THE PROCESS OF PURIFICATION.

Waikato Times, Volume III, Issue 139, 29 March 1873, Page 3

THE PROCESS OF PURIFICATION.

I The "process of purification" m the city of New York is i the subject of the following remark, by the San Frvic'ico News-Letter. — "There lia* boon .in odiftl.il c of social .illairj at the East for a few jears past. James Fisk and Win. M. Tweed owned the Legislature of the Sf.tto of New York; they caused laws to be rii.utud winch on lblod flic iirat-named to rob foreign railroad shareholders of fort} millions of dollars. The latter, with three confederates, deliberately stole sixteen millions of dollars from (he public treasury of Now York city. After the larceny hart been proven, Tweed received 12,000 rotes in his senatonnl district, and was re-elerled to the Stato Senate, in which lie durcd not on or to take his seat. He retained ownership of 25,000 rotes in the city of New York, which lie caused this week to be cast for James OBrien, for Mayor of that city, and General Grant, for the Presidency of the United States. Fisk and Tweed owned Judges Barnard and Cardo/o, of the Slate Supreme Court, M'Ounn and Bedford, of the City Courts, and the district attorney, Garvin. By their aid they administered the civil and criminal judicial system of the city. They convicted whom they would convict, shielded whom they would shield, and robbed whomsoever they -would rob. They drove the officers of the Union Pacific Railroad away from New York to escape robbery. Fisk kept an open seraglio at the Grand Opera House, whore women were maintained and apportioned to his judges. Confederated with him were Gould, Smith, Drew, and others, who continued to stand as they do today in high business credit, and even as pillars 01 tbe'ehurch. Two women of avowedly unchaste character opened a broker's shop and printed a weekly publication, monstrous in its obscenity and blasphemy. By it they levied blackmatl openly and notoriously. The sociil system, in its public aspects, was become 5 very Augean stable of brazen vice and intrenched corruption. Society has reached a stage when it could no longer go on without a ronovntion of its machinery. This process of renovation lias been in progress, and the arrest of Wood, Clalhn, aud Andrews, ia 0110 of its healthier signs. Fir9t, the political control of the Tweed ring was broken m the city. The individual mombers, it is true, got away with their stealings unpunished, but the administration of affairs was taken out of their bands. Fisk died a natural death. The Grand Opera harem was broken up. Barnard, C'ardoza, M'Cunn, and Bedford were got off the bench, and tke administration of the law purified. It is true that a political exigency came near to put OBrien in the place of Hall as Mayor, and the significant tact remains votes 25,000 ballots in a total poll of 100,000. They are in his hand for sale as merchandise, but it is something that ho has been cheated by his purchasers, and now the end appears to bo truly approaching m the arrest and breaking up of the "Woodhull-C'laun Company.

During the heaving of a case in the Court of Exchequer, the judge asked a witness— How soon do people drink in your part of the country — at what age ? Sergeant Armstrong — I can answer that — as soon as they are able to suck. (Laughter). The witness— At all ages, my lord. His Lordship — That is just what I am afraid of; ho says they begin at all age 3. Sergeant Armstrong — Oh, yes, my lord, I know a part of this country where the day a child 13 born the people bleed it in the feet, nnd impart a glass of whiskey. Tun E^stekx QuEbTiox am) Tni: Will of Pkckrthe Grkvt.— A copy of the will of Peter the Cheat (sujs the Bristol Jlercun/) has lately been printed by one of our weekly contemporaries. In it tho Kussian monarch points out tho course to bo pursued by his successors for the extension of the Kussian Empire and the subjugation of Europe. Nothing could have been more fortunate for a clear understanding of the proscnb crisis in tho Eastern question. That will throw a broad glare of light on the audacious conduct of the present Emperor of Eussia. It plucks asido the flimsy veil with which his pretensions are covered, and sets before us in their true colours the real grounds on which he has acted. After a careful perusal of it, it appears rery ovident that he is endeavouring to carry out the designs of his groat predecessor. A few of the paragraphs are worth re-printmg at this juncture. In clause nine he says : "Do all in your power to approach closely Constantinople and India. Remember that he who rules over these countries is the real sovereign of the world. Keep up continued wars with Turkey and Persia. Ertablish dockyards in the Red Sea. Gradually obtain command of this seu as well as of the Baltic." In clause ten he »ays : " Carefully seek the alliance of Austria. Make her believe that you will second her in her projects for dominion over Germany, and secondly stir up tho jealousy of other princes against her, and manage so that each be "disposed to claim the assistance of Russia, aud exercise over each a sort of protection, which will lead the way to future dominion over them." These two clauses need no comment. In clause la he says: "Above all, recall around you tho schismatic Greeks who arc spread over Hungary aud Poland ; become their centres and support; hold universal dominion over them by a kind of sacerdotal rule ; by this you will ha^ c many friends among your enemies." With such instructions to j ojterity, it i« useless to *ffect ignorance as to the fixed present and ulterior designs of Russia upon Turkey. They point unquestionably to dismemberment and appropriation. New York Ladies.— A New York letter to the St. Louis Globe says: — "The number of ladies driving their own turn-outs through the park is constantly increasing. At oue time ladies driving without a gentleman made themselves the subject of remark, but now it is the nobby thing to do. They drive either in pheatons or buggies, and sometimes iv light English waggons, with a liveried John Thomas perched placidly on the backseat. ?orae of the ladies handle the reins with great skill, while others, again, pull and saw at their horse's mouth until the poor beast is nearly distracted. This class, lam happy to say, form a small minority. New York girls, as a general thing, are used to " driving," and managing a horse is nothing for their dashing ideas of things. Many of them could guide a locomotive without a thought of fear as concerning the speed. I must confess to a weakness for New York girls. They can paddle their own canoe if their is any necessity for it, or bo just as dainty and frightened at a ripple on the \rater as though they dicl^not know a boat-hook from a Jew's-harp. They suit themselves to circumstances. You meet them on Broadway in the morning, or m the avenue in the afternoon, and view their elegant clothes and stylish ways with envy, wishing you had been bom richer than handsome. But, bless your simplicity, many of them would be proud of your wealth. The only difference is they know how to make the most of the least. They turn and return their old silks, Btrap a Russian leather belt around their waißt, dangle a portemonnaie on one side of it and a silk umbrella on the otner, put on a hae made of two feathers and a bit of lace, which in their experienced fingers get just the desired expression, draw on their three-buttoned dollar gloves, hold their heads up, take long steps, and walk up town, looking as though they only wanted a chance to turn over a million or so to some less fortunate person. These are the majority. The wealthy minority have not a bit more style, or could not order a lunch at Delmonico's with a more blest' air. They have not time to read much ; what with making their clothing and promenading and going to the theatre, their time is pretty well occupied. However, they manage to know a little of most everything ; they observe a great deal, think quickly, and have a very know- i ing way of talking " "Man wants little here below, nor wants that little long," is a libel — man wants everything he can hoc, or hear ov, and never is willing to let go of hiz grab. Whenever yu find n man who is thoroughly satisfied with what he haz got, yu will find either an idoot, or one who has tried hard to got more, aud couldn't do it. The older a man grows, tho nioro wautful he becomes ; as hi 7 hold on lifo aluckens, hi^ pinch on a dollar grows grippy. — Josh Billings. At a meeting of the Glasgow Presbytery on° December 4th, it was announced that it is proposed by Mr J. H. Houldsworth to endow the Barony Chapel ; by Mr James Baird, o-f Cambusdoon, to endow Eluevalo Church j and by Mr Alexander Whitelaw, to endow Kclvmhaugh Church — all as memorial churches — m honor of the late Dr Norman McLeod. Poirrny. — Barber ; «• No offence, sir, I hope, but us it ever struck you as a bald 'ed is like the better world ? Customer (curtlj-): "No!" Barber: " Well, sir (I thought of it myself), it's a bright and shiny place, you see, sir, where there's no parting !" (Customer smiles painfully). A dyspeptic aud melancholy young professional man once bewailed Ins prospects to a friend, and said " he didn't sco how he should ever get through tho world." " Did jou ever know any one stop on the way'" was the graro and consoling reply. " Does the Court understand yon to say that you saw the editor intoxicated ? " " Not at nil ; only I have *een him— so — so — flurried 111 his mind as to attempt to cut out copy with the snuffers, that's all." An old lady being called into court ns a witness, got Texed w ith the lawyer, and declared, "If you don't stop nsking questions, I'll leave. l " and then added, "You're the most inquisitive man I ever saw 111 all the days of my life." Peter Macnally, a lame man, wanted to be enrolled in a volunteer corps. " You'd never do, Peter," snid tho officer to ! whom he applied for admission ; " the more wo told you to inarch, the more you'd halt." An American traveller lately, describing a tropical shower, wrote to a friend in the following words :—": — " The ram-drops were exceedingly large, varying in bi/c from a shilling to eighteenpence " The more seldom a barristor g< ts a chance to plead tho longer he talks when he does get one. lie is (lie lorn brief the more ho is briefless.