New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-09-17

The murderer of Capt. Lawrence admitted that ne
assaulted and robbed his victim. but denied any IN
tent to kill. - Gold. 116os, 116a4, 1164. Goid
value of the legal tender dollar at the CLOSE 50 cents
THE WEATHER-Thc Government report predicts
rain followed by cloudy and cooler weather. -
In this city yesterday the day generally cloudy
and in the afternoon rainy; thermometer. 66'. III.
67o
Lieut.. Gov Beach does not seem to have
ANYTHING further to say on the Canals. Not
even Syracuse could inspire him.
An accident at critical moment to one
of TIE TRIBUNE presses this morning
compels us to send out small part OF the
edition without the supplementary sheet.
1t augurs well for religious equality IN Spain
that the Papal NunciO has addressed an AFRO
CANT circular to the Spanish bishops, demand
ing religious prescription and clerical control
of education. BY doing so, he comedies the
progressive character of the new Cabinet and
brings to its support the moral influence of all
enlightened peoples. The Spanish Government
has committed grave faults, but it will atone
for many of them by holding firmly to the
principles of religious liberty.
A politician in conversation with our Wash
ington correspondent sketches a programme
OF the victorious march of the soft
money Democrats in the Presidential cam
paign The trouble with this sort of
prophecy is that it is based upon a series of
assumptions, and if any one of the bricks
drops out, the whole edifce falls. The guilt
bility of the masses on financial questions is
not by any means 50 certain as this forecast
assumes.
The Democratic Convention takes two days
to its work but the main features are already
known. 1t is overwhelmingly on Gov. Tildens
side-the Canal Ring being nowhere. 1t is
explicitly, if not defantly, for hard money. 1t
does not know the John MOrrissey men who
want to reform Tammany again. 1tgives great
prominence to Independent men, and will
strengthen its ticket with them. And, thus
far, it has been business-ike rather than en-
thusiastic.
The announcement that ex-President Theirs
and NJ Gambetta have agreed on common
programme is unexpected, but not unreasona-
BILE. Both statesmen are sincerely devoted 10
the Republic, and both are pOwerless so long
as they remain disun;ted. Nor is it unnatural
that NJ Gambetta, who is shrewd politician
as well as an ardent Republican, should con-
form his policy to that of NJ. Theirs, whose
capacity and patriotism he has always re-
spected. No great changes in French politics
can, however, be expected until the National
Assembly resumes business.
Affairs are becoming graver in Herzegovina
and Servia. 1t is now conceded that in the
event of the insurgents maintaining guerrilla
warfare they cannot be put down before next
Spring. 1t is also admitted that if they con-
tinue in revolt so long Servia will undOubt-
edy be compelled to aid them. In view of
this state of things it would be better for the
Porte to begin carrying out reforms rather
than continue promising them. The consular
conference so far has accomplished nothing,
and is not likely to be of much service either
to Turkey or the insurgents.
A letter concerning the drainage of cities,
which we print to-day sets forth in a very
clear explanation the need of some system OF
sewerage or canals, containing water in mo-
ton, to purify Harlem Flats. The tidal flow
of the waters around our city can, it is sup
posed, by means of gates and reservoirs, be
made to do this work efficiently. This is not
an untried scheme, having been successful at
Washington in partial application. As it
seems simple and feasible, we trust it will be
duly considered the nuisance of the Flats is
so palpable that any plan for permanently
abating it is welcome.
Even the President is slowly learning the
temper of the people on the question of mill
tary intervention by the General Government
in State affairs His dispatch to the Attorney
General which is incorporated in the published
letter of the latter to Gov. Ames truly says
that "the great majority are ready to con-
"demn" any such interference - Whether
"the President and all of us" now view
Southern affairs in the light of the recent cleo
ton, or whether the new Attorney General
has happily "leavened the lump" We need not
consider; it is enough to know that the
policy of the Administration III this matter has
been changed, and that it will not soon be
necessary for the people all over the land to rise
again in indignant protest against such usurpa-
ton of power as was witnessed III New-OrleanS
early in the present year.
In the whole realm of human knowledge
there is only one department that has devel-
oped the power of prophecy to any great ex-
tent Astronomy predicts the movements of
the heavenly bodies with an accuracy that If
needful goes into the fractions OF seconds On
our sixth page we present to-day one of these
glimpses of the future. Prof. Daniel Kirk
! wood of Bloomington, Ind, who by his re-