The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-01-01

Academy OF Music, in the most spleadid style,
keeping in view, however, The cheap and chart
table basis upon which 1t was projected. Anum-
Der of the most respectable persons in the city,
civil and military, are now engaged in perfect
ing the arrangements. They are only awaiting
| the passing by of the holidays in order to pre-
sent the matter to the public in tangible form.
We advise the ladies to begin their preparations
| for the ball, keeping in mind. however, that it
| is TO be cheap and charitable affair.
The Grading and LeveIiins system--Corpo-
ratio ProMigaey.
When LIE Notre laid out the grounds Of Yer
I sailes his plans were thought the perfection of
landscape gardening. When the charming
| miniature park Of the Trianon, created by the
| more correct taste of Marie AntOinette, was
placed in juxtaposition with them, the absurdity
| of applying geometrical rules to the develope
ment of scenery WAS at once made evident.
| Nature is sly coquette, whose capricous tastes
| cannot be wooed by regular advances. To bring
| out her attractions we have to consider care,
fully her peachaats, not only in regard to atmOs-
| phere, distance and color. but also as to form.
| As Hogarth's line Of beauty Fixed the chief
canon of art in painting, so the gardens of the
| Trianon gave the corp de gruc. to the straight
alleys, rustic shrines and yew tree monstrosities
of LIE Notre. Since the true principles Of land
scape gardening have become generally recog
nized, we hear no more Of the outrageous
visas, classic temples and artificial bowers
which formed such convenient themes for the
! medieval muse. Nature now reigns paramount
in her own domain and the eye and the under
standing are immensely benefited by the change.
II would be well for the general appearance
and selubrity of our large cities if the pGnci-
pies Established in the distribution of space in
modern landscape gardening were applied to
the laying out of their streets. That which inn
parts to European towns and villages their
greatest charm in the eyes Of the American
visiter is the quaintness and variety produced
by the irregularity of the sites on which they
are built. Instead of grading and dwelling
everything down to a uniform fatness of sur
face advantage is taken of the diversities of
the soil to enhance the beauty and secure the
thorough ventilation and drainage Of the edi-
fee reared upon it. A cultivated taste and
sanitary experience teach people that every IL
regularity of this kind has its natural as well
as its artistic uses and that in all these respects
ii may be made conducive to their comfort.
Hence il is that in European cities we find the
spade and the axe but rarely brought into play
in the clearance Of site. The architect adapts
his plans to the soil as he finds it, and the public
health and taste gain largely from this judi
cious abstinence on his part
1t is humiiating to reflect that, whilst we
borrow from foreign ideas and habits much
that Is really undesirable have moi the In
clination TO adopt the customs which are found
ed upon experience and good haste. Thus, in
the distribution of our cities, there is preju-
dice in favor Of fiat surfaces and straight lines
Of streets which gives them all uniform and
monotonous appearance and destroys the
charms of local associations. When the site is
naturally fat, as is the case with Philadel-
phia and New Orleans, the first of these de-
fects cannot Of course be avoided; but in
New York, where We possess such picturesque
diversity Of surface, ii is difficult to appreciate
the advantage Of wiping out all the original
features of the soil, and substituting for them
miles Of dreary streets, traversing each other
ut right angles, and unrelieved by single nstu-
raj object. But this is not the worst evil result
ing from the vile taste which is rapidly reduc-
ing New York to the level of teaboard. II
will soon be found that with natural facilities
for drainage such as no other city possesses, we
have sacrificed them all to q mistaken preju-
dice. To carry OF moisture certain momen-
tum, derived from the force Of the water itself,
is required This is gradually being lost by the
level and uniform surface to which the whole
site Of the city is being reduced; and although
il is true that the mischief may be in degree
remedied by giving to the drains. themselves
slight incline il can never be wholly repaired.
The consequence will be that, notwithstanding
the large sums which efforts Of this sort will
cost the city, the public health will exhibit
no corresponding Improvement As it is, the
localities in which this system Of dwelling and
already been marked by decided tendency to
fever and oguc and other malarious diseases.
We're il not for the profits made directly or
indirectly by the members of the city boards
under the present contract system Of grading
and dwelling. we feel satisfied that the good
taste and common sense of our citizens would
long since have put an end to it. The parti-
zans of corruption in those quarters are, how
ever, so strong that il will require vigorous
! effort on the part of the public TO impose
check upon their proceedings. That effort
should be made at once, or il will be too late to
apply remedy.
TmE ATLANTIC SUBMARINE TELEGEArH.-We
announced yesterday that our government had
detailed the United States steam frigate Niaga-
ra IN co-onnrate with me vessels again appoint-