The New York Herald Newspaper, January 29, 1877, Page 4

NEW YORK HERALD BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR. jshed every day én the year. rae Darts BER Fecye ed). Te dolinrs per LD. Semecn, pee wer Wane ‘per month jor any period less be aE re gerd gre eliars for six months, Sunday wl usiuens we re ictcare or telegraphic despatches must Las nk HRMALD. Letters and packnges should be properly seated, Kejected commun ions will not be returned, VWILADELPHIA OFFICE . 112, SOUTH SIXTH r . LONDON peeroe OF Ftd SEW YORK HERALD— Yr, iS OFFICE—AVENUE DE L/OPEKA, NAPLES OFFICE—NO. 7 STRADA PACE. Subscriptions and advertisements will, be received and forwarded on the same terms as in New York. VOIUME XLII NIBLO'S GARDEN.—Anounp Tux BOWERY THEATRE.—Tux Two Onruans, FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE. “LEMONS, WALLACK'S THEATRE.—Aut ror Hur. BROADWAY THEATRE. ® Tom's CABIN, GILMORE’S GARDEN.—Gnaxp Equxstatax Fustivat, PARISIAN VARIETIAS. BAN PRANCISCO MINS KELLY & LEON’S MINSTR EAGLE THEATRE—Aix«: JANUARY 18i7, NEW YORK, MONDAY, TO COUNTRY #29, NOTICE DEALERS, The Adams Express Company run a special news- paper train over the Pennsylvania Kailroad and its connections, leaving Jersey City at a quarter past four ‘A. M. daily and Sunday, carrying tho regular edition ot the Hexatp as far West as Harrisburg and South to Wasbington, roaciing Philadelphia ata quarter-past six A. M. and Washington at one P. M. From our reports this morning the probabilities are that the weather in New York to-day will be warmer and partly cloudy or cloudy, possibly with light rain or snow, followed. by slightly falling tem- perature, brisk westerly winds and clearing weather, Our Pans Lerren is fall of delightful gossip about music and art. Womas’s Love will show itself even in a police court, as “No Wonder They Parted” tes- tifies with peculiar force. Reap “Sprerruan Am C ENSERS,” and learn how spirits materialize, grow, dress, but fail to pay the rent bills of their associated adorers. Tue Stracnation of certain manufacturing in- terests is indicated with terrible distinctness at Newark, N. J., where one-eighth of the popula- tion is dependent upon public charity. Ose Cuurcu has at last followed the Mas- ter's example, and begun to feed the poor. What ® glorious basis of ‘‘church union” its action would be—an empty stomach knows no differ- ences in creeds! Tne SeQquer to the story of the wreck of the Island Belle is given in our columns to-day, and is the most thrilling of the many tales of dis- aster and suffering at sea that this unusually dis- astrous season has furnished. Memphis last week turn out to have been worms, There is a variety of worm, “the worm of the still,” which has the peculiar faculty of making men “see snakes.” It is not impossible that this particular worm may have had something to do with the original story Tue Ortion or THE Doomep Mo..y Ma- evtres that Archbishop Wood should have sent among them missionaries instead of detecti reminds one of that little stoi 1 the Bible of the man who, when he found himself in an un- popular underground locality, began to demand preachers for his friends. Tue Inrro T OF THE SoutH Pass of the Mississippi River under the direction of Cap- tain Jumes B. Eads is progressing satisfactorily according to the latest accounts. The pass is not yet generally used by large vessels because dredging operations at the upper end still con- tinue. When the dredge boats complete their work and are withdrawn from the channel there will be no further interruption to the ingress and Stnpay's Sermons appealed alike to the devout, the anxious, the curious and the intellectual, Among their topics were creed and conduct; man as the child of God; the duties of the Christian physician; the Day of Judgment; the sin of covetcousness; God's mercy; the way of safety; the love of God; Christ's prayer for his murderers, and the arrogance of moral teachers. At the Cathedral Cardinal McCloskey's secretary read the invitation issued by some of the Roman nobles for a grand anniversary celebration in Rome on the completion of the fiftieth year since the elevation of Pope Pius IX. to the episcopacy, . and read also the Cardinal's circular letter on the same subjec Tue WeATHER yesterday throughout the ter: fitory of the United States was exceptionally fine. A light rain fell in the morning « Francisco, where the weather was threatening, gendan area of cloudiness covered the castern portion of the lake region throughout the day, ‘but clear weather is reported from nearly all the other districts. Tho depression now moving over the lake region is atten: fn its southern and eastern margins. The high est pressure continues in the Southern States, over which it makes slow progress eastward. From indications along the Gulf coast it is proba Die that another ‘depression is advancing uortheastward through the Gulf of Mex- ico. The wind velocity at Key West was twenty miles per hour yesterday morning, with a deercasing pressure southward. High winds muy be expected along the South Atlantic coast. | ‘The temperature has risen decidedly throughout the central and western regions, and we repeat our warnings respecting the jee movements and freshets in the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. The Ohio and Cumberland rivers continue to fall wud the Lower Mississippi to rise, The recent vold weather in the West is believed to have de- stroyed the eggs of the grasshopper and Colorado ecetle or potato bng. This will prove of great advantage to the farmers of that region. The weather in New York to-day will be warmer and partly cloudy or cloudy, possibly with light rain or snow, followed by slightly falling temperature, beiek westerly winds aud clearing weather. vl by brisk winds | mess Prospects of the Country— Political Tranquillity and Gold Nearly at Par. The tendencies favorable to an early and healthy revival of business have been ob- structed for some time by political uncer- tainties and the violence of party contention. We are happily at Inst on a sure and easy road out of our political complications. Whoever may be installed as President we are to have a period of tranquillity and prob- ably an era of good feeling. All the natural causes which tend to industrial rehabilita- tion will soon have free play, and it may not be out of place to consider at this time what some of these causes are. We suppose few business men will dissent when we assign the first rank among these causes to the low prices of property and commodities. Our reasoning on this head rests, indeed, on the ‘idea that the lowest point of depression has been reached; for if there were reasons to expect a still farther decline in general prices there would be no immediate ground of hope. Men do not manufacture largely without a prospect of buyers, nor buy largely in what is called a falling market. Ever since the panic of 1873, now more than three years, prices have been constantly tending downward, to the utter discouragement of enterprise and the prevention of new undertakings. But the lowest point has been touched and the downward tendency arrested, ex- cept in one great branch of property, and within the ensuing two months the lowest point will also have been reached in that. We here refer to real estate, or, more strictly speaking, to rents, which determine the value of real estate. Rents have been reduced every spring since the great panic, and they are now about to receive their | fourth and final reduction in the approach- ing annual readjustment between owners and tenants with short leases, A reduction of rents, accompanying the general reduc- tion of commodities, will enable the labor- ing classes to be comfortable, even at the present low rates of wages, a8 soon as they can find full and steady employ- ment, On the opening of spring the coun- try will be in possession of every element of cheap production—namely, low wages, cheap raw materials, low rents and abun- dance of money at moderate rates of inter- est. An energetic, enterprising people like ours, who have so long pined or fretted in stagnation, will be eager to avail themselves of these favorable conditions in the certainty which now dawns upon them that the coun- try is not again to be convulsed by civil troubles. As a drawback to this favorable prospect we have to regret that the financial action of | the government will be less favorable than its political action, When we are so near the specie basis—gold being only 106—| it is a pity that the remaining short | step cannot be taken at once, in order that the forthcoming revival of busi- ness may proceed on a sound and stable | currency. But if the currency is not imme- diately to be any better there are satisfac- tory reasons for thinking that it will not be any worse. There will be no steps back- ward in the direction of inflation. We are as certain of this as we can be of anything, Mr. Tilden and Mr. Hayes are alike unal- terably pledged to hard money. Whichever of them may be President he will appoint a stanch supporter of specie payments as Secretary of the Treasury. If there is any distinguished usefulness to be achieved or any favor to be won by the next administra- tion it must be in connection with fiscal measures, Whether Mr. Hayes or Mr. Tilden be at its head the whole influ- ence of the administration will be exerted on the side of sound financo and a stable currency. One will have the same interest as the other in putting the ablest financier in his party at the head of the Treasury Department, and astatesman of command- ing ability in that important post will not lnck co-operation in Congress on a question which is henceforth to be relegated from party politics to the business sense of the country. There will continue to bea strong hard money majority in the Senate after the admission of the new members on the 5th of March, and the soft money element will be much weaker in the new House than it is in the present. Let us hope, then, that we are not to wait for specie payments until January, 1879, according to the existing law, but that our currency will be at par in 1878. Itisclearly practicable within one year, without injustice or hardship to the debtor class. Gold stands now at 106—that is to say, greenbacks plus one year's inter- est are equal to gold. If the money which has lain idle for the last year had been earning six per cent its owners would be as well off to-day as if they could exchange their paper dollars for an equal number of gold dollars. - If all the wheels of industry and business were in successful motion the gain to every individual would be worth more than the one year’s interest which forms the narrow margin by which we are separated from specie payments. Prices are perhaps even lower now than they would be in an active state of business on aspecie basis. Other things being equal, | prices are regulated by demand in the mar- | ket. A general revival of business, which should set all our industries in motion and enable all our laborers to earn wages, would so increase the demand for goods as to con- siderably carry up prices. On the other hand, a return to specie payments without | any revival of business would sink prices six percent below the existing level. But if these two things could take place to- gether—if resumption ond the revival of business should go hand in hand—the tendency to lower prices by resumption would be more than counteracted by the tendency to a rise in prices in consequence of the larger demand for goods ; and between the two we should | pass into the era of specie payments without | any jolt or shock. But if business revives with the currency in its present state prices will advance above the specie level, and resumption, when it comes, will derange prices and be attended with a shock to business, It is regrettable that the present great opportunity is likely to pass for start- ing the wheels ot industry on so sound and secure a basis as to remove every ground of future apprehension, With gold at 106 we J are so very near to the specie basis that by one short, firm step we could cross the frontier and be in safe territory. Butit would require Congressional action, and we do not expect Congress to deal with this subject during the few remaining weeks of an outgoing ad- ministration. But we believe that the law requiring resumption in 1879 will stand and be made efficient, and with this prospect in view business will tend more and more during the ensuing two years toward the specie basis. Most business engagements having more than a year or two to mature will be made on a gold basis, Whether it be Mr. Hayes or Mr. Tilden that is declared elected by the new tri- bunal our Southern troubles will come to an end. Mr. Hayes would not be bound by the Southern policy of his predecessor, and events have so fully demonstrated the expediency of allowing the Southern States to manage their local affairs that we may expect the same non-in- terference from a republican as from a dem- ocratic administration. Those States are in a fair way to compromise their State debts, and once relieved from the fruits of the carpet-bag incubus they will start on a new career of hope and prosperity. They will become a more capacious and valuable market for the manufactures of the East and the products of the West than they were before the war. They will recover their great importance in the mighty and mu- tually supporting circuit of our business interests, stimulating national production by a vast and stable market. President Grant’s Approval, We have never entertained any doubt that the Electoral bill would receive the Execn- tive approval. The successful result of the joint committee’s labors was mate- rially aided by the repeated expres- sion of President Grant’s views as to the expediency of an agreement by the two parties on a method of counting the electoral votes, and his indorsement of the plan eventually adopted was no doubt one cause of the Jarge majority cast for the bill in both houses of Congress. .The news from Washington published this morning confirms our previous ‘antici- pations, stating positively that the President will sign the bill and return it to the Senate during the afterpoon, with a message giving the reasons for its prompt approval. The President's course has been admirable during the exciting period inter- vening between the election and the passage of the committee’s bill. He has combined entire impartiality with o firmness which has had the effect of placing a strong re- straint on partisan violence. No person has doubted for an instant the serious sincerity of his avowal that he would see his legally elected successor duly inaugn- rated, and there has been no warrant for o suspicion that this promise would not be as faithfully carried out should the legal choice fall on Mr. Tilden as it would be if Mr. Hayes should prove successful. The determination of the Pres- ident to accompany his approval of the bill with a special message setting forth the necessity for such a measure is wise and fortunate. His views will tend to promote satisfaction with the settlement among re- publicans, and to give the whole country additional confidence,in the committee's work and the tribunal it creates, Such a message as the President will doubtless write will give brilliancy and honor to the closing days of his administration. The Great Piano War. Immediately after the close ot the Centen- nial it became comically evident that all the other countries in the world were poor by comparison with this country in respect to the production of pianos. Our enterprise, ingenuity, genius and artistic skill were so bewilderingly manifested on every side that the judges appointed to say who made the best pianos had to give itup. Blinded by excess of light, they put up one hand to save their eyes and with the other passed out “highest” awards without distinction to everybody that reached for them. Thus it came about that the Centennial Commis- sioners certified of several persons, sub- stantially, that each made better pianos than anybody else; or, rather, that each had reached such a degree of excellence in bis instruments that the attempt to discriminate was vaip. This queer fact made & very picturesque appearance in the advertisements for a time and then dropped quietly out of sight ; but now, like a sup- pressed fever, it has broken out anew and rages in angry subacid communications in all the papers. It appears that one of the holders of the first medal resented the pub- lication by one of the other half dozen that he also held the first medal, and called upon the courts for an injunction. So there was achance that the great piano problem would really come up in court, and that we might have a deluge of testimony and elo- quence on the subject to make the doubt more terribly deep as to who really does make the best pianos. But the attempt to obtain an injunction has been withdrawn, and thus there is yet a glimmer of hope that the great snarl may yet be ravelled out, Somebody to Blame. In view of the evidence before the jury charged with the investigation of the acci- dent at Ashtabula, it appears highly proba- ble that there is at last o case in which everybody concerned is not to be exoner- ated, whitewashed and varnished, It has already been shown that this style of bridge was pot adapted to the difficulties to be overcome at this point ; that it was not put up even in accordance with the plan, but modified in a sense to make its deficiencies still greater ; that it was put up by persons who “did not know how” it should be done; that important elements of the composite structure, having fallen out, were not restored; and now it is shown that when the bridge was first placed it would not “sustain its own weight,” but had to be taken down and put up again, and still again, with patched up contrivances to make it equal to that first requirement of holding itself in position. Yet this is the bridge over which the public has been carried for years, and the real wonder is that it did not go down under the first train ever sent over. If such a disregard to human life on the part of a company can go unpunished there is certainly no remedy for the public in | any case to be found in the criminal law, NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 1877. Formation of the Electoral Commis- sion. — Each of tho fifteen’ members of this tri- bunal is to take the following oath before entering on his duties:—‘“I do solemnly swear that I will impartially examine and consider all questions submitted to the com- mission of which I am ao member, and a true judgment give thereon, agreeably to the constitution and the laws. So help me God.” In view of this oath and of the strictly judicial nature of the service to be per- formed we protest against the appointment by either party of stubborn and vehement partisans who are so strongly committed that no evidence or argument is likely to change their opinion. Such ao selection is that of Mr. Garfield by the republican caucus. Mr. Garfield has prejudged the whole case. Within the last few days he has passionately denounced the bill authorizing the commission ns a flagrant violation of the constitution, With what consistency can he act as a member of a tribunal constituted, as he thinks, in utter violation of the funda- mental law? He has been maintaining with heat and stout pertinacity that Hayes is clearly elected and that Tilden’s claims are founded on intimidation and frand. How can this man swear with a clear conscience that he will “impartially” ex- amine and consider all questions submitted to the commission? His mind is already so fully made up that it cannot be changed. He would not be permitted to serve asa juryman in a twenty-five dollar snit in any State of the Union nor in any part of the world where justice is uprightly administered if he was fresh from a similar denunciation of the case of one of the litigants. It seems extraordinary that Mr, Garfield should per- mit himself, or be encouraged by others, to take the oath prescribed by the bill, All feir-minded men will reprobate such a pro- ceeding. Whata farce, what a mockery, what a profanation it will be for this man to take a solemn cath that he will be impartial! He has decided the case in his own mind, de- cided it unalterably before hearing it. Be- lieving ashe does that the tribunal is ao flagrant breach of the constitution he ought, as o manof honor and principle, to wash his hands of all complicity with it and of all responsibility for its proceedings. But to serve on it, to take an oath that he will be impartial when his heart is full of rancor and denunciation against one side, is what we could not have expected from» man of Mr. Garfield’s reputation. Both he and the caucus which selected him must have over- looked the wording of the oath which he will be required to take if he should present him- self as a member of the commission. We are confident that a large majority of the commission will consist of fair-minded men who have not been so dominated by party feeling in the recent discussions as to make it an offence against decorum forthem to take the oath. The Scientific’ Street Cleaning Bureau Expedition. While the world of science is struggling against difficulties innumerable in the effort to solve the problems of nature it is pleasant to record an instance of success which is deserving of the admiration of our commu- nity. The expedition fitted out at the pub- lic expense, but directed by the Scientific Street Cleaning Bureau, is achieving » re- markable triumph in its operations and win- ning fame among the frigid regions of Union square. When we calculate the difficulties to be overcome, by this gallant band ot ex- plorers we are lost in amazement at the vigor which characterizes their efforts. Already the sledge and pick parties have succeeded in penetrating to the frozen wilds of Four- teenth street, and some hundreds of cart loads of dirty ice have been dumped into the turbid currents of the Hudson River. The devotion displayed by the officers and men of this expedition is truly admirable. Fired with a zeal in the interest of science they have conquered obstacles to their northward progress which might well have discouraged their predecessors. They have laid bare the pavements of past ages long covered by the glaciers, and their voices may be heard among the snows of that re- gion where hitherto silence reigned su- preme. We do not hesitate to repeat our statement of some days ago, that Fifty- ninth street may yet be reached ‘‘if it takes all the summer.” Both houses of the State Legislature have already been flooded with bills and resolu- tions in relation to life insurance companies, and the interest takon in the subject isa gratifying proof that its importance is prop- erly appreciated by our legislators. But none of the propositions seem to touch the main evil or to reach far enough to afford a sufficient protection for the public. Experi- ence has shown that it is useless to ask such institutions for exhibits of their ex- penditures in salaries, commissions, counsel fees and similar items, or for lists of their bonds and loans on real estate. All this in- formation is given, and ought to be correctly given, in the annual reports required by law; andif deception can be successfully practised in those reports it can be prac- tised also in the special statements called for by the Legislature, Two things are needed to secure the hold- ers of policies in life insurance companies— first, a revision of existing laws that will restrict the investments of such institutions to unexceptionable securities, and make trustees, directors and officers civilly and criminally responsible for any illegal or ir- regular action; and, next, a capable and faithful Insurance Department, held to the strictest accountability for any neglect of duty. A company may make its reports, but these are valueless unless a competent, firm and incorruptible public officer scru- tinizes all the details, searches thoroughly into all the securities, tests and criticises the expenditures and obtains positive proof that the institution is as sound in fact as it professes to be on paper. With these re- forms the policy holders would be safe, un- sound companies would be speedily wiped out and sound companies would be spared the injustice and injury of constant sus- picions and investigations. Architecture Run Mad. Dr. Hayes’ resolution, providing for the protection of the new State Capitol against such architects as are trying to make that costly building 9 monument ‘to their own departed taste is a timely one, and the people demand that it shall receive imme- diate attention. A jumbling of Romanesque, Renaissance, Gothic and half a dozen other schools of architecture may indicate to a wondering public the almost boundless scope of the architects’ professional libraries, but the information thus conveyed is hardly worth the fifteen or twenty nillion dollars which the new building is to cost. We al- ready have enough of architectural eyesores to last us until time shall end. If we lived in a land of earthquakes the case would not be so sad, for then we might have at lenst the consolation of knowing that some day our unsightly Capitol would become a pic- turesque stone heap; but as there is no prospect that at Albany the wrath of nature will ever come in mercy to relieve the eye of man the Capitol will prove least offen- sive ifcompleted according to the ugliness of its original plans, Reform the Reformers. To-day, as on every other Monday that late years have brought us, there are thou- sands of people bemoaning the misuse of Sunday, and particularly the drunkenness and brawls which, among certain classes of people, seem the peculiar distinguishing marks of the last day of the week. The blame for it will all be placed where the same critics have heretofore always laid it— upon the rumsellers—and many will be the demands, not at all new, for a reforma- tion which shall sweep out of existence these liqfor dealers tnd their danger- ous property. But are the reformers under the impression that the clos- ing of all the liquor shops, if such a work were possible, would compel Sunday idlers to change theirhabits? Have they ever squarely faced the fact that, ex- ceptingthe churches, which do not on any Sunday prove attractive to half of the peo- ple who make a pretence of attending them, the rumshops are the only places that are open to that great mass of restless, unde- yout and yet not vicious men whose homes are cheerless and without social attractions, and who have a natural and proper longing for warmth, personal comfort, entertainment and association with other human beings? The rumseller offers seats around a fire, filesof newspapers, tables for games, and frequently provides a modest Junch; he hangs his walls with pictures, none of them by the old mas- ters and some which richly deserve effectual burning, but all more interesting than the blank walls of a boarding house chamber or a cheap lodging room. What has the would- be reformer done in the same line and in opposition to the liquor dealer? Nothing— absolutely nothing. Between the church and the rumshop there has been provided no place where a man averse to rum, yet without strong religious feeling, can feel at ease and find occupation and entertainment for his mind. A room or two of this kind in every ward could be filled every Sunday, even if a small admission fee were charged; but between hell and heaven no such half- way house exists on New York soil. If the reformers want to close the rumshops let them operate as they would if the matter was one of business instead of sentiment ; let them start opposition houses. Let them open their pocketbooks and prove their principles by their works; in short, let the reformers reform themselves. After such of them do so as have in them the stuff of the genuine reformer perhaps those who have talked only for talk’s sake will be shamed into quietness, but liquor dealers will be no more prosperous on account of such silence and friendless humanity will be better off. PERSONAL INTELLIGENCE. Hot water cures fulons, Cold is killing Southern birds, Liszt is not liked at classical Lelpsic, Bret Harte is genial and improvident. Grace Greenwood wears long earrings. Now they sayof a man who isa fraud, “0, he’s gimp.’” Complaint {s made of the late hours of Washington society. A bookstore keeper out West advertises the Inst edition of *‘Hel ’n Babies!” The biuo “glass treatment has superseded the blus grase treatment in the asylums, A Nowark milkman tke other night went to a ball in pumfs. Tho cream of the joke was to seo him skim, A lady recently remarked that when Moody docs not preach about Moody ho preacnes about Mrs, Moody. Senator John P. Jones, of Nevada, and General Benjamin F. Butler left tho city last evening for Wasbington. Says Ruskin, “Perspective is a beautiful thing;” and comment is unnecessary on a New York stage route in slusby times. ‘Albany Journal:—We happen to know, in an au- thentic way, that Mr, Tilden has from the first been opposed to the compromise plan.” Mr. A. N. Young, United States Consul at Santiago de Cuba, who was staying for a short time at the Astor House, has left this city for Cifcinnati, A bot stove lifter was seen to smiie and dance around and talk to itself yesterday morning, and it seemed to chuckle and feel good. It had just tried to pick up a man, Now that Congressman Hunton has well nigh ex- hausted his répertoire and bis nerves are prophetic of curly prostration it is: suggested that he becomo a celery grabber. No man feels quite so heavy as the new country Congressman on the day of his arrival in Washington, On the day when he leaves he feels as if he weighed 900,000 pounds less. Aman in Lodi, Ohio, furnishes his mother with milk from his farm. Sbe takes a few Spoontuls a day, When the number makes a quart he presents bis bill. Milk at Lodi ts threo cents a quart. Representative Alexander H. Stephens, of Georgia, has been confined to bis bed by severo prostration for several days. His physicians say there is no im- mediate danger of his death, although tho patient Is of different opinion, Mme, tsetpo every day before breakfast practises for two hours on oxerciscs and studies, to the disgraco of those humbug teachers who give to their pupils the hardest works of Chopin, Schuvert, Beetboven and Weber without any exercises at all, A ininister was telling a young girl who was about to become a bride, that she must remember that the man and wife are one. “Lord¥’ said she, ‘if you wero under my father and mother’s window when they aro quarrelling you'd think there were at least a dozen.’’ London Spectator:— Once the passions have been aroused it 13 ridiculous to talk of abstract virtue, and there is nothing for it but to fall back on prudence, Such aro tho morals taught, without intending It, by parents who fancy that Ignorance and imnocence go baud mn hand”? ‘The San Jose (Cal.) Argus aggravatingly romarks “How would the snow-bound inbavitants of the Stutes like a dish of green peas or a basket of luscious straw berries, picked fresh from the vines of Santa Clara county?” Yes; and how would tho San Jose man like a dozen Blue Point oysters on the half-shell, and a sparkling rosy Baltimore apple, and a hot mince TELEGRAPHIC NEWS From All Parts of the , World. PEACE OR WAR IN THE EAST. The Porte Opening Negotiations with Servia and Montenegro, PRINCE MILAN ADVISED TO PEACE, Ottoman Military Schools Thrown Open to Christians, COUNCIL OF WAR AT KISCHENEFF, (BY CABLE TO THE HERALD. Loxpox, Jan, 29, 1877, The nows from tho East is of little importance. The direct negotiations between the Porte and the revolted principalities mentioned in previous despatches seom to be on the point of commencing, and if they serve no other purpose they will at least fill up the interval be- tween this and the spring, when wo shall know deflr nitely whether wo shall have war or peace, PRINCE MILAN ANXIOUS FOR PEACE, Atclogram from Constantinople says:—"'It {8 said that Prince Milan, in reply to Midhat Pacha’s do- spateh proposing direct nogotiations for peace, has ex pressed his desire for tho commencement of nogo- tations, ”? GOOD ADVICE FROM TIIR CZAR. Tho Independénce Belge says the Czar, being asked by Milan for advice, replied that peace was desirablo, and should be accepted from whatever quarter it was offered. NEGOTIATING WITH THE PRINCIPALITIES. A despatch {rom Constantinople states that the Porte, in accordanco with the friendly advice of France and Ausiria, bas requested Servia and Monte- negro to send delegates there to arrange for peace, It is thought the proposal will be acceptod, THK SERVIAN CABINAT PREPAUING POR PEACH, Adespatch from Semlin reports that the Servian Cabinet met on Saturday and decided to accep! Midhat Pacha’s proposal. Immeaiate steps will be taken to open regular negotiations with the Porte. Should there be no outside influence we may expect that peace will be finally concluded, although the dis- cussion will probably bo protracted, as M. Ristics is likely to avail himself of tho opportunity to invito the sympatky of Europe. The Sorvian peace party is jubilant, although tho result ts, of course, still far from boing decided. MODERATE TERMS OF THE TURKS, ‘The Russian telegraphic agency announces that the Dasis of peace proposed by Turkey to Montenegro and Servia is moderate.and very conciliatory, TURKEY AND ROUMANIA, A Vienna despatch ‘says Turkey scems disposed to sottlo her differences with Roumania amicably, As nothing more is known about excitoment in Roumaniay it is tolerably certain that the Roumanian government considers the incident as more or less sottlod. DEPARTURE OF THE AMBASSADORS, A despatch from Constantinople says General: Ignaticf sailed tor the Pirwus instead of Odessa, on ac- count of stormy weather in the Black Sea. Baron Von Werther, the German Ambassador, and Count Zichy, the Austrian Ambassador, embarked for Trieste on Saturday. The Austrian Plenipotentiary, Count Calico, em, barked at Constantinople for Trieste, and M. de Bours going, tho French Plenipotentiary, for Marseilles, om Saturday. GENERAL IGNATIEFF’S MOVEMENTS. It is thought that General Ignatieff went to the Firwus because ho wished to with- draw at the same timo as tho other Northern ropresentatives, according to the prearranged programme. He will remain at Athens few days until the Black Sea ts calmer, whon he wily pass through the Dardanelles and land at Odessa, OPENING THE MILITARY SCHOOLS TO CHRISTIANS, Midbat Pacha has notified Turkish representatives abroad that an Imperial! tirade has been issued throw. ing open the military schools to Christians, in accords ance with the constitution. COUNCIL OF WAR AT KISHENEFF. From Vienna the intelligence comes that an impore tant council of war will be held at Kisheneff on Tuos- day. All tho divisional commanders and chiets of stad will attend tt, TRADE WITH THE SOOLOO ISLANDS. Ministerial journals state that the Governor of the Philippine Islunds has announced that foreign vessels can (subject to the approval of the Spanish govern. ment) trade with the Sooloo Islands, permission from the Spanish colontal government being unnecessary, ARRIVAL OF AN AGENT WITH POWER TO TREAT, Wasuixctox, Jan, 28, 1877. G. W. Griffin has arrived here with. full powers from the government of the Samoan Islands to treat with our own in its behalf, He hus not yet had an inter. view with the Secretary of State, and theretore it a not known whether ho will be recognized as Minister from that country, a8 be holds a commission as United States Consul. THE ILLINOIS SENATORSHIP, JUDGE DAVIS TOO MUCH ENGAGED AT PRESENT TO RESIGN. Wasuixcros, Jan. 28, 1877. A friend of Associate Justice Davis furnishes the following:—"Judge Davis is so much occupied now, and witl be for the next six weeks, im prepari opinions upon cases assigned to him by his associate justices, that au immediate resignation could not take place without tnjustice to his present duties, whicd precinde him from any decision regarding bis accep ance of the United Statos Senatorstup.”? IMMENSE DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY IN HART FORD--THE LOSS TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS—THE INSURANCE, Harrrorp, Conn., Jan, 28, 1877, Morrimah’s block, on Ford strect, in which were located the Plimpton Manufacturing Company ; Seidiet & May, furniture manufacturers, and George D. Barte lett, clovhier, was totally burned this morning between fiveandgseven o'clock. The totul loss is $220,000; ine surance, $144,250, DETAILS OF THE LOSS AND INSURANCE. The loss of the Plimpton Company was $120,000, and the insurance $70,000 in a large number of companies in policies of $5,000 and $25,000, Seidler & May’s loss 13°$30,000 and insurance $24,250, antes, meluding the Atlantic, of the ‘Liverpool, 1 Fi $2,500, inelosson the Lock, which is man, is 100 toe Imperial and Nortuern $10,000 of Hartford, $5,000; Howard, North America, ot Philadelphia Philadelphia, $2,500. dl by J. Merri« 0, including: 0; Frapklin, of n, of New York, orge 1, Bartlett's loss is $50,000, and rsurance 000 each in the Royal, ot Liverpool; Conneetiont, Hartiord and Nauional, of Hartiord, and Coutinental, of New York. . The firo was undoubt ly of incendiary origin, THE LSS BY THE INDIANAPOTIS FIRE, Ixptaxavous, Ind,, Jan, 28, 1877. Tho loss by the Academy of Music fire will probably not exceed from $100,000 to $125,000, The building was insured for $50,000, : & Pots! (grocers) loss is about $4,500; insur J. A. Lvons’ (stoves) stock was vained at $3,500 and insured for $2,400, artially destroyed: pic, and a hot Scotch, and a merry cachinnation of silver beilg, and a ydnk-nosed girl, just cold enough to want an arm around ber waist? €, Held’s (liquor saloon) loss ts $1,000; no insurance, Se be tae loss is es covered by insurance. ickson & Losey's (lessees of thes fe ad Hickson & Losey’s (leseeed of theatre) loss 18 $0009 x 4