The New York Herald Newspaper, December 13, 1875, Page 3

NEW YOKK HERALD, MONDAY, DECEMBER 1%, 1875—WITH SUPPLEMENT. BELLEVUE HOSPITAL, A Source of Epidemic Disease in Past Years, TS BAD SANITARY CONDITION. The Improvements Necessary to Rem- edy the Evil. For the past few years freqi complaints have been inade in relation to the sanitary condition ot Bellevue frospital, many going as far as to say that this charity was a greater source of evil to the suffering poor than a means of relief, and that patients entering within its walls and suffering from but slight disorders and injuries fell vietit to the poisonous influences that created pyemia, erysipelas, &c., within the hospital, and which it has been charged the entire building was in- fected with. The mortality afew years ago from sur- gical operations was much greater than in the majority of hospitals throughout the country, although among the attending rgeons at this charity may be num- bored some of the most prominent and skilful operators im the-United States, and the management of the hos- pital was under the care of excellent and competent wen who made every effort to improve its sanitary con- dition, If we examine the history of this building since its construction and occupation as an alms- house, about 1811, we find that this unhealthy condi- tion has ever been a source of disease and death, In 1825 an epidemic of typhoid fever broke out and swept away a large number of the inmates. In 1832—a memorable year for the people of New York, as the sity was visited by a disastrous epidemic of cholera— this fatal disease swept offa large number of the in- mates of the Almshouse, and the unhealthy condition of the building became so great and apparent that all the prisoners and paupers were removed. In 1849 the regular hospital was established and placed under the contro! of a resident physician, who continued to man- ago theaffairs of the establishment and supervise the medical attendance until 1851, when the present system of governing the hospital by a medical board, composed of the visiting physicians and surgeons, was inaugurated. Since that time and under the direction of this Board a great many im- provements have been made in the building. Windows were constructed wherever necessary to provide for in- creased light and ventilation, and the wards were opened one into the other by constructing arched con- nections, at a considerable expense. Notwithstanding all these improvements the sanitary condition of the hospital remained very bad, and, to use the words of one of the resident surgeons af the churity in 1871, “Bellevue Hospital has reached a period in its existence when, in the words of Billroth, the building is A MERE SLAUGHTER PRN ofthe wounded. Spite of the most careful sanitary arrangements, recovery from an amputation of the thigh for injury is without the recollection of the oldest inbabitant, and when the surgeon finds pyemia follow exsection of the elbow, and in fact the most trifling operation whereby the medullary canal of a bone is in any wise invaded, he is sorely tempted to refrain from interfering in such cases, not willing to subject him- self to the imputation of hastening a termination which ha knows must be death, whatsoever course may be followed.” Owing to the excessive mortality at this time in the hospital, 100 deaths from erysipelas and thirty-nine from ja having occurred within the course of the ear, the Supervising Surgeon General of the Marine lospital Service issued an order in which he stated ‘that he ‘deemed it wise to discontinue sending sea- men there,” and in considering this subject in his an- nual report of 1878 says: tthe phases of hospital disease produced by hospital miasm vary under differ- ent conditions of the victims exposed to it, Thus, one i attacked with erysipelas, another with pymmia or witb gangrene or with puerperal fever, &c., while wounded or suppurating surfaces appear to furnish the conditions mostdJavorable to the reception and activity of the poison, It cannot be doubted that most diseases are aggravated by its influence, although the patients tay not show the characteristic evidences of it. The record of pyemia and erysipelas in Bellevue Hospital of New York strongly exemplifies the influence of an old building on hospital patients, ”” About two years ago a disastrous epidemic of puer- peral fever developed itse}fin the ‘lying-in’” wards of this establishment, and the disease proved so fatal to the un- fortunate inmates that it was found absolutely necessary entirely remove this serviceand transfer all labor cases to the Charity Hospital on Blackwell’s Island, causing a large amount of suffering and trouble to the unfor- tunate women who were obliged to seek relief and as- sistance from this charity. And in not @ few cases death has been the resuit of the present plan, owing to the neglect of the officials charged with the transier- ring of these unfortunate women from their homes to the island hospital. One of the strongest arguments to be used against the further use of the old building knows as Bollevas Hospital is that, owing to some in- fectious poison within the building it is deemed un- safe to establish a lying-in service in connection with the charity. ‘The experiments made by Dr. R, 0. Doremus to test the value of disinfection and the possibility of remov- ing the poisonous emanations that intect the surgical and former lying-in wards of the hospital have been to some extent successful. The system adopted was to generate a large amount of chicrine gas in the in- fected ward, having previously fastened closely all the windows and doors. This powerful r. penctrated the porous walls, and it is believed would destroy all the Infectious material and disease germs that proved such ‘a very great gource of mortality. ‘This pian of fumigation and the new system of venti- lation and heating bas improved the. sanitary condition of the hospital considerably. But there still remains within the building a most fruitful source of epidemic disease, namely, THE WATER CLOSET SYSTEM. At present about $25,000 is being spent to complete the system for heating and ventilating the hospital and necessary repairs to the bospital water closets; and although all admit that the changes made may improve the present condition of the hospital, still no one will aeny the fact that until the water closets are re- moved from their present position in relation to the wards, and placed outside the building, and separated from the wards by properly constructed and well ventilated passages, the hospital cannot be placed in a ‘thorough sanitary condition, and conse- quently will not be a sate abode for the sick. The pres- ent location of the wator closets, opening almost directly into the wards, permits the escape, to a very great extent, of poisonous gases and emanations from decomposing human execreta into the wards, and, although air shalts have been constructed running to the roof to carry off these gases and traps placed in the pans to prevent any emanations from this source, the practical working of the plan is explained by the answer of one ot the ward orderlies to inquiries on the subject. He said:—‘I find no difference in the smell it is just as bad as ever,” and the writer has been in- formed by one of the visiting surgeons, a gentieman well qualified to judge and form an opinion on the sub- ject, that the smoil from the water closets in bis division was abominable and could not but be a very great source of disease. To prove that ‘THIS SYSTEM WAS LOOKED UPON AS DEPECTIVE and dangerous to a good sanitary condition by the offi cials of the hospital, the Warden, in his report for the year 1868, stated :—The Medical Committee of Inspec- tion feel it necessary to report to your honorable Board that the style of water closets used in the hospital was imperfect and, in fact, detrimental to the health of the patients, in consequence of the disagreeable odor aris- ing from them.”’ Placing aside all othe? sources of sickness and infection within the hospital and about which there seems to be such a very great.difference of opinion, still it will strike any one familrr with the first principles of sanitary science and public health that the plan of having water closets opening into wards and in close proximity to large tlumbers of weak and debilitated patients abd the acing of invalids within the influence of poisonous gases from this source ong canngt be but a constant and ever present source of unhealthfulness. Probably there is no question in hospital construc- tion more important than this, and none thet has re- ceived more careful consideration, and it 18 the opinion of all sanitarians, as well as the experience of every hospital physician and surgeon, that it is impossible to establish @ good sanitary condition in any hospital where water closets are in close connection with or opening into the wards, One of the Propel reasons urged for confinuing the present system is that the expense of placing all the water closets outside the building and providing prop- erly ventilated passages to connect them with the wards would be very expensive, and as the building is very old it would be hardly worth the expense. From ‘bis argument it would seem that the lives of the un- fortu poor who are forced to Kk shelter in this establishment are not to he considered when it in- volves THR EXPENDITURE OF A PEW THOUSAND DOLLARS, and the overturning of some distinguished gentieman’s “theory” a8 to proper hospital construction. It is also claimed that we are but following the most approved plang adopted in Europe for the erection of these build- ings. Granted, The reports of twenty-four London hospitals for 1861, containing 4,214 patients, there oc- curred 3,828 deaths, or 90.84 per cent, and it is not 0 very many years ago that the celebrated Malgaigne de- clared that, a regards sanitary conditions, the hospitals in Paris “were the most detestable in Europe.” By changing the present water closet system and providing for better ventilation aud a thorough system of disinfection at stated intervals, it is possible to con- er improve the sanitary condition of Bellevue Hospital, and remove all sources of infection, But un- til these changes and improvements are carried out the hospital, although {ree from infectious diseases for limited periods, will never be thorough!: and ina good and permanent sanitary state. The present off- cials charged with the management of the establish- ment, particularly the Warden, Mr. O'Rourke, ought to be highly commended for keeping the building in such & good condition, and it is only by constant and nover pedis Ham sede that they have warded off disease, surrounded as they are, with so many goure tion and unhealpifulness. ov bi ic THE PENSION FRAUDS. SUSPENSION OF FOUR PHILADELPHIA CLAIM AGENTS—OVEB TEN THOUSAND CASES IN- YVOLVED—THE MATTER BRING INVESTIGATED AT WASHINGTON—IS IT THEFT OB ONLY eit ; Purapenrmta, Dec, 12, 1875. ‘The discovery of irregularities in the papers of four well known claim agents of this city, practising before the Pension Bureau, is probably only the beginning. ‘The same discoveries are hkely to be made in other cities, where it may be found that the practices have been going on for years, as they have been here. Whetber any considerable amount of money will be Jost to the government remains to be seen. The United States pension agents seem to be free from all blame. The history of this latest development in the way of “irregularities,” with which the press is flooded, is as follows;— THE SUSPENSIONS. About the Ist of the month the Commissioner of Pensions at Washington, by order of the Secretary of the Interior, suspended from practising before the Pen- ‘sion Office, and from all government departments, the claim agency firms of Joseph EB. Devitt & Co., Matthews, Poulson & Co., Francis Register and Charles 'T. Schively. All of these men do business in this city through United States pension offices here, which are two in number—one under the charge of Major David B. B. Nevin, United States pension agent for widows and orphans, and the other directed by General Horatio G. Sickel, for the payment of pensions to invalids from the army and all navy claims. THE PROPER WAY. In prosecuting claims upon the government for pen- sions, if for an invalid, it is necessary to prove by two witnesses that the applicant was in the military or naval service of the United States, and that some dis- ease, wound or other injury received or contracted by the applicant while in the service has disabled him since his discharge. If the claims are tor widows or orphans of deceased soldiers or sailors the claimants must also prove their relationship with the deceased and their dependence upon him for support. In order to procure a pension the assistance of a claim agent is not at all a necessity, merely a convenience tor the ap- plicants, for which they are sometimes too heavily taxed. Any intelligent person can transact the busi- ness for himself. The Pension Bureau willingly fur- nishes those who desire to apply for pensions blank forms of application and full instructions how to pro- ceed, These claim agents, however, aro nearly always employed as attorneys by the claimants, who are gen- erally ignorant enoogh in the matter to believe that they are somehow officers of the government, whose intervention is necessary, confounding them with the United States pension agents, who are bonded officers for the disbursement of the money. It will be observed that these attorneys commonly advertise themselves in the newspapers as ‘United States Claim Agents,” an ambiguous title which is not properly understood by the masses, Hence the im- mense business which these private individuals have been building up since the war, acting entirely as un- official agents, 1m no way connected with the govern- ments, to transact affairs which any man can do for himself. A OLADM AGENT'S DUTY. The prescribed legal course for a claim agent to pur- sue is as follows, in brief:—Having been engaged by an applicant tor a pension, he files a declaration by the claimant, executed in the office of tho Commissioner of Pensions, at Washington. The law exacts that this declaration shall be sworn to before ‘‘an officer of a court of record, having possession of the seal thereof,” and in the presence of two wit- nesses, who identify under oath the claimant to be the person he represents himself to be, The nature of this evidence required in support of the claim varies ac- cording to the records of the War Department, If these records do not show the origin of the disability in the line of duty in the service the claim must be established from parol evidence—that is to gay, tho testimony of officers or comrades, supplemented by the testimony of the attending physician that the disa- bility has existed since the discharge, The rate of the disability, which fixes the amount of the pension, 1i determined by examining surgeons appointed by t! Commissioner of Pensions. In Philadelphia there are Board of Examining Surgeons. nd dependent reli of dead soldiers or sailors must prove also their r jonship with the de- ceased, that the widow has not remarried and their de- pendence on him for support. THIS PAROL EVIDENCE, the testimony of two witnesses as to identity, will be seen to be very important, and, of course, the law re- quires that itshall be taken in the presence of the claimant and the clerk or deputy clerk of the court who thereupon swears that they personally appeare before him, It is in the preparation of this evidence that the ir- regular practices have been perpetrated by the agents, and the manner of its discovery was this:—The Commissioner of Pensions hi tnumber of em- ployés assigned as special agents, a kind of detectives, whose duty it is to investigate claims that are at all doubtful or picious. One of the Washington agents, in looking up a certain case originating in Philadelphia, in which the evidence was pupposed to be of an improper character, found from the admis- sions of the witnesses themselves that they had never appeared before the proper ofticer and sworn to the iden- tity of the claimants, althougn it was so set forth. They were innocent of criminal intent in the matter, being unacquainted with the law. This led to further investigation and the discovery that the four claim agents whose suspension has been ordered had been guilty of this practice. It was soon learned that ‘THE MANNER OF THE FRAUD was for the agent to make out the affidavits and send them to the deputy clerk of one of the State courts, who,would affix the offictal seal ot the court to the vouchers and sign the blank form certifying that tho claimant and the two witnesses had personally ap- peared before him. All this was done without swear- ing the apphcant and the witnesses, as the law re- quires, or without even requiring their presence. After’ the discovery that four Philadelphia firms had been guilty of this irregularity their suspension from practice was ordered on the 2d inst., and two special agents came on to this city to obtain a list of the pension cases in which they were acting as attorneys, In looking over the books of the two pension offices in Philadelphia it was found that they were the agents for about 2,500 claims, the payment of ali of which was at once stopped, pending investigation, These claims were about equally di- vided between the two offices, those filed through the Widows’ Agency, however, being rather more than in the Invalids’ Agency. ALL THE AGENTS IMPLICATED except Schively are among the oldest in tho business, Devitt & Co, are said to have been the first claim agents established in Philadelphia, having begun busi- ness in the first year of the war. ‘The suspended firms are understood to admit the practices they are ac- cused of, and attempt to justify it by an argument which still further damages their case—namely, that they have been doing samo for years, They claim that it is only aslight informality; that its intention and result has been to save time and trouble, and that no fraud has been committed in ti y of bogus claims, THE INVESTIGATION into the character of the cases filed by the suspended firms is being made in Washington, and as rapidly as possible, it ts assured, the claims are decided upon, so that the deserving applicants, who are innocent of all blame in the matter, will not be de! d a day longer than is necessary in receiving their money. At General Sickel’s office up to to-day notification had been re- ceived from Washington to replace upon the rolls about 160 names of tag out These cases are mostly those of persons res out of 4 pity in which no ses Jarity occurred. ver’ la é st e eee cases is ordered, but ne ae Pr ce sions are not 60 numerous as the replacements ‘Tne investigations have thus far been prosecuted en- tirely in Washington, where the records of all the cases ever presented by the suspended firms are being ex- amined, both those pending and those adjudicated. Nearly 10,000 cases are said to be involved in this sus- pension. ‘It is probable. however, a committee will Vieit this city very soon to take testimony in many of the cases, THE IMPORTANT QUESTION, has the fraud involved any loss of money to the gov- ernment, cannot be answered yet with any certainty from information accessible in this city. At both pen- sion offices here | am given to understand that there 1s no reason for suspecting that many fraudulent elaims have been put in, Both Major Nevin and General Sickel say that they are acquainted with a great major. ity of the pensioners who come before them and that if fraudulent claims have been admitted they do not anticipate 1 the amounts will be large. On the other hand it may be found that many thousands of dollars have been obtained from the government by these irregular vouchers, The ease with which they would seem to hi been obtained would afford abund- ant opportunity. ven if this is the case and money has been stolen from the Treasury the greatest injury growing out of the fraudulent transactions is that tho Suspensions will necessitate a delay in the adjudi- cation of penaing claims presented {or nsioners: whose claims have already been proven. This will be great hardship for many, especially at this season, A very larg bys ttle poor Loge ald depend for le a living upon their allowance trom tho nation which they 0 weil deserve. In order to accomplish their work it was ne that tho agents should eeary be in collusion with some of the deputy clerks of the State courts in this city, After the investigations of the Rovenue Bureau the extent of the guilt of these ns willbe known, They will be amenable to the THE COLLECTORSHIP. The commission of Collector Arthur terminates this month, but it is believed that the President will reappoint him. No other aspirant to the Collector- ship is Known to exist at tne present moment. If Collector Arthur is not reappointed the office will be temporarily filled by Assistant Collector Clinch, THE FRENCH REPUBLIC. M, SCHNEIDER'S DEATH RECALIS ALL THE RECOLLECTIONS OF THE SECOND EMPIRE— HE WITNESSED THE WORKING OF THE DEMO- CBATIC SYSTEM—TERRITORIAL COMPLICA- TIONS WITH ITALY—GARIBALDI A DEFENDER OF THE TRANSALPINE TREATY—THE SENA- TORIAL CONSTITUTION QUESTION IN THE AS- SEMBLY. Paris, Nov. 80, 1875. One by one the men of the Empire are disappearing, and with them begins to fade away the memory of that period ef lurid splendor which Sallowed the coup d'état and which was destined to such a terrible eclipse. : M. SCHNEIDER, the old President of Napoleon III.’s Corps Législa. tif, is gone. He died of overwork. Not political over- work, but the work of making money. He had no less than four strokes of apoplexy before the end came, and bis physicians warned him that nothing could save him except a complete repose of the mind from the cares of business. He replied that he could not help thinking of his business, which was probably true enough, and he thought of it till it killed him, M. Schneider, however, had fulfilled tho seventy years of the pslamist, having been born in April, 1805, His parents were poor and he owed his large wealth to his own energy and talent, His iron works at Creuzot are known all over the world. Ho employed 10,000 workmen, and the greater part of the engines used on French lines came from his factory. In the year 1865 and subsequently he executed large orders for England, In 1870 the strike which took place among his operatives assumed the dimensions of national event, two or three regiments of soldiers being sent down to Creuzot, after the approved impe- rial fashion, to smooth matters. If Louis Napoleon was the Casar and Cavagnac the Cato of the Second Republic, M, Schneider may be considered its Crassus, Cato would have nothing to say to Cwsar when the lat- ter had won the first place, though Cwsar made several advances; but Crassus was more easily won, as indeed most rich men were won, to the conquering cause, To do him justice, though he wore THE LIVERY OF CaSARISM, he was not illiberal in his opinions, and in the Cham- bers of Deputies (of which he was named President by the Emperor, in 1865) he endeavored—what was no easy matter—to procure a hearing for members of the Left, The best proof of his tact and moderation is that when, in 1869, the Chamber was allowed to elect its own Speaker, the choice of an overwhelming ma- jority of the members fell upon M. Schneider, It should be added that tho ex-Speaker was best known among Parisians, of late years at any rate, not so much as a politician or milliionnaire, but as the hero of the most whimsical of adventures, All the coffe houses laughed over the story, which told how the Viceroy of Egypt had sent a telegraphic message directed to “SCHNRIDBR AT PARIS,” His Highness never having heard of but one person of that name—viz.,, the actress, and how the Post Office officials in their turn knew of but one Schenider, and that was the President of the Legislative Body; and how the Viceroy speedily followed his own tele- gram and was ushered into the presence, not of the Grand Duchess of Gérolstein, but of a gentle- man of some sixty winters or more, of grave and rev- erend aspect and decorated with the broad red mbbon and star of the Legion of Honor; and how some curious explanations had tobe interchanged before either of these distinguished personages fully comprehended the nature of the situation, A LITTLE CLOUD IN THE SOUTH. There is just now a little cloud in the south which may or may not prove the herald of a storm, according as the cabinets of Berlin and the Quirinal may choose to act, A good many Italians in Nice and Savoy have persuaded themselves into a belief that they desire to be reunited with that Italy which, be it remembered, herself cast them off. From a material point of view they would undoubtedly fare worse in company with their old fellow subjects than under their new masters— if the term “masters” can be applied to the French; who, whatever may be their faults, have always possessed in @ high degree the sovereign art regere imperio populos, and have succeeded in assimilating to their body politic nationalities of such different temperaments as the Flemish and the Pro- vencal. The Germans of Alsace und Lorraine they made more French in their patriotism than the French thomselves, Still, if before the seventeenth century had drawn to a close, the government of the Grand Monareh had tolerated an “agitation” in his newly won province in favor of the restoration of Alsace to Germany, there is no saying whither it might have led, for of course the Germans were not Gallicized in a day. The Savoyards and Nizzans have been under French rule for some fifteen years, or less than half # gener- ation, and though in that time they have managed to get better railways and hoteis and more efficient police, they perhaps scarcely yet feel as loyal to the red, white and blue tricolor as could be desired. Moreo' though achange would be contrary to their interests, men do not always know when they are well off, and are by no means certain to follow the wisest course under any given circumstances, VICTOR EMMANUEL. For the present Victor Emmanuel and his advisers will emphatically discourage the fraternal advances of their ex-compatriots, as they have repelled similar advances from the Italians of Trieste, who, probably with much better reason, also desire to return into the fold of Italian unity. Some time ago these subjects of Austria forwarded a memorial to their native King expressive of their ardent desire to be under his sway, and His Majesty was pleased to tear the petition in pieces be- fore the eyes of the deputation which presented It So he would probably deal with a petition from the people of the earliest hereditary domain of the House of Savoy ; for France is still a powerful country, and no more to be offended with impunity than Austria, But it must not be forgotten that while separatist tenden- cles exist in Nice and Savoy, those provinces will always bea bribe with which Italy can be tempted, and German statesmen will not be slow to offer it for an Italian alliance should France ever resume a menacing attitude in regard to the Rhine, GARIBALDI 18 A NIZZAN and has often been heard to mourn over the treaty of annexation. He was once smoking a cigar, manufac- tured in his native city, and he observed to a friend, with a sigh, “It is all that is left me of my country.” Were the great patriot to preach a crusade for its re- covery—and he has before now been carried away by more impracticable ideas—Italian enthusiasm might boil over and something more than a tempest in a tea- cup might be the result, THE LEGISLATIVE CAMPAIGN. The government of M. Buffet continues to win victory after viclory tit the Parliamentary campaign. Yestorday M, Testelin proposed an amendment to the Jourteenth article of the Electorai bill (which estab. lishes the scrutin darrondissement), td the effect that districts containing more than 75,000 voters ae Te- turn two members or more, in the proportion of Ghé for every 75,000 or fraction of 75,000 electors, This was evidently an attempt to reintroduce the scrutin de liste, and the Assembly, in spite of the excellent argu- ment of the mover, pronounced 406 distinct nays to 226 yeas, The original article was then adopted by 60 votes against 200. This vexed question may, there(pre, be regarded as definitely settled, ‘THE LIPR SENATORS, ‘What is, however, chiefly interesting Frenchmen, or, rather, official Frenchmen, at this moment, next to the purchase of the Suez Canal by England, is the ap- proaching nomination of seventy-five life Senators by the Assembly. Neither the constitution nor the Senate wilt probably last @ lifetime, but, for all that, the dig- nity and emoluments attaching to it are much coveted, especially by Deputies objecting to an interview with their constituents im the early spring. Out of the 700 and odd Parliamentary rulers of France there aro reputed to bo no less than 450 candidates for the permanent seats, which are quite unlikely to be permanent, in the Uppor House, It is pleasant to be able to announce that well informed men expect the choice of the Assembly to be a fair one, and are toler- ably confident that the Conscript Fathers of the Repub- lic will be worthy of the name, If a few celebrities in the world of letters or politics are omitted in the Assembly's list it is thought they will be eagerly re- turned by the departments, ~ WIHRTHER THR NEW SERATR will ultimately be more than an asylum for disabled statesmen will depend not so much on its composition, which is sure to be pretty good, as on the courage its members may display, The fault ot French Upper Chambers has evor been their timidity, and nothing could well have been more ignoble than the collapse of the imperial Senate after the news of the battle of Se- dan. It hastened to adjourn sine die, and left the gov- ernment of the country to be picked up by the frst comers. Should the Senate of the Republic, a distin- guished statesman lately observed to me, have the courage to elect M. Thiers as its President and occa- sionally take the initiative in measures of reform, it may havea great future before it But itis not yet certain that M. Thiers will accept seat in the First Chamber. JAMAICA. DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AND HEAVY LOSSES IN KINGSTON—A NEWSPAPER OFFICE DE- STROYED—TWO STORES BURNED DOWN—8US- PICION OF INCENDIARISM—THE FRUIT TRADE WITH NEW YORK, Kunastox, Dee, 3, 1875. One of the most disastrous fires that has happened in this city in many years occurred on the night of tho 30th ult, and morning of the Ist inst., reducing to a heap of ashes the office of the Mornmmg Jowrnal and completely destroying two other business premises, one on either side of it, Before entering into the PARTICULARS OF THE IRE it may be as well, in order that the readers of the HgRatp may have something like an understanding of the “situation,” to say that the office of the Morning Journal was situated on Harbor street, the centre of the retail dry goods business in the city, Adjoining it to the eastward was a furniture and general housefitting store, to which was at- tached small cabinetmaker’s shop, kept by a Mr, Alexander Berry, next to which 18 Scott’s cloth- ing warehouse and tailoring establishment, at the corner of Harbor and Church streets, On the other side of tho Morming Journal office was a saddler's shop, kept by Mr. James McDonald, a well-to.do Scotchman, who has done business from early manhood till he is be- ginning to be advanced in life, Adjoining Mr. McDon- ald’s shop is: the substantial brick built, iron-roofed, fireproof store of Roxburgh & Son, which stands at the corner of Temple lane, On the other side of Temple lane, and still in Harbor street, is a small fancy store, then another, The rest of the space, till you come to King street, the widest thoroughiare in Kingston, and which, for all official purposes, divides, or formerly di- vided, the city into east and west, is occupied by the massive fireproof store of Mr, Emanuel Lyons, a dealer in hardware and marine stores. HOW THE FIRB ORIGINATED no one can tell, but the general impression is that it broke out in Mr. James McDouald’s saddlery establish- ment, It would seem, indeed, that this is a settled fact, How it occurred, however, 18 another matter, which may be difficult of solution. Soxfe persons talk of incendiarism, but this is hardly likely, masmuch as Mr, McDonald 1s one of those quiet, easy men of whom it is hard to conceive that he can have an enemy, though he has hosts of friends, principally among country gentlemen, who were wont to make his place one of general resort for the interchange of informa- tion and opinions. A theory has been started, how- ever, which, if founded on fact, may yet show that the calam:ty was the result of an unlawful act, though arson was not the intention of the perpetrator. It is said that among tho nu- merous friends of Mr. McDonald one of them has been in the habit of depositing sums of money from time to time ina cortain iron safe in the building, with Mr. McDonald’s permission; that some person aware of this fact entered the building, or, more likely, concealed himself in it during the day, in order to rifle the safe of its contents during the night. Itis further supposed that, being alarmed at some noise that suggested the entrance of some other person into the building, he endeavored to es- cape, upsetting the light which he had with him, in the hurry of his flight. Now, as no one lives on the premises, and as the building is always closed before dark, seeing that it is not usual for such trades as that of Mr. McDonald’s to be carried on atter dark in this country, the inference that the building was en- tered for some illegal purpose, or that fire was ap- plied from the outside, is certainly not a violent one. What is certain is that the flames inan old build- ing 80 largely composed of wood, the walls alone being of brick, spread with great rapidity and soon reached the Morning Journal office, which was equally old and built of similar material. In regard to THE JOURNAL OFFICE. J am in a position to say that the work on the paper for the next day had been finished at about eight o'clock, even to the imposition of the “forms,’’ which were left on the stone to await tho coming of the pressmen on the following morning in order to work them off. The last man could not have left the office over half an hour when the alarm of fire was given, and in an in- credibly short space of time not only was Mr. McDon- ald’s shop but the Jowrnai office enveloped in @ sheet of fire, which soon spread to Mr. Berry's shop, THE OLANG OF THE ¥IRE BELLS and the shouts of the populace soon brought an im- mense multitude to the scene, and the members of the so-called fire brigade, with their apologies for engines, turned out, and éndeav- ored to get the fire under by squirting one or two uuny streams of water on an immense body of flame, that was raging like a volcano, Sooth to say, half a dozen toy squirts might have been just as effectual in subduing the flames. What added to the difficulty was the fact that the hose was old, made of leather, and had become rotten. ARMY AID. Immediately as the fire was perceived at Up Park Camp three companies of the Second West India regi- ment, under the command of Captain Stokes, were marched down to the scene of conflagration and ren- dered much valuable assistance in subduing the flames. Tho night was very still. Had the fire taken place somo three or four weeks later, when the northers gencrally bow, indicative of the Christmas season, a great part of the city might have been laid in ashes. THE GREATEST SUFFERER from this unfortunate fire is Mr. Robert Jordan, pro- prietor of the Morning Journal, whose building and stock were uninsured. Ail bis presses have been com- pletely destroyed, including a circular press of the old pattern, worked by manual power, the frst of the king imported into the island, but which, I need hardly say has long been antiquated. A number of zealous and active friends exerted themselves and saved a few cases of type and some books from the stationery store at- tached to the printing office; but the building and fur- niture and ali the printing and bookbinding appliances have been completely consumed. The old printing machine indeed remains among the débris, but its day of usefulness is gone. What renders the loss of the premises more to be deplored by the proprietors is that offers had been made for its purchase for a fancy store to be erected on the site, which is one of the most eligible in the city, but the offers had not deen closed with, if entertained at all, Mk, PERRY ig insured for $5,000. He estimates his stock at 000, "TTR JAMAICA CO-OPERATIVE COMPANY loses $1,500 on the building, and the Lancaster Insur- ance Company (England) $2,500, SCOTT'S BUILDING aid to be insured in the Jamaica Co-operative for 000, but itis not likely that bis stock, which alono is damaged, is insured at all. SEVERAL ACCIDENTS happened, but none resulted fatally. THE SPECIE CIRCULATION of the island at present is estimated at $1,500,000 and the bank note circulation at $750,000. TRADE WITH NEW YORK, A gentleman in Spanish Town has started an orange trade for shipment of the fruit to the United States, In one day he had forty carts blocking up the thorvugh- fares leading to his place of business laden with oranges, sstimated at 250,000 mbel pone Te THE CABINETMAKERS. » The Cabinetmakers’ Union met yesterday afternoon, in the Germania Assembly Rooms, in the Bowery. Tho members of the Union have for some time been dissat- isfled with their relations to employers, and it has been suggested that they shouldstrike, Before doing this, however, they determined to take a survey of the field of their labor in this country, and, asa means toward that end, they assembled yesterday to listen to a report from Mr. Frederick Homerghausen on the condition of the affairs of cabinetmakers in the West Mr. Hom- erghausen detailed the condition of affairs in Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Chicago, St. Louis and Indianapolis, He concluded, as results of his observations, that the cabi- netmakers in the West are much better to do than those in this city, and that cabinetmaking will very soon be @ great branch of industry im the western coun- try. After the report was read, Mr. Peter King spoke to the meeting, strongly urging the support of the Union for the reason that the employers would take advan- tage of its dissolution to impose upon the workmen. MR. BERGH IN BROOKLYN. This evening, at eight o'clock, the Society for the Prevention of Craelty to Animals will hold a meeting at the Academy of Music, Brooklyn, at which addresses will be delivered by Mr. Bergh, Father Malone and others, The object is the formation of a branch society in the City of Churches, BROOKLYN POST OFFICE. Thirty-two thousand residents of South Brooklyn, through the Citizens’ Association, ask the Post Office Department to establish a sub-etation near the corner of Ninth street ana Fihth avenwe NOTES. reooked, and it will be chargeable to whiskey.— Wilmington (N. C.) Star (dem) With Babcock falls Grant.— Wilmington (N. C.) Star (dem. ) If his friend and servant cannot get out of this ugly scrape, Grant will only be a quarter horse in the race Presidential. — Wilmington (N. C.) Star (dem.) The question whether he (Babcock) bas shamefully abused the confidence of President Grant is one which cannot be determined by the civil or the military tri- banal which is to deliberate upon his case, That is a matter between the President and his private secre- tary.— Harrisburg Patriot (dem.) The exposure of the flagrant corruptions of the White House ought to put an end to all operations for a third term on the part of Grant.— Albany Argus. It ought to put an end to third term, but it will not. Sheridan wil] whitewash Babcock; hig innocence will be negatively established by the St, Louis Court through asurreptitious spiriting away of testimony, and Bab- cock will be scoured as clean and white as the Indian agents wore by Fletcher and Faulkner. This will bring Grant to the front as a martyr, the Know Nothing anti- Catholic tocsin will be sounded, and Grant will go into the Republican Convention and be nominated on the first ballot.—Omaha Herald (dem). As the outlook is now viewed, the republican party is hopelessly saddled with Grant Tho only chance of beating him will be by the union of all the opposing factions on @ single candidate, an altogether improba, ble turn in events with the headstrong ambitions of the Mortons and Blaines and Conklings pressing them for- ward for the giittering prize.—Baltimore Gazette (dem.) BISHOP HAVEN AND THE NOMINA- TION OF GRANT. If men of Bishop Haven's standing will lend their in- fluence to concentrating the sentiment of republican and independent voters upon some public man whose name would prove a bond of unity they will be doing the country some service; and if they cannot do this, the next best thing for them 1s to choose some other work than that of naming the republican candidate — Newburg (N. ¥.) Journal (rep.) 1t happens that the President professes to be a Meth- odist, but that does not change the offensive character of the action taken, It was just as improper in Bishop Haven as it would have been in a bishop and the clergy of the Episcopalian, the Catholic or any other denomi- nation, The proceeding has olicited very general com™ ment by the leading papers of the country, and very justly excited earnest condemnation,—Portland Argus (dem.) | With the federal offico-holders pulling away for Grant among the worldly, and with Cardinal Gil Haven labor- jog for him with the righteous, the third term business ought to be worked up without much trouble.—Har- risburg Patriot (dem.) Ambitious men are the bane of politics and religion. Bishop Haven has plunged headlong into the bot bath prepared by the President for stupid radicals, He will have to be fished out by bis cooler brethren and disci- plined into propriety.— Harrisburg Patriot (dem.) Grant bas probably shrewdly calculated the kind of material he has to work upon, and if the preachers of the country are all of such stuff as Bishop Haven seems to be made of we trast that his reckoning will not be in vain so faras forcing a nomination is concerned.— Scranton (Pa) Times (dem.) Grant wants no sects or denominations in his schools, and, fatally for his view of the question, he wants no religion, In his hostility against the Douay version of the Bible he blunders into @ total repudiation of the Bible itself from the public schools, We would like to hear from New England on this subject.—Mobile Regis- ter (dem.) Bishop Haven’s diocese comprises the Southern States, and he no doubt came to the meeting hot from recent discussion there, He probably knew what he was talking about, but we cannot believe that the situ- ation there can be quite as serious as he represents it to be without a reflection of it appearing in the press, both South and North, The Bishop’s action was im- petuous and ill-advised, to say the best for it,—Potts- ville (Pa.) Journal (rep.) That the action of Bishop Haven and his brethren the other day reflects the sentiments of the hundreds of thousands who constitute the Methodist denomina- tion in the United States we do not believe, nor do wo believe that any large proportion of the clergy or laity of that Church will approve of that action. On the contrary it will be regarded as altogether ill-advised and imprudent by the great majority of Methodists — Scranton (Pa.) Republican (rep.) CROOKED WHISKEY RING NOTES. No one wishes harm to General Babcock or any other unjustly accused person; but with such revelations as were made before the Court at St. Louis no one can help having suspicions, and attempts to divert suspicion, instead of clearing it away, are not calculated to sat- isfy intelligent people of his entire imnocence.—Louis- ville Courier-Journal (dem.) “Sylph” is a good name.—Indianapolis News, (ind.) Why didn’t Babcock call himself Zephyr? He should not have borrowed “Sylph”’ from Joyce.—Jndianapolis News (ind.) ‘The question of General Babcock’s guilt or innocence is of great importance to the republican party of the whole country by reason of the confidential position he occupies in the White House at Washington,—Scranton (Pa.) Republican, (rep.) If the evidence was considered good enough to send Joyce to the Penitentiary and MoVonald and Avery on their way to the same place it cannot be set aside as worthless when applied to anybody else, and more especially when such documentary evidence as the Babcock despatches is in existence and admitted to be genuine.—Scranton (Pa,) Republican (rep. It is reported that President Grant expressed the hope that Babcock would be indicted by the Grand Jury now in session at St. Louis, in order to afford the opportunity of effectually acquitting nim if innocent or of receiving his just deserts if guilty. The evidence against General Babcock is of such a character as to leave little doubt that he will be indicted. —Scranton (Pa.) Republican (rep.) General Babcock stands in a very bad position.— Scranton (Pa.) Republican (rep.) For his own sake, as weil as that of President Grant and the honor of his country, we trust Babcock may come out of this thoroughly vindicated.—Scranton (Pa.) Republican (rep.) General Babcock protests his innocence of dishonor- able connection with the whiekey ring; but it will not be quite as easy to accept his word for it as it was to accept Bristow’s denial of connection with a Kentucky whiskey house, The: adiference in the men, you 800.— Worcester Press (dem) ‘Tho further they proceed in the Investigation of the whiskey frauds the nearer they approach to the White House. The vein of corruption which they are now working promises to lead right up the back stairs of the Presidential mansion and right into the corner where ‘the President and his secretaries and confidential ad- visers hold their deliberations.— Worcester Press (dem.) If he (Babcock) is innocent he will have cause to be vary grateful to the Court for Providing him with the vindication he so much needs; but it now looks as though the Court would never have occasion to listen to ‘the expression of Babeock’s gratitade for such vindica- tion,— Worcester Press (dem.) it is assuming too much to say that no satisfactory explanation is possible, but it must be frank and full, reasonable in itself and extremely well fortified by evr dence if it is to be generally believed.— Worcester Spy (rep.) It would be sad, indeed, if one 80 near to the Presi- dent should be proved a partner of thieves; but it ‘would be far worse to stifle inquiry and let one reasona- bly suspected of such villany retain his conspicuous place,— Worcester Spy (rep) “Let no guilty man escapo”’ 1s the President's Injunc- tion, The people approve it and will not valerate any other policy. — Worcester Spy (rep.) The name of General Babcock, Prosident Grant's ;¥i- vate secretary, and @ native of Franklin county, has been unpleasantly mixed ap with the St. Lours crooked whiskey frauds, — Windsor (Vt), Watchman (rep.) Joyce's naked assertion; are to be taken as the state- ments of a convicted and confessed har and thief, Nev- ertheless, it is duo to. the President and to the country that the impression‘so imdustriously created of General Baboock's complicity in these enormous frauds should be effectually dispelled. — Windsor (Vi) Watehman (rep.) What has the army to do with Babcock’s actions in a civil capacity? A court martial would be in order after the civil authorities have dealt with hit, provided his guilt be established. No extraordinary course will avail, for, \f we mistake not, Congress will interfere with an iavestivation of its own,—vou Whia (rep) 3 THE SECRETS OP TAMMANY, Its Private and Public Cons stitutions and Bylaws. GRIPS, SIGNS AND PASSWORDS. Autecratic Power of the Grand Sachem. TRIALS FOR CAPITAL CRIMES. The operations of the Tammany Society are cot ducted under two distinct systems—one public and the other secret, the latter, of course, being by far themost important. There area constitution and bylaws for thy government of each part, but it is expressly provided that what is done privately, and known only to tht initiated, shall in all cases guide and control the worl ef the corporation as an entirety. Like the Freema sons or Odd Fellows, it has its ceremonies Leer admission; its grips, signs and passwords, The pubiii constitution of Tammany announces its objects to bt the promotion of patriotism and the political rights of boman nature, but the only declared purpose in thé Private constitution is to devote its funds to charitablé uses. In the latter, however, there are provisiont bestowing extensive pow on the officers of the so celety, and for the trial and punishment of offending members, though the character of delinquenciés is not specified, Asa chartered body it has legally only on¢ function to disclarge—that ot relieving indigent mem bers and their families, and it is only by the fulfimem of this contract that it can exist as such and ho real estate, As stated, the Tammany Socicty or Colum bian Order is a secret political body, fully as much af the Know Nothings, and until an entire change is madi in its rules and regulations it remains and must be con sidered a secret political society. GOVERNMENT AND OBJECTS OF TAMMANY. After some search the Heratp has found the constt tution and bylaws of both branches of the corporation which are given in full below. These documents an rare, and it may be remarked that Sachems, great ani small—Sagamores, Mackawalaws and Alanks—reservi them as treasures not tobe examined by the outsid: world, Howover, they have been discovered, and ar now made public. There have been some few unim portant amendments made in the constitutions, bul their provisions continue substantially as they were at the time the society was chartered. The times for tht election of officers and for other purposes are given a follows:—First Monday in April, election of Sachem: Secretary and Treasurer; 12th of May, anniversary; fra Monday after, officers instituted; second Monday aften election of Grand Sachem; first Monday in June, G: Sachem installed, and Sagamore and Wiskinskie elected and installed; first Monday in July, trustees appointed to museum; July 4, Declaration of Independence readj first Monday in October, brother appointed to delivel long talk, The public constitution is here printed first; the private constitution follows:— THE PUBLIC CONSTITUTION. 1. This institution shall be known by the name @ Tammany Society, or Columbian Order, 2 It shall connect in the tndissoluble bonds of patrix otic friendship American brethren of known attache ment to the political rights of human nature and th¢ liberties of U two parts—the external or public, and the internal private. The latter shall ever subordinate to tl former, admitting no construction contradictory eith tothe ‘letter or spirit of the external, or calcula further to infringe the equal privileges of the Sons Tammany than is necessary to preserve peace, order and government. 4. Every member upon initiation shall come under at honorary obligation to mamtain the reputation. com stitution and harmony and to preserve inviolably tht arcana of this society, 6. This society shail be governed by fourteen Sachems, annually to be chosen by ballot, who shall, exclusivi of the Grand Sachem, form a Council, and be invested with certain judicial powers exclusively. 6. Tho president of this society shail be known ant by the name of Grand Sachem, and be in vested with certain executive powers exclusively. 7. There shall be a treasurer annually chosen who shall preside over its funds, as by law directed. 8 There shall, be a secretary annually chosen wh shall keep a journal of its proceedings and laws, as by law directed. . 9. No person shall be eligible to the office of Sachem unless a native of this country or acitizen in voluntary allegiance to the United States at the Declaration of Inv dependence or in the actual service of the United States during the late Revolution; nor to the offlce of Gran Sacbem above one year in three, nor to any two olficed at one time. 10. This society shall be divided into thirteen distina tribes, with one of the Sachems presiding over each, who may have separate meetings us by law directed. 11. The tribes in their separate capacity, nine being a quorum therein, shall have power to eléct their own officers, who shall not exceed three in number, and be entitled to receive the honorary title of Okemaw, Alank or Mackawalaw, at the discretion of the Grand Sachem, 12, The number of States in the American Union shall be the number constituting a quorum in all meets ings of this society. 13 When alterations or amendments of this const tation have been constitutionally recommended or dis« cussed by the society at three meetings they shall be finally submitted to the judgment of the tribes, the consent of nine tribes being necessary either for the adoption of the same or to render void any part of this constitution, THE PRIVATE BYLAWS, 1L TheGrand Sachem shall be invested with the power and right to command the peace of the society ; to determine the order of business by his written au. promulgated rules, to be unalterable, unless with the consent of two-thirds of the society; to silence dis- orderly debate; to appoint committees when the num- ber does not exceed three; to give the casting vote whenever a tie renders it necessary; to confer dig- nities and honors of thesociety; to call extraordinary meetings with the consent ofa majority of the Sachema met in council, And in order to promote uniformity and equal rights among the members of this institu tion, and in case of application of any society bearin, the bame of Tammany, he shall, with the consent the council, be authorized to grant thereto a dispensa tion, with all such communications as he may. deem expedient, except the Tammany password, character istic sign or grip, which shall never be communicates by letter or by other symbolical marks, nor to any society ungoverned by these constitutions, but whick at all times open to the possessors the doors of this and prery other such complete (original) aud well orgam ized Wigwam. 2 The Judiciary Council of the Sachems, nine being & quorum therein, shall ‘have the power and right to ap- point, in the case of the absence of the Grand Sachem, & president to the soctety from their own body, who, for the time being, shall be invested with all whe req wisite executive powers; likewise to determine 1 all cases of real doubt the sense of the constitution ant laws; to convene themselves and appoint their own Father or President; to try all impeachments for capi. tal erimes; to decide in the last resort in all crimigat cases according to law; to have the sole appointment of the Grand Sachem by ballot; to recommend amendments and alterations in the constitution; to direct the appli- cation of the funds of the society to charitable or other uses, provided in no instance the sum exceeds 1,000 cents; to grant commissions for the extension of this chain of freedom to one or more ns, if designed for any other State or foreign country, and to ‘hres persons iffor any other cow 4 within this State. & That the right of imp ment shall reside solely in a majority of the society, constitutionally convened at a stated meeting, where not less than twenty per- sons are present, which impeachment shall be ap- proved of by a succeeding meeting to become valid. ‘4 Penaltics shall be either censure, fine, or, for eap!- tal crimes, expulsion; no fine to exceed 100 conta No person shall be tried or condemned without an oppor- tunity given for defence, either in person or by coun+ sel, The law shall determine what are crimes, but no ee eae Jaws shall be enacted. . There shall be forms of inauguration prescribed by law, suited to the various officers of this society and to be observed at the annual instalment of officers. 6 There shall be badges of distinction prescribed by law; the badge of Sachem shall be astar worn on the broast, suspended by a ribbon. 7. Not more than one candidate shall ever be pro« posed for initiation by any one member at any one meeting of the Sones 8 Each candidate shall be proposed, balloted for and Initiated at three different meetings of the society. % In balloting for a candidate the disapproving lots shall reject if tound in or above the proportionate num- ber of two to every sixteen. 10, The form of initiation shall be suited to the de. sign of thi jon and to secure the spirit of the fourth article of the public constitution, The initiation fee shall never exceed 800 cents nor be less than 200 cents; 61 ber shall pay a quarterage of 24 eents and subscribe the constitution at the time of initiation or as soon after as may be, 11, The tribes shail severally boar the name, and im procession the arms, of the several States in the American Union. And they shall bave power to im- peach or try their own members, except for capital crimes; but the dofendant shall have an appeal to the Council when conceiving himself injured. 12, No member shall be pormitted to speak more than once to any question withait perminsion of the Grand Sachem, unless in committee. 13, Monthly meetings shall be appointed bd law, at the stated méetings of this society, one of which shail be appropriated to tho election of officers, and the 12th day of May shall be observed AS AN anniversary, on which a long talk shall be delivered before the brothers bv ane appointed for that uurpose,