The New York Herald Newspaper, January 31, 1877, Page 6

| ) NEW YORK HERALD BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, . PROPRIETOR, day i the year. BPE St J DAILY ULRALD, published YY h ‘Corts per co} Ten doliars every Shr lay excluded). ir, OF wt dollar per month ior any period au six months, or five dollars for six months, Sun edition incnded, tree of postage. ‘Ail business, news letters or telegraphic despatches must be siddressed New Youre Henaty. ters and packages shonid be proveriy sealed, d.communteations will not be returned, rer ELPHIA OFFICE—NO. 112 SOUTH SIXTH LONDON ‘OFFICE OF THE NEW YORK HERALD— 10. 46 FLEET SPREET. ARIS OF FICE—AVENUE DE L/OPERA, APLES OFFICE—NO. 7 STRADA PACE, Subscriptions and advertisements will be received and forwarded on the sam ew York. VOTAME XUtloneee ——— oe AMUSEMENTS TO-NIGHT. GRAND OPERA HOUSE.—-Ma: WIFTH AVENUE THEATRE. WALLACK'S THEATRE.—. THEATRE COMIQUE. NEW YORK aQuaki PARISIAN SKATING DAL RIETY, EGYPTIAN HALL.—*: PARISIAN VARIETI NOTICK The Adams Express Company run a special news- paper train over the Pennsylvania Railroad and its eonnections, leaving Jersey City ata quarter past four A. M. daily and Sunday, carrying the regular edition of the Hexatp as far West as Harrisburg and South to Washington, reaching Philadelphia ata quarter-past six A. M. and Washington at one P, M. From our reporis this morning the probabilities are that the weather in New York to-day will be warm and partly cloudy or cloudy, possibly with rain or fog toward night. Watt Srreer Yr: DAY.—Gold opened and closed at 105%, with saics meanwhile at 1051y. Moriey on call was supplied at 4 and 5 per cent. The stock market was moderately active, but attended with lower prices in some of the former investment securitics, particularly the coal shares. Government and railway mortgages were in fair demand by investors and commanded gyod prices. TO COUNTRY DEALERS, A Frequent Cavsz of the spread of disease was ably attacked by some resolutions which the Board of Healti adopted yesterday. Tur Vorr which is unanimously tendered to President Grant by the Connecticut Legislature shows that party fences are ina dreadfully dilapidated condition. A Dasn or Srice or VaAnrety is thrown into the mass of marine disasters by the thrilling story of the loss of the Dakota by a Aash of lightning. Tne Eranru Woxper or tne Wortp is dis- rovered at last. A will admitted to probate yes- terday disposes of a million dollars; yet no one threatens to contest it ems that the Amérique will Now Tuar Ir Si get to deep water again there is a ance for some exciting pool selling on what she will do next to get her name into the papers. Gorn Is Berow 106, Tow the “bulls” must | curse the framers of the Electoral bill, which is the cause of the decline! in November does not know who her husband is, and a hundred thousand unhappy wives are heartily wishing themselves in the same predica- ment. Qer Le @ Exurmrr given to-day of the Atlantic ig trade presents anew the unwel- come truth that the great nation of the West is inferior as a maritime power to even so small a country as Holla 1, master of St. John’s Guild, Mr. Wisws gesterday said in explanation of the high price paid by the Guild for the coal which it dis tributes to the poor, that only the best article was supplied. The principle enunciated is cor- rect, but it does not explain the cost of the coal, for the best America anthracite in the market is worth no such price us the Guild pays. Ayoruer or Ovn Sromms has passed over northwestern Europe, inflicting considerable damage to shipping slong the coasts and derang- ing the telegraph lines. These disturbances de- velop extraordinary energy during their trane seonnic passage and reach Europe with all their powers for mischief increwed to the hig) ‘us our own we can only offer, as an apo! the damage they do, that they acqui worst features atter'they leave our jurisdiction. Fortunately for us no extradition treaties in force give European governments any power to | rend them back to us again. Tus Wrarurn.—Heavy rains have com meneed in the Upper Missouri region, attendant ou the storm centre which has moved from the Pacitic coust eastward, Missouri Valley. eastward and is now approaching the Upper Mississippi and the lake region. ‘The diminished aren of high pressure is passing off the New | England coast, and @ gencral barometric fall | of | yes | Une | will oceur during today at points easiw the Mississippi. The fog areas of terday morning were very extensive. covered the Eustern Guif and a portion of the South Atlantic States. Another pmbraced the Western lake region, the Upper Mississippi and Lower Ohio valleys and parts of | Minnesota and Nebraska. ‘The third overspread | the Middle States and a part of New England. A general cloudincss prevailed throughout the country, Florida being the only State that en- joyed uniformly ciear weather. The Ohio and Cumberland continfe to fall and the Lower Mis sinaippi to, rise. Owing to the rise of tempera- ture throughout the West and the probability of hest de- | Bree. As we are compelled to acknowledge them | for | their | ‘The disturbance crossed | the Rocky Mountains, through New Mexico, and | traversed the Indian Territory to the Lower | Thence it developed north- | Herald and the Electoral Law. The utility and the powerof an indepen- dent and non-partisan press were never 80 clearly shown as in the long struggle over Tl | the Presidency which began shortly after the election in November and has s0 hap- | pily ended in the passage of the bill framing | an electoral commission. Party spirit ran very high’ during the Presidential canvass ; but the gale of the fall became s tornado as soon as Congress met. ‘The passions of men were stirred to a depth and aroused to a height and vehemence which threatened the country with a new and bitterer civil war, with a disaster which might and indeed proBably would have made shipwreck of our institutions and liberties. The President does not overstate the gravity of the occasion when he says in his Message that the dispute threatened the peace of the country. There was during a period of several weeks a constantly increas- | ing certainty that the factions would come into collision unless some plan was agreed upon beforehand by both parties for ‘‘exam- ining” and counting the vote. During this time, when all that is dear to Americans was in peril, what was the course of the partisan press? Did it instruct its readers in the history of the vitally important question? Did it counsel peace, self-restraint, modera- tion, justice? No; on both sides were found only bald assertion, angry reiteration, un- reasonable demands, recrimination and an ! eager stirring up of bad hlood, as though civil war were one of the most delightful experiences a nation could undergo. On the one side the republican organs asserted vehemently that the Vice President must and should count the vote, and that his decision in favor of Mr. Hayes must be and should be final ; on the other side the democratic organs as wildly retorted that the House of Representatives had the sole right of decision, and that it must elect Mr. Tilden. If it were the office of a public journal to misinform its readers, and to ex- cite by all means their angry and unreason- ing passions, then these party organs would have fully performed their duty. But we conceive it to be the highest duty of a journal to inform its readers correctly ; to enable them, by truthful statements, to come to just conclusions on public ques- tions ; and in times like these, of great ex- citement, to counsel moderation, point out that all men are not knaves, and hold up to view the paramount necessity of an orderly and peaceable settlement of the matter in dispute. Such a course, naturally, only a journal independent of party bonds and trammels, seeking the benefit of the whole country and not the advantage of a faction, could pur- sue. Such acourse the Hznaup has followed ever since the day when the dangers of a disputed election first loomed before the country. We have the strongest and most abundant evidence that this course has met with the recognition of the public, and we may without boastfulness express our grat- ification and joy that the policy of a peace- able and orderly settlement, which the Hwenatp has consistently and persistently advocated since the early days of last No- vember, has at last been happily carried out by the united and patriotic action of the wisest men of both parties in Congross. The country breathed more freely on the day when the joint committeo’s report passed the House of Representatives than for more than two months before. Yet that report was adopted by the two houses against the vehement opposition of the par- tisan press of both sides, and the men who defended it were denounced with an acrid fury which they would hardly have deserved if they had been traitors to their country instead of its saviours from acalamity which good men and women shudder to think of. We conceive it to be the highest duty of a public journal to give to its readers full and correct information on the topics and ques- tions of the day. It is to tell the truth with- out fear or favor. It is to advocate the in- terests only of the whole people and not of any party, faction, clique or ring. It is to have no friends but the people, no favorites | except those who, like it, strive honestly to serve the people. It is tocalm evil passions, to defend the law, to demand order and frown down all attempts to create disorder or violence, Thus guided a journal cannot fail to have influence and power, because it will possess the confidence of a constantly increasing number of readers, who will look to it for instruction and trust its statements of fact even if they happen not to concur in | its opinions on any given public question. It has been our effort and desire thus to guide and form the Henaxp ; and as it seems to be an inexorable necessity of journalism that every newspaper shall be an organ the | Hrnatp, as we long ago announced, chooses to be the organ of the people. It aims to inform and to instruct its patrons ; to give them the means by impartial and correct news and statements to come to just conclusions on all public questions; to defend the people from wrong and from the calamities which wrongdoing produces, by | exposing misgovernment and’ defending | sound morals. That such a policy has the public ap- proval the Henarp knows in many ways. ‘That it gives to a journal » predominant in- fluence is shown by the result of the great struggle over the Electoral bill. That meas- ure, “wise and constitutional,” as the Presi- dent rightly ealls it in his Message, was op- posed and denounced by almost the whole | press of the United States, Those who sup- ported it were called traitors to their party. An effort, unprecedented in recent, times, both for its extent and virnlence, was made | by the press to defeat it. It was misrepre- sented, ridiculed, declared unconstitu- | tional, with o unanimity which, if the par- tisan press had any real influence over pub- lie opinion, if it possessed in only a moder- ate degree the confidence of its readers, must | have secured the immediate and ignominious | defeat of the bill and the disgrace of its authors. And yet it was passed, adopted by @ majority of over two-thirds in each house, and even while partisan presses were shrick- ing and howling in opposition, the people, heavy rains in the Missouri and Upper Mistis- | instructed by a few—a very few--inde- sippi valleys common prudence demands that every precaution should be tuken against the tlangers that will attend a riso in either river. Tho weather in New York to-day will be warm and partly cloudy or cloudy, possibly with rain w fog toward night pendent journals like the Heuarp, gathered | in public meetings all over the land to urge its passage and to praise the patriotic states- men who framed it. Nor, in spite of the | ivug continued wud vehement asscttions by hundreds of republican organs that the Vico President, and he only, must count the vote, did there remain more than three or four re- publican members in both honses, at the close of the great debate, willing to go on the record as believing that he had any right at all in the matter, except to open the certificates ; and this is to-day the opinion of almost all men in the country who are capable of forming an opinion on the sub- ject. We say these things, not to boast of the Henaxy's share in the fortunate conclusion of a bitter cpntroversy, but rather as a warn- ing to our fellow journalists. Party news- papers are not trusted by the people; nor ought they to be. The good and the safety of the country demand that the press pleases in that narrow sense which is a mat- ter of course in all free countries, but free from bias, free from prejudice, free from party bonds, free to tell the truth. Of such free presses we wish more for the country ; and the more they increase the more secure will be the liberties of the people, the bet- ter they will be instructed, and the more justly they will be able to act on all public questions. Herr Offenbach. Apparently we shall never want for means to see ourselves as others see us, and as this is assumed to be one of the important aids to good conduct we may in time be a polite, courteous and elegant people, fully up to the standard of the scribblers from foreign parts, who, from time to time, deign to express their surprise at our pe- culiarities, One of the merriest, most piquant, ridiculous, nonsensical, ab- surd, inconsequent and impossible of our recent visitors who have put their impressions in print is Offenbach. Offenbach is one of the ingenious Germans who have taken possession of France, There dre several of them. In the Borde- lais they make the best Bordeaux wine. In Champagne they organize establishments on a grand scale and seem disposed to oust the French altogether. In Lyons they are making inroads upon the velvet and silk industries. Herr Offenbach, one of the boldest of all, has attacked Paris and made himself master of the public taste in amuse- ments. He is more French than any French- man could possibly be; and the public, which hoots at the music of Wagner because he is a German, enthusiastically accepts the music of the livelier German who has the philosophy to fool them to the top of their bent. It should not surprise people on this side the water that a man who in his own case has utterly blurred the lines that seem to us so important as those of nationality should have little respect for the things we respect and be bored by what we admire, All the world is a great opéra bouffe to Offen- bach, and the only fact in it that is really serious is the man at the door who takes the money. Truth is of little account in his pages, but if the commercial venture prove a good one it is all he requires. Al- though his notions of the country aro in the last degree grotesque and extravagant there are happy bits of legitimate satire and ap- preciation that give the volume flavor and redeem it from utter nonsense and dul- ness, Madison Avenue. There is a great outcry in Madison ave- nue against the obstruction of that street by the proprietors of the line of stages that run in it, who, it seems, have cleared a way for themselves by shovelling all the old ice and frozen snow into pyramids, neither or- namental nor agreeable, to either side of their central path. As the authorities have abdicated, except with regard to Broadway, all that function of government which re- lates to taking care of the streets, those in- terested in the condition of the streets must, we suppose, take care of them for them- selves. Omnibus companies are interested in the streets in one fashion, and are satis- fied if they get the snow out of their way, no matter who suffers. But householders are interested in another way, and ought to be able to help themselves. If all the persons whose rights are juvaded by the course of the stage company would act to- gether they would constitute a body quite able to fight the corporation on equal terms in the courts, and so doing they would cer- rievance, Beware of the Spitz. A careful examination of the statistics of deaths from hydrophobia, which we publish in the article entitled ‘‘Beware of the Dog,” will convince any reasonable person of the danger attending the introduction into this country of the Spitz dog. Since his advent there has been an alarming increase in the number of deaths from hydrophobia, This is due to the savage habits of the animal, which render him a most undesirable neigh- bor. The Spitz dog comes from the forests of Pomerania, where he exists in a semi- savage state, and where he is in constant contact with the still more savage wolf. Although domesticated the savage instincts of the brute remain, and, unlike other eanines which have long dwelt with man, the Spitz seems incapable of forming a lasting friendship with his benefactor. It is well ascertained that he is liable to turn upon his master at any moment, and those who have visited houses where the Spitz has been admitted as a pet probably enter- tain » lively impression of his pronounced hostility to strangers. The beauty of this animal is well calculated to make him a terrible peril to which the possession of their pet exposes them. In the case of chil- | dren the danger is particularly great, as the young people always make a friend of a dog, and are also given to indulging in practical jokes at the expense of their canine companions. In the case of thoroughly domesticated dogs this is not attended with any serious sults, because the dogs take to it kindly ; but the sullen and snappish nature of the Spitz may at any time break out and result in injury to the children involving a horrible death. And death seems toresult inevitably from the bite of the Spitz dog. In view of the well-ascertained savage nature of this animal it is the duty of the Common Council or other authorities to take immediate and stringent measures for his suppression, The Spitz dog is a public enemy, shall be free—free not only to say what it | favorite with ladies, who do not think of the | re- | The Electoral Commission. The preliminary proceedings under the | Electoral bill by the Senate, the House and | the four designated Justices of the Supreme i Court were nearly perfected yesterday, the two Houses choosing by a viva voce vote the five members of the commission to which each is entitled; but the four | judges have as yet failed to select a | fifth. The ten legislative members were chosen in accordance with previous caucus arrangethents, the Senate electing Messrs. Edmunds, Morton and_ Fre- | linghuysen, republicans, and Messrs. | Thurman and Bayard, democrats—all | five having been members of the joint committee, and all having signed i report except Mr. Morton. The House elected Messrs, Payne, Hunton and: Abbott, democrats, and Messrs. Hoar and Garfield, republicans; Payne, Hunton and Hoar having been on the joint committee, so that eight of the ten Congressional members are taken from the joint committee, Mr. Gar- field, republican, and Mr. Abbott, demo- crat, being the’two exceptions. Senator Morton and Representative Garfield are | the only members who did not vote for the Electoral bill. The four Sn- preme Court Justices will, it is ex- pected, select Justice Bradley as the fifth, it being understood that Justices Swayne and Davis peremptorily declined to serve. Of the fifteen members of the commission eight are classed as republicans and seven as democrats, but as they are all to be sworn to do impartial justice accord- ing to law the slight republican preponder- ance is of little consequence. We believe that the board, when completed, will act in the spirit of judges and not as parti- sans, and that the other two will be more or less restrained by their oath and their re- sponsibility. The process of counting. under the new law is to begin immediately on the formation of the commission. The Senate and House will assemble in the Hall of the Representa- tives, and the votes will be opened and ex- amined in the alphabetical order of the States. There will be no hitch at Colo- rado, becanse. an objection would be a futile exhibition of bad temper, prejudicing the public mind against the party making it. The Senate has decided that Colorado is a State in the Union by ad- mitting her Senators, and the votes of no State sending but one electoral certificate can be submitted to the commission or be rejected, except by a vote of both houses. Colorado will be counted for Hayes, and the business proceed smoothly until Florida, the seventh State in the list, and the first which sends two certificates, is reached. The count will then be arrested, the | Florida certificates be referred to the commission, and several days be consumed before a decision is reported, the two houses proceeding with their ordinary legislative business during the deliberations of the commission. When it has been determined which is the true vote of Florida the count | will again run on smoothly until it comes to Louisiana, the fourteenth State, which will also be referred to the commission, causing another interruption of several days, But if the votes of Florida are given to Til- den there will be no temptation to spend time on any other disputed State, since Til- j den needs but one electoral vote in addition to his conceded 184. | U y There is evidently a conflict of no trivial character in progress in the Russian Empire because of that inactivity in the crisis ot the late negotiations which has somewhat sur- prised the world at large. It is held on the one hand that Russia has no longer any political function with regard to Bulgaria and the other provinces ; that her obligation to defend the people of those provinces rested upon her before the Conference was assembled, but that by that body she was relieved of that obligation; that the case was taken off her hands by Europe, and that now, there- fore, Europe and not Russia is responsible if the evils complained of are permitted to continue, This is the view of the peace party, which is very well satistied to have plausible ground on which to rest its objoc- tions to war. It is believed that the Em- peror is in full sympathy with this party. On the other hand, it is held that the relations of Russia to the Slavic people are such that her obligations are perpetual ; that Europe cannot come between, and that the national glory and pride are involved, and that only the amplest concessions on the part of Turkey or war can fill the occasion: Between these two lines of thought the nation is divided, and the collision of opinions seems likely to become of great importance. In countries where there are no parties, properly speak- ing, having o constant existence, and where they only appear in great crises that stir the passions of a stolid people, they act with a power proportionate to the brevity of their existence. This fact has been exhibited several times in Russia at the expense, not of the Crown, but of the wearer of the crown, and it is not unlikely that another exhibition of it is in preparation now, for the agitation uses revolutionary language. Charity and Plea The entertainments given for charitable purposes are so generally successful that it seems strange that so few of them are projected. New York contains many halls, theatres, &c., not permanently occupied, and it also contains hosts of impe- cunious but great-hearted and able actors, musicians and lecturers, who would cheer- fully give to charity a portion of their | and ree time. For each of these men women there are hundreds of people too selfish or too careless to spend a penny for charity's sake, yet whose money has as great a purchasing power as that of any one else, and many of these people | would gladly quiet their fragmentary con- sciences by patronizing amusements given for benevolent purposes. An association, no matter how small, if represented by | trustworthy names, could organize at small cost # series of entertainments of the sort alluded to and make it a popular and profitable feature of the city’s amuse- ments, The iden is only the larger growth of single similar enterprises which have | been very successful, and it would se- NEW YORK HERALD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 1877.—-TRIPLE SHEET. cure what most benevolent societies are restricted for lack of—a permanent source of income. The uncertain quantity of volun- tary contributions is well enough known from the reports of the greater organized charities; but the plan proposed would do away with the necessity for personal appeals and havea sound commercial basis. Can- not some rich man venture upon the experi- ment? OMcial Advertising. The Superintendent of Buildings in this } city invited a large number of people the -other day, among them the Mayor and the Aldermen, to witnessa series of experiments with a fire extinguishing compound. This exhibition was held in the City Hall Park, and in the presence of city officials, but we are not informed that it was for the public benefit; on the contrary, it seems to be an advertisement for a firm in Beaver street who manutacture the compound. If this firm intend to throw open their receipt to the public after demonstrating its efficacy we shall be the first to acknowledge the obligation ; but if the City Hall Park and the presence of our officials be used as means of advertising a private enterprise we doubt the propriety of thus lending their authority and public property for such uses. There is no secret about the various agents used in the fireproofing process, Earnest, active and able men are publishing from week to week the practical results of tests made in the public interest. So far these tests have proved thoroughly satisfactory. The cost of these experiments is defrayed by these indi- viduals, whose time and money are given to { the public ; and the receipts for the fire- | proofing ingredients have been and will be given for public benefit and use through the columns of the press. We have neither approbation nor sympathy for any other method of dealing with this important mat- A Good Bill. Mr. Alvord has introduced a general bill in the Assembly conferring upon all cities, towns and counties in the State the power to take up or retire any existing bonds by the issue and substitution of a similar amount of long bonds, bearing a lower rate of interest than those redeemed and can- celled. This will legalize in New York a! policy which, if carried to its fall extent | and applied to the whole city debt, would save the taxpayers $2,000,000 a year in in- terest money. Our total bonded debt, including assessment bonds, is about $142,000,000, of which $61,000,000 is at seven per cent, $73,000,000 at six per cent and $8,000,000 at five per cent, The bonds fall due at various dates between this year and the year 1915, except $1,200,000 of consolidated stock, which extends to 1926. The credit of the city is unexceptionable, and as long investments at five or even four percent are eagerly sought many holders of our present bonds would, no doubt, gladly exchange them for, say eighty year bonds at five or four and a half per fpnt. In eighty years, having the interest only to provide meanwhile, the accumulations of the sinking fund would go far toward liquidating the entire debt, especially if in future we are prudent in making improve- ments, abandon our mischievous “bridging over” policy and learn to ‘“‘pay as we go.” PERSONAL INTELLIGENCE. Esquimau Joe ts in Washington, Manton Marble is in Washington, Bret Harte is visiting Mark Twain, Baltimore is socially a suburb of Wasbington, London ts to have a daily illustrated newspaper, Mr. Murat Halstead, of Cincinnati, is at the Bre- voort. Professor Schliemann ts voyaging through life |: dug-out. . Spanish marders are usually accomplished with a clasp knife. A Sacramento German woman keeps an asylum for stray cats. In a French ratlway car your neighbor will not ad- | dress you. The Marlborough Club of London ts the headquarters of the social princes. | Rear Admiral Thomas 0. Selfridge, United States Navy, is at the St James, There are 120 priscoers in the Charleston (S C.) jail, Only twelve sm are One sliced onton aot a quarter of @ pound of pork should be baked with svery quart of beans, Bou fresh codfish iu slices, with salt, vinegar and horseradish in the water. Serve with oyster sauce, Mr. Morgan, of London, England, editor of the Christian, is in Montreal, taking a prominent part in Tevival services. Secretary of War Cameron ts at Harrisburg, and visited the Pennsylvania House of Representatives yesterday morning. ‘A Frenchmar is about opening » “Hymeneal Acad- emy” in Livingston, Ky., in which young ladies will be taught the marriage service. The book review correspondent of the Springfield Republican always writes with ignorance of any prac: tical influence but that of Boston, A ruinous house, a fountain and a large tree waving its branches await the Jew who, in tho march which is beginning, will recover Palestine. The Richmond Whig says that the spirit aud intont, as well as the letter of the constitution, were to pro- tect slavery as a peculiar State institution, Once in awhile Senator Morton gots held up taut on a leading question by Edmunds or Conkling, aod then he feels like a three-cont porgie on a ten-cent line. Faerjon, the novelist, who ts said to be a Hebrew, is announced a8 the future husband of Miss Jefferson, daughter of the celebrated actor of “*Rip Van Winkle.” It was a pianist in front of Steinway Hall who slipped a sidewalk out from under him, and as it came up and pt him on the back, said, ‘I ain’t no sl—— ouch!"* It 18 noticed that the men who are announced as calling upon the President are always of the machine, political kind, The dreamy, I-am-better-than-thou kind seldom call on bim, Communism is growing in Russia as well as tn | America. Communism is the science of eating all the dried apples you can get for yourself and drinking enough water to swell all men up alike, The lark js the best songster of the Central Asian desert and in its mustc it rivals 1's Europoan congener. It has alao w remarkable power vf tinttasing the notes of other birds and mixes toem with itt ywa melody, Little whaley, thou nast left us, And thy losa we deeply feel; Thy ead fate has near bereft us, And has nearly killed the soal— Gone to meet Jonah, Hon, Stewart T. Durland, Assemblyman from tho | Second district of Orange county, reached Middletown | from Albany on Saturday night, on bis way home, 60 i) with pneumonia that he was compelled to stop. He now lies at the residence of his brother, D. T. Dur- land, in @ critical condition. Evening Telegram:—‘Restaurants in which low prices predominate are sure to prosper. Of course these considerations do not necessarily apply to cer- tain fashionable and celebrated establishments whose customers can easily aflord to pay high prices for splendid service, But twenty or thirty cents sub- tracted from the cost of a meal form a considerable jtoin in the bills of ordinary human beings. Restaa- rants will not lose by the change to which they have been sorved,”” TELEGRAPHIC NEWS From All Parts of the World. THE EUROPEAN SUSPENSE. Speculation as to the Course That Russia May Pursue, IS THE CZAR UNDECIDED? | Probability of Peace Between Turkey and the Bevolted Principalities, A PAPAL ENCYCLICAL COMING. Slade Again To Be Prosecuted—Tem- pestuous Weather in England. [82 CABLE TO THE HERALD.] Lonpox, Jan. 31, 187%. The question which ts agitating the mindy of aiplo: ts and journalists just now ts whether Russia feilt fight or not, A thousand speculations are given vent to; but probably we shall have no real solution till tho winter 1s over, The suspense is ak most as bad as during the sitting of the Conference, andnearly all the papers devote much of their space to the subject. THE CZAR AND HIS MOSCOW SPEECH. A St Petersburg correspondent, in a letter dated January 22, says:—“The Czar’s Moscow speech cer- tainly remains unqualified by any later declaration, but at the same time it is evident, judging by the tone of society at St. Petersburg and Moscow, as well as by that of public opinion in general, that this famous speech, although not officially retracted, is virtually withdrawn, The argument adduced™by members of Russian society in justification of this course ts that, Europe having interfered and the Conference having failed, Russia, notwithstanding what the Emperor said at Moscow, is relieved from all individual responsi- bility.’” THB ARMY NOT PREPARED, With regard to the preparation of the army tn Bessarabia, mobilization has failed and the army te in anything but a satisfactory condition. Having lived in his country during the whole course of the present crisis and having carefully watched, both here and at Moscow, the varying drift of public opinion, [ unhest- tatingly declare my convictions that tne Emperor de sires to have an excuso for not going to war. THE SITUATION IN RUSSIA. 4 Vienna despatch says:—“‘Although circumstances have greatly changed since the Czar’s Moscow speech that enunciation cannot be altogether ignored. The only question is what step Russia should take, and the final decision of that question is still pending at St, Petersburg, and is dependent on the issue of the strug- gle between the Russian peace and war parties, which havo lately increased in intensity, Since the affair be- fore the Kazan Church and the revelations {¢ is sup. posed to have led to, there have been no signs of that popular agitation which played so prominent a part ast semmer.’"” AGITATION REPLACRD BY PRIVATE ACTIVITY. Such agitation, indeed, ts regarded as @ two-odgod sword, that ought not to be played with, But propor. tionately as public agitation ceased private activity of ! the party which in court and official circles represents Russian national ideas has increased. 11 may be taken as the surest symptom of this that those reports about the imminent abdication of the Czar and his replace ment by the Czarewitch are again coming to the front, There seems no doubt that the Czar'a pacific dispo- } sition has been very much strengthened by a number of circumstances. CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SLAVIG AND THB SOCIAP MOVEMENT, Foremost among these are tho numerouszindications lately received of a close connection subsisting he- tweon tbe national ana politico-social aspirations and opinions, not only among tho people at large out 1m the official class and even in the army. Those com- mittees which have taken ap the Slay cause most warmly have been found to be or are under heavy suspicion of being the most zealous advocates of a thorough political and social reorganization of Russia; that ts, a subversion more or less of all that now exists, so that fostering tho Slav idea was iadirectly fostering these political and social aspirations, DOUBTFUL WHICH COURSE TO TAKE The fact that one of the Bulgarian committees actu ally introduced into its programme the future organi. zation of Bulgaria as a republic was well calculated to dampen the ardor of the Czar for the Bulgarian cause, On the other stde it is just this danger of advanced political and social ideas which Is urged by the advo. cates of war as the strongest argument for war. By taking the Panglav cause in hand Russia can maintain complete control over it, while the authority gained by the dynasty and government as having sottied the future of the whole Slav world would flatter the Rus- sian national feeling, and divert it for a long time from all those political and social theories which tho people are now brooding over, As yet the peace party have the apper band, but the war party seems to rely a good deal on the return of General Ignatieff to turn thescale tn its favor. PRINCE GORTSCHAKOFP NOT RETIRING. A Paris correspondent gives emphatic denials to the report of the retirement of Prince Gortschakoff and the assertion that Russia has given Servia permission to treat for peace, THE POST ON THE PROSPECTS OF PRACK. The Post publisi the following in semi-offictal form:—‘‘If no untoreseen accident occurs to disturb tho disposition which animates all the Powers, we may hope that in the course of the next month assurances will be given which will ratify the strong expectations now entertained that the prospect of a European war is obviated.” PROBABLE PEACE WITH SERVIA AND MONTENEGRO, A despatch from Constantinople says it is believed that peace will be concluded with Servia, and there tsa rumor that Montenegro bas received Turkey's over- tures for peace favorably. PAVORABLE TERMS VOR SERVIA. A despatch from Vienna says the Porto bas dropped its claim for arrears of the Servian tribute. Forty thousand volunteers are being collected at Mosul, Aste atic Turkey, to be sent to Kaso. URGING MONTENEGRO TO PRACR. Adespatch from Ragusa says:—‘The British, Ger- man aud Italian Consuls will proceed to Cettinje to. day, it is reported, 1m order to induce Prince Nicholas to make peace with the Porto, If the latter will cede to Montenegro the twelve districts demanded. Monte- negro has consented to allow the Turks to send tuto Niesie twetve tons of provisions during February,"? THR POPR PROTESTING AGAINST ANTI-CLRRICAL LAWS. A despatch {rom Rome says the Pope will protest against the Clerical Abusos act, recently passed by the Ivalian Chamber of Deputies, by means of an encyc- lieal, which is now being preparod, It will Probably be published at a consistory which will be held during the first fortnight tn March, SLADE TO BE AGAIN PROSRCUTED, Professor Lankester took out new summonses yes terday against Dr. Slade, the Spiritualist, aud Sim mons, his assistant, for conspiracy, and also against Slade under the Vagrant act STORMY WEATIIER IN ENGLAND, There was a eevere galo in the South and Southwest of England on Monday, accompanied by rain and sleet, which caused considerable derangement ot tho tole. Graph lines, The gale extended to the West and North- west coaste. The weathor was again boisterous you. terday afternoon,