Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, December 3, 1876, Page 4

The Tribmue. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. I ADVANCE—POSTAGE PREPAID AT THIS OFFICE, Dally Rdition, postpald: 1 year. $12.00 Parts of o year. per mooth, A Matied to 2ny addres: four wecks for. 1.00 Bunday Ecitfon: and Rell idi Sheet 23 Suards pages. TH-Weekly, postpald, 1 year. 6.00 Parts of a year, per month. 50 WEEKLY ED! N £7.85 One copy. per year. .8 1. .. . 11.00 Qubof ten ] ‘Specimes eoples sent free. To prevent delay end mistakes, be sure and give Post- @ftce sddress tn full, including State and County. ‘Remittances may be miade either by draft, express, Feat-Of e order, or in registered letters, at our 7ERMS TO CITY SUBSCRIGERS. delivered, Sunday excepted, 25 cents per week. Tally, deltvered, Sunday Included, 30 cents per week Agdzess THE TRIBUNE COMPAXNY, Lorncer M: Chicsgo, Il .SOCIETY MEETI) = PATRVIEW CBAPTER XNO. 161, R. A, M.—There al convocation at their Hall, No. 770 Cot- Thursday, Dec. 7, 317:30 o'clock p. L GroN S on the M. E. and It. A. Degrees, Al VI 1tors ave oordially welcom, 2 B order of the Chapter. GO, M. E. H. P. P. DAGGT, Seeretars. F NO. 639. A, F. AND A. M.— (IO 0N, 55 4 AT AN ‘Wednesdsy, Dec. 6, for the ele: tlon, of et . M. TREO. HARZ, Secretary pro lem. IPSE LODGE XO. 404, I. 0. 0. F.—All mem- W BOLIPSE LODGE X0, S0yt the veular meeting 1 the Hall. corner of Tuirt'eth and State-sts., Monday evening. Dec. 4 101; lha:itul}‘unonrs:rfls?fl and to vote apes e Q46400 6105 Y SN RECE. X. @. . D. E. TONGE, Recording Secretary. . GE, No. 59, A. F. and A. SLATIONS LG Ehtcation will be heid at. thelf il “comer Halsted apd ltandolphste. ~Tuesdsy sheimg Bec & Yot oL 2100 Geloety pred Uy crier et M ORDRURG. Sec- TTERTION.SIR KNIGATS—STATED CONCLAVE £ N T ey, b 19 B, T, Monday even- Knights ~ court- Visiung ted. By orderof the Eni. Com. CHAS. J. TROWBKIDGE, Recorder. YETTE CRAPTER XO. 2. R. A. M.—Hall 72 —Snecial Conosation Mondas, eCeR 0 Oy Cit A St 2 £ R TotkEl Secretary. for Srder of the 1. P. CORINTHIAN CHAPTER . T A, M.—Spectal comteation Monday evening, Dec. 4 ~Work on the Sooral Arch degree Annual convocation Dec. 11, 'S. M. HENDERSOS, H. P. ST. NERNARD COMMANDERY, XO. 35. E. Anpual conclave Wednesday evenln, ‘o'clock, for the electionof -Bfl . F.. Flection of ‘Dec. 4._A full ‘sttendence 1s CHAS. E. BOWEKS, Sec'y. CRICAGO LODGE XO. 55, 1. 0. 0 oficers Monday evel C. Tequested. SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1876. At the New York Gold Exchange on Sat- wrday greenbacks ranged from 913 to 923. ittty The rebellion which broke out in Japan on the 23d of October seems to have been sup- pressed almost immediately, the Imperial Government being forewarned. The revolu- tion was set on foot by one of the Daimios belonging to the disbanded caste of the Samurai, who number not less than 400,000, and form amediom between the brave and the soldier. Since the suppression of the rebellion, the Government hss determined to avoid the possibility of further trouble from tHem by colonizing the whole caste upon the Island of Yesso 5 If the cremationists of the New Yerk Theo- sophical Society are going to burn the late Baron DE Paxar, why don’t they go about it? From a somewhat intimate knowledge of the 1ate Baron’s disposition, we know that he would express himself in 8 very emphatic manner at the conduct of his pretended friends, who are exhibiting his remains for the delectation of reporters, and making & public show of him before burning. Either plant the old Baron or burn him without further ado. His forthcoming eremation’ is | too mach like a circas show. The seventeenth snniversary of the mar- tyrdom of the keroic old Jorx Browy, whose soul is still marching on, and who, as one who dared and died for his fellow-men, will hold his place in history when the whole race of slave-drivers has been forgotten, was celebrated at Plymonth Church yesterdsy, —a full report of which will be found in another colume. Only seventeen years have elapsed since under the forms of law he was strangled like a dog, at the dicta- tion of the slaveocracy, cruel as it was eow- ardly; and olready the slaveocracy is no more, and in all the land no man has the temerity to apologize for it. Verily, Jomy Browx's soul has merched on. The country will soon know which candi- date will be declared to have received 185 Electoral votes. On the morning after the election it was known that Trmpex would kave 184 and Hawes 166. At the end of nearly three weeks South Carolina gave Hives her seven votes, raising him to 178. It may be set down as certain that Florida has voted for him, making’ his count 177. And now comes the critical part of the mat- ter. Itis tolerably certain that a number of thebulldozed predincts 1n Louisiana will be rejected. The casting out of thess may elect seven of the Bepublican Electors, ‘but not the eighth, whois far behind all his associates on the Republican ticket. These seven votes would raise HATES to 184, and if the eighth man,—BrEWsTER,—Wwho ran some 5,000 be- hind, is beaten, then ex-Gov. WicKLIFFE, who is highest on the other ticket, will be elected, and, in that case, his vote makes TILDEN President. The scales balance ‘almost by the weight of a straw. The complications in South Carolina were thickened yesterdny by the action of two colored Republican members of the Legislature in going over to the Bump_Assembly. Both Legislatures were still in session, but it begins to look as though that barl of money was to play & prominent part in the solution of the very much mired situstion in South Carolina. To further, if possible, muddle matters, WALLACE, Speaker of the Rump Legislsture, yesterday applied to the Supreme Court of the State for & mandamus upon MacxE, Spesker of the House, to com- pel him to deliver to the Rump Legislature, to be canvassed, the returns of the election for Governor. Application has also been made to the same Court for & writ of guo warranto sgainst the Hayes Electors, requiring them to appesr and show by what right they assume to exercise the office of Presidential Electors—that is, to fetch the question of their election before thet Court. The Chicago produce markets were gen- erslly essier Saturday, snd with less doing. Mess pork closed 1ic per brl lower, at $15.924@15.95 for December and $16.05 @16.07} for January. Lard closed 10c per 100 1bs lower, st $9.85@9.67% for Decem- ber and §9.90@9.92% for January. IMeats wero n shade easier, at Gic for new shoul- ders, boxed, §ic for do short-ribs, and 8ic for do short-clears. Highwines were steady, 8t §1.06 per gailon. Floor was in fair de- wmand snd firm. Whent closed 1c lower, at §1.14} for December and $1.153 for Janu- ‘'THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: SUN DAY. DECEMBER 3, 1876—SIXTEEN PAGES. =4 ary. Corn closed weak, a6 44lc cash and 43%c for January. Oats closed 1c higher, 8t 333c for December and -33jc for Janusary. Rye closed 2¢ higher, at 70}c. Barley closed }@1c lower. at G5c for December xnd 66c for January. Hogg were firm, at $5.70@ 5.90 for packing grades. Cattle were steady, at $2.75@5.00. Sheep were firm, at $3.00@ 4.50. One hundred dollars in gold would buy $108.62} in greenbacks at the close. el h—— —— The war feeling in Greece may be inferred from the fact that & meeting, attended by 7,000 people, was held at Athens, on the 13th ul., st which it was decided to form an _asaociation, entitled the Fraternity Club, for ‘promoting military preparations and union smong political parties. Resolutions were sdopted declaring that the interests .of the country were the sole object to be kept in view, and recommending confidence in the future. The finger of England is plainly “visible already in Grecian politics, and the entire English press is urging upon the Gov- ernment to form an alliance at once with Greece, that she may secure the fruits of the forthcoming Conference equally with the other Christian provinces. The alacrity with which JorN MorrissEY offers.to return their money to theholders of tickets in his pools on the election is easily understood. The Honorable Jorx will re- turn the money upon payment of bis- com- missions as pool-seller, which would amount, it is estimated, to about $60,000. Should the bets be declared ** off,” according to the rules he would be entitled to no commis- sions. Anditis slready, sccording to the New York Tribune, coming to ‘be understood that Mogzssey himself and other Democrats who have staked heaviest on TrLDEN 1m the pools will insist that their bets were on the votes actually cast, and not upon the returhs g8 canvassed by s Returning Board, and that it will be “ set up” to have it so ruled as to the pools. — Brmurcx’s speech at the Parliamentary dinner given by him yesterdsy is the most significant contribution to the Eastern war literature of the last three months, not excepting the Czar’s speech. The solici” tude which Bismarce betrays for the sensibilities of the Russians; his sinister expression of the hope that England will keep her hands off in_event of war between Russia and Tarkey, which he considers prob- able; and his declaration that if Austrig’s existence is threatened Germany will sup- port her, continuing unselfishly to act as the Jesd in the framework that holds the puppet upright,—which notably contemptuous ref- erence to Austria is full of significance,— indicate that Germany at last has made her preparations for taking a leading part in the work of reconstructing the map of Europe which would follow a Russian-Turkish war. — THE CRISIS OF THE COUNT IN LOUISIANA. The Presidential Electors appointed in the several States are to meet at theseveral State Copitals on Wednesdsy next, Dec. 6, at noon, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President. At the time we write, two States—Floride and Louisiana—have not yet reached a conclusion as to who have been chosen Electors. In both States the election is claimed by both parties; but from all re- turns and testimony it seems to be pretty conclusively established that HAvEs. re- ceived a majority of the legal votes cast in Florida. In Louisisna there is greater doubt. There are certain facts in relation to this count now-going on in New Orleans which should be carefully considered by the public, andespecially by the Republicans. ‘Weassume that no upright man wants Haves elected upless that election will stand the scrutiny of law, justice, and honesty. The election of Gov. HAYEs, if ascertained and declared upon facts and figures sustained by law, will be insisted upon by the Republican party and by all fair-minded Democrats, and no samonnt of bluster and .threats of civil war will prevent it. But the Republican party cannot afford ‘to have Haxes elected, or de- clared elected, in defiance of trath, honesty, and law. The decision of tbe Canvassing Board of Louisiana is, by tke law of that State, final when made, and may be claimed to be the legal adjudication of the whole matter; but that decision, to commend itself to the approval or acceptance of the country, must be in accordance with law, and be war- ranted by the facts of the whole case. Now Jet us look at the facts se far as they have been developed. In the published address of the Democratic Committee, signed by ex- Gor. Joms M. Paraer, of Ilinois; ex-Sena- tor Liyaax Temsvis, of Ilinois; ex-Gov. Wrzznaar Breres, of Pennsylvanin; Gen. Georce B. Surre, of Wisconsin; the Hon. Georoe W. Juriay, of Indiana; ex-Assist- ant Secretary of War P. H. Warsox, of New York, these gentlemen say: The reeult of the'vote for Presidential Electors, as disclosed on the face of the returns opened by the Returning Board in our presence for the T pEx and Hares Electors, is as follows: Republican Electors. Democratic Electors. 77, 023|Wickhde. 328 Assuming the correctness of these figures, it will be seen that on the face of the re- turns the highest Elector on the Democratic ticket leads the highest Republicam 3,303 votes. While the votes for the Democratic Electors vary, the greatest difference does not exceed 370 votes; but the variance be- tween the vote for the Republican Electors is enormons. Wickurers (Democrat) leads Bewster (Republican) 160,056 votes. The Democrats claim that this vote is an average of 1,200 Democratic znd 1,000 Republican less than the vote contained in the duplicates of the election officers. We, however, con- fine ourselves to the figures of the returns actually before the Board of Canvassers. Without reference to the vast variances in the vote for the Republican Electors, the re- turns from the parishes that are contested foot up Hayzs, 28,316; TiDEN, 30,112,—a Trpen majority of 1,59 To reject all these contested parishes would have the effect of clecting all the TrpeN Electors. The five “bulldozed " parishes of which so much has been said give TmpeN but 3,593 majority. The rejection of the whole vote of these parishes would still leave all the Democratic Electors a majority. Bat the Board have the power to reject the vote of any poll or voting-place, not, however, with- out hearing evidence upon the allegations of violence and intimidation, and other means to defeat an election. The law reads: 11 after such examination the eaid Returning Ofi- cers shall be convinced that said riot, tumult, acts of violence, intimidation, armed disturbance, brib- gry, or corrupt influence did materially interfere Swith the punty and freedom of the election at such poil or voting-place, or did prevent s suficient number of the qualified eclectors thereat from registering or voting to materiaily change the re- sult of the election, then the said Retnrning Board ghiall not canvass or cemplete the statemient of the yotes of such poll or voting-place, but ehall exclude it from their retarns. s Now, the Canvassing Boar” ~ast ke be- fore it suficient evidence to satisfy it, in the words of the law, in rejecting the votes of precincts aggregating 5,304 Democratic ma- jority to elect one Republican Elector ; 5,325 Democratic majority to elect o Republican Electors; 7,300 Democratic majority to elect siz Republican Electors f and 10,056 Demo- cratic majority must be excluded in order fo elect all of the eight Republican Electors. To reach this result, precincts polling sn aggregate perhaps of 25,000 or more votes must be wholly ezcluded from the count in order to elect Mr. BREWSTER, the Republican eandidate for Elector who runs so far be- hind his associates on the ticket. To elect the”Republican ticket generally would, xe- quire but the exclusion of precinots giving from 5,300 to 7,500 Democratic majority; but this will not elect BrewsTER, and, unless BrewsTER be elected, WicELIFFE, the Demo- crat, will be, and TsLDEN will have the ene vote which he needs to elect him President. We give these figures as we find them, and we leave to our readers the duty of judging of them in the light of the report which is to be made within a few houss by the Can- vassing Board in session at New Orleans. The explanation of the reduced vote of BrewsTz is that one of the State Senators, who had become an enemy of the Republic- an party, had tickets printed with the names of several of the Republican Electors omit- ted, and that BrewsTER suffered more than the others. This explanation, however suffi- cient; does mnot remedy the misfortune, or change the fact that Mr. BREWSTER runs sev- “oral thousand votes:behind his associates, and that it will require the exclusion of 5,000 more Democratie majority to elect him than will have been necessary to elect the others on the ticket. Wo are prepared to believe that the Can- vassing Board at New Orlenns will act fairly and honestly, and with due respeet for the law; we are prepared to believe that the Board will fearlessly reject the vote of every precinet where the election was proven to have been unfair, dishonest, and fraudulent, and that it will count every return where such proof is wanting ; -and that the Board will reach a total upon each side and for each candidate without reference to the poli-. tics of candidates or the effect upon party hopes. Nevertheless, this wide difference in the votes for the several Electoral candi- dates on the Republican ticket requires that the action of the State Board shell be sup- ported by ample testimony and the fall let- ter of the law, and be conspicuously free from all color or suspicion of having been & forced balance-sheet, or atrained to reach or accomplish a particular end necessary for the complete success of eitherparty. The Republican party. can survive the election of Mr. TmpeN. In such an event it would be delivered from many evils that have beset it, and four years hence would, without difficulty, recover control from the broken and bankrupt Democratic purty. Bub the Republican party cannot survive the election of a Republican President, should the American people, in the light of all the facts, come to the conclusion that such an election was dishonestly secured ; that it was a matter of arithmetic,—s forcible reduction of the vote on one side to whatever number may be required to let the other side have the Elcctoral delegation. We do not antici- pate any such action by the Louisiana Re- turning Board, and will therefore refrain from referring to the disasters to the party that would follow in its train. IN SOUTH CAROLINA. There was one incident in the South Caro- lina contest which TaE Tr3UNE carefally re- frained from commenting upon until it should become clear just how it happened. We refer to the alleged interference'by Gen. Rucxs, with the troops under his command, in the seating of members of the Legislature. It was stated that on the day when the Legislature convened & file of soldiers was stationed at the doorof the State-House, with instructions to admit no persons except those with a pass from a man named DENNIS. From this it was assumed that the soldiers were being employed, under express orders from Washington, to discriminate between the Supreme Court and Returning Board, and to determine in effect which eclsimants should take their seats and which shonld not. Upon this assumption Gen. GorpoN and Wape Haxerox addressed a letter to Gen. Rucen, in which they ‘accused him of having broken faith with them, and arraigned the General Government on a charge of high-handed despotism. The Democratic newspapers joined in this out- cry, and pointed to the occurrence as an in- stance of President GmaNT's determination to bully the Legislature of South Carolina a8 Cmantzs I of England endeavored to bully Parliament, with eventual disaster to him- self. Many Republican newspapers even have been betrayed into an acceptance of the statement of the case for the facts, and on that basis have criticised Gen. Ruaer and the Administration, which they supposed to be backing Rucer. It would have been ‘better to await the*nctual facts of the matter, as Tre TamoNe has done. 1t now turns out that the use of the sol- diers in the way described was simply a blunder, for which no ene of any account can be held responsible. They were not thus employed by command of the President, nor of the Cabinet, nor of the Secrstary of War, nor of the General of the Army, nor even of Gen. Rucer, who is in command of the troops at Columbia. Here is ‘Gen. Rucer's plain and satisfactory statement of the way the thing came about : . Tt came about that for the time soldiers were placed on either side of the daor of the.entrance to the Hall of Representatives under the following circumstances: A person at the door of the House, and who claimed the authority to examine the certificates of those claiming to be members prior to their admission to the hall, but who, I think, had no legal authority for so doing, applied to the ofticer in command of the troops placed in the corridor for the preservation of the peace for assistance, on the gronnd that he was being press- ed upon and conldn't perform his duty, The sol- diers were placed as stated. As soon asIwas fully informed of the circumstances Iordered the sol- diers_ withdrawn, e I had previously informed Gov. CaauneeLaly Ishould confine my action to the preservation of the peace, and should do noth- ing with reference to keeping the doors of the rooms of mecting of the Honses, or the rooms themselves, unless it became necessary becaude of the breach of the peace which the civil oficers of the House shonid be nnable to restore. AH. the rage that has grown out of this blunder will have to be expended, then, on the Corporal or, at best, the Captain who made it. We are glad that this isthe truth of the matter. Tho action was of a nature that could not have been approved, no mat- ter how high an outhority had ordered it, and Tre TRIBUNE was silent only becsuse it hsd faith that it had never been ordered from Washington. Gen. Rucer seems fully {0 understand his duty in the premises. His troops are there not to seat or unseat legis- Iators, nor in any way to intervenc between factions contending peacefully and according to the forms of law, but at the invitation of the Governor of the State, as provided by the @onstitution of the United States, to as- sist in the maintenance of peace, There i8 no danger of Gen. Rucer's interfering except to keep the two factions from murdering each other, or to enforce the law when the State suthoritics are unable to do so. —— THE COOK COUNTY COUETS. 1f the Cook County delegation to the Leg- islature can be induced to follow the advice of Txe Tarsuse and go to Springfield with & preconcerted plan of action, so far as the necessities and interests of Cook County are concerned, there is one matter which should take a conspicuous place in their programme. We refer to the necassity for an increase in the number of our local Judges. There is little doubt that Cook County is now entitled to two additional Judges under the constita- tionnl provision. In framing the Constitu- tion Cook County was made an independent judicial circuit, with five Circait Judges, and three Judges known as the Superior Court, but having the same jurisdiction as the Cir- cuit Court. It was further provided, how- ever, that “The General Assembly may in- crease the number of said Judges by adding to either of said courts for every additional 50,000 inhabitants of said county over and sbove a population of 400,000." 1t is the duty of tho Legislature now to give this county the benefit of the provision to the extent wo are entitled to it. 1t will 'not be necessary, as wWe conceive it, to make & special census to ascertain tl‘m population of Cook County for this purpose. “There is nothing in the Constitution requir- ing this, and sy fair way of ascertaining the population will suffice to warrant the Legis- lature in giving the county its proper quota of courts, The last school census taken by the city some months ago showed the popu- lation of Chicago to be 407,000, and it is not probably less than 415,000 now. But there were 14,000 votes -t the recent election in those parts of Cook County lying outside the city limits. Estimating the population out- side of the city limits to be G} to every voter, which was the proportion inside the city lim- its, this would give Cook County outside of the city 91,000 population, which, added to the 415,000 in the city, wonld make the total population of the county 506,000. This would entitle us to two more Judges, one of whom might be attached to the Superior, and the other to the Circnit, Court. For the purpose of the législation necessary to secure these additional Judges, we should think the population might be ascertained by aggregating the school census of the city +with the census taken for the school districts outside the city. Everyone at all familiar with the business of the Cook County courts will agres that there is an imperative necessity for this in- crease to facilitate the business in keeping with justice to the litigants. The court dock- ots are crowded to such: an extent ‘a8 to occasion not merely incgnvenienee. but serious loss. It is to be hoped that, some day not far distant, there will be » scheme of law reform which will practical- 1y prevent the clogging of the court dockets’ with cases of minor importance, suggested by petty spite or to secure' 1ay, but mean- while it is obviously unjust that dona fide and meritorious litigants should be punished for lack-of proper court facilities. There is noreason in the world why there should be any objection by the rest of the State to the increase of Cook County Judges. The State only pays these Judges the same salary paid the country Judges, and Chicago pays fully one-third of that; all additional salary is paid by Cook County alome. There i no exaggeration in saying thatone-half of theen- tire litigation of the State or iginates in Cook County, and thegreatcommer cial importance of this city, which largely produoes it, is of equal concern in this regard with the balance of the State. Itisto the common interest of all the people of the State that Chicago and its business be properly protected, and quick relief in the courts is ome of the essentials to that end. The Cook County delegation ought to go to Springfield with a project in perfect shape to secure such legislation as will give us the two additional Judges to which we are clearly entitled. THE GAS CONTROVERSY. We observe a malicious disposition on the part of certain persons and papers to xepre- sent TaE TRIBUNE as having caused the Com- mon Council to refnse the offer of the West Side Gas Company to;furnish streetlight through three-fest burners at $2 per 1,000 ; wheress the truth is T Tnmuxe advised the Council to accept the proposition. A short recital of the facts may not be out of place. . So long as the Gas Companies insisted upon charging the old price for gas "and re- taining the five-foot burner, Tue TRIBUNE denounced it as extortion, and advised the adoption of any measures deemed lagal to reduce the expense of lighting the streets. The financial condition of the city was such that the existing expenditure for gas could not be supported; the money was not to be had to pay the bills. ‘When the Reform Council came into con- trol of the City Legislature last May, Toe Torouse pressed on their attention the ob- vious necessity of taking active steps to force down the price and cost of gas to the Munic- ipal Corporation.. A resolution was adopt- ed by the Council calling on the Law Depart- ment for information as to the existing con- tractswith the Gas Companies, and for a legal opinion as to whether those contracts, in all their rigor and wrongfalness,were binding in law on the city until the end of the ten years, in1879. The Law Department presented a véry strong tegal argument, citing numerons casos to show that the Companies could not force the city to continue paying exorbitant rates. Tae TTIBUNE, of course, stood by the interests of the taxpayers in the controversy. The Mayor and Council needed mo urging, as they were just as anxious to make o large retrenchment in the expenditure for gas as any of their constituents. 7 After many interviews and much talk be- tween the Mayor and Gas Committtee on the one side, and the representatives of the Gas Companies on the other, the South-Side Com- pony was induced to offer & reduction of $1 per 1,000 feet from its contract price of 29,50, to light and shut off by the new time-card, and to allow a substitution of three for the five-foot burners, from a given date until next April. Tae TRIBUNE advised the Mayor and Council te accept the offer, which they did, without requiring mach urging, as these were their own terms. Shortly after this, Mr. BrLriNas also made an offer to the Council to throw off $1 per 1,000 feet from his contract price of $3, to light by the new time-table, and to allow the five-foot to be changed into three-foot burn- ers. Abont that time,—last of September,—the bids for lighting the West Side with oil- lamps were opened nnd talked over. Tae Trrsuns made a careful comparison of the relative cost of oil by the most responsible bidsand Brurives’ offer of gasat $2, to be consumed throuch three-foot burners. snd. finding that the gas would be the cheapest as well as most satisfactory light for streets, great harm would be done if it were kept up tll New York should be forced to abandon the lateral canals and run the Erie Canal on urged the Council in its issue of Oct. 8 to ; accept the offer of the ‘West-Side Gas Com- pany until next spring, and in the meantime to make some experiments this winter with The Council, however, bya ‘“large majority,” rejected both Bz~ 11xos' offer and Tae’ TRIBUNE'S advice,-and commienced taking steps to light the West The Council had fixed upon $1.50 per 1,000 as the most they would pay Brurses, which was only half the con- ‘Whereupon the Gas Company, through a foreign stockholder, Commodore GarzisoN, of New York, applied to the United States Circuit Court for an injunction to prevent the substitution of oil or the sbrogation of the contract. This brings the case down to the present juncture of affairs. When Judge Droanoxp seid to the liti- gonts that the case ought to be arbitrated by the parties, and deferred rendering a decis- jon for twenty days in order that they might compromise their differences, Tae TRIBUNE sgain expressed the opmion that Brurngs’ offer (made the last of September) was & fair concession under the circumstances, and should be accepted without further conten- We have no better advice than tfo «“ggres with thine adversary quickly while thou art in the way with him.” As to the misrepresentations of the Post, it is referred oil for street-lamps. Division with oil. tract price. tion or litigation. to give the Mayor and Council 2. DIVIDING PL! to Deut., V. ER. The Paris correspondent of the London Times is one of the best-informed writers in its own merits and as economically as possi- ble. Nor is the apprehensi(‘m that the rail- roads will enjoy an undisputed ‘monopoly well founded, for it leaves out of account the Canada system, of canals which willbe a per- manent check upon thegreed of the railroads after a while. Tt is for the interest of Chicago that the lake trade (mot necessarily the Erie Canal trade) should be treated fairly, but there have been better reasons for complaint in this regard than the present policy of the New York Central Railroad. ~ All that Vax- pERBILT maintains is, that the Pennsylvania and Baltimore & Ohio Railroads shall not claim the right to carry grain to the seaboard at Philadelphia and Baltimore at lower rates than the Central shall carry it to New York. VANDERBILT'S opposition to thisgs ‘based upon sound reasoning, and it is the common in- terest of New York and Chicago that he be sustained in it. THE CASE OF FLORIDA. At last the resnlt of the election in Florida, though not officially announced, Temains no longerin doubt, and the conflicting claims set up on either side to the Electoral vote of the State may be regarded as settled by the facts as finally ascertained. There remains little doubt but that frauds were practiced upon both sides. But there is just a little doubt that the Democratic managers, thanks to their characteristic proficiency in the art of stenling elections, distanced all com- petitors, as from time out of mind Demo- cratic managers have aniformly done in con- plenty of good grase, but it the wants crushed bones, and good {Er:::: 1:;,;” his condition with allowances of *'mealies, g Indian corn. He would, however, In snitable1o. calities, yield very large profit, except for one cir. cumstance, —the great amount of Foom that he gg. auires. Sisty acros a bird i38 very large ailo. ance, even for profitable stock. According to gy statements published by Messrs. HarTing an; MoszNruaL, it takes 600 acresto feed 80 birgy comfortably; and those acres, evenif practical) valueless, must be fenced in with wire, ata cost ’g some £500. The bird conmot jump, ang makes no .effort to cross the femoing, Dot it seema certain that he will not bear confinemen; close enoughto prevent his enjoying a heaith; amount of his customary exercize. Of conry, 4 while feathers yielded from £20to £40 » wu:. the profits were enormous; but in the present da; whea the average value, according to official r’e‘ turne, is £5 5 per pound, the farmer must content himself, even though he grows ostriches, wity moderate retnrns in cash. He can geta pound of feathers a year from each bird, and, by the Iates; statistics, is pretty surc of £5 2 pound all round; Dbat £400 2 year, though a g0od yield in sucha lo. cality from 600 acres, is not enongh to make dia ‘mond-hunters quit their avocations. Still, as the Iand is usually fenced off from a farm 106 lacge to be cultivated, and food costs little, and the progt is received in cash, the rearing of ostriches may be considered a fairly-established and vers curious induostry. ” There is asource of consolation to thela. dies that, inasmuch as the ostrich featheris s sine qua non, the domestication may make them cheaper. But thereis & possibility of disappointment after all, in a suggestion that the Spectator throws out, that the ostrich Europe, and- enjoys such special advantages for obtaining news that his letters may al- most be looked upon as semi-official. In a Jetter dated Nov. 13, commenting upon the Czar's reply to Lord BEACONSFIELD, he makes a statement which, considering the position of the writer and his intimate relations with French officials, is extremely suggestive, slthough the statement is ot best a vague hint. He says: T do not believe that either England or Russia has fixed ideas about this; and in any case a Con- ference does mot signify anything {f it does not signify that the mediatory Powers may influence the too aDrolute resolutions of the Powers more or less directly concerned. Then o this point also it may be hoped that, in spite of the strength of thelr language, neither England nor Ruesia wish to draw the swora for a question submitted to the de- cision of Europe. It would, then, be necessary, in order that a contlict should spring from the Con-~ ference, that the Powers appurently disinterested were, on the contrary, the most resolute to em- broil the question and impede instead of labor for conciliation. 1f the whole trath mast be told, this ig really the inmost conviction of anxious observ- ers. This thought every one is poseessed with; yet 10 one dares to_utter it, as it to speak of a threat were provoking a danger. Every one says that Austria is being both solicited by Russia and urged by Germany to joint action with Rassin, Every- Dbody believes that, were Russia to occupy Bulgaria, and Austria Herzegovina and Bosnia,. the compli- cations would be so great that those holding aloo? from the struggle might seize without obstacle on the small countries they covet s indispensable to their deilnitive greatness and complete prosperity. TUpon this side of the water, to speak of & threat with reference to the Russo-Turkish complication does not imply a danger, and perhaps we con explain clearly what he speaks of in enigmas and dark surmisings. The programme is undoubtedly somewhat as follows: Germany sits quiet and neutral, hoping and even conmsenting that Austria shall seize upon Herzegovina and Bosnia, and that Russia shall take Bulgaria. This being done, these two Powers can go no farther, nor lay any obstacle in the way of German ambition. Germany then would be free to seize upon Holland and & sufficient strip of Belgium to obtain Antwerp, which has been a coveted treasure ever since the reunion, and might wind up by taking Den- mark, a large slice of which she has already. Who is to stop her? Russia and Austria be- ing caught with their hands fall of plander, what is to hinder Germany from taking her charealso? To make good her lost provin- ces, Alsace and TLorraine, France would then step in and take French Belgium. England hes long wanted Egypt, and in addition would take Greece also, as well as the Turko- Grecian Provinces of Epirus and Thessaly, in which she is already fomenting insurrec- tion with the hope of obtaining a foothold south of the Balkans to offset Russia north of them. Italy wants a strip of territory on the other side of the Adriatic, as well as the Province of Tunis on the African coast, and has already made her wants known, much to Austrian disgrontlement. This is the scheme which the London Zimes correspondent hints at; and if there be a war resulting in a par- tition of plunder the ¢ divide " will be very nearly as we have indicated. tests of that gort. If the Returning Board is to throw out votes on the ground of frauds and irregularities, they must ‘begin by reject- ing the entire poll of Manatee County, where there was no registration, no proclamation of election, and no Clerk appointed, but where, without notico to anybody, a sort of informal ballot was taken, resulting in 236 Democratic and that of itself, granting the ts as to frauds in Re- claims of the Democra publican precinets, would give the Electoral vote of the State to HavEs. With regard to the Alachua cases, 8s to which the Democratic claim was that only 316 votes were polled while 531 were re- turned, it has been proved by such prepon- derance of testimony as would prevail in the courts anywhere that the number of votes returned was cast, and that the return of 531 votes, signed by two of the regularly-ap- pointed inspectors of accepted as conclusive as against that made by a couple of county officers. For the rest, the Democratic charges of fraud in voting non-registered men and convicts in Daval County are offset by the Democratic ' frands and violence in Jackson County; and nothing is clearer than that the sat- tempt to eliminate all frauds on both would be & bootless undertak- ing. Equally clear, however, is it that, were all frauds eliminated, the majority for Haves would be considerably greater than upon a count of all the votes actually cast. Whether the Returning Board under- takes to cast out votes npon charges of fraud or. whether all the votes actually cast be connted, in either event it is no longer doubtful that the result must be to give the four Electoral votes of Florida to HAvEs. There will, too, be les$ disposition to question the canvass as made by the Returning Board when it is known that the charge of carpet- bagism cannot be made against it, the two Republican members constitnting the ma- jority of that body being Southerners. Flor- ids may therefore be stricken out of the list of doubtful States and her .four Electoral votes added to the Haves column, which leaves the result of the Presidential election to be determined by the vote of Louisiana. OSTRICH-FAR] The London Spectator of a stops in the midst of its grave papers upon the Eastern question and the relations of Russia to Turkey to present some very cari- ous information relative to ostrich-farming, snd to point out the remarkabla extent of the traffic in the very unhandsome feathers of that very ungainly bird. The figures are’ very interesting, as well as astonishing, since among all-the statistics of luxury these have hardly, if ever, been presented before. The exports of feathers from the principal African ports per year are set down by the Spectator as follows : may not keep his best feathers in a state of partinl domestication. In that case woman- hood will have to be content with the worst feathers, which in any event cannot be worss looking than the hats on which they are worn. LONG CONTRACTS BINDING CITIES, The questions involved in the gas csss which has been on hearing for the last few days before Judge DruMMOND, of the United States Circuit Court, are of great importance to every municipal corporation in the coun- try. The city’s side of the argument, made by its Law Department, was in substance as fol. lows, leaving out the citation of a multituds of authorities and precedents, and freeing it as much as possible from technical langusge: nthe case of the Mayor of Nashville va. Rar, in the 19th WALLACE, p. 475, the Supreme Court of the United States eays that ** A municipal cor- poration is a subordinate branch of she domestic government of the State. It is instituted for pub- Tic purposes ouly, and has none of the peculiar qualities and charagteristics of a trading corpora- tion, instituted for purposcsof private gain, except that of acting in a corporate capacity. Its objects, its responsibilities, and its powers are different. As 8 local: governmental institution it existi for the benefit of the people within its corporate limits. They are investel with public trnstsof 8 governmental and administrative.character; they are the local governments of the people, estab- lished by them as their rcpresentatives in the management and administration of municipal af- fairs, affecting the peace, good order, and general ‘well-being of the community, as a political society and district, and invested with power of taxation to raise the revenues necessary for those purpuses. The idea that they have the incidental power to issue an unlimited amonnt of obligations—go as to ‘e irretrievably binding on the people—is the ont- growth of a modern misconceptionof their trae object and character.” Here 1t will be perceived that it is held that— 1. That municipal corporations are merely sub- ordinate branches of the State, and institated for public parpcses only. 3 2. That they exist for the benefit of the peosls within their corporate limits only. 3. That they are invested with public trustsof & governmental and administrative character. 4. That they have not the power to make con- tracts of such & characteras to be irretrievably binding npon the people. 5. That they have only the power to ralse by tax- ation such revenues as are necessaryto carry out the purposes of their creation. - It will be seen ina moment that if they are in- vested with governmental powers that these pow- ers cannot be bartered awsy by any of itsagents, ‘but must be held in reserve, to be exercised sgaln and again as the public exigencles reqaire. Nocitybasa right to raise by taxation from the people any greater sum or sums of money thanlis actually reqaired to carry on the City Government, and no Common Council has the right to enter inta & contract with an_individual or with a private car- poration by which it shall bind the inhabitantste¢ Taice for a series of yearsa greater sum of money to pay them for any necessary supplies than wbst the same {s Worth or may be worth when the ssza is wanted. 3 Suppose, for instance, that the City Council hsd, daring the War, when coal was $20 2 ton, made & contract with an individual or s private corpors- tion by which they had agreed to pay that price for ten or twenty years, and that after a period of fire years coal should fall to 85 o ton, must the people be compelled to keep on paying into the Cify Treasury their money, to be handed over to con+ tractors for coal at the rate mentioned? Every individual ‘or corporation when they eatet into a contract with a municipal corporation must notice of all its powers, and the restriction upon the powers of a municipal corporation to en= ter into contracts which may prevent it from per- formingits duties to the public is nothing more than the application of the principle which svolds — NEW YORK AND CHICAGO—THE GRAIN TRAD: E. The New York Bulletin is trying to make out a case against Commodore VANDERBILT'S recent policy of coercing a uniform through rate to the seaboard, by comparing the grain receipts for thirty weeks of this yesr, ending Oct. 11, with the receipts during the cor- responding time in 1873. It’shows that Total The Spectator intimates that this does not represent the ultimate sum expended, as the total is greatly increased by processes for se- lecting, cleaning, classifying, and dyeing, and thinks that without cxaggeration the women of the world, from Australia to Amer- ica, spend $6,000,000 per snnuth for feathers, which are not beautiful when they get them. New York's percentage of the whole trade | ‘With regard to the price it says: ‘‘ The de- as 58,6 in 1573, and only 46.8 this year, while the percentage of trade enjoyed by Baltimore snd Philadelphia has nearly doubled within the same time.. It also shows that, notwithstanding this decline in general for New York, the business by rail shows an increase from 22,600,000 bushels in 1873 to 34,930,000 this year (during the same period), while the canal shipments from Buffalo were only 25,350,000 bushels from May 4 to Nov. 1, 1876, as against 47,840,000 bushels from eleven state of factsit charges that the policy assumed e interest of New York, is really intended to perma- nently cripple the canal trade 50 8s to give the railroads the power to control the trade Mgy 15 to XNov. 4, deys' * shorter time. On 1873, or this by VANDERBILT, professedly in and dictate the rates. This argument looks plausible on the show- ing, but the omissions when supplied prove that it is fallggious. The decline of the New York trade began long before VANDER- prur adopted the present policy, and was frightfully accelerated by his pooling with the Philadelphia and Baltimore railroads on s mileago basis; since he abandoned this false basis, the figures show that he has in- crensed New York's grain trade over 50 per cent as compared with the railroad traffic of 1873. We admit that it would probably be Detter for both Chicago aud New York if the ‘mih'unds were doing business at would afford them and give the rates which reasonable profit, trade. life, but mined by the mileage. a | come. lake it would also be worse for both cities if any compromise were made whereby the railroad rates would be deter- The experience with the pool a year ago demonstrated this, The falling-off in New York's grain trade began with the bad menagement of the New York canals and the excessive local charges for handling in New York. Mr. Vaxpesprur ought not to be Held responsible for these things. It is not likely that the railroad war will be continued long enough to occasion tho abandonment of the Erie Canal, but no mand for ostrich feathers has lasted through all ages, and, though prices vary ex‘:essivsly from time to time, feathers now pxported from the Cape at £5 5s. per pound having obtained in previous years from £20 to £40, there secms no fear or hope of a dny when a pound of ostrich feathers,—say, ahundred fenthers,—if they are good ones, will not be worth at least £5 at the port of shipment.” The social economists have not, and perhaps never will solve the question why there should be such a demand for these ungainly feathers. They are not handsome, not even graceful, and yst no lady's toilette is con- sidered complete without them. Assconasa young miss knows a feather from a filbert, an ostrich plume is the all-devouring object of her ambition, and this is true of young ladies in Chicago, Paris, London, Hong Kong, Congo, and Greenland, for aught we know. Why, it is'difficult to say. Onecan imagine why the average woman should admire a pheasant’s or a humming-bird’s fenther. Itisbeautiful. A diamond is brill- imt in its swimming sheen of color. Gold is dazzling, and sapphires, and emeralds, and all precious stones aro fascinating with their beautiful color-play. But an ostrich fenther has no color that is attractive. In point of beauty, the tail-feather of a barn-yard rooster is superior to it. Nevertheless, it is fashion- able. It has been in fashion for centuries past, and will probably be for centuries to It holds its place like the diamond. Other feathers may come and go, but this feather holds on forever. The reason for it, however, is what “no fellow can find out.” In view of this fact, the female side of creation will nndoubtedly be interested to know that the ostrich is now in process of domestication, and will be glad to read the following from a work on the subject recent- ly issued by Messrs. MoseNTiar and Hart- NG : At present, however, the os tially domesticated, and in lfl’;gc: -:::mt;"c::::s' the contracts of indivi ‘mental to the public rights. To light the streets of a city is o governmental power, called by some apolice power., Can sach a power be con! or bartered sway? Can the City Council of the Clty of Chicago to-day make s contract with 0y individual or corporation by which they will part with the control of the police for the next quarter of = centary? If they can, then they can con- tract away any other governmental power thatit possesses, and the citizens may wake op some odd morning and find the City Government andall its departments spld outor farmed ont, and every man claiming them under the doctrine of vested rights. The contract with the People's Gas-Light ad Coke Company to supply the city with gas was entered into by a vote of the Common Councll i3 1869, by which it agreed to pay that Company three dollars for each thousand cubic feet of gus bured als when they are detri- showed that there were no less than 37,247 domes- ticated ostriches within Cape Colony alone. The bird appears to need no artificial food if he has by its street-lamps for o period of tem yer besides Government tax, etc. When that contrsct waos made the iron used for gas-pipes cost thre® times what it does to-day; conl was fifteen © twenty dollarsa ton; ordinary labor two to three. dollary, and skilled labor double that amoudt- Now everything is changed; the people 87 poor; the ordinary taxes of the Ccity Government. cannot be collected; * the clT 15 compelled to economize. Theyfind tbat tbey can reduce expenses in everything except the price of gas,—that, ic s said, was fized ten Jesrs 2% and cannotbe reduced. We do not belleve that the court of last resort will ever hold thst the people of this generation can bind the people of the next by entering Into contracts inssY auch way, or that sny City Council can bindup e action of its successors by entering into contract in any such way. If theycan do it for ten years they can do it for fifty or one hundred years. We donob believe in any such doctrine. : —_— The State of New York offered snd peid 2 large reward fora prize canal-boat propell by steam, but the prize boat don’t seem to have made any money the present season in caryiog freights between Buffalo and Albany, and Da2 Dot been able to navigate the ditchas chesply as horse-power. But it appears that 32 im- provement has been made by another inventor The Buffalo Ezpress says: Ixa Brrrs has received advice from the Coptald of the canal steamer Rapid announcing Ber &7 rivalat Troyin five days and eight hours i Buffalo. This steamer has ‘attracted more SteD tion from shippers and canal-men than an. Hflg that has appeared on the canal in {em- =‘ Performnnces thus fa would seem to Indicate B3 steam on canal may successfally compete horse-boats. . Mr. Gzomax W. Hazr, of Hamaeh N. Y., it the inventor, builder, and owaer of the steamer Rapid. 3r. fLavy has certainly OVercans tivo important difficuities o faults possessed by a1l steamers herctofore put. upon the canal. 0% is the arrangement by which one man i8 ‘enabled t0 Bcflonn work for which three men have oS “5 cen cployed. viz.: engincer, atcersmaD, & fireman, and the other point is that ber =rr!fl“1 capacity is greater than has been accomplished es o Pamess heretofore bmlt, The Rapid bas carrl 8,000 bushels wheat, while 7,000 busbels i3 about an average load for canal stegmers. e The Ewening Post of yesterday copled sev eral excelient articles from the columns of Tuisuse, pitching into the West-Side Gss Company, last September, for not seducing