Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, February 14, 1875, Page 8

—_— 8 , THE CHICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE; SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1875,--SIXTEEN PAGES. TERMS OF THE TRIBUNE. * ‘RATES OF SUPSCRIFTION (PAYABLE Ix ADVANCE). Poxtage Frepaid at this Office. passed? But, as our floating debt is co! erably greater than this amount, and as this is the only means we have for paying it, we fail Pally, df susil.....$13.00 | Sunday... 00 | tosee how the collection of this sum, which is ‘a Weekly, ‘G50 | Weakly. 68 Sa ee LA 3 still contingent and remote, will help us to ‘To prevent delay and mistakes, be sure and give Post ‘OSSce address in fall, inelnding State and County. Reni.tances may bemade either by dratt, express, Post- Odce ander, or in registered letters, at our risk. ‘TERMA TO CZTY SUBSCRIEERS. Daily, delivered, Sunday excepted, 25 cents per week Daily, elivered, Sunday.included, 20 centa per week Address THE TRIBUNE COMPANY, Comer Maditon and Dearborn-sta., Chicago, IL ———— ‘TO-MORROW'S AMUSEMENTS. bay 8 million dollars’ worth of extra fire- machines. We must pay that increasing floating debt of several millions or our credit is gone. We can raise no money by selling bonds, as the constitutional limit of our bonded indebtedness is reached already. Are we to add 4 or 5 mills to our already oppres- sive taxes? Then, we can tell Mr. Hexprn- sos, there will be more tax-fighting than ever. There will be organized resistance against an increase of taxation by a people who are already bearing too great a burden. MOOLEY'S THEATRF—Pandoinh street. between Grand lasale "Been ‘and “Jenny Lind. y ATRE—Madison street, between MVICKER'S THE. RE—Madteon etreat Dearborn and State, “Gay Mannsting.* 6. Mr, Hexpensow. repeats the argument ACADEMY OF MUSIC—Halsted «treet. between Mad- | about saving more than is invested, through TEitnes Wann weeementof Madame Jensaschek. 1 +46 reduction in insurance rates that will fol- low. We can’t understand, in the first place, et Se FON eaten misao why rates of insurance should be reduced on account of an"increase of. fire-engines, which will be practically useless, owing to the inad- equacy of the water-supply. In the next AND PER A! iS! alte Senge Hota Healy beaut tingle Eso ADELPAI THEATRE—Dosrborn ‘frosty corner Men- | place, Mr. Hexprrson, being a wholesale Powe Vactenrcolertainmoenty “The Bers merchant and carrying a large stock of goods, would have stated the case more fairly if he had said that the merchants want the real- estate owners to pay a part of their insurance in the shape of taxes. UNION PARE CONGREGATIONAL OBURCR— exsear by Gilmore's Twonty-second Regiment Band. SOCIETY MEETINGS. ro eas ines RG eS sits Srereaine, 7. Insurance rates will go down rapidly. siting Comraandery No. 19, so Mon eons Re ae pee enough for the of the city without in- earls Wide | Cenkng the tke Departnent beyond the necessities of the situation. As they go down, and competition increases, there will be the more serious danger of over-insurance, from which we have already suffered too much by incendiary fires and fires from carclessness because of big insurance. With over-insur- ance will come gross carelessness and frequent incendiarism, The man who carries a part of his own risk will guard his property more rigidly than when it is insured for all it is worthor more. Individual care prevents fires and promptly extinguishes incipient ones, while fall orexcessive insurance, dragging neg- lect and incendiarism in its wake, is just the opposite, As to Mr. Hxpenson’s intimation that the influence of Tae Tamuve in this matter is driving good companies away from Chicago, this is sheer nonsense. Tho compa- nies come and go according to their individ- ual interests and the periodical scare that comes upon them, Personal carelessness and recklessness of policy-holders and failure to employ prudent preventives, and their obvious indifference to danger in not protecting their premises,—thess are the things which cause fire companies to withdraw and others to charge high rates. There is nothing that will so incroasa the faith of fire companies and cause them to lower rates asa general movement among house-owners to render their premises less liable to take fire and burn up. We know itis very disagreeable to apply preventive measures and expend care and caution. People—that is, agood many people—preferto enjoy the agreeable sensation of the old devil- may-care way of doing things, with cheap insurance and plenty of it, and then “let her burn, who cares?” Toe Tarsune is notin favor of returning to this system even with a reinforcement of $1,200,000 worth of fire-ap- paratos. It prefers more prevention and less cure, and claims the right to say so. _——e ‘Chi Fev. aa BUSINESS NOTI OE MEAN ALL WE SAY.—FULL SET Rest GUM tweet Satisfaction or mon: funded. Filllng, firs! Slaw at half the areal reioe, MOCHERN Sy Ee SS ee The Chicaae Tribune. Sunday Morning, February 14, 1875. THE FIRE QUESTION. ‘We print in another pert of this paper a ‘long and labored communication from Mr, 0. ‘BL Hesprnsox, who, as an active member of one branch of the Citizens’ Association, has become ons of the most earnest partisans of Gen. Saaten's costly schemes. We print the communication, not because it brings out any new facts, furnishes any new reasons for ad- vocating these expensive recommendations, or sheds any new light upon the subject, but because Mr. Henpenson thinks that his side ‘of the question is entitled to a wider hearing than it has received in our columns. The tone and spirit of the communication relative to our right of criticising Gen. Saaxer will ‘scarcely make any new converts to the lat- ter's policy. There are other peuple besides 2x. Hexprrsoy who are concerned in the Proposed expenditure of $1,200,000 for new ire-machines, engine-houses, etc., and, thongh he does not seem to think s0, they are just as much entitled to their opinion as ‘he is entitled to his opinion. Premising only . this much relative to the somewhat supercil- docs tone which the writer has adopted, we only now make the following points on his tnsustained assertions : “3, We are told that Gen. Sizes was “brought here to reorganize the Fire Depart. ment, and that he is not called upon to con- \ider whether the supply of water is adequate ornot. This is a very remarkable statement. On the same principle, a General called to the command of a routed army has only to rec- smmend donbling up the forces, without any regard to the arms or ammunition on hand er to be procured. Gen. Snaee thinks there wre too few engines, and immadiately sug- gesta the expenditure of $1,200,000 to get @ouble the number, and in the face of the @emonstrated fact that the water-supply is not sufficient, nor the water-pipes large enough, to furnish the engines we have al- ready when there isa large fire, To insist upon incrensing the number of engines and men 100 per cent, to remain idle when there is @ large fire as well as when there is no fire, is simply to double the number of new guns and new troops when there is no ammunition for tha one and no food for the other. Ithas ‘een the testimony of the Fire Department andthe people at every important fire for many years down to the latest that the water- supply is never adequate and never equal to the force of engines. Now, unless a General ommanding an army is justified in ignoring the supply of powder and food, we fail to see how Gen. Snazen's friends can justify him in ignoring the supply of water, which is the ‘ammunition for guarding a fire, 2. The recommendation as to the purchase of chemical machines waa made by Tue Tam. ‘Unk years before Gen. SuatEn’s name wasever heard in Chicago. It has been repeated from time totime as occasion suggested, and is now Pressed again principally becausa of the ad- anitted inadequacy of the water-supply. Gen. Suaxzn wants the City of Chicago to spend $1,000,000, principally for machines and ap. Purtenaness that will be useless without water, and for which water cannot be farsished until other millions are spent, while Tax Tamowz recommends machines that do not depend on this* supply. Besides this, the chemical machines are much cheaper, and several can be bought and ran for the Price which one steam fire-engine will cost, ‘They are lighter and can be got to the scene of the fire more quickly. There is no time lost in getting up steam, attaching hose, or waiting for water that never comes. Attack. fog the fire in its insipiency, the chemical engine is in the direction of Prevention, to which Mr. Hexpxnsox seems determined to Pay no attention. 3. The only material reduction suggested by Gen. Suite from his original recom. mendation is found in the impracticable sng- Bestion that the city may rent its engine- houses, instead of buying ground and baila. ing thereon. To this wo reply as before, that such plan is more costly than the other, Since, in the form of rent, the people will Pee fine more interest than if the new engine-housea ‘were erected by the city on borrowed money. It will also be seponttte to fini such buildings in Proper locations &nd suitably constructed for engine-houses ; a lerge amount of money would be required to put them into Proper shape, and tho changes would be a desd loss to the city, since it would not own the buildings nor the permanent improvements. 4. The original investment of more than a millicn dollars to furnish fire-ongines that eannot be used at large fires for want of suf. cient water to supply them will be followed ‘by the necessary expenditure of six to eight hundred thousand dollars a year to maintain the increased force. Probably Gen. Szaren’s friends will say that he has nothing more to do with this than he has with the sufficiency of the water-supply ; and one argument will be ag good.ns the other. Does a good Gencr- al ignore the limit of his country's resources? &, Where is all this money to come from? We read’ncd reread Mr. Hexpenson’s argu- ment in vain for the answer. We shall have €3,000,000, he tells us, when the new law is Passed to fucilitate the colloction af past-due taxed, Iind we not botter wait Ull the law is 4 CLASS OF LAND-SHARKS, xard times always bring forth a mass of Villainies, groat and small. Among the re- puted rich or well-to-do people, the effect is manifest in fraudulent failures, breaches of trust, and defalcations. The poorer classes turn out an unusual proportion of thieves and petty swindlers. Among all the excrescences of a general financial collapse and commercial distress, the small and un- scrupulous adventurers who prey upon the Poorer classes create greater havoc, cause more actual suffering, and do more damage to the morals of the community, than any other. Their depredations are made on the people who can leastafford to lose, and whose necessities render the contamination the more dangerous to them. The poor man who has been swindled out of the little he had, and finds no redress, loses s large part of the respect he previously entertained for law, honesty, and fair-dealing. The successful sharper is a proselyter in sharp practices, The victim thenceforward becomes distrustful always and sometimes a raider on society. Large cities furnish the most fertile field for the operations of the sharper. Hard times and the rale of the People’s party have given Chicago a double infliction. The latter Protects tho, gamblers and confidence-men; the former has added the cheoaliers Windus. trie in number and with personal effrontery heretofore unkmown. A numerous species of this general class may be fitly called the land- shark. He figures in the advertising columns of the newspaper as the would-be purchaser of all kinds of retail businesses and every variety of stock on hand. ‘The necessities of slong stretch of bad business, the pressing of landlords, and the clamor of creditors bring hima great number of customers in all branches of trade. The land-chark is ready tonegotiatefor anything in the market, from a, toy-store toa machine-shop, He is a jack of all trades, and thoroughly practical in every calling that presents itself. But he does not want to buy with money. He has land to trade. He is the owner of some very valuable lots in the Rosryson & Jexmxnson subdivision of the thriving Town of Podunk, the latest suburb to Chicago, and destined to become the ideal home of the Chicago business man, His lots are incumbered by a few hundred dollars, having along time to run, the pay- ment of which the purchaser must assume, and he is willing to part with them at avery small advance over the mortgage in order to get into a business which has been the study of his lifetime. To these lots he will add about $75, and trade with the vender of ashoe-store, or a tinner’s shop, or a fancy millinery business, at the vendar’s own terms, ‘The offer is too tempting to be resisted. The shop-keeper feels the lines pressing closer, His custom has fallen off. Ho can't collect his bills. His stock is running down. He is behind in his rent. He would prefer to sell for cash, but here is some prop- erty which he can get cheap, and which be can sell long before the deferred paymenta become due, and at an advance on what he allowed for it, Tho trade is mado, and the purchaser runs off with the stock and fix. tares, gets what he can for them at anction, swindles bis landlord, and is the Yicher by the full amonnt which he receives for the stock and fixtures less the expenses of edvor- tising and moving. ‘The practices of these land-sharks vary with circumstances. In all cases, however, they begin by mortgaging their comparatively worthless lands for at least double what no. tunl value they have. Tho mortgage, of course, is bogus, and made out to a party in interest. Very frequently the land is mortgaged to a woman, counting upon the nn. Villingnses to prosooule & Woman for awin. dling. Anything, therefore, which the owner of the property can get over and above the mortgage, either in money or stock, is clear gain. The principal business of these land- sharks at the present time, when money is searce and trade bad, is in small stocks of goods. They find encouragement and co-op- eration in the embarrassments of the shop- Keeper who feels that he must dispose of his stock and business or close his doors. Fre- quently the location of the land is altogether misrepresented, a third party being engaged to exhibit desirable lots many miles nearer the city as the property to be transferred. When the land has dona fide ‘incumbrances it is often represented as free of mortgage. Abstracts of title are rarely demanded by the poorer and more ignorant classes; and, even if they are, it is said that there are persons ready to furnish abstracts to order which omit the record of in- cumbrances. Every device that a gen- ins for swindling can conceive, and which shrewd confedoration can carry out, is resort- ed to for the accomplishment of these frauds, The swindles are of o charactor that is sel- dom exposed in the Courts, owing to the lack of means and desperata straits of the swindled, and hence they are readily repeated by the same parties over and over again. The only protection against them is to be found in the advice of competent and honest attorneys, and if this advice were sought more frequent- ly there would be fewer trades and less swindling. Small trades-people who can hold their heads up no longer will do better, asa rule, to sell out their stock and fixtures for what they will bring at auction than give them away tothe land-sharks in exchange for property which has not half the value of the bogus incumbrance it beaza. THE COUNTY JAIL, The almost constant escape of prisoners from the new County Jail, since the new Sheriff took charge of it, has at last, we ara glad to see, aroused the Grand Jury toa sense of its duties. As two examinations of the building have now been made,—the first by a committee of architects and the second ‘by 8 committee of tho Grand Jury itself,—we may expect their joint labors will result in a practical and suggestive report. The views of Mr. Borrxerox, of the Committee of Architects, have already been printed, and confirm the prevalent suspicions that the Jail is not secure. In fact, his discoveries make it seem as if the Jail was constructed express- ly to afford prisoners the means of escape. The outer door of the guard-room is of wood, and should have been heavily iron-grated. ‘The iron-work of the doors is much too light. ‘The gratings can be easily pried open. ‘The locks are not secure. Access to the roof is easy by means of a souttle in wooden frame- work, and a Indder is temptingly placed against the wall to enable the prisoner to reach the ground. The roof is of tiles, which can be easily removed, and the ceiling of the cell-room is of- lath and plaster, which can -be easily bored through. Now, add to these defects of con- straction the fact that there ara not enough guards, and that the prisoners have no diffi. culty in commanicating with the outer world, and the reasons for these constant escapades are clear enough. Whateyer may be the cause, it is a palpable fact that the prisoners are constantly escaping, and that they have apparently but little dificulty in doing it, and such s fact is a disgrace to the county. The Grond Jury should not adjourn until it has thoroughly investigated the condition of the Jail and the discipline and conduct of those who have charge of it, as well as the charges which have been publicly made against the Sheriff and the administration of his office, The criminal and vicious popula- tion of the city has largely iricreased under the sympathetic protection of the People's party. Thieves, gamblers, blacklegs, bur- glars, bullies, and prostitutes have flocked to the city in swarms since that party took con- trol, and it is therefore certain that out of this large crowd of vice and sin there must be a pretty oonstant ourrent set- ting into the Connty Jail ‘This being the fact, the real people have the right to demand that, if the People's party ia going to keep the Jail full of its constituents, it shall keep them safely. They have the right to demand, furthermore, that the pris- onersshall be carefully guarded from com. munication with the outer world; that the guards and other employes shall be sober-and competent men; and that the Sheriff shall preform the duties of his office impartially and completely ; and that there shall be an end of therioting, drunkenness, and corrup- tion, alleged by Mr. Hesmo to take place within its walls. Having done this, then it would be well for the Grand Jury, if they find that the Jail is insecure, to discover who built it; who awarded the contracts 3 the character of those contracts; and whether the contracts have been carried out in good faith. In other words, it is plainly a part of the duty of the Jury to ventilate this Jail scandal as completely as possible, that it may be known whether there was a “ job” in its construction, If there was job, who was in it and how much was made? ——_— FIRE-PROOF HOUSES. Onur readera will romember that Mr. Sypyer Myzes, the manager of the Merchants’, Farmers’ & Mechanics’ Savings Bank, recent- ly offered a prize of $1,000 for the bast set of plans and specifications for a dwelling of not less than five rooms and a capacity of not less than 5,600 cubic feet, and of a store and dwelling combined to contain not less thar 80,000 cubic feet of space, which should be approximately fire-proof. More than thirty sets of plans and communications wero ré- ceived before the Ist of the present month. Acommittee, consisting of Lours Wann, of the Board of Public Works; Gen. C. W. Drew, of the Board of Underwriters; N.S. Bovrow, of the Citizens’ Association ; Astos Grannts, builder; and Dr, Ben CG. Mrz, San- itary Superintendent, have been exam- ining these plans, and have awarded the prize to Mr. A. J, Sanrg, upon his plans for 8 one-story honse to cost not to exceed $1,200, a two-story house to cost not more than $1,700, and a two-story store and Awelling to cost only $3,600, which are very low figures considering the severe conditions upon which they are to be built, “My, Myers now exprosses himself as prepared to loan money to parties desiring to eroct buildings upon the general plan of constrnction adopt. ed by the Committee. The essential Points intended to make the building fire-proof aro ‘as follows: 1, Fire laws of the city to be complisd wi 2. Exterior walls to be hollow from foustation to 3, No furring or lathing all walla, & Flue pipos of aott burnt chy to beatae 5. Cetlings to be covered with iy inches of concrete, entad onze 10 be protected muderteath with 134 taches 1, Boofs to be from below with snd thor above with tine altto er equally to great matecial, : ; To make assurance ‘doubly sure, the fire. tost will be applied, under the direction of the Committee, to the first building entuted, it being understood that a fire composed of as much combustible material as is usually contained in a room ehould be kindled within, a fire withoutand on the roof, and that the contractor shall make good any damage caused to the structure. Apart from his financial re- lations in the building of these dwellings, Mr. Myzns has-conferred a real service to the city in bringing before the public a design for an approximately fire-proof building which can be cheaply constructed. The etails of the construction are very similar to those em- ployed in some parts of Europe, where great fires are almost unknown, and will undoubt- edly guarantee a building against fire as completely as can be done. In any event, the fire-test will settle this ques- tion. ‘Another great point gained in the safety of the city would be the fact that every house thus built would not only be safe itself, but would protect its more insecure neighbor, and any considerable number of them accumulated in one section of the city would form an effective wall to resist the progress of a conflagration. Another feature of this constraction is very important, name- ly, that these fire-proof conditions can be applied to other buildings than those stipulated for by Mr. Mrens, and ap- plied very cheaply. As the safety of Chicago against fire is the most im- portant question of the day, and this re- form in building is preventive in character, it should attract not only the general atten- tion of the public, but the particular atten. tion of Gen. Suarer and the Citizens’ Asso- ciation. If such buildings as these were put up hereafter in the wooden sections of the city, and the larger structures in the business quartera were provided with these defenses against fire, we question whether there would be any necessity for listening to any schemes of interested parties for adding a million a year to the expenses of the Fire Department. AUSTRALIA, Qne of the phenomena of this century, or rather of the last quarter-century, is the growth of -a new Empire in the Southern Sens, Twonty-five years ago, Australis and New Zealand were scarcely known. The “fifth continent” still bore the name of ‘“‘New Eolland” on some maps. Its white population was only 240,000. Penal settle- ments dolted its shores. It was tho home of outcasts aud condemned criminal classes of Great Britain. Its vast interior was marked “animown.” Now it is the home of 2,000,- 000 of prosperous Britons. It has been mapped an@ surveyed throngh nearly its whole extent. Instead of containing a mere fringe of habitable land, as was once thought, one-third its surfsce is fit. for cultivation. The remainder is much the same as ear West beyond the 100th parallel. Tt has thousands of miles: of railroads, It isno longer a penal colony. The descend- ants of some of the old conviots occupy high positions, ao that it is dangerous to ask in the best society whe a man’s father was. The pilgrim fathers of Australia, unlike ours, left their country for their country’a good. The Population is now nearly the same as ours was when the thirteen Colonies revolted, but the wealth and the loyalty are ten times as great. The loyalty is partly explained by the fact that the people are mostly English or Scotch. The Irish admixture is small Im. migration is encouraged, and the populetion increases rapidly. The country is now pro- ducing great quantities of gold, agricultural products, and manufactured wares. Next to Hindostan, it is England's most profitable colony. It is now opening lines of com- munication with Californian, It already has lines of steamships plying between it and the 01a World. Its prosperity shows that Anglo- Saxon vigor is not yet decaying. It is the second great offshoot of .therace. Thetrank of the hardy treo isin Hawrzorne’s “ Our Old Home.” The main branch is in America; Australia comes next ; and twigs are budding through other paris of the world. The fifth continent's great growth has added two im- portant truths to the philosophy of history, Ithas shown that inberited crime may be sucessfully comnbated by increased comfort, and the progress of our race is not to be con- fined to the limits of the great Aryan mi- gration. THE ¢: The political situation in China begins to grow interesting, and the prospect for a long and bloody war already threatens the peace of that Celestial Empire, where poace for fifty years past has only been spasmodic. Re- bellions, revoluticns, and wars with foreign Powers have been the rule in China for half acentury. Tav-Kwano ascended the throne as Emperor in 1820, and before he had been upon the throne long was-engnged in the opium war with Great Britain, which ended in his discomfiture in 1842, and the compul- sory payment of a large indemnity. In 1857, he got into further trouble with Great Brit- ain and France, which brought about another war lasting a year or two and result- ing in his final defeat. In addition to the foreign wars, tho Emperor hed had his hands full of rebellions to look after, the most serious of which was the great Taiping rebel- lion headed by Husa Sts-rsusn, who assumed the title of Heavenly Prince. This rebellion was maintained until 1864, when Ningpo, the rebel Capital, was captured, and with its fall the Heavenly Prince no longer attempted fo reach the throne. The other im- portant revolutionary movements were the Mohammedan rebellion in Yunnan and the Northwest, headed by Tv-wen-st or Sultan Surzray, and the rebellion among the Mohammedan Dungenes, both which wore suppressed by the Emperor, but at the loss of considorable territory. The death of the Emperor occurred soon after the close of the war, Tav-Kwano was suc- ceeded by Hrenc-Fune, who ascended the throne Feb. 25, 1850, and he in turn by his son, .Ki-Tstaxa, whose name was changed to Touxe-Ca. The, latter was born in 1856, ond his reign dates from Jan, 30, 1862, although he did not as. sume the power until 1873. He was married in 1872, in his 16th year, to Auurg, the daughter of a Chinese General, On the 12th of January last, it will be re- membered that the news came of his death, and with it also the news that the Empress had.committed snicide. Nothing farther was heard until the 5th inst., when the announce- ment come that Prince Tsx-rien,' whose Pedigreo we are unable to give, had heen pro- claimed Emporor. The proclamation, how- ever, does not seem to have settled the polit. ical situation in China, for on the 11th tho indefinite dixpatch was sent . that civil war was imminent, Subsequent dispatches explain the reasons, On the 12th, it was announced that the death of the Empress by suicide was untrue. Additional news in our last issue gives further details concerning the situation, which is interesting in more ways than one, The Empress hoa nét only not committed. suicide, bat she was faithful to her late lord and master, and fs now encainte, ‘The tonure of Tea-rmu's power thorafare of, hangs upon the uncertain question of sox. Should the forthcoming little Celestial stran- ger, yet to be named, prove to bea son, he will be the legitimate heir, and Tax-rtex must step down and out ; and in the event of his accession the Empress-Mother and Em- press-Dowager would’ be appointed joint Regents during the Prince's minority. Should the stranger prove to be a daughter, of course Tsx-r1eN would be free to goon with his ruling. If not, then he must fight for his throne, and as he has possession of it, that is a great point to his advantage. The civil war therefore hangs upon the sex of Auvrz’s child. It is to be hoped that the fair young almond-eyed widow may have a boy, and that she will be able to assert and make good his succession to the throne against the rebels. She has done her duty in providing to the best of her ability for a son to the iate Emperor, and it is to be hoped that she will not be disappointed in giving birth to female Celestial, the only use for which in China is drowning in the Yangsti-Kiang. CHARTER AND TAX-LAW AMENDMENTS. The Sub-Committee of the Common Coun- cil appointed to prepare bills to be submitted to the Legislature made a report on Friday, and the bills were published in Taz Tarmune of Saturday. As these bills are, perhaps, to be submitted to the Legislature asrival measures to some of those proposed by the Citizens’ Association, they have an interest for the whole public, The Council bills have no ref- erence to any reforms in the City Charter, nor to the arrest or prevention of any of theabuses and defects of the present system. The Conn- cil bills are confined to financial measures, and the several bills may be thus synopsized : 1, To amend Bill 300. Bill 300 was a spe- cial revenue law intended for cities, It un- dertook to run a special system of taxation with the machinery of the General Revenue law of the State. Unfortunately, when the eity applied for judgment for delinquent taxes in 1874, the County Court was unable, because of the glaring inconsistencies be- tween the general and special Jaws, to give judgment for the city. .The law officers of the city appealed the case to the Supreme Court, where it is now pending. Another defect was discovered in the general law, in that if made no provision in case the Sa- preme Court should decide an appeal in favor of the city, whereby a sale could be had of the delinquent property. The bill now pro- posed is to amend Bill 800 by curing certain defects therein, and making it complete with- out the aid of the general law. 2, Tha second bill has for its purpose to amend existing laws whereby, when a city be- comes the holder of certificates of sale of property for delinquent taxes, it shall not be necessary for it to pay the subsequent or in- tervening State or local taxes on such proper- ty in order to be entitled toa decd for such property in case it shall not be redeemed. 8. The third bill provides that, when the city funds shall have necumulated in the Treasury to a sum equal to one-tenth of the annual tar-levy, the same shall be invested in National bonds, which is a sound provision. 4, The fourth bill provides that, incase any tax sales shal] be decided to have becn illegal, the holder of the certificates of such sale shall be entitled to payment of the amount of tax paid by him, with 10 per cent interest from date of sale, 5. The fifth bill provides that it shall not be lawful for any City Government to enter into a contract for building or improvement, the cost of which shall exceed $1,000, until at least half the sum contracted for shall be in the Treasury, and applicable to such ex- penditure, and the other half provided for by tax-levy. 6. The sixth bill repeals all laws requiring public money collected for special purposes to be kept separately and as special funds. 7. The seventh bill provides that no me- chanic’s liens, or contractor's liens, shall be legal as against cities. It will be noticed that each and all of these bills are special amendments to existing laws, and are opon to the objection of not reciting in full the laws and parts of laws they pro- pose toamend. This, however, is a matter of form, and may be remedied. Tho objoct of having theseamendments scattered through seven bills, instead of one, is not apparent, The great fault of the present charter is that it is a thing of shreds and patches, and full of inconsistencies. These bille amend this com- plicated mass generally, and can only add to the general confusion. But the main question involved in these bills is, Do they propose remedies adequate to the existing evils? Thus, the city is now compelled to purchase all tho delinquent prop- erty sold for city taxes, and, in order to have a lien on that property, must pay the subse., quent taxes, both State and local, for all pur- poses, until the time elapses for obtaining a tax-deed. Instend of revenue from taxes, the city is compelled to take certificates of tax sales and pay taxes thereon. Do those bills remedy this evil and enable the city to collect its revenue in cash? There was a time when ata tar sale the city would col- lect the whole amount of its delinquent tax list. The inducements to purchase at such sales were sufficient to attract private capital, ‘The law, however, now requires that the pur. chaser at one tax sale shall forever after pay all taxes on such property until he gets & tax. deed; and so uncertain and qnestionable are the proceedings of the public authorities that there is not more than one tax sale ont of » dozen whose validity ever stands the test of public inquiry; and when the tax sale is thus declared illegal the purchaser is in danger of losing all that he has invested. All this has put an end to tax purchases by individ- uals, and the city has to become the exclusive purchaser at its own sales. Now, these bills fail to remedy these defecta. They provide that when the corporate authorities hold tax- certificates they shall not ba required to pay the subsequent tdxes ; but this exemption ap- plies only to purchases made by the city, and keeps the door closet as against all private purchases, It still compels the city to take tax-certificates instead of cash, and to that ex- tent these amendments are defective. It is questionable also whether the State can give one clasa of purchasers ata tax sale a pref- erence of right and priority of lien not given to other classes of purchasers. But, whether this can be done or not, the bills fail to provide a prompt means of collecting the revenue, and that is the essential thing. ‘Whether the proposed amendments to Bill 800 will have the effect of curing the now notorious defects in that law, isa matter of speculation ; even assuming that they do dis. embarrass that law, they fail to reach the grand defect by which tax-payers may let their property be gold for taxes, and redeem it at their oonvenienco and pleasure, ‘What the city wants is revenue in cash, and nottax-certificates, The proposed amendments require that, in case. the County Court shall give jndgment for taxes, no appeal or writ of otror ahall be allowed until te party Appoal- ing shall have deposited the amount of taxes and the costs, which, in itself, isan excellent provision. But this does not apply to cases where, as in 1874, the County Court refused judgment for the city, and the city had to appeal. Judging by past experience, it is next to impossible to have a tax sale for city taxes which may not be picked to pieces by techni- cal tax-fighting lawyers. ‘ ‘The bills proposed by the Council Commit- tee show that the city authorities are de- termined not to avail themselves of the Gen- eral Revenue law, but intend to rely upon special patchwork laws. The general law on this subject is open to no legal difficulties. It provides one machinery for taxation for all purposes ; one person to collect taxes, and one tax sale. That law is clear, explicit, and open to none of the technical and other ob- jections which are so fatal to special Jaws. We regret this policy, because it defeats the great end sought,—the prompt and sure col- lection of the city revenue in eash. It is to be hoped that, before the Legislature ad- journs, some degree of harmony may be established, and that the tax system of this city may be simplified and made effective. HOME RULE IN IRELAND, ‘The statement comes from England that that portion of the members of the British Parliament known as the “Home Rulers” Propose to withdraw from Parliament if their peculiar claims are not conceded. At the last election for Parliament, forty-four members wero elected as Liberals, who, in addition, claimed to be Home Rulers, The whole House of Commons consists of 658 members. The majority against ‘Home Rule” is therefore over 600. The forty- seven Home Rulers, with one or two excep- tions, were all elected in Ireland,—that party being peculiarly Irish. Tho policy demand- ed by the Home Rulers is, that the act of union by which the British and Irish Par- liaments were consolidated seventy-five years ago shall be repented, and that the entire business of local legislation in Ireland shall be committed to an Irish Parliament ex- clusively. To support this measuré is popu- lar and patriotic in Ireland, yet of the 105 Irish members elected to the British Par- liament only forty-six or forty-seven were Home Rulers. A majority of the Irish mem- bers, including several Liberals, are opposed to the scheme of ‘Home Rule.” What this small faction of members expect to accom- plish by their proposed secession from the House of Commons is not apparent. Tlie state of parties is not such as to give to the movement any force. The Conservatives have a majority of about sixty over the Lib- erals and Home Rulers united. The Opposi- tion of all factions are so weak that the with- drawal of the Home Rulers cannot seriously affect them. Neither party, therefore, ean be embarrassed by this action of the Home Rulers, though each party will hasten to reprobate not only the withdrawal, but the policy of Home Rule itself. Outside of Ireland, there is a strong unanimity of all parties in the rest of the Kingdom in opposi- tion to the separation of Ireland from the Parliament of the United Kingdom. In Ire- land itself there is a strong hostility to it,—so strong thata majority of Irish Representa- tives wore elected in opposition to it. Tho Protestants are solid against it Under all these circumstances, what do these Home Rolers expect to accomplish by withdraw- ing from the British Parliament? The first and greatest difficulty in the way of any measure of Irish policy is the insvita- ble and bitter dissension among the Irish people themselves, Nothing that has ever been proposed, and seemingly that can be Proposed, ever unites the people. A differ- ence of opinion in Ireland on any question is something more than a difference among any other people; it becomes a fierce and bitter antagonism, in which the factions pursue each other with relentless intolerance. To the mass of mankind this want of union and harmony among the Irish people leads to the conviction that to establish Home Rule in Ireland would be to invite such domestic strife and fierce antagonism as would re- sult in civil war and anarchy, calling for the intervention of the Imperial Gov- ernment, and the re-establishment of Imperial authority, When Ireland can be come so united that she can send to the House of Commons a delegation that will vote substantially as a unit in favor of some common Irish policy, then the British Goy- ernment can hardly fail to listen to and grant thedemand, But so long as Ireland's chosen Representatives are divided and refuse to unite on any question, the demands of either faction have no weight with Parliament or the British people. In case these forty-seven Home Rulers withdraw, and make their secession perma- nent, it is possible their seats will be de- clared vacant, At the new elections, the Home Rulers must either retire and be suc- ceeded by others opposed to Home Rule, orthey must go throngh the senseless farce of being re-elected to seats which it is their intention not to occupy. This is child’s play. Itis but another instance of the folly which has marked Irish politics so often, and will be an- other failure that will add its force to the fu- ture division of the people into helpless fac- tions. A people claiming to be the victims of intolerable oppression, who refuse to unite for the common good, and prefer discord and disunion to sacrifice for the general good, can hardly hope for redress by legislation, and still less by force. The Supreme Court of the United States is engaged in shutting the back door to the polls against Mrs, Vinomza L. Mrvor, of Mis- souri, Mrs. Mcvon was refused registration in her State, a year or two ago, and brought suit ogninst the disobliging officials. The brief submitted in her behalf argues that Seo. 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment, by giving the electiva franchise to “ citizens,” estops the States from denying it to women. Mr. Mirxorz made the oral argument. A per- tinent query by Judge Frexp shows what the decision will be. The Judge asked, “So you hold that citizenship confers the right to vote?” “Yes, gir.” * Haye children, then, the right to vote?” Logic demanded one reply. It came: “ Yes, air.” The reductio ad absurdum may be taken as settling the question. There is no pretense that Congress or the States had the slightest idea of giving women the suilrage by adopt- ing the Fourteenth Amendment; and it isa settled rule of the common law that in the interpretation of a statute due regard is to bo paid to the intention of the makers. Mrs. Movor’s claim is as absurd as that of the sick passenger in the case cited by Bracksronz. ‘There was a law that persons remaining on a ‘vessel which was abandoned by part or all of ita owners should be entitled to the ahip, if sho came safely into port. During a violent storm, & vessel was deserted by everybody except a passenger, who was too sick to move, ‘The oraft drifted, by some. strange chance, into a harbor, and the dick man laid claim to it. His claim, after fall litigation, was die allowed,—as BIrs, Mxvor’s will be. « If wom- en ever get the franchise in this country, it will be either by showing themselvesfit for it, or by inducing the politicians to give it to them for partisan purposes. They will not get it by trying to slip through the back door, or to crawl through the loop-holes of the law. —— Senator Kxuoe, of this city, whose Com- mittee has charge of tho bills to revise the charter of Chicago, has reported back the bill providing for a transfer of ths Municipal Government to the General Act of Incorpore- tion with an amendment which provides that there shall be a charter election in November, 1875, under the present law’; that the city officers then chusen shall hold office in any event until April, 1877. The object of this amendment is obvious. _ Among other things it includes that a Police Commissioner shal} be elected in November, 1875, and that. if Mr. Manx Sgerman be re-elected, that gentleman may not only hold over until 1877, but have a claim to hold office for six years. "The bill as proposed by the Citi- zens’ Association provided that, if the peorle, in November, 1875, should decide to adopt the general charter, then in the April following there should be an election under such new charter for all the officers named,— all others, including the Police Commis: sioners, to go out of office. But the City Charter, the interests of the whole city, the reformation of the Government, and the ro- peal of abuses, are all to be made subcrdiaite to the re-election of Manx Sueeman and to the‘ prolongation in office of Suenman’s friends and cronies. It is thus that public interests ara legislated for, and thus thet the people of large cities are governed, —_—_—__—— CATHOLICS AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, To the Editor of Tha Caicago Tribune : « Cax0Aco, Feb. 12.—In a conversation on the shove subject, come days ago, between some Catholic and non-Cathole gentlemen, the former emphatically dee nied that they were opposed to the public schools of their support for euch as approved of them, and thst they have not, and never will, interfere with them or their use, provided those who spproveof them and patronize them pay for them out of their own mesa, and do not force Catholics to pay taxes for their enp- port, while they have atthe same time to build and support their own schools out of their own means, ‘They also insisted’ that they asked nothing from the Stste excépting their own share paid by them to the Tax Collector out of the Pubic School fund. ‘The articles in Tau ‘Tamvse on this subject were frequently mentionod, but the Catholics Ianghed at them, declaring your statements gross misrepretentations, and ineiated that it was out of your power to give proof of what they ealled your slanders and calumnies. Now, the ob- Jeet of this communication is to ascertain whst aw thority you ba7o for saying that the Catholics are strugeung to close up the publio schools of America, The Catholics c'aimed that, with equal reason, you would be as well justified in charging them with strag- gling to close the Protestant churches, because they ‘won't attend them or pay for their support, as with struggling to destroy the public schools, becauso they desire to deep their children from ther abd build schools of theirown, Ploase give this a pice in your columns, snd let your answer accompany it, : AL. Gunagurr, $93 May street, EPLY. The reply to the above shall be a very short one. The plea for State-aupported sectarian schools is based on the assumption that the Catholics m thia country are a separaze and dis- tinct people and nationality, and must be eo reo- ognized by the Americana. Ozberwise the writer of the above cannot consistently deinand that they shall be ¢xempt from taxation for tke sup- port of the State schools put upon all other citi- zens and property-holders residing in this coun- try. Otherwise he must assumo thst the Cona:i- tution will not only be radically changed to moet this new theory of taxation, but that it shal! also provide for the division of the pablic moneys raised by taxation forschoot purposes among the various religious sects who see fit to maintain schools for dogmatic teaching. He s!av asanmes that the Cathohes are the only sect in the coan- try which maintan achools of this character. As all of Mr. Genaoury’s assumptions aro in direct opposition to the facts, his conclusious are uec- essanily erroneous. Af the Constitution were so changed a3 to ap- portion the school taxes to esch aout in propar- tion to what ita membera paid, or in proportion tothe number of children they enrviad in the separate sectarian schools, what would become of the State free school system ? Suppose the common school funds of Chicago and Dlinoix were divided up amang the Methodirte, Captists, Catholics, Presbyterians, Jews, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Universalists, Congrezetionaliets, Unitarians, and Spiritualists, how tauch would there bo left for the public schools putrouizod by the Nothingarians ? It 18 manifevtly imposaible to charge the Con- stitution go as to give public scboul money to ont wect only. All must be treated alike. To divide up among the di%eiuix acts tht public school money raised by taxation of th general public would be to destroy the common achool system. To single out the Catholic Church a8 an exception would be to recognize it as a distinct nationality in our cocntry. It is absurd tosuppose that either the ono or the other can be done, The Hon. Arornnox S. Panpock, the pew United States Senator from Nebrasks, arrived here yesterday morning and rema:ned at the Grand Pacific Hotel until evening, when he de- parted for Washington. He was accompanied bY United Statea Attorney Weaver, of the South era Nebrasks District, and Capt. Asupy. Br. Pappock ia about 50 years old, of splendid physique, and bighly-intelligentand intellectual mien. His speech and action dencte the well- read and agreeablegentleman. Hois a native of the pleasant village of Glen's Falls, N. Y., and has been resident of Nebraska for eighteen years, his present home being at Beatrice, inthe southern part of tbe Stato. He was Territorial Secretary from 1861 to 1867, during Gov. Sax- psra’ administration, and was for s time Acting- Governor. For the past eight years be has nol been engaged actively in politics. Lis election to the Senate was flattoringly unanimous, be baving received the vote of the majority of tht Republican members of the Legislature, acd all of the Democratic and Independent with the exception of two, Gen. Joux MI. ‘TusvER Wat his opponent, Mr. Pappocx is a progressive and conservative Republican, and fully in so- cord with avy measures louking toward thé Iboral and economical admiuistration of nation- al affairs. Ina brief convorsation with a Tats- UNE reprerentative yesterday, he stated thethe was not called to Washington for any spocial ob- ject connected with his position, and was goiog there thus early in order to post himsclf up be- fore he took his seat on the 4th of next month. During his abort sojourn at the Grand Pacifio be was visited by several prominent citizens who had been former acquaintances. The new Sous- tor gives every promise of making a handsome record xt the National Capital, aud placing bim- self in the front rank of the best minds in Congress. > ——_>+—____ The Chicago Times is as nervilo in its imits- tions as it is unscrupulous in their application. A few weeks ago the New York Herald printed a cheap sensation about tho escape of the wild bessts from the Centra! Park mevagerie, which was universally condemned - as stupid avd cruel. The Chicago Times follows with » cheaper sen- sation of the same sort, describing the imuginary burning of one of our theatrea, giving list of the jalled and injured, and only comparable to tho Herald modal in {ta stupidity and cruelty. The Chicago Times estimates the intelligence of its readers at a very low degree, and we are Dot sure butit isright in this. The only striking and orig- inal feature of journalism which that sheet bas ever introdnoed ism Iterary model ‘of abject apology, whink le kept standing, to be tuzed from