davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The New York herald., 1877-02-02
Resumption or speei. Payments.

Resumption or Specie Payments.
The fact that gold dropped yesterday to
104 7-S proves the sagacity and timeliness of
President Grants purpose to send message
to Congress recommending Legislation look
ing to the immediate resumption Of specie
payments. We cannot expect in many
years recurrence of the highly favorable
combination of circumstances which in
vite the country to take now the
final step to a sound currency. The step is
so short that it would be attended with no
pcrceptible disturbance of values. Business
is about to revive, and rs soon as the great
mass of idle laborers find employment there
will be IN enlarged demand for commodi-
ties and consequent improvement in
prices. five resume specie payments be-
fore this advance sets in the rise will be
normal and healthy, and the rehabilitated
business of the country will rest on
q secure foundation. But if we defer
resumption until prices shall have gone up
we cannot resume afterward without inan-
cial shock and shall be in danger of another
panic Prices are now at a very low ebb--
below even the specie level in active and
prosperous times-and are sure to advance,
whether we resume or not. Hereafter we
cannot resume without putting pressure
on the whole community by dimin-
ishing the money value of every mans
property. But if we stake time by
the forelock" and resume now, when we
are Just on the eve of revival of business,
we shall go through the experiment on
rising tide which will float US over obstacles
on which we might otherwise run aground.
With gold so low as it is at present we shall
hardly feel the effect Of resumption If &C
complished at time when all the prospects
of trade tend to carry prices upward. We
must take the step at some time, and no
future time is likely to be so propitious as
the present
The state Of our foreign exchanges is as
favorable to immediate action as are the
condition and prospects of our domestic
trade. Our exports of commodities have for
some time exceeded our imports, and we
are actually importing large sums of gold,
although this is one of the great gold pro-
ducine countries Of the world. In this
condition of things there is no
danger Of o drain Of gold out of
the country, and we may boldly resume
without risk of miscarriage. There need be
no fear of contraction, for the banks will
issue oil the currency for which they can
find employment when q small part Of the
green backs is withdrawn by funding We
are glad that President Grant recognizes
and appreciates this great opportunity and
intends to press it on the attention of Con-
press
The New York herald., 1877-02-02
Rapid Transit and the aldermen.

The President of the Board of Aldermen
yesterday introduced resolutions into that
body setting forth the necessity of rapid
transit, and directing the Mayor to ascertain
the practicability Of enlisting private
enterprise in the solution of the rapid
transit problem by utilizing the tun-
nels above and below the Grand Gen.
trail Depot. The Aldermen have nothing
whatever to do with the initiation of pro-
ceedings for the construction Of steam rail-
way through the city. The law of 1875 pro-
vides that whenever the application Of fifty
reputable householders and taxpayers
of city, verified upon oath before
Supreme Court Judge, making it ap-
pear that there is need of such a
road, shall be made to the Mayor
that official shall appoint five commission
crs, whose duties the law then proceeds to
define. Mr.. Purroy's resolutions are there
fore entirely useless, and should not in any
degree discourage the efforts now being
made to give the city real rapid transit by
meaps of the proposed Elevated Railway. The
Board of Aldermen has no more power, au-
thority or influence in the matter than the
Board of Education. The Elevated Railway
has the full right under tho law to construct
the much needed road and the road will no
doubt be built despite the opposition of the
horse-car companies or the opinions of the
Aldermen.
The New York herald., 1877-02-02
Arricultural Prospects.

The farmer looks forward to the season Of
spring MS that which must brighten or
darl,en his prospects Of q favorable harvest.
The operations of agriculture are SO varied,
and depend so much on conditions of the
weather, that anxiety regarding the planting
season is always justiiable. The passing
winter is being regarded rs exceptionally
severe by those not engaged in farming.
Intense cold, heavy SHOWS and rains, de-
structive floods and violent gales, have
marked its progress and lent to its history
a very sad interest in view of the loss of life
along the coast and the devastation caused
on the Ohio and other rivers. The season
has presented to meteorologists one of those
instances of sudden and extraordinary
compensations by which nature adjusts
the atmospheric equilibrium which has
been subjected to o series of disturb
ances through several years The ex-
trenie warmth of last summer resulted in
many evils to tho farming class. In the
West the growing crops were injured by pro-
loprcd periods OF drought or were cut down
by the voracious swarms of grasshoppers,
which divested some extensive districts OF
every trace of vegetation. The potato bug
extended the area Of it's destructive opera.
tions from the Rocky Mountains to Cape
Cod. The various crops suffered in theiI
several districts from an excess and want
of moisture, and the whole agricultural in
terests of the country felt the stagnation o
business caused by our political uncertain
The New York herald., 1877-02-02

sional committees of investigation will also
be submitted. The members of the
commission will therefore have to go
through great mass of wearisome reading.
and their private consultations are likely to
occupy great deal more time than their pub
lie sessions. If when the Florida decision
is reached it should prove favorable to Til
den there will be but feeble contest over
the other disputed States, since no possible
decision respecting them could then affect
the certainty of the general result There
will be no interest in deciding moot points
after the great practical question is free
from doubt because the constitution will
undoubtedly be amended before another
Presidential election.
The New York herald., 1877-02-02
ties and the difficulties that arose out Of the

ties and the difficulties that arose out OF the
question of cheap transportation.
Now. however, more cheering prospect
presents ITSELF for, after the severe winter.
we are pretty certain to enjoy fine spring
season, extremely favorable for farming op-
erations. The heavy SHOWS have brought
to the soil important chemical additions
which cannot fail to increase its fertility.
1t has also blanketed the face of the country
eastward of the Mississippi with good
non-conducting covsrirg. by which radia-
ton of heat has been checked and vegeta-
ton consequently protected from the de-
structive effects Of the intense cold. The
larvm of the grasshopper and potato bug have
been probably destroyed in the regions
Although q paragraph is being extensively
copied from Western paper to the effect
that an experimental thawing of some masses
of earth has proved that the grasshopper
eggs have not been destroyed by the recent
severe cold, no unfavorable deductions can
cause the conditions of the alleged test were
peculiar to it and will not attend the natu-
raj and very gradual thawing out of the soil
during the coming spring 1t is possible
that some region thickly covered with
snow may develop q grasshopper crop.
but the great area Of the North
west and West has not been so
covered during this winter. Our
political doubts are on the eve Of being dis
sipated by constitutional means, and there
con be no question about the early settle
ment of the transportation problem on a
basis satisfactory to all parties interested.
With these cheering considerations before
us we look forward to renewed activity in
the fields, which will be rewarded with
abundant harvests when the year grows
older.
The New York herald., 1877-02-02

short notice, regardless Of whose pet It
might be- They should in like manner
welcome the wandering little Spitz demon
wherever he may be found, with ready
hands, to. the first available hospitable
grave If people love such pets lot them
keep them in their own arms Then If the
darlings bite anybody we shall only have
fewer simpletons in the world. The popular
cry should be ''War to the knife on the
swapping Spitz."
The New York herald., 1877-02-02

A LUSATIc murdered his aged mother yestcr-
day ON Staten Island and tried to kill his sister.
natural repugnance to lunatic asylnms has
thus led to terrible tragedy. Tho care of
persons Of unsound mind should not he assumed
by relatives, for danger is then always lurking
about the house. We have had two or three
proofs Of this fact within as many weeks.
The New York herald., 1877-02-02

WALL STREET YEsTERDAy.-Money was III
ample supply on call loans at 3 and 4 per cent.
Gold declined from 1O514 to 1O47s and closed
at los. Coal shares were the subjects. of active
speculation and fuctuated sharply. The rest of
the market was also fcverish and irregular.
Government and railway bonds were generally
steady. The public debt statement shows de-
crease during January of S., ,O69, 900.
The New York herald., 1877-02-02
Dock Improvement and Terminal Fa-
cilities.

The representatives of the commerce of
the city, who have undertaken to discuss
and agitate the question Of dock improve
ments and other subjects affecting the busi-
ness interests of the city, held an interest
ing adjourned meeting at the Chamber OF
Commerce yesterday. committee ap-
pointed at former meeting to consider the
important question of terminal facilities
made a report which will be found pub
lished elsewhere. The serious drawback on
the progress and prosperity of the me-
tropolis is we'll known to be the
difficulty of moving and the expense
of handling freight after it arrives
at the railroad depots on its transit
to the docks for shipment. This is in
great measure consequent on the shape of
the city, the railroads being compelled to
terminate at some distance from the lower
and at present mostly used docks. In other
cities freight can be carried on the railroad
cars to the door of the warehouse and the
side of the ship, but this has up to the
present time been impracticable in New
York. Transshipment has been necessary,
and the means of transporting freight from
the cars to the docks and to the business
centre have been entirely inadequate.
One plain remedy suggests ITSELF AS we
cannot bring trains of cars through the
heart of the city we must endeavor to bring
them along the water line, close by the
rivers which hold us in their arms. This,
with the improvement of dock facilities in
the upper part of the city, and clear, nav
igable passageway from river to river
through the improved Harlem River and
Spuyten Duyvil or Shermans Creek, will in
future years make us masters of the situation
and give us facilities which cannot be sur
passed. But we want Immediate relief. and,
recognizing this, the committee proposes
the rapid completion Of the bulkhead lines
by the use of wooden cribs and the widen
ing of the river streets, SO as to allow double
track freight lines all around the city. The
committee condemn the construction of
stone bulkhead, on the alleged ground Of
excessive expense and great delay.
In this, however, they are in error.
Because the dock improvements have
been going on slowly and expensively
it does not follow that stone bulkheads, un-
der proper management, cannot be rapidly
and reasonably constructed. Competent
authorities have declared that under con-
tract, with careful and strict supervision,
stone bulkhead wall can be built at the rate
of one mile year. There is no reason why
three or four contracts cannot be carried on
in different parts Of the line at the same
time, thus completing three or four miles
in year. 1t is estimated that the
stone wall might be built by contract for
about two hundred dollars per lineal foot.
These are matters that should be carefully
looked into by committee SO respectable as
that engaged in the movement. Let us
have the required improvements as rapidly
as possible, but do not let us, through mis-
taken ideas of speed or economy, commit
ourselves to plans that would be inefficient
or undesirable in the end.
The New York herald., 1877-02-02

No DEFINITE Result seems to have been
attained by the investigation into the conduct of
the Third District Court House Commissioners,
for the committee yesterday submitted two
iicting reports. The majority report, however,
il somewhat against the Commissioners, but is
not strong enough to have any value.
The New York herald., 1877-02-02
NEW Y0RR, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1877.
NOTICE TO COUNTRY DEALERS.

The Adams Express Company run special news
paper train the Pennsylvania Railroad and its
connections, leaving Jersey City at quarter past four
A. N. daily and Sunday, carrying the regular edition
OF the HERALD far West Harrisburg and South to
Washington, reaching Philadelphia at quarcr-past
six A. NJ. and Washington at P. N.
The New York herald., 1877-02-02

ANOTHER LEAF from the Campo romance is
given in our law reports today. 1t is the story
Of wedding and its attendant expense. This
Campo story is far stranger than fiction.
The New York herald., 1877-02-02

1T Is SEAsoNABLE to find two defendants in
court named Snow, but if all that is charged
against them be true the sooner they melt and
disappear tho better. The is remarka.
bic one and shows how dishonest business men
can be if 40 minded.
The New York herald., 1877-02-02

JAMAICA, Long Island, is getting to be rs hot
as it's namesake in the West Indies The citizens
threaten to secede from Queens county, thereby
setting the West Indians a bad example.
The New York herald., 1877-02-02

UsunY LAws.-At the monthly meeting of the
Chamber of Commerce yesterday Congress was
petitioned for the establishment of a Department
of Commerce, and the bill repeating the usury
laws was indOrsed.
The New York herald., 1877-02-02

EVERY CULvERT in the city should be opened
at once by the Street Cleaning Department.
Surely there is money enough for that.
The New York herald., 1877-02-02

A Convict in the Illinois Penitentary has con-
fessed his guilt of murder committed eight
years ago. "But conscience doth make towards
Of us ALL" In this case an innocent man mar
rowly ESCAPED the calows
The New York herald., 1877-02-02

TRADING HORSES is q risky business, as Will
lam Booth, now in prison, finds to his COST He
asked for u discharge yesterday, but Judge DAILY
refused, believing, as he does, in honest swap
The New York herald., 1877-02-02

STREET CLEANIsG.--Strcct cleaning costs q
great deal of money in New York without giving
us clean streets. Yet VIC have made scarcely an
effort to make the refuse of tho streets either
useful or profitable, they do elsewhere Al
derman Morris proposes to utilize the ashes in
filing up the narshy grounds of the East River
This is ut least little step in the right direction
The New York herald., 1877-02-02

From our reports this morning The probabilities
are that the scecUcr in Ncp York today sciu be
por7n and partly cloudy or hay, possibly witA
nlo7.ai7l and ereui7,u fOQs.
The New York herald., 1877-02-02

HousEHoLDERs should clean their cutters, now
that thaw is in progress.
The New York herald., 1877-02-02

The WEATHER. tho depression in the lake
region moved eastward yesterday the attendant
area of precipitation of rain, slcet and snow ex-
tended over the Middle and Eastern States and
the British provinces. The winds were high
along the southern shores of Lakes Erie and
Ontario, INT at other points were moderate to
brisk. Fogs prevailed on the Middle Atlantic
coast. in the Lower Missouri and Ohio valleys
and In the Eastern Gulf and South Atlantic coasts
and light rain fell in Texas. The highest press
IRE Is still in Georgia and the lowest in Nova
Scotia Throughout the West, and, indeed, over
the entire region east of tho Rocky Mountains,
the temperature continues high for this season.
The ice movements which we predicted for the
Upper mississippi and the Missouri River have al
ready commenced. but the disturbances have been
rs yet only moderate Tho weather on the
Pacific coast continues rainy and threatening.
and depression has commenced its progress
eastward toward the divide and will soon mani
feet itself in the region west of tho Missouri.
The Ohio River and portion of the Lower Mis-
sissiupi have fallen dccidcdly-a fact that In
rreaaas confidence in view of tho probable early
"break-upr on the upper rivers. The weather IN
New York to-day promises to be warm and partly
cloudy or hazy, possibly with morning and even
- Eeos
The New York herald., 1877-02-02
ADJUSTMENTS TONIGHT.

ACADEMY OF MUSIC-THs FLyiSc DuTcnxAS.
GERMANIA THEATRE-To THE Moos
PARK TIIEATRE.-OuR BOARDING. HOUSE,
FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE.-LExoss
wALLACK'S THEATRE.-ALL FOR IIsR
BROADWAY THEATRE.--UScLs Tons cAsix
UNION SQUARE THEATRE.-Mrss MurroS-
HELLER'S THEATRE-PEssrIprcirArIo
NIBLO'S GARDEN.-ARouSD THE WORLD
BRoOKLyN AcADEMy.-TH Foo.'s REVENGE
GTLMORE'S GARDEN.--,iRASp EorEsrRiAs FESTIVAL
OLYMPIC THEATRE-Tnk Bio bonanza
BOwERY THEATRE-Tnr Two onrHAsS
GRAND OPERA uOUsE.-DIvoIcx
THEATRE CoMIQUE-yAnIrTr.
NEW YORK AQUARIUM
PARTISAN SKATING DAILY, BROOKLYN RINK
TONY PASTORS THEATRE. --yAxIxrr
rivOLI THEArRE--vAEIEry
THIRD AVENUE THEATRE.-vAnxrr
SAN FRANCISCO MINsTRELs.
KELLY & Icons MINsTRELs
EAGLE THEArRE,-AlxgT.
EGYPTIAN HALL-sEssAroSAL VARIETY.
PARTISAN VARIETIES
COLUMBIA OPERA HOUsE.--vARirrY.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-10-20
POLITICAL NOTES.

1be main burden of the Republican party az pre-
sent At ems be excess of PRESIDENTIAL canuidats
When the subsidy and the imitation questions drop
unop the harmonious Democracy III Congress, tho
Marty viii discover q cloud or two IN tho political
he's IONS, with faint limitations oi cyclone Dy
1859.
Mr. We,ls,,mis.i,.g Free Trade tidal wave has been
heard from at last l. has struck Congress 80
heavily that several able members are badly
etunnca They don't really know what they want
Int they think Free Trade wCild bo an uncommon
cood thing for everybody except themselves. Ii
tbeir s'deestrcts" can have Protection, they are
wiling tho rest of the country should have Free
Trade.
The Hon Samuel L. Hunt. of Cincinnati. has that
rather unusual quality in Democrat-a large
amount of common sense. He tells tho jubilant
brethren i'm Ohio that "we must be prudent in We
tory and prove our sincerity by following profess
sions of reform with wise and just legislation
Does Mr.. Hunt think tho hungry Democracy can
perform mlraclcSf
The Virginia readjusters have succeeded in find
ing a candidate for Lieutenant Governor to run
against the 600 honest General Walker. The name
Of the new man is Colonel Robert A. Richardson.
and he is speaking from the same platform with
General Walker Judging by the applause, the re-
adjusting gentleman gets closer To the hearts of the
people and Is liable to receive a good many votes.
Governor Nichols. of louisiana has been in
Chicago warmly praising the Presidents policy. and
predicting the gradual obliteraon Of the color line
in politics He anticipates no trouble hereafter be-
tween the races in his state. Ii is noticeable that
neither Packard nor any other member of the old
governing clique is able to discover any troubles
there now. A good thrilling outrage would be a
boon 10 them, but nothing of the kind appears and
the fact that IL does not appear Is sufficient evidence
that IT does not exist.
The Democratic editor in Georgia is Mortified ut
tho prospect of independent movements in various
parts VI tho State organized for the purpose of
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-10-20

have been reading them at this mo-
ment; cots would have been brought Ill
even Mr.. John A. Foley could hardly have
kept awake to the end OF them to get III ms
additional amendments; indeed, it Is quite
doubtful if the convention would have got
through with the platform in time to go to
tbe polls and vote for the candidates. Con-
slider. too. the fearful risk the convention ran
as it WAS. Suppose some mschieVous peISo"
had sprung up Immediately after the leadihg
was finished and before the delegates were
fairly awake, and had moved that the qneS-
ton on the adoption OF the resolutions DO
taken separately, and had carried the MOTION.
WHY. that convention would have been Obliged
to STAY there until the whole aspect OF poll
tics had changed before they finished up the
plotform. And then, of course, there would
have been 10 need of a platform. 1t was q
very great risk. =.
Let lis make up our minds to one thing III
there's any virtue III resolutions, Iammany VIII
WIN this fight. There's no use in any party's
entering into competition with it in that re-
gard. A party that loads up to the muzzlc
with twcnty-f0ur resolutions, of all sizes ana
descriptions, and then claps three more on top
of them to make sure. means business beyond
question. Here are resolutions enough Tor
three or four ordinary campaigns fired oil at
one discharge by county convention IN an
oil-year. Nobody has read them, OF course
OF course nobody will. 1t is not expected.
Having been once read and printed, 1t is only
necessary now to point at them, and for those
who can't read, to point at them with PRIDE.
The only emergency we can imagine III Which
il would be necessary even to begin inc read-
ing of them, would be in case of riot Let
any man get up in riotous assemblage,
and begin with "Gentlemen, | desire to
4" read the resolutions of the Tammany County
Convention on this subject" he would have
the crowd dispersed with their thumbs IN
their ears in less than thirty seconds by the
watch. They couldn't stand it. And then the
Board of Aldermen would say, Just look at
1.-THE moral power OF Tammany in preserving
"tho public peace. You couldn't do that WIN
"no riot act.r 1t occurs to us just here that
there IS one other use to which the resolutions
might be put PuIroy might take copy oil
them around with him, and when he feels IN
spired to break delegates jaw, make HIM
read the resolutions instead; though 1t is more
than likely that the average delegate would
prefer to have his jaw broken