Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, February 16, 1875, Page 4

THE CHICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1875. e e e e e e —=== TERMS OF THE TRIBUNE. BATRE OF SURSCRIPTION (PATADLE IN ANYANCE), Pestnge Prepald nt thin O i 13.00 [ Sunday, S300 Pl g el 1300 | Sy PRt Tartsof & the same rate, Ta pretent delsy and mintakes, be s and give Past. Ofien sddress In full, including Btats and County. Tiomniiiancesmay bamads either by draft, express, Post Oluoe srder, or In reglstered lotiers, at our risk, TELNSE TO CITY RUDSCRIRERA, Datly, delivored, Bunday escepted, 23 centapar week Daily, deliverad, Bunday included, 80 cents par week Address THR TRIBUNE COMPANY, Corner Madison and Dearborn. Chieago, 1, TO-DAY'S AMUSEMENTS. WOOLEY'R THEATRE-Rasdolnh atrest, baiwsen Mark and LaSalle, **Dora" and '*Jenoy Lind." d dison straet, between : " i of Charlotts Qushiman. Pearharn and State, Engage * Guy Mannering.” OADEMY OF MUSIC—Halsted strast.batween Mad. ;..% -"'m sgann. Eugagemont of Madame Jansuschek, *'Deborab, CHICAGD M born and State, UM-—Monroe 1 Ping." Al stroot, betwsen Dear. itarndon and svening. AND OPERA.HOUSE~Clark streot, gpposite ;\?n?mln House. Kelly & Minstron: STFrome euw. . RLPHI THEATRE lorn street, corser Mon- R Tataviaiamn The French Spy.” T, North Clak strdot, corner Kin: O erLe oy ltnarars Tk menty-seeond Ropimeat = B e ] "SOCIETY MEETINGS. 0. A, OABHMAN LODGE, No. W.,A. F. and A, cotner Madizon and Robey-sts,—Iieguint communic Tunad Ing, at 7' o'olock, Work, 3d Degros B v 0! 0t B3 wiileklr o Lo D. D, G, 1'J, wa thls ocosalon, PHINEY, W. AL 1.0,0, 1.0.0, 1, 1 hars of Nainbow Lodge, No, 409, e e et moel 21 tbo Norin: weaterw Dohat, n Wedneaday, Iieby, I, at 1209, 1., o . . Trowhridy attand tise fuusral of Bro. Jas e N, 0. ATTENTION, SIRt_KNIGHTS,—fisted Conelave of Apollo Commandors, No. 1, thia (Tuesday) even. ‘olock, at tha Asyhum, for business and work Visiting Sir Knights courtoonsly fnvi- “B. B, W, LOOKE, Recorder. PR "BUSINESS NOTICES: WK fllEARNd\'LL“‘YE BA\'n—Fl"’,.qul‘l‘.TFr‘l'l{.aT (Z‘lr!.':l ; 0 mogey ehfuned ot Yiike: &halt the nenarratos. MCCHESNLY, (B0 ek ste INDEX TO ADVERTISEMENTS. THIRD PAGE. i ~City m}l{ El'-llfll. ‘},Aflfll. IT. PIH'A. 11 , Finaucial, usical, Watod, Tat Snd 5usd, Dosrding and Lodsios, *'SEVENTH PAGE_Now Publications, Rallrosd Time- Tauble, Madical Cards, sto., ele. The Chicage Cribune, Tuesday Morning, Fobruary 18, 1B76. It is now very evident that afalse construc- tioa hay been put npon tho President's Arkan- 533 mesasagoe by the Democratic press and some of the Republican papers. It has been very generally construed as in the nature of & threat that, in the event that Congress should pass no legislation on Arkansas nffnirs, the President would proceed to brenk up the existing Government, oust Gantxp, and put Broors into the Governor's chnir, Dut a Inte number of the Washington Star,in what is nceepted as a semi-officinl statement, says: *If Congress adjourns without deciding the questions at issue, it is more than likely that the President will consider that Congress ncquicsces in the present political status of Arknnsas and leaves Gov. Garranp to mannge the affairs of that State.” This is tho courso which the Presidont adopted in the case of Louisiang, and it is entirely reasonable to sup- pose he will follow it in the case of Arkansas. ‘We hiope and believo he will, The Circuit and Superior Jndges have come to 8 very wise conclusion in dociding to make ench eriminal term ¢Ares months instend of one, Under the present system of rotation, it hos been the practice of the Circuit and Superior Judges fo take charge of the crim- inal business, one each month, This practico has serionsly impoded the business of the Court. No sooner had a Judge got fairly into the harness than he was obliged to give . way to ono of the others. The term was so short that many important cases were thrown over to the next term in the fear that they oould not bo finished before the term ended, and so indefinitely postponed in some cases. Under the new rule, thero will be ample time for the Grand Jury, the State’s At- torney, and the Court to g.vo full justico to any and overy criminal case that is presented, and each ome of the Judges will becoms more competent to presido over the trial of crim- inal cases — The Amorican right of petition to Congress ‘Was never more grossly abused and bur- lesqued than it has been in the memorials presented to Congress praying that body not to tax ten and coffce, but to add 10 per cent to tho taxes on all manufactured articles, ‘These memorinla represent simply and exclu. sively the proteated clnssos who seek to en- large their present profits at the exponse of the people and the Government. They no oo represent tho public sentiment of this oountry thon that exclusive nnd grasping <loss of people represent it. They can Bot up petitions, of courss, Their employes will sign it; all the idlera and loafers will sign it. Most persons will sign it rather than offend the person circulating it, who has a personal, sclflsh intorest in the matter. He wants tho privilego to mark up Lis wares 10 per cent and transfor the monoy of his neighbors to his own pockets. e is opposed to a reventie tariff; he wants more ¢ protection,” more ‘‘grab law." Tence, he runs round with his petition for people to sign against any tax on teaand coffeo, which would put all the tax into the Treasury, and for 10 por cent more tax on all manufactures, which will enable him to pooket 10 per cent on his stock of wares on hand, and to charge 10 per cent thereafter on all the stuff he mannfactures, ‘These memordals are therefora simply “ put. up jobs” on Congress, and are bogus s ex- Presgions of publie sontiment, In the first Plece, public sentimont is opposed to all in- crenso of taxation at this time, not believing it uecessary, In the next place, it will sanc. tion no incrense that is not for DeCessary rev- euue, It s gbgurd, then, to pretend that publio sentiment is opposed to & tax on ten and coffes, all of which will go to the Government, and in favor of an incroased tax on manufactures, thres-fourths of which mill go to the manufacturers, The Chleago produce markets were gener- My weak yestorday, Mess pork was sctive, and 16@20c per brl lower, closing at $18,10 @18,12 1-2 cash, and §18.17 1.2 for March, Lard was activp, and 7 1-2@100 per 100 Ibs lower, closing at $18.45@18.45 1.2 cash, and €18.52 1.3 for March, Meats wers dull and tasfor at 6 5.8@0 8-40 for shoulders, 9 5.60 for ghort,ribs, and 106 for short clears, Dressed hogs were quiet and firm, closing at $7.75@8.00 per 100 ths, Highwines were quier and easier, closfug nominal. Flour was mors active and stoady, Wheat was dull, and 3-8@1-20 lower, closing at 83 7-80 cash, and 84 5-80 for March. Corn woa tame, aud 8.8 @i-20 lower, closing at 63 1-40 for March, a5d 70 8-8e for May. Oats were quist end / stondy, closing at 42 1.2¢ eash, and 62 5-8e for March. Rye was quict nt 98 1-2¢. Dar. ley was more notive and firmer, closing at #1.10 for March, nnd &1.08 for April. 1logs were nctiva and firm, Snles chiefly at $6.75 @725, Cattlo wera innctive and nominally unchanged, Sheepwers in good demand and firm, e e et The latest schedule of imports at the port of New York scarcely verifies Secretary Bnrs- Tow's gloomy estimate of 13,000,000 decreaso in the customs’ receipts for the current year. For the week ending Jan, 29, the value of goods brought into the port of New York was £6,7 3 ngainst £5,88:,072 for the corre. rponding week in January of last year, The totnl valus of goods entcred ot the port of New York for the month of January, 1875, £495,818,187 a9 against 325,645,307 for the month of Jauuary, 1874 Although this is not a very marked increase, it certainly does not warrant the estimato of #13,- 000,000 decreass in customs’ receipts from thosa of last year, which were 225,000,000 lena than those of the year befors. It looks rather os though the turning-point has been renched, and ns though the Government hns nlrendy felt the worst eflcets of the panic. The duties received ot Naw York for the woek ending Feb. 6 amounted to §2,980,804, orat the rate of $154,000,000 per annum, which is more for the single port of New York than the Secrotary of the Treasury has estimated for the entirc customs' receipts of the country for the cwrent year. Though this may not be maintainod as an average, it can scarcely fail to easta doubt on the Secre- tary's doleful estimate, The latter will only be verified in cnso there is an incroase of tha tariff of 10 per cent, thereby exclnding the importation of somo articles altogether. Since writing the above, we Lave recoived au Associnted Press dispateh from Washing. fon tu the cffect that the incomo of the Gov- ernment yesterday from customs and internal ravenue Bources was over $2,000,000, This in the largest total for any one day since the ponic of 1873, Tart of the large increase is ascribed by the correspondent, and probably with justice, to the desirs of merchants to re- move goods from bond before the passage of the new Tax bill. Butthe force of this move- ment nlone will not account for the large and stendy increase of revenue beginning with the present year. The receipts for January could not hinvo beon so grently affected by tha prospect of higher tariff-duties, since it wns not known during that month what articles the Ways and Means Commiltee would recommend for taxation. The true interpretation of the facts s that thera hns been 8 decided improve- ment in the financial condition of the country, enused, perhaps, by the offi- cial announcement contained in the new Ti- nanee bill, that the Government will begin the redemption of its past-due obligations at aday fixed. Itis something for merchants to know that there will bo no disturbance of valuos by fresh issnes of paper-money. THE ILLINOIS RIVER IMPROVEMENT, Ths Logislature of Tlinois, in April, 1873, appropriated the net revenues of the Ilinois & Alichigan Canal for the construction of a lock and dam at the mouth of Copperas Creck on tho Illinois River, tho whole cost of the work not to exceed $430,000. In October, 1874, $100,000 of theso net revenuos had ac- cumulated, The cstimate for the work was %427,000, In the meantimo Congress had made an_ appropriation of 100,000 for the improvoment of the Niinois River. Upon rep- resentations by the Governor and other State authorities, a portion of this money was ex- pended in building the foundntions for the lock at Copperas Creck, This expenditure by the United States, and ,tho work done by the Btate Commissioners, has reduced the smount necessary to be expended by the Stato to $260,949, To meet this they have cash on hond and estimated tclls for 1876 amounting to 3189,397, and application has beon medo to the State to appropriate the difference, amounting to $71,5652, A few days ngo o Springfield dispatch, coming Inte at night, contained the argument of the minority of the Legislative Comnmit- teo in opposition to the appropriation, and the night-editor in charge of the Iate news, misunderstanding the constitutionnl pro- vision on this subject, inadvertently indorsed this report. This subjeot has besn 80 often and so thoroughly discussed in Tz Tninuxe that but fow of our renders could have been misled by the brief paragraph in question. Tho State of Tlinols has tho capal and it has the Ilinois River. 'The design "of the canal was to afford continuous navigation from the lako to the Mlississippi River, but, owing to various ‘causes, the river cemsed to be navigable but for a short timo each season, aund the canal cessed to conneet with the river, To make either available it waa found necessary to construct locks and dnms on the river. One such lock and dam hns been constructed at Henry, which has practically extended river naviga. tion north to LaSalle, and securing an sbun. dant supply of water ot all seasons, The con- struction of the second lock and dam at Cop- peras Creok will be to secure this navigation from o point GO iles furthor south, All that is required to complate it is $71,000. The appropriation is but an advancs of ona year's surplus earnings of the conal. A fow yoars honce the other locks will securs n per- manent steamboat navigation on the Illinois River from March until Decombor through from the lakes to the Miesissippi, and thence to the Ohio River and the extremo South, The argumont of the minority that the ex penditure is tnconstitutional is based upon a misapprehension of the restriotion of the Constitution, which reads: The General Assembly shall never loan the credit of the tate or make appropristions from the Tressury thiereof n aid of rallroads or canale: Provided, That any surplus earnings of any canal may be appropristed for ita enlargement or extension. "This restriction s exclusively upon any ap- propriations in aid of reilronds or cauals. ‘'he bill pending before the Legislature is to Appropriate $71,000 to improve the Illinois River, and {8 no mors an approprintion for the canal than is the appropriation made last sesslon for the Wabash River, It is true that to improve the Ilinols River ond make it navigable f{a to greatly benefit the business of tho canal and add to ita revenues, 68 it is to benefit the peoplo of a very large portion of tho State i but an improvement of the river s0 as to make it navigablo I8 not unconstitutional becauso of its resultiug benefits, Thore is no weight or force in the ‘‘constitutional” objection. 'What the Constitution intended was to prevent the Legislature engeging in any undortaking to enlarge the canal itself so a4 to make it, at the expense of tho Btate, a wide strean ; and the Constitution limnted any appropristion for that purpose to the net rovenues derived from the caual, ‘Tho river improvemout, constitutionally, is an inde. poudent work, und stands precisely on the same ground that it would do 1f there wers nocanal at all, The river has ceased to Lo available for trade and commerce, aud can only be make so by the construction of theso locks and dams. The minority of the Committes absurdly argua that the Lenefits resulting from this canal only extend to o strip of territory 15 miles on each side of tha river ; that it onfy affords cheap transportation to tho products within this strip. The river cuts the State into two large districts, both productive and thickly peopled. On ench sido of thia river have been constructed one or more railronds tnning parallel with the river. Admitting that the river naturally drains only the trans. portation for a belt of territory 30 miles wide, yet the railronds, to compete at all, must ad- just their tolls to those of the river, and, ns the railroads oxtond the aren drained by the river and the ronds to 100 miles in width, we have the river rates rogulating and controlling the railfond rates within the whola breadth of territory tributary to thoe roads, 'These roads, moroover, have rival routes running at & still greater distance from the river ; these rival routes, to compete suc- cessfully with the ronds running near the river, must ndapt their rates to those already regulated and controlled by tho river trans- portation, The benefits of the river, as a regulator of transportation rates, are not con- fined to tha mere products moved on the rivor itself, but are felt by the shipper on every rond which has to compete with river trans. portation or to compete with othor railronds running in competition with the river route, 1t is not possible to marlk the territorial limits within which the free and uninterrupted navigation of the Ilinois River exercises n controlling or modifying influence on the rates of trausportation. ‘The completion of that improvement will Lring oll that part of the State on the Ohio River nnd up the Mississippi ccrtainly as far ns Keokuk into direct water communication throngh the Mlinois River with all the north- orn part of the State. The only partiesin the State directly and pecuniarily interested in preventing the completion of the Tilinois improvanmient 18 the railroad intorest, which, with that river made nanvigable, can never dictate its own terms. The Grangers should certainly sce this fact. The whale smount necessary for the pros- ent work is but £70,000,—an infinitesimal sum in the tax levy, but all important bocause es- sential to complete this socond dam and lock, Sixty milesof steamboat navigation is to be se- cured permanently at a cost of about £1,200 amile! THE ARKANSAS CASE., ‘We Linve received the majority nnd minori- ty reports of the Special Committee of the House of Representatives on the Arkansas ease. Judge Poraxp, and Messrs. Scuvper, Savren, and £1.088, nnite in the opinion that no nction of Congress or any other depart- ment of the General Government is noeded in relation to Arkaunsas. Tho minority report ig sigued only by Mr. J. D. Wanp, of this city, who reaches tho conclusion that Brooxs was clected Governor in 1872, under the Constitution then in force, and is now the lawfn! Governor of Arkansas, Mr. Wanp's objections to the validity of the new Consti. tution, after of course denying the legality of the elaction of the members of the Legisla- ture which passed an act calling the Consti- tutional Convention, are substantially s fol- lows : 1. That the old Constitution of the Btate provided that ** in all clections by the people the eloctors shall vote by ballot”; and that" the Legislaturo, in the act providing for the election of delegates to tha Convention, cnacted that the ballots aa deposited by the voters should bo numbered so as to cor. respond with the number of the voters on the poll-book ; therefore, the election for delegntes was violative of the State Constitution, 2, That the Convontion provided that in voting on the ratification of tha Constitation the ballots should bo numbered in ths same way. 3. That the Convention designated certain persons State Supervisors, by whom County Bupervisors and judges of election should be appointed, to whom the returns should be made, and the result declared. Tho act of the Legislature was silent on this subject, and the Convention supplied the deficiency; that iu doing this the Convention exercised legis- lative power, which it hnd no authority to do. 4. Tho Convention was not required by law to keep a journal, and thereforo its rec- ord i3 no legal evidence'of its proceedings. The Convention eould not make laws for the ftate, nor suspend or eet aside any law. 5. The Convention had no power to rogu- 1ate the means to be pursued for the adoption of the Constitution, or for the ascertainment and doclaration of tha fact, G. The Constitution was put in force by the declaration of three persons appointed by the Convention. 7. That Arkancas was admitted to repro- sentation in Congress in 1868 upen the condi- tion thoat the Constitution should not be so smended as to deprive any citizen, or closs of citizens, of the right to vote who aro entitled to vote by the Coustitution (of 1868), pro- vided that any alteration of said Constitution, prospective in effect, moy be made in regard to the time and place of residence of voters ; that the new Constitution changed the timo of residencs of legal voters from six months to ono year, and therofore violated the #fundamental condition,” 8, Tlot, in view of these objections, the acta of the Convention and the new Constitu. tion nre all void, 2 ‘We rogret to say that if Mr. Wazp's objec- tions to the validity of the new Constitution of the State of Arkansas have the force of rondering that Constitutlon void, thers is a very serlous doubt whether the present Con. atitution of Illinois is not also void. The Constitution of the State of Tlinols of 1848 provided that ‘‘nll votes shall be given Ly ballot," The Legislature ennotod that before all elections there shall be o for- mal registration of the voters; it also pro- vided that the ballot of each votor should bo marked by a number, so as to identify the same, The Convention which framed the Oonstitution of 1870 provided that tho votes for or against the Conmstilution should be warked sccording to law, but enacted that thero should be no previous registration, 88 roquired Dby the law of the Btate. Here, then, the action in Illinois and in Arkan- 808, in providing for the marked ballots and susponding the law requiring registration, was identical, and if that action was void in Arkansas it was equally void in Tlinofa, The Convention of Tllinois, by ordinances provided that the Secmur}" of State should Liove printed blank poll.booke, return.lists, oand ballots, printed and delivered to the clec- tion officers, and directsd that the smme should be pald for out of the State ‘Ireasury; it created a speoial board to recoive the ro- turns and proclaim the rosult; all of which ‘waa perhaps a greater exercise of legislative power than was exsxcisad by the Conveatlon in Arkansas. Tho Convention of Ilinois kept a journal, and the Constitution was put in force by declaration by the person desig- nated by the Couvention. The Convention further provided Dby ordinance that in certnin contingeney the Glovernor and Sec- relary of Slate should fix tho appor- tionment of membors of the ' next General Assembly. It will bo soen that if the Convention in Arkansas g0 excceded tho authority of a Constitutional Convention ns to render the Constitution, subscquently ratified by the people, void, then the Conven- tion in Illinois, having transgressed even more flagrantly, our Constitution must nlso be void. What is just, right, and legal for Arkansas ought to be just, right, and legal for IHinois, Principles ara not changed by geographical limits. Mr. Warp clnims that the Arkansas Con- stitution proposes to re-ostablish slavery in that Btate, beanuse billa have been introdiced in the Legislaturo (not passed): 1. Abolish ing the distinction between grand and petty larceny; 2. Establishing sub-penitentinries in thesoveral counties; and 3. For thosale or hir- ingof convict Inbor. We regret to say thatif theso lnws indicate the re-cstablishment of slavery Illinois is in as groat peril ag Ar- kansas, While wo have not abolished the digtinction between grand aud petty larceny, yetit kins beon strongly ndvocated, and webave laws under which the inmates of county jails, convicts for petty offenses, may bo transferred from that class of prisons to any honse of correction; nand we have other laws which authorize the hiring out to the highestbidders the labor of all vagrants and other inmates in such houses of correction and in the State Ponitentiary, and the proceeds of such hir- ing actually cover the wholo cost of main- taining the State Prison. Notwithstanding which facts, we hiave no apprehension that slavery is obout to be established in Illinois, MODIFICATION OF THE POTTER LAW, The report of the Railrond Commissioners of Wisconsin is a readable, thongh lengthy, document. It betokens an honest endeavor to disseminate practical information regard- ing the railronds of the State. The report proper covers 140 printed pages. Over 500 additional pages comprise statistical tables, showing tho operations of Wisconsin rail- roads, their cost, comparisons of the Porrer- law rates with corresponding rates oun ronds in other States, and copies of all communien- tiona or decisions bearing upon the subject. Lvidently the Commissioners aimed to pre- sont both sides of the question, Their views “in the main are conservative, and their rec- ominendations doubtless will command con- sideration, Their first duty, it is announced, was to acquaint themselves with the nature of the controversy. They find that every industry ond every interest of socicty are alfected in some way by tho cost of trangportation, that the intercsts of the railronds and the poople are not alwnys identical, that competition is but an uncertain relisnce, and conclude that the controversy is irrepressible if relinnco is placed upon economical laws alone, it being o conflict betwoen the interests of society on the ono hand and the natural selfishness of monopolies on the other. They dwell at considerable length upon the undue cost of construction, the injudicious location of ronds and their misman- agemeont., In dofense of the Porrer law they claim it is bnsed on the principle of goneral rather than specific legislation, that moximum aro preferable to special rates, and that it provides for correct information ns a basis of future action, The faults thoy in- dicato are numerous ; it bears henvily on the new ronds, is not sufficiently elastic, takes no account of short distances, fixes maxima for car-loads only, trents connecting lines as continuous, but is silent as to division of enrnings, imposes dutios impossible of accomplishment, and inadoquately pro. vides for enforcement, By way of remedy thoy advise that the cost of the Wisconsin roads be determined by ap- praisal,—the Commissionets to have the aid of competent engineers in this work,—and the appraisal to bo subject to limitation and revision by the Legislature ; and that the rates of fare and froight be so adjusted as not to yield more than n reasonable return upon the cost thus ascertained. Meantimo, until this appraisal is made, the roads are to be subject to no othor limitation than the prohibition of unjust discrimination, the enforcement of close running connections with other roads, better police regulations, and tho keaping of more complete and uni- form accounta. In acoordance with these recommendations, the Commissioners have propared a bill which i8 to be laid before the Railrosd Committess to-day, It provides that the Commissioners appointed under the Porres law shall nscor- tain what would be the cost of duplicating each rond in the Btate, The value of the property is not to be rated above the nggre- gate amount of the mortgage debt and paid stock of such company; nor is the appraisal to be lees than tha original, nctual cash cost of the construction and equipment of the roed, with all subsequent additions and im- provements. This appraisal, together with the report of the grosa and net oarnings of the railrond companics, are to bo subject to revision and limitation by tho Legislature at the next suc- ceeding sesaion 3 but, until such revision, the appraisal of the Commissioners shall be deemod conclusive, and shall determine the olassification of the companies as follows: All railroads whose net earnings from busi. ness in Wisconain for the year ending June 80 mext preceding the appraisal shall ex- coed 10 per cent on the amount of such ap. praisal shall be placed in, Class A, and all roads falling below 10 per cent net are to be put in Class B, This 10 per cent net is to be oxclusive of the amount paid for taxes and licenses; and such income s to be deemed ample and reasonable compensation for the services of any railvoad and the uga of its property; and mno restric. tion or limitation, except the prohibi- tion of unjust discrimination, i8 to be inposed on any railroad which falls below Class A. Until this classification is made, all companies now limited by the Porres law to a chargo of 8 cents per mile for passengers are to be continued under that restriotion; nnd, if aftorwards ascertained to belong to Class A, they are not to be allowed to charge or recoive a higher rate than 8 cents per mile for passengors and 11-2 centa per mile for children under 13, In regard to freight, tha roads are not to be restricted until they have earned more than 10 per cent on their ap- praised valuation, when the rates they hava previously charged for freight are to be decreed their maximum rates so long as the company romains in Class A, The remainder of the act provides for the protection of persons deeming themselves aggrioved, makes it the duty of the Commis. sloners to investigate complaints, and, if thought necessary, repori the same to ihe At. torney-Genoral, whe is to prosecuto the com- panios aud onforco the pennlties provided, This bill is intended to be insorted aftor the aixth section of the Potrrn Inw ns an amend- ment thoroto, The features which comtnend it to tho general public nre that it proposes to make no allowanco for *“ watered” stock, prohibits unjust diserimination, and at the same lime recognizes tho right of the com- panies o earn 10 por cont ou tho actual cost of their property. Tho method of arriving at the costof n railway is the province of an expert, Tor this purpose the Commissioners must call in the nid of engineors Lo arrive at corrcct con- clusions, Such, howewws, is the sentiment in Wis- consin that it is very probable the law will be modified a8 herein indicated. Altheyrsh the reputation of the State has suffered Lo. yond computation by the pssage of the Por- TEn law, the people are not prepared for its abrogation. Still, they profess to be magnan- imous and to meditnte no injustico agninst the railronds, Their representatives declara thero is no disposition to deny the railronds o fair return upon the capital invested. See- ing, then, the companies eannot obtnin all they nsk, it is hoped they will at lenst yicld n reluctant nssent to the plan proposed, and trust to the roturning moderation of the peo- plo und the wisdom of {uture Legisiatures to completo the reparation of which the pro- ‘ posed modification is a certain promisa. TRAINS FOR WORRINGMEN, We have reccived ndvance sheets of the sixth annual report of the Messechusotts Board of Railrond Commissioners. It is mainly devoted to topics of loeal interest, but contning soms fresh facts about the system of workingmen’s traing which we doseribed a fow days ngo. . Shortly after the terrible Revere accident on the Enstern Railroad, the Company cast about it for monny of regaining the populari- ty which that Qisaster cost it. The Commis- sioners took ndvantage of this to urge the trinl of cheap trains, morning and ovening, between Boston aud Lynn. The Company consented to ke the experiment in Novem- ber, 1872, Ithas found it, ko says the report, “a great and growing auccess.” The trains lenve Lynn at 5:35 a. m. and Boston at 6:35 p. m. The fare is 5 cents for the whole trip of 14 miles or any part of it. In 1873, 187,- 016 persons took these trains, In 1874, £66,- 560 did so. During 1874, the cheap trains cleared a profit of $7.15 por trip, They wera 14 per cent more profitable to the Company than tho regular passenger trains, Morcover, they did not interfero with tho business of the latter. Cheap fares created n new class of pnssengors. Workingmen moved ot into tho suburbs when thoy found they could got good air, good water, and good food and yet keep their places in town, and conld do this without paying more for fares than thoy were paying in tho horse-cars. It is a woll-known fact that cheapening an article increases the domand for it. So, when travel became chenp, more persons traveled. Thoy went to Boston on slighter protoxts. At first, the cheap trains were looked npon with some distrust. Very few women patron- izod them. This feeling has pnssed awny. They are now in high favor. They have, in- deed, become somowhat unwieldy in size, averaging nine cars £picce. The experiment has been a success for two years. Thero is no danger of ita discontinuance now. The conditions of a similar success do not exist here, perhaps, in an equal degres, for the country is not a8 thickly rettled. At the samo time, such trains would probably pay and pay well. Thero aro thousands of Chica- go workpeople living in wretclied tenemonts, on undrained, unhealthy streats, who would gladly move in the subnrbs, and would do so if cheap fares allowod it. The gain in heslth and comfort would be very great. Wo lhave alroady sketchod the many incidental bene- fita of the systom. The railrond managers would doubtless Ay, in answer to this suggestion, that if thero woro any noed of such trains residents along their ronds would ask for them, But, in the first place, many persons who would use the trains are now porforce living in the city ; and, secondly, thopublic is a very dumb animal which has to be goaded a long while beforo it cries out. ‘There was no expressed popular demand for the Eastorn Railroad’s cheap trains before they were put on the road, but the result shows that the demand existed. Rlesidentsin our suburbs would do well to move {n this matter and convince the railrond companies that they want theso trains, HAINES' COLLAR, The Times has sought to divert attention from o very large brass collar, marked “Hanes, his purp,” which it is wenring, by charging that those papers which are engaged in criticizing the official and officious carcer of Mr, E, M. Harves, Speakor of the Iouse, are wearing brass collars inseribed “U. 8, Gnaxr, his purp.” The chargs which has been mado againat Mr, HAINES over and over ngain during the past month or more, aud his not yet been denied, is that he has subsi. dized the clorical force of the Legislatare, which is composed mainly of newspaper cor- respondonts, to write him and the Bourbons up and the Republicans down, and {hat he has vefused to certify to their pay unless thoy follow instructions, and that in some cases the lottors have been sent to the ** Spesker " for revision and approval! Insomeinstances these correspondents write for a sin. gle popor, as the Zimes for instanco; io othors for half a dozen or more. They have littla or no clerical business to perform, bocause the Legislature, delnyed and harassed by its quibbling *¢ Speaker,” haa done nothing since it mot but to get out of one suarl and perplexity into another, owiang to his partisan and unparliamentary ruling and partison wire-pulling to place him- self upon the course for the Gubernatorial ohalr, Consequently, the clerks have mo other work than to write up * Bpeaker” Haixzs ot the rate of §4 per day, drawn from the State Treasury upon Mr, Haixzs' certifi- cate, whioh he gives if the letters suit him. Among the clerical correspondents thus en- goged, wo are informed, 15 the representative of the Ohiengo Times, who writes Mr. HaiNes up in bis letters, which are cditorially indorsed by the working force at homo, 80 that the whole concern ia wearing the ‘brass collar marked ¢ Hamves, his purp,” and doing the dirty work. The fact that the brass-collared Hamves' purp ia doing Hamvee' dirty work is specially manifest because Hainzs hns cast hig lot with the Bourbons whom the ZTimes Josuitically pretends to aseail, and with whom socretly it sympathizes, It doos not be- come & paper which has such a large assort- meut of collars on hand that one day it can ‘wear Havgs’ collar, the next day Bais Asu. TON's, the next Lowemoan's, end the next Faizpank's, to talk about collaré at all, Mr. Hatvge has mode himucl? a suitable wubjeot for eritiolem, not only by his official misconduet ng Bpeaker, but by his general political tergiversations. e has changed his politienl cont several times for a purpose. 1le has dogortod his old friends, and, fhrst pro- touding to baan Independent, has gone over, body, soul, and breeches, into {he Bourbon eamp. Like all young converts, e is onthusinstie, nnd insistsnpon more than his fair share of the dirty work the Bour- bons have on hand. The old Bourbons have no objection of course to be relived from oiling their fingers, and ave willing that hoe should tnke the odium, and stand by and wateh the young eonvert with a smilo of con. tempt, Somo are rathor surprised thot a newspnper like the T¥¢mes, professing to be ‘*indopendent of porty,” should appear as an apologist and defendor of this new convert to Bourbonism, It can only be explained by the fact that it wenrs the brass collar marked “IatNes, his purp,” and under its mnsk of protended independonce there ties concealed & Bourbon henrt. THE TAX ON MATCHES, A notable fenture of the Revenue bill in- troduced into the Ifonse of Mepresentatives {s the proposed repeal of the tax on matches. ‘Chis tox is perhaps the most harmless and lenst objoctionable of all that was over lovied. 1ts burden falls so oquitably upon all classes of the community, aud so lightly on every individual consumer, that it is paid without a murniur and without boing felt in any quar- ter. Yet thistax, so infinitesmal in the in. dividual contributions, yields the Government & rovenue of more than §2,500,000 a yeor. The expenso of collcetion isas nearly il ns that of collccting any {ax ever conceived. The ovasions nare few, if any, because the profits of the fraud are too swnall to warrant the risk of tho penalty attached, In ono word, it {5 n tax yiclding n pure revenuo of millions to the T'ronsury, but not one cent of tribute to * protection,” and for this renson the'nttorneys in Congress of the protacted classes proposo to have it repenled. In view of the fact that the new Tax bill of the Ways and Menns Comumittce {s based upon the pretended necossity for increasing the rovenues, it is certainly most romarkable that it should start off with a proposition to repenl one of the ensiest taxes now levied, which yields an annusl revente of more than two millions aud a half. There is but one waoy to explainit. Itis a piece of monstrous corruption, - It is n concession to alobby of match-manufecturers, who are no wiso suffer- ing from the tax, which is paid in impercep- tible amounts by the people who uso mntehes, This proposition was mado oncoe before, and Senoator Bavarp, of Delnware, exposed the petty fraudslyingbehindit, Underthe pregent law, no box of matchos may be sold that does notbearaone-cont stamp, the rato por hundred, even though the box contain less than a hundred. Tho resultis, that,in buying o H-cent box of matches, the purchaser can bo pretty sure to reccive o hundred matches, If thera wero no tax, however, there aro a large number of match-manufreturers who would not merely add the repenled tax to their profits, but would reduce tho number of matches in tho cheapest boxes to 75 or 50. This iw one of tho proposed frauda that bnvo securod o great o pressure upon Congress for the repeal of the tax. But, g it is ovident that tho consuthers would pay ns much as they do now, and perhaps more, aftor the tax had been ropealed, and tho Gov- ernment thoreby deprived of more than 2,500,000 aunually, it ig difcult to under. stand how the Ways and Means Committee could be induced to sanction so transparent a fraud, There is but one way in which this propos. od repeal can be accounted for. It is another schemo of the protected classes to securs the incrense of 10 por cont tax on the wholo line of manufactured goods. They feel the necessity for somo plausiblo pretext for mak. ing this wicked incrense, They know that, oven if it ba necessary to raise £50,000,000 a yesr surplus revenue, it can be done without touching the tariff as it stands. They thoro- foro proposa to repeal one of the most pro- ductive and satisfactory excise taxes in order to furnish an cxcuse for enlarging their own profits on oll kinds of thanufacturcs. That the Ways and Means Committes should have consonted to 8o unholy an alliance with these high-tariff-robbers of the East is a disgrace to our country and our time. They have underestimated the intelligence of tho peopls if they beliove the real secret for ropealing the match tax will be either ignored or for- given, THE RIVER AND HARBOE BILL, ‘With the promulgation of the River and Harbor Appropriation bill, as roported by the House Committee on Oommerce, Con- greas will scarcoly dare to renssert the posi- tion heretofore talen that it is impossible to cut down appropriations any further. Itis proposed to invest $6,000,000 during the en- suing year in the professed improvements of rivers and harbors, The Westorn list of proposed improvements includes about sev- onty-five different ploces in a8 many differont Congressionsl Districts. In addition to these, there is an Eastern list, also Southern list, also ap interior list, also & Pacifio Coast list. In fact, a close axamination of the bill would probably reveal the fact that some monoy is sot aside for mearly every Congressional Distriot in the United States, cortainly for every one that has n river running through it, or a town on & lnke, bayou, or bay, which can be distorted into the aspect of a harbor, ‘The River and Harbor Appropriation billisalways a mosaio work, put together by a very common Congressional pro. coss of conatruction known as log-rolling. The Congressman from Maine or Michigan will not vote for the river improvenient want. ed by the Congressman from Florida or Texas unless the Congressman from Florida or Texas agroes to vote for the harbor improvement wanted by the Congressman from Maine or Michigan, It has long since censed to be a question of comparative merit betwoen the different nppropriations asked for the river and harbor improvements. Tha first essen- tinl to the passage of the bill is that & majori- ty of the Congressmen shall have approprin- tions for their individual districts, in order that they may furnish some influential con. stituent or packer of a ward caucus with a fat contract, If hard times are pressing the Government revenues as closoly as the Becretary of the Treasury and the ‘Ways and Moans Commite tee would lLave us beliave, why could not Congreas forego this log-rolling process for one year at least? Why not limit the river and harbor appropriations to such localities and to such amounts for which there isan actual and immediate demand for some re- pair or improvement, without which the pres- ont value of the river or port will be lost to tho public? 1f 8o limited, we have not tho slightest doubt that the proposed appropria- tion of $0,000,000 might be reduced more than one-half, thus taving $8,000,000 revenue for the coming year of hard times. The re. duotion might, for aught we kuow, be still grenter. Atallevents, when the Government receipts are alleged to bo falling shor of ils expenditnres, whon the peoplo are ag ing all the taxes they ean ufford, and when moncy for tranancting business Is difiieult 4q get, it is folly, if not a crime, to fnvest b lie funds in improvements of a futnre and contingont value but nt presont wnproduetivg, Here, then, is one of tho spouts where Cone gross may retrench. Without any speciat ine formntion on_the subject, wa hnzard tlye 1y, lief that one-half the places nawed might by stricken from the Jist, together with g, amount set asido for each, without doing the slightest damago to the interests of the Piihe lie. But perhaps tho atterneys in Congress of the * protected clagses ¥ would not cop, sent to this, ns every saving of money dg. stroys their prospeet of imposing ligher da. ties for prolection, Wa referred some days ngo to tha possitl complication in logislation growing out of 1hat provision of tho State Constitution for. bidding the revival or amendment of any Inw without reciting at large in the now Jay the law or part of law rovived or nmended, Judge McAvLisTER, in private conversation p Springfield, having suggested that there might be rome question ns to the constitutionality of laws pnssed without & rigid complianey with this provision, the Commitieo on the Judicinry have investigated the subjeet, ang Mr. Coxnory, of Colos County, has prepared areport on tho vory important matter, Ag we understand it, thoro are two interprefs tions placed on the requirement of the Cop, stitution. The first requires thnt, when 4 law is amended by the chiange, say of Seo, 5 tho amendatory act shall rocite Sec. 7 ng it stood in tho original law, and theu set forth Soc. 6 as amonded. Tho second inter pretotion is, that to smond See, : all that is necessary is to recito fthy Sce, 5 of the act npmed is horeby nmondedsy s to read as follows,—sotting it forth in fa as proposed to bo amonded, It isunderstood i that Judge MoAvnuister suggested {hat fhy firat of theso methods was the only constity. l tional one. The Houso Committeo havy | unanimously renched the conclusion that the { second interpretation is the true oné, Thy Committee fortify their judgment bya reviey - of the judicial decisions of the courts in thy saveral States whero similar provisions arein < the Constitutions, and whero precisely thig same question has baon raised. All thesa ds. cisions have been to the elfact that n re-ensct. ment of the amended section or law isa fu] compliance with the comstitutional require ment, and that it is not necossary to sot forty tha law ns it originally stood, in addition t the amendmont which is set forth in ful | ‘This certainly seoms to be the commion sensy view of tho matter, and is doubtless in nccord. anco with the intention of tho Constitution] Convontion, THE TURNER-HALL DISCUSSION, The sermon which was proached by the Ray, Ropent CorLLyEw u few Suudays ago, in whicy he took occasion to give the Chicago Germu Turner Hall and ite Sunday music o handsoms commendation, has sorved to arouss A veryir. teresting and somowlat goneral dlscussion cf the merits and demeritys of the music questio, '[ which promiscs good resnlts. In his originil & Bermon, it will ba remombered that Mr. Cortna | gavo Turnor Hall an unqualified Indorsomest. It is & little surprising that none of the stiicty evangelical clergymen lockod horns with biw ca this point, Tho Rov. Dr. Ryoes, a Universalis, howover, and a radical prohibitioniat, s into the gap, sud, after vohemontly condemoi:g the Sunday sacrod-concert entertainmonts st that placo as an agency of Satan (if Satan bats placo in the Doctor's theology), asled the Rer, CoLLyER some very leading questions, amo them one to the eflect that, if hothought Tuma IIall such & propor placo, why did he not gothu Limuelf? Dr. Rvper way followed by Mr. W, 8.1 MaToEws, the organist, of this city, who tet up the question frow a general musical pomt of view, and procceded to argus that tho abseuctof tho iutellctual quality in musid rendered i ronsuous qualities all the more subtlo and duwe | gerous, einea * music exerts this Influence, 21 all, upon those so delicately organized as tola thrown by it into a deligbtful revery whoso 1ol meaning they have na disposition to inquir .‘( and, it inquiring, could find the answer oply in the kind of activity it chiefly suggasted.” Hi ing stated this general fact, hoapplied it ot ‘% ‘Tucner-1Tnll musie, soshivg to show that I wi dangerous becauso of tho absouce of th intellectual and the superfluity of tho m:p suous n the programmes. In lsst Bune day's ‘Tnwose, however, Mr. Baass rathor neatly Btripn Mr, Marsews © argument of ita application by showing that & |3 Turver-Hall programmes havo beon maith oharactorized by intellectusl music, and that the simply sensnous has played s very amall pariio the numbers. Tho general fact unuuel:\'.ew Mr. Marnews is slso lightly but very sit? touchod upon by Mr. Bavatra, ifs w# ';’ “ Dancing music is exprossiva of plessurs, ol cheerfulness, or even of paroxysmal foy, U 590 please; and, eluco theso things esd in our nature, their oxpression may bo ye* mitted to exist in musio also,”” On Bunly Iast Nonsnt CorLyzn returned to tho eubjx! and dolivered ® very eloquent discourse Uit # All Kindu of Music.” Atter showing the cl:n-I 3 acter of music, ita lvflucoco, power, alms, e | sspirationy, ho concludes that * just so far & . this bright, pur spirit 18 dragged down out ol ber proper sphera and made to do drudgery, ™ { must 80 far deplore the fact, but it is probsll © we shall deplore it in the moasure in which & aro biind to tha trutb, that in epite of all ¢ trying to make her sorve our meauer onds it fs still dolug and will do hor own peetied work, gud helping more than onp cat Linds Tvis this view which he applies to the Tum Hall musio, #nd saya: Wikile I have mnde no secrat of my convictios 4 the great mass of our fellow citizens, As thiey 47 B ) situated, will driok sometbing aud emoke, perkhd eitier for good or Lad resson, which, na I potict generaly good (o tha rmauker, no I would gire the B { cunnce to that which s the moat harmioss, and br means do away with Iyig sbout it ; stin, 1 deplore &t fact that there should be any evil mixed with the £ of noble music, thers or anywhere, But with (b’ and far ahove {t, in my couvictfon, fa the good. + " Taay that to go to Turner Hatl for the usto s2d ™ | muslo alons, 88 you would go, v w good 184V . thing I ftaelf, while fo sit thero In b quiet repant from thess baser things, a8 an Anjericun gent:emit te 8ot an example others will be led to folio™. Mr. CorrLyen has meada an lugenions dumlu for Turner Hall, and fortiffies it wnhlbl‘-’u nouncement that ke b * going thore, whicl w‘ ensble him hereafter to speak from u.m« perconal observation, which nmeittier bo ‘.’“ Dr. Rrozs bavesyot had, Without committ oursolves tu either side, we moy mention A facts which Mr. Corryen will fing upov “m‘ visit1 1, That the sudiencea aro us propét quiet and woll-behavod as any audfeuces micl city, whatever the character of the Mi:u i o distarbance has evor cecurred in this aur recollection, 2. Tha sudleue is WM almost eutirely of the respectable t of our Qorman citizens, 9, The attrsc of boer, wine, sad smokiog is not noarly # i a8 that of the musto, Tarnor Hall could 20 sustained with poor programmos or PO i formauces. This hss been tested ropesH and whenever tho character of the perfoci o Las deter: d Turuer Hall bas lost Nl°' 4 and {ts managers have beon compatled £0 ¢ “ the atandard of their masio, Wa swait th0 ##5, of M. Corzvks's vislt with somo jutorss oot be finds that he can snjoy it and that bé l:“:“ the worse thevefor, Tusuer Iisll may bé ES g e e