New-York tribune., 1880-02-08

Mr. Clare SeYell Read, VI. p, who visited TINS
country as a member of the Parliamentary Commls-
sion on Agriculture, spoke so cordially OF America
i'm his address TO his constituents OF which our ca
BILE correspondence gave some account fortnight
ago. that we are especially concerned TO hear Ok the
iucOnyenien which he suffered from our excessive
hospitality. lie complains that when he and his
colleague Mr.. Pell arri, ID at town they were met
by "the mayor, the corporation and all kinds OF
local officers" and compelled to shake hands with
as many as fifty or sixty gentlemen, each Of whom
Immediately placed himself on the footing of per-
sonal acquaintance. "Then procession would be
formed. and brass band would play See. the Con-
duering Hero Comes'' This sort OF trIumphal
progress became so embarrassing TO the two
Englishmen that they found it necessary
10 resort to the unusual cxpedient OF " not her
aiding their approach to a town, bnt to enter it in
the most private manner possible" How TINS dilE-
cult enterprise was accomplished we regret we are
not informed. The thought Of the two members 0r
Parliament going furtiyoly about their excursion,
lodging the brass-bands at the railway stations,
and perhaps carrying their own carpet-bags as a
means of disguise, however amusing 1t may be to
the frivolous, Is mortifyng to the hospitable and
patriotic Certainly If people generally had been
aware of the Iumpus that mayors and all kinds oi
local officers making over the travellers, some
measures would have been devised for putting
stop to the nuisance. It would have been impossi-
ble we suppose to check the oyerzealous reporters
who insisted upon extracting INTERVIEWS" from
Mr.. Read in the middle of the night; but public
opinion might have suppressed the brass-bands.
If there be any spot in New-YOrk which is hstori-
cal and we'll worthy OF monumental decoration it
il Wall Street, and especially that part of 1t now
covered by the United States Treasury, where
George Washington took the oath OF office as first
President OF the United States. 1t is proposed to
erect on the eastern and western buttresses of that
edifce bronze statues OF Washington Robert r.
Livingston, Hamilton and George Clinton-four Of
New-York's. greatest Revolutionary characters
The Chamber of Commerce will hold a special
meeting on the 21st inst, TO take such action as
may be considered necessary in the premises. The
cost Of the worlI-which is to be cOntided TO Wilson
Mcdonald. the sculptor-will not exceed $4,000,
and the sum, under the auspices of the
Chamber, will doubtless be easily raised,
cpecially az the subscribers are to have
their share also of Immortality. Their
names are TO be placed in bronze safc which is
to be opened on the recurrence of each centennial
wear from 17S9 AZ the proposed plan limits the
number of statues to four. we do not know that a
better selection could have been made though it
excludes several great men almost equally worthy
of tho honor But Washington, Livingston, HamIl
ton and Clinton representative names. As we
repeat them we may well say, There were giants
in those days" One need not be an Overweening
lover of the past to say that Ii will be of excellent
moral purport if these statues standing in the CEN
tre of our commercial activity. shall to remind
the eager and busy thrOng that the Republic has
right TO their devotion Mt all times, and TO their
material resources, il they should be needed