The New York Herald Newspaper, February 19, 1879, Page 6

8 NEW YORK HERALD BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, TROPRIETOR, rarommeremendions NE DAILY WERALD, pulviched every day én the year, ‘Three cents (Sundays excluded). Ten dollars per t ilars and Bfty cents liar per month for ay edition included, ti Y HERALD—One dollar per year, free of post. be procured sen y remitted at ri ly sealed. 14 bo 9 returned. Rejected communications will 2 SOUTH SIXTH YORK HERALD— Subscriptions w forwarded on the + 's Canin, FIFTH AVENU SYANDARD THEA! . M.S. Pixavore. Pixaronn. L1GAN GUARD Batt. Foou's Ravencx, ty BaNwen’s DAUGHTER, DING Hoop, MAscmivEspaver, ERMANIA THEATR NIBLC . GLOBE TI TONY PASt TIVOLL tux O1v Curiosity Saor, aNNurre Danan, » Pave. in CoLors. Spt Cion Prerures. Fork and its vicinity today will be colder and cloudy, with light snowfalls. To-morrow it will continue cloudy, but grow warmer, with inereas- ing snow, turning probably to rain. 'ERDAY.—The stock market was ce and strong. Government bonds were firm, States dull and railroads strong. Money in call was easy at 2 a 3 per cent, and lent in the afternoon as high as 7 per cent, closing at 4 pei t. Tur Diseasep CatrLe Question turned up in the Cabinet yesterday. A national law on the subject is suggested. Tur Wortp’s Fair Scueme in this city has got as far as the appointment of a committee to select a site for the buildings. Tue Coxrs of life saving station No. 4 did good service yesterday morning in rescuing the crew of the Norwegian ship Hanna, which went ashore at Long Bran Wnute the Internal Revenue bill was under consideration in the Senate yesterday an effort ‘was made to reimpose the tax on tea and coffee, but, it was defeated. The iw in regard to matches remains as at present. Turrr Was Anotuern Mysrertovs MEETING yesterday of the Mayor, Commissioner Erhardt and, of course, the stenographer. If the sten- ographer should lose his notes what would become of the sacred cause of reform? Lampert axp Case, the convicted ex-presi- dents of two of the defunct insurance cow- panies, lidve succeeded in obtaining new trials. Both were found guilty of perjury and sen- tenced each to five years’ imprisonment. Tite Presipent docs not seem to have mado up his mind in regard to the anti-Chinese bill. Connecticut's Legislature has unanimously con- demned the measure, and the clergymen of various denominations are beginning to protest against the consummation of the outrage. Tne Census Butt formed the chief subject of discussion in the House yesterday. Everything went along nicely until it caine to the question of how the supervisors should be appointed, when, polities and patronage being involved, the struggle over the spoils began. An accurate and trustworthy enumeration is, of course, a mere minor matter in comparison with the re- warding of the political heuchmen. Geserat Kavya is evidently anxious to sec the Czar on watters pertaining to Central Asia in general and the Afghan business in par- ticular. But, as our special correspondent at Tashkend informs us by telegraph, the polite Governor Gencral will make his departure for St. Petersburg depend on certain circumstances connected with the arrival of Shere Ali's em- bassy. The Russians will not favor any pre cipitate action by the Ameer. ‘ime is what they need for the organization of opportunity. Hence, General Kaufmann will not go away and allow the Afghan emissarics to get into mischief in his absence. Tne Weraturn.—During yesterday the de- pression moved off the Atlantic coast, attended by snow in all the districts north of Tennessee and westward to the Mississippi, and by rain in the South Atlantic States. The barometer rose gradually behind the elongated depression and is above the mean in all the districts except the Northwest, where it has fallen rather rap- h attendant light snows. The highest barometer is now over Canada, but this arca will probably recede northward during to-day and permit of the descent of the northwestern de- pression over the lakes and the Ohioand Upper Mississippi valleys. The winds are chiefly from the north and northeastward, except in the Northwest, where they are southeasterly and southerly, and in the South Atlantic States, where they are variable, tending to southwest- erly. Strong winds occur in the far West and on the New England coast. The area of cloudi- ness extends from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic northward of the for tieth parallel. But slight changes of temperature have occurred. The chief one is in the Weat‘and Northwest, where the temperature has risen. Our special cable weather report announces that Jast evening the weather on the British southern and western cousts was as follows:—Plymouth, fresh weste erly wind with frequent huil squalls, barometer 29.37 inches; Scilly, a yale with rain squalls, barometer 21.20 inches; Holyhead, a gentle wind from the north-northwest, barometer 29.25, Inches. Tho depression announced to arrive onthe 17th has the refore advanced in an casterly the islands, and strong winds or pated to follow. In New York end its vicinity to-day tho weather will be colder and cloudy, with light snowfalls. ‘To- morrow it will continue cloudy, but grow warmer, with increasing snow, turning prob- ably to rain. NEW YORK HERALD, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1879.—-TRIPLE SHEET. ory The Roach Subsidy—Free Ships. The alert lobby which has been all win- ter prowling about the national Capitol in the interest of John Roach’s shipyard has not had any success to brag of. Still, so many prodigal things are commonly done during the hurried closing days of a ses- sion that it is prudent to reserve our con- gratulations and *‘not halloo till we are out of the woods.” A subsidy for a Brazilian line of steamships has been engrafted on the Post Office Appropriation bill in the Senate, and it is possible that the bill may pass the Senate with thatamendment. But when it goes back to the House for concurrence we are confident that the amendment will be rejected. The result vill be a committee of conference, and the appointment of its members on the part of the House will be a pretty severe test of the political virtue of Speaker Randall. We have no distrust of the Speaker, but the facts that he has a Pennsylvania con- stituency, that John Roach is a Pennsyl- vania citizen, that Roach’s shipyard is a Pennsylvania establishment, will make a firm discharge of his duty by Speaker Ran- dall an act of moral and political courage. All that can be reasonably asked of him is that he will exhibit no pro-subsidy bias, and constitute the House part of the committee of conference fairly—that is to say, with a due regard to the relative anti-subsidy and pro-subsidy strength inthe House. During the four years of democratic control in the lower branch of Congress it has been the professed, and we have no doubt the sincere, aim of the democrats to lay the foundation for an appeal to the country on the score of retrenchment and cconomy. Inspiteof mis- takes on other points the democrats of the House have been reasonably faith:ul to this aim, and they cannot afford now, with a Presidential election so near, to belie and forteit the best part of their record. No man in public life has a truer appreciation of the value of this record than Speaker Ran- dall, and weare convinced that he is the last man of his party who could ‘be induced by local influence to throw away so great an advantage. We trust that the Senate amend- ment which engrafts the Roach subsidy on the Post Office Appropriation bill has no chance of success in the House. Mr. Roach will be sent back to his shipyard ‘‘with a flea in his ear” to form plans for a renewal ot his application in the next Congress. In the present Congress the contest between subsidies and free ships is likely to provea drawn battle. We think there has’ been a considerable growth of opinion in favor of giving American registers to foreign built ships of bond side American ownership. The battle will be fought out in the next Congress, with at least a partial victory on the side of free ships. It is not improbable that we may continue to give American shipbuild- ers a monopoly of our vast coasting trade for quite a period after we allow the irce purchase of ships to be employed in foreign commerce. The Parliament of Great Britain pursued a similar course. Foreign built ships were admitted into its foreign regis- try several years before they were allowed to participate in the British coasting trade ; and it may also be expedient for us to make no changes in our coasting trade for a long period to come. Even ia the palmiest daysof our navigation interest, in the period before the civil war, when our shipping seemed on the point ot equalling that of Great Britain, when our flag fluttered upon all the seas and entered all the harbors of the globe;even then our-coasting tonnage very much exceeded our tonnage employed in foreign com- merce, The disproportion is altogether greater now, and it would be simply absurd to pretend that the art of shipbuilding is in danger of dying out in this country so long as our naval architects retain their monopoly of the coasting trade. We are quite willing that our immense coasting trade should remain on its present footing while we try the experiment of tree ships in our foreign commerce. In order to form a correct judgment on this subject we must keep close to the facts of the situation, and must discriminate be- tween things which aro different in their nature. In spite of some superficial points of resemblance the distinction is very broad between our coasting trade and our foreign trade. It is true that only American built ships are entitled to the protection of our government in either, but the analogy ends here. In our coasting trade—that is, upon all our great lakes and numerous navigable rivers, as well as on our long lines of ocean-washed and gulf-washed ex- ternal coasts—no foreign built vessel can carry a pound of freight between one Ameri- can town and another. Butin the foreign trade there is no such monopoly. The fact that we do not permit our citizens to purchase foreign ships does not in the least interfere with the transportation of our exports and imports in foreign bot- toms. Hence the utter absurdity of the restriction. In order to make this anti- quated policy, to which we so blindly adhere, consistent, we should put our for- eign trade on the same footing as our coast- ing trade, allowing no freights to be car- ried from or brought to our ports except in American bottoms. Nobody contends for such a benighted policy as this; but it is only by this that our navigation laws could be mado consistent. In the coasting trade we make thorough work and give absolute protection to American shipyards by allow- ing no freight to be carried between our .ports in a foreign bottom. But in the foreign trade the vessels of all other nations are just as free to bring and carry freights as American ships. The more cheaply built foreign vessels offer lower rates to the merchants, who therefore give them their business. Of what con- ceivable benefit is such a law to the Ameri- can shipbuilder? There can be no market for his costly ships so long as cheaper for- eign ships, run by foreign owners, are perfectly free to underbid them in the price of freights. If American citizens were per- mitted to bay cheap ships, constructed abroad, this country could have its share in the profits of navigation, and the eighty- five million dollars a year which we pay to foreigners for transportation would be an annual addition to American capital instead of to foreign capital Subsidies to steamship lines would bo sheer waste gnd folly when there is so much simpler a way of enabling American shipowners to compete successfully with foreigners, Allow our merchants to pur- chase cheap ships and they will stand in no need of subsidies. The protection afforded by our navigation laws will never amount to anything in our foreign commerce unless we go to the preposterous extreme of re- quiring all our exports and imports to be carried in American bottoms. We must extend our coasting laws to our foreign commerce or else we are bound in logic, consistency and true economy to establish free trade in ships for our intercourse with other nations. The Russian Students. Elsewhere in to-day’s Henaup we print an address to the American people from the parents of the Russian students killed in the disturbance which occurred some weeks since at Kiev, or banished to Siberia in con- sequence of that event. It is a pathetic story and will appeal powerfully to the sympathies of a nation so confirmed as ours in its faith in the rights of individuals to make their grievances heard, and not to be butchered for the exercise of what seems to us less a mere right thanan instinct. Logi- eal of course the appeal is not, and it is not to be expected that itshould be. Russiais Russia for one fact as well as for another; but they who feel the horrible side of its semi-savage political system and cry out in consequence of tyranny and savage repression are not the ones to recognize that this is an inherent quality of such a government, and cannot be changed without a revolution which would sweep the whole system away. From the position assumed by the government all that was done by the police and the university authorities was done in consequence of superior orders and was lawful. Judged by the standard of any other country it was outrageous and shameful, But the Russian . government standard approved it, and in the ideas of that standard the appeal and protest of the students was a disorderly step. Russia cannot afford to trifle with a power which though a rivulet to-day might be a great river to-morrow. Revolutionary discon- tents have an inevitable relation with stu- dent life in all great countries, and though the acts and the intentions of demonstra- tion may be innocent enough, an arbitrary government regards these things not by their actual character, but by consideration of what they may lead to. Ireland’s Prince. “Oh, Tim, did ye hear of thim Saxons?” Somebody in England is disposed to trifle with the affections of tho lrish people for the British royal family. Everybody knows with what delight all Ireland would receive the news that the government had deter- mined to establish a royal residence in Dublin and how a real prince, sent in place of the ordinary ‘‘viceroy, dear body,” would be showered with odorous testimovials of popular esteem. It is, therefore, easy to understand the pleasant effect in that cquntry of the report that the gov- ernment intended to send the Duke of Connaught to shine upon Ire- land with the seft gldéry of royalty that emanates from the person of every member of Her Majesty's largo and healthy family. But it is now given ont.that it was a hoax, and Sir Stafford Northcote says, with super- cilious indifference, that he is ‘not aware of any foundation for the report.” Perhaps it was only a feeler—only a kind of vivi- section of Irish sensibilities; but perhaps, also, that sly fellow Beaconsfield means, indeed, that Ireland shall have its prince as well as Canada a princess, but does not mean to let the public into his confidence just yet. Governor Robinson’s Vetoes. The Governor has vetoed two bills which, although of a local character, in- volve a vicious principle. The one sought to settle by a legislative act a case in rela- tion to the right to office now pending in the courts, and the other proposed on the eve of a charter election to make certain elective officers appointive. Both were de- signed to promote political ends by unfair means and the Governor very properly stamps them out with a veto. It is difficult for any bad or unfair legislation to pass the scrutiny of the Executive Chamber, and the qualities of stern democracy and stub- born independence, for which the Gover- nor is distinguished, are the secret of the opposition manifested toward him by thé unclean members of the old Canal Ring and tainted ex-canal officials. Governor Robinson would veto a partisan bill passed by his own political party, if it were in a majority in the Legislature, just as soon as he would veto one passed by his political opponents, Bad Business for Preachers. It is to be hoped that the Rev. Dr. Hoyt, pastor of tho First Presbyterian Church at Nashville, Tenn., will hereafter understand a minister's place and business, and not at- tempt to get above them. This divine so far forgot himself last Sunday as to preach against repudiation and the dishonesty of Commonwealths, just as if religion and hon- esty had something todo with euch other. Dr. Hoyt should have known better than to make such a blunder, for he was once presi- dent of the New York Gold Board, and had countless opportunities for learning that the only way to keep principle and practice friendly and harmless to each other is to divorce them. But though the preacher forgot himself and dropped back into the antiquated religious notion that honesty is a virtue, the Legislature, which fortunately was in session, made haste to stand between the Stato and the preacher's incendiary drivel, and it administered, by resolution, a severo rebuke. Now let Dr. Hoyt hasten to repair his error by getting into sympathy with the times. ‘here aro plenty of topics to preach about ; there are the various theories of inspiration, of redemption, adoption and sanctification ; free will and predestination have busied thonsands of pulpits for centuries, while the words ecclesia and aicnous are good for centuries more if properly used ; there are the beasts of Daniel, the Scarlet Woman of Revolntion—whatever could have possessed a preacher to forsake all these eternal asso- ciations of his cloth and waste a Sabbath hour by talking against dishonesty ? Successful Weather Prediction. Tho special cable despatch from our Lon- don office which appears in our columns this morning, announcing the complete ful- filment of the weather prediction cabled on the llth, is one of the series which we pub- lish in connection with the operations of our weather service. The almost absolute certainty to which the Henarp Weather Bureau has reduced the system of storm pre- diction for the European coasts has in some degree taken from announce- ments’ such as we publish to-day the interest attaching to the record of novel achievements, People are getting so accustomed to the success that they may look for an occasional failure to relieve the monotony. But sometimes fulfilments of these Heratp storm warnings occur so hap- pily a8 to attract an unusual share of atten- tion in Europe, and these we take no little pleasure in placing on the list of our marked successes. On the 11th it was known all over Europe, as well as in the British Islands, that a Herarp storm = warn- ing by cable had been received in London. The text of the prediction appeared next morning in all the principal journals and in the Bulletin International of the Central Meteorological Bureau of Franco, for there is no delay permitted in the distribution, by telegraph, of these pre- dictions at our London and Paris bureaus. Every coast, therefore, received timely notice of the approaching storm, and farm- ers, manufacturers and merchants were in- formed regurding weather changes likely to affect their respective interests. We pride ourselves on this successful, and, above all, useful work, and on the knowledge that our Weather Bureau is now a well and widely recognized meteorological authority in the Old World. A Familiar Story. Yesterday morning a shocking railroad accident occurred a few miles north of Selma, Ala, with a probable loss of six lives, while of trainful of passengers nearly all were more or less injured. ‘The train fell through a bridge, which is always a serious mishap at best, but in this case the bridge was fifty feet high, so the fall was terrible and bound to injure every one within the cars. The cause assigned is the old, preventible, enraging one of a rotten bridge. There are accidents which it is im- possible to foresee and against which no provision can be made, but the break- ing down of rotten bridges is not of these. If the bridge that broke yesterday was really rotten some official of the road knew it and had known of it for at least months, for nothing is easier to detect than rottenness in large timbers. Why was it not rebuilt? The usual railway excuse, “no funds,” is not a sufficient answer. The State condemns any worthless or dangerous appliance of water transportation—rotten hulls, corroded boilers, &c.—and forbids their use lest human life be endangered. If the owners cannot afford repairs they can stop running, and railroads which cannot keep their roadbed in order should be treated in the same way. Better that the stockholders should suffer than that train loads of people should die. Bonds for the People. The Assembly yesterday passed the bill, reported by the Committee of Ways and Means, providing that when new bonds are issued by the city of New York to take up outstanding bonds the issue shall be in denominations of twenty, fifty, one hun- dred and five hundred dollars, preference to be given as far as practicable to appli- cants for the smallest amounts and smallest denominations. ‘he object is to afford the poorer classes an opportunity to invest their savings in these city securities, and the idea is a good one. ‘Lhe city bonds are entirely safe, and if register: 1 their holders would be protected against loss. With the existing uncertain feeling in relation to savings banks persons of small means would gladly invest their money in these bonds in preference to trusting it in a bank. The twenty-dollar bonds would enable them to obtain a small amount of money at any time when they needed it. It might be well to provide that all the city bonds shall be issued at par and bear four per cent interest only, The premium ob- tained on bonds at a higher rate of interest is uncertain and is not needed by the city, and the bonds at four per cent would gladly bo taken at par by all our citizens who have small amounts of money to lay by. Half a Loaf Within Reach, A bill prohibiting the adulteration of ar- ticles of food and drink, and defining in what adulteration consists, was offered at Albany on Monday, and on the same day were presented a number of urgent peti- tions for prohibitive legislation against in- toxicating liquors. All clear headed tem- perance advocates must by this time know that absolute prohibition cannot be secured at present in this State, no matter how de- sirable it may appear. Why, then, should they not abandon their farco of grasping at the unattainable and give their energies to the securing ofas much as can really bo gained in the battle against intemperance? It is because of the results of liquor drink- ing that the cause is fought, but no chemist can analyze a general col- lection of liquors, and no citizen can read the printed manuals of com- pounding, distilling, &., without realizing that a large proportion of the deplorable re- sults of drinking are due to deleterious materials which ore used to improve the color, taste or odor of various liquors. Aside from the food relations of the bill—although bad food disposes to drink in a manner against which the temperance men reso- lutely and stupidly shut their eyes—tho effect which the proposed legislation, hon- estly followed up, would have upon the liquor trade, would be gratifying to every temperance advocate who has eyes and heart as well as ears and tongue. All other persons and organizations secking legis- lative assistance haye found it not hard to choose between half n loaf and no bread. Are the temporance people less sensible than thoy? National Quarantine, An energetic appeal! from Pensacola on the subject of the National Quarantine bill is given in another column, People who reason on topics of this nature from strictly economical standpoints will find in this communication some figures that will en- able them to comprehend the mere money value of public health, and to see that the interruption of commerce that may be con- sequent upon a good quarantine is a mere bagatelle compared to the loss that is in- flicted by the prevalence for a summer of epidemic fever. But the people's right to life and health is above the cogency of any finaneial statements, and the important point to be considered in view of the dan- gers of the summer before us 1s not what is it worth to protect the people, but how is it to be done? In South America whole prov- inces are devastated by an epidemic fever; and from uny Mediterranean or Levan- tine port'it'is possibfe tlie Plagne may come to us, while the experiences of last year with the yellow fever may be repeated. Quarantine can surely gnard us against any or all of these troubles if rightly practised, and there is every reason to fear that if this duty is left as hitherto with the States it will not be efficiently performed. Quaran- tine is one of the public iunctions that fulls naturally within the sphere of the national government, as it is in the control and reg- ulation of commerce and has to deal with people under foreign colors, But whether the bill to give authority in this matter to national officers is to pass or not should be known soon, Britain Protecting America. How proudly the American eagle must have soared, and how hoarse his throat must have become by exultant screaming during the past two days, as telegrams have been flying about and informing the,coun- try that the white inhabitants of Alaska would soon be free from Indian persecu- tion—that a British gunboat was going from British Columbia to their assistance! But to nobody can the news have been so de- lightful as to the economical Congressmen at Washington, who sce in this un- precedented movement the legitimate result of the paring and _ scraping down process to which naval csti- mates have been subjected during the past several years. Economy is an estimo- ble virtue, but it is extravagance itself when compared.with the habit of throwing all ex- pense off upon some one else, and this last is what the new Alaska experience seems about to amount to. With the whites in Alaska fleeing from a hundred times as many Indians because there is neither na- tional soldier nor gunboat to protect them, and the settlers on our Western border liable to a similar danger at any moment on account of the smallness of our oft re- duced army, tho country will be enabled to see how economy strengthens the na- tional honor when violently applied to the national police. Talmage on His Muscle. When Sydney Smith spoke of the Tim- buctoo cannibals lunching off a cold clergy- man he little thought that one day the same custom would prevail in Brooklyn; but so Mr. Taimage told the rowing men last night in his talk about muscle and good cheer, for in referring to his brother ministers he said:—‘‘We: get a balky liver, we lose our temper, and must have something for din- ner, and if we can’t have anything else we take a neighboring clergyman.” And in his hasty character sketches be let the cloth into some secrets of his own life, which it can do them no possible harm to know and copy. He belonged to a clergyman’s base- ball club in Philadelphia and played very steadily, vastly to the edification of the neighboring small boys. He rowed on the Passaic morning, noon and night for years; he has long exercised in the gymnasium, and has never been sick a minute in his life. Indeed, he pronounced the gymnasium ‘‘away shead of Planta- tion Bitters and cataplasms” and all the other cure-alls, and well added, ‘‘What are all your brains worth if you haven't health to carry them?’ and “A man who don’t know how to play don’t know how to work.” Mr. Talmage has broken out ina field now where, if he follows up his work vigorously and succeeds in infusing into his brother clergymen some of his own fondness for daily active bodily exercise, he cannot fail to do great good both to them and indirectly to their hearers, Canon Kingsley showed his British fellow preach- ers how well it would pay them to have tight, well-knit bodies, kept in good-repair. Now let Canon Talmage do the same for our ministers, young and old, and he will be astonished at the good cheer he will bring to a class who are always the better for it and seldom have halt enough of it. PERSONAL INTELLIGENCE, Mrs. Sam Bard lectures, Bob Ingersoll will never be a LL. D. Ohio is the baby farm for Presidents, Schuyler Colfax is very ill with erysipelas, Early piety is better than a late porous plaster, Fraudulent butter shoald be kept in the larder, Detroit Aldermen have agreed to take trade dollars, ‘Three sisters—Grant—were wedded at the samo time yesterday at Greene, N. Y. Senator David Davis would have been a good target for the Sogiaty of the Stanislaus. Pennsylvania hay a tramp who can drink 2,700 cups of cofiée in 2,700 quarter houits, : Lady Thornton and daughters arrived from Wash- ngton yesterday at the Clarendon Hotel. Henry Watterson is away from his old Kentucky home ona lecturing tour, He is ablue grass widower, A Chicago paper puts it:—“Marble, too. Pelton, too.” Now we want to know what “too” and “too” are for? Some of the churches, in anticipation of spring, are putting down green carpets, so that a man can still tread the emerald aisle. Now Jersey wants a monument for Christopher Columbus, who at one time was the only man who knew that America was here, If there are three things more unloved than others in this world they are probably acanal horse, a proof reador and a doso of castor oil, Mr, Horace Maynard, United States Minister to Turkey, arrived with his family from Europe yester- day in the steamship City of Richmond, and is at the Everett House, Too many of our Congressmen study everything from the standpoints of their home districts. A Massachusetts man, for instance, should know that toa Texan'a Sunday bull fight is inore sacred than a plate of pork and beans, ‘The Glasgow (Scottish) News tells the story of a voor wornan who called at « Berwick farmhouse and was turned away. The next morning she was found on tho roadside dead, and beside Rer were her two new born children, also dead. 4 Russia sutiering from a great plague, Brazil being depopulated by an awtul scourge, the Chinese suffer. ing for want of food, and now the United States about to be tlooded again with the letters of Private Dalzell. Our burden is greater than we can bear. London Truth:—“Yhe forger had disappeared. I suid, ‘He will change his name aud remain quietly in some country village, and you will never catch him,’ but they were convinced that he would make his way back to London, Every one with whom he had had any connection was watelied, and at length he was run down in a hotel in the Strand.” AMUSEMENTS, STEINWAY HALL--MENDELSSONN'S “st. Paun,” ‘The third public rehearsal of the Oratorio Society of New York took place yesterday afternoon at Stein- way Hall, in the presence of a large and discrimina- tive andicnce, all of whom evidently came prepared to enjoy the wealth of artistic work that is involved in’ the celebrated oratorio, It is now some three #taré since it has been presented to the New York public, but it has been familiar to the musical world since the year 1837. ‘The gifted author died at an early age in 1847. As it may not be uninteresting to recall the argument it is here presented, In part first the suffering Church implore the Lord for strength and joyfulness against the fury of the heathens,— Stephen is falscly accused of blawyphemy by the synagogue and tho incensed people.—He reprobates their stubbornness, but they, unmoved, insist upon his death; they hear the ancient complaint, how Jerusalem ever killed her prophets, but they heed it not and shout, “Stone him!'’—Stephens suffers mar Devout men bury him with great lamente ul, who was among the murderers, perso. cutes the Church.—On his journey to Damascus Sanl secs a sudden light and hears the voice from Heaven.— The coming glory of the Lord is proclaimed and the sleepers are called upon to awake.—Saul, rising in blindness, is led to Damascus,—Thero he stays in bitter repentance till the Lord seuds Ananias to him, “for he prayeth;” and Saul is fully converted.— Then Ananias announces to him the Divine forgiveness, and Saul receives his sight, arises and is baptized—He preaches Christ, and the congregation praise the wisdom and knowledye of God. In part second the triu;nph of Christ’s doctrine is proclaimed.-—Pant preaches before the congregation, and the Holy Ghost selects him and Barnabas as ambassado: ‘he multitude ac+ knowledge them as the messengers who preach the ‘opel of peace.—The Jews are filled with envy, fnowing no Saviour, and consult how to kill Paul; but Puul and Barnabas turn away from them (they were chosen first) unto the Gentiles.—Paul cures the impotent man at Lystra, and the Gentiles, wondering how the gods themselves have descended as mortals, call them Jupiter and Mercury, and bring offerings, imploring their good will.—In repelling this false homage with indignation Paul directs their minds from vain idols to the one living God, whose temple they are and who abideth in heaven.—This only excites the anger of both the Gentiles and the Jews; they accuse him of having spoken against Jehovah's Temple aud the Holy Law, and they shout, “Ston him!” ‘The Lord alone saves Paul from this persecu- tion, for to them that are faithful His be, f is ever nigh.—Paul finally convokes the elders at Ephesus, and tells them how he is bound in the spirit to yo to Jerusalem to meet bonds and affliction.—Thoy weep and pray, ‘Fur be this from thee; but he re- sists their prayer, ready even to dic for the Lord.— He takes leave of them.—It is their comfort to be now God's own children.—For him who has fought a good fight and finished his course and kept well his faith a crown of righteousness is laid up, and not only for him, but, as the chorus of the believers sing, to all them that love His appearing.—So they bless the Lord and praise His holy name. The orchestra consisted of nearly two hundred singers and the soloists wero Mrs. Mary L, Swift, soprano; Miss Anna Drasdil, contralto; Mr. M. W. Wuitneg (from Boston), bass and Mr. George Sim: son, tenor. Mrs. Swift’occupies the position in the Broadway Tabernacle vacated by Miss Thursby and is the possessor of a pure, sweet, round soprano voice, well fitted for oratorio work, She is not on. tirely sympathetic, but gives evidence of the study which she is undergoing under the direction of Dr. Damrosch, mis of the oratoriv, as rendered, were the choral effects produced in “Stone Him to Death!’* “fo Thee O Lord I yield my spirit!" “O Thou, the true and only Light!" and “Sleepers, wake! » voice is calling,” which was much applauded. The tenor (Mr. Simpson) was heard with excellent advan- tage to himself, and he evenly divided the honors that come from an appreciative audience with Miss Anna Drasdil and Mr. M. W. Whitney, the basso. The © aria, ‘Be thou faithful until death,” was given ad- mirably, and the entire peo may be de scribed as even smoothly flowing and acceptable to all who do not possess Lypercritical taste, The con cert will take place this evening. ORATORIO, MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC NOTES. Miss Mary Anderson is drawing fine audiences in the West. Miss Ada Cavendish will play at the Brooklyn Park Theatre next week. The “Criterion” combination are playing ‘‘Whima” in Chicago this week. 4 Mr, John McCullough has been pleasantly remem- berod in a will left by one of his California admirers, Miss Bessie Byrne gives a dramatic reading, as- sisted by other artists, at Chickering Hall, this even- ing. Sothern is coming back to the New York stage. He is now in Rome and recovering strength and health, “Engaged” has made such o hit at the Park Theatre that nothing else is thought of at the present. The Florences, after a rest at the home of the millionnare Mackey, will open in Chicago and move eastward. Mme. Julia de Ruyther has been engaged to sing “Little Buttercup” in the ‘Pinafore’ at the Fifth Avenue Theatre. Miss Katharihe Rogers is announced to play at the Globe Theatre, Boston, next week in Dion Boucl- cault's “Led Astray.” Itis not true that Mr. John E. Owens will go to Australia for a six months’ tour. He will probably retire to his Maryland farm. Aconcert will be given to-morrow evening at St, Peter's Hall, West Twentieth street, in aid of the organ fund of St. Peter’s Church. “Pinafore,” at the Standard Theatre, is such a suc cess that “standing room only” is the placard that nightly greets tho eyes of lato visitors, «Oura,” at Wallack’s, is attracting such large audi- ences that the management feel disinclined to make the announcement of anothor play which ts in readi- ness. Tho “Banker's Daughter,” at the Union Square, is said to be carning the largest inoney that has been paid into the house since the reign of the “Two Or phamns.”” Mr. Hermann 0. C. Rorthener, pianist, will give @ recital at the Brooklyn Art Building this evening. The programme comprises selections from the old m:sters, , Di Vivo will give another De Murska concert at the Grand Opera House on Sunday evening. . Among the artists engaged is Mle. Selvi, the lady tenor, whe made such a success last week. Extensive preparations arc being made at Niblo’s Garden for the production of the “Black Crook.” It is said that it will be even better than the original, both as regards scenery and costumes. “Mexico,” at tho Grand Opera House, since the first night has been much improved, Joaquin Miller, the author, however, has mysterionsly disappeared &hd is never to be found at his usual haunts—“hardly ever.” ‘Tho benefit to Mr. Neil Bryant is handsomely an- nounced under the patronage of nearly all of our prominent city officials, Many of the best actors and actresses attached to tho different theatres will appear in favorite impersonations, ‘The success of “Pinafore’’ has attracted the atten. . tion of managers to other compositions by Gilbert and Sullivan, and the result is an announcement from the Broadway Theatre that “Phe Sorcerer” will be produced this evening. The operetta is said to be full of fine musical effects and of a higher order than its mate, ‘The carnival balls at Gilinore’s Garden, advertised by Mr. P. 8, Gilmore, promise to be among the mont attractive entertainmonts of the kind ever given in New York. Everybody will have an opportunity of secing everybody else and of indulging in all the gentle indiscretions that may be covered by doming and mask. ‘Tho preparations for tho production of “Lohen grin” by Her Majosty’s Opera Company aro in a very advanced state, The rehearsals wero commenced about four weeks ago, under the dircction of Sigiot Arditi, and have been continted almost daily, Tt ie the intention to produce it at the Academy of Musio on the 26th inst, 1h) Ser