Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, January 29, 1877, Page 6

TERMS OF SURSCRIPTION. 15 HY: MAIL—1¥ ADVANCR—TPOSTAGE FRETAID AT T i 1Y OTFICE. “afy Bt . 1% Of A ¥ S p “Bpecimen coples sent free. 475 ] Fo prevent delay sl mistakes, be mre and glve Tost: fCce address [n full, including Ftate and County. Temittances may be o cither by dmfr, cxpress, t-Ofice order, or In registered letters, At our risk, FERMS TO CITY SURSCRIDERS. 1y, deltered, Eunday escepted, 25 centa per week, ), delivered, Bunday Incinded, 20 cents per week ditresa THE TRIDNUNE COMPANY, LCorper Madisousnd Dearborn-sta., Chleago, Il okl AMUSEMENTS, ersiey Munic-11alls .+ . Nos 83, B8 and 87 Kast Monroe strect. Concert by dime. Esilpofte Adelphi Theatres " g 'h)t!“onmo street, corner Dearborn. **Uncls Tom's i Unveriyin Theatre, Tane tween Cl: ind_TaSaile. R Tt Fatnily and Eol Smith Husseil. McVicksr's Theatres - Madison street, between Dearborn nnd Stete, Ene gigement of Maggie Mitcheil. **lignon.” New Chicngo Theatres . Clark sirect, between Lake ani tandolph, Lo Coma+ ‘pandeur Cazeneuve, the Prestidigitateur. Fiymouth Clineeh, com o avenue and Twenty-Slxtn_street, LS It Fowier. “Bhjeets Y Belt-Catoure. MONDAY, JANUARY 2v, 1877, ; * At the New York Gold Exchangs on Saturday greenbncks were worth 943@94} centa on the dollar. : . The Arbitration bill will be presented to | the President this morning for his signature, “which it will receivo without a doubt, The . ,President will also nccompany tho bill witha " gpecial messago embodying his reasons for | signing tha bill. { “Messrs, Moopy and Bankey opened their ] revival campnign in Boston yesterdsy with - every indication of n sucoess equal to that twhich has attonded their labors elsowhere. "The Tabernaclo was densely filled, nnd it is “nld that 10,000 people wero unablo to gain #admittanco. h mr——— .+ We print this moming sn Interesting nrti- e from the London Zimes’on tho subject «of British commerce, comparing the imports nnd exports of 1876 with thoso of 1875 and provious years, and showing that while the .Jmports remain very nearly tho same the %.exports have fallen off monrly $600,000,000. “1t is found that in respect of decreased pat- ,umsgo the United Btates has been England’s -~ worst customor, our country having bought i less of almost everything than in former . years, and sold more. 3y e — : The Republican caso bLeforo tho Arbitr- 1/; tion Commission will be in able hands. It r-'.i\hu boen determined to employ counsel on * \both eidcs, and tho Republicans have en- Vgaged Wrzux M, Evants and Sranver " Alurrnews, two lawyers who in political “ %igprudenca stand second to nono in Amer- . Itis thought that the Democrats will represented by Lyman Trousuwr, who is -1y conversant with the Louisiana o, Jent Dracx, Matr Canrexten, and ‘uanp Mennick—certainly a very solid J‘ctlun of legal nbilit; As'soon a5 it beeamo certain that tho Arbi- i ‘tration Plan would bo adopted by Congress, " certain Ropublican papers began to shout, ;‘I * Never surrendor,” ** Fight rather than arbi. trate,” *“ Opposed to all schomes of settle- - ment.” Andyet almost overy one of those w bellicose sheots renlly wanted the Plan pass, and were fearful it might not be opted. They can now safely say they forred another civil war to arbitration, scausa it is impossible to disprove their as. . Neverthelcas, they kuow thoy are ‘ing, na they feel happy that the danger of wving two Presidents sworn inon the 4th ‘ct March is escaped. \ ., 'The ndgn.;fion of Gonrscitxore, Russian Prime Minister, is among the rumors by ‘cahla. . The erald dispatch hes it that this sment is the result of o disagreement the Czaron tho question of war with .+ the Chancellor having favored a vig- - policy, while the Czar hesitated to energetic measures withont a powerful ce. Another explanation is that Gorr- wy's bealth is such as to compel . tender of his resignation. It “appears that Prince Mrax has got tired of waiting for Russiato let slip the dogs of war, and ks consented to onter upon the peaco nego- tiations proposed by Mipuar Pasua, - It is understood that neither Mr. Hrwrrr nor Mr. Paxye, both of whom wwere members af the Joint Committee, are desirous of serv- ing on the Tripartite Commission. ‘I'his mmacid’ leave of tho Committee only Mr. N, who is an sble lawyer, and Biw ; who ia not noted for ubility inany Davio Doprer Frewo bas been 'y mentioned a8 a probable >f the Commission, but it is said /Indoubt as to the propricty of : of the fact that his brother, Freen, i3amember of the judicial h. " The discovery of such delicate ~is quito unexpected, if true. Fex. 1 Woop and Saxxy Cox aro candidates bonor, and Procton Knorr could be induced to sccept. P 3 i 4 -eml!' anonymons fricud of Judge Divis 2“bas given out statement as by autlority o * that the latter has un amount of Bupreme ~“Court work on Land that will vccupy hLis entire time for tho nest six wocks, nud proclude his resignation before the 4th Vo b \fnech. o besides - vendoring it impos. dw to determize whether r wil not accept tho nbip, The first purt of the reesouable enougly, but we udge Davis has suy ictention “._orial guestion in sbey. >t Hlinvis in uncertuinty <h. Ho has probably 1y whotler to accopt walt six weeks be. stermination, .1 were activo - asier. Mess 8.45 for February ch, Land closed .72} per 100 s for 10.85 for 3arch, to for shoulders, *o; sod $lc for - were unchanged, et - wes quict and finn, Wheat lclosed Je highor, at $1.26] cash and $1.28} seller March, Corn closed @3¢ low- er, at 420 cash nnd 42}c for Febrary, Oats clostd de lower, at Jiio cash and 3aje for February, Rye was 1c lower, at 70c, Bar. ley closed firm, at 60@G0je for February. Hogs woro dull and unchanged, at $5.00@ ©.75 per 100ibs, Cattle were quict and ensy, at §2.6064.80. Sheep were dall, nt $2,75 @3.00. One hundred dollars in gold would buy £106.12} in greenbnacks at the close. InthoSenate, twenty-one Nepnblican Sens- tors voted for the Plan of Arbitration and sixteon ngainst it. Nine were eithar absent or dodged. In the Tonso, thirty-two Repub- licans voted for tho Dbill and sixty-eight naguinst, whila soven wera abseut or dodged. The largeness of the negative Liepublican vote is pointed o with trinmph by cortain “wall” and *‘goah” papers, But this vato wns very far from being au lonest one. Thosa opposing knew Leforehand thot tho Lill was suro to pass by more than a two. thirds majority. Their policy wns o vote to please the cxtromists of their party,— Lelicving that the rank snd file wonld not hold them to a severo reckoning, as the bill passed any way “by & large mojority.,” It is on axiom among politicians of the trimming sort always to voto in the negative on a bill about which their own party in divided, in caso the bill is certain to pass withont their help. In the prosent case moro than half of the sixty-cight Republican nogatives acted on that policy. 1f it hod been necessary for tho passage of tho bill, four of the fivo negative Illinois votes would have been recorded for it, ns they dared not have taken the responsibility of defeating it. One of tho Illinois membors would have voled against it, no matter what the consequonces might be, becaunse ho desired commotion, the inauguration of both Haves and Tiepey, and then civil war, Ho Dias nothing more to gain from ponace, but overything from anarchy and bloodshed. Henco ho was on principle and interest against any adjustmont that would prevent ¢ wah " and * goah.” The other four Mlinois A, C's, played poliey. FPPELLATE COURTS. The inability of the Bupremo Court of tho State of Illinois to deal with the vast mass of appeals which finds its way to the dockets of that Courl lins become an intolerable ovil and n matter of onerons taxation to litigants, How to relievo the Supreme Court, and how to relieve the Circnit and Superior Conrts of ot lenst this county, aro serious problems. The Bar Association have prepared two bills which aro to be submitted to tho Legisla. ture, The first of these bills is to ostablish threo inferior Appellate Conrts, one for each of tho present judicial grand divisions. These Courts aro each to consist of five Judges, to be designated by the Judges of the Supremo Court from tho Judges of the Circnit Courts in tho grand division for which they are appointed, but no one of said Judges shall bo selected from the Cigeuit or Superior Courta of Cook County. These Superior Courts are to meet ouce or twico o yenr in each of the three grand divisions as Appellate Courts, 'The jurisdiction of these Courls is to be oxclusive over appeals, writs of error from final determinations at law or in chancery of tho several Circuit and County Courts in their respective divisious in all cases where theamount in controversy or the judgment or decree appealed from is less than $1,000, exclusive of costs, except in thoso cases where under the Conatitution such appellate jurisdiction is given to the Bupreme Conrt, 'This exceptional businoss includes criminal enses, those involving a franchise, or froe. hold, or tho validity of a statute. In all these last mentioned classes of cases, and in all others whera tho amount in controversy ex. ceods 1,000, appeals and writs of error arc to be taken, a8 now, directly to the Supreme Court; in all tho other cases, the judgment of these Appellato Courts is to bo flnal. ‘Wo o not quite understand the roason for fixing the maximum of tho jurisdiction of this Court at $1,000. ‘Tho Constitution re- sjuires appeals in all eriminal cages, and casea involving titles to land, franchises and frec- holds, or tho validity of statutes, to be taken directly to the Supremo Court. We do not undorstand that o judgment or decree for 32,000, or £5,000, or $20,000, requires any higher order of judicial wisdom to determine ita justice than does n judgment or decroo for $1,000, The distinction is an arbitrary one. 1t looks like establishing a principle that thero is a higher class of legal rules and prin- ciples to dotermino tho right and the wrong of aclaim for debt or demage where the amount of suck ¢laim exceeds a certain sum. Any five Circuit Judges, sclected becsuse of their judicial experience and learning, who may be trusted to Lear an appeal in a caso whero tho amount in controversy does not cxeeed $1,000, certainly might be considercd s safo to bear and determino the samo clasy of cnso even if the sum claimed was 20,000, In neither caso is tho law governed by the swmount domanded ; in Loth cases the demand rests upon legal principles which aro tho same, we may hope, no matter what the num. ber of dollars pending may bo, ‘Ihe proposed bill wiscly provides that in tho decision of cases tho Judges shall not be required to deliver written opinions, ex. copt when o decision appealed from is re. versed ; and even in these cuses the opion- ion s to be corfined to n brief statement of the facts end tho opinion of the Judges thereon. A wimilar provision in the casv of the Supreme Court would bo cqually hu. mane and equally proper. ‘That Court ought ut least bu left to deternnine for itself whether u written opinion is nceded or not, Now the Court hus to deliver written opinions in vvery case, notwitbstouding o wmsjority of theso cases ore decided purely upon the facts, or upon questions of law settled at least o dozen times st cach term of thy Court, The second bill framed by (he Bar Asso- ciation s one to divide the present County Courts into two Courts, by erceting Probato Courts in all counties when nuthorized by the Coustitution, This ueasnre is, we be licve, only epplicable for the prescut in this county; but thers is no guestion of its propricty or of s Lecossity here, The erection of the Court of Prokats by rlieving ke County Court of much of ity business quight, it secms to us, open o way for the relief of the Circuit aud Buperior Courts, by requiring all sppeals from Justices of the Pesce to be taken to that Court, where they might be heard promptly, aud by which weans {ho business of uppealing cuses for delay sud to defeut Justice, especially in city cuses, would be de- stroyed. ‘The County Court could taks up this'oppeal docket cvery Moudsy morning, uud make sbort work of the buisness by dis wissing all such sppeuls not tuken in good faith snd not prosccuted. If thero be no cons stitutional obstacle inthe weg, theovercrowd- od dockets of the Circuit Caarts need relicf 64 much a8 dous the docket of the Buprewe THE CHICAGO 'LRIBUNE: MONDAY, urt. In neither of theso bills ia thero any provision for the relief of the Cirouit and Superior Courts of this county. It may bo that this will bo done by some other legisla tion not yet prepared, THE OREGON SCANDAL. 8o much light has now been shed npon the Oregon case that, if snybody has here- toforo doubted that there was a deliberato conspiracy to prooura a bogns Electoral vole in that Stato by bribery, with Samven J. Titoex at the hend of it, tha doubt must now give way to conviction, It was proved some daya since that the $8,000 telegraphic check was sent to Orogon on the order of W. T. Prrron, Gov, TiLpEx's nephew and Secrotary of the National Democratic Com. mittee, Now it is proved that the moncy was sent for the express purpose of pur- chasing an Elector's certifiente (thongh thero was not much doubt of that at aany time); and nlso that it was in keeping with a pro. gvammo definitely outlined by the Demo- erntie Committee. It is further proved that the sum of $7,200 was placed in Ban Francisco o tho ecredit of Laop & Busm, the Oregon bankers, which they immediately turned over to the Chairman of the Oregon Democrntic Committee, *‘to bo used where it would do tho most good”; and that, besides the #8,000 clieck transmitted through the Now York bankers, MantiN & Iuxyox, another check for 28,000 was sent to the sanie desti- nation through Raxz Brothers, another Now York banking firm, This is an nggregate of £23,200 which was forwarded to sccure the CroxiN certifiente, and other sums may ba discovered bafors tho case is finally dis- missed. The parties to theso tranaactions leavo no donbt of the purposes for which this money was used, but the telegrams which have been obtained confirm the stroug suspicion {hat the conspiracy wns hatched in New York. It began by Iewitr's telegraphing that legal opinion had been obtained to the cffect that votes cast for Federal officcholders as Elect- onsare void, and the person receiving tho next highest number of votes should receive the certificate of mppointment. This legnl opinion was probably Samorrn J, Ti- pEN's, for there is not o reputable lawyer of brains in the country who will subscribe to it. Indoed, Hewrrr confessed tho lie himself by ndding in the same telegram : # This will forco Congress to go bohind the cortificates, and open tho way to go into the minutes in all cases.” In other words, Mr, Tewrr, acting for Mr. Truoey, admitted that thero was no justico in the course, but urged its ndoption in order to arrive at an opportunity for disputing returns that wero regnlar. It was nota legal opinion, how- over, that the Oregon politicians wanted so much as money. Bo tho transmission of funds began by express and telegraph; the politicinns started out on their *still hunt,” ns one of them expressed it; Priron tele- graphed, * We must have Oregon at any prico”; and money was furnished at tho time, and in the quantity domanded. Mr. TrLpEN cannot avoid the personal re- sponsibility for this catiro tronsaction. Not only were the New York agents who man. oged it too near to him to proceed in g0 im- portant a matter withont his knowledge and consent, bat it is a well-known fact that he directed in person all the movements of tho cnmpnigu, and that committecs and secro- taries mevely exccuted his orders. This fea- turo of tho case will cut a largo figure be- foro the Arbitration Commission,—~not in the way originally intended by the Democrats to set a procedont for going behind the re- turns,—but in influencing their cstimnto of tho relative fairness of the two parties in the struggle. It is natural and proper that the orbitrators ehould be influenced by such n considoration. Tho election is claimed for Mr, Truoey on the high ground that s Returning Board consti. tuted by the Iaw of a Btate bad no right to discharge the duty prescribed by that law; if it appears, then, thot the wan on whose behalf this claim is made was him- self engaged In purchasing tho certificate of an Electoral vote in a manner not authorized by any law, it s not likely that tho claim will recelve the attention the Democrats hope for. Coming into court tainted with frand, Mr. Tizpen's caso ls considerably weaker than it would be if there wero a clear and honorablo record on his side. MUNICIPAL BALARIES. There is no greater abuso under the Amer- jean system of imunicipal governments than the constant increnso of oftices and the regu- lar enlarpement of salaries. Tho two ovils feed one snother, The men in offico provide placea for their followers and dependents, and are constanily adding to their own com. pensation. Thoe municipal appropriations of Now York City have to be confirmed by the Legislature of that 8tate, 'Tho consequence is that the public have 1o pay for twa lobbles, —one in New York, aud another at Albany. ‘The corruptionists in the New York Logis- lnture generally flad their richest harvest in the New York City Approprintion billa. ‘Ifiere was a time whon it was o common thing for municipal oficers in Chicago to go to Epringtield, ond, some weeks after the Legislaturo had adjourned, it would be fonnd that new offices had been created in Chicago, nnd salaries had been not only increased, but a reduction of them had been prohibited by law. A brave mcmber of the New York Legislature has proposed a Lill to reduce tho solarics of some of the New York City ofticiuls, and a statement of tho present sals- ries, us well ns thoso proposed, will be of in. terest oy illustrating thoe extent to whick the nbuses have been carrled in that city, The following cowmparisous will show what i cou. sidered cconomy in that city : Preet satary. 12,000 Praposed sulury, $10,000 Alieren, vach, . Superintendent Haildi Chamberlaln, clerics... lerks of Alderinen, Corporstion AUOFIE) Connleriourr of Ju Frestdent City Colle, dition. the otfices of three Fire Com. mlssioners, #12,500; two Health Commis- sivuerd, §7,000; threo 'Tux Commissionens, £11,500; end threo Dock Comumissjoners, £8,000, are cbolished, The whole roduction proposed by this bill is 156,150 in salaries, annually. The Liil wakes uo rudical reduc~ tions, It ebolishes & fow offices which aro notoriously supesfiuous, and reduces the sal- wries of the others from the cxtravagant fg- ures whicls they huve reached by annual ad- ditions. In support of this bill, and in support of like reforms elsewhere, the» coursge, the patriotisi, and the vigor of the City of Chi- cugo in making o wholesale reductiou of ex. ponditures by cutting off every uscless offico and reducing salariesis hold up nsa most hon- orable example, The fact that by carcless- ness, improvidence, and misfortune tho finances of this city wero so rednced that tho city was unablo to meet it cxpenaes, Is for- gotton, or is amply atoned for in the estimo- tion of the country by the courage and 1n- tegrity of ita people and of ils government, shown in the bold reduction of its expond- itures and bringing them within its redaced income. It will bo seen fvom the figurea that the Aldermen of New York City have been in the recaipt of no less than $4,000 ench annu- ally, besides an annual approprintion of $20,000 for clerks. This salary of Aldermen begun somo years ago at a nominal snm, bat during tho last ton yenrs tho sum has baen at its present rate. Tt issafe to sny that but fow members of that Board arccompetent, by hnbits, edieation, or qualifieations, for the duties of any ofice for which $1,000 would ba a liberal salary. These offices aro gencral- 1y filled by the ward politicians. If New York ean nccomplish this reduction, and can mako oven this beginning in the way of re- trenchment in the cost of municipal expendi- tures, then tho oxamplo df Chicngo, thus adopted by New York, will inspire other cities to nttack tho evils which nre common to all municipal governments, The peopla of Chicago bave, howover, one weak place left in their local government, and thnt is tho County Commissioners, which Board, putting pullic opinfon at deflance, still croates uscless offices at will, and expends public money at its own extravagant plens. ure. DEMOCRATIC USURPATION. The Democratic House has committed its crowning act of infamy and usurpation in tho imprisonment of the mambers of the Louisiana oturning Board for re- fosing to produce the records of tho Toard, which are now in tho pr- chives of Louisiana, which they have not the physioal ability to procurs, ns they have passed ont of their hands into the custody of the Bocretary of the Btate, and which thoy have no legal right to touch, even if they had the physical ability. The reply made by the membors of tho Bonrd before thoy were dragged to jnil in this high-handed manner was a sufliciont one, and, in view of it, tho action of the Democratic majority wns not only n personal outrage upon tho members of the Board, but it wns aléo n gross and inportinent interference with the righta of tho State of Louisiana to domand that its original records should bo trans- ferred to Washington, thonce into com- mittee-rooms to be manipnlated by partisan inquisitors and their clerks, ond to be bandied about in Stay-Chambers for con- venient alterations or ultimato abstraction, Tho nction of the par tisan 1wajority was in violation of Stote rights, of ordinary comity, and of the Conatitution,—Art. IV., So>. 1. of which provides that * Fall faith and eredit shall bo givon in ench Btate to the public aets, records, and judicial proccedings of overy other State.” It was within tho power of tho Houso to havo sont its messengors to Louisians at small oxpenso and procured certified copies of nll the papers of the Re- turning Bonrd, and 83 & mattor of comity thoy wonld have boen furnisbed. 'That thoy did not do so, is prima.facie evidence that they wanted the popers for improper pur- poses. Failing in this illegal demand, they tako their rovenge by imprisoning tho mem. bers of tho Board, who should at once bo hnbeas.corpused out and bring suit for false imprisonment, ‘What does this partisan malignity mean? ‘What is tho object of this high-handed out. rago upon the liberty of citizens of the Stato of Lonisiana, inflicted upon them be- cause they fail to produco records that ara now tho property of the State, and, even if thoy were so disposed, conld not bo pro- cured either physically or legally? Ostansi- bly they say that the Returning Board cheated Mr, Truoxy in tho count. This brings us to the question, What hns tho Re- turning Board really dono? In answering this question, lot us rofer firat to tho Election law itsclf, The third soction of tholaw pro. vides: 1f, aftor such examination, the sald returning officera shall bu convinced that sal rlot, tumult, acts of violence, inttmidation, armed distnrhance, bribery, or corrupt influence did materinily inter. fere with the purity and frecdom of the elertion at such poll or voting-place, or did prevent o suflicient. number of the qualified electors thereat from reg- istering or voting to materially change tho result of the clection, then the sald returninyg officers shall not canvase or complete the statement of the votes of such poll or votlng-place, but ehall ec- clude it from thelr returns, . ‘Ihis is the law under which the Retuming Board were required to act, and under the provisions of which they threw out tho votes of certain localitics, In tho secoud place, let us consider the testimony of two of the- most nccomplished, impartial, aud inde. pendent observers, Gen. Jases IL Vax Arvey, n Southern man and an ex-Confeder- nto oftleer, nfter carcfully weighlug the evi- denco, says : In my opinlum, the Returning Board of Loulal- ana could not havo permiticd tho vote of their Htate to stand for the Demucratic Elcctors, aa ap- parently 1t did on the fuce of the returns, without violatlug the statute by sirtue of which they held ofice, und sauctioning a mavs of Inthuidativn and frand disgraceful to republican fnatitutions, Mr. Iteorierp, tho correspondent of the Cincinnati Commercial, who weut to Lonlsi- ouu with the impression that the Democraty hiad carriedd the State, says s In the parishes eclected for hulldozingthere were fully forty Republicans murders and thuse parishes in which tho reeult gave the TiipeN ticket the face of the seturne, for which bemacratic virtue has o Justily demanded an hos count, were carrded for the Democrats by muj 'y Whip- plogy, tntimidation, and o relgn of terros, In every purieh whero there was uo Inttinfdation the Republicaus gnined to thst degree that the aime. percentage of galne In the bulldozed parishes would lave carrled (Lo Stato trlumphicutly for Haves, Butln thoso Ave parisher where murder and terror prevalied, aod where there fs nenally a Republican majority of 4,500, the Democrats uady & nel gain of ubout U,000, aud this gave the face of the returns to TILLEN. Now, let us ook at the returns from these five parishes in which the Lulldozing wes practiced, contrasting the Republican mnfor- ities of 1474 with tho Democratio majorities of 1 They ore East Peliciana, West Feliciana, Quechitu, East Baton Rouge, and Morebouse, oud the majoritios are as follows: Larielh Demn. Emat | 1,758 Weat F 463 Quechita 3,070 East Baton Kouge [ Moorckouse, oue o 4,508 Tots foul play. ik In the whole State thero are fifty-seven parishes, and in all but tho above fiva tho vote resulted as was expected prior to tho election, There were Democratio gains in some and Republican gains in otlers, and the gains bore as fairs rclation to thore. sults of previous elections as they did in Northern States, but in not one of them was thero such & complete, sudden, and viokat zevolution es Iu these five FA ] R O L JANUARY '35, 1877, parishes whero the ' bulldozing was practiced. ITero wers flve strong Re- publican parishes picked ont for bulldozing, and the swindling in thosa fivo parishesalone execeds the ountire Democratic claim. In East Feliciaua, where thero wera 2,127 black voters registered, and where in 1874 thero was n Rlepublican voto of 1,688, the face of the roturns shiowed not a voto for Harzs and 1,740 votos for Treoex! To nsk any humnn ‘being who is not an absoluta idiot to bolieve that there was a fair clection in that parish, is nn insult to his intelligence, and yot the Retarning Dosrd of Lonisinna, for throwing out snch n vole, a3 commanded to do by the law, now languisheain joil, sent thers by those Democrats who wera recently bawling so loud abont tho rights of States! The House majority Ling performed an nct of nsurpation and tyrauny that may recoil upon them with terriblo foree, THE MOVEMENT OF PRICES IN 1876. Tt is cortninly an interesting fact that the decline in prices, on the nvernge, in 1876 was equal to the decline in the premium on gold. ‘'The New York Public shows in nn claborate table, in its issue of Jan. 18, that tho pricos of the lending commodities con- sumed in this country fell ducing last year about 7 por cent. In the samo time tho promium on gold shrank from 113 {o 106, or nbont 7 per cent. ‘Che coincidence of the 7 per cont in tho two cases will go far to strengthen thoso who beliove the fiuctuations of prices to bo mainly the effoct of the fluc- tuntions in the valuo of the currency, This is Ly no means an invariable law of prices. As tha Public has slready shown, prices Liave not at all followed the quotations in the Gold-Room, while, on the contrary, the gold promjum s itself influonced through tho cxchanges by tho prices of some leading commodities of export. But sinco, na priccs have fallen 7 per cent, the gold valuo of our greenback dollar has risen from $0.885 to $0.945 in gold, about 7 per cent, it is evi- dent that on a gold basis prices have boen about stationary, The spprecintion in the valne of tho monoy has offsct the dimi- nution in tho amount received for any given quantity of goods, The table in the Pudlic includes the chief commodities quoted in markot roporta. It is formod by supposing that of each nrticle named the entire sup- ply during 1876, whether fromdomestio pro- duction or importation,was bought at the Now York wholesale rates of Jen. 1, 1877, and Jan, 1, 1876, Itis believed that thosa fignres, though not statistieally exaot, approximate so nearly to tho actual supply ns fo show vory faitly tho relativo effect of onch chinngo upon general prices at tho different dates. The list of articles, ranging from sashes to wool, inclndea dniry products, grain, cotton, conl, iron and lead, beef mnd pork, whisky, tobacco, and sll the commercial staples in brief. ‘Tho costof the entire supply of thero articles for 1876, at the pricey ruling on Jan, 1 of that year, would have beon &3,228,700,- 000, 'Tho samo quantities at the prices of ono year Iator conld havo been bought for total of 23,002,100,000. Tha decline, $226,- 600,000, amounts to 7 per cent, and this no doubt ropresents, na nearly ng it'cnn bo ascertained, tho true nverage de- cline of prices of the articlos named. Thoe 1ist doos not include fresh beoef, snd two items of great importance iua wido view of the movement of pricca—rents and the cost of clothing—nre left out becauso no satisfactory figures could be obtained, Thir- ty-six nrticles nate enumerated. Of these, twenty-four hove declined in price. The greatest ndvanco hna boen in the case of pe- troleum, which hing risen 107 per cont, Noxt como hops, with an incrense of 87 per cont ; turpontine, 27 per cent; sugar, 15 per cent; and wheat, 13 per cent. Nono of the other advances have been imporlant. This movement in the pricos of 1876 has brought many ovticles to a specic basls, if the prices in gold beforo the Waray bo taken to represont what specio prices would bo in 1877, Bclentifically, of courso, this could not be aflirmed ; but still tho fact thnt salt and whent are as low now in currency ns in gold in 1860, and that wheat, flour, corn, corn-meal, rye, oats, ralsing, plg-iron, coal, tallow, ond wool are lower in carroncy thau they wera in gold in January, 1860, mny bo coufidently taken to judicate that so much of tho wind rnd water put into prices by tho inflation of credit and currency during tho War has boon squoezad out,—that tho com- plotion of the process, and the return to so- lidity in specio prices, would produce a very small disturbanco of values, aud probably no pressure on business intoresta. In fact, tho effect on Lusiness would bo one of geat re- lief and healthy stimulus, THE ENOLISH " ALABAMA" MONEY, A recent number of the London Zimes comments at length upon the probable dis- position of tho surplus in the hands of the Government which has Leon left out of tho Geneva Award after paying nll the direet claims that wore allowed by thae Cominirsion, Its American correspondent telegraplied the T'inies as follows The Alabama Claims Commisalon, which 13 charged with the duty of dinteibuting the Genova Award, will cxpire, by limitation, at the clove of tho year. Congress, withough neversl bills aro pending, has made no provision eitber for the con- tinnance of the Commlasion or the admbsvlon of uny other cluvaes of clalmants, Theorlghinl award of $10,000,000 was inveatedin American 5 por conts, and the Interast ha increased 110 about $18,500,000. The clolme already puld, togother with ull the awards since mado and the futerest npon them, amount to about 0, 500, 001, which is (ho wum of all the dewoands that can come upun the fund, unlevs some of the pending measurcs pd- mitting war premium snd fusurance clalinuuts are passcd, 'fhero o, therefore, an unespended bale ance of §0,000,000 In the T ury credited to the tieneva Award, and uvery strong feellng lv ap- arent throuzliout the country that Cong have ug provided for all the direct claimants, Lavno right to o about bunting op other clalmants fur thix money, but that it ougbt to be puld back to Ene sland. All the comment which tho Z¥mes has to muke upon this *very stroug feeling” wnong tho Amerleans Is tho remark that it publishes the statement ** with impartial but admiring interest,” which probably mcans that it would be a very graceful thing to re- turn tho money, bLut also a thing not at ell likaly to bo doue. Now, not disputing the *yery stroug feeling” which the London Timed correspondent hay discovered, wo may rewind him und his Epglish readers that we bavo inberited sufilciont of tho phlegmatic characteristio of our British fore- fathiers not to bo carricd away by avy burst of generosity, 'This * very strong fecling” is not likely to grow into a fever in this country, sud if it does we can vouch for the prediction that it will nct become epidemic or contagious. It ia not likely that vast moss- meetings will bo held throughout the land to demand that Congress order the return of tho surplus Alsbama moneys. The Americans do not yet feol sufiicivntly grate- ful to Groat Britzin for fitting out priviteers to prey upon American commerco duringtho ‘War to get up & popular demons!ration for $ho return of sny part of the swall smount of dusages which the British Government Ing Information on the subject, e era— waa forced to pay for its deliberate and vicious negloct to enforce the Iawa of noutral. ity. Speculntion on this point may there- foro be dismisoed at once. 1t i3 not improbable that Congresswill yet pass o Inw for tha ndmission of certain claims which will absorb the surplus that remains, and this withont extending the privilege to the insuranco companies, which were amply reimbursod by the extrn war premiuma they domanded and reccived. Dut there are two classes which even the 7imes adinits mny be fairly entitled to recompenso for their lossos. Ono consiata of the merchants who paid the high war rates of insurance withont sufforing any damngo from the privateers, aud conse- quently withont recovering any equivalont for tho oxcessive insurnnce tax directly lovied uponthem. Theotherclasanre theshipowners who were foreed, on account of tho danger of snillng Americnn vessels, to sell out their ships nt forced snles to tho English, taling whrt they conld get for them, Both these clnsses snffered as directly, we think, ds thoso who took the risk and had their ves- sols or cargoea destroyed without any fnsur. ance ; and if their claims dhonld bo admit- ted, they would consuma protty much all that remaios of tho Alabama funds. The insur- anco companies hnve no clnims whatever. As to tho proposition to cover the money into tho United States Trensury, the London Times doubts whether it could bo sustained s oither in n conrt of Inw or before n jury of Tonor,” Wa do not think it likely that such a conrsio would bo serionusly contested in a court of law Ly enybody having o right to contestit. As to the honor er dishoror of the transnction, it cannot be denied that tho British infraction of law cost the peoplo of this country a3 n wholo moro nearly 3100,- 000,000 than tho £15,500,000 paid Ly Graat Britain in full for all domages. The Rebel privateers wero built in English ports with special reference to speod ; they were manned mainly by Englishinen, and thoy had the protection of the English harbors nll over the world, ro the cost to tho Americau Gov- ernment of chosing them and doing what it could to protect American commerco is ol most beyond estimate, While this fact s patent, any claim for o reatoration of the sur- plus left from the distribation of tho small damages Great Britaln has poid will not be considered with any great enthusissm by tho American people, and we doubt whether any other people than tho Lnglish, who are so thoroughly sbsorbed Ly the commercinl in- atinct, would expect it for o momont, - THE METRIO SYSTEM. “The American Metrie Bureau™ fa the title ot an assoclation recently formed in Boston. Its object fs to cxtend scquaintanco with the declinal system of weights and mcasures, in the hope that it will be speedily adopted by the people. The one artlcle in the creed of the or- franizatlon {3 the belief that the metrie svstem will hareadlly and gladly nceepted as o vast improvement unon the old, if its character be understood. There s no reason to doubt that the bellef is correct. The decimal system s already In use in our monetary nomenclature. We no longer reckon in sixpences and shilllugs as fractions of the dollar, while there arc nono who do not con- cede that tho reckoning by tens is infinitely su- perlor to tho cumbrous pound, shillings, and pence method stilt in uso fu Great Britain. The counting of mensures of length by rofer- enco to tho metro (nbout 9.4 Inches) and the kilometro (five-clghthis of a mile) is equally preforable to the reckoning in fnclies, fect, yards, cte, which we atl employ. In liko manuer the decimal division and multiplication of the ltre, which is nearly tho aversgo of the (ifferent Kinds .of “quart,” and the kilo- gram (22 1w), with tho tonneau of 1,000 kllo- grams, or 2,204 1bs, offer great {mprovement upon our present systems of measurlng and weighlng. It 18 just as easy to thiok of quan- titles ns mensured by the new units as the old; Just e casy to handlo the onc as tho other; and far casler to calculate, cven after only o few moments' acqualntance with tho subject. The use of the new system fs only a question of time. It las alrendy boen theorctically adopted by the United States for more than ten years past, having been legalized by act of Con- greas 1n 1800, It has been similarly adopted in France, Germany, Spaln, Italy, Portugal, Ilol- land, Delglum, Mexlco, Switzerland, Austrla, Denmark, Oreoce, Dritish Indis, Brazll, the French Colonles, Duteh Colonted, Spanish Col- onles, Roumania, New Granada, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, Chill, and the Argentine Republic. n several of the countrles above named it s used exclusively, and is gradually becoming a homo fnatitutlon fn the rest. The ouly difficulty experienced In its Introduction I8 that of bring- ing the new measures before the people; and it is to overcome this difficulty in the United States that the American Metrlc Bureau has been catablished. The whole nunber of wmem- Dbers s now nbout 150, and it I3 desirable that tho list should be targely increased. To thia end the Exceutive Comiulttce invite all those to Joln who feel an interest in the movemnent, All such are invited to address the Scerctary, MeLe vir Duwey, Esq., Tremont place, Boston. A chart which exhiblts, at 8 glance, tho lead- ing features of the metrlc systemn, {8 on view in Room No. 81 Tminuxz Bullding. It moy bo seen any afternoou by those desirous of obtain- Doctors gencrally dlsagree about everything concerning the curative vaiucol thelr respectivo nostrums and clixirs, but they slwoys agree to employ mysterious Greck terms in which to coneeal the names of thelr medieines, of dis- cases, of remedies, and preventives, Thus tna council of small-pill doctors, Saturday night, we flnd flashies of Greek and Latin ke the fol- lowing: Dr. €, H. YoN Tauxx sald In a statlatical report kept In Philadelpbla for elx aud eixht months, it aupeared that the loes gnder the antiseptic treat- ment of suipho-carbolate of eods was 4 or per ccut, and tho Josy under belladouna uked as & Drophvlachic wna somewhiere In tho nelghborhaod 0f 21y t0 Bpercent. Dr. Yosten was of oplulon tuat there was 40 danger after desquaimation wus completed. How many of Tus TxibuNE readers compre- hend what thoss saplent 31, D.'s meant by the “untlseptie treatment,” and the vse of bellas donna ua o propbylactic; or how *danger was uverted when desguamation was completod "t Who would recognize ft, under that frightful Latin cutaphract, as meaning the stage of the scarlet fever when the cuticle scaled offi But that s ull desquatnation means. And “rntl- septle trestment” 15 simply s remedy that counte putrefaction. The dreadful * pro- phyluctic,” which sounds as porteutous sa joroxysin or paralysis, when its Greek ahell i3 stripped Off mnvaus simply o “preventive,'— that and nothlug more. When Dr. VAN Tacen walil that Lelladunna, 4. ¢, the poison kuown o8 wnfghtsnade,” used as & * prophylaztic,” only resulted In aloss of 234 perceut, he futended to vonceal tholdea that it preserved or defended ¢hilldren from taklng scarlet fever,—in other words, that the essence of nightahade s a specitic preveutlve to the extont of 973¢ per cout of all cares,—a statement which 073§ per cent of doctors will pronounce a * weudacium.” e ‘Ihe Indisnapolis Jeurnal—tenator MORTON'S home orgau—I3 becotng reconclled to the ar- Litration very rovldly, althoueh §t made a loud wpposition to ite puzsage, Bays the Journal: o bill bae Lied & falr aud candid hearing aud the country, ‘Fhioss who opp b tho belter of 1he argument under the Cou- atitutlun, the faws, snd the procedents. Thoss viho faored (b wers neareat In barmouy with the re, 'The majority for the bill amonyg of the people, withuut refereuce ta party, Is squal, it wot greater proportisnally, than e walority for It Congreas. W liive focoy: nized tho divislon of sentluient smong the Jtepub- ilcsas, and that the cliamplou uf cuch side wes cquslly entltled to feapoctful bearlug sud con- sideratiop, Kvasonable and reawning Republic- sus could not cloau thelr eycaio the fuct tlat we wer fwvolied bu very seslows comulicatlous. & befora ud tho that no undisputed rosd out of -theri was scribed by the Conatlintion and faws, been unlversaliy constrned by Congres; and tha Ttapabifean precedents contd be found to refuto thy elalm for tho Innuguratlon of Gov, 1lAvRs on the mere declaration oy tho Vice-President, aml that no man Alling tha placa of Vico-Prealdent conld mnke that declarstion in the facaof a ma- Josity of both Houses of Conzrass, and command reepact elther for himaelf or for n 'Presldent inau- gurated by vittue of it. There \was, therefure, a cana for roforcnce. This tact was conceded hiy {bo Rtapublicans when they votad foe {hie sppointment of thie Jolut Commlttee, To the Fditor of The Tribuns. MatTooy, Iil., Jan. 2d.—Please atats in yone PaiLy Tninuxs, for the benedt of it readers, how the permanently-located rosidenta of the District of Columbia are sepresented In our National Con» gresn, and oblige A CoNaTaNT READER. Answzn—The people of the District of Co- lumbiabave no special representative fn Cone gress. Congress s their Leglsinture, Thelr exccutive government s composed of a Doard of Commissiouers appointed by the President, ———a—— - The artlele on “Animal Nature,” {n Sunday’s Tnimuse, should have been credited to the Atlantic Monthiy for February, to which it was contributed Ly BaYAnp TAYLOR, ——— PERSONAL. 2Mr, Alezander McCluro complacently pnblishes Anewspaper paragraph, comparing himaelf with the Hev. 3r, Talinage, and raying that “the two might oxchange places without a perceptible dierence in effcct. e Croizette, tha famous French actress, delights In tho birth of o daughter; and her speedy retnrn 10 the stage, from which she ha« been too long ab- tent, 1s aonounced, A distinguiehed Genesal of royal lineace has naked permisslon to give Mlsname to the child. Tn his fourth lecture on preaching at Yale, Dr. Trooks sall: **The prencher shonld let peo. pleunderatand the difterence between tho nuthority of hismessage and his manner of prerenting It ‘We necd frankncss to ray thisls God's truth; this 1a what I think God's truth, " ‘The Lortfolio thinks that persons In thesa times are boginping to eatimate an artist very much by his style of living. If Lis brush can give bim & fine catablishment, he Is considered o great painter, Tie begina by struggling for cxlstence; he ends, when successfal, Ly strnggling tor splendor. ‘4T entortain or amuse, * says the Philadelphis Press In the sagacions manncr of Dunsby, **le the primal aim of dramat!c ropresentation; ita mirslon Into fnstruot.™ Thls oracular utterance calls up the distinction proper to he made botweenan ‘salm* nnd n **misalon,” which can only be ap- preciated by a markaman who haealmed at the Bull's-eye and **missloned " tho outer, A numnber of noble tramps at Logan, O, were Totely ordered to prepare for work on the rolds in orler to pay for their food and lodging at pablle oxpense. They neatly checked thia scheme by putting thelr clothing in the stove and appealing tothe merey of their keepers for protec- tlon from the wintry blast. Tue Lord doea not, 1t sppears, tempor the wind to the naked tramp, An attempt hos been made to have o commission of guardians appointed for the pereon and cstates of Ir. J, €. Ayer, the well-known mannfacturer of patent medicinés, now (nsane. It fs alleged that property belonging Lo him to the value of £2,000,- 000 14 now In the sustody of bis brother, and that the tatter objects to having any guardian but him. self appointed, The declslon of the Court to which the sabject woa refetred bas been reacrved, *41¢ Is by no menns necessary, " remarka the Now York Tribune, **that all, or even many, novels should Lave & happy denouement; yet, whenevern moral or {ntellectual situstion Is presented which requires the agquatlon of known characters with unknown Influonces, the sum ehould ba falrly workedout.” Tho criticjudgos that thls condltion hes not been fulllled, for Instance, in Mr, Black's **Madeap Violet," or in Georgo Ellot's **Danlel Deronda.* Jomes W, Derry, a life-long friend of Judge Breese, dled ot Decatur on the 7th inst, o wes the son of ona of tha carly Auditors of thé State. In carly life Mr. Detry developed somo taste and skill in painting, In 1835 he was op- polnted by the Hon. Biduey Breese, now of tho Bupreme Court, then a Clreuft Judge, Clerk of the Circult Court of Fayotte County, which ofiice he captinued to hold under succeasive clections until 1850, His father, Col. Elijah C. Berry, moved to Tlinols from Kentucky In 1817. Mr, James Berry was born in 1805, The Springleld Republican onght. not ta permit ita Now York correspondent to say that *‘the course of Mr, Haycs sinco the election has not quite satlsfiod hils best supporters.” On the con- trary, the dignified and wmanly position of Gov. Tisyos, from tho day of his nomination nntil tha present timo, hias been most! grat!fying to candid men evorywhore, His varlous utterances, and va- rious refusals to express oplojons for which nobody had tha right to ask, have commiended him to tho respect of many who voted against him; and his conduct has been, aftor the Compromisa bill, the most cheoring exhibition of patriotism that tho campalgn has afforded. @ 8t. James' Church, Matcham, was the scenc of, an extruordinary religious service on Jan, 7. ‘The Rector had been Inbibited from holdlng serv. fced on account of his Ritualistic proctices, He procsedod fn ep'ta of the law. A gnard composed of members of the congregation stood at the door and admitted only persons presenting tickets prop- erly certifed, The extrame Rituslistic ucrvico was thon performed. Meanwhilea mob of 5,000 had gathored withoat, aud there was danger that the doory wauld bo beaten fn. When the parlshioners left the church they wers greeted with jecring ex-~ clamations such a3 **All tickets ready; change heru for Itome," and *‘Three cheers for the Pope. Mr, Tooth bhimself waa rocolved with hieses. Notwlthatanding the varlous rumora In regard to tho now opera-hotisa In New York, nothing scems to bo defiultely seitied oxcopt that Mr, Willlam H. Vanderulit Lus taken no stock In it, The famous story of the threo black crows {s acarcety moro sur- prising than tho revelation of the way Inwhich Ar. Vanderblit's name became assoclated with the enterprisge. Jic ndylsed the Dircctors of the lar- low Nallroad not to soll a plece of property deslred 43 slte for the opern-huuac for lesw than 100,000, From this basis the rumor grew to the di:nensions that the property hud actually been sold for tho sum mentioned, Theo It waawald that Mr, Vau- derbllt had taken out s large paet of the welling price in wlock, and Anally that ho was deeply tne tereated in the matter. Jle dewsva nll theso statoe ments, The work of Moody and Sankey in Boston fs Jikely to have more asslstanca frow tho Eplscopa- 1iana than it had hero, tha Rev. Phillp Brooks hay- Ing goue Into it heart and sonl, Some regret has been expressed thatsuch Unitarians au Jamue Froe- man Clarke end Edward Everett Hale caunot be asked to purticipate, There waa a little unpless- antoues, it appeal t tho fret choir rehcarsul in the Tebernacle, 11 tuv. G. P, Pentecost sold that overybody was expected to glve & frec-will offering of ut leavt $1 at thu dedication, Thursday night. A member of the choir thaught that kind of frea-will offerlng way sa imposition, whereupon Alr, Pentecost sald that any member of tho cholr whowoutdn't give might leave as soon as hio plossed; snd the poor singer was beru blaved down by his fellow-vacallsts, M, Amaux, o Parlulau artiet of some eminence, who twice carrled off & meda) at the Salon, aud wou well known &s & painteron porcelain, has been convicted of stealing engravinge from the National Library, ilo confessed tohiaying stolen engraviuge at four different times to the value of 3000, When asked what had led biin to commit such an action, Lo soswered ‘Y Foverty,” 1lis two children had dicd recently, and the expenses altending thelr death and burial dralned his small reacurces, His necessitics drove him, skitled artist though hie was, to fan-uatnting, from which e reullzed only =4 ceuts for vach piece, Notwithatanding tho piteosd circumstances, ho was sentenced to {mprlsonment for two yoars, whils the complalusut print-vendor, who booght the enzravings, knowlng thewm Lobe atolen, was sentenced o clght months' lupelsons ment, M. Clarles Blanc's '‘Les Artistes do Moo Tempa ™ 14 8 book now sttracting much attention In England, The suthor, who I8 the forcmoat Jiv- critlc, asserts that outelde of Praace, Bel- nd some parts of Germany, wuch art os ex- 1t 18 of the present day Ttaly, Spatn, sud Ureecs Not hel Ieta tu worth very lttle, only that this is & have had grest artlste, ond way Lave aguln, s0 Enghand. Englasd, f wo sre to belie French ceusor, Lss never had elther p: sculptors of really superior talent, and since thls rewslns true eyen aluce her acquisition of the marbles of I'bidias, sud sluce bur eulry vpon & period of nnexampled prosperity snd riches, the .scclimatization of Ligh art ju that country must be decinod an fmpossible thing, Thero Luve beew, snd thcre sre, Eugllsh palvtors; some of them bappy snough to earn, with certaln lmitations, bigh pratso from M. Chbarles Dlsuc; Lut ho la doubtful whetber it can properly be sald that there ovar wes 84 Kaullsh ssloel : i <« L