Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, April 11, 1875, Page 4

1 | i i | THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: SUNDAY. APRIL 11, 1875.—SIXTEEN PAGES. TERMS OF THE TRIBUNE. RAPUS OF STRECRIPTION (PATABLE IN ADTANCE). Pestage repald at this Omee. 3.00 | Woskls, 1| o v 1.85 el Bpecial arrangements m=de with such. Spectmen copies gent free. To pravent delay snd mistakes, be sure end gire Posb. ©Offce addreas in fall, izcluding State and County. “Eemitances may bemade aitherby draft, express. Post- Cfice erdas, or o registared lettars, at onr risk. B TERMS TO CITY SUBSCRIBERS. Daily, delivared, Sunday excepted, 25 cents perwesk. Datly, deliversd. Sundar included, 30 cents per week. Address THE TRIBUNE COMPANT, Cerner Madison aud Dearborn-sts., Chicags, 1L TO-MORROW'S AMUSEMENTS. M'VICKER'S THEATRE—Madison strest, between Danroo et Stuia Eeprpement ot Lava 2Ll Mell and tha Marchionsss.™ AD?.!’H!TBIATRS—MH strost, corner Mon- #es. Varisty sutertainment. *' Beggars on Horseback.™ ACADEMY OF MUSIC—Halsted streot. betwesn Mad. 4 it of the Wallace Sisters o2 i ey ot LEY'S THEATRE—Randoloh _strest. between m‘.’guuu Lafalls. Engagement of Mad. Janausshok. * Chasney Wold.* RAND OPERA-HOUSE—Clark streot, _opposite OO Hiras, - Kasno, Hall & Wamboia's: Misvirela: SOCIETY MEETINGS. LY G LODGE, No. 311, A.F, & A. M.~ Mecbers are hersby notided to appear af Corinihian Hall, 187 East -at., Son 10 o'clock & m. fov S purposs of eiteading tha funantl el our e Brot ose} Bemuine ushill. By ovder of tos W, M. L. 5. CHARLETTE, So0. VAN RENSSELAER LODGE OF PERFECTION— There will be s regular asembly o Thursday erening, 15thinst. Work on tho dth snd ith degrees. By or £ RN Rk s KD GOODALE, Gr. Bee. ORDER UNITED W( ST QBB TR, ORI e ‘mect the ayo of a . Loy are sarnostly reqiasted to Conmusicats with J AL VR ey Sl e od to mot at 11 o'olock 8. m., sbarp, for the Ty 1 of our lats ‘Brother, lodges fraternally (o iannett. Vited. "5y order of the W. 3L By gne L. L. WADSWORTE, Beo. ATTENTIONERIR Kfll%?’%s_ 'T—S conclave of %"“"E ST wrk ow K 1 Otiore” Viaties e S Loreid co K T, Sl Tkl s Vi G. A, (L 'meoxdu LAFAYETTE CHAPER, No. 3 R. A. M.—Hall, T i B TN T et i . By omierof o %! N TOCRER, Becratary, - CORINTHIAN OHAPTER, No. 69 B. A. M.—Regu- L coovocadion Mondey Croniee, Soal B 207 vaek: DS 5. 0. DICKERSON, Sec. BUSINESS NOTICES. WIDR-AWAKE FOLKS ALL GO TO DR. MoCHES- mers, corer Glark and Randolph strests. | Oio price, 88 2 fall set best gum toeth. Testh extracted without pan. Gold plates and first-clas filling at half the ususl prices. All work wasranted. The Chicags Tribune, Sundsy Morning, April II, 1875. ‘The State of Ilinois has ridits statute-book of an unjust discriminafion against the weaker sex. Women can hereafter serve as Notaries Public. Stamping znd sesling o paper are mot guch arduons tasks that a masculine brain s needed for their acoomplishment. ey Baturday’s sesaion of the House was marked by the reading of a protest, signed by all the Republican members, against the outrageous rulings of Speaker Harxes. The protest is full of telling points, It fitly summarizes the career of the worst Spenker who ever dis- graced Ilinois. The enterprise of modern jomrnalism re- ceived a frech illustration yesterdsy, when the American, Pavr BorroN, crossed the English Channel in his life-saving apparatus. L press-boat sccompanied him and paid out s elegraph cable as it salled. A constant fream of news was flashed across the cable, p that the record of the bold experiment is omplete. Senator Harves has got the Banking Com- nittee to report favorably on his Savings- Bank bill, which is understood to practically jrevent any protection for depositors for at post two years. Spesker Hames hss suc- teeded in smothering Mr. Booue's bill, which ¥ould have given the depositors protection at mee. The Senator’s cbject in seeking the fisirmanship of a minor committee is per- isps comprehensible now. But what is the eason of the Harwzs coalition? Is two rears’ time of such great importance to any i the Chicago savings-bankg ? Gumlmpec‘wr Haxrer refuses to recog- tize the pro-fem. Inspector appointed by the Fovernor. © His stiorney hss advised this Jourse, on the ground that the law gives the Bovernor suthority to remove the Inspector, ut not to suspend him. Mr. Hixrza's fool- kb obstinacy will do him no good. It merely sonfirms the belief that he has embezzled the yublic fmfl&‘ The business of the office is muodmg satisfactorily and regularly under fhe superintendence of Mr. Panken. Mr. Barron can find a fresh proof of hereditary genius in the sbility for defalcation shown by both the Dlinois Harrer brothera. We are informed that the ring in the W of Comnty Commissioners have de- ndad_ upon s particular proposition for a building to be used for the Courts, and they propose to rash it through the Board to-mor- row without any regard to other propositions Ihat have been made. Now, the County Com- Inissioners ought to understand, and do un- lm.:{md, that the tax-payers are a unit in op- position - to the renting of any build- g for the Courts so long &s they have a8 oentral a location and as good quarters, free of rent, in the present-City Hall as they - now have. 'We have slready ezplained in de- tall how the present Court-rooms may be put Into mueh better condition for the purposes fer which they are used than any building which can be rvented, and that this ean be done at an expenditure of sbout $2,500, after which the light, ventilation, spaciousness, and vault-accommodations will be ;mmumnbly guperior to those of any business-building. 1If, in the face of: thig, the County Commissioners put the tax-payers to #n expense of $150,000 15,$200,000 by renting another building for a term of years, the ac- tion will be prima-facie evidence of & frand, and the most consummate impertinance, , ‘which the tax-psyers will resent. The railroad companies and the deslers in sscond-hand railroad tickets havoe been ‘waging a hot war in the Ilinoiz Logislatnre for same time. Tke railrdads have finally ‘Wwon. .Afier:hnp perliamentary practice on both xides, & bill has been passed which pro- hibits the gale of tickets, except hy the enthorized agepts of the companies. 'The penslty is $500, or imprisonment for a year, or both, The companies must buy back wused eoupons for the difference bstwean the fares to the pluos where the traveler stops &xd the placs to which his ticket entitles him hp ‘Thare is ons curions exception to the fecn &riff of the law. A msn whe boys & trhat “wih o lasogfd {ntention of traveling upon the same " can sell the whole or any part of it to anybody else. The bill thus allows the transfer of tickets, but- abolishes the convenient machinery for that purpose,—the ** scalpers’ " offices. This in- terference with the fresdom of trade, which makes railrond traveling more expensive, is, claimed to be justified by the fact that the « gealpers " sell counterfeit tickéts and act as receivers of stolen goods by buying tickets stolen from passengers, or fraudulently con- cealed by conductors. There is no means of knowing how extensively these sinful games have been played. Their prevalence msy possibly be s sufficient excuse for the law. THE AMENDED REVERUE LAW. The Legislature of Illinois has done one wise act, the more remarksble beceuse it is in the path of enlightenment and progress, and is a corrective of an evil which was due to the ignorance and demsgogism of its pre- decessors. The Revenue law of Illinois of 1872 was the embodiment of the worst prin- ciples of taxation, applied in the most igno- rant and reckless manner. The State has general laws under which any number of persons may organize themselves as a corpo- ration to conduct any kind of business which either one of them might do personally. These corporations under these laws have no special privileges, or rights, or immunities ; they are, in fact, mere partnerships, organized under a corporate form for the better con- venience of all the partners, because admit- ting a transfer of interests at any time with- out any interrnption of the business or change of the name of the firm. The Rev- enue law of 1872 was framed on the princi- ple that each and every such corporation was 2 monstrous evil, threatening the well being of society and the liberties of the people, and therefore to be crushed by the heavy hand of taxation. Therefore, the Btate pro- vided that these corporations, having invested their capital in property, should bo taxed, first, on their property of every kind; sec- ond, on 2l their debts; and, third, on the full amonnt of their capital stock. This legisla- tion was considered essential to the preserva~ tion of the liberties of the people of Illinois, and its protecting influenco has been pro- claimed by five hundred demagogueson the stump in all parts of the State. During the recent session, Senator Waite, sided by a few resolute and intelligent gen- tlemen of the Legislature, applied himself to obtaining a modification of this law, and he succeeded. He has obtained the re- enactment of Sec. 3 of the Revenue law, with the addition of the following words: Provided, turther, That {n sssessing companfes and aesociations organized for purely manufscturing pur- poses, ar for printing, or for publishing of news- papers, or for the improving and breeding of stock, the assessment shall be 80 made that such companies and sssociations so organized shall only bo asscssed as individuals under liks circumstances would be as- sessod, and no more; and auch companies and associa- tons shall be allowed the same deductions as are ak- lowed to fndividuals, ‘This law is an exemption of all the corpora- tions of the Iinds namod from the double and treble taxation imposed by the act of 1872. It embraces, in terms, all the corporations of the Btate - except the banks, savings banks, railway, horss. railway, bridge, ferry, plank-road, shipping and transportation companies, dock, life- insurance, fire-insurance, and towing com- panies; mining and hotel companies, build- ing and loan associations. How far mining of coal for sale, as distinguished from mining coal for use in manufactures, can be called a menufacturing business is a matter of doubt ; but this scarcely requires a question, because the Legislature has no power to tax one private corporation in 8 manner different from others, 5o that the exemption of capital stock of the bulk of the corporations of the State must practically apply to all. Taxa- tion of such corporations, both as to the rate and the manner, must be uniform. The only classes of corporations not reached by this exemption are the railways. Thess corporations, however, have sppealed to the United States Courts, and, under the decigion of Judge Drammond, of the Circuit Court, are protected from the double tax by injunction. We may, therefors, accept that the * capital-stock ” tax has, by the Legisla- ture and by the Courts, been sponged out. 1t is to be regretted that the Ilinois Legis- lature was not prepared to go a step farther and repeal that other provision of the Reve- nue law requiring credits snd moneys to be taxed. In another article we refer to the de- cision declaring money not taxable, and a promissory note for the payment of money might well be exempted. The effect of our revenue laws has been vastly injurions to the welfare of the State. It has subjected the people to an unmerciful taxation in the way of interest, and has prevented the employment of capital here in the way of productive industry. Corporations are but the aggregation of a number of individuals who combine their several small sums of capital, ond with the aggregate emgage in ‘business, and who separattly would bs un- sble to begin such business. The $50,000 thus picked up from a dozen or twenty differ- ent persons is nt once applied to employing 1abor, purchssing lumber, and converting that lumber into doors, window-sashes, snd other building material. Another like sum is applied to purchsmsing grounds, erccting buildings, buying hides, hiring labor, and converting hides into leather. Thus this legal opportunity of a number of men of small means to combine their capital puts that capital in motion, hires labor that would be otherwise unemployed, creates 8 market for raw material, and, while adding to the prodaced wealth of the State, supports and maintains a large number of families, extend- ing its effects to the miners of coal, the man- ufacturers of machinery, and to the pro- ducers of food and elothing. But our law discriminated sgninst such corporations. It threatened them with exceptionsal taxation. 1t forbade their organization under the pen. alty of confiscation. The State hes not repenled, however, the other and equally oppressive law which taxes money and credits, including mortgages and other evidences.of debt. The intelligence of the average legislator has not been cultivated up to the point that money is not prodactive of itself; thot it cannot be esten, NOT | Worm, noT utilized in any way BaV0 - a3 a mensure ; ar , counter of values in the exchange of ~commodities. When a carload of hogs is brought to Chicago and sold, the owner, who wanta to tako back with him their value in dry-goods and clothing, might so exchange them at the cattle-yards; but, instead of sodoing, he re. ccives money from the purchaser of the hogs, and then exchanges the money for the dry~ goode. The caly use of the money isto 80rve as a messure or standard of values in the exchange of the wo commodities. Money left alone produces nothing, and doss not grow. It isaf novalue fo the owner until he partswith it It is like labor, woeless when idls, and not valaable nntil expendsd, As well tax (he mind, sad sratgth, and health, and life of & man, as to tax the dollar in his pocket. But our law of 1872 treats the possession of money as an offense, to be punished sc- cordingly. It compels the man who has no money, but who borrows it, giving a lien on hig horse or his farm as security, to pay a tax on the horse or farm, and also on the mort- goge, and on the property he may obtain with the money he borrows. It is true the law says the lender must pay the tax; but the lender who is willing to give the money .| for 7 per cent adds thereto enough to cover the possible taxation, State, connty, and town, say from 3 to 4 per cent, and the un- fortunate borrower has to pay an average of 3 per cent interesta year extra in order to punish the man who has money to lend. By ascertaining the saggregate amount of monéy loaned in Ilinois on mortgage, and computing interest at 3 per cent, the peopls of this State may estimate how many millions of dollars’ extrs interest they pay annually under the delusion that they are punishing the mdhey-lender! Yet demagogues tell the people how this law relieves them of taxations when the fact ig that, if all these laws taxing credits were repealed, there would be anabun- dance of cheap capital in Illinois to ba bor- rowed on mortgage at 7 per cent. TUnfortunately, the people will have to wait two years more before this evidence of igno- rant legislation can bo repealed. HINTS FOR THE SUMMER. The time is coming when people gasp for a living, and are so absorbed in keeping their bodies free from dust, heat, and general dis- comfort that minds are put aside, with winter clothing, to be refurbished with that, next fall. It is not absolutely necessary, however, that intellectual work and play should cease from June to October. There is a certain resource which is especially applicable in the neighborhood of Chicago, but which has never yet been tried. We mean field-lectures. A party of from ten to fifty people could spend a pleasant and & profitable doy or week in going to Ottawa or the Lake Superior country with & staff of two or three local scientists, and studying Nature at first hand, under the tutorship of these gentlemen, instead of taking her at secord or third hand through books, pictures, dried grasses, or isolatedfragments of rock. The Ottawa Academy of Sciences would doubtless show a generous hospitality to any such party, and the investigators would be sure of hearty welcome anywhere, If the exploring company were sufficiently numer- ous, arrangements could doubtless ba made for reduced fares and hotel-rates, which wounld materinlly lessen the necessary expense. Persons for whom natural scienco has few charms, but who have historical tastes, might explore Illinois in- company to great advan- tage. A Punraux car full of people and sup- plied with a library consisting of Foro’s and Davivsox & Sruve’s “History of Ifinois,” Matson's “ French and Indians on the Iki- nois River,” three or four of PABRMAN'S series of books, and something on Mormon his- tory, could visit Ottawa, Nauvoo, Kaskaslkia, and other centres of historical interest. Sach a trip, properly managed, could be made at half the cost for each person of an individu- al tour of this sort. Then, for people who cannot leave fown except fora few hours, there are possible botanical parties to our different suburbs. The enjoyment would be somewhat mild, perhaps, but we do not want anything especially vigorous during the hot months. Something of this sort would at least be a relief from tho unbearable monot- ony of the aversgs picnic, where people lnboriously break their backs in gathering sticks, build hot and smoky fires, eat a bad dinner, pack np dirty dishes, and come home again. Persons whose business obliges them to stay copstantly in the city, and the thou- sands of ontsiders who throng to Chicago 25 a summer resort, will have at least one unigue enjoyment this summer. - THE CINCINNATI MUSICAL FESTIVAL, The managers of the Cincinnati Musical Festival, which will include seven entertain- ments during the afternoons and evenings of May 11, 12, 13, and 14, have issued an official catalogua which will be a valuable acquisi- tion to any musical library. This catalogue embraces, besides the programmes, biograph- ical sketches of the composers whose music is to be produced, and of the artists who are to assist at the Festival ; also descriptive and critical articles on the prominent works to be given.” This publication will not only en- hance the enjoyment of those who are for- tunate enoagh to be present at the Festival, ‘but it will afford some compensation to music- lovers who shall bo compelled to forego that pleasure. The Cincinnati Musical Festival of this year is already an assured success, Last year it was an experiment, and the experi- ence gained cannot fail to incrense the brill- jancy of this years performances. The Festival of the present year has been organ- ized on the same general plan. It will be under the direct personal mansgement of Mr. Tueopone TroMAS, assisted by Mr. Orro Bmvoes, who has been living in Cincinnati during the past year and has had his choruses under constant drill, and Mr. Duprex Bucs, ‘who will preside at the organ. The orches- tra will have more than 100 instruments, of which Mr. Tross’ own band is the nuclens. The soloists of the Festival are Mrs. H. M. Saurs, of Boston, and Miss Apez WanwERY, of Ohio, sopranos; Miss Axste Loumse Cazry, of STrAROSCE'S cpera-tronpe, and Miss Eana Craxcm, of Cincinnati, contralios; Mr, Wruraas J. Winen, of New York, and Mr. H. Arzranors Bsomorr, formerly of Chica- 8o, tenors; Mr. M. W. Wemxr~ey, the admir- able oratorio-singer, of Boston, and Mr. Fraxz Roxareerz, of New York, bass. It is to be expeeted that the chorus, with its long rehearsal and thorough drill, will be an im. provement even upon that of the last Festi- val, which found hearty praise from all the critics, B Tho programmes of this year’s Festival are -very striking. It would be a difficult matter for any one buty’l‘nom to crowd into an equal number of concerts so many varied and attractive compositions, and at the samo time preserve the full character and dignity of the Festival. Many of the selections are novel- ties. At the first concert will he given a “Triumplied” by Jomanxes Bramus, who Was 8 protego of Scrmauwy'a. Tho hymn containg a baritone solo, .supported by an eight-part full chorus, organ, and orchestra. :flxa bymn hos been performed several times in Germany, but never before in this coun- try,.aml never anywhero on so grand a seale &s is contemplated at Cincinnati. Tho first concert will also have Beethoven's Sev- enth Symphony, and thres Vorspiel scones from Wagner's “Lohengrin,” the latter with the leading solaists and the full chorus. The second night will be given up to Mrwprrssoms's oratorio of ‘“FElijah,”in which Mr. Wmmver will take the ‘part of the Prophet “Elijsh” has a popularty in England anly ssoand to that af “The Messinh,” and it is destined to take about the game rank in this country. It is noted as an interesting circumstance that many of the musicians in the Cincinnati or- chestra played in Birmingham in 1846, under the leadership of Mexprrssomy, when. the oratorio was first prodnced. Tha third night will bring out Bace's ‘‘Magnificat in D,’ which will then be given for the first time in America, and Beernovex’s Ninth Symphony, with the full voeal parts, including the final chorus to Scmmres's ode, ‘‘Hymn fo Joy.” The ‘Magnificat” is one of the best types of Bacm's method, in which the religious and Iyric are wonderfully inter- twined. It contains two soprano arias, one for tenor, one for bass, and one for contralto, a duet for alto and tenor, a trio for two so- pranos and alto, and several choruses. On the fourth and last night will be produced Somuneer's “Symphony in C,"” two scenes from WaickEr's * Walkure,” and one of Lszr's Symphonio Poems, with his cantata of Hernen's “ Promethens.” The Wieyen and Liszr selections of this concert will be among the most novel and brilliant effects of the festivals. The matinees aro given over to lighter music of & standard character, vocal and orchestral; at one of them the children of the Cincinnati public schools will sing in chorus. ‘We have given this full sketch of the Cin- cinnnati programmes in the belief that it will ‘be interesting in itself, and in the hope that the progress of the Cincinnati people in mu- gical culture which it reflects will excite an emulation in Chicago, where the material for similar festivals is equally good or better. The Cincinnati Festival has now become one of the musical institutions of the country, like the Triennial Festival of the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston, and tho Philhar- monic of New York. Chicago, with its lib- eral patronage of musical entertainments and large musical resources, ought not to be be- hind in its contnbutions to the common musical development of the conntry. A PUBLIC DANGER. - The Common Council last winter, by reso- Iution, submitted for popular adoption or re- jection the general muricipal charter of 1872, ‘The election on this question is to be held on Fridny, April 23. Thera is great danger that this election may result disastrously, by rea- son of the inertness or apathy of the public. It is conceded by everybody who has care- fully examined the matter that that charter is wholly inapplicable to Chicsgo; no sane tax-payer would now propose to adopt it. It has been the general understanding that it was to be defeated by default. But it re- quires negative votes to defeat it Not voting for it will mot be sufficient. There must be votes sagainst it. Five hundred votes for the charter, if a ma- jority, will be as effectusl as 50,000, and the election of last Tuesday shows how readily aud easily votes may be hired for an occasion. Last Tuesday there were 9,000 votes put in the ballot-boxes in the South Division alone, and there were not, 23 we are credibly in- formed by an interested observer, exceeding 1,500 legal voters who went near the polls, In the now-celebrated Twentieth Ward there ‘were over 2,000 votes polled. It will be a very easy thing for a dozen of designing men in each division to staff 6,000 to 10,000 votes for the charter, and thus produce the utmost confusion and demoralization in the City Gov- ormment. To allow that charter to bo adopt- ed, even by accident, would wark incalcalable In the first place, it wonld repeal the present entire City Charter; not merely amend it, but repeal it, and the new charter will take instant effect. The charter of 1872 is, as we have said, wholly inapplicable to a city like Chicago. Its adoption would plunge the city in the most inextrieable confgsion. It would over- turn every departmentand substitute nothing equivalent in its place. It would, moreover, jntroduce the utmost confusion in the terms of city officers, The first election under it for Mayor could not take place until April, 1877, while some of the newly-crested officers would be elected in April, 1876, and others would have to be electsd in November, 1875. The Legislature has re-enacted in part the law known as the Mayor's kill; it has also amended Bill 300 ; and with the old charter and these supplemental bills the city can get along until the people have an opportunity to vote in August next upon the new general charter. If by any accident tho charter of 1872 be adopted on the 23d inst., it will pro- vent the adoption of the new chaiter at the election in August next. It will not only destroy the present charter, but also the new charter to be voted for in August, léaving us nothing but the inapplicable and useless charter of 1872, It will cut off all the limitations and safegmards .of the proposed new charter of 1875, especially the limitations on salaries and rates of taxation. It will transfer all our city elections to April, when there is no registry law, and reduce them to the level of the fercical elections of last weck, ‘where the result was resched, not by voting, but by stuffing the ballots in the boxes with- out reference to thenumber of voters, ortheir residence, or their right to vote. It will be the funeral of all honest or legal government in Chicago, and the end of all respect for even the forms of decent elections. To prevent such a publio calamity it will require that voters take the trouble to go to their respective polls on tho 22d and vote against the charter of 1872, and also to organ- ize vigilance committees ngainst ballot-box stuffing. HYDE PARK POLITICS, Hyde Park has its political troubles as well a3 Chicago. The people ‘hats come to a sud- den realization of it since the result of tha town election has been declared. The busi- ness-men who reside in Hyde Park came. to town as usual, and allowed the election to take care of itself. Tho result was that the bummer ticket was successful. The Iatter drummed up sll the loafers and bummers, and carried the polls their own way. Tha town election is a thing of the past, and cannot ‘now be helped. But the village election, which is far more important, comes off on the 218t inst., and there is sorious danger that the doggery-bummers will carry it as they did the town election, unless the reputable citizens, who are in a hirge majority in Hyde Park, take an active interest in the result, go to the polls, and votae. The villnge organization in Hyde Park corresponds to our city organization in Chiczgo in the way of general fanctions. There are six Trustees (another name for Aldermen) to be chosen at the approaching election, and their powers are very comprehensive. The bummers have organized with a view to securing control of this Board. Thers is also a concealed pur- poss of electing a Board which will abandon 8 suit to yecover a large sum of monoy ob- tained on a contract by folss measurement, and to let eomtracts and pay ont money in the same way ihai this elaim was Allowed. feat this effort if they see fit to do their duty. If they do not, they will have no right to complain. 'AX ON MONEY. The Comptroller of the Currency hss re- cently given an opinion that National-Bank notes, as well as greenbacks, are exempt from taxation as personal property by State laws. The law of the United States reads: All stocks, bonds, Treasury notes, and other obliga- tiors cf the United States,shall be exompt from taxa- ::nn by or under State, or municipal, or local authar- by, The word “obligation” is subsequently de- fined— Tho words obligation or otber security of the United States shall be beld to mean all bonds, certificates of indebtedness, National-Bank currency, conpons, United Btates notes, Tressury notes, fractional notes, certifi- cates of deposit, bills, checks, or drafis for money, drawn by or upon suthorized officers of the United States, stamps, snd otber representatives of value, of ‘whatever denomination, which have besn or may be issued under any act of Congress. Xt this decision be sustnined, as we think very probably it will be, all greenbacks, National-Bank notes, and fractional cur. rencycare exempt from taxation by State, municipal, or local authority, in the hands of individuals and of institutions. As these constitute the bulk of what is now held by the people as ‘“money,” under this law “money ” ceases to be a taxable property. The language of thelaw is very clear and ex- plicit, not only in the prohibition of local taxation, but in the definition of what falls within the prohibition. No evidence of value or credit, issued under the authority of tho United States, is taxable under'any munieipal law. Our Assessors will, therefore, have to revise their lists, and drop * muney.” A QUEER SET OF PEOFLE. Bavarp Taxyros, in his recent journeyings in Egypt, came across some curious speci- mens of & pigmy race whom the Khedive's troops had found in the wilds of Africa. They were little fellows with big heads, pos- sessed to all appearances of fair intelligence, and not devoid of outward grace. But their language was foreign to any of the known African dialects, and they had little in com- mon with the other people of the world They were of s retiring and exclusive nature, though an ancient race. and supposed to be the same referred to by some of the ancient writers, Here were a people with a local history, an ancestry, traditions, and fixed customs, yat peculiar in form, color, habits, and even mentsal characteristics, and unlike the other people of the sams country. It has occurred to us that we have a sort of intellectual and morel prototype of this peca- liar race in our own country. We refer to the “Brooklyn crowd,”—an expression used without any contempt, but as a means of dis- tinguishing the class we have in mind from the common people in Brooklym, who are probably very much like the common people everywhers else. But the Brooklyn crowd— surrounded as they kave been with thevirtues and weaknesses peculiar to- the nineteonth century, mingling day by day with the base metal of mortality, crossing in ferry-boats ond riding in horse-cars, preserving all the exterior pgoings-out and comings-in of the rest of mankind, eating, drink- ing, and sleeping like other tarrestrial cres- tures—have preserved a distinctive existence, the peculigrities of which might never have been discovered bad it not been for the Rev. Dr. Bacon’s letter impaling one of the crowd on a sharp spear, and holding him up to the public goze. This Brooklyn crowdis as pe- culiar in its way 28 the pigmy race of Africa which Hzmoporus first found and Baxarp Tirror recently 2ame across, and a good many of its eccentricities and idiosyncrasies have come out within the last twelve montks, Perhaps we cannot better illustrate its distin- guishing features than by citing a few of its peculiarities, Mr. Treopore Trrrow, for instance, be- lieves that his wife has been falso to him. Most men, under a similar conviction, would put their wives away ; :but, so far front doing this, Mr. Trurox takes every possible occa- sion to laud the high moral nature of the lady he accuses, and insists that she is a pure woman. Take anotherinstance. Mr. Beecm- £ soys that Mrs. Movrroxn has lied abont him most outrageously, and kas kmowingly and willfully perjured herself to do him in- jury; yet he is firmly persuaded still, and so expresses” himself under oath, that she is a nice woman,—in fact, 8 most estimable lady. These are certainly very queer and most wn- usual sentiments to go together. Still an- other, Mr. and Mrs., MourToN profess to have known from the lips affboth Mr. BrEcE- £g and Mrs; TrroN that they were guilty of adnltery ; but Mr. Mouxton introduces Mr. Beeoner into his house, and Mrs. MovzToN coddles him, and pets him, and kisses him, and Movurrox thinks it is all right. Assured- ly, this Brooklyn crowd is entitled to a sep- arate niche in the historical archives. Mrs. MovzTox, whom Mr. Beecue has de- scribed as a practical sort of woman who oc- casionally *let the wind out of the bag,” scems to have appreciated the peculiar char- acteristics of the crowd better than anybody else connected with it. She had a little less sentiment than the rest of them, and ap- proached a little more nearly the rude world outside the sacred circle. On ome of those numercus occasions when Mr. Bremomzn “ wanted to die,” and thought he couldn’ live, Mrs, Movrrox blurte: out: *Oh, you, and FRawx, and THEopoR, are all going to die. First, Trurox is going to die; and then Fraxk comes home, and he is going to die; and then you come in and ssy you are going to die; but I notice you all like to live well enough.® Mr. Beeomen thought this was a little hard, and he says “it didn’t make him feel good.” It wns a momentary de- parture from the distinctiveness and exclu- siveness of the * crowd.” Mrs. Mourrox let herself down from the ethereal heights on which they wers all living, and, sniffing about the ordinary admixture of nitrogen and car- bonio acid gas with her oxygen, she blurted out a blunt, matter-of-fact statement, which we can well imagine shocked the groaning- and sobbing listener, and would have equally smazed the other members of the crowd if they had heard it. It was one of their pecn- linrities to be constantly wanting to die, but never dying ; and it was extremely rude in Mrs. MourTox to forget it even for & mo- ment. ‘When the members of this peculiar race of Brooklyn were not sobbing, grozning, pour- ing out their exuberate joys and exaggerated afflictions in letters, ar wanting to die, they seom to have spent their time chiefly in kiss- ing-each other. They kissed all around, with an infinite variety of smack and an endless resource of sentiment. The women kissed each other, which is very common; the men kissed the women, which is not so common; and the men kissed each other, which, in this country, is an nncommon snd, most people go, the men won't loy this up against him. There were oll sorts of kisses, and Mr. Beecuer says they were not unfrequent. There was the * paroxysmal kiss”; also the ¢ligg of ingpiration”; the other kisses ranged from the formal salute on the fore- head to the emotional conjuncture of the lips,—the ¢ linked sweetness long drawn out.” Had Mr. Beromzr been given a fair opportunity, we have no doubt that he could have given a siriking appellation to everyone of the different forms of kissing which pre- vailed among the “ crowd." We are curious to kmow what he would call MovrTox’s and Trzrox’s kisses, in the light of more recent events. Another peculisrity of the crowd was that, after an unusual amount of kissing, they would refuse to speak to each other the next time they met. Numerous other circumstances could be cited, if it were necessary, which seem to be contradictions, and incongruities, and para- doxes to poor mostality, but which were really, distinguishing characteristics of this strange set of people. The only serious question hinging upon the condition we have pointed out is, whether it is right that the issue between the different members of the Brooklyn family should be tried by the forms and tribunals used for common people. Has there not been a mistake in supposing that differences in so peculiar a family organiza- tion can be settled by the rules provided for the common herd? Is there not danger that it will be simply impossible to ascertain the truth by applying human agencies to the worlkings of tlfis extra-human combination of what pass for men and women? Haven’t we permitted this queer set of people to lead us into a Iabyrinth of confusion from which we shall never be able to extricate oursalves ? A Chicago daily paper, in imitation of the weekly purveyors of blood and thunder, has es- tablished & depsrtment of querics and answers ; and has called to preside over it s scientific gen- tleman of soine attainments. The position ia & difficult one to fill, and it is no grest disgrace to the person in qnestion that he makes s great many blunders, some of which ‘displsy 8 large store of ignorance and peculiar ingenuity in Dringing it to publio notice. In Satardsy's issue, for example, ho says: * We have no means for aacertaining what a man’s weight could be at the sun.” As s matter of fact, it is & perfectly sim- ple problem to determine whats man’a weight at the sun would be if his weight at the earth be known, The computation is frequently made by mathematicians. The force of attraction at the sun’s surface ia about 2744 times as great asattbe earth's surface. In angwer to another correspond- ent, the newspaper scientist says that the Gulf Btream is caused by the difference of tempera- ture between the poles and the equator. Any chitd who has studied physical geography knows better, and can inform the newspaper scientist that the Gulf Btream is principally a tidal phe- nomenon. The: difference of temperaturo re- ferred to, if operating aloe, would cause & movement of water in an opposite direction to the Gulf Stream. This much may be said for the newspaper scientist's benefit: Thero is sometimes great virtue in & confession of igno- ranco ; but modesty requires that it should be limited in its application. The zeal of proselstes has passed into s proverb. Converted Jows are the most uD- compromising Christians, Duriog the late War, Northern Becessionista sarpassed their Southern ‘brethren, who wers o the manner borm, in ferocity and hate; and at this day the best specimen of 3 Bourbon-Democrat is to be found, not in Louisiana or Georgia, but in the old Puri- tan State of Connecticut. Senator EAToN is the msn. He is the boldest advocats of State Rights the country has seen since ths War. It appears that his family is pretty well indoctrinat~ ed with hus sentiments. The followiniz anecdote, related by the Washington correspondent of the Boston Globde, is quite to the point : An amusing incident occuszed the othor dsy. Mrs, Gen, GORDON, the charming wife of Senator GomDOY, of Georgis, was sitting in the Senate gallory with Mra. a7, the wifa of the new Senator {rom Connecticut, By birth and edncation, Mrs, GORDON {s an aristocrat, brought up with a8 strong prejudices t 5 equality with blacks 8s any ome could be. Of Mra, EaTox'a early years we know mothing. Turning her Dead, Mra. GoRpoX saw Fnxp DOUGLAsE (n the gal- lery, quite near ber, Thinking Mry. Eatox would Hike 10 86e 80 celebrated a man, ahe said to her: “ Fayp Dovarass is sitting directly behind you 1 i Good gracious] you can't meanit; hers? in the Senator’s gallery 1 responded the horrified Connecti- Uy aok 1" Iaughed Mrs, Gaxnow., “He bas & right heéro now 17 * ©1dont care if he baa; £ wan't st hare with & ngg- "x';;?’mu‘l:fiog was interested. n tho debsta ;%0 Frep DovGLAsa with ernlady sat sevesely. _— Both Houses of the Legislaturs have passed a bill which requires s panper to reside six months in a connty before he can scquire the rght to county support. This law, if duly enforced, will save Cook County from the necessity of boarding and lodging the myriads of sturdy loafers who tramp into Chicago in the fall from the whole surrounding country, and live st the expenso of our tax-payers wntil spring. This city has become the headquarters of pauperism for the West, just as New York is for the East. Such s atate of thinga should bo stopped. The truth 18 that Poor-law relief is of very doubifal expediency, in any cage. The Poor-law of Ersza- pETH is -considered by the ableat observers to have been the greatcause of English pauper- ism. If s man will not work when he can, there is no especial reason why anybody else shonld support bim. The elosing of the Cook County Poor-House would grestly diminish psuperism in this county. Some of the present residents would go to wark; more would go to other lo- calities, whera people wero still foolish enough to give them board and lodging for nothing. It would remove an unproductive consumer,—s man with the manliness rotted out of him,—and it wonld leave more of the fruita of honest toil to be divided among the tollers, The charity that helps men to help themselves is divine; but the charity which breeds pauperism is a curse to the paupers and the wazld. —— Mr, Wiz Corrixs snd Mr. Cmantes Reapx are now before the public in & personsl and pri~ vate relation, both of them being engaged in re- futing calumnies and crushing assailants. Mr. CoxzaNs' griovance is exsiest stated. His story +The Law and the Lady * has recantly been ap- poaring in the London Graphic. The pub- lighers of ihat paper have boen much shocked by soms broad langusgs sod indelicate allusions in the story; and thoy have accordingly issued s card disclaiming responsi- bility for them, and expressing regret for baving printed a production. so immoral and otherwise g0 unworthy. In reply to this Mr. CoLLNg has published a letter fall of strong invective and bitter denuncistion. He esys the editor of the Graphic mistook sn attompt of one of the male charaoters in the book to Liss one of the female personages for something very much warse. He quotes the Iangusge, to show that it cannot by any fair construction bear such an interpreta~ tion ; and, on the whole, makes cut a cass sgainst the newspaper. The editor, directars, and proprietors, Mr. CotrIxs says, * were all simmering together in & moral missms of thexrr own raising.” _— The Rowing Association of American Colleges, which met at Springfield, Mass., last week, not only exacted the very liberal terms from the Baratogn hotel-kespers to which we alluded yes- terdsy, but also perfected arrangements on their own account which promiss to make the next Tegatta satisfactory to themselves and to the public. The most important of theso is & pro- vision that the race shall taka placs in the marn- would say, tasteless sort of amusement. Tha | jng Last year, it will be remombersd, thers only unfairness noticeable fs that Bxzaxxm | wsrs ssversi postposscsnts in eonsequemce of o get meove then kis ahare af the Xies- | fough water; asd i was then shown that Sare- i The respectable voters of Hyde Park csn de- | ing, though, as far as Mouzross and Tmroxs | toga Lake at that sesson of the year was mary likely to be rough than smasth every aft The Associstion has also stipulated thy thete shall be 1o publio ing, acd that extortionate charges - gy back-fores shall be refanded by the Citizepy Committes of Saratoga. The course of bost, 8 we have previously noticed, wil iy marked out by buoys ; and the possibility of g, cidents or fouls will thus be reduced to a miy, mom. Professional trainers or coaches proscribed. much to the gatisfaction, wa pry. sume, of everybody who wishea the race tobe considered gentlemen's sport. 80 far as thers iy virtue in rules and precantions, the Rowing 3y, sBociation bave insured a fair race, a prize e the best crew, snd comfort for the spectatars, THE CONSTITUTION OF GERHAXY, ASxErcH or TEE GrmaX CONSTITUTION, i\'sl'icst:uas. London: Longmans, Grean The fasion of tho disunited, differing, tented, disloyal Germay of 1814 into ons i, perial whole, almost within half a century, is g of the great phenomens of our age. The German Empire died in 1806, when Napolsry formed the Confederation of the Rbine. That Confederation broke to pieces with the Srmies of the Corsican aad fell with hia fall. Mr, Girany Duft, writing of the year 1814, savs : “Gery was now utterly disintegrated. From the Black Forest to the Russian frontier thers was Bothing but angry ambitions, vengeances, and fear® ‘What miracalous touch hss broaght thadsg nation back to life? What sort of bonds prors strong enough to hold together mombars 50 ats. Iy warring one with another? The answers to these questions are of interest to the student of politica. Anawers to both of them are given in this kittle volume of 126 pages of large type. 1Ir. Nicolaon not only Qescribos the German Constitation, tho cohesirs force of to-day, but be gives a rapid ekeich of A Germsn history from 1815 to 1871, which showy the process of unification, step by step. Waars chiefly concerned with the Constitation, but the ‘history deserves something more than s pasting remark. Tho lucid analysis of the Schleswig Holstein question is fatal to the trath of Lor Derby’s clever mot: **Only one other man in Europe besides myself ever understood the Schleswig-Holatein dificulty, and be is dead.™ ‘When Prusaia won the war of 1866, aha obliged Austria to consent to her absorbing 1,308 square miles of territory and 4,815,000 people ; to recos- nize the dissolation of the Germanic Confeders. tion ; and to agree to & new organizstion of Gar. ‘many from which she (Austris) should be sx- cluded, Prussia at once called a North German Parlisment. Its members wera elected feb. 12, 1867. ** It was the first tims since 1843," asys German writer, ** that the people elected their representatives b; raal suffrage, and the firat time in the e: of the German pation that the election tookPlace by direct vote, and not through the medinm of electors.” Prussis chosa 238 of the 297 members. Assoon as this Par litment was organized, the two most importan parties of the Reichstag of to-day wers formed, These sre the Fortschritt-Partei (Progrosshs Party) sud tne National Liberzl Pariel Ths firat believes in liberty first, unity second. Tha creed of ,the second reverses this order. The draft of » Constitution submitted by Bismarck was adopted withiu less than two months by 230 to 53 votes. The only important amendments were those granting pay -to members of the Reichstag, and limiting the maintensnce of a #‘¢peace army,” amounting to 1 per cont of the population, to five instead of ten years. Bis marck declined to sccept thess amendmenis The Reichatag declined to recedo. compromise was made. The first Was sbas doned and the second ratified. The different States quickly indorsed the Con~ stitation, It came into force about July 1, 1867, From that date, Germany was for the first time a Federative State (Bundes-staat) instesd of s Confederation of Stateg {Stastan-bund. State sovereignty had been tried and found sad- ly wanting. Nineteen monarchies and the thres Republica of Bremen, Lubeck, and Hambr were united into onoStste. OF its 30,000,000 souls, 24,000,000 were Prussians. The centril power consisted of three elsments,—the King of Prussia, who waa the President of the patim® and Commander of the forces; the Federsl Conncil, with 43 members from 22 States; sad the Reichstag, & Parlisment electod by universal suilrage. As 500 as North Germany was thus consoll- dated under the control of Prussis, the wily Chancellor began to scheme for securing the ad- hesion of South Germauy, exclusive, of course, of German Austris. He adopted an absolataly unique and most ingenious plan. A Customs- Union, embracing the North Germsn Confeder- ation and the South German Stetes, was form- ed. Ita representative bodies wers empowered to pass laws upon all the commercial interests of the whole of Germany. Bismarck’s msichless cunning showed itself in the composition of thosa representative bodics. Thers was, firat, s Fod- eral Commercial Council, which consisted of ths North German Federal Council with the South German delegates added toit! There was, soc- ond, a Commercial Reichatag, which wag formed in the samo way by adding South Garman dale- gates to the regular North German Parliamest. Fioally the King of Pruasis, the hosd of the North German nation, was also the hesd of tho Customs-Union of all Germany. Haviog thas artfully welded the nation into one commercisl whole, Bismarck found comparatively title dif- ficalty in substicating * political ™ for ** com- mercial.® Jan. 1, 1871, is considered as the birthday of the German Empire. Tho Empire consigta of twenty-two mon- archies, threa republics, and the Imperial prov- ince of Alusce-Lorraine. Theright ol secession does not exist. The central power consists of Emperor, Federal Council, and Reichatag. The Imperiai dignity is hereditary in the malo line of the Royal Prussian House of Hohen~ zollern. The Emperor can veto billsin relation to the army, tho nsvy, the customs, snd the taxes on beer, brandy, salt, and beetroot sugar. Hecan prorogue and dissolve the Council and the TReichstag. He appoints all diplomatio agents- ‘He makes treaties, but they have to be approved by » majority of both Council and Reichatsg. If they trench upon the Constitution, or make 3 change in the natiooal laws necessary, they must receive » two-thirds voto in each of these bodies. Tho Emperor cannot declare war with- out the consent of the Council, or carry it oa unless the Reichstsg votes supplies. The Federal Council is an sdumbration of the American Scoate. It contains 58 members, of whom Prossia bas 17. This ratio does noi de- pend upon population. Prussia is partly com= pensated for ber numerical inferiority in the Council by the fact that no law makiog s fands- mental change in the constitution can pass if 14 votes aro csst against it. She thus hss s legislative veto. The members of the Counell are appointed by the Governments of their respective Biates and vote under instrud= tions from them. There aro eight Committees elected by the Council from its own member~ sbip. They supervise the administration of toeif different departments snd draft laws for the Roichstag to consider. Thess Committoes ate for the army, the navy, customs and taxes, comr marce and trsde, railwsys and telegraghs anl posts, justice, statistics, and foreign affairs These Committees are really ministries, bul they are rosponsible to nobody. No adverst vote, nothing short of the proroguing of tht Council, can put them out of power. The Reichstag consista of 897 members. Prus sis elecza 335 of these. The elections are brica nial snd the seesions ars annual. There is of representative for every 100,000 souls; bd States which contain less than this pnmber & entitled to return ona Deputy. Every male Noril German over 25 years of sge, who is notia 88 tive military service, & criminal, & paupez, oT{ baokrupt, has the franchise. Every voter whi has restded a year in one State is :ligible fo eloction to the Baichstag from any distnct the Empira Boidias and Governmens es ployss are eligible. .. The lsther elase W mads so, Acsceding 89 Thudam® *Viche Finallys . T wE gy SRARSARME 1 L3