The New York Herald Newspaper, April 24, 1876, Page 6

NEW YORK HERALD BROADWAY - AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR _enirleekvaleaaabien THE DAILY HERALD, published every | day in the year, Four cents per copy. Twelve dollars per year, or one dollar per month, free of postage. All business, news letters or telegraphic flespatches must be addressed New York | HERap. | 1 Letters and packages should be properly sealed. j Rejected communications will not be re- | sarned. ae YHILADELPHIA OF FICE—NO, 112SOUTH SIXTH STRE | LONDON OFFICE OF THE NEW YORK HERALD—NO., 46 FLEET STREET. PARIS OFFICE—AVENUE DE L'OPERA, | Subscriptions and advertisements will be received and forwarded on the same terms as in New York. NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, APRIL 24, 1876,—TRIPLE SHEET. The Utica Convention. The leading political event of the week | will be the Democratic State Convention on Wednesday. The interest it excites is con- nected with its bearing on Governor Tilden’s chances for the St. Louis nomination. If it should conduct its business with unanimity and indorse the Governor as a Presidential candidate without any exhibitions of dissent his chances will be good for securing the delegates from several other States, and going to the National Convention with o strong body of supporiers. ‘he seventy votes of New York are a foundation on which agreat deal can be built, not only in the vay of prestige, but of more solid tokens. It is already certain that Mr. Tilden ‘has a large majority of the delegates to Utica, and that his friends can give the action of the Convention any shape they may deem expedient; but if they | should be arrogant and press their victory too | far there is danger of angry debates and pro- ” | tests which would destroy the value of their | triumph. VOLUME XL. AMUSEMENTS TO-NIGHT. | The question which threatens the unity Mis ie : of the Utica Convention is whether TWINS, at SP. We eeACrWwattnce sav the New York delegates to St. Louis | shall be pledged. If pledged, they will be bound to stand by Governor Tilden until his nomination shall have beco>e utterly hope- less ; if unpledged, they will be at liberty to support some other candidate at any stage | of the proceedings. It is true, indeed, that the New York delegates to a democratic na- tional convention always vote as a unit and that a majority suffices to control the whole; but it by no means fol- lows that an unpledged delegation would, BOO" HENRY V., at 87, M. E. Vokes, TONY PASTOR'S NEW THEATRE. VARIETY, at 89. Mi. UNION SQUAR FERKEOL, ats ?. M. BROOK BELLES OF THE KIT “THEATRE, dr, TTEATRE, Minnie Palmer. ARK THEATRE. George Fawcett Rowe. VARIETY, at SP. BRASS, at SP. M. CHATEAU MABILLE VARIETIES, atsP.M. PARISIAN VARIETIES. ia sonnet den as one of whom all the members are ON HAND, as?.M, . instructed to support him. If, for example, THIRTY FOUR’ ET OPERA HOUSE. it s i VARIETY. ator aL. it should happen, in the course of the pro- FIFTH A = THEATRE: | ceedings at St. Louis, that in a consultation PIQUE, atSV.M. F enport, | of the New York members forty should be HOWE & CUSHING'’S CIRCUS, found to favor Tilden and the other thirty some other candidate, that fact would im- cme re | mediately become known, and the friends WOOD's MUSEUM. . ACROSS THE CONTINENT, ut 8 P. M. Oliver Doud Byron. | of the other candidate would be encouraged Matinee at 2 P.M. i to prolong the struggle although Tilden would receive the whole seventy votes on that particular ballot. The minority ofan un- at2 P.M. and SP. M. F | OBE TUEATRE. | VARIETY, at 8P. M. therfore, be as serviceable to Governor Til- | CIRCUS, afternoon and ev SAN F ‘0 MINSTRELS, as PM TWENTY THIRD STRE NEGRO MINSTRELSY, TIVOLL THEATRE. VARIETY, at SP. M. NEW YOR AY, APRIL From our reports this morning the probabilities are that the weather to-day wilt be cooler and clearer, Nozce to Country NEwspEsLers.—For rompt and regular delivery of the Hzratp Jast mail trains orders must be sent direct to this office. Postage free. A Treaty or Commercr is proposed be- tween France and the United States which, if judiciously framed, may result in great advantages to both nations, politically as well as commercially. Tue Frencu Execrioys to fill vacancies ereated by the annulment of the recent elec- Spanish Finances are in process of adjust- ment after the war, but the plan submitted by the Minister of Finance does not promise | any relief for the already overburdened | people. If the Spanish government is dis- | posed to be economical it should begin by | the reduction of the great army which op- | presses, but cannot subdue, the Cuban | patriots. Tax Tuneatenep Wan Between Torker ann Monrenecro has been postponed, | through the influence of Russian and Eng- | lish diplomacy, and the Porte has disavowed any intention of making an attack on the little Christian Principality. The inevitable conflict must, however, be waged in the so- lution of the Eastern problem, and when the | time arrives for the settlement the weight of | Montenegro's influence will not tip up the balance. | Dom Pepro at Sart Laxe.—What the Emperor of Brazil has seen in the City. of the | Saints in the way of polygamy will not be | likely to make him jot it down as a desirable | thing for the great country he isso zealous | to improve to plant among her institutions, | | it pledged delegation would be free to give to any of Mr, Tilden’s rivals, whereas -every member of a pledged delegation would be bound to work for him alone. We, there- fore, assume that the Utica Convention will pledge its delegates, unless the fear of mu- | tiny restrains his friends from the attempt. Governor Tilden l@s studiously kept this | question open, the advantages of a pledged rai | delegation being so obvious that he will | relinquish them only on compulsion. | Whether a pledge is to be insisted on is a | question that will not be decided until the | Governor's friends shall have had an oppor- | tunity to feel the pulse of the delegates after | they assemble at Utica. Governor Tilden | has been repeatedly and urgently advised to | consent to an unpledged delegation, but he | has made it a point of dignity and scornfully | refused. His leading and most confidential organ said yesterday that the district conven- tions haye declured their preference, ‘thus doubly justifying the self-respecting refusal | of Governor Tilden to be badgered into the |indelicacy of saying what he did or | did not want.” The significance of this language is worth noting. Who are the people that have undertaken in the Assembly have again resulted in favor | Geocrste that stand’ cherked $24 Aeneas of the republicans. In St. Denis the radical candidate was defeated by a republican, thus showing that in French politics there are distinctions based on very slight differ- ences. organ, not only with the indecorum of | “badgering” him, but of trying to ‘‘badger” | him into an act of ‘‘indelicacy?” The organ itself gives the answer in a despatch from Utica, which asserts that ‘‘some of the Goy- ernor’s best and most influential friends— Governor Seymour among them”—gave him this advice. It is a new thing im the politics of this State for any democratic journal to accuse Governor Seymour of meddlesome and intrusive impropriety. The cance of this language does not, however, consist in its extraordinary tone toward Governor Seymour, but in the proof furnishes of the urgency with which this advice was given and the resent- fal spirit in which it was repelled. Mr. | Tilden would not have thought himself “badgered” unless the advice had been | strongly pressed, and a gentleman of Governor Seymour's singular urbanity and real friendship for Mr. Tilden would not have ‘‘badgered” him unless he thought the good of the party required it, Governor Tilden spurned the advice is a { proof that he clings to the hope of a pledged delegation. This odd disclosure will strengthen the opposition at Utica by show- ing the Convention that the wisest of Governor Tilden’s advisers, including the most faithful and venerated counsellor of the party, think that the delegation should be sent to St. Louis unfettered by instruc- He will see how the energy and will of a shrewd business man has made the desert | bloom because he held a lash of fanaticism | over his followers which made them his slaves. For how many more generations | of royal visitors, may we ask the American people, shall this degrading practice of polygamy be a choice exhibition? Tar Repvericaxs Harmonious ror Coxx- trxa.—We congratulate our neighbor, the Times, upon the judicious manner in which it declares that it will support Mr. Conkling’! as the candidate of the republican party should he be nominated at Cincinnati. The Times is not an ardent supporter of Mr. | Conkling, and accordingly the declaration | that it will not leave the party in the event of | | costly victory. tions. If Governor Tilden’s friends should decide to insist on instructions they will wina They are strong enough to carry the point, but not without a vigorous battle. About two-fifths of the delegates to Utica are opposed to committing the Con- vention to Governor Tilden. There are sev- eral who are friendly to him, but will still vote against a pledge, and a contest would convert these lukewarm friends into open opponents. The Tammany delegates from this city, sixty-three in all, making nearly one-third of the Convention, are opposed to instructions, and they will be led by politicians of remark- able shrewdness. Among the New York delegates are Augustus Schell, Fernando | Wood and Jobn Kelly, who will com- the nor ination of Conkling will go fartoward | strengthening that statesman’s chances at Cin- cinnati. By the way, it is » singular coinci- flence that this timely declaration of the | Times renews the famous alliance of last fall | which took up arms against John Kelly and | his dark lantern Know Nothing Tammany | srowd, and whipped them so badly that they | have not recovered from their defeat. That | pattle was fought by the Sun, the Times and the Hezatp. Now we have the Sun and the | Henaup supporting the ‘claims of Conkling | to republican recognition in o republican | sonvention and the Times coming into line as a republican journal avowing its alle- | gianee to the party flag. It seems natural to | have the three journals side by side, and the | Times wiil accept our congratulations upon its courage and fidelity to party convictions. mand great attention on the floor if the | question should be debated, and are skilful managers behind the scenes. They will be reinforced by some able delegates from the rnral districts, and, assured as they are of the moral support of Governor Seymour and the other leading ject, they would make the victory of the Governor a barren triumph, porters are discreet they will not provoke a contest, but consent, for the sake of har- | mony, to let the delegation go to St. Louis | unpledged. ‘The friends of Governor Tilden are strong enough to exclude the Tammany delegates | from the Convention, but that would be a their moral support, though not their votes, | | 4] oy”? } ? i tions for Deputies by the republican majority | Bove badger thy: Govemnast) Who: AGP ae, signifi- | The way. democrats who | “badgered” Governor Tilden on this sub- | If his sup- | taken to prevent any flaw in the title of the Tammany delegates in respect to regularity, | and they cannot be excluded by Governor | Tilden's friends without such a rupture in the party as would destroy all his chances of | carrying New York even if he should get the | nomination. An open and organized bolt, | supported by allies in the interior of the State and sending a contesting delegation to | St. Louis, would convince the National Con- | vention that New York would be lost to the democracy with Governor Til- den as their candidate. This is too hazardous an experiment to be risked, and we therefore expect to see the Tammany delegates admitted at Utica and to witness a | consent on the part of the Tilden men that | the Convention impose no instructions on | its representatives in the National Conven- tion. The value of an unpledged delegation will | depend on the support which Governor Til- den may receive from other States. If this should be large and formidable it will make no difference whether the New York delega- tion is pledged or not, because its practice of always voting as a unit will enable its Til- den majority to control it so long as their courage is kept up by a prospect of success, But if Mr. Tilden’s support from other | States should be feeble an unpledged dele- | gation would break and desert in an early | stage of the proceedings. In spite of possible drawbacks Governor | Tilden is the foremost democratic candidate, | | and if the Utica Convention adjourns with- | | out a quarrel he has an excellent prospect of | gaining the delegations trom many other | States. But even a majority would not in- | sure his success, for it will require two- | | thirds of the votes to effect a nomination. |He may safely count on more than one- | third, and thus be strong enough to prevent | | the nomination of any rival. But the Con- | | vention cannot be held at a deadlock for | more than a day or two, and it is the duty | | of Governor Tilden to consider what the | | good of the party requires him to} | do in a contingency which is so likely to | | happen under the operation of the two- | | thirdsrule. Senator Thurman will probably | | have the support of Ohio and several other | | States, and it would be a misfortune if two able statesmen like Mr. Tilden and Mr. | Thurman, who are equally honest and think so nearly alike on public questions, should obstinately obstruct each other's chances and force the Convention to unite on some poor stick of an obscure man. Our excel- lent Governor will strengthen himself in public esteem if he pursues his canvass in a generous and magnani- mous spirit, cherishing, for the party’s sake, the reputation of worthy rivals and resolving to secure the nomination of | the fittest among them if he cannot succeed himself. The real leadership of a political party is not necessarily in the hands of the President. When Pierce was President Douglas controlled the policy of the demo- cratic party, and Mr. Seward exerted more influence and acquired a higher fame as Sec- President, If Governor Tilden will unself- ishly do his best to make his party strong and respected his admiring countrymen will take care of his reputation. | The High Tide of Advertising. Perhaps many years in our history have exhibited a more generally diffused pros- perity than this, the hundredth of our national existence, but as the English Channel tide was no respecter of King Canute, so the trade tide cannot be made to mark its highest at the time when our patriotic feelings would expect it. In accordance with our idea of the fitness of things this should be a year which could be pointed back to, not merely as the hundredth notch upon the historical tally- stick, but as the bright beg nning of a golden era in money, trade, art and humanity. Like so many Endymions, when we begin wishing we are prone to shoot our desires as high as the moon. Looking around, how- ever, with a less imaginative eye, we may see many things to give us comfort. In spite year just as they rose in our most prosperous years. As the May-day tims of change of house and home approaches; as the season when menand women must array themselves becomingly to meet the vernal days passes; as the influence of the genial weather prompts men to enjoy themselves at the theatre before rushing away to the moun- tains and the sea; as the time when man and master transfer their services or their | wages comes upon us, the indi- cations are as clearly noted in the advertising columns of the Heranp this yearasin any before. We have had a re- vival in religion; we are getting silver for fractional currency; we have a grand Cen- tennial Exhibition receiving its last touches; we may not have all that our hearts desire, but yesterday the Hzrarp published a quin- tuple sheet, brimful of bright news, and with seventy-three and a half columns of fresh advertisements. Thus we may be said to have as much as is good for us. Increase of advertising may, as a rule, be taken as an evidence of prosperity and ad- vancing civilization. Civilization with its increased comforts brings fresh wants—that means advertisements. Prosperity is forever lopping of and reshaping; it wants to change real estate or goods into money or bonds, or vice versa; that means adver- tisements also. The great bulk of the seventy-three and a half columns of yester- day is balanced between these two friendly forces. They are the nerves of our nation, | and from their healthy action, as seen in | yebterday’s Heraup, we may say that the | young giant, America, is strong and hearty | as ever, Tne Yacuttno Seasox.—Tho preparations have begun already for the races of 1876, | and the latest information on the subject is given in an article elsewhere. Owners are busily engaged in fitting their vessels for the contests which begin in a few weeks, The New York Yacht Club will open the season on the 8th of June, and on the 22d of June the Centennial regattas will commence. There will be no lack of interesting events, and the season is likely to eclipse im brilliancy any of thé past successes, retary of State than he could have done as | | of all the misgivings of the timor- | ofs the landmarks of trade rise be- | fore us as wo march through the’ ‘on the significance of the word “How.” | The Haytian Republic. | The Black Republic, as we generally call 1 | that portion of the Island of Hayti whose in- | | habitants are ‘French-speaking negroes, is a | subject which commends itself to the stu- | dents of forms of governments. The late | political controversy there, which has re- | sulted in a change of the personnel of the gov- ernment by the killing of the Vice President and the Commander-in-Chief and the flight of the wounded President Domingue, is of a | | piece with what has formed the staple of | Haytian history during the last seventy- | two years, The negro evidently likes gov- | ernment and plenty of it. He is none of your philosophers who believe in sitting | down year after year to one governmental | dish; he likes variety. It is true that the successive patriots who reached the summit | of power there, with a fixed belief in the in- stability of things, have begun feathering | their nests in a manner which Babcock must | have studied from the other side of the | mountains when he went to Samana Bay, | and which, no doubt, he communicated to , Belknap and Boss Shepherd, and perhaps | mentioned in presence of President Grant. Be that as it may, Belknapism is only Sou- lonquism applied to the black man’s party here; and who knows but Casarism was first borne to the President on ‘‘stray breaths” of negro melody that blew from Port au Prince? The Haytians have made more experi- ments in government in seventy years than many another people in seven centuries. We cannot congratulate the Haytians on their success in any of them, and still less, unfortunately, can we sing pans on their rulers, whose misfortunes may cause a tear to those who have them to shed over the mis- fortunes of the great. Hayti, since 1804, has had two colored opéra bouffe Emperors, one colored King, ten colored Presidents and one | minstrel triumvirate of two black “end men” and one black ‘‘middle man.” Ofthese rulers one was assassinated, one shot himself, one | was executed, one was banished, four ran away, one retired in disgust as soon as elected, one died before he had well entered on his duties, one died whan a year in office, one died after a long term, and one completed his term of office without any of the usual incidents occurring to stop his career, al- though his administration was rescued from insipidity by a series of unsuccessful revolu- i tions, Dessalines, the first Emperor, was an | amiable man, who once proposed to kill every- | body in the island that was not a black. A -black who dissented killed Dessalines. Sou- louque, the second Emperor, had a weakness | for creating dukes and princes out ot barbers | ' and whitewashers ; his strong point was the + Custom House. He knew better than any ruler before or since how to convey the du- ties collected to his own private use, and managed to send enough of the plunder out of the country to support his family quietly when the day came for him to ‘step down and out.” Since his time the Custom House has been the strong point of all the republi- can administrations, the latest practitioner, Domingue, being an especial master of the subject. He has left for St. Thomas, but, it is feared, has carried away more lead in his | body than is convenient. While we mourn | his fate let us unite in a tribute to the peo- | ple who under all these circumstances stick | to a currency of which three hundred dollars | is only worth one dollar in silver ; who, after | all their troubles, are about to put another | man in the Presidency, where he will have a | chance to look after the few silver dollars that Providence sends their way, and who | still turn their backs upon effete monarchical | systems and model their government after our own. The Sermons Yesterday. Sunday devotions in the churches attracted the faithful as usual yesterday, and the angels, who are said to record the good and evil actions of man, must have placed a mark to the credit of our frail humanity that will counterbalance a multitude of sins, The blossoms of grace, like the flowers of spring time, filled the religious atmosphere with the odor of piety and gladdened the hearts of the righteous while bringing com- fort and hope to those who sit in the gloom of affliction and doubt. At the Church of the Disciples the Rev. George H. Hepworth told his hearers of the marvellous work- ings of the spirit of God in the| human soul and the difference in the | moral values of seeing and believing. ; The Rev. Dr. Rylance misistered to the | Anglo-American congregation of the Freo | Church of St. George the Martyr at the Church of St. Ambrose, the sermon recalling to his hearers recollections of home. At the | Pilgrim church Mr. Kennard spoke of the blessed work of the revival, and warmly ad- vocated its continuance. Rev. Dr. Tyng, at | St. George’s church, preached an impressive sermon on the necessity of following the | path of duty marked out by God instead of that defined by man. Dr. Armitage de- scribed the healing of the lame man at the | door of the Temple, and applied the moral of | the story to the present time, when many are found at “the beautiful gate” weak in faith and needing the healing touch of grace. At the Church of Our Saviour Mr. Pullman sketched the life of a deceased mem- ber in o memorial sermon filled with many beautiful suggestions, and the Rev. Morgan Dix, at Trinity church, raised the thoughts of his hearers to the con- templation of the future state. At the Panl- | ist church the grand Gregorian music of the Church, ancient but ever new, filled the air, and Father Stone preached eloquently on | “The Grace of God.” At St, Ann's Father | Hayes argued that in order to struggle suc- | cessfully against temptation the grace of | God was necessary. The services in Brook- lyn were of the usual impressive order, and { atthe Warren street Methodist church the Widow Van Cott was remarkably eloquent The Rev. Fred Bell, the singing preacher, proved the power of song as a means of awakening devotion and declaimed against “pretty preaching,” and showed how neces- sary it was to speak plain trath when deal- | ing with the wickedness of tHe world. = Mercuants axp Sm1powyens are complain- ing about the proposed level of the roadway of the East River Bridge, deeming that it ‘will not be raised sufficiently high over the water to permit of free navigation for vessels with tall spars, We cannot see any trouble | something more than the exhibition of a | cept Mr. Mapleson, of Her Majesty's opera. | | proved herself a finished artist, but how | ahead, except that such ships must strike | their to) tmasts whenever they cross | the line of the bridge. ‘This operation is frequently necessary at sea in order to give | the crews something to do. We do not re-° gard it as good taste on the part of the am- phibious portion of our mercantile commu- nity to be continually rigging the bridge di- rectors about this grand intermunicipal over- t king, when the entire difficulty might be met by having halfa dozen sets of spare masts on board each vessel to supply the loss by breakage. Surely the merchants do not pretend to say that the interests of mere commerce should stand in the way of the ac- complishment of a grand trinmph of engi- neering skill. If the protests of such fac- tious individuals receive any consideration whatever our engineers will be compelled to conduct their operations without the grand privilege of making expensive mistakes, a right which not even the constitution itself should be permitted to take away in a coun- try boasting of free institutions. By all means abolish high masts, and even ships if necessary, but let us have alow level road- way between the tall towers of the East | River Bridge. The Opera Scason—What Is Wanted. The curiosity with which the coming of Mile. Belocca was awaited by the musical public has beén gratified in the most pleas- ant manner. That some incredulous souls should have hesitated to accept Mr. Strak- | osch’s enthusiastic estimate of his pupil before they heard her was not unnatural in this sceptical age; for, they argued, managers ere now have promised us a nightingale only to give us a sparrow or at best alinnet. Hence Mile. Belocea’s success has been gladdening to the manager, who smiles and says, ‘I told you so,” and a boon to the public, which only wants a true artiste, irrespective of managerial hopes and fears, Her Rosina, both as sung and acted, was a | perfect embodiment of Rossini’s ideal, full of | finish, freshness and charm, to which the fair singer's personal graces were but as a fine human accompaniment to the rich melody of the Swan of Pesaro. We are to hear her next Wednesday in ‘‘Mignon,” one of her most delightiul personations, in which | the fancy of Goethe and the sparkling num- bers of Thomas combine to furnish an ex- quisite opportunity for the display of archness, piquancy, pathos, passion and womanhood in the actress and to make heavy demands on _ the skill of the vocalist. So far, indeed, as Mile. Belocca is concerned the opera has been a success; but good opera requires | single artist, however great. Without proper | support in the cast, the orchestra and the scenic surroundings, it is hard in giving our best compliment to'the performances of last week to characterize them otherwise than as operatic congert. We may mention one test of this in the “Barbiere’—namely, that what the public carried away strongest in recollection from the opera was the Brindisi from Lucrezia, where Mile. Belocca, stand- ing apart as it were from the maimed opera, | sang an interpolated piece to the audience. ‘To Messrs. Maurice and Max Strakosch we are much indebted for their persistent efforts to establish opera on a proper basis in America. Mr. Maurice Strakosch has really no rival as an impresario in the world ex- | He has, doubtless, been discouraged by the exactions of the Academy stockholders and | other difficulties born of recent hard times, | which deterred enterprise more by their | moral effect upon weak nerves than the | actual trade difficulties gave any | reason for. We have, in fact, had | a panic in opera lasting o year | after the effects of the ‘business | panic in trade. As consequence we have | had queens of song going ‘‘at a sacrifice,” as | tradesmen say who are selling out after a | fire. We feel assured that only a little | courage is wanting on the part of the man- agers. Let Mr. Strakosch take counsel of his old time pluck, and, trusting to the gener- | ous desire of Americans to support Italian | opera, give it to us a round and perfect | chrysolite next fall. We observe from our cable letter of yesterday that Mr. Maple- | son begins to show misgivings about the | stockholders’ privileges at the Academy; but from the success achieved with a very poor company supporting ‘Titiens he could see how full-blooded opera | would be likely to draw, and, perhaps, with | & proper mediation the fears of both Mr. Strakosch and Mr. Mapleson could be re- | lieved. Of one thing we are certain, that the manager who with a well equipped com- | pany capable of giving the best works in the best style takes the field in the fall will find | in America an El Dorado. Mlle. Belocca has | she would shine in a sotting worthy of her | abilities is something Mr. Strakosch must | use his best endeavors to show Americans | before the time comes for her to leave our shores. Tae Latest News rnom Mexico informs | us of the progress of the revolution and the | intended forward move of General Porfirio Diaz with a considerable force and artillery toward the seat of government. A large | amount has been voluntarily subscribed in | Matamoros, which will supply him with the sittews of war. The government troops are probably concentrating at some point in the interior for a decided coup, but nothing posi- tive is known of their movements on account | of the destruction of all telegraphic com- munication. The pest of the Rio Grande border, Cortina, is reported to have been shot. A good riddance truly, if true. i Insurancr Leotstation is attracting atten- tion at Albany, and the Senate bill authoriz- ing the taxation of the stock of insurance companies, recently passed by that branch of the Legislature, is creating a panic among the companies. Some insurance officials re- gard the bill as a blackmailing scheme on the part of the members, Others again sug- gest that the country representatives will always support measures which promise to mulct city interests and thus disarrange the distribution of taxation so as to lighten the | rural burdens, The proposed law relieves the capitel from taxation and imposes the | burden on the stock, but a deduction is made of the assessed value of any real estate owned by the company which is already taxed, from the value of the stock, the bal- ance, if any, representing the net personal property in the stock. An Anti-Cab League Wanted. The cheap cab question continues to be an interesting one to the public; for the necessity fora cheaper class of cabs is ad- mitted, and a reform in the present system demanded, even by those who do not habitu- ally patronize such vehicles. But something more than words will be before the hackmen can be made to understand thai they are the servants of the public and not its masters. Agitation of the subject may de something, but it must be followed by action on the part of the people. If every person who now takes a coupé or a hack when he goes up or down town would decide to take the cars instead, even if it does entail a little inconvenience, the business of hack driving would soon bea losing speculation on its present basis of extortionate charges for ill performed service. When drivers once find that insisting on absurd rates is practically breaking down their business fares will drop to reasonable figures of their own accord. This fact was proved a few nights since bya gentleman who persuaded his friends attending a social party not to take cabs unless the charges were made reason- ably low. Before the door of the host stood a dozen cabs, all enger for the departure of the guests, but the cabmen were sur. prised to find that unless they accepted low fares no passengers could’ be ob- tained. The consequence was that every cabman ‘‘came down,” and the aggregate amount saved was over fifty dollars, No- body wanting a cab on that occasion failed to get one op the terms proposed. Cons certed action triumphed, and a real reform was begun right then and there. Now it is quite feasible to start an anti-’ cab movement. Let every one interested in the subject of cab reform decide not to pa- tronize hacks unless they find the owners and drivers willing to take a fair price for the service performed. Ladies especially can materially aid the cab crusade, and if they will only put down their little feet and insist on Cabby being effectually reformed the task will be a much easier one, Hack- men are only men, but in New York they are a very obtuse class, else they would hearken to the outcry against them and en- deayor to do better. By all means, there. fore, let us have an anti-cab league and start lists of subscribers at convenient places, Show the cabmen how strong is the feeling against them, and you will not only frighten them into reforming their business, but hasten the appearance of the ‘‘telegraph" cabs we are promised. Agitate, therefore, and organize a crusade, for in union there is strength, in cabs as well as in States. The First Night of the Play. The first nights of new plays are. always brilliant when the authors are persons of distinction, and Mr. Tennyson's “Queen Mary” was not an exception to the rule. His audience was worthy of his genius, for it was composed of his peers. The verdict was, of course, in his favor, yet we do not believe that it will stand. The very intellectuality of that assembly of artists, poets, painters, statesmen and novel- ists disqualified it as a final judge. The strongest element of Mr. Tennyson's drama—namely, its poetry—was precisely the merit which these distinguished audi- tors were best able to understand, and his beautiful style and noble thoughts had doubtless instant appreciation. But he can- not always expect such an exceptional audi- ence. His play must go before the rough tribunal of they common world, by which he will not be judged as much as @ poet as a dramatist. It would be charm ing if a poet could always be judged by poets, but if he writes for mankind he must submit to its decision. Now, when the un- professional public rushes into the theatre, it is likely to give a different opinion of the merits of “Queen Mary” than that held by the cultured minds who did the author honor on the first night of ite performance. Its best qualities will be the least appreciated and its weakest points the most easily detected. We do not mean to say that poetry is an obstacle to the success ofa play, for Shakespeare would be enough to refute that fallacy. But Shakespeare was not only unsurpassed in poetry, but also une equalled as a dramatist. H& gave the publie what Mr. Tennyson does not give—intense personal interest, powerful characters, stormy passion, glorious humor, and plote redundant with murders, battles, mysteries, ghosts, spectacles and combats. Take from | his works their highest poetry, the “thoughts beyond the reaches of our souls,” and they still remain great plays; but take the poetry from ‘‘Queen Mary,” and that which is left is of little value. It may be doubted, there- fore, whether the popularity of Mr. Tenny- son’s drama will be permanent. First nights prove nothing. Mr. Oakey Hall and Mr. Wheeler had exceptionally tine audiences on their first nights, and their plays were en. thusiastically applauded; bat where are “Crucible” and “Twins” now? They have gone whither “Queen Mary” must inevitably follow. Md Gas and Economy. If the gas companies could supply good gas at one dollar for a thousand cubic feet there would be little if any reason for the people to change the method of lighting their houses; but to pay a cent more than that for gas is a foolish Waste of money, be- cause the public can get a first rate light for what the gas would cost them at that price, In this we do not enter upon the inquiry as to whether or no, with the processes now in use, good gas can be made for that price, but we only say that if it cannot be made for that price then it is an article beyond the means of the many who are compelled to save at every possible point, People, for instance, whose gas bills are five dollars a month, can light their houses just as well for one dollar a month on kerosene, and if the bills are | higher the economy in giving up the» use of gas is in the same Families, therefore, whose bills ran in the neighborhood of ten dollars a month eas, save a hundred dollars a year in this If they can get for twelve or fifteen dollars year a light just as good as the one that them a hundred and twenty they afford to waste on the more expe