Editor's Table [pp. 345-352]

THE RECORD.- C0ONTEYPORARY PORTRAITS.
.. According to Mr. Hazard, who accom panied the expedition sent out by our Govern ment, Santo Domingo has a population of only
one hundred and fifty thousand at the present
time, though it is easily able to support a mill ion. It had this number of natives when Co lumbus first landed in 1493, but, incredible as
it may seem, these had dwindled down to six
hundred in 1533, and the race is now extinct.
Negroes were first imported in 1511, yet in 1586
there were only fourteen thousand inhabitants
all told.
.. One of the Paris journals, L'Ordre,
speaking of the strange destiny of the sov ereigns who have ruled France during one
brief century, says: " With the exception of
Louis XVIII., not one of our monarchs has
ended his life tranquilly in the Tuileries. Louis
XVI. guillotined-La Place de la Revolution.
Napoleon I. died in exile-St. Helena. Napo leon II. died in exile-Reicllstadt. Charles X.
died in exile-Holyrood. Louis Philippe died
in exile-Claremont. Napoleon III. died in
exile-Chiselhurst. "
.. The Pall Zall Gazette, discussing "Men
and Women," comes to the conclusion that if
Nature had not forced them to love each other,
willy-nilly, and given them the bribe of chil dren, it is doubtful whether they would have
had any mutual liking: " The sexes are a par tial failure, and, somehow, has arisen an enor mous exaggeration of their liking for one an other. Looked at calmly, the interest which
each has for the other is wofully lacking in
versatility; it is alike monotonous and small
-mere love, in fact."
. Colonel Johnson, the new chief of police
at Louisville, Ky., seems to have hit upon a
really efficient method of shutting up gam bling-houses. He stations a policeman at the
entrances and exits of each den, with strict
orders to take down the names of each and
every person entering the same, and file the
list at head - quarters. Varioius attempts at
evasion were made,'some of the blacklegs be taking themselves to hotels and private houses,
and with extreme caution resuming their ne farious craft; but Colonel Johnson had laid
his plans well, and almost immediately the
policeman made his appearance and stationed
himself at the door, note-book in hand. This
is a business which can flourish only in secre cy, and the gamblers are seeking those more
congenial places where the police authorities
are of the customary ignorance and incapacity.
. The following list comprises all the Ger man fortresses: the Rhine fortresses are, We sel, Cologne with Dentz, Coblentz with Eh renbreitstein, Mayence, Germersheim, Rastadt,
Strasbourg, and New-Breisach. Those in ad vance of the Rhine are, Metz, Thionville, Sear louis, and Bitsch. Near the eastern frontier
are, KOnigsberg, Feste-Boyera (or Lotzeni, now
constructing), Graudenz, Thorn, Posen and
Glogau. On the side of Austria are, Cosel,
Neisse, Glatz, and Konigstein. On the Baltic
coast are, Memel, Pillau Dantzic, Colberg,
Stettin, Swinemunde, Stralsund, Friedrichsort,
and the works at Kiel Harbor and Sonderburg Duppel. On the North,Sea, Wilhelmshaven,
and the works at Cuxhaven and Geestemunde.
The internal fortresses are, Custrin and Span dan, east of the Elbe; Torgau, Wittenburg, and
Magdeburg, on the Elbe; Erfurt and Minden,
between the Elbe and the Rhine; and Ulm
and Ingoldstadt, on the Danube. One would
think that with these, and her army of a million and a half of trained soldiers, Germany
would be invulnerable; but Prince Bismarck
has just asked for forty-five million thalers for
additional fortifications.
.t. The growth of life insurance is one of
the amazing social facts of the time; but vast
as this business has become, it is probably only
in its infancy. It is literally certain that in the
near future everybody will as naturally insure
his life as now he eats his breakfast. Meanwhile, it is interesting to watch the growth of
this business as exemplified in the returns of
some of the larger companies. The last annual
report (28th) of the New-York Life Insurance
Company gives us some suggestive figures.
We find the net cash assets of this old and
well-managed company to be over twenty million dollars; that, against an income during the
year of seven and a half million dollars, the
losses and disbursements were only about
four million and a half. This is an excellent
statement. A yearly gain of about three mill ion dollars to its line of assets not only grounds
the company as the rocks, secure azainst all
shipwreck, but gives promise of a brilliant and
a marvellous future.
A WEEKLY RETROSPECT OF EVENTS.
EBRUARY 15.-Illumination and public
lrejoicings at Madrid and Saragossa at the
establishing of the republic. The Assembly
grant amnesty to all republicaninsurgents and
offenders against the press-laws. Government
steamer dispatched to Minorca to bring home
republican prisoners. The republican leaders
pronounce against Cuban independence. Se for Montemar, Spanish minister to Italy, re signs.
The Geneva award bill passes the House.
Judge Davis grants a stay of proceedings
and a writ of error in the case of Edward S.
Stokes, sentenced to be hanged for the murder
of Fisk.
Steamer Henry A. Jones burned off Galves ton, Texas, and twenty-one perish.
FEBRUARY 16.-Intelligence that Don Car los entered Spain 13th inst., and that the Car lists are active in his behalf. Carlists attack
Tafalla, in Navarre, but art repulsed. Barce lona hoists the republican flag. The Andalu sian peasants clamor for communism. The
authorities of Havana send in their adherence
to the republic.
Essad Paclha, late Turkish Minister of War,
appointed grand-vizier.
Intelligence that the Mexican garrison at
Fort Cos-a-mala, numbering two hundred, de serted 13th inst., on account of arrears of pay.
Advices from Japan of political disturb ances and serious outbreaks in the Owake Keri-Kiusiu district, in which forty thousand
men destroy the village of Funio, level the
houses of officials, and kill several. Numer ous wrecks reported in the China Sea.
Death of Caroline Chesebro, well-known
author. Death of Robert Emmet, son of
Thomas Addis Emmet, aged eighty years.
FEBRUARY 17.-The Committee on Religious
Corporations in the Italian Parliament decide
to abolish the houses of the chief religious or
ders, but to provide for the support of their
Superiors, and their indemnification for loss
of property.
General Pavia issues a proclamation of am nesty to insurgents in the Basque provinces
and Navarre who lay down their arms. Offi cial intelligence of the defeat of a strong band
of Carlists near Burgos. Brigadier-General
Gracera appointed military governor of Madrid.
A majority of the Conservative generals assure
the government of their allegiance to the re public.
The Pontifical Bishop Mermillod is exiled
from Switzerland for insisting upon exercising
his clerical functions despite the prohibition
of the authorities.
The Senate passes the N'aval Appropriation
Bill. The House grants sixty-five thousand
dollars for the College of William and Mary at
Williamsburg, Va., and incorporates the America and East India Telegraph Company. The
Agricultural College Bill also passed. The
Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections
report Alexander Caldwell not legally elected
as senator from Kansas, but exonerate him
fiom blame for bribery, as a novice in politics.
The Monongahela rises at Pittsburg, causing damage to boats and barges. Two steamers and fourteen barges sunk, and two lives
lost.
New planet discovered by Dr. Peters, of
Clinton, W. Y.; eleventh magnitude.
FEBRUARY 18.-Explosion in a coal-mine at
Staffordshire, England; twenty miners killed.
The Poland Credit - Mobiler Committee
submit their report to the House, recommending the expulsion of James Brooks and Oakes
Ames, and censuring others.
Railroad accident near Philadelphia; one
man killed, one injured. Collision on the
Hudson River Railroad; one killed, several
wounded.
The Senate Committee on Privileges and
Elections decide that there is no State govern ment in Louisiana, and that neither John Ray
nor W. L. McMillan is entitled to a seat in the
Senate.
FEBRUARY 19.-Leading conservatives in the
Spanish Cortes decide not to oppose the pro visional government, but to press for the dis solution of the Assembly, and the convocation
of a constituent Cortes. Band of Carlists in
the forest of Villavelli, in Catalonia, defeated
and dispersed. An attempt to create a mutiny
in the garrison at New Castile in favor of Don
Carlos fails, the troops indorsing the repub lic. Republican prisoners set free by the am nesty arrive at Barcelona from Port Mahon,
and are received by enthusiastic crowds.
Railroad accident near Plumer's Station,
Ark.; twenty persons injured, one killed.
Death of A. W. Fenno, actor, well known
in dramatic and literary circles, aged fifty nine.
FEBRUARY 20.-The authorities at Barcelona
take no action toward recognizing the Spanish
Republic, but revolutionary committees pro claim it, and threaten those not accepting it.
The people refuse to pay the octroi duties, and
goods enter free. City divided, and the statue
of Washington displaced from the facade of
the Town Hall. Families leave Madrid, antici pating disturbances.
In the House, motion of Fernando Wood
that the Committee on Judiciary report articles
of impeachment against Vice-President Colfax
if the Crddit-Mobilier testimony warrant it,
lost, but resolution adopted that any officer of
the government implicated be impeached.
Speaker Parsons and Representative Wil liams, of the Alabama Legislature, arrested on
charge of conspiring to prevent the election of
a United States Senator.
Captain fierrett shot and killed at Little
Rock, and Sheriff Dodson shot at Perry's Sta tion, Ark., both by unknown persons.
FEBRUAR.Y 21.-Dispatch that a cafj at
Smyrna, located on the shore, having been
undermined by the tides, was suddenly swal lowed up by the waves, and nearly two hun dred persons drowned.
Intelligence that the Persians had been
checked in encroachments upon Beloochistain.
Fresh insurrections reported in the Basque
provinces, Spain.
Intelligence that Dominican revolutionary
generals have called the people to arms to
oppose the cession of Samana, and that Baez
had sent troops to quell expected rising at
Puerto Plata.
Destructive fires at St. Petersburg, Ohio,
and at Bridgeport, Conn. Destruction by fire
of the Dent homestead, near St. Louis, former
residence of President Grant.
Isaac Robinson killed in San Francisco by
ex-City Marshal John J. Watkinson.
Quarrel between the French Legitimists and
Orleanists breaks out afresh.
Death of Brigadier-General David H. Yinton. Intelligence of death of J. S. Le Fanu,
author of " Uncle Silas" and other well-known
English novels.
Dr. James MeCosh.
JAMES McCOSH was born in Ayrshire,
fJ Scotland, April 1, 1811. When he was
nine years old his father, a farmer, died, leaving seven children, all of them girls except
James, to the care of his widow. At an early
age, James gave promise of great future usefulness, and, after studying at the parochial
school, was sent to Glasgow University, where
he applied himself with success to the study
of philosophy, and, while an undergraduate,
wrote an essay on the Stoics, for which he was
rewarded with the honorary degree of Master
of Arts. Upon leaving the university he studied theology with Dr. Thomas Gutberic. In
1873.]
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