The New York Herald Newspaper, December 24, 1878, Page 3

an Pot PLYMOUTH ROCK. The Landing of the Pilgrims Com- memorated Last Night. DINNER OF THE NEW ENGLAND SOCIETY A Large and Brilliant Company at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY-EIGHTH ANNIVERSARY Speeches by Secretary Evarts, James 6. Blaine, Secretary Sherman, Governor Van Zandt and Others, , Just 258 years ago yesterday the Pilgrim Fathers “moored their bark on the wild New England sliore.” The anniversary was celebrated duly in this city, the chief feature of said celebra- tion being the dinner of the New England Society in the big hall of the Fifth Avenue Hotel. Six o'clock was the hour fixed upon for the frugal repast in which the memory of tho Fathers was to be solemnly commemorated. About that’ hour the reputed descendants of the aforesaid Fathers made their weary pilgrimage to Madison square and landed on the rock-bound steps of the Fifth Avenue Hotel. When they had assembled in the big dining hall it was found that they numbered 228, be- sides the twenty-one venerable men who had been invited to attend in the capacity of guests at the solemn ceremonies. These were provided with seats ‘at a table placed upon a dais at the upper end of the hall, while the rest of the company clustered about ten big tables on the main floor. In the centre of this table sat the president of the society, Mr. Daniel F. Appleton, and ranged on either side of him were Secretary William M. Evarts, Senator James G. Blaine, Governor Van Zandt, of Rhode Island; Rev. Dr. McCosh, of Princeton; Rev. Dr. Storrs, of the Church of the Pilgrims, Brook- lyn; Commodore W. J. A, Nicholsan, General W. T. Sherman, Secretary of the Treasury John Sherman, E. D, Morgan, Chauncey M. Depew, W. H. Hurlbut, Rey. Dr. Potter, of Grace Church, Rev. John Cotton Smith, Elliot C. Cowdin, Isaac H. Bailey, ex-President of the Society Borden; President Brandt, of the St. Andrews Society. Senator Bayard, who was ex- pected, did not attend. The tables were prettily but not extravagantly decorated with flowers and fruits, and the only addition to the permanent ornaments of the fine hall were a number of national ensigns draped as curtains about the windows, and the ensign of the city of New York over the President's chair. A NEW NEW ENGLAND, ‘There was outside of this not the slightest emblem or symbol of any kind in the room. Neither picture, motto nor design of any kind suggested the Pilgrims, the rock on which they landed or anything connected with them. The only thing in connection with the affair which had the slightest flavor of New England about it was the bill of fare. Among the “side dishes” was set down pork and beans, and under the head of desert “pumpkin pie” found a prominent place. Shame to say not a man was patriotic enough to order the beans; they all partook of the other side dish—sweetbreads with green peas—and for the national pie a single prize squash would supply all that was consumed. One could not help wondering what the hardy handful of ascetics who landed on Plymouth rock would have thought could they, standing on the bleak and desert coast, have looked into the future and seen their descendants, in white cravats and dress coats, sitting in @ frescoed hall, smoking ‘‘the devil's weed,” and with short, rubicund countenances sipping foreign wines with the sounds of profane French opéra bouffe sounding in their ears. There is a big gap between the two. The vast company that filled the hall represented the business enterprise of the metropolis. A rapid glance over the tables showed the presence of 8. D, Babcock, Elihu Root, William A. Camp, Cyrus W. Field, Salem H. Wales, Henry M. Day, Isaac V. Brokaw, John Sloane, Charles Edward F, Brown, William H. Fogg, Colonel Granville P. Hows, Dist: Attorney B. K. Phelps and_his assistants, Daniel G. Rollins, Mr. Bell and Mr. Lyons, John Denny and 200 others equally well known. ~When the material elements of the feast had been fully enjoyed, and while the glasses were being re- filled, a bevy of ladies entered a room opening into the hall where the speakers could be heard, and remained throughout the evening attentive listeners, unseen by the mass of the banqueters. ‘The speakers of the evening were Secretary Evarts, Chauncey M. Depow, Secretary Sherman, Rev. Dr. H. M. Storrs, James G. Biaine, Rev. Dr. Potter, Pres- ident McCosh, ot Princeton College; Professor Seelye, of Amherst College; Commodore Nicholson, of the Navy; Governor Van Zandt, of Rhode Island, and President Bland, of the St. Andrew's Society. CHARLESTON AND NEW YORK, ‘The following telegram was received from the New England Society of Charleston, 8. From New England Society of Charleston, 8. C., greeting :-— With malice toward none, with charity for afl; with firm- to see the right, let us to bind up the nation’s ave borne the battle, orphan, to do all which may place’ among ourselves and ness in the wound: and for his widow and achieve and cherish & with all nations, ‘To this the following answer was sent:— low Kngland Socioty of York to the New England ety of Charles We acknowl reoting, and we hope to emulate you in ci discharge our du God gives us the light to see them. Ina brief and pat little speech President Appleton ed of the first toast, “The Day We Celebrate,” snd introduced Mr. Evarts. RESPONSE OF MR. EVARTS. After a few briet and witty allusions to the ancestry of those present and to the objects for which they were asseiubled, which were frequently interrupted with outbursts of merriment and applause, Mr. Evarts said :— ‘New England looks upon this country, as she well may, as having en =pervaded §=far = =and wide by the morals, the sentiments, the instruction, the morality and the religion which has planted in the narrow compass of the old colonies, and which have grown larger tnd broader snd deeper from generation to gencration. Everything has been progressing in this country. There have been no steps backward. Peaceful opposition never could re- tard the progress of these great — ideas, end war, opposing war, only aroused, — in- flamed and heated these influences’ until’ they broke over the crest of war, and in the longer peace that war prepared found new triumphs for moral and intellectual influences, (Applause.) ‘There was, as we all know, in the formation of this nation by the war of the Revolution suture, so to speak, by which the slaveholdin, colonies while united with, were yet distinguished from this Northern country, and that suture, in the progress of our politics, became a fissure, and then at last it became a chasm; but now the chasin and the ure and the suture have all res (agi and this liom and the same over it. pl the first really find, by the conclusion of this great war, a nation at one with itself—without opposing inter. ests, without jealousies or rival advancements, and without conflicting or uncertain aliiances, WELL OUT OF THR WAR. We have thus come out of this war by those stages of realization aud advancem: ito & mew national, life, We realize peace which mates and knits together in one framework the hearts and minds of the people, and makes it possi- Die that they should yo forward hereafter 4s one ntry. The next great step, after —a step which could be taken only after the first was secured—was in restoring the disordered relations which the war pro- duced in the debt and in the burden and in the financial derangement of society. That end has been accomplished—(applause)—and to-night you greet the Secretary of the ‘Treasury as your guost-- use)—who has accomplished the crown. ¢ glory of restored relations to the Old World in’ honest money. (Applause.) I do not forget, as I am sure you will not, that you have ‘another guost here, an ex-Secretary of the Treasury (applause), who in most dif- ficult times so well began what has now been #0 well concluded—(appleuse)—and he has shown us that in the batties of peace as well as those of war the man who makes his fight boldly and valiantly be quite as good a soldier as the man who wins victory upon the field, (Applause.) A COMMERCIAL ADVANCE. Now, that being so, the next great step is the for- ward step of @ united people. Sometimes statesmen have had no resources after the dissctisions of civil war were composed but to find some new encryy and some (Ap- time NEW YORK HERALD, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1878.—WITH SUPPLEMENT. new excitement that would unite the discordant Snomy, bat this prose and. enlightened people: Ease enemy, but great en now that it is better worth their white to make an advance upon the commerce of the world—(applause)—and stick its wealth without destroying its fu- ture means of producing new wealth to be sucked hereafter. (Applause.) It was said ‘of the ancient Romans in their wonderful syatem of colonization by which they annexed the world to themselves by wars of self-defence— (laughter)—that with them war stood for trade—(laughter and angie) and by the con- quest and sacking of foreign nations they built up the great city and empire of Rome in wealth and power. The mischief of that was found to be that it was but a succession of brilliant achievements in killing the goose that laid the golden ogg. But we, wiser than they, having secured the eggs, pamper the goo-e that it may continue to lay them for our bene- fit. (Applause and laughter), * Now, North and South, East and West, there is a determination to show the nations of the world that, having thriven as well as we have after these divided counsels, and in spite of these discordant and divided interests, we are ready to try conclusions with the rest of the world, and are now making a long pull,’a strong pull and a ny altogether. (Applause.) No nation before has ever ap- peared in the commercial system of the world preserving the remarkable teatures that this now united nation presents. We produce the cereals that can feed an army of workers. We produce the staples of manufacture that can feed a wilderness of machinery that devours cotton and iron, and de- pendent lipon, no foreign nation for supplies for either that which feeds’ the workman or feeds the machine. We are in the advanced’ stage of that human industry which has changed the bowels of nature into the service of man, and we are in a po- sition to contend for the markets of the world, fear- ing neither scarcity of food nor scarcity of raw ma- terial. NO MEAN COMPETITOR. Against a nation thus fully furnished, with the ex- perience, with the hardihood, with the skill and with the industry of our people, you. may be sure that we are a formidable combatant in the great arena of the world’s competition; and by the same token we shall be looked upon with no welcome feeling by the older and wiser nations that have profited by our folly and our indecision in the ast, (Applause.) It is for us to enter into the “harvest field and reap it. But we must not wait, standing first on one leg and then on the other, ut forward in our progress to that harvest field. Jf we wish to build ships let us build them—(applause); if we wish to buy ships let us buy them (applause); if we wish to sell raw material let us sell it; if wo wish to sell the products of our industry let us sell them (applause), but let us understand that none of these great processes are to be carried through by us in our generation except by the same enterprise, the same courage and the same self denial which made out of the poor, poor outcasts from the Old World, the great nation that we are to- day. (Applause.) “It in easy to waste an in- heritance, however great and however noble the ancestry from which it came. The only absolute and inexorable demand is if the inheritance is to be improved and enlarged and transmitted to our descendants that it must be by the maxims and conduct by which it was built up from the beginning. (Applause.) ‘THE FUTURE AMERICA. Now, as I have said, the whole country is ready to manufacture. The whole couutry is ready to engage in commerce. The whole Mississippi Valley is wide awake on the subject of direct trade to Europe and with South America. Lvery distant inland town in the valley, expects to become a sea- port. (Laughter.) Wherever I shall travel in future years, in the midst of the prairies or halt way up ‘the mountains, I shall expect to see streets—yes, strecta devoted to sailors’ boarding houses, (Laughter.) ‘hey intend, also, to have factories and operatives north, south, east and west. in the interior. They are going to be Americans, or the American system of doing with their might whatever their hands tind to do and New York is not to be allowed to have supremacy. It is true that the fact of our being a seaport has given us a little advantage at the start, but that can be \ overcome by pluck, intelligence and enterprise. But whatever else they may deprive us of in our superiority there is one thing which is, perhaps, more precious to Now York than anything else, which no energy, no enterprise and no good fortune in the rest of the country can deprive you of, and that is they can never deprive you of your proximity to New England, (Laughter aud applause.) i CHAUNCEY M. DEPEW. Mr. said that; when Governor Robinson “depew' him to represent him it was on account of the singular similarity of their personal., pearance and the identity of their political co; tions, The Governor said if Mr. Depew’s speccii*2t the dinner redounded as much tw ~ihis benefit as did Mr. Depew’s efforts upon the stump:he. would be perfectly satisfied with the result. The reason the dinner of the New England Society has become so popular in New York was because New York had become the centre of New England ideas and the radiating centre of New England influences. Boston only rose into prominence when she diverted acar of freight from New York. (Laughter.) Fore- fathers’ Day would be celebrated in New England and would be reported in the columps of local newspapers read not fifteen miles away and would be remembered only in the indiges- tions of those who-participated in it. (Laughter.) But the celebration of Foreiathers’ Day caused the federal government to cease its functions while the brightest and most progressive sons in the Cabinet attend the dinner. The speaker had represented, he said, in turn every nationality in the city and had attended the dinners of each. He made a playful allusion to the characteristics of each. Speaking of the Irishmau,'the speaker said that he claimed two-thirds of the offices as his right and the other third as a matter of merit. (Langhter.) The Scotchman ate his haggis and. proclaimed that all mental and moral philosophy’ and all intellectual development emanated from, him, “and then he laughs over the jokes perpetrat at the lust year’s er and ggrenely cuntenip! those he will laugh at on the next occasion.” SECRETARY SHERMAN’S SPEECH. To the toast “The National Honor to be Guarded as Watchfully as the National Life,” Secretary Sherman responded as follo Public faith to tion is like credit to # man or chastity to a woman—it must be beyond sus- picion. (Applause.) A nation that has not ob- served its public faith is unfit to be a free people and unfit to live. (Applause.)’ No heri- tage is so priceless, no property so valuable to a nation as public honor. An honor that is tarnished, no time can erase it and no good conduct can repair it. Now, these are maxims which I suppose you will all agree to, but the difficulty is, as our old New England Puritan creatures would say, in the application of the text. (Laughter.) Criticism has arisen upon the construction Seog: to ublic debt, in which honest men may differ; ut on one question there never was & ground of difference, there never was a doubt but what the United States notes had to be paid in coin. (Great applause.) The law was clear—the Su- preme Court had so declared it aud there was no doubt. The question of doubt was as to the time which was not fixed when the notes were originally issued, but was left to be settled after the events ot the war would enable the people to determine when they could, ~~ with due regard to public policy, pay the debt in coin. And upon that question there waé great diversity of opinion, but that question was fixed by the Resumption act and we could not, with honor, go back upon that pledge. (Applause.) THE WAY TO RESUMPTION. ‘The road to specic payments has beon a hard road to travel. Everybody knew when we wero compelled’ by stress of war to depart from the specio standard that when the nation set its way to recover from that pressure, that it must undergo some suffering and difficulty. I believe myself the time was too long post- ned. Inow believe that if the policy indicated y the gentleman who held the office I now have the honor to hold, now before me—(applause)—had been steadily pursued we wo nave arrived at specie payment sooner, but the distress might have becu sharper and probably more suffering. That question I will not discuss, Suffice it to say that the people of the United States would never take up thet question until they through the inaelstrom of 1873, when every ‘business man knew that the only safety for himself, for his property and for his country was to return to the coin standard, (Applause.) Then it was that the Resumption act was passed, and although there was much difference of opinion about it, and any- body might find fault with it, and I myself, al- though 1 voted for it, might admit that there was impertections in it; yet it is working out results exactly as was antici |, and every step in the progress has carried with it improved credit and in- creasing honor. (Applause.) AN KASY PATHWAY AHEAD. The road, it is true, has been a hard one, but now ‘all the circumstances are favorable tor the full completion of that almost perfected work, Congress, without doubt, awaits in hopeful expectation the maintenance of resumption; every Judge of the Supreme Court of the United States is believed to be in favor of restored coin as the standard of action. (Applause.) The President of the United States is not only earnestly in favor of resumption, but be- lieves in its sure and easy execution, (Ap- plause.) The powers conterrsd upon the Treasury Department are ample even for any emergency that can probably be made. (Applause.) Your surplus revenue, your credi,t pow uutarnished, equalled 1 and surpassed only by one in the world—cverything that this governmont has is pledged to the execution of its promise, (Applause.) And now, gentlemen, when these notes are restored—us they soon Will be, as they now are in fact, but as they soon will be by law, the exact value of the best coin issued from the Mint—you, gentlemen, must not regard these notes any longer as the depreciated and dishonored paper money, but as the coin certificates of # great, rich and powerful nation, (Ap- plause), We may expect of our bonds the cirenit of the world with increased honor, Ihave no doubt that the time i# near at hand when these notes that we have, by gradual steps, brought up in slow, advanced stages, will be equal ‘to coin— wul go wherever the Bank of England notes would go. (Great applause.) e DUTY OF BUSINESS MEN. With all these favoring cirenmstances concurring, it only remains for the business men of this country, and expecially of this city, to make this process easy and sure. You can’ do it, and can do it readily, and each of you iu your separate parts ought to take pride in Lees olay to this result; and it ought to be among you, who measure all the pro- ductions of a continent, who control a great part ot the trade, it ought to be a matter of reproach, if any man among you does anything to disturb the even serenity of this onward sdvance of our country. (Great applause). Now, gentlemen, as I know the time is fleetin, and it always difficult to make sho: speeches, I only have to say to you, all © powers of the executive branch of this government will be exercised to the fullest extent, not only to bring ubout resumption, but to main- tain resumption. (Applause.) I€ is for you busi- ness men to say whether it shall not be the beginning of an ‘advancing and hopeful prosperity to our country thus so repidly grown in the short period of its life to be one of the greatest nations of the world, and may become without fear or rival among all the nations of the modern world, (Great applause.) REMARKS OF DR, STORRS, “The Clergy of New England, always quick to respond to the calls of patriotism, charity and religion,” was responded to by Rev. Dr. Storrs. ' He culogized the subjects of the toast in general, though he said there were some among them who were like Solomon in one respect at least—they brought a great deal of consecrated brass into’ the temple when they entered it. (Laughter.) Franklin, who made the lightning speak, he said was’ the son of a New England clergyman. Chancellor Kent, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Lowell and Buyard Taylor were mentioned 8 coming of similar stock, as was also Joseph P. Thompson, for many years residing at Berlin. SENATOR JAMES G. BLAINE. The president called upon Mr, Blaine to respond in the following words:—‘I shall call upon one of whom it may be said that the best evidence of his great merit and great ability is that he has risen to the highest position in New England, although he was not born there.” Mr, Bluine said:—The President has kindly relieved me of personal explanations. I am only # brother-in-law. ‘hey are useful in fam- ilies, and in a New England family, where mod- esty is the prevailing —fault—(aughter)—while you can rarely get one of the direct blood and descent to say anything in praise of his race, it is, perhaps, meet and proper that, wnem- arrassed by any consideration of —_ per- sonal prudery, mind freely 1 ean gpeak ny about you all.’ I never saw New England until I was a man grown, but I have lived more than half my life on its soil, and I have six children who represent the ninth generation in this country of the old Massachusetts colony. And I am not ashamed to say, Mr. President, in any presence, recollecting, as I always do, with ‘pride iny Pennsylvania birt! and my Scotch and Scotch-Irish ancestry, I am not afraid’ or ashamed to say in any presence that in the settlement of this Continent and the shap- ing and molding of its institutions the chief and great credit belonged to New England. (Ap- plause,) Why, every chapter of its history. is @ romance. A small number came in 3620, ‘There was no emigration to speak of until 1630; there whs none after 1640; and the 21,000 men that came in those brief years ure the pro- genitors of a race that embraces one-third of the people of the United States of America; thoy are the progenitors of a race of people twice as numerous as spoke the English language in the world when they came here, Frederick the Great said to his child’s tutor, “Instruct this young boy in history. Don’t delay much on the ancients, but let him know everything that has happened in the last hundred and fifty years.”” PROGRESS OF AMERICA. I submit, Mr. President, that the great event which hus happened in the last 150 years, not to yo back to 1620, the ‘cause of which was planted then, has been the progress of the Anglo-saxon race in this world. As Ihave said, not seven millions of eople spoke the tongue when the pilgrim fathers wn at Plymouth; not sixteen millions spoke it when the American revolution was fought, and in this hundred years mark its progress. Great has been the progress of others. The German Empire has been rebuilt and reformed in grander pro- portions than it ever existed before. Russia has come out of barbarism a great and first class Power. Italy has reformed and promised some- thing of its ancient grandeur; France hus fallen and risen again, and fallen and risen once more—(applause)—and yet, with all this progress of all these countries the one great fact of the last hundred years is that when the Revolution ot the American Colonies was fought not sixteen million. spoke the English tongue, and to-day one hundred million speak it. (Applause.) THE EARLY SETTLERS, Weare in the habit of deploring the hardships of the men who settled New England, and we are in the hubit of alluding to them as oor and friendless and downcest vace\ of me.” ‘They Were anything else. They had nerve and courage to endure hard- ship, but they were a class of men the like of which never before and never. since has emigrated from apy land. They were men of property. The 21,000 ymen that settled the five New Enyland colonies ‘brought with them 2,500,000 of our dollars, which Lmepresents $15,000,000 of our money at this hour, “Show me any town in the United States of 21,004 peo- pte .that rej ts more than $15,0,000 of property to-day. They were men who had literature at that day—Milton and Lockwood and Walter Kaleigh; Johu Robinson, Brewater and Davenport in the ministry, and in statesmanship Cromwell, Hampden ani Pym. These men brought with them all the elements of success that have since crowned their efforts, and they brought with them one thing, which has st retiy well to the Yankee character, and that was a belief that if you set a principle that is founded on truth in motion it ,will go through. (Great applause.) They believed ‘that an army of principles will penetrate where an army of men can- not enter. HOW NEW ENGLANDERS REGARD THE SOCIETY. Now, in celebrating the dinner of the New England Society in New York—that almost takes my breath— (laughter)—you don’t know how we regard it down in New England. There are a great many men in New England who aspire to get into Congress—first is House and then the Senate, and then the [Cabinet, and then, under the inspirations ; the strong air and mountain . scenery of, Vermont, aspire still higher. (Laughter and applause.) The one thing which every boy as he grows up in New England has to look torward to is the possibility of some day dining with the New England Society; in’ New York. (Laughter.) I acknowledge, Mr, President, your invitation for many years past—it has been my misfortune that I have uever been able until now to accept it—and among the smaller political honors of my life this will stand out and be regarded by my children as the one capsheat, Let me also say, Mr. President, that when we are complimenting ourselves New England ought to remember the influence which the West has (had upon New England that. society never looks ut. We are all the time telling the Western people what an immense thing New England has done for them—and it has done a great deal—but let me assure you that the West has moulded and modified an ed and developed and uwl- vanced New England in a degree which New England itself does not appreciate. Just as New England has reacted upon old England so the New England families that have gone West have reacted upon the folks at home. The New England which our — eloquent friend, Dr. Storrs, spoke of fifty years ago does not exist now. Over the length and breadth of the land, by action and reaction, New England ideas,’ potent always at home, potent always in the West and throughout the country have become still more potent by the fact that the original source has been luryely influenced and controlled by the streams which itselt has set in motion. FROM REVOLUTION TO REVOLUTION. Another feature we forget. When the Pilgrim Fathers came to this country they left a state of affairs in England which boded revolution, and which in effect broke out into two revolutions before the English people got the rights for which they were contending. But yet, in 1620, the Pilgrim Fathers obtained ty this country the exact rights which those in England obtained by the beheading of Charles I. and the expulsion of his son James IL trom the throne. They brought with them here an abandonment of. feudalism; they brought with them here the abolition of primogeniture ; theybrought with them here an annulling or the Entail law; they brought with them here the destruction of the privi- leges of the nobility—they brought these with them here and founded them sixty-eigat years before they were realized in England. I don’t know that it is allowable tg have contro- versies at the table, yet I must differ alittle from my honorable friend, the Secretary of State, not in all his well wishing, not in all his brilliant anticipations of the government of our country; but I must, as a New Englander, differ a little trom him in one thin, hat this country, with all its enormous acity, With all its mechanical skill, shall at the closing period of the nineteenth century abandon the policy which the Pilgrim Fathers gave us and, to use a well known phrase, throw up the sponge and in future rely on foreign navigation for our ships. I don’t believe in the policy. OTHER TOASTS. “The Chureh—the foundation of charity and ood works, which is not established, but estab- ishes itself by God's blessing in men’s hearts," was responded to by Rev. Dr. H. ©. Potter, of Grace Church, The Church, he held, exists to be usefulin the world—to make cleaner streets and better tenements for the poor. In short, to take an active part in the material as well as spiritual concerns of the world. In order that it should do this and that the Church in New York should exist for use and not for ornament, he should ask nothing better than that it should have in its pulpits men of New England ancestry, and in its pews men of Now England sympathies and New England catholic generosity. (Appluuse.) Key. Dr. McCosh, of Princeton, speaking to the toast “The College and the Commou School—the Landmarks of Religion and Social Order,” New England to his native Jew he said always found hix match when he went to either, ‘the first two countries to declare that it was the prerogative of every man to have an education, he said, were Scotland — an New Eng- land, He hoped that American colleges would be kept upon their present foundation, that they might remain essentially and distinctively American while standing ready to receive suggestions from every part of the world. Professor Seelye, of Amherst, spoke to the same compared Scotland, A touut. “The New England States—their influence like their children, to be found everywhere,” brought out some humorous remarks from Governor Van Zandt, who remarked that he was part Pennsylvania Dutchman aud part New Englander, “a sort of conglomeration, as it were, of pumpkin pie and cold slaw.” Mr, Borden spoke to Our ex-Presidents” and Mr, Bland replied to “Our Sister Societies.” It was long atter miduight when the last descend- aut of the Pugrims donned his greatcoat. SUING. A RAILROAD. A suit has been commenced in the Supreme Court, at White Plains, against the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company by Mr. Josiah Rich, of Yonkers, formerly one of the wealthiest and most influential citizens of that place, placing his dam- ages at $150,000, alleged to have been sustained by him savonee the non-fulfilment of agreements en- tered into by the defendants in regard to the imain- taining of s passenger depot on the ground ceded to the defendants by the pluintif’ and others for that purpose. ‘The piuintif’ in his complaint sets forth that the defendants agreed in 1850, on condition of having the land in question ceded to them, to locate and maintain the passenger depot at the point indi cated, but that the defendants had removed the depot toa point about one-third of a mile north of the original location, ‘The defence is an alleged release and a bar by the statute of limitations. The case is adjourned over & term to give the defendants time to produce the re- lease, A NEW WAY TO MAKE MONEY, One Arthur 8. Greenwood has been creating no lit- tle excitement in Passaic City, N. J, for some time past by his wholesale complaints ageinst liquor deal- ers for selling on Sunday. Greenwood claimed $60 for every conviction, under an old resolution of the City Council. In this way he had already amassed ims against the city to the amount of $3,200 when yesterday another of the ‘second series” of what have come to ba known as the Greenwood liquor cases came up for trial betore Judge Morton. Two strangers from this city have, it is alleged, been used by Mr. Greenwood as spies to catch the publicans. The City Council, having some doubt about the legality of his proceedings, refused to audit Mr. Greenwood's claims, which have remained in abey: ance. Meantime Mr. Greenwood expressed his deter- mination to “keep at it,”” and-added $50 from time to time to his bill against the city. ‘Matters were in the condition indicated at about nine A.M. yesterday, when Mr. Greenwood and his two witnesses trom this city, Moses S, Meeker and Will- iam H. House, waiting the opening of the ease ayainst another victim, Just as the trial was about to commence two officers quietly marched in and ar- | rested Messrs. Moses and House for conspiracy, Greenwood, however, escaped arrest... ‘This dénouement had been brought about by Mr. Henry Coddington, a reputable citizen of Passaic, who had appeared’ before Judge Webb and entered a complaint of conspiracy against the three, alleging that the two former had induced Henry Lieve, a res- taurant keeper, to sell them two glasses of ale to drink with their dinner at his place on Sunday. Bail was taken for Messrs, Moses and House. CITY NEWS ITEMS. Mr, A. A. Julien lectured last evening before the New York Academy of Sciences on the ‘Glacial Ex- cavations of the Kaaterskili Clove.” Inspectors connected with the Special Agents Bureau seized yesterday 2,025 Havana ‘cigars and fifty-six packages of cigarettes on the steamer City of Washington. Gertrude Kay, two years old; accidentally fell into a basin of boiling water, on Sunday, at the residence of her parents, No. 263 West Thirtieth street, and was so severely scalded that she died yesterday. An unknown man was found drowned in the North River, at the foot of Forty-seventh street, yesterday, In his pocket was a paper with the numes ‘J. i. Leayeraft” and “J. P. Coyle” written upon it. John Luske, aged forty-seven, of No. 871 Second ue, Was run over yesterday by a car of the Belt line, at First avenue and Forty-fourth street, and Ln leg broken, He was taken to Bellevue Hos- pital. The Manhattan Club last night enjoyed its first monthly social reunion this winter. At half-past ten o'clock collation was partaken of. No set speeches were made, and the reunion was purely for social en- joyment. ‘The plot owners of section 4in Calvary Cemotery, who have already protested against the selling of the avenues adjoining their property, met again last evening at No. 68 East Broadway. ' As only ten own- ers were present the meeting was adjourned till Janu- 6, when, it is said, some definite action will be taken. The following additional subscriptions to the Seventh regiment's new armory fund have been re- ceivyed:—Henry Hilton, $500; James G, King’s Sons, $250; Samuel J. Tilden, $250; W. A. Hadden, $100; J.G. Moffet, $100; Grinnell, Minturn & Co., $100; John L. Riker, $100; Charles White & Co., $100; F. H. Cossett, $100. John Branigan and Alexander McKennon,’ two young men residing in Manhattanville, on Sunday night took passage on car No. 77, of the Eighth ave- nue line, and when William Disch, the conductor, asked them for their fares they gave him a black eye. In the Harlem Police Court yesterday they were held for examination, The funeral of John H. Hunt, an old citizen of the Fighth ward, took place yesterday from the late resi- dence of the deceased, in Macdougal street. There ‘was a very large attendance of friends, and a long pro- Semdnn i cattiness ‘ecectapanied the remainn te tne Cemetery of the Evergreens. The deceased had been for many years a deputy collector or inspector in the Custom House, A collision occurred last night on the East River, by which the Union Ferry Company's boat Pacitic sustained damage. At seven o'clock the Pacific left the dock at South ferry, and on entering the stream encountered the Hamilton ferryboat New York, The effect of this was to shatter the partition on the side of the gentlemen's cabin. ‘The cost of the repairs will be about $50, Detective Thompson, of the Central Office, yester- day noticed « peace woman acting suspiciously im Macy's establishment, and, when searched at Head- quarters, five pocketbooks were found concealed upon her person. They contained a little cash and a number of pawn tickets. She said her name was Maggie Louise mie 4 though she was also known as Maggie Dyckman, that she was cighteen years old, a German by birth, and the occupant of apartments in an avenue hotel. ‘She was locked up. Mary Leary, of No. 699 First avenue, on last Satur- day sent her son Michael, nine years of age, out beg- ging. He returned with ® basket full of food and threw himself, wet to the skin und sick, on the floor, His mother, however, ordered him to beg for more, ‘and when the boy cried beat him with a rawhide. In the Fifty-seventh Street Court yesterday Michael pre- sented & pitiable appearance, 48 iis face and heud were covered with blood and the marks of the blows he had received. His mother was held for trial in de- fault of bail. Joseph Jackson called at the office of Anthony Comstock during the latter’s absence a few days ago, and, it is alleged, told Joseph W. Britton, an agent of the Society for the Suppression of Vice, that Mr. Comstock had engaged him to “shadow” some deal- ers in obscene publications, and that he had suc- ceeded in purchasing a quantity and needed $1 50 to pay the cartage of them. Mr. Britton says he fur- nished the required sum and Jackson left. “Mr. Com- stock the next day denounced Jackson as an im- postor, and he was arrested on Sunday in Jerry Mc- Auley’s mission in Water street, where he was taking an active part in the religious ‘exercises of the day, He was committed for trial yesterday at the Tombs. In Greenwich street yesterday afternoon Officer Sullivan, of the Twenty-seventh precinct, saw George Sarsfield, proprietor of sailors’ boarding house at ». 11 Carlisle street, dragging a half drunken sailor toward his establishment. As the sailor was making desperate but unsuccessful eflorts to get away the officer interfered and released him. Sarsfield then, with one hand in his pistol pocket, tried to strike the officer with the other, but Sullivan felled him to the ground. The man wes on his feet in an instant and clinched with the officer, A desperate struggle en- sued, in which the policeman finally got the upper hand and brought Sarsfield to the station house, where he was locked up on @ charge of disorderly conduct. SUBURBAN NOTES. Last Saturday a four-year-old child, named John Flapnery, of Flushing, L. 1., fell into a boiler of hot water aud was scalded to death. United States Commissioner Whitehead, in Newark, oergidge Sf held Levy T. Backer, of Mechanicsyille, to bail in the sum of F1:000 to answer a charge of selling tobacco and cigars without a license, George Walter, aged sixteen, fell into a grain bin at the Wallabout Mills, near Washington Avenue Bridge, yestorday and was smothered. The body was taken to the residence of his parents, at No, 389 South Fourth street. Henry Redlein, a boy thirteen years of age, was tried in the Kings County Court of Sessions yester- day for cutting Margaret Tierney in the arm and partially disabling her during a quarrel at hor place of residence, No, 496 Henry street, in September last, Henry was acquitted by the jury. While painting the steeple of the German Presby- terian Church on Blum street, Newark, yesterda afternoon, Edward Dutach, of No. 70 Blum street, fell from the scaffolding to the roof and thence to tho round, @ distance altogether of about thirty-five feet. jo bones were broken, but it is believed Dutsch is fatally injured internally. ‘The Bourd of Health of East New York have passed aresolution asking the Highway Cominisstoners of the town of New Lots not to grant permission for the laying of another track on the south side of At- Jantic avenue in East New York to the newly pro- r railroad to Babylon, on the ground that the » would be detrimental to the public health and ct welfare, On Sunday evening the corpse of a woman floated up to Peck's dock, on the Hunter's Pointside of New- town Creek, It waa secured and subsequently taken to Coroner Dayreu's Morgne. The body had ona calico dress and blue check apron and white cotton stockings and slippers of a peculiar pattern were on the feet, In the pocket of the dress was a snuffbox and $1 24. ‘ihe remains are evidently those of a German woman, : ‘The entire session of the Essex county (N. J.) Cir- cenit Court at Newark yesterday was devoted to the summing wp in the suit brought by William A. Righter to recover $50,000 damages alleged to have been done him by the Ponnsylvania Railroad Com- ny. ‘The cause of the suit is the “accident” which vok place on Jal last the Fairmount avenue crossing of the nsylvania Railroad, which nearly cost Mrs. Righter, her two daughters and coachman, Hugh De their tives, and which has injured Mrs. Rig ter for ‘To-day Judge Depue will charge the juky. BOARD OF APPORTIONMENT. At a meeting of the Board of Apportionment yes- terday, for consideration of the final estimates for 1879, ® resolution was adopted on motion of Comp- troller Kelly directing the Secretary to transmit a letter to Colonel William R, Roberts, President of the Bourd of Aldermen, asking that gentleman when he would be able to attend, so that a concurrent vote might be taken before the Ist of January in accord- ance withlaw. Colonel Roberts has been Lying seri- ill for two weeks past at the Metropolitan ifthe is not able to be present at the final s of tho Board of Apportionment it will be nec- exsary for him him to resign his place as president of the Board in order that the public business may be transacted, A delegation of property owners from the Ninth ward, headed by Collector of Assessments Gilon, Hed upon the members of the Board of Apportion: ment yesterday and asked for an appropriation of $30,000 to defray the expenses of altering the Fort Gansevoort property in that section of the city for purposes of 4 public market. FUNERAL OF A SUICIDE. ‘There was an exciting scene on Sunday afternoon last at the funcral services of Rudolf Herr, the Brook- lyn lawyer who recently committed suicide, which were held at his late residence, No, 30 Fourth place. Rev. Dr. Lyman, pastor of the South Congregational Chutch, who officiated, had hardly commenced thd service when Leopold Herr, a jeweller of this city and abrother of deceased, advanced toward the casket containing the remains and said:—“My brother was @ Jew; he lived a Jew, he died a Jew, I am Jew, and my brother wanted to be buried as a Jew. Leopold Herr then suid he had a friend present who would read the funeral services according to the Jewish faith. The friend was permitted to and at thre head of the casket and read a short viee in German, after which the regular services restuned by Rey, Dr. Lyman, who read short passi from Job and He then made a fervei Th as re tuken to Greenwood f said that the brother of the d yor by legal measures to get pos- session of the remains and have them buried in Jewish ground with full Jewish servi THE BROOKLYN ALDERMEN, The main business before the Brooklyn Board of Aldermen at their regular meeting yesterday after- noon was the election to fill the vacancy in the oftice of Justice of the Peace, ‘Third district, Justice ‘Thomas M. Riley having recently been elected Sheriff of Kings county. Thee ballots were then cast, which resulted in the election of Alderman Fisher. The newly elected Justice has been a meim- ber of the Common Council for five or six years, and is now its president. The names of F. J. Burke and 'T. W. Hynes were sent in by Mayor Howell as nomi- nations to membership in the Board of Education. The former was confirnmied, but the latter was re- jected. SOUTH AMERICA, REDUCTION OF EXPORT TAXES IN THE AMAZON REGION—EDISON'S PATENTS—THE DEVON- SHIRE, Rio JaNErno, Nov. 26, 1878. At last dates from the Amazon the Upper Amazon had at last received the long due freshet, and the steamers aground in various points were getting afloat again, he Province of Amazonas has passed a law taking off three per cent of the provincial export taxes in favor of products shipped direct from Manaos or other parts of the province toa foreign country. As it is the chief source of the gum elastic and otifer Amazon products shipped from Para, aud of which the United States is one of the leading con- sumers, this provincial law may be useful to im- porters. A telegram from Buenos Ayres annonnces that from December 1 fifteen days’ quarantine will be im- osed on vessels from Brazil by the Argentine au- horities as well as by the Montevidcan ones, The health of Rio has been steadily improving of late. No cases of yellow fever have appeared for days- and the smallpox epidemic is disappearing rapidly. EDISON IN BRAZIL. The Brazilian Minister of Agriculture has signified to Professor Edison’s agents’ here that a patent, con- temporaneous with the United States patent, will be conceded to his clectric light as soon as the agent's power of attorney is filed. ‘THE DEVONSHIRE RELEASED. In the Argentine Confederation matters have uieted down, the Chili government having released the Devonshire without conditions, disavowing the Governor of Magallanes, and proposed, through their Buenos Ayres Consul, to reopen diplo- matic negotiations for a settlement of the Patagonia territorial difficulty. The Argentine judiciary have released fifty-five of the men arrested for complicity in the Punta Arenas (Magellan’s Straits) mutiny, but have kept twelve for trial. ‘The Paraguayan government has contracted with Sefior Fernando Rohe for the prolongation of the rail- road to Villa Rica and the colonization of the lands adjoining it, conceding two miles on each side for settlement. ~ BUSINESS OF THE CANALS. Axsany, Dec. 23, 1878, The report of Ihe Auditor upon the tonnage of all the canals going both ways for the year, from the opening to the closing of navigation, shows that the amount carried this year was 5,170,822 tons against 4,955,963 last year, an increase of 214,869 tons. The most’ important increase was on the following arti- cles, which are given for both yeurs:— 1877. 1878. Cheese Whei Stone, lime and clay ‘The most important decrease was in the following articles :— 1877. 1878. 6,018 2,781 089° 316 89,504 S53 ig iond 100 Bloom and bar iron. 6,730 Railroad iron 8,379 Anthracite coal. 681,400 Bituminous coal 7,642 207,319 Iron ore...... 250,573 210,066 ‘These oxhibits show protiy clearly the course of commerce in regard to these commodities. THE COLTON CROP IN EGYPT. WasnINaTox, Dec. 23, 1878. ‘The Consul General of the United States at Cairo has\informed the Department of State that the cotton crop of Egypt for 1878, being gathered at the date of the writing of the despatch, November 20, would fall fur short of the average yield, and that the quality of the cotton would be very inferior. It is estimated that the present crop will not yield more than 1,200,000 quintals of-ninety-nine pounds each, whilo the exports of cotton from Egypt during the three preceding years averaged 2,000,000 quiutals por year. CAUSE OF THE DRCREANE. ‘This great falling off in the cotton crop for 1878 was arnt | the lowness of the Nile last year and its unprecedented overflow this year; 2,000,000 acres, or more than two-fifths of all the arable lands of it, were inundated in September of this year. is inundation included most of the lands of Lower Egypt, which were planted with corn and cotton. ‘The former crop was mostly all destroyed and the latter much injured, as the foregoing facts testify. FATAL RAILWAY DISASTER. Lovisvitie, Ky., Dec, 23, 1878, “A train of empty passenger cars backing over from Jeffersonville early this morning ran into a freight train on the Jeffersonville, Madison and In- dianapolia Railroad at Prison station, near the bridge which spans the Ohio River at this place. Fink Schell; the engineer of the passenger train, was fatally injured, both of his logs being severed from the body. The fireman escaped by jumping from the engine. No other person was urt. MURDERER HANGED. GaLveston, Texas, Dec. 23, 1878. A special despatch to the News from Mason, Texas, says:—On Friday, the 20th inst., at Menardville, Green Johnson (colored), formerly & soldier, was hanged for the murder of his wife in 1878. The fall failed to break his neck and it was ten minutes be- tore he was dead.” ROBBERS CAPTURED. CneYenne, Wy. T., Dee. 23, 1878, A party of road agents, named Harrington, Manuse, Ruby, Howagd, Oleson and “The Kid,” with some stolen horses and some goods taken from Trabing’s store, near Fort McKinney, were captured yesterday near Rock Creck, They also had in their possession the saddle on which Deputy Sheriff Widdowfield rode Titles the gagg'ts thet which has operated in Albuny jes the gayg as wi y aud Carbon Wuntion uring lest summer, ——— = DEAL BEACH INQUIRY. CONCLUSION OF THE TREASURY. INVESTIGATION OF THE CONDUCT OF KEEPER VANNOTE, OP LIFE SAVING STATION NO. 6—STATEMENT OF SUPERINTENDENT HAVENS. [BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD.] Asbury Park, Dec. %, 1878, The investigation close to-night with the testi- mony of John G. W. Havens, of Bricksburg. He suid he is superintendent of four lite saving districts, comprising the stations on the coast of New Jersey; knows Russel White; he was never recommended to wituess for keeper of a station; knows nothing against Russel White as regards honesty and as a citizen; the keeper of station No. 6 told witness that White had once deserted his post; the impression he received from the community as re- gards White is that he is acourageous and daring surf- man; on December 29, 1877, I did not go to station No, 6 and say to Russel White that I was glad to hear that his name was in the papers for going to the wreck of the Rjukan before the life saving crew arrived; did not say it would not take much to throw the Life Saving Service into the navy; I have had conversations with him about making him keeper of No. 6 ever since 1 have been superintendent; I felt well dispose toward him, except that he went upon the cars on the night of the Rusland wreck aud worked on her afterward, as stated by Mr. Allen; I never renresented to him that I would use my influence for him or his brother, because I had no power; did not talk with White about the probable transter of the Life Sav- re to the Navy Department until after the wreck of the Rjnkan; that was atter December, : think Twas in Asbury Park in 1878, and was at reck of the Etta M. Tucker after the passengers landed; on that day the captain of the Etta M. Tucker was at the Philadelphia House, and he stated that the crew of the life saving station did more h edof them in saving the lives of his ved a telegram that the captain edtoxee me at Asbury Parky I that he had seen false statements in the newspapers and he wished to correct them, and he (the captain) made afftdavit to the statement here shown. (Che letter has already been published in the HeRatp.) * Counsel for White objected to the letter being made « part of the record of this case. ‘The committee re- plied that they did not consider it would take any part in the record, so far as concerned Russel, White and Van Note, but they brought the letter out to as- certain how that letter was obtained by the Superin- tendent of the coast. WHY WHITE WAS NOT APPOINTED. Witness resumed—I do not remember if Thad any- thing todo with the preparation of that letter; I know I had not; I think it was given to me by the captain and officers signing it; Thad no hand in its preparation nor did I make any suggestion as to what itshould or ought to contain; had settled in my mind about appointing Russel White as keeper after he had deserted his post; do not remember if I made a statement to Superintendent Kimball about White being made keeper; did not know officially when Allen was about to resign; knew nothing about his resignation until I received it; think I madean appointment forthwith; I knew titat White had rode on the cars on his beat before that appointment met him: he was mude; before making that appointment of the present keeper I had settk as to Russel White, on account of his having deserting his post; had thought of the qualifications of John Slocum for the position of keeper; do not remember hearing that slocum did not want the sition before I appointed the present keepor; atter the resignation of Abner Allen and before Vannote was appointed I had no conversation with Slocum about giving him the place. Q. Did you represent to Superintendent Kimball that Russel White was utterly incompetent to be a keeper? A. Do not remomber, Q. Did you not predict great injury to the Life Save ing Service should he be appointed? A. I believe I id. Q. If an employé of the Life Saving Service secures other work in fair weather doos it injure the Life yee oer ‘ice? = ‘- pes not. . Did you assist Mr. Vannote in the preparation of the petition for his appointment, as to getting sige natures? A. Think I told him when the papers came out about him that he ought to protect himsel:; I pages to if I didn’t; I went to the wreck of the E, H, Atwood next day. Mr. Havens then identified ‘the wreck rt, giving fall credit to Russell and Samuel White for rescuing the crew snd inaking them comfortable, by Vannote, and saying that the government crew was not present; said he had been Coast Superintendent es his orders from the Secretary of does not know that any recommenda- tion for the appointment of keeper had ever been re ceived from Superintendent Kimball. A TARDY PETITION. Q. Are you in the habit of receiving directions from him? A. I have in regard to Russell White; think his suggestion was to appoint Russell White (sensation), unless I could find a better man; it was since Vannote was made keeper; that appointment ‘was September 26, 1877; heard of a petition to Washington in favor of Russell White after 3 iene no notice .of petitions not going through my office. Q. Did you receive a letter from Mr. Kimball men- tioning Russell White before the wreck of the Etta M. Tucker? A. I don’t know if I have it in my package. Q. Will you look for it? A. I will not. Q. Did you receive a Jetter trom Mr. Kimball sd. vising you to remove Vannote and appoint Russell White? A. Ido not think I did; if I did receive such a ee 1 do not think I recognized it as directing me to do it. Q. Have you not repeatedly said to Superintendent Kimball, officially, that Russell White was nots fit man? A. Ihave; that is my duty; I thought he wa good enough as a surfman, but not good enough for a pe after he deserted his post by working on the Russland; made no charge st him. Q. Did you notify Superintendent Kimball that Vannote had not gone in the boat to the wreck of the ‘Tucker? A. I don’t remember; but in regard to the work done there, if I been a keeper I should have done as Vannote did—left two good men on shore, if I had to stay there myself, I think; I know Vannote stayed on the shore. Lieutenant Shoemaker testified as follows:—It was the intention at one time to remove Vannote, and I think Superintendent Havens had that order, but be- fore it could be served it was countermanded by a telegram trom the department at Washington, on'ac- count of representa! ous of people in this part of the country and the official r presentations by Coast Su- perintendent Havens. The committee then closed its examination. The record is to be laid before the General Superintendent: of the Life Saving Service and Secretary of the ‘Treasury. LOUISIANA ELECTION TROUBLES. THIRTY-FIVE INDICTMENTS PRESENTED —HORNSBE TO BE BROUGHT BEFORE THE UNITED STATES court, (BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD.) New On.xans, Dec, 23, 1878, The Grand Jury has found true bills of indictment, against some thirty-five persons, several in the city of New Orleans and others in Natchitoches, Tensas and other parishes, for infringement of the election laws during the late clection. These indictments, however, are only a part of what may be expected, as there are numbers yet whose cases have not beon in« quired into. The character of the testimony yet to be offered is such, I understand, as no jury can pos. sibly ignore and do its duty. This morning, in the United States District Court, a motion was made by United States District Attorney Leonard thi testificandum, be is. ct, custody until after he shall have given his testimon; fio is wanted. rf was therefore ordered that the Attorney General of the State be notified of this ss and that the same be ass for hear. ing on the 2th of December. The object Of this motion seems to be to afford Hoi par sonal protection until the cuse, in which he is ® mapt important witness, is called for trial. The ance of the Attorney General in court, I will, in @ measure, place Hornsby in care of the State authorities in the event of a decision adverse to his detention here, which seems to be apprehended, ANOTHER WITNEAS IN DANGER. steamet a, atew behind the Danube, from which two were lately taken and killed, It is held by the est legal authority here that the prevent mode summoning witnesses in these election cases hours ene is all wrong. A writ of court, it is contended, Should be reso to instead, which would these men at once under the charge of the States government. Railroad Company east of Pittsburg and Erie for last November compared with the same month in 1877 shows a decrease in gross earnings of $63,366, an increase in expenses of $12,478, @ decrease in net earnings of $76,604. Tie eleven months of 1878 ao with the same in 1877, show an earnings of $755,685, a decrease in $001,047, and = inerease = of_—snet ot $1,946,792. All lines west of burg and Erie for the eleven of show @ surplus over all liabilities of 800, an increase over the same period in of