The New York Herald Newspaper, March 17, 1877, Page 4

NEW YORK HERALD .BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR. THR, DAILY HERALD, puilished every day in the year. Turee ceuts per copy (Sunday excluded), Ten dollury per ear, ur at Fate of one dollar per mouth for any period loss Coat six"months, of hve for six months. Sunday edition included. froe-of post ‘All business, news letter Le addressed New You« HERALD, ‘Letters and packsges should be properly seated, Rejected commun! not be returned, by io pela OFFIC . 112 SOUTH SIXTH RET. LONDON, OFFICE OF THE NEW YORK HERALD— PARIS OFFICE AVENUE, DE LOPERA. NAPLES OFFICE—NO. 7 STRADA PACE. Suvscriptions and advertisements will be received and me terms 48 in New York. jegraphic despatches must “AMUSEMENTS TO-NIGHT, GERMANIA THEATRE—O Du x MAENNER, WALLACK’S THEATER: OLYMPIC THEATRE—! LYCEUM THEATRE— UNION SQUARE THE) ACADEMY OF MUS: BOOTHS THLATRE—. HELLER'S THEATRE. EAGLE THEATRE—Atr: THIRD AVENUE THEA’ THEATRE COMIQUE: TONY PASTOR'S THEA’ GILMORE’S GARDE! TIVOLI THEATKE—Vai NEW AMERICAN M SAN FRANCISCO M NEW YORK AQUARIU EGYPTIAN HALL—S: PARISIAN VARIETIES. COLUMBIA OPERA HOUS! WITH SUPPLEMENT. TO COUNTRY DEALERS, The Adams Ex fram,over the I NOTICE ‘8 Company run a special newspaper ylvania Kailroad and its connections, ta dquarter past four A: M. daily and the recular edition of the Heratp ins far Vest us Harrisburg and South to Washington, reaching Philadelphia at a quarter past six A.M. and Washington wone P.M. From. our reports this morning the probabilities are that the weather in New York to-day will be warm and cloudy, with snow, changing to rain, followed by cold and high winds, probably increas- ng to a gale. Watt Srrer STERDAY.—The stock market was weak and lower. Burlington and Quincy and Rock Island railroad stock fell considerably, the former particularly. Government stocks were steady and railroad bonds a little higher. Money on call was easy at 21g a 3 per cent Buring the forenoon, but later rose to 4 per cent pn eall, the closing price being 3 per cent on aall. Ponicemen should read “Our Complaint Book” to-day. Tne SENATE manimously approves of the Yenomination of Postmaster James, and so does the business public. Smx Dors Nor Run as smoothly at the Cus- tom House as it does to the touch, as a special report explains to-d —If detectives suspected of collusion are to go on duty as patrolmen will the thieves avoid their beats ? Are Portce Orricers also judges, juries and Commissioners of Correction? Captain Williams seemed to think so at Robinson Hall yesterday. Tue Pray or “THe Danicne is ‘‘on” at the Supreme Court rooms, and the opinion of the single critic is awaited with great curiosity. Reap tHe Cravse which we republish from a Dill touching rapid transit, and then try to dis- cover how such a bill comes under the head of public business at all. F AyoTHER Doc Snot because of symptoms of hydrophobia. Of course he was a Spitz. Does any one hear of dogs of any other breed being shot for the same cause? ‘Tne Bogs or Irevanp are solid, level and scented ground compared with that insome y York streets through which the sons of St. Patrick will have to pick th y to-day, Action Is at Last being taken to secure par- ion by the United States in the Paris Ex- It is not official, to be sure, but on that account it is all the more likely to be credit- able. Wuat Rerorm Is Dore for the city’s insane is explained in another column, with the result of showing that lexicographers have not the slightest conception of the real meaning of the word “reform.” Tue Anmaity or THE Jouny Tar to carry a great deal of brandy is generally conceded, but the way in which the Wie 's seamen haye been carrying it is open to criticism by others be- sides temperance people. Tue Coroyer’s Jury in the church panic case advise the detailing of policemen to churches during divine service, A better plan, however, would be the training of church ushers in the work of directing general exits. That which is possible in the school room should cer- tainly be practicable in adult assemblies of regu- lar attendan: Tue Weatue i advance of the de- pression from the Mississippi Valley into the Middle States caused southerly winds to prevail in that region, These bi moisture lade: and entering an ‘area of low te ture which extended northward fortieth parallel, supplied the — precipita tion which the cold converted into snow. The centre of the depression is now probs crossing the Alleghanies northward of nessee and may leave the coast in the vi Cape May. But it is possible that it may follow the eastern side of the mountains and pass north- eastward over New York, bringing hes i on, the coast. wisely in preparing for a gale during to-n and to-morrow. ‘The depression of Thursday has passed over Newfoundland, but its influcnce still continues to induce brisk westerly winds in the British Provinces. Remarkable of temperature are noticeable in t of the Alleghanies, Last evening at V the thermometer indicated seventy- at Cairo, where a northwest gale prevailed, tifty- one; at St. Louis, thirty-one; at Chicago, twenty- six, and in Northern Dakota only two degrees above zero. The conditions favor the ment of tornadoes in‘ the region embracin bama, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee. Cold sweather will follow the passage of the present storm centre over the meridian of New York. ‘The weather in this city today will be warm and of its sparing in the Union. cloudy, with snow, changing to rain, followed by cold and high winds, probably increasing tow jee NEW YUKK HERALD, SATURDAY, MAKUH 17, 1877—WITH SUPPLEMENT. The ‘ Brief’ Story of Civil Service Degradation. Now that we have a President who has the wisdom and courage to attempt a reform of the.federal civil service it is worth while to trace briefly the successive steps of its degradation, : Genesal Washington made appointments only for fitness, and made no removals ex- cept for incapacity, He wrote on this sub- ject very freely at different times. For in- stance, ‘November 30, 1789, he wrote, “In every nomination to office I have endeav- ored, as far as my own knowledge extends, to make fitness of character my primary object.” ‘To Bushrod Washington he wrote, “You cannot doubt my wishes to see you appointed to any office or emolu- ment in the new government to the duties of which you are competent ; but, however deserving you may be of the one you have suggested, your standing at the bar will not justify my nomination of you as attorney to the federal District Court in preference to some of the oldest and most esteemed gen- eral court lawyers in your own State who are desirous of this appoint- ment.” In a letter to another person he named as principally to be regarded, besides “fitness of character to fill office,” also “the distribution of appointments in as equal a proportion as might be to persons belonging to the different States in the Union;” and referring to this in still another letter, he wrote, “My aim has been to com- Dine geographical ,situation with abilities and fitness of known characters.” When Jefferson came in, and the federal- ists lost power, he experienced at once a pressure from the members of his party anxious for office, He refused absolutely to appoint relatives of his own. In regard to office-seekers he wrote to Dr. Rush in March, 1801, “Of the thousands of officers, therefore, inthe United States a very few individuals only, probably not twenty, will be removed, and these only for doing what they ought not to have done.” In another letter he wrote, ‘Good men to whom there is no objection but a difference of political principle, practised on only as far as the right of a private citizen will justify, are not proper subjects of removal, except in the case of attorneys and marshals,” Many years later, in a letter to Madison, he touched on one of the most mischievous of the laws which regulate our civil service—that which limits the term of office of subordinate place holders to four years, and thus makes a re- appointment necessary and opens the door to office-seeking, He wrote, in 1820, “This is a sample of the effects we may expect from the late mischievous law vacating every four years nearly all the executive offices of the government. It saps the constitutional and salutary functions of the President and introduces a principle of intrigue and cor- ruption which will soon leaven the mass, not only of Senators but of citizens. It places every four years all appointments under the Senate’s power and obliges them to act on every one nomination, It will keep in constant excitement all the hungry cormorants for office, render them as well as those in place sycophants to their Senators, engage them in eternal intrigue to put out one and putin another.” How accurately he described the results of this bad law we need not say. The whole country knows it. In 1832 Mr. Clay objected to Mr. Van Buren’s nomination as Minister to England on the express ground that ‘‘to this gentle- man is principally to be ascribed the intro- duction of the odious system of proscription tor the exercise of the elective franchise in the government of the United States. It is a detestable system, drawn from the worst periods of the Roman Republic, and if it were to be perpetuated—if the offices, hon- ors and dignities of the people were to be put up toa scramble and to be decided by the results of every Presidential election— our government and institutions, becoming intolerable, would finally end in a despotism as inexorable as that of Constantinople.” General Grant and the republican party brought the country, in fact, during the last eight years, to the point spoken of by Mr. Clay, where, unless we could have such a reform as President Hayes promises, the American people would demand a change in their form of government. The degradation of the civil service is commonly supposed to have begun with Jackson, but the office-seekers had been an active and troublesome body before then. The law making the tenure of office only four years, which was passed about 1820, may be said to have created the trade or profession of office-seeking. Jackson only increased an evil already existing. John Quincy Adams, however, made, during his term of four years, but four removals from office which involved the action of the Senate. So said Senator Ewing in a speech in 1851 defending General Taylor against the charge of having made wholesale removals; and he added, ‘Before 1829 there were contests for office, there was victory and defeat, but they touched the higher objects of ambition only, the love of distinction and power, not the living of the official drudge, the wages of whose labor was the support of his family.” But Senator Bradbury, of Maine, compared Jackson's removals with Taylor's, and showed by his figures how greatly the evil had increased in twenty years, He said, ‘When President Jackson came here moro than three-quarters of the oflices held in the District wero opposed to him. He never made changes enongh to give half the places to his friends, Now, every head of a bureau and every chief clerk is a whig, with one or two exceptions. There were but two hundred and eighty- three officers subject to conlirmation by the Senate removed during twel son and Van Buren, while the late whig administration has left but few monuments General Jack- son removed four hundred and ninety-one postmasters the first year, but General Tay- lor struck down more than three thonsand in the same time. Taylor's administration 5 | has made more removals in a single year than were made by all the other administra. | tions together, Harrison's and Tyler's ex- cepted, from the organization of the gov- ernment to 1849.” It remained for the administration of | President Grant to put the final touches to the degradation of the civil service, He began, apparently, with just purposes, but years of Jacke | he soon fell. He liked to appoint his per- sonal favorites, and the Senate was will- ing to gratify him if he would appoint theirs. The iniquitous system under which Congressmen demanded as of right the ap- pointment of their favorites and “workers” to the places in their States and districts became so systematized that it was rightly called the “machine,” and the result was that Congress, no longer receiving men who were able to impress their constituents by their worth or capacity, was filled with intriguing politicians, who maintained themselves in office by sedulously cram- ming the minor places in the government with their favorites. ‘Patronage” has almost emptied both Houses of able men. It has crowded the Senate with men who, as one of them confessed the other day, cannot hope for re-election if the President does not appoint their favorites, und who are of course the enemies of a reformed service. This system led to the disgraceful scandal of a Cabinet Minister taking the chairman- ship of a national committee in a Presiden- tial campaign; to a President even openly calling himself ‘the representative of his party ;” to all the monstrous abuses of power which excited and disgusted the country during the last canvass, and ‘by which, strangely enough, a President was carried into the White House who now promises to put a summary end to such abuses. He will need the zealous support of all good men of both parties, but we trust he will stand firm and refuse to rest until he brings the public service back to the measure of Washington’s ideas. American Railroad Securities Abroad, The London Times states that American railroad securities are looked upon with great suspicion in the London market, and attributes this want of confidence to the fact that the actual condition of our rail- road companies is not placed before the bondholders and stockholders in the clearest light; that it has been the habit of the managers and their agents to “keep silent when matters go wrong,” and to prefer making untruthful reports to letting any facts be made public which may show to the disadvantage of the corporation. This unreliability of statement, the Zimes insists, enables a watchful ‘‘clique of wreckers” to constantly run down particular stocks, and thus shake the confidence of the market in all Amer- ican railroad securities, whether really sound or unsound. It is, no doubt, an unfortunate fact that our railroads have too frequently been un- der the management of speculators who have thought more of making the stock of their companies a football on Wall street, to be kicked about for their own profit, than of advancing. the substantial and permanent prosperity of the roads. In many instances the: men intrusted with the interests of the stockholders have been their most dangerous enemies, and have intrigued and labored to destroy the property confided to their care in order to enrich themselves through the decline of the stock. Railroad elections have been a mere farce. Two or three shrewd directors have generally been abie to “‘run the ma- chine,” to control their associates and to insure the perpetuation of their own rule, Yet a little judgment and firmness on the part of those who desire to invest in our railroad securities would soon render the tricks of the stock jobbers profitless. It is easy to learn what railroad securities are sound, and a quiet confidence on the part of the public in such stocks would defeat all the attacks that may be made upon them by the ‘‘wreckers.” Police! Police! Every citizen should read particularly the report given to-day of the action of the Police Commissioners with regard to five detectives remanded to patrol duty for in- efficiency and the suspicion of connivance in large robberies, This is excellent from one side of the case. It purges the detec- tive force of discreditable members and is a step toward the recognition that detec- tives have some obligations to the public. But if it is good with regard to the detective force, how is it as to the noble army of patrolmen? Here are officers substantially if not explicitly charged with collusion with thieves in some important robberies, and they are put on duty in positions where they are to guard the property of citi zens and where by collusion with burglars they can continue the practices already ini+ tiated in their detective experiences. This seems a strange course on the part of the Commissioners; but, perhaps, they cannot help themselves. Likely enough they would have preferred to dismiss these men, but they have not the power. For removal there must be a trial and witnesses, and the Com- missioners may not be able to legally prove the facts of which they are morally certain, and if the men are not regularly removed the courts would restore them to their places, More Hariem Flats. From some current reports of a terrible medical case it seems evident that there are some flats in Harlem for which the municipal authorities are not responsible. At least one of them is written down as a medical man; several of them constitute a small circle of the public; and it is possible that one of them is a hysterical colored girl, though we are inclined to believe that the colored girl in the case is a sharp rather than a flat, All these persons are exciting | themselves unnecessarily over the halluci- nation of the colored girl who believes or pretends to believe that her intestines are the abode of a living reptile. If there is any reptile in Harlem s0 foolish as to be | caught in such ascrape that reptile is, of | course, the worst flat of all; but we don’t believe any one up there can catch in so pooratrap as the human body a creature | that has vocal organs yet does not live in | the air and is otherwise a wild beast so re- | markable that it would make the fortune of any ordinary museum. ‘This story of a girl who has a lizard or 4 toad pra fenny snake | inside her is one of the oldest and cheapest of the deceptions that girls subject to the | qnasi mania of hysteria practice upon those avout them when they are not themselves the victims of the delusion. ‘That any in- structed person should tail for a moment to understand it ig all that is queer about it, _ Nomination of General MeClella Governor Robinson has promptly made a nomination for the important new office of Superintendent of Public Works, signing the bill at once and hardly leaving the ink to dry before sending in a name for the con- firmation of the Senate. ‘The selection of General McClellan for this responsible post will be a surprise and disappointment to the democratic politicians of the State, but a gratification to the rank and file of the party.. General McClellan has never taken any part in State politics, and such slight connection as he has had with national politics has been rather at the instigation of others than by self-prompted choice, ‘The ways and methods of politicians were never congenial to him. Should he be confirmed by the Senate he will administer the public works on business principles and not in the interest of either political party. But will he be confirmed? The Senate is republican and Gen- eral McClellan is a conspicuous demo- erat, but it is difficult to see what the republican party could gain by rejecting him. They can surely have no expectation of forcing Governor Robinson to appoint a republican, and we do not see how any dem- oerat could be less objectionable to them than one whose character and habits of mind prevent him from becoming an active politi- cian, The republican Senate may go fur- thor an@fare worse. No democrat could be less offensive in a party sense, and if the Senate makes up its mind to reject all democrats for that office the effect will simply be to continue the present Canal Commissioners in office, all of whom are democrats and strong partisans. The Superintendent of Public Works is to be clothed with the same duties which are now discharged by the Canal Commissioners, who are to remain in office until the Super- intendent is confirmed, Governor Robin- son has, therefore, the whip hand. The Senate must decide between retaining the management of the canals in the present democratic hands, or accepting a democrat of a less partisan stripe. If they reject a man so able and respectable as General McClellan on them will rest the responsibility of defeating the purpose of the most important of the recent amend- ments of the State constitution. Hayes’ First Mistake. Naturally every President has to make some mistakes in the course of his term, and, of course, the first must come some time. Mr. Hayes’ first comes pretty early and is not a shockingly bad one.. He has merely put Mr. Frederick Douglass in the wrong place in making him Marshal of the District of Columbia. Mr. Douglass’ proper place is Boston, He should be made Collector of that port. Boston is very fond of Mr, Douglass and Mr. Douglass reciprocates the sentiment. He is a man of taste, culture, genius and modesty—quali- ties that Boston loves. He was formerly a slave, and that Boston adores, In short, there are so many substantial and valid reasons for making him Collector of Boston that we almost wish the Senate might reject. the nomination actually made and thus give the President a chance to bestow on Mr. Douglass a distinguished mark’ of his favor. It seems a sad waste to throw away Mr. Douglass on the District of Columbia, where at least one-quarter of the population are colored people who cannot appreciate him and where his most distinguished ser- vice is to stand on ‘the right hand of the President's wife and introduce the guests at levees and other stifling entertainments, Mr. Douglass should go to cool and breezy Boston. It isa pity they did not give Mr. Douglass even the place just given to Mr. Morrill and Mr. Morrill the one given to Mr. Douglass. The Usual Story. South Carolina got rid yesterday uf four of her dangerous characters by the only legal method that never fails—the scaffold, The crime for which these negroes were exe- cuted was murder, but all the condemned had already been guilty of every villany that was possible to men of their class and surroundings. ‘Their last moments very much resembled those of white men on similar occasions. The courage which had supported them in their careers of rascality proved utterly unavailing against the cowardice which al- ways afflicts natures morally low, and the conscience which they had steadily stifled rose to condemn them by showing that it had never been dead. Each one of them found his only strength in reliance upon the mercy of the Being whose every law he had broken, and each one hastened to .make earthly confession before he should have to do it in a court where false testimony and false witness can never prevent a righteous verdict. Each one, too, acted as spokesman for rascals of almost every degree by charging his fate to whiskey and bad company. By this last earthly act these ignorant negroes preached a sermon which is worth being listened to, even as far north as New York, and not only by the lower classes either, Like causes produce like results, and there are men who wear fine clothing, cerry university diplo- mas and drink only the best of liquors, who are as thoroughly curses to humanity as the South Carolina murderers, and are prepar- ing for the same cowardly ending, even if the method of their taking off be moro fashionabie and less public. Gorman Music in New York. Our German fellow citizens have a pro- found appreciation of music and inyarinbly give their support to every artistic enter- prise. A large proportion of the audiences of the Thomas and the Damrosch concerts are Germans, and they sustain many smaller orchestras and more musical organ- izations than’ we can enumerate. It is pleasant to see this hearty, earnest enthu- siasm for music in all its best forms, and New York owes much of its artistic promi- nenece to the German influence. This city has o larger German popula- tion than any city on the European Continent outside of Germany, and it is right that the fact should be fully recognized, The Germans are par- ticularly fond of their native music, of such composers as Bach, Gliick, brute } Weber, Beethoven, Mozart, Handel, Haydn, and last, and greatest of all, as many persons are convinced, Rich- ard Wagner. Evidence of this love is found in the enormous audiences which have attended the performances of ‘The Flying Dutchman” and “Lohengrin” during the present season of opera, and whatever may be thought of Wagner's musical theories or genius there can be no question as to the vast service our German citizens have ren- dered to art in general. St. Patrick’s Day. The walk to-day in honor of St. Patrick will be in snow or rain, but those who honor the Saint will be only the more en- thusiastic for the difficulties, St. Patrick travelled throughout Ireland on foot and never wenried of his labors in the cause of Christianity. That he was: really a great and good man is proved by the respect which after so many hundred years is still paid to his memory, The legend that he expelled snakes from Ireland is prob- ably a myth, meaning that he was the man who dealt the first and great blow at heathenism in that island. The Scriptures always allude to the serpent as the embodiment of. the evil spirit. But whether the story be fact or religious myth the devotion shown by our Irish citizens to St. Patrick is something beautiful in its sincerity. To them the anniversary of his birth is a fes- tival in which patriotism and religion are blended, and neither snow rior hail nor rain will prevent its formal observance. The procession will be immense, notwith- standing the unfavorable weather, and will furnish a new proof that the ardor of our Irish citizens is united with their Order. In the evening many societies will cele- brate the birthday of the Saint by banquets, and at the dinner of the Friendly Sons of St, Patrick Mr. Hugh J. Hastings will preside, and, under the in- spiration of a four-leaved shamrock, newly imported for the occasion, will explain the mysteries of the Saint’s birth and of the origin of the celebrated round towers of Ireland. To-day ‘The Wearing of. the Green” will be the most popular song in the city, and we wish all success and joy to. those who celebrate the great event. * A Pressing Danger. Though it has been the subject of many jokes the present condition of the New York streets is no laughing matter. From an accurate description which we publish to-day of the appearance and contents of certain roadways the reader may form some estimate of the masses of filth that are awaiting removal. Of the quality, however, of these monuments to departed official ability it is not so easy to judge at sight. If the dirt were only common earth its pres- ence would be annoying to every one and disgraceful to the authorities who are paid to devise means of preventing its accumula- tion, Not one-tenth part of it is earth, how- ever; it is principally composed of decaying vegetable and animal matter, which, cast in small quantities from almost every residence and business house, is ground to powder and paste by passing vehicles, but never changes its original nature excepting through de- cay. The exhalations from such a foul mass are dangerous enough at present, though the process of fermentation is greatly re- tarded by the low temperature. Given a single day of warm sunshine, however, which often comes more than once in March, and the unlocking of the poisons of this vast store of filth will work physical harm to a degree simply incalculable, A serious misapprehension is that of many people that only the inhabitants of the dirtiest localities will be the sufferers. The atmosphere of ao largo city is not laid out in districts; the foul emanations from the side streets reach the pedestrian on Broadway and the occu- pant of the Fifth avenue carriage, and though its effects are not always so marked as they are upon the underfed, poorly- housed denizens of squalid neighborhoods the insidious letting down of the general tone of the system makes swift the progress of many a constitutional ailment. Itshould be remembered that disease from this cause is beyond medical control; absolute recoy- ery cun take place only on the removal either of the cause or the invalid, The con- dition of the streets becomes, therefore, a matter of the gravest personal concern. If public means are inadequate to the removal of street filth true economy will prompt private and co-operative enterprise to at- tempt it. A few experiments under compe- tent direction would at least have the effect of displaying in their proper colors the in- capacity and carelessness of the men who are paid and sworn to fulfil this duty and provide means for its accomplishment, PERSONAL INTELLIGENCE. Colonel Forney loved Horace Greeley, The princesse robe will be the favorite, Ivory satin may be worn with pale blue, ‘Amethyst silk may be trimmed with yellow, Mason, tho chess player, will locate in St, Louis, The Hartford Post 18 a handsome evening paper. © fora Thackeray to lampoon the Spitz poodle! When the clonds are dull the Mediterranean Sea is gray. A Southerner says gotus?” ‘ A young lady of Vicksburg picked more than a ton of cotton. The wives of Indianapolis elders are now called elder sisters. Senator William H. Barnum, of Connecticut, js at the Fifth Avenue, A critic 18 very severe on those people who experi- ment on exercises in music and drive the next door neighbors crazy. A foreign count is saidto beadry goods clerk in New York, This is not the only case where a counter jumper hasa counterfeit. ‘The Cleveland Herald says that no gronter wrong can bo done to a boy than to brand bim publicly by expelling bim trom school. Rochester Democrat :—“Blaine, in the opinion of the New York Hinkaty, has ‘petroleum on tho brain.’ This is the reason be spouts so.’? Dotroit Free Press:—“No woman can beat the tele- phone, and she onght to remember it as the telis ber hasband, who is three blocks away, to order mackerel.”” Thero is about a hall inch of a kid glove that Presi- dent Hayes never learned to pull on, It 1s at the ends of the fingers, Don’t get anybody else to stretch them for you, The London Athenaum of yosterday states that the “Have wo got Koy or has Key Secretary of the Soctety of Antiquaries of London has received a telegram trom Professor Schliemann an- nouncing his intention to give an account of bis exca- vations at Myconw bofore the society on the evening of the 22d inst, TELEGRAPHIC NEWS From All Parts of the World. THE OUTLOOK PEACEFUL England Suggests Slight Verbal Alter: ations in the Protocol. IGNATIEFF WITH SALISBURY, The Bull-Dozed Montenegrin Envoys Still Unsuccessful FRANCE AND THE NEWSPAPER PRESS, pects ie Ros St) [BY CADLE TO TIE HERALD,] Loxvox, Mareb 17, 1877. “It is impossible,” says a St. Petersburg correspond- ent, “to predict what turo events will take or to form any idea what ends Russian policy is try trying to ob- tain, The war party is as resolute, and, what is more Strange, as confident as ever that the presont negotia . tions will come to nothing, and that the question will be decided vy the sword. Confidence in this result , is 80 positive that one cannot help thinking. it 1s founded on something more substantial than mere, wishes. The partisans of war have, or think they. have, positive knowledge of what they assert, or clee have, or think they have, means of making their pre- dictions good, which argues ill tor a peaceable solu- tion, I am meanwhile seml-oMicially intormed that. the terms of a complete understanding between Ru: and England havo nearly been arrived at; that @ pencetul solution is scarcely doubtful, and that, im short, the only question under dis cussion now is whether Russia or Turkey shall disarm first. As the Porte will be only too glad to disarm, provided Russia promises to do likewise, there should be no dificulty on this account. When Geueral Ignatieff submitted the proposed protocol for Prince Bismarck’s inspection the latter said there was nothing in it to commit anyboay. It might be safely signed by every Power in Europe, from Russia to Monaco,” ENGLAND AMENDS THE PROTOCOL, In the House of Commons, yesterday afternoon, Sir Stafford Northcote, Chancclior of the Exchequer, in. reply to a question by tho Marquis of Hartington, said:—Tbo present situation is tnois: the, British government has received from Russia. a proposal to join in a protocol which will embody the views of the Powers as. to the situation in the East. A draft of the protocol, as proposed by Russia and given to Lord Derby on Sum day, has been considered by tho Cabinet, Moditioas tions of the langnage were proposed, which amend- ments were placed in the hands of Count Schouvaloff, who could only receive them ad referendum and if awaiting instructions from Russia,” SICK OF NiCSIC. A steamer has arrived at Cattao with a cargo of corn and flour which 18 being transsbipped up the Bojang River to Montenegro. Nicsic 1s boing revictualled, from Scutari and Poagoritza, the Prince of Monte-, negro lending the Turks horses to transmit the pro- visions, The foregoing movements are in accords ance with the arrangements made between the Turks, and Montencgrins at tho time the armistice was con- cluded, LITTLE SATISFACTION FOR MONTENEGRO, Safvet Pacha, Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs; told the Montenegrin delegates yosterday that the Porte was only prepared to grant rectification of the frontier in the direction of Zubeis Banjani, Piva, Dro», bruck and Charautzi, and would demand rectification of, the tronticr in favor of Turkey in the direction of Vassoyowit, Notwithstanding this decision it te stated that no formal rupture has yet occurred be- tween Montenegro and the Porte, The Montenogrin delogatos still uwait imstructions from Cettinje, but. believe that acceptance of Safvet Pacha’s counter proposals is impossible, UNHAPPY CRETE, A letter from Candia in tho Byzantis, aGreok news paper at Constantinople, speaks of great discoatent and agitation in Crete, The correspondent says:— “Tbe agitation would long since havo found expression in revolt but for advice and entreaty from Athens, The cause of the discontent is the imperfect ob. servance by tho Turks of the law of 1868, which gives Crete administrative autonomy.”” AMERICAN MISSIONARIES IN ITALY, Owing to the difficulty of collecting tunds for mis sionary purposes !n America, the sible and Publica. tion Society of Philadelphia have recalled their Roman missionary, Rey. Mr, Van Meter, His schools in the Leonino City and Frascati, which he Icaves in a flour- ishing condition, will nuw be superintended by Rev, Mr. Pigott, director of the Wesleyan Mission in Italy, and Rey, Dr. Taylor, the American Baptist missionary, Rev, Mr. Van Meter reserves for bunself tho task of raistog {ands in England and America for the support of the schools, DEPUTY CASBAGNAC TO BE PROSECUTED, in the French Chamber ot Deputies yesterday there was a long debate over the request of tne government for authority to prosceute Deputy Paul de Cassagoac for violation of the Press laws, M. de Cassagnac madg a speech, In the courso of which ho declarod that the republican proclaimed their devotion to liberty, but did not carry out its principles, They merely acted as monarchists would do under the same circumstances. He denied that he had attacked the Chamber in lus journal; his attacks wero directed only against individuals and parties, Nor had he mado any attack on the established government, which he would continue to respect until 1880. He censured Minister Simon, who formerly de- fended Rochefort, In conclusion, ho said he would respectfully accept the decision of the Chamber, but would again raise his head betore a court of justice if he should be arraigoed. The speech was moderate for M. de Castagnac, and was trequently appinuded by the membors of the Right, Mr, Simon, replying, objected to M, Cassagnac’s in- voking republican principles. If this was submitted to, the republicans would eternally be dupos, He dee clared himself still an advocate of liberty; but Cassag- nac’s offence was against common Jaw, namely, inciting civil war, He imyeighed st the Bonapartists who sought to create the belief that they could act with impunity, and strove to return to poworpy ter- rorism, The assailants of the Republic would find men resolved to detend it, ‘The Chamber divided, and the government's request was granted by a vote of 206 yeas to 147 mays, The minority was composed of extrome radicals ang monarchists, FRANCE AND GERMANY, ‘Tue Francais, of Paris, says positively that Germany has addresved no complaints to France respecting the construction of fortificativns, INDIAN FINANCIAL MATTERS, Privato telegrams from Inaia stato that the Finance Mivister’s proposals lave renewod, to somo extent, tho unsettled feeling caused by the depreciation of , sitver. The announcement that the amount of council bills to be drawn in 1877-8 i# to be increased about fifty per cent, the samo time that power is asked to raise £3,750,000 in Engiand and £2, 500,000 in India, is held by those engaged in the In+ dian trado to foreshadow renewed distarbances of exe changes and fresi hindrances to business, DENMARK WILL BE REPRESENTED, The Finance Committee of the Denmark Folketling will propose a grant of 125,000 thalers for participation by Denmark in tho Paris Exhibition of 1878, A PAIR DAY IN LONDON, Tho weather yesterday was fair. SUFFOCATED WITH STOVE GAS, Berrawo, N. Y¥., March 16, 1877, A ma named Michael Zing, aged sixty years, diod hero to-day from inhaling stove gas. His wife, who" ‘was in the same room, is not expected to recoves,