If Spain is not able to send strong reinforcements soon, the end of the Cuban war cannot be very far off. General Woodford, the United States minister to Spain, will arrive in Madrid about September 1st, and it is expected that he will be presented to the Queen Regent about September 15th. It is stated that he is to endeavor to persuade Spain to put a speedy end to the war by granting home rule to Cuba. Mr. Fishback, who acted as Mr. Calhoun's secretary, has, it is said, been sent to Cuba on a special mission from the Government. He is to go the round of the consulates in the island with Consul-General Lee, and obtain an idea of the true conditions in Cuba, and report the result of his observations to the President. * * * * * The new tariff law has now been in effect for some weeks, and every day there are fresh accounts of the woes of the incoming travellers from Europe. The zeal of the Custom-House officers in performing their duty is only equalled by the efforts of the passengers in avoiding theirs. Every ship-load that arrives affords infinite sport for the unconcerned onlooker. Last week a French family, consisting of a mother and two sons, arrived. When asked if they had any dutiable articles, they declared that they had brought nothing with them that ought to pay duty. As they had twenty pieces of baggage with them, the officials refused to believe that they had nothing on which duty should be levied. The two sons were very elegant and extremely polite French gentlemen. They courteously handed their keys to the inspectors, and turned around to converse with some equally elegant young ladies who had come to meet their party. Their pleasant conversation was roughly interrupted by the inspectors. Only six of the twenty pieces of baggage were trunks; the rest proved to be packing-cases. "They've got to be opened," said the heated inspectors. "Certainly. You have our permission to open them," said the polite young Frenchmen. "What!" roared the inspectors, "Open them! We are not carpenters! Open them yourselves!" There and then these well-dressed, well-mannered young men had to set to work to pry open their own packing-cases. By this time their suavity had so exasperated the officials, who are not accustomed to politeness and pleasant words from incoming passengers, that they decided that the young Frenchmen must have a reason for their good manners, and be in fact dangerous smugglers. As one of the young men bent over a packing-case it was noticed that his coat-pockets bulged suspiciously. Before he could offer a protest he and his mother and brother were hurried away to the offices and searched.