Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, January 1, 1874, Page 4

4 A R Ve THE CHICAG c‘){fio’éuLY TRIBUNE: THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 1874, TERMS OF THE TRIBUNE TERXE OF SURBCRIPTION (PAYABLE I¥ ADVANCE). iy, S P 5 5 BieatEal o100 Semta Parts o1 2 year ot the same rate. o presen: delay sad mistakes, be sure and give Past 09 ce address in foll, includiag State and County. TRemittances may be mads either by drat, express, Post Cflce tader, or1nregistered lettors, at ourrisk. TERMS TO CITY SUBSCEIBERS. 1y, delivered, Suaduy exceptea, % cents per week. + celivered, Sunday fneluded, 70 cents per weok. addscas THE TRIBUNE COMPANY, Corner Madison and Dearborn-&ts.. Chicago, Itk TO-DAY'S AMUSEMENTS. M'VICKER'S THEATRE-Madison stroet, betweon d_Stats. Epgagemont of ~Shiol Barry, The Gray Lady.’ or, of the fright-trains hos Voen suspended. Both roads are'controlled oy meut. E from this city have made satisfactory terms with the eogineers, aud suffer no interruption of bueiness. ries of juterference with traius by stril gincers Lave been exeggerated; at least such is the complaint of the engineers and their friends, who aseert that tho telegraph is in the hands of the companies, and unjustly used to prejudice the engineers before tho public. The action of {he Clicago companics will meet tho hearty ap- proval of the people. %o szme manage- All the roads runaicg south and west There is an impression that the sto ng en- We print this morning in our Bloomington dis- ATRE-Randolgh strjct, between | HOOLEY'S _THE, LSalle. **The Geneva Crose, Afternoon 0 Mad- ACADEMY OF MUSIC—Halstod streot, Bonroe. Sothern. Atternoon and evealag. THEATRE—Deeplaiues stroe! hingon. Eugagement o Dargon. ** Deborzhs ur, T Lftorncon and avening. betwoen Mad- { Mies_Augut don's Wrongs. " MYERS' OPERA-BOUSE Moaroe street, between Dearborn ang State. Eemble's i) "Minetrelsy and comicali- "Afternoon and cver HALSTED STREET OPERA-BOUSE-Corner Hal, fed 2ad Harrison streets. MacEvey's ** Hibernicon.” &ftomoon and eveviag. WEST SIDE OPERA-HUUSE—No. 9 West Fandolol nreet. Entertaicment for the benefit of tho Newsboys' ‘Afternocn and evexing. DR. KAHN'S MUS EUM OF ANATOMY—Clark stroet, betwoen Aladison and Moaroo. pateh 3 list of tho stockhclders of the Indianap- olis, Bioomington & Western Railway Company. The number of shares held by municipal corpora- tions is 8,270, representing $327,000. Nearly all this amount was subscribed by these town- ehips for stock in the Danville, Urbaua, Bloom- ington & Pekin Railway Company, which Com- psny was consolidated with others under the name of the Indianapolis, Bloomington & West- erc Railway Company. Thoe whole amount of the capital stock issued, according to this report, i5 84,949,600 Tho officers of the Company and the number of shares of capital stock Leld by them are as follows: B. E. Smith, Columbus, 0., President, 81,351,800 ; C. R. Grigge, Urbana, IlL., Vice-Presidert, $924,000. Directors: W. W. Phelps, Now York, $420,000; Robert Turner, New York, §414,000; William Dennison, Ohio, §35,000; D. Ricketts, Indisnapolis, £1,0005 The Chivags Tribune, Thursday Morning, January 1, 1874. The Atchison, Topeks & Santa Fo and the Miesouri River, Fort Scott & Gulf Railroad Com- panies will not pay the junuary interest on their first-mortgage bonds. They propose to fund the interest in second-mortgaze coupon bonds. The Havane newepapers are very indignant over the American perfidy shown 1n the sinking of the Virginius, & result which they assume was intentional on the part of our Government. They have much to say of the hour of bitter stonement which is in waiting for the Americans, Aessrs. Melvin, Prosident, Black, Treasurer, and Witliems, Director, of the Gilman, Clinton & Springfield Ralroad Company, yesterdsy Te- sigued their offices. They give as their reasons | thio appointment of & Receiver for that rosd, and ti:ereby, in their opinion, endangered tho value of the property. The opposition o the confirmation of Mr. Will- | jems ns Chief-Justice is so decided that, to avoid a rejection, the nomination will brobsbly be withdrawn, and Williams Le sent abroad. It is said that & canvass of the Now England Seus- tors ehows that, with the exception of Bontwell, and possibly of Anthony, they are unsnimously opposed to confirming Williams, Senator Car- peater is ontspoken in his opposition. 1 The Western Union Telegraphk Compauy yes- terday filed a billin the Circuit Court of this county, praying an injunction to restrain the Coanty Clesk from extending, and the Treasurer from collecting, the tax levied upon the capital stock of that Company, assessod by the Stato Board of Equalization ut over £1,000,000. $78,000 of which is apportioned to Cook County. The bill recites that the Company was orgamized 8. i Nebeker, | Dauille, 8100; . H. Smith, Urbana, $250,000; H. Conkling, Bloomington, §100; W. S. Me- Cord, Farmer City, £100. rectors, £3,506,300. Ono of the sllegations is that all of the capital stock in the origizal Com- pany, §5.000,000, the Danville, Urbana. Bicom- ington & Pekin Railroad, after tho allotment to the municipal stockholders at par, was eithor eppropriated by the officers or soldns low as caven cents to themselves and the consolidation the capital stock was increased, and the question how much was paid for the 41,076 shares not held by the counties and towns is agitating the peoplo on the line of the road considerably, and an aoswer is likely to bo called forin court before long. The protability is that none of tne shares excopt those owned by the towns were ever paid for at all—hence that the towns are the real owners of the rond, subjeet to euy bona fide mortgages that have been placed wpon it. C. Wilon, Indiana, §100; George Indiaus, §100; J. C. Short, Total held by the Di- iends. After JORDAN, MARSH & 0. ‘The Jordan, Maish & Co. case in Boston prom- { iges to be a repetition of that of Fhelps, Dodge & Co., of New York. In tho latter case, in the course of five years' importations, smounting to £40,000,000, upon which Phelps, & Co. bad paid from £10,000,000 to $15,000,- 000 in gold dufy to the Government, the ag- gregato smount of duties lost to the Govern- ment by the alleged frauds did not exceed £1,560, orlesa than the three-hundred-and-fiftieth part of Dodgo per ccat on the value of the imports. Nor was thero anything criminal in even this loss of duty. Phelps, Dodgo & Co. bad mede contracts extend- ing over a certain time for certain descriptions of metals, and doring the period of these contracts tho market price fluctuated, eceasionally raising slightly above the invoice price. metals were received, Phelps, Dodge & Co. paid duty on the actual cost of the articles, nd not on the advanced price. As these They paid duties in the under tho Jawsof the State of New York, and not under those of Illinois, and it denies the asthority of this Stato fo asess capital stock | of corporations chartered by tho laws of another | Btate. A pro jorma decrce will be entered, nod by stipulation the cage will go up to the Supreme Court with all the others. The Illinois Legislaturo will commence its ad- Journed sessicn at Springfield ou Tuesday next. The only regular business to come before it, we ‘believe, is the Revision of the Stotuiee. The decisive expression of the Decatur Convention against the holding of thie extra seseion st all, +will probably bave tho effect to make it short, ‘while the abrogation of railroad passes will tend tokeep the members in contindons session till their work, whatever it msay be, is finished. There is one piece of unfinished business befare | same way on these goods whon the market rates vere lower than the contract. price. The law, moreover, with a view to complicate and em- barrass trade, requires thattho cost of trans- portalion from the plece of manufacture to the placo of shipment, the cost of boxing, cartage, commisgion, end port daties be added to the invoice-vame. If by accident or design either of these minnte items is omitted, the penalty 18 a forfeirura of the wholo invoica of goods, the proceeds of the confisca~ tion peing divided between the Government and the revenue officers and informers. If, in an in~ voice of goods worth 100,000, au item of 5 be omitted, the importers forfeit $100,000, one-half of which is paid over to the informer and cus- toms' officers. The actual duty lost to the Gov-~ ermnment would not exceed, in such case, $1.50. In the case of Phelps, Dodge & Co., s clerk hav- ing knowledge of these technical irregularities them which they will perhaps now feel encour— agod to complete. We refer to the resolation which passed one House, and was suppressed in the other, denotncing the salary-grab. Possitly . tho members thought that their own extra sce- tion was no better than a salary-grab, and hence *hat they were not qualified to criticise Congress @ thet behalf. The Chicago produce markets were moderately active yesterday, and stoadier. Mess pork was in good demend, and a shade easier, closing at §14.20@14.25 cash, and $14.65@14.70 seller February. Lard wes rather quiet, and easier, at informed upen them, and they were compelied to pay £261,000, to be distributed among the blackmailers, without the slightest protense that any crimiral sct had been committed. The case of Jordan, Marsh & Co,, of Boston, is now undergoing examination. It seems that the United States officers managed to have a de- tective employed as clerk in that establishment, two years 8o, and this man has been devoting himsolf to tho discovery of every instance in which there lias been an error in the invoices. Acting upon his information, the revenne ofiicers bave seized the books of the firm since 1869, and $8.375¢@5.40 per 100 lba caeh, and £8.70@8.75 | carried them off, for exemination. The seller February. 2feats were active and strong- | Boston papers, of all shedes of opinion, er, at X{@53¢c for shoulders, TH@73¢c for hort xibs, T3c for short clear, sud 9@10c for sweet pickled hams. Dressed hogs were guiet, snd 15 @25¢ higher, closing at $6.40 per 100 Ibs. High- wines were active and steady at 93¢ per gallon. Flour was moroe active, and a shade firmer. Wheat was active and stronger, elcaing 1Xc ‘higher, at $1.18%¢ cash, and S1.21%@1.213¢ eell- er Fepruary. Corn was quiet and firmer, clos- ing at 533{c cach, and 55¢ seller February. Oats were quiet and X{c higher, st 88%c cash, snd 89%{c sellar February. Rye was quiet and firm at78c. Barley was quiet and irregular, closing at §1.45 for No. 2, and 31.12 for No.3. Live bogs were active and strong, at $4.90@5.60. The cattle market was sctive and firm. Sheep were are famous books and accounts of a merchant to be scized aud csiried off upon the mere suspicion of an informer. for ¢ix months, acd in the meantime thay are advertised to the world as swindlers, whose entiro propeity is subject to confiscation by the Gov- ercment. direct injuryis concerned, conviction precedes examination and trial, and all for the benefit of certain custows’ officers, who bave already been paid for the prevention of the very offense for which this firm is accused. The ninth sectioa of the Tariff act of 1866 provides: unenimous in act of 1867, condemning the in- which permits the These books may not be returned In such cases, eo far as absolute and There sholl be added to the cost, or tothe actusl The tone of the dispatches frem various perts of the country shows that the trouble amoug the engincers on the railroads is by no mesns set-~ tled. Wherever the reduction in wages has been made there is discontent ; this discontent, if not followed by a striks, leaves the impression thet the strilie is but postponed, cither in the hope of ihke surrender of the companies or to meet tho requircments of the rules of the Order. It wholesale price or general market valce at tho time of oxportation in the principsl markets of the country from wlieoce the same shall have becn Smported into the United States, the cost: 1, of transportation; 2, shipment; 3, traneshipment ; 4, with I the expenses incinded, from the place of growih, production, or mannfacture, whether by land or water, to the vessel in which ehipmeut is mde to the United States; 6, the valuc of the 22ck, Lox, or coverning of any kiud in whick tne goods are contained; 6, commission at the uenal rates, but in Do case Jess than 2% yer cent; 7, brokerage; 8, export duty; and 9, all other sctual or usual charges for putting up, preparing, and packing for transportation or shipment. is certsin fhat a general strike ou all the roads which bave reduced tho wsges was in- tended to take placo at midnight last night. How far this was carried ont will appear to-day. A general meetiog of the enginecrs of the Peonsylvanis Road is to take place to- morTew. In the ezsz of the Chicago roads, anvthing like » gensral etrike has been averted by the voluxtery setion of the railroad companies which ropoeed the reduction. The only zonds that persist in {he reduction of the engineers’ wages are the Fort Weyne and the Pan-Handle After & man purchases goods in England or France, and obtains his bills, he must add there- to evers penny of expenso under either of these nine heads to the invoice cost of the goods; the failure or omission to do this, even to the extent of 25 cents, subjects the importer to a penalty equasl 10 the value of the entlre invoice, A mer- chant in New York or Boston, receiving his in- voices from his agent or partner in Burope, pre- sents it at the Cuctom-House, and then begins the following process, which, to the disgrace of modern civilization, is required by our laws: The triplicate invoices, made out by the pur- Roads, On the Fort Wayno the partial strike | chasing sgent abroad, setting forth 1n detsil ol costinnga. while on the otlier the running | the minate charres. ara sworn to br him bafare the American Consul. Onc of these is deposited with the Consul, the Consul sends oue to the Collector of the Port whero the goods are cous signed, and the third is sent fo the importer. Upon the arrival of the vesscl, the Custom- House officers inspect the cargo and make s re- turn to tho Surveror's office, The merchant then delivers bis invuice to a broker, who makes out an entry in the form prescrited by law, and a duplicate, ope of which is delivered to the Collector oud the “other to tho Naval Oficer. This catry. with ihe invoice ana bill of lading, is examined by tho cutry clerk. If the threo papers compare corrcetly, ho estimates tho duties on the invoice value an quentity, certifies the invoice, and grants & per- mit for the final delivery of the goods, msking | also 2 minute of the American gold value rorthe foreign gold value. Inthe oflice of tho Naval Officer these papers are sll examined with liks particularity, and the invoice and permitare taken back to the Collector’s office, where the DeputyCollector administers the oath, and desig. nates on the etry, invoice, and permit the packeges to besent to the Appraiser's oftice for oxamination. This complotes tho first step. Experts in the Appreiser's offico examine tho contents of the various packages, and mark upon the invoica the specific and ad valorem duty of each articlo. These calculations aro often ex- tremely delicate. The following ratea of tariff uuder the lzw of 1870 will show the complex nature of this examination : Colton tissues, other than jeans, etc., welghing over 5ounces per square yard, Dot over 100 threads per fquare inch, warp acd filing—Sic per square yard snd 10 per cent ad ralorent, itta, over 100 not cver 130 threads per squaro inch— Bxce per square yard aud 20 per cent ad valorent, Ditto, cver 150and uot over 200 threads per squaro inch—same daty. Ditto, over 200 threads—same duty., ‘The ssme discrimizations run through all the lines of cotton goods, the duty varying according to the weight, nuinber of treads and Faluo, and being both specific and ad valorem. These examinations are made with powerful maguifying glaseas by experts, aud then the invoice, bearing the rosult of this critical re- £earch, is returned to tho amendwent clerk in the Custom-House, who, in red ink, emends the invoice according to tho Appraisec’s return. All the preceding formalities amount to nothing, because the Appraiser's rofurn of the invoico is final. Tho whclo invoice stauds 2§ nothing against tho Appraises’s certificate. An appeal is allowed, but it is to determino the accuracy of the Appraiser’s valuation, and not thet of the invoice. The slightest error iu computing the weight, or the number of threads, or the pro- portion of silk, cotton, or worsted in the fab- xics, may double or reduce the zmount of the legal duty. After all this, the importer pays the duty certified by the Appraiser to bo due, and gets his goods. That in a business amountiag to, perhaps, five millions of dollars 3 year, with imports embracing every variety of textilo fab- 11¢, mistakes will happen, is inavitable. The law seems to bave been prepared to make these mis- takes g8 numcrous as possible. It will be seen that the law, safter spreeding wido its nets in order to catch every importer at some time in some mistake or exzor, esiablisies atter all the arbitrars decision of its own Appraisers as final and conclusive against the importer, throwing tho latter's invoice out of the reckon- ing altogether. After five years, these castoms’ ofticers discover errora in the original iuvoices, and proceed to destroy the business and churac- ter of merchants, and conilscato millions of dol- 1ars’ worth of property on the pretense that thera bad been ¢ loss of a few hundred dollars of rev- eoue. It mayturnout that Jordan, Marsh & Co. hove willfully violated the law, butit is scarcely possible thet they can have lmowingly put at jeopardy the immense business of their house (to say nothicg of their good name 58 merchanty) for tho trifling sum which they could expect to make as smugglers. THE BALAWCE-SHEET OF CONGRESS. Itis the custom of many commercial institu~ tions to make up o geaeral balance-shect on the first of tho year to ascertain whero they stand. As the Unlted States Comgress is, in soma Te- spects, an excecdingly mercantils bod, we seo no reason why there should be sn exception in its case. After cerefully reviewing the books, wa find the balance at the close of the year 40 bo a8 follows : simeToN, D, C., Jan. 1, 1874, ForTy-FounTa CONGRE. : To TiE PEOPLE oF THE U. 8., Dr. To Salary from Murch 4, 1873, to Jon, 1, 1874. .$2,850,000 Crzon (?) By Service Rendered (Pussing the Extra No- Va1 Appropriation bill, the only work of the 8043108 80 fa)......... 4,000,000 Balance against Congress, +..85,350,000 In meking up this balance-sheef, wo have credited Congress with the only item of actual service rendered, for the Extra Naval Appropria- tion bill is tho only one that has passed both Honses and become alaw. This, we think, we bave justly pat into the balance azeinst Con- gress, since it is money which Ar. Robeeon, the fat Knight of the Ndvy, sequandered in Lis nerv- ous misconception of our difficnlties with Spain. The money has been thrown awsy. and Congress, instead of requiring that fr. Robeson should re- duce the expenses of his Department till he had balanced his unoecessary and wastzful disburse- ments, promptly voted to make him good, and let his exaggerated appropriations for the rest of the yeor remain ns they ‘wore. The present Congress hag been drawing its pay the first of overy month since March, though it did uot meet till nioe months after. It camo together i tho first Monday in December, remained in ses- sion less than turee weeks, and then adjourned over for o two weeks' boliday. For doing this, it has talen $2,850,000 of tho people’s moucy, which Congressmen have transferred directly 1to their pockets. All they did in their three weeke' scagion—that is, their actual work—was to vote away 24,000,000 which Alr. Robeson has Qisuibuted about among varions navy-yards, and divided among different cortractors. The net result of tho year's balance is that Congress 1s:a cost the people the sum of 26,320,000 in all, without rendering any equivelent whatever. It islikewise & custom among well-managed commercial institutions, when they find tho year's balance sgainst them, to turn over & new leaf, cut o unnecessary expenscs, weed out ex~ trevagant end careless employes, reform bad practices, &nd endeavor to make a botter showing for tha new year. Will Congress do this? Itmay do go if it will start oright; it caa pever do 50 if it start wrong. There is no hope forit, if Congreas shall sgain expend a week in discussing its own compensation, This is tho starting-point. It is the fork in tie two ronds leading back into the old year and forward into the pew year. The guide-boards are per- Zectly plaimn and legible. One reads: ** TuE Wax o Reronx.” The other: “Tue Waxr To PEe- piTIoN.” It is so clear, that he who runs may read, and most Congrezsmen are now on the ran. The peopie demand that Congress shall re- peal (not modify) the grab-law. Will the pres- ent Congress heed tho demund of thke peo- nlo ar not? Debate is unpecessary, for i i i | i | i i } the people bave told what they want through tho press, in convention, on the stump,—East and West, North and South,—evarywhers =nd by overy means. Wipe tho whola thing ont. It is a very simple process, and only requires a majority of the votes to doit. The Republican party heve a majority, and a gocd many io spare. If they fad to wipe it out, the sinie upon them, and they must abide by the conse- quences. ‘The country will hold the Republican party sccountable. But it will also hold every individual member of Congress to =n individual | | ouly account, znd no man wlo votes for any measure sbiort of absolute repsal can ever expect o kit in the halls of Cengress agein, bo he Democrat, Ttepublican, or what not. It Congress will repeal the greb-law, it may then proceed to the work of retrenchmont with clean bands and in tho proper spirit. The * contingent * funds of the President and the variots Departments may be demolished and ecattered. 'The horses and carrisges which Cab- inet officers use at the public expense may Lo sold. Then tho eatimates may be raduced, and, inntead of an increase in taxation, we may look forward to & decresse. Dutif Congress com- mences paltering where it leit off, it is lost. The lobby will take possession of it, and sub- sidies without number and without lmit will be piled upon the Puablic Treasury. Thke wholo matter turns upon the singlo question: Will Congress wipe out the old year's account and bogin the new with & differeut systom ? TEE VIRGINIGS AGATR, Racent developments concorning the official respounsibility of our Government for tho char- acter of tho Virginius and the expedition under- taken by her, indicate that in future negotia- tions with Spain arisiog out of the matter tho United States will be aia disadvantage. Administration took high ground in demending from Spain the concessious made in the recent protocol. That Spain sgrecd to the terms ata time when eho was'possibly in the wroug, wikt now give her a better cizim on tho United States if it be proved that our Government has been at fanlt. We demanded & return of tho Virginius, and o salute to the flag, oo the ground that the vessel was regularly cleared as on American ship, that the Government was ignoreut of any hostile purpose on her part, and that the Ameri- can flag protected her from seizure on the high geas. There has already been an official confes- sion that the Virginius pspers were fraudulently obtained, and it is now intimated that this con- fesaion wa2s made with tho purpose of protecting the Govornment from a stili more embarrassing position. Our advices from Washiugton hold that Spain will find no dificulty in proving that the Virginins was allowed to depart on a filibus- tering expedition by tho United States authori tiss after they lzd been folly fore- warned concerning her real mission It is cherged that the evidenco detailed, in the Attorney-General's opinion, was procurod for the purpose of throwing ail the blame of frand- ulent registry upon Patterson, the reputed ownus of the vessel, in order to demons:rate that the United Statos nuthorities were deccived. This evidence, Patterson himself says, was collected in a secret manuer, and he was virtually tned and conviczed of perjury without having an op- portunity to make a defense, It is now stated, on the part of Spain, that not only did Spanish navy officers warn onr suthoritics of the object of the Virginius ecxpedition, but the Spanish Minister in Washington made two protests, with- in the lass two yoars, to Secretary Fish, urgiog that thio Virginius was not entitled to the protec- tion of the United States Government. No at- tention was paid to these protests, aud o effort was made to arrest the veszel about to engage in @ hostils demonstration against a Power with ~which our Goverament was at peace, Ir this shall prove to be a cor- yect statement of the condition of thirgs before the eniling of the Virginius, thon our Government ia placed in @ vory embarrcssing position. On this statement of the case, Spain ‘has slmost the idontical case against the United States with the Virginius that the United States had sgeinst Great Britain with the Alsbama. An essential feature of the Alabama caso, and that which secured us an award, was the warn- ing given to Great Britain concerning the char- adter of the Alabams before she left the British port, and the failure of the British Government atter this to make any effort to detain her. T¢ Spain cax prove the eame warning and the same failure in yegard tothe Virginius, ber case will ‘be-compiete. It will not be necessary to go over tlre question whethoer Spain is entitled to dam- ages ornot. That question was completely dis- yosed of in the Geneva arkitration. The only ¢guestion willbo a5 to the amount of damages. It is possible that the damages will be offset to wome oxtent by the counter-case which tho United States will be able to present on account wof the butchery of the Virginius crow. Befors wivilizod and humsane tribupal, this feature, though after the fact, will probably exercize® sconsiderable influence ever the final adjudi- scation, THE PENITENTIARY-BATH VERDICT. Tho verdict of tho Corouer's jury impaneled tio investigate the causes of tho death of the con- s¢ict Willinme, which occurred on the 12th ult, i the Penitentiary at Jolict, is & very singular {locumeut. The men on tlus jury wero sworn to 1ind out the czuse of Williams’ dezth. Thisdone, d ftheir duty ceaged. They themeelves and they ome were to investigate tho facts thoroughly, :and form their own opinion. Inetexd of this, 1lie Commissioners, ths Wardens, and the prison johysician were represented by couneel, who alyzed the testimouoy, made inflammatory 1peeches, denounced the presa and every onewwho 11ad formed an opiuion with rogard to the out- rage, and virtually prepared s verdict for the If the verdict had been written by Wardea Hall and Dr. Mason, it counld not have answered eir purposes more satisfactorily. In the flong and dreary waste of words, thero is o tare allusion to the fact that the man liams is dead. The rest of this remarkable -Jocument is devoted to whitewashing each cne of the officinls personally who had any connec- tion with the affair, closing with a general white- 1vashing of the whole institution. Wo are in- Yormed that none of them are criminally guilty, -—2a decision which it would have been modest at least for the jury to have left to the Courts to .determine. They were uot impaneled to pro- nouned upon the guilt of any ome, Lut to de- termine tho causes of Williams’ death, lore than this, we are further informed that each one f thess officials used ordinary caro in adminis- {ering the punishment. As an instance of the -ordinary caie which was used we quote from the ~verdief: *And we further find that the last two times that the defendaut was put into the bath A was as o punichment for defiant and stubborn .sonduct, refasing to drees himeelt when ordered, ‘be then having the physical ubility, but mot ;having the inclisation to do s0.” The jnsuflcien 1y, cr of this doclaration is shown in a clear light when it is remembered thal the unfortunate man died fivo mibalos after he was batked the last time. At tho time whea these model jurors declare that Willicms was stubborn and defiant, the wretched victim was dying. It is truly re- | darkable that 2 man within & fow minutes of | death should be disincliced to dress himself! Tho brutality of the oflicials in plunging a dying pan ioto cold water, and then wresking their epito against him becauas ke wouldn’ stop ; dying iong esough to dress himeclf, is | equsled Ly the unconcemed toio | in which this jury speik of it. We are further informed that had the con- | vict been well no hprm would havo heprencd to him! Whose business was it to have known that ho was not well? The entire medical tes- timony showed conclusively that a medical ex- amination would have digcovered thet the man was sick. This examivation was had, and Dr. JMason found nothing wzs the matter with him, Having mado this bluuder, itisnot surprising to learn, as the jury confess, that the order was oot explicitly and definitely expreseed, and con- peyuently was misundorstood And yet no onc Wwas to blame ! THE DUTIES ON IRON AND STEEL. Wo aro informed by Ar. S. L. Smith, Secretary of tho Iilinois State I'armers’ Associztion, that the resolution offered by him at the Decatur Convention for * a repeal of the duties on cloth- ing, lumber, salt, iron, and steel,” as a substi- tute for the Committee’s resolution opposing o protective taniff, was adopted. The poerago of this resolution by a body of men representing o large a constituency as the Decatur Convention was a2 most siguificant event, but not more so perhaps thau aa effort now making in New En- gland to securo & reduction of the duties on irou and stocl. Tho Douglas Axe Company of Masaachusetts has issued a circalar inviting tlieco-operationfof the all other manufacturers of iron and steel goods to procure u reduction of the tax on the raw waterialof thoseariicles, The Philadelphia Press thercupon informs the Doug- las Axo Company that such & proposition coming from suéaa quarter exlubits an amazing want of intelligence. It argues that the redaction of tho duties on iron and steel would instantly stop’ their production ir this country, and that then the Eritishers would raise the price of iron and stecl to a point that would be destructive of all manufactares. When, let us ask, is the infant iron manufacturer to be weaned? Tho price | of iron aud steel has advanced largely in En- glaud during the tho last year by reason of the advauce in wages and in the cost of conl, zad it 1s doubtful whother Great Eritain will ever again be s serious compatitor wich the Americen iron and steel makers in the American martet. Foreign pig-iron is sub- jected to a daty of £6.30 per ton, gold. Count- ing the premium on gold and the freights, the protection afforded is equal to $11 per ton at the Atlantie port. The Amezican iron manufac- turer is farther protected by the freight from the coast to the wterior. This protective duty, averaging from $12 to $16 per ton, has to be paid by the copsumers, that is, by the domestic manufacturers of 1ron eud -steel goods. The tax ou seteel in ingots, bars, sheets, or wire ranges from 214 to 8 cents per pouna, or from 50 to 260 per ton in gold. The American man- ufacturer of axes iias to pay a tax of 60 to 80 par cent on his steel, and is protected from the com- petition of British axes by = duty of only 45 per cent. Under these circumstances, the protection’ is crushing him. It re- ducea the consumption’ and demand for his axes, and ensbles the foreign manufacturer to undersell him at his own door. The request, therefore, of tho manufacturers of axes, and saws, and other steel goods, thattho dutyon iron and steel ba reduced or repealed, is en- tirely just. If thoy could get steal 50 per cont less than they now pay, they could make and gell their axes proportionately lower, and would sell three axes whero tney now scll oue. The tax on steel prodices no considerable amount of revenue; it was not intended to pro- duce revenue, but to avoid it by prohibiting im- portation, All this is very pleasant and profit- able to the makers of steal, but it is murdesous and rninoua to the manufacturers of steel goods. TAXATION IN ILLINOIS. The Canton (lil.) Register, in a very clear, concise, and intelligent maoner, Gemolishes the claim of the MMacomb Journal that promissory notes given in payment of property should, in equity and la, be taxed in addition to the prop- erty. The Register illustrates the double taxa- tion of this proceeding by the case of two men, one owming a horso and the other owning | nothing. 'Their aggrogate taxable property | is one horse. The ownor sells that horse to the otLier man, taking his note for the prico, where- upon the State law sand the Assessor srd the Auditor and the State Board of Equalization proceed to tax both the horse and the note, in- sisting that by the exchange of the horse there nad been & crestion of new property. The Register states the true doctrine whéu it says : A man who has no property in his possession ought not to be faxed, alihough millions may be due him. The millions due him is in possession of other people ho pay the taxes thercon, and, being once paid, any further taxation I8 = tsx upon the person, ot double tazation upon the property. Tho mysterious principle upon which our revenue laws are founded is mot confined to double taxation, It is not merely that the horse and tho note given for him are both toxed, but the Board of Equahzation bave tho power, where the horseis owned by & corporation, to tax the horse and tax-the stock which represents the horse, and tax the note given for tho horse. Here the same piece of property ia taxed three times. The same Board hss authority also fo add 50 or 100 per cent to the taxablo valuo of tho horae, the note, and the debt, One of the cages presonted is that of aman who retumed some 860,000 cash deposited with him ; agtinst this he put down his debts, $0,000. The Board of Equalization added the debt to the amount ' of money, making 100,000, and then added 63 per cent to the yalue of both, meking tho un- fortunate holder of other people’s mone; pay taxes on £168,000. In another case, thaparty returned €20,000 in'greenbacks, and tho State Board added 63 per cent to their value, sad the owner has to pay tax on $33,600. So all through the list of taxables; and et down at Sprisgfield they consider the system the very perfection of human knowledge and resson. A stsple amusement in the rural districts is 2 fight ‘over the county-scat. No well-balanced | county is without such s war, and it enlivens the country newspapers, sffords an iseue for Tocal politics, and generally furnishes'the people food for thought anda topic of conversation, One of theeo staplo disputes was brought to a cloge in & rather summary and altogetber unique way, in Tows, a few days 8go. The dispate in Rapids aud the Tovn of Doon. Tho sito of Rock: Ratids had been purchased from the Me- Qregor & Sioux City Railroad, with tio agroe- mené that the payment shonld bs made on o 1 day, i defanls of which the lond was to revert to tha railroad. Judgo Whilchead, the principal omner of the town, neglected this feature of the purchase, and Mr. Rice, the prin- cipal owrer of the Town of Doon, went over and bougbt in the Iand, on which Rock Rapids is located. fiom ibe Bailrond Cowmpzny, The eoculy-5eas is no longer a mateer of disoute in Lyoz County, Towa. st s s Brolyn finances are in a bad way. The dis- patelies of & day or two ago brought the intelli- genco that the Street Commissioner was 955,000 slort in his accounts. Tt this is 2 mere drap in the 223 of Brooklyy's troubles. on hand a variety of officizl frands. For ono thing, it bas been diecovered . that tho city has been borrowiog money right along, notwith- standing the avorage balance on bind thronghe out the year kus been more than 32,000,000, The bridge frands are innumerable,—:liat ig, the frauds incident to the building of s bridge acroas East River from Brooklyn to New York. When the enterprise was undertaken, the cost was veriously estimaied at from £8,500,000 to 26,000,000. Tho anticipated cost, 8s mow estimated by the Direclors, after working at it soveral years, is 13,045,005 hat the real cost will be, alier working at it a few years longer, it is not possible to.say. The Directors, under their charter, canmako it about what they plesso, The charter authorizes them to borrow ‘money, not to exceed, at one tinw, the amount of their capital, which is $3.000,000. So they can borrow £5,000,001 to-day and £5,000,030 moro to- wmorrow, whenever they can get the Commor Courcil to o in with them. Tho chaster also ceris _suthorizes the Dircctors to fill any vacaney that ‘may occur in their Beard, so thet they aro in undisputed posseasion of the wholeground, with tho result stated above. They are not restrictad 1 the prices they pay in the auditing of bills, or aoything else. Ono of ths minor troubles of Drooklyn is that the Board of City Works has let & conuract for £1,187,725 when there was s respousible bid for the same work at 731,600, thus defrauding the public out of nearly half 2 million. Brooklsn, wo should say, is not a de- sirable residence for taxpayers. Spesker Blsive has writicn a letter in which he opposes cay reatoration of the fravk- ing privilege. Instead of providing for the fres delivery of documents, or of furnish- ing members of Congress with postage-stamps, Lie advises the diccantinuanca of the printing of these documents for gratuitons distribution. ments arg sent would decline to receive them if they hiad to pay the postage cn them shows that the £2,000,000 paid aunually for printing them is eheer wasto. Ho argues also that,as 3300 will pay the postage on 10,000 letters, ths deprivation of the franking prisilege is of small bss to mem- bers of Congress. The letter, 50 fa, is & very good ‘and sensible ome, but Mr. Blaine unfortunately epoiled it by alding that he might be induced to vote in favor of the free circulation of newspaper ex- changes, and weekly papers in the counties where published. This is a very smll business. 1t may be different down in Maive, but out West it would be humiliating to a publisier to assume that a subscriber would not take ti paper it ke Liad to pay the postage on it. | OF tie 300 waokly papers in tnis State, all of them necesarily having their main circulation in the countr where pub- lished, we do not suppose they lot an average of one eubscriber ench becauso ofthe require- ment to pay postage. In tho mtter of ex- changes, there is no trouble and 10 complaint. The postage is an inconsiderable om to each, and is fully compensated to each wper by the curtailment of tha list itself. The Conatitational Conventionof Pennsyl- vania prescribed a law for the spesl election on | the question of the adoption of at Constitu- tion. The Supreme Court of “Penssivania, by injunction, declared that tha Contation had no power to enact an clection lawsnd that the election on the Constitution mustde beld under tho law of the Legislaturo. Afterthe adoption of the Constitution, the Convogon reassem- bled, and put on record the followdg rebuke of the Supreme Court : Reeslred, That tho Constitation of bo Stato is the only recognized form of govertmentmd the people aviog expresely reserved to thomseles the right to slter, reform, or abolish their govesment in such maner as they think proper, and hsing in distinct terms oxcepted this right out of the gaer] powers of government, und declared that suchpall forever re- msin inviolete, this Convention decmst to Le ita duty to declare that ftisnot in the powaof any depart- ment of an existing government i lim or coutrol the power of & convention called by the pople to reform 1helr Constitnsion; and that the Comention, subject to the Conatitution of tho United Stats, {8 auswerable only to the people, from whom it derjsd its power. The Convention embraced amor its members many of the ablest lawyers of theltate, and this resolution was adopted by a vob of GG to 18. Maoy of those voting in the neptive did 80 on the ground that the resolution wis nonecessary. NOTES AND OPINON. ‘We must again commend to shenotice of Ad- migetration-Republican editorsin theso parts thedoleful utterancas of the SanFrancisco Ala. Thi paper—the accepted organ of Adininistra- tiopliepublicans in California—ays of the sita- ati@: fornis) trated as confident- Iy tathelr ca nuzbers ¢ they ever bad domwhen election~dcy was stre 2 bring them Vic- tory, But . . . oiasu(Busth] ssbort time ago honeed, nominated, and elected Fovernor) by the Repiblicans, led the rezoit against thet, and, &s 157 28 in L lay, as destroged the Bapublkzn party in thia Stat, . . . We might ask, Hus tee Republicsu partsa future 2 If the raid rasde upn it in this Stute durig the lust few mouths is to Lecontinued, it bus Do fgure but dissolution. Wil it not comfort this distrespd brother to Imor that, nceording to the Ciicago Ecening Joumal, ** Gov. Booth is & conssteat Republi- can’? When tue Aifa people o thus assured, what can thoy eay ? ~The ontgoing editorial admiistration of the Milraukeo Sentinel hes lest on jecord its solemn waming to Republican pazty lesders. Waquote: Tt s in vain that we poiat to the tilliant record that ouzparty made during the late wir for tne Union, The statute of limitation has run ea that,—ihe war was ended neasly ten years ago, asd We are brought face 0 200 with the kiving pre The demand tust thie prople make upon 1y s to puven Weil to-dsy, or sudicate the tirone in favor of thostwho can. . . Congress muat make hasto 5o repalrits blauders, —The fato of the Republican party is in the hands of the Ways and Meazs sod Appropris- tivn Committees of Congress. If they fail to do their duty, aod Congrees makes sppropriations 10 cover the estimated expeudimres nest vear, the party might 23 well inue:ibe -+ Jehabod ¥ oa its bauners, sad retire upon it past laurels.— Zcanstifle (Ind.) Journal. 1t is not surprising Lhat the people, in every portion of the conntry, irreapective of party, re- i2g thas the expenditures of tho Govornment have been more than doubiedin eight yesrs, ara issatisfled with the Admidistration, and ure rendy for o new dea! that shali ipstal] honest and ecouomical men in offico.—Grand Rapids (Much.) Lemgerat, —It is the eeason for retrecchment. The state of the Treasury, toe ivlerests of the public Bervice, tho tome and tendency of tho pubMe miud, all demand that Govoromontal nbuses, ZLyon County was betwoen the Town of Rack litloand big, whether recos or hosey with age, It has mow | The fact that the persons to whom these dacu~ | shellpo overbenled and swept awar.—Bostor Joungl. —Vny sheu!d W pel be sulerufion 3 and fe Convress noc to i Peopls, inthis por —Fill b, and items P 0 3 lower i ill bear paring 4 the dury of — 2hitadelphia Age. —Ourgaticrn iy 101 ] { —11a3 it become tha catal ofiicers of frust 1008t shamees3 o salary-grabbers ” to the Tresideuey of the Senate, and in_ whitewnshing 110 puretse from tho GovainiGent fuids of & $1,600 caage for the Attornoy-Gooeral.— Detroit Tribune. —Tne peaple have lost coalidenco in the 3d- stration, The revelations of the wiuter of Washingtou. seb iefore the councry in & &8 clesc lizht thy cornuptons and the despouiem of tho leaders of the party 80 triumphunt a year 830, This confidence can never ba reatored, aad the lesderu invoived in thoss humiliating’ dis- o closures cannot sver pupular condemuation. Aud yoz tho Ropublicn party is now procecding under the #amo leacdership, stifiing further ex- posures of its iufauies, and perpetrating new 28 BPOR the eople.—Adany Argus. Tho verdict of the country against the Re- publican par; “ Uncteau—unclean.” It does uot iy matter what one tonches about it, i tho seneation of defilement is paramount. Wien honest moa look over the fearful arraignment, | enl retlact that every hour is adding fresh couns o the iudietment in the way of frauds of all kinds, it ir not £0wonderful that sirtusus hu- manity grows despondeat, and the wise and good trembla Tor teir couutry. Nothing’ but a cleun sweap can aveil 1o roll back the food of corruptiun aud savethe people.-St. Paul Pionecr. —'fhie pornlar loss of coufidence iu the old po- litieal paries is now daly being reiected i in confessions Dy the partisan presy, whose more i intedigont condacters ara_ tegizning to reslize veral smashing of long-vezeratod idols is not fur distant.—Yemphis Acalarehe. —The veed of 3 party is now demon~ sirated beyond suy douos whatever, sud the present corrupt parties in Congress Lieve done the peodle of the country a great 0 showing this need—Indianola (1a.) i S Journal, —11 it were possible for the old parties of the country, with their old machinery, to elect aan~ other Congre:, it would be vastly more corrapt thau the preseut. But in this rospect the limit has been roacked. . We are at the dawn of & new ere, in which naw questions are forcing themealves upon public sttention, and in which a ew ket of men will by called to public life. —Milwaukee News. —Summon them to the front! Order the thieves eud moneyed rascals to the rear!—St. Joseph (ALizh.) Treeeder. i200 10 Cormo.— A1 alist. —There will Lo gory worihen tho elections for ‘e Forty-fourth Cosées begin—s per- lect slaugbter of the incents. Proridens statcemen of srabbiug proetios may as well be makiug friends vath timsmmon of un- righteoueness whilo it1s yealled to-doy. They have a marketabio valuo at esent; affer nexs year, neither Tom Scott r any other wido- aywake man of businoss will fo adollar a dozen for them. —Nashvide (Tenn Rguilican Ban ner. —Tke humilisting specte o = Congreas that bsd to put some of itarenost members on trial for swindling tho Germnent ; of tho Cougress tlat grabued $30 of unearned mouey for each mamber, is itehud by the farce of the receut action of the Eso on the selury repeal.~Keokul (Ie.) Gate-ty. —4Six thousand dollars,awto take eact fiom and afier_its passageds not il the bill,” says the Cincinnati tzefz, speaking of Congressional salaries. Two 13 whers the Gazette is misiaken. It doe fillthe Lull—fill it 80 full that it slope over.—Lrol Post. _ —Tho action of Congress1 tio salary ques- tion issimply aninsult tche people.—Val- paraiso (Ind.) Vidatle. —The people do demand :he uncorditional repeal of the Balary bill. Bativg do more than that. They damand a repe: wich shall go back into the pockets of thos o have taken the back pay, from the Presidutiown.—Lajay- ellg (Ind.) Journal. —.‘ongress may just as wel yderstand thie the people are terribly in earnston this sub- jest. . . . If Republican nesbers di-%ne press choose to represent that ywn pecuniary~ interests and be controlled by Vasington nctiond of econowsy in tieir actioy, thy re surely and delibera sealing the doom if tieir own party. —Des Moines (Jowca) State Jownal. —Among the people at largs dere is no dis- agreement on this salars-grd business. Any repeal tuat does not take effecivth the begin= nig ef the presen: Congress, ml that does not put all the Ealaries raised, sofe as it can b constitutionzlly doze, back to tu old stsndardy will be but dishonest and disratizble joggling, which will entitle it to be ciasesdwith the origi= nal infol Burlington_Hamek-bje. —VWe never kuew & thief in Cagress or out of it that had a very good opinion o newspapers.— Poltsville (Pa.) Miners' Journd. —To seme of my pereonal fiends [in Con- gresy], whom I now fud dismayd and demoral~ ized, and marveling at **how gpat & matter & hitle fire kindleth,” I am teapted to sy ‘L told you 80,” and remind them fiat last winter they laughed ot my Cassaudralio wamnings.— « Grace Greenwood," in New Yok Times. —Senator Stoveuson, of Kenilcky is au in2o- cent statesman. e wants the’rsuking privi lega restored, 50 that " the peopn should knowr what goes on in Congress." T not Mr. S¥- yepson Lo tronbled on that acare. The peop-2 bave found out what i8 ** going on in Congress, and thet's just the reason gt there isn't 8RY more franking privilege. Several Senators wlo thought the people dian't knoy what was * going on” came to gricf last winter, Mr, Stevenson shonld not fool himself.~ Clewland Leader. —Qua of the most melanchyly aspects of ti0 whole Southern uestion is this: That of all the black meu wiio have come to the surface of affairs in this revolution, scareclysn Lonest wan hoa sppeared ; with few exceptions—nod thece of men not the most conspicuvus—they hava joined the plunder party. The organization of the Sonthern States has beena carnival of theft. —Harlford Courant—Joseph R, Hawley. —A rumor is afloat that the Joint Commitics of Congress ou retrenchmont heve issued orders that all of the horees and carrisges kopt her.-. bouts at public expense by officers of the du partments of the army aro to be brought to t.s ares in front of tho Cupitol on the morning of the €th of January, that Congress may see actly what horses and earriages are thus ke 1 regard the orders as the work of some prac cal jolker, but unch a review and inspection mi: remedy many abnses which have been u by increased from year to year.—"Perley,” in Los- ton Journal. ECOKORY IN THE NEW WATER-TUNKEL. £ne cu of our ri;y[ gustagia.) Constitation- To ths Eiter of The Clicago Tril Sz In the present cond financos, it may uot be out of season to econcmy is studied and practiced, as the pree.ut exigency demands. I have Led tho pleasurc cf visiting tho' Do w water-tunnel now in courst of construction, and was privileged to_enter {le shafts ot Illinois, Fravkln, sud Polk strects. At the first-mentioned place, sceing soveral o ho seamed disposed to have somothing toax but d.ing nothing, [ was constriived 0 como inquizy, and was astonisked to learn tiat tive City {n#pectors were atationed there, naie- i y: two)imer, one Lrick, aud two Bricklayer Tnspectors ; the same number at cack sbaft. 1 “ram 2y mach sarprired to learn that unly three bricklayers were reqiircd at each shaft,and o1y two could Work ot oug time: and yet two I ary. Afthe lutmentionod ), 1 .s:\munnmbal-;:( . o s:auoned, where, for tho lust m i {3:?:;: drift bas been working : copsequen! { tho laporious Work of watching the Worl balf of eightbhoars ont of every twemty-font devolves on each Mincr and Drickliyer Jospecis —one g:n(:i Tizers, kuown a3 the &5 i shift, zot Do €. o | Ny, haviog ing L felt o tizo about their 2ust to the ciy.’ I T amughti? 1nformad, cach Luspector i3 ped £Gyor dsY 5 You sep we, 28 {EX-PAyers, have to my the! Bpectors connected with the briCe.wori—viL: ona Drick sod two Bricklsver Inspestors—$ Cmicaso. Dos. €0, 1873, xerspu;’fil;flv tubmit that the small- 5 politicians. b B aman, bavay s, ds d hould Lezexeq?\:xn:'n‘i back-ground for ; ® ehils tap two bricklayars, bsing 0% fifi;%?r'e‘:flrl! of ot ° "!mzueczll‘wha the wholo of tho work, I per days . s Po Baxto BusLicd. Ed | i