Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-03-14
wAsHINsToa NEWS AND GOSSIP.

WAsHIE6T0H NEWS AND GOSSIP.
The Know Eothi1g Nominations in vir
sinia.-Ws have Just before going to press, .
private dispatch from Winchester, announcing
tie following as the Nominations made las
night snd this morning by the Know Nothing
State Convention, NOW in session in Winches'
ter, viz:
Thos. S FlOurnoy, (whig) of Halifax county
for Governor.
JM.H. Beale, (dsmocrat,) of Mason county
for Lisutsn ant Governor
John NJ. Patton, ldemocrat) of Richmond
city, for Attorney General.
All these nominations we're made on the frs,
ballot
Masic.-The habitus of New York city 70,
the i've years ending six months since, who
has been absent from its thoroughfares since
that time, will be astounded at the change.
which the energy and sagacity of Mayor Wood
(aided by under officials really disposed tc
assist his work Of reform) has effected. Broad.
way, and all the other of the city's grsa,
thoroughfares, through the whole of theiI
length, looked, last week, as clean as the
parade ground of Russian fertilization;
while the cross streets do not contain 1.-THE
of the filth which not long since rendered it a
sickening job, indeed, for stranger to per.
aubulate the high ways of the commercial me.
tropolis. The corner grocery keepers''-ths
wretches who retail most villainous compounds
under the soubriquet of liquors, to young and
old, good bad and Indifferent, in places which
the poor Of the nsighborhood, Of both sexes,
and all eyes, frequent necessarily almost
hourly-sre at length completely in subsection
to the law.
Not one Of t1em can now be induced to sell
even bread en- Sunday, the risk of prosecution
fer keeping open on that day being almost an
absolute certainty, owing to the vigilance Ct
the police. If passer drops his handkerchief
in Broadway, q policeman overtakes and
hands it to him in a minute. If an elderly
lady or little girl desires to cross that busy
street, policeman is sure to be at hand, to
secure for her a sure transit amid tho animals
and wheels CT the multitude of vehicles Now,
policemen has but to raise his finger, and
any oLe whose conduct seems likely to need
mis- interference, obeys the sign with wonder
full alacrity; the certainty Of an arrest, other
wise, and consequent instant punichment by
the fat Of the Mayor, being ever present ap.
parently before the eyes Of all who no. long
since wero accustomed to behave like rufians
to those in the streets Who might be unable 10
protect themselves. The Par il nov always
clear Of decided loafegs, nor arc persons of
known bad character (of whom the New York
police know tens Of thousands by sight) al.
lowed to linser a moment anywhere in q par.
ticular place.
The hackmen seem all to have become cor.
toous to every 5ody, and no longer annoy
travellers at the landings and depo.a, OF visitors
CT places of AMUSEMENT The Five Points
have vanished, different population being
visible around thst lately SO disreputable
quarter. The crimes Of the harpiss who prey
on the emigrants, Of the mock auctioneers
ard Of those who practice the hundred other
callings in New York, the basis Of success in
which lies in swindling and ba!Iying, are now
punished within one or two hours after inFor
nation has been lsdged; which insures the
lOdg peDt OF the necessary information, Is
soou as the victim finds that be or she has been
taken in aGd done for. Any one who trenches
N any manner on the rights of bis neigh
Or, CT Of the public, in New York. now ex.
pec,s to be quickly summoned by policeman
to attend before bis honor the Mayor, who
hears both sides Of case, gives jud gmert, and
signs the order to have it carried out, all in an
average Of five minutes to the cause, and II IKE;
| it rule rarely to listen to 81 appeal for {
stay Of execution,
The consequence Of all this is, that New
York is bssomipg a more truly polite CITY
than Paris, every one seeking to avoid
interfering with the comfort or rights Of an,
one else. The police are already satisfied
with the order compelling them always to ap.
pear In conspicuous uniform While thew
assiduously watch tie public, the latter Quit.
as assiduously watches them. Their sficiep,
discharge Of their duties is noticed BY all i'm
mediatsly interested; so they get due credit
for al their faithful services. An esprit du
corps on thcir part has already been tn 9 result.
such as We never before saw among that class
Of public tunctionaIies. Instant dismissal or
other punishment now follows the slightest
deEelicticn from duty or improper conduc. on
the part of policeman, as it is noted by hun
dreds, and quickly reported to the chief. The
Mayor and the Chief who have together worked
these magical reforms, very frequently ever.
step their lawful authority, beyond all ques
ton, in so doing. Yet public opinion so main.
tains them, hat those whose legal rights are
thus trsnched upon hardly dare to complain
The changes whish these two efficient func-
tionaries have effected in the status of the
metropolis of the New World,
amount, Ia fact, to social revolution essen.
tally altering the face Of society there. go