The New York Herald Newspaper, March 19, 1877, Page 8

“THR KAY 10 HLATIN Discourses in New York and Brook- lyn Pulpits Yesterday. PASSION SUNDAY. Talmage Talks to the Tele- graph Operators. HOLY COMMUNION. Frothingham Denies the Prophecies of Christ's Coming. BROOKLYN ‘TABERNACLE. SERMON TO TELEGRAPH OPERATORS BY THE REV. T. DE WITT TALMAGE. Mr. Talmage preached yesterday to telegraph oper- ators, His text was taken from Job, xxxviil., 36— “Canat thou send tightoings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here wo are?!” Yos, we can, said Mr. Talmage; it’s done thousands ‘of times overy day. Franklin, at Boston, lassoed tho lightnings and Morso put on them a wire bit, turning them round from city to city, and Cyrus W. Field plunged them into tno sea, and whenever the tcle- graphic instrument clicks at Valencia or Heart's Con- tent, or London or New York, the lightnings of heaven are exclaiming, 1n the words of my text, **Here we ‘wo wait your bidding; wo listen to your command.’? Twish to recognize the fact that telegraph operators have their hand on momentous interests to all, and that they have trials and annoyances which prove that their nerves are not, like the telegraph, made out of wire, and in the namo of our all sympathetic Chris. Banity I address them:—‘Canst thou send lightnings, Uhat they may go, and say umo thee, Hero we are?” ‘Yes, that’s your rogular business, PRAISES DUE THE TELEGRAPH, In the first place I charge you to givo gratitude to God for the fact that Ho has mado you tho means of so much advantage and blessing to the world, Ob, what a strido irom the time when the Roman generals were depending upon signals by the boniires kindled on the mountain top; from the time of the rotating beam upon which the world was depending in alter centur- jes, down on from those days till this time, when one telegraphic company sends 20,000,000 despatches in one year, and, if 1 am rightly informed, 20,000 jast Saturday week. Ob, what painstaking since the day when Thales, 600 years before Christ, discovered frictional electricity by the rubbing of amber to this tine, when Faraday and Moro and Prescott and Or- ton—some in ono way, somo in another—have helped tha lightnings of heaven to come bounding along, cry- ing, “Here we aro: What mean all these storm signals at Barnegat and Hauteras and St. Johns and Key West? Why, they mean that the telegraph has gathered the weather re- ports ull over the laud, crying, **A tempest 18 com- ing!”? There ure thousands of sailors asicep ainid the corals and seaweed who this morning would have Deen alive nad the sigual service been invented sooner. What mean all these trains yoing along the Hudson River apd the Erie aud Pennsylvania hues, with less comparative logs of life than in the me of the old stage coaches? ‘Ihe telegraph wires aro hurrying ground these chariots of fire and millions of people travelling both ways in comparative safety. ‘What bas this art done tor literature’ Ono of the great curses of literature is verbosity—great long sen- tences and a whvie pack of hounding adjectives after one poor noun, ‘The economies of telegrapay say :— Put what you have to say.iu ten words ur pay extra.” ty pressure the lana is learning the beauty of brevity, Why be so spendthritt of words? With tour words God ordorea the illumination of two hemispheres—“Let tuero be light’? With five words the archangel shall preach the iuneral sermon ot the world-—"“Lime shail be no ionger.’? The world 18 being talked to death amt the American telegraph 1s helping to abate the nuisance. In sudden exigencies how quick 1% brings the phy- sician! A fire is put out mm hve minutes! You are in ‘a distant hotel and in @ parexysm of pain. No rail- Yoad train could carry your message swift enough, You telegraph home, Como,”? and very soon upon your dying Vision (bere appears tho famiur and sym- path fi of her who has been to you as a sweet song ever since the day ‘when you put the ring ou her hand, ‘There is not a home in Christendom that 1s not benetited by the telegraph, Churches arc benefited by the reports of their conventions brought by telegraph. Every mornu- ing the secular und religious news of the world 1» put ou our breakfast table by the wiegraph through the ewspaper, the mowspaper press ol this couniry m one year giving $521,000 lor teiegraphic intelligence and continental Europe $1,000,000 tor telegraphic inteil- wuce, The American villain lands in the arms of the Averpool police. ‘To arrest crime, to scatter good aud strike the common note of universal accord God has ordained the telegraph. 1 am very glad to know that ‘woman, sbut out irom so many places ot employ meat, bas been admitied here. People are better behaved and moro elevated in conversation where women ure. Isn't thatso’ If it isn’t, why do we all love to get into the ladies’ cabin of tue bulton terry boat? (Great laughter.) TRIALS OF TELEGRAPH OPBRATORS, Don’t lot your art be a mere matter of work. I Preach this sermon to magnily your vilice and to stir Up tn your soul apprectation for the grandeur of that work to which God has called you. Agaim, I charge fou that you mainvam inviolate uli the coutidences tn- trusted to you. Througu no otner hands do there go bo many things never inveuded tur the public ear. At this port set rae say that 1 think all judges of courts and tbe natiouul government ought to ve very slow to Uring mm privace telegrams as evidence, Whit a scene it Was when Mr. Orton was brought belore Cougress to briug forward private telegrams. It 1s a simple tact tha; the men who did that were scorched with their own iigutuing, when the lightnings came and said, “Here we are.” “Yes,’? they said, “and I wish I had never geen you.” (Laughter) Te letters of the Post Uilice are no more sucred than a telegraph, and public vilicyais onght to be very careful Jest they cripple this greaWrnfluence, ‘There ure a xreat tnany people jempted go teil all they know, especially when they don’ /<now much. Meu tak too much, and women too, To viliers your work seems 4g casy e& playing ona Piauo, but since you began to learn the art you buve hot been frov from annuyances. ‘The story of the tele graph Las been the story of trial and troubie, It hus been struggle, struggie, all the way up and all the way down, Sebustopol and Austerlitz and Gettysburg Wore not less sirugstes (han tus. Wellington won no bevter victory at Waterloo than Cyras W. Meld when he landed the cable ut Heart’s Conteat. ‘The pioneers iu telegraphy were tho target for the jeers of two hem. ispni The United states government, time aud time again, has altempied to steal the telegraph lines Of this country and make thein a mere system of political jobbery. CUMPORTS DERIVED PROM THR TLEGRAPH. But 1s there vo comfort in any department of this wonderiul art? Ibave to tell you to-day that God’s ‘word is charged with comtort, and if you but touch it You will feo! the eternal turill. Your message sent io is jong distance may seem to arrive at an bour earlier than When it was gent; but here is something that beatsall telegraphy, the promise of G “vefore they cali | willanswer, and while toey are yet speaking I will hear.’? God is ever ready; go to Him, Do you already feel the shock of the Lord's batery? people in all the world have such an opportuuity. Goa 4s pot im the storin or the earthquake so much as in the telegraph. You every day have your tiugers on the pulses of the omnipotent arm. You ought to have better appreciation than most people that the Lord is ot far irom any one of you, Workiag aa you do, wi juch tremendous agencies, you ought to be the most devout of ali Christian people. Are you? Lift the storm signat to-day. ‘There’s a day coming which willtry every man’s work, no matter ol waa fort itis. In Christ ali are safe; away from bim all are in peril. it 1 bad the telegraphic wires of the world and I coul would be this:—"Cone ante me all ye who are weary und heavy Jaden and I will give you rest.” Lam glud to know that God is coming to take possession of the world’s telegraphic insiruwents, ‘Tue thought sur my soul. Alter a while, when ail the telegraphic Ines aro completed and instead of jour or tive wires through the occun to Europe there will be twenty, and the wire of the telegraph shall inziouate itsell into the most hidden dweilings of the human tamily, tuen, methinks, there, should be some great central vilice, and the operator shi put bis band on that in and give the Gal cail to all nations § Y¥ Christ Himself moy put His hand instrument aod aive the per that suce on official and the cessiul call to all people, thriiling to all lands the Look unto me, all ye ends ot the earth, t**] for | am God, aud there 1s nono clac;’’ and all the na- i imstantly catching Ube invitation, shall respond; tnd China shail eay, “1come,”” and udia shall say, “t Some?! a hall say, “I come,” and Russia a shall and Europe and Asia and Atrica and North and south America shall sey, “We come.”? Nations borm ip A Guy, empires saved, the world’s wurk done, God gloriticd, heaven tali i sing, the lame his crutch forego, dant mitina, Tike tle boulidiny: rie f, the wide world «hail hear, wil every tear; I] Death be vound, oI th’ everma! wound; ‘one crib snail meet, nts lick the pilgrim's feet, H hasten the day! And then the galvanometer: Po ching ‘and ther ine Atlantic cavies nay snap, und Me lightaings of eer pond Fats atthe of the roue, ‘Ty “Here we are Whe Ye contagion of the services Mr. Talmage bap- tised by immersion throe young ladies, repeating the send only ove message 1 think it | seg det af: dt set NEW YORK HERALD, words of baptism as cach immersed, and reol the ootiteeston ef ity at tbo'enas “iy CHURCH OF THE DISCIPLES. WHAT CHRISTIANITY HAS ACCOMPLISHED—SEB- MON BY THE REV. MB. HEPWORTH. Rev, Goorge H. Hepworth preached a very earnest sermon yesterday morning from the text Isaiah vil., 14—*Tbereforo the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, @ virgin shall conceive, and beara son, and sball call bis pame Immanuel.” You cannot, said tho preacher, have failed to notice that thechief part of my text has prefixed to it the exclamation ‘Behold.”? The word has a twotold nification—First, it attracts attention; second, tt is an iptumation that tho speaker has a com- munication to make of wuousual importance. Surely, then, the prophet wat right when he looked around and saw the restless eyes of the people of larae!, and in order to attract their atten. tion he cried out, *Benold,’? and then followed a communication which involves a miracle above all miracles—the announcement of the personal presence of God in tho affairs of men and in the private lives of those who wiil trust in Him. It might be well to ask just bere, What has been the experience of the world with respect to this religion which came as the crown of prophecy, which was the result of God’s promise sounded through all the centuries of time Tt has had 1,800 years of4rial, and surely we have ar. rived at @ sufficient number of facts to euabie us to mako an impartial judement; to enable us tu become convinced either of its value or of its worthlessness, WHAT CMRISTIANITY HAS DONE, What has the Christian religion done for the world? ‘What influence bas it bad upon society? upon progress? upon our laws? upon our politics and social life? How much of » power has the babo of Bethiebem beon, rep- resenting, a8 be said he did, a present God? Tne careful student of history sees ip the past two attempts at civilization; one the resultot intellectual processes and experience, tho other the result of the Christian religion, is diclates aud commandments. A barbarian people began the slow work of educating themselves, ‘hey gatnered physical and metapbys- ical [ucts and made a morality for themselves, and ihe result was the city of Athens, with its beroic men and 11s philosophers and its great thinkers, But when men try to develop themsvives without the aid of God they only develop their baser nature, Neither Soc- rates nor Aristotie nor Plato had one nobie, inter tod sentimeat that reached the bomes aud hearts ot all the poopie as the commandment o! St Jobn uid, which I read in the Jeeson this morning. The result of ages of endeavor was genius, iadeed—genius so monumental that it towers almost to the heavens; but genius that was blindiolded wnen it 1ooked up to ask, “Whither shall I go and whither have my loved ones gone?” It wasa gonuis that was compelled to satisly itself with the present. Now, brethren, look at the other picture. We have again a barbarian to deat with He i &@ man who has roamed through the forests of Western Europo for ages. Christianity came in the person of an apostle, aman mild mannered and persuasive of speech, a mau who scorned the things o! time and looked for- ward with hope to the things of eternity—a man who represented love 1n bis actions and who spoke ot God’s Jove on every occusion, He taught u religion that was miraculous in its conception. It was born of the power of heaven, not of tno inpulses of earth, And when it grew and developed human nature becume not only retined in its thoughts but in its emotions—man was Sancutied ull through bis Ife. Put these two pic- tures side by side, Whatadifference! What achusm tes the two! The one side seli—the other love, delicate, refined, omnipotent, aching us Lo extend the right band of sympathy to ull, and to pumt upward to tbe mansion that 1s oternal, I wonder wo have not a larger appreciation of thege facts. What has Christ- janity done tor the world? what can it do for you and me? Ibuve come scross sceptics, bat I never yet have seen a sceptic who would not gladly exchange bis doubts for my 1ith, never yet have seen a scepuc who wis happy. A man must have faith as the foundation of bis life and character, and do you know that the Christian is the only person who can have fauh? Heil is nell because there 1s no faith there, and we can makea hell ou earth by distrustiny. If we would be happy wo must bave {aith in something or some one, Christignity imecreases our fuith und de- velops our better nature. Chrisuanity is fuith in the only begotton Son. Can we not be loyal to him? Can we vo other than loyal to sach a Muster, such a King? ‘Think of this mattor and take your place on this side of the line and boldly sound the praises of Him who has loved us and redeemed us. MASONIC TEMPLE, THE PROPHETIC SOUL—SERMON BY MR. O. B. FROTHINGHAM. “My theme,” said Mir. Frothingham yesterday morn- ing, “is the prophetic soul, One of the old standard arguments of the truth of Christianity used to be drawn from prophecy. it wasto the effect that cer- tain inspired men several hundred years vetoro tho coming of the Christ distunctly predicted His coming, described in plain language the Christ’s character, the conditions of his agvont, the work He was sent to do and the fute Ro was appointed td suffer. The argument would be a strong one If the foundation on which it rests could be relied upon, If it were indeed trae that men, inspired or uninspired, distinctly toresaw the conditions and details of a period several bundred years in advance of them—events in the career of an bistorical person—that argument would be ex- ceedingly stroag. Uniortunately, no such prediction ever was made. If there were clear predictions of the future they reached only a very little way, and it is questionable even whether any such can be found, It has, indeed, been contended, and not without some show of reason, that thero was no attempt at bistorical prediction ; that the prophets themselves never claimed any such power, and it was only by reading into their language that they could be made to bear tue Christian interpretation, THK COMING OF CHRIST, ALatin historian states that avout the time of the coming of the Christ a general anticipation provailed all through the Kast that the Deliverer was nigh. ‘That tuis anticypation should bave pointed toward Judea was not surprising. Nor ts it at ail surprising that such an auticipztion should bave existed, for tne East was a region given ovor to disasters, wars, servitude aud slayery. ‘there was never any rest there, Nothing remained for the East but oa hope, They lived upon conjecture. 1t was part of their intel- Jectual constitution, and this dream, this antic.pation lasted, It wus more permanent than anything cise, It outlived iheir wealth, their comfort, their pros- perity, their national distinction und political power, it outlived wars, slavery and countiess depressions, ‘This devoted peopic has suffered in history as no race velore or since has been called to suffer. They were the objects of scorn, of active, cruel persecution, ago after age, at the hands of tne Kgyptians, the Greeks, the Romans, and, worst of all, the Christians, This devoted race has suffered, agouized, toiled, wandered, always upheld by this prediction, this prophecy. It 18 a surprising thing, and yet i 18 not soll. tary in history. All people havo lived on prophecy. Ove of the ‘last undertakings of Charlies Sumner was gathering together from all quarters the voice of prediciions toretelling the futuro of America, How clear and eloquent those voices were! And if we road over tue records of the early part of our history we see how wil great men and wotien were clinging 10 this great predicuon. All greatness 1s aseuciated with prophecy, All grandeur 1s cted with hope that looks forward to something Memory takes us among the ruins, that may be beautitul—covered with flowers, but they are ruins suil, They teli us what bas been, not what shall be* Tho historian, dwelling upon the grandeurs of the past comes to disbe.ieve in 4 possibility of any grandeur in the future, ‘The seutimentalist, dweliiug upon the bewuties of the past, levls as it all beauty ended there, All great achievements come from anticipating some- thing in the future, The child looks torward to being a youth; tho youth to being a man or woman; the Mah of Woman tv the larger timo when it shall be father or mother, a worker in the social affairs of hu- manily ; the father or mother looks forward to the tu- ture of the child again. The reformer lives on the vision of the golden age. The philosopher is sure o! @ time coming when love sball supersede hate, when war shall cease and slavery be abolished, Thta faterior and indomitable push redeeme tue rave.” Attor treating tis subject at some length, the speaker proceeded to speuk of different prophecies, THE YROVUECY OF LOPE was charming. It was tbe prophecy not only of the wise, the great, the learned, but also of the simple, tho ignorant and the unlettered. It was the only prophecy that never deserted us. “The very suicide,” ho continued, “hopes or be would not commit suicide, We hope against knowledge, against fear, against sor- row. We siways hope, anu yet hope 1s only one of the | mnipor prophets after all, Ii is inde . It foretelis something glorious, but never what, or when, or wherefore, It 1s only when we come upon conscience thai we strike upon one ot the majur prophets Con- relence inust stand on something, It cannot live on the air, nor flv. It mast feet the Rock of Ages beneath itself, ’ tassumes the iptegrity of the world. It ase fumes cause and eflect, It ts sober, earnest; grave and earvest, and always lets us see the track on which it 18 runping."? PLYMOUTH CHURCH. | PREPARATION OF THE WORLD Yor CHRIST'S | COMING--SERMON BY REV. Dit, DunYEA. | Tho tweltth chapter of St. John was read by Rev, Dr. Duryea, who occupied Mr. Beecher’s pulpit yesterday, Selecting from tho story of the Saviour’s entry into Jerasulem after raising Lazarus, and his words to Philip when informed that certain Greeks were among those anxious to see him, the preacher proceeded to explain the passage, in the reply of Jesus were tound the pussages, ‘Tho hour is come that the Sou of Man should be glorified,” and ‘1, it Ibe lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.’ To him who had stadied the history of the world up to the time of that occurrence the incident was one of the most significant events mentioned in Scripture. To make this clear Dr. Daryea went back !nto the dim twilight of ancient | history and traced the origin and progress of tue | various peoples which bad contributed to tho develop | ment of the Greek. That people was the most refined and cultivated of antiquity. Egyptiant _ ‘ee 6 pe for bed thought, on the Pei sans, reiang, Babylonians; and the Greeks, these lines, ‘bad ever be Rpm e A men through Yet what was. spiritual condition, omoipresent God, structible soul, Thero was thought, and that was their ii phenomena of sin aud misery. Unable common people how these could exist in thi ment of a goud and powerful God, they left tno mass of mankind to worship the deities on Mount Olympus. GRECIAN DARKNESS. The condition of the Greek mind im respect to ii mortality in that age was shown by the dying obser- vations of Socrates that be was on a raft 1B he knew not whither, bat that it was best to accept the robabilities tn the absence of some sure word from CS “certain Greeks” called upon the Saviour their religious belief was io that condition, and they were restiessly seeking somo ‘sure word from God.” Hence the baste they pe in com- ing to the Saviour when they beara of His deeds. God bad pot mado Himself manifest to them betor but permitied them to grope alter truths tur then selves, because thoy chose to dose, From the ti whea Adum, newly entered tuto the Garden of Eden, strove to pierce the mysteries of heaven on bis own account, manhood contibued to roject the teachings of God and strove to arrive at conclusions by reasoning and experiment, and they seemed to accept the resulls obtained in that wuy witb hesitation, Just when the Greeks bad reached the limit of human power in the search of truth, und were im despair at the junetu the Saviour appeared to teach em the way to a glorious immortality. The relation of this event ‘was u strong urgument tn favor of the inspiration of the Gospel in which it was related, for, without a thorough and universal knowledge of tho bistory of the world up to that time—nay, without a presci of the future history of the giove—it could not har been written, “+1, if 1 be lifted up, will draw all men unto me,’? wag, the preacher said, a declaration of God’s love jor men, which was to lead to the crucitixion of His only Son for tueir salvation. ‘THE CONCLUSION, In conclusion Dr. Duryea urged young men not to live as intellectual interrogation poiuis, but to have fuith. He spoke of the impudence of youths who bad read alittic of the scientille tutdelity ct the period, and bad done a little of what they called thinking, go- ing about in streot cars and ferryooats taiking portly oft Moses, wrifling with the prophots and fathers and decluring Jesus Christ a myth, To these be would recommend twenty years’ hard mental discipline and the stuuy of Plato’s dialogues, The folly of scienusis who siured through their microscopes or telescopes until they thought they saw the bottom tacts of universe, was deprecated, and tho idea of their decln iog, when they found a residuum which they could pos resolve, that matter wa rnal and force iniinite, aud that they, therefore, were God, was condemned, ST. STEPHEN'S CHURCH. THE EFFICACY OF THE PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST— SERMON BY THE REY. DR. M’GLYNN—CLOSE OF THE PARISH RETREAT. At St, Stephen’s Church yesterday morning the ser- mon was preached by tho Rev, Dr. McGlyun, who took his text from tho epistie of the Sunday—Ephesians, ix., 11-15. The preacher based his remarks on the priesthood of Christ and the saving efficacy of His most precious blood, This boing Passion Sunday, he said, we pow entercd on those days which the Church especially sot apart for moro particularly commemorat- Ing tho sufferings of the Man God and the shedding of His blood for the sins of His people, In meditating on the sorrows of the Redeemer we should remember that every pain He endured was for sake of us, and us alone, In offering Him our sympatuies aud in ac- companying Him through tbe various stages of His pussion we should ever bear in mind His admoni- ton to tho women of Jerusalom, “Weep not over Me but over yoursclves and your children.’ Much as He desired and much as He might be ci forted by the sympathies of loving hearts, He preferred tbat we sould weep rather over our own condition to which sin reduced us, All things else we received from God as His tree gift; sin alono was our own off- spring—the only thing belonging to us that was from ourselves, As He suffered tor our sius, over them Ho would bave us weep. If our owa heartielt teurs of sorrow were bot sufficient to cffaco the stains wo had contracted upou our souls, thon we must have recourse to the all-atoning blood of Christ, whieh *‘may cieanso our conscience Irom dead works to serve the living God.” In that blood lay our bope of salvation, aud hence it was fitting that we should commemoruato its shedding in a sympathetic spirit aiming to be as Christ would have us remember His Passion. Of ailthe things that were put before us from time to time to impress ou us the guilt of sin, tho passion of Corist was the most powerful and most convincing, God could do ho more to express to us bis detesiation of siv. Ho made another responsible for our 8 and punished him betore our eyes, and that other was His own nal Sou, coequal with God Himsel:, worthy of all ado- ration und bouor and glory. Yet this adorable God- man, when He had once taken upon Himself tho sbadow of our «ull, was treated as if He were really the sinner He was shielaing, and go delivered to the executioners During the remaining pertod ot this holy season, then, we should strive so to act that tho efilcacy of His blood should not be lost upon us. We ehould ever thank God that’ He: has given ussuch x High Priest, who, **by His-own blood entered once into the Holies, having obtained for us eternal redemption.” The rotreat which bas been going on for the past two weeks at this church closed last evening. lt was conducted by the pastor, Rey. Dr. McGlynn, assisted in the confessiouuls by the priests attached to the church aud by others of the secular clergy who kindly volunteered their services. At all the exercises, tho first beginuing at five o'clock in the morning, tho peuple of the parish attended in large numbers, The mission was most fruittul of good, the pastor’s plain speaking to the congregations in the three sermons de- hivered daily having the effect of bringing to the sacra- ments hundreds oj those whom previvus missions bad failed to reach. ‘he retreat closed with a sermon and the Benediction. During the three coming days a re- treat will be given for tl bildren of tne parish, tor which suitable exercises bave been arranged. “the had’ ST, THOMAS’ CHURCH. HOLY COMMUNION—SERMON BY THE BEY. DR, MORGAN. At thig church yesterday morning Rov. Dr. Morgan preached asermon on ‘The Communion,” taking for his text “Tue cup of blessing which wo bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is 1t not the communion of the body of Christ?” I, Cormthians, x., 16. THE SERMON. The stern admonition of the text was addressed by the apostle to those Corinthians who turned the Lord’s Supper into an unseemly ropast, said the Doctor, It is a communion, not a surieit; not a revel but a filial approach, a fellowship of kindred minds, a solemn interchange of holy sentiments apd sacred memories, deep confessions, ar- dent longings, unearthly hopes, strong resolves and better purposes. It is a privilege and a blessing which we do not sufliciently regard or acknowledge. Upon a morning like this, so fresh and hallowed, we may taste and seo that tho Lord 1s gracious, that He is in this templo to receive the supplicatioas and the songs of an assembled people, to mark the special cir- cumstances of every soul, to listen to tue young and old alike, and abate the plague of evory heart, Tho communion 18 an Unspeakavie blessing Which should fill our hearts with gratitude aod our lips with words of praise, TUE OLD AND NEW DISPENSATIONS. Ip speaking of the symbol ut the communion found tn the old dispensauon Dr. Morgun suid that in cele- bratiug the Passover, before the singing of the hyma, a cup Wus passed among the company at tue close of the feast and was called tne cup of benediction, Witn tis cup Curist instituted the sacramens of the Lora’s Supper, converting a Lationai castom into the great commemorative rite of his future church aud Joining thus quietly the two dispensatious of Moses ‘and the lamb, The cup was origiwaliy a tokea of special communion and love, and to us it is a pledge of fellowship and union with source of grace. \ eat and drink the bread and wine not us the carnal body and bloou, but us the outward and visible signi Of au iuward and spiritual grace, We bope and pra that the soul within shall bo strengthened and r freshed by the spiritual communion ich we have with Christ, APPROACH NOT UNWORTHILY, , In natural transition trom this phase of the topic the doctor came to the cousiderition of the abuse, rebuke to which is contained in the text, The co: verts among the Corinthians, said the Doctor, were turning the blessed sacrament into a source of spirit- ual Weakness and decine They were pa tuking of the Holy Sacrament with such dis- positions 98 rendered them impervious to any Spiritaal benefit, We, my brethren, aro constantly Hable to the same abuse of tuis boly privilege. We often approach the table of the Lord with shallow con- trition, aod a Month alter we bave communed with the Lord we have to accuse ourse.ves again of tnesamo faults that sored our souls when lust we threw our heavy burden on Him, | Let us then rise, my beloved, to the (ull meaning of this blessed sacrament, Let us open our hearts apd souls to its awful and upiitiug power, It binds us tu the Godhead, it binds us to the Church gloriied, it binds us to the prophets and aposties, it binds us (0 our own dead, it binds us to each other, Let as notturn it into a mockery, when it should strengtheo, establish, purity, enrich and en- nobieus. Kneecl nov atthe alter, come not ty another Easter festivai with the old tokens of moderate atone- ment and unmeaning prayer. $T. VINCENT FERRER’S CHURCH. THE HOLY EUCHARIST—SERMON BY THE REV, FATHER HOBAN. The Rev. Father Hoban, of Newark, N. delivered yesterday in the Church of Stu Vincent Ferrer, Lex- ington avenue, between Sixty-Ofth aod Sixty-sixth streets, a sermon Upon the importance of careful pre- paration for receiving the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, The text was taken from the sixth chapter of St. John’s Gospel, beginning:—‘'Unless yo oat the fleshy,” &. In the course of his sermon the reverend gentleman said that because of worldly reasons some members of MONDAY, MARCH Christ’s Church are ashamed to avow their Master and ‘evince a desire to cling to the things of this world. While this was a deplorable state of affairs, there was bope even for such people, because even Peter himself, obeying the instincts of the flesh, denied his Master thrice. Wo should, he said, be careful never to allow the world or its ways to interfere with the duty due from us to the Saviour. Another ciassof persons who neglected their duty were those who allowed them, selves to bo kept back by spiritual sloth; who, with good intenti for the future and entertaining resolutions for amendment, still snffered tho golden opportunity to escape them and ut last tound theinselves upon beds of sickuess, perbaps of death, with their sina stilt unatoned for. They did not reflect upon or consider tho importance which attaches he fulfiiment of their religious duty. Such people jo said, bear in mind that there is really no grent sacrifice required at their hards; they ought to be prompt in ora bumbie acknowledgment of their sins, is was all that was necessary, Men, he said, sacrificed pad to gain a wordly object. With how much more zeal should they exert theimsolves to win a place iu heavea! To enjoy heaven Catholics should receive the Holy irony and to do this they should pre- pare themselves with the utmost care. PREPARATIONS FOR COMMUNION, AS a prorequisiic the penuent sivner should pray for God’s grace and make himself worthy by devout exercises and fasting. No human power could make a person worthy to partake of the body and biood of Christ if be did not nimselt work for grace und aid from on High. Our own weakness had to be mado strong by His almighty and helping power. We should en- deavor to excite fis compassion for our sins, and with- OUs preparation, having the joad of mortal sin upon our souls, we could not bope for salvatiou. Approach- ing the divine sacritice of the Lord’s supper with mortal sin upon our souls we would be “guilty of the body and blood of Christ;’? or, in- other words, wo would crucity Him wow as the Jews crucified Him long ago. The Holy Eucharist was the sacrilice of the body and blood of Jesus Christ. He had given us everything that wo can prone by; Hi sulferings apd death were to redeem us irom sin. The communion table should be approached humbly and with purity of both soul and body. When the Lord came into the world He allowed no bands to touch Him save those which bad been purified by divine grace. Wo sbould endeavor to expel lor ever hatred and rancor from our souls and to adorn them with all Christian virtues. The Lord who leit the throne of glory to save us should be approached with a pure heart. le who would draw neur unto Him should have that faith tound only 16 the sanctuary, and enter into that holy of holies as if into a pew abd bigher sphere. Not only should our faith be strong, but our ove should be warm, Thero were, ho suid, hurd hearts trom which love had to be extorted, agit were. Christ had given us His soul and divinity, and we, in return, should devote to His ser- view our bodies and our minds. ST. PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL. LESSONS OF THE PASSION—DISCOURSE BY REV. FATHER KEARNY, A large congregation attended the half-past ten o'clock service at St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Cathe- dral yesterday morning. High mass was celebrated by Rev. Father Kane and an appropriate discourse deliverea by Rev. Father Kearny. Previous to enter- ing upop tho spirit of his sermon the speaker called attention to the election of trustees for the church, which is to tako place in the basement on the evening of April2 He then read the gospel of the day, St Jobn, viil., 46-59, beginuing, ‘Which of you shall con- vince me oi sin? It I say the truth to you why do you not believe me? He that 18 of God heareth the words of God. ‘Therelore you hear them not because you arenot of God.” ‘The reverend geutieman called Attention to tho peculiar and solemn festival of the day— Passion Sunday, As the faithful eutered the church they perceived the crucilix, pictures and statues cov- ered up. This practice gave us an opportunity of com- muning within ourselves as to the passion aud suiler- ings ol Christ, Butu short period remuiced of the Ppenitential season ot Lent, and we sbould make the best of the time in turning our atiention tu heavenly considerations, Christ bad died tor our sins. He had come upon earth and assumed our humanity; had been deceived by one of His chosen aposties, scourged, crowned with thorns, and Snally died upon the cross ot Calvary, This was, in brief, a history of tho passion of our blessed Saviour. He appealed to us to contem- plate the sufferings thus endured for our sukes, so that we might ve redeemed from the punishment of s1n; so that we might go with Mary to the tomb and ponder over the groat truths of the passion and prepare lor tho coming of the Redeemer; so that we might rise with Him into Paradise on the last day and there re- ceive His bivssing. RECONSTRUCTING A CHURCH. THE ATTORNEY STREET METHODIST EPISCOPAL COLORED CHURCH REOPENED AS A MISSION HOUSE—ADDRESSES BY CLINTON B, FISKE, CHAUNCEY SHAFFER, J. B. CORNELL AND OTHERS. A laymen’s Methodist meoting took place in the Methodist Episcopal Church in Attorney, near Delan- cey street, yesterday afternoon, to commemorate the renovation and reopening as a place of Methodist wor- sbip.4fone.ol. the oldest churches about Caual street. This church was originally the property of the Protes- tant Methodist denomination, and was a very flour- ishing one, It was vacant some years and finally was purchased by the Methodist Episcopal Home Missionary Society and opened as a colored mission church, in time the large colored popu- lation of the east side began to drift away and about six weeks ugo ite career as a colored mission was brought to an end, The Methodist Missionary Society have spent about $1,100 in making necessary changes in the interior of the structure, which was yesterday reopened, with Rev. David Teod as pastor. At the morning services ali but about $350 of the debt of $1,100 was raised, and at tho afternoon meeting the balance was subscribed. General Clinton B, Fiske presided at the Iatver services, which were opened by the congregation singing the hymo, *‘God Will Trust Us Now ‘After the hymn beginning, *‘Halleiujah, it i done,”’ was sung, Chairman Fiske remarked toat there could be no more biessed thought than to know that we have Jesus with us in ull our work, MR. FISKE’S REMARKS. In November last he stood, he said, at Seabright Sta- tion with his little six-year-old son warting for the train, For the first tino his little boy beard the wind whistling on the telegraph wires, Ho seemed sur- prised and interested, and when asked what it was ne responded, “1 gucss is the angels singing.”’ The father explained to him the use of the poles und when he came to the conclusion that the angels ing the telegraph wires as harp strings, und wero putting bis little arms around the pole he exclaimed :— “1 kuow what they are saying; itis ‘Hallelujah, it is done!’ Yos, ny friends, viallelujab, itis done. Wo come here to celebrate the reopening of a new church, and Jesus is with us to-day. For any ill theroisa remedy in coming closer to Christ. Let us in this ro- newed church renew our love to Ubristaud the angels will tune their harps in praise to God. MK. BHAFFER’S REMARKS. Chauncey Shafer delivered u vigorous address, in hich he quoted the dying words of Lawrence ‘Don’t give up the ship.” ‘To-day he felt like reite! ing thiscry. Lt had long been a matter of dispute among the Methodists whetuer there was apy graco left tur the people on the oust side of the Bowery. Lnst year be had been invited to go into Mackerelville and assist in founding a mission Sunday school. God had prospered their work and proved that there stil is Ving grace for east side sinners The Methodists boid the fort on the east side, for thore are sull precious souls there, They were driven out by tne tor- eign element in 1855, but to-day we have, sald be, recaptured our lost camp. and we meau to hold it for Jesus hereafter. Why can’t wo here, on the east side, light up the old Methodist fire and have a regular old time of 1, We must work, and I teil you good Methouist work is good for the rheumatism. I feel it myself in my bones. Let us continue these afternoon services und bring dear souls to Ubrist. OTHER ADDRESSES. Very brief addresses were mado by Rev. William Hammon, Rev. James Mackey and J. B. Cornell, Pres- ident of the Church Missionary Society, Ihe lawer gontioman stated that there were, within a convenient distance of the mission, 25,000 souls to be saved, and it was to bring them to Jesus that they had re- opened tbo edifice. The. services were concluded by prayer and the doxology. RELIGION AND ETHICS. LECTURE BY PROFESSOR ADLER AT STANDARD HALL. Tho fine weather and the announcement that Pro- fessor Adler would lecture on the subject of “Ethics and Religion” brought a large assemblage to Standard Hall, Forty-second street and Broniway, yesterday forenoon, The lecture room was fliled and every soat occupied, a great majority of those prosent belonging to the Hebrew persuasion, Prolessor Adler, after taking his place on the platform, said: —"‘We are liv- tng in an age of transition. The old forms are pass- ing away and new ones are continually being callod into existence. It is a period of struggles, New facts are constantly appearing. Science and knowledge are invading ground they formerly would not dare to ven- ture upon, The churches recognize this, but argue that this stato of aflairs ts only temporary and that alter a little time it will pass a’ The anxicty, however, shown in this direction betrays tho fears of the creeds, Waat has religion done lor science? Religion is of the conscience ence docs not harm tt. Koligion itself is all right; it 18 tho irroligion of religion that is at fault, The appeal for freedom of thought 1s the aspiration of the democratic masses througbout the world to-day. Religion has arrayed jt- sell against the inivllectual progress of the age, It ts laying peavy hand on our intellectual institutions, Science will have proof at al ards—religion pur. sues a narrow path; science forges uheud—religion lags behind in the march of progress, The extent of human suffering this winter in this city shows how little bas been done to meet the great problem—the re- Net of our tellow mea, Puilgathropy, instead of being tho luxury of the few, stiould be tho-business of the many. What has religion done in this regard? ‘Tract and other kindred socioties do a great deal of good in their way, but they do not teed bungry bodies, 19, 1877.-WITH SUPPLEMENT. | without intending that sho should one day be treed the old Catholic men of souls imbued with. love to preach the doctri ‘There was plenty of brain, but no heart. The liberal movement in Italy is open to the same charge. One of the great social needs of the day is the belp of the suf- fering masses, Our charities are only on the suriace— they are not broad enough. Prevention of suffering, not the cure, should be the grand aim. ‘A number of mode! tenement houses like se erected by Peabody in London would do.more to put down grog sbops than all of the temperance societies. The question of alt questions ip sound reform is the moral question, aud it is the province of ethics to solve this great problem. ST. PATRICK AS AN APOSTLE. WHAT IRELAND HAS DONE FOR CHRISTIANITY AND WHAT CHRISTIANITY 18 DESTINED TO DO FOR THE GREEN ISL&. A large audience greeted Father Edward B, Brady at the Church of st, Paul the Apostle, corner of Fifty- pipth street and Ninth avenue, last evening. The reverend gentleman began his discourse by detailing the capture of St, Patr:ck by the Irish monarch, Neall of the Nine Hostages, and his suvsequent life asa slave in the island which he was atterward destined to con- vert from Paganism to the Christian religiov. His perseverance in the labors laid out for him by the Lord, the lecturer said, was most extraordinary. He never seemed to tire in his good work, and was never at a loss for a word or a parable to convince the pagan people for whose conversion to Christianity he la- bored of the truth of what he preached. St. Vvatrick differed from the other apostles, he said, from the fact ‘Ubat his apostolical labors were still continued and his works were still carried on by the d ndants of tb he converted from idolatry. The lecturer de- vlared that the Lrish ecclesiastics were tho real workers: for the Church at the present day, not only 1m Ireland and America, England aud Australia, but wherever the English language was spoken. The tirst ceutury alter St. Patrick’s apostolate in Ireland that country sent out her children to every uation in the world to preach the Gospel, aud the present prosperity of the Catholic Church owing to the indefatigable labor and piety of the Lrish priests, ‘The greatness of Iretand, ho , Was in reality the greatness of faith Lreiand preserved the fauh and the faith had preserved ireloud, Nothing but a divine principle of life could have sustained ber during the ages of persecution through which she pussed, for no other country under the sun bad suffered so much torture, aud the arms with which she bas so long fought and conquered must be her weapons until the crowning victory is achieved. The speaker said that ‘by virtue of hor faith Ireland bad already triumphed, for in every clime those that revere her ure to be found. Tue lecturer concluded by saying that the free. dom of Ireland was but a matter of time, as the good dune by her children in the propagation’ of the Coris- tian religion would create friends for her in every Jand and among every people, and the result would be a cry to Heaven against the tyranny of Ireland's per- secutors that would surciy be heard bythe Giver of All Good, tor Le certainly had not preserved the Green Isle through all the persecutions she bad undergone from her shackles— Great, glorious and free, First flower of the earth and first gem of the sea. THE PAPAL ANNIVERSARY. At St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church, Court street, Brooklyn, yesterday forenoon, Rev. Father Toner made a strong appeal to the congregation in behall of the Papal fund which is now being made up in the United States.in aid of the Sovereign Pontiff, Pius IX. The reverend gentleman urged those persons who bad not handed in their contributions to do so before the 2lst inst., as on that day the records would be closed at the spinoopal residence of the diocese of Brook- Jyn, The name of each contributor will be entered in an album which will be tiled among the archives ot the Vatican and can be referred to at any time im the future. The donations now being made toward the support of the Pope will bo presented at Romo on May 21, the fiftieth anniversary of his conse- cration ay Bishon, A delegation of clergymen aud laymen will leave Brooklyn tor the Eternal City next month to represent that diocece in testifying the aflec. age queeersen by the fuithful for the venerable ‘ontifl. OVERCROWDING CHURCHES, To Tux Epitor oy tas HERALD:— Since the late calamity at St. Francis Xavier's Church has evidently been finally disposed of by tho inquest held there on Friday, I feel 1t my duty to re-“| monstrate with the jury upon their manner ot account- ing for the disaster, 1t is the custom, and always has been, at St. Francis Xavier's Church, as well as many other Catholic churches, to permit the aisles of the church to bo crowded, as well as the doorways. and even the steps to the entrances. It is an impossibility for any one to leave the church during service, for it bas been my own experience. This accounts for the terrible panic, Had the ordinary means of egress been free there would not b~ve been any loss of life, ‘The Frenv. Jhurch, 1a Twenty-third street, and St. Ann’s, 19 Tweifth street, are the only churches iree irom the evil of overcrowding. | Now that Maunday Thursday, or Holy Thursday, is so near at hand, when all Catholic church o thronged to excess and tho repository t:!umine with un iuflnite number of candles, there will be new occusions of davger. A wanton cry of “fre” would bring about precisely the same results occurred on the night of March 8 St. Francis Xavier's Church, Were tho isies, siairs and doorways as wide as tho street itself (hey would afford no safety so long as they are packed with peuple, 1 have long since ceased to attend services au St. Francis Xavier's on this very account, The fathers must know this to be true, and, it you will take the trouble to be present at any muss given in that oruny of the Catholic churches in poor parishes, you will be convinced of the nec iy quiring @ strict prohibition against this abominable custom. Tho ignorance of the who overcrowd the uisies und stairways deprives them of that hetter sense which might come to their rescue, Even in ap- proaching holy communion they push and crowd and shove their neighbvot ‘This 18 the ignorant Catholic trom foreign countries, who is the cause of 80 much prejudice toour holy motner Church. Let them not prove the cause of another such calamity as that of the Sth inst, If the fathers do not listen to au appeal on this acoro, then, in the name of bumanity, ask the protection of the city authorities, Hoping you may find apace in your columns for this remonstrance [ subscribe myself a iriend of the New York Heratp andan AMERICAN CATHOLIC, JHE HOMELESS. Though tho number of the unemployed is diminish- ing rapidly from day to day, the mght shelters con- tinue to be crowded with homeless men and women, At the night shelter corner of Avenue D and Tenth atrect the house hes been receiving increasing num- vers for the past week. Tbe admissions were:—March 7,407 men and 42 women; March 8, 411 men and 48 women; March 9, 446 men aud 49 women; March 10, 405 mon and 45 women; March 11, 448 men and 49 women; Murch 12, 419 men and 40 women; March 13, 413 men and 45 women, These people remained in the house Jor only a night or two, drifting away in a great number ol cases to other cities, Tho Superintendent stated yesterday that, as far as be could ascertain, Boston and Philadelphia have been the chief piaces of destination for most of theso wanderers, and that among them ho could not detect five per cent of trampa Ho stated further that recently the reports made to him by those who have been the lodgers in the place showed a marked improvement tn the demand for labor, At the Shiloh Shelter, corver of Prince and Marion streeis, the num- ber of applicuuts is undiminished, showing that stil thero must be about a thousand respectable homeless wanderers every night in the city. At the Depare ment of Charities and Correction the work of the sea- son 18 drawing to a close, Superintendent Kellock states that the applications for coal are diminishing daily; but that the tales of distress among the famili of the idle mea are still poured in upon bim. Bol the market soup houses being now closed those who were relieved at these places ura up constantly, co plaining that there 13 pow nowhere in the city where destitute men can apply for heip. PETER B, STILL 5 {;OLUDED. Peter B. Sweony still remains secluded, and only his most intimate triends—not including bis counsel, Mr. John McKeon—have seen him. His permanent place of residence is undoubtedly the house of lis brother- tu-low, Mr. Bradicy, No. 140 West Thirty-fourth etre although ail callers are told that, like Mme, Benoiton, he ‘nas just gone out,” THE LOTOS CLUB, The annual election for ofllcers of the Lotos Club took place on Saturday evening at the club house, The regular ticket was elected without opposition, The following are the gentlemen elected :— For President, John Brougham; First Vice Presl- dent, Nowh Brooks; Second Vice’ President, Charles I, Pardoe; Secretary, A. KE, Macdonald; Treasurer, U. . L. Holmes; Directors, Goorgo H. Story, A. Oakey Hall, Robert’ B. Roosevelt, Chauncey M. Depew, Chasles FE. Pease Henry N. Alden, Douglas Taylor and Montague I, Mark: DRIVING DISABLED HORSES, . Jobn Hogan, a driver on the Third avenue car line, was arrested on Saturday for driving a dieabled horse. 1t appeared, on examination in tho Filty-seventh Sireet Court yesterday, that the Third avenue car company, although 1t puts up notices to tho effect that horses that ure disadied snould not bo driven, neverth ry THE PUBLIC DOCKS. WHAT THE SECRETARY OF THE DOCK COMMIS: SION HAS TO SAY IN ITS DEFENCE—HOW HE ACCOUNTS FOR THE EXTRAVAGANCE AND WASTE—THE ENORMOUS EXPENDITURES OF THE DEPARTMENT IN SIX YEARS. To tas Epitor or tas HeBaLp:— Alter a most thoughtful consideration of the subject, T feel it to be my duty to ask of you the privilege of using your valuable columns for the purpose of prow senting to the taxpayers and merchants of this city certain facts relating to the Dopartmont of Docks, which appear at the present time to be overlooked. Tho tenor of the various articles which have ap peared trom time to time of late in the newspapers of this city makes 1¢ certain that the writers of them are not well advised in regard to this department, and from the reports receiyéd from Albany of the contem. plated merging of the department into the Depart ment of Public Works, as a bureau therein, it is alse equally certain that some of our Senators and Assem blymen do not possess the knowledge of this depart ment necessary to enable them to legislate wisely is the premises. Having been connected with the department from its organization, 1 propose to state, as concisely as 1 may, the true claims it possesses for existence as a department and the reasons why it should be so con- tinued; and I desire to. say,here, at the beginning, Mr. Editor, that this 1s written without the knowlodge o/ the Commissioners of Docks, and without any prompt ings of a personal nature on my part, other than an honest desire to givo a full knowledge of tho depart ment to all interested in the commercial welfare of the city. The Department of Docks is vosted with certain powers and duties by section 6, chapter 574, Laws of 1871, by virtue of which it has sole charge of the water front of the city. That law required plans for its per manent improvement to be prepared, which were com- pleted around the entire island, but only the plans for that section extending from foot of Sixty-first street, North River, soutuerly and easterly to foot of Grand street, East River, bave been approved and adopted by the Commissioners of tbe Sinking Fund, IMPORTANCE OF THE WORK. ‘The importance of this work forced the Legislature to make proper provisions tor funds to carry it for- ward regularly, and avoid stoppage tor want of necos- sary appropriations; and the law provides that the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, the highest au- thority of the city, may direct bonds to be issued ta carry on this permanent improvement; also for the purchase of wharf property and rights, not owned by the Corporation, and to keep existing city wuarf prop erty in repair, &, ; but limits the issue of such bonds to not exceeding $3,000,000 per annum; and not one dollar can be pluced at tbe disposal of the department, nor can any whart property or right be purcuased by it, except by the direction and consent of the Gommis- sioners o! the Sinking Fund, The law also limits the expenses of the department for office rent, calarics, stutiopery and similar disbursements to not exceed: ing $100,000 per annum. The law further requires all collections of wharfage, Tent of piers, &c., and other receipts to be deposited with the Chamberlain to the credit of the Commis: sioners of the Sinking Fund, Since the orgavization of the departmont, in 1870, there has been expended, in round tigurea, the sum of $5,710,000, being proceeds of *‘dock bonds,” issued by order of the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund; of this amouct over $500,000 has veon patd for the purchase of derricks, steam tugs, dredging mucbiovs, pile drivers, scowa, &c., all of whict property 18, al the present time, in good working order. A consiaer- able sum bus aiso been expended in organizing the de partment, in making surveys, borings, soundings, &e., and in preparing maps of tho entire water front of th¢ island, all of which are of great value, forthe pur poses of the départment. ‘The total amount of moneys collected by the depart. ment and doposited with the Chamberiain is, in rouné figures, $3,660,000. The revenue from wharf property during the first year of the department was aboui $360, and the amount reccived during tho past year 18 avout $678,500, thus showing an increase in revenue equal to over six per cent per anuum upon the whole amount of moneysexpended, The amount expended includes the cost of work on permanent improvements, as well as of repairs to existing wharf property. All the permanent improvement now completed is subject to lease, and is p*vducing an income equal to nearly sevebteen per cent per annum on its cost; so that, atter providing for six per cent, the annual average rate of interest to be paid on the bonds issued to pay for the work, there will remain over ten per cent per annum net income. Assuming the life of the new piers, built of wood and therefore perishable, to ouly twenty years, and for ‘which period, I belleve, inciuding renewal terme, the are all least ree of expense to the city tor repairs, it follows that at the end of that period there will have been deposited to the credit of tho sinking fund, over and above the amount of interest on the bonds, a sum equal to 200 per cent of the cost of the work, or suill- cient to retire the bonds issued und rebuild the whole work anew. Butit should ve borne in mind thats portion of the permanent work, the bulkhead wall, will not require rebuilding at the ond of twenty yeal for that is, in fact, imperishable and will last, beyon doubt, for more than a century without requiring even small repairs, so that the piers are the only portion re- quiring fund for rebuilding, and it is estimated that these cust about forty-five per cent of tho amount thus far expended on permanent improvements, thus show- fn that at the terminauon of the twenty yoars tho surplus income, alter providing for the redemption of the bonds, will be enough to rebuild the perishable work twice over. WHAT THE INTERESTS OF THE CITY DEMAND, With these figures anu tacts in view 1t would seom that a correct judgment ought readily be had as to whether the interests of the ctty demand that the per- manent improvement of the water front must proceed as rapidly as practicable and the work ve paid tor by the issuing of “dock bonds’? having thirty yoars to run, or whether the work be paid for uy direct taxa- tion oe year, and us @ probable result progress slowly. The estimated present value of the wharf property owned by the city 18 generally claiined to bo between $80,000,000 and $40,000,000, and for this vast interest of the corporation the Commussioners of Docks are virtually trustees; and the many importunt questions affecting vitally the commercial prosperity o1 tho city which are constantly arising i relation to this prop- erty and the rights of owners of adjacent uplands aud of grants of land under water, are by virtue of the Jaw, subjects for the consideration and decision of thi department. ‘n regard to the general management of the depart- ment, the results assuredly give evidence that it has been for the most purt elficient, conservative, and, I believe, for the best interests of the city, particularly when one takes ‘nto consideration the jact that duriag the seven years of its organization no less than twelve different Commissioners buve been members of the bourd governing its affairs, who have formed, to all intents and purposes, six different boards of manuge- ment within the seven yeurs. WHY THE TWO DEPARTMENTS SNOULD BE SEPARATE. In conclusion, 1 submit the following as the princl- Us reasons why the Department of Docks should pot e merzed into the Department of Public Works, bet should be continued, with all the powers and duvies now vested in it by the iaw, a3 a separate and inde- pendent department of che city goverument, Firat—The whart property owned by the Corporation produces the largest revenue recetved by the city from auy source except taxation, and its value, estumated between $30,000,000 and $40,000,000, together with its distinct character when compared with all other prop- erty of the city, demands thut the nianagement of so large and important «n interest should be in a separate end independent dey.rtment of the government, ‘Second—Tho Department of Public Works is virtually adepartment simply tor construction, and the work carried on under it is of entirely a different character from that under the control ot the Department ot Docke. 4th Tho merging.ot the Department of Docks invw the Department of Public Works, burean, under the charge of a suborainate officer, accountablo to tue Commissioner of Public Works, would create a divideu respovsivility as to tbe construction and man- agement 01 the permanent improvements and repair. ing of wharf property, and would, of necessity, cause a Uransfer of the collection of wharf reots, &c., to the Finance Department; the leasing of whart property, &c,, to the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, an the grant ng of all privileges, permissions, &c., to the Board of Aldermen or elsewhere, Fourth—Tne aboiishing of the Department of Docks and distributing Its powers and cuties to three or four other departments or bourds would oreate great con- fusion in the management of the wharl property owned by the city, and make 1 more than difficultever to ascertain or know the condition of the property as an investment or otherwise, and no Correct informa tion of statement concerning the water front could be obtainable except after a consuitation with several dif. ferent departments, and this, 1t must be remembered, in relation to a distinct Class of city property, pro- ducing a large part of its revenue, Fifth—No saving of expel ure, beyond compenga- tion’ now paid to the Commissioners, is likely to be secured by transforring the Department of Docks, tt being organized at the present time upun as economical a working forco as possible. Sixth—Tho Department of Docks cannot expend any ys beyond the proceeds of “dock bonds’? issued by the Comptroller, ander the direction of the Bord ot Commissioners of the Sinking Fund; nor can any purchase ot wharf property or rights be made tor the y without the approval or consent oi the Board, feventh—Tho Department of Qocks has imauguraved @ bagis of adjusting the anoual rents received ior wharf Property constructed under the plans for the perma+ hent improvement of the water-front, which will pay into the sinking tuna uo amount moro & ule ficient to redeom the bonds, 1ucluding interest, issued for the work and rebuild the piers when necessary; thereby avoiding any necessity tor raising mouoy by ay for the work as tt progresses, imporant und complicated mat ters which are requirod by faw to be considered by the Department of Docks, would appear to demand that it should be governed by n bourd of at least three com: missioners, but at all events its management snould be free {rom the duties of any other department. Ninth—Vho questions decided by the Department o1 Docks depend each upon its own facts and ean be de punishes it# employés it they neglect to drive the and Houy roward jn the futuro lite isthe rica Promise they give to the suffering poor.” The lecturer was convinced that religion does not | horses, Hogan was discharged, Oflicer Smart, of the Society for the Prevention ot Cruelty to Animals, re- fusing to preas the charge against the uriver. cided by no geueral rules, as is the case with the row (CONTINUED ON NINTH PAGE)