The New York Herald Newspaper, February 16, 1876, Page 5

THE TICKNOR MEMOIRS. Remarkable Collection of Observations on Persons and Events. PICTURES OF HIGH LIFE. Byron, Scott, Bulwer, Macaulay, Wellington and Talleyrand Portrayed. CELEBRITIES OF A FORMER GENERATION. Lire, Letrers anp JocRNaLS OF GrorGE TICKNOR. 2 vols, 8vo, Boston; James R. Osgood & Co, The attraction of these captivating volumes is of the tame kind as that which enchained attention to the “Diary of Crabbe Robinson,” the “Greville Memoirs’ and the “Memoirs of Baron Stockmar,” but the inter- eet is more varied, and the writer was infinitely supe- nor to them all in literary and social accomplishments. No other American ever bad so wide a range of acquaint- ance with the statesmen and men of letters of his own and foreign countries, and as the contents of these volumes consist chiefly of selections “irom bis journals and letters they present a greater amount of piquant information relating to the celebrities of the first balf of this century than any similar record ‘of personal observation. If it be asked how an Ameri- can scholar came to enjoy such unrivalled opportunities the answer is that he won them by the brilliancy of his social talents, which made him a welcome and much sought guest in the highest circles of London, of Edin- burgh, of Paris, of Berlin, of Vieana, of Rome, of Madrid and every place which he visited. Abandoning the profession of the law in hia twenty-fourth yoar and resolving to devote himself to literature, Mr. Ticknor went to Europe to pursue his studies and received an amount of social atten: tion «greater than was ever bestowed on so young a man without the adventitious eid of distinguished birth or princely rank. Before visiting Europe for the first time he spenta few days with Jefferson, at Monticello, who was so much charmed with him that he volunteered to give him letters of in- troduction to all his friends. Jefferson kept up a cor- respondence with him during his absence and offered him a professorship in the new University of Virginia, whichhe was founding. Some twenty years later, during 2 second long residence in Europe, Miss Edge- worth, with whom he had spent several days, stated her estimate of Mr. Ticknor’s brilliant powers of con- versatiun in a letter to a frend, from which we extract this passage :—“I have been acquainted, and I may say intimately, with some of the most distin- guished literary persons in Great Britain, France and Switzerland, and have seen and heard all those distin- guished for conversational talents—Talleyrand, Dumont, Mackintosh. Romilly, Dugald Stewart, Erskine, Sir Walter Scott, Sydney Smith and Mr. Sharpe, the fash- ionable dinner‘lions of London. I have passed days in the country houses and in the domestic intimacy of some of them, and, after all, 1 can, with strict truth, assure you that Mr. Ticknor’s conversation appeared to me fully on an equality with the most admired in happy, apposite readiness of recollection and applica- tion of knowledge, in stores of anecdote and in ease in producing them, and in depth of reflection not inferior to those whom wo have been accustomed to consider our deepest thinkers.”” Among the distinguished persons with whom Mr. Ticknor was on a footing of imtimacy were Lofd Byron when living in apparent happiness with his wile, Scott before he had become Sir Walter, Mme. De Stael, Macaulay, De Tocqueville, Jeffrey, Hallam, Lord Holland and a host of others of world wide fame, both in Great Britain and on the Continent; and he met | more or casually almost every person who was admitted to the highest circles of European society. Instead of aformal review of a work whose contentsare 80 various and so rich in description and anecdote, ‘we will extract specimens, by which readers can judgo for themselves of the intellectual repast in store for them when they come to peruse the volumes, Their preparation was first undertaken by Mr. George S. Hillard, whose literary taste and accomplishments are 80 well known, but he was competled by illness to re- linquish the task at the end of the tenth chapter, and it was completed, as Mr. Hillard telts us in the preface, by Mrs. Ticknor and her eldest daughter. But this is of little consequence ina work of which the greater portion is from the pen of Mr. Ticknor Dimselt, bis journals and letters, being connected by only a slight thread of narrative and made intelligible by occasional explanatory foot notes. LORD JEPPREY IN PURSUIT OF HIS AMERICAN WIPE. Jeffrey, not yet a lord, but famous as the editor of the Edinburgh Review, had been smitten, during our second war with Great Britain, with Miss Wilkes, of New York, whom ho bad met in Edinburgh, and he came to America in a cartel ship to seek and win her as his wife. He spent some time in Boston, where he received much social attention, and Mr. Ticknor, who met him often, described him in a fetter to a friend with discrimination remarkable in a young man of twenty-three. We make the following extracts:— You are to Imagine, then, before you, a ebort, stout, litue gentieman, about five and a half feet high, with a very red face, black hair and black eyea’ You are to suppose him to possess a very gay and animated countenance, and you are to see in him all the restiess- ness ofa will-o’-wisp, and all that fitful irregularity in his movements which you have heretofore Lys eee to the pastebonrd Merry Andrews whose limbs are jerked about with awire. These you are to interpret ‘as the natural indications of the impetuous and !mpa- tient character which a further acquaintance develo He enters a room with a countenance so satistied, and a step so light and almost fantastic, that all your revious jmpressions of the dignity and severity of the ‘ A Review aro immediately put to flignt, and, passing at once to the opposite extreme, you might perhaps imagine him to be frivolous, vain and super- cilious. fod marae! you, hon with a freedom and fa miliarity wl may perhaps put you at your ease and render conversation anceremonious, but which, as lobserved in several instances, were not hat f tol able to those who had always been accustomed to delicacy and decorum of refined society. Mr. Jeffrey therefore, | remarked, often suffered from the prepos- sessions of those he met before any conversa- tion commen: and almost before the tones of his voice were heard. It is not possible, however, to be long in his presence without understanding something of bis real charactor, for the same jpiness and aa surance which mark his entrance into a room carry him at once into conversation. The moment a topic is suggested, no matter what or by whom, he comes forth, and the first thing you observe is his singular fluency. He bursts upon you with a torrent of remarks, and you are for some time so mach amused with his ear- nestness and volubility that you forget to ask yourself whether they bave either appropriateness or meaning. When, however, you come to consider bis remarks closely you are sur to find that, notwithstanding his prodigious rapidity, the current of bis language nover flows faster than the current of his thoughts. You are surprised to discover that he is never, like other impetuous speakers, driven to amplification and repetition in order to gain time to collect and arrange bis tdeas; you are surprised to find that, while his con- versation is poured forth in such a fervor and wmult of eloquence that you can scarcely follow or dompre- hend it, it ig still as compact and logical as if he were contending for a victory in the or for a decision from the bench, * * * * * * But, notwithstanding everybody saw and acknowledged these traits in Mr. Jeffrey's charactér, ho w ry lar from winning the good opinion of all. There were still not a few who complained that he was supercilious and that he thought bimself of a different and higher order from those he met; that he haa been used to dictate until he was wowilling to listen, and that he bad been fed upon admiration until t had be- come common iood, and be received it as a matter of course, Mr. Ticknor made two visite to Jefferson at Monti- cello, one in 1815 and the other in .824, in company with Daniel Webster and bis travelling party. The description of the Gret visit is interesting, but we can give only brief extracts :— JHFFERSON aT NOME. We had hardly titne to glance at the pictures before Mr. Jefferson entered, and if I was astonished to fud Mr, Madison short amd somewhat awkward, | was doably astonished to find Mr, Jefersop, whom I bad | supposed to be a small man, more than six feet with dignity in bis appearance and ease and gra- so bis manners, * * * He rang, and sent to Charlotiesvilie for our baggage, and, as dinver ap- proached, took us tothe drawing room—a large and rather elegant roorw, twenty or thirty feet high—which, with the hail bave described, composed the whole centre of the bouse, from top to bottom tiis Poom ts tes dt ie formed diamonds of cherry and beach cpt polished as Inguly as if it were of One mab Here are the best pictures of the collection, Over the fireplace is the “Laughing and Weeping Philoso- puers,” aividing the world between them ; on its right the earliest navigators to America—Colambus, Ameri- is Vespuccius, Magellan, &c.—copied, Mr. Jefferson from originals in the Florence gallery. \d, Mr. Madison, i the plain, Quaker-like dress of bis yours Lafaveute in his Revolutionary uniform, Raphael’s “Transfiguration. asked me into his noon of that day as 3 - lection of books, pow so much talked aboat, consists of about 7,000 volum rooms, and is arranged in the shelves according to the divisions an human learning by Lord Bacon. In so short 1 could not, of course, estimate its value, even | been competent to do so. | alfected, and, The floor of | of alternate | Farther | NEW YORK HERALD, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1876.—TRIPLE SHEET. im the dress in which wo always see other pictures and a copy of were SKYFERBON’S LIBRARY. On Sunday morning, after breakiast, Mr. Jefferson library, and there | spent the fore- Lhbad that of yesterday. This col contained in a suit of fine nd on the ubdivisions of Perhaps the most curious single specimen—or, at least, the most characteristic of the man and expres- sive of his basred of royalty—was a collection which he bad bound up ip six volumes and lettered “The Book of Kings,’’ consisting of the “Mémoires de la Princesse de Bareith,” two volumes; ‘‘Les Mimotres de la Com- tesse de la Motte,” two volumes; the “Trial of the Duke of York,” one volume; and “The Book," one volume. These documents of regal scandal seemed to be favorites with the philosopher, who pointed them out to me with a satisfaction somewhat inconsistent with the measured gravity he claims in relation o such subjects generally. JSFFERSON'S PHILOSOPHICAL COMPOSURE—HIS SINGULAR DRESS. ‘Two little incidents which occurred while we wero at Monticello should not be passed De, The bight before we left young Randolph came up late from Charlottes- ville, and brought the astounding news that the Eng- lish been defeated before New Orleans by General Jackson, Mr. Jefferson bad made up bis mind that the city would fall, and told me that the English would hold it permanently+or for some time—by a force of Sepoys from the East Indies. He had gone to bed, like the rest of us; but of course grandson went to his chamber with the paper containing the rews. But the old philosopher refused to open his door, saying he coukl wait till the morning; and when we met at breaktast I found he bad not yet seen it, ‘One morning, when he came back from bis ride, he told Mr. Randolph, very quietly, that the dam had been carried away the night before. From bis maoner 1 supposed it an affair of small consequence, but at Charlottesville, on on 4 way to Richmond, I found the country ringing with it Mr. Jefferson's great dal Was gone, and it would cost $30,000 to rebuild it There iba breathing of notional philosophy in Mr. Jetferson—in his dress, his house, his conversation. His sotness, for instance, in ring very sharp toed shoes, corduroy small clothes and red plush waistcoat, which have been laughed at till he might perhaps wisely have dismissed them. We must confine our excerpts to people generally known, and skipping a great doal that is interesting | we come to Byron, of whose domestic life we get some glimpses at its happiest period. Mr. Ticknor first met him in 1815, ~ LADY BYRON AS SEEN BY AN AMERICAN, 4 While 1 was there Lady Byron came in. She is pretty, not beautiful, for the prevalent expression of her countenaitce is that of ingenuopsness ‘Report speaks goldenly of her.'? She is a baroness in her own right, has a large fortune, is rich in intellectual endow. | ments, 1s a mathematician. possesses common accom- phshments in an uncommon degree and adds W all this & sweet temper, She was dressed to go and drive and, after stopping ‘a few moments, went ‘o ber carrtage. Lord Byron’s manner to her was affectionate; he fol- lowed her to the door and sho: k bands with hor, as if j he were not to see her for a month, A few days later Mr, Ticknor met her again. After leaving Mr. West I went by appointment to see Lord Byron, He was busy when I frst went in, and I founa Lady Byron alone. to me v8 she did the other dav, but what she may have Jost in regular beauty sbe made dp in variety and ex- pression of countenance during the conversation, She 38 diffident (she is very young, not more, I think, than nineteen), but is obviously possessed of talent, and did not talk at all for display. For the quarter of an hour during which I was with her she talked upon a consid- erable variety of subjects—Amertca, of which she seemed to know considerable; of France and Greece, with something of her husband’s visit there—and spoke of all with ajustness and a light good bumor that would have struck me even in one of whom I bad beard | nothing. MRS. SIDDONS AND LADY BYRON, I passed the greater part of this morning with Lord Byron. When | first went in I again met Lady Byron and bad avery pleasant conversation with her until her carriage came, when her husband bade her the same affectionate farewell that struck me the other day, Soon aiter I went in Mrs. Siddons was announced as in an adjoining parlor. should not hike to see her, carried me in and introduced me to her. She is now, T suppose, sixty years old, and has one of the finest and most spirited counienances and one of the most dig- nified and commanding persons lever beheld. Her portraits are very faithiul as to her general air and outline, but no art can express or imitate the dignily of her manner or the intelligent iMlumimation of her face. Her conversation corresponded well with her person. It ig rather stately, but not, I think, though accompanied’ by con: siderable gesture, not really overacted. She gave a lively description of the horrible ugliness and deform- ity of David the painter; told us some of her adven- tures in France a year ago; and, in speaking of Bona- parte, repeated somne powerful lines from the “Venice Preserved,” which gave me seme intimations of her powers of acting. She formed a singular figure by Lady Byron, who sat: by ber side, all grace and deli- cacy, and this showed Mrs, Siddons’ masculine powers | in the stronger light of comparison and contrast. Her daughter, who was with her, is the handsomest lady 1 have seen in England. She ts about twenty. After sho was gone the conversation naturally turned on the stage. Lord Byron asked me what actors I had heard, and, when I told him, imitated to me the manner of Mundea, Brabam, Cooke and Kemole, with exactness, as far asI bad beardthem. Kemble has been ill ever since I arrived, and is now in Scotland, and of course I could not judge of the imitation of him. LADY BYRON AT DRURY LANE. ‘This evening I went to Drury Lane to see Kean inthe rt of Leon. Lord Byron, who is interested in this Beare and one of its mapaging committee, had offered me 4 seat in his private box * * There was no- body thore this evening but Lord and Lady Byron and her father and mother. lt was indeed only a very pleasant party, whe thought much more of conversa- tion than of the performance, though Kean certainly layed the part well, mach’ better than Cooper docs. my he next box to us sat M G. Lewis, a very decent Jooking man compared with the form my imagination had given to the author of the ‘‘Monk”’ aud the "Castle Spectre.’? There isso much relating to Scott asto put usin despair, and the little we quote shall relate to otber persons :— WALTER SCOTT'S DAUGHTERS. Sophia shares and enjoys these local feelings and attachments, and can teil as many border stories as ber father, and Tepeas, perhaps, as many ballads, and cer- tainly more Jacobi songs. She is, indeed, in some respects, an extraordinary person. There 18 nothin, romants about her, for she is as perfectly right-minde as [ over saw one 80 young; and, indeed, per! She bas no uncommon talent, and yet lam sure he must have little taste or feeling who could find her conversation dall; she is not beaatiful, though afier seeing her several times in company with those hand- somer than herself, | found my eye at last rested with most pleasure on openness of her countenance. * ‘ou phe is generally thought prettier; but nobody, I think, places her in competition with her sister. CAMPBELLS ‘‘HOHKNLINDES.”’ Among other anecdotes, Mr. Scott told me that ne once travelled with Tom Campbell in a stage conch aione, and that, to beguile tne time, w tall Anne 18 poetry and began to Campbell for something of bis own, and he said was ove thing he written but never printed, that was tall of ‘drums and trumpets and blanderbusses and thander,” and be didn’t know if there was any. thing good in 1. Amd then he repeated ‘Hobenlin- bstened with the greaiest interest, and when he had finished broke out, “iat, do you know, that’s devilish fine; why, it? wrote, and it must be printed |’? We must pass interesting sketuhes of Brougham, Mackintosh, Wellington, Wordsworth, Hazlitt, Joanna Bailhe, Macaulay aad a multitude of British celebrities, inserting ouly @ few brief-random extracts: — A PORTRAIT OF BULWER. * * * However, we got along very well together, and about eleven o'clock I took him to where there was a grand assembly, lords and bisho; in plenty. * * © The only porson to whom I was introduced that I was curious about was Bulwer, the novelist—a white hai white whiskered, white eed all point di with bis flowing curls and his silk Iiped coat, his conversation to match the whole. * . * * * . CARLYLE 48 A LECTURER. * * * After all, however, I found time to make a visit to Carlyle and to hear one of bis Jectures. He is rather a sii spare, ugly Scotchman, with a strong accent, which should think he takes no pains to mit- igate. Bm manners are piain and simpic, but not pol- ished, and his conversation much of the same sort. He is now lecturing for subsistence to about 100 persons, who pay him, 1 believe, two guineas each. * * To day he spoke—as I think he commonly does—with- out notes, aud therefore as nearly extempore as a nan can who pre himself carefuily, as 1t was plain he had done. @ course is on “Modern Literature,” and bis subject to-day was that of the eighteenth century, in which he contrasted Johnson and Voltaire very well and gave a good character of Swift, He was im- pressive, | think, though such lecturing could not well be very popular, and in some parw if he were not po- | etical he was picturesqua He was nowhere obscure, bor were bis sentences artificially constructed, thou wome of them no doubt savored of his peculiar manuer. A LADY'S LEBBON TO “THE IRON DUKK.”” Mr. Ticknor used to describe the following incident a8 cocurring at the same pees Alter dining one day at Lord Downsbire's he ac- jadies to Almack’s. On this evening Lady Jersey was the patronesa, She was tben at the ae of beauty and brilliaut talent, a leader in society and with decided political opinions, Before gomng to the ball Lady Downsbire callea Lady Morningion’s, and Mr. Ticknor wont in with her oud her daughters,’ While they were there the Duke of Wellington came; and, being asked if he was going alee 8, said “be thought he shoula jook in by and by.” A rule had lately been announced by the patronesses that no one would be received jater than eleven o'clock. When the Dowusbires thought it time to go, the Duke said he would join them there later, on which his mother said to him, “Ah, Arthur, you had betier go in season, for you know Lady Jersey will make no ailow- ance for you." He remained, however, Ashort time after the Downabire party had entered the ballroom and had been received by Lady Jersey, Mr. Ticknor was etill standing with ber and beard ove of the atiendants say to ber, “Lady Jersey, the Duke of Wellington ts at the door and desires to be admit- ted.” “What o'clock im it? she asked. ‘“Reven | @great sensation, and that she had the men of letters She did not seem so pretty | | with bim a little while she said, | him with the greatest attention, inte Lord Byron asked me if I | i, on iny Saying I sbould, | right | mindedness is the prevailing feature in ber character. | 1 | took the hungry old Princess and led the way to din- ¢ playful simplicity and natural | nger, no Jess nataral, and, perhaps, has more talent, | | of wines and among the rest Tokay, but nothing could Tepeat some. At lust Scott asked | ‘8 the finest thing you ever | | moment, and then said, with om; bess, “Give my com) ve Lady Jersey's com- pliments to the D uke of Wellington, af Apes 1s very glad that the first enforcement of the rule of ex- clusion ts such that hereafter no one can complain 0! ‘ts application. He cannot be acmitted.’’ Mr. Ticknor’s soctal opportunities were as great on the Continent as they were in England, and among the persons of whom much is to be learned in these volumes are Goethe, Humboldt, Bunsen, Tieck, Talley- rand, Mme. De Staet, Guizot, Thiers, Villemain, Thierry, Chateaubriand, Lamartine, Metternich, ‘Thorwaldsen, De Tocqueville, Lesseps and scores of scarcely lesser note. Amid this great embarrassment of riches we must content ourselves with one or two extracts. minutes after eleven, Your Ladysbi aoa pemenl, a i TALLEYRAND IN PARIS SOCIETY One evening as | entered I saw a single elderly gentle- man standing with his back tothe fire, aressed in a long gray surtout coat, buttoned quite up to his throat, and marked only with the red ribbon of the Legion of Honor, which ornamented the buttonboles of so many of the persons met in good society that it con- stituted no distinction worth notice. He had on @ heavy, high, white cravat, concealing a good deal of the lower part of his face, and his hair seemed brought down with powder and pomatum so as to hide his tore- head and temples’ In short, hardly anything of his features could be seen that it was easy to cover, and what I saw attracted at first little of my attention, He stood there kicking the fire-fencer. I observed, how- ever, that he was in earnest couversation with Mme. de Duras; that she called him ‘Mon Prince,”’ and that the tones of potk of them, and especially those of the lady, were a little too eager to be eptirely pleasant, though quite well bred. I therefore took up a pamphlet and seemed to read; ‘ut I listened, as they were talking on a sutject of po- Nitical and legal notoriety, with which society and the Journals were then ringing. It was whether, under a hrase in the “‘Charte,” or Constitution, “La religion inaine Catholique est la religion de I'Etat,” Protes- tants were required on days of publte religious cere- mony, like the procession of the Corpus Christi, to hang ‘out tapestry before their houses, scgivnoseee outward signs of respectful observance. more earnest Catholics maintained that they were so re- quired; the Protestants denied it, and had Jans pee: vailed,'on the highest appeal in’ the courts of law. Mme, de Duras was displeased with this decision, and Was maintaining her point with nota little brilliancy, the gentleman in gray answering her with wit, but not as if he wanted discuss the matter, But at last it seemed to me that he became a little piqued with some of ber sharp saliies, and said, rather suddenly and in a dillerent tone, “But do you kuow, Mme. de Duras, who advised”—I think be sau ‘‘Beugnot”—"to put those words into the Charte?”” “No, Ido not,” she replied, ‘but they are excellent words, whoever it was.”” “Eb bien,” he re- torted, instantly, “e’était moi.’” “I am glad,’ she re- plied, with equal promptness, and laughing, not aito- ther agreeably, “that you advised such good words, 4.1 thank you for them.” ‘But do you know why f avised them?’ “No,” she said, “but lam sure you n have bad only a good reason for so good a thing.” “Well,” he continued, ggested those words be- cause they did not mean anything at all—parocequ’iis | ne sign falent ren du tout.” HOW MADAME DE STAKL NONPLUSSED A GERMAN PHILOSO- PuEr, Ho said that when Mme, de Stasi was here she excited | 1 the time, as it were, trotted up and down before her, successively, tosee their paces. ‘I was present,” he went on, “when Fichté’s tarn came. After talking ‘Now, M. Fichté, could you be so kind as to give me, in fifteen minutes or so, a sort of idea or apercu of your system, so that I may know clearly what you mean by your ich, your for I am entirely in the dark about it?” “The notion of explaining in a petit quart d’heure, to ‘@ person in total darkness, asystem which he had been his whole life developing from a single principle within himself, and spinning, as it were, out of his own bowels, till its web embraced the whole universe, was quite shocking to the philosopher's dignity, However, being mucb pressed, Ne began, ih rather bad French, to do the best he could, But he had not gone on more than ten minutes before Mine. de Staél, who had followed pted him witha countenance iuil of eagerness and satisiuction :—"\AAs c'est assez, je comprends, je vous comprends parfaite- ment, M. Fichté. Your system 1s perfectly illustrated by story in Baron Manchausen’s travels." Fichté’s face looked like a tragedy; the faces of the rest of the cow- pany a good deal hike a comedic larmoyante, Mme. de Stadl heeded neither, but went on;—‘'For when the Baron arrived once on the bank of a yast river, where there was neither bridge nor ferry nor even a poor Loat or raft, he was at first quite confounded, quite in desptir, until atlas’, his wits coming to his assistance, he took a good boid of his own siceve and jumped bim- self over to the other side, Now, M, Fichté, this, 1 take it, is just what you have done with your ich, your mot; n> est-ce-pas ?’” There was so much of truth in this and so much esprit that, of course, the elfect was irresistible on. all bat poor Fichté himself. As for him, he never torgot or forguve Mmo. de Stal, who certainly, however, bad no malicious purpose of offending him, and who, in fact, praised him and his tc& most abundantly in ‘her “De P Allemagne.” During the second of Mr. Ticknor’s three residences in Karope, he was the recipient of social attentions from Prince Metternich, and he records, almost ver- Datim, a long conversation with that astute statesman | ‘on the politics of Europe. There is nothing In these | volumes better worth quoting, but it would take too much space. We will merely give a description of the dinner which followed, DINING WITH PRINCE METTERNICH. At last he arose, and, showing me to the door by which I nad entered, said, “If you will go to my wife in the saloon I will join you’ in a moment.” passed through the rich and beautiful library, containing, I un- derstand 20,000 or 20,000 volumes, but of which, by the by, not asyltable had been said in the conversation, though I had been invited ex, to come and visit it too, hobs ‘the first vast antechamber, which was empty, and through the second, whero the dinner table was waiting. After this began a suite of very richly furnished rooms, through which I advanced until their number had become so considerable that I began to think I had made some mistake; but @ servant, seeing me hesitate, came to me and showed me through two or three more, until 1 came to the saloon where the Princess was sit- ing, with three old ladies and two gentlemen. one of whom I had seen before. It was a splendid room, most magnificently {urnished, and so large that five ormoulu chandeliers of great size and beauty were suspended from its ceiling. 1 have seen few saloons in palaces 8o rich, and still fewer in such good taste, As soon ag I entered it, ‘*Well,’’ said the Princess, “T hope you have had an agreeable conference with my husband, for it has been a long one.”? ‘So jong,” said | one of the old ladies—who was also a Princess, but I kpow not from where—‘‘so long that it has made me very hungry.” They all laaghed heartily and we had some lively talk for a few moments, till the Premier came tn, and, apolog! slightly for bis tardiness, ner. ‘The Princess Metternich took my arm, and after a journey through the suite of apartments where I had nearly lost myself just before, we reached the dinner table, which was round and bad eight covers and the same number of attendants, only one or two of whom were in livery, The dinner was as delicious, I suppose as the science of cookery could make it, and extend through from ten to tourteen courses, with many kinds be easier or more degage than the ‘tone at table, At first the conversation was mere commonplace gossip. We bad good Johannisborg, of course, and the Princess made some jokes about her selling it to the Americans, to whieh the Prince added that he hed an agent In New York for the purpose, and that we could buy there as good wine as he fives to his friends in Vienna. In the midst of this a secretary came rn and delivered a despatch, that moment received, he said, by express from Paris. The news of the attempt to assassinate Louis Philippe as he was going to Neuuly bad been re- ce'ved by twlegraph a couple of days before, bat as nothing had come since everybody was curious to know the details. The Prince opened his packet at once, but found little pews in ft, as it was sent off im- medintely after the event. It contained, however, the Dame oO! the assassin, Alibaud, and the fact that he was ‘a native of Nismes and twenty-five years old, this being all M. d’Appony had been able to cater in the first moments of the arrest. But there was a newspaper in the parcel, which the Prince sent immediately round to the Princess and de- sired her to read from it what was marked tn pencil with red. 1t tarned out tobe Lord Melbourne's trial in the case of Mrs Norton. She read on fora moment or two, and thon, casting her eye forward, “But there are things bere, Giement, that are be read—Mais tl y a des choses ici, Clement, qui ne #¢ Kisent pas.” “Well,” said he, laughing, “read us the end at least—let us know what the decision was—you can read that.” She turned to it and read the acquit- ta. The Premier made no remark about 1, nor did anybody else, though I knew be was very anxious to have another At; but he turned to me and asked if in America on such matters resembled the | English laws and continued the conversation on this | | the dinner was over. ke of Lord Melbourne’s administration is great and notorious. Mr. Forbes told me that, | he communi- cated officially to Metternich the fact of ite formation, and that the Prince reeeived the notice with great in- dignation. If Lord Melbourne had been conyicted he mast have gone out, and perhaps the Ministry would have been entirely dissolved—on event which would have diminished, Iam sure, the Prince's disgust at the present state of Europe. But when the Princess an- nounced the acquittal, he received it as a thing per- fectly indifferent, Tn the saloon we found three or four gentlemen waiting, and among the rest Naumann, whom | met at Baron Lerchenfeld’s yesterday. Coffee was served * * * and general conversation followed. The Prince sat down in the window, and, taking up Lord Melbourne's trial, seemed to lose all consciousness of anything else. The Princess showed me the pictures tn the saloon and @ magnificent porcelain vase, with « portrait of the late Emperor of Austria, presenved re- cently to her husband by the Emperor of Russia She was very pleasant it it was Dow eight o'clock, the very as Lritieh Chargé d'Afaires at Vienn company Was separating, 1 had been there five hours, and it was time to go. The Prince was congistently courteous to the ast, followed and thon, minute 0 the door with kind compliments, tarning back, ceased, I dare say, in five to think or remember anything more avout cho says, than “about the shapes of the lust year’s c I take him to be the most con suminate statesman of his sort that our time has pro- duced. : ‘These fascinating volumes will be published on Sat- urday by Mesers. Osgood & Co., to whom we desire to express our obligations for the courtesy of advance | sheets THE CANAL COMMISSION, Abstract of the Testimony Hitherto Hidden. THE ALBANY BASIN MINE. Swollen Estimates on a Grand Scale. RESTITUTION FROM BUFFALO AND ROCHESTER, How the Oneida Lake Ca- nal Was Improved. Ninety-two Thousand Dollars on | Crooked Legislation. Senator Hammond’s Acts as Dep- uty Attorney General. The testimony of the Canal Investigating Commis- sion, just handed in, comprises three volumes aud 2,600 pages of printed-matter, of-the ordinary size of the legislative document It will undoubtedly prove to be a production of extreme interest to every man in the State connected in any way with the canals, Of these 2,600 pages but a small portion has ever been given to the public, the reports which were published at intervals during the summer alone containing any public promulgation of the testimony, and they only in small parts relating exclusively to the subject upon | which the report was based. There were a great num- ber of subjects of inquiry upon which the commission has not made any report at all, owing either to the | to elicit any- | ¥- | ful, put a stamp on ii and dropped it In the Jeter box in lack of time or to the failure thing of sufficient interest to justify an expres. sion, Theso aro all included im the testi- mony, and evidence upon them may be of | exceeding interest just vow, Some of them give promise, when a complete investigation may be haa, of frauds equally as stupendous as any upon which suits are now threatening. The dredging of Albany Basin appears tohave “panned ont” ratber more faithfully than the general run of the inqairies. It appears from the testimony, which 18 very full on this subject, that A contract was let to one William ©. Stephens in 1868 for the dredging of Albany Basin at seventy cents a yard of matorial excavated; that Thomas Gale acquired this contract trom Stephens almost immediately after the letting, and it was then sublet to the firm of BE. R. Seward & Co., of Albany, a firm to which James J. Belden, A. ©. Belden and Henry D. Denison all be- longed. The dredging under this firm continued up to the year 1871 and later, As this dredging was some- what unasual canal work, it was deemed necessary in the contract to specify that a special inspector should be appointed by the State to count the dredge loads of excavation and make return from actual count monthly of the number of yards of material for which Seward & Co. should be paid. The inspector so appointed was ove Alexander Robertson, ‘a small politician of Albany, who had been an Assem- Dlyman in 1866, was then a member of the Board of Trade of Albany and an omployé of the Northern Transportation Line, who performed the duties for $4 per day, with the assistance of one Hugh McCollum, since dead, upon whom most of the work was devolved, ata salary of $50 per month, It was shown by Robert- son’sown evidence that during the time of his in- spectorship he received certain sums of money from Seward & Co, and he accounted for them by claiming that they were paid as a bonus for surrendering bis right to a contract for the delivery of sand to the now Capitol, which Seward obtained after it had been prom- | ised to Robertson, In Robertson’s own words, the bonas, ten cents foreach yard of sand delivered, was given bim “so that he wouldn’t make trouble.” Hamil- ton Harris, the present Sei r and at that time ehairman of the new Capitol Commission, testified in | relation to this contract that Robertson never made a bid at all and was never promised the contract, but that as he bad rendered the pew Capitol people some service in having appropriations for it passed when he was a member of Assembly the Commissioners wanted todo him some service in return and tried to got him into some position, but without effect. KE. R. Seward in his testimony admitted paying Robertson a certain per- centage on the sand contract, but would not allow that {t was for the purpose of influeneing his action as in- spector. The testimony further shows that the returns ot yards of material excavated wore swollen greatly after McCotlum had made them to Robertson, the clean steals made in this way alone aggregating during some months as much as $10,000. The testimony of Robert- son after bard belaboring was brought down to this ad- mission :— RORERTSON'S TESTIMONY. Exhibit 2 of Albany Basin shown to witness.) . That is the handwriting of Mr. MeCollum? A. Yes, sir, I should think so. lease examin and explain what te, purports to be., A. it is @ statment in the handwriting of Hugh MeCollum i purporting to be the number of yards excavated from any Basin in 1870 and 1871 during the months of July, Angust, Seprember, October and November, 17 and ‘April, May, June, July, August, Bepte: be mber, 1871; Ttbtnk it in Mi m them in my hands every day iu the season probably. ‘Q—-Does fe also give the wuinber of yards purported to have been added to amount? A The paper says wo Yes, sir. Q Your sworn monthly estmates tor May, June, daly, An- gust, Beptember, October and November, 1470, and the same months in 1871, being shown you and exam! , will Ps 9 State whether the amounts which they give, as returned ‘YOU, Axe reported correctly in these stacemoutet A. You, cs ‘Does colama No. 4 there represent the several amounts for thes: months which were added to the gross sume acing upon MeCallum’s paper to have been re- ‘Sher he fad made tis widition? A. [have Yor, str, that is corront as rt stands there. is the ngerogate. number of yards ally tallied by MeCollum? A. ‘That comes to 148,143. 1 ig, much was the amount that appeared to be added? Q What is the amount which by gy by your estimates returned and paid by the State? A. 230,460. Q. What, then, appears to have been the amount to whieh | the aceouni most have been swotlen in the final estimate on the basis of McCollancs statement! A. 42,671, is what appears there. ABRAM SICKLES’ TRSTIMONY. Tho testimony of Abram Sickles, a foreman of tho dredges, and at one time a bookkeeper for Senard & Co., 8 a8 follows upon the same point :— Q What means have you of ascertaining the amount of excavation or quantity of material taken out to widen this contract for dredging in Albany Basin? A. I took mem- ent . The total exer in November, 1871, was 16,070 cubic. yards: the Geaneacter received pay for 31,790 . oF 15,123 yards than h did, and received #10070 10 teaudalentty ‘Obtained from the Btxto in that month. ‘hat means have you now of satisfying your own ju nt that the statement is correes ft ‘the memoranda I took at the time. soa ey Q. How do you know the record was falsified? A. I know decanse I saw the usaal retarns of the Inspector. I know it was falsibed before being put in the mouthly estimate, CONTRACTOR SEWARD'S ADMISSIONS, E. R. Seward. the contractor, was subpanaed, as in the Denison case, to produce his books and papers, but, acting upon the decision of Judge Larned in the Jntter case, evaded either producing bis papers or mak- ing straightiorward replies to the questions pat him 7. the Commissioner. ie was attended by George W. Militr, former Superintendent of Insurance, as coun- tol, and while acting under bis advice refused a direct reply to one of Magone’s questions. Thereupon tho following scene ensued i 18 tind all the answer you propose to givet A. Yes, Mr. Magone—Thon Jon ypar.sit there tf yon do anewer Mr. Miler (counsel tor Mr. Seward)—Do I understand that Mr. Seward is under arrest? Mir. Magone—No, air. Mr. Miller—Then, Mr. Leonard, we will go. Mr. Magone—Mr. Miller, if you lateriere bore we will put you uuder ai rent. Mr. Miller—I am here as counsel for this gentleman, underst: ? Mr. M and ws, sir! My. Mill . ir. Mi —Then be patient Mr. Millor—I think I bave been as patient and as gentle- maniy a8 anybody he are behave yourself. r myrelt Ir. talking. Mr. Millee—I phail not ‘stop talking. Mr. Magone~I shail direct you to be put out of the room then. Mr. Miller—I am requested by Mr. Seward to make a state- ment for him. Mr. Magone—We don't wish arms, who enters.) Mr. Milier—I want it anderstood that I Lh & right to be here as counsel fc man. (Mr, Miller was here directed to le svoram) Will yo come with me. Me, Goward? x. Magone (to witness) —' on git down and answer (Mr. Seward sod Me. Miller Loth left the room). ‘ Tho commission were not wholly dispirited by this rebuff, but continued to take the testimony of dredge- men and boat hands without number, accumulat) evidence upon the subject without, however, finding anything more damaging than that sworn to by Robert- son and Sickles. The subject will be further developed so 4 new report of the commission. ‘The commission bel session of several dave in the Sergeant. Buffalo during the summer, naving gone there wi Deputy Attorney General Fairobild to attend before the Grand Jury which was about smquiring into the indiet- ment of oe D. Lord for bribery upon the evidence presented before them by the commission, and while there they investigated the accounts of Superintendents Welsh and Kelly, of the Buffalo section of the Ere canal, They found that coal bad been delivered to both these men and to H. BE. Caryl, Welsh’s clerk, by Ellis Webster, a coal dealer in Buffalo, and charged as deliv ered tothe State. The following is the testimony of Jon Kelly in regard to the charge:— on ledger of Ellis Webster, pare December 10 aud 16—amouns , for coal, delty OF en me , ‘ou ever pay Ellis Webster any sum of money ex- copt $2 Yon account of that bill? A. swear I newer or dered that account im the world. @ Did you ever pay nim any other f account ! A. | cannot swear to ‘ha far een Did not you claim and receive from the St for'bi4s 20 oo sosount of tha uA? art case BLLIS WEBSTER'S KeSTITUTION. On the same day Ellis Webster, the dealer referred to, whose books had been overhauled by H. F. Taintor, the accountant, made the followng restitution and cou: | © fession ;— Q. Referring to witness’ books we find that the Sta ge the folio sums for other parties for coal delivered ‘oH. EB A, 4 te D.C. Weish, $59 1 5 93; to to ain, $64; and, 85 Gone GAA of GS? BBcwore, they toate the State for property which the State had not lad ? a #0, You are satisfied? A. Yes, sir. ‘These charges are all covered by vouchors? A. Yes, I believe so. Mr. Maj We require you to return this money, wrong- fully obtained, to the state. Will you do so? (Mr. Webster asked time for consideration and’ subsequently handed to the Commissioners check for } Kelly was removed by the Canal Board last mouth after ineffectual attempts to have him removed at the lume these exposures were made by the old Board, Welsh had deen out of office for some time. It will bo remembered that one of the three awards made to George D. Lord, exposed in a report of the commission, was made by the three Canal Commis- sioners, Jackson, Stroud and Barkley, and that soon after it was made Barkley, while stopping at the Dela- van House in Alba: received a Canal Comminsioner’s certificate for $2,000 trom Louis J, Bennett, the chief claimant in the award. The commission investi- gated Barkley and extracted the following testimony from bim:— ‘The Hand award shown witness. | ‘This award appears wo be in the handwriting of Thad- deus C. Davia. Did you emply hip’ to appear before you? ‘A. We went to Davi! office to talto testhnony, and sime- thing was suid about Mr. Davis taking it down, aud he did take it, Q. Who authorized him to draw the award? A. I don't bn ‘as commission, to 1). in the subpena we sont you we asked you to prodace the contents of an envelope which Davis is said to have fiver. you. (A. About the last of February or first of Marci, ast inet Dav he Delavan Ho lope, with my name 's a letter Bennett re- letter and opened it and in it was o rtifleate for $2,000 the thonght struck me in ® moment there | was something the matter with that award: I went out to find | Mr, Davis, but he had gone out: cota sinall envelope and put the certificate in it, and backed it to L. J. Bonnett, E quested 1 the office of the Delavan House; I had the certificase in my e | tributed between nine State ofice: ge. rprising that the expenditures for beep ney A pairs alone on our canals bave amounted, since to $8,444,824 34, or Lo vearly as much as the whole of our canal debt, less the sinking fund, which om the S0tb Beptember, 1876, was $8,655,314 49° Of these ex- penditures for extraordinary repairs it is our belief that fully seventy per cent have been inconsiderate, unwise and unprofitable to the State, THE COMMISSION MAKE THM POLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS. It is obvious that the obuses to which we have ime vited your attention cannot be remedied excep Pirse—By conerntrating responsibility for the admtp- istration of the canals in fewer bands, Second—By lovging somewhere a more efficient power for the suspension or removal of offenders, Third—By providing more specific, complete and efficient laws for prevestiug and pauishing abuses when disclosed, and. Fourth—By providing for the vigorous prosecution and punishment of unfaithful servants. Under the present organization the responsibility for a non-compliance with the provisions of the laws for the repair aod maintenance of the canals is so dis- composing the Auditor, the Superintendents, the Division, Resident and Assistant Engineers, that it is pearly impossible to bring any one of them to jus- tice anless all, or at Jeast a large majority, are of ac- cord in that purpose, Could ove person held re- sponsible for the acts of all of his subordinates the romedy would be simple, and probably adequate. Should the people ratify the proposed amendment of the constitution, which ts designed to clothe a new officer, to be called Superintendent of Public Works, | With the powers now vested im the Canal Commission- | ers, togeth ith other powers necessary to bis | Hons, this evil of divided responsibility will be gi iy | diminished. At present the powers of removal and | ro aia of unfaithiul officers are altogether inade- ate, We recommend, in addition, that the division and Tesident engineers and such other engineers as it may ee neceenety. in Line opinion of the State Engineer = urveyor, to employ temporarily upon any particular work, should be appointed by ihe Stato Euglnecr and Surveyor, with the approval of the Canal Board, sab- Ject to removal by the State Engineer and Surveyor alone, In cage of every such temporary employment we would recommend that the rate of compensation be fixed by the Canal Board before sagh person employed | enters upon duty; that he be requfred to file the usual | oath of office, and that be be only paid by the Auditor of the Canal Department, upon his oath to the correct ness of the items charged for expenses and time, and @ certificate of the approval of the Ste Engineer aud Surveyor attached. No modifications of the constitution or of the law, however, will ever work any substantial reform, unless adequate provision is made in some way for a more vigorous prosecation of unfaithful servants. The law is no protection unless ite penalties are enforced against those who violate it; the justice that sleeps: might as well be dead. Had the laws been enforced promptly when they had been notoriously violated our canals would not only now be out of debs, but a fruitful | source of revenue to the State, It is our conviction that the Legisiature will do weil to see if this arm of the government ought not to be sirengthened. The evidence here submitted will show that very largo sums of money have been taken annually from the State by the fraudulent connivance of the State agents with coniractors, Which should be reclaimed and restored to possession about thirty minutes. Have you seen Davis since? A. Yeu, si ir by You never suid anything to him about ft then? A. I didn’t know there was aoythtng wrong about it. Q. Didn't you ase Stroud this question, “How much of the | Bulfalo award did you get t I got only 8,000." A, No, siz; 1 never made that remark to him in the world. * * #1 | told him the exact circumstances asI have told you here. | Mr. Magono—We will give yop until to-morrow morning to produce that check for $2,000, or we will have you here until | the Attorney General ‘can dispose of your ciwe. | A. T enn stay here as long as you want me to, bit when T y it will be at the end of a good tough Inweuit, boca never received $2,000 except what I returned. Barkley advertised the certificate in the Albany | papers for several days afterward, but apparently with- Gat result, as it bas never yet been returned to the State, William H, Bowman, who was attorney for Lord & | Kiley in one of the Hand awards, having received a | $1,000 certificate as his fee, voluntarily appeared be- fore the commission on October 1 and made restitution | as follows :— T am satisfied now, from information received througt the commission, that the award to John Hand ot December 8, 1874, was wade upon 4 fraudulent claim against the State, and, being so satisfied, I wish to make restitution to the State of the certificate I hold. I frst learned that the award Was upon @ fraudulent alaim on my appearance before the commission, and being informed to the facts by the com- jon as eal iy asthe 15th of September, | sent my certili- tothe Auditor. But having beard from this commis siou that, as they understood it, the proper course would be to return it here as Ve eed of their ;roceedings, I compiy With the suggestion and roturn it here for cancellation and surrender. T'also desire to make restitution #o far as any ex- pense bas been inenrred on bebalf of the people in relation to that certificate No. 183, above described, I was not in ner advised at the time J participated in the trans- c at ib was @ fictitious claim, and ty eonnection with it was simply as attorney for George D, Lord aud John ley. ‘THE ONEIDA LAKE CANAL. Among other subjects of inquiry was the improve- ment of the Oneida Lake Canal, contracts for which were let to George D. Lord, who took two sections of the canal; Jacob Schaul, who aiso took two, and Henry J. Mowry, who took the remaining one. ‘Charles A. eo Division Engineer of the Middle Divis- jon at Syracuso, testified before the commission that | on these five contracts over payments of $92,000 were secured by special acts of the Legislatures of 1869 and | 1870, an at while the State bad already paid | on Troy a day or two. $289,169 54 upon the work it is still untinished; Henry | D. Denison, by an additional contract for its comple- | tion, having already netted an overplus almost as great. ‘The same witcess testifies that upon a contract for repairs of section 1 of the Oswego Canal, let to Thomas Gale, the contractor received tweuty per cent more than hie bid called for, and the estimates having been rejected by the witness on account of their excess were nevertheless passed, without the required en- gineer’s certificate, and paid. BACK WATKR RENTS. An investigation was also made {ato tho charges | of withholding the interest on back water rents of the | Troy Hydraulic Company, in 1861, by the present Sen- | ator Hammond, when be was Deputy Attorney General. | It appears frum the testimony that the iniercst was paid according to agreement to A. G. Johnson, editor of the Troy Whig, for prosecution of a test suit, on which judgment was obtained, and the remainder of the money was handed in to the Canal Department by Dep- | uty Attorney General Hammond. The checks for pay- | § ment were given to Attorney General Myers, at intor- vajs during 1861, and the following testimony indicates the movement of the checks afterward » . What connection have you with the State Bank of | Albany? A. Lam teller | Look nt the ebecks I hand and name them. The fret ebock is on the Farmer's Bank of the eity of Tr ayable to the order of 5. Hammond, Esq., Depu Kiko General, on account of water reas, s2,hio vigned F. Presi dorsed | ut Troy Hydraulic Oeepeny. $ so 5. 0 8. H. Hammond, Deputy Attorney Genoral ; 3 the stamp of the New York National Bank upon it. Q. Tt pasned hi your bank, eredited to whom? A. t rou; To 8 grag. Fe 12, 186) om bing Doe A ore & — on the same pes wo aries Gi, Myers, Attorne; jeral, 08 Account of water rent due from troy Hydraniie Company, for $1,000, in dorsed Uharles G. Myers, Attorney General. Did you know hts handweiting ! A. No. sir. . You only find these words upon it? A. Yea, sir. That chock wont through the State Bank. To whom credited? A. I ennnot tel yon: on the Oth of August there was a deposit to Mr. Hammond's account; we hud a chock that duy on Troy of $1,000; whether that is the ebeck I cannot say, Q. From whom you received it you eannot tell? A. No, sir; the next is dated Se aber 2, on the same bauk, pay- ‘able to the order of Charles G. Myers, ‘Attorney Gene: Sccount of water rents of ie by W. 0..Cunnin am, treasorer of the enpens, 2 indorsed by Chu G. Myers, Atterney General ; on the Seb day of September I find credit to the account of J. H. Ham- mond for hed check T .000, and the same day for $1,000, and prerume ft ts the Signed by” Willies ‘0 signed by arn Orr Treasurer of uf on that di more than that, and the same day we hud a obi whieb we prosuined was the same thing; th ports to be indorsed by Charles G, Myer there ts another, dated November 5, 1 |, the same day, paya- bie to Myers, for $1,700, signed by W. 0. Cuntingbam: treas- urer Troy Hydraaité Company; I don’t find that Mr. Ham- mond was credited on that day, bat we find we ha to that same amount; know who it was credited to. | ‘Q And don't know but what you give the money! A. No, | Would the account on your books show in whose favor the check was paid? A, No, str, Then do thie for ds: ose whet money Hammond drew ont of your bank om the 7th day of November, and for two or three dayy each way of (8. Toke ft from the Int to tbe 10sb of November, 1861, [Farther examination postponed to permit witness to ex- amine the bank book. RXAMINATION RESUMED. Q. Have you examined the secoant of Stephen H Ham- woud from the Iai te she Tou ‘of November, 1801t A. es, sir, What do you find? A. I find that daring that time he direw @ check, cheek of November 7, for $2,004 Q. Is that the only one within thai period? A. Of any ot le amount, sir; amount over $00 or Sone Shere was acheck ot the Shot Angus of BOU0; August | 5, $1,400; Septomber 25, $2,400; all in 1861. Senator Hammond was not called before the com- mission to testify, and bas as yet maae no statement upon this subject. Fhe commission will make threo additional reports upon matters covered by the testimony at an carly day. FIRST REPORT OF THE CANAL INVESTIGATING | COMMISSION—TWENTY-EIGHT AND A HALF | MILLIONS EXCESS OF COST OVER EARNINGS— | WHAT THE COMMISSION RECOMMEND. The Canal Investigating Commission have presented their Grst report, in which, after enamerating the sub- _ Joct matter of the twelve roports already presented, proceeds to set forth the leading abuses discovered by the commission, On the character ot the canal prop- | erty the report says: — | The total revenues from our system of canals at the close of the last fiscal year, including gains resolting from the management of th king fund, amounted BO acces west e seeseee eee ereene «> $198,407, 129 payments canal purposes, up to fame period, including construction..... 167,003,357 Exeens of cost over earnings... aeee $28,600828 This sum of $25,000,000 and upward represents the premium whieh the people of this State have paid in taxes curing the last fifty odd years, to secure and en- courage w use of these tes peed tnd 9 of transportation—the equivalent of an annual subsidy of over $560,000, The tolls received from al! the canals during the Qscal year ending Beptember 90, 1575, amounted +++ $1,002,990 tO... ee ceestanusineesaers There were expended for repairs and maintenance during the same period. vee + BRAT, 207 Damages during the same period. 305,706 2,568, $650, 108 agents of Balance against the State..........s.seceee In riew of the systematic latidelity of the the Stace which this investizating bas [*membership, and recommended that another com: par: | city amd it will be easy to raise $20,000 to the treasury and an example made of all the parties participating in the robberies, The preparation of tho Westitnony in these prosecutions, covering, as it must iu most cases, a series of years, the actions of a large number of public officers and servants, and Lab alge | . scientific examination of great varieties of work and a familiarity with the principles of engineering aad the field work of the engineers 4 with the accounts pre- served in our publie archives, will involve an amount of labor aud expense for which at present there 1s no adequate provision. ‘ The commission was occupied in the taking of testi- mony until after the preseut session of the Legisiature had commenced. The testimony could not be written} out by the stenographer and put into the hands of the| rinter until the latter part of the month of January. | his will explain any apparent delay in the trans-' mission of this report, there being obvious incon-{ yeniences in sending part in print and part in manu- script, There has been no delay in its preparation, ex- cept what was the natural and mevitable result of ef- forts of the commission to render its contents readily! accessible to Your Excellency and to the legislative odies, REPUBLICAN GENERAL COMMITTEE. A meeting of the Republican General Committee was | held last night at Republican Hall. The sub-committee appointed last year to inquire into and take action in regard to the reorganization of the Twenty-first As- sembly district, reported that they bad so far partfied: the district as to strike off 121 names from the roll of! tee be appointed for this year to complete the w already begun. Adopied, ‘ The resigoation of Mr. Cargill from the committee of the Seventeenth district was accepted. A communication from the State Central Committee, asking that a committee might be appointed, with which the chairman of the State Central Committeo could confer and submit documentary evidence in reia- tion to the organization of the party in New York, and the appointing of delegates to the National Convention, was read and approved. The committee will be pamed by the chair. A notice was given by Mr. Dittendorfer to amend the bylaws and constitution, so far as to make the chair- man of the German Republican Association and the chairman of its Executive Committee members of the | General Committee ez oficto, Ordered on file under | the rule, ‘The committee then adjourned. TELEGRAPHIC AIFAIRS. The alteration in the telegraphic tariff of the Atlantie and Pacific and Franklin Companies went into opera- tion yesterday. The charges to principal poimts are about as follows :— New York To— New. old. 2 30 40 50 -$110 $1 50 40 50, 40 50° co) 5 80 40 + % 30 - 80 100 ss 8 10 Cleveland... + 60 % The basiness community will largely benefit by the redactions. Mt may not be inappropriate im this connection to state thata circular has recently been largely dis- buted in the Stock ae by an electrical en- gineer, who proposes that the Western Union monopoly of the telegraphic stock reporting shall be under the exclusive control of the members of the Board. In support of this innovation the cireular cites the present exorbtlant charges of the Western Union Company for the ase of these instruments to members, their liability to abuse by unscrupulous parties and the con- sistency of controlling everything appertaining to the economy and convenience of members, as in the de- | partments of life insurance and safo deposit now in success!ul operation in the Exchange. LONG ISLAND RAILBOADS, A targe force of workmen is now engaged in the con- struction of the proposed New York, Bay Ridge and Jamaiea Railroad, and the work is pushed forward as rapidly as possible. The entire length of the road, between Bay Ridge and Jamaica, touching at East New York and Woodhaven, will be nearly Gfteen miles, The Canarsie and Rockaway Beach Railroad Com- y have awarded a contract to Mr, P. H. Reid for the eonstruction of a branch dummy road Bast New York to Prospect Park. The pretitoimary sur- veys bave been made, and Mr. Reid fs making rations for the commencement of the work as soon as the weather will permit THE DECEASED FIREMEN’S FAMILIES. A PLAN POR PROVIDING YOR THEIR FAMILIES SUGGESTED. New Yorx, Fob. 15, 1876 To Tux Evtror oy tax Heranp:— We heartily fall in with the suggestion that a fund be raised for the families of those who recently lost their lives in fighting our common enemy—fire. As such calls come frequently and are usually left to the generous impulses of a few, though the many would willingly and even gladly participate, we suggest the following plan, if no better one is offered. Let it be understood that the money raised is to be used to pur- chase an annuity to be divided equally among the widows and orphans of the d the investme: to be made by the Commas of the Fire Depart- ment in conjunction wi ® commi the collectors of this fund, ‘aacnsaer cows To collect the fund let some responsible firms on several of the principal business streets volunteer to | canvass, say 100 numbers be good a uniform #1 tion of $5 from each numbered will gladly give more, whieh will ficiencies and for missing and vacant numbers. example, our company will canvass from No. to 299 and deposit the ceeds in the Shoe and Leather Bank to the credit of the fund. Now let some other firm volunteer to collect from No. 1 to 09, another for 100 to another from 800 to 39%, and soon up. In this way Meno will supply about $8,000, fos others volunteer for cross and parallel streets in the business siness building. Some ake up for any de- For 3 3 out baving the matter onerous to aby on business house will be giad to do this mach asa debt of gratitude and as a stimulus to others to ‘do and dare’ when our establishments are in danger of this plan meets with general favor let those who will undertake to make the collections send their names to your office at once, and let the work begin. - We will go pena 9 our pec conee yea Geof hours after a pian 1s approved an lopted a sufficient number others to make it feasible, ‘4 ORANGE JUDD & CO., 245 Broadway. DEATH IN THE STREETS. Patrolman Kearney, of the Second precinct police, Brooklyn, while on duty if York street, near Fulton, at balf-past one o'clock yesterday. morning, met a vagrant, named James Conners, forty years ot and Wook Wi te ‘ork: Sheree eset uns ue. Sones Semel esed od the sidewalls