Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, February 10, 1877, Page 4

The Tribwns. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. ;E-TOSTAGE TREPAID AT FFICE. BY MAIL—IN ADYVA kil Daily Faitfon, poctpatd: TAttaof & year. per mont Qlatied to any iddrera fon Edi it '+ iEdition, tveive FrisWeekiy, postpatd, 1 Farteof & year, per mont WEEKLY EDITI - A COPY, PET FCAT.. .8 1,23 ar CRRSPTE e Cicbof twealy. 00 TFostage prepa| Specimen copte 2 Toprevent delay anc mistakes. he sure and give Post- ©Oficenddress in full, inciuding State and Connty, ; Temittances may be made either by draft, express, - Tost-Ofice order, or In registered letters, at our risk. 7ERMS TO CITY SUNSCRINERS, Datly, delteered, Sunday excepted, 23 cents per week. Daily, delfvered, Sunday fncinded, 0 cents per week Addrem THETHIDUNE COMPANY, Corner Madfson and Dearborn-stx., Chicago, lite i New Chicngn Theatre. Clark street, hetween Lake and andolph, Le Com- mandear Cazcnenve, the Prestidigitateur. Afternoon and evening. Adeiphi Theatre, Monros wirect, corner Dearborn, Varlety enters taigment. Afternoon and evening. Tinverly’s Thentre, Tandoiph atreet, between Clark and Lasalle. o s Egle Ellsler.” Afternnon, veaing, ** Tho Unequal Match, MeVicker's Theatre. i Madison street, botween Dearborn and ftate, En- .+ magement of Maggle Mitchell, ' Mignon,” Afier . noon and cvening. i WM. B. WARREN LODGE, No, 200, A, F.and A, X rday) erening 0y DrIcE of the e 3t STDURLS SBATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1877, . i Greenbncks at the New York Gold Ex- change yesterday closed at 44, — Warmer and partly clondy weather is what the residonts of this region are justified in counting on to-dny. 1t is gratifying to report an improvement in the condition of Becretary Monnin., Such waro tho bulletins at a lato honr last night. Tho Bauk Cnshier who has created ro great .. osonsation ot Franklin, [ud., by the theft of over $100,000 was yesterday found on tho ,' sceno of his magnificent dopredations, sick rod crozy. Ho ig thus in little danger of being Iynched, and for tho additional reason that tho depositors of the bank will be pald ~ outof the pockols of the stockholders, the latter, being rich and respousible. —_— Tho clderly patriotic lndics of Amerien «ho have boen sowing and tea<drinking all their lives in nid of tho Wasmixoroy Monu. ment moy bo interested in knowing that during that protracted-interval the substruc. turo has been succumbing to tho corrosive onslaughts of the clements, and that a bonrd of oxperts lately appointed to make an examination will roport that the in- security of tho foundations will provent a “+ complation of the monument. This cal- amitous state of sffairs would otherwise have resulted from o lack of money, and, thus ‘brought about, would havo beon far more ro- pugnant to the fine senso of the grateful and ~generous mass of the people. Tho next o bo submitted to the Commission is Loulsiana, wlhoro there are two Republican Electots whose votes aro challenged upon tho ground that they held Foderal offices on the 7th of November, This allegation will not be denied by the Ropublicans, but it will be muintained that ~ Congress has no power to”decido the ques- tion of cligibility of Electors who were ascertained to bo elected by thy proper can- vassing officors of the State, and whoso votes . wero received by a majority of the Electoral < College. It 18 claimed that tho opinion of JusticoBraorey, delivered yestorday, sustaing this position, and a decision is expected by tho Republicans that will scttle the case of * the Oregon Elcctor along with thoso of . Louisiann, % ‘The maunfacturo of sugar out of ordinary i corn is un industry that noeds no fincoumgn- !, ment to econble it to.become n wource of great natfonul wealth, 1t neods simplydiho removal of a tax,—tho tax on alcoliol. Wo have been shown a specimen of raw s, misuufactured near his city from corn, *Q: is white, aud very swoot, To completa ity manufrcture into,pure, granulated sugar, +7 lcohiol must bo used to remova tho foroign matter contained in the crude produci.. A *.. bushel of corn yields thirty ppundsof raw 3 sugar, aud this, when purified by aleohol, gives twenty-seven pounds of good sugar, marketable at 4 conts n pound. In other words, n bushel of corn mado into sugar would bring 1,08, Our iutérnal-revonue sys. tem prohibits this development of the mar- ket for the farmer's corn, because, unlike that of more enlightencd nations, it taxes aleohol destined for nso in manufuctures as heavily as that which s to bo exported. — The report of the cloral Commission on the Florida caso will ba transmitted this morning to the President of {he Senate and the Spesker of the louse, together with all the papers pertaining to the ease. The de- cision of tho Tribunal is final, and the four Electoral votes of Florida will be counted for Hayes and Wireren unless both Houses of Congress unito in overruling the decision,— a coutingency so well understood to ba fin- possiblo that it would zonly be n uscless waste of time for the Democrats to go through the form of testing the question, It is said, however, that o protest lias been prepored, signed by six Democratic « - Henators and nu equal number of Repre. I, scntatives, necessitating a separation of the ** two Houses to-day for debate and action on 1 . the protest. Fortunately, howover, but two 1 1 bours can be consumed in debate, s0 that, . allowing three-quartens of an hour for call- iug the yeas and nays, tho Joint Convention will reassemible within three hours, A hented i, andstormy discussion is expected from tho <., disappointed and angry Demoérats, & The Chicago produce markets wero nervous end irregular yosterday, Mess pork closed 17)@20¢ per brl lower, at §15.95@16,00 cash + oand §16.05@16.10 for March, Lard closed {, 10cper 100 s lower, at $10.90 cash and ", 81095 for Mareh. Meats were ensicr, at 5]e for shoulders, boxed ; 830 for short-ribs; i und 8¢ for shori-clears. Highwines were ir- i, regular, ot $1.03@1.07 per gallon. Flour i was quiet and steady, Wheat closed jo }.¢ higher, at $1.51] cash and $1.32 for March, 4% Corn closed 4o lower, at 41j0 cash and 45j0 }¢ forMay. Oatsclosed dull, at 85} for Febru- 3¢ ary sod 35/e, for March, Ky was easy, at T0s. Barley closed dull, at 60e for March. Hogs were fairly active during the forénoon, but closed dull and 5@100 lower, at #5.80@ 6.00. Cattle were fairly active sud nnchang- ¢ salling at 82.50@6.128. Bbeev were firm, s e el e g i } THE CHICAGO 'TRIBUNE: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1877—TW One hundred glollars in gold in greenbacks at the a would buy 21 closo. Tho maximum p ch TrLpEN was will- ing to pay for tho ona Electoral voto neces- sary to secure a majority scems to have been fixed and uniform ; £100,000 was the limit, though thero was no objection to huy- ing men cheaper f it could Do done. Jomx DMonnisex” was positive Lo conld rmiso $100,00 to buy tho Lonisiana Returning Board, but he did not see his way clear to the collection of the $1,000,000 which Picrer? wanted in onder to leave n balance for distribntion among the Houthern war-widows. The, Democerats in Now’' Orleans who wero *intrusted with theso financinl negotiations nfter Prererr's mission of philanthropy *fell through wero donbtless authorized from usufruetuary hend- quarters to go the whols §100,000 on a Lou. isiana Elector, but they too wanted n mnr. gin; and so thoy offered Levisen 810,000, then $10,000¢ and finally, nfter numerous conferences and interviews, got up to the top notch. But Leviser iuformed them that his pricc was £200,000, not n cent less, mnot even n margin for war-widows or nany other Lind of swid- ows. Levisze asserts that ho riamed tho big figure in order to inerenso tho number of contributors, and by extending tho negotin- tiong bring thom to the point where an exposuro wonld be the most effective. What. ever Leviser's ultimate intentions were, ho was a high-priced man—apeculiarity that has been discovered to be altogather unanimons among Louisiana Ropublicans, - The fact that so plain a caso as that of Hourngeys, the Florida Elector, was decided by a strict party vote is in some measuro ex- plained by our Washington dispatches giving a report of the proceedings of the Commir. sion. It appears that both sides wero con- tending for a pormanent advantage, both cn- deavoring to establish a principle that should cover all the cases of disputed cligibility that are yot to bo passed upon—two in Louisinna and one in Oregon. The Democtatic mem. Ders of the Tribunal, while admitting that Husrnreya' eligibility had heen established, were determined upon such a report of tho caso to the Joint Convention ns should confirm their position relative to the power of the Commission and of Congress to ro- viow tho subject of eligibility,.and there- fore they held out for such a form of de- cinion ns should loave tho way clear for the coscs yot to come, Senalor THURMAN un- dertook to carry this point by offering o resolution to the effect that thore wna no avidenco that Huxrmners held n Federnl office on the 7th of November. 'This reso- Intion would ,doubtless bave received tho entire Democratio vote, but the Republicans wers on the alert, and had no notion of ad- mitting that the question whether Iio- PHREYA was or was not n Fedoral officer at the time of tha clection was not a vital ele- ment fn the case,—that, if it had been proved that Huxriners held n Federal office, that fact would lhave invalidated his voto ns n Prosidential Elector. A resolution offercd by Gen. GAnFIELD avas passed, recil- ing that the four persons nnmed in tho Haxea certifieate Wero the Eloctors of tho State of Florida, that their certificates were valid, and that their votes should be counted. It was upon this form of decision that tho strict party vote of eight to seven wns given, Justice Braprey casting the deciding voto, — It will bo remomberod that tho Ring who' run the County Board undortook to issue bonds for the construction of the new Court~ ouso without submitting tha question to tho people, ns the law requires. ‘The Trens. urer, Huck, refused peremptorily to sign the bonds, whereupon “the Ring, in tho name of ono Mancus A, Deving, brought snit against the Commissioners to compel thetn to issue bonds, - This put-up job was appealed to tho Supreme Court and n speedy hearing re- quested, The Conrt made short work of the unlawful proposition, dismissing*it with K few curt words. Following s the decision of tho Court : Mances A, Devise vs, Bonrd of Commissioners of Cook Canunty, per curlam. We have fully con. sidgred all the qucstions rafsed In this case, but havo not now time to do more than to announce our conclusion. A majority arc of upinion tfiat the Board of Commissiuners of Cook Connty have no power, under thu law, to issue bonds for the pirpoec of ralelng moncy with which té bulld & Court-House, or for any other purpows named In thie resolution adopted, unless orized by a vote of the people of the' county, to whum the question ahall have been submitted, That was not done In hlscase; huncetherowasatotal wantof authorlty to feaue the proposed bonas, and any ane whoeo prop. erty will be affected by o tax lated to pay the Ine terest or principal may enjoln tho dsaning of such bonds, -An opinion will by gled when we can con- veniently do ¥p, cxpressing our views on the quess tions discusved, The decreo will bo reversed and canse remanded, ‘This opinlon is ample, The Judges necd not troublo themselves sny farther in the case, 'Thoy have given rensons enough for their conclusions, The next thing to do ia to call for a popular vato on the question of issulng two of threo milllons of bonds; but one thing is cortain, the taxpayers will re. fuse to voton single bond until that riug- ridden, rotten loord of Commissioners is completely reconstructed and u new set of Counnissioners clocted. Tho bill In' the Legislature providing for election of Mayor, Aldermen, and city ofticers on tho same day os “that for town officers shonld bLave an additional section added, providing for the clection of County Commissioners on the same day in April. If the people conld lave the privilege of elocting a now Roard of honest and suituble men, and of wiping out the corrupt aud profligate Ring thht rules the Board, thoy would then focl per. fectly willing to vato the requisite amount of Londs to build the Court-House. It is"to lio hopeq that our delegation in Springficld will attond to this importaut reform. "They cau't do & mort populsr and aeceptablo thing this winter, A declsion o casting tho cntive Electoral vote of the Stato for Havis aud Wareryn was reached last ovening Ly the Apbitration Board, the vote standing eighit to seven, tho same in number and in persons as that by which the Tribunal decided tho guestion of proof to bo enter. tained. ‘Tho Board has moved with singular and provoking slowness in arriving at a final settlement of the Florida dispute. It was confldently expected that the question of the ineligibility of one of the four Republican Elcctors would be speedily determined, but Justico Brabrer ssors to Lave been exceed. ingly deliberatoin making up hismind. Look. ing at tho point atissue through the spectacles of comumon sonse, rather than of quibbling technicalities, the case appears plain, simple, and casy of solution. The facts secm to be theso: A, F. 0. Huxrudrys was one of the Republican Elcctorul candidates in Florida, Ho was at the time a Shipping Commissioner of o Custom-House. Hoe testitied before the Arbitrators that he resigued bis office on the 2d of October, five weoks beforo the Presi- rdential clection, got notico of tho acceptance SLVES PAGE of his resignation on Oct. &, and turned over tho office to the Collector of Customs. He produced his letter of resignation to United States Cirenit Judga Woops, who had ne- copted it, and the letter of accoptance given the Judge was nlso prescuted to the Board of Arbitration. Tho letter of Hirax orreR, fhio Collector of Cnstoms, dated Oct. &, 1876, asking the witness to turn over the books and papers of his office, was also laid before the High Court. The quibbling objection to the resighation thus tenderdfl and accopted wasthatJudge Woorawasnot holding court at the timo at Ponsacola, Fla., and that ho was on a visit to Newark, O., whero tho resignn- tion-letter was sont to him; that ho has not hield court since then in Pensacols, nnd, therefore, Hosrnners is still holding the office which he resigned more than four months ngo; that his resignation lhad not becn legally: accepted or recogmzed, aud, thorofore, lie was incligible ns an Elector, and his vote for Maves ond Wneeren must bo cast out nnd rejected! Who believes thero is any power to hold the occupant of n civil office to the performance of officlal duties & moment boyond his will? Tho legal authorities ara clear s to tho right of a citizen Lo resign an office -even without his resignation being aceepted. As Mr. Evants remarked, “ Al that was necessary was fo make n public vacation of tho office,” which Huxraners had abun- dantly done. 1t is on this quibble that Tt DEN'S nttorneys have wasted two days’ timo of the connt in a despernte offort {o clect him on the grounds that Hustrsaneys had not legally resigned! We aro sarprised that Judgo Bnaprey should have been wiiling to wasta even fifteon minuates over so small and wretched a protoxt, or that the Democrats should have supposed they hnd a point on the validity of Huxrarers'resignation of his little Commissionership; they conld not havo seriously lioped that the Electoral Tribunal would uphold so prepostorous a quiblle. THE GREENBACKERS' MISTAKE. The Chicago Greenbackers have been in session, and, following tho cue given them by Judgo Kertey in Washington, have de. nounced the President’s special messago urg- ing Congress to take advantage of tho near appronch of groenbacks to par with gold to bring abont specio resumption, The lan. gungo of the Chicago Groenbackers is ns follows : Resolred, That we regard the schome p roposed by President GraXT in his eccond specisl meseage to Congrees, looking to the spcedy resumption of spo- cle paymente. aa the crowning folly of the prescat Administration, put forth in tho interest of the money power, snd calculated to plunge the people =ill] deeper into bankeupicy and financial ruin. Zierolred,” ‘That the only propor way of placing greenbacks on a par with gold Iato. make them a full and legal tender, receivable for all debts, pub. e and private, From this wolearn that the Greenbackersaro 1o longer opposed to the appreciation of tha Government notes, as they wero formerly, but they differ from the Presidont as to the menns whereby the greenbncks can be made cqunl in valno with gol® This concession on tho part of the Greenbnckers is evidently duo to the logic of facts which they could no longer resist. The greenback bLas heon incronsing in valuo during the past year in apite of all their opposition. From being worth 87 and 83 cenls in gold, it bas bLocome worth 95 conts, and the country is within & per cent of resnmption without the ald of legislation to that ond. ‘The philosophy of tho Groonbackers has not been as powerful ns tho philoscphy of the hard thoes, Tho peoploof this country found thomselves forced to abandon speculation and resort to increased production, They linve also found that thoy can no longer buy on unlimited eredit, and have been compelled to retrench their expenditures within the cush means they could control, - Tho cffect hag boen demonstrated by the radical chango in tho relativo sales and purchases abrond. During the year just closed tho value cf our exports of merchandise wns §590,621,783, whilo the valne of the imports of mer. cliandise was 3426,612,706,—+howing an in. | crenso of cxports of 70, 61, and o de- crease of jmports of $76,440,230, as com- pared with the previous year, But this does not tell the whole story, Wo oxported coin and bullion, or pald on ‘nccount of balances, the sum of §46,354,465, and received in coin aud bullion on aceount of balances $34,479,- 897, ‘Chis makes the showing of tho total oxports and imports for tho year 1570 as lows: s of man ‘Total exports Impurts of merchandise. Imports of coin and bul o Total Imports...e..... ‘Valuo exvorts aver importa,. try, on tho trnde of the year, have #1853, 883,115 due them, which will bo partly ap- plied on tho foreign indcbtedness that had proviously accumulated and partly ‘received in coln, Henco tho necessity no longer “ex- ists of sending American coin abroad to pay differences; in facl, not only does the bulk of the colu produced in tho country romain bhere, but that provionsly sent nbroad is be- gioning to return, The Government credit improving constantly, and the legitimato nso of coin for export declining, coln aud Gov. ernment -notes naturally spproximate in ‘value. The CQoverment eredit has been improved Ly a number of circumstances, The interest account las been largely reduced by (he exchange of bonds bearing 6 per «cent for bunds bearing 5 per ceut interest. ‘Though tho receipts of the Government from customs havo been notably reduced, the re- colpts from internal revento bavg heen in- croased and tho exponditures curtailed, so that thoe reduction of the national debt dur- ing the soven wionths just closed of the pres- ent fiscal year (%8,687,773) is within two mill. fons of the reduction for tho corresponding period of tho provious fiseal year., The expenditures for tho last seven months have been 13,000,000 less thau for the corre- spouding period of tho provious fiscal ycar, ‘The volums of outatanding currency has also been contracted of nccessity, '‘Tho banks, uusblo to losn their notes, Lave largely availed themsclves of the privilego of retir. ing thom and callivg in their bonds; over 260,000,000 In greenbacks and National Bank notes havo Leen retired within the ycar, Governwent sccuritios aro iu demand for idlo capital, and' Government credit is en- hauced in proportion. ‘Theso are some of the reasons why it has been impossiblo to prevent the approximation fn the value of the greeuback dollar to that of the specie dollar, - Now asto tho fundamental ervor of the Greenbackers: By opposing the resumption of specie payment at this time, thoy aro the contractionists. Specio resumption can Lo accomplished by mercly offering to fund greenbacks in certain sums and under certain limitations into 4 per ceut bonds, Then grecnbacks will become worth as much as coin, and coin will circulste side Ly side with them. The volume of the currency will ho immediately increased by the amonnt of gold and silver thus released and set in circulation. At least %150,000,000 would he ndded at once to the money of tho conntry, and thereafter the coin product of the coun- try (gold and silver), instead of being stowed away in vaults, would go into bright cagles and enter into the circulating medium. It would not bo sent away, for the courso of trado demands that foreign countries slinll lenceforth pay us balances instend of our paying foreign conntries. The additionnt volumo ~ of money would stimulate manufacturo aud trade, With the in. creased currency . brought into eircula. tion, o extent of production will ho enlarged, speculation fonnded on a rolid money of real and not fictitions value will set in, banks will mnke advances for tha re- nownl of industries, the mannfacturers, with an improved lome demand and new foreign markets open to them, will set thelr mn- chinery in motion, labor will find employ- ment, and the Inst vestige of hanl times will soon disappear. All this the Greenbackers ara practically opposing by opposing o proposition to declare off the 5 per cont dif- ferenco between coin aml greenbacks, and let them cirenlato sido by side. No word is 50 hateful to theso people ns contraction, and yet they cling to n contracted greenback cur- rency, and absurdly oppose its culargement by tho nddition of the millions of gold and silver produced yearly by tho American mines. They ignore the fagt that the moment the greenback is worth par, mnobody will care to demand gold in exchnuge for it from the Govern- ment, nor put it into bonds bearing ouly 4 por ceut interest when thoy cat make it earn from 7 to 10 per cent. The greenbacks outstanding namount now to only 365,000, 000, and under onr laws the hmount mmnst continue to decrenso ivatend of increase. They furnish, then, a contracted, aud con- stontly contracting eurrency. But thero is no limit to & gold and silver currency ina country that produces nearly 100,000,000 of bullion nunually, and has 200,000,000 a year coming to it from sales to foreign coun- trics over nnd above tho purchases made from . forcign countries, If ‘“‘plenty of money " is what tho Greenbackers want, they will withdraw their opposition to resumption at this stago of the proceedings, whon tho country is all bnt forced into it, aud when curroncy is only contracted by resisting it. AFTER THE COUNT-WHAT THEN 7 Thero aro two political factions in tho coantry who aro just now, like the wifo of Taxt O'Stanter, *‘nursing their wrath to keep it warm.” Onoof theso factions is in the Republicnn party; the other isin the Democratic party. Both aro composed of thosoe who opposcd the adoption of the Arhi. tration law, and who opposed any compro- |- mise or settlement that did not involve, necessarily, tho counting inof their man. On one hand, the TiLpex-or-nothing faction, who insisted that the Democrats hnd n ma- jorit)'in the Houso of Representatives, and thereforo a suro thing of elacting Trpex by tho Iouse, ara preparing their thunder- bolts, their denunciations, nnd their expul slon proceedings, to be launched at the hoads of ail Democrats who voted to givo up this ‘¢ sure thing," and run the chnanco of having Hares declared Presidont, ‘They aro mercly waiting until the case is closed, and, if Tir- DEX bo rejected, then the howlingsof the 8th of January will be ropeated, nnd war to the bitter endwill bo proclaimed ngainat all those Democrats who * weakly and treacherously nbandoned the Democratic right to have Tsupex President. On tho other side, the faction of Ropublicans who opposed that plan because it admitted o possibility of clocting 'TiLpex are in like manner organiz- ing their forces, and consolidating their strongth, that they may wreak summary and wholesale vengennco upon thoso Republicans who suggested and supported tha schemo of arbitration, Republicans in ofilco and who expect office, aud members of Congress whose torms lave oxpirod and who expact to bo provided for at the public cost by the Ropublican party, aro propared, jn caso the Court shall not award tho Presidoncy to Haxes, to make war tpon all those who gave up the “pure thing " of a Nopublican Pros. ident, and put tho ynestion of tha Pres. idoncy into n **lottery,” ‘Theso factions hordly attempt to disguiso their mutual proference to have two Tresi- donts declared clected; to hnve cach of tho two Houses of Cougress supporting one of the rivals ; to having tho confusion and de- moralization of the Government; to have the various Stato Governmonts about equally divided in their support and recognition of Iayes and TiveN; to have the peoplo of the country divided in overy precinet, and tho nution plunged into the anarchy and bit- torniess of u civil war ns violent in Maino au in Louisiann, These peopls do not disguise the fact that they prefer war or any other form of cilamity to having uny pemson olected President who is not the cloice of thoir party. There is no intelligent man who does not kaow that, had Mr, Ferny, us President of the Henate, nssumed the power to count the votes, and to decide judicially upon the returns and deelare Haves elected, the Houso of Representatives in the same Lour would have decided that no election hnd taken place, aud therenpon proceoded to clect TiLpex by a vote of tho States, But faction is always intolerant, It knows no renson that docs not give up to its de- mands, and, bad not this arbitration measure boen devisad, the country would now bo pre- pared to witness two Fresidents. proclaimed uest Weduesday, and thenceforth the whole uation committed to a disgraceful aud cpe lamitous struggle. ‘Ihess factioniuts should remember that behind this measure of pesce, of order, aud of legal supremucy, are arrayed the mass of the American people; nud that this mass of the people, oncs satisfled that the count is nréasonubly falr and Impartial oue, have a sublime indifforence as to whother ouo or tho otber candidate bo declared clected. Tho country demauds peaco; it bas no sympathy witheither faction of offico-seekers, and is propared to sustain the President who way by this tribunal be declared to Lo elected. Neither the Democratic party nor the Republicay party is strong enough to cxpel any considernbls nuiber of its mom- bers, Eachof tlhese purties will Lereafter want all the votes it can mustcr, and that party which sots up the claim that there ought to liave been a civid war in prefercuce to alegal decision will meot with no rospect or countenanco from & peoplo whoae material intorests aro not in a condition to warrant a resort to the Moxican system. 'The business and productive industry of the country want peace, order, law, an united people, auda prompt effort to restore tho proatrated and suffering trade of the nation; they waut tho President, no matter who ho moy be, to en- ter upon his administration freo of all quess tions of doubt and irregularity, that with Congress o may at onco address himself to remedy tho evils which still oppress tho in- dnstry of tho country. Faction may howl and maka war upon thoso who lave con- tributed to this ponaceful settloment of tho nntional coutroversy, but the cry of faction will bo silonced by the genoral refsicing that tho danger has been averted and peaco pre- served, THE NEW SENATE. All the vacancies in the Ynited States Sen. alo occasioned by the expiration of term March 4, 1877, have been filled by the State Legislatnres, and nll the other vacancles in unexpired terins have likewiso beon filled by election, oxcept one seat in Louisiana, vacant Ly ronson of tho refusal of the Svnato to ad- mit Prxcnnack. Theso elections havo fixed tho relativo strength of the two parties in the now Honate at forty-two Republicans, assuming that a Republican be clected from Louisiana {o Pixcusack's seat, thirly-three Democrats, and ono Indepondent (Davis, of linols). 'Tho present Senatoincludes forty- six Republicaus, twenty-nino Democraty, and one vacaucy, so that tho Republicans lono four Senntors by the ‘chauges that have oc- eurred, Thix is not so bad a showing as the Democratic loss in the Honse, where the mojority of mnearly two.thirds has been reduced to four or five. Thero s somo Democratie figuring which reckons tho noxt Sennto at 39 Republicans and 87 Democrats, but this is based on the assnmption that the Senntors elected by tho hogus Democratic Legisintures of South Carolina and Louisi- ana will get their seats, which is an expecta- tion without warrant or reason. . The outgo- ing Henators who have failed of re-lection ars Arcony, of Mississippl; Hourwews, of Muassachiusotts; Craxros, of Arkansns; Cooren, of Tennessec; Craoiy, of New Hampshire; Freurxonuvsey, of Now Jer- sey ; GoLpTHWAITE, of Alabama; IlawtrToy, of Texas; Hasvey, of Kansas; Hrrcucocs, of Nebraska; KeLvy, of Oregon; Locax, of 1llinois; Nonwoon, of Ueorgin; RopentsoN, of South Carolina; Srevevsoy, of Ken. tucky; West, of Lonisiana; and Wriont, of Iowa. Tho now Senate will be as followa, Republicans in Roman, Domocrats in italic, and Indopendent in 8MALL cars: ALADAMA. MIRRISSIPPL, encer, 'lfl-fll. 1830, Geo. Branch K. Hruco, 1885, John lorgan, |1883, L. @. C. Lamdr. ATRANSAN, Mi=sounl, 1870, 8. W, Dor:ey. 1870, 7. 1883, iarland, |3881. &', ONNIA, NEW HANPAITNN 1870, Aaron A, Sargent, [1870. 1L Wadlelgh. 1881, Newton Dooth, 1883, E, 11, Rlollins, £OLOHADO, A 3 1881, J1. B, Chatlee, 1881, 7, P. ltandoiph. 1884, lteney M. Teller. (1883, oJ. J2. JMePherson. CONNECTICUT, NEW YORK. 1870, Vb 2, Harnum.[1870, Ruscoe Conkling. 1881 W, W, Kalon. |1881. Francls hernan. DELAWARE, NERRASKA, ¥, Dayard.|1881, A. 8, Paddock, anlsbury, (1883, Aivin Saunders. TLORIDA. NEVADA. 1870, &, il Conover. 1870. John P. Joncs. 1881, Charles A, Jones, 1881, Willlam Sharon. Jouti CATOLISA, ARORGIA, 1870, JoAn H. tordon, (187D, A, 8. Mervimon, 1883, HenJ, M. Iaill. |1883. JMat. W, Ransom. W JERAEY. LLINOIS, o 1R . J. Ogleshy, 187D, John Sherman, 1883, Davin Davis, 1881, A, (/, Thurman. INUIANA, onxaos, 1870. Oliver 1% Morton, 1870, John H, Mitchell, 1881, J. £, MeDonala. (1883, L. Grorer, 10WA, TENNSYLVANIA. 1870, W I Alllson. 1883, 1870, Simon Cameron. .8, J. Kirkwood. (1881, VWi, A, Wallace, KANNAS, Johin 4. [ngalls, WIHUDE 1SLAND. 187, 1881, A. Burasido, 1883, "Jumb, 11853, 11. B, Anthony, RENTUCKY, FOUTIE CAROLINA, 1830, ¥ho, C., McCreery, 1870, J. J. Pattorson, 1883, James If. Jeck,” (1884, D, T, Corbin. LOUISIANA, TENNESSER, 1870, (Vacancy). 1881, James E, Railey. 1883, Ketlogg. (1888, Zeham . ltarris. MAINE. TEXAR, 1870, Hannibsl Mamlin, (1881, S, 2, "lu“i' 1881, Jamus U, Dlalne, 1883, Kichard Cote. MAUYLAND, 70, ticorye I, Dennte, 1881, I 2 WWhlte, SLABSACIIUHETTS, 1881, lienry L, Dawes, 18%). Ueorgo ¥, Toar, WEBT VIRNINIA, X1 1881, 1 P lancy.|1881, Frank lcreford. 1883, Thomas W, 1erry, 11883, Henry G, Dacle. X NOTA, WISCONBIN, 1881, 8, J, R.McMillan. 1870, Tim. O, Howe, 1883, William Windom. 1881, Angus Cameron. We have classed Senator Davis as Inde. pendont advisedly. The Democrats count upon his acting with them, but there is no other renson for this than thoy have used his nomo moro or less as a Presidontiat can. dnte. ‘Tho last that was ever known of Judge Davis in politics he wasa Ropublican; boforo that hio was n Whig., Tfo was elected to tho Senato by Independent Republican votes (thero wers not Domocrats enough in the Illinois Logslature to elect cither of two caucus nominees), and the probability is that Judge Davis will volo with the Republicans as frequently as with tho Democrats, The country will not object that the partiea are so ovenly balauced in the next Congross, ‘With a Republican majority of cight or nine inthe Senate and o Democratle mnjority of fonr or five 1n the Honse, both partios will bo kept on their good behavior, ] THE ' COMMISSIONERS AND RICHARDSON IN I8SUE. In the discussion growing out of the extra. ordinary conduet of tho State-House Com- missionors in violating tho expross command of the Constitution, T Tainuxe proposes to confino itaclf to the procecdings of tha publio officers, Our correspondent at Springfleld, in his dispatches published yosterday, mis. appreheuding the main point, goes ontside of the case, and fmproperly characterizes the actions of Mr. Ricuaupzoy, the contractor for tho stone.work, Fafrnesa and justica requiro us to disclaim the epithets aud criticisms which'were wrougfully applied to Lim in the dispatch. Whatever hapropriety or miscon- duct thero may buve been in the whole pro- coeding attaches to the officlals exclusively, Ricuanpsox, as a private citizen, made the best contruct lie could for the purpose of gaining profits; Lut tho people of Illinois kuow nothing of this coutractor officially, They know only the officers who have ox- ceeded their trmst and violated it. Lhis, wo think, is very evident from the facts, Prior to the framing of the new Constitu. tion the Btate had uppropriated and the Com. missloners had expended nearly Lialf a million of dollars on the foundations of the new State-Mouso building. , Therc was then o conference; outslde architects, and engineers, aud builders were called in, and the result way tho preparation of auew plan, embracing tho whole building to completion. With this plan thero were carefully-prepared csti- mates of the whole cost. ‘These plans and ostimiates were before the Convention, which Lody, taking those estimates ms they stood, gare all that was asked, aud placed in the Constitution a provision that the Legislature should never appropriate any money for the building aud compl:tion of the State-House, includiug what had been already expended, over 3,600,000, ‘This sum left a surplus in oxcess of what was then estimated as cover- ing tho whole cost. In aid of the construction of the building at this cost, the State had already required that all work should be done 3y contruct to the lowest didder, exceps the stone-work, which shiould be done by convict labor at the State Peultentinry, Tho double motive was to economize in tho expenditure and enablo the Pevitentiary Commissloners to make that institution self-supporting. The State.Houso Commissioners, thereforo, contracted with the Penitentinry Commissioners for the stonc-work, and, as it was in aid of the pris- VEUMONT, 1870, Justin 8. Morrlill. 1881, Uceo, I, Edmunds, VIRGINIA, 1881, Robert K. W¥ithers, 1883, J. W, Johnston, on, allowed a liberal scale of prices,—indeed, | it is claimed, excessivo prin'cu. The Peniten. tiary Commissionsrs, however, afler prose- cuting tho work for a couple of yenrs with great profit to tho prison, suddenly, in Au- gust, 1872, enb.lot tho contract to Mr, Ricn- AnDSoN without any consideration, and also contracted to hire him the 225 convicts om- ployed in the stone-ynrd at §14 conts per day for five years. In thir we sea nothing crim- inal npou the part of Iicnarnsox, who, raan experienced bnilder, accopted n contract which promised him good rofurns, During tho four years it is said that a million was paid for stone-cntting. Whetherthis includes what. wns paid previous to Riomanoson's contract and to him we have not ascertained, The contract Iasted threo years and ten months. Two hundred and twonty-five men at 81} cents por day, connting 300 working days in a year, called for 51,900 per year, which for throo yoars and ten months would aggregato $208,20 as paid by Ricranpson for bia Iabor. 1o had other expenses con- nected with the work, the amount of which is not known to the public. On the 16th of Juno, 1876, Ricnarpsoy having fallen behind. liand in payment for the labor, the Poniten. tinry Commissioners forced lim to sottle, canceled the old contract for Iabor, and hired him tho same labor over again at 0 cents a dny. Hero is tho report of this remarkable trausaction, mado by the Penitentinry Com- missioners to the Governor a fow weeks ago: 'This contract, on June 15 of the present year, wewere compelled to deglare forfeited for the non-payment of labor bills. It was done, hot- ever, only after rcpeated, earnest, and prolonged efforts had heen made fo collect the amounta duo from him, as well as to procore a good and enf- ficlent bond to secure tho paywmnent of thls Indebt- cdnese, which had been constantly Increasing & amonnt, though partlal payments had been from month to month nade nntil dine’l. 1870, when tho amount had Increased to $40,809.02; where- upon, after prolonged consnltations and numerous attempts at collections and to obtaln accurity, we were compellad to annul his contract on the 15th of that month, at tho eame time to make scttle- ment with him on the following terma: Taking cash, . Taking note; Teal eatate. ., Otlier nilowan 0, 258,02 Bince which time tha labo 2256 men havo been temporarily lessed to W. D, Ricuanpsoy at 50 cents per day, pending negotlations to maken permanent contract for the samo, The State-House Commissioners have had all along no official knowledge of Ricmanp- 80X ; their contrnct was with the Peniton- tinry officers, to whom thoy made all pay- ments, Tho latter paid Ricmampson, and how Ricuanpsoy became in arrears, when he wna paid by the officers, is one of those official mysteries which defy imngination. Tionanpson received vastly mora than he paid back for his convict labor to the Peni- tontiary Commissioners; their whole bill ogainst him was about $220,000, and still he ‘was permitted to fall 840,000 in arrears, It i6 against puch official manogoment as this that ‘me TrinuNe protests, nnd for which the peoplo of the State willdemand n change of administration befora another dollar shall bo voted. gre Though the State-House Commissionere hod no direct contract with Ricnar s they wero porsonally and officially nware that he iad tho contract sinco 4872, Ho at~ tended mootings of those Commissionors, whon it was stated and understood that ho wos the contractor, and wns consulted by them as such upon all tho work. Thoy wero tho goyerning powers of the State. Houss work, Thoy clianged the plans, substituting stons for iron; they added from half to three-fourths of a million ' of dollars to the cost of the work; they did it after consulting with RrcuanpsoN as tho contractor, They cannot plead personal or official ignorance that ho was doing the work, including all tho now work, undor a contract originally made with tho Penitentiary Commissioners, and nuy' at- tempt by them or other persons to make RicnarpaoN o scapegont for thelr violations of law and for their oxcessivo expenditures is a lamentable fallure. Ricmanpsow, upon the facts as disclosed, porformed the work as required by his contract, received his monoy, and whether ho mado a fortune or otherwise is his own good or bad luck., He was not a State-House Commissiencr, nor was he a Poniteutinry Commissioner; heo made no alterations in tho plans of the Court- House; ho ordered no substitutions of one material for the other; ho violated no statato and uo oath of office. He oxecuted his con- tract, fromall that appours, aceeptably and well, But tho Commiasionors, how do they stand before tho people whoso confidence they Linve abused? 'Two yenrs ago, in 1875, after tho cbanges mado by thom in tho plan had been adopted, and when they kuew all that thoy know now a8 regards the increaso of cost, they reported to the Legislatura that tho romninder of {ho 83,600,000 then in the Treasury wonld complete the building as re- quired by tho Constitution. Iad thoy then reported the truth, the Legislaturo might havo arrested their *harmonious” improvo- ments, and thoygmight have been dismissed, as they should have Loen. - But the trath was auppressed ; and it was uot until they had spont the legt dollar of tho public money that they reported that, in consequenco of the changes and alterations thoy had made, tha sum limited by the Constitution was ex. pended, and that it would take 660,000 or mora to complote the building, #1t ix against this onicial misconduct that Tie Tninune protests, and it is against voting another dol. lar to expond on the Htate-Iouse until this official misconduct shall be rebuked by a chango of Commissioners, that the peoplo of the Htate will protest at the polls ; and they will hold thess Commissioners responsiblo, and will not trust tho expenditure of another dollar by then: — There is womething which nearly ap- proachea the ridicalous,and whickican hardly bo wentioned without laughter, in tho affect. od astonishment of the Democratio leaders over the lying rovelations of that trmity, Larteevieen, Pickerr, and Maobox, and their amazement and horror that such things could have been and not overcomo the Amer- ican people! Aud who are theso leadors who stand aghaat at tho spectacle of Republican depravity and grow’ cloquent in their pro- tests againat it? Bawvrn J. Toes, Fea- Nanpo Woon, Davip Duorey Frewp, Joux Moznissey, and otliers of that stripe, But how long wit since Bamuey J. Trioey justi- fled secession, and how loug is it since he was Chairman of tho Democratic State Com- 1ittee of New York that stole the vote of that State In 1808, that he should mourn over tho morality of Loulsiana? How long is' it since 'Mommumszy bhelp- ed count in HorymaN Governor of his Stato agalnst a legitimate Republican mafority of thousands, and how long is it since he declared he was as ready to buy ap & Returning Board as he would so0 many pigs, that ho should flood his oyes with wild lamenting over Gov. Wriist When did Feananpo Woon emerge from the slough of Tammany corruption o which bo has wal- lowed for years that ho should now prate of honcsty? When did Davio Doprer Fixin forswenr trickery and knavery that ho shonlg ‘grow indignant at any decadenes in nationa] morals? Are they not everdoing the Fympa. thotis and pathetto business? Arc not thess antique, moas.cavered, and rock-rooted cor. rnptionials, whose names have been identi, fied with political fraud, chicanery, and dis, honesty for tho past quarter of a centy 3 oo lolsterous in thoir grief? Befora re, moving tho Republican mote, if thero by one, wonld it not bo well for these Dems, cratic leaders to consider the beam that i in their own eyes? PROVING BOOKS OF ACCOUNT, We notico there is o measuro ponding iy tho Gonernl Assembly to facilitato the Pproot of transactions which aro mado natters of book ncconnt. It provides that a swom transoript of the account from the books of original en«y and of the ledger ahall by prima fucie evidence of the verily of each item stated in tho nocount, This is & much, needed reform. Our present statule on thig subject is a relic of] the dark ages, when the trado and trafflo of morchants and business men wera confinod to their immediate neigh. borhood, and it was casy to produce their books in any tribnna! likely to require them, ‘The original books must now ba produced in court. In tho extended ramifications of trado and commerco nowadays, the pro. duction of books in'court is almost an im, possibility. - How can the Enuropean mer. chant, or the New York or Boston merchant, trading with morchants of Illingls, produce bis books in our courts to prove an acconnt? How can our own merchants aug business men, having transactions all over thy Stato which are made the subject of book account, produce their books bofore every court whore any account entored in thom {s brought in question ? Manifestly it cannot be done. 'The books of our banks and mer. chants are ponderous volumes in groat num. bers, , They contain hundreds and thonsands of ac&'énnl.u, and are at sll times required at tho proper placo of busingss, and cannot by transported without sorions detriment and inconvenfence, Tho bill pending proposss to dispenss with this nbsurd requirement, and make verifled copics of.any account equel to the original ontries. . Thera is another vital roason in support of this measure. It s now almost impossible to prove the transactions occurring in tha regular course of trade Letween our largs business houses and their customers. A country merchant comes to Chicago to buy goods, and calls ot one of our large es. tablishments. In solecling his nssortment ho will deal with a dozen different salesmen in tho soveral depnrtmonts of thesame store; cach Inys out the goods in his line, and they aro passed fo n olerk, who enters them as sold; thoy are then packed by another clerk, dolivered to the porter, and finally to a truckman, who delivers them to the carrier for shipmont to the buyer. e, in tho coursa of a fow montbs or a year, doclines or fails to pay for them, is sued for the prico, and pleads the *‘genoral issue.” Thero is no practieal way of identifying tho particular Rgoods, or proving that they wero ever sold ond delivered. The jobber himeelf knows nothing about it; the salesmen, if tho whols of them could be got together, might prova tho sale, but they could not prove the de. livery, nand the porter nnd truckman con only swear that thoy thandled and delivored cortaln boxes, but have no knowledge of thoir particular contents, No ©ono can swenr positively to auything material and conclusive, The books, kept in largs houses by o dozen bookkeepers, show the whole trausaction complote, and that is all that anybody knows about it. Tho same is trno with transactions in large banks and commission houses, with stock-dealers, ware. Louscmen, and in every other considerabla branch of tradg, Tho legal amendment pro- posed will curo the wholo dificulty. The sworn copy of the account will prove itsclf, and tho absurlity of transporting the books all over tho world will not be required. It tha items of the account or any of them ars Incorrect, thoy can bo easily disproved ; the naked onth of tho debtor will overthrow them, "Thero aro & great nurber of our othor laws better adapted to an antediluvian age than to modern commercial times, and wo trust our legislators may wisely inquire them out and infuse o little modern sense into the legis« Iation. ‘Tho only open game of faro known to existin clflugun{ resent §s run fn one of the hotels, where, protected by tho batel praprietor, It 1 cau: paratively aefe, ns It cannot very well be reached without a warrant. —Journal. The inforination is intercsting but facomplete. The Journal forgzot to name the hotel. Willlt please supply the omission or correct the {oads vertence? PERSONAL. The New York T1mes declares that one who lags his Land upon & woman save in kindness and In s reasonably dark room Is unworthy of the nazie of baok-agpul ., Thera w Ward Beechel 8 drcmendous yush to hear Teary Clevelsnd Wednesday night. A thonsand persons wers nrned awsy from the duors, and premiums of $10 were offered for scats unavailiugly, i * Bronzo gilt doors for drawing-rooms sre fhe latest decorative luxory In London. Miss Hosmer has desigued a palr for Lord Brownlow. They ato elghteen feet high, with studics of night and moroe fog In alto relleto, A Washington wit saye the fact is now recognized that Judge Lawrence, of Dblo, is the ableat Jawyer of the [Touse, biccauso he Las admitted it himself. Conceanfons of thls description are the only ones 1hat can be wrung from the average lawyer except by duc process of law. The Milwauken Sentinel brightly proposes that the muslc for tho approaching telegraphers' ball Is Chicago be furnlahed from the former city by the telephone. Butno telephono could convey bxk the exccratlons tuat would be heaped upon that band by the suffercrs at this end of tha line. Mrs, Ruesell Stebbine, of Ridgofield, oncs known as & Jiterary lady, has writien & private lete ter speaking kindly of Edgar Pos, and giving a8 Teason of Dr. Grlswold's enmily towards him, the attachment of both men to the same woman,~ an attachment completely hopeless on the partof both, It Is well enough to say that one would rather ba right tbanbe Presldent, but the Frosldency does mot exhauat the political resources of the counlry. Thero sromen who would rather be Sherlft of Brooklyn than be right. That useful functionary derives an income of $80,000 per snnum from his oflice, sud ho fs always welcome Lo tho best pows of the best churches {u the Clty of Churches. The Iudependant uollces the current ltem to the effect that **an cffort s making to Induce James T, Flelds to dellver hls lecture on English Literas oge, " & Probably mot much of an effort wili be necessary." When James T. Fields, this side of the silent tomb, refuses sn invitation 10 lecture, water way be expocted to run up hill, and ducks to prefer walking to swimming. Nr. Lamon, tho blographer of Abraham Lincoln, has undertaken a defense of Judge Davls, which I8 verhaps gratuitous hero in 1linols, where the chare ucter of the Judga fa unassailablo, but msy be uses ful cluewhicre. -The defense bas reference 1o the ¢bazge that Judge Davis amassed bis large fortuse by losulog money to the farmors sod promptly foracloslng the mortgages during tho panic of 1857, Mr. Lamon truthfully says thet Judge Davia mads hiv money by orizinal lavestments la re. the natural developuicat of the resourc State. He bought largo tracte of land at $1 2 acre in the neighborbood of what is now Blooming: fou. This sxplacation oughi o satisfy bl de-