The New York Herald Newspaper, February 4, 1877, Page 8

NEW YORK HERALD BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, - PROPRIETOR, Al! by news letters or telegraphic despatches must eddressed Nxw Yor Herat. tts ke should be properly sealed. Kejocted conmmunieations will ng be reverned. ounce ceelaaarea PHILADELPHIA OFFICK—NO. 112 SOUTH SIXTH STREET. ugkDON ORTICE OF tas NEW YORK HERALD— patis OFFICE -AVEN UE DE L'OPERA. phoned OFFICE—NO. 7 STRADA PACE, tions and advertisements will de received and forwarded on the same terms as tn New York. VOLUME Bib dice npniafocoenrseeae Bh 35 AMUSEMENTS TO-MORROW. PARK THEATRE.—Ovnr Boani FIFTH AVENUE TH WALLACK'S THEAT! KELLY & LEON’S EAGLE THEATRE—Aimrs, EGYPTIAN HALL.—s PARISIAN VARIETIbS. ‘The Adams Express Company run a spécial news- paper train over tne Pennsylvania Kailroad and its connections, leaving Jersey City at a quorter past four 4. M. daily and Sunday, carrying tho regular edition of the Hexatp as far West as Harrisburg and South to Washington, reaching Philadelphia ata quarter-past tix 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 sloudy and slightly colder, possibly with rain. Watt Street Yesterpay.—The stock specu- lation indicated feverishness and prices were irregular. Gold opened at 10514 and closed at 1051g. Money on call was in ample supply at 8 and 4 per cent. Government and railway bonds were moderately active and steady. The bank statement for the week shows a decrease in the legal reserve of $944,525. Our Revevations about the disposition and tendencies of the Spitz dog have created a lively demand for brickbats. Let the good work go on. Tnat Cooxine Scnoon in St. Mark's place should be suppressed if liquor dealers and doc- tors are to live, for people who are properly fed | need neither stimulants nor medicine. Mrs. Cunnincuam’s W111, alluded to else- where, is in one respect a model for people who have money to dispose of; but those who desire to emulate its spirit need not wait until they die. Tux Inpictment of the Vice President of the Security Life Insurance Company was very good asa beginning, but there is plenty more of sach work to be done, in justice to the public, and it eannot be too speedily attended to. pil enhance Tue Mystery of the Putnam count} marriage veems partly unveiled by a strange document. which we publish to-day, but in complications the case still outdoes the worst set of electoral returns that has reached Washington this winter. A CORRESPONDENT IN IRELAND alludes to the wonderful accuracy of the Herarn's predictions of weather on the European coast.. We should be glad to give him more frequent evidence of our knowledge of the weather were it not that the fastest ocean mail steamers cannot compete in speed with gales from the west and carry the news in advance of the storms. Dr. MeENpes’ Sermon yesterday on “The Dietary Laws” should interest the religious, re- gardless of sectarian lines. When the human physique receives due attention from the pulpit there will not be so much occasion to complain of the human soul, and when in theological sem- inaries the fact is recognized that even preachers have bodies churches will speedily become more attractive. Tue Prosexct of evangelization of New York and Brooklyn by the Mormons may not scem to theologians a very strong one, but the prepara- _ tions being made for the purpose are, according to our reporter, of a nature that explains what- ever success the Latter Day Saints have attained to. Talk cannot hurt it; only the churches that mean business as earnestly as the Mormons do can arrest the progress of the threatened movement. AvtnoveH THe Pusiic usually leans toward mercy for wrongdoers the general feeling will be that the mail robbers sentenced yesterday got off too easily. Theft from a hundred individuals certainly rates that the robber is more dan- gerous to society than his light-tingered brethren generally, and as the best that can be said of our prisons is that they keep bad characters out of mischief, they should be compelled to do so for periods proportionate to the enormity of the offences committed. WEN says he Dpposes warming the cars bi ise the drivers told him the passengers were comfortable. His same is Bryan Reilly. In selecting the latter as their spokesman they should have supplied him with a prepared speech crammed with learning gbout hygiene, or “high gin,” as he is re- wi to term it. The nonsensical objections Stated by the Hon. Bryan Reilly serve to show, however, how completely the Aldermen are under railroad influence when they officially Indorse them by their votes. Tur Weatner.—A slight barometric depres- gion is moving over the Gulf States and has caused heavy rains in Louisiana and Texas. Cloudy and foggy weather has prevailed at all points eastward of the Mississippi River, with light rains on the North Atlantic coast and in the eastern part of the lower lake region. The highest pressure is now in the lake region and the lowest in the Eustern Gulf States. A de- pression is evidently moving toward Dakota from the far Northwest, and will probably bring heavy rains to the upper watersheds of the Missouri and the Mississippi. In this event freshets on these rivers may be expected. The Ohio has begun to rise rapidly at Pittsburg and the Mississippi continues to rise below Vicks- barg, but at all other points the rivers have fallen decidedly. Generally rainy weather will prevail in the central and eastern districts during today. The weather in New York promises to bbe cloudy and slightly colder, possibly with rain, The Docks and Transit Lines of| depends, then, on the rapid and substan- New York. tial completion of our water front improve- History recounts so many instances in ments, for without them all othérs are im- A ‘icable, which the genius and energy of peoples | Pract! areleeaa physical conditions antago- The arguments in favor of the water front iniaiis aa rors happiness and prosperity | improvement apply equally to those of the that where such exist only in modified | Hudson and East rivers. While on the ; former the present necessity is, perhaps, forms there is no reason why any civilized | 4 community should suffer even inconven- the greatest, yet the time is not far dis- ience in the mechanical management of its | ‘83 when the East River front will commerce, Where difficulties arise whieh | 2emand an equal amount of attention. can be removed by the exercise of intelli- H The wba ikl poner - hi the pane: t bmit to | tions to navigation in the Hel! Gate channel gent energy the people who su ns ue korea ae Ge burdens created by their own apathy NEW YORK HERALD, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY deserve no sympathy in. their misfor- tunes. The city of New York, by virtue of her geographical position and the unsurpassed natural facili- ties for commerce which surround her, should be by an undisputed title the com- mercial capital of the country. But through the unaccountable supineness of her citizens she is in danger of losing her trade, which is seeking in other and more enterprising ports the accommodations denied it at its old cen- tre, The reqhirements of a senboard city whose inhabitants aspire to making it the seat of commercial supremacy are readily recognized. With an easily approached, safe, expansive and navigable harbor, nu- merous lines of communication with all parts of the country in which it is situated, well located railroad termini adapted for the cheap and rapid transfer of freight to and from the ships and the cars, wide and well paved streets and an ample dock accommodation, prosperity and com- mercial supremacy over less favored rivals must follow asa matter of certainty. New York has the singular good fortune to pos- sess some of these advantages in the fullest degree, while she lacks the others only be- cause her people have failed to avail them- selves of the simplest means of securing them. It is with these wants that we pro- pose to deal in the present article. The improvement of the water front of this city has been for years an absorbing topic with her business men. None of the features of the problem have escaped discus- sion, so that it is the best understood sub- ject that enlists the attention of the public atthe present time. When the plans for the new dock system were adcpted by the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund and ; preparations were made to carry them out in a practical manner we were promised a work which, when com- pleted, would be perfect in detail and magnificent in its entirety. With mer- chants as Commissioners of Docks, and an eminent engineer in charge of the opera- tions, ample supplies of money at the dis- posal of the department and public con- fidence centred in its efforts, we expected great things to be accomplished. But beyond a splendid parade of preparation, costly experiments that proved what was already well known to engineering science, the commencement of a stone pier near the Battery and the building of a bont stairs and a few wooden piers nothing was accom- plished toward the realization of the hopes of the people of New York. From this false start may be dated all the blundering, in- activity, extravagance and absurd preten- sions to extraordinary merit which have marked the history of the Dock Depart- ment down to the present day. According to the accounts of the Comptroller the issue of bonds to date. for the purposes of the dock improvements is equal to five million four hundred and fifteen thou- sand dollars—a.sum that is now bearing interest which is chargeable to the city revenue. During all the time that this money has been expended the public have never seen an intelligible report of the dis- bursements.. True, the figures have ap- peared in municipal financial statements, but never accompanied by information that clearly indicated the character of the expen- ditures. We demand from the Dock Depart- ment an account of its stewardship, and until we get such appearances justify us in condemning its management of the people's money. We do not wonder that the merchants of New York should call for an absolute change of plan and the substitution of crib work for the durable materials with which it has been attempted to construct the bulk- head wall. Perhaps, being unaware of tho fact that a solid concrete and granite wall can be built at the rate of from one to four miles per annum and ata cost per lineal foot but little more than that of a line of perish- able crib work, they deem any change that promises economy in time and expense a beneficial one to the city. But in this they are mistaken, as can be easily demonstrated if they take the trouble of inquiring into the matter. There is no difficulty what- ever in the way of building a solid wall from the Battery to Sixtieth street at the rate of one, two, three or four miles per an- num, except a financial one, If this does not arise then the work should proceed as fast as is required. The relation of such a work to the im- provement of our intermunicipal lines for freight transportation is very close. Indeed, it is impossible to perfect the latter without | the completion of a considerable length of the bulkhead wall and the filling up of the spaces between it and the old water lines, The widening of the water front streets will give the desired accommodation {fcr a perfect system of freight transportation by rail from the main roads to the warehouses and ships, These broad river streets will form the natural lines for the construction of freight roads, as the central avenues are those on which rapid transit for passengers can be best secured, Until the improvement of the water front is really commenced in earnest we cannot hope to accomplish anything to- ward bringing our railroad lines in connec- tion with the shipping. It is not difficult to foresee the effect of this connection of the land and water lines of transportation. If such water front railroads for freight were constructed the space occupied at present by cheap groceries and sailors’ boarding houses would be covered with stately storchouses, fitted forthe reception and protection of all goods arriving from abroad or awaiting shipment at our piers. The centre of the city would be at once relieved from the crowded traffic that renders Broadway im- passable at times, and seriously interferes with the legitimate trade of the districts of retail stores and small factories. Kverything tivity in the neighborhood of the Harlem River and the Westchester shore will com- pel the construction of a wide street along our eastern water front. Although it may be argued that commerce fixes its own standard of accommodations, and that it would be unwise to travel too far in advance of the present demands, it is cer- tain that we must keep up.with them, In our article published elsewhere in to-day’s Henrap many important questions are dis- cussed that bear directly on the solution of New York's greatest problems, Our London and Paris Cable Letters. There is no lack of interesting information in ourcable letters, What the two great cities have gathered about them in the way of high politics ‘and current gossip during the past week comes to us in attractive shape and con- venient bulk., Low, hoerse whispers of a coming war in Europe, mingled with faint words of hope for peace, usher in our Lon- don story, while Paris begins _ its tale of German uneasiness with the threatening eye of Bismarck looking over the lately devastated frontier and warning the French not to think they have lost an iron-handed master yet. But the gloom soon lifts from both capitals, and we learn of Earl Beaconsfield strutting in his earl’s robes before a looking glass which, if not true, is good. Then we hear of a manager bidding-in the big- gest theatre in London by mistake— a very curious thing to do. The English butchers have found a bonanza in American beef, but, alas! for human na- ture, they have orgunized to sell anatomi- cal English bulls and skeleton cows for the American article, while they sell the Yankee ment as that of Hold Hingland. The cutlers of Sheffield are finding that American goods are crowding them out of the American mar- kets, and they are told, for comfogt, that they have themselves to blame. The Bishop ot Manchester has made another de- ‘fence of the theatre, and this time from be- hind the footlights—a warning to the roar- ing, ranting ‘Talmages of this land. Offenbach’s latest opéra bouffe has not been so successful as that airy gentleman’s book on America. Among the other things for which Europe is coming to America we may mention horses, Turkey is longing for our cartridges; so that until the potato bug turns up in Europe again there seems to be an unfailing supply of American staples and topics to keep us before the eyes of the people there who have not yet decided to. emigrate hither. With pats on the back from the English papers over our political wisdom and financial honesty there will be found sufficient in our letters to maké the average citizen go to church to- day with a proud consciousness of the su- perb destiny of the nation of which ho is a not inconsiderable fraction. Pulpit Topics To-Day. Ashort life and a merry one is probably much better and moro to be desired than a long and weary one, and yet good may be and often is evolved from evil and the wrath of man is made to work out the righteous- ness of -God. In the pelting storms of life a hiding place from the wind is an excellent thing, and One who has trod the wine press alone and traversed the waste places of life gives a great invitation to the weary and heavy Iaden to come to Him and find rest. Such a one giving an invitation so broad and all-inclusive would necessarily attract attention; and a natural inquiry, such as Mr. Sweetser will make to-day, would be, What manner of man is this who comes toseck and find and save lost humanity, whose word is as a hammer that beateth the rock in pieces or as a fire that burneth up the stubble of earth? The great and universal need of mankind to-day, Mr. Alger thinks, is a filial consciousness of God, and this every man can have who will put himself in a filial relation to God. Out of the fulness of his experience of their peculiar wants Dr. Talmage will speak to clerks and attendants in stores and oflices who may wait on his ministry this morning. The death of the soul, in which there is an impli- cation that that part of man may die, will be discussed by Mr. Giles. A look into the future will be taken by Dr. Armitage and the art of money making discovered. Pop- ular scepticism, the Deluge in the light of science, the pulpit, stage and press, the philosophy and moral bearings of revivals, especially of those now being condneted by Messrs. Moody and Sankey, and the influ- ence of religion on painting will be consid- ered to-day in the pulpits of this city. Rexcentry an Examrnation has been made of the building on the southwest corner of Nassan and Fulton streets, occupied by the Commercial Advertiser, und it has been condemned os unsafe, both in the walls and cornices, to the passers by, and unsafe in various respects to the occupants. The owners, however, make a technical op- position to its repair on the plea of the in- sufficiency of the notice served on them by the Building Department. The issue 1s now in the courts, and the department ought, in the public interest, to be sustained, There is no question as to the dangerous condition of the building, and if any calamity should occur in donsequence the owners, and not the department, would now be to blame. Ir Is Tuovent.—One Washington corre- spondent says:—“‘It is théught that the democrats do not mean to accept the action of the commission as final if it goes against them.” By whom this is thought we are not informed ; neither are any particulars given ‘as to whether this fancy is laid down in or- der to supply a pretext for more virulent declarations that the republicans will do likewiso, or to be referred to as a reason and an excuse in case they should, Grant's Plan for Resump- tion. The President's Message on the national finances was laid before Congress yester- day. Although the President does not deem it desirable to fix an earlier day than that designated by the Resumption act of 1875 for the obligatory redemption of legal tender notes in coin on presentation, he be- lieves that it will be beneficial to the coun- try to hasten the day when gold and greenbacks will bear an equal value. As a means of promoting that end the President proposes (1) that in accordance with the provisions of the Resumption act the four and a half percent bonds therein authorized to be issued for that purpose shall be exchanged at par for gold in the markets of the world, thus strengthening the Treasury to meet final resumption and keeping the excess of coin overthe demand pending its permanent use asacirculating medium at home, and (2) that, in order to reduce the volume of legal tender notes in circulation, o law be passed authorizing the issue of one hun- dred and fifty millions of four per cent forty year bonds, to be exchanged at par for legal tenders whenever presented in sums of fifty dollars or any multiple there- of. The President proposes further that these latter bonds be made available for de- posit in the Treasury for banking purposes ; that the national banks be required to retain a certain percentage of the coin interest re- ceived by them from their deposited bonds to secure their circulation, and that the sec- tion of the Silver act of last yeay which limits the fractional currency to fifty mill- ions be repealed. With gold bordering on 105, which is a much less discount on legal tenders than many of the bank notes of other States were subject to in New York in the old State banking days, no person will be aldrmed at any proposi¢ion that can bring gold and greenbacks to an equal value. The imag- inary /‘shock” to business which was to fol- low resumption has been the bugbearused by inflationists to frighten the unthinking and President to discourage hard money views. But President Grant very clearly shows that we are now in a very good position to resume, and that by such legislation as will keep our coin at home to be used asa circulating medium we shall secure a healthy “inflation” of a sound currency. The Resumption act authorizes the redemption of legal tenders as the circulating notes of national banks are issued, up to the limit of threo hundred millions, and the bonds proposed by the President would dispose of one- half of the surplus, leaving only one hundred and fifty millions .of greenbacks in circulation, The legisla- tion suggested must meet the views of the democratic party, whose Presidential plat- form only expressed opposition to the Re- sumption act because it failed to make suffi- cient provision for resumption on the day named in the law, and hence held out a false hope to the country. ‘here is no rea- son, therefore, why the recommendations of the President should not receive the affirma- tive action of Congress. . The Louisiana Infamy. The testimony taken yesterday before the Congressional committees in reference to the Louisiana case only serves to bring out in stronger relief the degraded character of the actors in the scenes that followed the elec- tion in that State. Littlefield, the clerk of the Returning Board, who swore before the House committee that he had altered and forged the Vernon returns under the direc- tion of Governor Wells, underwent an ex- amination before the sub-committee of the Senate on Privileges and Elections, and his private life and habits wero severely over- hauled. If the object of the examination was to prove the witness to be a thoroughly immoral and degraded man it was a success, But the story of the forgery of the returns and the destruction of the originals was cir- cumstantially repeated ; and, as an honest and reputable man would not be selected to do such work, the truthfulness of the story must be shaken, if shaken at all, by some- thing more satisfactory than the proof of the bad character of the person who tells it, The witness Maddox, who swears to the remarkable story about the one million dol- lars which was to be realized out of one or other of the political parties in exchange for the friendly services of the Louisiana Re- turning Board, was also made to admit his undesirable associations; but he neverthe- less produced the sealed letter addressed by Governor Wells to Senator West, and it was opened by the latter in presence of the House Committee. Its contents would scarcely have been written by an honest man. In it Governor Wells, a member of the Board which was to impartially canvass the electoral vote, declares that the demo- crats shall'never, with his consent, succeed, and he gives something more than a broad hint at the necessity of sending money to New Orleans. The letter in a great measure corroborates the former testimony given by Maddox. The country will breathe more freely when the atmosphere has been cleared of these pestilent Louisiana witnesses and their disclosures. A Deathbed Parting. There is something peculiarly touching in the deathbed interview between the President of the United States and Alex- ander H. Stephens, the ex-Vice President of the Confederacy. To the one is shortly coming the coveted relief from onerous and wearying public duties which havo brought with them more than the ordinary share of anxiety and cnre. Before the other, after o life whose later years have been crowded with griets and bitter regrets, opens the, perhaps, not unwelcome rest and peace of the grave. These two men, enlisted on opposite sides during the rebellion, yet with tho love of the Union in the hearts of both, meet for the last time on earth and unite in an ex- pression of thankfulness that a peaceful solution has been found for the new dangers that seemed to imperil the country, and of gratitude to those whose patriot. ism and statesmanship have led the nation safely through the crisis. Mr. Ste- phens, who went out of the Union with sor- row and returned to it with joy, can close 4, 1877-QUADRUPLE SHEET. his eyes peacefully now that he knows the Republic is safe-from this last threatened trouble. President Grant, who saved the Union in its deadly peril, can lay aside power with rejoicing now that his influence and action have aided to preserve the insti- tutions of the country from a new danger. The New York Stage. What would we do if all the theatres should be closed? The drama has had in all times and in all countries such a pro- found hold upon humanity that its disap- pearance from the arts would be almost as deeply felt as the annihilation of books, and quite as much asthe destruction of music, painting and sculpture, Nothing can re- place it. Shakespeare in the book and Shakespeare on the stage are very differ- ent; for many of his greatest quali- ties can be only expressed in ac- tion, We give to the theatre the fullest recognition of its value as an in- structor in every branch of thought. It has philosophy, poetry, humor, history, charac- ter, and includes in its own realm the arts of music, painting and sculpture, It is so close to humanity that it measures the con- dition of the nation or community. When the stage declines there must be something wrong in society, and when society is pros- perous and healthy the acted drama is one of the most popular of its intellectual diver- sions. < We rejoice to know that the area of de- pression which rested over the theatres this winter is removed, and that the public in- terest in the drama is fevived. The events of the Inst week and those announced for the present prove how great is the demand for novelty and what pains managers take to supply it. The Kellogg English opera company is giving a brief but brilliant season, the principal feature of which is the production, for the first time in this city, in English, of Wagner's ‘Flying Dutch- man." It will be repeated this week, and on Friday evening ‘‘Mignon” will be sung for the benefit of Miss Kellogg, Miss Kellogg, by her enterprise, has fully justified the confidence of the public in her devotion to the highest art. At the Fifth Avenue Theatre the charming comedy of “Lemons” has delighted crowded houses with innocent fun and satire, The idea of the author is that the world is divided into two classes—lemons and lemon squeezers— and this applies to the camp, the court, the mart and government. Mr. James Lewis re- calls in several of hisscenes the happy humor of Burton, and the whole play is finely acted. Another amusing comedy is that of “Our Boarding House,” at the Park, which possesses the genuine flavor of Western life. At Niblo'’s Garden we have extravaganza in “Around the World in Eighty Days” in its gayest forms, while at the Grand Opera House Mr. Daly’s best works are in course of production. The romantic drama is beauti- fully represented at Wallack’s by ‘‘All for Her,” and the darker and more sombre pas- sions have been depicted at the Union Square in “Miss Multon” by Miss Clara. Morris, who yesterday bade what we hope will be a brief farewell to the New York stage. Our variety theatres were never better, and with the minstrel companies contribute largely to the entertainment of the metropolis, This week there are, at least, two events of importance, the pro- duction of Mn Rowe’s new local drama of “Fifth Avenue” at Booth’s Theatre and the performance of ‘Les Danicheffs” at the Union Square. Among so many attractions it is difficult for the theatre goer to choose, and he might appropriately exclaim, ‘How happy could Ibe with either wore t'other dear charmer r away.” Judge Keliey’s Hallucinations, Some few months since there was a great deal of brilliant sarcasm bestowed by the financiers of one party upon a financial proposition made by the other, Republi- can organs of all calibres ‘came down” worse than the Assyrian on the declaration of the democrats that a certain clause which fixed a date for resumption was a mis- chievous feature of our financial legislation and ought to be repealed. There was no end to the malevolent perversion with which this was distorted into a great inflation paper money plot, and now some distin- guished republicans themselves are sud- denly fulminating on their own account that piece of democratic thunder. One of the foremost of .them wishes to bring the country ‘‘ont of the shadow” of that famous resumption clause by changing the date to next movth and thus to have done with the evil by ‘‘precipi- tating the crisis.” It is possible that the democratic theory is financially correct, even though it is thus supported by Judge Kelley. This gentloman says that real estate in this city has declined in value within the last three years to the extent of $500,000,000. Why does he choose that sum rather than another? He is a nig- gardly financier who stints himself os to ciphers ina case like this. There is no doubt that the difference between tho actual value of real estate in this city and the dreams of. speculators is nearer $500,000 0,000. But the actual value is the sam --ow as it was three years ago. Since a distinguished financier quotes the airy visions of real estate projectors as a real basis of the value of property the public may understand how sound is the whole fabric of fancies on which he argues against the possibilities of early resumption. A Brooklyn Monument, It is an excellent proposition made over in Brooklyn to put up a monument at Fort Greene in memory of the Revolutionary heroes who perished in the prison ships at Wallabout ; but it is not a happy fancy to want the general government to supply the money. Brooklyn men should be proud of the opportunity to do that themselves, Our neighbor city stands on ground the greater part of which a more sentimental people would call sacred soil—soil richly stained with blood shed in one of the important battles of the great struggle, and that fur- nished graves for the martyrs of the prison ships. The possession of a site so rich in heroic associations seems to have satisfied in our neighbors those aspirations which in other cities re- sult in whole crops of monumental species of public decoration, one of the poorest cities in the world. It has remem- bered Lincoln, which is praiseworthy, and it has exhibited its literary taste in two’ other monuments. This is very little for so fine and rich a city. Let the Brooklyn men take hold of this Fort Greene project them- selves and they will make a great success ot it. Our national fault is that we start with projects so magnificent that they are never realized, and if Brooklyn avoids that error we may see-Fort Greene nobly beautified within a few years. a Turkish Reform. Turkey will do whatever England wishes whenover England wishes her to do what she is herself inclined to do; but if Eng- land's desires move in the other direction then Turkey, sublimely regrets that England is deceived and has fallen into the hands of Turkey's enemies. England should feel proud that she has the sympathies of Tur- key’in a case of this nature. It is explained, with more or less authority, that the advice offered through the Marquis of Salisbury was necessarily rejected for reasons related tothe latter part of the above statement. Turkey knew that England would not give such advice if England really under stood the case, and so she acted on her intimate knowledge of what England would have advised if better informed. Turkey has given notice to the Powers of the appointment of three Chris+ tians as Governors of provinces, which is going through the motions of reform, at least; but what measures she has taken to render it impossible that these appointments can be of any value we do not yet know, It may be taken for granted that the preventive measures will be more effective than the appointments, however; for Turkey's pol- icy is now decided definitely, that as the Christian population constantly complicates the relations of the Porte with Europe that population must be killed out as a source of national danger. A Padlock, a Bellows and Some Straw. The Board of Aldermen have adopted a res- olution recommending that in place of warm- ing street cars by art governmental rules be accepted, as follows:—1. Close the front doors in cold weather. 2. Strew the floors with clean straw, which straw as to quantity is to be regulated by the Board of Health, 3. Ventilation, also regulated by the Board of Health. Let the bored suggest to the Board, so that it may carry out its plan:— Put up in each car a good thermometer, serew a padlock on each door and give the keys to the keeper of the Governor's room in the City Hall. This key should not be mistaken for that which opens the whiskey closet in the ‘keeper's room. There should bea special board of inspectors appointed to see that the straw in the cars for passen- gers is os clean as that given out tothe horses, and this committee should be com- posed of Messrs. Guntzerand Reilly. Make it o rule that each shareholder of the company shall blow out the foul air every five minutes, even if he is compelled to hire a bellows. And let the following sign be put up in each car:— A blue noso me for a closed front doc. A pink pose slip for now clean straw; A white nose slip for a vontilator; Punch im the presence of. the cold fellon PERSONAL INTELLIGENCE M. Gambetta will visit London in June, Mr, William Beach Lawrence, of Rhode Island, Is at tho Brovoort. Mr. Spurgeon is going to the South of France to ree crait his health, Mr. E. 1. Godkin, the editor of tho Nation, has in press a work on government, An Armenian has arrived tn London with pow-r from the Turkish government to negotiate the salo es the Holy Land. Thero is a report that the Pope proposes to subdivide Scotland into dioceses, and that Cardinal Manning is assisting him in the scheme. A comprehensive school inspector asked an Aber~ deen class if any ono could tell him anything ree markable in the life of Moses. Boy: ‘Yes, sir; he was the only man who broke all the commandments ‘at onec.”” Tho warmth of the season throughout France has been so singular that tho storks have not yet migratea, and the wild ducks and geese nave remained in theit summer quarters. Tho storms also havo brought t¢ tne coast creatures frequenting very different regions, The Empress Eugénio will return to England in Feb: ruary. Her Majosty’s visit to Romo does not appear te have given her so much satisfaction as she antict pated, The Empress is growing rather stout; it is ta be hoped it isa healthy sign. The Prince is popular with all cl Ata Paris masquerade ball a bier was brought tn by aprocession of people, who, leaving the candles, walked solemuly out, The masqueraders chaffed the man who was lying on tho bier, and ono, more venture some than the others, lifted the pall, disclosing « corpae, with a dagger through its beart. The French are always funny. Mr, MacDonald is described as a man who has penetrated so deeply into the spiritual life, and bie carnestness as well as his imagination are so exorcised, that acertain sente of reality remaingeven im the midst of wire-drawn religious arguments and analyses ot conditions, Tho only solution one can find is that Mr. MacDonald, though he woald pretor to rank bim- self as a preacher and a teacher, is still moro a poot—a port of fine discernment in subtic spiritual problems and processes, and with a power to illuminato tho most recondite of inward exporietoss by fancy and image. One day, on the Boulevard Pcreire, Paris, a mad dog started in pursuit of a velocipode, mounted by a boy of fourteen, named Dupraty, living in the Boulevard, No. 16. The chase was a terrible one, and ended in the fall of the boy. Happily it was in tho iron of the velocspede wheel that the teeth of the mad bulldog closed. * * * Thore onded the first act of the drama. The second follows. In an impulse of pas. sionate joy on socing her son saved from 30 great a danger Mme. Dupraty pressed her lips to tho wheel of the velocipedo, Some hydrophobic virus had remained on the iron, and after an agony of a fortnight the poor mother died, raging mad, A French soldicr wos sitting, a short tino wack, on the sammit of a bill overlooking a garrison town; hit horse was picketed near by; the mun was smokmg leisurely, and from time to time glancing from the esplanade to a big oMcial envelope he had in his hand, A comrade passed and said, “What are you doing there?’”? “I am bearing the President MacMahon’s , pardon for our friond Flichmana, who 18 to be shot tnis morning,” replied the smoker. “Well, then, hurry along with it,” said his comrade, “0 no! geo, there is hardiy a soul on tho esplanado and the firing platoon has not yet been formed. You surely would pot have me rob my appearance of all dramatic effect.” An amusing anecaoto is related about the “Danube Bleu’? of Johann Strauss, which proyes that its author js not ©O great an enemy to adventitious publicity as is generally supposed. A man remarked to him on one occasion:—"I very much admire the titles of your waitzes, There is one, however, which I can never explain to myself, and that is the ‘Danube Bleu; why that color?” “l know as well as you,” replied Strauss, ‘that the Danubo is ordinortly green, and sometimes yollow, but never blac; I could not, how ever, have called my waltz the green Danube or the yellow Danube, as no one would have taken to the title, while the ‘Danubo Blow’ has a slight tinge ot poetry which pleases, and thu: splendor; for Brooklyn is, in respect to this | piece has boon great,’