I think him a worthy representative of the energy that sent out such an expedition.” In this honest tribute we seo that geographical adventure has its spirit of generous chivalry. Frercur Rares.—The merchants of New. York are troubled because the freight lines hence to the West charge extraordinarily high rates, while those from Boston are much lower. ‘This is a good thing for the mer- chants to exercise their strategy on. It can only be temporary, as Boston would soon monopolize the carrying trade, and tha New York railroads would lose it. In such a case they might say with the vacuoua butcher who, having,sold his mutton at a shilling a pound to a sailor, came for hia money in time to see the ship in the offing: ‘My God, I might have charged him twenty- five cents!” ‘Tue Anmy anp Navy.—Elsewhere we pub+ lish abstracts of the annual reports of Secre- taries Belknap and Robeson. It will be seen that our little army is in a highly efficient condition, and that by the end of the present fiscal year we shall have enough rifles to arm one army corps in case of war. Heavy can- non for coast defence is among the Secretary's most pressing needs. The jovial Secretary, of the Navy recounts the formidable nature of our iron-clad fleet. Tae Genzran Term or THE Court 08 Common Puxas has given a series of decisions making the excusing of forfeiture of bail lesd easy. The whole question of the liability of bondsmen, in civil as well as criminal cases, deserves the serious attention of our law makers. Of the abuses under this head that of ‘straw bail” is perhaps the worst; but there are others which, through the leniency (to use a moderate term) of officials, ara equally subversive of justice. Eyoianp’s Anxiety concerning the designa of Egypt upon Abyssinia is amusing. If Germany and Russia were to become sud- denly anxious about the designs of England upon Egypt it would be still more amusing. The Khedive replies that he does not wanf Abyssinia, but only to secure the Egyptian frontier from violation. This is the way England usually sets about annexation, and the explanation will scarcely satisfy her if she has interests she thinks worth protecting in that quarter of Africa. Tue Great Scanpat.—Miss Catherine E. Beecher has discovered ‘‘a sure and imme- diate remedy” for the Brooklyn scandal, which is simply this :—That the public and press shall agree that Mr. Beecher is an inno« cent man and that all his accusers are slan« derers. Nothing can be more certain tham that this would end the scandal at once, and we earnestly trust that the Church Council will apply the remedy, beginning with tha press and public of Brooklyn. Tue Uncountep Mrux10ns of the late W. B. Astor are to be distributed among his imme diate family, excepting bequests giving $200,000 to the Astor Library, $30,000 among certain charitable corporations, $10,000 ta the American Bible Society, $10,000 among four faithful employés, on condition thai they were in his service at the time of his demise, and $200 a year to the widow of Ben | jamin Astor. Tue Escape or tHe Lovouney Brorners from Raymond Street Jail was just in the nick-el of time for themselves and also ta give the Brooklyn detectives a chance ta work up a case like unto that of ‘Boss" Tweed's. PERSONAL INTELLIGENCE, Fred Douglass 1s lecturing in the West, General Kilpatrick, of New Jersey, is in Illinois, Mr. John W. Foster, United States Minister t Mexico, is residing temporarily at the Fifth Avenut Hotel Two Rothschilds, consins, are to marry. Althoug® this is said to be @ physiological error it tends to keop the money in the family. Since the target company season has declined and thy wedding season bas begun the dollar stores are laying in a smaller size of castors, ‘The Chicago Tribune denies having made any libel | lous remarks about ex-Governor Carponter, and from the way it doos so he ought to be satisfied. ‘The Reading Eagle, a sensational paper, prints s Philadelphia despatch which says that G, W, Childs wil be urged as a Presidential candidate next year, When Queen Victoria returned from her fourtees weeks’ visit at Balmoral she wore a black dress ane | jacket and a black bonnet trimmed with white ribbons Stokes, who killed Fisk, 18 said to be confined to hit bed in prison with asthma and chills and fever, and that his hair 1s white and his constitution ruined, His term will expire next September, but an effort is being made to have him pardoned, Colonel Chesney, the great military critic, says thay Grant bad Jess patience than Sberman; that Atlants | was captured with genius greater than that which took | Richmond, and tnat Johnston along was Sherman's peer. Reaumur relates of a delicate young French lady that she could never pass a spider in her daily walks ip | her stately hedged garden, where spiders alwayt thrived, without seizing each she saw and quickly | crunching it ‘The report that Rey. J, Clement French has resignen the pastorate of tho Westminster church, South Brook: lyn, proves to be wholly unfonnded, and the church, | which was stated to be financially embarrassed, is ix | most flourishing condition. General and Mrs. Sherman expect to gather all theit | children about them at Christmas, Later in the win Mrs, Sherman may take her youngest son, who, wo ro gret to say, is not in his usual health, to San Antonioy ‘Texas. 8 warmer climate being recommended Jor him