Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, January 28, 1873, Page 2

w Tiid CHICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE: TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, _1873. SPRINGFIELD. The Legislative Vacation--- Violations.of_the Con-.. stitution. Two Hundred ard Forty Bills Al ready Introduced. Calibre of the Two Houses---The Cook County Delegation. TLoguacity of 01d Stagers--A Brace of Remarkable Speeches. Remarkable Documents RelativeTto the Industrial University and the De- partment of Agriculture, From Our Own Correspondent. SPRINGFIELD, I1L, Jsn, 25, 1872, The General Assembly is away OX A WEEK'S FURLOUGIL The members were weary, their intellectusl faculties being overtaxed by the pasaage of ono ill, the election of a United Btates Benator, and the terrible mental agitation caused by drawing pay. They went home to “consult their con- stitnents,"—tho hsppy euphemism for aban- Goning their duties. What they went t(_l con~ sult about, is past finding out. They will re- turn on Wadnesdsy, and work eonUnnmly antil Fridsy, when those living on the dircct line of commanication will fold their tents sgain 2nd steal eilently swny, leaving the House with- ont a quornn—and, consequently, without \ecorum,—or with 80 many empty seats that no efTectivo legislation can be accomplished. It wag an oversight in the framers of the Cimal?hl- tion that they did pot limit payto actual Bervice. het weuld have kept a quorum all the time and ve ehortened the sessions. As it is now, turdays and Mondays sre not considered 1=5u- iva days, except for tho purpose of dn\\-_mg pey,—a daty performed with frightful rogularity. During tho three woeks’ session, THE CONSTITOTION 25 not oaly outrageonaly violated, but trampled ra:hlessly under foot and stamped upon, The Constitution is an intolersble nuisance. It is forever in the way of somebody, 2nd interferes with the generoeity of members to themselves, though, indeed, this General Assembly hag evinced an sppelling contempt forthe document. Tiray Liave voted themaelves stationery via Com- cutees; and, thongh the constitntionality of the eeding has been sustained by some .of the st Iawyers in the Eouse, the action is o be ed, as it opems tho floodgates, and «Amits of all kinds of extravagance. They o draw the §50 allowed. by the Constitntion. ey have voted to supply & copy of the Stetutes 10 each Chairman of & Committes, in s manner directly inhibited,—on a mere resolution of the Bouse. 'They can vote themseives anything tier desiro in tho samoway. This tendeney gneander the money in the Treasury ir own convenience 15 not attributable to sc motives, nor, perhaps, to a malicious 1o violate the Constitution, but rather crance of the instrument, which, it ia mauy of the members "have never time to peruse, znd certainly not {o ady. Had they adjonrned one, two, or thres cls to study the Constitution, there would been mome sense in it, and they might have ma back with a notion of their dutioe a8 d by the fandomental low. But thers is s sad prospect that they will arrive noxt Wednesday 110 better informed as to their fanctions, end be- gin to repect their mistakes with nndiminiehed 7% 5 xbeolntely needed. Very few new of legis) y fe 3 Tzws are roquired. -After the appropriations are made, the Railroad lew smended, the few re- supining chapiers of the Revision rovised, ” crim- insl jurisprudence altered, and the Judicial ap- portionment made, the Legislaturo might adjourn sine die without hurting the pcople. One month of polid work would do all that cannot be done without. If tho farmers kept at it as stcadily as they do their plowing, of the Inwyers &3 closely 29 they study their cases, tho lst of March 2ight 5oo them at home pursuing the svocations v which they earn their daily bread when notin e employment of the State, This need not bo zrected, however: % Up to tho time of adjournment, 135 bills had been introduced in the House, and- 85 in the Scoate,—making a total of TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY, enough to ruin any people, were thoyall passed. Toriunately, thers is no danger of that, as not more than 10 per cent are likely to weather the voyzgo through the two Houses. THE HOUSE . Bas moved slong very smoothly. * Once in & whila, a burst of temper would vary the mon- ot ond 2 bombabell in the shape of & resolu- :ickod up occasional fun, There havebecn the ar reeolations, pertinent and impertinent, Iy impertinent, and o great many more are betag prepared to give the authors opportunities o relieve themeeives of an sccumalation of words which they must get rid of or burst, There are many subjecis that have not been elncidated, which can be made pegs ox which to bavg orslorical. effusioue. The Bible in the public echools will reise s most elegant Tow for the benesit of pugnseions members, “Annsxation of Canada, South America, .and Ansiralia will cnablo a man to circumnavigate the globe in n speech. Cuba and poor old freland have not had their biennial appropristion of sympatbys and tho widowed Iiugonip and . Mrs. Ksme- bameha have been left to mourn in seack- cloth sad silenco without the condo- Jence of the Illinois Legislature. What a hard-hearted race it is! But patience!—hold cn! They will meot sgain, Providence.and snow-drifts permitting, and empty. their carpet- racks of carefully-cogitated resolves, and them- selves of a ‘fow brief remarks,” one or two nours' long, aud of unpremeditated epecches, sud elgborately written, and which they * never inrended o make.” So fzr, but ten or & dozen lgcnflemun have found their legs, and they are old-stagers at talk- 3 Hovw easy it i8 to recognize THE OLD-STAGER ! = He gets up looking like Solomon befors ki utiered his sentiment about vanity. He imagines that listening Seopaters are hanging upon bis lips,~the ususl phrase. He looks around on ihe assemblod representatives, upinto the gal- lory to gather inspiration from beaming eyes, runa hie hand in poetic fashion thromgh his bair, takes out his handkerchief, mops bis “dome of thought,” mayhap ejects is quid, buttons his coat, points his fore-finger at the Speaker, and directs that functionary's attention to lLis importsnt sclf. Tha words come from his mouth Like water from the spout of akottle; he has an abandanco of languago, Jn which ho clohtes his few 1dess with until they are smothered like & baby in a bundls of slothing on a cold morning. The performance ia repeated many timos & dayby the old-steger. He talxs on every subjoct, snd thinks himsel two-legged_encyclopedia, Hs can talk to no purpose. He ia expected to pop up sll the time; lm’l‘p becomes an intolerable goro. wordy, weari- some, a1d withont influence. is the re- itof the cacoethes loguendi in s deliberative dv. The men who falk early. and n westo their power, lose their ence, and are retired fo therear by men who speak seldom, but sensibly. Ocly & fow tE.rnmotefl Bupervisars and lawysrs Late Gpened their heads 80 far, and but TWO BEMARKABLE EPEECHES been delivered. One was that of & gentle- who let himself out as. follows: *‘Mr. there areno inkin this stand;" and uforced by another, who eaid, ‘‘No, Mr. cr, the ink are all froze.” is too early to venture s judgmant on the GENLBAL ABILYTY OF THE EOUSE- - ~1e of the best men have not come to the and thers is undoubtedly latent ability 55 eround in unsuspected hat no_brightly. Many of Il e members “‘zroen” in the business, and have mot “tho hang of the school honse.” Gradaally . 12 1ncdesi men will exhibit thsirpoy * «. numbar of men of superior ability in the ~2 fo lawyers who rank high in the pro- ion, ¢ few excellent business men, and many ~x1mexs with an abundance of horse-gense. THE CALIBRE GF THE SENATE g not equal to thatof the House. Thero hag 0 s beavier outpouring of Iknguage in that 10y, which is more “ winds " than the House. Senators translated from former Houses felt it incumbent upon them’to: speak on every subject. They are antomatic Afldng machines. There are strong men in the Upper Body, but the preponderance of alility 18 with the House. There are ... .BOME PAMILIAR FACES. - Hampton is_there, Lis fico ehiving like s full moon. s is an sbrupt, benest man, alwaya on the watch for iricky or treachorous legisletion. -There -is- Short, thio best dressed man in the body, keen and incisive in_debute, and of rare ehrowdness. Dig Tom Cosey, with an im- mense head on o grest bedy, and & voice Tikothe ground-swell on the Fea-shore, is en able Jawyer, & logical debater; and fiery when aroused by ngueitiqn. Sanford is eolid and carefal ; Bhel on s quick. Leo, of Peoris, is sprightly, | and hias conducted himself with unususl discre~ tion for a'yonng man. . Waite etill *hopes and trusts,” and tuesles with bis brother-lnwyers with considerable tact, Ho is on his feet too often, perhaps, and is too ingenious in constru~ ing the Constifution to meet the wishes of his constituents. e monns well. Voris is a man of ° wonderfal ‘ gesture, snd believes in action, action, action. Cummin, not eaid much so far;-and Brooks and Wil son have been voiceless. 5 OF THE NEW MEMNDERS, Upton, Dow; Thompson, Canfield, Palmer, are ood vyers, —Dpton being probalily ‘tho finest fegal mind in tho Senste. THE COOK COUNTY DELEGATION ‘has not * panned oat” much o far, but there is lenty of time before them. Bradwell leads the ,publican side of the Houso on me ques- tions, and eaves tho country several times dny. Rountree has an opportunity toshow woll. He has tho reputation of being = good Inwyer, and talks with force, sometimes weakened by & natural air of suporiority, not unbecoming personally, Lnt apt to leave an_unfavorablo impression_ on the beholder. Wicker is ready, and as hard to move a8 the Btste Housd. Tho'othera on the Republican side Lave said nothing, so far, and soms never will. Halpin is a man of fine gen- eral information, and talks.well. The best feel- ing prevails between the Cook County members and their contemporaries.. Thera have been distributed to the members of the General Assembly - TWO "WORKS published &t tho expense of the Atate, one being the *Fourth Annual Rnfort of the Bomd of Trustees of the Illinois lodustriel University, for the- year 1870~71—Embracing the Academic Year mg Subsequent Vacation: with Lecturcs, ete.;” the other, “‘Transactions of the Dopart- ment of Agriculture of the Btate of Illinois; with Reports from County &nd District Agriculiural Organizations for the Year 1871."” THE INDUSTEIAL UNIVERSITY, The first is & volume of 351 pages. It begina with s history of the University,—an old story,— and embraces wood-cuts of the University build- ing,of thenew “drill-hall," and of the gresn-house, and useful illustrations of & model farm-house, ond a perspective of & barn, & man with & broom entering the door, while & gair of forlorn-look- ing cols in the foreground gaze wistfully at him. These latter pictures are really valuablo, if those to whom they might bo useful could only see them. Theu comes a list of periodicals in the library, of no earthly intercst io any one outsido the %uivaraity, and thosa inside can find out what the library contsins. A detsiled ac- count is given of inatruction in the several departments, such as Horticulture, Agricul- ture, Puro athematics, and so_forth. ® Next sre roports from the Leads of those depart- ‘ments, and fifteen pages of CURBENT EXPENDITURES,— from which we_lesrn, with feolings thet can- not tbe oxpressed, that two dozen dablizs cost ‘&4; that a “double-shovel plow " was ob- tained by the investmont of $6; that the bar- rel and jar"” account amounted to $7.82; and “Jead and putty” were procured by an expendi- ture of $17.38," Here and there, like spots on the sun, tre items denominated “petty ex- pense,” amounting to botweon €600 and 8700, — ono jtem being £98.73, another $50.61, another £63.71, snd 50 on. Of course this is sl right, but why detsil at length that the * barrel an jar” account amounted to £7.82, and include under the indefinite hesd of * 572”7 expense” bills amounting to as large asum a8 90.617 As the Hon. George Waeh- ington Armstropg remarks in the Houss, when- ever he concludes a_spoech, “That's zll, Mr. Bpenker.” The bockkesper's statoment gives THE VALUE of tho buildings snd apperatus ot €83,500; the agricultural dopariment, including 410 acres of land, barns, ete., $83,250; the horticultural de- partment, including 120 acres of land, $88,000; tho interest-bearing funds, $476,319.60; tho total value of tho University and appurtenances being 5681,09.60. The total expenditures for the year ending March 1, 1871, includius the petty expenses above alluded to,fwero §76,9:. 13. From Pago 111 to 138 is devoted to the minutes of the meotings of the BOARD OF TRUSTEES, from which it is ascertained beyond the shadow of doubt that * Ope of the horses ordered to be s0ld at the Jast mecting hes sinco died.” Thers are no resolutions setting forth the virtues of that horse, his loss to the community, and offer- ing sympafby with his family in_thoir bereave- ment, )Im:i spaca could Lave been filled by n pathetic preamble, followed Dy & series of tear- rovoking resolutions, and they would have P juot a8 gensible 1s, and mora interesting than, the eimple announcement of his docesse. It would bo proper to keep the minutes of the meetings, . in _detail, written in' the Sec- retary’s - book; “but why they should be inflicted on the public, nt grest expense to the State, is 8. conupdrum thet somo of * the Faculty has iam- —eBy the gentlomen who bas charge of * Eng- | lish Lenguage and Literature "—might rice and | expluin, DISCOUDSES. An excellent discourse on !¢ Climate ” by Pro- fessor Turnor, &t Jacksonsille is_publiehed in extenso, and perhaps it is worth preserving. The same may be said of the ‘ Lectnre on Insects” by Lr. Lo Barron, the 8tate entomologist. He informs us, by tha way, that there are 100,000 #pecics of bectles—what o family of country cougins!—and ths number of specien of insects in the ‘world is $£500,000, of which 30,000 . have been found in the TUnited Btatos, There is & dieconrre on * Organic Boils by Profeasor Stuart, of Chem- peigy and in “ Flowerlesa Plants,” by Professor urrill, of the eame plece. Thoy mey be deem- ©d of suficient importance o warrant their pub- lication; but, who reads them outsido the stu- dents, and thoy have them direci from the suthors ? . Next came 187 peges conteining a verbatim reportof - - A CONVENTION . of Presidents and Profestors of Agricultural Colleges, held in Chicago - in Septambor, 1871. Thia is taken from tho Prairie Farmer, which, with . laudable enterprise, had the pro- ceedings shorthanded ; but why they should he transferred bodily to this report, is not epparent to the naked eye. The debate i3 more or less ephemernl, and it is of no iuterest to any onoe now to know, for instance, that the - River- aide Improvement Company invited tho Conven- tlon to gaze upon tho picluresque scenery on the benks of the Desplaines, and that the Conyen- tion did not gazo. Nor is DIALOGUE LIZE THE FOLLOWING worth placing among the archives of the Stateat the State's cxponse : Itis not %o in Missouri, 1t is not eo there 7 2fr, No, elr. Kor the following : 3r. —: Let me understaud what sou mean by weods. A plaut out of place? 3fr. ——: Any plantout of place ix a weed. . Grasu wo call a weed, I don't care what it 1s, whether clover or corn, Mr, — 2 Astool of wheat in a corn-field is & weod. Mr, ——: Yes, sir, And #o it goes for pages. The Chairman of the Convention, in his closing remarks, said: “Wohave done a great dcal of talking; we have taken & very wido range of dizcuesion;” which is true, 2nd makes it more diflienlt to understand why tho procoedings should be published inYull in & State document. Wera they worth preserv- ing, private enterprise would have doze the em- ‘balmin, This ook conld have beon condensed into ONE-HALF ITS PRESENT YLLK withent injury. 1t would be mo% interesting, 2nd would not scare any one from examining it. Life it too short to read it. JTgdiciously edited,—which would involve elim- inating at least one-half, and condensing the ‘remainder info attractivo shapo,~the volume might bo made interesting. " In sgricultural phrase, it needs weeding, Lhis is tho result of permitting ‘weak humanity to rush into print withon limitation s to quantity or quelity, and with the sereneconsciousness that it costs pothing. : - ANOTRER VOLUME is in the hands of the printer now, and will be published in & fow wecke. It is o “{fat take™ for the printer. Tho only remedysoemsto be to limit the reports to & lezs number of pages. THE DEPARTAMENT QF AGRICULTUEE. The second volume réierred to_above contains 891 eg and A copious index. Itis meortofa Mufi Admiration Society record. The dgro- ceedings of the meeting of tho Executive Com- mittee are given in-detail, and ‘are unquestion- | ably mare stirzetive than o novel to the mem- bers'of the Commiites, and will be appropriate heirlooms with which to ticklo posterity, who can point with pride to the fact_that their Ancestors ‘were'members of the Btate. Board of Agricalture, Wil not posterity - 3 * BE DELIGHTED to hear that, * On motion of AMr. Dalton, the um of $16 was voted to each member, for agri- cultural purposes,” and that, ou the pame day, whon the members were in & generous mood. *Pho Secrotary was instructed to apply to the several railroads in tho Stato for freo passes,” €0 that the members could-reach the mectings of ‘the Board as dead-hoads ; that the speeches on ‘the alteration of the premium list were limit- ed to five minutes; that “It was resolved, at the Du’ Quoin Btate Fair, that tho east gate ba used a3 an entrance, and that the sonth gate be used asan exitgate, and that an officer P_n stationed on the road to advise the public of the change;” and that, on motion of Mr. Cobb, it was “ Ordcred, That the eleeping-car for use of the Board be bronght on tho grounds, and thot the Recoption Committec be autborized tolook after said car?” Now, who on earth cares whether the cloeping-car was brought on the grounds, or who controlledit. The Board should_bave appointed s Sub-Committce to bathe their foct, and bave recorded the motion in this report. L85 TITE LIST OF TRIZES at tho State Fair aro recorded to encourage com- ‘potition in fature, and give eredit to thoso who win. This is right. The prize-essnys are next in order, inclading two by W. C. Flagg, of Moro, and two by “James Dwyer, of Springfield, indicating that there was mot much competition, or four prizos wonld not have gone to two persons. Oneis on the * Manufactureof Sonp.” Abstracis of the moetings of the Executive Committoo since 1855 are given ; and then an abstract of METEORULOGICAL ODSERVATIONS made at Peoris, by Fred. Boudel, from 1835 to 1871,—s ren“xy valuabloe contribution, entitled to the dignity of print. Appended is & similar ab~ stract of observations made at the Saudwich Ia- iands from 1852 to 1870, by Mr. Ballon. The Sandwich Islands aro o long way from Illinois ; but thero_cau be little objections urged to the preservation of scientific obserintions, cepecially Binco Kamehameba departed 5 life, and the annexation of his late dominion_; enggosted. A loug eseay on tho ‘‘ Education of Farmers” tells farmers NOTHING TREY, DID NOT ENOW, and containg an infusion of balderdash about “the true frcedom of American citizenship,” “the dynasties of Europe,” *‘future_life-work,” and other pedantic generalitios. Where i tha scuso of using tho phrase, *Tox et praterea nihil,” in an ossey addresscd to plain-spoken, lhard-working tillors of ho {soil? But, as they never seo tho essay, it can't myatify and per- plex their minds. THE LAWS " passed by the Legislaturs rela’'ng to agricul- tural mafters aro published in full. Why not giveall the lawa? Are not farmers interested in taxes, criminal jurisprudenco, otc., ms. well s the rcmainder of the community? Why publish this partial list of lews? Cannot farmers get the gession laws sbont 23 easy ns they can this report, and o good deal easier ? . The proceedings of the SWINC-BRELDERS' ASSOCIATION occnpy 36 pages, and are of a piece with the ro- port of the gatherings of the State Board. One gentleman observed that “ Swino are the chiof supporters of the poor, the prospority of the ‘masees, and wezlth of oar Stato.” o7 Itwasre- solved “That sl aged animals at our fairs be ac~ tual producers,” which ws cruclly agreed to, It is pitisble to be told that “‘The general ox- pression was decidedly agsinat allowing 8wine to wallow in mud-holes,” as swine seem to enjoy it bugely, 1t is their Saratogs,—their summer-ro- sort. ~ The index winds up the book, “Tho criticism made on the University Roport is applicable to the Agricultural Report. TELEE 5 %0 JUDGMENT, “exercised in the compilation, but every ono esems tohave been at liberty to pitehfork in whatever he pleased. If put togother with judgment and taste, the report would be much more valuable, and be about half lts_g;esenc size., That sgricultural roports should be pub- lished, every ope will admit; but that a wad of extransous and useless matter should be inter- olated, no one will believe. Tho printer is not to lamo,—he simply makes the moat of his con- 'Ehx;act; but some one is, or should be, responsi- | e. MBS, REDECCA RUTER STRINGER, ! wife of the Hon. William M. Springer, of this | city, ins written o book, just published under tho auspices of Lippincoit & To., Philadelphia. 1t is tha story of o home life, given in the form of a diary,—the writer supposed to be & young girl ralating a varied and not unromantic expe- rience from youth to cld age. Tho volume ig full of pleasant incidents and wholesomo truths, told in pure pnd eimple English. It is a pro- duction of no ordipary merit. Mrs. Springer has also written many fugitivo poems, which she intends to embedy in a volame, BuL, e St s SN EVANSTON MATTERS. Mine Host” of the Matteaon House is said | | o be still looking for thirty gentlemon who wers tosup Baturday night in Evanston, snd rest themselves from the fatigue of a sleigh-rido from Chicego. They wore reported to be con- nected with Field, Leiter & Co. Whether Sunny Sido proved foo inviting for the “gay decervers,” or Evanston was thoughi to bo too staid, ia 1ot known. Tho Mendelssohn Socicty of Evanaton will give their first grand concert in tho Congroga- tional Church, this evening. Tho Bocioty is most worthy of mgpnrt and encouragement, and j-itis Lobe hoped that the bill of fzro will draw s ! large audience, if moral reason will not. The lecture by Mrs. Emily H. Miller, last | night, was largely attended, and listened to with interest to tho cloze. H i | The Religious Amendment of the Comstitution of the United Stntes-m Cali for a National Couvention. The question of the Bible in the public schools. of Sabunth laws, and many similar questions, are now demanding attention and decisive sottle- ment. Shall the Nation preserve tho Christian featuros of ite life? This is rapidly becoming the issuo of our dry. A . Many thoughtful citizens view with deep con- corn the assanits now being made on everything of a Chrigtian charactor in our civil insfitutions. Not only time-serving politicians and irreligions eu, but cminent oflicara of Government, and loaders emong Christians, m:cu&ling the falso theory that Government Las nothing to do with roligion, co-operate iu these asanults, . An appeel ageinst the Hible in the common echools now lies befors {he Buprame Conrt of | Obio. 1t will come up for edjudicution, in its | regular order, somio time this winter, when s i dstermined offort will be made to overturn the present noblo echool system of that Stato. Tho Superinteadent of Public Instruction of the Btate'of New York hins rocenily decided that {ho Bible, fough assigned an konorable place in the Stato systemn of education when firet estab- lirhed, and actually ueed for sixty years, can no longer be logally roed Guring regular hours in any school of the State. ~ Armed with suthoritative decisions. Iike this, the enemies of the Bible certainly will succeed un- less the friends of our common gciicols awake to | tho dangers that threaten them, and take { prompt and adequate action. A Inorder successfully to repel their assaults, tho assailents . must be met at their {own point of ottecl, Thoey aseail the Bible in'the schools, Sabbath laws, laws against polygamy, and every similar element of our Christian civilization, on the ground of their in- consistency with the Constitution of the United States, which acknowledges neither God nor the Eible, and with which eversthing in the sctual administration of the Government should barmonizo. ‘What shall be done? This ia-a momentons question now_forcing itself upon tho American poople. It will not down. It must soon bo an- swered in one of two ways, Which shail it be 7 Shall we obliterate every Christian feature from existing institutions? Or, shell we meke tho Constitution explicitly ~ Chris- tian? Shall ws thrust out the Bible from onr schools to malke them conform to the Con- stitution? Patriotism and true etstesmanship. snswer, No! . But let tho acknowledgment of God and the Bibls be ingerted in the Constitu- tion to make it conform to the common echools. Tho National Association has beer formed for tho purpore of - gecuring- such an smendment to the Constitution as will suitably acknowledge Almighty God as the Au- thor of the Netion's oxisteuco and the ultimate Bource of its anthority, Jesus Christ as its Ru- ler, and tho Biblo 23 the fountain of its laws, and thue indicate that this is 2 Christian nation, and place all Christian laws, institations, and nssges in our Government on an undenisblo legal baeis in the fundamental law of the land, This Asdociation invites all citizens who favor such an amendment, without distinction of party or. creed, to meet in the hall of the Cooper Union, Now York City, on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 1973, 8t 2 o'clack p. m. i . WruLiau 8TRoNG, U. S. SBupreme Court, ‘President of the National Association, —The dog who enjoya coasting 5o much that ho steals sleds and tugs them by his teeth to the top of the highest hills, sliding thence, is filling | » brief opgegement at Leavenwortl. - WASHINGTON. Land-Cperations of a Railroad - - Company in Iowa. How. the "Chicago, Rock Istand & Pacific Road Has Retained Possession of a Land-Grant Which It Had. Forfeited, From $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 Tn- volved in the Transaétion, Queer Decisions of the General Land Office-and Depart- ment of the Interior. From Qur Qwn Correspondent. Wasmvozox, Jan, 17, 1873, TIn 1856, Oongress made & grant of lands to the State of Iowa to aid in the construction of certain railroads to extord from the Mississippi to the Missouri River. The grant consisted of the unappropriated odd-nambered sections of public land Iying within 6 miles of the line of ©nch road when definitely fixed, with the priv- flege of eelecting otber odd-numbered sections within 15 miles of the line, in lieu of those dis- posod of by the Govornment within the 6 miles. One of the roads, extending from Davenport fo Council Bluffs,—then known as the Dlississippi & Miesouri,—is now called the . CHICAGO, ROCK ISLAND & PACIFIO BATLROAD. It in the transactions of the Company in chargs of this rond, and the action of the Interior De- partment, co-operating with them, to which at- tention is now invited. so e The line of the road was located in 1856, In 1858 and 1859, before the road was fairly com- menced, most of the lands were listed by the Company, and approved and certified by the De- partiaent, along the entire route, in pursuance of an opinion rendered by the Attorney General of tho United States, in 1857, that such certified lists havo ;no effoct whatever upon the title to railrosd lands, nnd that they were merely in- formation from the records, like any other in- formation furnished by the Department. In 1864, when only & hundred milesof the road had been consiructed west from theMississ- ippi Biver, tho Company in charge of tnis road Jjoined with other Towa Railroad Companies in soliciting from Congresa the passage of an act, AMENDING THE OBIGINAL GRANT of 1856 ; donating the lands directly to the Com- anies, instead of to the State of Jowa for their enefit ; and authorizing several of them to change the uncomploted portions of the lines of their roads. The agents of the Companiesdraft- ed the bill, and it became a law on the 24 day of June, 186, This act authorizes thres of the Companies to change tke uncompleted portions of their lines ; and another act, psssed July 1, 1864, grants the samo suthority to the only re- maining Com‘pnny mivmgfi id under tho orig- inal grant of 1656. In these enactments, ex- ress provision is made that the change. of the ines of their roads shall not impair the right of the Cedar Rapids & Missouri River, the Dubngue & Sioux City, and the Barlington & Missouri River Railroad Companies to the lands located by their original lines under the grant of 1836. But, in roforence to the_ Missisaippi & Missouri, —now the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Rail- road Company, A NO SUCH PBOVISION I8 MADE. On the contrary, that Company is expressl required to take the lands inuring to that roa within 6 miles of the modified line, and to select- indemnity for lands otherwise disposed of by the ?ovenmwnt, within 20 miles of such now loca~ ion. The effect of this legislation was to restrict the rights of the last-named Company to the Iimits above defined, and to exclude all claim to Jands lying more than 20 miles from the line of the road. ‘When the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Rail- road Company changed the line of their road west of the City of Des Moines, thoy run g0 far south of their original location a8 to ' TUNCOVER THE NOBTHERX PART of thi t s located under the act of 1856, leavin out 100,000 ecres of land more than 20 miles beyond their new line. This, it is said, was not the original intention of theé Company, their purpose having been not to vary more than Baniles from tha old line. st any point, o that the 20-mile limit of the new grant might Tever fall below the 16-mile limit of the old. 8o, in drafting the bill, it was not thought worth while to ingert & special provision reserving the right to the lands originally located, -as it was not intended that any of them should fall ont- gide the limits of thenew grant. The deflection of the new ronte 8o far gouth of the old one wzs brought about by speculators owning largo bodies of 1and, who were anxious to lay them ont into town-sites along the line of the road. THEY OFFERED STRONG INDUCEMENTS - to the Company to run their line in the interest of this speculation. Bafora the Company yield- od, they insisted that. the consideration must be sufficient to remunerate them for the Iloss of 1ands outside the north 20-mile limit,—thua ad- mitting that they had o right to those lands. ‘When they finally co.senied to uncover their nt, they expected to Ioge theabandoned lands. Their subsequent attempt to retatn possession of, and perfect their title to them, is ssid to be the result of an arrangement entered into with CELTAIN T0WA POLITICIANS. The Iatter, who were ex-members of Congress, claimed to havo peculiar facilities in the way of fecuring favorable action in the Department and before Congress, snd promiged to geta good titlo to thesa lands for a share of the spoils. The Iands in question are of tho average valus of $10 ‘per acro, msking $1,000,000 total value. The question was DROUGHT BEFORE THE DEPARTMENT by porsons who bad applied for these lands an- der the Homestoad Iaw, and whose spplications had been rejectsd by tho District Land-Officars at Council Bluffs, Jowa. An appealwas then taken to the Commissioner of the General Land Office, Ztho appellents claiming that the Railroad Compapy hed no right to Iands ontside the 20~ mile limits of their grant as defized in the act of 1663, becanzo that ennctment reserved no right to tho Company for lands_originally located un- der the act of 1856; and that, in the abzonce of such a provision, an sbandonment of their old line was neceesarily an abandonment of the Iands located by it. “They' contended that the act of 1856 required the granted lands to be lo- cated within 15 miles of a definilely-fized line, and the act of 1864 within 20 miles of “the modified line. They insisted that an absndoned lineconld Dot be trostod as ono definitely. fixed, and that the only definitely-fized line was the one upon which the rond was built ; that it was impossi- ble for one road to havo two definitely-fixed lincs, and that lands under either of gaid grants conld only be located by such & line. Attention was called to the fact that tho Iands applied for were neither within 15 miles of & definitcly-fixed line, nor within 20 milea of the new route, snd wwer#, therefore, niol embraced in_either of the grants made in 8id of said road: It was ineistod that, as the lands were not appropriated by eitbor of the grants named, they were not ap- propriatad at all; and that, as unappropristed ands, they wero subject to homestead by the ross langusge of the Homestoad act. there seemed to be no wgy of resisting thess conclusions, a good deal of curicaity was felt to see what wonld be done in the Depart- ment. The Commisaioner RENDERED HIS DECISION Sept, 12, 1871, holding & follow Withont now discussing thie validity of tho raflread elaim, it 18 only mocessary to etate that thelands in uestion were withdrawn for raflroad- purposes, May , 18563 and, on the 2ith of December, 1858, wera ap- by the Secretary of tlie Interior fo the State of ed Jowa, and wore, under tbia spproval of the Depart- oot certided lo_ the State by this office, Alareh 4, wer to.undo the act of Land Office. of f_the Department, the right of the 7oad to the lands is declared null m;,'vniu,fllgnd the tracta restored fo the mass of the public linds, after due notice, under a principle enunciated by the Attorney General 38 _eatly as 1834, and which has sver since governed the Department, landa sre not subject to entry, 5 ‘Without deciding anything in reference to the claim of the Company, the Commissioner shifted the respousibility upon” the Hecretary, and passed over all the questions ar{sing in the case. ‘Touching this dwmnfn.::“ remarks may be made: 1. In the first place, : IT WAS NOT TRUE that all the Jands in question had .been with- drawn for railroad purposes in 1856, or & any othor time; nor hat fhey were certifiod to the Stato by tho General Land Office in 1859, Neatly 7,000 screa of tho lands, in question wero in oven numbsred soctions, and were ot embraced inthe grant of”1855. The Commissioner well know that theso lands had never becn granted” eitber to the State or to the Railroad Company ; that the grant of 1356 covered noue but odd- numbered sections. Ho,could not be iznorant of tho fact that they wers cortified to the Com- ril_:yhi? June, 1870, without even the shadow of aricht. = = The agent of the Company virtually admitted that tho even sgections beyond tgq _20-mile limita of the now graat had been improporly cortified ; and the Commissioner had read his argument, and Liad seen this admisston. 4 2. The Commissioner was * EQUALLY AT FAULT when ho stated that, in the-event of the railroed- -claim being void, the lands would not be subject to cutry under the Homestead law. until restored to the mass of the public Iands under a regula- tion made in 1836. - That regulation waa sdoptod & quarter of a century before the Hnmeltundplsw wes paesod, and had Tcference wholly to the salo of lands bf private entry under the act of 1820, a8 was fully oxplained by Attorney General But~ ler in the opinion; referred to .by the Commis- sioner. After the Pre-emption nct of 1841 was passod, the question repeatedly came before the Department, whether the regulation of 1836 applied to entries under the Pre-emption law, aud it was uniformly decided that it did not, B8 sny one can eeo_ by refer- ring to 1 Lestor's Land . Laws and Decisions, numbers 407, 459, 460, 461, end 471. AMuch less are lands enterod under the Home- stead law subject to tnat regulation, for the Homestesd act oxpressly brings withinits opers- tion 2l unappropriated surveyed land; nnd the Dopartment has decided, in other cases, that, in order to withdraw land from the operstion of the Homestead Iaw, it must be legally appropriated. Beaides, the Commissionor himself was then, and 18 now, IN THE DAILY PRACTICE of cancolling entries and lacations upon lands, and immediately disposing of the samo lands 2gain, under tho Pro-emption or Homestead las, without even thinking of the rogulation of 1836. This fact rendors it all the more singular that he ehould mako the deliboratestatement, that, if the -claim of this Rilroad Company should bo can- cellod, the Iands would not be subject to entry under the Pre-emption or Homestead law until reatored to the u{\lic domsin, under the opera- tion of tha regulation of 1436. From the ruling of the Commissioner, the sottlers appesled to the Secretary of the Interior. This resulted in A DEPARTMEXT DECISION, from tho Hon. R. B, Cownn,.Acting Secretary, on the 224 of Ju.e last, in which he Leld that, long before the date of ths spplications of the s]:mern to take the lands under the Homestead we, The tracts had been withdrawn for railrosd purposes, and were never reatored. Subsequently to the with drawal, thoy were certifled to the State of Towa for the benefit'of what ia now known as the Chicago Rock Il and & Pacific Railroad. Such withdrawal and cortifica- tion took tho tracts ont of the body of landa subject to homestesd antry ; and, na they were nmever restored, tho applleations were properly Toj s Without expressing any opinion [he continues] as to the validity of the railroad clsim to the land, I afirm _your (the Commissioner’s] decision, snd herewith re- ‘turn the papers, = - AMORE COMPLETE EVASION of the igsue presented in a case could not be imagined. Conceding, for tho present, that tho withdrawal and certification’ of the landa took them out of the body of lands subject to home- stead entry, that circumstance was little or nothing to the point. Every ontry or appropria~ tion of land withdrawa it from further entry until the prior appropriation is cencelled or w0t itls, Baits uiar passos in tho Dopartmont that irregular entrios or locations are not cancelled, and the lands declared open to _the next applicants, _either under the Pre-emption or Homestead _law. 1 tho Acting Sncretary believed that a_cerfifica- tion made fourteen ycars a0, slong a line sab- soquently abandoned by the ‘Campany, hiad tho cffect of withholding the landa from homestoad, thenext question befors him was, whether the Company had not abandoned the_lands, and whether it tas not tho duty of the Dopartment to hold them subject to appropriation 29 other public lands, by cancelling tho certificates, so that the settlors might then apply for them n & regular manner. ; , Cowan knew very well that tho lands were certified upon the understanding that the road would bo built over the original line. He know that, when that parposo was changed, and s now Tine located unders grantof lauds along the Tnew route. ) o TIE CONDITIONS WERZ CIANGED npon which the cortificates wero issued. * Ho knew also that tho certificates were n mere offica regulntion ; that thoy were not authorized or rovided for in the statute ; that no title could e ncquired by them ; that they woro {ssued after the queetion fi2d been submitted to Attorney Genoral Black, as mere information from the records as to what pasticular tracts ware em- braced in the grant. He knew very well that the rights of tho Company dopended upon the quostion as to whether tho lands were locatad within epecified distances of the definitely-fixed Line of tg:ir rond ; that 1t was jmgpossible for them fo hold Iand, tnder either grant mado for “their benofit, not falling within the limits of tho same ; and that it was equally impossible to locato lands under either grant, oxcept by & definitely-fixed line. The now routo was located in 1868, and the map of the same filed in the Department in 1570. The question of tho right of (ha Company to the 1ands under consideration could not arise until tho new line was fixed, snd was consequently mever brought beforo the. Department until it camo bofore the officiale..- And what is thore- Bult of their action ? - Simply that the 2AIN QUESTION IS ENTIRELY EVADED. Thoy decida that, whether tho railroad claim to theso lands is valid or invalid, tho posseasion of tho Compnny is not to be distirbed. An incident further illustrating the conduct of Becrotary Delano may bo raleted here.. -While this caso was pending befors him on appeal, & prominent politiclan and ox-member of Congress from Iowa was meat to Washington by tho Railroad Company to sttend toit, While hore, he was urgoed by some of his political friends to go to Now Hampshire to &tump the State, prior to tho election last spring. He at first doclined to go, on account of the pen- Qency of this caso before tho Bocrotary, but at Iast consented, boasting to his intimates that the Secretary had promised him that, if he wonld go and stump that Btate, the claim of " the Reilroad Company to theso lands 8 SHOULD NOT IE DISTURBED. ~ Ho then went to Now Hempshlre, .gave no far-.| ther atteution to the case, and, in due time, the Acting Socretary rendered his’ decision, onfirely inling tho main question involved, — the right of the Company to tho lands ; ruling the sottlers off the lands; and stopping ehort, as though the queszion was of no conscquonce to the Govornment, whether the Railroad Compauy had a legal claim fo the lands ornot. In thia way, the promise about which the Iowa politician boasted was mado good. The Chicago, Rock Ieland & Pacific Railroad Company now have A BILL PENDING BEFOUE CONGRESS, asking that body to confirm the title to lands certified to thom by the Department. Now, the question comes here, if such certification is valid as convoying title, whersforo the nood of addi- tional legislation # Thoy take good caro mot to intimatein any way that, of tho lands 0 corti- fied, about 100,000 ‘acres, worth 2,000,000, are outsido the limits of their grant. Tho very fact of their eslking Congress for a coufirmntorf aet isa clear admireion that tHoy have no legal right to the lands, and that Secretary Delano un- lawfully holds them in reserve, instead of ro- ]utoring them to tho operation of the Homestead nr. Btill forther to show the ISFLUENCE OF PARTY POLITICS on matters perteining to legal rights, another circumstance mey bo related: Some time inFeb- runry or March Iast, the Towa railroad intercst 1ad 2 meeting st Cedar Rapids, lowa, at which the bill above menticned was discussed. The gontloman who afterward went' to stump New Hampshire recommended that it should not be urged throngh Congress until after tho Presi dential election, on account of its probable in— jurious effect; but that, after the November election, at the next session of Congress, he felt confident he could have it favorably reported by the Committoes and * securd its passage. -pgaus that & gentleman of political influence and address can, 88 & mere lobbyist, have o bill favorably reportod and paseed through Congresa, althongh its charactor may, be such &1 to render it bad policy to pass it pending a Presidential election. Gata. THE LEGISLATIVE ADJOURNRIENT. HuxmAzEE, TIL; Jan, 23, o the Editer of The Chicago Tribune Bie ; Tho Temusk end Times of this morning in their report of the proceedings of our State Legislature upon the question of adjournment, have omitted to give mse credit for voting in the negative. Ivoted against concurring with the Benate in both cases. Will you please give me credit in your mext issue for Toting against ad~ journment, ‘8 I consider this s matter of im- portance. Respectfully yours, M. J. SEERIDAY, ‘Houso of Ropresentatives, 16th District. 1873, g *| patriotism had _provailod, instead of buacombe . will endeavor to divide tho State into “ture will make the division a8 follows : Soit. KANSAS, < Closi g Days of the Senatdrial - Contest. - - - - Poimeroy Confident of. Re-Flection --Opposition ‘Candidates- - Increasing. Special Correspondence of The Chicano Teibime, . Torexa, Kan,, Jan, 24, 187 To-day I asked the landlord of the Fifth Av- enue Hotel what fie ‘thought of this Senatorial contest. H acteristic of- the Kansas dispenser .of nourich- ment. “ Two years ago,” said he, ** when Catd- well was clected, I sold s barrel of whiskey a dsy, in bottles ; and, during this canvass, o ottle of wide is all thit I have sold.” Ihand | you the foregoing remark to illastrate anothe phase of the drouth in Kansns. - The lobby that surgos around and throngh the hotols to-night is : SR " SULLEN AND GLOOMY. Even the tiger that couchas in. Colonel Jenni- #on’s room'is idle, and perforce harmless,—and, bad it not been for o small group of St. Louisans who encountered him early in the week, and found the reverse gide of Lis paw to consist of other material than velvet, hie would have gono into winter-quarters ere this. , .~ When one helts to consider tha Benatorial question in tho light of facts demonstrated, he cannot SEE ANY PARTICTLAR GOOD in olerting Congressmen from this State. Ean- | 828 has béen without representation in Congress for ten days, and the whesls of Govarnment continue to revolve as thoughwmothing extra- ordinary had happenod. M. Pomeroy, of the Beoate, and Mr. Lowe, ¢! the House, have been here somo days; and Mr. Caldwoll, as the read- ers of Tirs TRiouNE all know, has boen occu- pied with outside business. Hence, one can safely azsert that neither tho Speaker nor the Vice President has been called upon to ree- ognize the “gentleman” or Senator from Kansas within tho past ten days. In view of this fact, it is impossiblo to resist the impression that the people who are hera in multitudes. are magnifying the importance of Congressional representation. If the position of -United Btates Senator is 80 full of grove responsibilities and emergencies, it would be pertinent to enquiro why Mr. Pomaroy, of Kansas, is not in tho Seante-Chambor. By the way, he is con- | fident of returning there, and declares without | hesitation that members of tho Legislature are pledged to cast their votes for, his re-election. = Rocently the Senator and staff have been tempering with > THE LEAVENWORTH DELGATION, which consists of ton members. Ramors are tife that a magnificent lpElefiBflfln to improvc the military post of Fort Leavenworth has been promised, and that promise supplemented with a pledge to secure a subsidy to aidin the construe- tion of a stately and commanding Post Offico | and Custom House in the City of Leavenworth, togethor with other favors ioo numerous for manuscript. The promises that O1d Satan made | on the mountain, to teat the integrity of Our | Bavior, ure tamo and lnsignificant in_comparison with ‘the promises ‘*Old Bubsidy™ makes to capturo the Leavenworth delega- tion. It is a noteworthy fact that Leavontorth has always fought Pomeroy. | Judge Lecompte, of Lecompton Constitation notoriety, is the only man electod from Leaven- | vorth Couaty that ovor cest & voto for Pom- ! eroy.. . - Thre 15 no material change in the Legislative | nspect, The oppouents of Senator Fomaroy are | etill quarrelling among thomselves, while the | number of candidates Js increasing, instead of . diminishing.” Tho latost *lghtniag rod” ont iathe - > : HOX, JOIY 7. INGALLS, : an eminent Iswyer, of Atchisoa, nad the bright- est ecatributor to the Kansas Magazine. He is regarded 8 an hon:at msn. Many look upon him as tho ablest gentleman in the Stato. Il ever ‘heard eaid against his character was, | that . ho tried to influence: a decision of| United Satea Judgo Delabay by the use of. monay... Akr. Jagalls' varsion of that charge will appear when tho testimony elicited by the Con- greasional Committeo to inqnire into Delahav's | conduct is, printed. I incline to tho opinion that Mr. Ingalls is not guilty, sud also to the | opinion that the Senatorial lLightuing will not : strike him. ! DEFICIENCT IN LEADERSHIP i ig'tho causo of half the trouble v ".ich gurrounds the members opposed to Alr, Pomery. There has been no unity of action in tho opposition, and no man acting with it who possesses force eanh to organize and concentrate the scattering dele-, gnten. There ara now five candidates in tho eld dependingupon the anti-Pomeroy eentiment ! for clection. At thia time, Lowe and Harvey are tho strongest. It is whispered this evening | that the cancus will not ecloct & candidate until Aonday evening. Besides, an entirely new man | L is talked of,—one whose name has not been | mentioned within two blocks of a nswapapar correspondent. It is the prevailing impression inall the best-informed circles that Pomeroy has sccured enough votes to R - MAKP HIS BE-ELECTION ALMOST SURE. I_doubt vory muck if the opposition cancus will ever bo able to again convero a majority of the Legislature. Atone time, the csucus had the controlling power, and, if discrotion and speeches and Derce. resclutions, the situation would be more hopefnl. Tho Kansas Legislature took hold of the ! task of 9 | PURIFYING THE UNITED STATES SENATE, i yesterday, by resolving to forward a2 memorial to Congroas asking for sn smendment to the Cou- stitution requiring United States Serators to be clocted by a diroctvote of the people, - When all this Senatonal commotion subsides, and roason resumes her sway, Legislature TAREE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTA. - This work ought to have boen done last win- ter, and ‘would heve been, if & majority of House membors had 5ot cdnceivod tho happy | idea of arranging the First District 80 aato place | within its boundaries Leavenworth, Lawrenco, and Topoka, and then constract tho two remain” | ing districts from the rest of the State. The majority, preaumed that all the obnozious poli- ticiens ‘and _corruptioniats remded in the counties_ bordering on the Missouri and Iensas Rivers, while the romaining countics of | tho State wore peopled by puro men; and there- fora thought thecaging of all thecity politiciaus in ona district would prevent the taint of corrup- tion from eproading, and give political intogrity a fresh start in tho rural districts. The Senata, , Thoworor, stifled tho meesure, and the Legiala® | ture adjourned without making any apportion- ment. fnall probability, tho present Legisla- First Dislrict~Orgaaized’ counties north of | tho Kanass River. 4 Second District—Organized "counties south of | tho Kansas River. .~ % ! Third Districi—All the organized and umor~ ganized countign in the western part of the State, on both sides of the Kansas River. ~ Kaxaas. THE RAILROAD QUESTION. Co-operation Among Farmers of the . Diiferent States. . The Illinois Btate' Fawrers' Convention, held at Bloomington on the iCéh and 16th inst., com- | pleted the formation of a Stato Farmers' Asso- ciation, providing for the arganization uf overy coanty and township in the State into Farmera' Clubs, Granges, or other Agricnltural Sccietics, with proper officers, through whom every farmer in the Btate can be reachod, when it becomes necessary, by concentration of our strength, to protect oursolves against the increasipg aggres- elons upon our rights of railroads and oiher car- porations. s a . 2 Our purpose will bo incomplete without the co-operation of other Stafes, especially of the e Therer tly in d We, therefore, earnestly invite correspondence from the differcnt Btates, with & view to their immediately holding Conventiona and forming associations similar to ours, thaf, while their Legislatures are in session, they may call for necessary legislation in, refc g abuses, and regulating, by proper laws, the rates of fare and éren,tgm upon the railroads of their respective tates, : A pamphlet is«in proparation -contaning tho proceedings of our .Convention, and addressea | npon railway legislation and railway reform . mado before it Ly somo of the best legal | taleat of the Btate; among which vl be found that of the Hon. H. Row- ell, who prosecated tue case against the Chicago & Alton- Railrond, betore Judge | ‘Tiptos, in the icLeaa Couaty Cireuit Court ; | the Hon. B. M. Banjamin, who sssisted him; | reply was briaf, and at~once char- | F b { a disconnt, acd that. thay | terod. “Colonel R. P. Morgan, Railroad Commissiouer; the Han. James Sharv, 2 momber of the Judici- ary Committes of our present Legislstars, and many sthers,—making it a valuable documeat, which should be in the hands of every farmer; ot on'r as ehowing the terper aad svirit of the Convention, but giying bim e kaow! of how far Tezislation hat'sl-eady gone i kis~ Lehiall, = and of what he may legafly dexaand at tho Linds of tho law-makers Le L3 elec:cd. - Farmons' Cluls, Granges, Agricaltural- Socie- ties, 2uq individnals interested in our canse may obtain copies Ly sanding necessary stamps to prepay postaze and addressing 8. M. Surtm, : Secretary Stato Farmers; Assaciation, Ke- ‘wenee, Henry County, Iit, * —_— : POISON, The Washington County N. Y. Eorror--Seven Pcrsors Polsonede Two Dend, Onc Dyluge=Who Coms mitted the Decd 7 From the Albany Argus, Jan. 23, N ‘Cambridge, now “ Thé poisoning case, near Car turns oat to bo one of the most_terrible crimes ovor attempted in Washington County. -About- thres miles from Cambridgo is siinsted the houso of Charles Shaw, and iu it, at this time, are 8ix persons, suffering from the effects of a slow-working 'and corroding poison, - and; o oddition, ome corpse, that of & gitl, whn Qied on Friday night last from the effects of this samo poison. Clarles Shaw in 39 years old. Ho is said to be a man who ja cruel to his family, and .ono without Lonor, and cowardly. Ho has lived in Cambridga and vicinity about fifteen years. Mrs. Shaw, Lowever, i8 spolien of = an industrions woman, too good, at least, for tho man to whom she i .wedded." A corréspondent of the Troy Tiumes says: “Nine childron have beer. born unto this couple. The eldest is called Alsonza, and ka he is now 22 years of age. Ho left tha paternal roof sone yedrs ago to seck. his fortuno elso- whore. The next in =ge is nsmed Fannic sho is 20 years of age.’ Five years ago .- ghe bocame a mother, in defiance of the custom which roquired thet a woman shall be respected 25 o wifo before eatering nupon the duties of maternity. A yearagosho was married to a.men who looks like an idiot. Neither sha nor her brother, Alvonza, were ct their father'a house when tha poisoning was dono. The other children are Marriotta. agod 10 yoara ; Elizabeth, aged1%; Hattia, aged 12; Anna, aged 8; I aged 6; Emm:f] ‘The last named has uot- Leeu ill, and is the only one of the family who has escaped, with the ax- cention of Fannie’s illegitimate child, a boy. Ta this boy Shaw waa always very partial. - 4The children are strong physically, sud wesy morally aud mentally. They impress ome c3 being ignorant and brutsl, and not unacquainted with crime. Thoso of them alive now manifest a stolid indifference to their condition. ~ Emo- tions they have none. -The dead body of theiz sister thoy regacd with complete indifferecce, and the whole matter appears to them o3 an ep. isode not worth much comment.” . - Two years ago Shaw becama the peramonr of 2 married woman named Briggs, wio dwelt with * her husband a quarier of a mile north of Shaw’s house. About « month ngo the Briggs family : removed to Hoosick, and on Sundsy, the Luh inst., Shaw visited Hoosick, and spent the uay with’ Mra, Drigzs. He returned tha nest day, but remained at bomse- for_a few housonly. He then proceeded to Weit’s Cor~ - ners, where ho remained umil Taesday, the 14th. What occurred betieen Tueaday after- noon and Tharsdsy moning, the inuiates cf the™ house only are familiar with. Tho Troy Times- 278 & T 0a Tharsday-Shaw eppeared at thoe offica of Dr. Kennedy, and reguested him to come to Lis houee. The doctor complied with the reque:t, and found two of to mmates sick. On, the girl Elizageth, was in » dangerous condition, while the othor seomed bnt slightly .il. Dr. Keunedy is one of tho Coroners cf tha connty, and, Judging that bis services“in his official capacicy might be_roquired, he tranefarred 0 case to Dr. Kotcuum, who visited tho house on TFriday morming. He found six of tho children snd ifrs. Sliaw veryill. They were all purging and vomiting, aud” eeemed in considerable pum, The doctor tegan to suspect fonl play, and, acled them of what they bal eaten. They replied that on Tucsdsy Shaw bronght home-a- quantiiy of Sour sansage, which he said hé had purchased in the village a= Lad all eaton of it. Shar, who was preeont, szid ho b d not been at- tacked, although ho hol eaten as hesrtily as iy of the others. ~Tho doctor then -told the .man ¢ his family had been poisoned. Prosecuting his inquirics: he - learmed. that tho sich persons - were first attacked Tuesday night. Tho poisan - had, in tha meantime, so impregnatad their | tems that it was useless toresort totho stomath~ pump or emotics, i 2 ““The doctor, previous to his depsriure, in~ formed Shaw. thins bis dagghter, Elizabeth, conid not survive. She died that night. & post mortem examiuation was held, and the stomach of the dead girl, and its coatenta, wore removed and eent to " Albany for analysis.” At the samn time a piece of mueclo was taken fiom ome of . i tho girl’s arms, and this, together with soms of the causage, was pleced undar & powerfal micro scope and searched for trichine. No animacals was found in either. Shaw was not present at the post mortem. 'The doctors concurred in_bes Heving that poison - had been adminis~ Skaw wa3 eoon after arreated. Alon~ dny the doctor visited ‘the honso - agai He . then found Mrs. Shaw was cor pletely prostraied. Fer left side waa paralyzed, and she was totally blind. The doctor kza small hopea of her recovery. Four of the children were -in a dangerous condition. The childrea have held thelr own eince Saturdsy, but tho mother has failed greatly. The doctor said to them that an other deathr would probably soor take place in the houso, and urged them to tell every. fact. Learing’ on.. their condition ' with ' which'they are acqnzinted. ‘Afrs. Shaw, who rotainod-the powar of_speech, then proceeded to rzake a statoment. Sho said _8he had for a long timo f{rared that her husband ‘would poison her, and related an incident which occurred some timo since. Shaw ong day -opproached his nephew and en- deavorad to el;sl.go him to g: & Whit( powder 1n'the food of his family. This nephew. Chrisfophér Shaw, is a bad boy, but is nof bad cuough for this, He is roady to vouch for Mre, -Shaw's statement. The woman 2}2o rpoke of - Mr. Shaw's visit to Hooalck, and said .that aftez .his return he went to Waint’s Corners, where he ‘proourod & hottln of whiskoy. Ho gaye her, and tho six children, who were afterwaid taken ill, some of tlhe liqflnr. While the others wera drinking, Faony's bastard son, for whom Shar, 88 has boon bofore etated, Led a great liking, asked for somme. ‘ Wait until they get through, and Tll % you up, said Shaw. When the o ers had finishied 16 carelally pat sway the tum- agod 8, =nd Charlie, aged 1, - bler which they had used, and, procuring aaoth: * . i er, allowed the littlo boy to drinkout of it, and | &lio drank of it himsolf.” . Tho Troy Times thus sums upthe case: “Ont of tho children is deat. The mother will prob- ably die. The result in the casos of two of 1tz | surviving childrep is vory doubtfal. The others. will probably recover. Charles Shew, the huse tand and father, is in custody under tva charge of murdering Lis own daughter snd sttempting to murder his own wife and five children. - The woman Briggs has not besn arrested, but is an- der suspicion, and many believe that sho insti< gated Shaw and urgod him to the crims. Tie fani- ily wholave been brought to death’s doar will tell nothing more, for they cannot he persusded to rezlize the enormity of the crims of which the . husband and father is preaumed to be guilty. Justico Fletcher and Coroner Kennedy will pusit the inyestigation s far as possible with all tho energy of which they are possessed, and it is not unlikely that all there ?s mysterious will be ‘worked up.” A later sccount says that angther desth in. Shaw's family occarred yesterday morning. Thi: last victim is the little girl Ida, aged 5 years, Ba- fore her death she became paralyzed. Doath seemed o ensue, not from pain, for there wes ncarcely any, bat 2 gradnal loss of vitality. — —A curions and emincntly Cauadian scene a3 presented in Montreal last Wednesday night, when five snow shoo clubs musterad their. full force and formed o torchlight procession over the * Mountain 2in honor of Lord and La3: Dufferin: Thers’ were hundreds of loyal aud strong-limbed Cenadinns in tho lines, and the torchlight, reflected by the snow, mzdoavery - brilliant spectacle. * Arrived at their destinaticn the snow shoers wcre welcomed with rockets = - an Mlnmination, & supper, and epoeches, —Ono peculiarity of Colorado, which has not been g-peuau& noted, is the ¢ amount of electriaity in the atmosphero. mills and ma~ chipa ehops, where thero- ia constant sgitation, clectricity 18 in exccrs. When animals are ‘hnstled ebout in a lively menner, they frequents ly give off sparks like firo; while one gom! mea states that when ho sits in the houae wif his feot on the stove, the ks ron alop; limbs and his bair rises. Tho presence of thif superabundant electricity wonld eeem to explain tho exhillrating effect of the hair upon the ha:..... man system, and does away, to a certain extent, with the excmse for stimnlants, furnishes an ergument why Colorado should become the %\’;nd inebriste asylum for the United States. observant and cyical trazeller might, how= over, enjoinA!‘ann “hor the duty of he; har- :s::‘flrst, the Coloradians aro mot yet tae- ors. e