The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-03-21

superior efficiency OF mounted infantry to
regular cavalry for detached operations in the
enemy's country We have various squads Of
mounted infantry at work; but the results Of
this Smith and Grierson expedition show that
we have not enough. Let General Grant and
the War Office supply the deficiency and Try il
again.
MORE PHARIsAIcAL LEaIsLAmoE-We ace
that bill introduced by Mr. Bell to prohibit
the sale Of vinous, spirituous or malt liquors
on Sunday has been read twice in
the Senate and has been favorably re-
ported upon by the Committee on the
Internal Affairs of Towns and Counties
Persons violating its provisions are to be hold
guilty Of a misdemeanor, and to be punished
by Imprisonment and a fine Of fifty dollars for
each offence. Concurrently with this a bill
has been introduced in the Assembly prohibit
ing the publication Of drawings of lotteries BY
newspapers or periodicals, under penalty Of
one hundred dollars fne and thirty days i'm
prisonment for each aud every violation Of the
act.
1t is hardly necessary to say that legislation
Of this kind has always failed, and must always
fall in its object. Its tendency is, in fact, to
aggravate the abuses which it is its professed
object to put down, by enlisting every rational
mind against such foolish and arbitrary re-
strictions on the liberty Of the citizen and in
ducing a taste for law-breaking OF the sin
certify Of some Of those who advocate them we
have notable examples in the conduct Of the
men who endeavored to exclude champagne and
railing at the Brooklyn Sanitary Fair. While
ostensibly prohibiting them they winked at
private tipping rooms in the building and at
sly evasions Of the lottery introduction
in the form of grab bags and fishing ponds. II
there is an argument at all that can be urged in
favor Of the first of these bills it is to be found
in the pranks played by our Albany legislators
when they visit the metropolis; for certainly no
class of men patronize more extensively the
rum shops and other places Of bad rcpute, or
give more trouble to the police.
AS to the idea Of preventing the newspapers
from publishing the drawings of lotteries, it is
simply ridiculous There is no enactment, for
instance, which can prevent them from giving
insertion to the advertisements Of the Havana
Lottery. That institution violates no law of
the State. and the Legislature cannot create d
legal offence out Of such a publication. This
example is in itself sufficient to show how in
effective such legislation must prove. Again,
admitting the theory that lotteries are an Of
fence against pubtis morals, how is the press to
be compelled to observe silence in regard to
them? Why the Legislature might % we'll at
tempt to prevent the publication of iarcenies,
bargisries and all other crimes. All such alb.
surd attempts to interfere with the liberty Of
the press must prove as impotent as the Maine
law has shown itself in its attempted invasion
Of the rights Of individuals. Our Albany So
Ions had better commence by reforming their
own morals before they proceed any further in
this line Of legislation.
| TIE ExoRBTANT PRICE or EVERY rBfNa--it
is proverbial that war creates war prices" for
everything consumable; but there is usually a
standard by which the price Of goods, whether
fabrics or provisions, sregulated. In the present
time, however, there does not appear to be any
recognized standard at all. For instance sup
posing the price Of gold or the rate Of ex
change which 10 heavily against this country,
to be the base upon which the extraordinary
advance upon oil the necessaries Of life is
established, 1t does not appear that either gold
or exchange has gone up to twice its regular
value, while the price Of all, or nearly all. the
articles in ordinary consumption has been
doubled. There Is no reason for this, nor any
explanation Of the fact, except that an unfair
advantage taken Of the opportunity to ex
tort enormous profits under the pretext OF the
increased value Of gold, 1t would be reasona
BILE to suppose that The rate of exchange
through which medium the cost Of imported
goods must be liquidated, or the advance on
gold, In which the customs duties must be paid
would enhance the value Of all articles OF
foreign manufacture; or 1t may be admit
ted that the price of cotton fabrics Of
domestic manufacture is not exorbitant, in the
absence Of Che staple article, from our present
relations with the cotton-growing States, al
though Il has more than quadrupled within
three years; but there is no reason whatever
WHY the products Of the soil and OF agricul-
tural labor--sucb as -four, butter, meat poultry,
and egetables--shouldin increase in price beyond
| the increase In the value Of gold. Specie has
not advanced more than sixty per cent, but
provisions, the absolute necessities Of the peo-
pie, have been put up hundred per cent, and in
| some cases even more. This is simply a fraud.
| There is no necessity for it, and the public
| should take o firm stand against the extortion
in some manner, as may beat be devised, and
| compel the vendors Of these articles to main
tain an equitable rule in regulating their value.
-a----------
| THE WAY TO REDuCE THE PRICE OF GoLD.-r
| Congress is bothering itself considerably with
measures to bring down the price Of gold, and
people outside are somewhat bewildered with
all the plans and speculations by which that
desirable result may be arrival at There is q