The New York Herald Newspaper, March 3, 1879, Page 6

6 SEW YORK HERALD BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. JAMES GORDON BENNETT, @ = pxopereron. 2 a XY UERALD, pets me eupy Sundays 7) 4 ? pe edition ineladed, y jollar per year, free of post- Tf st in drafts on New AMUSEMENTS istiiaindpilina GRAND OPERA HoUsk-« UNION SQUAKKH THEATER AQUARICN— BOWERY THRATRE i STANDARD THEA YARK HEATER 2 BROADWAY THRATE Fite AVENUE LYCEUM THE GLOBE TE. ACADEMY OF MUS WALLACK'S LONKi. SELENE. as Basxra’s Daveuren, RivivG Hoop, snoov’s FRinsn, HOM. 5. Pevavonn ad ty Ronequen, 1. M.S. Prxaroze, CISCO MINST! vo Pixavone Boutusque TIVOLI THEATRE Pinarons. BLACK. VLYOBAL Siow. MARCH are that the weather in New Fork and its vicinity to-day will be warm and cloudy, wich ruin, followed by falling temperature and snow. To-morrow it will be cout and cloudy, followed by rising temperature. Tue Oxy Hore of the Washington lobby no’ is in an extra session of Congress. . Ow1xe 40 a Vigorous Exrorgement of the Sunday law in Rhode Island yesterday several short excursions were made into Massachusetts. ‘Tue Loss of the Spanish steamer Guillermo, from Baltimoro to Liverpool, is reported in our special despatches from London this morning. She was sunk in a collision off the south coast of Ireland, but fortunately all on board, were saved. We Pvnuisa this morning a letter from our special correspondent in Tashkend. It is of con- siderable interest, giving us news of the inci- dents of the Amecr’s journey toward Tasbkend, and of the preparations which had been made for his reception in the ‘Turkestan capital. Senator Joxus’ Report on the resolution of Senator Sargent in regard to the protcttion of native wines contains a good deal of informa- tion on the Subject of the adulteration of that article in France. If legislators and others wilt ~ look into the matter they muy find that it has a good deal to do with the temperance question. A Beavutivc Ictusrration of police court * justice is elsewhere reported. Upon the com- \plaint of a wifo that a penniless husband was ‘insane and annoying his family an uutortunate man is sent on the Island for sixty duys almost * before he could say a word in his defence. If the man was simply insave this treatment is a disgrace to the administration of the law. Tue Sermons Yrsrerpay covered a wide range of religious fact and speculation. Dr., Hepworth dwelt upon the eflicuacy of prayer; Mr. Beecher discussed the duality of man’s nature; Mr. Frothingham described the position of the modern pulpit; Dr. Hall pointed out the meaning and necessity of the outpour- ing of the Spirit; and Mr. Searles asked and answered, “Is Christianity a Failure?” ‘The Personality of Satan” was the theme of Dr. Armitage; “Lent,” of Cardinal McCloskey ; “Capital and Labor,” of Professor Adler, and “The Religious Crisis,” of Father Laftely, of Paris. In St. Louis Dr. Talmage preached on “The Future State.” Tue Leriex ox Axovurr Pace of a Chinese merchant doing business in Boston, which we priot without alteration in any respect, ought tw put to the blush some of the gentlemen at Washington who sneer at the “Heathen Chinee.” His defence of bis countrymen is una@werablo, + while his rasping criticism of Senator Blaine and other Christian stateswen from the heathen point of view is delicious. His solution for the labor probiem—to Jet every man jive and do business within his meuns aud avoid bankruptcy, which throws the workmgman out of employ- ment-contuins more sound sense than has been heard in Congress this session. Mr. Biaine will’ find it specially interesting. ‘Tue Weatne ie centre of low pressure which moved juto Canada over the lakes has passed over the region between the St. Law- rence River avd Hudson's Bay, aud is now de- eseending again from Labrador over Eastern Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Westward of this depression the area of high barometer which was central in the Missouri Valley has assuined a position which is caleulated to de- velop very high northwest winds and gales in the Atlantic eastward of the 65th meridian and north of latitude 40 degrees. High pressure having again developed over the Western Gulf aod South Atlantic Stutes there was formed within the central valley district an area of relatively low baroineter, into whieh the atmos- pheric tlow poured frow all points, ‘The result hus been the Jocal development of a disturbance which promises tu move over this locality with ail the characteristics of a storm. Already heavy vai Alleghany Mountains, w the lower lake shores and even on ihe Middle Atlantic coust. Strong to high winds have also commenced from the eastward in the sume districts. In Ahe West the buiometer hus again fallen, with strong southerly winds. Cloudi- pews is yeneral norti of Yeunessee and from the Mississippi to the Atlantic. Stormy ‘weather, with snow and rain, may be expected on the Middle Atlantic coast during to-day. Local storms or tornadoes’ ave provable tor the Ohio Valley vegion and eastward of the Allo glauy Mountains northward of Cape Hatteras, English weather is unsettled; a southwest gale prevailed last evening at Holyhead. In Ne York and its vicinity today thegweather wi waren and cloudy, with rain, followed by falling temperature and snow. Losnorrow it will be eoul ond cloudy, followed by rising temporuture, and snows have fallen west of tho | New. York Life Insurance Companies. Recent events and recent inculpations have created an uneasy feeling among the holders of life’insuranee policies issued by companies in this State. ‘The greater part of the life insurance business of the United States is done by companies located in this city or having agencios here, and people in every part of the country are interested in the management and especially in the solvency of these companies, The pending’ proceedings in the courts relating to the Globe Company and the charges of insolvency which have recently been made on the floor of the Assembly against the Knickerbocker Company nat- urally beget distrust, not only of these par- ticular companies, but of the safety of all others. All the eompanies are, under the same superintendence and subject to the same regulations, and if the official machinery for holding them to their duties fails in the case of two leading and con- spicuous companies what reasonable con- fidence ean policy holders have in any of the others? ‘They are all under the same guardianship, and if the official sentinels prove untrustworthy in some cases why may they not in ali? A policy holder who should trust any company on the mere representations of its agents or on its own published advertisements would be justly regarded as a very raw sample of a gullible greenhorn, The only valid reason for confiding in any company, however pretentious or outwardly respect- able, is the authority qserted by the State to enforce responvibility and hold the companies to their obligations. If State regulation is illusory a man who wishes to protect his family from want when he is taken away might as well put his money into the kitchen range and burn it up as to pay it in annual premiuns to a life insur- ance company. ‘The ouly guarantee that investments of this kind are not wasted lies in the supervision and control of the State over the companies. If this is not eflicient, if this is not trust- worthy, the auxious father of a family, takes bread from the mouths of his children and dress and ornaments from his wife to main- tain a set of cormorants and swindlers who play upon his domestic solicitude to rob him of his earnings. If the guardianship of the State is not trustworthy life insar- ance is a mockery and a delusion. Is the pretended superintendence of the Stateof any value? This is the question which is now asked by hundreds of thou- sands of anxious and aching hearts. It is likely to be ‘a burning question” at Al- bany before the close of the session. Mr. Fish has charged on the floor of the Assembly that the Knickerbocker Life Insurance Company is rotten, and that the head of the Insurance Department knows it to be rotten. This, considering its source, is a grave and alarming statc- ment, not merely because it shakes confi- dencein that important company, but be-* cause, if well founded, it prostrates con- fidence in the Insurance Departmeni, to which the policy holders of all companies look for the protection of their interests. ‘The recent legal proceedings against officers of the Giobe Conipany have a still greater tendency to unsettle confidence. If there are good grounds for arresting an officer of an insurance company and requiring of him so heavy a bail as $300,000 it is too paintully evideht that there has been criminal negligence or more criminal connivance on the part of the Insurance Department, on whose watchfulness and efficiency the policy holders of all companies depend for protec- tion. The fact that a demand has been made in the Assembly for Superintendent Smyth’s resignation is the reverse of reassuring, espe- cially as an oyerwhelming majority of that body is of his own political party. It is calculated to fill tho minds of. policy holders with doubts. Public attention has within the last few days been recalled to the case of Dr. Lambert, bat the fact that he is to have a new trial brings no relief to the victims of the company of which he was president. Nothing could be more un- satisfactory than the present state of life insurance business as viewed by the general public in the light of such information as it possesses. The Hexarp has been making an attempt to investigate this importwnt subject, with aview to enable the community to esti- mate the solvency of the insurance com- panies. We present to-day the first instal- ment of our researches, which will be fol- lowed by other instalments as our space permits. What we have done isto ascertain from the records of the Insurance Department at Albany the investments which the companies of this State have made of their money. Most of the com- panies loan out their funds ou the securii of real estate mortgages. We havo pd cured a list of these mortgages, with their amount in each case, and an identifying description of the prop- erty on which the loans are made, We have put itin the power of any policy holder to judge for himself of the security of these loans by personal inquiries as to the value of the property. We give the amount of each loan, the location of the property mortgaged for its security, and the value of that property as appraised by the companies. We have been un- able to give the date of the ap- praisement, although this is an impor- tunt cireuutstance in such transactions, con- sidering the enormous depreciation of real estate within the last five years. But for present purposos it is of comparatively little | consequence, except as a testof the man- avenont of the companies, The ap- pouisements may or may not have been too high at the time they were made, but what it chiefly concerns the policy holders to know is whether the present value of the property is an adequate socurity for tho loans, The great question is whether the property, if now sold at ane. tion under foreclosure, would bring the amount of the mortgage. It it would not there is a fatal flaw in the curities, This is question which intelligent policy holders can ensily decide for, thomsetves, with tho assistance which wo are giving them, We point out the piece of property on which each mortgage is taken, stato the amount of the mortgage Boe and the velue of the property as appraised by the company. Whether the valua- tion was excessive af the time of the appraisement is of little consequence now. Property has immensely depreciated, and | the point of present interest to the policy holders is, whether the property could be sold to-day for the amount of the mortgage. We furnish the means of enabling every man to form his own judgment on this cardi- nal point. He need not go laboriously through the whole list of the mont. gages of .the company in which he is insured, If a company has been improvident in'the half a dozen in- stances which it may suit his convenience toinquire into it is a safe inforence that it is not to be trusted in any of its invest- ments, A man who feels that he is no judge of a particular picco of real estate can* obtain the opinions of neighbors as to its vaiue, or if he has no such facilities for consultation he can easily find, if the property is located in this city, a guide to his judgment in the books of the ‘Tax Commissioners, which are open to tho ‘inspection of all citizens. We discharge our duty in enabling policy holders to test by their own inquiries the pradence and fidelity of the companies in which they are insured. Our Special Despatches from Tashkend. Wo published yesterday morning a tele- gram from London bringing us the official information of the death of Shere Adi, the Atheer of Afghanistan. The news of this event had, however, been anticipated by the despatches of our specixl correspondent with General Kaufmann in Tashkend, who has kept the world continually posted on the condition of thé Ameer’s health ‘len days ago our correspondent, after telegraph- ing rumors: respecting Shere Ali’s illness, was able to inform us of the nature of the disease from which the ruler of the Afghans was suffering ; that ‘‘gangrene had attacked the whole of his leit side,” and that it was “considered probable that he. was already dead.” On the following day he mentioned fresh rumors respecting the Ameer's health; and on the 28th of February he communi- cated the fact of General Kaufmann having received a report from. the Governor of Samarcand, to the effect that information had been brought to that city by natives hailing from the Afghan frontier that the Ameer was really no more. The Viceroy's despatch, therefore, simply corroborated the information which we were enabled to give to the English government forty-eight hours before. The Potter Committee Reports. Reports from the Potter Committee promise to be almost as numerous as the members, four being positively announced, with the probability of another. ‘I'he ma- jority report, which was given to the House on Saturday, is far too voluminous to be printed in fullin a single issue of the Henaxp, but the careful synopsis which we give on another page will indicate the opin- ions and ‘conclusions of the majority of the ‘committee, and thus prepare readers for intelligent perusal of the entire document. It is matter for congratulation that the’ report is calm and logical in tone, seeking no aid from rhetoric, but trusting to facts alone to sus- tain the deductions offered. It is also eminently satisfactory to learn that the tes- timony, so-called, of certain notoriously untrustworthy rémancers is treated ‘accord- ing to its deserts, and, consequently, is let severely alone. ‘The committee hav- ing divided exactly on the patty lino it stands to reason that thé minority ro- port will antagonize that of the majority, which practically means that the entire question comes back to the public for final decision, and that the conduct‘of the late Presidential campaign will again be largely discussed, publicly and privately, but with the.difference that there is now available a mass of evidence which will make on intel- ligent conclusion more nearly possible than it has hitherto been, . Rapid Transit Crossings. It has been suggested that little danger will arise at the proposed junctions and crossings of the “L” roads which we have pointed out for public condemnation be- cause special precautions will be taken against accidents by means of signals, &e. It will bg noticed that every so-called acci- dent on railroad or river is proved to have been avoidable if only somebody had ai- tended at the right time to something. Collisions at sea have occurred although the vessels that met in the almost boundless area of open water had sighted each other at many miles distance, The whole long and unhappily uncompleted chapter of accidents is filled with rhstances where the mysterious ‘“cussedness” of inanimate objects, to say nothing of the equally incomprehensible want of men- tal balance at the right moment of human beings, has contributed to the causing of deplorable disasters. Let us only consider the recent case of the explosion ofthe big gun on bourd the British turret*ship- ot-war Thunderer. Who would ever be- lieve beiore this ‘occurred that naval experience and discipline of the highest order and familiarity with a ponderous weapon could possibly permit of two enor- mous charges being fired from the gun at once, one of which was in the bore without the knowledge of those who inserted the second? Yet on this magnificent ship, with her complete quota of accomplished officers and skilful evew, the big gun was barst by its double charge, aud two officers ‘and eight mea wero killod outright and thirty-two men wounded,, some of whom subsequently died. This remarkable incident proves the im- portance of even the most commonplace precautions in guarding against danger. If death can sarprise the seientitic officer of ordnance in such manner may we not fuvr that (ie average railroad cngineor or brakeman can precipitate a disaster with extraordinary facility? The t is the whole question of rap@ transit “LL” dross- ings is one that does not bear diveussion at all, ‘They are simply mtirderous in their conception and supremoly stupid from a practical point of view, Lecause they repre- sont what should be avoided by every railroud = engincer—coastants of proba+ SHEET. ‘NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, MARCH 38, 1879.—TRIPLE ble interrupticn in the caleulations of traffic regulation. We must repeat that under no consideration should the Chatham square or any other *4L” cross- ing be permitted. The plan suggested in the Henatp yesterday shows how the Chat- ham square crossing may be avoided alto- gether, and without interfering much with the interests of either the Metropolitan or New York “L” company. But even if these so-called vested interests are impaired by the adoption of such a plan it is better | that they should be so than that Chatham square should come to be known as “Slaughter place.” We must have no fool- ing with public safety on the “L's,” and, above all things, not in the interests of pri- vate corporations who owe these to public generosity. How ‘It Looks at Albany. The politicians at the State capital, according to our ‘Albany correspondence, are interesting themselves about the present condition of parties in the State and the outlook for the next State election. ‘hey find the democracy in a bad way through the querrels of the leaders, and s:e in the’ Tilden and anti-Tilden fight the prospect of a divided party and an eusy republican victory next autumn unless some compromise can be effected on candidates and harmony restored among the factions. But then they discover, that the republicans are not altogether a happy family, and believe that there will be some trouble in that orginization between the “Old Guard"—by which they mean Al- vord, Husted and a number of other legis- lative packhorses—and the ‘young logis- lative chiefs,” such as Hamilton Fish, Sloan, Vernum, Skinner and the like. The democrats are advised in this emer- gency to make a half and half ticket for State officers next autumn, helf Tilden and Robinson men and half old canal ringers, and then to kiss and be friends. As for the republican side, Mr. Sloan is urged to take the field and gallantly lead thé atvance against the “Old Guard” and the corpora- tions. ‘The trouble with Albauy and Washington politicians generally is that they base their opinions on the gossip of those localities, and do not think there are any political views worth considering outside those ex- pressed at the State or national capital. Because the ‘Tammany ‘democrats in New York are opposed to Mr. ‘Lilden’s nomina- tion for the Presidency in 1880, and hence do not wish to see Governor Bobinson or any distinctive Tilden man nominated for Governor this year, the Albany politicians suppose that in the event of a Tilden triumph in the next State Convention the democratic vote in New York will be fatally reduced and the State wilf be lost. But the Tam- many democrats opposed Mr, Tilden’s nomi- nation for the Presidency in 1876 with all the force at their command, and yet came home and voted for him. His majority in the city was 653,844, while he carried the State by only 32,742. ‘These faction fights may go on until the nominations are made, bat the importance of carrying the State next November is likely to unite both parties on their respec- tive candidates and to make a tolerably fair stand-up fight. ‘he people at largo take very little stock in the quarrels of the lead- ers, after all. ‘he importance of carrying the State this year, as «a great ad- vantage to be gained in the more impor- tant Presidential contest next year, is well understood by the rank and file of both political organizations. It is not likely that any great number of democrats or re- publicans will be turned trom the support of their State tickets this year on account of dissatisfaction on the part of disappointed leaders, whilo the large independent vote will bo sure to be cast for the candidates that best represent honest, economical and eflicient State government. It will, there- fore, be far more important for the political conventions to select candidates of estab- lished capacity and integrity than to bal- ance the tickets nicely between Tilden and anti-Tilden or between Conkling republi- canism and Hayes republicanism. A Church Debt. A great deal of credit is due the members of the Church of the Messiah for their effort in paying off the crushing debt which hung over their edifice, and the community ac- cords them its warmest congratulations. The adverse, and critical circumstances against which this church has been strug- gling during the last few years, the roman- tic story of the pious prayers of home aged saint that every pastor might bo led to the evangelical faith, which has given it almost the reputation of a haunted house, and the actual secession of two of its ministers in, rapid succession ; these things have tended to excite a large degree of public interest. It was feared, until within a few days, that the beautiful edifice was doomed to bear the auctioncer's flag. The wholo body of Uni- tarians have at last .been roused, however, toa knowledge of the danger that threat- ened, and, knowing that such a dire calam- ity as the sale of a church in the very centre of p city like New York would be alinost a fatal biow to the denomination, they have nobly come to the rescue, } Tho peculiar theological dogmas of the Unitarians have, during a couple of gon- erations of continuous effort, taken such a slight hold on the religious community that we are naturally led to seek the law which underlies their gradual decadence, While all other bodies of believers are constantly building new churches and making new converis in large numbers the advocates of this particular form of bolief have with dif- ficulty maintained their numerical integ- rity, his is true not only in this city, bat also in Boston, the cradle of whut is some- what boastfully called Liberal Christianity. That Unitarianism long since reached the limit ot its influence there and that the people of that city aro returning to the oider torms of faith known as orthodox is a very significant fact. It has undoubt- edly had an important mission to fulfil, and it has done its work with large discretion and sagacity. That the task which it set itself is finished is suggestive. It emphasized the moral side of life, too mueh neglected a generation since by tho evan- gelical churches, and underscored biblical injunction ‘of obedience to the law, and, by a vigorous assertion that not mere faith but good works were the proof of a mun’s acceptance with God, showed plainly . that it had a suflicient ruison @élre. Now, however, that all bodies of Christians have absorbed this important phase of religion, and added it to a doctrinal belief which has been cherished by the ablest and wisest of all generations, there seems to be nothing more which Unitarians are specially gifted to accomplish, With a somewhat majestic past, therefore, this denomination cannot be said to have a particularly hopeful future. Its distinctively theological teach- ings have hardly been acceptable to the majority of devout persons. Lhey have been preacied with eingular ability and eloquence, their advgcates have beon ac- corded all possible Christian courtesy, but still they have not been able to creato such a demand as would warrant the expectation that they will ever become a vigorous ele- mont in the religious life of this city. The denomination is certainly to be praised for its persistency and. for its noble loyalty to its flag; and the Church of the Messiah will begin its new epoch with the good wishes of the community and with its admiration for that sturdy determination which leads a somewhat forlorn hope. Afghan Aimbagsadors at Turkestan. In an interview between the Hzratp cor- respondent at Tashkend and the chief of the Afghan Embassy which recently arrived there, reported in. the telegram from Central Asia which we print to-day, will be found a statement of the mission of the representatives of the defanct Amecr and their opinions on the probable sequence of events in their country. They were sent by their sovereign to solicit the advice of Russia as to what course should be pursued in view of the English invasion. Naturally they do not say a word of appeals for assist- ance. They could help themselves if it were determined after conference with their powerful neighbor that it was wise to doso.® That is ‘the assumption behind all that the Ambassador says. The attitude against foreign commerce if every port was as well watched by State authorities as this port is by our State government; but other ports are not so well watched, and especially in the Southern States there is always a slipshod and ineffective system, They always were feeble on this point in their best days; but in the carpet-bag days and inthe days of colored great men they seem to have become helples:, and they do not or will not, perhaps cannot, protect themselves with the necessary energy in this respect, and they let in the trouble that becomes a scourge to the country. Another point that would have fallen to the function of national quarantine authorities, and that is now uncontrolled, is the moves ment of the people behind the lines of ex- are active. Hero we keep on foot an enor. mous machinery to prevent the landing’ in our city from seaward of a single creature iffected with yellow tever. But if tne fever is at New Orleans a hundred a day muy come in by the cars before even public notice is taken of the evil, which is only one of the absurdities ‘of our present con- dition. Flood Warnings. A correspondent invites the Her up to give, in addition to its storm warnings issued daily, announcements of tho probability of inundations along the lowlands adjacent to the great rivers of the country. These, he claims, are essential to the safety of prop- erty exposed to destruction or damage by floods, and would prove of immense im- portance to inland communities, especially along tho Mississippi Valley. While we entirely agree with our correspondent that timely warnings of floods should in all cases be given, we call his attention to the fuct that so far as the great Western rivers are concerned the United States Signal Service pays special attention to the subject, and by a regular daily obser- vation of the state of these rivers genorally gives ample warning ofarise. The descent of the waves of flood waters in cumula- tive volumes along the courses of the Mis- ternal quarantine at periods when epidemics ' the | taken is in this view one of palitic indiffer- ence to do with the force she has. British troops have been at Cabul before this. Afghanistan was none the worse for it and the British army was, amd the Grand Vizier seems to reason ghat that bit of history may repeat itself at any moment that adecision is taken as to whether the A'ghans shall fight. With the Grand Vizier thus sent in advance to request advico—to study the lay of thé land in a diplomatic sense—and the Ameer to follow with his elephant loads of treasure, it is not ee hat cult to comprehend the programme Shero Ali had in his mind’s eye of the way he was to proceed in inducing Russia to help him against the English invasion; for he was not able to comprehend the differ- ence between the camp of a Russian com- mander in Asia and the court of an Asiatic prince. His calculations would have been at fault if he had reached the Russian lines, but he has died on the way. It isthe opinion of the Ambassador that Yukoob Khan will recognize the mission as his own, and will act as his father might have done on what is said by the Russian; but the Czar will hardly take this for granted, especially as Yakoob mimy &:, as reported by a later despatch, making advances toward opening negotiations with the English, A Ten Thousand Doliar Heart. Marrying for money has been one of the world’s most vigorous and successfal in- dustries for hundreds of years, but so secretly has the whole business been man- aged that all evidence upon the subject has been of a circumstantial and desultory nature, Asuit is now pending, however, in which o husband alleges and admits that his lone heart was coaxed to beat with another and tenderer one by tho witching influenge of ten thousand dollars, the same. to be paid upon delivery of the romantic organ before mentioned. We are glad that some one has at last been honest enough to confess to a business venture of a nature of which so many other people have been suspected, and his avowal is particularly valuable because of its specifying a fixed consideration, which may serve a useful purpose asa basis of comparison in heart exchanges yet to be imade. We lave noopinion to express upon tho merits of the bargain, for the heart it- self—the vital point of the transaction—has not yet been submitted to experts for valua- tion. It is not sufficient to say that o beart is aheart. Such talk may do in a meat shop, but trade in the matrimonial market recognizes standards other than size. There are hearts, mostiy mascu- line, of course, which would be ten thousand times too costly at the price named, while, on the other hand, millions of young men know of hearts worth ten thousand times as much. As the suit progresses the public will note with interest the various points of a ten thou- sand-dollar heart, and thus arrive at some standard of valuation which may be gen- erally accepted, subject to such modifica- tions as the varying relations of supply and demand may induce. It is probable, too, that prices may alter according to the method of settlement, and a liberal dis- count be offered on cash transactions, for the complainant in the case alluded to has not yet got his money, although the goods were delivered, it is claimed, according to “| contract, National Quarantine, Many schemes will die with this session of Congress that the country need not grieve over, but there xre some others whose ftail- ure there is good reason to regard in another light. Some actiomshould have been taken toward tho organization of a national quar- antine system, and we suppose that if in the attempts to pass a bill for this purpose the projectors had only kept in view the logitimate aim of a quarantine law they would, perhaps, not have been defeated. But, ws is usual, less was thought of the ostensible purpose than of some other; yel- low fever and plague were forgotten in considerations of the political seope of tho measure, State right fancies stood in the way of the protection of the people from imported epidemic disease, hero would certainly be no need of nutional quarantine the worst that England may sissippi as well as the Ohio, Cumberland, Tennessee and other tributaries of the “Father of Waters” is noted from station to station, and their positions known frem day to day. It is, therefore, next to impossible that any serious jnunda- tion éan occur without the warning being duly published in the daily press, Evon on somo of the Southern rivers these observations are frequently made with great benefit to endangered in- térests, What is now needed is an exten- sion of this system to the smaller water courses in the Eastern and Middle States, wherein destructive floods sometimes occur after great rain storms or sudden thaws. So far the Hzrafp has not neglected to give warnings regarding these, and will continue to do so when the occasion demands such notices. The question of strengthening weak places in the levees is one that im- mediately concerns the districts so pro- tected. Warnings will in no way benefit communities who fail to protect themselves, PERSONAL ‘INTELLIGENCE, The following Americans were registered at the, Paris office of the Henam® yesterday :— Adams, Harry, Brooklyn, Hotel Choiscul, Cofin, H. G. and wife, Troy, No.6 Rue Mirrome. nil. : Cole, John C., Troy, No. 16 Boulevard Magenta. Hall, G. E., Brooklyn, Hotel Choiseul. Morrison, W. N., St. Louis, No, 52 Boulevard Haussmann. Mutrux, C. E., Philadelphia, No. 11 Chaussee d@’Antin. Norton, J. T. and wife, Albany, Hotel du Louvre. Randel, William, Troy, No. 16 Boulevard Magenta, Simons, O. H., Jamestown, Hotel of London and New York. ‘The Marquis de Potestad-Fornari, of Spain, is at the Brevoort House. ‘The Buffalo Ezpress has discovered a political party Which says that the “Ilish must goce.” Captain Perry, of the steamer Britannic, arrived yesterduy from Liverpool, aud is at the Westminster Hotel. Even tho cannibals refuse to have more than fifteen Chinamen shipwrecked on their shores from one and the samo vessel. On one of the New Jersey railroads thero is a coun- try boarding house calied “A Retreat.” Here is a chance for some boarder to beat a retreat. . General McClellan is the dark horse for the Preni-+ dency. If he keeps on manwuvring he will be re- tiring from the oilico before he knows that he is in- augurated. . An English general, who will at once be decorated, caused the house of an Afghan to be burned down because the Afghan happenéd tosay that he did not like to seo his country invaded by the English. Chicago Tribune: -"The New Yoak. Heratp de claves that no lady should permit clergyman to iss her any sooner than sho would some other man, and the ‘other man’ agrees fully with the Heraup.”” Generals of armies sometimes ride through a battle onabrindle mule; but the next century of painters mekes the mule « prancing white stallion with forty bombshells bursting under him, while the genorals sit aloft with their right arine athwart a cloudy sky. London World ;—Tho hostess who haa desired to sceure tho presence of a professional diner-out has in times “past telt it only deceut to include in the proffered hospitality the commonplace little wife, who would a thousand tiutes sooner have been at home with her children and her tea.” London fruth:—“We are told that tho price of meat is likely to increase, as the United States will bo ‘proclajmed’ as an infected country. ‘This*will be adding insult to injury, as so fur the cost of meat has not been reduced one penny a pound, notwithstand- ing all the tons that haye come from America.” “William H, Wheeler tells the New York Hznarp that Evarts gives the best dionor in Washington. ‘That, may all be, but, by the Way, who is this Wheelor?"—Detroit Free Press. “Why, don’t you know? He is the g6ntleman who ran against a man named Hendricks, and knocked him so far into the middle of two years ago that he hasn't been heard of since.” —Norriswown Herald, According to a Newburg judjo you must convict the liquor for being intoxicating before you can com viet the nian for selling it, because the Coyrt (2 Brown, 342, and 9 Smith, 211) is not bound to take notice that the liquor sold was (7 Jones, 615) that sort of @ liquor (5 Robinson, 82). Meauwhile the man (ilie, 714) who drank the liquor was licking his wite with a young maple tree (4 Equity Reports, 917). J. W. Forney, in Progress: —"1 was eo much ime. pressed by @ sincere belief in Horace Greeley's in? toyrity that when ho ran against General Grant {or President, in 1872, Leould no more attack him, to use a phrase [ employed in that contest, than I could assail Wiliam Penn or Benjamin Franklin, and when LT mourned at his grave, in NeW York, on the Sth of December of that year, I felt a aad pleasure in the recollection. ' Several Canada papers are abusing the Toronte Globe because it copies the cablu despatches of the Hinacp aud heads thom a8 “special” to the Glube, Well, we havo no objection to the Globe's getting tts nows as easily ay it can until the time comes when it can afford to tell tho truth. At the same time, if type. setting is dear in Toronto and the Globe would really like to give ws eredit, we will pay for two or throe Lines of composition,