Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, December 21, 1876, Page 4

e Cribwe, TERMS OF SUBSCRIITION, 3N ADVANCR-~POSTAGR PREPAID AT TIIS OFFICE. o o B eckly, postpatd, 1 o A e, 14 mouth iy * Speclinen coples pont free, = To prevent delay and mistakes, bostire and give Pote Cmeenaddros in full, Inclnding Stnte and Couaty, ,i' tancesinay betnade either by dratl, express A Post-Uttice order, or i regiatered Tetters, atour riak. . " ERMS TO CATY SUDBCIIDERS, Teliy, delt l, Ennday excepiéd, 35 cénts per week. Leiy, deifvered, Bunday Includer, 30 cents per weak 9 Adhen THE TRIBONE COMPANY, gt Lottier Madizon and Dearborn-ste., Chicago, It #h TRIBUNE BUILDING DIRECTORY. decupants, TLARTER OAK LIFK (Insurance Dep't.). ) RENT, GUSTIN & WALLACR. J. T. DALE. 4. DUEBER WATCH-CASE MAN'F/G COMPANY. 6. ROUDINS & APPLETON, & NEW YOIK WATCIE COMPANT. 7. TO RENT, # WM, C. DOW. A. 1. BROWN. W. ROBDINS, v, WRIGHT & TYREELL, . 10. CHARTEL OAK LIFE (Loan Dep't.). 11-12, FAIRCHILD & BLACKMAN, 3. HENQY B, SEELYK, W, D, COOPER, N. R\, DRIDGE, . CENTENNIAL PUBLISHING CUMPANTY. 17. M. D, HIARDLY, 18-19. D. K. PEARSONS & CO. 0. HUTCHINSON & LUKF. 21. TO RENT, 22. ABSOCIATE EDITOR. 24, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, 24. MANAGING EDITOR. 25. ABSOCIATE EDITORS. + 20, L. C. EARLE. 27, W. J. BARNEY & CO. 58, WILLIAM BROSS. * 20, I ¥. NORCROSS. J. A. MORLDOWNA® 0. REDPATH LYCEUM BUREAU, MERCIAL EDITOR, - #. W, . DEXTER, #1. GEOHGE L. THATCHUER. 23, NIGHT EDITOR. 0. CITY KDITOR, Ofmcea In the Bullding t6 reat by W. C. DOW, Room 8. B Room AMUSEMENTS, MeVicker’s Theatre. . Madisan street, botween Dearborn snd State. #*Marricd In Usste.” ; Adelphi Thentre, o Monroe strect, corner Dearborn. Varfety perform: ce, Tinverly’s Thentre, Tandolph ltnel.’:m‘ll;!:n Clark and LaSalle. En- gagement of Miss Nel *Urwelfth Night,™ SOCIETY MEETINGS. A, . M.—This (Thursday) evening, Dee. 21, at Free Mason's Hull, 72 East Monroe-st., American Express ullding, for the eluction of officers for the ensuing Masonic year and payment of dues, All membera o ‘Bl il b ordel BT e WlIAL’IMl LOWE, W. M, WALLACE B, DOUGLAS, Bec, RILWINNING LODGE NO. 1 The elghtecnth annual Commun Fh be leld whie Crhuradan) e Corfmthian Jiall, 187 East Kluzl of vilicers nnd 'payinent of ducs. fvery mnember (8 urgently requestei 1o aftond. Tiio gavelsounds a1 7:20 y Sk % JOMN P, MOME, W. M. LOUIS 8. CHARLETTE, Secrotary, o 1, 1876, ot Every t0 ba present. GEO, F, SINCLAIR, W. M. . HAZLITT, Sec. iectfon of uflicers, wmember {8 cordiully inv! GE THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1876, 2 Groenbacls at the New York Gold Ex- jgy chauge yestordny closed at 01}, The Supervising-Architeot of the Treasury Department reports concerning the Chicago Custon.Iouso that the cutting of the entire stone-work will be completed this winter, and that the work on the interior will be commenced carly in tho spring. There wos an unexpended balance of 327,652 in the L; ‘T'rensury on the 30th of September, 1875, According to the ony of various Witnesses who ought to know all about it, & Chicago streot-railwny franchiso not of the best closs is cstimated all tho way from (1 $130,000 to $3,070,000. The publication of these fat figures mny be exmected to enor- mously swell the list of disinterested citizens who would be willing to serve 8s members of the Common Council. ) T — Maj. Brocxway, the new Recorder, hns 4 evidently mnde up his mind that he will not pander to the Ring majority of the County Board, and it is entirely rensonablo that he 4‘\"_ should refuse to intrast the walching of 4§ property for which ho is responsiblo into the AN bauda of porsons dictated by tho County 4 Riug, Thero are few persons in this com- ;,‘,;‘}. munity who would confide private Pproperty L to the safo keeping of wnen appointed by the %‘a“ majority of the County Board, and the pub. X F4% lio want as littlh publio property guarded in this way as possible. Maj. Bnookway will thereforo havo the good will of the people in the atand he has taken, It having become very nocessary to in some manuer remove or modify the impres- sion mado by tho blood-curdling narrative givon by Ev1za PinsstoN beforo the Lonisl. 1 oua Returning Board, Mr. Mornison's Com- 5 | mittco Las devoted much attention to this ifi} branch of their labors in New Orleans, Thoy 4 Lave been snccessful in procuring testimony 4 to show that the ghastly wounds of this | more-dead-than-alive witness wore all a i1 fraud and o sham, and that lor appearance ‘¢ beforo tho Bonrd prostrate upon a lounge b H was a plece of Nepublican claptrap, the 7§ woman being perfeotly able to sit up and to walk. They struck o bonanza when they found’ somebody who was willing to swear GJ ;) that they saw Ewza skip gally up A+ithe stops of the Oustomn-House the ot day after she testified; that is, <z 1t would bave pauned out a bonanza but for the sworn evidenco of two physiciaus of Oharity Hoepital, wherefrom it was shown 457 }] that at the identical time the negro woman 113 was vaulting the stairs so briskly she was -Id confiued to her bed in the Hospital, and hos f Leou there ever since sho appeared Leforo #H tho Returuing Doard, Mr. Monuwon will bave to try ngain, ‘I'se Ohlesgo produce arkets were mod. erntely nolive yestorday in the leading de- 17 partwients, aud wheat and provisions wore S ¢ strouger, Muss pork ‘closed 4L@T74o perbrl o ihlglmr, at $10.00}@16.62) for January and 43 $10.85@16.774 for Pebruary. Lard eloged 17)@200 per 100 lba higher, at $10,06@ 10.674 for January and $10,77}@10.80 for ~i3 ¥obruary, Meats wero firmor, at 6fc for ‘45 now shoulders, boxzed, 8ic for do short-ribs, ‘lml 8jo for do- short-clears, Highwines *" wero unchanged, at $1,08 per gatlon, Floaor #13 was quict and tame, Wheat closed fo higher, "ot $L19} for December und §1.20§ for *~ January, Corn closed e lower, at 44jc for " Decomber und 44jc for January, Oats "4j slosed 4@}o kighor, at 8330 casls and 83jo for Jouuary. Uye was jo lower, at 69)c. Barley was firmor, at G3o for Jauuary and 350 for February, Hogs were sotive and #trouy, ot 100 advanco, closing at $5.709 Cattle were in good demand, and woro firm, with sales principally at $2.60@ 4.65, Bhecp wors inactive and unchanged. Ouo hundred doliars in gold wonld buy 107,25 iu greenbacks at the close, Tho Senate Committce at Now Orleans had 8 most interesting session yesterday, being occupled in Liearing the testimony of various witnessea whose lives were spared to tell of the foarful atrocities committed in the namo of Domocracy and Reform. Thoy heard the story of Ben Jaxes, tho colored Dopmty- Marshal who was shot and loft for dead while on his way to the Logtown poll, whero no election wns held in consequenco ; of QGronor Buerroy, who bears three wounds that speak for themselves, and whosa only provocation {o the assassin was his re- fusal to join the Democratic Club; and of Jane Loawoop, the wife of Earoy Loawoop, who mnow lics at the point of doath from wounds received in pursuance of the shot-gun policy, and the sister of Pnuus Jomnsox, who waa killed with his ohild in his arms. Hor pathetic re- cital brought tears to the eyes of her Bena. torial listoners, oven the Democrnts looking groatly distrossed at their inability to con- coal the emotion produced against their will, Cross-examination was futile with such wit. nesges, and the shrewdest lawyers of the minority made poor hosdway in their nt- tempts to broak the force of this damning evidence, r. Hewrrr yesterday made astatement the House that occnsioned considornble surprise, and was received with manifesta. tions of jncredality not especinlly flattoring to the gentloman’s reputation for truth and veracity, He stated ‘that many lettors we- celved by him through the Now York post- officen bora unmistakable indications of hav- ing been tampored with by what is known ns the atoam process., It was thought quite singular that this most flagrant violation of tho law protecting tho sanctity of the mails should first bo mndo public in the courso of a debato on the sanotity of pri- vate tolograms; extremely singular that no mention had before been made of 5o grave nmatler, noroport to tho Post-Offico De- partment, no effort to improve the oppor- tunity to cast o stigma upon the Republican Administration under which the outrago oc- curred, no movement to look into the sub- ject and punish the guilty parties, Not loss remarkablo wns the refusal of the Democrats of tho House to order an investigation of the charge thus publicly madoe by Mr. Hewirr, When did tho present House over before noglect to tako advantage of so fine a chance for nn investigation as that afforded by Mr, Hewirr's statoment—if true? —ee The outcome of the question ns tg the privilegod character of private telograms raisod by the refusal of President Onton to permit Mr. Monnisox's Louisiauna Committae to ransack the files of private messages in the Now Orleans office boa Leen o vote by tho Democratio House that the privilego of secrecy which belongs of right to such com- munications shall be swept awny in fature by any body of investigators that through partisan malico or importinent curiosity may desire to poke their noses into the privato nffalrs of individuals, The Republicans of the Jndiciary Committos and tho Ropublican mombers of tho House, together with o fow conservatives of tha other side, united in support of the proposi. "tion of Mr, Hurp, which embodied the very necessary requircment that invariably obtaing i the courts,—that a specific seloction sball be mads of the telograms desired, and that no general haul shall bo permitted. This emidently fair compromiso proposition was votod down, and inits placo the substitute of Procton Kyorr was adopted, which opens wide the door of every telegraph-office in the country, nnd compels the production of all mossnges if 8 demand is made. Tho only consolation s that it is & game two can play at, and that it will bo in the power of the Benato to rotaliate in kind, for it is certain that all richness in privato telegrams does not abide in thoso of purely Republican origin, Itis not known what course President OnTon will adopt in tho premises, but if he should con. clnde to resist thig outrageons assault upon tho business interésts that Lo ropresents he would have no lack of mornl backing in the mercantilo and commercial community, COUNTING THE VOTES FOR PRESIDENT. It is vemarkable how wmen of intelligence, fairnoss, and ability, in discussing the prob- lem of * counting” tho Presidentinl vote, take up a thoory, urgo it strongly, and then fall to point out how the theory is to be applied to the present Presidontial diffioulty, In Toe Tnisune of Monday Inst a corre- spondent, over the mignature of ¢ Mon. tesquien,” mado a vory ingenious argnment toshow: 1. That the Constitution required tho President of the Bennte to * open all the cortifieates,” but that there is no power in that officor, expressed or implied, to count the votes. 2. That the Constitution intend. ed, ond by implication directed, that *the votes shull thon be counted ” by some other nuthority; and for this authority to *count" the votes ho claims the power and duty “to do with them (the certified votes) what the law empowers thom to do; thoy count and detormine Low many Electors have voted, and not merely how many votes have been cast." Upon those premises tho writer thua conciudes : By the Constitation tho Tlonse {s apecially authorlzed to elect the Prealdent on fallurg of the Electors to do 30; how absurd, then, to say that tlio House must #it mute and soe one member of tho Henate, & body which can {u no event elect tho President, decide tlie wholo question by rejecting or counting votes s may secm good to him,~—n wember who canuot put his finger on a single ling which authorizes him to do anything but opon the envelopes which contain tho Mste of the votes al. loged to have been passod, Yor the foregolng reasons, it scems that ta allow the Prosident of the Senato to count the votcs in the sense of the Con- stitutlon,—that is, to detcrmine who are Electors and for whoin thoy have voted, which is, In effoct, declding who shall be President,—would be con- trary to the letter and aplrit of the law, In Tuesday’s Trinuns another lawyer takos the other slde of the question, and stronuously insists that tho sole, exclusive, and absolute powor to determine all quostions is vested in the President of the Sonate, and his position is sufliciently stated in the fol. lowing sentencos : i Tow can tho power, expressly vested In'the President of tho Senate by the Coastitution, to opensnd count tho Elcctoral votes, be controlled or abrldged by any rulo or law of Congresa? Illow can the conatitutional duties imposed on him be exerciied or shared by Congress or any other officer or department of Qoverument without wa. suthorized usurpationt 1 aubmit that Congre: 0 1o more usurp or Im« pairthe powers lmpos by the Conatitution on the Prasidont of the Seuate, In opening and count- ing the Rlocloral votes, than 1t can luterfere with or abridge the rightto choose Elcctorw, or to de- Sermine the manner of counting the votes cast for Electors. They are both constitutional rights, with which Congress cannot luterlere. 5 ‘Thera can be 1o jolut rules of Congressapplicable to such woeting. No constitutional duty or power is conferred upon olther House, or both, exceptto bo present aud witneas the performance of the du. tles imposed by the etitution upon the Pre dentof the ¥onate. The act to he done I une side of lcgisiatlon, and whatever power Congreas saanmes ovor the anbject It mnst be ablo to pnt Ity fuger on the giant of it. Congross may undoubted- 1y provide by jolnt rule the time when and the manner in which it wiil meet o witnots the count, bt when that lmited duty fa performed lts pree serfbed duty s ended. Horo ave two dogmatic propositions, made honestly by ablo and competont mon, both aiming at the truth. Ench having ronched a conclusion in his own mind, states it boldly, and yet ench ignoros an important fact, fatal to the theory ho maintains, ** Montesquien," after demolishing, as ho thinks, the an- thority of the President of tho Bennte to do anything moro than open nll the certificatas, claims that the power to *‘count” tho votes includes the power to judge of thoir validity, which power is lodged elsowhero, But ha fails to point out tokere that poteer is lodged by the Constitution, Isit in the Senate or Houso? Or in botl in joint meeting or town meeting? If in bothi in joint meeting, Low is the joint meoting—a thing that fsanknown to the Comatitution—to ba constituted? Aro the two Housces to sit asindependont Houses, with theirown Bpenkors, or as one Houso? And if 80 prosided over, by whom, and which Olerk shall record their proccodliugs ? Are they to vote separntely? Andif so, whatisto bo the effect of adisagrooment ? s that disngrec. ment to have an affirmative or anegativa effect upon the motion'mnade? If tho two Houses nare to bo consolidated into a new Honse— wholly unknown to the Constitution— bow is tho presiding’ oficer to Lo appointed, and by whom? - How are tho members to vote—by States or indi- vidually? And where in thio Constitution is the dircction and rule for this? On the otherhand, the other writer is cqually at foult and equally foggy. The Constitution directs that all the cortificaten shnall be opened by tho Prosident of the Senate, It noxt snys the votes shall then be counted. But it failsto sny or direct that ke shall count tho votes, nor is thero direction that he shall announce or declare a rosult, although that would be the inferance. While the Consti- tution does not direct that tho votes shall then be counted by him, it fails to stato— except inforentially—by whom the voto is to be counted. Onr correspondent, thero- fore, is in error in nsserting that * count. ing™ the votesis & ** power ” imposed by tho Constitution upon the President of the Sen- ate. Ashis argument is bnsed on this ns- sumption, it fails bocauss of the failure of the fact to sustain it. And this blindneés of the constitutional provision hns caused most of the angry controversy in oud out of Con- gross, Inthe organization of the Government thoro was o Prosident and Vice-President- cleot, but there was no Benate and Houso of Representatives in whoso prosence the cer- tifientes could be opened or counted, Final- Iy, in April, 1789, the Bennte obtnined n quorum nnd appointed a President for the purposo. That officer subsequiently issied n cortificate, reciting that he hAd been aps pointed to ‘“opon oll the cortificates and count all the votes of all tho Eloctora".for Presidont and Vico-President, and that it appeared that Gromor Wasmivatow, Esq., hnd beon unanimously elected Presidont, agreeably to the Constitution. At subge. quont clections this same form of a cortifi. cate was followed. All this, however, was in the absence of any logislation by Congress on the subjoct. At that time it was not sssumed that legislation was needod; no porson was thought of for President but Wasurvoron, aud the counting of the; vote was & simple formality. It was not until a much later doy that the omission saitracted attontion. Before tho second election, however, Qongress pro. vided by law various regulations prescribing the manner of making tha certificates of the Electoral votes, and tho mode of certifying to the election of the Electors. Inall the pro. ccedings ab subsequent limes the sction of Congress was evasive,—that is, Cougress, by rulo having the force of law, avoided a por- manent rule by temporary expedients, the result ot no time being questioned or dis- puted. Al this things brings us boek to the point that there it no law now governing the tllal point involred in the present controversy, except the rather indefinite mentence in the Coustitution, -In the absonce of all logislatlon or rule, precedent, if not neces- sity, leaves the Presidont of the Senate to do all that is to be done in the promises, which in simply to open tho certificates, announce the contonts, and add up the votes and de- clare the footings. Whethor ho lns tellors or clorks to help him add up the votes ond scan tho nnmes of the Electors and for whom they voted, do not scem to bo very materinl, "Thero {a no law or rule in existonce author- izing cithor Houso to do anything in the premises, and no law authorizing both Houses to interfore, or act, or touch the res turns. If anybody disputes this sussertion let him cito the statuto or section of auny low on tho subfect. But that it is within the power of Cougress to provide by law for all tho proceodings aftor “‘all the cor- tificates” are oponed is Leyond all contro. versy, and to tho exerciss of this power by tho present Congress the country must look for any satisfactory nud permauent nrrange. ment and settloment of disputed elections for Prosidont and Vice.Presidont, It can scarcoly be said that tha Times wniter on the Presidontial controversy usea ‘words to concoal fdoas, bocause that would imply that he hns ideas to conceal; but it must ba adwmitted that he is an export in the uso of language to concoal the absonce of idens. The individun! who delivers himself of long columus of obscuro verbisge, and ropeats them with all the gravity of n litorary Dogberry, becomes tiresome, and is known 83 o blatherskite. If ke wrote clearly, he would exposs hisignorance and folly; writ. ing obsourely, Le is able to sot up a claim for n profundity of argumontation that passeth the understanding of ordinary mortals, This' Z%mes blathorskite, stripped of his verboulty, wonld be a senseless clown; with it, he is a ponderous and formidable disput- ant, with whom one is never done if once ho ia flattered with notice, We Lave had a sad experience with him. The other doy we labored to reduce one of his long-winded, muddled interrogntories to plain English, and conceived that Lo was asking whother ‘Tns Taioune would abide by an agreed re- port of the Cougressional Committees sent Bouth to investigata election roturns—* Qon. gressional Committecs” wes {he term he used—in rogard to the Electoral ‘vote of tho throo Southern Btates which the Demoorats '} want to contest. Wo answered that Tun Tnioung would nbide by such an agreement of the Congressional Committees, which was abrief and clear reply. And now we are rewarded with n column and a half of awash, in which the only intelligiblo parts are tho coplous extracts made from tho files of Tz Tawsune which this person koeps at his side. We ore told that Tnw l'minuxu has ‘*dodged,” ““twisted,” **evaded,” * oquivo- cated,” pottifogyed,” ** moved obliquely,” I'HIE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: TH AY, DECEMBER 2, 1576 and porformed various other ous to mention. Roarr's and Wepsten's violently ravished, and the T1nuNe's ways, doos not understand them, must give the matter up in despair, for we cannot if we wonld, and wonld not if wa could, apa the gibberish which nppears to bo his vornacular. It Is uscloss to disouss the rolative olaim of tho Senate and Houso Com- mittoes Lo the confidence of the poogle, for n disngroomont between the two will leavo tha country divided pretty much as it is now, Tho Republicaus gonorally will in that caso tngllno to givo thetr faith to tho Senate, and tho Dewmourats, of course, will place their hopes in tho large Democratie msjorily in the Houss, It fsonly by an agroement that tho wholo country could be satisfied, and that, wo confess, {s not promising in the present temper of the Democratic party, who, in tho words of the Gemnan song, aro *‘So near and yet so far " ns regards tho offices they covet. But, awaiting the disagreoment that {s protiy surs to come, we commend to the T'imes the common-sense and patriotism of the following utterances fromn tho Nation: In fact, there ls only one course oped to us in the malter, and that {s Lo let the Slates manage thelr oten election, and accept the resuit as they gleait, W cannot make State Govornments botter than the population of the Stato wants to have them. It scoma to ua that the only sound courso r:ow fa to atop quibbling and chopping logle, to accept the Bouthern figuros, however bedeviled, and in~ augurato HAvxs In the Intorest of peace and qulet, and for the Letter preservation of constitutional forin, Any other courae (s Mexican. ‘The Nation did moro offective work for Troex during the campaign than a dozen papors like the 'Ohicago Z¥mes, and is now disposed to look with favor upon the result, but it has decenoy enough to adviso koeping within the law, and believes that any wrong that hns beon done may be best righted law- fully and pencefully. Will the Zimes abide by such a rule? — STEAM ON THE ILLINOIS OANAL. Daring tho season of navigation on the Il}i- nois & Michigan Onnal, just closed, the oxpor- imont of steam navigation was successtully bed in two instances, The first was by the Smvoen& Tarcorr8tone Company. ThisUom- paoy had one steam canal-bont used in carry- ing stone from tho quarry at Lemont to Chi- cago, a distanco of fifty miles the round trip, This bont mado five trips withont a tow; fifty-one trips with omo boot in tow; and twenty-six trips with two boats in two; in all, eighty-two trips with 185 loads, ench load 150 tons. The ordinary process has been to o horso-power from Lemont to Chicago River, aud then employ a tug to haul to the place of landing, In this case tho horse- power ond the tugs ‘wero dispensed with. The amount of coal consumed was 8,684 pounds per trip, or an avorage of 1,588 pounds per boat-lond, or thirty-two pounds por boat-load of 150 tons per mile, or 21-100 pounds per ton per mile. Tho coal used was Wilmington coal, and cost $3.50 per ton, The weight transported was 27,750 tons, and the nmount of coal consumed was 147 Lons, Distanco, fifty miles. The estimate is that the expenso was 33} per cent losa than the cost of horse-power and tugs, "Tho second cnse was that of Norron & Co., millors, of Ohicago aud Lockport, who omployed tho stenm-canal-boat Montauk, Tho cargo was wheat and flour, The boat madae ninety-five trips,—forty-five’ with n barge in tow and fifty trips without a tow, There were 16,000 tons of wheat moved to Laockport, thirty-throe miles;and 19,000 tons of flour moved from Lockport to Ohicago, They stato the expenses of the boat for tho senson oA followa» 202 tons of Cflll‘ ntJ-’l Wages of craw, 44 da) Repalrs of mnchlnm;’y Expanse of barge, 45 trips Total..., essenensnns ennyene$4,030, 50 Average cost por ton per mile, 8 6-10 mills, por ton per mile. The averaga consumption of conl waa sixty-soven pounds per boat-load per mile, This average cost per ton per mile could Lo reduced one-third if thera were ‘business enough to employ o barge continu- ously, and even more reduced if two or mora borges wore employed. In both cases the economy over horse-power is clearly shown, and it is possiblo that In time the navigation of the canal will be mainly carried on by ateamepowor. The attempt to introduco steam on tlie Now York CUanal has been only partially successful; the’ fonsibility and economy of using steam aro established, but tho rates of froight have been so low that the schemo haa not ylolded tho profit which was oxpooted. This successful use of stonm canal-boats both for transportation and for towing prom. isca woll for an enlarged trade on the canal whon the river improvement shall be finish- ed. The damat Henry has been in opera- tion now soveral years, and has oxtended the canal practically sixty miles down the river; but that dom was only the boginning, and ought long sinco to have been supplemented by the dam nt Copperns COreck, The last Legislature rofused to make a comparatively small appropriation for that work, and the construction had to bo postponsd until such {ime as tho net revonues of the canal should warrant the Commissioners in incurring the oxpense. Whon tuat dam, thus unfortunate. Iy postponed two yeasrs, slull be complated, navigation will bs secured at all timos in-the season from Ohlcago to Peoria, Thence ordinarily there is navigation by tho river to Bt. Louis, Each step made in the Progress of the work extends and enlarges the busi. ness of the whole lino aud adds to its annual rovenues, . Including the dam at Cop. poras Creok, there aro fonr dams to be constructed to furnish con. tinuous navigation from GOhicsgo by canal to the mouth of the Kankakee, and thence by the Illinols River to the Mlssis. sippl. This will enable boats propelled Ly steam £o leave the present canal at a point forty mnilea above jts present terminus and g0 sonth aa well as come north by the river to end from that point, It at mome futuro time the business’ and the rovenues of the canal and river improvement should justify the expendituro, the ocanal proper would have to be enlarged only abont two-thirds of ita length inatoad of the wholo distance. It ia not probable that the navigation of the canal by horie-power will ever be profitable; but when tho river jmprovement {a com. pleted, and navigation by water at all stages will be’socurod, the use of steam and barges will open a large And most profitatle bual- ness -at rates which will defy railroad competition, The Kankakes River will be made navigable, at least to Kan. kakes, by the dam in the Ilinols River below its mouth, thus opening a new and wide extent of the Btate to the beuefits of water transportation, It !s to be hoped that the coming Legialature will be moro liberally sinnous, tortuons, and eccentric foats too numer- “ Thesaurua” Unabridged have been Englich Innguage ruthlessly bulldozed, to find terms for thiy Dlathorskile to charncteriza Trm Wo ¢an only concludo that the T¥mes Llatherskito is so unacoustomed to plain, matter-of-fact statements that he In that cass we disposed towards this groat work of improve- mont in which the whole State is so doeply interestod. The pormanency of tho water navigation is essontint to the gront conl mines which lo contiguous to the water-ronte, and the country tributary to the river from ils mouth to Ohieago, 1t will give to Peorin and all the river country direct water communi- catfon during tho senson of nnvigation with Pittaburg, Cincinnati, St. Louls, and all points on the Lower Missiesippl, na well ns with Chicago and Lake Michigan, ond with steam on tho river and cannl the trado of tho wator-ronto will expand in bulk and add largely to tho wenlth of the Stata, em— THE WEST SIDE GAS COMPANY. A fow woeks ago tho West Sido Gas Com. pany voluntarily offered to furnish gas to the olty at the rato of 82 por 1,000 feet, aud to adopt the reduced burner and the new time- tablo. The Common Council rejected this offer, insisting that tho gas should bo fur- nished at 81,560 per 1,000 foot, the price pald to tho Bouth 8ide Compnny, The rosult was anappeal to the courts by the Company for protection under its contract. ‘Judge Druar- MoND wiscly, and with great force, rominded both partics that the mattor of differenco be- twaoen thom waa {00 trivial to domand of him the decision of tho great principle of law involved, and ko advised the two corpora. tious to como to an amionbla ngreoment for the briof torm of the old contract yet un. expired. The Common Council hos over- como its objection to the offer of tho Gas Company, and has agreed to nccept it, but the Gas Company, with strange porversity, has rofused to accopt the torms which a fow weeks 8go it offcred and urged upon tho City Council. The ‘Company cannot Justity this procseding. It cannot safely put a whale community at deflanco, T'he contract of 1869, no matter how fair it might have been then, is at thia timo extortionate nnd beyond the ability of the city to enery out, Even it tho Court shall sustain the binding foreo of that contract, the Company canzot afford to brave public opinion by exacting a verformance of it by the olty, The whole community will bo unanimous in a refusal to submit to any such exaction. It would make the Company eo odlous that it could never recoive, publio confidence, respect, or tolera. tion, and tho end of the contract would wit- ness the ond of the Company, The Com- pany had therefore bettor nccopt tha terms offered by ita Presidont, at least until next April; it cannot decently withdraw its offer, oand it is daily, by its quibbling and procras. tination, so irritating tho public mind that when it does in the end make the concession tho favor of the act will huve lost its graco and force, THE PRIMA PACIE OASE-OREGON, A good many peoplo of Democratic pro- clivitica are now socking to cajolo themselves into tho beliof that, if the Presidential con- trovorsy is to bo settled on tho prima fucle caso ns it Is presented to the President of the Beunate, Mr, TiLpEN has it, bocause the singla bogus vota in Oregon, if counted, would give him 185 Elcotoral votes, ~Tho reasoning i (fflrlyreprnauntadin the following communica~ HOR: v the Sattor af Tha Tribun, Citicado, Doz, 10.—Pleaso explaln how, taking the primu facle caso ns it atands, Havzs hoa 185 votes, 03 Tur TRiDuNB nsserts editorlally tuls morning. Isnot tha certlficate of the Governorof Oregon a8 much a part of-the prima facle case as is that of the Qovernor of Loulsiana? To be sure, it ls alleged that the law was groasly violated in Oregon, and there is tho same allegation as to Loulslana. Dut it Is & prima facle case we are aro talking abont, and how can you correct or look into an al- leged irregularity or lllegality In one case better than fu the other, without golug behind the prima Jacle casc? Iam s Repnblican; but I think the time has coms for Hepublicans to exerciae candor and patriotism Instesd of prejudica and partieanship. The peo- pleare Intelligent and *fale; thoy will not be de- celved by special pleading and nonacuse. Tonesg Ropublicana llke Hayzs and tho party, but thoy 1lko falr play and tho country bettor. Yours truly, A CoNsTaNT REaDEH, If the writer of the above is a Ropubllean, he is throwing hLis caso away before he has considered it ; if ho is o Democrat, his wish has simply fathered o thought that will not stand the test of annlyzation under the law. Ho will rdmit thero cannot be two prima Jacis cases, even in as primitive a communi. ty ng Orogon. The Governor of the State issued three certificates,—two to OpxLy and OantwrionT, rogularly elocted by the Re. publicans, the other to Onoxiv, the Demo. orat, in place of Warzs, whom he (the Gov- ernor) declared inoligible. o thereforo ns- sumod (1) topnss on the eligibilityof CroNmy and (2) to fill o vacancy, neither of which things he had any authorlty to do. But there waa no exouse for rofusing certificates to Opery, and Oantwriont, aud thoy were is- sued, They were a majority of the Electors and found a vacancy, Warrs having resigned, 88 well as having beon refused o certificate by the Governor, Undor the laws of Oregon (Chap. 14, Title 0, Bec. 59), a vacanoy in the Eloctoral Collego is filled as follows : 1f there should be any vacancy in the office of an Eleetor, occasloned Ly death, refusal to act, neg- lect toattond, or ofAeruwtss, the Eloctors prosent sholl immodiately proceed to dil, by viva voce and plurallty of votes, such vacancy in the Electoral College, and when all tho Electors ahall appear, or the vacancles, If any,shall have been flllod as above provided, such Electors shall proceed to perform tho dutlos required of them by the Constitution and the laws of tho United States. % The terms of this law aro unmistakable, and thetwo Eleotors, Opert and Oanrwnianr, proceoded strictly according to it. If any further confirmation of it is needed, it may be found in the following opinion of the Chief-Justice of the State of Oregon, which o tolegraphed to his brother, who restdoes in Rochester, N, Y. PorTLAND, Oregon, Dec, 0, 1870,—[By Tole. graoy, ]—3r, 0. E. Uplon, Rochester, N. Y.: In reply to your questions, the statute of this Stato authorized Cantwitiour and OnzLs to Al vacan- clea. Tholr votes are cast for Havxs and attached to the State canvass certified under State seal of of Oregon, ‘The Constitation prohibits Executive exerclaing judiclal fauctlons g passing on Watrs' disqualificstion. Gnoven only hoped to throw out ‘whole vota, He falled. ~ W.W. Urrox, Then here wo Lavo the prima facis case, COasrwriont and Opery, two Electors who Lold certificates from the Governor, find a vacancy by the resignation of Warrs, and they proceod to fill it -according to law. Ogonmy, one Eleotor holding & certificate from the Governor, proceeds to fill two vacancies, The prima facls case rests with the two Electors holding certificates as against one, and their votes certified to the Presldent of the Benate are the ones helis compelled by every precedent to recolve, Of course this prima facls case, or ocolor of law, is sustained by all the faots. Even Democrats do not deny this. Oimrwniont, Opzie, and Warrs rveceived a majority of the votes of the Btate; the Gov. emor had no euthority for passing upon the question of Warre' eligibllity, nor for declaring » vacancy, nor for filling a vacanoy, Thae single certificate he gave the bogus. Elector Ozonin can soarcely be zecognized a8 & prima facle case as sgainst the two certificates he issued to the two genuine Electors, OarTwriour and Opxiy. When ‘‘Oonstant Roader" compares the Oregon caso with tho Louisiana case, he slmn. ply showa that he has not derived much benefit from his constant reading. In Louisiann all the Electors hold certificates of the Governor of the Slate and the Returning Board, so thnt it §a ridiculous to assume that the bogus RElector mnkes ns good n prima Jucie enso ngainst two gonnine cortificates issned to two genuino Electors s the cer. tificates to all the gennine Loufsinna Eleotors mako ns ngninet o lot of pretonders with nothing to show, THE TENNESSEE TRAGEDY, The details of tho tragody near Shelby, ‘Tenn., which were printod in tho last fssue of Tnn TrinuNe, road like a chaptor from a Braprr: dimoe novel of “ blood and thunder,” or an eplsoda from tho * Mysteries nud Mis. orlos of Now York.,” They illustrate n olass of crimo which issupposed to oxist in the for- tilo brains of tho Syrvanus Conns, Hanrisok Amvawontas, and Neo Bunruines, and which these gory scribblers dovelop in books and sensational newspapers for the delectation of sorvant-girls and tonder-minded youths of both soxes, and whicl: occasionally find rop- rosontation upon the atago in melodramas of the Bowery school. ‘The Tennesses apisode, however, shows that villainy, cruclty, and bratality of this abnormal sort are not alono fictions of the brain, but nlso realities of lifo, The dispateh in question did not fur- nish complete dotails, but suMclent to gather tho salient facts of the tragedy. L.S. Hivy, an old and universnlly-respooted citizen, lived with bis daughter n fow miles from Shelby Depot. One Gatvex Boxp had boen paying ottentions to the daughter, and on themorningof tho 18thinst. visited theLouso, where ho Itnd a couversation with Ar. Hit, The dispatch does not give tho subject of conversation, but from tho bloody douone. niont it may bo casily imagined that Hier had warned Boxp to discontinue his atten. tions or hind rofused to allow him to marry his danghter,—n stop in which ho waa amply justified, unless he was desirons to throw away his daughter upon n cold-blooded, cowardly, wolfish monstor, After the con- vorsation Bonb coolly went home, took his double-barreled shot-gun, returned to Hitr's houso, aud, without giving him warning, shot tho old man through the door of tho house, and then, in the trucSouthern chival- ry of mfflanism, having his opponent at his marcy, helpless and wounded, drew his pistol and fired fivo balls into the prostrate old man. Tho rendor will obsorve that he in. dulgod in the same exnggernted 'nnd super- fluousrefinement of cruelty which the aver- age Southern ruffian always employs. It was precisely the samo sort of cruclty thot was practiced upon Yivmsron in Lounislana by the Tiwpex bulldozers, ond the same sort of conrage that wos manifested when the same bull. dozers shot, eut, atabbed, and slashed Eciza Pmgstoy, and cut the throat of her baby, much to tho disquictude of the sensitive na- tures of LysaN Tnumpuru and Jonw M, Pararen, who have not been long enongh in tho Domocratio party o gat accustomed to theso peculiar manifestations of the ma. chinery of Bouthern politics in working up Demooratio majoritics. After having emptied - the contents of five chambers of tho pistol and two bnrrelaof ashot-gun into the old mat, ho was saved the trouble of carving him up with his bowie-knife by the discovery that ho was snfficiently dend not to intorfere with auy further scoundrelism o might have on hand. ‘The chivalrous hero then seized the poor girl, dazed, stunned, and hor- rified by the tragedy, draggod Ler over tho bleeding body of her father, and hurried her Dby forco to o miniater’s, whero he demanded tho performance of tho mminge ceremony. Up to tho time of the tragedy thero is noth- ing to show that the girl would not: have mmrried him, oven in opposition to the wishes and commands of lor father, but the lorriblo cruelty of tho monster had dispelled all feel- ings of affection, and she refused to wed him, Ho then threatened to Lill her, and was about to earry out his murderous inten- tions when a posso of neighbors arrived at the house, rescucd the girl from Lim, and put her in o placs of safoty., As overy one in that seotion goes armed, and is prompt and oxpert in the use of the pistol and shot- gun npon tho slightest provocation, it is o little remarkable thiat some one did not have the forothonght to secure tho ends of justice by dispatching tho assassin on the spot, thus avonging the murder of the fathor and forover securing the dnughter from further porsecution, Instend of this ho was suffored to oseape, aftor shooting one of the pursuers with tho remaining oliarge in his plstol, and having timo enough to go to a neighbor's nnd stenl o fresh Lorse, 1If pistols kad been s prompt to avengo a murder as they aro to wipe out & fanoied affront or prevent o man from voting the Republienn ticket, tho bruto mover would have got p rod from the Thouse, But ho esgaped, aud tho fatherless girl must live on in tho apprehension that the cowardly nsanssin may some day roturn and finish his bloody work, When human life is held at such small valuo ag this trigedy indicates, it aufiiciontly accounts for the low stago of Southorn civilization. This {s not a solitary instance of ferocity and orueity, Crimes equally appalling occur every day in the Southern Btates. 8o longas the duel, the vendetta, and individual assaasination are al- lowed to ocour without adequate punishiment, and jurics and courts aro held under jntimt. dation, there can be no rcasonnblo hope of prosperity or peaco or goodorder in that soction, The Bhelby tragedy is the diveot ountgrowth of the present phase of Southern clvihization, ke RN Inhis talk with our reporter, Onoviy, of Oregon, was quite candid and outspoken in regard to his usnrpation of suthority in the Eloctor business. He froely admitted that ho was beaten by the popular vota; that he 'was a defeated candidate; he did not olaim that ho received a majority of the votes cast, nor that ho was elected by the people,—it waa the Governor who elected him! But who authorized the Governor to make an Eleotor out of a defeated candidate, Onoxmy did not deign to explain. In the course of the interview thig conversation oceurred ; *4Tho certificates for myself, sud CanrTwaioHT, and Oprut were handed to mo' (by the Gov- ernor). *4And you acted by yourselr?* ‘*No, sir, 1did not, 1asked Canrwniour and Opxiy to act with me, and they refused.* ' Upon what groonds? " “*7That X was not legally elected.™ 4 And you declded that you were legally elect- " % “"'Iml and organized myself nod appointed J, N. T, MitLex, of Jackson County, to act with me. ‘We together then solected Jaurs Pargxs, of Linn County, as the third man.* “*You thon cast the voto1" *+Yes; thare were two Colleges of us,* **Hlow’s that?" ‘! Oantwntanr and OpxLL met in another part of the room and accopted Wares' resigustion, and then sppointed him to 81l the vacancy he bad oc- casloned.” ** And you cast the Electoral votes?? . ‘' Yes, but thore was a decided difference of oplalon on the subject," :: i\;: you think your votes will standgn A, But you were not clected, ‘'t Well, Watts was counteq onty Bible, and 1, an his opponent, was gi cateby the Governor," & - **Then your eolleny color of Jaws™ gues must have acted withont " Oura was tho legal Electoral Cotle eof The other gentlemen olected—Ca m"n‘n‘.fi.’:‘f&, Ovrit—refused to net with me, aad X naed my pre. rogative and meroly fllod ¢ Pomted Mittan ang. Pu‘:mn,h'? vacancles aud ap. ::;hny aro Immnmu. I bellevesr ot are right, slr, My collengnon we; ocrats, but thoy gencronsly gave thetr two r'enm'?a 1AvEs, becausn he hnd votes Ih the Btate, e U3 Fecoived two Eleclora) Haxes hind recoived alf the Eloctoral of the State by 1,172 mafority, and lh'uu:l: tompt of the Governor to steal ong from him will not succeed, ‘Whoover goes to war o maintaln thot brazen frand will ing himsolt in the voentive. Onoxmy 8ays: I met and organized mysolf,” Mot whom? Can ong man * organize” himself into an Electoral Collego? Tho Chalrman of the Oregon Col. logo was Jonx 0, Oantwniont, and he waz catitled to roceive the certiflcates. Why aia Gov. Groven hand them to Crowin? Why did Ononty refuso to hand them to tho Chair. man of tho College? He retused even to exhibit them, but kopt the cortificatos con. conled in his inside cont pocket, and hag them thora when he *mot and organized himself” in one corner of the room. The Prosidont of the Senata can pay no attention to this farcical, bogus, scoundrelly fraud; and it tho offlcc-hunters proposs to get up n; robellion to uplold this shameless and un. Inwlul transaction, let cnch fellow * meot and organize himself,” eloct Croxiv and Groveg Captalnand Corporal, and march to glory.and a gallows, or the Penitentia he was fneyy, ven the certiq. OARPET-BAGGERS, Th the Fditor of The. Trivune," FuLtoN STIUERT, New Yons, Dec, 10, —=Will yon inform your many readers what s n carpel-bag (iuyerninent whion compared with **home sie s 1o which you sometlines refer in your editotials, When apealing of the *'Southern Ktates"r Wil you pleare explain the difference between the {wo Governments as they now exiat in thoso States. ang obliga i A NErusticaw Sunscningn, ‘Tho genernl meaning of & carpet-bag Govorg- ment in o Southern Stato.is one administered by adventurers from other States who RO there to get oflice, who stay there while kept in offlce, and return whence they came when they lose the offices. They are not regarded na rog. ular citizens of the Btato of their ndoption, but as office-sceking speculators,—hawks on the lookout for prey. That class of functionarics are popularly known throughout the United Btates as * carpet-baggers.”? ¢ Home-rule,” na applied to States, means the adminfsteation ot public affalrs by: officials who aro bona fide and permanent citizens of the State; by native-borns and those who did not cometo the State fn scarch of office, but to work fora living aud cast in theirlot for 1ife with the stable population. In short, 1t s the rule of the Btate by permanent cltizens, ns compared with a rule by office-hunt~ Ing adventurers. 4 —————— Wenstan defines scurvy: “A disease char- acterized by livid spots of varlons sizes oce casloned by extravasation of blood under the cuticle, valencas, languor, lassitude, and de- pression of splrits, general exhaustion, pains In the limbs, accastounlly with fetld breath, sponpy ond bleeding gums, and bleeding from almost all the mucous membranes.” It now appears that it was this horrible disease which hus so often heen the scourge of armics and novles that prevented tlie recent Bnglish expedition commanded by Capt. NARES from reaching the TPole, fnstead of tho contest with the sea of fce, ns has been genoznlly supposed, Capt. Nanes, Inhis official report, states that on the 8 of April seven sleages and crews, numberinz fifty. three officors and men, were ready for the ex- ploration. * Thoy started,” ho says, *with as bright prospects Liefors them: as any former Arctie travelers—cvory one apparently fn the best possible health, . . . and afiner body of plcked mon than the crews of the three ex- tended sledgo-parties were never previously cols lected togother.” On the 8d of Mpy thescurvy Broke out on the Alert aud Discovery, and on the 8th of Juns Licut. Pamn arrived on board “with the distressing intel- ligence that nearly the whole of the crew be- longing to the northern division of sledges were attacked with scurvy, and in want of immedlate assistance,” The cause of the disease I8 In- dicated Inanother part of the report, In which Capt, NaREs s led to conclude that when the sledge crews started, the discaso * was even then lurking smong us, and that the heavy labor of sledge-traveling Intensified and brought it out, a8 had been the case In mnearly all former Journcys when the travelers have been unable to procure large supplies of game and were uinpro- vided with limezjulce” It scems almost incredl- ble that such an expedition sbould have been sent into the Arctic reglons without an effective antl-scorbutic, and, as the London Times says: “It it proves even partlally true, {t reveals a degreo of ignorance or reckleasness which will reflect disgrace on the service.”! ——————— ‘The Augusta (Ga.) Conatitulionalist, ona of the Democratic slicets that defonded the massac.2 of the negro prisoners at Hamburg, 8, C, by the Georgla Lloods, says: L Many of our exchanges call CzAnLzs 0'CoNon's Jetter *‘Intomporate."'” Well, perhaps it is; but then, It 18 the truth, and that le what capocially galla'at this particular time the men who consented o war upon the South, and force the infamous smendments upon her after tho Warin the mad hope of perpetuating the Constitotion and the Unlon. AsDaNies nnrmsufllmdmuny years 8go, tho infernal fanatics and Alolitionists huve destroyed the Unlon, nullified its chartor of libors tles, nnd bankrapted the country, And now what will the War Democracy, 10no helped them in their devil's-dance during and after the Iar, do about 1t? Tho Bouth pationtly awaits thelr verdict, °I‘; meanwhilo fs not afraid of the truth told by Cuautea 0'CoNom, albelt conched In languago that Is not exactly **temperate.’ The falscly-called Constitutionalist 1s still bt~ terly mourning for slavery and tho **lost causc,”” With it and those liko it, slavery was * the Constitution, and tho *lost cause " was the establishment of a alave-holding Empire on the rulns of the Ropublic, and tho reopening of the African alave trale. The emsucipation of slayery and the smashing to plcces of the Cons federacy is “*the dovil’s dance " spoken of. —e—— The Cleveland lain-Dealer, for Post-Oflice reasons, says that “Tho people have come to the conclusfon that if they submit tothe [Re- turning Board] outrage now, they will have to submit to it for all time; and that betweennow and 1880 the Returning Board abomination will be brought to such perfection that the insur- ance of line of Republican Presidents stretch- ing out to the crack of doom will be as easy a8 rolling ofta loz.” When the Democrats dowm in Dixle quit bulldozing the colored Republivans thero will bs no trouble, It tho late clections in Loulstana end South Carolis had been held as fre of violeuce and Intimidation as that fa Ohlo, not a word would bo now heard out of any Democrat's mouth against the Returning Boards, becsuse thers would have been no roason for rejecting any votes found inthe boxes, And furthermore, at an election tnus beld Hayes' majority {n Bouth Caroline would not hiave been less than 25,000 and his majority in Loulsiana lesa than 15,000, Several deathis of prominent persona have oo- curi-:d during the past weck, among them shns:‘ of tho Rov. SisixoN Howanb CALHOUN, aa ded and Lonored milssionary to 8yris, who assist {n moking the first tranalation of the Bible futo the Turkish languago; the Duc pa GALLIERA, {he richest of tha fow Italian miilionalres, Who Jeaves a fortune of $40,000,000; of Gxou:: AWSON, the famous Birmingham lm.ur:r, W] 1s described by the London Apectator as “a king of literary inlddlcman between writers lll‘u Oanvres and Ruskia and the English trades man?; of Hemnicn Cuxpyss and Fuani FoxTTERLY, two of tha wost cminent Germat geologiste; of Manra Rossrts, alster of Cuxlus TiN® RosssrTl, the poct, Dantw Rosserri, l.ho artist and poet, and Wirim Rosser, the essaylat; of Mile,JuLia Hzssiy, of the Paris