The New York Herald Newspaper, November 8, 1876, Page 11

THE STATE MILITIA. Defective Organization and Want of Tustruction, Reforms Needed In All Branches of the Service. SCIENTIFIC OFFICERS REQUIRED What the Adjutant and Inspector Generals Have to Say. Thooretically every citizen is a soldier in this Re- Public, practically nobody is, exeepting the few ral troops which form the small bulk of the United States Army. It bas been well said that what is everybody's business is nobody’s, and this may be asserted of the way inwhich matters are conducted frequently in our Btate militia, It is true that out of the army we Reed Mot expect to have that exact compliance with the routine of discipline which alone can make the soldier ® part of a perfett machine, yet there is room‘ior great improvement in all departments of the National Guard service, and it theretore csnnot be out of the way to call public astention to this important subject. ‘Turning to the annual report of the Adjutant General of the State of New York, we find it to be «@ formidable ,volume made up of 431 closely printed pages. lt ie & oovk which has cost the people of this State a round sum, to serve no other purposo,than that of having a few copies of it distributed among the members of the Legislature and @small number of military offices throughout the State, As the Adjutant General’s report never con- tains apy new suggestions or ideas of beneficial modifi- cation in the present wretched condition et the Siate National Guard no one ever opens tho book, and at the end of the year it is carried off by the hundredweight to the junk dealer’s shop, and goes thence in good time to the paper mill. . One ot the misfortunes of the militia is that gen- erally the Commander-in-Chief is not a military man. But this misiortune might be remeaied by naming a thorough soldier jot as commanding general of the Btate forces under the cyo of the Govornor and subject to his orders, It docs not seem that a change of Vhis nature would involve the necessity of any amend- ment In the State constitution; and it would certainly be a great boon to the thousands of citizen soldiers who vainly look above themselves to find in superior officers that exact knowledge of military tctence and art which alone can give instruction and tonfidence to the troops. The commanding general of the forces of the State should devote all his time to the duties of his position, apd receive a suitable"com- pensation for his services. AN EDUCATED AND EXPERIENCED OFFICER so employed would be able to work won- ders iu directing the execution of the details of the service, and in making suitable recommendations to the Legislature. At present we have an auomalous State of affairs, It is the. Adjutant General, appa- rently, not the Commander-in-Chiet, who is at the head of the military establishment of the State, All the in- formation which the Commander-in-Chief gives this yoar to the Senate respecting tho National Guard is to be found in the following laeonic message :— “1 nave the honor to,tramsmit herewith the annual Teport of the Adjutant General, “SAMUEL J. TILDEN,” That 1s, the Governor, who should discharge the du- ties of Commander-in-Chief, substitutes data furnished him trom the Adjutant General’s office for, and instead of a detailed report which he himself, as military Chief of the State, should submit. to the Legislature. The data from the Adjutant General's office should aid him only, And indeed, from the very beginuing of his report, it secms that the Aqjutant General is conscious of being himself the commanding general in reality, and not chief of staff. He authoritatively says:—“Neverthe- less, a few months’ exporicnce convinced me that a suMctent reduction in the number of organizations bad not yet boen made, and therefore MANY DISBANDMESTS HAVE BEEN EFFECTED during the current year.’’ Here the Adjutant General assumes the réle.of Com mander-in-Chiet, for nis saying that be being convinced that a further reduction in thi number of organizations was necessary, and how it was effected, plainly shows that the disbandmenis were made because he ordered them; whereas, so far from possessing such power, tho Adjutant General has not e authority to recommend a measure like this to the Commander-in-Chief, that being a duty which be- longs exclusively to the Inspector General’s depart- ment, In his extra oficial communication to the Legis- lature the Adjutant General says:—‘-I called attention to the fact that for all purposes that a standing army rould be required by the State, the National Guard an- swered perteetly well, and that the expense to the Hate of only $10 per man yearly was certainly tery moderate.” There can be no question about its veing “very moderate ;”” but how an officer who is vir- wally at the head of the State militia could undertake jo assert that in its present state of organization the National Guard ‘answers pertectiy well for all pur- poses that a standing army could be required by the State,” is mexcusable, A statoment like this, under present circumstances, is incomprehensible, At the beels of this remarkable announcement the Adjutant General tells the public that he recommended the an- nual appropriation should this year be $250,000. It must be evident that the keeping of 20,000 soldiers who will answer perfectly ull purposes that a stand:ng army could, is ridiculously cheap at the sbove figures. If the State were but one quarter as economical in all other departments, many millions of dollars would be saved to the taxpayers, " Wefind by the Adjutant General’s annual volume the further information that during the year ono brigade was consolidated, and five regiments, one bat talion and ane separate battery have been disbanded; and one troop, three battories and seven separate com- panies of infantry were organized last year. At pres- ent the National Guard (State) consists of cight divis- troops of cavalry; one battalion and eleven separate patteries of artillery, and twenty-Ove regiments, twelve Dattalious and soven separate companies of infantry— in all comprisirg 1,596 commissioned officers and 17,908 non-commissioned officers, musicia vates—nraking an aggregate of 19,413 officers, n missioned officers and rank and file. Alter another quotation from his report of 1870 the Adjutant General concludes that “WIELD DAYS FOR TARGET PRACTICR” tre of much more benefit to the troops than encampments, without even hinting at the idea Uhat both exercises might be combined (an idea which the troops, of their own accord, have set about carry- ing into practice at Creedmoor). men aro informed tbat rifle nave ovened forces of the ‘Sixth, me and Eighth districts, that ‘more will probably be os- coming your y ject of disbundments, the Adjutant es DO bones about vei that be—uot the ni uch study and attention | could not bat ject ioine con yoo that the number of regim city (New York) uid be reduced,” and he ro- ab. Where he got his authority a not informed; for, until the Adjutant Gen- eral State of New York assumed the power of “redueing the number of regiments,’’ ne Is au ‘he no sinall inconvemences of having 00 *he on- a man who knows nothing at all about military |. .tters at the head of the National Guard, and on the otn F AN AMATEUR SOLDIER, in the Adjutant General's office; wo, whetner through ignorance or assumption, performs the duties of Com- mander-in-Chief without even making an logy to she Governor of the State. It may very well that the Governor has neither time nor inclination to Joox after military affairs, and therefore his chiet of taif i# substituted in his place; then jet the Adjatant General be recognized as the commanding general of the \ational Guard, and let us bave no more military anomalies in the war department of the State gevern- do T ment as he Weare told that ‘the Bureau of Military Statistica i power, remains in charge of Miss L. Dempeey, whose careful se al deserves eve commends to who Miss Dempse: 1, ner who placed her at the bead of the Bureau of Silt. | tary Biatisties, ‘but 1 must be patent to any one that a lad: is altogether out of place in such a position. If that bureau is properly Sees, matters must be treated in it of whieh baraly anybody outside the rank of a scientific officer can deal with intelligently. We find, however, that the Bureau of Military Statistics submits a report covering a couple of pages in the Ad- jutant General’s book, which are devoted to re- counting the circumstances connected with the reception of war These consist of two banners, which were ouce borne by the Eighty-third regiment of New York State v teers, and two national flags of Hanover that have ubtiess been stowed away in some secret corner in county by the stanch old Tories who sup. | Gree ported the royal cause 100 years ago and xloried im the deeds of theirGerman allies. Miss Dempsey also gives short list of names ot parties who, during the year, have given “geucrous contributions to the library Of the bureea,’’ 5i jo states tbat the number of persons who visited the museum last year was 10,000, rather a small showing for the military museum ol ¢: Kmpire State. Miss Dempsey is mindtul of acknow! edging the Adjutant General’s ‘thoughtful, and judt- cicus care over this branch of the depart it and on joldiers thank you for the interest and manifested for the memory atever that may mean. OB officers and raok and tile, from w! deducted the Filty.fifth, Seventy: sixth regiments oi infantry, of the First division, aod Battery A of the Second; thus leaving an actual force of 19,457 mon ot all arms on the rolls. Inspector General attributes the very great disproportion be- he men present at the different parades which ental miu: counting for the absence of atthe merit of being a novel one; many people who have looked a little below tho suriace dncined to the opinion that the small musters of on inspection parades aro attributable more to tefectivi tem of organization than to any oth cause, Inspector Generat believes it to be a wi policy to keep the aggregate force under the number established by law. Nobody will dispute with him the wisdom of obeying the uw; but when he opiaee thi it ig uot desirable to recruit corps up to their maxi- mum strength, and suggests that the minimum force of acompany be reduced to thirty-two enlisted mem, | ican hardly be doubted that the majority of miluary Hed, will take issue with hin ments were made up of compan: mustering only thirty-two men, and that they would present the same ave! portion of absentees from parades and inspections that she other corps ere have, what sort of a showing would such tactical un’ make ona field day? Aton company regiment so ganized would not make a division of two companies, and the Inspect neral would be compelled, in co Plance with the law, to muster them out, as mot ber up to the maximum minimum required by statute; so that if this suggestion were carried into practice it would lead to a muster out of all those regiments that might adopt it, DISCIPLINE AND DRILL. Touching the most important matters of discipline and drili tte Inspector Geueral says he can only re- port that the National Guard bas the germs (the italics beloax to General Woodward) of future improvement. will barely enable them to “keep their company in mo- wiihout falling into absolute contusion.” Th ery discouraging state of things, but there is for it until a thorough reorganization of the hal! place at its head soldiers who know thoir nd cau impart instruction to their subordi tes, AS we now stand, when a new division, bri- gade or regimental commander is wanted, the qualifi- Cations sought alter are wealth and political influence in the caudidate, not professional knowledge and a good military record. The commander cao learn to stick on a spavined cob, anyhow, at the bead of bis force, and that seems to be about all th i pected of him. ‘There are, to be sure, some honorable excep- tule, but they are few. or General finds that ‘‘the material com- g the National Guard ef the very best,” and goes on to tell how the proper “instruction of (his ma- terial 1s very difiicuit.”? it generally believed vy military ‘authorities, and is so jaid down in the te: books, that the mea’ composing an army or any po tion of it are classed with the personnel, not the m: terial, which latter consists of rifles, drums, cannon, ammanition and such like steres, arms und equip: ment: Napoicon is reported to have ones said that ba: thiuk nowadays, and it was perhaps in this sense that the Inspector General wished to be un- derstood when he wrote about the difficulty of in- structing the material. The General very properly says that the elective system of supplying officers to the National Guard cannot be defended on military grounds, itshould therefore either bo moditied or abolished altogouber, aud a judicious system of pro- motion from the lowest to the highest grades, based on ability and Gtness alone, adopted instead. Alter saying that he could only report that the National Guard bas the gernis of future improvement in it, the Lospector General makes the perplexing an- pouncement, under the head of discipiine, that ‘in the many drilis and parades which I have witnessed I have failea to detect any breach thereof.’’ This sets the military reader to think whether the failure to detect, originates in the General’s leniency with the troops or in some unaccountable obtuseness as to what dovs con- stitute such breach. But it may be conciuded safely that when speaking of discipline he means tactics only. ‘Tactics are one branch of discipline; subordination aad a knowledge of military regulations are others, and tho whole united go to make up discipline. The General, ater conienting himsell with reporting only THE “GERMS OF FUTURE IMPROVEMENT”? unaceountably enough says that ‘discipline is as per- tect in the Natioual Guard as it is possible to be in a volunteer force.” Let the reader judge for himself which of these two conflicting statements is the true one, The real state of the case is that with the excep- tion of the Seventh and two or throe other regiments in the First division, and the Twenty-third and Thirty- secund in the Second division, there 1s not a corps about New York or Brooklyn tnat can decentiy march past a reviewing officer by columo or companics. And to say that (here is any cerps in either division that could go through the evolutions laid dows in the school of the battalion, would be an assertion bordering upon the extravagant. It would be difficult to find a iiner body of men than the Seventh regiment, either in or ontof the regular army; their march in review is suporb; but place the Seventh on a fair field and let the regiment makean advance in line for the short detance of 200 yards, then see what its dressivug will be. Notthe most enthusiastic admirer of our crack regiment ‘vill undertuke to say that it could make the advance without shattering iront. If this is true of the Seventh, how would it be with the other corps? RIFLE PRACTICE js in the National Guard an anomalous rank ot “General Inspector of Rifle Practice.” The officer who holds the position is acoloncl, not a hence he should be ‘led Colonel inspector reeable to make the rank contorm to the distinction without much of a differ difference is as great as between du; The General Ii tor tells us that the Ri Practice,”” which most m wl and platoon~ exercises, as laid down in “Up. ton’s Tactics,” “required extensive alterations,” and he, therefore, prepared a revised edition. This ja either getting things a little mixed by calling a manual ot rifle practice what is omy meant for the manner of carrying on target practice, or the General Inspector is assuming a rather grave sponsibility in altering the established infantry tac to suit bis own funcy, The inspector repu old method (and a very good one, too) of bag in arming drill and recomime: tripod as a substitute. This tripod anew tor thi he “sul a new and ingenious invention; but officer will contend that a military rifle y 1n practice other than that in actual servi point to be notice MARKSMEN, The result of the Natwnal Guard riffe practice last year was that at Creedmoor 7,670 members of the dif- jerent corps of the First and Second divisions fired in the third class. and 3,235, or about forty-three per fled. Of these, 802, or about twenty- 3n the second class ty shoot in the 583, or sixty-seven per ” The following state- dard of merit among the National Guard corps of the First and Second ing to conclusions based upon last year’: Figure of Merit. gs 40.15 9—Fitteenth ( 10—Seventy-tirst. 16—siateenth (battalio: 17—Filty-filth ..... CAVALRY, 1—Separate troop, First division. 2—Separate troop, Second division, 3—Washiogton Grays troop, Firat divisi « 38) 4—Third cavalry... 26.71 5—Heparate troop, Kleventh brigade. 6—Rocnester cavair, “+ These results are only practical proofs of Teal progress by tho Nattonal Guard jor the jast tew years. They show that if our citizen soldiery perfect in marksmanship as they it last upon the right road to per- Very much remains to be ac- y Of aiming drill at the armury, in the ranges and theoretical in- judging distance dritt struction in the co wuat 7 The first thr at sirikes oue as singular epon | som Ae the master | oa rolls is the jar, number of absentees. If there isu rate to compel at- tendance at all it should be equally and even'y applied in every case. The commander of any portion of troops should have power to compel presence as such parades, drills, inspections routine duty may order. if bas not this the force under bim is merely a NEW YORK. HERALD, WEDNESDAY, jon,” &e. The | flags in the Military Bureau. | .NOVEMBER 8, 1876.—TRIPI.R SHEET. mod, nothing more; and if he the bringing bis men together and does vot do so, be is un- Mit tor the position in which an indulgent government has placea bim. Take, for instance. the torces of the First division, The Third regiment of cavairy 1s organ- tzed upon a pian applicable only to iufantry regimonts— that 18, into ten troops or companies. Ii it were divided into eight troops, and these again into four squadrons, it would be somewhat manageable. As it 1s bow, the Third eavairy is uothing better than au indifler- ently poor winx on un infantry command, whom some- body took into their heads to mount on sv many cart horses of ail colors, sizes and conditions. The regi- Ment claims to have an effective force of 445 officers and men, of whom 124 were absent ot lust muster in- spectior ‘What a contrast to this is the Seveuth regi iment of infantry, with its 972 officers. and men, of whom 126 were absent en muster day, leaving on the field the ‘splendid showing of 846 men of all ranks. The Ninth regiment, with a total sireagth of 835, turned out 770, leaving but 65 ab- seatees to be accounted for. Where absence without leave is the ruie, not the exceptiou, tii doing cb’ Spend The Iwenty-fifth regiment had at iuepec- tion 287 men present and 210 absent; the Forty-fourth battalion 116 present and 186 absent, so that 1 fact, according to democratic pariiamentary ruling (to Bay pothing about military regulations), the battalion was not present at all, 48 only a minority of its members t im an appearanee, The Forty-ninth regiment and ‘itietb and Fifty-tirst battalions wore little betier off. The Filty-fourth ana Fifty-sixth regiments did pearly as badly, and the gallant old Sixty-ninth followed the same poor example by coming on the parade ground with 486 present and 261 absent. Lt 1s useiess to mul- Uply such flagrant examples of atter nogiect or incom- petency. Coming to the recapitulation by divisions, the mill- tary reader is astonished to find 1 mmand in the Siate—the First division, that of General Sbaler, vomposed of a total of 6,21 nsapection Pose —p with 4,905, showing the lamentable defie absenices, The Fourth civision of 208, of whom 40 are comm: this numorous array 58 officers and men were ab- sent, so that the entire division present tor service was up of 125 oMes the other ms in the in! are not much stronger, and 1t 1s nothing short of a farce to call them military’ 01 tions at ali, se a number of them have not men enougtt to Dattahon. Retorm of some kiud i The Adjutant Gai der of militia forces in the SI number 19,459 men are armed and uniformed, but very far irom being instructed as they should be, How, in- deed, can this be ibie on the sum of $250,000 or $275,000 a year? ‘Ten dollars per m: which the Legislature believes should suiliee to uni- form and equi roops into whose bunds toe immo- detence and interior of a State coniaining ara contided. Uificers to which they belong. right mor just to let them do # very member of community should bear his equal portion of the puvlic rden, and of course the deienders of the country’s institutions, the men who would expose their bosoms to the bullet that the State might prosper, should be exempt not only from petty annoyance of jury duty, but also from the self-imposed task of spending their own money as well as time lor the be: fitof the public service. Let the appropriatior liberal; plase the control of the militia in the hands of officers whose professional abilities will be a invee for the future ef the National Guard; give such officers the full power to control the attendance of their men; grant a just compensation to all ranks for their services when called to arms; modify tho present defective ey code, and ip a short time the change for the better will be hailed with applause by everybouy. Thero 1s another point to be touched. It is m to break up organizations. It a reg ment, battalion or other tactical unit camnot must the maximum minimum of strength requi 1¢ would be far better to reduce its cadre o! connected with the history of such corps. ould unfortunately lose the necessary to maintain itn standing, let it continue to # battalion; or, failing in th by placing the colonel and lieutenunt colone! un the ist of supernumeraries. There is subody who knows anything of the history of the cld Seventy-ninth mont who does not greatly regret its being mustored out, Above all, it sbould be remembered that if the militia be properly deait with by the authorities in Albany there wili be no need of mustering out any of the ores composing 1, ner yet of wit! ing such a miserable showing ax may be noted in last year’s mas- ter inspection returns. THE IRISH OARSMEN. THEIR APPRECIATION OF AMERICAN HOSPI- TALITY—THEY GIVE FULL TESTIMONY 1O AMER‘CAN GENEROSITY. Dvnu, Oct. 26, 1876. The Condon leading sporting journal, The Field, had aseries of papers in Soptember professing to describe “the late Amateur Regatta at Philadelphia.” These Papers contained some very severe strictures on the Management of the cycle of boating events with which Philadelphia sought to honor the Centennial of Inde- pendence, on the conduct of persons concerned with the superintendence of those events, and on the treat- ment dealt out to the foreign crews, who had crossed the Atlantic at the invitation of the oarsmen of America, and found when too late that “American honor was only a broken reed.’? These papers ad- vanced very serious charges indeed. ‘‘Smartnoss” was, of course, according to the writer, displayed on all ‘occasions and inregard to all circumstances. Atiemp' were made ‘to drag the drink of the Londom crew."’ “Yankee [clearly the writer’s acquaintance with American topography would not entitle him toa first class cortificate) cunning’’ was always on the watch to outwit the simple islanders. Indeed, if justice existed on Pennsylv soil, many of the Americans conu- nected with the regatta should have found themselves io dock to answer most grave criminal charges falling little if at all short of attempts to murder, The Field circulates extensively ip the United King- dom. It isan authority, The reputation of the sup- posed writer of those papers is world- wide Hence thelr gravity and importance could ngt well pe overrated. If there was any fair foundation for the accusations, so specifeally made and fo fiercely pressed, the good name of American \boating and Ameriean oarsmen was de- stroyed with the present generation at all events, WHAT THE DUBLIN BOYS BAY. Under these circumstances I deemed it a duty to ascertain the views of the Irish oarsmen on the sub- ject as soon as they returned home. Iam glad to be able to assuro you that, so far as they are concerned, or the events in which they were interested, they use Very different language trom the writer in the Fieid. They declare they hud ‘a splendid time” while in ‘America. They consider that the race they rowed with the Eureka crew was most fairly rowed and lost, ‘They say that if the course had been straight they would bave won; but that the bend of the river and their outside position were equivalent to two boat longths them. But then all this was. the “fortune of war, nd they do not quarrel with the vietors, Some’ mi-understanding existed tor a short time about the Graduates’ race; but it was only a wisupderstanding which was quite intelligivic, and Gisappeared at ouce when explanations were inier- changed. ‘They certainly can complain of no iil- treatment, no ‘cunning’? employed so “outwit” them and no “smartness.” From what I bave beon able to gather | surmise that the source of the sweep- ing denunciations of the Field is that sprete injuria forma, which, the Latin poet warn: is enough to ups the balauce of qyen divine iminds. The 10- tolerance which American gentlemen, surely not un- naturally, manitested for imsulting condemnations of r country, its usages, its peuple, its principles, was the first causa lelerrima belli. The cruai disap- puintment at the deieat of the London crew made the cup of bitterness overfiow, IKK OF HEAVENLY MINDS, Itis proof, were proof wanting, that the serene minds of sporting critics, judges, umpires, are suscep- tinle of mundane Influences, and may become as warped by the tof prejudice as those of down: be t partisans. ‘The Irishmen are enthusi the generous hospitality accorded to them. d experi throughout Washington, iy cont of expense. Nay, thi exereised by their ¥ spent nothing, At Washin; chased wapaper at 1! hey One of their hosts hap; e' for anything, y at the moment, tor his paper he pay, but it testified as the chivalrous ican hosta Indved the Iris rosity of the Ai m it quite with whieb American wants, aud in fact invented wishes m 4n order to fulOlthem, They the ratiways from New York to Philadel; back to oon i it desires tor ‘avelled free on ail kinds, One of ti in Washington he scarco! ing four da; Ny, hours, his time was so filled ap with delightful I might occupy h yred with what they say. enjoy: ment. me-—the “grand time’! ‘dye treated; what a wonderlul country Americais! And eapecially warm are they in their Latin of Commodore tp Ser ‘sbi jachelor pitality ih ‘ge Club at Philadelphia and the Analosta: Others may the Al bus the Trish oarsmen will certainly not pall in that boat It would have been a pe iMapporntment if they had come back with any ing of estrangeme! a the Republic with which so many of their countrymen are connected by the most affect jo ties. As io the animus of the writer in the Fie/d, it in quite enough to look at a paper he has also contriduted (September 23, 6 381), entitled “Now York to Niagara and Home,” ba especially to (Me gross ana vulgar caricature of American manners on board ship which occurs to- ward the end of ths paper. Ne impartial man could have written thus. I am very glad that no Irishman has been guilty of this slanderous impertinencs. I guces the ela oaramen would not be sorry to have an Opportanity of again a ring on American waters and trying conclesions with & of America’s amateur ' of THE LABOR CONGRESS. | Female Slave Markets, in French Nunneries, | HAREMS IN LARGE SHOPS Prison Work Ruining Honest Mothers and Daughters. WHAT THE GREAT CITIES SAY Panis, Oct. 28, 1876. The Congress of Workingmen wi opened tm a quiet and orgerly manner, and it intends to deal | much with the work of women, Citizen Irénée Danthier, a working saddler and dele- gate from Vhiladelphia, discourses with mueh omo- tion upon female labor. Like most hall-educated men, he has got up his subject rather too learnedly, and he quotes Beranger, Voltaire, La Chatre, Pierre Vincard ana I,ouis Blanc as though he relished tne mere pro- | nouncing of their names. When he has got through | his quotatio.s the native good senso of a kind-hearted | | man peeps out more freely from behind his words, “The diminution of women’s work both in profits and quantity,” says Citizen Danthier, ‘proce in part from tho number of our convents, I vo not | to attack religion, but | mast potnt out that of late years CONVENTS HAVE BRCOME MANUPACTORIES where a very brisk business isdove. Some of these establishments, which should be entircly devoted to Teligious meditation, are wholly given over to money making. Several pious sisterhoods are contractors on | largo scale, They have thousands of young girls in | their employment; the work of these girls costs noth- 19g and solls for much, while they are really currying | on a monstrous competition against their own mothers | and sisters, Nuns can underseli other women also, | because they have no claims on their earuings, They | have neliher parents nor children to keep, and they pay few or no taxes. In consequence of tho MURDEROUS COMPETITION OF NUNNERIES, & marriod woman who has ner housebold work to do can hardly earn moro than filteen sous a day, if sho | tries till she breaks her heart. Very often sho cannot make half thatsum. If the manufactories in convents | were suppressed she could earn avout two (ranes daily. This difference in one between plenty and want In truth the religious protectors of children aro the op- pressors of their parents. Tet us look inside tho con- vents, where crowds of young women are shut up and forced to work from six to eight hours daily with needle and thread. We find that girls of twenty have weak sight and wenk chests; they are unfit to be | wives and mothers; they are female machines who say Pater Noster when wouod up, In the prospectus of | the great shop ealled ‘The Louvre’ you will sce written that no article sold is machine made; overy- thing is stiiched by women’s hands. A HUNDRED A! VIFTY CONVESTS work exclusively forthe Louvre, Many other large shops deal with other pious communities. Moreover, knew, not long ago, one M. Gamard, curé of Rel viller (Eure-et-Loire, 1 think), who reeeived large cases of laflies’ chemises and drawers from a linen drapor in the Kae du Sentier, and this boly man { caused them to be made up by the ladios of his con- | gregation, 1 have an idea that ‘he made a good profit by that most Chfistian notion. He contracted, in fact, | to supply labor, which cost him little or sothing, and could always find a market for it, At Morangis, near | to Lonjumeau, aiso there is 1 A CONVENT OF WASHERWOMER, They keep two horses to fetch and carry dirty linon, and the worthy sisters uodorsell all the women in their | neighborhood. “It we leave the convents and enter the prisons we find that the prices paid for female prisoners’ work is so absolutely low that the prisons are maintained by poor rates. Prisonsruin honest female labor. The oficial reports published by the Ministry of the Inte- rior for the year 1876 declare that the prisoms for women are:—Auberise, Cadillac, Clermont, Doulleus, Hagueneau, Montpelier, Ren Vannes. In these prisons all kinds of women's work 1s done at prices against which it is impessible for free lavor to con. tend. Girls often commit crimes for want of work, and they are deprived o! work by the compotition of crim- their employers, Thus about sixty france is charged by dressmakers for tho fashion ef adress. The work- woman, who really makes it, receives fitcen francs, and her mistress pockets forty-ive. Women should co-operate divide their gains fairly.’’ The citizen orator quotes Bossuct, who is not necossary, to sup. port this pleasant notion, and then sits down amid a great storm of applause, and the printing of his speech at tho expense of Congress is voted unanimously. It 18 a bad thing for convents, 4 PRMALE CITIZEN, Tho Citizeness Raouit risesamid loudcheers, and, in aclear, ringing voice, reads a summary of facts not geperally known respecting women's work. Shv de- clares that the chief cause at work hostile to female Inbor is the meddling of mon with feminine occupa- tions, Women who perform the tasks left to them are underpaid. The price current for making shirts is three francs adezen, A good workwoman can make six shirts in twelve hours, This gives her a protit of one franc a day wages. Women’s drawers are made at 2£ 40c, the dozen, A workwoman who is active ean make four pairs a day; gain, eighty contimes. Handkerchiefs are hemmed at fiity centimes a dozen. Avory smart necdiewoman can hem two dozen and a half ina long day. This will joave her lf. 200, wages, after deduct the cost of her needles und thread, Goods are delivered by the workwomen to the shops twiee a week, About half 4 day 15 lost on each occasion, Total, five days’ labor for the working week. Dolls’ shifts, small size, a large article of export, are paid twenty-five centimes adozen. About twelve of them ean be made in three hours. A linen araper in the Rue de Clery has bad some ladies’ morning gowns of a new fashion made this season. They had flounces, and were trimmed atthe pockets and siceves with seven butcons infront He patd fiity centimos each for making them. Mechanical work is paid at the rate of five centimes per tour yards, We cannot live by this labor and WOMEN STARVE ON SEWING MACHINES. ie partly amusing, partly pathetic. It is 1, Citiseness Raoult, bet: thirty, with a ebrill, piercing voice wheo in earnest, hereby declare that | am thin work and ov mach d this misery, and until we cau keep life in our wholesome, moderate toil without SELLING OUR BODILY AND SOULS FOR BRKAD. Bgormous applause, with much geperal admiration of Mile Raouit's bair and eyes. nounarx. Now, respecting mon aud their labor, Let us bear what the great cities say. Citizen Delegate Bonve ngress for auy tatal effects of heart disease which may manifest themselyes during the course of his speech, and standing uprignt as rep- of the ancient town of — Roubi upon the fatth of an hovest man who ko wat he ts about to die suddenly and soon, delivers bimselt as ftollows:—Fitty-flve per cent week—no The father of a iamsly comprising a wite aod Six small children cannot give them all food, hes, warmth or shelter for flteen francs spread over seven days, Some of the workmen in Roubaix earn, traly, $4and even $) a week, but their work is of the laborers I represent carn $3 | mor tiv | much harder, and their position 1s little improved, for they have more bad seasons. A very jew skilled me chanies contrive occasionally to find as much as $6 A week. The price of food at Roubaix is as high as in all other centres of industry, and IL know many = married workmen wh thus forced to ask for charity or The first question, however, put to them by the authorities js, *‘How many children bave you?’ in Upon public benevolence. 1n this manner workmen are reduced to ver, they are obliged to tnke credit for all they me, andthe shopkeepers with whom they deal, and who are often only less poor thon themselves, © them pay Ceeniy op thirty per cent more than the prices charged tor ready money. When a work- man is thrown out of employment fora few weeks ho tumbles almost hopelessly into debt and despair. Our liverty is restrained within as narrow bounds as that of workmen in other commercial cities, Employers getup CLUBS OF GOODY-GOODY WORKMEN, and those who do not belong to those clubs havo a hard job to live. In time of sickness a workman is obliged to go to a hospital and abandon bis tumi'y. When he comes out probably he hag no tamily. Per- haps he learns somethivg of what has happened to tho boys; itis harder to know what has vecome of bia wile and daughters, Our workmen are under the thuinbs of employers, because their masters own even the houses in which they live, ana it is impossible ior them to find a roof to protect them from wind aud Weather uniess they submit unconditionally to the terms imposed oa them. New and then these bouso | owners algo keep shops, and thoir tenants are obliged to vuy tho first necessaries of lile trom them, At election time, when workmen’s votes xhould count, no worktnun dares to volo as be would wish to vote, because ho is held fast in the grip of his land!ord and master, A free vote would mean ruin tohbim., Its | true we have Des Conseils de yru dhommes, which were established in 1809 to settle difforences between masters and men, But they furnish merely colorable pretexts for vexing us, Lecanse both the presidents and vice presidents of these tribunals are employers, and the masters thus have a casting voto all dis- cussions. Agitation and association are tho only possible remedies which | can sugyest tor our most miserable and oppressed condition, BORDEAUX. Citizen Delegate Dulau, irom the wine country, blows bis nose witha sound like a trumpet call, and speaks on behalt of fourteen corporations, who bave his flery Southern tongue as their mouthpiece, —sHoulth and fraternity to the Congress from ‘The position of our workmen { gethor out of keeping with the price of food and everythin: else which honest tolk require to bring up their tami Hes. To better our position my fellow workmen have sent me here. ‘Thoeyesof Citizen Dulau suine like Diack diamonds and he sbows an admirable set of working toc smiling shape, to the Congres this point, afier whieh he resuimes the thread of nis The average wages at Bordeaux are about jal daily. From this sum Sundays ust be deducted, because the Sunday and feast day closing system is enlorved with great vigor among us. Bad seasons, the vine sickness and the diseases which resuit from fatigue and privation afte us cracily. Ab the year's end workman can seldom count that be has gati thousand francs, 11 we take his rent, his clotnes and ional expenses, hardly two traues a day is 16:6 id drink, When he basa wile and even a couple of children it is impossible ior bim to supply them with the necessar: 8 not to be forgotten that the mind bus its needs as well as the fl y must be taught og well as fed. Wages d from ton to Lf per ceat of late price of tood has augmented sixty per therefore, worse off than. belore, To T propose A UNITED SYNDICATE FOR ALL FRANCE. ‘is should be the head of this great bor Provinces iis members, The thivg is easily mi A good understunding and © smailsum of money will suitice to found the tostitntion, Wo have already shown them that we cam act together im harmony. Now, about money. The delegates present to-day rep- resent a million workingmen. If hb of their repre. sentatives subseribe twenty-five cen week to onr common fund in a few years it will be a very large one, Ifany one rpmarks this is along job, I answer we have already been waiting 1,876 years. Every government before and since the flood has, however, promised us something, so that our patience was as sorely tried previous to the Christian era, but_no government bas ever xiven us what it promised. Together we shall bo abie to do something; alone we must always be erushed by the capitalist, He carries on the war agaiust pov- erty for iorty or fifty yorrs, apd ther, broken down, rheumatic and beggared, he is trundied off first to a hospital, them toa pauper’s grave. Let us sow @ bot- ter crop for our children tnan we have reaped, ST. HTIENNE, Citizen Delegate Boissonnet is an enger, restless man, with strange bright eyes and twitening hands, who takes the tribane with x bound and speaks out his mind abruptly, as though be could uot afford to jose ime. Acurions mind hus Citizeu Boissonnet, full of unsuspecto’ deptus and gene shailows, His words have an impulsive flow, with gleams of clo- quence hovering vver them, like rays of sunshine above a babbling brook wanderiog through fretted shadows:—‘‘Fact is,” thinks the citizen, “there aro constant rows among the provincial syndicates. Di- rectly a syndical chamber is coustituted anywhere throughout the country the local pretect and his satel lites begin to watch it with an attentiveeye. If it succeeds in bettering the workmen’s lot employers uke pot shoisatit out of the government batteries. It 1% does uot succeed the authorities leave it to gu to the dogs its own road, deemity tnat such things are best not meddied with if they will only come to naught without pushing. It was I, the Citizen Bois- sonnet, established a syndical chamber at St. Eticnno t rsago. I had 460 adherents ana our funds were in. a good :ondition, My proceedings, however, per ed the master ribbon makers and they de- nounced us as enemies of pndlic order. We were sup- pressed accordingly with a high band, and since then have wronged us as they pleasod, We ples,” MARSEILLES. Citizen Nonnois, deiegate workman from Mi has a look of quiet scorn ior employers contemptu manter of speaking about les, certain y 10 see that he 1s a brave, calm-hearted man who has turnea a gallant front to misfortune, but he must bave been foariully mauled betore be gos that compieie convic- tion touching the cruel and callous dis! @ citizen, coolly, workmen when trade is dull and lowers rates, If they complain his reply 1 briet and stern :— ‘Take the work on my terms or leave 1. There's the door.’ Now, what happens? The workman having Deen cheated by his employer begins to cheat in turn. He cannot, indeed, a goou labor at the price paid him; therefore be begins to scimp his work, and aucrifices quality to quantity. Both elegance’ and durability are thus disappearing from our manufac- tures. Tho laborer cannot put thought into his work. ‘Trade and industry, being thus sorely discouraged, ae- generate instead of progressing, and brilliant inven- tions are growing fewor and iewer. I{ we are obliged much longer to work under the present conditions im- posed upon us we shall nut deliver work to tne con- sumer, but ‘THX PHANTOM OF WORK, which will not even have the outward semblance of Moreover they contract terrible diseases, and there 18 a maiady now known to doctors as ‘‘she machine sick- ness.’ Nevertheless, women who work by the machi: jm shops are requ'red to Jabor for ten and twelve hours aaily, though seienco deciarcs that it ig impossible for any woman to work at a machtno more than six hours daily without injuring herseit permanently. Three honrs’ consecutive work at a machine is enough to ex- the strength of aay womun. Four women are necos- 'y 10 work one newiug machine for a summer day of xioen hours; ti aid relieve each other every for i these big re, Now the large shops are THAN WORK FROM UB. Weare paid thirty centimes for making a pir of ntaloor id nimbie fingers oan make two d first ous of honor and workwomen to design soll these patterns to convenin, are made up by the dozen at prices quite Work which in fact, done by slave labor. Poor little yy come out from the convents they know nothing of ae Da because they ha ple a ir other girl ros, Asother thing we com- of is that ng TAKE WOMEN’S TRADES. ploughbo; Hairaressit clothes tried on by mer fine ladies seem to like it, There are men who put up packets of pins and needles, meto out laces by tho yord, put artificial flowers into stiver paper and work at the sewiag machine, If this goes on WOMEN MUST BECOME BOAVENGERS, hodmen, bricklayers and carpentera in conclusion, reality. If French goods are to preserve their reput.- tion in European commerce in the teeth of the competi- ton in other countries workmen must be sufficient); paid in order that they may be stiinulated to work bet ter und bett The public, the whole world, will g: being just to us, for it is better to give $4 for a good whieh will last, say four mont’ than to give one that will not, three weeks, Moreover, peopie should bay over cheap th Anoshor fair complaint of the works employer net only waiks off with the tnoney vi his labor, but also with jt» honors, and whe: workingiman discovers the stuil for'a patent bh ter receivos the Legion of Honor or the ter onal exhibition forthe glory he has, im truth, st Masters grow rich; workmen never grow riob. ‘They fatten others, while they remain lean.” BRSANCON, Citizen Delegate Pentey, an agricultural reformer, from the sober heart of Frauche Comité, stood tairiy up, facing the Congress, then he passed his hand ner- vously through his hair till he 1ookod a very touzied orator, but there wasa sturdy strength about the man which at length drove the timidity out of him with roar. Perhaps it might be more correct to say that his voice went of like a gong ora cannun sbot ashe spoke thas:—*{he land wauts workmen. Good soil is fallow and untilled for the waat of them. Towns have too many hands—tdie hands. This ts bad for soctety. The glut of workmen io towns permits employers and contractors to fix the prices of the labor market. T' can undertake contracts at the lowest rates, rates en- tirely uoremunerative, because they can slways get dauee of laborers ready to work at star Let the peasant, then, keep to bis augmenting the misery and surpl towns Ho will be bappier ateiligently followed, is au Bs business, it that agriealti thrive Iaborers should be free, and there be & syndical association in town,” Citizen Fuziiier, a delogate of the Parisian shoema- kers, observes that one may be astonished tu sec shoes Ucketdd at ten trance a pair, while the wages o! work. ers in leather should average six francs a day m Paris. But these shoes are made in prisons, where the pay of a laborer ia seventy-five centimes a da: from this soant wage there are so many deduct! that the prison workman seldom really touches a third ot the sum. Morcover, the contractor who lives on prison labor, having no rent, taxes or foremen to pay, economines at least sixty percent, Syndicates would remedy that abuse, for it moans that honest labor ts ‘andersold by that of thieves, a fair young woman, under ! ll annie THE PETROLEUM CONSPIRACY. WHAT THE PRODUCERS HAVE TO SA¥—A NOTION THAT THERE 18 4 COMBINATION TO CONTROL PRICES AND WHAT MAY COME OF IT. The following communication has been received at the Herap office: — The editorial ou the petroieam industries has at- tracted attention. Enclosed you may find some items tm relation to the magnitude of the industry which may be of vaine to your readers. If so you are wel- come to them, provided you give ascredit. They are from the advance sheets of a work to be soon pub- lished and they have uever appeared in print, Re- epectfally, DENSLOW & BUSH. Petroleum was the main topic of conversation yes. terday. That crade oil was to be a power in manufac: turing parposes was indisputabic, and when this was Trecognized—unless some other agency should be in- troduced to supersede it—its power was undoubted, A sbort history of this wonderful agent may not be inappropriate hore :— HOW O11 18 FOUND. Tho Pennsylvania petroleum is found ina sand. stone formation lully 1,000 feet below the lowest coal measures, the Butler county oil-bearing rock lying fully 300 feet below the level of the sea, The general public entertain the idea tbat it 4s the result of the distillation of coal ut scientists and practical opera. tors deny any connection between tho coal apd ot! measures, Hitherto science has afforded but little light upon the origin of rock oil, whilo operators have given more attention to processes for extracting if trom the earth than to the Investigation of the ques- tion as to how it came there, There aro but tew facts which will supportany theory wh: rer, and those Point to s product of the decomposition of aquatic plants and animals, as coal is the result of emormous deposits of vegetation, Otb authoritios have as- sertod that it is the resalt of distillation in the carth’s crust, As yet ts origin is utterly undetermined, in the winter of 1858-9 Coronel E. L. Drake, of New Haven, Conn., started an artesian well on an island in Oil Creck, a smail tributary of the Allegheny River, A neighboring spring bad fora long time given out about twenty barrels of petroleum in each year, whieh had been bottled and sold tor medical purposes, under the name of “Seneca Ol.” 1s was with a view of in- creasing this yield that the artesian well was started. Iu the latier part of August, 1859, the drill reached the vil-bearing rock at adepth of seventy-one fect, and resulted im#yield of over 1,000 gallons per day. For centuries the Indians of that section had col- lected the otl from the creek by spreading their blankets upon its surface, their labors being rewarded by small lots, with which they mixed their war paint or which they burned to tilumine their feasts and war dances, During these centuries no effort had bees made to sccaro it in large quantities, and the first o to drill for the product had caused 'a glut in the mi kot by producing twenty-fire var perday. But subsequent evouts showed that ( 1 Drake builded greater than le kuew. iis near resembiauce to crade coal oil—the first product of the destructive distillation of coal—led imanulacturers to subject petroleam to thone same pro- cerses to which crude coal ol was subjected in the manufacture of an illuminator, and in a day a demand for the product was ¢' From a daily sicid of twenty-five barrels, 50,000 barrels production has been reuched and passea.* From sal of filty cent vials for corns, chilvla:ns and rbeumatism. transactions huve eniarged to entire cargoes, and ure daily carried from our shores to every part of the globe. From seventy-une feot—th th of the initial effort—the o ‘a shalt 1,700 feet m Indeed, some wells bu been drilled to a ot nearly 4,000 feet stead of a iwenty-tiv “pumper,” operator bas sometimes been rowarded ‘by a thousand barrel “speuter,” and ove well on Dougherty farm, near Petrolia, fluwed 4,890 barrela during the first twenty-tour hou: From a product unknown among Ameriean exports in 4 decade of years tothe third posi passed only by grain and cotton. Between the incep- f the industry (say 1860) and the beginning of the Pp t year (1876) it bas brought tnto the Unned States more than $400,000,000 in gold—almost equal (it tho heavy premium on gold during the civil be considered) to entire amouut of the circulating ation, including the treasury notes From serving at of savages it bas arisen positioa mm the world as an id w entor millions of houseboias, carrying bumamzing and civiiizing effects which can bardly be estimated, From Coione Drake, the solitary operator of with bis singl assistant, the ber receiving employment trou drilliog bas incr 1d to 2,000 men, while those whe derive support trom pumping, ing petroleum, together with t chanics, salesmen and clerks employed in various cependent industri and among whom may be included machinisis an manutacturers of harrela, boilers, drilling tools, chemi- cals, glue, lamps and the like, would forma larger army than won for us American independence. Nor is the sudden growih of this great industry the most remarkable event in its career. Colossaliortunes havo been inade and dissipated by dealings in a staple which has ever been subject to the most violent fluc- tuations in prices. Crude oll has sold as high as $14 per barrol at the wells when demand has excveded the supply, and, when the soules turned confra, ten cents per barrel has darkened the hopes of producers, Wonderful improvements have been made in all branches of the industry, and Yankee ingenaly bas been taxed to the utmost. It took Colonel Drake eight months to drill seventy-one feet in 1858-9;* but in 1876 Mr. Char! Clarke drilled over 1,500 feet in twenty-eight days, the usual time being six to eight weeks. In the refining branch great improvements have been effected. Many will remember the dark color of oil turned out by refiners in early days. Its offensive oor made even the presence of s lamp an objectionable feature in any room, while the fumes arising from 2 burning lamp were almost unbearable. Crusted wicks and smoky chimnoys uttosted the imperiection of the the illuminator, foremost refin refner's art, annoyed the thrifty housewife and con. trasted strongly with the pure water-white color of the premium sufety oil, ts freedom from odor and ita superior burning qualities, Again, the volatiity of the liquid made its confine. = pmoeed even in the most skilfully prepared bar. rols, Oft atimesa lot of oil would shrink twenty and ven filty per cent while being transported ler, A day's exposure on a platiorm car oF freight depot, wiotly take ead with its neighbor. DON CARLOS EXILED. THE PRETEXDER REQUESTED TO LEAVE PARM | BY THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT—ALFONSG CONSIDERS HIS PRESENCE IN THE CAPITAR HIGHLY DANGEROUS. One of the editors of the Estafette paid a visit to Don Carlos in Paris the other day. During a briet to- terview the Pretender gave his reasons why the French government did not wisi him to live ia France, The editor thus records hig visit: Don Carlos bas taken possession of the handsome residence in the Rue de la Pompe, at Passy, knowa under the name of Hotel Gal, whicn was formerly oc- capied by Queen Christine. We pard a visit to the Dos, who received us with the most sympathetic courtesy. Don Carlos at once presented us to bis little son, the Prince of Asturias, saying to the lad, “His Highoest ‘ought to say ‘bon four’ to the Joman, who i a Frenchman and loves papa and tbe Carliste.”’ The child uttered a few words to his father in Span- ish, to which his father replied, saying, “His Highness should understand that when spoken to in the presence of a Freachman be should spoak in tho French language.” Faltering for child auswered, ‘| had forgotten, sir;”’ to ux, he said,'“Good day, Mr. Fre! same time smiling protuly. Then the little companied us inty his apartments, which were in a separate annex, facing the notel. His apartments con- sisted of a siceping cl ber, — two beds, one forthe Prince and one for Genera Fortuon, his in- stractor, a siudy avd a large room to play in, Tho Prince carried a ittie whip im his hand, the handle at whieh was of sold ivory and having the bust of bis father carved upon it, It was remarkable that in every room and in the Prince’s quarters were images of the Saviour and the Virgin. Alter walking fora minates in the garden with two generals, who did the honors for us in the most gracious manner, we met the four little princesses, daughters of Don Carlos, peo texte the 4 of @ lady of bonor, in silken rol Rearoing to Don Carlos’ study the Pretender re- quested us to be seated, wing offered us a Howing qauestior bi yaa and replied to th 5 s—Sir, do you contemplate remaining long in rince ac- ¥ CARLOB—A few woeks, at least, Wr—Wouild the French a — be opposed to rance’ er. x—And meanwhile Your Majesty a] to have revounced the idoa of regaining the fea nape fonBag by torce of arms? the most formal declara- noel = this Psy In to re-euter 3 ould bave to inal ir civil war; but there was too much blood shed the last for me to wish a reeurrence of similar calamities for poor Spain. Wa. Where’ dees ‘our Majesty propose to reside, Los—1 proposed, if I had obtained permis- sion, to ix my residence in France, to live quietly u little boase and devote myselt exclusively the education of my children; but since this ijavor hae not been granted ine | now propore to lvave the Dota Margarita and her children here fur some time, while { travel! with the Marquis Velaseo, my aido-do.camp, Wx—Well, where do you thiak of going when you leave France? v4 Dox Canros—Certatnly not to Spain, but probebly ve P " oither Beigiam or Switzeriand, eh ee siwaye On taking a BS him Doa deep regret that political ej vo ‘eave ‘the eoil oC France, whi bospitably sheltered Spaniards tn