The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-05-19
LITERARY CHIT-cHAT.

MR. GEORGE w. CURTIS lately sent TO western
lecture committee the amount by which the re-
ceipts fell short OF the expenditures on occasion
OF his lecture. This example OF restitution II
1t should prove contagious, would bankrupt many
of the lecturing fraternity, we fear.
THE LONDON Bee Hue is one OF the cheap penny
papers established for circulation among the work
ing classes, and has reached its thirteenth year OF
prosperity, giving twelve pages OF democracy for
one penny. ~f#.m5
LONDON PAPER publishes the following as
news-'ln America Congress has passed an
amendment TO the constitution, increasing the
salary OF the President to $4,000, those OF the Vice
President, Speaker, Cabinet officers aud judges to
$4,000 and those OF the members OF Congress to
$e,500."
HERR +. JAGoR has published at Berlin a notable
book OF Traves In the Philippine Islands" little
known dependency OF Spain. In some respects his
picture OF the Philippines is fattering. travelling
Is easy and SAFE the inhabitants hospitable and
obliging the authorities courteous and helpful the
beauties Of nature inexnaustible and the facilities
OF collection such that the naturalist can readily
make his trip source OF profit. The relations Of
the Spaniards and the native population are also
excellent, the latter being thoroughly dOmesti-
Gated by their adoption Of the religion and IN some
degree, the manners OF their conquerOrs. On the
other hand, the administration is faulty, corrupt
and overrun with pace-hunters; the industrial re-
sources OF the islands are undevel0ped, pub
lie works neglected, finances embarrassed
worst OF ALL Europeans and natives alike given
up to an incidence which will cost them dear when
exposed to competition with o more vigorous
race. The spanish system OF monopoly and eX-
cluson cannot endure much longer, and upon Its
fall the islands may, we are told, be expected to
pass to the United States.
Tryr nf alc Ind in,
Paris during the past year was 1856; among them
were rs reviews, OF which the Reuue des Deslr
MOndes enjoys the highest amount of popularity,
and no fewer than "a religious journals, OF which
So represent Catholic interests. Among the
Catholic journals may be cited the Echo rom Fstr
0at07y, which processes to publish "the works and
events calculated to eddy the faithful who are de-
voted to the souls imprisoned in the place OF peni
tence, which is, happily but provisional" There
were 90 scientific publications and l21 belonging to
Jurisprudence, public education, political economy
and architecture. The llterary" journals as they
are called in France-those which do not touch
upon politics in any shape-number 50; but Spirit
ualists can only muster three opponents OF the
faith that is In them.
Mr.. JOHN G. SHEA, OF New York. one OF the very
few cultivators OF the aboriginal American tongues
proposes q grammar and dictionary OF the Ian
guage OF the eros ventrcs OF the Missouri. Should
100 subscribers be found for this he viii follow with
m observation-disclosures vocabulary or Seneca
dictionary.
MR. ROBERT GIFFEN having written o pamphlet
on american Railways as Investments" the
London Spectator tells the British public thar 1t Is
their own fault II they swindled, since the
jorlty OF our railways are in sound condition, and
the net income to investors averages over six per
cent on capital. II points out the fact that the
average cost Of American railways per mile is only
E10, 800, against E35, 900 per mile in England, the
land grants being taken into account. Still, it
thinks we are building too many new railway Ines
The LONDON Athealeu1n thus closes review Of
Mr.. and Mrs. Stenhouse's two books on Mormon
ism mo one can be more keenly alive than Brig
ham Is to the absurdty OF pOygamy, now the chief
feature of the Mormon Church, being expressly
prohibited In the book OF Mormon, while 1t can be
defended from the Bible. 1t is strange to find
Shaker celebatsts, Communists, Protestant monog-
amists, Mormon polygamists. all accepting the
Bible; all declaring that their faith ia not merely
that permitted, but that enjoined upon those who
would lead the Bible lie. Marry one, marry many,
marry none, marry ALL each OF these rules is given
to men as that which they must accept"
The Spectator finds in Charles d. Warmers "Saun-
terings" the following qualities :-Cleverness, SUBJ
tlety, humor, refinement freshness and pathos.
But "who reads an American b0ok?"