Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, March 3, 1875, Page 4

a THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: WEDNESDAY MARCH 3, 1875. . TERMS OF THE TRIBUNE. RATES OF KUBECEIPTICN (PATARLE TH ADVANCE). Postage Prepald at this Onice, $12.00 | eekly 1 03 RGU | Five eopta *h0 (HO) | Ton copies 14:00 @ rate, ent in each town and village. Bpeoial arrangements made wilh soch, Specimen coptss sant fres, tay and miataker, bo eure and gire Posts in full, including State and County. may bornadealtherby draft, express, Post- or in recistored lotters, at our risk. TENMA TO CITY AURACRIRENS, Daily, delivered, Sunday excepted, 25 cents parweek. Daily, delivered, Sanday Incladed, 30 cents par weok. Addrase THE TRIBUNE COMPANY, Chicage, DL rt doloh atrent, batwese Chatvand Ladatlos A Utatec“Aitornosn and avedlng, T) RATRE—Dearborn street, eornor Mon- on. Wining enlectatmieste "afloraacs aid oreuinn i ¥ TItH-—Madison street, between eurbern avd states kusagomens of Gesrge Pawestt we, *! Little Emily,” ¥ MUSIC—Halated atreat.batwasn Mad- 5AM an Engsgement of Drank Ohanfrau, KIL" Afternoon and evening. PRA-IOUSE—Cinrk atreet,,_onposite Bietnan Tous, Retire Laue ineteates @¢The Belles ef the kitchon.” Atternoon aud evoning. CHICAGO MUSEUM—Btonroe strect, betweem Dear bornand Stat “BOCIETY MEETINGS. o GARDEN CITY LONGR, No, UI, A. F. and A. H— th Wise communication will be held on Wednesday drone cli ae Orieatal Mall, Work on the E+ Bea, ally Invited, Dy order VAD SWOlTH, aoe SS NOTICES. ing brethren. TO CONSUMPTIVES.—MANY JIAVT: BEEN IT. y to give their segtimony, in favor of dhe fees fire od Liver OW and Lime." E: Provert it to Les taluablo rem pe Diphiterias Cad all, iat ‘, Macuiaernrert ot : ist Boudne Bold by drucaite couorally, TAR NUMAN NAIR.—TO GIVE IT STRENGTH and tistre, ta improvails texture, to provent its falling Keon I in short, tu make itasine ohnrm of both sexes—this ing mill accompllehy if faith .. Thera isa ethinulating propery tn Stallone whieh greatly naslte the growth nf thn Gbten, At ‘the same timo rendering thomivoty, silky, and elastic, GLEN FLORA<IF THE DOCTRINE-TIAT “LIKE, sures like,” or that what causes a disease will cure it, ho trug, then mineral water that contains “seven of micro athe of aiiphate of lime ta the onn U. 8, Gorcood ia kidney complainte, for it is & wel that mest of the Kidney complaints now xacamnmon orixi nats from tho presence of aulpiate of line ia aprings and wile fa commen us, The Chieags Cabane. ‘Wednesday Morning, March 3, 1875. t, Chem ‘Tho ‘Tax bill now lacks but the siguaturo of tha President to become a law, the Senate having, by a bore majority of one, passed tho Dill re it cue from the House, whisky, tobacco, and all. So far from consenting to name a day for the adjournment of the Legislature, tho Houso cannot bring itself to look forward to the timo whon the introduction of new bills must coase, Tho continuntion of cold weather isa genuino misfortune, os the Grangor ele- mont can coo n0 immediate prospect of a call homeward to look after plowing and plant- ing. O for thaw! Tho President, twelve Directors, and tho Superintendent of the Union Pacific Railroad were arrosted yesterday at Council Bluffs, upon anindictment for failuro to comply with tho order of tho United States District Court designating tho Eastern terminus of tho road. Bail in the sum of $8,000 was required of each of tho partios, and the trial is sot for March £2, ‘This will haston the settlement of 8 controversy which involves the intorests of shippers, as well os tho future of Council Bluffs. The Pacific Mail Steamship Company threatens to “got even” with Congress and the American people by ontering into ® combization with the Union and Central Pacific Tailronds for on in- sreass in trans-continental freight rates, Xt transpires that Jay Gourp hos se- eured s controlling interest in tho Pacific Mail, alid that o new set of Directors will bo elected at once to carry out his policy, which he frankly declares to be an “understanding” with competing corporations and an advance in froights, ‘Tho amendmenta heaped by tho Sonate upon the bill for the equalization of bounties will probably break the poor thing’s back when it gets into the House. The clause by which money paid by States for boun- ties should bo deducted was stricken out,? and outhority was insorted for tho borrowing of anywhero from thirty to ono hundred millions to carry out tho pro- visions of the law. Thus incumbered, tho bill narrowly escaped defeat in the Senato, the deciding voto boing cast in its favor by tho Vico-Prosident. Speeches, soeds, documonts, and nobody ean tell what elso, are to bo carried at Goy- ernment oxponse again, the only condition boing that tho franks of membors of Congress shall ho writton by themselves, while tho speeches may be written by anybody. There was audacity enough in the House to revive tho fronking privilege, but not enough to go upon the record with the yens and nays, which wero persistently refused, though tho test vote is approximately indicated in the re- port, in another coluinn, of the vote on ihe effort to table Mr. Ganvmin's motion to re. consider the action by which the Senate amendinent had boon adopted. . ————_——_—_—_—_—_—_—_——— Contrary to general expectation, Mr, Brzon- ER wns not placed upon tho stand. yesterday for tho defense, but instead Mr, Ovixotox was called. His direct examination waa damaging to Mr, Tiroy, 1 8 showing how ho bonsted thot ‘ his wif had only done her duty in lying for him; but when Mr, Ovinaton, at whose house Mrs, Iruzon has romainod since July Inst, was brought under the keon-edged dissecting knifo of Judgo Founierron, thero wero laid baro some arteries of in- formation which Myr, Oviaron obviously would have preferred to keop closed, such as the statement thet he had received from Ply- mouth Church several hundrod dollars, and expected mora, in the shapo of payment for the board and clothing of Mys, ‘Tictow and her children, The Chicago produce markuts wera gener. ally weakor yesterday, with less doing, Meas pork waa quiet, and declined 250 per bri, closing at $18.05 cash, and $18.27 1.2@18,30 for April, Lard wos guict and declined 160 Por 100 lbs, closing of $19.20 cash, and $13.40 for April, Moats were dull aud easior at 6 5-80 for shoulders, 9 5-8@0 B-+to for short ribs, ang 100 for short clears, Dressed hogs were quict and easier, closing at $7,64@8.10 per 100lba, Highwines were dull and weak at 81.05 por gallon, Flour was quiet and steady, ++ Wheat was active and 1-1c lower, closing at 861-40 cash, and 87 8-40 for April. Cora was dull and 1-4G@2-80 lower, cloaing at oF ee Gt 1-86 cash, and 71 3-80 for May. Onte were quiet and casier, closing at 53 1-20 for March, and G3 6-8¢ for April. Ryo was qnict and un- changed nt 98@98 1-2c. Barley was quict and weak, closing at $1.08 for March, and $1.03 for April, On Saturday evoning Inst there was in store in this city 3,789,029 bu wheat, 1,595,027 bu corn, 617,012 bu oats, 11,696 bu rye, and 226,829 bu barley, Hoge wero in active demand and sold higher, Sntos chiefly at 26.40@7.00, Cattle and sheep wero stronger. ‘Tho decision of the Supremo Cont of tho United States, in a test caso tnken from Michigan to that tribunal, that Stato has tho right to tax land-grant lands while they aro still in the possession of the railrond com- panics, will have univorsal interest, as it will Place upon the tax-list thousands if not millions of acres in States where tho Stato itself has not formally oxempted tho land it hns granted to the ronda from tnxation, In Illinois the decision will have no practical operation, aa the Stato in granting the Innds to the ronds, formally waived taxation. But in States where no such exemption has been made, it will bring upon tho tax-list an immense amount of land now lying idle and producing no rev. enue either to the rond or to tho State. The operation of tho decision will practically be a benefit to tho whole people os well os to the roads, inasmuch: as the latter, rather than to pay taxes upon noproductivelands, will put thom into the market moro rapidly and at cheaper prices, so as to induce peoplo to take them up and improve them, which in the end would be a benefit to the road. PROHIBITION OF CAP! IN ILLINOIS, On Monday the Houso of Representatives of tha Ilinois Legislature grappled tha ques- tion of taxation and finance, and the discus- sion was characteristic. The Dill pending was to amend tho oxisting law forbidding for- eign corporations holding real estato in Tli- nois, so that when such corporations Joan money on real estate security they can pur- chaso such real estate at any sale under decroo or trust deed, provided that such real estate shall not bo held longer than fivo years, Mr, Jack immediately moved an amond- ment that all loans made by foreign corpora- tions in this Stato shall bo taxed. This in addition to taxing the same capital in the hands of the borrower. Speaker Harxes, whoso “best holt” is evidently on tho floor and not in the chair, propounded tho conun- drum, Who was to pay tho tax? Foroign cor- porntions sending money to Mlinois, if com- pelled to pay a per cent of tax on their loans, would of necessity include that tax in tho rato of interest, so that the dorrower, nnd not tho company, would have.to pay tho tax. Mr, Coxnouuy, of Coles County, also suggest- ed that theso foreign companies wero taxed at home, where tho companies had their principal offices. Mr. Ccanuxos, the Domo- eretio leader of the Honse, promptly con- tributed his weight in behalf of the effort to make the introduction of moncy into Iinois a finable misdemeanor. He is thusreported: BMr, Consixas said this was the first time he had heard the proposition squaroly advanced that foreign capital sent here should not bo taxed, Ho wanted now a test voteou that question, If, asthe gentlo- man from Coles (Connor), had sald, to tax foreign capital would drivo it out of the State, he (Cusearas) wanted dricen out, If thoy enjoyed the powers con~ ferred on them by the bill, they should be made to pay for it by contributing to the support of the Stata Gor- ernment, Mr, Mantes moved that the reference be with in- structions to report an amendment embodying Cust- MINGs’ principle, and ao framed that the tax be paid, not by the borrower, but by the corporation making the loan, ‘Mr, Vast eakd money loaned hera went into build- ings or other improvements, and was thus, every dol tar of it, subjected to taxation, ‘The rates of interest on borrowed monoy secured by farm mortgages in this Stato range from 10 to 12 per cont,—the Istter rato being renched in charges for commission, eto, Against this excossive rate, which is Generally fatal to the borrower, there is an universal protest among the peoplo of the Stnte, ospectally among the formers, The Logislature of Illinois has placed a tax on all mortgages held by citizens of Iinois equal to 3 or 4 per cont, in addition too tax of 8 or 4 per cont upon tho property mortgaged ! The actual value of money in this Stato is about 7 percent; to-this tho lender adds the legal tax, and, for better security, puts ond or moro per cont in the way of extra charges. Tho prico of .money in Illinois to borrowers is thus raised to 10 to 12 per cont, and is of course paid by the borrower, Thore is an immengo amount of capital in other parts of the country, whero the market value is4toG per cent. It naturally seeks investmont where tho borrower can well af- ford upon real estate security to pay 7 per cont. When it gots hero it finds the local rato is 10 to 12 per cent, that rate being made necessary by the high rate of tax on loans tmposcd by the borrowers, Mr. Cunnimnas and his followors proposo to cutoff the possible loaning of any money in this Stato that does not includo the tax, and thereby prevent the lending of any money at Icsa than 10 to 12 por cont, by insisting that the foreign corporation shall pay the 3 per cent tax. Mr, Haves again proposed the conundrum, How the low could be so framed asto ro- Moyo the borrower from paying the tax? aud ho moved tho reference of tho bill to the Committee to inquire aud report a clauso that would provent the borrower paying tho tax. Mr, Cusatinag, a4 the Ieador of tho ignorami of the State, declared that, if to tax money loaned on proporty alroady taxed would havo the effect of keeping capital out, and driving that already hero out of tho State, As wanted it driven out, Messrs, Jack and Cnonxnrrz soemed to agree with Mr. Qosmtinag, that, unless this capital would be taxed twico, it was better to rive tho money out of the State, and to keep it out, than permit it to ba used hero to em- ploy Inbor, purchase material, build work. shops aud produce morchandise, or to im. prove furms, dovelop mines, purchaso stock, and increase tho production of avery do- soription of proporty in tho State, That idea is behind oven that of the weavers who forcibly protested against making cloth by machinery, It ig an ides that has boon tho recognized mark of igno. rant prejudice for many long years, It rests on tho ground that somebody must be swin- died every time a sale takes placo. It is a tello of tha old times when to wear 6 clean shirt was evidence of aristocracy, and to own two shirts was luxurious extravagance, It is no credit to the State that in the Legis. turo, among tho oldcat and experienced mem. becs, i is formally proposed to prohibit tho introduction of money, and to expel that now here, on the ground that it is opposed to the interests of the people! This in Llinois, in the middle of the last halfof the nineteenth century, by tho leader of the Domocratio party in tho Legislaturo! Was not Praren right when he proposed to prohibit negroos going to school, in onder that thoy might be 88 ignorant as somo of the white men who make Inwa fot the State ? In the meantime, let the Revenue Commit- tee go to work to jind n way in which tho borrower will not be obliged to pay whatever tar may be levied on tho lender as woll as on the loan, Mr. Pease, another financialSolon, proposed that if the corporation did not pny tho tax instead of the borrower, the debt shall ba forfeited. But that does not reliove he borrower, who in his mortgage must agreo to pny 4 per cent additional interest on his loan in consideration of the loan being taxed. Spercent, Let tho ignorami study how they can punish tho lender by imposing taxes upon the borrower, and how they can reduce tho tato of interoat by adding to it 3 por cent for taxes, In the meantime these valiant enemies of capital, who seok to drive money out of the Stato and keep any more from coming in, will probably do irreparable injury to the State by defeating tho bill authorizing theso companies to hold real estate on which they have advanced money, Without tha aid of capital sent hither from other States and na- tions, Chicago would have remained a desolate ruin, Mr. Coxetinas and his associates think it would have been better that Chicago should not bave beon rebuilt than that capital should havo been brought hero to create taxable proporty, Tho debate on tho amendment was re- sumed in the House yesterday, and car- riod forward with spirit on the part of tho opponents of tho proposition, Mr. Hrnnon, of the Democratic side, did some- thing to save the crodit of his party by intorposing some strong and sonsiblo ob- jections to the suicidal scheme, while Mr. Couxtom ably supplemented the efforts of the Ropublicans on Monday by citing an impos- ing array of authorities in support of the po- sition that such legislation would bo uncon- stitutional. At tho conclusion of the debate the amendment was voted down and the bill ordered toa third reading. Tho full text of the bill is given in onr report of the procced- ings in tho Houso, THE CIVIL SERVICE OF ENGLAND. Until 1858, political victors in England claimed and got the spoils, It was from o Government of aristocrats, ruling a disfran- chised democracy, that the Democrats got their dogma which Jacson put in practice, to the utter corruption of our Civil Servico and tho degradation of our polftics, Ap- pointments to the English Civil Service wero matters of patronage, and services wore pald for according to the power of tho patron rather than the capacity of the appointee. ‘The latter rulo holds good, in » great measure, of our Postmasters now, as Mr. Jewenn has recently bravely said. In 1853, Sir Sraryonp. Nontucore and Sir Cnanrs Trrvenyan pre- pared a plan for reform, which was adopted, In 1855, n Civil Service Commission way ap- pointed, which has since continued in power, It adopted a system of limited compoti- tion, Different schemes of examination wore prepared for the different Departments, The clerkships and salarics were graded. The limitations on compotition were abolished by areoont Order in Council, which mado suc- cess in examinations the only test for omploy- ment. . At present, thers aro two great ets of clerks and a mass of subordinates called ‘ writera,” whose work is merely mechanical, and who fra an ungraded, unsatisfactory body, with ill-defined tenure of office and shifting pay. ‘Chey seem to be ignored in the plan. ‘Tho examination for grado No, 2 of clerkships is comparatively casy, but the pay and work of the clorka thus appointed is often as high as thoso of clorks in grade No, 1, who have to pass a severe examination beyond the capac- ity of most men who havo not had a liboral education, Contestants got offico in tho or- der in which thoy pass, The ‘‘staff" of each Department, which consista of tho clerks nenrest the head, is usually appointed by the head, without examination, and oither from his subordinate clerks or from persons out- aide the office, 3 ‘Tho British Civil Servico Commiasion has just submitted an important report, which deserves attention here as well as thero, Tho present system is condemned in certain re- spects, Thero are four radical dofecta in it. First, the checks upon the admission of anfit porsons to the Civil Service aro not sufliciont, Second, promotion depends upon seniority, not morit, and ‘this, not jobbery, is the real ovil of the service.” Third, there is con- fusion and injustice in the attempted systema- tization of work and pay. Fourth, the heads of Departments can neither appoint nor dis. migs tho men for whom thoy aro responsible, ‘The system has been so unsatisfactory that its evasion has become a system. A new plan is now proposed. All tho elorks (including tho ‘ writers,” bnt exclud. ing the “‘staff,") aro to bo divided into two great grades, which will be subdivided in turn, The second grade would be recruited eubstantiolly as it is now, except that the Commission is to have discrotion to appoint any person who passes the oxdmination, whether his marks were highest or not. Tho general rulé, however, would still be to ap- point in order of morit. Oandidates for tha first grade would have to pass both a prelimi- nary and a final examination, Thoso who wero successful in the latter would be placod in alphabotical order ona list. ‘Choy would still have no claim to an appointment, but tho head of any Departmont in which a va- canoy occurred would select any one of thom, All appointees would serve one year on proba- tion, The pay of the second grade would begin at £80 (equal, in purchasing power, to 3809 hore), and would riso to £400, In the first grade, the pay would rise from £100 to £600, ‘Tho staf appointments would pay still better, and would bo awarded by tho heads of Dopartmenty, as thoy arenow. This syston is thus a combination of compotition ond patronage, each acting as a check upon the other. Compotition is to prove intol- lectunl capacity, and patronego is to docida the points which an ce. Gination cannot test, The English reviowa va tho 18th ult. all devoto leading articles to the now plan, and all take differont views of it and of the ono it is intended tosupersede, The Suturday Review is truo to its conservative or Bourbon politics, “he creed of its party isnot “what ia, is good,” but “what was, is good.” It therefore declares that ‘nothing can ba more absurd, hopeless, and intolerable than tho present eystem,” and that tho qwore patronage there is, the better, Tho Pall-Mal indorsos tho new plan as on im. provement on the old, but does not regard the latter as very bad. Tho Spectator do- clares that tho nation will not suffer any ro- striction ou open competition, because every middle-claes family in England and every family in Scotland has found it o help in pro- viding for children, ‘Fhe notion of a sa- cure maintenance to be won by hend-work without asking anybody for anything hos entered iuto the very soul of Paterfamilias,” says the Spectator, ‘and be will not give it up without n struggle from which, unless the case mtade out ia unanswerable, any politient party would shrink.” The enfranchised domocracy nre now filling the Civil Sorvico by force of brain-power, and do not wish to go back to begging the aristocracy to givo their sons a chaneo in life. THE FUND. Wo aro glad that the Common Council has appointed s Committe of its own number, in fcconlance with tho demands of the Com- muniats, to examine the books of tho Relicf and Aid Society, ‘There is no speodicr nor more thorough way of silencing the innum- crablo slanders which have been about the only public reward tho officers and mannge- ment of the Relief and Aid Society have re- ceived for their Inborious and conscientious administration of their trust. ‘The Secretary of tho Socicty announced Inst week, as has frequently been announced hefore, that the books of the Society would be open for inspection at any timo to 9 Committes of the Comnion Council or of citizons, when- over tho demand should bo made in a proper manner and unaccompanicd by a riotous demonstration or threats of violonco. ‘Tifa Committee appointed by the Common Coun- cil consists of Messrs. Quink, McDoxatp, Stour, Lexaacurn, R. Stoxs, and J. C. Cuanne,—two from cach Division of tho city, Their examination should be thorough and conscientious, that the report may finally set at rest all futuro resort to irresponsible charges and malicious libels for the purpose of inciting the Communists and the unem- ployed workingmen to violent attempts to possess thomselves of the funds that romain. Woe believo that thero has nover beon a public fund moro honestly and diligently ad- ministered in this country than the monoys sent hore from all parts of the world for tho roliof of sufferers by the fire of 1871, ‘The present Socioty was not primarily organized for the purpose of taking charge of these funds, It alrondy had o legal existence, and had demonstrated its usefulness by the voluntary subscription and distribution of funds nmong tho needy and suffering not relieved by the Stata and coun- ty charities, Tho rolicf fund called out by the fire was confided to the chargo of this So. ciety by universal consent and with tho ap- proval of the donors, The former exporience of the gentlemen forming this Society en- abled them to procced at onco to a rystematic, equitable, and business-like distribution of money, building matorials, facl, stoves, cloth- ing, the nocossnrics of lifo, tools, otc., eto, ‘Their purchases were made on the most fa- vorable torms by experienced buyors, and it ig safo to say that the money spentsecured at Teast double the results it would have procured if left to a reckloss division among tho suffor- ers, Tho care and thrift of the Socicty also suggested tho sonsible policy of rescrving o portion of the fund, after giving nll necessary roliof during tho winter succoeding tho fire, for the sufferings of futuro seasons of want and hardship which would be tho indirect consequences of the common disaster of 1871. ‘Tho wisdom of this policy has been fully de. monstrated this year au well as in the wintors of 1872-'78 and 1878-74, whon the capitalists and business-mon of the city have not beon in a position to subscribe largo sums from thoir own pockets for the rolief of the poor and sufforing, as thoy used to do beforo tho great firo, Many of the gentlemen connected with the Society gave all their time and enorgy to the affairs of their trust for an entire year after tho fire, to tho great sacrifice of thoir hoalth and their personal busincas, and with- out pay, fee, or tho hopo of any othor reward thon o consciousness of woll-doing. For this they havo suffered periodical outbreaks of abuso, chiefly emanating from the very classes for whom they havo mado their greatest of- forts and encrificea, and notwithstanding they have mado annual exhibits of their affairs, and printed a comprohonsive report embrac- ing tho ontire administration of thoir trust, It is high timo that thesqungracious and un- grateful slanders bo silencod; and we there- foro greot the appointment of a Committao of Examination os 9 menns to this ond. Thero can only be ono result of such nn investiga tion, and it will be to the groat honor and eredit of the Rolicf and Aid Society. TH. TA, Abillis ponding bofore tho Legislature providing for the enyollment and organization of tho State militia, and, atrango to say, an op- position has developed itaclf and taken o party turn! Wo havo no organized militinin this State, anvo n few little volunteer compn- nies, An effort is making to organize a vol- unteer regiment in this city, but when organ- ized thera will bo no law of the Stato applic. able to its government, In case of riot, ine surrection, or domestic violence in any part of the Stato, thero is no organized force upon which the Governor might call. There has been for some time much lawless disorder, including murder, in ono of tho lower counties of this Stato, and, should the Sheriff and his civil posse prove unable to suppress it ond restore security to lifo and property, tho Governor of this Stato would havo to ap- ply to tho United States for military aid. In a State having half a million or moro‘voters, the organization of a halfadozon or mora regimenta of militia, subject to tho call of the Governor, cannot be considered a serious monace to the liberties of the people, Above all things, the people of this State, do not want the employment here of any J'ederal troops if it ca be avoided. Tho people of IMinois are capable of governing themselves, and so long as the only military forco je that of tho people thomsolves, thera ig no dangor of our becoming a military State, or of the military usurping the civil suthority, Wo trust tho Leyislaturo, if it shall not passa general law for tho onroll- ment and organization of the ontire militia of the State, will pass 1 bill making lihoral pro- vision for the recognition of all regiments and parts of regiments mado up of volunteer mili- tia, and thelr organization by the Governor aud Adjutant-Goneral into brigades and divia- ions, If tho Stato will not provide forthe organization of all the militia, let it at least encourago the voluntcer companies and regi- monts that may bo formed, and provide for thoir recognition as State militia, subject tothe command and control of the State, ‘TheCom- mon Counall of this city, on Monday night, by an unanimous vote, requested tho members of the Legislature to pass tho bill now pend- ing. We fail to comprehend why either po- litical party should oppose such a bill, A well-organized State militia is the beat of all proventives of the employment of Fedoral arnjs in the State, and should commend itself to all persons of all partic: The publio debt statoment for February shows a reduction of the debt of more than $8,680,000 during the shortest and dullost month in the year, after two months of steady increase of debt and déficit of rov- onus, This surplus of revenue for the pass mioath is abnormal; is is the re sult of the speculation oxcited by the pro- posed increase of taxes, As the Tax bill first proposed to tax whisky in bond, thero was o tush to get the whisky on hand ont of tho bonded warehoures and turn it over to the retail-dealers, An unnatural stimulus bas nlso*beon given to tho various branchés of importing in order to got tho stores well atocked with goods, whereby tho denlers wonld enjoy tho benefit designed to be se- cured for the Government, ‘Is the effect of tho bill, whether it passes or not, has beon to stimulate the revenue for n brief pe- riod, only to be followed by unusual dullness, Of course, the dullness will be greater if the bill passes than if it does not pass; in tho latter case, tho importing whisky and to. bacco trades will gradually resumo their natural condition; but, in case the bill be- comes a Aaw, tho increased duties will stop importations for somo timo to como; and the tax on now whisky will atop distilling to some extent arid causa fraud in the revenuo to a gronter exten THE LOUISIANA SETTLEMENT. The sincority of tho Democratic outery for reform has now been tested by tho action of the Democratic Congressmen in the Houso upon the question of the passage of tho Louisiana resolutions, The Wree.en prop- osition was a fnix compromise, and the only practical solution of tho questions at issuo which was suggested, It has been accopted by 8 majority of the Consorvative caucus and by nine-tonths of the proporty-holdors of Now Orleans, The Republicans of Lonisi- ona, except asmall band of radical and hot- headed partisans, headed by Anrtornz, olso accepted it, Tho Republican mombers of tho Investigating Committee, as woll as of tho Honse, acted magnanimously in sinking all party projudices, and recommend. ing that steps bo taken to sont the oxcluded Conservative members Iawfully ontitled to thoir seats, which gives the Conservatives tho control of the Houso,—tho very point in issue which brought about the troubles of tha 4th of January, And yet, when theso rosolu- tions to roscat the Consorvative membors, and to recognize Kri1oae as de fucto Governor until the expiration of his term, were put to vote, but one Democrat, the veteran Azrx- anpgn LH, Srernens, Vico-Prosident of tho Rebel Confederacy, had the manlinoss to sink his partisan projudices and vote with tho Republicans, The other Democrats whe bo- lieved in the fairness and honesty of the proposition had not the courage to expross their belief publicly, but wore whipped into obedience by the rale-or-ruin leadors, ‘Iho prominent Louisiana Conservatives wera on the floor appealing to tho Domocrate not to defeat the consideration of theso resolutions, but tho only result of their offorts was that that one or two Democratic mombers declined to vote, Thero appears, then, to be but ono Democrat upon the floov, and ho the Vice- Presidentof the lata Southern Confederacy, who is in favor of peaco in Louisiana, and who has the courage or the manliness to do what is right irrespective of party. The vote upon these resolutions shows clearly onough that this outery of reform is simply a delusion with which tho Democratic leaders havo blinded tho people, Having succeeded by tho uso of this humbug in get- ting into power, thoy now throw off tho mask, Upon the first resolution thero is vir- tually no difference of opinion, The Demo- cratic lenders are entitled to no credit for do- nouncing the action of the Returning Board, on it would havo denounced it in any evant,’ right or wrong. ‘Tho Republicans, however, honestly yicldcd the point when the prgofs were produced, Upon the second resolution, to recognizo Kriroaa until tho end of his term, which is the only feasible method of securing peaco and order, and which has boon recognized as such {by the honest Conservatives. of Loul- siana, whose ropresentatives were on the floor of the House working for it, the Democrat- ic membors, with the singla exception of Mfr. Sreruexs, voted in the negative. Such o vote can only moan that thoy dosire the pres. ent anarchy to continue, It is conceded on all sides that thore were frauds committed by both parties in the election of 1872, and thero is probably not a Democrat who voted against the second resolution who will not admit, if Kenzoga were deposed and MoEnery took tho seat of Governor, that the latter would not hold his office by any stronger or more legal tenure than Krrtoaa, If there was o fraud on tho ono sido, there was fraud also on tho other, and to placo.ono man elected by fraud in the place of another elected by fraud is only offactting fraud ogainst fraud, and settles nothing. Every. thing would remain in the samo confusion which now oxists, The complaints which tho Consorvatives make against Kertoaa would be made with equal forco by the Re- publicans against McEneny, If Ketroao is a usurper, thon McEnzny would bo none tho less a usurper. It is furthermore agreed by tho best constitutional lawyora that o new election to be ordered by Congress is impracticable. What, then, is loft to do but to let the de facto Governor remain in his placo until tho end of his term, a{nce he has no competitor legally clected to fill his plnco? His time is short, and tho Conservative majority in tho Logislature will serve nsacheck upon him. If he has any disposition to disturb the ponco of tho Stato, to oppress tho citizens, or to mismanage the State Government through collusion with corrupt partisans, tho Conservatives will havo the corrective in thelr own hands, It is the only proposition which can insnre peaco ond settle the confusion now existing in that unhappy State, Tho action of tho Democrats in Congress, therefore, shows that thoy do not want tho Louisiana queation sot. tled, but aro detormincd to prolong atrifo and disturbance, and keep the wounds open until the “Presidential eloction for political pur- poses, and that partisan advantage is of moro consequence to thein than the peaco and prosperity of a State, Tho humbug of their reform protestations is now shown by thoir action, Will tho poople be deceived by it any longor? Woe print elsowhero in this issue a sugges. tive lecture by Cuautes Foancis Apams, Jr., on the relation between railroads and tho Btate. Ho thinks that the combination of all the railroads in the country into one monopoly ig merely a question of time, and that tho Governmont will ultimately have to create a Department of Railroads. ‘Thero are four ways of troating these corporations, Thoy may bo left ontiroly independent, may have their charges limited by law, moy bo owned and managed by individuals subject to State supervision, or may be owned and operated in whole or in part by the State, The speaker evidently believes that the Inst is tho boat solution of “the railroad problem,” but that the time ia not ripe for it yot. He doprecates the Granger laws, and says that the Mausa- chusetts system of troatment is, at present, the best. Those is no direct intesforenca by tho Btate with freights and fares, but n Com. mission watches the roads, gathers public opinion about thom, nnd roports it, Tho companies aro very acnsilive to public opine jon, and the Commission nets like nlons to collect and reflect this forco upon tho man. agement, The lecture is able and timely, aud will be read with interest, NEW YORK AND THE GRAIN TRADE. ‘Tho address of the Buffalo Bonrd of ‘rade to the Canal Board of the State of New York, which wo published yesterday, shows that the peoplo of thnt State aro awaking to the ronlization of the fact, long since npparent to tho rest of tho country, that their policy toward tho West is gradually but surcly driv. ing into othor channels the grain tride which would naturally seck an outlet through Now York State. Tho City of New York, with an abiding faith in its destiny ns the grent com- mercial metropolis of the Western continent, has ignored the drift of Western trade to other outlets, and has not only sustained tho exactions of the State in tho shapo of canal. tolls, but has added tho burdens of un- necessary delay and costliness in the handling of grain taken to New York by tho railroads. ‘The results of the combined oxactions of tho Erie tolls, weigh-locks, and tho antediluvian impedimonts to tho handling of grain in Now York City, aro plainly told in the address of the Buffalo morchants. Betweon tho years 1866 and 1873, grain receipta in Boston have moro than doubled; thoy have nearly dou. bled in Montreal; ot Philadelphia nearly four times n4 much grain is handled; and the grain business of Baltimore has not only doubled within that time, but will soon grow atthe samo rate ag at Philadelphia, owing to tho extension of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad to Chicago, ‘Tho increaso of tho grain trnda nt theso four points hos been 160 per cont during tho past seven years, while the grain trade of Now York has incrensed only 50 per cent dur- ing tho same period. Ton years ago New York handled 83 per cent of all tho grain shipped from the interior; in 1872 it only Handled 53 per cent; and but 33 por cont was transported by way of the Erie Canal. Last yenr it handied a still smaller por cent of tho groin, * ‘The following table shows tho receipts of grain (in bushels) at the four principal rivals of Now York Oity in 1866 and 1873: ‘Boston, 8,469,058 411,719,529 Moutre: i i Philadelphia, "1,200, 515424,940,167 Baltimoro.. 8,197,130/19,099,717 It will be scon from these significant stnte- ments that Now York is falling far behind in the march of commeroco, and this doclino is, in epito of the natural tendency of tho West- orm grain, to seck an outlet through that Stato. As we hnvo said, much of this decline is dua to tho short-sight. ed and = oniggardly policy of Now York City, which persistently refuses to supply the modern facilitios for tho quick and cheap handling of grain, and continues to exact tolls in the shape of dolay, lighterage, transfer, olc., which diminish the profits of tho producer, But much of tho decline is also due to the bad managoment of the Erio Canal under tho restrictions of solfish Btato Jawa, and it is to this fenture which the Buf- falo Board of Trade has turnod ita attention, Tho Erio Canal has not only suffered tho di- version of trade to Boston, Baltimore, Philn- delphia, and Montreal, but likewise from its inability, under exorbitant State tolls, to compete with the laternl line of railroads running through New York State. The ag- grogata amount of coreals transported by canal last year was less than 1860. In 1873, it lost 308,688 tons, while the two railroads competing with tho canal gained 1,877,189 tons, ‘This, of course, waa a direct blow at Buffalo, which exported 9,484,786 bushels of grain Jess in 1878 than in the previous yonr, Ono great causa of this enormous and alarm. dug loss is tho exaction of exorbitant tolla by the State. These tolla have been rondorod ox- cessive by the necessity of sustaining tho Interal canals built in the interest of certain sections, and not self-supporting. But, at the last election, the peoplo of New York State adopted an amendment to tho Constitution authorizing tho sale of théso lateral ditches, The people of Buffalo now demand that tho Legislature tnko the necessary action to carry out the spirit and purpose of this amondment, and negotiate the sale of the caunls, They demand also that tho Erio tolls shall bo re- duced to living rates, This demand is not only entirely reasonable, but it is absolutely necessary, if the Now York people desira to check the rapid declino in their grain busi- ness, While the canal rates Iast season for carrying wheat from Buffalo to Now York avornged 10 cents a bushel, tha tolls alono wore 8 1-10 cents, leaving less than 7 conts to tho carrior, It is said that there isabsolutely no profit in theso rates, and not oven an al. lowanco for the woar and tear on tho canal- boats, which are good for only ten years, and represent on invested capital of at least $15,000,000, A peculiar hardship of tho'ex- cessive tolls is that tho canal-boats are owned in large part by tho bontmen who run them and who have not yet paid for them in full, Besldes the reduction in télls demanded, tho Buffalo merchants also suggest that thoro may bo great saving by tho abandonment of the locks for weighing, which cause consid. erablo delay and unnecessary expense, The Erio Canal alone rotnins these ancientanduse- lesa appondages, as tho weight of tho cargo con be ascertained without thom, Itis pro- posed, aloo, that all tolls shall bo abolished on wostward-bound freight, as tho carriera might thon fix low rates, and thereby noquire a west- ward-bound business, which they do nat get at all now, and which would onable them to carry cnstward-bound cereals at proportion. ately lowor rates, The reduction of toll asked on onstward-bound freight is only one- half mill per mile for 1,000 pounds ; and tho Now York Logislaturo, if it has the interesta of its own State at heart, will promptly grant the Canal Board the right to make the roduc- ton, Tho Legal News of the 27th ult. contains the full text of the decision by Juatice Mu ren, of the United States Supreme Court, which impugns tho validity of many bonds iasued by Ilinols municipalities, The Legis- lature of Kansas passed an aot which became law Feb, 29, 2872, by which the legislative bodies of certain citios (among them Topeka) were authorized to issue bonds or make ap- propriations ‘to encourago the ostablishment of mannfactories and such other enterprises as may tend to develop and improve" their reapeotive citios. Grants of more than $1,000 woro prohitited, howover, unless authorized first by the Council and then by a majority of votos cast at a special clection. Topcka issued, under this law, §100,000 of bonds and gave them to a bridge-building concern in that city. The legality of the issue was ad- mitted, but the constitutionality of the law was doniod. ' Tho Bupremo Court decides that the objection was wall taken, and that the bonds aro void. Justices Mitzen declerey that a Legistature cannot pass a Btatule ere, ating n debt unless it las power to levy a fie in aid of tha purposo for which the debt § croated. Tho Lopislaturo of Kansno has a power to tax tho citizens of Topol in nid ; t amnnufactory; it thoroforo cannot pasa, statute creating 9 debt for that pn; x “Thero enn be no lawful tax," says the de cision, “ which ia not Inid for at public purpog.» This caso adds ono moro preceent to the long Hne against the validity of Privatos:y Londs, The people of IMinois aro burdened wilh cnormousamounts of these bonds, whi they aro under no logal obligation to pay Undor this decisfon, tho constitutionality of ¢ Protective tariff might bo questioned, werg it not that Governmental action in this matt, has beon ratified by tho silent te quiesconco of tho pooplo, through a Jo, term of years. ‘Tho neglect of tho fiat gonorntion who wero plundered by “Dots tion” to take their cnso into tho conrtg Lng saddled us with this evil, It ia someting cf neatisfaction, howover, to think what inighy be if this paragraph of tho Supreme Cony, opinion wero put into pynetica: Tt) hy with ono hand the powor of the Goverment on the property of the citizon, and with the other to bestow it upon favored individeay to nid private entorprises and build up Ite vate fortunes, is nono tho less @ robbery le chuso it is dono under the fornis of law endis called taxation.” —_—_—— THE SIN FUND, Secretary Barstow, Mr. Dawes, and 8:5, ator Monntzz, of Vermont, are ongaged in sn attempt to convince Congress and the Docp's that it is necossary to raise some millions d dollars to put into somothing which is ox'eq a “Sinking Fund.” Money put into it is sunk, to be snre, so that the name is pyr. printo enough, but the thing itself is astq, pendous humbug. Modorn financiers aro indebted to Pret fy this idea, In 1792, the British Parlinme, under Pirt's lendorship, voted that, whencr:z any bonds should theronfter bo issued, texey should bo levied to dischargo not only the in. terest on the lonn, but 1 per cont of the cai, tal, every year, Therosult was that, whiletly British debt stendily increased, the nation sis taxod every year over and above tho amox:t needed to meet the interest on tho hoot which, when sold, defrayed tho current Ppenses of the country, with an amount mi eiont to enable the Sinking Fund Commi. sioners to buy up 1 per cont of the outsterd. ing stock, This amount was moro thea 1 per cont of the debt, because tho oxpensesct tho Commission had to bo dofrayed. ‘This farce of reducing debt, which kept onin creasing all the whilo, was kopt up for thin ty-soven years, Finally, in 1829, the Brith Sinking Fund was abolishod. Whilo {tc isted, tho dend loss on its seconnt was, cording to McOvxzocu, nearly $90,000,00), ontsido of the cost of the Commission, Bite 1829, tho British debt has been dearonsed ly tho amount of surplng revenue each yeu, but on overtaxed people has not been cre} upon to pay unnecessary millions year alte year, An act of Fob, 25, 1862, adopted Pirr's Pploded fallacy, Cuasc, however, dissega:dd it. He saw tho folly of borrowing monty to deeroaso the amount borrowed, Dovrin obeyed the law, as ho was bound to do, let ho did so at tho cost of the country, hor Secretary Buistow proposer to run tho Fink. ing Fund in the same way—if ho gots enoigh moncy out of the people. But, as o matte of fact, reductions of the debt havo beea enough to meet the demands uf tho Sinin3 Fund for gold a dozen years, or until 18:0 ‘Tho country, impovorishod by tho crisis, sa slowly replacing, by economical living, ts eredits then destroyed, cannot afford to pur anything more than enough to meet tt interest. on our lonns already mul, and to defray the running expenses cf the National Govornment, Whenover econ my in expenditure or an unexpected sie from taxes puts a surplus into the Tressoy at the close of a finnncinl year, let that mr plus bo afplicd to the dischargo of that debt While the Secrotary of the 'l'vonsury is tryitg to issue now bonis in order to accumulate specio for resumption in 1879, it is the heigtt of folly to uso the spocio got in this way {2 buy up other bonds, In aword, while w borrow money to pay our expenscs, ¥! should not borrow more monoy in order {o | dacreaso our debt. That is not the way do it. _—__ The proposition to repeal tho Wabsh avonuo ordinance was reported adversely by the Committeo to which it was referred, od tho report concurred in by a majority of the Common Council, Tho first voto hostile to reopening the question was as follows: Ald, Iildrett: moved to tay the motion of A.R Stona on the table, and the motion prevailed by ae and noos os follows : alyeo—Roldy, Bommer, MeClory, Hildreth, Bel, O'Brion, Clark of the Tenth Ward, White, Guuder Eckhardt, Stout, Mahr, Schaffnor, Morphy, Swati? 1, sNoct—Fitzgerald, Coey, Stone of the Fourth Wink Clarke of tho Fifth Ward, McDonald, Heath, Watt moan, Case, Cleveland, Quirk, Rysn, Lengscher, Dt inaon, and Mfr, President—14, Tho next vote was on concurring in the port of the Committeo, which’ opposed ™ poaling the grant of right of way to the Socth Side Horse-Railway, It was as follows: Ayeo—Reldy, Sommer, McClory, Hildreth, Baler O'Brien, Clark of the Tenth Ward, White, Quoders% Quirk, Ryan, Eokhardt, Btout, Mabr, Lengect Schaffner, Murphy, Bweeney—28, Yoee—Fitrgeral’d, Cooy, Btone of the Fourth Wah Clarke of the Fifth Ward, BtcDonald, Heath, Wakt man, Case, Cloveland, Dickinson, Mr, Presldent—tl. ‘Tho right of reponl was based on the coh stitutional probibition of ‘ nraking any iret ocable grant of special privitogea or immt- nities.” Tho right to lay horse-rsllrot tracks is practically special and excludr since two companies conld not occupy the anmo street without utterly destroying it ct evory other use, Bome people will be it clined to think, howover, that the Alderms voting against the repeal did go for about tht same reasons which prompted them to volt for granting the franchise, and with 00 co™ corn as to tho validity of tho contract une tho Constitution, or tho right to repeal unde the constitutional provision which has be? olted. ‘These reasons may have been various some‘of them plain, others obscure; os aince the investigation of the Grand Jury re publio are not at liberty to pronounce th corrupt reasons, Senator Warts has proposod in the ae Ronate to add to the third section of the 8! a Revenue law'a proviso to the following effects a1 at in asscesing Cont] assent Ween ae purely manufacturing PO poses, the sessesment shall bo so made that such & a panies ond associations, so organized, shell only et acued us individuals under like elrcamstances Wy be asteased, and no more; aud such companies assoclatious shall be allowed the same as are allow individuals, that ‘The section proposed to be amended is authorizing the State Board to tax the igs stock, franchise, debts, and tangible au nM tangible proparty of all