Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, November 23, 1872, Page 4

LAL VIILLWWAUU VALY 1RIBUNE: SATUKDAY, "NUVYEMBER Z3, 10/Z. TERMS OF THE TRIBUNE, TERME OF SUBSCRIPTION (PAYABLE IN ADVANCE). Daily, -$12.00| Sandas 2.50 Tri-Wes :ST8:00 | Weoldy 2.00 Parts of a year at the samoate, To prevent delay and mistakes, be sure ‘and givo Post Ofics address in full, including State and Couaty. Remittances may bo made either by draft, express, Post Ofice order, or in rogistered letters, at our risk. TEBME TO CITY EURSCRIBERS. 4, Sunday cxcepted, 25 cents por wesk. B e, Sanasy Jaciuded: 3 conis bor weae: Address THE TRIBUNE COMPANY, Corner Mzdison and Dearborn-sts., Chicago, TiL TRrBUNE Branch Offce, No. 463 Wabash-av., in the Bookstore of Messrs. Cobb, Andrews & Co., whero adrertizoments and subscriptions will be recelved, and will have the same attention as if left at tho Main Oce. CONTENTS OF TO-DAY'S TRIBUNE. FIRST PAGE-Washington Matters—New York Tele- ‘grams—3iscellancous Telographic News. SECOND PAGE—Springfield Letter—Washington Let- ter—The Grest Storm in Minnesots—Boston Relief— Genersl News Items. THIRD PAGE—Our Sportemen: Feather and Fin Pas- times in this City and Vicinity—Immigration: Addi- tional Facts Concerning the Treatment of Forelgn- ¢rs Passing Through Chicago—The Law Courts— ‘Railroad Time Table—Advertisements, FOURTH PAGE—Editorials: Tho County Finances: The Law of New Trials; Causes of Crime; The Exio Canal—Palitical. FIFTH PAGE—Common Council-Miscellanoous Loca) News—Markets by Telegraph—Advertisements, SISTH PAGE—Monotary and Commercial—Marino In- telligence. SEVENTH PAGE-Tho Records: Another Moeting of the County Commissioners—Our Deputies—Upon Whose Shonlders will Descend the Offices in tho Event of Civil Sersice Reform Provailing in Chi- cago—Small Advertisements: Real Estate, For Sale, To Rent, Wanted, Boarding, Lodging; Etc. EIGHTH PAGE—Forelgn News—Miscollancons Tele- grams—Auction Advertisement. TO-DAY'S AMUSEMENTS. MVICKER'S THEATRE—Madison streot, between State and Dearborn. Miss Maggie Mitchell, supported by Mr. L. B. Shewell. ** Pearl of Savoy.” ATKEN'S THEATRE—Wabash avenue, corner of Con- gress street. G. L. Fox Paatomime Combination. ¢* Humpty Dumpts.” HOOLEY'S OPERA HOUSE—Raudolph sirect, be- tween Clark and LaSalle. Joha Allen, Little Mac, and Miss Alico Harrison, supported by Alken's Company, ** Schmeidor; or dot 01d House von dor Rhino.” ACADEMY OF MUSIC—Halsted street, south of Madi- son. Eugagementof Charlotte Thompson. **Victorine.” MYERS' OPERA HOUSE—Monroe street, between Stoto sud Dearborn. Arlington, Cotton & Kemble's instrel end Burlesque Troupe. ‘GLOBE THEATRE—Desplaines street, between Madi- £on and Washington. Veaderille Entertainment. NIXON'S AMPHITHEATRE—Clinton street, between Wachington and Randolph. Osterman's German Com- pany. ** The Rag-Picker of Paris." Saturdey Morning, November 23, 1872, The latest news from San Domingo is, that President Baez has succeeded in capturing two of President Cabral's Generals, and has, as is the custom in that climate, murdered them both. Jay Gould was arrested, yesterday, on the complaint of President Watson, of the Erie Railroad, who has been investigating the sc- counts of his predecessor, and now charges him with having defranded the Erie Railroad of £9,500,000. Mrs. Putnem, wife of the victim of Foster, the car-hook murderer, hes been awarded $£5,000 damages in her suit against the railroad com- pany, one of whose cars was the scene of the asgsult, and whose employes ehe claimed should ‘have protected Mr. Putnam, Washington despatches state that Mr. May- nard is an avowed candidate for the Speakership of the next Honse of Representatives. A Wash- ington correspondent denies that Mr. Blaine hag written letters urging the convening of the Forty-third Congress immediately upon the ad- journment of its predecesso At the meeting of the National Board of Fire Underwriters in New York, yesterdsy, it was decided to reduce the commissions of agents 010 per cent, except for dwellings and farm ‘houses, in which cases companies are allowed to fix the rates of their own agents. An in- creased tariff has been adopted in New York City, and a similar advance ordered throughout the country. Some time ago it was announced, a8 one of the festures of a new Indian policy, that the Gov- ernment would substitute the family for the tribal relation, and distribute to individusls lands held in common. An important step in this direction has been taken voluntarily by the Chickssaw Nation. Their Legislature has re- quested General Grant to divide, in sccordance with the stipulations of the treaty of 186G, among members of the tribes who may wish it, lands now held in common. The best indications from all sides are to the effect that Mr. Washburne will not enter upon the Senatorial contest, There is little doubt that he comes over from France with the pur- pose of surveying the field, and determining what his chances for eleotion would be, and the result of his investigations hasbeen a determina~ tion not to enter the lists. The Journal announces, evidently with au- thority, that Mr. Beveridge will not becoms Governor till March 4, as Mr. Oglesby will not resign one place until the time comes for taking another. Mrs. Fair attempted, it seems, at the time of ner second trial, to poison the Judge who was to preside and all the counsel for the prosecution. This revelation is made bythe man whom she besought to put poison into the Judge’s decan- ter, or into the milk-can at his door. In cor- roboration of this startling story, & plan of Judge Dwinelle's house was found in the pos- seseion of the waiter, and the Judge's wife Temembers that at the time of the trial she was cautioned, by an unknowa woman, not to place the milk-can out of doors, as usual. The fears of a great calamity in Western Min- nesots are, happily, dissipated. At a late hour on- Thureday, communication with the storm- ‘besieged party was re-cetablished. The majority of the 800 men are now on the main line of the ‘Winons & St. Peter Railroad. The others are ‘hastening eastward as fast as they can foot it or teams can carry them. All work on the ex- tension is suspended. Yesterday afternoon it was blowing and enowing continually. Thres engines are etill ditched, and five frozen up, west of Sleepy Eye. The rescuing party went forward with twelve locomotives, and hsd only four serviceable ones when they reached the track-layers. Eye-witnesses pronounce it the most terrible storm ever witnessed in the North- west, and, just before it broke, the eky was a8 clear 88 on an autumnal dsy. Wall street has been the scene of another ex-~ citement without parallel since the memorable days of the Prairie du Chien speculation of 1866, Heavy purchases have been made recentlyin Chicago & Northwestern stock for the nuroose, 1 dition financially that it can neither appropriate it ia believed, of gaining control of that road in the interest of Vanderbilt, who needs only that link to complete his trans- continental connections. These operations ex- cited a speculative movement in that stock, which, yesterday, amid the wildest scenes on the Stock Exchange, carried it, by jumps of 10 and 20 per cent, up o 200 per cent from 95, Parties who had contracts to buy and deliver Northwest- ern stock at once had, besides the payment of this enormous price, to contend with a “corner” in the money market, which forced a rise in the rates of interest on gold and money which they needed to borrow in order to make their pur- chases. A petition was presented to the Legislature of Virginia,and,perhaps,of other States,last win- ter, and, it is said, will be presented to the Leg- ielatures of all the States this year, asking that & National Convention shall be called forthe pur- ‘pose of reforming the Constitution of the United States. The ground taken is that theroisa practical disagreement of the civil establish- ment with the general complexion of eociety; that the Constitution needs be brought down to the present time. Innovations work their way to accomplishment without legal recognition that this invisible influence perplexes both government and people with a double seb of relations, and this unrecog nized power operates the working machinery of government. It is suggested that capitalis seeking the corporate condition, andla- bor is spontaneously tending to & league against property. The complications resulting from this associative principle forebode calamity, which can only be obviated by adapting the Con- stitation fo the demands of the time. The Chicago produce markets were moderately active yesterday, ab about the same average of prices 08 on Thureday. Mess pork was quiet, but 10@15¢ per brl higher, at $13.00@18.50 cash, SI12.3734@12.50 seller December, and $12.50@ 12.60 seller March, Lard was more active, and firmer, at T%@7%c cash, 73c seller December, and 8cseller March. Meats were steady at 43¢c for part-salted shoulders, 62¢c for do. short ribs, and 6%@63¢c for do. short clear. Sweot pickled hams 9$3{@103¢c. Highwines were quict, but a shade firmer, closing 2t 8% por gallon, Lake freights were inactive, and nom- inally unchanged, at 1lc for wheat, and 10¢ for comn by sail to Buffalo. Flour was active, and firmer. Wheat was active, and a shade higher, but weak, closing at $1.1024 cash; $1.10}{ seller December; and $1.103¢ seller January. Comn was active, 2nd 3{@34e higher, closing weak at 32%c seller the month, and 815c seller December. Oats were dnll, but firm, at 23@23%¢c seller the month, and 23)@28%{c seller December. Rye was more active, and steady ‘at 55}4c. Barley was ‘more active, but declined 1c lower, closing dull |. 8t 64c for No. 2, and 63c for do seller the month. There was an active demand for hogs, and prices advanced 10@15¢, or to $4.05@4.40. The cattle-market was dull and weak. Sheep wers firmer. The localization of industries, indicated by the Boston fire, has attracted attention. Half amile square was burned over, and the trades injured seem confined to leather and shoe houses, wool houses, end dry goods firms. In country towns there is the same concentration of industries at favorite points, often entirely independent, ap- parently, of any peculiar sdvantages for the trade. Why do Gloversville and Johnstown, in the Mohawk Valley, make nine-tenths of all the skin gloves and mittens manufactured or worn in the United States? Why do Lynn, North Broolfield, and Milford make exclusively shoes, and Lynn almost exclusively women's ghoes ? The localization of industries in the manufacturing towns of England, France, Germany, and Russis is even more com- plete than here. *So far as merchandising is concerned, the motives of sellers of goods in concentrating at one pointis probably the knowl- edge that most buyers will go where they can test the market favorably by pricing the goods of the greatest number of merchants in the shortest spice of time. Sellers who locate away from the bulk of their own trade soon find that they are out of the current, and cannot bring their customers to them, but must go to their customers. Inmanufactures, the combination of capital, confidence, machinery, ekill, cheap labor, and lines of custom essential to success can be found in the greatest degree where an industry has already begun and obtained headwsy. In somo coses it is probably parely accidentsl, or, rather, the in- dividual enterprise of one or two men deter- mines whether a place ghall manufacture chairs, gloves, brooms, barrels, or wagons. Where there are natural facilities for con- ducting a particolar business, such as harbor- age, water-power, coal, or the like, the concen- tration of an industry seems accounted for. But, where there is no such special facility, industries localize, as if by common conscious- ness that by so doing the aggregate time, labor, and capital required to be expended in a given amount of production will be increased. THE COUNTY FINANCES. In the debate in the Board of County Com- missioners upon the question of purchasing the abstract books, while it was distinctly stated that in no event would the sum of £750,000 be paid, several Commisgioners expressed a willing- ness to pay sums almost as unreasonsble. The the money nor add to its debt, and must per- force sell some of its property, it is absurd to be discussing whether it will pay $300,000, or 500,000, or $700,000 for these sbstracts. The county at this time is not in a condition to pur- chese these books at any price. REVISION OF mugxm'nn BTATES STAT- At the firat session of the Thirty-ninth Con- gress, the President was authorized to appoint s Commission of three jurists “to revise, sim- plify, arrange, and consolidate all statutes of the United States, general and permanent in. their natare.” The work marked out for the Commissioners was to collate the existing stat- utes, arrange them under proper titles and chapters, with references to the original text, &c, They werealsoto suggest any alferation, addition, or repeal, which to them might seem advisable. When this work was accomplished, the consolidated statutes were to be submitted to Congress for re-enactment. The Commis- sion has Deen at work some years, and hos hed printed the larger part of the whole work. The revision is arranged under 76 titles. Numbers 1to 19 embrace the legislative powers, the various departments, the judiciary and the militery ; 20 and 21 include the laws relating to the diplomatic and consular service; 22 to 84 embrace the laws pertaining to the civil rolstions of the citizens and the Government ; 85 and 86 contain the laws relating to imports and exports ; 87 to 46 cover the subjects of revenue, expenditure, coinage, curremcy, legsl tender, public debt, etc. No. 49 contains the postal code, and No. 50 includes foreign rela- tions. Numbers 51 to 57 contain the shipping laws; 58 and 59 the lawa pertaining to light- houses, coast survey, &c. No. 60 includes the ‘bounty land laws. Numbers 61 to 76 include the patent laws, and those relating to pub- lic health, Nationsl Banks, bankrupt- cy, rivers and harbars, telegraphs, extra- dition, neutrality, crimes, and domestic subjects. the United States, from 1789 to the present day, is consolidated,—isarranged under these varions titles, dividedbychapters. Eachtitlehasan index! other The entire logislation of | g to bring ressonable doubt in theirmminds s to somo doubt in themind of the Court 2s fo the guilt of the prisoner. We know it will be said by some that any, the slightest, errex on the trial must bear in some degree on the question of guilt or innocence. For instance, proof of - the intexication of a prisoner may be material in a murder case to prove that the act was done in the heat of passion, and sonegative the presump- tion of malico; but, if facts.showing premedita- tion and malice pervaded the whole case, the proof of intoxication would be immaterial for this purpose. So a change of venue would be immaterial where the evidenco in the case is g0 clear as to render a verdict of not guilty plainly unjustifiable by any jury. We foel asgured, therefore, that it would greatly lessen. the number of rehearings in criminal cages if the Supreme Court, in granting & new trial, should be required by statute to certify not only that there were errors, but that they are of a character to affectthe administra~ tration of justice to the prisoner:; and that there is not in the portion of the record unaffected by these errors indubitable evidence of the prisoner’s guilt, If the Court cannot certify this, a new trial ought not to be granted. Yet, under the present rules, they would feel compelled to grant new trials indefinitely, o long as questionable rulings could be found, even though the whole Court might perceive every time that, in spite of the error, the prisoner’s guilt was as clear as the sun at noonday, It may be said that.a prisoner ought to be tried absolutely without. errors. He cer- tainly ought to be tried without any errors that affect the questionof his guilt or innocence. But the errors should be substantial ones. It must be borne in mind that, in all criminal trials, the public prosecutor has no zight of ap- peal. If the prisoner slips through his hands after beingin legal jeopardy once, he is gone forever. Common sense and justice suggest that the Supreme Court, when it refers. a pris- oner back for a new trial, shall certify that the error for which they do so is material, and such the guilt of the prisoner. { CAUSES OF CRIME. of the sections.and theirsubjects. Onthema.rginé Thero i8 & curious contrast between the report to cach section:is noted the topic, with reference to the statutes. from which it is compiled. The proposed changes aro printed with the consoli- dated law. The presont Commissioners, Messrs. James, Abbott, and Barringer, have at lastbeen able to fuznish visible cvidenco of their Isbor. The present work has yet to be further revised, and will then be submitted to Congress for its action. In the meantime, persons who desire to éxaminerthe proposed revision, 8o far asthe szme bas progressed, can obtain the same by forwarding an application and their address to Commissioner B. W. Abbott, at Washington City. THELAW OF NEW TRIALS. 1t hardly seems to be doubted, on any hand, that the facilify with which new trials can be ob- tained in eriminal cases isa frequent source of escape of criminals whom all, even the Judges who grant the new trials, know to be guilty, and tohave boen proven guilty. This implies no charge-against the correctnessof the decisions of the Appollate Judges, according to the prin- ciples and rules of law applicsble to the grant- ing of new trials. It does, however, raise the very serions question whether the principles and rules of law which govern the Coarts in gusnting new trials are in all respects sound and wise, or whether in certain respects they need- lesslyfavor the oscape of criminals, and. there- fore meed to be amended by statute. The question which comes before an Appella‘ts Court on an application for a new trial, or a.rehesring in any form,of & criminal case, is not ‘whether the camplete record of the case does not show statement that there had been £850,000 offered for the books by private parties, has no bearing upon the question. The statement of the pres- ent condition of the finances, by Commissioner Harrison, has, however, a direct bearing apon it. The county can only raise by taxation 75 cents on each 2100 of taxsble property as assessed for State purposes. Putting the value ab $100,000,000, this would yield 750,200, and out of this must be paid all current expenditures, including the interest on the debt incurred since 1870. The county has suthority to borrow $1,500,000, of ‘which £750,000 has been already voted. Amew jail has been con- tracted forabacost of £400,000, which leaves but §350,000 available for all extraordinary pur- poses, The jail will cost probably $600,000. The interest on the $1,500,000 of bonds at 7 per cent will bo $105,000. The current expendi- ture for the present year is $700,000. To 2dd £105,000 for interest will exceed the ability of the county, because itsrevenue is limited (sup- posing all the taxes paid)to $750,000. The county, therefore, is without means to meet any further lisbility, either s charge upon its rTovenues, or as&n incrense of interest-bearing debt. In view of these facts, it is proposed by some of the members to give the twenty acres of the Reform 8chool land in eschange for the ab- stracts, When the county is reduced to s con- that the defendant was indubitsbly guilty. This would be to refer to the decision of-the Court & question of fact, which can alone be deter- mined by the verdict of the jury, end soch 8 question the Comrt haspever hitherto decided. The question con-- sidered by the Appellate Court is-whetheryinithe trial of the case in the Court below, an errcr of law was committed. It may be.in amatter which<an byno possibility shake the force ofs other evidence which proves the defendant( guilty; it may be in the erroneous admission or rejection of a juror, orof a witness, or of s par- ticular question, when the Court above ‘would agree that, had the opposite ruling beenemade, the proof of guilt would have been éo their minds equally clear, yet the latter consideration is immaterial, as it is not for them to Qetermine the guilt of the prisoner, but only thie question aof error in his trial. The practice of criminal lawyers {is to make; the trisl as Iong and-as full of doubtiful rulings by the Court as possible, it being ofvmore value often to have a point decided against-the prison- er than in his favor. By this means several hundred exceptions to the rulings of sthe Courts below arise on the triel; end the gramting of a. new trial depends on whether, among these several hundred, thereis one single«exception. that is ¢ well taken,”—ono ruling thet four of the seven judges in our Supreme.Court may deem erroneous. The chances are that among the large number of evenly-balanced yrulings by the Court in the course ‘of the trial there will be some poinks on which any half-dozen lawyers rwould develop = difference of opinion. And, iniPeri’s cage, the Governor holds that, wherejtherosis a serious disagreement of the Supreme Court, not a8 to the guilt of the prisoner, butas to whesther an erroneous ruling was made in trying him, even thongh the Court decides there was: mo error whatever, he will remit the hanging, and | send the prisoner to the Penitentisry. Thia may occur, therefore, though both the Supreme Court and the Governor are sbsolutely cer'ain that the prisoner was entirely guilty of!the murder. t For instance, in tho cases of Raffertyand Perteet, the Supremo Court found, as errors, that the Court below denied & change of venue, and that it rejected proof of the imioxica~ tion of the prigoner. Bat it might be true in many cases that a Court ‘would perceive that, though a change of venue had been granted, no jury in Ghristendom should have failed to convict the prisoner on the evidence ; or that, had it been proved that the prisoner was intoxicated, it would not have changed the nature of+his guilt, as shown by the evidence actnally introduced. ‘With all deference to the universal tendency of the Bench and Bar to regard the rules of law and of practice as the perfection of human rea- son, it is a fair question for the decision of our ZLegislature, whether the Courts which grant re- rehesrings in criminal cases ought mot to be eatisfied that the error on which the rehearing is granted is ono that, in view of the whole record, involves on the causes of crime, just snbmitted by our local Committee of Five, and the resultaof the latest murder trial in London. The repon’lays particular stress on the fact that the nse of lig- ‘nor is responsible, to an extent greater than all other causes, for the spread of crime ; the wer- dict of acquittal in the Taylor murder case-w'8 ‘based upon the evidence that the excessive nse' of strong drink had bronght sbont temporary in- -ganity, which relieved the prisoner of the moral - responsibility for his crime. It would be diffi- cult to imagine a wider breach than is presented here. The Commitiee of Five might find an argument in the Taylor case favor- ing their theory that crime is almost invariably the result of drinking, but they would also find that, it drinking be carried to sufficient excess, it becomes an exctise, and pro- vides immunity from punishment. The object of gocial reformers must lie between these two extremes. In this view of the subject, the first impres- sion received from the report of our lotal com- mittee is, that their views are reasonable and logical in dividing the causes of crime into two classes,—the predisposing and the es:xciting,— ‘but they are unreasonable and illogical. in dis- missing the former with & paragraph, s.nd lim- iting the latter to the singlo element of habitu- al drinking. If thereport of the Committee of Five bo correct, and if the alosing af tho sa~ loons on Sundays, a8 they claim, would decrease crime nearly 100 per cent, then it would: only re- main to prohibit the use of aleoholis liquors to suppress crime altogether. However volumi- | nous and convincing the proofs of i e agency of alcohol in criminal matters may 'be, they will scarcely justify so sweeping a conclusion. *| The predisposing causes of crimen are of mors ’{ importance than the Committes hat e given them. Among them is the idea of hum an depravity, which the majority of the Com mittee, being clergymen, wonld probably admit. Of more sig- nifieance are the surronndings in swhich charac- ter ia formed, including the pers' onal examples, the false systems of education, orthe total ab- sence of it. Bad or foolish laws, which have bo~ . come obsolete and are disregar ded; statutory “stumbling-blocks in the Wsy of hoguick execu- tion of the law ; tho hypocrisy: : which is en- wcountered in professed piety, and :ithe question~ able practices of business relations ; the igno- 1 zance or dilatory conduct of those 4> whom the «execution of the lawis entrusted,-—these and i kindred things may be found amomg the pre- “disposing csuses of crime, whiah are en- titled to more tweight than .the Com- mittee have given them. Among tlwe exciting | intemperance, they have utterly failed to dis- tinguish between cause and effect. Reflection would! undoubtedly induce all of these gentle- men.to admit the existence of:cases in which the intemperate use of liquor hasifollowed and not preceded criminal conduct. In the matter of prostitation, npon which the Committee dilate at Bome kength, it is probable that ths general use .of indoxicating drinks in excesaibecomes a habit, «acquired:after, and-not befors, tho forfeiture of claims to social recognition. Women resort to cannok, in suchiinstances, bo-regarded as the inciting camse of their erimiiaal con- dition. The exclustve consideration-of the sub- ject of “intemperance- has also bettayed the Committee into the' emor of neglecting other exciting ceuses. $For instancer: The ex- citement. ofi speculationj which 1 has: been the starting-pom* of- nine-tenths of alll thie defalea- tions that haw» been macle; social, ambition, or a desire to keep> up in styde and . display with richer neighbony, Whickrhasbetrayt d many men tho rich to the prpor, that freguently urges the -latter to appropr‘ation of proper ty, or acts of ‘violence, in the-spirit of revenge; t.vilipassions, -which lead to thesabandonmert of ' virtue, and to extravagance,.which frequantly enta'ils crime. ]\fifiu other causes'wow.'d occurupon mor:) mature sreflection.. % ' The Committes have.made s mistake in Yimit- >ing their consideration tc) intempe rance, for\two -reasons: 1. Because theyr have (ixcluded ve.”y many other causes which, {while noone of them may be so-fertile in criminil seed ‘us intoxicn-. tion, formiin the aggregate~inducer wnts, incen- tives, and.encouragementstwhose suppression is exactly asmuch of & necensity as iseemperance | xeform. 2. Becausg if, asithe: Committee would | evidentlyihave us believe, the: suppreission of | crime depends npon the general-suppres sion of drinking, they will find themse|lves puz'zled to suggesta practicable application) of the remedy. Thoir discassiond, fa bo sproductivie oty causes, that of intemperance has founs1 an undua prominence at their hands. While: citing nu-. merous instances of the asgociation olf erime and | drink jn- their shame or remorse, and alcohol |- and women into- criminal ac's; the. injustice of good, must be of a practical npature. It is not enough for them to say that the use of al- coholic liquor must be abolished. This cannot ‘be done. They should rather prescribe the way in which its evil effects mey be limited. Lot them invent adequate measures for exercising & restraint over habitnal drunkerds, and thus check their possible career of crime. Letthem suggost stricter laws for the punishment and suppression of incipient vice that can be en- forced. Let them insist upon a needed rovision of criminal statutes, and improvements in the organization of criminal juries. It is only in such studies, of which the vice of intemperance forms but one element, that the Committee can make themselves usefal. 3 e THE ERIE CANAL. The action taken by the Board of Trade of Buffalo, on the subject of an enlargement of the Erie Canal, is not only sensible, but is the only practicable policy. The inadequacy of the pres- ent canal is confessed. It is not ablo tocompete with the railways, simply because it cannot per- form the work required of it. The Buffalo peo- ple have, for several years, been wasting their time in urging upon Congress the purchase of the canal, or, at least, an advance of the money required to enlarge it. Such aschemeis pre- posterous. Even if it were justifiable, under any circumstances, 1t conld never pass Congress without being made part of a general scheme for the purchase or the construction of half & dozen canal lines across the country, This measure, we hope, has been sbandoned, and the country will look forward hopefally to the recommendation that the State of New York will, withont farther delay, provide for the widening of the Erie and Oswego Canals to seventy feet, with & uniform depth of seven feet. Thisin- cludes the completion of the double locks west of Syracuse, This plan was contemplatedin 1854 ; but the management of the New York canals has always been & part of the political spoils of State politics, and nothing has been done. More money has been wasted and stolen {from the Canal Fundin the intervening eighteen years than would have completed the canal. Late as is the proposal, it should not be neg- lected. The whole Western country is suffering from the went of that canal. The excessive freights have rendered corn-raising in the West & ruinous business. Itis & question whether the production of corn ehould not be reduced one-half or two-thirds, or ebandoned altogether. The policy of the State of New York, in making the canal o source of revenue after having been doubly repaid its cost, has been very short- sighted. That canal should be made a free highway and maintained as such. To taxitis about as rational as it wounld be for Buffalo to tuix the grain or products of other States for the privilege of being hauled over its paved streets. Tho completion of that canal, and making its navigation fres, would settle for a generation, at least.., the route of products from the West to the East, and for the return merchandise. The danger is, however, that narrow-minded notions and local prejudices will again defeat and post- pone ind'efinitely this great work. The Sta‘e Journal, at Springfield, 21st, says of its so-called official retnrns : 1n our table of & few duzs ago, and the one TxE Cex- cAGo TruBuxE complains of, there were two errors, Deing transposition of figures by the compositor, and overkooked by the proof-reader, who waa doubtless asleep, * Mistakes will happen,” etc. Tids morning the table is oorrect. TaE TrsuXE did not complain of a *transpo- position of fignres,” but instanced the duplica- tion.of Clinton County’s vote for Cass, and the wild guess for St. Clair. Theso errors, with others hardly less fiagrant, bad been perpe- trated for more-than a week in daily editions of the State Journal, and had escaped either its Even nov, with the proclamation “ this morning the table is correct,” the Cass County vote for Governor is not corrected, but is the duplicate of Clinton County again! And the Stale Jour- nal, adhering to such & table, gives footings which are not true even for the returns they represent, but which are nevertheless tele- graphed abroad as *the corrected official.” Elsewhere in the same issue of the 21st the State Journal reproduces the vote for Congress in its own Springfield District, to correct former errors with which it charges itself, and to show that Robinson’s majority is only $44; upon which the editor enlarges with the prominence of bold type, and causes the new discovery to De telegraphed abroad. And yet, o simple & sum 2s the addition of columns of six figures is beyond its reach, for, correctly added, its own roturns give Robinson s msjority of 923, and these returns are apparently truthful. We have heretofore called attention to the Blale Journal's transposition of the vote of Schuyler County, in the Tenth District, whereby Ray's majority for Congress is made 1,519, in-~ stead of 1,066, and so telegraphed over the coun- try sa “officjal.” The evil js, that all this wild work of the Stafe Journal is palme off as “ official,” or “corrected official,” and 2s coming from the office of the Secretary of State. It would be well, therefore, for the Stafe Journai to haul in its *official™ sign-board; and when the State Canvassers have declared the vote of Illinois in detail, let ita reporter carefully copy the record, and let its proof-reader be awake. Above all, let us have no more ‘“corrected official” footings tele- graphed from Springfield until we may bave the official vote itself. POLITICAL. J The West Virginia Legislature, which assem- ‘bled at Charleston, 19th, elected D. D. Johnson, of Tyler, President of the Senate ; and William W. Miller, of Wheeling, Speaker of the House. The Jacob and Camden men acted together with ‘harmony. —Tt is said that, in Lee County, IIL,179 ,Greeley votes were polled that, by accident, did not contain the names of Messrs. Bross and Caton, Electors-st-Large. ~—The Milwaukee News esfimates that the Liberal Republican vote in Wiseonsin was not less than 8,000,—enough to have carried the State if the Democracy had polled their full vote. 1t says: The problem o b solved in our State election, nezt ear, then, s this: that a candidate for Governor shall nominated who will reccive the full Democratic vote, and for whom the Liberal Republicans will vote in preference to any Radical Grant candidate. —Tt is now an established fact that De Witk C. Littlejohn was legally elected to the Assem- bly from Oswego, N. Y., but was connted out. —The vote of Maine for President is the smallest ever cast in the State, and Greeley polls ‘hardly more than haif the vote Perham had for Governor, in September. —We don’t know anything about Canadsa poli- tics (as who does?), but the fact may be re- corded for the benefit of future generations that the district nesrest to Niagara Falls hag gob elected the Ministerial candidate for s vacant seat (vice Btreet, deceased) in the Domimion Parlisment, although that candidate was brought out with great pomp by Sir John A, Macdonald himeelf. —The name of the perty in the German Em- ire which appears to-day all-powerful is the Liberal.” 1t is nob sarprising, therefore, #1e Germans in this country desire to act with th.788 who bear that appellation and are gov- . om0 by its principles.— Cincinnati Enguirer. —. 1t i3 freely asserted by friends and support- erson the Administration that the late third- -torm i'etter of Senator Brownlow gives great of- fonep 40 the President, as being wholly foreign to his versonal feelings, and incompatible with ‘his resp: 2ct for the great Darty which haselevated yim 105, the second and last time to the highest own editorial notiee or the reporter's revision. | place in the Government. The.President was not disposed tfo attach any consequence to the letter, bothin consequence of thephysical infirm- ities and mental vagaries of the Tennessee Senator, and the too ready abasement of native Southern politicians of the dominant school. Bat the manner in which the matter has been taken up by many journals and public men of both sides elevates the letter to the rank of an annoyance to the subject if not the author of the epistie.— Washingion letter. —We learn from the Laclede (Ao.) Republi- can (a Grant paper) that on the day of the elec- tion the colored people of that town, on learnin that one of their race had voted for Greeley lns Brown, *immediately prepared themselves with a good-sized, sharp-edged fence rail, caught and placed him upon it, and rodo him through one of the principsl streeta!” Tho Republican loyal- lyadds: “Taking into consideration the im- portance of keeping General Grant at the head of _the nation, the Republican party in power, and the ungratefulness of this wretch to his friends, we are not going to make a fuss about it.” : THE CITY IN BRIEF. Everything, Twenty-two marriage licenses were issued yesterday by the Clerk of the County Court. Captain C. H. Hoyt, U. 8.A., was quartered at the Tremont yesterday. Msjor Houghton, of Gridley, Ill., a liliputian warrior, is at the Briggs Houze. Bishop Whipple and daughter, of Minnesots, were at the Tremont yesterday. = i Mr. William Cowan will read an interesting paper before the Union Degree Temple this evening. Hon, Wm. R. Morrison was in the city yester- day, at the Gardner. The St. Ansgorius Episcopal Society is about to erect & new brick church, 50x100 feet, at the corner of Sedgwick and Fulton streets. The organ_recital, to-morrow_afternoon, will ba the best of tho seriea of the Third Unitarian Church, corner of Laflin and Monroe straets. . Miller Lewis, Joseph Gould, Miss Hastings, and Mrs. John Ferne composeda party from New Zealand, at the Gardner, yesterday. H. H. Beers, Fsq., of New York, somewhat prominent in'the pelitical history of that eity, was at the Tremont yesterday. + D. W. Russell, Boston; Edward Reed, F. A. Hatchinson and wife, St. Louis; Peter Hayden and wife, Pa,, were at the Gardner yesterdsy. By particalar request, Mrs. L. B. Chandler will give one more parlor lecture to the ladies of the South Division, this_ afternoon, at helf-past 2 o'clock, at No. 945 Michigan avenue. All in- terested are invited to attend. . Tt is due to Ir. C. B. Gardiner, the manager of the Academy of Ausic, to say that he is not interested in the masquerade to be given thero on Thursday night, further than that ho has rented the theatre after the evening per- formance. The Lincoln Park Commissioners have com- pleted arrangements for the construction of an ornamental stone building near the foot of Sophia street, inside the Park. It is expected that the building will be ready for use next spring. Chas. S. Brmllea: Graff, Colorado; T. Jones, St. Louis ; A. Washington, D. C.; M. B. W. Young, Quin T.P, O. Meader, G. R. Toplif, q New York ; D. C!n.‘% Syracuse ; F, W. Gardner, Cincinnati’; T. W. Condell, New York; . Tucksbury, Boston ; John O. Dye, Ohio, are at the Briggs. Superintendent Washburn went to Joliet yes- terday to stir up the contracting seddler who is manufacturing the belts for the police force. Detective Sam Ellis presided at headquarters during his absence. The Chief will be on duty 88 usnal to-dsy. : John McCarthy, a resident of No. 48 Ohio street, accidentally fell out of his wagon at the corner of Dearbor and Huron strests, yesterday afternoon, and was severely injured abount the head by one of the wheels of the vehicle rolling over it. Miss Barah Smiley, the distingnished Quaker- ess preacher, will conduct and address the La-~ dies’ Bible Class, at the First Congregational Chureh, this afternoon. Her lessons snd ser- mons are marked by s besutiful simplicity which never fails to win and hold an andience. J. W. Richards, Boston ; George Wolfe, Lonis- ville ; Charles D. Atwood, Madison ; A T. Stont, Fort Hill, Idaho Territory ; A, Walker, Phila- delphia ; H. H. Davis, Ohio; Jobn B. Hawly, Rock Jelsnd ; H. H. Holis, Ohio; Wiilism E. Hill, Worceater, Mass., are st the Sherman House. , In the general assessment on the Methodist ‘Episcopal Copferences of the United States for money to aid in the missionary work of the Church, the Rock River Conference, embracing Chicago and Northern Lllinois, is asked for $20,- 000, E‘hu Chicago German Conference is called ‘apon for $3,000. James A. Davenport, Davenport, Tows ; R. R. Cable, Rock Island; W.C. Gunnisill, St. Louis; A. 8. Lealie, Mobile'’; G.W. Sn.val?,bee oines; W. Hofman, 8sn Francisco; E. H. Wilson, Helena, Montana ; J. A, Carson, Iowa; E.M. Cloinier, Penn., are at the Tremont. Tho Sheriff was notified officislly, yesterdsy, of the commutation of the sentencs of Peri to imprisonment for life. Peri is very hadgpy st the prospect of spending his remaining days st Joliet, and laughs at everything said to him, ‘whether funny or not. A lady named Mrs. Severns accidentally alipped into & hole in the sidewslk on the east roach to Eighteenth street bridge, at 10 o'clock yesterday forenoon, and severely injured one of her legs. She was assisted to her resi- dence, No. 22 Bunker street, by a policeman. Dr. Newman, Chaplain of the National Honse of Representatives, is about to visit some friends in this city. During his stay it is antici- pated that he will deliver & lecture entitled ‘From Greenland's Icy Mountains,” probably in the Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church. There are somany men out of employment in this city that the Agent of the Reliof and Aid Society hag opened correspondence with parties East, West, North and South, in hopes of being able to_secura work for those who are unable to gain a livelihood in Chicago. The Sundsy School Teachers’ meeting, usually heldin the rooms of theY. 1L C.A., will be held to-day in the Firat Cm;sre tional Church, corner of Ann and West Washington streets. Rov. E. P. Goodwin will lead, and deliver an ad- dress on the subject, The Hsndvwriting on the Wall” Br. Bliss will conduct the singing. The Pacific Avenue Police Station and engine- ‘house is rapidly approaching completion. - As- halt floors are being laid in the extremely low Euement, where the E;;risnuam‘ cells are to be located, and Captain Hickey expects to open his unpopular boarding house there in the course of a fgw days. The river, from its mouth fo Wells street bridge, was filled with thin flosting ice yester- day, the firat of the season in _that particular Io- cniyi . Toadd to the wintry prospect of the scene, two contemplative and melancholy sea- gulls soared whove the stream during the day, and made several apparently ineffectual sitempts to cateh probable tish, ter 10 o’clock, yesterday foremoom. firgh:nrggigovatad in the three-story marble- front building No. 506_Michigan avenite, owned and occupied by the Pullman Palace Car Com- pony. It wes extinguished with “slight loss, T hioh is fally covered by insurance. The ori of the fire is own. Analarm was sounded from Box 43. ot es are valuable animals, no doubf, an ,eqn‘f.fi special attention at_ present, but'wa vould mildly suggest that a visit to them imme- diataly prior to making one of o select assombl {8 not specielly desirable, the aroma of thestable not being much juore acceptable in & man than the perfume of & ciyet-cat upon s woman, par- tlchnxl if the firstmentioned individual is especially enthosiastic. + the meeting of the Board of Police, yester- doy, tro Bromon were charged Fith hiviog boan infoxicsted. Fred Varges, of Engine No. 13, was fined three days’ pay, and Joho Meyer, of Truck No. 4, was discharged. Upon the recom- mendsation - of the Fire Thomas Ja- Forski, David Bush, snd Isadore P, Smith were appointed members of the regular Fire Depart- ment. W It {s believed in Custom Houso circles that Mr. Charles Ham will succeed the Hon. Y, B. Judd as Collector of the port. Hisclaims to the osition gre strongly supported by the Hon. ?ohn B. Rice, Mr. Scammon, of Milwaukes, and General Logan, while tha present incumbent’s only friend at Washington is the Hon. Charles B. Farwell. Ttis stated thet the President will experience no difficnlty in removing Mr.” J 23 the latter was never confirmed by the Ses and is, therefore, only an acting Collector. The plans forthe new 'X‘n'm'tyEEiEcugnl Church have been completed. Designs have been sent in by fifteen artists, of which number three have been selected from which to choose. Two of theae are Chicago productions, and the other is the work of & Boston architect. If the plan nate, of the latter iz adopted, it will take 398,008 to construct the building. ‘The other plans réquire an expenditure of 3102,000 and 3106,000: ‘The designs are Gothic. The new churchis to oc< cnsy the southeast corner of Michigan avenie and Twenty-sixth street, the lot being 100 feet {ront on the former thoronghfare, and 107 feets on the latter. ¢ An outburst of fire in_the immense coal pile stored in the yard of the Gas Company, om Hewthorn avenue, North Division, occasioned the alarm from Box 163, at half-past 11 o’clock mflterday forenoon. The fire is supposed to ve been burning at the bottom for some days, where it undoubtedly originated from spontan- eous combustion. Finding that it would be im- ossible to extingnish the blazing mass at once, ire Marshal Willi advised the company to remove the coal that had escaped iguition, and detailed two engine companies to play on the fire. It is estimated that the loss will b in the. neighborhood of $2,000 ; insurance unknown. The Hon. E. B. Washburne, United States . Minister to France, will bo entertained at & private dinner at the Tremont House, on Mon- day evening, by & select party of local Govern. . ment office-holders. Tt is anticipated thet the . feod will have a decided bearing on the disposi- - tion of certain faf berths which are likely to be : vacant one of these days, and only thoge who . ere ambitious to occupy them will partially dis sppear benenth the mahogany. Commissioner Hoyne says that ho is perfectly content fo ro-. main at home on the ‘suspicious occasion, and. breathes & fervent prayer thatthe getters-up . will not call on him for s dfiecioncy fund. The Phenix has lost a-few dollarslately, st one Boston, and he can't stand an assessment. About ten days since, 8 young fellow named Williar Smith, alias Wilson, police officer while, emerging, with & companion, from the residence of Ar. Ri Bomers, on. ‘West Washington street. His pamasr managed to make his escape. Smith was taken to police headquarters, where he remained until yester- dsy.~ During the time of his_imprisonment De- tective Ellis worked upon him so successfully that he was induced to tell where a large quan- tity of property, which he and his pal had stolen from West Side residences, could be found. Yesterday ho was arraigned at the Police Court, but he waiv8 examination, and was sent befora the Criminal Court in $1,500 bail. Commissioner Hoyne had s birthday 48 years 2go, and has had one every year since. It came aronnd ggain the other night, when Mr. Rankin and Colonel James H. Finigan, of Cincinnati, proceeded in a body, two deep, to the Commis~ Bioner’s house. It was a surprise party. The Commisgioner was happy to see his friends. He shook them by their hands in the usual way, and, s ho got throngh, Mr. Rankin dtated that ha was unaccnstomed to public spesking from his boyhood, but the Colonel was an adept at the art, and would give an exhibition of his powers. Thereupon Alr. Finigan dwelt upon the brevity of human existence, npon the fact that man was aflower_thet grew up and flourished and was—‘ah, I've forgoiten the rest,” said the Colonel—:* hera, we came over to give you this,” and he handed Mr. Hoyne a valuable locket, with strict injunctions to transmit it to foture generations, etc. The Commissioner responded, and they all parted in the morning, very happy. Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton delivered her somewhat abstruse lecture on *‘The Trne Re- public,” last evening, in the Union Park Con- gregational Church. The lecture had been fixe® for noxt Tuesday, but, in order to give the Ade- laide Phillipps troupe an opportunity to be heard onthe evening named, Mrs. Stanfon's lecture was precipitated four nights, with a slightly ging effect upon the sudience, numerically speaking. The lecture was one which showed deep thought, and was therefore interesting to those of her hearers who were given to think- ing. But, sccording to Mrs. Btanton's own showing, the public mind was not ready to re- ceive readily or appreciate discussions on politi- cal economy and kindred topics. The lecturesa can gcarcely have wondered that the applause was lamentably wanting, the audience only on one occasion manifesting any warmth, and that when the handsome old lady appearad on.the platform. As winter advances and robs the out-door workman of employment, the crime of highway robbery becomes more frequent, and the ven- tures of the robbers more daring. At 6 o'clock on Tharsday evening M. Green, the well-known photographic artist, was assailed by threo men while passing the corner of Desplaines and Ful~ ton streets. A blow on the head with a blunt ‘weapon in the hands of one of them stunped him completely, and while in that insensible condition he was robbed of $121. The des~ peradoes_escaped without attracting attention, and are likely to enjoy the fruits of their bold. andertaking without molestation, as Mr. Green isunable toidentify any of them. About two bours later on the same evening, & boy named Fred. Van Winkle, aged 13 years, was attacked by & colored man, while standig in front of No, 880 Michigan_avenue, three doors from his own. residence. The evident intention of the ruf- fian was_‘osteal avalusble watch and chain hich_the boy carried, but, failing in that, the coward best the little fellow severely. He has ot yet beer arrested. The entertsinment given, on Thursday evening Iest, at the palatial residence of C. N. Holden, Esq,, for the benefit of the Organ Fund of tha Second Baptist Church, was one of the most elegant and enjoyable eocial events of the sea- son. The number in_ attendance approximated 200, and 8o variedly choice was the programme, and so refined and unreserved were the par- ticipants, that a more ligenemuy elightfal ocoa- sion could not well be desired. The music was of a high order, ard its hearty sppreciation was at- testedboth by enthusiastic plaudits and the unani- ‘mous vote of thanks accorded to the perform- ers, prominent among Whom were_Alrs. Storey, Brs, Shords, Mrs. T.W. Goodspeed. Miss Erwin. and Messrs. Jones and Devis. Refreshments were gerved until lnji. o”i}:ck,swlgetx; the disper- gion became gener: e Society purposa giv- fng faturo eaiertsiniments for the pencit of tha Organ Fand; and, under the sdmirable manage- ment of Mrs. Curtis and her competent assist- ants, no doubt need be enterteined of their be- ing ‘well-deserving of the most liberal patron- age. A respectable physician of this city received a Ietter by mail yesterday morning, containing one of those ‘* confidential and strictly private” circu- 1ars, setting forth the riches to be amassed in a short space of time, by ps ing a superior article of counterfelt money now being manu- factured somewhere in tho East, There seems to be no reason why tho United States authori- ties at New York should not arrest the sgent and manufacturer of the spurious- notes. In the circular he states that any person wishing fo invest good money in the dishonest enterprise can strike & bargain ‘with him by calling st his office, No. 609 Broad- way, and he gives his name as Charles Troup. Mr. Troup advises the doctor to burn the cir- cular as soon &s he has read it through carefally, but to keep_the separate alip containing his name and address. He imparts a warning in the following tragic manner: * Should you betray me, I will find means to be avenged in a way, erhaps, you would not dream of.”” If Colonel Evmuey or some of his detectives lay hands on Mr. Troup, his punishment may be even more sstonighing. i After Mr. W. J. Jefferey, of Eankakee, had decided to move from an unsatisfactory board- ing-honse on Halsted street to & presumably higher-toned institntion at No. 95 Jefferson streot, he engaged an expressman, and had his ‘trunk conyeyed before kil The driver left it in the hallway of the house, and went his way, About Balf an hour aftervard a strange gentlo. msan appeared, and, shouldering the trunk walked off with it. Thirty minutes afterwerd, Mr. Jeffery appeared, and held a breezy inter- view with the landlady relative to the misging trunk, which contained about $65 worth of raiment, from over- coat to socks, inclusive. = In the course of an hour a gentleman residing in the vicinity discoyered an empty and shattered trunk in one of his quthouses. He had it removed to the Madison Street Police Station, where Mr. Joffery had already reported his 1oss, and given & description of some of ihe missing clothing. ‘While patrolling his beat, Officer Ed. Miller found a man'who had on one of Jeffery's coats, and arrested him. All the foregoing transpired on Thursday evening. Yesterdsy morning it was discovered that the prisoner, who gsve the name of Kinney, waa clothed from head to foot 1 i Jeffery’s garments. He was ushered into the presence of Justice Scully, who, after s brief and informal donversation with the calprit, re- forred the case to the Grand Jury. The Bris- oner’s bail was fixed at $1,000, ey oy Professor Coignard’s Restanrant. The increase in the number of his customirs every day who eat his excellent dimner for 50 cuts, 'snd | drink his puré imported claret for 25 cepls, proves that Professor Coignard has well-earned his reputa- tion of havirig one of the best restaurantsiu the city. Try him, at No. 178 South Water street, s1d you will not repent having dome so, : —_— Adieu, Horse Disease. Now that the epizootis ia one of the things that were, H. Newton & Co., the popular livery stablo nen, are prepared, aa before, to turn out the handsorest Tigh and the best horses in the city. They csn 6o it swe. Their stable is in the alley in the rear of Nok 187 atd 169 Waahiogton street, 3