Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, February 6, 1877, Page 4

L] Bhye Tribmne, TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. DY MAIL~IN ADYA —POSTAOE TREPATD AT THIN OPFPICE. wily Fditton, postpatd: 1 ye: ¥ AL, PET Month. 812.m0 1 hou T Aen §38 2333 #2m Erecimen copfes rent free. 7Torrerent delay and mistakes, bo gare snd givs Poit- Ofce addrens In Tull, Inciuding State and County. Temittances may bemade elther by dratt, express, Tort-Oftice order, bt In registered letters, at our risk. - TERMS TO CITY SUNSCRIDERS. Tally, delt rered, Bunday excepted, 2% cents per week. Uafly, delivered, Sunday fnciuded, 90 cents per week Addrers THE TRIDUNE COMPANY, Corner Madfron and Dearborn-ste.. Uhlcago, ll AMUSEMENTS. New Chicago Thentre. Clask street, between Lake and Randolph, tandenr Cazeneuve, the Urestidigitaceur, 1e Com- Adeiph] Theatre, Monros street, corner Demrborn. Varfety enter. talnment. Haverly's Theatre, Raodolph strect, beiween Clark and Lasuile, En- * gagement ot Miss Efo Ellsl s You Lixe Jt. MeVicker's Thentres Madloon strocs nevasen sy #nd Siats. Bo: gagement of AMsggic Mitchell. Miguon.* MEETINGS, BOCIE' . and A, M.—Regu. ing At 7:30 o'clock ot wark on the M. y (naited, . H. CILANE, See. ASHLAR LODGE, Ko, 303, A, far meeting 1hie (Tucsdar) rharp, In thelr hail. 78 Manroe: St Tégree.” Thetraterntsy cordis TUESDAY, FEBRUARY G. 1877. Greenbacks at the New York Gold Ex. chango yesterday closed at 943@95. . Gov, Wews, of tho Lounisiana Returning Board, was befora the House Committeo yos- terdny, and denied in foto the testimony of Mabpox, PicrerT, and LiTreermrny, and, so far as he was permitted by BIr. Freip, ex- ploined the letter writton to Senator Wrst. Trwo bille wero yesterday introduced in the . Ilinois Legislaturo which, if passed, will reach two clnsses of offendors not now ade- quately provided for in the statutos. The first provides for the abolition of tho pres- ent Board of Commissioners of Cook Conn. ty and tha election of & new Board in April next, and the sccond provides that wife-beat~ ers shall be punished by public whipping on the bare back. A number of important decisions by the Tlinois Bupremo Court are. printed in onr columns this morning, among them several which sustain various tax nssessmonts for 1871, 1872, 1873, and 1874. As the questions involved in tho cases decided are identical with thoso thnt n small army of other tax- fighters have relied upon to resist the pay- ment of their taxes, thero is occasion for gen- eral rejoicing at their discom@ture. The Common Council yesterdny passed an onlinance enlarging the powers and daties of thoe Commissioner of Health in referenco ‘to the measures necessary to bo enforced in case of existing or jmpending infections, pestilential, or epidemic diseaso, such a3 the disinfection ot promises, the posting of placards, tho isolation of pertons suffering ‘rom small-pox, scarlet feyer, ete., the abate- went of nuisances and dangorous conditions af filth. and tho gencral enforcement of such precantions as may be necessary. Tho ordic nance is nono too stringent or too broad in the authorily it conveys to meet the present and future emergencies. Its vigorous en. “forcement is now the cssentinl thing, Mr, Cnanrxs O'Covonm, in his argument ‘yestzrday before the Electoral Commission, seems to hava once more lapsed fnto his unfortunate tendenoy to indulge in extrava- ‘gant and indecorous forms of expression. e so far forgot the courlesy due to those members of the Commission who, being Itepublicavs, differ with his estimate of the merits of the Presidential controversy, s to declare that no mau with the faculty of Dblushing could leok an honest man in the faco aud pssert that Jiarrs was entitled to tho Eloctoral vote of Florida, aud that every decent man in the ountry believes that Tivoex ia fairly elect. xl. To huck of the Ropublican §enntors and Representatives ns hinve ropeatedly de- clared their belief that Haves is entitled to the vote of Florida and that Haves is falrly clocted,—nnd wo beleve that every ono of thew have so declared and still maintato,— to these gentlemen the languago of Mr. )'Coxon wn4 n positive insult, for which he shiould have beon promptly rebuked. The statement wns doubly offensive in that it a8 both jpsulting and untrue, Early in the session, the Illinois House snssed a joint resolution requesting Congress to remonetize silver coin. The resolution went throngh by * a large majority," but it slept in tho pocket or pigeon-hole of the 3enate Committee until yesterday, when it 4 presented to the Beuate. That body passed it by a unanimons vote, Wo are sat- #fcd that nineteen-twenticths of the people of Mlinols, irrespective of party, desire the ilver dollar remounetized sud made a full gnl-tender for everything. Aud then thoy want the mints to be sct at work coining all bo bullion into silver dollars that usy be brought to them by the peo. le, Senators Logan and Oarzssy cannot mploy themselves more usefully and ac- septably than to call up the Braxp bill and usist upon having the ayes and noes on it. ‘be Financs Committee of the Senate cou. ists of Buexyaxn, MomniLy, of Vermont, Tengy, of Michigan, FreLinonusaen, of New muy, Loaay, of Illinols, Bourwrry, of assachuselts, Jones, of Nevada, Bavasp, if Delaware, nsud Kesnan, of New York. £ this Committee will not move in the natter, they should be called on by resolu. ion to report. It is well understood that ho gold cliquo intend to choke off action “util the end of the session and adjourn ritlout doing anything. Sueauan seews to e &t the head of this conspiracy. Looan nd Octrsny ouglit to bulldoze him a little. Tho Chicago produco mparkets were gen- rally tirmer yesterdsy, with fair activity in Lo leading departments. Mess pork closed 2jc per brl higher, at $16.30 cash and 16.45 for March. Lard closed 15c per 100 + higher, at $10.82) cash and §10.92)@ 0.95 for March. Meats closed firmer, at Ge or shoulders, boxed; Bjc for short-ribs; nd 6lc for shortclears. Highwines were nchavged, ot $1.05 per gallon. Flour was uiet and steady. Wheat closed 1jo bigher, & §1.28} for Fobruary and §1.29] for March. n closed jo higher, at 420 cash and 47{c ar May. Oats closed fo bhigher, at 85j0 THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: TUESDAY, FIBXRUARY (AR R cash and 3Ge for March. Ryo was dullat 68@6%. Barley closed firm, at 9% for Feb- ruary and 68jc for March. Hogs were in fair demand and advanced F@10c, closing firm at &5.70@6.50. Caftle were in good demand and wero firmer, Sheep wero with- change—quoted at $3.00@5.25. One hun- dred dollars in gold wonld buy $105.62} in greenbacka at the close. Thae main featnres of yosterday's proceed- ings before the Electornl Commission were the argumonts of the two great Noew York lawyers, Wirntrau M. Evants and Cmanees 0'Coxon, on the question of the admissibility of evidence in the consideration of the Flor- idn caso, Mr, Evanrs, appéaring as tho lend- ing counsel on the Republican side, directed his efforts largely in the showing that the Electoral Tribunal, under the powers con- ferred upon it by the law calling it into ex- istence, i in no senso o court posscss- ing plenary judicial power, and cannot sdopt methods of trial for determining the rights of Individuals, He maintained that the Commission can only go behind the Gov- oror's certificate 80 far as to ascertain the basis of the fact certified—that is, the result a8 ascertained and declared by tho Btato Board of Canvassers. To go farther than this, Mr. Evanrs contended, wonld lead to the inquiry ns to how every man voted at the election, Regarding the claim of ineligibility on the part of one of the Florida Electors, it wns argued that the State Board of Canvass. ers bad passed upon that question, and after an examinntion into the facts had declared the Elector eligible ; therefore the Commis. sion, having no authority to go behind that decision, must regard it as final, Mr, Evants' argument is spoken of ng one of his ablest and most convincing efforts, his view of the powers and dutics of {ho Commission being sot forth with great clearness and force. detail upon the personal characteristics of the ominent Democratic roformer Lrrrre- rieLp,’ who stolo the returns of Vernon County. It now appears, howevor, that we failed to exhaust the catalogne of his virtues, The Washington Republican of yesterdny morning contains an afiidavit from Dovarp McMickre, to tho effect that one SerArmg, an uncle of Lrrruerierp, ondeavored to bribe him to steal tho original roturns from the archives of the Returning Board, which were to be altered 1n the intercats of the Democracy by his precions nephew. Fur- thermore, CanLes T, Frawg, the chief can. vnsser of tho Fourth Ward in the Parish of New Orleans, makes his afidavit that Lrr- TLEFIELD offered to sell him 8,000 fraudulent naturalization papers for a dollar each, and threatoned to sell to tho Domocrnts if the Republicans did not, tako the stock. Asno testimony affecting the charncter of his wit- nesses or refuting their infamons falschoods ia allowed by Twrzn's lawyer, this kind of evidence can only find its way to the public through the columns of tho newspapors, but it none the less carries its comments upon tho charncter of the witnesses summoned by thio lawyer-of Fisx and TweED, and upon tho manuer of practice of the Old Bailey attor- ney sent o Washington by Tiuoex to snub Biru MonnisoN and take charge of Demo- cratio interests, COUNTING THE VOTE, To the Editor af Tha Tribunc, Wauvkesna, Wis,, Feb, 4, —In your paper of to- oy, a4 to the power of the Presldent of the Senata 1n counting tho Electoral vote, smong other thinga you say, ne to the vote of Oregon: **llo would then have to count the only cerilficata from that State ntterted by tho Governor, and this would havo admitted the CnoNix vote, and TiLpRN would Lo elected. " Let un see, Concede—~ First—~The Qovernor's certificato shows Mr, Cnoxix and two othérs (o posscss tho right to cast tho vote of the State, and hera ends ite virtue in the premlres. Kecond—The balance of the record mast be and 1s mado by these men, Third—\Which la this recora,—that mado by one man, 3r. CRoNIN, or that mado Dy tho two others? 1t would rather seem that thero was quite sa licavy an exercleo of Judicial power {n tho Prealdent of tho Henate determining Mr. CnoNtx's way ns that of the otlur two. Fourth~—Tho reading of the record aimply calls the accountant fo work, and you may call both miolsterial if you like. Yours traly, Saxven A, Raxntes, Tre Onicaao Trinuxe has never said nor admitted that tho CroNiy vote from Oregon ought to be counted; on the contrary, to count that vots it has claimed would be an outrage upon the people of Oregon aud of the United States, which would forever dis- " grace the man who would accept tho Presi. dency by virtue of that vote, ‘Tue Ciiosao "Prnune i not unmindful, Lowoever, that that vote is contained in the only record pur- porting to be of thoe proccedings of tho Eleclors which includes the certificate of the Governor, 1€ the Prosident of tho Benate were mado by the Constitution or by law the ol arbiter of what votes should bo counted nud what should not be connted, then he, us Lus occurred on sovernl occasions when he was himself a oandidate, would have the powor to count the voles to accomplish any result ho might desire, 'The power over the counting of the votes—the power to direct what should be aud what should not ba counted—reats with Congress, and, until this time, thero has beon npo difficulty in exercising that power, because the general result wowld nol be chauged weiolover way the disputed votes were recorded. Now, the result of the elec. tion depends on tho way thesa disputed votes shall Le connted, oud, the two Houses being opposed, no agreemont was posaible in framing any joint direction how the con- testing roturns should be recorded, In no instance has the President of tho Sennte de- termined a question of contested vote, unless previously ordered and directed by the con. current resolution of tho two Houses, His Quty has been to open the certificates, and the tellers have cnumerated the votes as directed by the previous orders of the two Houses. On the theory that, in the absence of any directions from Congress, the Preai. dent of tho Henate might count the votes, he would act purely as a ministerial officer, bound by the letter of tha law, which in. forns him that the Governor's certificate as to who had been appointed Electors was primia facie evidonce of that fact. .The President of the Senate, In every one of tho thirty-eight returns, woull fiud this certificate of the Governor informing him wiio bad been appointed Electors, Following this, the President of the Benate would ind the Governor's certificate full authority to him to count the returns from all the States, exoept, according o our correspondest from Waukesha, Wis., in the caso of Oregon. In that case it is claimed he would have to convert himsel? into & court, and consider and decide the question whether the Gov- ernor of Oregon had any authority to declare Cuoxtx an Elector; aud whetber the Gov- ernor bad any legal authority to certify that Cuoxiy, a duly-appoiuted Elector, bad op- pointed two other persons io il the vacan- cies existing Ly the abaence of the other Electors ; and generally to decide judicially whether the Governor of Oregon had certi- fied to tho truth or not. In reaching n de- cision on (his question ho wonld receive and weigh the testimony of all other perrons, and thus jndicinlly decide questions of law and fact, to overtnrn the prima facie caso presented on the returns. The Republicans have & prima facie case in the vote of Flori. da, beeause the record of the Republican Electors i8 certified by the Governor, and the President of the Senate would have to abide by that prima facie case, whether it be in Florida, Lonisiana, or Oregon. Mo could not go ULebind that record to decide ques. tions of law or of fact any moro in the ono caso than in the other, and had he done so, bad ho underlaken {o exercise judicial powers, the House of Representatives, pre- pared for such an emergency, would elect Tipey immediately. It was becanse Con. gress could not reach an agreement as to liow these votes shonld be connted, and be~ eauso the President of tho Senato had no anthority, as a court, to set aside the record in the Oregon case, that it was neeessary to organize a tribunal clothed with the very power which tho President of tha Bennte lncked, to setaside this prima faefe cnsoin Oregon, and give tho whole vote of that Btate to Haves, Despite the notorions wrong perpetrated in the Oregon case, thero was no way to avoid it, Cougress having made no law or rule for counting the votes, except by creating n court baving the power todotermine all questions both of law and fact. The law of Congress of 1702, as amended in 1873, on the subject of certificates, reads: The Electors shall make and sign three certifi- cales of all the votes given by Them, cach of which certificates shall contain two distinct )ists, one of the votes for President and the other of the votes for Vico-Frestdent, and shall annex to each of the certificates one of the lists of the Electors swhick #Aall hare Leen furniehed Lo them by direction of the Execullce of the Sicte. Croniy, in this case, having the certificate of his clection, appointed nnother Elector, nnd the two sppointed o third, ‘This action was roported to the Executive of Oregon, and thot oficer furnished .them n certificate that the persons thus appointed were the Electors of the State. The filling of vacan. cleg in the Electoral Collego of a State is nothing unusual ; it happens at every elec. tion, and the filling of the vacancies is in- vanably attested by the direction of the Ex- ccative of tho State. A STATE COURT OF ARBITRATION, Among all the schemes daovised for the re- lief of tho Cook County Courta from the ex- cessiva strain upon their dockets and the un. avoidablo hindrance to the quick disposition of litigation, Tns Tnmune's suggestion that o Court of Arbitration be cstablished seems to havo mot with most favor. - It will cer- talnly answor the main purposc of affording speedier relief to litigants, and it is the more desirablo becanso this purposo is attainod without adding anything to the complication of tho legal machinery. Thero s reason to beliove from experienco with the same plan elsowhero that, instend of encouraging and inoreasing litigation, it will promote n dispo- sition to soltlo private, and particnlarly commerelal, disputes by referonce and com- promise. For the purposs of giving tho proposition a practical shape, Mr. O, O, Boxyer bas prepared the text of s bill in- tended to include nll the necessary regulations for suck o tribunal as has been supggeated, 'Tho bill §s short, and should command tho attontion of the Logis- Inture, It morcly sots forth tho goneral purpose, and provides that the Circuit Court of every county shall appoint at least ono fit person to act né Arbitrator for the hearingof any nction at Iaw that may bo snbmitted to him by the agrcement of tho contesting par. ties, and that the Circuit Judges mny upon application appoint other fit persona for the same dutics. Tho Court of Arbitration ls thus made subordinnte to, as well as a part of, tho machinery of the Circuit Court. Tho proceodings before the Arbitrator are ro- quired to Lo as nonrly as possible conforma- ble to tho rules and practice of the Circuit Court, which is authorized to issuo summens and compel the attendanco of witnosses be- foro tho Arbitrator in tho samo manner as in Court, It is required of tho Arbitra- tor, who msy or may not have a jury, according to tho agreoment of ‘the parties, to mako a stalemont of the material facts and the judgment, whercupon the OCir- cult Court sholl enter the decreo, which is finnl excopt ns subject to appeal or writ of ervor, a8 in causes lenrd bofore the Court. The ndvico or inatructions of the Conrt may be nsked by the Arbitrator atany time. The compensation of tho Arbitrator sholl be agreed upon and pald by the litigants, or, In the absence of ngreement botween them, fixed by the Conrt, with such additional sum out of the County ‘Ireasury as the Judgo may award, in view of tho saving of exponse to tho connty. It is possible soma limit of compensation ought to bo stipulated in the bill, asits purposs wonld bo defented it the Arbiteator’s fees wers not gauged by those paid to a conrt rather than those of an attor. ney, 'The establishinent of these courts in Cook County would afford immediate relief to the overcrowded dockets, and wonld cer- tainly remove all cause for complaint, for if litigauts refusod to avall themselves of it, they alone would ba responsible for further delay, THE COMPTROLLER'S ESTIMATES, Comptrollor FARWELL yesterday submnitted his rovislon of tho esthnates of tho Dapart. ments for tho current city expensos of the year 1877, along with the appropriations asked for othor purposcs. - It ia gratifying to note that il recommendations are in com. pleto sympathy with the apirit of retrench. ment insugurated by the presont L'oumffl. tho continued Japplication of which is exacted by the taxpayers, 'The estimates for the year 1870 were $1,828,000; but, owing to the change in the dato of tho ficcal year, these were for nine wmonlhs only, or at the rate of over 6,000,000 for the full year, or more than $100,000 in excess of the provious year. The total estimates for 1877 are only £3,879,703, or over $2,000,000 less than the rate for last year, Of course the Council last year cut down Comptrollee Haves' osti- nates ruthlessly, but still $4,044,850° were actually uppropriated for the nine moaths, or atthe rateof over §5,000,000 for an entire year, 0 that the actual appropriations wers moro than a million dollars in excess of the esti- mates for this year. This year's estimates would be even smalicr, if they did uot fuclude uppropriations for the completion of the Ful- lerton svenue conduit and for raising build- iogs at the Milwaukee avenue viaduot, which may properly be called defiolency sppropria- tions o8 itergs belonging to previous years. They are wlso swollen’ $230,000, which is to be applied iu' reducing the foating indebted. ness that bas accumulated from the failure to collect tho full amount of the tax-levy of pre- vious years ; this is the samne amount as wag appropriated in 1876, and not apy less than fairuess to the holdurs of old cortificates and the good credit of the city demand. ‘While tho estimates for the Department oipenses this year have not beon exorbi- tant, nsa rule, the Comptroller has npplied the knifo in most cnses. The estimate of $21,000 for the Department of Buildings ho has very properly reduced to 28,0003 the sum actually appropropriated for nine montha of Inat year wns $11,625, The sum of $868,- 751 was askod for the Public Worka Depnrt- ment, and has beon cut down by the Comp- troller to $601,6062; tho nppropriation for the nine months of last year was $528,335, but this omitted the Fullorton avenne con- duit, which may reqnira $250,000 for com- pletion, The Police Dopartment asked for £8564,808, which was on n basis of a force in~ crensed to the proportions prior to the reduo- tion by the present Couneil, but . the Comp. troller recoinmends only 560,000, which is only $206,000 in excess of the appro- pristions for this Dopartment for nino nionths in 1876. The Fire Dopartment esti- mates wers $381,445 for the present year ns agninat an actual appropriation of $407,025 for nino months Jast year, but the Comp. troller pats tho sum down to £600,000, which ia on about the samo bnsin as last year's ap- propriations. Tho excellont record Chicago hins shown in the way of fires during the year past doca not reveal any necessily for an increnso of exponse in that Dopartment. For tho lighting of tho streets, the Comptroller estimates $300,000 ns ngainst an actual appro- pristion of 500,000 for nino months last year, This important reduction ia based up- on n continuntion of the present time-table for lighting and extinguishing the lamps, o three.foot burners instead of five-feet burn- ers formorly uaed, and on the ultimate ac- quiescenco of tho West Bide Compnny in about the same rates paid the other Company. For the schools Gie Comptrollor recommends an nppropristion of $400,000, whicl, in ad- dition to tho rovanue of that Department {from rents, interest, and State dividend, will give from $600,000 to $0625,000 for the sup- port of the schools duriug the year. Among tho items of interest in the report is the showing that the old city cer. tificates hava.been roduced to $1,111,800, which is only nbout one-third the amonnt at the time the present City Government ns. sumed control of affairs. 'Thero are 82,045, 893 of the new, rovenuo warrants, but theso nro drawn against tho uncolleotod taxes for 1870, which amount to double as much, and they are therefore abundantly provided for. Of course, it ia not possible to avoid this practice until thers shall bo such amendment of the revenue laws ns will provide more prompt and efficient collection of taxes, and anablo the city to obtain at least a portion of the taxes of the current year beforo expend. ing tho nppropriations. Striot economy has saved $1,610,090 of oxpended appropriations from the extravagant lovy of laat yenr. tho whole, the statement made by the Comptroller isby far the most “satisfactory that Chiengo taxpayers lave scen for many yoars. Itisalso comforting to feel assured that tho estimates, economical as they seom to bo thronghout, will go before s Council fally disposed to scrutinize them, and atill further reduce them if compatible with tho interests of the city. On THE BITUATION IN TURKEY. Onco more tho situation in Europenn Tur- koy grows warlike, and what soerned, im- medintely aftor the adjournment of the Con- foronce, to be n back-down upon tho part of Russia, now appears to bo a masterly Fabian policy to gain time,which meanwhile will prove almost as disastrous to tho Tarks a8 an aclive campaign, besides being ruin. ously eoxpensive. The annonncoment that Princs Gontecmaxorr had retired, or was nbout to rotire, from tho Russian Oabinet sooms to have beon entiroly unfounded, as ho bag just issucd o very significant clrcalar to all the gunrantoeing Powers, which, in plain Engligh, asks thom what thoy are going to do about the Porto’s refusal to accede to thelr unanimous demaund. In sending this circular Russia has manifested an uncxpect. ed deforonce to the other Powers,—~unes~ pected becouso in the Moscow speech tho Czar boldly declared that Russin wns prepared to act in her own bebalf, and would do =m0 if the Porto refusod the ultimatum, Princo Gonrs- onaxorr, however, now takes the ground that as Europe, by its united diplomatic action, has shown an interest in the Eastern question, and a desire for the maintenance of peace, and has recognized it to bo o duty a3 woll as o right to co-operato for that end, tho Russian Government can do no less than ascortain what attitude thoy aro likely to ob- serve towards Turkoy beforo it makes its own docislon., Undoubtedly tho only apprehension felt by Russia is with regard to the possible course of Austria. = England. has ovor and over agnin affirmed her determination to moroly hold hersel? freo to guard her own intereats, Bhe has washed her hands of the Turk. If thoro wore any indignity mn the Porto's refusal of the propositions of the Conferenco, tho welght of that Indignity falla upon Eungland, ss England proposed the Conference, and drew up the bosts upon which it was to moet, after the Derlin memorandum had been rojacted. ‘Thera is no dangertherefora that England will interfere in a Russo-Turk- ish war, na she did in the days of the Crimea, unless her own interests should be oxposed. Germany Is deslrous of war, first, becauss of lier own natural hatred of the Turk, and second, becauss it would bring about a general confusion, in which the far- sighted Bissanox would have an opportunity of carrying out his ulterior designa with ref- eranco to France and Holland, and possibly the ‘Germanic provinces of Austris, and it is with this end in visw that Germany fs con. tinually urging Austria to join hands with Russia, Ihoe declaration of the Allgemeine Zeitung, that *‘this understanding should not only estend to what is not to be done, but to what is to bo,” and that “the allied Emporors must prepare rosolutions to show that turee mighty soverelgns have not joimed hand ouly for thcoretical specalations and festive meotings,” reflects the tone of the whole German press. With Austria, Russia is already iu negotiations, commenced im. mcdiatoly after the close of the Conference by Gen. IanaTiere, who returned lome by woy of Vienna. Austria Lss sixteen mill. lions of the Bclavic race sympathizing with their kinsmen in Turkey, but her Hungarian and German influences are opposed to the Russinns, Whothor these influences will be resisted by the Government remains to be seon, but it is not improbable that an al- lisnce with Russis, with the certainty of Turkish spoils for her reward, will bedeemed preferable to the bitter hostility of Russia, the coolness of Germany, and the absolute impoasibility that she can much longer help prop up the rotten Empire of Turkey. Ponding the answers of the Powers, Russia is pursuing a polioy tending to still further exhsust the Turks, Holding a powerful army on her borders near the Pruth, and ready to cross it at any time, tho Turks are compelied to keep n larga army in tho field, and to atrain nll thoir resources, It isex- hausting thoir money, wenkening theirsinows of war, and keeping them in a most demor- nlizing state of donbt and uncortainty. Meanwhile it adds to the Turkish dopros. sion that tho Powera have expressed an un. favorablo opinion of the guaraatees demanded of Servia, and thatServia herself has rojected them. MUNIOIPAL DEBIS. ‘We published yesterday a compiled state- mentof tho debisof fifty citics in Illinofs, 'The staboment compares the debts, popula- tion, voluation of property of theso citios in 1866 with the snme 1n 1876, The compari- son of totals is enggestive 1 Josiat, o Mo Amoun of i , 10, 5IR Tax lovied... 807,024 Twalve of these citles have no debt, but tho othera have o municipal debt exceeding 6 per cent of tho taxabla valuo of the prop- erty within their limita, Tho incresse in property is 120 por cent ; in population, 63} per cent; in dobt, 160 per cent; and in amaount of annual tax, 110 per cont, Popu- lation and valae of property have not by any means kept atop with the incresse of debt or the inurense in aununl tazation. ° But these figures indieato vory imperfectly the exzert of municipal debts, or evon of the tax charge upon the people of thesa citios. In every county thera is o county govern. ment, n oity government, a town govern. ment, and school district governmonts. Each of these organizations can crente and hns o debt Thus the people of Chicago have n city debt ; they are also chargenble with a shane, six-sevenths, of the county dobt ; they are nlso chargeablo with town debts, and parfc ditrict dobts. Each ons of theso debts mny bo made oqual to 5L per cont of the valne of the taxn. bla_ property therein, and thus tho dobt may be run up to an nggregate limit of 12 or even a groator por' cont of thae assessed valuo of tho taxablo property of tho city. All thesa cities given din the list published yester- day aro nlso indebited and taxed for county purposes, and for town purposes, and for other local purposes, besides rosponsible for all tho debts of these other corporations. Thero have been efforts mado for many years to have a rocord furnished to the office of the Auditor or Bocretary of Btate of all tho indebtodness incucred by the munielpali. ties in the Btate, but tho class of peoplo in- torested in creating such debta havo always been ablo to defeat any legislation looking to that end. What is wanted is o briof lnw ro. quiring all county, city, town, district, and all other nuthoritios, to report annually to tho Becretary of Stato tho total amount of all the outstanding indebtedness of such mu- nicipal governments, . giving the dato of the obligation, its genoral purpose, tho rato of interest, and when the samo is paynblo; and requiring them, whonover any now or additional debt is incurred, to mako a roport thereof to the Btate officer, The Stato has authority to require theso ro- poris, and, once made, the record can bo kopt up ot very littlo annual cost. Five hun- dred dollnrs will be ample to cover tho whole cost of tho first report, Wao trust this Legislaturo will not omit the pnaange of this long-needed law. It Lias boen urged a8 important by all Governors and by the Btato officers, and it should no longer be nogleoted or postponed. 9, THE COPPERAS-OREEW DAM, In 1873 the construction of a lock and dam on the Illinois River, st Copperas Creck, nbout fourtcon miles below Pekin, wasanthor- {zed by the Legislature, but it ramains uncom. pleted owing to a deficiency in the appro- printions. A bill has now been introduced to sot aside about $50,000, in nddition to tho unexpended balance of the River Im- provement Fand, which will suflice to finfsh tho structare, will practically add nearly one hundred miles of river navigation to the State, nnd give s new’ outlet by water to some of the richest counties in the Btate, lko Btark, Mavshall, Peoris, Woodford, Tazawell, Knox, MoLean, Fulton, and Ma- son, Tho cansl onds ot LaSalle. The presont lock at Henry, sbout thirty.fonr miles below LaSalle, has made that portion of the Illinois River practically an oxtension of tho canal. The locks in process of construction st Copperas Creck, twenty-four miles bolow Peoris, adds over soventy miles moro, and takes in tho two im- portant towns of Pooria and Pekin. As we go south, the river navigation improves, and probably not more than one additional lock, about 100 miles below that ot Copperas Creck, will bo needed to make the ontire river navigable, and give all tho contral por- tion of the Btate tho odvantago of water communlication with CObicago during sev- eral montha of the year, when the rich corn- region will not be at the mercy of railroad combinations. An effort was made in the Legislatare two yoars ago, but failed, to pro- cure tho necessary appropriation to complete tho Copperas Orcek dam. We hope that neither & misunderstanding of its fm- portance mor sectional opposition Wwill be permitted to briog about tho same result this year, 'The bill provides that the work ehall be done during the year 1877, and paid for only as it is actually done and certified to by the Buperintending Engineer, the aggregate expendituro not to exceed §51,453. In addi- tion to the great benefit that will aceruo to the farming and commorcial interests of the interior of the Btate, the cost of the work will be a good investment, aince thero s not n reasonnble doubt that within two scasons at most the canal tolls will be anfiiciently increased by the enlarged navigation to re. pay all the money it is proposed to expend on the improvement. % This little table of imports is suggestive as showing that we are buying less merchan. dise from abroad, but receiving moroe specle. Importa: uml,fig' 700 m’xlgfg 181 7 ecrecsss e G4 A707007 | 22 70010 (11,700,448 Total ,.$101,002,103 $52 $04,004,027 Tho decrease of goods exceeded §76,000,000 03 compared with the previous year, ‘whiereas the iniports of coin increase nearly $12,000,000, ‘Fhe comparisou of exports is as follows for the last two calendar years, gold values; 1870, 1875 Changes. Tom. prd, $575 0K, 040 $407, V03, T47 $78, 434,301 Pormdss 14,023,743~ 10, 0870685 1,240,058 Tot. g'ds . §300, 632,783 $510,047, 422 $70, 674,301 Bpec B0\ 00 10 7o, 0% B4 "%, 030,090 Total .,$640,076, 248 $300, 250,036 $50,725,312 Here we find au increase of exports of products for 1876 over '75 of seventy-eight and a balf millions, wheressthe exportof coin is twenty-threo millions less; but during the last siz months, between July 1 and Jun. 1, the imporis of coinhave actually excceded the exportsthereof by $6,192,147. During this period our mines produced coin at the rate of say eight millions a month, §o there must be beiween fifty snd sixty millions more coin in this country now than there was on {be 1at of July last. Bomothing must bo dono to mako thia idle coin-capital ciren- 1ato as money nnd thoraby put new life into tho sluggish, half-paralyzed arteries of in- dustry and onterprise, That isall that is wanting to make timos grow better and soon Decomo good, Our readers finy remember tho discussion fn the papers tio or three years ngo in regard to the alleged feasibllity of constructing & canal from near Algiera Into tho Interlor, to refill the dry bed of an old lake, and thereby promote tho fertllity of a part of the descrt. It seems from tho foreign papers that the surfeys begun hy the French Commission under Gapt. Roupatnz, in 1573, and contlnued from time to time til last summer, establiah the fact that, by the con- struction of a main canal about twelve miles long, from the Quif of Gabes ta tho nearest basin, a large desert tract of some 4,200 squars miles south of Algeria would bo submerged. ‘The mean depth of this inland sca in the midst of Sahara would be about nineteen feot, and toward the west and soutliwest ths configura- tlon of the land Is such as to make good harbor ago for vessels of heavy tonnage. The elova- tion of land to be cut through is about fifty feet at the deepest place, and for most of the distance tho digging is only dry sand: Tho advantages antleipated are, first, climatle, indueing molsture and pracipltating the evapors- tion from the Meditorrancan now provented from reaching the Interior by the southern alope of the Atlan Mountalne; and, eecond, commerelal, through converting the arld shores of the desert into fertilo lande, and farnishing a convenfent highway for the neater portians of Centml Africa 1o the Mcditerranean, 3ir. FEnnmxann e Lxa- sErs, who hos already twitnessed similar results from the filing of the Ditter Lakea in tho llne of thoSuez Canal, confirma the opinion of Capt. Rov-~ DALNE that the onterprise s practicalde. “The oases of cultivated gronnd scaltered here and_thera will not bo submerged in casc of the fnundation, but will become lelands, Another great area of nrid desert Jyingin Tanislan territory Is aleo ganahle of submeralon In connection with 'the other and principal canal, L ——— Among recent deaths which havo occarred are thosc of Bishop Danier. Musser, of tho Re- formed Mennonite Church, son-In-law of Bishop Heny, tho founder of that Church; of Tito- LEON-CrantEs DE NEPZ,0ne of tho foremost of Russian pafnters; of PirTRo MAaNT, tho Itallan sculptor, well known by his statues of * Da- " and *Socrates "'; of ALPRRED SMzEE, the surgeon to the Bank ot England, who was onc of tha most scientific men in England, and who has been known to the world of sclenco for many years by his treatises on electro-metal- lurgy and his work * Electro-Blology," in which he attempted to demonstrato the {dentity of ‘| electriclty and life; of Vieror IvAxovicm Gnraonovicn, the great Belavonic scholar of Russia, who has publisked a Iwrge number of works devoted to tho llteraturcand general cul- ture of the Slavs; and of Epwarp Dras, for merly o noted comedian of the uld English schiool, and tho fathier of Miss ADA Dras, the woll-known actress. The New York World says of him: 3 Mr. Dras.came to thin country with Hs daughter In1870. Ife waan member of the Savagoe Club in London, and thus entitled in this courvry to tho privilezes of the Lotes Clab, When Mis Dran de- clded tu rematn hiera he, in October, “18'/4, jolned that Clab, Iie made no professions! appearancs in tul clty, bt played Sir olicer Jurface ut tho Ly~ conm, Inst winter, in Mre, Binox's charity per- formanca, and occaslonatly appeared In privuto thentricals and for claritable purposcn. 1o plused, however, an cngogoment as Sir Olirer Surface at the Droakiyn ‘Chieatro In October lust. Iio waa ox- perienced n many roles after tho manner of tho old school. 1Mo wan a cyclopwdis of dramatic in- formation and fall of genial anccdote, et 1t 1s not Jong since that a letter was printed written by Crrantes O'Coxon In which was con- tained the statement that the Ropublican party 1ifted o drunken Democrat out of the gutters of Galenn, and, after besmearlng him with the blood of his countrymen, sct him up (n tho Prestdentfal office as 8 Moloch Lo be worshiped. It was an Infamous, gratultous, and bratal statement, and was all tho more ahocking com- ng from the pen of such s man as CARLES 0'Coxon. What CuartEes 0'CoNon now thinks of himself may be inferred from the following Washington dispatchs Cuantus (rCowon, the venerable lawyer and counsel for Tinnny, called upon tho President to- day to pay his respects and to apologizo for the letter written mnny years ago reflecting upon Gen, GnaNT, which was published for the finst timo last summer, 3z, O'Conou sald that ho had asrived at sn advanced ngo; that ho did not wish te i leav~ Ing behind him over his own signature what he now Lelioved to be a libel upon o great name; and ho begrod tho Prosidont, In all sincerity, to forgat the letter, and to consider this_voluntary and friendly visit as his best apology. Mr, O'CoNon was intro- duced by Hecretary Fisni. Ila was received by the President In the spirlt In which he camao. Tho maligner of tho President has done all that now lays in his power to mako roparation for his atroclous utterance.: IHe has mado the amenda honorable. . Tha chief credlt, however, . belongs to the President for consenting to re- celvolim at all, and to overlook such anin- famous libel upon him. flerenre & couple of instructivo tablea for those whohaveany knowledge of commercial sta- tisties. They are taken from the late returna of the Burcau of Statistics for tho year past. Tha first table shows the cxportaof the last cight years: Dom. and for. prod and miae, 8{0&1. Total, $500,021, 784 §00, 884, 405 $040, 1Y 48 L 2 ’W 031, 514 600, 260, 1) 0b8 654 71 ), 852,088 1570, 403, 448,172 1809...., 330,046,008 ‘The following {s a comparative showing of the Imports of merchandise and specis respectively for the Jast cight calendar years: o2 403,424,421 ———— ‘Thera 18 an innocent, facetious malico Inthe New York papers towards each other thatls never—that is to say, {8 not habitually and unexeeptionably—displayed by Chicago papers towards ono anotber, For example, the New York Ttmes playfully bites its neighbor ac the wuy thusly: ‘The 7ridsne thinks that the Joans of life-ineue- ance compapies upon farnis or ity property have heen made *'upon margine so liberal usto carry thom safely over times of commercial distress likie the present, without need forslaugbter under fure- closure sales.'’ This opinion would bave some- whal more valug were tfie wish not father o the thought. Tribune Bullding, for example, is onderstood tobe mortgsged 10 the amount’ of 450,000, The Counlusloners of Tazes and sscssmentns value tho building at —§400,000. Assuming that this extraordinery structure has oy calculable imarket value, and that the taxuble valu- atlon falle »yniowhat short of that awount, there i stillo chance that the building would' not be slaughtered undee o forcclosure sale. It would no doubt bo exceedingly difticult to dod any person foolish enough (o pay the amount of tho torigago for JAY Uasip's rentarkable monument to Hotlacs Guegtzyi but, aa the Tribune hopefully remarks, “4tho bad times cannot continuejalways, " 6till, aftcy making all possible allowance on that score, 1t §s hard to ¥ay whero the morigsgoor {u this case Buds bis ** liberal wargin, —————— The New York Tribune Almanac for 1877, which was prepared by the noted political sta- sisticlan, Enwany McPuUERSON, 18 & most excel- lent wunual,—better, wo think, by far than any of Ita predecessors. It contains much more uscful matier und. is tnore systematically complled, ‘The election tablvs are alphabetically arranged, and are very comprehensive and complete. No palitician cau safcly get along without a vopy. ———— PERSONAL. J. B. Lippincott & Co., of Philadelphls, bave purchascd the stereotype plates sud copyrizht of the entire serics of Worcester's Dictionarles, seven in pumber, sad will hereafter publish them. Mr, Willlam W, Corcoran, the Wasalngton bank- wr, Is 78 yearaold. 1Mo 1s the son of an Irlsbman. After falllug av & inerchant, ho Locawe 8 banker fn 1840, anad 1a1d the foundation of his fortane when Be was tho linancial sgent of the Uovernment dar- Ing the Maexlcan war, Alr. Cariylo may well 8ok 10 be saved from his fricuds. Une of them recentdy sent to s lisstford paper the repart of a private conversation with bizm, In whicl he was wade 10 say some pretty bard thinge about Mr. Darwin. The article, lua man- gled condition, got into the Beolch newspapers; and now anotber of Mz, Carlyle's ofticlous friends — e e han written ta the London Times declaring that the - attack on Darwin in aforgery, Itlahardtosay which one of his frienda Catlyla will be the angrier with, Philosopher aa he s, he hates tobe talked about, and hates eapeclally to contradict lles that may he cirenlated concerning him. Ealvinf, the actor, marrled In s very romantls fashion. Fe had been commlissioned to take a packet to & poor sewing-gltl In London, He saw and loved, Bho became his wife, snd, aa the mis. tress of hi# splendid mansion, 1 now treated with tho distinctlon due a Princess, When a captions critlc Informed Btrauss that the beautifal Danube was nover blue, the author of the immortal waltz replied that ho was well awaro of the cirenmstance, bnt he must have a poetical title, **The Beantifal Yellow Dannbe™ or **Tha Beantifal Green Dannbo ** would never da. Aloxander Bain, the faventor of Lha olectro. magnetlc telegeaph, died, as nlresdy noticed, a month ago; but, as not then stated, hls last days ‘wero passcd in povorty at the Home for Incurables near Glasgow. Ho should not be confounded with tho other Alexander Bain, nlso recently deceaned, who was a distingulshed philosophor, and neither ineane nor pone, The Rev. Dr, Samuel C. Dartlett, of Chlcpgo, lately elected Presldent of Dartmouth College, fa creditea by the Springeld Republican with a de. acent from tho well-known Bartlelt (Barttelot) family of Stopham, Bussex County, England. The family Is traced back to the Congryat, and was nobly representod at Polctlers and Crecy. The proscnt head of the famlly fs a Colonel and & mome ber of Parllament, Walter It, Darttclot, ‘Tho Parls correspondent of the Nation sayst *'Mme, De Stacl. adanghter-In-1aw of Corinne, {s dead, Under hor hospitalities tho chatean of Cap. pet continued to be s focus of literary soclety after the death of the cclobrated owner. The chatean fs bequeathed to tha Camtesse d'Hausson. yille, sister of the present Dnc and Abbe de Droglie, n lady cminent In French Protestant Clrcles—like the Iate Mme. Do Stael herselt—for plety ond charity, ‘The Daptists are agitating the question whether 18 will bo possible to provide elephiants for the mis. sfonariea in India. A band of these noble antmals, caparisoned witls the regalia associated with them In the American mind, and trained to kneal at do. votional exerclace, and otherwlso conduct thems olvos in a plous manner, wonld be an jmposing sight, And, some thousands of yeass hence, the nativa records might tell of the wondern that were worked by these simple men and educated besats, The Rev, U, P. McCarthy, & Univoreallst cleray. manin tho Bast, bronght to a summary closs the doliberatlons of sn ecclestaatical tribunsl organe lzed totry him by announcing Nis Intention to prosccute for slandor evory witness that testlfied” falsely ngatnst him® This was like the famons <hunk of old red sandstone which doubled-up tha soclety on the £tants! for it was nniveraally ad. mitted that an ecclosiastical contt from which slan- der was exclnded would bo a delusion and & snare. The paragraph which appeared In this column somo days ago in reganl to tho Incongrmity of Charlea Fechtor playing at the Howard Athenzum fn Hoston swhile Joscpl Mnrpby occupied the Noston Theatre, has attracted somo attentlon In that city. 'Tho mana- ger of tho Athonrenm deslres to hiavo ft known that his place Is more than a variety theatre, This may betruo. The tncongrnity roforred ta conslsted In the fact that Charles Fechtet“shoulil be playlng at & theatre which Is In the mam devoted to tho varlely business. The Athenzum, It fa well known, s the boet dstabllshment of ita kind In America; but we do not eec how It can bo malntained that the kind 1a unexceptionable. **Jennlo Juno* writes In an gestatlc way of the new book “*The Anvala of a Baby, " which aho thinks is far soperior to Mr. Habberton's works, ‘The aathor {8 unknown, but Is supposed to bon person of high literary aitalnmnents, His method 1s tho exact antithesls of 1fabberton's, ~the former belng subjective and the latter objective. ‘Tha **annals* describe with graco and sweotness the Influgnce of a baby nowly born Into o family com- posed of many membors and divorsified branches, who for many years havo had mo baby In their midat, Theroaro both pathos and bumor in the httle volume, and *‘Jennle Junc' eays It 15 shamofal such a book should bo put inpaper covers and soll for only 6O cents. Blble-learning {s not widely provalent in the ofiice of the Loulsville Courler-Journnl, whero moat of the writing sccms to bo dono bztween shorey and champagno, or somo other Jquors less arlatocratic. 1t 1 astorilshing to sco in thatin. fluential newspaper a paragraph on Adam and Eve, closing with this sentiment: *'If Mliton had dreamed of the mischlef ko was doing In writing that apple and sdako atory in * Parndiec Loat,’ ho would have fokl it a Mttlo differently, or would Thava left It untold altogether,” Wa jndge from thls that Milton is tho only author of **tho Adam and Evo™ story known to the Courler~Journal, yotlt hss been commouly attributed to a wnter ©even more {nsplred than the paet, The Graphic has discoverad the real suthors of the Washington editorials of tho Chicago Zymes, popularly and crroneously attributed to Gen. Keensn. They aro, it appears, the jolnt cfforts of Miss Braddon und Nod Buniline. **¢Edward gheds the Idcas, and Mary Elfzabeth throws fnthaed- | Jectives," The samo paper prints the following item of current Interest; **Dr. Beebe,of Chicago, will feci badly now the other doctors have met and ahled a resolution at him for publiahing the fact that ho has found the aunlpho-carbolated woda & preventlon and cure of acarlet fover and diphtheria, Ho oughbt to have kept tho matter n secrot, and made money out of It Btrangs how Indiscrec! even doctors will sometimes bo," Humano people In Doston have been shocked by tho performances of an Infant-prodigy named Ifare ry 8hannon, aged 7 years, who has memorized wmore than 1,000 pieces and bas been taught to ro- cite them. One evening a gentleman rozo in the lence and protesicd againat the performance, aaylug that the boy was fized and nervous. Thero upon the father of the prodigy arose and volune teered tho usnal statements on his behalt, Tho affair bas brought to mind the sad fate of ** Young Americus, ** who played marvelously on & violin In aconcert troupe fow years ago. His preclous and promising young lifo was worn ont, and bls father heard hlm say, tho night beforo he dled, #*0 Qod, make room for another Jittle child in Ueavent™ Youngz Joshua Soars becomes by a decision ot the Massachusclis Supreme Court, made somo monthe ago, tha richest young man in Boston, He fa not yet out of Yale Colloge, . On graduating, he will begin the study of law, In order to qualify himaelf for the management of his property, He 18 to bo married, tov, Lo a younglady of Cambridge, ' and lias already bonght n fine manslon on Comnion ‘wealth avenue, which he purposes to adorn with arttreasures. Inthls connection the Boston cor- respondent of the Hartford Courand asys, **Com- munwealth avenue i4one of the most elegant of the new atreetson the Back Bay, A lady who lallve 4ng there ina furnished house this winter, and is ot enamored of the locality, made the bright re- that she thought it must have ha peopls who live on it are Y. ‘Tho Pall Mall Gazette sets & bad esampla to the Drluish press by printing in sorlons fashion a letier purporting to be from Hoston, which gives s ree port of the performancesof two trained whales. ‘The writer clalms to have been sctually present at the exhibltion, and to Lavo becn drawn about the | harbor by the whalea with all the comfort and reg- ularity of motion that wonld bave been experienced 4 the trip had beon made on a Bound steamer. The whales, ha ssys, wero saddled and bridled, ralsed and lowered, fed, turned from right to left, stopped and atarted at will. The hoax {eclover enough t0 have been written by Edward Everett lale, but the whole thing 1s spoiled by & post- acript, evidently deaigned to Hluminate the dense Britlsh mind, which Intimates that tho reportls fictitious, * **The Man Withoutn Country," and the moon hoax, wore not bungled by the admis- alon of an ingredient of trath. ‘The Rev. Phabe A. Hanafard, who for thres Jeors has preached acceplably to s Usiversslst congregation In Jersoy City, Is now in trouble. ‘The young ladies of hor congrogation, it appears, want a wan to proach to them, ang they have secured & conslderablo faction to support a mo- tion for her depoaition and the calling of a malo pastor to succeed her. A stormy meeting was held laag week, which was about evenly divided for and sgsinst Mry, Hanaford; but, as the young women bave thelr hearts jn the matter,—snd the will of woman Is proverbislly stabborn,—it ls presumed the congregation will splis, Mrs. Hsaa- ford has bad & remsrkablo hlstory. She was born in Nantucket forty-elght yeass ago, and began Mt erary work at the age of 13. Ehe was educated 8 Qual becsnie s Baptist, snd was orgained & Ton Mat. Bhe attcrwards becamo s Methodist reacher, but seturned to her Unfversallst faith. fer pastoral expericnco Legan eloven years ago. Her career has been o coustant source of solicitude to ploas souls In the Metbodist Church, becu an {mpediment to wuman-preaching, Bas suggesien Lo muoy the possiohity tbat the Len: der sywpathics of women would ofien lead them, 1f they ware placed 1o positions of autbority, fross the rigid doctrlucs of orthodosy Lo the sppareut merey of Unlveraslism, »