Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, January 3, 1874, Page 4

4 HE CHICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE: SATURDAY) JANUARY 3, 1874. TERMS OF THE TRIBUNE TERMS OF SUBSCEIPTION (PAYABLE IN ADVANCE). 7 g PR A commieonad R R $3:39 Tartsof a year &t the samo rate. To provent delay and mistakes, be sure and give Post Of ce address in full, including State and County. Remittances may be made either by draft, express, Post Oilce ordor, orin registered lotters, at ourrisk. s o crrY sUBStRmERS. Tefly, delivered, Sunday exceptea. 2 ceate per weck. Tally, celivered, Sunday included, 30 cents per weok. Addross THE TRIBUNE COMPANY, Comer Madison aud Uearbora-sts.. Chicago, Ik Tedleen 16 Debitorn s TO-DAY'S AMUSEMENTS. ACADEMY OF MUSIC—Hulsted street, between Mad- sson and Moaroe, Engagement of E. A. Bothom. “‘Sam." Asternoon and cvenlog. MVICKER'S THEATRE—Madison street, botween Dearborn and_State. ~Engagement of ~ Shiel Barny. Auoroon, **The Hefuzecs.” Evealag, °*Christmas Eve; or, The Gray Lady.” FQOLEY'S THEATPF—Randolph street, hetweer. -Clazkaud LaSalle. **Tbo Genova Cross.” Aftorsvon #ud oveniag, GLOBE THEATRE—Desplaimes streot, between Mad. fron and Washingwn, Engazemeat of Bliss Augusta Dargon. Alfternucn, * Camille.” Evenlag, **Lucretia Lorgia" ATERS' OPERA-HO! Dearboru aua State. Anington, Cotion, Mipstrels. ** MmoloSimon." Biinsix ucs. Aftemosnand ever The Chivags Tribune, Baturdsy Morning, January 3, 1874. E Monros street, between and’ Kemble's 7 20d comicali- The public debt statement for the month of Decamber shows zn incresse of $8,453,272, Bragbury’s piano msnufactory in New York Gity, and the Opers-Honsoe at Wilkeabarre, Ps., have been destroyed by fire. The United States stesmer Franklin, which left Boston for Key West Dec. 23, concerning wiiose sefoty some spprohcnsion has been felt, has arrived safely at the latter place. The House of Reprosentatives at Washington keeps nioe horses, at an expenss of $7,500 per snnnm, mainly for its doorkeepers. It has not been generally known heretofore that the door- keepera were mounted. It is to be presumed now that we shall have at least & temporary cessation from the daily re- ports of riot and slanghter in Matamoras, Gen. Cortina having been installed as Mayor of thecity resterdsy, without any distarbance. The German Government has explicitly de- 3ncd ita attitude toward tho Ultramontanes. It «ill not interfers with the inner organization of the churches, but it will exact an oath from the Bishops of absolute submission to the State, and #ill restrain them from intérfering, in apy man- aer, with its affairs. The Gage defalcation will be brought before ‘he Grand Jury, which meets on Monday next. Meznwhile, Btate's-Attorney Reed hus requssted frensurer O’Hara to make an oficial sad per- sonat demand upon Mr. Gage for the money, 80 :Lat he can testify to it. Thie domand will be mado to-day. ke unfortanste Spunish stesmer Arapiles, whn. b has Leen tlockaded so Tong in the Brooklyn :ck by o sunken barge, succeedod in gotting | out yesterday, but while being towed to snother Locality, bo take on her armameat, sho ran fast into the mud, where is is stated she will remain for the present. Itisnot announced, however, that this will necessitate an exchange of diplo- 2auic inferrogations and roplies Eetween Secre- tary ¥ish and tho Spanish Minister. The evidence in the Ville du Havro investiga- tion yesterday partially exoncrates Capt. Sur- mont from zhuch of the blame which Laz been >asb upon bim, 48 it ehows that the crow of the foch Eam mistoox the pilot of tho Ville cn Eavre for the Captain. The latter remained on his vessel nutil she went down, and was reken cut of the water with the others who were saved, 5o that be coull nat have pleyed tho inhuman sart which was st first attributed to him. Tho ribunal of iavestigation has unanimoualy acquit- ied the Capteinof-the Loch Eam from zny responsibility for the collision. The old managers of the Gilman, Clinton & Springfield Rallroad Compsny are still in grief. A fow dags ago, the Presidert, Treasurer, and ite leading Director resigned their offices, and +he vacancies were filled. The new President 30d haydly got warm in his scat before ho ap- slied to Judge Tipton to have the Receiver dis- xissed, and the roed returned to the control of /he old dynasty. The allegations were very sroad, including one thet the affairs of the road :0uld not be suceesafally managed by any Re- seiver. The case was argued yesterday before Judyge Tipton, who denied the motion, thus con- dnuing the Receiver in charge of the road. [ho old menagers will not be likely to have pos- sesaion restored to them until there shall have “een o fall exhibit of its affairs and a determi- iation of the impartant question, Who owns herond 2 Tt is now stated that the continuation of Mr. Porter's ealary for 2 year to come, that gentle- nau having resigned his position at Washiwgton o accept the Vice-Presidency of the Pullman ar Company, is authorized by an old law, which 7as made at the time the army was cut down. Thislaw allows a resignation to date s year from the time it ia tendered, and the resigning officer, Seing granted leave of absence for that time, icams poy without performance of services. The surpose of the law was to allow army Jficials to bave time to get s foothold nto civil life. In this case, however, it 6 3 fact not only that the law is obsolete and ‘allen into disuse, but Alr. Porter got his foo~ 10ld into his £10,000 position before he handed m his regignation. If the President wished to 2ay his Secretary s compliment of tkis kind, the :ompliment showid have come from his own socket snd not out of the Public Treasury. The aext best thing to do is to rescind the law, 0 28 :0 cut off these needy gentlemen who step into - 10,000 positions and still draw pay from Gov- srameat. The Chicago produce markets were stendier resterday, with light trading, except in s few seading articles. Mess pork was in good de- mand. and 15¢ per brl higher, closing at $14.35@ 14.40 cash, and $1480@14.85 seller February. ard was quiet and 5@10c higher, closing at B3.45@8.50 cash, and $8.75@8.80 seller Feb- mary. Aeats were quiet and stronger at 536@ 53e for shoulders, T3{@734c for shost ribs, Tdc for short clear, end 9@10c for sweet pickled bams. Dressed hogs were quiet =nd easier, closing a: $8.50@8.35 per 100 1bs. Highwines were active 2nd steady at 93¢ per gelion. Floar wasmore activeand unchanged. Whest was ective =nd easioz, closing at SL.173¢ oash, and §L205¢ seller February. Corn was quiet and Xc lower, closing firmer at 53%c cash, and 54ic seller February. Oats were quiet and easier at 38%4c cash, and 89l¢e scller February. dnll and ezsier at 7ie. Barley was moro active Rye was 2nd unchanged at $£1.43@1.45 for No. 2, and $1.12@1.13 for good No. 8. The latest phase of tho Beecher-Bowen scan- dal is decidedly warlike. At the Friday evening prayer-meeting, Mr. Beecher submitted a lctter replying to the communication from the Com- miltees of the Church of the Pilgrims and the Clinton Avenue Church, which defines the status of Plymouth Church Congregationalism. 3Mr, Beccher claims that Plymouth Church was or- ganized to resist the domination of Congrega- tional clergymen in New York City, and that it is governed by a majority of its mem- bers, and will contivue to be, and thereforo rofuses to receive any further communications which do not emanate from the entirc Congre- gational brotherhood in convention assemblod, or any letter conveying covert insinuations. The letter was accepted by the congregation. What action the other two churches will take with reference to this defiance remains to be seen. The St. Lonis newspapers aro s bilious as- sortment of periodical literature, from whatever point of view regarded. The orly branch of journalism they cultivate with success is deep- mouthed and long-tongued basing at Chicago. The Democrat bas an srticle with s startling ar- rayof hendlines, viz.: * Mortgaged Chicago "— “ Five Hundred Aillions of Dollars in Debt "— 4 An Interesting Story of the Decline of o Great Municipality.” Thisarticle mentions,among other eauses contributing to the docadence of the great municipality, that the Ilinoia Railroad law is driving the trade of the northern counties of Illinois to *the baby market of Milwankee." This suggests a comparison, not between Chi- cago and St. Louis, but between Milwaukee and St. Louis, which is very much to the disadvan- tage of the latter city. viz.: COMPARATIVE RECEIPIS OF GRATN FOR i{n Anlicauice. 128,410,043 cis, 6,150,277 5,302,551 Lus s 674,180 454,080 Bye, bu 15,636,608 Flour reduced to grain, 6,416,580 Total . o . The receipts of Chicago for the corresponding period of time were 96,731,595 bushels, and tho disparity in the provision and lumber trado was even grester. Whether the phrase *¢ baby market " mesns & small market, or a market for babies, St. Lonis is entitled to claim the designation in preference to Milwauke: Wo print this morning s series of communica- tions on tho subject of an article which appeared in this paper touching tho recent supersedeas in the Rafferty case. The subject bas already been fully discussed, and most men have made up their minds. Rafferty was convicted three times of murder, end each time the execution of tho sontonce was arrested by.a writ of error operating 28 o supersedess. Thero isalaw of the State which provides that ** All exceptions which go merely to the form of an indictment eLall be made before trinl, and o motion in ax- rest of judgment or writ of error shall be sus- tained for any matter not affecting the real merits of the offense charged in the in- dictment” Itsppesrs from the last trial that w0 officsrs, each having a warrant for the arrest of parties named therein, while engaged in Jooking for the persons, accidentally met, and tho search was then continued in company. En- tering s ealoon, Officer Scanlon, who had a war- rant for Rafferty, recognized his man; Officer 0’Meara not finding the person he was looking for, and having nothing to do with Rafferty, re- mained at the door. Rafferty, in escapiog from Seanlon, shot O'Meara, and now it is discovered that, becanse the warrant upon which Scanion +was undertaking to meko an arrest was illegal, the killing of O'Meara, who was not executing that warrant mor participating in the arrest, was not murder, but maoslanghter. The jury decided it was murder, and this verdict has been arrested by the writ of error. THE ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE. The llinois Legislature meets at Springfield in an adjourned session next Tuesday, having taken a “recess” of just eight months. There is only one thing for this Legislature to do, and that is to adjourn. This is practically 8 mew session, and, g8, such, is opposed to the letter 2nd tho epirit of the Conaritution of Illmois, The Constitation says that *“The sessions of the General Assembly shall commence at 12 o'clock, ncon, on the Wednesday next after the first Monday in January, 1o the year mext emsming the election of memtera thereof, and at no other time, uuless as provided by this Constitution.” The only provision which authorizes any depar- ture from this raleis that whuch authorizes the Governor to call extraordinary eessions, and that which says that * Neither House shall, with- out the consent of the other, adjourn for moro than two days.” It was manifestly the purposa of this section to restrain the Legislature from prolonged recesses, and not to afford it an opportunity to evade the preceding section, which intended that there should be only a bisn- nial, and not an annusl, sesgion. A logislative “ recess " of eight months is & sheer abaurdity. The reassembling of the Legislature next Tues- day is really & second session, which is prohibit- ed by the Constitution, when it providos that the Legislature shall meet at 7o other time than the date stipulated in the Constituntion. The first Legislature clocted after the adop- tion of the new Coustitution violated this wise provision, under the ples that it wzs necessary to take time to puss general laws to take theplaca of specisl legislation which had been probibited. There was some reasoa in this, but the present Legislature seized upon the act of the former one and mado a precedent of it, without having the same redson for holding the socond session. If this practiceis tolerated, we shall henceforth and forever have an gupual session, in viola- tion of the Constitution, to tne great cost of tax- payers, and the serious detriment of tho public intercsts. The farmers, for whom the present Legislature professes great respect, entered a formal protest in their resolutions at the Deca- tur Convention agawst this exirc session. The same sentiment prevails in the several cities of tho State, as shewn by their newspapers. If the Legislature fails to listen to theso sdmonitions, it will place itself in the same attitude toward the peoplé of Ilincis that Congress now holds toward the peaple of the United Btates. It will be regarded as a body of salary-grabbers, ar- rayed in cold and aggressive defiance of the pop- wlar will, for the sole purpose of pocketing par diem and mileage. If any additional reason were needed to show why the Legislsturo shonld meet next Tuesday only ta sdjousn sine dfe, it could be sound in the fact that there is nothing for it to do of suffi- cient moment to justify the expense. In the 118 daye’ “ression last winter this Legislature passed 119 bills, and now something like 800 bills are said to bo awaiting consideration. The fact that the State has suffered nothing from the slumber of the 800 innocente, supposing them tobe really innocent, while the majority were better never considered at all, shows that there i8 no necessity for a sesgion now. The Revision of the Statutes, which will be brought before this Legislature, may be postponed to advan- tago for the consideration of the mext Legisla- ture, before whom thero will probably come im- portant suggestions of law reform. The general sentiment of the State seems to be that tho present Railroad law shall have a longer trial, 80 that the Legislature can find no excuse for a sesslon in this. The law already provides that the schedule of rates mado by the Railroad Com- missioners shall become prima facie evidenco after Jan. 15, and there is nothing to sdd or smend, if tho law js to be more thoroughly test- ed. In point of fact, tho Logislature will find nothing of importanco or value before it, and it will be o wasto of 81,500 per day tohold o ses- sion, CAPITAL AND INTEREST. Mr. John A. Schaff, a workingman, in & rocent communication to this paper, argued against the nghtfulness of interest (or rather of perpetual interest) on capital, on tho ground that the rent paid for the use of houses conses with tho inevit- ablo decsy of houses, and thus becomes ostinct st the end of, parhaps, fifty years on the aver- 2z0. Why should rent be paid for tho uso of money in perpe’uo, while that paid for the use of houses is terminablo ot some time—rwhether at the expiration of 50 years or 500 makes no dif- ferenco ? The anawer to Mr. Schaff’s objection v, that it is not true that tho ront paid for tho usoof & house, & ship, a railway-car, or any other form of perishablo capital, over ceases. An accident may happen whereby tho house may be burned, the ship lost, or the railway-car smasbed, with- out insurance, and the rent thereupon cesse. It may happen, also, that by reason of changes in the movement of population, or the means of locomotion, tho houss, ship, or car may becoma valueless—nobody wanting to uso thom—in which case also the rental value will cease as summari- 1y as though they had been destroyed by fire. In like manner & loan of money may be lost by the failuro or dishonesty of the borrower, and thus the intorest bo brought to a like termina- tion. These accidental clements being climinat- od, there is no difference whatover between the house, and 3 sum of money equal in value 10 the houso, as to the perpotaity of tho rent or interest derivable therefrom. ‘The rent paid for a hovse consists in part of ground rent and in part of interest for the use of the capital invested 1n the labor and materials employed in constructing it. It is only the lat- ter portion that we ueed to consider, since it is theonly part lisble to decay. To say that the owners of capital invest it in house-building with the expeciation and knowledge that at the end of fifty years, or auy other period, it will disappear entirely, while other forms of invest- ment exist which are not subject to such disin- tegration, is to impute to them a miscon- ception of their own interests which they have never been publicly charged with. The price they fix upon their houses is always sufi- cient to pay (1) ground-rent, (2) taxes, (3) in- surance, (4) interest on building capital, (5) weer end tear. The last-mentioned item is intended to include, and does include, enough to replace the house when it weers out. Since houses are verydurible as compared with most other kinds of property, o very small snm each year, compound- ed, is sufficient toreplace the capital. Houses can be agen in the New England States in very good preservation which have been occupied con- tinuonsly more than 200 years, while in Europo many tenements can be found that were erected in the middle sges. Butif wo take fifty years as the average duration of capital invested in houses, one-half of 1 per cent compounded will guftico to keep the original capital intact, and enable tho owner to erect a new house when the old one falls down. “ ’ It ehould bo borne in mind that the rate of in- terest charged for the use of capital depends largely upon the character of the security. The greater the risk the higher the rate of interest, and vice versa. Houses ere reckoned 8 very high form of security, and are preferred by many investors to Government bonds. Consequently the rato of interest (or rent) is low rolatively to most other investments, and thos it may bappen that the minute portion of the rent charged for wear and tear is not observed. It nevertheless exists, and if thie owner of the house fails to get it he comes that much short of his calculations, If kouac-owners a8 & rulo should fail to obtain this portion of their ront, house-building would cease until tho demand for houses should bring up the reat to the figure necessary for tho nltimate roplacement of capital. It may be eaid that this is 8 fine-spun theory, and does not hold good in practice,—that not- withstanding the owner of capital is ot liberty to invest in Goversment bonds and keep his capi- tal intact, he is still so blind to his own inter- ests that ho will put it into house-buitding, with the certainty that he will lose 2 per cent of the principal overy year. If the occupants of hired houses in Chicago wero polled on this question, wo venture to ssy that 99 in every 100 of them would be of opinion that the landlord was 1n no danger of losiag his capital at the end of fifty years,or any other assignablo period short of tho day of judgment. AMUNICIPAL DEBTS. The subject of municipal debts is attracting attention all over the country. Nover before was there such a general borrowing by city gov- ernments to mest current exponees and the pay- ments of intercst on pro-existing debt, This dangerous proceeding is due in every instance to the same general cause, tho reckless appro- ‘priation of money by the Common Council, and tho failure to levy taxes to produce revenue enongh to meet the expenditure. The men who vote eway the money bave not the courageto levy the tax requisite to raise it, and the result is an annual deficioncy. Wherever the carpora- tion has power to fund its floating debt or issue new bonds, this deficiency is covered up; but where the city has reached the legal Limit of debt, these deficiencies take the shape cf a floating debt which is constantly accumulating. Even the staid and sober City of Providence, Rhode Island, has a dose of this medicine, the revenus raised being inadequate to meet the suthorized expenditure. For many years in Chicago, the Common Council hzs delayed action on the Appropriation ‘bill until the last night and the last hour within +which the law authorizes it tobe passed. The result hea besn for many yoars that the Mayorhas had no alternativebuttoapprovethe ordinanceor leave the City Government without eitber reve- nue or appropriation for a year. Last year, Mayor Medill, under the special law of the Leg- islature, vetoed somo $150,000 of items in the Appropriation bill, and then the Council passed nearly every one of them over the veto. The tax of 1873 will be largely less than the expend- iture authorized, and hence thers will be another addition to the already existing defi- ciency. What iz wanted is & Mayor and fifteen Aldermen who will have the cour- age and steadiness to tske ~ the To- sponeibility of defeating any sppropriation that a reckloss and irresponsible majority of the Council shall losd down with jobs and schemes for the mere purpose of dividing public money. If wo capnot have o rational and an honest Common Council, et ue hope that we can have a Mayor end a minority of the Council who will dare to maintain the public interests, bo thecon- sequences what thoy may. That is the only defonse the public bave againat the irresponsi- Dbility of the Common Council, and it strikes us thatitis for this porposo, and that ho may defend the city, that the Mayor is given the veto power. Let him use that power freely whenever ho can do 80, to prevent the city living boyond its income and becoming & constant borrower of money to pay the interest on its provious loans, BUTLER ON SPECIE PAYMENTS. Mr. Benjamin Butler is a statesman of the present day. He bas something to sy upon all questions, and especially upon financial ques- tions. Ho waa recently conspicusus in support- ing the suggestion of the Becretary of tho Treasury that taxes be increased. In the course of debate he thus reforred to specie pay- ments s I want our currency made 38 good as specle, but any {dea of substituting specie payment for it is a de- Iusion and a enare. Thero never Was Specie pagment in any country, and thers never will be, because, under any eystem of Lanking that was ever had or proposed, whenever specie to the amount of $5,000,000 ‘was called for, tho banks shut down. The reader will observe that Mr. Butler wants the currency made 2s good s specie, but he does not waat to return to specie payments. If be will only make the currency as good as spacie, that is all that tho most sanguine advo- cate of specie payments has ever asked. There may be those who will fail to seo any differenco between a return to specie payments sod mak- ing the curroncy as good as specie. Ar. Butler thinks the former a mischievous dogma, while Lo thinks the latter vory advisable. Neverthe- less, as soon as he makes the currency as good 28 specie, we promise he will hesr no moro grumbling from the advocates of specie pay- ments. That the banks have hitherto faued when thero was an extraordinary demand for specie redemption proves nothing more than that once in twenty years we got into as bad & position &8 wo are now all the time. RAILWAY ACCIDENTS IN ENGLAND. England is sot far behind the United States, if at all, in tho number and disaster of its rail- tond *‘accidents.” During the month of No- vember there were wmoro than thirty-eight rail- way disasters, or an average of more than one a day, in that couniry. Twenty-seven of these ‘were colligions, which are at once the most dan- gerous and most inexcusable of all. In these “accidents” three persons were killed, five others were fatally wounded, 120 others were serionsly injured, and as many moro were bruised or disfigured. In every one of these casea the injuries were inflicted under circum- stances over which the injared persons had no control. The frequency of these disasters is 80 great that it has been proposed to bring them under the immediate jurisdiction of the Railroad Commissioners, with & view to offsetting to somo extent tho cost axd delay of litigation in snits for dxningce, and as s greater check on the reckleseness of the railwey companies. It is the practice of railway companies in England, a8 well as 10 this country, to employ the best legal tzlent to be had, and to avail themsclves of every facility that money, encrgy, and talent can command to resist judgment for damages. The result of this is that, in a large proportion of the cases of injury, the victims have not the ‘means to prosecate as vigorously as the railroad compauies defend, and it is felt that a more uni- form practice of making the railroads pay for the injuries they inflict would decrease the number of disasters. To this end, slso, 8 movement is on foot to establish a Railway Passengers’ Protection Society, moddlod after a Trade Protection Scciety already in existence in London. Tho smaller tradespeople, having found by experience that thoy had a number of bad debts which were individually too small an amonnt to warrant litigation, banded together for mutual protection in this respect. By con- tributing & small sum annually, they maintain a common fund out of which regular eolicitors are retained to prosecute such claims 28 mem- bers of the Association plice in their hands. This Society has been very successfal in the ob- ject of its organization, and it is now believed that travelers could form s similar asgocistion, which would not only help those who are actual- 1y injured to recover damages, but also diminigh tho number of railway disasters by making tho railroads more ceutious. It such an association shall bo formed, its influence will be looked for with interest in this country. If euccessful, & similar aasociation might be started here. The Cheap Transportstion Society, of New York, formed on the same plan, is doing good work in secoring rebates on excessive freight charges. Commercial travelers and others who are ex- posed frequently to tho risk of railway mis- management wouid gladly avail themselves of such protection, if it should prove to be of real valuo. The corper-stone of the Washington Monu- ment was laid, with impreasive ceremony, nearly a quarter of a century ago, and, for some timo after, the popular contributions were large and numerons. Congress gave =& charter to the Washington Mopument Association to complete the work. But it was sgoon ascer- tained that the liberal contributions were very materially reduced by the expenses of this Aeso- ciation. The salaries of the officials, and the percentages of lccal and State agents, made such an inroad upon the collections, and the work progressed o alowly, that the contributions grodually fell off. Of late, the Association bs been making quack bids for help in varions di- rections. Among other things, they endeavored to persusde the salary-grabbers who wanted to get rid of their back-pay to dopate it to them. They now want the Masonic fraterrity tc take bold of the affair and work it out, though tke Masons have already contributed largely in an individual cspacity. They Washiugton cor- respondent of the Boston Journal suggests that Congresa ehould annul the charter of this Asso- @ation and give 1ts receipts and expenditures way that it will be comploted as a centennial tribute. Bteps ought to be taken to this end. The St. Louis Law Association has done itsolf credit by refusing an application for membership made by a lawyer who makes & specialty of ob- taining divorcee, and resorts to the ecommon mode of anonymous advortisements for his busi~ ness. This refusal is o proper protest on the part of the legal profession against the loose- ness and unscrupulousness of divorce practices. Thero is nothing discreditable or uaprofessional in & lawyer's undertaking to secure a divorce whon it ia zusranteed by the law, and in an open and honest fashion. But anonymous advertis- ing for cases of this kind is & prima Jacie evidence of a desire to undertake any kind of divorce business thet'comes along, and experience in Chicago and elsowhero hes shown that the most flagrant abuses grow out of this practice. If the Courts and lawyers of Chicago wounld adopt some means to express their disapproval of such practice as the profes- gion in St. Louis have done, it would contribute something to the abatement of the abuse, which is as bad hero a8 in any other city. NOTES AND OPINION. Tho Washington (D. C.) National Republican addresses its warning voice to Congress, and sayE: The conntry Lias come to anew stage in its wondrous development when Lew methods are needed, when the old nostrums are no longer applicable or efcacious, . . . Thofarmers of the West, for the first time, aro organizing in secret lodges for politico-social pur- poses, maintaining » menucing silence and brooding over real oF imaglnary grievancea ; tho finances are in_dis- order ; merchania luok anxionaly into the new year, endeavoring to sco through the gloom and darlness in which it is shrouded. In additionto all we have angry mutterings from the great centres of popalation, re- 1minding us of revolutionary acencs in other countries, and to which, up to this, we have been happily strau- gers. Party tes are no longer s binding aa they were Live years ago ; a spiit of unrest fa_abrosd, which, at auy moment, may sweep the country like a hurricane. —The Indisnapolis Journal, in its retrospect of the past year, remarks: There has undonbtedly been a decided improvement in the general tone of political morals, The gieat ++back-pay ” outrage excited a storm which bus puri- fled thesir for a long time tocome, and it will be many 8 year before Congress ventures on anything of the kind sgain. The people have asserted their sontrol over all oflicers and office-holders, and have made their voice heard in a manner that wiil not soon b forgot. ten, The spirit of retrenchment aod reform thus sct on footis plainly visibloin the attitude of Congress, 2ud will result not only in a largo reduction of Gov- ernment expenses, but in the introduction of & new and improved code of political morals, Whatever tho acts of politicians and office-holders may indicate, it i certain that the year has been one of decided progress in a politieal zease. —The DenMoines Leader, spoaking of the new year, 8ays : T election of 8 new Congress comes in ihe new year, and the people cannot begin 100 crly in prepar- ing for this eloetion, There must be 3 new set of men elevated to poitions of honor and trust, The old politiéians must be shelved, and tuls should b2 done with tho outgoing of the year. Beginning in 174 the revolution in politics will continue until in 1876, the centennial of our independence, thero vill be men pure and patriotic, hke tho founders of the Republic, to 10ake and execute our laws. —Should Congress, after reassembling, find it absolutely indispensable to the smooth transsc- tion of the public businesstolet off a certain quan- tityof steam overy day, we respectfully sugzest as proper theme for discussion, the supreniacy of cougcience in the individual. Some members are profoundly iguorant of tho subject, to be sare, bus hardly more g0 than with respect to a great mauy other xiubtnten on l;hic}llhb:‘y dinc;nn;w"ilh the utmost glibness and volubility.—Pills] h Commercial, 2 —VPeople somehow - don’t have that abiding faith in Congressmen that they used to have. They are begiuning to think, when & man is elected to go to Wasnington, that this does not necessarily incrense lus wisdom or add to his stature, and that if they wait for him to do their fighting they will wat a very long time indced. A man ingide & fat ofiice don't want to fight. Things are fixed pleasantly enough for him. He is all right. What do people waut to make & fuss for >—E1 Paso (Il.) Journal. —It iu utterly Tatile to hope or expect that the party that riots upon the Lard-earned monoy of the people will correct its own crimes, No change, no amelioration, will take place 50 long as that party retains the power to levy taxes and expend the people’s money.—St. Paul Pioncer. —These loyal thieves will never get another opiormnit_v to plander the people.—Carlinville ({l.) Enquirer. —We should say that tbis National Legisla- tureis in & mighty bad way.— Carlintille (1) Dermocrat. —Congiess contains few men of & higher grade than fourth-rate. Low, cunning, sellish- nesa are there marked charactensties. ‘They bhave not even the estbetic calture which enables vice topay & tribute to virtue by imitsting it. They do not, as a body, even look iiso good men. The Houso, viewed from tho gallery, forcibly reminds you of thie deck of a convict sliip.—Decatur (IiL) agnel's Washington Letler. —Let the hard-fisted farmer, tho mechanic, the laborer, and all who sre in favor of equal justice to all, special privileges to none, stand manfully up to the work so nobly begun. and the monopolists aud corruptionists who are rob- bing them of their hard-earned pennies, will be forced to releaso their grasp upon the national treasury.—Macomb (Iil.) G'ranger. —An oristocracy of concentrated weslth, to perpetuate political fostering thereof, cannot 1lourish long under our present republican form of government. . . . Tho signs of the times indieate resistance to this process of corporate concentration ; and this resistance will eoon embrace nearly three-fourths of the voting pop- ulation.—Centralia (Ill.) Democrat. —The Chicago Inter-Ocean, noting that pota- toes are very searce and high, thinks the tariff should be taken off so thoy can be brought free from Canada. a is 88 good a8 o}l propo- gitions in favor of free trade, but it is to be noted that the Infer-Ocean, like all other sound Republican pepers, favors frec trade orly on suoh_articles as the farmers sell. You never heard one of them spesk in favor of free trade in any articles which the farmers buy. On the contrary, they want to diversify American indus- tay, by taxing farming out of existence.—Fullon County (1il.) Zedger. —_——— THE ROCKFORD SEMINARY. Many of the slamni of Rockford Seminary,” the * Mount Holyoke™ of the West, assembled vesterday in this city, for the purpose of ten- dering to Mrs. Anna P. Sill, the Principal of the Seminary, and Miss Mary E. B. Norton, another tencher long identificd with the institution, s complimentary reception, and also to have a re- uniou of the slumni at the Grand Pacific. This institution of learning is well known a8 one of tho finest in the country, and is a just source of [ride to Rockfurd and ' the West, and counts its graduates by hundreds, but as they are scattered over the country, of courso but & small portion could bo present in the flesh yes- terday, yo they filled the spacious * ordinary ™ of tho Pacific with a large and attractive assem- blage of laaics, all graduates. ‘The afternoon was spent in the reunion, talk- ing over **Auld Lang Syne” and meeting old classmates and triends, perhaps not seen for years. At6o'clock the party went to the din- ing-room aod ate » supper prepared in Mr. Gaukill's best stylo. Mrs. Sill asked grace, aud the Iadics—no gentlemen wero- admitted to the reuvion till 7 o'clock—discussed the vianda and oiher matters of importance till they wero eatisfied, when the cloth was cleared away, and literary efforts were iu order. Mrs, S. J. Humphrey mado s few introductory remarks in a very graceful manner, allading to the object of their gathering, and, at the cloge, introduced Miss Evarts, sn old pupil of Miss Sill. Bhe called to recollection many reminiscences of her school life, and finished by paying a glowing compliment to Miss Sill as & Christian woman, a successful teacher, and a valued and dear friend. A call being made for Mrs. Gen. Chetlain, as one of the -*old girls,” she responded in & happy manner, alluding to the fact of her bewng a gm)ll of Miss Siil's ninetesn years ago, and catled upon Mrs. Gertio Chambarlan Smith, as the oldest pupil of the Seminary pres- ent. Thatlady oud o fow words of interest, and gave way to her mother, Mis. Chiamberlain, who spoke brietly, as did also Afrs. Pettibone, Afrs, Prof. Mitchell, Miss Morton, and Miss Sill. . The toast, “*The Babies: God Bless Them,” was proposed, to bo snswered by the lsdy pos- sossiag the grentest number of those * jewols.” The Cornelia of Rockford Seminary, with soven- teen children, responded in a very funny man- ner. Miss Norton then read & poem composed for the occasion by Dr. Charlotie M. Wedgwood, and tho happy meetivg was_closed by singing +*Bhall e Gather st the River.” The ladies then adjourned to the parlur, where they were joined by the gentlemen, and a very plessant evening was spent in social intercourse and mausic. Befote brealing up, the alumni formed ermanent erganization, to i jpublicity, then teke hold of the work in aush ) | thomselves inte o pi meet yearly, and then elocted the following offi- cers for 1874: President, Mrs. Gen. Chetlain; Secretary, Mrs. W. E. Bmich; and Treasurer, dirs. P. F. Pettibone. The meeting then ad- Journed, to meet agawn in & year. AMUSEMENTS, THE OFERA SEASON. The Strakosch Opera Troupe is already adver- tised to commenco its season at McVickor's Theatre on the 12th inst., the season opening with ¢ Lueia,” with Nileson in the title role. The sale of seats will commence on Thursday next at Bauer's music atore, under tho Palmer Houee. The price of reserved seats has been fized at the reasonable rate of $3. This superb troupe, which has made such o sensation in New York aud Philadelphis, and during the present week Las done a remarkable business in Cincinnati, wo have no doubt will meot with a hearty recop- tion here, aud one worthy of its merits. *8AM" AT THE ACADEMY. Anolner *bumper ” Louse greeted Alr. Soth- ern iast evening at the Academy of Music, when ho spgenmd 28 Dundreary's estimablo brother, The flon. Sam Siingsby. **Sam” has been greatly altered, to bring Mr. Sothern 28 much in view as possible. To the person who thus brought this inimitablo comedian into prom- inence in * Sam," the world is indebted, for an sudience could eit and lsten to Sothern, watch him, and laugh, as long as he could stand before them. The moro thero is of Sothern in & piece which claims to be nothing more than s roering farce, the botter such & plav_must be. It is the companion-piece to “‘Our American Cousiu,” and the leading char- acter, Sam, is the counterpart of Dundreary. The one is a kind-hearted imbecile, with an oc- casional ray of shrewd common-sense aod native bumor, while the other is a ahap, shrowd, devil- may-care, royatering fellow, who enjoya himself at everybody's oxpense—such a character as we all sympathize with on the stage, and shun like a small-pox card in real life. The contrast be- tween the two personages is vivid and startling, the resomblance between the two brothers being noticed only in an occasional indlexion of tho voice. Their manner is _quito uulike. Sam rattles away, jokesat everybody and npon every- body, and cheats, and Lives on everybody with the utmost good nature, to the delizht of himself 2nd the audience, who are not likely to be among his victims. The play itsell is full of wit and merriment, and M5, Hothern's impersonation of San is a8 perfect in its way as that of Dun- dreary. Hulf his points are made by a turn of the Land, a trifling inflection of the voico, a movement, and repose. Many of the most thor- oughly enjoyable bits of humor fall from his hips with every appearance of unconsciousness, and the audienco breaks out into = roar of laughter in tho middle of a sentence which is uttered with the most childlke wmplicity. Some of theso aro lost oxcept toa fow, some are captured on the wing by & few others, aud between the heavy artillery fire of the whole house there i a rat- tling volley of small arms, as a few of the more appreciative observe a geaturo or an oddity of expression which escapes tho rest of the audi- ence. Mr. Sothern makes the character what it is by & suctession of rapid touchcs, aiways in porfect harmony, and so glbly and watarally that the audience is apt to overlook them, if not studying attentively. To see Mr. Soihern for the first time 88 Sam, is to be rarely amused ; to see him in the part, with a recollection of Dundreary, is to be delizhted for a wiole even- ing. One first realizes the contrast fally when Sam receives a characteristic telegram from Dundreary, which, to gretify the party, Le reads’in the noble lord's peculiar style. The effect is immensc. The piece is also enjoyable, inasmuch a8 it gives Aiss Walton aa opportunie ty to act in such a way that the general public can recognize in her the charming and talented little lady thet she is. Few people, secing_ber 18 Georgina, conld reslize that it required an actress of no emall capecity to play tho part in repose us she did. As Aiice in ‘' Sam” she ap- pealed to the sppreciation of less critical observers, as well as that of those who attend s theatrs to study, as well as to be amused. Miss Walton possesses a sweet face, s melodions and exquisitely modulated voice, and & tharough sppreciation of comedy, and thus wins tho sympathy of an audienco im- mediately, In the part of .ilice, which is esscn- tially a Gywpatbetlc and womsnly one, she is quite at home, and plays her share in the quintette almost 23 admirably as Alr. Sothern his. And let it bo understood that there are few stars on the stage who are thus careful to train their support to share the hon- ors with them. Miss Walton is a8 much indebs- ed to Mr, Sothern as the audienceis. ir. Powers plays, with equal fidelity, Alr. Rumbe- lotc, the eccentric uncle, who is the victim of a plot, and it is not saying too much to tell the public that such a'trio has never before been seen in a Chicago theatre. Lytton Soth- emn played JMr. Trimbush, a henpecked husband, and a collegechum of Sam’s, and though there were unmistakable evidences of want of experience in his acting, there wero other things which tell plainly that he will somo day hold as high a place in public favor as the * gelebrated comedian,” his father. AMrs. Trimbush wes played by Miss Fletcher, and, whilo it would have been a fair performance under other circumstances, tho lady suf- fered by contrast with tho star aod bis traveling support. Miss Fietcher has yet to learn to modulate her voice, and purge it of that scresming quality, which is out of piace even in B ** screaming farce,” the parti- ciple being popularly understood to apply to the audience, not to the player, in such cases. The mounting was, s i8_iuvariably the case at the Academy, exquisite, and justifics Mr. Sothern's written compliment to Ar. Graves, tho stage-manager. The music, too, was judi~ cionsly selected tosuit the piece, Mr. Loeschhav- ing chosen the liveliest aira from Offenbach as being the most appropriste. This delightfal performance, wa regret to say, will only be re- peated this afterncon and evening, Monday 2lr. Sothern plays Damd Garrick. SALVINI, THE KING ACTOB- The greatest dramatic event, siuce the advent of Tistori on our stage, will be the appoarance of the so-called ** Princo of the Italian Stage,” Signor Tommaso Salvini, whoso performances in New York, Boston, Philedelphis, and other cities wherever he bas appeared, bave raised tho sudiences to the highest pitch of enthusiasm. We doubt not that, on his first appearance next Monday night at McVicker's Dhoatre in his grand and mest powerful character of Samson, all the elite of our city, the intellect, culture, and taste of it will go en masse to groet the gieat Italinn genius, and the grestest of all sctors. Itis Pleasant to welcome an actor whose great suc- cess will stimulate what is good in the drama in Americe, and the aid of the good work of mak- ing our stage what wo wish to haveit. The Boston @lobe thus speaks of Balvini's perform- ances : The brief engagement of Signor Tommaso Balvini, attho Boston Theatre, may Le looked upon a3 cne of tho leading events of ‘our dramatic history, for he i3 unquestiousbiy one of the few artists who have ap- in our city, Whatevey strictures may be mada ‘apon his atyle by those who cling to the traditions and precedents of our stage, and who look upou innovation in the lght of revolution that {8 to be crusbed at any sacrifice, the fact still remadus that Salvini is a great actor, in the fallest sense of the term ; nay, more, tho greatcst actor of the time, Nature has favored him in every respect. He has & magnificent phy- 6lque; & voice slmost phenomepal in its rich- ness, 'its compass, ita expressiveness, and ity flexibility ; s face of astonishing mobility, which Te- flocts the emotions with a clearnes and a rapidity that would ensble s deaf man to follow him in the passions portrayed; and o bearing. :hut is majeatic, gracefal, and manly in the highest uegree. e does not simply impersonate o part, but ia the charncter which, for the time being, he represents, He has appeared in “Samson,” *Sullivzn,” “Othello,” “Conrad,” and “Hamlet,” and in each of theso bo gave a distlnct individuslity that bore no traco of the artist's own personality, sud in nowlso resembled any other. His Versatility 15 Do less remarkable than the ex- traordinary magmetem which epatles him to hold an audience spell-bound, than the sstonishing realism of his style, which gives him the power to enter 80 thoroughly into the spirit of his assumptions asto make his listeners forget that they are only gozing on the it ic scene, Heda s thoroughly satisfy- ing artist, and 8o uatural, 80 unaffected, 2nd 50 power- fully truc in expression, so eloguent in gesticulation, and s0 strong in _facial play, that even thoso who were unscquainted with the language ho spoke found no dihenlty in following him through tlie most refin- ed and subtle phises of his impersonations. Whether representing the most tragic_emotions, in ‘which tho soul is torn by the anguiah of despair, and vents iteelf in the wildest agony ; whether deplcting scenea of the loftiest grandeur, of the most refined tendencles, of overraling love, or of simple affection— he is equally at Liome, Hs sweeps with the band of a 1master the entire scale of tho human passions, 1t is impossible to do full justice to his powers by mers words, Eventoattempt to do 80 would, in the minds of those who have not scen him, appear to be extrava- gent adulation and exaggerated enthusiasm. We (e33 that cur feeiinga have niver been 80 scutely probed or 50 deeply stirred us they have been by hiz actiug, We bave never witnessed sught so_brozd, so grand, so realistlc and so profoundly intollectual, in which 'all was 3o perfectly artistic, and yet in which tho art was a0 perfectly concealed, a8 we have in this per- formance, Vhile we know that such subtlety, finish and refinement a8 are apparent in hfs acting can only bo the result of the closeat study, he almost persusdes us that what he does la done upun ihe spur of the mo- ment, o natural, s0 impalsiveand 40 unconstrained st The sale of seats for Baslvini's performances commenced vesterday very briskly, and consid ering thar the prices of tickets are reduced al- most one-hslf befow those charged in New York, there will be trouble in procuring even standing toom, as all the fashionable and literary circles of the elty will be in full dross o greet the Miase trious Italian tragediag. < ' BEECHER-BOWEN, Important Meeting of Plymouth Churck, A Defiant Letter from Mr. Beecher His Definition of Plymouth Chure} Congregationalism, New Yoex, Jan. 2.—At the conclusion of 3 - ? the usual Friday evening Pprayer-meeting gt Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, to-night, 2r. Sher. man, Clerk of the Church, reed s communics. tion v\jh\ch hed been received from the Jaint Committees of the Charch of the Pilgrims arg Clinton Avenue Church, after which Mr. Becchor rose and said that he deemed it not inappro. Priato to take some ateps for the purpose of MAETNG A REPLY TO THE LETIER. Ho had asked some of the brethren to dmy up & reply, aud he had also drawn up a letter of reply, which he would request Prof. Roves Raymond to read, aud asked that it be sizned by the Chalrman 'of this mectiag aud membxre [ the Committee, and forwarded to C mittoes of tho two churches. the o THE REPLY. Prof. Robert Raymond then read a reply to the communications of the Committees of tio Church of the Pilgrims and Cimton Avecue Church. The reply admits the differccce Lo. tween the Congregationalism of tho Plymonth Charch and otner Congregational Churches, azd ciaims that tho foundation of Flymouth Church was effected to protest ngaicss toe domination of Cobgregationsl ministers, whick had excited profound indignation among memters of Congregatioazl Churches in tho City of New Yok st the tune, Plymonth Church has been governed by § majority of its members, while in neither of ths ocher two churches hes ever been heard the soice of brotherhood in open or called sssem- bly. The attitudo of the Clinton Avenue Church and Church of tho Pil grims in this con.oversy is charscterizod as unwarrantable, and the Plymouth Charch re- fuses :onccepb lnei Lmh!r docnments which Are DOt ACCOMPpANIt a proof of suthorii the r\vl:l(;le Chbrnt!::eihogd cf tho gnof gregation urches regularly and de- Liberately conferred, and theyy decline in any case to receive from any chureh lete ters containing covert insinuations ngaiust the character of any of tho members of Ply- month Church. Plymouth Church does not de- cline to join in calling s mutual council, but will await a less dubioas invitation, It clums thal Plymozath Church can make rules for its own government and still remain Congregational, ard DECLINES 70 WITHDRAW FROM COSGEEGATIONAL i FELLOWSRIP. This reply was adopted and ordered to be sign- ed by the Chaurman and members of the Come mittee and forwarded to tho joint Committees of both charches. THE ZOWEN PROTEST. Mr. Shermau then read ‘the report of the Committce to whom was referrod the protest of Heory C. Bowen. This report ws to the effect that the cbjections rmsed bs Bowen against the report of the Examiving Committee was without foundation. As he was noc tried,he conld not claim offizial notice of the charges. He claimed that be bad nover thought of suthorizing soything which Lad the sprear- ance of an lpalnfz. The Committea e D¢ such statement. The report closed with ai1eso lution that the protest and the report be placec upon_the records, which, with the report, was unanimously adopted. Prof. R. W. Raymoud moved that the ectior of tne last meeting, in laying upon the table the siatement of Mr. Hallidayin regard to the Bowen matter, be reconsidered. After s short dixcus- sion, this was adopted. Prof. Raymond taen offzred the following resolution: Resolved, That the report of the Examining Com- ‘mittee and the statement of the Clerk of the Cliurch concerning the case of brother Henry C. Bowcu be entered upon the minutes, and, in view of the therein set forth, the charges e dismissed, and the Ezamining Commmttes bo discharged from further consideration of the case. This called ont considerable discussion, in which Prof. Raymond, Mr. White, and others participated. Mr. White, who preferred tbe Charges agaipst Mr. Bowen originally, seized the opportunity to volunteer a personal explsuaiion. m his intended remarks were ruled out of er. The resolution was then adopted, apd the ‘meeting adjourned to Monday eveniug, Jaa. 16. COAL. The Business in Vermillion Comaty, 1. From the Dantille Commercial, The coal yiold of this county is a source of a1 enormous income, which is continuous and 12 creasing. Although it is not nearly so exteasivi a business in Vermillion &5 stock-ralsing. i malkcs more roturns of ready moey. In thir Tespect, this county, for nstaral advantages fa exceeds any other in the State. About $4(0.00C yearly are paid to employes alone, tearly overy cent of which is expended by thew ab b beme while all the companies but one engaged in thu business are of this conaty. - accordance with a provision of the low re- lating to the coal and mining interes!sin thig State, which requires the County Surveyors to collect and tabulste all statistics pertaining to the yearly productions of the mines, and an esti- mate of tho amonnt of capital emplosed in coal- mming, Alexander Bowman, County Surveyor and Inspector of tbe mines for Vermillion Coun- t5, has mado a very complete and thorough can- vass of them in this county, and has prepared an able and comprehensive report of the cond- tion of the coal business of this county. We subjoin the following extracts of Lus report for the nformation of our readers : “Tho principal vein of coal is 80 near tho sur- face in many parts of this country. that mining is done by simply strippivg ‘tho earth sometimes only from 1 to 3 feet in dopth, off the coal, This manner of mining i8 8o cheaply performed, thas in some instances earth to the depth of 2) feet or moro is removed in order to get at the coal. The drift mines appear to bo very generally well managed, and among the finest in the State arc those of the *Moss Bank Coal Compary of Danville,” superintended by that very efficient Tmining boss, Mr. Jeremiah Moran. Of these Nol,0f abont 80 acres; No.2, of about 150 acres, and No. 8, of several hundred acres, are &y srematically and cconomically cunducted: well veutilated and perfectly safo, aithough eploy- ing sometimes as mazy s 150 men at one Lo, and shipping 500 tons of coal & day, yet, after being in full operation for abon: three years. thero never has been a single accident of any kind. This Company, owning some 1,200 acres of coal lands, havo been enabled to o ArTange their railroad tracks as to bring it below the opening of their mines No. 2 and 5, consequast- Iy they dump the coal immediately into the cars without the uso of any machinery whatever. The “Western Cosl and Miding Company have a combination of drift and shaft minig in operation, which combines gafety and venuilztion in a remarkable degree. This Company bas put up some very costly improvements, that ecable them to ship tkeir coal with & dispatch and con- venience not attained by any other mine in the county. Their lease still has some 200 acres Fei %o work out. Their shipments aversge 5C.UCt ‘ona & year, with a mgg% pay-roll of £10,00¢ per month ; capital, $E0, Ml The * Ohio Skaft™ (Enterp 2 1ny), mine exclusively by shaft, which is 110 fet deop. Having 700 acresof coal lands, they h;na been occupied the prst year in making the neces- gary improvements for doing & ‘much larger business. The capacity of the mine will thew: be 200 tons 3 day. They now emloy 55 men; o& gregate ye&;fly production, 40,000; amount of Capital, $166,000. A Hiio" % Ellsworth Coal Company,” and Do¥ putting down s fine shaft with tne Deccsscry appurtenances, together with 8 railroad tx'-lc_g siding, at 8 very largo outlay. The shaft ia 75 feet deep,l )u.svsing also an eu:::;;ifi;rp r?:lt-‘c- ‘They emplo; men; sggregate ¥ i ting, 50,000 toma; amount of capital, 50,0003 number of acres workable, 290. . The, four Companies above-named are tié most important &8 ug:‘l:ds capital, men e loyed aud yearly preductions. : P ke Chicago Carbon Compsny, OWEing 1.;;; acres, Lave a shaft and appurtenances, batis 2 Dot now in use. The Catlin shaft, having 80! 700 acres of mined land attached to it, i3 l:lli‘l n running order. There are 566 men employe :} mining. and an ezgrogate yearly production o 335,750 tons of coal mined; and 8 mvufl“"fln 775,900, employad in mining. There aro i shafis, arranging from 26 fest to 150 feet deePs fivo_of these use steam noisting 2d Thers are sixteen drift mines, an tuntyu-n strip banks, some of which 8ze very expe fin". employing from $10,000 to §50,000 in operating- 1 am happy to report that since I &u 3P pointed Inspector an Mines, md‘\z} pto the s ¢ time, thers hus not been 8 in oy of the ety to Alsty mizes fa Vemailiod Couaty,” H H ] H H 1 H i i i t i § o ]