Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, December 16, 1874, Page 4

4 TERMS OF THE TRIBUNE, 18705, RATTS OF AUBSORIPTION (PAYARLE I ADVAXOE), P oni Partsof & Ta prevent delay and mistakes, bo suro and give Poat- DiSce address in full, fncluding Stato and County. Remittancosniay bomuda eithorby dratt, exprens, Post~ DBae oxder, or fn roglstored Jottors, at our rlsk, TERNS TO CITY AUNSONIDERA, Daly, dellvered, Sunday excepted, 25 cents per wack Dally, telivorsd, Bundey Inoluded, 30) conts por waok ddrora il TRIBUNR UOMPANY, ‘Cornor Madison and Doatborn-a,, Ohieago, 1t TO-DAY'S AMUSEMENTS. IRUM DA OUI0A ontoo siroot, hetwsan Dear- oo and Blate. co and Roallty. " KER'S TIIEATRE-Madison streat, batwasn n:‘;c?fi-"mu ‘atato, Itngagemont of Edwin Looib. “4Othollo,* AND OPERA-TIUUSE~Olark _ streo fifggmn House, Kelly & Lmon's Minatrols. Iack Statue," Aftornoon and ovenlng. osite PR o MUSIO—fslntad stract botwaon Mad- o .‘.Kn?" Kugagemont of Tony Donlar's Pauto. salme-Troupe, —** Humpty Uumpty.'’ ~Afternoon an svening, betwasn ‘Aftornoon and evoniog. HOOLRY'S THEATRE—Randoloh strest, **Clouds," Olarx and LaSalle. . T. & A, M.—Regu- i o ‘ll..nl d ay- COVINANT LODGE, No, @28) . 3 ing. Iarananl communioation, on Veiday ovantng, Doo, thele ball, In| ro notified to atto: ant ghyph Al A0, I IN, Bostys NSIA L.ODGF, NO. 160, A, F. &A. M.~Tho LA e rloation o fiors S paymont 111 b-ham“u Urinatal Hall, (hursday oroning, by . Nombers 460 Reyoy) {OWiLE, W. B RTISEMEN TS, City, Suburban, nd Country Renl I Ol ows Chas cos, Lorses srcd Carciages, 1ol 1 ato., oto. L R PG Nmuramaste, A m L Soe) Pus. Wotoubtarsbiro Hau o, abls, oto., ete. The Chitage @f&bum.' Wodnosdsy Morning, De;combor 16, 1874. Agricul- fishrod Timo: Gov. Bevenmok and the Board of Chari- tes have reduced the -estimates for tho State institutions to obout §1,500,000, or $150,000 Jess than tho nspproprin tions of last year, and £200,000 loss than wens asked for, Thore is an instance of ocoriomienl administration wortls reme mbering. o— — Supervisor Musy's proceodings against Tli- nois railrc,ade which have been deliuquent in the paywrsont of the b per cont tax on surplus enrnings. ave thororighly rohearsed in our ‘Washin gton aorrespondenco this morning, Nearly all tho railronds in Tiinois, it appears, aro ovring large amounts to tho Government, Some of them aro in arrears for soveral yors. At‘lontion is invited to the items from the repoict of the Freodman Bank Commissioners furnished by our dispniches this morning, They show pretty clearly that the institution went to xuin ihrough reckless and’corrupt manngement. It is nob credible that any set of men could have disposed of o much maney on worthless securitios without hoving & hand in the spoils. : S The Committes appointed by Spesker Lraxse to investigate the charges of outrages ujton the Republicrns of the South will com- m md the confidence of the country. Grorazn F. ¥oan is Chinirman, and among the mem= brorsara Fosten, of Obio, and Wirniast War- 7 en Faeres, of New Jersoy. Any sintemont of friots from such » Committes will probably b acepted a8 candid by the great moss of the people. St. Tonis merchants have got up a retition to Congressin behalf of the Texns Picific & Atlantic Roilond. They urgo the cliims of the South t a Pacific Railrond of its own; insist upon the nocessity of ¢ protecting tho frontier”; and oxplain that the road would save miliicns to the Grovernment by the transportaion of supplie:s. The petition is too ridicuous for sny uso. Weo know well enough tlat there aro cl'enper andmoreeffect~ ive meani of protectinyy the frontier, and sim- pler metiods of reduc.ing the Government's iranspoctation eceovmt in the Southwest, than by building a railroad ncross the conti- nent, And we hav e alvendy taken the paing to ghow theso obluse St. Louis merchants that the present Fracific Railrond sntisfies the “claima” of the South as well as thoso of the North. oo em—— Upon furthe'r reflection, we aro inclined to tho conclusion. that the new License Commit- teo, as comstituted by the President of the Common Covincil, is properly selected for the work it bas. {0 perform. The ¢ People's Party " have onrried tha cloctions twice in suc- «cossion,—the firat timeupon thedistinet issne of the ropoal of the Sunday-Liquor laws, and tho next time on the strength of the recollec- tion of that triumph, The Committeo se- leoted in a living embodiment of the cause which won, and it was mainly through the influenco of their class that the cause did win, aud by all perlinmentary rules they are ontitled to tho control of the Liconso Com- mittee. Mr, Drxon might have put one or two opponents on the Committeo, but, being in the minority, they could do nothing ono way or the other, and it is enid that nono of the * Antis” cared about. serving on that Conimittee, ns they seek pence, and not war, with * Personnl-Li'berty " people, Morzow, the gridn-deoler of Kentland, Ind., who i charged “with an attompt to bribe o grain-inspaotor i1 Chicago, was taken yestor- day from the cutitody of an Illinois ofticer on tho warrant of .a Justico of tho Ponco, All the shifts and evasio ns that are known to In- disna jurisprudence have boen adopted by JMonroN's friends in ordor to save him from old, 66 1-40 for now, and 72 8-4o seller Moy, Oats wore dull and wenk, closing at i3 1-80, Ryo wns quiot and strong, nt 04 1-2@06c. Bnr- loy was dull and wanl, closing nominally at $1,22 120, On Snturdny ovening lnst thero wa storo in this city 1,5672,24¢ bu .wheat, 056,822 bu corn, 802,180 bu onts, 22,777 bu ryo, and {03,654 bu barloy, Hogs woro dull and 16@250 lower than Saturdny, Balos at $06.26@7.00 for common lo choice, Caitla wera in moderate domand, with good buteh- org' stock soiling a shade higher. Sheep wore in unusunlly heavy supply (4,604 Lead), and sold 20@250 lower. P ———— The City of Now Orleans isto-day ruled DLy Whito Lenguors, Although no violent outbronk has ocourred, and thers has boen no attempt to dispossoss the established authori- ties, the predominance of the Rebel eloment is comploto. The safoly of tho State Gov. ernmont is only assurad by the presonco of United States troops and vossels of war, If thoso wero withdrawn the politienl fabrie would fall at once into confusion. This con- dition of affnirs may well suggest the inquiry whethor the removal of the Cnpital from Now Orloans would not be o wise proceeding. As long na the city and country aro at varinnco politically, and tho population of Now Orloans romaing as it is,—careless of law and the traditions of tho Republic,—thero is no pros- pect of peaco in the State. Thero nre con. ditions presont in New Orlonns as woll as in Paris which make oither city n bed sent THE CHICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE: WEDNEéDAY. ‘DECEMBER 16, 1874, — e e — e — — e e trade with Scorr and-tho other speoulators, Tho Republicau party enunot undortako to pny all Toa Scorr’s nud Jax Coone's dobts out of the Nationnl Tronsury, nor ean it carry the men who voto for it. ‘o losson of the elections of Inat fall cnnnot bo ignored, Tho Roepublican party, to live, must out itsolf loose from corruption in overy form. Hns that fact gnined lodgmont in tho lionds of Congressmon? Tho third mistalo cannot bo justified on any plon of ignorance. The District Attor. noy of the United States for tho District of Columbia and n gang of scoundrels known ns tho secrot or detcetivo police of tho Trons- ury Dopartment wora charged with a shamo- loss and disgraceful attompt to makeup n cnso of crimo ngainst n citizon of Washing- ton, For this purposs n bogus robbory of tho Attornoy's officc was got up. Tho wholo thing fell through, oud tho Distriot Attorney wns indioted with others for the conspiracy, Specinl counsel wns em- ployed to prosocute thecase, The jury failed to agroe, but there was no differonce of opin- ion among the people of tho United States as to tho guilt of tho acoused. The Court has sinco deoided that, technicnlly, the Grand Jury that found that and other indictments was illegally impnneled. The Attornoy Goneral has since thon ordered the discon- tinuanco of the prosecution. Tho quostion is now whother tho District Attornoy shall be dismissod. His frionds and other personnl frionds of implicated partios do not want tho for tho central Government; but the remedy in Amerien is not, ss in France, in the lands of any constituted authoritios, Only tho people of Lonisinna can order a ye- moval, and they have not thus far shown a disposition {o do so, These reflections ariso from a consideration of tho dispatches printed this merning, which report o reign of law- lossness in tho city amounting to deflanco of the State Government, and a systom of in- timidntion and perseoution amounting to a deninl of free spocch and free action, The proposition of the Commissioner of Internal Revenuo and the Secrotary of the Treasury, to add 10 cents to the whisky-tax, is & movoment, wo fenr, in the interest of ro- ducing collections and incrensing corrnptions, The experiment of incrensing the tax has been tried once, and with the most lnment- able results, as it virtunlly killed collections. Under the reduction, collections have grod-’ ually improved. Now it is proposed, not- withstanding past experience, to repent tho folly by adding 10 cents to the tax, which opeus the door to still further increases. The result will Lo that, while it may ineronse the profits of the slock on hand, it adds 10 cents more for the producers of whisky to buy up tho rovonuo officinls, TUnder the present rates, it is cheaper to pay the tax. VWith the proposed inerense, it will be choaper to bribo and buy off the collectors then to pny the iax, and the balnnco of trade will be in favor of corruption. In addition to this fact, the inerense of tax can only, as it has done before, create rings aud combinations of speculators, who will boin favor of even higher taxes, sinco thoy can malke handsome profits by de- frauding the revenuo, Tho proposition is fraught with evil in whatever way it may bo regarded, Its only result is to foster cor- ruption and bribery, to defeat collections, and to defraud the Government out of what rev- onue it is already collecting under the presont tax. THREE GROSS BLUNDERS. ‘The majority of the Houso of Representn- tives at Washington mnde threoe serious mis- tnkes on Monday, which should be promptly corrected. Theso wers : 1. The rofusal to pass the bill for the re- penl of the Poranp gag-law of the last ses- sion, 2. Tho refasal to pass the Horsran resolu- tion declaring that tho financial condition of the country did mot warrant the voling of subsidies of money or bonds to privato specu- Iators or to any individunl or corporation, 8. The rejection of the resolution to inves- tigate the conduct of Government officers in the case of tho safe-burglary at Washington, The refusal of the House to pass the repeal of the PoraNp gag-law was pretty clenrly bnged upon the desire and the purpose of the majority to enact some law on that subject. Mr, TreEwamwy, of New York, proposed an amendment which is fully as objectionable ns the original law. The majority of the House lins indiented ils purposo to enaot & law mak- ing the publisher of any paper in any part of the United States responsible in a oriminal aetion for alleged libel upon any member of Congress or other Government officinl if-a copy of the paper bofound in the District of Columbin, Tnemary's bill authorizes the indietmont of tho publisher by a Grand Jury of the District of Co- lumbia, and then provides that that indictment bo trausmitted to the United States Court of the Distriat where the papor is published, tho publisher to give bail, eto. What these people at Washington are aiming at is to havoe it established by law that if any newspaper containing a supposed libel on auy office-holder in Washington City be found in that city, the publisher, no matter where ho may resido, can bo indicted in that District. "Cho sixth amendment to the Constitution re quires that tho aconsed in all eriminnl prose- cutions shell have the right to a trial in the Stato and District wheroin tho erimo shall have beon committed. The orimo must be committed in the District of Columbia to give any Grand Jury of that District jurisdic- tion thereof, and therefore ho must bo tried thore, This thing of laving a man indicted by & Grand Jury 1,000 or 2,000 miles away, oud then to bhe tried by somo other Court in anothor part of tha country, is too outrageous to Lo the consequemees, of his crimo, First there was o habeos corpus, then on appeal to the Eupromo Clour’;, and noxt an order from Gov. Henonioys for the suspension of his oxtradition yyit, These procoedings wero justifiable 2na logal. Not so tho arrest of the Hlinols officor on tho Justice's wavrant, ‘Thore *way no shadow of renson for beliov- jog tbat TaTonton wos being kidnapped; his rescud o1y this plon amounts to a denial of justico. From all the ado that Monron's In- nan Friends aro yaising it is o foir inferonco thiat .o hns no valid defenso to offer bofore +he I'linoia courts, “Tha Chieago produce markets wore rather “heavy yestorday, Mess porlk was active, but da- +lined 44@G00 por br, closing at $19.00 cash, und $19.256 seller February, Lard wos ace Wive and 100 per 100 ths lower, olosing at $19,85@1%,87 1.2 cash, nnd $18,12 1-2 “sellor February, Meats were dnll and 1-8o lower, A 63.80 for shouldors, D 1-io for short riby, and 9 1-20 for short oleavs, Highwines ware lesn activo and steady, st 970 per gol- fon, Flour was dull and wenk. Whent was more active and o shade firmor, closing at 88 1-40 oash, and 88'3-4a uellor Jannary, Corn waa nogloctad and enslor, closiug w76 Y40 for submitted to. In this respact it oxcoeds tho old Sedition law of Jonn Apaws’ day, the authors of which were justly condemned by the people. There is no uso wasting words about thia matter. The Amariean peoplowill tolornto nio such infamous law, The passage of tha lawlast year was excuscd in somo cnses on the ground that its purport wasnot known. No such axeuse onn bo made now. If the ex- cuse of ignoranco lnst yoar was truthful, then the greater renson fortho unconditional repeal of tho wholo act now. The Republican party enn carry no such law, nor enn it carry any man who favors or votes to perpotuate it in form or under auy guiso The country is fully aware that Mr. Tos Soore s a bill beforo the two Houses of Congress proposing that tho United Btates shall guavanteo ono hundred millions of his railroad bonds, and pay the intorest (horeon in gald for forty yews, ‘Tl country is also aware that o similar bill will be urged in favor of Jay Cooxr's Novthern Puoifie wild-cat rail- vond., 'I'he country, therefore, cannot nacept {ho rofusnt of the House to consider aud to pass tho Howaay resolution in any othor light thon es’ foreshadawing a favorablo con- slderntion of thuse robborles, orof n desiro to lot the mombers have thne to dickur und caso furthor ‘investigated. The Houso on Mondny refused to ndopt a resolution direct- ing that the whole connection of the Federnl oflicils with the affair -bo investigated. The ground takon, that the resolution to investigate was offered by a Demoorat, and that the of- flcers to bo investigated were Ropublicnus, is not sufficiont, If no Republican offered to investigate, then it wns the duty of theother sido todemand it. If tho Republieaus of tho Tlouse propose to adopt tho ruffians and thieves of the Soorot Service, and protect them from exposure, thon they much mistnke the tomper of tho country, Tho best use that enan be made of this session of Congress is to use it for tho lopping off and burial of all the dend and rotton waod of the party ; for rid. ding the organization of all connection wilh oflicial dishonesty and corruption, aund not leavo it to the poople to do all this at thenext election, Lot the Republicans in Oongross not add to the oflicinl eorruption and dishon- esty, if it oxint, tho crime of protecting it by tho recorded votes of the party. THE SIXTEENTH AMENDMENT. Senator Morton proposed at the last ses- sion of Congross a constitutional amendment changing the method of clecting the Presi- dent of -the United States, We hope he will push it at this session until Congress acts upon it and submits it to the Stato Legisla- tures for ratieation or rejection, It is worthy to be tho Sixteonth Amendment to thoe Magna Chartn of America, Scnator Mor- ToN's plan is, in Drief, this: Iach State is to bo divided into ss many ecloctoral districts ns it has Representatives in Congress. The vote of each district would bo certified to the proper authorities, and would bo counted ns ono vote for tho Prosidontinl candidate who roceived o ma- jority of the ballots cast in that district. The candidnto carrying n majority of tho nggre. gnto vote of any State is to bo crodited with two votes from the Stato at large. The con- didnto who has o majority or a plurality of all the Presidentinl votes is to be President, Tha Vice-President is to bo elocted in the same way. The.electoral distriots are to be forned by tho Logislatures of the respective States, but Congross is to have power to rearrauge tho diatricts, if it wishes, and to ostablish tri- bunnls for the deoision of contested clections, This plan has sovernl docided advantages. ‘What they are will be best secn by a state- mont of the defectsin the two other plans now before the publio. The first of these is the one now in mso. Tt is open to four objections. Tirat, the mi- nority, however largo, Is deprived of its just woight, and indeed of any weight. If the total vote of New York, footing up 700,000, shows a baro majority of a hundred or two votes for oneparty, the Presidentinl nominee of that party will receive the 83 electoral votes of tho State. A minority that needed ouly 200 or 2,000 votes more to give its party nomineo theso 39 electoral votes can now givo him none. Hercisn change of 66 cloctoral votes depending, porhaps, upon 66 individual votes in a corrupt ward of New York City! Tho last sentonce suggests the second dan- gor. A premium is put on corruption. Fraudulent votes in a fow precincts may enrry the whole State. All the large States, New York, Massachusetts, Penn- sylvanis, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, cou- tnin large cities; ond ballot-box stuf. fing is ono of the tricks in trade of the ity politicians of the basor sort. It has beon proved that 25,000 fraudu- lont naturalization papors were issued, used, ond voted upon in Now York City at the cleation of 1868. Theso, in tho hands of 12,000 roponters, enrried the city overwholm- ingly apninst Gnaxt and the Republicaus, The city cmried the State, Thus froud in ono loeality diminished Guaxt's honest ma- jority of the cloctornl votes by sixty-six. It took thirty-three votes from him and gave them to Seyaoun, who had roceived n mi- novity of tho logal votes. As it Liappened, his wajority of the other States was so great that ho could stnud this loss of New York by frand, But if e had needed the real voto New York gave him, and had then been cheated out of it, would tho Republican party have submitted to the glaring outrage? If it bnd not, ecivil war would have Dbeen inovitable, For—and this js is the third objoction to the present plan— there is no appesl from ' the roport or cortificato of olection oflicers no matter how false its verdict may bo. Nobady ean go bohind the returns (uuless, indeed, Congress has this dubious power). Cheating could not be mndo moro ensy and safe, If tho falso ballots once get iulo the box, no tribunal can rojeot them, though tho rogue’s band bo seized as the fraudulent votes foll from it Fourth, when no candidate receives an abso- luto majority of all the clectoral votes, tho ohoico dovolves upon the House, which must voto on the threo highest candidates. Tho delegation from cnch Stato casts one vols, ‘This makes Novada equal to New York, aud Delaware equal to Tllinois, If a delegation is oqually divided, its State loses lhor vote, ‘I'here is oudless opportunity for wire-pulling, bargaining, chieanery, and coruption, In 1800, when Jurrensoy and Bunr had a tle- voto, the struggle in Congress botween thom shoolk the whole country, ‘The bitter focling ongendored by it porbaps led to Bunn's half- trensonablo soheme of a Southwestern Em- pire in which AanoN I should relgn, In the newsion of 1828-9, tho ITouso elected Jomn Quinoy Apays over JAomEON ata grent cost of strife and bad blood which lnated a wholo generatlon, Ahut guarrol cost Hunmy Otax the Prosidency. inough paople believed the atory of his having corruptly conlesced with Apaxs to defent him whenover ho ran. Iftwo groatparties, onch representing over 22,000,000 porsons, striving for honor, spoils, and tho control of tho nation for at lenst four yoars, mnko tho Congress of 18767 thoir bnttlo- fleld, onoh trying to forco or induca the Itouso to cleok tho condidnto whom it has failed to persunde tho country to chioose, enn our institutions stand the strain? The plan of olactiug tho President by a direct popular voto would opon tho door to frauds innumorablo, Tho votes of many of tho frontior and the Lack-conutry distriota would bo held back until thoso of the moro nceesniblo communitics bad bgon announcod, aud would then bo doctored to meot tho ox- igoucies of the oase. The fraudulent voles of ono largo city like Now York might, ny now, chnnge tho eloction. Othor objections onn bo nrged, but the faot that this plan ean- not pomibly be ndopted makes it superfluous to catalogue them, This mothod would de- prive the somll Stntes of the oxnggernted powerthoy obtain by theirtwoSenatorinl votes. Rhodo Island, Nobraska, Florida, Novada, and Delaware would have only one-third or one- Linlf ns much influence in a Prosidential clee- tion as thoy do now, nud a dozen other States would also lose power. No amendmeont con bo enrried without the conourrenco of somo of the small States, and nono of them will favor this, TFurther comment is needless. Sonator Mortox's plan would obvinte all thoso ovils, The minority party in n State would linve its just weight, as it does now, in tho election of Congressmen, Fraud would havo only loeal effect. New York corruption- ists could chango only two or threo of the cloctoral votes of that city instead of all the electoral votes of the State. A contested olection in any district would be speedily passed upon by competent tribunals ap- pointed for the purpose. Thus fraud would Do not only comparatively ugcless, but dan- gerous, Tho election would bo decided at once, for the chance of a tic-vote botwoen two cnndidntes is almost nothing. Thers should, however, be o provision for a sccond eloction, confined to theso two candidates, in the cnse of such a tie, That would scttle it. “Doth parties are equally intorested in this reform, If corruption in New York threat- cns to wrest supremacy from the Repub- licans, corruption in Philadelphia throatens to counterbnlanco it, Neithor party can afford to win by fraud. Thoe tremendous strugglo of 1876 must be fought fairly, or n eivil war such as the world hes never seen,— o war, not of Siates with States, but of State, county, city, township, ward, and in- dividual agninst individual, ward, township, city, county, and State,—may comeo, Our firat century is to ond with n political erisis. Wao shall be wiso if wo take care that the shoclk of conflict shall not be too great. The obvious perils of tho present plan of meet- ing tho erisis should bo promptly removed. Senator Monron's proposed amendment scoms to bo n panacen, and wo trust that Congress will give the State Legislatures the chance to ratify or reject it. S0UZA DE CADRAL OUTDONE, Tanet is stranger then fiction. No novelist, dramatist, or romancer ovor invented a situs- tion which wns not sconer or Inter surpassed Ly some development of fact. An illustra. tion of this general truthis to be found in Novnda. Our readers will have not forgotton tho gorgeous festivitios which characterized the recent wedding of tho daughter of the Ion. Winrrax Smaron, United States Sen- ator from Nevada., Tho story read like a talo from the Arabian Nights, To the dnzzled oyes of Enstern readors, the pomp and cir- cumstance of the Western Cneesus scomed liko the creations of the genii, or treasnves conjured up by the wand of somo mighty magician, What was impossible to a man who could celebrate his dnughtor's wedding with a three-thousand-dollar fire-placo, a thousand-dollar clock, two-thousand.dollar windows, fiftcon-hundred-dollar bedsteads, twenty-one-hundred-dollar chandeliers, four- thousand.dollar corpets, five-thousand-dollar mirrors, one-hundred-and-fifty-thousand-dol- Inr furniture, and flowers, filagreo, gems, jowels, nnd plate, mountinginto the millions? Upon the strongth of this glowing, golden story, n romancer of fertilo imngination went to work and conjured up the dinmond wed- ding of the dark-cyed daughter of Dr Souza QanRAL, tho dinmond-mine owner of Diamen- ting, whose income was only $20,000,000 por annum. ‘The SmanroN wedding, with oll its gold, paled in tho brilliancy of this OCapran dimmond effair. The rendor will romember tho thousauds of music-boxes hidden away in tho mossy turf about tho grounds; the acres of camel- ling, each with a diamond in its centro to imi- tato n dew-drop; tho more than princely gifts to the brido; tha gencrous manner in whioh De Sovza lavished thousands upon hackmen ; tho hundred-nnd-sixteen-million-@ollar neel- Ince, which rose end fell in wavesof dazzling brilliancy uponthe bediamonded breast of the lovely Marxa ; aud the remnrk of the fond and proud father to his daughter that she looked like the head-light of a locomotive, This romancer thought he had sot the motos and bounds of wonlth so far awey that no fact, golden or dis- mond, silver or copper, would ever rench thom, His fancy had taken a freo flight, and, 08 he foolishly supposed, had soaved into s rogion which could nover be traversed by any wings of truth, Ilis intention was to dwarf the renlizations of fnot with. the creations of fancy, and yet his protty romance, dezzling ng it is, has alrendy been outdone by the very man ho intendod to travesty. An articla printed olsewhere, from tho San Fraucisco papers, shows that Mr, Sianoy, the King of Comstock, has reached what js supposed to Do the very heart of the Comstock Mine, His laborers have penetrated below tho crest of the mountain nnd struck a silver lode,—in 1mining parlanco, » bonanzas, or huge mass of ore, extending through the Con- solidated Virginia, California, and Opher clnims for o distanco of 1,200 feet, and no oue can yot tell how much farthor. "This bed of ore is plmost pure silver, and the oxperts have alrendy figured that it will pnu out 18300,000,000, tho profits on which will reach between §i140,000,000 and £200,000,000! And this is only the beginning! Now, what be. comes of that insignificant dismond affuir in Brazil, which the romancer so cunningly pic- tured? Whero iy Dx Bouzs Casran with his potty $20,000,000 of incoma by the side of Bmanon with his $300,000,000 find, in nddition to lis othor millions of wonlth? 'The Nevrda Senator hag scen tho Brazilinn hero of fleticn and gono neveral botter, "Lhe affair has its own warning for the romancers.mot to indulge in awy moro tilts ngninst the {rath, Granonmp's faols, sooner or letor, atways turnup and overwhelin DMinionausek's alry fancies. Apart from any application ta domestio displays of woalth, there are other fonturos conneoted with thiy dlscovery whioh oanlinrdly be estimnted now, such ng tho stimulus it must give to trade and tho influenco it must have upon tho com- moreinl intorests of San Francisco, whero thoso mines nre owned, to bring into that city an amount of enpital equal, if not great- or, than {ho present nssessed valuo of tho wholo city. A XANSAB LIDEL-SUIT. A ourious and vory intoresting libel-suit hag just been tried in Kansny, which is ereating gront excitoment throughout that Btate, and, from the prominence of the parties con- cornod, is iuventad with much more thnn Joeal jmportance, Tho partios to the suit woro Judgo Lecoxrrr and D, R, AnTriony, aditor of the Lenvenworth Z'imes, tho former having brought the suit for libel on nccount of cer- tin chnarges preferred against him in ihe columns of the Iatter's paper, It will Lo re- memberod that Judgo Lrconers, in the days of *‘bleeding Kansns,"” figured s n Border- Ruffian, aud, as Judgo of the Territorial Court, croated for himsell a rather unsavory reputation o8 n judicial ally of the slnveholders, and, according to tho ofil cial reports of the Congressional Commit. teo of Investigation, took a prominent part in the suppression nud expulsion of Abolitionists and the defensa of tho Border- TRuffians who wera arrested for disturbance of tho public penco and offenses aven moro sori- ous, For goveral years pnst, however, Judgo Lecoyrrr las boen o Republican and the recognized lender. of ono of the factions of the Republican pnrty. As Mr. Axtioyy, the editor of tho Lenvenworth Z'imes, has been for p long time tho lendor of another faction, a bitter personnl enmity hns oxisted botween tho two, which has been manifested on every opportuno occasion during the past thvoo yenrs, As timo went on, the bitterness in- cronsed, Mr, AxTnoNy had tho advantage in controlling n newspaper, and at Inst provoked tho suit by the publication of the alleged libel in hig columns, the principal parls of which wore 08 followa Lrcosere, truc, o his fnstincts and the tyrannieal Toputation ho beat for_criines committed u thie dark doya of 1853, '3, %afl and %57, udgo Lcosrrs wan tho most bsoquioun of tho ‘Fedoril appolutients in Kausas, Ho wont to Rich ostromes that hia namo beeama fn- famoun, and I8 to-day cxecratod by tho frionds of biute nusnity theoughout thie coutes, Judgo 8. D, Lrcomers, who declared tho Lawronco Hotel n nulsniice, and the Judgo who tried and cleared Foorrs, was i sticndance, Theso charges tho Zimes now allegos wero published with the full conviction that every word was truo, and the editor is now justi- fying himself, in tho publio ostimation at least, by publishing such facts from standard historical works and Congressional reports ns sustnin the charges, The suit was brought on tho 11th iust., and the juy, after being out twenty hours, brought in a verdict of guilty, notwithstanding the fact that the wit- nesses for the defenso sustnined all the charges that hnd been made by AMr, ANTHoNY. The Judge hns mnot yet pnssed sentence, which must be, under the law, a fino of not moro than $1,000 or ong year's impris- onment., Mr, AxTroNY moved for an arrest of judgment and made a motion for a new trinl, Thus tho matter stands at present, and the Z'imes continues to print articlos even mora savago than those which produced tho suit for libel. Mr. AxTroNy has one advan. tage upon his side, ngmely, tho sympathy of the community, and nlso of a majority of the peoplo of the State, who have not yet for- gotten the position Judge Lrcoxere occupied towards Freo Kansns in the years of her his- tory from 1854 to 1857. Iiis Republicanism is hardly of suflicient nge to wipe out thoso womories, THE FULLER! VENUE CONDUIT. Corporation-Counsel Dicrey’s opinion in the Fullerton-nvenue conduit case offors two modes of relief for tho contractors, if they aro equitably entitled to it, One isa settle. ment with thae city through the Comptroller and Common Council or by litigation; and the other by suthorizing the Board of Public Works to rolot tho contract to the samo con- tractors on new terms, which he thinks may be doue by a two-thirds vote of the Common Council. The first of theso modes is all right; the second is all wrong. See, 17, Chap. VI, of the city charter provides that all publio improvements, tho expense of which exceeds £i00, shall be dono by contract as provided in the case of special assessments, Thinis: All contracts shall be awardea by 8ald Doard [Board of Public Warks} to tholowest reliable aud responsible Lidder or bidders who shall havo compliod with the sbovo requinition, and who will sufilciontly guarantea, 1o tho satisfaction of e2id Board, tuy porformance of #add work undor tho superintendeuce and to the satis~ fetion of caid Board. It was under this section that the contract for the Fullerton.avenna conduit was lot, and undor this that any new contract for the same worl should belet, The only excoption is provided for in tho following, ono of o series of Into smendments to tho charter : Be0.62, . . Provided, howeter, any such contract moy be entered into by tho proper oficer without ad- vortiaing for bide, and without such spproval, by & voto of two-thirds of all thie Aldermen, Itis under this amendment that Judgo Droxzy belioves tho same contract may bo re- lot to tho snmo contractors without advertis- ing for bidders, if a two-thirds voto of tha Council ean bo obtained to sanction this courso. We beliove it would bo a serious error, and certainly a dangerous precedent, for the Commen Council to take such action. Tho above amondment was adopted with specinl veferenco to oxigency jobs; that is, to ennble the Bonrd of Public Works to pro- caod at onco with publio improvements imme- dintely demanded, without waiting for tho slower process of advertising for bids, For instance, if a bridgo foll into the river or was permanently disabled, and the public necessi- tios demanded its immediate replacement, it would bo competent aud proper for tho Council, by a two-thirds vote, to suthorizo the Board of Public Works to lot the contrnet without advertising for bids, which would consume something like gixty days. If an engine-house wero burned or nu engine destroyed, and publio safety ro- quired that it bo restored at the earlicst pos- siblo moment, the Couneil would bo justified in adopting tho course pointed out by Judge Droxry, Dut tho Fullertou-avonuo conduit doos not properly coma undor this emergoncy elnss, Little progress can Lo made during the wintor months with the work, and if the prosont contrnctora doslro to abandon the wotlk thero will bo ample time for the Board of Public Works to advertiso in the usual way. 'T'o do whet Judgo Droxey suggosts moy bo dono in this caso is to catablish n most dangevous precedent that will enable the Council at any timo, in conjunction with tho Bonard of Publia Worky, to inerense tho com- pensation for publio works which have been lot to the lowest among reaponsible and com- peting bidders, It is easy tosco how tho way might thus bo oponed up to the most flagrant abusos and to the gront cost of the, tux- payers, It is possiblo that tho Fullorton-avenue contraotors may have an equitablo clufi for somo fncrensed allownnco on account of tho nature of Lhe materll thoy have encountered in thofr excavations being difforont from, and moro difficult to handle than, that which they found in their test-borings, though wo do not boliovo it will amount to the enormous sum thoy domnud, But if thoy have a good claim, lot them colleet it in tha way provided by Inw, ~—through the Comptroller, or in default of a settloment Ly an appenl to the Courts. As to tho continuntion of the work, the fnirest way, both for the city and tho contractors, is that thoy shonld abandon their present con- trnot, and bid agnin along with other bidders. In the proposals for bids, the Bonrd of Public Works might fairly stipulnte thnt the new contractors should purchnse the tools and matorlals already furnished by Nonrts & Co., ata fair valuntion to Lo determined by the Board of Public Works, or an appraisal of any threo disinterested and compotont per- sons, 'This would reliove the present con. tractors of tho loss which they now citonsn ronson for mot abandoning an unprofitable contract. . At all avents, wao protestagainst relief be- ing furnishod in tho unusual and hnzardous manner of n two-thirds vote of the Common Council. If this is dono in one case, thera is apt to be o porpetnal clamor among futurs contractors, and it will lead to numberloss abuses aud corruptions, To securo a profitas blo contract therenftor it will ouly be noces- sary to underbid overybody else without rof- orence to the cost of the worl, and then pro- coed to get enough votes in the Common Council to authorize a largely-increased com- pensation. The dangors of such a precodent oro manifest. RESULT OF GLASS-STCCE LITIGATION, The decision of the Supreme Court in the caso of Cowven s, Tho Third National Bank sottles the long.mooted question as to the linbilitios of stockholders in private corpora- tions in Illinois organized under the general Inw of 1857, The bank was a creditor of the Northwestern Glnss Company of Chieago, aud, upon the failure or suspension of tho Compauy in 1867.8, demanded payment of tho stockliolders, Separatesuits were brounght ngainst Mr, CuLven and other stockholders to recover the amount of several promissory notes made by the Compnny, Among other defonses wag that in the Genoral Incorpora- tion net of 1849 it wns provided that no stockholder should be held persouanlly liablo for any corporate debt unless suit has Leon brought against tho Company within one year after the debt beenmo due, and, this not hav- ing beon dono in thin case, the stock- holders wero not personally liable, The jury, under instructions s to the law, found o verdict for the bauk, from which judg: ment there was an appeal to the Suprome Court. 'This last Court decided that tho act of 1867 wns a substituto for the act of 1849, and repeeled the latter; that Scc, 23 of the act of 1849 was not re-enacted in tho nct of 1857, and that the liabilities of stockholders are fixed by the provision of the nct of 1857, which declrres that every stockholder shall bo held individually liablo to the creditors of tho company to an amount equal to tho smount of stock leld by him, ete. The judgment of the lower Court was thereforo affirmed. The history of this Company is peculiar, if not interosting, and may be a warning to per- sons subseribing to capital stock, When the Company closed its works and suspended business, it had sunk nearly oll its paid-up copital, amounting to something like $150,- 000, and owed soveral creditors, the lnrgest being the Third National Bank, which held its notes for $45,000 and perhaps a yonr's interest thereon, It had cash assets at the time, 187.8, amounting to $28,000 or $80,000. The bank offered to take these and apply them on the debt, and aid the Company to colleot the remninder by suits against the delinquent stockholders who had not paid their subscriptions to the eapital stook; it offered also to romit tho interest then due, The Company, howaver, by a vote of & majority of the Board of Directors, declined tho offer of the bank, and resolved to fight it out with the bank,—they having an idea that no recovery could bo lhad against the stock- holders. The result of tho legal war has now been reached. The original debt, with all the acoumulated interest, is mow in judgment agninst the stockholders, Some of these who woro able to pay at the timo are not in a con- dition to do so now; all thoso who paid up their subscriptions have now to pay an equal sum in addition, and those who subscribed but did not pay will be requested, by suit, judgment, and excoution, to pay up original subscriptions and as much more to pay the dobta. Stockholders in private corporations now know the extent of their legal liability for the debts of such corporations under tho act of 1857, THE HENNEPIN CANAL. The friends of tho Henuepin Conal are happy over the fact that the Richmond Con. vontion indorsed the project for this water- way specifically, while it put all the other schentes it recommended into one resotution, giving no ono of them the proferonce. They propose, s we learn from the edito- rial correspondenco of the Davenport Ga- zette, to ** make & vigorous move upon Wash. ington," or rather that part of Washington eituated in and around tho Capitol and tho Trensury. Tho Hoeunopin Canal is no doubt o noeded improvemont, but tho letter of the Hon, Wmuax GoopiNg in our issuo of yestordsy suggests some weighty rensons against its immediato oxeou- tion, If this ditch is dug now, it will almost certainly bo nt the cost of the improvement of the Illinois River and the enlargoment of the Michigan Camal. The nation will not holp the State in both at the smwo time, Is it not better to complete what we have begun than to begin something which wo may not Le nble to complete? Tho lockage of the whole line of wator-communication from Chi- cngo o the mouth of the Ilinois River will be 40 foet loss than that of tho Rock Island & Hennopin Caunal alone. Moroover, the Iatter canal, when dug, should bo made broad enough to flont steamboats from the starty We want no more narrow ditchos, Now @ steumboat camal from Rock Island to Hennepin would be useless for steamboats until tho Ilinols & Michigan Canal is widoned and deepened, This, then, thould bo done fipst. And agnin, there are gravo doubts whother tho Ienuepin Caual cnn o supplied with water by the proposed feeder from Dixon without absorbing the Took River in the summer months, and so involving the Stato in endless suits, ondloas injunctions, and ondless dnmages, ‘This must bo carefully investigated and decided boforo a spadeful of enrth is thrownup, A prominent enginor of this city, au old asso. cinte of Mr, Gooping, coincldes with the lat- ter in thinking that the water-supply mny prove altogether too scanty during tho dry months, For ronsons such as these, it is pliin that investigation must precede work on the line bstween Xtock lsland aud Monne- pin. Tho work is needed, somo day, but too wnich hurry will dofent its own onds, To press Congross or the Btato Legislature to undortako both works ot once will most cortainly defent both, Tho true policy in ono thing ab a timo, Lot the improvement of tho Nllinois River bo first mado; noxt, the en- Inrgoment of tho existing cannl from tho "point whera the river.navigation censies, which will probably bo near Joliet, Thon the Hen« nopin Oanalis in order, with o fair prospoct of success, but not bofore, Meantimo tha water-supply for it nust bo lnoxhcfirumlly ine vestigated. The peoplo below Dixon, on the Rock River, have vestod rights which cannot Do disregarded, Botwweon fire and wator, tho Stato of Loulainna ia bocomine & sourco of deop and earncat solici= tudo, While tho political sltustion {a in overy way doplorablo, tho pbysical outlook is apgain worthy of tho closost atteution. Tho destruce tiouof the lovees Inst spring, and tho submors alon of vaat traots of country, atiractod genoral atention, but in the excitoment of succoeding ovents it haa boon forgotten. Asthe last dayas of 1874 aro burrging along, tho droadful prose peot ot another inundation is beginning to stie the peoplo. According to tho Now Orleans Plos ayune, Gen, LoNosrreeT estimated tho amount of work required would aggregate 1,967,600 cubfo yards, and thls asmount was sub- soquontly reduced by tho Commissionora to 1,086,200 cubic yards, dwstributed emong oight lovoes, According to the samo authority, the Morganza, Ashton, and Bonnet Cara cro= vassos aro still 1aft opon, which Is practically to wasto the monoy oxpended elsowhere. At loast 8,000,000 cubio yards of leveo-work are noeded bofore noxt spring, and the State is at prescnt ablo to supply but one-third of it. Without Fedoral avalutance, says the Picayuns, Lowsinnn will againbo loft at tho meroy of tho tumid Father of Waters, and then the General Govorn~ mont will have to sustain an inaumorablo throng of paupors, This is gloomy enough. Making allowance for overy sort of exnggoration that the doprossing state of affairs would occasion, thero is reason to belleve that the Pelican State canvot tako chargo of her brood, A writer in the Chicago 7¥mes, being ra'her short of topica for miuor editorialy, hos taken oxcoption to i TRibyNe's practice of publish- ing sermous on Monday morpiugs. The burden of his complaint i8 that Tne TRIpUNE has imi- tated tho Times. Why it should bo the Times wa have imiteted, and not tho Now York Herald or the Now Yorle Zvibunc,—both of which jour- Dals bogan publishing sermone on Moudoy morn- ings long before tho Chicago Times did,—it fa imposeiblo to say. Tho fact is, we have imitated tobody. ‘Pue Tripuse published sormons withe out ond befote the Chicago Times was born, ot 8o much 08 thought of. The chargo of imitn tion is puerile. If the T'tmes should suggest any improvements in journslism Tue TRIBUNE wonld doubiless accept and sdopt them. Lut thko Times nover does suything of the kind, Our groatost care is to make Tue TribUNE a goed nowspaper—enterprising, indepoudent, liouess, vure—in oll reapects tho direct opposite of tla Chicago T9mes. It must bo protty clear to tho publio that Tur TninpsNe hos not imitated tho Times in its gross attacks upon private chiaractee, or in ita cruel sspersions upon delicato women and young girls, or in its collection of obscenliy and nnstiness from the police courts, or inits cor- rupt advocacy of oflicial joba. Even the Times must admit that Tur Trinouse bas not attempted to futorfero it its monopoly of these peculiar commaoditios, ———— 1t was an ingenious attorney of Florian wha firat dlscovered a practical vaiue in Spiritualis:a. 1lis client, Tox Drawpy, was accused of mur- dering one Laxa, nnd the jury was composed of eight colored and four iguorant whiio men. ‘Thero was no doubt of tho murder; there was no flaw in the ovidonce. But tho counsel fous:d one. Ro maiutained that no proof of Lasa'y doath iad yot boen given, and, i all probability, ho was etill hiding to obtain rovenge, This maia » commotion, but the main avgumont was yet to como, The gentlemen of the jury Lsd hoad that spirits were very common all ovor i1 North ; that some Lad even been beard of iy St. Augustine. Bupposiug tle jury brought iy a verdict of guilty, and hanged an fnnocoi s man, what could they expect but that bis epirit would haunt them through life, appearing with staring eyes and clammy tonguo, thedoath-damp on his hands, and the horrots of the tomb round about him ? Of courso they must talo tho ro- spansibility, and they did, by acqui.ting Tox Drawoy forthwith, Hera is tuo fimit authonti- catad instanco of the practical valuo of Spivitual- ism, and it may bo added that that valdo was of = dubious sort. —— Two Cleveland railroad oftieinls were traveling inthe Directors® car, oue of thombeing nccom- panied by his niece, Lato at night she beard 3 groan apd a mufiled voles erylog, * Tet meout or I shall dio.” Potrified with curiosity, sho con- tinued to listen, whon the muflled voice again said, *Let mo out ; Xam dying.” Tho snoriog railrond mon wera awalened, and the conductor hunted up. After a long aud tedious oxaminn- tion, the mattioss of the berth of one officinl was romoved, displaylng tho flattenod romsins of nsucak-thief. Viowed from above, his propor= tions wore immonso; laterally eurveyed, bo amounted to vary little. It appeared that befera gotting into bed the railroader had observed an unhealthy ewolling in the middlo, snd, both for oxorcise aud comfort, bad sat violeutly down upon it to repress the protuberance, with the dismal resuit narrated, There could be nodoubt in the auenl-thief'a mind that bo was the victim of & heavy stockholdor. Hon-peckory is not considored 8 valid excure for violating the Public-Schools net of Gruat Dritain, Whion Mr, Puppirorn was arreated and tried befors a Polica Magistrato at IMammera Bmith, that illustrious person, baving an impedi® mant in s specch, submitted an aflidavit set- ting forth that Mre, P. woro the biforcated gare mont, and, by virtuo of thas apparol, was actual- ly responsiblo for tho non-attendanco of tuo child, The Magistrate, looking severoly upon the cuphonious and meok-ayed PUDDIFORD, eX~ plamed chat tho law did not know Mra, Puppi- ronn, The law looked upom PupDIroRn as head of tho Pupprronp family, and responsiblo for tho Pupprronp shortcomings, ¢ ‘Che law,” quoth Pyppirorp with many & stutter, *'is & asy,” This remmk was originsl with Mr. Box- BLE, but that did not provont {ls appropriate ap- plication in quotation marka, Mr, Puppironp paid 1 ghithiug fine and 2 shllngs eost, Poor Puppironn. —_— A Milwaukoo correspondent gives the follow- ing as tho best attalusblo oatimate of the sliength of tho varlous caudidates for Duited States Soustor In Wlsconsin: *The numbor of votou pledged to Oanvexren does not oxcoed 35, whilo Wasitnuny Is kuown to have 82, Famnomrp 8, and ox-Chiof-Justico Drxox 4 add to theso » golitary voto for Purteros Sawven, ox-member of Cougross, and anothor for Honace RUNLEE, present Amorican Ministor to Switzorland, and the porsonn! proference of tha 80 Ropublicans (and tho ono Indepondont who la expeotod to 00« operata with thom) is mado mauifest.” Manquerrr, 3ich, Dec, 14.—At Jackion Min Negaunce, this forenoun, Ttioss EAaaN was kille by an uxplosion, 2ree Atmlar gecidents oceurred g3 the deceaved previoualy,—Chicage Times Special, 4 Par, I wigh that Jranex had killed me the othor day!® “\Why ro, PAT?" «Tocanse 1 should lks to hay scoundrel hanged foritl" acen tha ———— A onso of cldrical tranquillity, recalling the finoat offorts of tho Jate scandal, s reportod from Vorgsilles, M, Mouwty, of Ghevreuse, roturns ing howme from s long journey boforo o was ex« pooted, fouud the Abbo Manteau in Lie bods ruom with Ly wife, Eelooked the duor, planted