The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-03-06

hat If the VAR 10 II Improperly destroyed by FIRE In
his city wit hin thirty years had been invested It
you'd, wit the interest, hsve now exceeded the
otal wort Of al the buildings within the corpora
ion lin its. Under these circumstances it Is i'm
ortant that we should, if possible, ascertain the
ause, and provide against these calamties. Many
u EN- are altogether produced by the unsafe and
ON h1stible materials used and the improper con-
VI action Of buildings; some by sheer carelessness,
ID others by direct incendiarism That houses
~ frequently set on fire by owners for the purpose
a obtaining the amount Of insurance. and by tenants
in order to avoid paying their rent, there be no
doubt. The evidence elsewhere published of Patrick
Cavanagh and Richard Fitzsimons, who swear that
John McCarty agreed to pay for setting fire to two
houses in Brooklyn, goes to confirm this belief |;
but, then, there are large number Of suspicious
characters, many of them at times dressed
in the garb of fremen, although not recog-
nized such by the bona fde members Of the
department, who always take an active part at fires,
and under the pretence of saving property rush into
buildings and appropriate such articles Of value as
they readily hide; after which they do all they
can to destroy furniture, &C., by throwing it from
windows 1t is probable that as much, if not more,
property is destroyed by these rowdies, who doubt
less themselves often kndle the fames than by ac-
cidental fires or secretly hired incendaries While
it is expected that the authorities will exert them
selves to apprehend and punish these mscrcants, it
is to be hoped that steps win be taken to promote
the general erection of fire proof buildings, to
abolish the use Of combustbe materials, and to re-
form the present insecure method Of constructing
flues.
We elsewhere publish full account of the cir
cumstances connected with the awful death of Dr.
Gardner, including the testimony elected at the
coroner's inquest. The funeral took place in Wash
ington yesterday afternoon, and was attended by
only few personal friends of the deceased. The
coroners investigation stands adjourned till Friday,
when it is understood that John Charles Gardner
will give in his evidence and will produce the letter
which his brother gave him shortly before he ex-
pired.
Our despatch from Washington states that the
NebraskaKansas bill will not probably be reported
to the House by its Committee Territories until it
is certain that there is sufficient strength to pass it,
when it will be reported, and pressed through under
the operation of the previous question In the mean
time, the members can amuse themselves by discuss
ing the bill originally reported by the committee,
which does not contain the Senates amendments.
The account of the manner in which the Van Buren,
democrats succeeded in compromising and tying the
hands of the administration and its organ on this
question is quite amusing.
Two steamers are fully due from Europe Wis.
the Alps at Boston, with three days later and the
Atlantic, at this port, with one week later The
former, now in her sixteenth day, had not arrived
in Boston harbor at eleven o'clock last night. The
Atlantic has been out nearly twelve days, and will
probably arrive before another edition Of our paper
is issued
Important from Eurspc-Latest Aspect Of the
War Question.
Concidently with fresh and exciting details
respecting the enormous preparations making
by the maritime powers for the contingency OF
war, we learn by the adviccs brought by the
Nashville yesterday, that every effort is being
used on the part of those powers to avert such
a result While they hold out the olive branch
Of peace in one hand, they are determined to
show that they are ready to strike with the
other. 1t is from this attitude and this deter
mination that our strongest hopes of a pacific
termination Of the difficulty are derived.
The most Important features in these advices
is the text of the autograph letter addressed BY
the French Emperor to the Czar. This docu
ment places in the most favorable light the wis.
dom and moderation of the man, of whose am
bilious and dangerous designs so much appre-
tension has been expressed. The language in
which it iscouched is simple acknowledgement,
free fiomall diplomatic subtlety Of expression,
and manly and firm in it's tone. 1t presents, in
short, refreshing contrast to the terms of alb
ject serviAty in which the last monarch of
France wos in the habit of addressing the same
potentate. After defining the position which
England and France had desired to occupy in
the disputes between Russia and the Porte,
and of the new and compulsory phase which
the affair of Sinope had impaired to
that position, Louis Napoleon proposes an
specific terms that an armistice should now be
signed, that things should resume their dipic.
matte course, that all hostilities should cease
and that the belligerent powers should return
to the places to which motives Of war had led
them. Thus the Russian troops weuld abandon
the Principalities, and the allied squadrons the
Black Sea. The Gar preferring to treat di-
rectly with Turkey, might appoint sn ambassa.
dor who could negotiate with pleripotentiary
of the Sultan a convention which might be sub
mitted to conference of the Four Powers
Such is, in a few words, the tenor of she impe-
rial letter.
The propositions of the French Empe. or have
the merit of appearing to make large conces-
sions to the pride of The Gear, whilst in reality
they leave the questions at issue in the position
in which they originally stood. They meet, in
fact, the pressing difficulty of the moment, by
Ssording Nicholas the opportunity ofan hopora.
bic retreat, where otherwise he hes no alterna-
tive but to fight He may not accept them
purely and Internationally, in their present
fora; but it is probable that he will gladly
oval himself Of the opening which ahey afford
ldnFto renew negotiations. The rejection 81
b IL .rrniecf Of l,u