Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, February 2, 1877, Page 4

4 ye @b, TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. $T MAIL—IK ADVANCE—TOSTAGE PREPAID AT TIIIS OFFICE. {1y Edltton, postpatd: 2,00 P el on 100 Malled to any addrres fonr EX) T 230 Fat 2.0 Tri-Werk!, e Fartaof i 0 Qne eopy, 128 Cluhof 1enu s <1l Clodof twenty.. 00 Postage prepatd. Spectmen coptes sent free., To prevent delay snd mistaken, basnre snd give Post- Office address in fall, including Btate and County. Remiltances may be mada elther by draft, axpress, Poat-Ofice order, ot In registered letters, atour risk. FERNS TO CITY SUBSCRIDERS. Dy, delisered, bunday excepted, 23 centa per week, Dally, deifrered, Sunday included, 30 centa per week Addresa THE TRIBUNE COMPANTY, Corner Madtson and Chlcago, Ll jrnest AMUBEMENTS, & Adelphl Theatre, Aonroa atreet, corner Dearborn. *TUncle Tom's Cabin,™ Tlaveriy’s Theatre. Randolph street, hetween Clark and Lasaile. 'n ClIa Con- tert by the Berger Family sad Sol Smith Iuueil. MoVickeris Tueatee, ty hetween Nearborn ane o sttt o Sikzate SHichare T Mlignon. New Chiengo Thentre. Clark street, between Lake and ftandolph, mandeur Cazen( b idigitatenr. Le Come SOCIETY MEETINGS. 2 E, No, 3, A. F. and A, M.~all, r OB AN EOPO T Nt Somunicaion this (Rl da) exening, at 7:30 oiclock, for busineas nd work patne E- A, Degree. By order ot e CKER, see. r. 508, A. F. and A. M.—Regular T PEITENGILL, W, M. 3 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1877. Greonbacks at tho New York Gold Ex- change yesterdsy closed at 95}, The reduction of the public debt during the month of January is officially stated at $2,069,669. A railrond company in Tows is endeavor- ing to disposscss many of tho farmers of ‘Woudbury, Monona, Ida, Crawford, and 8ao Counties of thoir lands by the galvanization of an obsolete Innd.grant, and much uncasi- ness has been excited amohg the good people of that locality. The discovery has been made that it will be necessary to immedintely repeal one pro. vision of the law creating the Electoral Col- lege Commission—that clause which prohib. its cither tho Scnato or the Houso from ad- journing from day to dny during the sesslons of the Commission, and roquires » continu. ous session of Congress, admitting only of recessos being taken, The effect of this is to impedo both Houses in the consideration of legislative business during tho intervals of respite from the Inbors of the Joint Conven- ion in counting the Elcctoral vote, and it is probable that action will bo taken forthwith for tho repeal of this section of the law. ‘u appears that thore is a sharp inquiry regarding tho exponditure (not included in tho estinates) of $133,684.10 for architects, ¢ etc.,” in tho constraction of the now State- Houso at Springficld. This inquiry gets its edgoe. partly from the fects that the archi. tectural plans were well paid for in the first place; that 35,000 more was then showered npon the lucky draughtsmen who had the edifico in tholr mind's eye; that on top of all this, $9,000 was contributed for another set of pictures and flgires. No wonder, whon this architectural Ossa is mado like o wart by the huge, omnibus, and * regard- less” investment of $183,684.10 in moro of tho same kind, that the great good.natured donkey , known by contractors as ¢ the peoplo” rises up and brays lugubriously, and will not bo comforted. A decision mado yesterdny by Justico Currorp, Presiding Officer of tho Arbitra- tion Bonrd, will have tho effect of materially shortening the poriod of its sessions, and bring its labora to a closa with commenda. hlo promptnoss. Justico Crirronp’s ruling in that tho objoctions and disputed points in connection with the vote of any Btate shall bo regarded as pertalning to and making up one case, instend of belng argued scparately, as some of the lawyers would like. Tho case of Florida, now under consideration, will, under this ruling, be argued but sight hours by couusel on ecither side, while it would probubly cousume as many days if the two- Liour rulo should bo construed as applying to each scparate question In tho case. At this rote the Commission will progresa rapidly, and reach n conclusion in short order, Bomo of the practical results of the era of sconomy insugurated by the present Reform Common Council are apparent in the esti- mates of tho Department of Public Works for 1877. 'The amount of money which tho Council will be asked to sppropriate for this branch of the City Goverument aggregates R869,118, being 3200,000 less than the amount appropriated for nine months of last year, and 8700,000 less than was asked for, Included in this year's estimates is an item of £200,000 for the construction of the Ful- lerton.avenuo conduit, so that it will bé soen that a very Jarge reduction has beon made in thegeneral and miscellaneous expendituresin the Department of Publio Works. ‘The same rate of retrenchment applied thronghout the municipal service will result in jmproving the city's credit as well as in bringing relief to the heavily-burdened taxpayers, The proposition to close up the connty’s charitable institutions in the event of the i continued’ refusal of the County Treasurer , and the two honest members of tho Financo Committeo to sign the evidences of the in. debtedness with which the Riug want to raiso $100,000 will deceive nobody, The threat will not be carried out; there are too many perquisites and pickings connected with the Poor-1{ouse and Insane Asylum, the Hospital, and the County Agent's office that would be abolished if those institutions were closed. The resolution introduced yes. terdsy as coming from Commissioner Tason undoubtedly had ita origin in the ge. nius of the legal adviser of the Ring. Thero is no cause for sympathetio spprehension in behalf of the paupers, the jnsage, and the sick, and it is to be hoped also tliat there is no intention to back down on thepart of the gentlemen who are making this determined fight against extravagance aud rascality, The chariteble institutions will be cared for, and the Ring, too, in dus time. B The Chicago’ produce markets were active yesterlny, and irregular, Mess pork closed 52}@55¢ per brl lower, at $15.87§ cash and £16,10 for March. Lard closed 15¢ per 100 s lower., at 810673 cash and §10.70 for March, Meats closed easier, nt 5o for shonlders, boxed ; Bjc for short-ribs ; and Bjc for short-clears. Highwineawers unchanged, at §1.03 per gallon, Flour was quiet and stendy, Whent closed 1e lower, at 81,243 for February and $1.263 for March. Corn closed o lower, at 420 cash and 46)o for May. Oats closed do lower, at 8%)c cash and 85c for March, Rye was dull at GOo. Barley cloged sieady at £97c for Febrnary and 60e for March. Iogs were dull and a shade lower for common. Bales wers principally at 85.00@6.00. Extra sold at $6.75. Cattlo wero dull and declined 10@16¢c. Sheop wero quict aud stendy, One hundred dollars in gold would buy $104.87} In greonbacks at the closo. . Tho past year has beon a good one for fire insurance companies, Tho aggrogate loss in the United Btates which insurance compn- nies had to pay was only 834,875,600 ; thelr rocelpta from premiuma were probably three times that much, The distribution of this loss shows the chances to be very evenly al- lotted to the various sections, according to population. Thus, in Illinois, the fnsurance compaaies paid 1,631,000, in Ohio $1,690,- 000, - in Indisna $812,000, in Michigan 81,470,000, (where the saw-mills and lumber regions abound), and soon. Unless some extraordinary disaster occurs, like the Chica~ go fire or Boston fire, the losses seem to be protty evenly divided, and the profits aro de. cidedly on the part of insuranco companies. Yestorday wns the day sot for the roas. sembling of the Illinols Soroxs at Spring.’ field after their week's adjournment, but a quorum waa not present. Out.of 5l SBena- tors, only 18 answered to their names, and, of the 153 members of tho Haouse, but 61 were presont, Thua far the Legislature has done nbsolutely nothing except to elect n United Btntes Benator, and that wrenched and fatigued thom so badly that thoy broke up their sesslons for a woek to rest and recuper- nto and recover from the demoralization produced by the Inbor. Will they hava the cheek to chargo thelr constituents per diem during the adfournment? People will keep an eyo open to ses whother this little grab for nofervicos will bo perpetrated. No work, 10 pny, is the rule the people go by in their own dealings and business We tako the rty to publish a private noto from J. Epwanp Wikins, late British Consul at Chicago, and now barrister-at-law in London, on the subjeot of tho naturnliza- tion laws of the United States. 3r. Wir- x1ns’ intimnto cquaintance with tho subject, derived from his Consular service, especinlly during the Iate War and cons:ription, gives porticular weight to the eriticisin which ho makes upon the Inck of facilities for verify- ing naturalizations in the United States. But the fact is patent to evory ono that thero should bo some common registry and recep- tacle for certificates of naturalization, At tho prosent time thero aro some 8,000 places where such cortificates mey ba ifsaued. Thero {sno objcction to tho number, pro. vided thoy nro collected togothor and mado o ‘matter of record at somo central point. Ar. Wirkrvs shows how this may be done with the lenst possible change in the law and with the minimum of expenso, —_— Tho premium on gold continues to decline. Bomo thought it would not go lower than 105 this winter, but yesterday it,was quoted at 1047, Beforo the end of the month the prospects axe that the premium will be under rather than over 4 per cent. Those who have been so flercely opposed to resumption would do well not to lose any time in dovis- ing somo method of arresting the steady and inexorablo snbsidence of the gold premium. The exports continue to cxcoed the im- ports, ond coin is shipped ' here by overy sleamer from Europo to pay tha balance due this country. In the meantime our gold and silver mines produce abont six or seven millions & month of bullion, for which thers is no forelgn demand. The Now York ‘sud Boston banks are filling up with coln, and the gold-brokers have moreon hand than they Lavo use for. Imports are lighit, and conscquently the demand for coin to poy daties is small. Al things ore con. spiring to bring the country back to specle payments without strain, shock, or injury to tha buniness interesta of tho public, ‘The suggestion by Buperintendent Hicxey that a new Vagrant law is needed should nt~ tract the carmost attention of tho Logiala- ture. A very largo proportion of the profos. sional thioves and burglars are well known to the police, but they cannot be nrrested excopt upon some criminal charge, If ar. rested o8 vogrants, the highest pennlty Is %20, with leave to nppeal the case, and pend- iug the appeal tho nccused is under the pro. tection of the Court, and the appenl is not declded for one, two, or porhops three years. ‘The Vagrant law fs therofore inefficient ox- copt agalust criminals who aro so low down in tho scalo as to bo unable to obtain $20 from their partners and associates, His remody i8 a now law, incrensing the fine to 2200, and in dofault, if the fine be not pald by a date named by the Court, imprisonment in the House of Corrcction. Buch a law would have the effect of keoping these peo- ple away from tho city whoss laws at pres. ent havo no terrors for them. Thero are other suggestions which havo a strong bear- ing upon he absurdity and expensivenesy, delays and inconveniences of the Grand Jury systom in the matter of trivial offonscs, At presont the Polico Dopartment is weakened by the constant attendance required on the Grand Jury in cases that ought never go be- fore that body. In the article yeste ut the *High Court of Arbitration,” speaking of * the past party afiliations” of the five Justices, we said that four were Republicans and ons Democrat; but that classification would not nccurately represent their present politics. Justice Fizp, of the California Cirenit, in 1872 supported Gozerxy for Prosident, and after that gravitated over to tho Demacratio party, and for somo time past has been classified a8 o Democrat. If he voted last fall, he certainly supported I'11oxx for Presi. dent. Justico Braprey has been regarded a3 a moderate Conservative-Republican, and it he voted for President lust fall most prob. sbly supported Haves. Justico Bronoxa, of Penusylvania, Las also been reckoned a Re- publican in s proclivities, but he never was a party man, Justico Onrronp, of MMaine, the senior of the five Justices, and the Presideut of tho Board of Arbitra. tion, has always been regarded as a decided Democrat, holding stronger political convie. tions than perhaps any member of the Sa. pree Bonch, Justice Mirves, of Iows, is & fair-minded, moderate Republican, giving but littlo attention, however, to party ques- tions. The New York Ierald yoiterdsy pub- lished o sensational statement from a Now Orleans correspondent about Judge MiLLrs, which we have no doubt isfalse. It isto the effect : . Judge Mirxn 1z a letticr laat December to ¥ fHE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1877. Judge Davitxarn, of Galveston, expresscd in em- phatic terma his bellef that Tizorx had been elect. ed Prenldent, and that a conspiracy existed to connt In Ilayes, Inthe letter he alluded in revere terma to the course nf the Administration In con- nectlon with the Southern elections, and the car- pet-bag Govemnment of Sonthern States, and exoresaing a hope that we might yet be saved the outrage and {nfamy, which, If allowed to bo cer- anmmated might well make one diepairof the coun try in which ench things conld be possible. A special from Washington states there is suthority for saying positively that Judge Mirren never wrote such n letter to Barvin. orr or any other man. It is most likely tho professional line Kzrxnan started the story, and dated it in New Orlenns, Washington dispatches yesterday roport the following proceedings in the House: The Bpeaker appointed Messrs, Coor of Georgla, and Sroxx of Missour! (both Sonthern Confedor- ates) tellers on the part of tho House to record tha votes, 7 Mr. Kassox called the Chalr's attention to the fact that both tellcrs had been chosen from the ma. Jority, and that [$ waa customary In snch cascs to have a representative of the minority appoluted, ‘The Speaker—The gentlemen havo been appoint- ed by the Chair nnder anthority of the Honse, and that fact has been communicated to the President of the Seante, and the Chilr nnderstands he will appolnt two of the majority of the Senate, Mr, Kaspon—That will have. been done on ace count of the actlon of the Speakor, ‘The 8peaker—Tho Chalr docs not feel offended. Tic bas simply done his duty, Mr. Cox—Nevertheless it fs Insolence. What s ¢ nsolence? Certalnly not tho re- mark of Mr, Kassox calling the attentlon of tho House and the country to the gross and shameful partiran conduct of 8ay RaNpaLL, tho 8peaker, Kasson should have reproved ‘him much more severely than he did for such an exhibitfon of partlsan grab and mallee. The remark of * Shoofly"’ Cox, that Kazson's objec- tion was insolence, shows that he has neither manners nor perception of decency. | —ee THE FLORIDA CASE. The first case of disputed voles to come beforo the Arbitration Tribunal is that of Florids, which elected tho Havza Electors by D30 majority. The Domoorats will seck to have this Stato counted for TiLpex or thrown out. Tho Republican answer is Iargely embodied in the report of the Senate Committes which investigated the Florida election. To begin with, there is in that State a Canvassing Bonrd established by law and cmpowered to corroct frauds. Thoe orig- inal roturns on thelr faco gavoe Haves o ma- jouity of 4G votes. It will not do in this case for tho Democrats to demand that the faco of the roturns bo taken, Indecd, thoy are further estopped from this by the fact that the Canvassing Board of 1876 pursued precisely the sama course as hiad been taken by tho Canvassing Board of 1874, which was composed of Democrats, and which gave the Btate to tho Democrats, The rosult of sift~ ing the frauds was to give the Hares Elect. ors 030 majority ‘instend of 43, the Demo- cratio frauds being largely excossive, The report of the Scnate Committeo hold thnt Congress could not go behind the roturns for severnl roasons, viz.: (1) The Conatitution of the State vests the anthorily of serutinizing the votes in the Canvassing Bonrd which exorcised it; (2) Neither Con. gress nor any other tribunal can set aside the right of a State to appoint its Electorsin its own way, which {s guarantoed by the Con. stitntion of the United States; (8) Tho find- ing of the Buard cannot be revised beonuss tho Electors aro functus officio, and the Stato has completed tho work with which the Conastitution of the United Statea has invest. edit. Tho same argument will apply to the Arbitration Tribunal, nnd, if sustained, the Comymission oannot go behind the rcturns with any more authority than Congross. Dut the Bonate Committeo’s report and the ovidence gathered make n moro satisfactory showing than this. With oll the gerryman- dering of tho returns which the Democrata Linvo been able to mako, they can only figure out a claim that the Tizoen Electors were chosen by about a dozen majority. This con clusion they arrive at by a process similar to that taken by tho Canvassing Board ; the dif- forenco Ia that the Canvassing Doard ia anthorized by law to take this course and volunteer canvassors are maot, Still, if a thorough revision were to be mado, or could be mndo with authority, tho result would bo to throw ont o good many Domociatic votes which tho Canvassing Board counted. Thus thero is ovidenco that o whole railroad train of non- residents, aud mostly citizons of other States, voted the Truoex tickot in the Waldo pre. cinct, though that precinct was counted. Ihis is but one of soveral instances showing that the Convassing Board, had it done.its whols duty, would have rejected still moro votes than it did reject. The Republicaus, then, have by far tho best chancea for the award of tho Florida Electoral voto, (1) be- couso the weight of the argument is on tho sido of a vefusal to intorfore with the State’s method of appointing Eloctors, aud (2) be. cause, if this be undertaken and the returns racanvassed, the result will show that still more Demacratio votes ought to be rejected on account of fraud. ——— PICKETT'S WIDOW-RELIEF SCHEME, The witness Lirrrzrizrp, who stole the Vernon County roturns in Louisiana, subati. tuted a forged copy in their place, and thon sought in vain to criminate the Returning Board, baving been disposed of, now comes the next wituess, Jony I, Pickerr, who, ac- cording to his own story, at ihie instance of ex-Gov, Wruts, the President of the Ro- turning Board, negotiated with Mr. TiLvex's managers for the sale and dolivery of the vote of Louisiana for o cool million of dol- Inry, the procoeds of hia share of the plunder to bo applicd to tho relief of Bonthern widows aud orphans. Mr, PicxerT, by the way, has a tender spot somewhere in his composition for widows, He is tho gentle- man,it will be remembered,who gold the Con- fedorate archives to the Government for 75,000, which bandsome sum, according to this veracious witncss,he squandered upon Bouthern widows, The pith of this man's statemeont is that Gov, Wreis entered into negotiations through ono Mapnox, an Intor- nal Revonue Agont, and himselt, to doliver the Eloctoral vote of Loulsiana to TiLoxx for $1,000,000; that he has an original let- ter of Gov, WzrLs and sundry telegrams un- der fictitious names to support hisstory; and thst he went North and tendered the vote to 1ho Hon. Jouy Monnisszy, HewirT, and oth- ers of ‘T1LDEN'S friends and barrel-managers, but they were scared by the price. Hzwrrr ovidently was suspicious that there was a large-sized negro in the fence somewhare, but Mornissxy was willing to enter into ze- gotiations with Prcxerr i¢ he would drop 900,000 in his figurcs. As $100,000, how- ever, would not cover Proxxrr's gigantio philanthropic scheme with reference to the Bouthern widows, all bands dropped the million-dollar offer and turned their atlon. tion to Oregon, where the market was 8o dull that a $7,000 draft could do justas much exccution as $1,000,000 in Louisiana, Even if this story wero true that Gov. ‘Weres initiated this schemo to sely out Lou- isinna for a mwillion of dollars, and that PicrerT went to headquarlers to negotiate the operation, it would not hava followed that Gov. WeLts wero dishonest. Had he been in the sclling bnainess, had he heen a corruptible man, he would have fixed his figuros at a fair market value. The resnlt of Picxrrr's mission, aven as narrated by him. self. shows that Gov, Wrrra conld not be corrupted. - Accepting Picxerr's version, thon if thero was no attemp! made to pur. chnse him by the Titpex clique, it shows thoy knew he was honest, or feared that he was setting a trap to catch them.. If thero was an attempt made, it shotws that he conld not be bought. The most effect~ ual disposition of Prexxrr's South- ern widow yarn, however, {s the plump declaration of Gov. Wzres that itfs s lie. Mo disclaims all knowledge of Proxerr, and nover heard of him before. Tho letter written to Blappox has no connmection with the alleged sale of the Louisiana vote, and the wholo story * is an infamous lie, base- less as it is malicions.” The Governor further intimates that thera will be an ox- posure on tho other slde in a few days, and that the Democrata secm to forget there are two aides to the controversy. Meanwhile, tho caso of ProxeTr is & 8ad one. ‘* Damn my interest,” ssys Picxxrr to Mappox, ¢ think of the interest of 40,000,000 peoplo,” 41 gaid thut I would tako tho money, for I would regard it ns spoiling tho Egyptinns, ond would distributo it among tho widows and orphans of the Bouth,” sald Proxerr to Mavpox. Was ever such a colossal scheme of philanthropy nipped so untimely in the bud befora? When one thinks of the vast amount of rolief PrcrzrT might have brought to the Bouthern widows in these hard times, it seema almost too bad that he did not succeed in despoiling the Egyptians. Thero aro other fields, howover, in which he may cultivate his philanthropy, and the Sonthern widow nced not despalr. The whole South imay yot be flowing with the milk of Prcxerr's human kindness, THE STATE-HOUSE JOB. It is timo to have o reckoning with tho State-House Commissioners and the Peniten. tlary Commiesionors of this Stato. It is too late, porhaps, to recover any of the money that hns boen waated ih oxtravaganco and mismanagement in connection with building the State-House, but it is not too Inte to mako a public exposure of the men who aro responsiblo to the publie, remove them from their places, and try others. In building the Stato-House it was thofirst and most impera. tive duty of tho State.House Commissionors to mnke the entiro cost come within §3,500,« 000, not merely because that sum was ample and generous, but becauso it was expressly provided 1n the Constitution of the State that tho cost should not excced that sum without submitting all further appropriations to a voto of tho people. The duty of tho Commissioners in this respect was mode tho ensier on account of tho shrinkage in values of all labor ond building material, It is notorious that, evor since the panio of 1873, building can ba dono for nearly one-half what tho samo work would have cost prior to that timo, It may bo that the Btate-Houso Commissionera were hampored to somo extent by contracts on hand; but, making abundant allowanco for all this, the radical change in prices should have enabloed the Commissioners to completo tho building and save $500,000 from the maximum amount allowed forit, Instead of this, the monoy has all boon spent, the build. ing is not yet completed, and it will require anothor million to finish it under tho samo mansgoment, The architoct eatimates, with nstonishing minutences, that £666,887 and thirty cents will complsto the work according to tho remodeled designs ; but, given the same Commissloners, architect, and superintond- ents, and it will unquestionably cost amillion. 1t there woro nothing more than tho bare {fact that the Btate-House Commissioners had failed to complota their work within the con- stitutional lmit of $3,400,000, it would be cenough to warrant their removal from office under public censuro, Dut thore are charges that the money has been wasted and other statutes violated, It is certain that they made changes in the plan, which are ac- countabla for a lnrge share of the Incroased axpenditures. ‘Thus n aingle item of change from iron to stone In the conatruction of the dome, which Loa increased to colossal pro. portions and neccssitated other changes, cost tho State £295,388,—noaly thfeo hundred thousand dollars. The ornamentation of the interior hos also been of the most ox- travagant kind, and most people think so goudy aato beout of taste. Besides tho cost- )y frescolng, frall and perishablo plaster orna- ments have been'indulged in, with somothing of the appearance of the plaster ornamenta Itallan venders carry about the street, but at about tho cust of tho enmo work in marble. It is nlso said that in doiog much of this work laborers have been employed by the day, though tho law requires that all the work bo dono by contraat, i A worse feature than- all the others, how- ever, is to be found in the use of the con. vict labor, Thq, statute required the Com. missioners to procure from the Penitentiary all tho materials and labor it could furnish, The State-Touse Commissioners thercupon made a contract with the Penitentiary Com- missioners to furnish the stone and stone. work. As the Penitentiary expensos wero outranning the receipts, the contract-price waoa fixed at a figure to ensble the Peniten. tiary to make a good profit, But, na thiswaa simply making onoe State institation help out another, thers was no particular profit in it for private porsons; so tho Penitentiary Commissioners turned their ‘profitable con. tract ovor to Mr, Ricuanpson, he agroeing, in order to comply with the law, to employ from the Penitentiary all the labor he shonld need at 81} cents nday, At the time of making the contract free labor was worlh about $3 a day, so that Rionanpsox could woll afford to comply with the law. What RicnacpsoN's profits have been from his con. tract we have no moeans of knowing, but if they were $250,000, or more or l¢ss, they would have been virtually saved by the State it the contract had not been transferred to bim. Yet, notwithstanding this advantage on his side, the Peuitentiary Commissioners iu their annual report admit that they have permitted Mr, Ricuaspsoy to got about $40,- 000 in debt to the Stato on labor account. This is . & most remarksble ocondition of things. The money paid by the Btate for tho stone-work was paid tho Penitentiary Commissioners as the original contractors. Not & dollar of it could be drawn without a warrant signed by the Warden of tho Penl- tentiary, 50 that the Penitentiary Commis- sloners virtually had the money in their own hands, and could alwaye have deductod what waa due them from Ricuarpsox for labor be- fore he could get a dollar. Now why did they fail todoit? If this failure is due to no other cause than peglect of duty, it is enough to warrant relioving these gentlemen from further official dutics. Gov. Currom will ind hero su excellont opportunity for ' entaring upon his administration of four years in such manner as to commend it to tho entiro State, Ho shonld recommend to the Logislaturoe an investigation of the wholo subject, and in terms that will not ndmit of arefusal or A mera whitowashing tribunal. One thing is very cortain: the people of inols will never voto another dollar for the completion of tho Btate-Hlouss under tho management of the men who ara responsiblo for the abuscs wo have'enumerated. [ e ediog A GRATEFUL CONSTITUENOY, The logislaturo of West Virginia was called on recently to elect a Benator for the fall term, and re-elected Senntor Davia. It was also called on to elect a Benator to fill o wacancy having four years to run, and clect. od Mr, Fraxx Hereronp, ot presont a mem- bor of tho Honso of Representativen. Tho .Washington Star thus explains these clec- tions: Whatever may be sald of West Virginla, sho can handly be charged with ingratitude. She re- tarns Mr, Davia to the SBenate for the long term, because that conrac is In secondance with tho wiehes of the railroad intorests which control the State, and sends Mr. Ilznzronrp for the short term In recognition of his services In making all Ther mountsin atreams navigablo rivers and oll her towna seaporis. Such things as theaa tond to reatoro one'a falling faith in human nature, This probably Is correct. The surface of ‘West Virginia is groater to the number of square miles within its boundaries than is that of any other State, oxcopt Nevada. Ita 1and is rarcly horizontal ; it generally lies at an angle of 45 degrees. Thero are no plains, All the land is s hillside, and botween tho hills {8 just room enough for n stroam and sometimes a road, but generally iho roads wind round the hills or boldly ascend them. ‘The consequenca is, Wost Virginia is a coun. try of mountain and stroam. Oceasionally a rook falls out of the hillside, leaving a largo cavity just like that which o grocer leaves in o choese when ho sells a ploce of it, and in these niches or cavities the people of West Virginia build their citics and towns, The distances are wonderfal in that State. Take ouy two points in tho State, and ascertnin their distanco by lines of latitude, and then try to travel bolween them, and the surface to Le traveled over will be found, even if a straight line be followed, that will measuro at least one-half more, and this becansa of the wonderful heights ono lina to go up and go down on tho way. Theso mountain streams of West Virginia aro not numerons, but many of them are precipitons. In summer and the dry season they are scant of water, and in tho wet sea- son are torrents, In tho olden time, West Virginin was ovzrlooked or neglocted by the Dominion, and, under tho policy of strict con. struction, this part of tho Stato was loft in ita natural condition, to deveolop and get nlong tho best way it could.. West Virginin, in separaling from tho paront Btato, left ninny things behind, For inmstance, it was o doctrine of the strict constructionists that Congress could not approprinte money to improve a river unless that river ran through more than one Btate. West Vir- ginla, instend of holding to any such doc. trino pa that, is willing to take the whole contents of tho Treasury, including an addi- tional jssue of grecnbacks, to improvo the rivers of that Btate alono. During the terms that Senntor Davia and Reprosentative Hene- rorp have been in Congross, the *‘national. ity " of improving tho rivors and harbora of West Virginia has been industriously pre* sentod to the country, According to these gentlemen, West Virginia is tho commorcinl centro of tho globo, All tho nations of the carth havo their eyos on West Virginia, Tho condition of her rivers is rogarded by man- kind ns & reproach to the intelligencs of the American people nnd Governmont. Tho commorce of tho Pacifio Ocean, of the Med- itorrancan, and the Black and Whito Seas, ia arrested, suspended, and restricted bocanso of the inability to utilize the waters of West Virginia, which Nature, evidently in pro- viding for the welfare of the human family, had intended to serve the world as the groat highwaya of commerce betwoen all tho na- tions of thy earth, ' All that Naturo left man to do to open a brisk trade between Persia and tho 8t. Louls bridge was the construc. tion of the BSuez Connl, and the ro. moval of tho obstructions which inter. rupt tho connoction botween tho James River and the Groat Kanawha. Evon the groat WasnmaToN took stock in a company to open this route for ocoan stoamers (thoro wore no ateamers then, but he. expected thers would be) that would ply dally be- tween the Ohio River and the vast Orient, including tho emall Kingdoms of Grent Dritain, France, Holland, aud the German Btates, . In 1875 Mr. Speakor Kznn, rocognizing the importanca of the situation, sclected as Chairmian of ‘tho Committee on Commorco Mr, Hrereronp, of Wost Virginia, The an. nouncement croated a great sensation at all tho Courta of Europe. At Liorp's, the hendquarters of tho navigating intercsts, the whole fnsurance business was grently agi- tated because of the promised revolution in the great transportation business, and in the hopeful expeotation that vessels, stcam and pall, wonld loavo the troubled waters of the main, and perform part of their journey over mountains and through tunnels to reach the contre of the world’s ciroumference, tho great Stato of West Virginia. While Benator Davis industriously labored in the Hen- ate to promote railways in his Btate, 8o ihat each ‘producer could load his crop upon the cars by mosus of a chute from the very hilside and whore it was grown, Mr. Hraeromp was providing laws to open steam navigation throngh the mountain passes, or by tunncls through the mountains themselves, The old, faniliar names of creeks, runs, and bottoms were changed into rivers; and these nowly-created rivers wera declared by law to be navigable, The Eugineer Corps were instructed to make estimates for ro- moving obstructions (mountains) to the free navigation of theso streams from one port " to another ** port,” and money wes appropriated to supply water to keep them pavigable at all seasons of the year, with harbors at the various mountain clefts suf. ficlent in dopth to float the QunarD steaw. ory, when thoy should sbandon New York snd Boston for Little Wildeat and Grass Lick. The bill making sppropriations for rivers and harbors at the last session has become historical. Yielding to- the strict constructionists a little, Ar, Hzacronn consented to some trifling appropriations for other parts of the country, but the genius and patriotism of the man shone out in his appropristions for West Virginia 7The country will never do him justice, though his constituentshave gratefully remembered him. Ono part of bis schemo has noverobtained the recoguition it ought. Our navy is & swall one. Incaso of a war with' all Europe, that pavy might bo swept {rom the ocean. To avoid such & calamity, Mr.' Henzyomo pro- posed such a chain of navigablo streams, and soaports, and commodions, land-locked bar- bors among tho mountains of Virgiuis, that tho whole American nayy in time of war could all find rofuge in West Virginia, and stay there in safoty until the war was over | This strategy has been overlooked by the country, Another point was, that, to meet tho objection that ocenn-going vessels might considor tha navigntion of fresh-water sireama injurions, the schemo included o Lill “and an appropriation " to employ the great salt-works of Kanawha to keep tho water in all the rivers, harbors, and poris, from Richmond to the Ohio, as salt aa the ocenn ilself. ‘We do not romember jnst now how many miilions of dollars Mr, Ilznerorp roported to establish this groat salt-water route connect- ing tho Mersoy and the Thames with the Ohio River, but tha Preaident romorsely put hisfoot down on the whole business nnd re- fused to let the monoy bo taken from tho Treasury, Tho world has lost ita great com. mereial highway, tho mountains remain mountains, and the crecks are crecka stiil, but the gratetnl pooplo of West Virginia have appreciated thegrandenr of the schome, and have promoted the nuthorto a higher branch, where in duo timo he will be heard from again, 3 [ — EVARB AND HIS BOND. Bupervisor Lincory has rojected tho see- ond bond tendered him by Mixe Evaxs ns Collector of tho Town of South Chieago. Tho insufficlency of the bond to meet the sirict reqnirements of tha law is notorions, andis hardly denied. Tho people of Chicago aro pretty ncarly tired of Mixe Evaxs, and the Iatter has ovinced such an Invincible contempt of public opinion by his persistont ond brazon attempts to get the office that ho has worn out the patience with which the public have borno with him. It is hardly necessary to recall tho events of last spring, when a mob—an organized mob—soized pos- session of the polls, and of all the ballot- boxes, filled them with tickets that wore nover polled, emptied ont the tickets that liad boon polled, and by brute forco clected n chosen gang of town-officars. Among thoso chosen wns Micuars Evaxs. That so- called clection waa his only title to the office, It was the work of & mob of rufflanly ballot- box.stuffers, The public indignation was arounscd to an oxtent rarely witnessed in Chi. cngo. Personal violonca towards the aiders and partioipants in this outrage waa with difficulty restrained, and finally was averted by tho action of tho Town Board in declaring the whole clection void, The others electod with Evaxs bave sunk into oblivion, but Evans has persevered. Tho caso has been in the courta in one form or another ever since, and, while the action of the Town Board has beon ruled to have boen beyond their anthority, Evaxa should remember that it was that very action which protected 1im from an expression of popular indigna. tion which all the facts commended to popu- lar approval. The Supervisor, Mr, LiscoLy, is not acting 88’ n more officcholder. He ropresents that publio opinion which Evaxs defies. Tho law makes him judge of tho sufliciency of the bond, and'he has acted on that bond, Evaxs industriously sceka to create tho impression that his. bond is ro- jected because tho taxpayors do not want the tax collected. Lot Evans resign, andlot a successor bo avpointed who can give o suffoiont bond, and he will geo the taxes collocted promptly and efliciently, Ho is tho obstacloin thoway. Ho cannot givo a bond, nor will helat & Collector who can do so bo appolnted in his place. His claim to tho of. fico rests upon a fraud of thomost infamous proportions, and he supploments this outrage by refusing to lot a person bo appointed to collect tho taxes, It istimo for Evaxa to withdraw. Ho has bocome a publicnuisanco. o is an obsatruction, and a costly ono, to the city and county, and his advisers had better withdraw him before ho and they sink into public contempt. A NEW BUSINESS ATLAS. Messrs, Raxp, McNaLLY & Cu,, of Chieago, have just publishcd a business ‘atlas which in many respects I8 supcrior to any herctolore presented to tho publie. The maps of tho United Btates and the Canadas are particularly full, and each one {s fudexed, according to a new syatem, so that {t I3 possible, on & short exami- nation, to find tho locatlon of any railway, town, city, county, river, or mountain, The {dea Is comparatively of such recent origin that 1t 1s worthy of description. 'Tho maps aro dif- vided Into squarca by imaginary lines drawn from top fo bottom and from one side to thy other. Each terminus of o Jinc has placed op- posite it o tigurc or a number, Tho States are indexed scparatcly, and the towns, rivers, cte., referred na nearly as possiblo to the junction of two lines. Asimllartreaticent hins beon pursucd with referenco to rallroads and oypress-routcs, the termin! fn either caso bolng exactly indl- cated. Tho usefulness of such & map for all husiness men will bo at once percelved. It is not an uncomumnan thing, particularly in our new and growing country, for merchants to re- celva lottors from places thoy never heard of before, and the situation of which they desire to know, Persons who are much upon the rail- roads will find tho atlas almoat fnvaluable, It shows where cvery rallrond 1is, and every statlon upon it. Commercial travelers can lay out routes with the now atlas more accurately and moro oxpedittously than by any rallroad gulde. There is much In an appeal to the eyo when questions fuvolving considerations of tine and space are concerned. Tho publishers of tho atlas also lay clalm to credit for a large eharo of original work, ‘They have been at tho pains to rectify many obvious errors in provious maps, aud to seck for other errors not so obvious. In the Bouthern Btatea especlally thelr Jabors have Leen of considerablo magnitude, extending to every county, aud lovolving the slteration of county-lines in cases almost fnnumerable. [o- quirfes were addressed to officfal sources In every case, and the results of varlous new sur- voys since tho War have been embodied in tho stlas, Each Statols reprcsented In ascparate plate. The eugraving, press-work, paper, and binding are of excelleut quality, and the whole work is a eredit both to the cstallishmunt that fssues it aud to the City of Chicago. Ths price of the atlas in its completed forin {s $20. . Nrw Yonx, Feb. 1 spatch from Columbla says: t'aey, 1laurro ‘having granted pandon to 125 Hosnonovau, & colorcd rl“"'""" In thy jall Clicater County, and the Shorl® refusing to relesse tha prisonor on the ground that Wavs Haxrrox ls ot Uovernor of the State, Judge J, T. MACKETY le- aued a writ of Aabeas corpus on the petition of the risoner, and nm'“h‘ Lie case wax argucd, whon gudullusn promptly decided Wauz Haxrron was logal Governor, Vl‘he Sherill's counsel pmmfl. ly appealed the case to tho Supreme Court."—As- soclated Press Dispalch. ‘This is & put-up job to get the csso Into the courts; but it s better thau civil war, The plan was Inyeuted & month sgo for llaMeTON to grant a pardon to some prisvner in the Penlten- tiry, or Jail of somo county, aud to have the offi- cor ju charge of the prisoner rofuse to relcaso Bhin, Then s habeas corpua could bo fssucd on the petition of the prisoucr, and on Its hearing tho right of Gen. HameroN to grant pardons would of course raise the question of his right to the Gubernatorial office, and thus the case would speedily be got before theBupremo Court of tho Btate for doclsfon. , That Court, as now conatituted, is under the cuntrol of the White- Line ritle-lubs. e ——— Among tho deaths of promiucut persons which have occurred recently are thuse of tha Rev. ALyssD Brike, of Gawbicr, O., Trusteo of Kenyon College, aud for mauy years con- nected with that fnstitutiony of ALBXANDES Bain, the ioventor of the electro-chemtes) printing telegraoh, the electro-magnetle clock. and of perforated paper for antomatle trans mission of messages; of Ronenr Lanorira who for many yeara hns been the soeclal artist of tho Jliustratal London News; and of cx-Gov, DaxizL Hamnes, of New Jerscy, who was tivica Qovernor of that State. The New York Eeen ing Post aays of him: By the Leginlataro of 1847 he was appol, Governot and Chancellar, the (10vemor betng fioy -xpmm.t nnder the old Canatitutions ant ho was the Iant Goremor to hold tho ofice bofore tha adap. tion of the Conatitution of 1844, Ilo wa ala the recond Qovernor under the new Conatitution, hay. ng been chosen at the November election of ‘1447, and taking his feat on the eecond Tuesday of Janu. ary, 1848, flling the afiico for Lthrea yearn, On the 15th of Yovember, 1852, ho was appointed one of the Amsociate Jnstices’ of the Htate Suprems Court, and waz reappointed In 1850, serving fonr. icen years. ond being nlso ex-oficio a member of {hio Court of Ercore and Appeals. o sorved dur. ingmost of the time in the districts embodled in ‘Union and Essex Conntles. ————— The Albany Erenlng Journal eays: *Wa happen to know, in an authentic way, that Afr, TiLDEN has from the first been opposed to the Compromisc plan,” If this be true, it Is be. cause ho preferred to bo counted in by the Hcuse of Represontatives, and take his chances. to crowd Haires ontof the White House by bulldozing than submit nis claims to o fain, Court of Arbitration, where forco and froudy would not avail him. e ——— A Qlspateh from Romo yesterday says: *“The Popo is continually growing weaker, Ile Is con- fined to his private apartmenta in tho Vatiean.". The old **Papa "’ has wonderful vitallty. ilelives, in a very unhealthy, inealubrious clty, and yet he ' has reached nearly 84 years of nge. Ile has out- lived all his Cardinals and clerical contempora. riea. Mo Is the lust of the sct. ' ——————— The fcllow Mappox, of Loulsiana, may safely . be put down as the champlon Har of the United States, not even cxcepting tho expert in that line of business, Col. Knzyax, Washington edi- tor of the Chicago Bulldozer. PERS0NAL. The lles In Offenbach’'s now book on Ameres, ono critic asserts, aro told with a purpose, Qive} bim credit for that, 1t s more than can besaid foe' his music; nons of it spparcntly was writton with 8 purpose, ; An Eastern publisher has annonnced for early production A new cesay, to be entitled, **Tho' Splendld Advantages of Being & Woman.” Scmoy of theeo niight Lo énumerated off-hand, bnt it is} tha part of a modest spirit not to anticipate the works of genlns. Col, Rtobert Ingersoll's father was a stout old Prosbyteelan parson lu Northorn Ohlo; and, even vhen the frosts of fifty wintors had whitenod hls halrs, hie was the champlon wrestler of the vlilage, ‘That Weatminator catochism, somehaw, seoms to put fron Into men's bodles ey well as Into thele souls, i The New York Zimes has an articlo, writtenin s’ vein of perslfiage, reparting the discovery of a phe- nomenon tn natural science oven moro Important than that of the pecullar propertics of blue glass, ‘Tho new fact Is, that music promotes the dovelop- mentof all forms of life. Under the new arrange. mont, the discoverer clalms, a farmer's daughter, Dy simply spending an hour each day In piaylng lier accordeon to tho dolighted plgs, can fattea them ta tho cxplosive polat without the oullay of o eloglo dollar, All this is very amusing, but it will not discourage thosa wha hava trlod ‘the bluo ginse, and hava reason to bellove'in the oficacy of 1ta action, 2 A commercial house In the East has lesued to its custoinoraa clreular beautifnlly trimmed fn black snnouncing In Lefitting terms tho death, by tho Ashtahula disnster, of onc of its oldest and mout trusted travoling ealesmen, **Ho had a splendld. 1ino of samptes, romarka the cireular, *‘and alks ordera intended for him, if scnt by mail, will re- celvo duo nttention." Thera conld be nothing more happy than this mixturo of regret for the de- partedwalosman anil forthe ** aplendid line of sam. ples. Lot us hope that It will procare for bim In the next world, as it always did In thie, & graclons reception. 1t was, perhape, Lia one virtue, rising magnificently over the wasto of Lis thousand eins. ‘The following <) sald by Maj. Powell to be tho transtatlon of an Indian proverb: 4 THore Is juatlfication enough for the pld New En- gland scrmons, and tho prayers of the elect in ths honeymoon of their convorslon. Dut Mr, Moody knew how to atop that aort of thing, and so did the old Methodist ploneors, It is related of one of the lattor that he broke in upon a_youny man who had ‘begun, {n beautlful language, torelate his *¢oxpe- rence.” ‘‘Uo you love the Lord?" asked the Domlinle. **I trust 1 do," aald the eloqnent younth, in » stammoring und confased manner. **Well," rojoined tho Domlinie, **that's all wo want to hear from you this ovening. Drothren, let u The Philadelphla papers giva Mr. I for hia management of English opers this seasvn, They assert that lie has dispenscd with the services of four good slugors in order to lessen expeonscs; announced other singers who hava nevorappeared; broken falth with tho publle by changing operas without sufiicient notice, and In other respects bo- haveddn an unhandsome manncr. Tho Phlladel- phia Zintes, in the course of a pretty strong para- «graph on the aubject, saya: *‘Mr. Iless has cer- Inly forfeltod nll claima on tho American public, ‘Lho have generously supported him, and Lave “been cheated and imposed upon. 1le 1s respons!- bla for the fact that the artiats who are now play- ing ou the Commonwealth plan had only $180 to divids after thelr Philadelphis week. Thelr re- celpts In New York last weck though were over $10,000, and this they divide on tho same plan.* Bpesking about real estate, panics, collapses, and things, we are rominded of tho once-proud city of Daluth, which stood pre-ominent on s couple of sand-hills near Lake Superior, and was the mistress of a land-locked harborand tho af- fectiona of Proctor Knott., How perlshable and transitory are tho uscs of thia worldl Dut six years ago Duluth might bave stood sgainat the world; now has she fullen so low that Proctor Knott forgets to do ber roveronce. Thobottom has fallen out of the Duluth real-estatc market, ana it hasdropped likea loud from the scoop of & dredging- machine. A hounso and residence thore that cost $3,500 havo just boon disposed of for $700, and & local nowspapor says this {s s falr measure of the decline invalues. Absolute ruln must overtake the entire town, the local writer goes onta say, unless & compromlse of tho municipsl fndebteds ness can be obtalned, Chlicago mourns for Duluth, as for Cincionatl snd 8t, Louls, snd thoss other cities that once were hor alsters, but arc now her wands, Grace, mercy, and peace be with them all. | ‘There has beon a change in the management of the Contertporary Review, which has obtained sa cnvisble place among Liritlsh poblications for can- dorand independence, as well as for the abulity displayed in its pages, It will horeafter be under the control of Mr, Samuel Morloy (not Alr. Jokn Morley, tho editor of the Forinightly), who is the moutbplece of the politlcal dlssentors in the Houso of Commons, }le proposes to make bellef In the Doctrine of the Atonement a gusli+ fication for admission to the pages of the Cons temporary required of all contributors. Tho mage azine will, it {s expected, bo largely taken up with! attacks on the Church of England and proposale for disestablishment, Meauwhile, the cx-edltors Mr. Knowles, has {ssucd the prospectus of s new’ magazine which is to occupy the fleld abandoned by the Contemporary. It will ba called tho Nind- teenth Century, snd, a8 Mr, Knowles 1s & porsons} triend of Mr. Tonnyson, Frof. Tyndal), and other? distioguished men, the new periodical will prova- bly Lisve a staft of contributors equal to that of the old magazine, [ vThs best Civil Service on this planst," whiclr Benstor Morton used to speak of fraquently, seeus to hate beon sufering from gangrene in vne of Its' yemote members. The friends of Congressmin Dunnell, of Minacsota, will be grieved and pos- albly surpriscd to hear that the trouble ls inbls d trict. Ho hias bad a row with one of his Postmast- ors,—A, E. Mcigs, of Austin,--and the latier bas basely printed confidential communications of the Congressman rulating to delicate pecuniary trans+ sctions connected with palitical affuira, The ucw Poutmaster s named Harwood, and s editor of (he Austin Transcript. Ho badalittle blll agalust the party for scrvices In 1874, waich Duunell com polled Meigs topay. In ono of his lestors on the subject, Dunpell complalned that Meige had nob pald bis fair **dlvvy " for the ofice of Postmaster, ona doclared that bo (Dunnel)) had nesrly rulacd bimsclf through his expenditurce for the ofice of Congressmun, Clvil-Borvice Neformers, sod Gov. Hayces in particular, will taku much lutorcst I tho Civil Scrvico of the First Minvesota Distrlcti meanwbile, it ie to be hoped tho washing of dirty linea will procecd, so thatall the facte may bo known by the time the new Prealdent le inaugu- sted. By the way, Dunocll was *‘agin’t the Compromise olll P