The New York Herald Newspaper, December 12, 1878, Page 6

NEW YORK HERALD BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR, ~—--—- THE DAILY HERALD, pw Three eents per © the year. sllars ps 2 every day tn eal) ar per month for lars for six money remitted k of sender, subscribers wishing their addi their old as we their new ade ‘All business. # laters or tele s changed must give phic despatches must be addressed N RK URRALD. Letters and packages should be properly sealed. Rejected communications will not be returned. ae pu PIILADELPHIA OFFICE—NO, 112 SOUTH SIXTH STREE: ‘EW YORK HERALD— PAE, FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE NIBLO’S GARDEN—AxovNd tue Wort ix Excuty Dars GRAND OPERA 10 don PARK THEATRE AMLET. don Boarpixa Hovss, by oF Errors, WALLACK’S THEATR: GERMANIA THEATE UNION SQUARE THEA! BOOTHS THEATRE ¥ Cousix, STANDARD TI Viwost A Lire. WINDSOR THEATRE—Vautery._ TIVOLI THEATRE—Vaniery. NEW YORK AQUARIU: TONY PASTOR’S—Vanii ABERLE’S AME: SAN FRANCISCO MIN EGYPTIAN HALL—Var STEINWAY HALL—Gaia BROAD ST. THEATRE, PHILA TRIPLE SHEET. PHIA—EVvANGELine. EW YORK. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1 The probabilities are that the weather in New Fork and its vicinity to-day will be cold and partly clowly or fair. To-morrow the same conditions are likely to prevail. 1878. War Srreer Y stock mar- ket was active and irregular. Gold was quiet at 1001. Government bonds were dull, States steady and railroads strong. Money on callwas easy at 3 a 3ly per cent. RDAY.— Ir, as the counsel of Justice Pinckney insist, the prosecution against him is a conspiracy, the sooner they begin to prove it the better for their client. Is tHE Oprxion of the Corporation Counsel the excise question is so mnddled that only the courts can say with certainty who are the legal Commissioucrs. Tue Vi 1A Lecistature is wisely coming to the conclusion that anything savoring of re- pudiation would be the severest blow that could be inflicted upon the State. “OwnseY” GEOGHEGAN is the point of interest in a “shooting scrape” which occurred in his saloon on the Bowery last evening. ‘Two men ‘were wounded and Owney is in jail. A Decision of importance to savings bank depositors was given yesterday in the United States Circuit Court. In taxing deposits above the two thousand dollar limit it is held that this sum must not be deductéd Tims Eventxe the Union League Club holds its annual election for officers. Mr. E. D. Mor- gun and Mr. L. P. Morton head respectively the regular and opposition tickets. Some of the Younger members think that social matters aro very often subordinated to polit Mayor Evy having signed the steam heating ordinance General Spinola can now go ahead with lis pipe-laying. It is to be hoped the Sink- ang Fund Commissioners will direct that the first experiments be made in front of the houses of the Aldermen who voted for the measure. Tue Exrerrrisinc Detectives who went down into Virginia to search for the remains of Mr. Stewart will have to get through the holi- days without that fifty thousand dollars re- ward. There was a body, but it was that of a Virginian, taken back to the bosom of the Mother of Presidents, A Town ts CaNapA has petitioned the Mar- quis of Lorne for the commutation of the sentence of a murderer on the novel grounds, first, that it has mever had an execution and does not desire one, and second that, if spared, the condemned could be utilized as a teacher. Teaching the young idea how to shoot, perhaps. Mr. Ferxanpo Woop is in luck. His house and stable, for which the city paid him years ago, are, one of the judges holds, technically an obstruction, but as their removal would necessi- tate an expense without a corresponding benefit tothe city the best thing to do is to let them stand. It is uot every one who ean make an in- Vestment of this kind. Maxy or Ocr Reapers will learn for the first time this morning that for the past two years we have had a volunteer life-saving corps who patrol the East River front day and night, and who in that time bh saved twenty-two persons from drowning. ‘The corps is composed mainly of newsboys, who, with their own means, have purchased a boat and saving lines. Tue Werature.—The storm centre which passed over our district on Tuesday ix moving slowly northesstward and now overlies Upper St. Lawrence Valley. came very steepon the w margins of the New England $ the The gradients b tern and southern it moved over the rales provailed isturbane: ates, and st on the coast north of Cape Hatteras, ‘The pres- sure lias risen rapidly in the Northwest aud over the South Atlantic States, but is falling again over Texas and the Western Galf. Rain bas fallen in the Jake re the Middle Atlantic and New Engla ond suow is reported in the northwestern sec- tions. The winds have been brisk to high on the Middle Atl the lower lake reg upper lakes and in the Northwest, Elsewhere they have been generally light. The tempera- ture has been variable in the lake regions and the Gulf coasts. In the other distriets it has fallen ly. The heavy rains of the past few days have caused damaging freshets, partic alarly in the northeastern districts, Heavy snow is reported ou the English coasts. This weather was predicted by the Henato Weather Bureau on the 6th. The weather will probably con- tinue clear and coll during the rest of the week, and will be followed by increasing tem- perature. The weather in New York and its vicinity to-day will be cold and partly elondy or fair. To-morrow the same conditions are likely w prevail, NEW YORK HERALD, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1878.—TRIPLE SHEET. - Senator Blaine’s Speech, The much heralded speech of the emi- nent Senator from Maine seems to have made but a feeble impression, first, because it was dull; second, because it was not spoken, but read ; third, because the sub- ject is too stale for anything new to be said upon it, and fourth, because his fellow Senators regarded his speech as a bid for the Presidency, and few of them are dis- posed to favor his aspirations. It goes without saying that Mr. Blaine on this oc- casion was not equal to himself. ‘That he is not often dull is proved by the thronging audience which flocked to the Senate Chamber to listen to him in the expectation of a brilliant, or at least a powerful and fervid, speech; that he is capable of speaking impromptu is proved by the fact that he always shines in a hand- to-hand grapple with an antagonist when he has no time for preparation, We suppose no man could be very original (except per- haps in ingenious strokes of invective) on a subject which has been so much discussed; and there is no presence in which a _politi- cian can display his ambition with so little advantage as in that of his jealous rivals. This able Senator has an important lesson yet to learn—namely, the value of reticence, a quality in which Gerer.l Grant is as strong as Mr. Blaine is defective. ‘‘A wise and mas- terly inactivity” is a phrase of whose mean- ing this impetuous statesman seems to have no conception. The moment a new issue springs up or an old one is revived Mr. Blaine tries to mount and monopolize it, without waiting, like a wary and prudent man, for time and events to show whether it has any strength. Had he been of a cooler and more calculating temperament he would quietly have inspired some less con- spicnous Senator to offer his resolution, and without showing his own hand have caused that Senator to get the resolution in- dorsed by the principal republican mem- bers before offering it. But when he introduced it himself, on the first day of the session, without conferring with the older republican Senators, he assumed a position of leadership which was offensive tothe pride of Messrs. Conkling and Ed- munds. Of course they could not oppose aresolution to which even Mr. Thurman aud Mr. Lamar were constrained to give a politic assent, making no opposition to its passage with an amendment; but the repub- lican Senators exhibited a contemptuous in- difference to the speech by occupying them- selves with other matters during its deliv- ery. Mr. Blaine asa new Senator has dis- played a want of tact and judgment in as- suming a position of leadership which the older Senators resent all the more because they do not feel at liberty to rebuke it. When a new Senator thus assumes to take the pas of the older members of the Senate and protrudes a party issue without con- sulting them he ought to be very strong in his arguments. But Mr. Blaine has dealt in the most transparent and easily refuted sophistry. The substance of all his reason- ing is that the republican representation in Congress from the Southern States is not in proportion tothe colored population. He supports this position by elaborate statis- ties, thrice repeated with three dif- ferent groups of States; but his attempt to substitute reasoning for the usual bloody shirt declamation, though commendable in intention, is an utter failure in logic. His contention is that inasmuch as the Southern republicans have not a representation in Congress pro- portioned to the comparative white and negro population the Southern whites have more political power than the same number of Northern white citizens, whereas every citizen should have precisely the same rep- resentation in Congress. ‘This specious absurdity can easily be refuted. Let us apply Mr. Blaine’s method of reasoning to Pennsylvania, his native State. In 1876 the republican vote in Pennsylvanis was 384,122, and the democratic vote 158. In that year Pennsylvania elected eighteen republican and only nine democratic representatives to Congress. By a strict application of Mr. Blaine’s politi- cal arithmetic it will be found that it re- quired only 21,340 republican citizens of Pennsylvania to elect one member of Con- gress, but 40,684 democratic citizens to elect one member. That is, according to Mr. Blaine’s reasoning, political equality is subverted in Pennsylvania, because one republican citizen had as much representa- tion in Congress as two democrats. This line of reasoning is preposterous. It over- looks or ignores the tact that in all elec- tions the votes of the beaten minority are of no more gccount than if they had never been cast. It is a flagrant absurdity to reason as if, when votes prove to be inefficient, the voters ave deprived of their rights. In the last Presidential election Mr. Tilden had a ma- jority of the popular vote; but will Mr. Blaine carry out his reasoning to its logi- cal result and maintain that a majority of the citizens ui the United States were dis- franchised because a minority elected Mr. Hayes? It no more follows that the South- ern negroes are distranchised because they are outvoted than that minorities, whose votes go for nothing, are disfranchised in the Northern States. Mr. Blaine’s sophistry is so transparent that we are surprised that aman of his astuteness should have yen- tured to put it forth. Another of his fallacies is‘the assumption thatall the Southern negroes necessarily yote on the republican side, They havea perfect right to vote with the:democrats if they choose. A constantly increasing num- ber of them do so vote, and will continue Allowance must be made for the natural ascendancy of intelligence, wealth and social standing over poverty and ignor- ance, “Few men,” wrote old John Adams, “will deny that there is a natural aris- tocracy of virtues and talents in every na- tion and in every party, in every city and village. Inequalities are a part of the natural history of man.” Mr. Blaine, in his own State, controls thousands and thou- sands of votes besides his own, and intelli- gence approaching his must have a corre- spondent influence in the South. It is ridiculous to complain of this as a violation of equal rights. “I remember the time,” to quote John Adams again, ‘when three tlemen—Thomas Hancock, Charles Ap- to do so, thorpe and Thomas Green, the three most opulent merchants in Boston, all honora- ble, virtuous, and humane men—if united, could have carried any election almost unanimously in the town of Boston.” This kind of ascendancy exists in all republics, and it should naturally be more potent in the South than in communities where the average grade of intelligence is higher. In avraying himself against it Mr. Blaine is waging war on the ineradicable principles of human nature. “Something Quict, Something manly.” i In the effort to present an acceptable king to the Bulgarians we have no idea of limit- ing our recommendation to a single indi- vidual. Our object is to place a good ruler on the throne, and we propose to offer a number of available candidates to the con- sideration of the people of the principality, so that they may themselves select the most desirable monarch out of the list. With a sense of the importance of the task we have undertaken we should in the first place have tendered to Bulgaria the name of John Keily, who stands at the head of those in this country fitted by nature to rule; but Mr. Kelly already fills a throne, to the satis- faction of his loyal and obedient subjects, and despite an occasional civil commotion in his dominions his dynasty seems securely established, ‘The next best suggestion that occurred to us was of one who has long been willing to fill a throne, but to whose ambi- tion the fates have not hitherto been propi- tious. Hence our offer of King Augustus the First. We now present to Bulgaria the name of one who has occupied a throne, which he is just about to abdicate, and who expresses a yearning, after twenty years of hard work, for ‘something quiet, something gentle- manly,” at which he can occupy his time and be of public service. There is no good réason why the position of a king may not be made a gentlemanly calling, and the crown of Bulgaria will no doubt insure per- fect quiet and peace for its fortunate wearer. As a Tammany ruler of New York Mayor Smith Ely, Jr., is accustomed to treat with those of the Greek communion, and hence he will be in sympathy with Gentle- the bulk of his new subjects. He will find a few Albanians among his people, but they cannot be as troublesome to a king of Bulgaria as our own Albinians occasionally are to a mayor of New York. The new rule in Bulgaria may require caution, and in this quality King Ely excels. His reign might, more- over, conciliate such Bulgarians: as may at present hold official positions, as their new monarch would not be in any hurry to de- mand their official heads. King Ely would make an amiable, honest ruler;-and the throne of Bulgaxja would be quite as gen- tlemanly, and, a¢cording; to pastund -pres- ent experience, much: more. peaceful than the Board of Education-orthe Depastment of Public Parks. Genius on Tap. Recently we had occasion to refer to the growth of the theatre in our city as exhib- ited in the noteworthy circumstance that some of the managers now keep dramatists on draught. It appeared that they had only to turn on the tap of comic, tragic, poetical or farcical genius to fill any measure up to the exigencies of the:scene.,;Iheatres:have always kept invrelation: with scripbling talent of one sortor another, but:hayé not generally reduceddts nse; to» correct: prin- ciples. Hitherto,:in fact, the gentleman “acquainted with stage effects” has - preyed upon the juvenile author who came to the theatre with a good idea, and by reducing the vigorous fancies of a fresh mind to the calm stages of theatrical commonplace has gained the right to divide remuneration with the author. We are glad that the theatre has purged itself of the reproach of the unpleasant side of that relation and re- tained its advantages. But the reader who hus scanned the report of the interview ot a Henatrp plenipotentiary with the gen- tlemen of the Union Square Theatre which we gave yesterday will likely understand why we now express a doubt whether the presumed poet on draught in that establishment is not, in fact, merely a spigot, Does Mr. Cazauran in reality per- torm any other office than that of a crooked conduit between that enormous secret store- house of original plays which they keep on hand and the nightly needs of the stage? Does he constantly draw ont and dribble away, as occusion demands, a scene here, a situation there, a happy finale, a felici- tous opening, a bright repartee or a comic fancy? That is the great dramatic problem of the day, and we are inclined to believe it would be a good notion {or the anthors of the seven hundred and twenty-seven plays stored in Mr. Palmer's closet to forthwith provide themselves with free passes and attend the theatre every night, to see if they cannot recognize theirown thoughts in that putative child of Mr. Howard's muse, “The Banker's Daughter.” Having gone to the theatre every night for three weeks they can hire a hall and come to an understanding as to their respective ownership of the different parts of this play. We donot believe there would be enough of the play left after this proceed. ing to make one of Mr. Boucicault’s Irish dramas. Our suspicion that “fhe Banker's Daughter” has been made up by the pro- cess of conveyance rests upon a reference to dates made, we believe, by Mr. Palmer, As an evidence that Mr. Rogé’s manuscript was not pilfered it is said that that manuscript was only handed into the theatre in 187 and that Mr. Howard's play was performed in Chicago in 1873. Mr. Rogé avers, how- ever, that the manuscript of his play was handed to the Union square people several years earlier. But, leaving this aside, we beg to remifid the readerthat the play performed in Chicago in 1873 is not precisely the play now on the stage at the Union Square, deed, Mr. Howard wrote to all the papers recently a gushing expression of his grati- tude for the brilliant and happy and beau- tiful scenes substituted by the poet on draught at the thentre for the scenes not so beautiful written by Mr. Howard, Now the poet on dranght is the custodian of the seven hundred and twenty-seven plays, and what it would be pleasant to know is, from which one of them did he convey those In- | seenes which so delighted the fancy of Mr. Howard? Ravages of the Storm. From all parts of the Middle Atlantic and New England States, as well as the St. Law- rence Valley, come distressing accounts of the ravages of the recent storm, Such a wilespread destruction of railroad and highway bridges by freshets has never been chronicled before, although many violent tempests have swept over the districts af- fected. The rainfull attending this storm has been exceptionally heavy, as we have already had occasion to remark. It was both heavy and continuous, and its effects have been experienced with more vio- lence in the districts where the topog- raphy favors rapid drainage from the surface to the streams and rivers than where such a surface flow would be slow. Hence we find the mountain regions of the Upper Delaware and Susquehanna rivers pouring down their torrents by thou- sands of swollen streams to raise the main rivers many feet above the highest levels hitherto known. Inthe State of New York the Hudson and its tributaries have swelled beyond all former limits and inundated the towns on their banks, inflicting immense damage to property, destroying canal locks, large and small vessels, barges and dwell- ing houses, and sweeping from wharves and docks all kinds of movable property. At Rondout and Newburg, Albany and Pough- keepsie, the damage is very heavy, and hun- dreds of families have been rendered tem- porarily houseless by the inundations. At Port Jervis, Binghamton and other places the losses have been equally great, and traffic on the railroads and turnpikes has been entirely stopped in some districts. Reports from New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut and the St. Lawrence Valley are filled with inci- dents connected with the destruction of bridges, the demolition of factories and mills, and the washing out of the roadbed» of the principal lines of railroad. The ac- cident that occurred on the Montreal Rail- road, near Sewali’s Falls, on the night of the 10th, was due toa great washout. It is surprising that the injuries sustained by the people on the wrecked train were so slight. On the same road another accident was prevented by the vigilance of a quarry- man, who warned the approaching train of the danger ahead. Not so fortunate were the -passengers and oflicials of the train on the Rutland division of the Central Ver- mont Railroad, two miles south of Bartons- ville. The culvert had been undermined by the water, but the track bore the appear- ance of solidity. Uhis was only a dreadful death trap. The moment the train ran on it the embankment gave'way, and the loco- motive and cars were precipitated into the gulf, ,Two lives were immediately lost and one person sustained fatal injuries, while many were seriously hurt. We can only refer the reader to our very full, general and special despatches this morning for the story of the storm. The money value of the damage cannot be estimnted yet, but it is reported to amount to half a million of dollars in one locality. The loss of life may be very great, but it is to be hoped that the worst fears may not be realized. If any events could attract attention to the value of timely storm warnings like those issued by the Heratp surely these great disasters may serve such a purpose. Sunday Performances, “Even in the tenderest climes light breezes will ruffle the flowers sometimes;’ and even the cultivation of all the har- monies discovered since the days of Ter- pander does not suffice to prevent the dainty little riots and revolts of a prima donna, nor does any amount of experience convince any manager that he is not safe against the calamitous consequences of rashly applied discipline. Miss Hauk has, we believe, two points of objection to the use of her name in concert programmes as Mr. Mapleson has used it. One is that she is prima donna and cannot be put into any scheme of performance in any way derog- atory to that ineffably high station; the other is that she objects to Sunday -perform- ances, demands a day of rest, and will have it. Asthe first point of this difference turns on the consideration of the respective dig- nity of various parts in « performance it must be determined on the judgment of experts; but the other point must turn on the application of a well known law of the State against Sunday performances. We do not believe Mr. Mapleson can support suc- cessfully his pretence to withhold his prima donna’s salary because she refused to appear on Sunday, because in so doing it would probably be held that she only refused to take part in an unlawful performance. Excessive Fees. The Bar Association has received the re- port of its committee on the alleged over- charges in the offices of the Sheriff, County Clerk and Register, and has instructed the committee to take such action as shall most summarily correct the abuses jound, while judiciously expressing the desire that no prosecution shall take place when an official is willing to discontinue and does discontinue the illegal practice. There does not appear to be any attempt to deny the fact that the fees charged by all the ac- cused officers are in excess of those au- thorized by law; butanm excuse is offered for the practice—first, that the legal fees would be insufficient to meot the expenses of the offices, and next, that the fees col- lected by the present officials are the si as those collected by their predecessors and not before objected to by the payees. Of course neither plea is a justification of the violation of the law regulat- ing the charges, and would be no good defence in case of a prosecution, The arraigned officials have no right to demand or receive any greater amount of fees than the law allows them, and the people, out of whose pockets the money comes, havea right to the protection to which the law en- titles them in this matter. The main ob- jectof the Bar Association is to secure a discontinuance of the abuse, and this will, no doubt, be accomplished. There is no desire to persecute any of the present offi- cials, and the instructions given to the com- mittee having the matter in charge affords the county officers » chance of protecting themselves from hostile proceedings by ceasing to exact illegal fees and conforming to the provisions of the law. ‘The agit: of the subject will direct attention to the expediency of making at least the County Clerk's and Register’s offices salaried posi- tions, and of remodelling the law regulat- ing the Sheriff's charges so as not only to make the fees equitable, but to provide for more ready and effective penalties in case of extortionate or illegal exactions. A Fainting School Board. At the meeting of the Board of Appor- tionment yesterday some remarkable ad- missions were made by the President of the Board of Education relative to the ill-venti- lation of the public schools. In making his appeal Mr. Wood referred to the question of ventilating the school honses, and stated that his Bo:rd was not responsible, but the Board of Apportionment, for if the latter body did not allow the Commissioners of Education the money they asked for they could not ventilate the school buildings. He also stated that several schools in differ- ent parts of the city were poorly ventilated and crowded inuch beyond their capacity, and in which the smell of overheated hu- manity made him almost faint when he entered the class rooms, This is a nice admission for a president of a board to make! Ifthe air iv these wretched class rooms was. so foul that a strong man became faint in a few seconds after inhaling it, what effect must it have on the innocent children who are com- pelled to pass several hours every day ex- posed to its deadly influence? Because there is not enough money to give the chil- dren under their care pure, healthful air, is that any reason why they should seek to increase the mortality among the juvenile population of this city? Parents send their little ones to school for an education that will the better fit them to per- form the duties of life that come with manhood and womanhood, and not to expose them to disease and death. When asked by. the Mayor if it was not pos- sible to ventilate the school houses with the money on hand the President replied in the negative, giving as an additional reason that his Board had not as yet ascer- tained the best methods for ventilation, though they had consulted any number of persons on the subject. It would be in- teresting to know what class of persons had been consulted. My. Wovd has either admitted too little or too much, and the onus of explanation rests decidedly on his shoulders, Mean- whiie parents have the fact staring them full in the face that ‘several’ of the public schools are unfit for human occupancy; and when their children come home complain- ing of headache, nausea and loss of appe- tite they may rest assured that the school house in their neighborhood is among those which have caused. Mr. Wood to. “feel faint.” A Conjurer’s Brains. The world has been greatly agitated for some days past over the news that an emi- nent conjurer, lately deceased, had directed in his will that all the secret’ machinery of his tricks should be destroyed after his death. A thrill of satisfaction, however, greeted the news that on his deathbed he had consented that they should be handed for sale to another eminent ex-conjurer. His will, which was published recently, gave a clew to the late Heller's rea- sons for his destructive desire. It was, he wrote, ‘‘so that no one may have the benefit of my brains after my death.” This looks a little selfish, to say the least. What a mighty estimate he must have put upon his’brains if this was his sole reason. Perhaps he put it thus bluntly out of an unexpressed desire to have whatever his fame was remain in its pristine glow. He desired, it may be, to go down to posterity as the only man who could get ten chickens out of a hat or who could load a blan- derbuss with gold watches and fire the contents into a two-pound loaf. Noble ambition! Then again he may out of pity to himself have desired that as few as pos- sible should get behind the curtain and see how hollow that loaf was and where he kept his chicken coop. Under the surly clanse may have lain that tenderness of his name which drives so many men to conjure in vain with Death to hide the secrets of their lives, Well he knew that the skele- ton is grinning under the solemn faces of the conjurers in every walk of life. How many of the mighty, the admired among his fellow mortals, he knew to be posturing as blessed with super- human power or prescience while there was nothing but a sordid mechanism of strings and wires behind them. He knew the man whose speeches were written for him; he knew the man who bought a nomination or an election; he knew the author who stole a play; he knew the man who bought an in- vention and prospered while the inventor starved, They all wore masks as amateurs, masks that they never wanted to be lifted, and should he who wore one professionally be less sensitive than they? But Death laughs at these devices and strips them off. Poor Heller seems at last to have concluded as much. The fame of the conjurer did not seem so great to him when he lay dying as it had with the ap- plause of the young gentlemen and ladies who delighted in his harmless art ringing in his ears. So he wisely concluded to let somebody else have ‘the benefit of his brains,” since they were passing utterly beyond being of {rrther benefit to him. And startled civilization felt relieved. PERSONAL INTELLIGENCE, Baron von Friesen, of Berlin, is at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. Baron Charles von Schroder arrived in New York yesterday, Mile. Sarah Bernhardt is diligently studying Eng- lish at Paris, Mr. John Quincy Adams, of Massachusetts, is at the Brevoort House, ‘The freshet came just in time to replenish church fair oyster stews. Baron C. von Schroder, of Hamburg, Germany, is at the Hoffman House, At Berlin, where Adelina Patti has bad very large houses, she bas received half the proceeds, In the English army, especially among the young, beef tea has been found quite as efficient a stimulant as rum. 4 New Haven man compelshis neero halp to whistle TT all the time he is down cellar, so that he cannot drink any cider, Mr, Kurd von Sehlizer, the German Minister, ar. rived at the Brevoort House last evening from Washington. n Figaro says that Mme. ‘Trénan, a widow, and a sia- ter of Jules Simon, has died in great destitution at Questenbert, Ex-Governor Hendricks will go to Washington after the holidays, having much business before the Su- preme Court. The Archduke Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austro- Hungary, shot -himself slightly in the hand with a pistol yesterday at Prague. »w is a good time for fox hunters, Many of the animals in the Bergen county swamps haye been driven out of their holes by the freshets, Simon Cameron's case, anent the Widow Oliver, will come off just after the holidays. The widow will press her suit just as warmly as she alleges that he pressed his suit, Mme. Nilsson will be installed as Grand Mistress ot the ancient charitable Masonie Order of “The East. ern Star,” which is composed of ladies of rank and distinction whose husbands belong to the fraternity, A German paper says that the names of generals connected with tho most brilliant French victories are German, There are also tery many German names among the officers of the French army of the present day. + A writer to the Stella d'Italia, of Bologna, shows- how Italians are afraid to give information concert, ing crimes by saying, after stating that Passanante was concerned in an attack on a banker, “Ido not sign this letter—friends and foes alike would punish London Echo :—* ‘On Thursday there was a strong breeze and cloudy weather. Several new faces ap- peared on deck. There was fishing for seagulls, and the Marquis caught the first.’ I do not know whether there are any socicties for the prevention of cruelty to animals in Canada, but if there are I trust that the outburst of toadyism which at present overspreads the country will not prevent the members noting that the passage which I have quoted refers to the amuse- ments of their Viceroy. I leave out of all account the intensely puerile nature of the sport, and only re- mark that to bait a hook and line with a bit of pork, and then throw it overboard until a hungry seagull swallows it, is not a pretty pastime. But to drag on board the wretched bird, with the hook transfixed into its stomach, throat or bill, simply to see the ‘funr of its fluttering, and then let it go with the hook still in it, is abominable cruelty. Thechronicler of vice- regal small beer adds ‘the gull was set ut liberty by order of Her Royal Highness,’ Iam glad to sce that the Marquis of Lorne is under petticoat government, for the wife seems to have more sense than the hus- band.” “ ’ ANNUAL ELECTION OF OFFICERS TO-NIGHT—MR, LEVI P. MORTON AND EX-GOVERNOR E, D. MOR- HEAD THE TICKETS—A CHANGE IN THE AD- MINISTRATION DESIRED BY THE YOUNG MEM~- BERS OF THE CLUB, i ‘The annual clection of officers of the Union League “Club will be held this evening at the club house, cor- ner of Twenty-sixth street and Madison avenue. This club has been steadily increasing its list of members during the past few years, and the young members are now beginning to take great interest in the gen- erat management, as they think that more atten- tion should be given to its social attractions. During the past week both parties have been actively engaged in canvassing votes in order to secure the success of their respective tickets, and although the old members rather pooh-pooh the idea of, there being any doubt as to the result, they do not disdain taking the necessary precautions to make things safe. A Henan reporter called yesterday upon @ number of the members of the club and found them all quite interested in the election, One gentleman said there was really no fight at all,as the young men’s ticket would be defeated by about three votes to one, The regular ticket is as follows: r Nominating Committee—Levi P. Morton, William Dowd, Henry E. Howland, J. Warren Goddard, George Montague, Henry C. Ward and John D. mn. Inspectors and | Canvassers—William H. Hurlbut, R. B. Hartshorne, 8. Van Rensselaer Cruger and David Milliken, Jr. THE PLATFORM. ‘This ticket has been freely circulated, accompanied by acircular bearing the names of about two hun- dred members of the club and indorsing the following platform :— rinciples by which these gentlemen, if ned in the selection of the re ing year, are substantially us follow the club should not abandon the lected, will idutes for triotic semtie ‘That the performance of the public and patriotic duty of the club is entirely consistent with the bighest di 4 ment of its aracteristics, and that the tion and care id should a to perfect the clu! social comfort and attractiveness as if there were no other Oe of organization. 3. That tho tendency toward the encouragement of art 20 strongly marked during the last few years is one on every gronnd to be encouraged, and too mich eare cannot be taken in the selection of the committees haying that ime portant trust in charge. ‘THE INDORSERS. Among the 200 names indorsing the above are those of General C. A. Arthur, David Dows, B. K. Phelps, Elliott C. Cowdin, S. B. H. Vance, J. A. Roosevelt, T, 1. Husted, I. N. Phelps, George H. T. Morgan, C. M. Depew, Jackson 8S. Schultz, H. G. Stebbims, Hamilton Fish, Jr.; Eastman Johnson, 3. P. io. 5. iH. Wales, Clark Bell, Dorman B. Eaton, BR. H. Stral Sinclair Tousey, Charles Watrous, H. A. Darling James Otis. CERTAIN OF VICTORY, You will see by those names,” said the gentleman, “that the republican members of the club are deter+ mined to keep up its political standing. In fact there have been young men elected to this club during the past two or three years who would be willing to run the club to suit themselves if we were once to allow them to obtain the upper band, and I think to-mor- row night they will receive a lesson they little expect. We intend that the Union League Club of New York shall be quite as straight in its political standing as the Union League Club of Philadelphia,” During the afternoon the reporter called at the club and had @ talk with two of the members, supporters of the regular ticket. They said they did not think there would be any fight, Sper oo they had heard thet another ticket was in the field with the name of ex-Governor E. D, Morgan fora figurehead. They added that the fight was made by some of the younger members of the club, and did not ex- pect # very close contest, as they bel that three- fourths of the members of the club would vote for the ticket headed by Mr. Levi P. Morton. WHAT THE “OPPOSITION THINK. ‘The young members did not appear to be in great force, as they were very hard to find, but shortly after dinner @ Henatp reporter met one of them in the Brunswick Hotel. He was not in s very com- municative frame of mind and had not seen the ticket that he wa ps to support. He ssid that it was bh by ex-Governor Morgan, so that in political strength they were quite as strong as the regular ticket. The trouble appears to have arisen from a growing dis- satixfaction among the young members trom the fact that when politics were in question social matters were laid to one side, and although they all took a certain amount of interest in the politics of the couns try, they thought that a change in the administration of the club affairs would be a very decided improve. ment. A list ofthe names on the young men’s of opposition ticket could not be obtained last night. here is a general feelin pie | the members sup~ porting the regular ticket that ex-Governor E, D. More yan would never have accepted the nomination if he ad understood the issue at stake. He was written @ letter asking for his indorsement to the regular ticket, and in reply he said he regretted that the plication had not been made sooner, as he had viven his consent to head the opposition ticket, “FINE ARTS. THE WATER COLOR SOCTETY. ‘The circular for the twelfth annual exhibition of the American Water Color Society, signed by Thomas W. Wood, president, and by J, C. Nicoll, secretary, has just been received. The exhibition will open a@ the National Academy of Design on February 3, 1879, and close on Saturday evening, March 1, 1879, Original works which have never before been exhib. ited will be received from January 20 to 22, inclusive, ‘The loan of important foreign water colora is te ested, where not before placed on public exhibition, Work in black and white, drawings hel iT, Wood or stone, in lead, crayon, chalk, charcos Pyadia ink, sepia, &c., will be received as usual, UNION LEAGUE EXHIBITION, ‘The usual monthly exhibition of pictures and re, ception of the Union League Club will take place thig evening. ION BALL, The Arion Society have arranged to give thetr am nual masquerade ball at Gilmore's Garden on Friday evening, February 21. The committee intend eclipss ing all their previous efforts, and no expense will be spared on the decorations, ‘They selected the night of the 2ist so that their could have of; time to recuperate from the effects of the dissipation on Washington's Birthday~ 1 THE