Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, April 29, 1875, Page 4

4 TERMS OF THE TRIBUNE. RUTES OF SUBORIPTION (FATADLE I ADYAWCE), Pastage Prepaid at this Ofice. 2,00 | Taskly, "3.1;".. Flee coples, Teu oop! s 1.03 W0 1188 WANTED—Une sativs agent In each tean and village, Speeial arraagements made with ench, n ooples sent free. mistakes, be eure aud gira Post. y cdow, or in reglatered lotters, at onr risk, TERMS TO CITT EUBACRINAAS, Daily, deliversd, Randay escopted, 20 eents perweck, Datly, dalivered, Bunday Included, 30) conta par woak. » Addr ¥ TRIBU! NY, AOADEMY OF MUSIC—11: lean and Mewros. Engagement of the Tronpo., *¢Grand Duohess.' M'VICKKR'S THEATRE—Madison steaet, between Dearborn snd Btate, Engsgement of Maggie Mitchell. 1 Jane Kyre.? ADELPHI THEATRE- ros. Varlety entartalnment. NUMOOLEY'S THERATRE—Nandoinh etrest, betwesn Clark and tasalte. **Mouts Cristo," d streat,batwoen Made Kwmily Boldene born atrest, eomer Mon- '* Marked for Life," GRAND OPERA-HOUBR—Clark streat, appos Bhormsn Houso. Kayno, I & “lflb:ld'l Allnatrs foot of RXPOSITION TUILDING-Lake Shore, Adsmustrest. Eahiibition of Patntings, McCONMICK TIALL—North Clark streat, corner Kin- sle. Oonoart by ths Thomas Orchostra, The Chivage Teibune, Thursday Morning, April 20, 1875, The installation yesterday of tho Prince of Wales as Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of Masons wns more an honor to H. R. H. than to tho Order at whose hond be is placed. e Jonx Brianr, in an nddress at Birmingham yestordny, gmve a sharp thrust st the pro- tactive-tariff folly in America. The United States, ho said, occupied the Indicrous posi- tion of inviting England to mnke a display at tie Centennial of goods which they were dobarred from offering in competition in the American market, : A destruotive visitation of a new plague of tnsects is aflicting tho planters of Western Tennesseo, whose horses and mules are dy- ing by hundvads, bitten and worried to death by swarms of buflslo gonts, The proportion of deaths ir far greater than that during the prevalence of the opizootic, and many of the planters will be ruined by the losa of their stock at a time when it was so badly neoded. Thero is & rumor that the Council intend, on Friday nisght, to disrogard the injunction of the Circuit Court against the canvassing of Inst Friday's vote, and declare the frandu- fent result of a scries of frauds. As evory individual member of the Council who shall vote in faver of this action will bocome guilty of cortempt of court, punishable by fine and imp-isonment, our advice to them is the same thet Punch gave to very young people wanting to marry : *“ Don't !" Tho country is to be congratulated on the appointmant of Judgé Epwanps Prenmz- roNT, of Naw York, to be Attorney-General in place of Alr, WiLutaxs, rotired. Judge Trzeneront hos accepted. Ho isa vnst im- provement opon WrLiiams and AKERMAN, his immediata predecessors, and he will bring 03 much credit to the office as did Jndge E. R, Hoar, who was one of the original mem. bera of Gen., Gravnt's Cabinet. Judge PrenneronT bas peen practicing law in New York for thirly years past, and has assumed 8 front rank at tho Bar for ability and integ- rity, During that timo he has served on the Supreme Nerch of hix Btate, and was for a time United Statea Attorney for the Southern District of Naw York. Wo have no doubt that the new Attorney-General will make a 7igorous prossoution of tho Govornment suits against the Facific rofids, and that be will in svery way amulate Gen. Bristow and Poat. anster-Genecal JrweLy in the inauguration of reforms. ————— The thriving and beentiful City of Osh. kosh, Wis., was yesterday tho scene of a ter- rible conflagation, which reduced to ruins in area of about one square mile, containing the finest purtion of the city, and involving o losa estiranted at over 22,000,000, Tho firo is sald to have broken out after 1 o'elock in the afternoon in a saw-mill, and frora thenco, oided by a florce gale fromm the northwest, tho flames extended to othor mills and lumber-yards, the embers from which, borne on the high wind, rapidly communicated the firo to adjncent buildings, nnd it was soon raging so «furious snd fast as to be boyond control. A wide 1wath waa mowead by the flames through tho thoicest portion of the city. and it was not antll after soveral homra‘ of battle, in which gll possiblo nsslstanco was ren. dered by the firo departments of seighboring cities, that tho dresdfnl lostruotion wos stayed, ‘The rnin wronght ra3 something pitiful—tho equivalont, in Jshkosh, to Chicago's great blaze of 1871 [he Court-Houso, Post-Offics, Opern-House, 1otels (with one oxception), four nowspaper Mices, banks, telegraph offico, scores of Jusiness blocks and their contents, a largo sumbor of elogant residonces, manufactories, nills, ote., were deatroyed, involving poverty md ruin for a lorge numbor of pros. serous eitizons; threo lives wero lost, woording to our latest eadvices, and wundreds of familles wers rendered tomeless, Oshkosh lias been singularly un- ‘ortunate in regard to conflagrations. No onger ago than July 14, 1874, tho date of Chieago'a nocond great fire, Oshkosh suffered ihe dostruction of 00 houses, with a losa of abont £800,000, Hardly bave her encr- getlo and plucky citizons had time to recover ‘rom this blow before another and far uoro terrible calamity overtakos their city. er suffering people will havo the slncere iympathy of Chicago and the Northwest, and more material manifestations will not be iecking fn our city, Oshkosh, though fear- tully stunned by this monster catastrophe, bas within hersolf the power of recuperg- don and recovery, Her fine natural ad. . rautages, togother with tho enterprise and ipirit of her citizens, will soon set the city a0 hor feot again, ‘Tho Ohloago produce markets were strong yesterdsy on grain and tame on provisions, Mess pork was dull and n shado easier, olos. ing At $21.80@21.82} cash, end §22.05@ 22,074 for Juns. Lard was very quist and 2o per 100 s lower, closing at §15.02 cash, sud 316,82} for June. Meats wers quiot at 610 for shoulders, 11jo for short ribe, and 13j0 for ahort clears. Lake frolghts wors dull aud nomigal s 8fc Sor eorh o Buffalo,- iligh. THE CHICAGO TRIBUNK: THURSDAY, APRIIL, 29, 1875, wines were quict and firm nt $1,14 per gallon, Flour was moro active nnd steady, Wheat was in good demand and o higher, closing at $1.021 cash, and $1.03] for May, Corn was nactivo and 1e higher, closing at 76}c for May ’| nnd 7G}e for June. Onts were in fair demand nnd n shade firmer, closing at 62}efor May and 63je for June, Rye was quiet and stondy at $L07@1.08. Barley was quiet and stronger, at 31.25@1.26 for April and 81,23 for May. THogs were ctivo and unchanged. Sales nt £7.40@8,75, Cattle were 10@17e lower, but were netivo at the deelino. Bheep werain fair demand at steady prices, ‘‘ CHEATING ON BOTH BIDZS.” Tlto organs of the conspiratorn have veered around on n new tack. Unabla to deny the overwhelming ovidences of wholesale frauds committed Inst Friday, they now sing out in chorus that both sides chented,—hoth sides stuffed the ballot-boxes, One of them says ¢ That fraude were committed in the cloction last Triday 18 uot improbable, There bun protably navor eeu held an claction in thin cily fn which frauds were not committed. And many clcctlons held fn thin city could be cited tn which the frands commltted were far mors glaring, palpable, and undoulable, then they wwors in the charter alcetion, The election on the Arat Tuesday in this montls furnishes such a csse, Do tho frauds committed on the fivat Tites- day in this mouth at tho town elections fur. nish a justification for the monstrous ballot. box atufling committed on thoe fourth Friday of the snme nionth? The frauds practiced at the town clections were undoubtedly im- miense in many of the wards, but the matter in issuo wes s0 slight that nobody folt sufll- cient inferest theroin to contest them. But at Inst Friday's election the question at issue was 8 city charter, which {8 a very important matter, ns it affocts the wholo city for many yenr,—how many no one enn tell, The Ring organ undertakes to cast sus- picion on the purity of the election in the Sixth Ward; nlso in the Fourth, Tifth, Twalfth, Fifteenth, and Soventeenth Wards, which gave majoritics ngainst tho charter of 1872. It offsots these wards against the Firat, Becond, Sovonth, Eighth, Ninth, and Elev- enth. Wo sny to the Ring organ, Don't he quite 8o fast in * tumbling " to your conclu. sions, Just look over the following facts and fignres boforo you raiso tho cry of * stop thief " : The total vote cast in the Sixth Ward at the November election Inst fall was 3,104; while at the election Inst Friday it was only 1,138, or one-third as many ; whereas the First Ward polled last fall 1,031, and on Inst Friday 1,762 votes! How does it happen that the vote of the First Ward is necarly double what it was Inst fall? That the ballot-box was * stuffed to tho extent of 1,200 to 1,400 votes in this one ward, is too ovident for gerious denial. ‘Take the Second Ward: 1,625 votes were returned ns found in the box, but last fall, after nn exciting canvass, only 1,113 votos were polled, The best opinion of tho ticket. peddlers ia that not to exceed 400 votes woro cast in the Second Ward, and that fully 1,100 wore stuffed in the box. Light is cast on this point by the vote of the adjoining Third Ward. Last fall there were polled in it 2,142 votes, or a8 many as in both the Tirst and Sccond Wards, Last Fridny only 887 votes wero cast in the Third Ward, How came it that the vote of tha Third Ward was loss than ono-fonrth of what was polled Inst fall, while that of the First and Socond was far greater,~—3,287 last Friday to 2,144 Iast fall? The difference can only bo accountod for by ballot-box stufiing to the extent of more than 2,000 ticketa. Last fall the Fourth Ward polled 1,930 votes; on Friday Inst only 588. In the Fifth Ward 2,617 votes were cast last foll, but on Friday Inst only 822 were polled. Yat theso are two of the wards which the Ring organ charges with having committed frauds against the Ring's schems | Let us next takea look at the result in some of thie West Side wards Tenth Ward last fall cast....... Tonth Ward last Friday. Cornpare this wi Floventh Ward Inat fall cast, Eieventh Wazd lant Friday. How happens 8o extraordinary a difference esthis? Last Friday the Tenth Ward polled obout one.thind of last fall's vote, and gave abont 100 majority against the charter; whercas the Eleventh Ward is returned ns polling o considarably larger vots than Inst fall, and ns givieg 1,467 mojority for the thing ! The villainy of this return is as npparent ns the noses of the knaves who stuffed the Eloventh Ward poll-box. Take another caso : Votes, Tovellth Ward east last fall + ‘Trwelfth Werd cast last ¥l Haventh Ward cat last fall. Barcuth Ward cast lsst Frida; How happoned it that a full voto was re- turned in the Seventh Ward when all the ov- idences of apathy and indifferonco were visi- Lle to every spectator? Tho Thirteonth ‘Ward, which gave 100 against the chartor, only polled 50G votes, while last fall it polled 2,110 votes. In the Fourtconth Ward there was o somewhat aclive contest, and pne of tho Aldermen worked bamdl for the chartor 0f1872. Thovote was 573 forand 302 against, —total 875; but laat fall this ward polled 1,827 votes. The Fiftoenth Ward is referred to by the Ring orgon s ono in which thers was cheating against the charter. Thot ward polled -1ast fall 2,813 votes; but lnst Friday on the charter question it cast only 1,012, which docs not leave much room for ballot- box stufilng, nor much presumption of it. But it {8 uscless to pursue this subject farther, The extont of the ballot-box stuf- fing which was perpetrated to carry the char. ter of 1872 can only be described as mon. strous, S—————— Tho official organ of the corporation has beon Interviewing Mayor CoLviN on the lato charter voto, and roports that gentleman aa saying that “if the people of Chicago had thoroughly understood tho queation that was submitted to them, and were acquainted with the merits and domerits of the two bills, in. stead of majority of 1,800, ot least 10,000 majority would Lave been the result.” Wa presume Moyor Corviy beliovea what he Bays, 1t 60, lot him recommend to the Common Council to voluntarily disavow tho fraud of Inst Friday, and call, in & logal manner, an olection to bo held according to law, Mayor CoLviy knowa perfectly well that the late election did not comply with the law in any casentinl respoot ; that only one question was rubmitted when there should have been two; that no provision was made for clerks ; that only oue ballotbox was furnlshed for two votes on soparate questions; that no polllist or record of votes was kept in half the wards; that tho boxes were not sealed, nor the votes strung, nor ohallenges admitted, nor any other of the essential pro. Visions of the Election law observed. Mr, Couvax nlso professes to believe that thera wera frauds on “both sldes” in the vote, Now {2 he knows of thesa frauds and believes on that socount that the ohartor did not get &3 1a2ge @ majority s I8 would have gob ln & e fair and legal clection, thon he should uso his influenco toimdnee the Council to set asido the fraudulent election and order a lawful elcc. tion, It the charter shall receive 10,000 ma- Jority or any majority in an eloction held nc- cording to tha requiremanta of law, none of its opponents will hnve & right to complain. Horo is an admirablo opportunity for Mayor Corviy {o vindicate himsolf, and receive the hearty indorsoment of 10,000 majority in favor of his conlinuing in oflice eighteen months beyond his time, oo A— A FALSE PRETENSE. The Ring organ profosses to believo that tho new charter would sceure even n botter set of men than those who compose the present Council, of which it has suddenly conceived so exalted an iden. 'That {s to say, it puts forth this probability ns ono of its ex- cuses for sustaining the illegal voting, the violations aud disregard of tho Eloction law, and the ballot-box stufling of last Iriday. “To increans the importance of the Conncil is tha surest way to improva the charactor of tlie Council,” says the Ring organ. Indeed! "This involves the nssumption that honest and intelligent mon can be clected whenover they aro willing to stand ns candidntes in all pnris of tho city., Has this been the experionco of the past? Wae should say not, if we refer to the files of ths Times for the character of tho Aldormen who liave been clected over their opponents, Is thare nny better prospect for tho futuro? The Riug organ knows per- fectly well that the chances for the future will bo worse than those of the pat, if wo are forced to submit to the charter of 1872, Under that charter, the city olections will be transferred from the fall to the spring. Instend of electing Aldermen, ns heratofore, on the same day astho Stata election and with tho check of registration, wa shall have to voto for them in an oleclion held under the auspicos of the Council, with judges and clerks appointed by tho Council, and without rogistration or any othor check upon repent- ing and ballot-box stuffing, All this the Ring organ knows perfectly woll. Tha elec- tiond for Aldermen will be in every respect lika tho oloctions for town officers, Now whot is thero to induco respoctable and intelligont men to stand o5 candidates for tho Council under such circumstances? What hopo is thero of electing respoctable and intelligont men under such o syatem, oven if they can ba induced to stand? The attractions are increased for the ward-bum- mers aud pot-house politicians. Thoy have epecial facilities for voting their ‘ropeators and stuffing the ballot-boxes. They have in- crensod opportunities for jobs and steals. Aldermen will probably be paid a salary, nnd this will furnish another bid for choap bum. merism. The net result will bo a choico ns- sortment of eccond-rato political bummers, with unlimited control over the offices, con- tracts, approprintions, and taxation up to 3 conts on the dollar of property, or nearly double the exorbitant rate which the prop- erty-owners of Chicago are now paying. The fact is thot even the Chicago TWmes, with its small concern sbout tho intorests of the city and its utter contempt for honest govermment, would scarcely commit so glar. ing an inconsistency, if it did mot lope thereby to work out its editor’s private quar- rel with Mr. A, O. Heswia, Tho Z%mes ignot only willing to sanction ballot-box stufing, but it is also willing that the tax-payers of Chicago sliall be cursed for all time to como it Mr. Hesmva's temporary discomfitnre is in- cidental thersto. This is just now Mr, Sronxx's chief objoct in life, and all other things, temporal and spiritual, aro mado sub- servient theret A CHANGE OF FRONT. The Chicnago Zimes has nover claimed hon- eaty or sincerity in opinion, and has openly flouted all iden of consistency ; but, if it has been porsistont in any ane thing, it has been in a donunciation of the character of the Com- mon Council. It has lamentad over the pow- ers granted to this body by the spacial charter under which Chicago is governed. It has frequently declared that this chamber can never be improved so long as the ward sys- tem of politics prevails. It has roviled the tings that have been formed in tho Couneil, and taken to itaclf groat eredit for what it denominntes fearlessness in calling tho Aldermen bummers, scalawags, blackmail- era, thieves, ex-juil-birds, otc., cte, But now that the Ohicago Z%mes has becomo the organof o majority faction in the Couneil, and of the batlot-box atuffers and the illegal voters acting fn the Council’s interest, there is & endden and somewhat surprising change of front. It is.in favor of tho charter of 1872, becanrs this charter enlargos the powers of the Conneil enormously, and ““‘olavates that body to the importance of a Legislature.” The same body which has boen unconscionable in the exerciso of limited powers, according to the Zimer, is suddenly transformed into a model of honor, integrity, and ability by the assumption of nnlimited authority, by the same concern. That is, the man who has been corrupt and licentions aven under rostraint, immedintely be. conmes honest and virtnous when the rostraint is removed. Juat what principle or precedent all this is based on we foar nobody outside the ‘“old man" in the 7Vmes offica can explain. As a mattor of fact, tho very first act of the Common Council, under the cool assumption that the charter of 1872 had been adopted before tho returns were can. vassed, was to pass a resolution perpotuating the old Board system, to get rid of which the Times for yenrs hashowled. The noxt not would be, if the charter of 1872 wero in force, to incrense the number of Boards and offlces, This would be followed by increasing salaries all around, and voting thomselves compensa. tion. Buch would bo one of tho phases of the diffusion of responsibility incldon to in. crensing the legislative and appointive pow- ors of & Board of thirty.six Aldermen welnly oloctod from the grog-shops and purlieus of & large clty, ——— The banquet tendered to the Hon, Oann 8cmunz in New York on Tuesday evening last was not alone a gracoful personalcompliment but o significant national event. It waa in ita deepeat and fullest senso an occasion upon which Mr. Bonuxz was honored with a pub- lic oxpression of the gratitude of the people of this country for his ger. vices in the United Btates Bonate, and of thelr admiration of his character as 8 man and his intellectual ability as a scholar and a statesman, Thoss who assembled upon this occaslon came there without referenco to porty affiliations. Republicans, Liberals, and Democrats united in paying him the tribute of thelr respect, ‘The logal, the modical, and tho clerical professions were represented by some of their most eminent members in this country, end the world of literaturo and art sont some of its most illustrious representa- tives to do honor to the occasion, Buch a tribute as l‘:’:l; the ,:oour:‘x;« of which {a 50 Tare aven 004 latter days of dining and wining, was emlnently dasseved, and, by il poculinrly national character snd the dignity of its wurroundings, conferred more honor upon tho recipient than he could ever obtain Ly partisnu preferment, oo s — * THE CHICAGO OF 1823, In roviowing, last Sunday, M. SimoNiv's articla on “The Two Rivals of Westorn Amerien," we sketohied present and futuro Chicago. On Tuesdny we presented past Ohi- eago. Tho story is tho best answer to those who doubt the faturs growth of tho great city, The materials for it aro found in the little Look from which wo . publirhed copious extracts, In the spring of 1823, President Moxnox sont a small exploring party into the Westorn wilderness, An account of the oxpedition was published in the following year. 1t con- tains o graphio sketch of * Fort Denrborn” and ita noighborhood. ‘*Wo wers very much dlsappointed,” tho exploror reported, ““at the appearance of Chicago and its vicin. ity." Andindeed this soems to have been a melancholy locality nt thattime. The gar- rison of about oighty men could not, by unremitting industry, rise onough grain to supply their own wants, The shallow and damp soil wos unfitted for vogotation; cold lake-winds killed the sprouting grain ; swarms of insocts nto it ; and a detail of soldiers had to be kept constantly employed in shooting the destruc. tive crows and blackbirds. Morcover, when tho scanty atalks escaped all thesa perils, tho ** shortuess aud coldness of the season " usu. nlly provented the riponing of the cars, Gnmo, t00, wns evon then scorco, Tho clty which is now the grontest provision-mart in the world, handling overy year twico tho grain handled by the two grentost grain-ports in Europe together, then depended for pro- visions upon 8t. Louis and Mackinaw, ** The villago,” says the bistory, presents no cheering prospact.” The Chicngo of 1823 consisted of o *fow huts,"” which wore * low, filthy, and disgusting,” and wero inhabited by *“nmiserablo race of men, scarcoly equal tothe Indians from whom they are descended.” The low, filthy, and disgusting huts have becomo lofty, splondid, aid ornate palaces, and tho men of those times having becomo extinet, modesty forbids our sketching the character. istics of the modern Chicagosn. Still, it is permittod us to say that tho world is nover weary of pralsing his energy, his tact, his cournge, and his ability, and that be is nover woary of hearing the world indulge in these outbursts of truth, The explorers found a few specimens of copper ora in this vicinity, and were much puzzled therent, for they could discover no traces "of a mine. The specimens wero doubtless swept down hore during tho glacial period by an ico-lrift from Lake Su- perior, The sketch bt the neighborhood shows that the party was here at o time of high water, for the visitors on June 9 rowed up the Chi- engo River, which was *narrow, rapid (), and crooked, presenting s gront fall,” and orossed to the Desplaines. They suggest thot Loke Michigan probably dincherged its waters, atoue time, into the Mississippi, and say that the communication could Lo ro-established, and that the best way would be to prolong ‘“the little Cal- amick,” down at Wolt Lake, South Chicago, to the Desplaines, 2 These early visitors indulge in very gloomy prophesies about the futura of Chicago. It offers no inducement to the scttler,” they say. The lake-trade then amounted to the eargocs of five er six schooners during the year, Not much more could be hoped for. Lake nav- igation was dnngorous, thors wore no good harbors, and the great sand-bars would pre- vent any important improvement of the port of Chicago. 8till, theoxplorers thought that whon the banks of thoe Illinols River and the country botween thom and Fort Wayne had been thickly settled—not till then—Chicago might bo * ono_ of the points" for the trade botweon tho Lakes and tho Mississippi, but could never amount to much then, It any of these prophota of ovil are alive, they onght to come back liera now and sce bow gross was the mistake thoy made, If onoof thom had bought a fow acres of that muddy and shallow so0il in 1823, he would hiave made his children millionaires. Forthe mud-hole has become a metropolis. THE COMFTROLLER'S REPORT. The report of tho Comptroller of Chicago, presonted to tho Finance Committeo of the Council, confirms the statoment mado by Tuz Teuxe last Sunday, that there was on the 18t of April a deficit of uncollected taxes amounting to $6,752,000, against which there was of nceessity an unsottled linbility of the city largely bearing interost. The oity holds 08 assets the following : Taxcartificates, taxes of 1y Tax.certificates, taxes of 1y Tax-certificates, Laxes of 18 ledand enjolu 280,747,058 ‘There ave, however, nppropriations made whick have only been partially expended, but soms of which are under contrect, and all to be exponded ; the unexponded appropriations amount to 31,808,034, The city owes a float- ing debt of various kinds amounting to $4,079,819, The city holds, in addition, s nom- inal claim for §291,912 for tho taxes of 1869 and 1870, the warrnts for which wore de- stroyed by firo, and these taxes may be con- sidored ns lost. It nlio holds ns mssots the warrants for personal taxes of 1871, '2, and '3, amounting to $490,224, and in the tax. warrant for 1874 is included 658,208 for per- soual taxes. The uncollected personal tax is 81,148,432, Of this sum a large amount will nevor be collected. The probable ulti. mats value of the uncolleotod taxdists may be thus ostimated : Tax-lista of 1820, 1870, Tolaliuuscrsrsesanansararenannne Parsonal taz-liats, 1671, 100,000 Personal tax-list, 1874 250,000 Real properly tax, 1474, 4,439,150 Taxcs 'fimw nd en}| 350 Tax-cariificates, 37118 [X Tolal probable Procesdissvesessssess or 331,800 Against this aros Floatiog debt, Unezpeuded s Apparent eXCHELcsesnsisinssieeresniesd 400,060 We do not, however, understand that this exhibit shows the actual condition of the financos, Tho linbilities of the city of all Linds foot up $28,850,327.57, which includes $18,450,000 bonded debt. ‘The other liabili- tles amonnt to $10,894,827, against which tho city hias colleotable assets as follows: Uncollsated revenue snd caab, estimated, Bills receivabla, Duncas, Sherman k o, lmlrmvlmlnl foud ol rtifcates. esesssnancassrnanens 9,205,805 Hego is over a million dollars of money borrowed by the city from speclal funds of all kinds, for which there is no outstanding cartlficats of indebtedness, This sum must at some time be made good by revenus from tazation, This stalemend treals the Giex defaleation na an offset nyninst & part of this debt, In othor words, treating tha uncollected taxes and the Gaor dobt ns availablo in the future as cash, the city is abont ono million of dollars in arrears, and this million must ho paid at some time by rovenue collected by taxation. There must bo an end some timo to this kiting which has beon necousary over ainco the fire, This defleit may be mot In two wnys: First, by an extra lovy 50 as to produce n sur- plus over the appropriations; sccond, by n reponl of g0 much of the nnoxpended nppro- printions ag aro in n condition to Lo repenled, and the spplication of the funds to tho re- demplion of the unfunded linbilities, It costa tha city, in one way or tho other, at least 10 per cont additional In all its expend- itures bLecause of having to pny its way in borrowed monoy. If it wero in a condition to pay es it goes, it would save a large per- centage of cost, "The tomporary embarrassment of the city for tho want of tho uncollecled taxes is n atrong admonition to those who owo theso these taxes to pay the samo without delay, especially the tax on personal property, The City Governmont eannot be conducted with- out ita lawful revenuo, and the taxes due are as mnch a dobt demanding prompt payment a8 if due to private persons, The Commoh Counoil also, in the annual spproprintion Dill, should mnke some pro- vision for tho gradunl extinction of this dof- ict, and the rotirement of all the flonting dobt of the city, It can do this botter by ex- ercising a discriminntion in its expenditures, The water fund which the city has borrowed will s0on be needed for the completion of the ‘West Bide Water-Works, and the tax levied for wnter-gervico should be apportioned with that view, Tho gront and pressing demand for soewers which existed a few years ngo hins been to a great extent mot, and thore ia no longer the occasion for immenso expenditures for that purpose. Cortainly nono bat inhab- ited loenlitios should be sowered in the pres. ent financial condition of tho city, The Fi- nance Committee will, wa hope, reject all schemes and jobs o purchase any more real estate. Tho city in in the market as o seller, and ean woll afford to decline buying any, es- pecially for onlarging parks, ‘What tho city wants now, to roscue her from tho financinl embarrassments which compel her to make expenditures from one to two yoars in advanco of the rovenuo for that purpose, is, first, that property-ownera pay their taxos ; sccoudly, that the city cut off all exponditures not indispensable, and that the surplus rovonue lavied for particular pur- poses shall bo applied to the payment of arvonrages to thoso funds. Unless this deficit be soon nttacked, it will bofore long become overwhelming, T —— IMMORALITY OF THE LOBRBY, The Bupreme Court of the United States, in arccent decision, has declared that all con. traots for tho compensation of persons acting a3 agents and lobbyists to obtain the passage of laws by Congress for tha' payment of claims aro void, becauso opposed to public policy and public morals. The enso in which this decision was made was that of tho claim of the heirs of N. P. Trisr, Ar. Tnist was aclork in the State Departmont, and when Gon. Scorr was in the City of Moxico ha wna sent to thot city with somo papers. Whilo there, acting on his own motion, he nego- tiated o trenty of poace with Moxico. Tho United States, knowing nothing of Trsr's movements, sent an Extraor- dinary Commission to Mexico, and, ns the Commissioners entered Mexico, Tnist was leaving it with his treaty in his pocket. President Porx was soxions for pence, ond, without approving of Tniar's conduct, he gont tho treaty to tho Sonate, which body ratified it. Poor Tnist, howover, wes dismissed, and got mo compensation. This was in 1848, In his old ngolie potitioned Congross for compensation, and, after vainly ‘waiting several yenrs for compensation, em- ployed one of tho chiefs of the lobby, agreo- ing to give him one-fourth of the claim, ‘While it was ponding the ngent died, but his son, who had succoeded to the business in the lobby, enrriedon the business, In 1870 Congress approprinted $14,600 to poy tho claim, .Tnisr refused to pay tho lobbyist because he had rendered no service,whereupon the lobbyist obtained an injunction upon the ‘Trensury, and the monoy was tiedup, The caso wos then taken to tho Buprome Court, which body set aside the injunction and or- dored the monoy to bo pald to Trwsr's heirs, ho having in the menntimo died without ro. ceiving anyibing during his lifo, ‘The Supreme Court, while admitting that there was no ovidence in this case of & cor- rupt bargain, used this lenguage : Noverllicless, the theory of our Governmont is, that sl publlo stationaare trusts, and thet thoss clothed with thom aro to be animated in the ducharge of thelr duties solely by conalderations of right and justice and of publio good, They are never to descend o & lowerplane, But thorels a correlative duty resting on thecitlzen in Lis intercourss with thoso in authiore 18y, whether exocutive or legiulative, tonching the per. formance of thelr functions, e fs bonud to respect trulb, fraukneas, snd Integrity, Any depariure from tho line of rectitude in such cases is not only bad in morale, but iuvolves a publio wrong. 1f the fnstanees 'Wero numerous, open, and tolorated, they would bo regarded sa messuzing the decay of the public morals sud tho degeneracy of the times, No prophetia aplrit :an;x‘l be neoded to forotell the consequenccs near at AT The plain meaning of the language of the Court is that tho wholo business of the lobby ia immoral, and contracta founded on lobby sorvice are void. Yet how much of the busi. ness of Congross is rogulnted by the lobby! It is almost an impossibility for o private claimant to have hia caso recoive tho loast at- tention unless he puts it into the hands of tho lobby. But the control or inspiration of legislation by the lobby is by no means con. fined to private claims. It extends to much higher classes of logislation. The lobby is largely concerned in tho framing of tariffs, ‘Tha tariff laws are largely mado up of special rates and rognlations upon specifio objects in the interost of individuals. It is literally special logialation. It requires a lobby to work up the Houso to tax importod ehoe. taps, slate-pencils, corsot-oyelets, and fine- tooth comba. Tho lobby also interposes to teach members of Congress upon the com- peusation of Government officers, or the establishment of new post routes; upon the compensation for rallroad trans. portation of the malla; wupon lang, and bond, and money subsidies; upon ex- tension of patont rights,—the lattera most profitable business; it extends to Indian ap- propriations and Consular salaries and allow- anoes; to the employment of ohnplaing, to tho ordering of surveys, to the construction of now public buildings, to appointments to office, and to nearly every branch of Congres- slonal legislation where importunity of mem. bers oan induce a favorable vote. It was this importuning of members which Sax Wans, last winter, sald waé renderod ap easy and made 50 pleasant by means of well.oooked diaces and au abundance of good wins, Al contrnets for the compenastion of mioh sor. vices, tho Bupreme Conrt declares, nre noces. -snrily vold, heonuso immoral and dishonest. Yot the declslon strikes at tho vory fonntain wheneo springs nine-tontha of tho legislation of Congress which involves the appropriation or expendituro of money or the pocuniary galn or profit of individunls, ERTY FOR PUB- LIO UBEs, Tho Bupromo Court of tho United Blates recontly decided n caso which Is of specialin. torest to tha people of this city, It iu.in ro- lation to the vacating of awnrds in canes whero privats property is taken for publio ures. The facts woro that in 1869 tho Legis. laturo of Now York by law provided for straightoning and widening DBroadway be- tweon Thirty-fourth and Fifty-ninth atreots. It requirod the Commissioners of Central Park to map ont the proposed ohanges of the streot, and to give notico thereof, and do- claved that Brondway thus newly laid out should bo ono of the public streets of the city. Thelaw required the City Council to take tho proper steps o acquiro title to the Innds needed, and to apply to the Supreme Court for the appointment of Commissioners to eatimnto and to pswers upon the city not oxceoding one-third of tho cost of the im- provement, Theso Comumissioners thus ap- pointed wero roquired to make a just and equitsble psscssmont of tho loss and damage, if any, over and nbove tho beneflt and advantage, or of the henefit, over and abovo’ tha damage, to tho respee- tivo owners of the lands aud premises re- quired. The Commissloners were appointed and reported thelr proceedings, which were confirmed by the Court in December, 1870, This award nllowed Daxren Ganmison $40,000 dnmages for n portion of his leaschold estate taken, and the timo for the actunl opening of tho straet was fixed for Dee. 81, 1870. On tho 27th of February, 1871, two months after tho confirmation of the report, tho Legislaturo by Iaw authorized an appeal from the order of confirmation, to be taken within four months, It nldo authorized, pending the appeal, & motion beforo any Justico of the Supreme Court to vacate the order of con- firmntion; and that it upon the hearing it shonld nppenr that thero was any error, mis- take, irrogularity, or illegal act in the pro- ceodings, or that the nssessinents for benofits or damages had been unfair or oppressive ag respected tho city or any individual, the Court should vacato the order,. which should then be void; nnd ehould refer the matter back to now Commissionors for n now assossment, Under this act the motion was made, the ordor vacated, and new Commissioners appointed. " Gannisox then bronglt euit to recover the 840,000 awarded to him by thoroport, alleging tho confirmation of the award by the Conrt, which he claimed was finnal and conclusive, beeausa in the confirmation of the report the titlo tothe property had vested in tho city, and his rightto payment hed vested in him,— insisting that tho subsequent nct of the Logielatura was unconstitutional becnuso it impnired the obligation of a contract, etc. On the argument of the case, the plaintiff re. ferred to tho oxisting lawof the Stato of Now York, by which it was provided that the re- port of the Commissioners in such caseswhen confirmed by the Court was * final and con- clusivo™ ; but the New York Court held that theso words did not prevent suoh a judg- ment from being set aside for fraud, mistake, or irregularity, and the vested interest therein is subject to that liability, The Supremo Court of the United States affirmed the docision of the lower Court, which was for the city, and in so doing do- clared that in the proceeding to condomn tho property of o citizen for a public atrect thero isnothing in the nature of a eontract bo- tweon him ond tho city, and Justics Frerp thus 1aid down the general principles govera. ing such casea: The proceeding 10 sscertain the benefits or losses which will accrus 1o the owner of property when takon for publio uso, and thus the compensation to be mada tobim, I8 {n tho naturs of ao inqueat on the part of tho Btate, and Is nocessarily under her control. It ix ber duty to sce that tho estimates made are just, not mero 1y to tho individual whoso proporty ia taken, but to the public which ta to pay for it, And sho can to that end vacate, or sutliorize the vacation of any inquest takon by her direction, o sscertaln particular facts for her quidance, whero thoe proceeding has been irregularly or fraudulently conducted, or in which error has intervenpd, and order & now inquest, provided such methods of procedurs be observed ae will se- curo o folr hearing from the partles intor- ented fn the propirty, Nor do we percaivo how this power of thio State can be aifocted by the fack it ahie Diakos the finding of the Commissionors upon tho inquest subject o the approval.of ono of hor courts, That {s but ono of the modes which she may adopt to provent error and {mposition in the proceed.. ings, Thore is certalnly nofhing {n tho fact that s’ appeal is not allowed from tho uction of tho Court fa such cases, which precludes n resort to other methods for tha corraction of the finding where irregularity, mistake, or fraud has Intervencd, Unttl the property {s actually taken, and {hia compensation 13 ‘made or pravided, the power of the Stato over tho matter is notendod, Auy declaration in the statuto that the title will vest st a particular timo, must be construed in subordination to the Constitutlon, which roqutres, except in cass of emergonvy adwitting of no delsy, tho payment of tho compensation, or provision for its payment, to precedo tho taking, or, at laast, to bo con- ourrent with it, ¥rom this it appears that the city or State is not bound by any award of damages, but enn continuo to vacato any judgent and in. stituto new proccodings until one is roached that is satisfactory. This decision is very important to the City of Chicago. BIREET PAVEMENTS, Mr. Avorr OLuss, o Washinglon. architect and civil enginoer of grent ability, discusses in the last number of the Popular Bcience Monthly the various kinds of strect-pavement now in use in European and American cities, ‘We hope that his paper on this subjoct will attract the attention of scientific men and civil ongineers, and lead to new experiments which shall contributo to the limited stock of pavemonts for oity strects which wo now havo, The progress that hos beon made in this matter within the Inst twenty years, in. cluding the moro extended use of asphaltum in Europe and of the wooden blocks in American cities, would indicate that we have but just begun the go. lution of the problem. With tho co-aporation of scientists and engineers, the streots of large citles will bo in ns much bet. ter condition twenty years from now ag they are now guporior to those of twenty years ngo, There iaroom for tho same degreo of progross in tho flexibility, durability, cleanli- ness, and cconomy of streot-paving in the fu. turo ga thero waa dating from tho last gener. ation; wo are still far removed from tho com- bination of all these desirable qualities, Tho progress in the pnst has beon mainly in the suggestion of new materials; the progresa in the futuro will probably be in the way of new ©combinations and improved processes of lay- ing thesa materiala, The one fundamental principle alroady recognized is that the samo kind of pavemont is not equally well adapted to the different oonditions of climate and use in differont citles, The wooden pavement which Mr, Ovvas s {nalined to condeman is batter walted to Chicngo than to Washington, and his con. clusions are mainly drawn from the expor.. enco of thelattercily, 'The stroot-pavements of Washington cannot furnish a fair test of thelr merits in any cnso. Never was so large an amount of money apent on sircot improve. ments in go short a time na in Washington, and never with comparatively so amall n ro. tamn. Over 85,000,000 weora invested in wooden pavomenta thero within threo years, inocity of 110,000 inhnbitants, Tho TAY3e ments woro Iaid in the grontest hinste, ond in thoe maunor calculated to me'q tho greatest profits for the contractors, Tt wns rather the purposa of {ag Ring Government in Washington to got in as mitch contract work as possiblo Lefors the ‘* improvement systom " could b checked than to provide good and durable strects, Rapid improvoments to soll off the prope:ty was addod to tho incentivo of tho exorbitant contract.profits. Jut, oven if tho woodon pavoments of Washington liad been honestly constructed, it is probable that the differenco in climato would not pormit them to last so long ns in Ohicago. Buch has been the expe- rienco of Cincinnati, 8t. Louis, and oticr citien furthor south, Concorning the asphaltum pavement, thora have beon no fair tests in this country. The composition-pavements laid in ‘Washington and Now York under this name have not Leen of the samo puro material which composes the delightful pavemont of Paris, Thore has beon some nsphaltum, but it was mixed with enrthy deposits. Tho asphalium nsed in the Paris stroets is tho Neufchatel rock, which, as Mr, Cruss says, is * reduced by hont to pow. der and rmmed and rolled when hot into g homogoneous, tight covering, and laid urong perfectly dry ordinary concrete foundation, composed of crushed stone and coment.” This rock cortainly mnkes a smooth and handsome pavoment ; but it hos not yet been discoverpd that there are any such dofosiia on this continent, and the cost of importing Neufchatel rock will be £0 grent as to axcluda ita adoption in this country. But itia by no menns freo from objections, It is extremely sonsitive to sudden changes, and one sevcra Chicago spring would play havoe with it. It hiny not on this account proved o satisfne. tory in London as in Paris, There &ra alsa othor ronsons for this. Paris is not a heavy commercial city like London, and like most of our American cities, and thore ia not so sovere a strain upon its streets, Bt in both London and Paris gangs of workmen aro constantly engngod in repairing tho asphal. tum pavements. It hins been found. too, that these pavements are exceedingly and dangerously dlippery in case of frost or after rains. During the last winter, which was exceptionally sovere in Peris, there were times when the use of the asphaltum streots hiad to bo nbondoned altogether. Even in or- dinary times horses are constantly fall. ing, and cannot riso on account of the pglassy-like condition of the street, and it has beon found necessary to sprinlde tho streets with sand after washing them. Itis extremely doubtful, therofore, whother this pnvement conld be used nt all in o climato like that of Chicago, which ranges over about 140 dogrees Fahrenlioit in the course of a year, and somotimes clianges 20 or 30 dogrees in as many minutes. Yet wood and asphaltum appoar to be the only materials to attract the attention of en. gineers; the former for America and the latter for Europe. No progressive cities will over be contont with bowlders, eobble-stone, the Belgion or tho Maoapax system, The objections to the bowlders are the distressing noise, and the enormous wear and tonr on lorses and vehicles. The Belgian pavement, which consists of oblong blocks Iaid in nar. row strips, in addition to great molno, has beon found to collect filth in the ruts and joints, which is gonerativo of missma., Wo bave no stone in this part of the country adapted to tho Maoapam process ; tho lime rapidly orumbles into dustin dry weather, aud is traneformed into tho nastiest kind of mud in rainy weathor. For the cities of this country, and especinlly for those of the North and West, the experiments of scientifio mea can bo bost directed to wooden pavements, with thoe purpose of ascertaining the kind of wood that will last longest and discovering somg process of preserving it. Thero is no question as to the superiority of this pave- ment whon {irst Iaid; if it can be rendered moro durablo and can bo honestly con- structed, It will yet be the model pavoment for cities. Thior wss an eloction Iast Friday in the City of Chi- cago, The questions voted on were: Flrat, cr thie reoplo dexirod a relncorporation of iho cily uc a law pased in 1872 ¢ sccond, whether the peoply do- sired the minority ropresentation or cumulative voting humbug in elocting members of tho Cemmon Counctl, The volers decided Ly a mnjority of about 1,000 in favor of relncorporation, Tho votcrs decided tgalust minority representation Ly a majority of nearly 4,0.0, or ive {0 one agatuat thé minnrity ropresentation Bumie Lug.—~Detroit Free Pre ess, ‘Ihere aro a few slight inscoaracics in the above, viz.: 1. In a legal point of view, thero was no **elocs tion” in Chicago last Friaay. Thore was soms kind of ward-caucus voting, but no sach olec- tion ss tho statutes of Illinols prosoribe ar 1cee ognizo. 2, The queationa vated on were not two, only one,—on tho relncorporation under the luw of 1873, The minority ropresentation question wes not submitted to the poople, although in srome of the warda thers wero a fow persons who voted pro or con on that question nnder s misajpros hension, Thore wore 22,500 votos resurned by tho judges and ballot-box stuffers on tho ehar- tor quostion, but ouly 5,160 on the minurity quoetion, snd 1,073 of these wore *‘stuffed" agaios in the First Ward,—not & dozen of tha citizens Laviog voted ono way or theotheron the quoation in that ward, 8, The votors—thoso who sttended the in- formalelection or caucus-meotinge—cast between 6,000 and 6,000 majority sgainst the proposcd charter. More than half the votes reported **For" it were * stuffed,” and nat voted by sny persons enjoving the olective franchiss, 4. Tho voters dooided nothing for or sgalrst minority representation, bocause the questicn waa not in issue, the Common Council having noglected to aubmit tho queation to the peopla. Tho Post hiad better post itseif up a little before talking about Chicago local mattors, and thersby avold making another such exposure of its igno. Tance, —_— Clicago has some reason to be proud of the Comptroller's repors, viewing it solely aa 8 work of art. It ia doubtless tho longest document of the kind that ever atolo iuto & newspaper. The schedule of assots is extended enough to make evory citizen foel rich, and the schedulo of la~ bilities, though moro compact, furnishes most excollent testimony to the good eredit of the city, Oue could nos owo 30 much without pos- sessing in an eminent dogres the coufidence of tho world. The report, too, considered merely a8 an end unto ftsclf, bas served s purposo; for it bas haa brought most welcome and necsssary reliof to the offiolal organ of the oity, whish, by meand of the supplies thus furnished, may be enabled to prolong ite existence almost for so- other year, e e P A romantie story is told of the lste pastor of ibe Episcopsl Church of Ashland, N, Y, Aboud & yoar ago ths Hev. J, 8. CLasus 00k the Heotore ship of Trinity, and with 1§ the salary of 68008 year votod him by the ecngregation, Besides this bo bad bus 30 allowed by the Didemssia