Evening star., 1869-05-27
tn. musIc1rAL ELrcrroS.-rher. h,s

u
beer considerable talk about the formation of a
'aOitizens' ticket" for the coming municipal
election, that should unite the Repu bile ais op-
Iosed to what IL called s.the City Hall Ring"
with other opposing elements, for grand COM
bIHstion raid upon the offices TO BE- flIed IN
June that should sweep everything before IL
Ward meetings and caucuses have been held to
that end, snd the enterprise eliminated las
Light by the meeting Of Convection, pres ided
Oyerby DR.. Thomas Miller, and which nomi-
Ea:ed Mr.. John II. Semmes for Collector
Mr. T.. q. EckIof for Register, and
Mr.. William Forsyth for Surveyor
These are gentlemen greatly respected in This
community. and no more competent persons
could well oe selected TO fII the positions for
which they are nominated. sno vet We im lgine
thai the "CIty Hall Ring" must have dra wn a
long breath Of im mmense relief when the result
OF the Citizens Oonyention reached them Hal
the Citizens Convention nominated Lewis
Clephane. A. q. Hall. or some other we'll
known Republican for Collector. aud Repub-
hcan for at least one OF the two other City Hall
ofhces. their opponents would have felt that
there was some work chslked out for them 10
krep the Republican ranks closed up on the 7th
OF june As n rs the Citizens ticket will poll
the democratic vote and nothing more.
We believe IN always having q good strong
opposition In the field, as a wholesome cheek
lpSn any dominant party, but really
a!raId that the Republicans wont feel
enough in dread Of the Citizens ticket TO
pat themselves on their good behavior. Ii
mas been pretty easy 70 see. from the drift
Of the ward meetings and the hands at
the ropes that the machine would get into the
old Democratic jackson Association ruck
There was Dr. Thomas Miller, Frank McNer-
hany. John ID. Clark, Chris. &. CaiIan, and
other bony old democratic war horses, ca
yorting away in well-remembered style, and
smashing the eggs with their clumsy hoofs on
all sides. We advise any future Citizens
Grand ombin alton Troupe designed TO smash
things generally on a broad Republican basis
20 tie hfty-six Founders to the necks OF these
estImsbls old Democratic Bourbons, and try
TO keep them IN their holes.
since writing the above we hear a rumor
OF a possible withdrawal OF Mr.. Semmes In
favor of Mr.. @. A. Hall al Independent can
didats. We don't know that there is anything
IN It. and cannot see that If true it would help
the Citizens ticket greatly at this late hour.
The case of the steamer CoIumbia. formerly
known a the Quaker CITY. bids fair to rival
that Of the Meteor, which, during the Spanish
Chilean Peruvian war. loome1 mp into inter-
national importance. The ColpaJia has been
lying. as we have heretofore stated, in the
harb0r Of New York for about three weeks
past, under the strict surveillance OF the
TEitsd States authorities, and in fact under the
guns OF ore OF the revenue cutters. This
conrse was the result of the efforts of the
Spanish tConsul at New York, who alleged
that the vessel was intended to aid the Cat ban
insurgents. This charge was stoutly denied
by her owners, who maintained that she was
laden with flour and other articles Of food for
Oond Jsde voyage to Kingston, Jamaica.
Whatever may have been the facts in relation
10 the matter, clearance was refused to the
vessel by the Collector of the port OF New York
until Tuesday last when, il is understood, the
British Minister called upon the Secretary of
State and made such representations in req ard
10 the ownership of the vessel, her cargo, pro-
posed voyage. etc, as led Secretary Fish to re-
quest the Secretary 9S the Treasury to with.
draw all objections % her sailing. 1t 10 farther
understood that the latter officer had decided
10 adopt this course, when intelligence was
received at the Department that the steamer
had been seized by q Deputy United States
Marshal, under a monition issued by Jadge
Blztchford, Of the u. ). District C,urt, fer an
alleged violation of the neutrality laws. 10
view Of these facts Secretary Bout we'll de.
CIined to take any farther action IN the prem
.Ses, and ~ Is likely thar the case will no y be
left by Government 70 Judicial determln alton
Tits Of course difficult 10 foretelI what the
rnal result of the case will be; but as IL Is now
fairly and properly the courts, Ii may be
safely assumed that NO International compli.
cs-iors will grow out OF il. unless the libel
should be dismissed. In that event claims for
damages for detention, etc, will undoubtedly
bs set up
Whether the Spanish representatives. are at
the bottom OF the legal proceedings does not as
vet Clearly appear. as the oficiaIs acting in the
matter decline 10 give in detail the specific
grounds for the seizure. II would seem, how
ever, that there must bs a tolerabIy strong
T-ird facie case against the vessel. as th- OBJ
Jet OF the persons who have given the ipfor-
nation which caused the monItion 10 issue for
the vessels seizure Is not only to prevent her
saihDg. but also 10 procure her condemna-
ton. as penalty for violating the neutrality
lavs-the menition being iss ned in a regular
admiralty suit. In which the vessel is duty Ii
beIet, and her condem nation sought for the
cause mentioned.