Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, April 4, 1876, Page 4

4 TERMS OF THE TRIBUNE. WTER OF AURSCRITTION (PAYADLR N ADVANCE). 2 Postage Prepnid at thls OMee, Daily Rditton, poatprid, 1 sear. +.$13.00 Paris of yea Gne e ol QOlnbof t ‘1 h postago tipecimon oopleasent freo, To provent delay and mistakes, bo enro and siva ost- Offco addresn in fall, ineluding State and Connty. Remiitanccs may he made either by dratt, express, Post-Office ordee, o n replsly ¢ aue tisk, TERMG To CITY 80 Dally, delivered, Sunday escopted, Dadly, dslivered, Sunug‘, lneludl rem Cotner Madi HOOLEY'S THEATRU—Randolph street, betwean Clark and LaSallo, The Califoruts Aliustrels, MCVICRER'S TIEA Deartiorn_and Btate, Privilego." WOOD'S MUSEUM—Monroe street, between Dear- born and Stato, Afternoon, The Drunkard,¥ Even- ing, “ Roving Jack,"” B ADELPHI THEATRE—Deatborn street, corner Monrae, * Quilp,™ PARWELL HALIL—Msdlson street between Clark E-.lmbuuuu-, Concart Ly the Boston Philharmonic nb, atrest, between Th *f Le: ‘The Ladles' PLYMOUTH CHURCH—Readings by A, P. Borbank, = —————————} @he @hienge Tribune, Tuesday Morming, April 4, 1876. Greonbacks at the New York Gold Ex- ehange yesterday closed at 84}, Clearing weather, with little change in temperature, is prodicted by ** Old Probs ” for this region to-day. Two young Virgininng had a controversy about a woman, and yesterday sought satis- faction at tho pistol's mouth. They both got it. Tho young gentlemen were both respect- pbly connected, and the obsequies will doubt- fess be largely attended. The impeschment proccedings in the caso of ex-Secretary Berzyar are now in ship- shape, the Houss having formally adopted tho articles and appointed manngors, aud it only remains for the Senate to designate the time when the matter shall bo token up. Cryuer's bungling mismanagoment of the investigation cost him his chance for promi- penco in the conduct of the impenchment, the House coolly omitting his name from the list of managers. The election in Connecticut yesterday re- sulted in a Democratic victory, with Ropub- lican gains of from 1,600 to 2,000 over the wvote of 1875, INoemsorn, Democrat, is re- elected Governor, and in the Legislature the Democrats have o strong msjority, In the Third Congressional District, tho clec- tion to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of Mr. STARRWEATHER resulted in favor of Mr. Warr, the Republican candidate, and in the defeat of Davio A, Werrs, the Demo- eratio nominee. At Inst tho tedious litigation in the Stato Insurance Compnny case hns rerched a stage which affords o prospect Of practical ond substantial rosuits to she longesuf- fering creditors. Orders were yestorday made by Judge Brobeerr rejecting tho claim of the National' Loan and Trust Company of over 1$500,000 for. policies fraud- uvlently bought up for n small fraction of their faco value, nud requiring Gromoz O. Ssnre to disgorge the funds of the Insnrance TCompany for the benefit of tho claimants, Ald. Sravoixe last evoning secured tho ap- pointment of o committeo to ascertain from the railrond compnuies what price they will oy for the whole Lake-Front property, or so mauch of it ns they want for depot purposes, The Committeo consists of Ald. Srarpiva, COase, nud JoNas,—n guarantee, so for at lenst as two of the members are concernod, that the railroad companies will not be also nsked how much they are willing to pay for hoving tho sale put through the Common Council. With this asssurance, thero is en- couragemont to hope that the negotiations may prove sucecessful, If the tax-psyers of Chicago desire to cscape durng tho cusuing year tho out- rogeous discriminutions and persistent ex. tortion practiced in last year's nssessment, they will not neglect to give sufficiont of their time to-day to defest tho bummer tickets that have been put forward for the town officers. It will bo no easy mutter to do this. It will require tho united efforts of the respectablo voters and {ax-payers. In. stead of staying away from tho polls, as they bave been in tho habit of doing ot previous town eclections, thoy must' go there not only to cast their ballots, but at 8 o'clock to elect o Moderator of the town meeting, and 8t 2 o'clock to vote tho town taxes. If they fail in theso duties, every one of them will pay dearly for it in the course of the year, A graceful recognition of the claims of a nupoerically-important element of his con- stitnency was the introduction yesterday by Congressman Lynpe, of Milwaukee, of o res- olution intended as an insult to Secretary Busrow and to the newspapers which have been active in the exposure of the whisky frauds. It calls for the names of editors and correspondonts to whom the Becretary of the Treasury has * pald money" (1) in connection with the whisky.thieves. Congressman Lrxoe is possibly jdiotic enough to believe that money has actually been paid in the manner indicated, but it is altogether more likely that the offering of the resolution was solely for tho gratification of the grand army of the indicted whisky-thicves of Milwaukes, —— The indictment of Jasren D, Wanrp for complicity in tho Chicago whisky frauds will be heard of with sincere regret, Though there have been frequent rumors of hia guilty connection with the Whisky Ring ever since the first exposures were made, they were generally regarded as merely the sug- gestions of his officlal connection and not entitled to serious credit. Mr, Warp hes occupled & prominent political position in this community for many years past, First in the Btate Benate, then & member of Con. greas, and afterwards Distriot-Attorney, there bas been no time for years when ho was not conspicuonsly before the people. We have no disposition to screen Mr. Wanp if he has been engsged in connection with Rzam and the other whisky.thieves in defrsuding the Government; but, until he shall have been tried and convicted, he {s entitled to the for- bearance which his earnest protest and em- phatls denial have ssoured for him. ‘The Ohioago produce markets wars gener- olly slow yestardsy, Mass pork was dull snd o per brl lower, closing at $22.35 cash and $22,65 for May, Iard wasquict and 5o per 100 s lower, closing at $13.75 cash and $13.92} for May, Ments woro quiot .| and unchanged, at 8jo for boxed shoul- ders, 12}c for do short ribs, and 12{o for do shortclears, Highwines wero quietand steady, at 91,07 per gallon, Flour was quiot and firm. Whent was quiet, and closed jo lower, ot $1.02} for April and $1.06} for May. Corn wns less nactive and jo higher, closing at 46c for April and 49}e for May, Oats were quiet and unchanged, closing at 423 for April and 34jo for May. Ryo was otendy, nt G43c for April and GHa for May, Barley wns quiet and easlor, closing at 60cfor April and 60]c for May. ITogs woro fairly nctive, nt 5o declino in bacon grades. Bales principally at 38,05@8,20. Caltlo wero dull nnd weak, with snles at $3.50@4.85 for com. mon to primo. Sheep wers firm and un. changed. Oue hundred dollars in gold wonld buy $113.25 in greenbacks at the close. Punuay, of Florids, is a Congressman of the thrilty, forehanded sort, with an eye to the main chance. Ho Iz one of the class which ‘regard appointments as their especial prerogative, and the Prosident as merely the clork who sends in names after they have been picked out for him, Punan assumed to control the appointment of Collector of tho Port of Pensncola, for which one WeNT- wontn was willing {o pay $1,000 o year. This was to DPuman satis- factory proof of eminent fitnoss for the position,—conclusiva ovidonco that WenT- wonti was tho man far the place, The bar- gain wag in o fair wny to bo struck, but a mutunl lack of confidenco spoiled tho beauti. ful arrangement, PunaaN wanted $3,000 in advance, and WENTWORTE wanted to wait till ho got his commission. Neither would trust the other, and so the thing fell through. And now a meddlesome committee is investi- gating the subject, just asthough a Congress- mnn hadn't a perfect right to control the ap- pointments in his District. The Domocratic members of the Commit- tee on Apptopriations, notably Mr, Raxpary, tho Chairman, manifest a disposition to com- it o wanton and malicious injury by their refasal to take any nction in response to the notifieation of the Sccretary of tho Treasury that, unless provision is immediately made for tho expense of lighting, heating, elc., in Govornmont buildings throughout the United States, it will be necessary to shut off both gas and water, nod to close the build. ings nfter dark, 'This unfortunately includes Post-Offices as well as other public buildings, and an inealoulablo amount of loss and delay to the mail service, a3 well as damage and in- convenionce to the publie, will result. The matter has been atrongly represented to Alfr, Raxpirn and his Committee, who are well aware that the Secrotary of the Treasury can neither draw upon another fund nor auticipate tho nppropriation, and yet they refuse to even offer a joint resolution conferring the neces sary authority, If nothing is done for sev- eral weeks, and the Post-Ofiices are in the mesnutime closed after sunset, the publio will know whero to locate the responsibility for the gratuitous outrage. The community will be surprised and pained at the announcemeont of the death of Wirsiax E. Docerrr, the senior member of the firm of DuaoetT, Basserr & Hitts in this city. DIr. Doscerr went to Floridaa fow weeks ngo in pursuit of better health, but it was not thought that he was seriously ill. e died yesterdsy morning at Polatka, Fla. In his denth Chicago loses one of its most intelligent and useful citizens,—a man of strict integrity, high social standing, and wide popularity,. Ho was conspicuonsly identified with many of the most deserving charitable entorprises in the city, and his con. nection with the Rolief and Ald Society and personal devotion to ita work wero of tho grontest bonefit to the poor of the city and tho sufferors from the great fire. His houss has always been open to peopla of merit without regard to the usual moneyed require- monts of modern society, and he lived in de- lightful surroundings of art and literature, His own good taste nnd ndmiration for culture received encouragament and support from his wife, Kate Newenn Doaoert, who is well known in literary circles. Mr. Doooxrr will bo mourned by o largo circlo of businoss asso- ciates and social friends. ENGLISE vifiv?orymt;'fifixfix CORRUP- Itis natural that the Brravir exposuro should have oxcited unusual attention in Eugland, The oxcitoment in this country would of itself find an ccho there, But thero i another reason why it has attracted special notico, The largoliberal sentiment in En- gland looks to the United States eagerly to justify ita faith in popularjgovernment, whila the monarchical and aristocratic sontiment Jjust as egerly woizo upon every adverse cir. cumstance to illustrate the dangers of popu. lar government. So Berxxar has been ac- cepted ng the representative of a class, and his conduct as one of the products of our political syslem, We cannot reasonably com- plain of this. We cannot remove the im. preasion that BeLeNar's case has madoexcept by an improvemont in tho political practices which bave led to it, If we ondeavor to counternct it by snying that official corrup- tion i8 not confined to Republics, but that BELEXAP'S caso finds o parallel in Bunke and the Duke of York in England, in Narorzox IIL's Ministers who betrayed him and swindled France beforo and during the Ger man war, in tho oficial dishonesty which is the greatest trial of the Rus- slan Czar's absolute Government, or in the recent German gcandal which exposed an officor of tho Prussian army Bs solling information to tho Russian Govern. ment, the reply is mado that we have claimed more virtue for the republican form of goy- ernment, and that the result proves that it is no fmprovement upon what we have como to denounce on the stump as **the effoto mon. archies of Euvrope,” In England especially does this official scandal maguify by contrast, for we can only find similar instances by go- ing some way back into English history, and it is a matter of notoriety that the civil ser- vice of England has become so efficient a check that malfeasance inoffice {s now almost unknown in England. Among all the Engllsh comments that have been made on the recent evidences of ofil. clal corruption in the United Btates, which include not merely the BrrxNare bribery but the mall-contract frauds, the whisky frauds, and the strong suspicion of irregularities in the Indlan and Naval Departments, the Lon. don Times has been the most charitable, This is the more noteworthy because it is generally supposed that the Z¥mes represonts & sentiment in England opposed to the suce cess of our Governmental system. But the TYmes aayas ‘The United Btates ave » mation where thare lsse ¥ad1 8 26dar10 0F BoANS! lle st thaback of the polite THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: TUESDAY, 1cal aceno thatalmost every exporiment may bo tried withont threatening tho fabric of the Union with danger, The Western Republio fa like & atrong, grow- ing boy; it bas fo go through meanles, ncarlet fever, ehicken-pox, and divers oitier ailmonts, but it may Le trusted to come out ot the ond with unimpaired Mreogtlt, 1§ wero not for our faith in the future of tho Federation, wa might s tempted to look upon the present stalo of affalrs with gloomy forebodings. The vast majority of the poople in tho United States aro honast men, It procoeds to arguo that tho agrienltural people of the country, being widely diffused and slow to comprehend, and the people of the citics belng moro engrossed in their own business nfiairs than the inhabitonts of Eu- ropenn citics, hinvo enterinined an honest but indifforent tolerance of fraud, the limit of which has been very nesrly reached, Its Liapefalness of improvement is based on this belief, and its chiof drend {s that the machinery of party lins so strong a grasp upon the political habits of the nation that tho people may not be ablo to emancipate themselves from the thralldom. ¢ The polit- ical machinery of the Union,” it adds, *' may nlmost bo said to have been -devised to re. duco the masses of the peopla to impotence, and to give power to those who havy learnt the trick of manipulating it so as to make money by its use,” It regards personal in. lar causes aro necountabls for the lax admin. istration of justice in our own larges cities, and whether thero is not, to n very larga ex- tent, a direet determination to defent the ends of justico growing ont of sympathy with criminals and opposition to law, THE NEW ITALY. The 14th of March, being tho fifty-sixth anniversary of the birth of Vicron Esuax. UEL, was appropriately celebrated at Rowme by the opening of n great publio library, no less than 630,000 volumes in which had been taken from tho suppressed monnsteries, 'Tho fifteen yenrs of Lis reign have been butn succession of triumphs * over the. Vatican, Every ono of those triumphs has marked the advanco of Italy from her dogradation nsa nation of {erzaroni and brigands, with only tha relics of tha art of former generations to boast, to thatof n people capablo of self- government, and availing themselves of it to malke the most extrnondinary progress of this ers. The great library is a fitting monument to tho resurrection of Italy, and it was meto that theso spoils from tho power that crushed her should contribute to it. But thirty years sinco not only was Italy under the foreign yoke, but her paop‘e, under tho tem- dependenco fa’ 8o ontirely crushed out | poral dominion of the Vatican, seemed that **if thero wora not & free liter. |to have nbsolutely Tlost all capacity ature to check and modify thoe repressiveness | for self.governmont. Tho paternalism of a Government claiming to rulo by divine sanction ; which assigned to the ecit. izon only absolute submission to its decroes ; and the policy of which was exhausted in anathemss nagainst progress, and in the at- tempt to chain Italy to the dead dark ages, and to make up lifo of unceasing religious ceremonies and incense offorings to the hier. archy, had made of them tho saddest proof on earth of tho degradation to which tho absolute rule of a priost-King can reduce men, Patriotism scemed dead. Art was ox- tinet, Ignorance was overywhero, Enter- priso was nnknown. Tho religious houses had alrendy sequired one.third tho entire landed estates, and was rapaciously seizing upon the residue, while upon all that they touched fell a blight to industry, and their overy acquisition multiplied the throngs of beggars in orders, Italy had no statesmen sho had only priestly intrigners. She had no artists nor orators ; no literaturo but of the past ; no institutions of learning unless wero reckoned thogo in which ignorance, hostility to sclence, and denial of tha right of thought wero cultivated. She hnd only monasteries crowded with idlo priests, and tho support of which impoverished the people, It scemed impossible she could recover hor place among nations, But the mighty genius of the Lating, derided ns oxtinot, survived, It needed but a Ganwawpy, a Cavoun, and o Vicron Eunnazuen to awake it Italy produced those, and Now Italy was born. Since VicTor Esmanver ascended the throne, Rome, freed from pricstly domina- tion, hirs becomo tho great secular Capital of & great nation. Liberty of the press snd freedom of speech have been’ established. Justice is administersd in tho tribunals nc. cording to theliberal code established by law, not by the edicts of the Vatican. Industry has rovived. Railways havo opened to com- merce what were byways whers lurked brigands, Beggary iano longer a legalized profession. The Uonstitution guarantecs a parliamentary Government 88 freo as that of Groat Britain. Tho religious estab. lishmenta have been compelled to surronder to tho Government their vast estatos, The con. vonts are empty and the schools are crowded. Tho unification of Germany, and even the destruction of slavery in our own conntry, in view of the obstacles to bs overcome, were gasier achievemonts than theso of Italy in omancipating tho peoplo from the despotism which tho Churoh, going ontside her spiritual provinee, kad imposed upon ler, and *which ‘boro fruit in the destrnetion of patriotism, of enterpriso, of lenrning, and in the mnltipli. cation of beggary and the degradation of the wholo people. That Italy is not halting in her great strides toward o foromost rank among civilized ns- tions is apparont from nll the signs of the times ; but perhaps the best evidenco of it ia contained in the showing made by Signor Mivourerrr in the financial budget laid beforo the Parlinment at the opening of its session on the 6th ult. The arrears of taxes for tho Inst flscal yoar wore but 21,000,000 lire (34,250,000), a5 against 200,000,000 (S40,- 000,000) for tlo yenr preceding. Notwith. standing tho outlays for the improvemont of the Tibor, the construction of railways, snd other great improvements which are restor- ng the materinl prosperity of tho Kingdom, tho deflcit for tho lnst yoar was but $3,000,- 000. With tho prosscution of gigantio in. tornal-improvement onterprises, and making allowance for $5,000,000 outlay for railrond construction, for the current year it is cati. pmated there will bo a surplus rovenue of 15,000,000 lirs ($8,000,000), Upon this show- ing the King, in his address from the throne, has asked Parliament to mnke provision for the purchase of the principal railways of the Kingdom, to be operated by the Government, which will doubtless be done, There remains the national debt, tho cost of tho wars which mnde possible the New Italy, to be pald. It amounts to about £400,000,000, or nearly $2,000,000,000, Theo dopreciated papor-currency is also to ba got rid of. But the Government, without in. crensing taxation, and still prosecuting ita great publio improvemonts, has managed to fotch its expenditures within its rovenues, while the proporty of the religious houses it has appropriated has .added enormously to its availablo resources. Dut the exhibit is most gratifying in that it shows the increaso of the wealth of the country. While the expenditures have not beon materially ro. duced, though made to better purposc, the revenues have doubled within the past de- cade. ‘The Government has had the courage to malatain the rato of taxation, instead of taking the easy road to bankruptoy by piling up more debt, and the people ars cheerfully -paying it, which {s the best proof that they are prosperous, and which sssures their proaperity, $ of party machinery, political life would be reduced to stagnation.” The time has evi- dently come, in the opinion of the more in- telligent Englishmen, to test tho relative strength of the people and the scheming poli~ ticians, The issuo of tho struggle between them will bo tested by the nominations ot Cincinnati and St. Lonis. The character and associations of the men nominnted for the Presidoney will dotermine in what degree the popular voice for reform can prevail, The commeuts of the Spectator aro very much in the same spirit as those of the Zimes, with a still greater interest in the success of TRepublicanism to correct its abuses in time. It foresees tho difficulty of establishing an honest and scientifieally organized civil sor- vico in the faco of the strong party fecling, and it doprecatos the greed and speculation of the business men of this country as the root of the pecuniary corruption in the of- -flees; but it believes that the choico of tho proper kind of n man for Prosident will of itself lend to tho reform now most necessyy in this country. He must be aman who hates corruption, and who ¥ill insist upon the unhampored exercise of his constitntional right of appointment. Buchn man would surround himself with a class of Ministers nnd heads of Departments who could speedily ouro their subordinutes of cor- rupt and carcless babits, and drive off the horde of outside corruptionists with their schemes. Wo aro suro that the Republican party can nominate such a man, and we bo- lieve tho Democratio might do so; but if thers shall be but one such man put before the people, tha?man will certainly bo elocted. This is the presont remedy for official cor- ruption. PUNISHIEG MURDER IN IRELAND, A letter from the Dublin corrospondent of tho London Z'aes, undor dato of March 13, gives n summary of tho criminal cases tried bofore the recent Irish Assizes, containing some very startling facts concorning the mal- administration of justice in that conntry. Although an unusually large number of cap- ital offenses have been tried, thero has not beon o conviction in o single instance. The Z'imes correspondent cites a number of cases, all of them of an agrarian nature, At Tip- perary two men named Bounse, father and son, were tried for the murder of a farmor named SoaNraN, ond wero acquitted. At Cavan a man named ST wis tried for the murder of a law clerk who had bought his bolding from a former landlord and wished to oject tho prisoner. He also was acquitted, notwithstanding the murder was clearly provon. At Traleo s man named QuiLTeEn wos tried for tho murder of his unclo and mother and the burning of tho latter’s cabin, and was acquitted. At Sligo o man who had murdered a farmer to get possession of his lands escaped. At Mullingar a man who had murdored a fosm- er named Ricmanp Mopax was acquitted. At Tullamoro, Peren Crarsny, who shot and killed a man ot o wako, was ncquitted. At Dundalk another man who had murdered farmer escaped by acquittal., At Kilkenny, in twenty-one cases of riot and murder there was not n single conviction, and five escaped in a similar manner at Maryborough. In every one of these cases the prosecution was prepared with great caro, the case was pre- sented to tho jury with the best professional skill, and the testimony was nnnnswerable, and yet the prisonera escaped eithor by dis- agreements or actual acquittals, The facts are 50 startling, and indicate such a wide- sprend sympathy with crime in Ireland, that tho English popera nare discussing them with grent earnestnoss. The unan. imity of theso acquittals in various parts of Ircland shows that they must be ne- counted for by some theory outside of the in- noconce of tho accused or weakness of testi- mony, The Zimes, in discussing the facts, boldly lays down two reasons for this singu- lar condition of justico, which militato strongly againat Home Rule, althongh it does not urgo them ng argumonts. They are, first, the popular sympathy with crime and the pity for criminals which illustrates the per- versity of Cgltio charncter, since by sympa- thizing with criminals the Celts only expose thomselves to assaultafrom the lawless classes; and second, the dotermination of the people not to respect any law imposed upon them from without, Rather than obey such laws, they voluntarily doprive thetnsolves of their protection. Viowing the laxity of justice from this standpoint, the ZWimes reads the Irish people the following salutary lesson 1 It & strangs 1f, from mera perversity, Irshmen should decline {0 maintaln the Queen's peacs, in which they themi are, after all, the most closely interested, If wu thie fact, we must console ours selvea by tha reflection that it 18 not upon Englishmen ihat thole soif-iuficted punlsbment will fall, While Englishmen can maintaln the Zrlsh Clianael, or can give 8 good account of th offend sguinst it, they may be tho less coucerned that in Tipporary or in Westneath it can be broksn with finpuaity by the common will of the inhabitants, We could wish our Iriah fallow-oitize u but the whab, after all,{s a great deal more on thelr socount {han on our own. They should remamber, 100, ihat the course they follow doas not point only o the conclusion taey would desize to draw from it, It may show their dislike of the Boglish connsction, bus 1t may be used, witk 1o les force, to show how unfite mn;:.y are 0 8aver themsalvsa from it and to stand The commenta of the Times are pertinent, and they contain the secret of much of thadls- tress and confusion which bave always afilicted Ireland, namely, the disrespeot for and the disobedience of law which has alwaysreacted sgainst them, just as it will in this determi. nation not to punish murder and other capl. tal crimes, because the laws which have been The people of Ohicage and Cook County are to be congratulated upon the faot that Mr, Witson F, Sromzy, the editor and pro- pritor of the Ohicago T¥mes, in now serving them as foreman of the Grand Jury, Mr, Sronzx has been engsged for s good many years in telling through his new:paper just how Grand Jurles should be managsd, how courts should be run, and who shounld be punished, but it is the first time we believe that he has had an opportunity in this com. munity to practice what he has preached. Mr, 8tonzy has shown so distinguished a faculty as an editor for prying into people’s private affairs that we think he can scarcely to show up something very startling in his capacity ‘as foreman of the Grand Jury, He bhas also shown in his newspaper 8o wids an information concern. broken are English laws, and the pesce that has been violated is the Queen's pasce. Itls quastios woath hare, for dmi. ing offielal corruptloti (and partioularly in APRIL 4, 1376, the County Bonrd) that he will probably bo oble to lead tho jury the way to somo vory important indictments. He mny also be prompted to hold his own newspaper {n chieck by prompily indicting himself if tho Z'imes shall continue, whila ke i3 on the Jjury, to defnmo private character, print ob- scons articles, nnd otherwise disgraco Chicago journalism. Ilero is Mr. Sronky's grand op- portsnity. We hgve no don\;t,!lmt he will havo the hearty co.oporatic -*. . tho State's- Adtornoy nnd the Court.o¥ "the nccumulnted reforms of twonty- yoars which lio now for the Grst time wan éarry out, Weo wish him every shecess. R AMERICAN BILVER COINS, The silver coinago of the United States is rapidly becoming complicated. Its history is intereating. 'The frst plan for a national coinnge was that of Roserr and GouvEANEUR Monnis in 1782, But in 1786 tho Congress of the Confederation adopted s systom of national coinage preparod by Mr, JEFFEREON. This act designated tho names to bo given to tho coins nnd fixed the weights and fineness of ench coin. The eagle or 310 pieco was to contain 246} grains of fine gold; a dollar was to contain 8754 grains of fine silver. The smaller coins were to have proportionate weights of gold or silver, The proportion was about 1 to 16, It was not, how- ever, until after the organization of the Union that the eoinago received attontion. In 1792 laws wero enacted for tho eatab- lishment of a mint, and the weight of tho eagle was fixed at 270 grains of tho fineness of 916-1000, and tho dollar to contain 410 grains, tho flne- noss to be 1,485 parts silver in a total of 1,664. ‘The cont wns to have 264 grains of copper. A year lator the cent was reduced to 208 grains, and in 1796 tho weight of the cent was further reduced to 168 grains. Tho dollar was made the unit of Federal monoy, and with the gold and silver coinage wera modo legal-tenders. In 1834 tho weight of the englo was reduced from 270 to 258 grains, nm'I the degreo of finoness changed to 9-10. Tho want of uniformity in tho degroe of fine~ ness of the Americon coins, and that in this respect thoy differed from the coins of other countries, resulted in 1837 in the enactment of other laws propared by thoe then Direotor of the Mint, Mr, R, M. ParrensoN. By this law the standard of fineness for both silver and gold coins was fixed at 900-1000, Tho weight of the silver dollar was reduced to 412} graing. The minor colps wero of pro. portionate weight with the silver dollar and tho gold engle, Bubsequently provision was mode for the coinnge of S1 and $3 gold pioces and o 3-cont silver coin, In 18568 was onscted tho great change in the silver coinage of the United States. The American silver coinnge had a groater valuo 08 bullion than they had as coins, and, con. sequently, wore gathered up and exported, and the United States were flooded with tho worn, defaced, and debased coins of other countries, especially of Spain, which were in goneral use. To remedy this, and to stop tho exportation of silver, Congress, in 1833, enacted that tho finencss of the silver coin should remain at 900-1000, and tho weight of tho silver dollar should romain at 412} grains; the weight of the half-dollar should be ro- duced from 200} to 192 grains, and of the smaller coins in like proportion, Previousto that time the mint Lad always coined silver for any person depositing the bullion ; coin- age for individunls was, by the act of 1853, stopped, the Government receiving the seigniorago or profit between the valuo of the motal and the valuo of the coin, which was then equal to about 8 per cont. Gold and silver then stood in tho relation of 16 to 1, In 1857-'8 silver was worth $1.21 per ounce in gold, and ranged from that rate up to $1.28 por ounco until of late, when its value hasde- clined to the vicinity of only $1.05 per ounce, With gilver at $1.21 per ounce, the Govern. ment produced $1.256 in half dollars or the other small coins. Bilver is now selling in London at 52} to 58 penco per ounce, or something about §1.05 Federal money. Tha act of 1858 declared that tho half-dollars and other fractional parts of the silver dollar should no longer bo a legal-tender beyond the sum of $5, Thoy had previously been a logal-tender for any amount, In 1878 the coinage ncts were again con. solidated and revised. The standard of gold end silver coing is fixed at 9-10 fineness, The gold dollar is declared as the unit of value, and its weight fixed at 25.8 grains of 9.10 fineness. The other coins are a quartor and & half of an eagle, a double eagle, and n three- dollar pieco, all of gold. Theso are made a tegul-tender to any amount, The silver coins are a “trade dollar,” weighing 420 grains; a halt.dollar, weighing 102.9 grains, with 26, 20, and 10 cent ploces of - weight proportionate to the hnlf- dollar, These are a legal-tender for any sum not excceding $5 in one peyment, Tho weight of the American half- dollar i half that of the 5-franc silver piece of France, Belgium, and Switzerland, of the L-lire silver coin of Italy, and of the same weight ns the new silver florin of Austria. The bill just passed by the House of Itepre- sentatives, and now pending in the Senate, makes the silvor dollars a legal-tender to the smount of $60, and the half and other smaller silver coins o logal-tender to the amount of §26 in any one payment. At present the law makes gold coins a legal. tender for any amount; National Tressury notes a legal-tender for any amount except where otherwise stipulated in the contract; silver coins a legal-tender to the amount of $6; fractional currency is reccivablo in ax. change for postage and revenue stamps, and other duca to the United States, in sums not exceading $5; nickel and copper ooins a legal-tonder to the amount of 25 cents. The causes of the decline in the value of silver are, 1, the recent immense productions and discoveriea of the metal; and 2, the de- monetization of sllver by nearly all the countries of the world, but mora espacially by Germany. Silver was until within ashort period a legal-tender in all the States of Europe except England, and in some of them, as in Germany, the standard of values. ‘Twenty years ago the coinage of Franco was almost exclusively in allver, The discovery of gold in Australis, following that in Cali. fornis, unsettled the yelations of silver and gold. The commerclal yalue of gold in silver ‘waa roduced, while the ooin valuo continued. A resnlt was an immense gold coinage, which to a large extent expelled silver, and gold coln took the place of silver, which found ite way to the East, Germany had an immense silver colnage, which since the war has been demonetized, and gold made the legal standard, Germany bhas silver to sell France, Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland have agreed to Lmit thelr ailver coinsge to m cer- tain amount annually preparatory to exclud. ing it altogether as a legal.tender, Japan has_ disoardsd sllver, ns has Holland, Ohina will be forced to do the same thing. Indis bas’ bees dhie gresd ultimate secéiver o2 Hlvq. bnt Indin hos n surfoit of it, It has declined 50 seriously, and is exchangenble for gold nt such n heavy discount as ecompared with pre- vious rates, that It ia no longer received thoro cxospt ng bnllion. Russin must eventually adopt tho gold standard, as Auatrin is propar- ingto do, In o comparatively briof timo silver will ceass to bo n legal-tendo®in all poarts of tho world, It will servo in small amounts as a loken curroncy, but in all othor rospects bo merchandise. In the meantimo tho production of silver is excessive,~without precedent in tho history of the world,—and this production promises to continuo for an indefinito time, A ni(;nlnc'nnt ‘indication of th rapid in- ronds Chieago is making upon the jobling trade of New York is afforded by tho follow- ing extract from tho circular of a leading Now York dry-goods house to the trade in the West: We beg leavo fo esutlon our Western custe sgainst buylng ihelr forelgn goods fu lho Weste: cittes, Tho feading Jobbers of the Weat fasuo prl llstsof domestis goods at New York pric they East, on them, they do this part of Lhelr buslocrs at a porle tive loss, Theyaro consoquently compelled to ask an extravagsnt profit on {helr forelgn goods to enable them to make & falr nversgo on {tielr whole sales, W therofors recommend morchania to supply them stlves with domestics in the nearest market, ond to orderall thelr forelgn and fancy gooda from Now York, as we feel confident that by so dolng they will savo fully 10 por cent on this part of thelr purchases, The extraordinnry admission that Western jobbing houses sell domiestio gooda at Now York prices, wherefore Western dealers nro advised they can mnke 10 per cout by mak- ing their purchases in that lino at the West, is not at all counteracted by the claim that Now York jobbers can undersoll ours in foreign goods. Jobbers in Chicago and clsc- where in the West can sell at Now York prices, saving froight chiarges, travel, ote., to buyers, because partlcularly in Chieago the aggregate sales of our jobbing-houses nre equal to thoso of tho Jargost New York firms, whilo here the oxponses of doing business nre less, especinlly in the matter of rental, In this city, at least, tho wholesale dry-goods donlers aro not in the habit of sclling any class of goods at o loss, but are practically able to make a good profit while undorselling Now York compotitors, Thoy are doing it; and the rosult is thgt denlers in the Wost and Northwost are discovering the fact, and alrendy our dry-goods trade is only second to that of New York, which it must shortly aurpass. Btill another expose of crucl neglect and brutality practiced upon tho inmates of a public charitablo institution by the officials in charge, This time it is the Government Insano Asylum in the District of Columbia in which it is shown that tho food was scant and unwholesome, and that tho half-starved manises who proved ‘‘unreasonnble” wero ‘boaten, handeuffed, and otherwise ill-troated in such foshion as, of course, must have ag- gravated, their mania, while inflicting upon them tortures which the law does not suffer to bo visited upon criminals. Naturally enongh ia conpled with it revelationsof how the Superintendent made monoy out of his position by running o job, They aro coming rapidly now, these disclosures, as to the inhu- monity in the management of public chari- ties, nnd tho publio has not yet had time to forget the horrid exposurca as to the Maasa. chusotta State Alms-Houso and the Ohio 8ol- diers' Orphans’ Home; nnd yot, from the apathy or splattering indignation with which they aro recoived, it would seem that it will be a 1dng timo before the pablio, which is taxed {o’; the support of such institutions, discovers hat inhuman brutality will naturally be prac- ticed in them go long aa their management ig bestowod upon political * workoers” under tha infamous spoils-system, The Town Asecssors have turned over tholr books to tho County Tressuror. Thoro aro atill large pums duo on personal property tax. The following figures ropresent tho (otal poraonal tax of each division of the city, with the city's portion and the amounts collected stated in round numbers ¢ Totalper- City's Col- ualtax, portion, locted, 300,850 362,600 §800,000 0BM0 21,480 280 North Towi, 145,380 0318 5,000 About 70 per cent of the total tax bslonga to the city ; of tho £002,803 duc to the city from the Bouth Division, about 560,000 was collactod, loaving over §400,000 uncollected. From tho Weat Division tho delinquont clty personal tax fa nearly 100,000, and in the North Division obout €30,000 have not been cullected. The city is ebort over balf a millon of ita personal taxes,” What aro tho Court-House anthorities toing to aid In the collection of this largo sum of money? The rule is, that County Collectors never optain much of tho delinquent personal tax turned over to them from the Town Colloctors; - and yot If theso uopaid taxos are carefally, systomatically, and onerget~ fcally looked sfter, fully ning-tonthe of what has been roturned as unpaid can bo secured. ‘Would it not be botter to do thia than to iesuo cortificates of indenteduess to cover the de- linquenoy ? Enough money should be got out of those unpald pereonal taxes to take care of the July interest on the fundod debt of the oity. Bat will it be done? —_— It was & high prico for logal talent, the 803,- 000 appropristed by Mr, PexpretoN a8 his fee for putting through tbat Kentuoky Railroad clsim, and yet highor tbo price Senater Tuun- 20AX put upon his dlstinguished wervicos sa ono of the Trustoes of tha Atlanfio & Great Weat- orn Rtailway, But botl have been outdone by a couple of Olnoinuati lawyers, Judge M. H. Tir~ peN and AMr, J. B, Forrerr, who for their services In the case of Purr vs. LoNawonti belrs (involving about two aud » bhal? milllons of real ostate, and which after twenty-six yoars® litigatlon they have gained) roceive a fee, it ia roported, of s quartor of a million. And in 8an Francisco thoy boast among their other big products & lawyer, Joun I, FrLToN, whose fee in & great miniog suit was a round million, and was pald him, too, Verlly, though so much talent is starved out in the professlon, eminent logal talens is the highest-priced commodity In the markat. ———e—— Bomething for tax-grumblers to think of: This in the dsy Assessora and Collectors of taxes for 1676-7 are to be elected. We hope to hoar no growling or whining of tax-payers, this coms lug year, sbout the unfairness aud injustice of thelr {ax aasesaments, if they stay away from the polls to-day. Jf they waut to have thelr prop- orty fairly and equitably taxod, let them go and vote for W. H. B. Gray, of the Bouth Divislan, or Jaxzs N, Orazx, of the West Division, or Hesnx LAMPARTNAR, Of the North Divislon. It tney fail to vote and bring up their men to vole, we hope they will keep qulet it they find thelr sssenament doubled or quadrupled by the bum- mer Assessors who may be slected on acoount of thelr negligence to attend tha polls, pehotbedans ety . The danger to the Times of balog indioted by the Grand Jury for soms time to come has been minlmized. Bub how is 1) with the other papers now that the Ol Men {a la & position o g0 for them? The Bpringfield Journal declines to make koown who its caudidate is for Governor, I says ¥ that the Journal has & prefereuce it will ot deay.” If 14 dare nol name ils * preference, 14 ware bolber $0 deny Matlig aiy. tavorive, s e e e e e hiowever, 1s nndorstood to be BrRYERIDoE, but i « {e alraid or asbamed to publicly avow it. The only thing the Journal has ventarad thog far to do 1a to abuso and misroprossnt the cane didato of all otlors who can mosl surely reanit; tho Republicans and load thom o cortan vigtory. —— In the North Division, tha - Republicans hay, unfortunately quarroled and split, and aro rup. ntug two tickets. One faction Is supporting Citlzens' Ticket, compossd of two Domoeraty and two Ropublicans, and tho other faction iy running n atralpht Ropublican ticket, The Dom. ocrats have up a ticket of their own, but hiave managod to get ono or two of thelr candidates on tho Citizens' ‘ticket. They hava jookoyod tho Nopublicans, and seem to have a soft thing of it. ———e Tle most laughable as woll a9 tho most absurq abjection that has yat been urged mgaiust the Hon. B. B, Wasupunxe for Governor is made by tho 8pringfield Journal, that ho was o eandidate for the Benato in 1865 agalust Dick YATes, and that tho supportars of Yates {n Contral and Southorn Iilinols athil feol soro about iK1 Vo suspect that tho thoughtful and rospoctablo pary of thone who supported poor YATes in that con. test often aftorwarda regrottod thelr action, L SRl 2 Beo here, Mr. Reador, you call yoursell adw cent and respectablo man, nnd you profees tg dosiro honest mon in office. Woll, thore fag town eloction to-day st which Assossors and Collectora of Taxos, and Supervisora and Clorks, who belp to voto them, are to Lo elected. Do you propose to go to the polla and do your daty, sod help clect docont, honest meo, or to stay in your shop or oflico and let tho bummers have fuil swing, eamo as last year ? g Ono of our exclianges says: **The fact thay Bristow was born fn Kentucky would not seem to bo an ineuperable disqualification. Bo wa Apnanax LiNcons born in Kontuoky, yeb ba made o tolorably satisfactory cindidato and Pros. idont. Tho firat venture of the Ropubdlican pariy in Kontucky goods was not 0 diaastrous that ji need bo shy of a second.” Thoro scema to ba s strong determination I the Socond (old Third) Ward to force Ald. Cozr torun ngaln, aod the samo foeling {s croppivg out in tho Elevent (old Twelfth) Ward inrs gard to Ald, Hearn, The primaries on Wednes. day aftornoon intond to revise wavernl errors that have bean made. T — Thero 18 8aid to ba considerablo prospect of tho Beventh (old Eighth) Ward ridding itself of the Indicted bummer blathorskite HiLonerz who betrayed his constituents so shamofully on the question of sllowing the peopls of Chicage to oloct thelr awn BMayor. 1t tbo Springfleld’ Republican .cannob gey CuanLes F. Apaxs pere at the head of somt tickot" for Prosident, [t is desporately bent og fantoning Joun Q. Apansa flis on the tail of the Prosidential ticket. Any thing for an Apaus, Coanrsr REEp might just a8 woll poatpont any intention of having the ZYmes indioted for the period of thirty days, as the O1d Man haa thy inuido track on Grand Jury mattors during April, —_—————— Which is the wiscsr course—to turn out to. day and elect honess town ofiicers, or to ntay at home and—growl at the bummora for not dolsg it? IS ———— PERBONAL, 1da Greeley's husband writes for the mage zinos, A newspaper wit calls Boyton s Dootor of Dive-in-ity. Mtila. Bettina do Rothachild, daughter of Baron Alphonss Rothschild, of Faris, has married Baron Albert Rothschild, of Vienns. 2 Aloxander H, Stophene has lately improved is health, Laet Thursday'he waa dressed for ibe second time eince the 1st of January. Charles N. Fowler, of Chicago, i one of the membera of the Yale eight-oared crow that s to row with Harvacsd at Springfield, Masa, nest June, Sl ‘Tho main object of Queen Victoria’s journey to Badeo-Baden is 0 revisit the grave of bat etepeiater, the late Princess of Hohdnlohe-Lane genburg, Preaident Grant Lias sold the lots fronting on tho Vermont aveoue circlein Washington, which he Lought a fow years since as the site fors dwolling-house, Earl Dufforin's thostrical soiressat Ridean are now the principat events in the fadhionable s0e cisty of Canads. The sating of Lady Dufferia 13 muoh admlred, The editor of the Richmond Whig doos not hesitate to say that George Eliot ia tho most gloep-compolling ™ writer with whom hs has any acquaintance, Lord Chief-Justice Cockburn at s Londoa dinner racently referred In the most disgracefal ters to tho American roprosentatives at the Gonova Convention. Mr. Monoure D, Consway has telsgraphed from England that It will be impossible for him to se- copt tho call to the pulpit of Theodora Parker's old socioty in Boaton, Queon Issbella appearod at Ame, MacMahon's last ball in silvered ganze, trimmed with xreen graascs, and regal emoralds and dismonds oo her nock, head, sud arms, M. Waddiugton, the new French Miofster of Education, besides being of Euglish descent sod education, is & Protestant, and speaks French with a slight English accont. Tho Paris correspondens of tha London Time refora to Capitalne Voyer, of the staff of the War Miaistry, a9 * the wmost sccomplished planith whether amatour or professional, in Paria.” A son of Alfred Tenuyson recontly doliverods lecture in the Town Hall, Shoreditoh, on * Shak- opeare and his Humor," whioh was greated with Joud applause and gained for him some diatioo tion. Gen. Willlem 8, Harney has sold his fine farm of 1,700 acres in Frankiln County, Mo., to A. Q. Tichnor, of 8t. Louis, for $05,000, Thers aro onitn stone mansion and sven oreight farm-houses, . Dr. Kenealy, M. P., proposoa to hold outdoor roligloua sorvices on tho heavonly basia of the Hermon on the Mount, and, for the benefis of Lis health, to make = lsoturing tour in tbe United Btates. Jefferaon Davia will sail for Enrope on thelab of May, He will pass some alx or eight moaths in London and on the Continent to promots the eatablishmont of a direct trade with tha citiss of the Missiaslppr Valley, HOTEL ARRIVALS, Paimer House—J, H, pran, Trenton, N, J.; ¥ #, aeoiey 0, Vincent, London, Es . ¥, Barnard sod 0Oids, 8t, Joseph; Laul lolvemans, Yokohamss J. Charles, Bloux City’ . Harvey, Waterloos 1. I+ Williams, Fort Way, “Futtle,’ Crawfordsvillel ¥..D. Corlien, Bantoul, J. L. Yeveridge, Sprin 5 30 ek unler Clbvelsnd; J. W, Dioumg, B, Lousi 3, Behenck, Pittaburg; 1. A, Gonolly, Waukegsni T: :’II,,“""”““'”“%HL,::‘ Oapt, U, Harris, nuumm vy, ush, Oloveland; Chsrles Paish ‘Wheeling, W, Vn.....l"; Claveland ; Oinish Wi mont House—Tba Hon, Harlow 8. Orten, Wisoni| W. W, Wheaton, Datroll’; G, Schifer, New Yerki 3 1L, Erost, 8n W. B, Heascomb, LaOrosie] the llon,’ Charles Xi port; J. T. Flahat wauksa; John Telling, Milwaukee; Mrs. Lo B terbaugh, Peoria; Prof, W. D, Guoning, Boiay) James 8l N s Jon. ¥, 1