Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, February 24, 1877, Page 4

Thye Tribmwe. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. BY MAIL—IN ADVANCR—TOSTAGR PREFAID AT TIlI3 OFPICE. Datly Editton, portpatd: 1 yea ¥artsof ayesr, per month drves fonr wreks | Literary nnd ite Bheet . Aatnrday iditton, twoive p FilWeekiy, ogald, 1,y artaof & year, per month., WEEKLY RDITION, FOSTPAID. Onecopy. pet year. Ly 1 T T R B A oS speciinen coptes sent free, Toprerent delay and mistakes, he mre sod gve Poat cice addressin full, including Etate and Counts. Temittances may hemade eliher by draft, express, Tost-Oftice order, oF In reglvtered lettor, st ont ek, 7ERMS TO CITY SUBACRIDERS, Tiefly, celteered, Sundny excepted. 29 cants per week, Lelly, deifvered, Sunday Incinded, 30 cents per week Addrens THE TIIBUNE COMPANT, Lorner Madison and Dearborn-sta., Chivago, Ul ey, TAMUS TS, tinverly's Theatre, Randolph street, beiween Clark and Lagalle. Fne agement ‘of, the. Oste's Comle (ipers, “Company, Lifermoon. % La Fl dame Angot” Kvealog S'Trial by Jury ¢ and ande,” MeViakerta Th Madison sireet, between Dea gaweent of Ml Lettle” Afien, terugon and evenl o and iate. Lt tate. o " e Stranner Adel Thentre. Monros street, corner Desrborn. Vatiety enter talnmwent. Afternoon snd evoniog. ‘Wood's Mureum, Monron Ilrvn.Lhetvren Dearborn and 1("&. *'Fan- chon the Crickel.” Afterncon sud evening. Tershey Music Hall. Nos. 81 and B3 Madison street. Flano Recltal by ¢ MiarJulls Rive 80CII WM, B. WARREY L.ODGE, No. 200. A, P. an A, - M.—Regular Communication this (Saturday) evening B Aok MR MM’ weicomer iy ardsr of " thatw. M A . 1t DUNLOP, Bec. EETINGS. BATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1877 i Greeubacks st the New York Gold Ex- L chango yestorday closed at 95}, 3 Minnesota legislators aro gettiug their eyes opan to the disadvantages of tha sentimental policy of probibiting capital punishment. . The brutal murder of the horofo Harwosn by the Youxorn brothersat Northfield must " have strongly suggested the dosirability of ; =gain resorting to tho use of hemp as the '+ most effective nnd satisfactory treatment for ' that class of disorders. At all events, the ', Honse yesterday passed a bill restoring the " death.penalty for capital crimes, Grave doubis have for soms timo past been entertaified in Congresaional circlos re- garding the standing of Sonator Coxxrivg .+ on the Presidential quostion, and it has come . to pasa that well-defined rumors are current that aseriba to him the intention of aban- " doning the Republican ranks and of joining ! with the Democratic revolutionists in the -, conspirnay to prevent the completion of the ‘s Electoral count. It is even reported that .- Mr. Coxgring has consented to act s the i< chief conspirator, and ns tho roward of :. his trenchory and apostasy is to be clected DPresident of the Benate by the * nid of 8 numbor of Republicans who will go * with Jim, and then to nct na Presidont of tha United States during the intorval preceding nspecial election, The story lacks various ssontiol elements of probability—among them, that Sonstor CoNkuiNg has made up uis mind to betray his immense Republican coustituency 1n this infamous manner, ond, if ho hied 50 determined, that ho could secure the adbesion of n suflicient number of Re- publican Senators to carry ont the shamneful project. Tho Chicago produce markets wero act ++ ive and irregular yestorday, provisiona aver- * oging stronger and grain ensier. Mess pork !, closed the same ns Wednesday, at $14.47§ for March and 214.77} for April. TLard closed 2je per 100 lbs lower, at $9.85@ + . 9.87§ for March and $10.00@10,05 for April. =~ Ments wore {@jo perlb higher, ot 5lo for loose shoulders, 8fc for short-ribs, and 8}o for short-clears, Highwines were stendy, at £1.05, Flour was quiot and -unchanged. ‘Whent closed unchanged, at $1.20} cash and .. %1267 for March, Corn closed o higher, -7 ot 413@14)o for March and 45§@isjc for Maoy. Oats closed jo higher, at 33jc cash aod 83J0 for March, Rye was 20 lower, at Ghe. Barley closed 2@io lower, at 48o for .+ March ond 46c for April. Hogs were in <+ active demand, and averaged 100 higher, 3 closing at 35.50@06.20 for common to choice geades. Cattle were active and advanced 10@10e, with sales of poorto good grades & $3,00@5,05. Bheep were quict and un- changed. One hundred dollars in gold would buy $105.00 in greonbacks at the close, The infamous Doxx PratT, for purposes of # motoriety, recently printed in Lis paper an appoal for the assasalnation of Mr, Ilaves, in the followlng ontrageous and significant language: 1f a man thus retumed Lo power can ride In safe- ty from the Execullve Manslon to the Capitol to Lo inaugurated, we are fitted for the slavery that will follow the Insuguration, We do not believe the people of the United Statea aro of this servile sort. We do nut belleve that they sre prepared, without a blow, to part with tlelr hard-earned, blood-stained possessions, Bince tho dastardly wretch has been in. .+ dicted by the Grand Jury for his offense he i 13 scared, and sooks to crawl out of responsi. bility by printing a card, in which he says: Touly seek to protest againat the misconatruction putuponmy words. Noue othoer thanan Insanc man, 1., orunedesperately wicked, would thlnk of assna- L+ slination, let alane publicly advocate the comunly- 1 + »ion of mo horrible & ¢rune, Beyoud this, 1 bave Dothing to say. ‘I'ie spology i3 as weak and foolish as the original offenss was infamous and wicked. 'Thero is but ouc meaning that can allach to . “a blow" which interferes with *‘the ., sufety " of the President-elect, and that {s s0 + obvious nchild can seeit. If there bo auy law that can punish this essasaination.adviser and eensation-monger for the publication of the original erticle, it should by euforced to the uttermost penalty, without reference to s iucolicrent and silly card, or to the rveal wotives that actuated him in his dastavdly couduct, e————— ‘Fhero ns been introduced in the Leglsla- ture & bill the obfect of which s certainly most commendable, It provides for n Bureau of Btatistica in the Executive office at Bpringfeld, whose duty it will be to collect aunnally snd compile in intelligible form statistics rolating to all branches of industry and labor in this State, and also all informs- tion conceruing imunicipal indebteduess, revenue, and taxation ; the fortn of such in. dubteduess, and the objects for. which taxa. tion iy collectéd, thecostof collection, nud all other inforwnation of that kind. Such a law is of great necessity; all legislation in the abience of this character of information must be wmore or less guesswork. To a thorough revision and adjustment of our Rovenue law this information is not only desirablo but necessary. Among other | THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY, 24, 1877—TWELVE PAGES. things which might bo included in this in- formation would be n table showing, a4 near ¢ possible, the number of licensed saloons and of tho various other occupations men- tioned in the Constitution as fit snbjects for tazation, If tho State shall at any time con. clndo to resort to that form of taxation for rovenne, all this information would greatly aild tho Legislature in fixing the rates and terms of licenso or taxation of each class of occupations and interosts. Snch a systom of information is eatablished in a largo number of other Statos, and is nowhere moroe nceded than {n Ilin It the House obatru sta persist in their conspiracy to delay the Elactoral connt beyond the 8d of March, it is not unlikely that extremo and unusual measures iy be resorted to by the Republicans to checkmate their revolutionary proceedings and dofeat the accomplishment of the object in view. A plan is detniled in our Washington dis- patches which ls intended to moet the emor- gency which tho Democratio filibusters threnten to bring to pass. It contemplates that tho President of the Senate shall, in tho event that the purpose of tho Honso majority to delay the count shall be clearly apparent on the 3d of March, call n session of the Joint Convention in the aftornoon of that day, first giving notice to the Speaker of the House, and inviting the attendance of that body. If the filibusters refusa to attend, the President of the Sonate will proceed to open the remnining certifi- eates, and by the aid of the duplicate tally- sheet in the possession of the Senate tellers, will pscortain and declare the result. In justification of this modo of procedure, which is clearly at variauce with the provis- fons of the Electoral law, it will be urged that such o course has been rendersd necessary by the revolutionary conspiracy of the House majority to defeat the fnlfillment of that law; andit will nlso be urged that, innsmuch as all the disputed questions have. been decided in tho manner provided by law, and the title of Gov. Haxza to tho Presiden- tinl office clearly and legally established, the result, though reached in an irregular man. ner, is in accordance with law ond justice. It is earnestly to be lioped, howevay, that thero will be no occasion for opposing an irregular proceeding to & revolationary pro- ceeding, aud that the Benato plan, though cminently just in {ts scope and aim, will not ‘be needed. OREGON AND THE FRESIDRNCY, The decision yesterday rendered by the Electoral Commission in tho case of Oregon carries with it tho entiro Presidential contro- versy, aud virtually dotennines that Rurn. xuronn B. Hayes and Witzaax A. Wrezizn are the lawfully-elocted President and Viee- Prosidont of tho United Htates for a term of four yoars next succeeding the 4th of March, ‘The labors of tho Tribunal aro substantially at na end, as only the caso of Bouth Carolina can now be refared for arbitration under the law, that being the only remaining State from which Lwo seta of roturns have been ro- coived; and it is admitted by the Democrata that the Republican Electors received o ma- Jority of all the votes cast, and no claim of ineligibility is made. It may thereforoboas. sumed that the great struggleis finished. The rosult is ono for which averybody has beon for some timo fully prepared and ready to accept as Iawfal and satisfnotory, excepting only the small but dangerous faction of revos lutionists who aro nllompfing' to ropudiate and dishonor the solemn obligations rest. ing upon both partics to nbide by the decision reachied in conformity with the law which both parties joined in cnacting, ‘Whether thess rovolutionary obstructionists wilt be able to carry intoeffoct theirscheme to delay and defeat the completion of the Elect- oral count, and thus prevent the inauguration of the President and Vice-President declared to Juwve been lawfully elocted by the people, cannot now be foretold with certainty ; but thers is enconragement to believe that the plot will fail, and that law and justice, fair play and good faith, will prevail, The Oregon deoision brings more than defest to the unsuccessful candidate for the Presidency; it brings disgrace as well, By & unanimous vote the Tribunal sot the seal of its condemnation upon the infamous at- tempt to subvert the popular will, and by means of bribery and fraud to secure an Electoral voto to which Mr. Tiwpexn well kuew he was not entitled. By a unanimons voto the five Justices and ten Senators and TRepresentatives decided to roject tho voto of the Democratic’ protender whose election was falsely and fraudulently certified to by a Democratio Governor pursuant to insfruc. tions from Democratic headquarters, and by the ald of tho corruption-fund contrib. uted, a3 is very generally belleved, out of the coffers of the Democratic candi- date for the Presidency. Itisto Lo regret. ted that an equally strong sense of non.par- tisan fairness and justico did not move the entire Tribunal to award tho threo votes of Oregon to Mayes snd Wneeren, Here partisan - bias was permitted to rule, aud it was only by the usual vote of 8 to 7 that the eminently nighteous decree was contlrmed. As [t Is, howover, wo can afford to'be thauk- ful that the right prevailed evon by so small awnjority, And now, *Let us have peace.” THE ‘0BSTRUCTIONIBTS, Tt will probably not be a difticult wmatterto prevent the completion of the count of the Electoral yotes bofore the 4th of March if uny gousidersblo faction of the Democratio majority in tho Houso conspire to that end. Thero is very little thme to spare. After disposing of Oregon, thore remasin nine Btates to be counted, viz,: Punnsylvania, Rhoda Island, Bouth Carolina, Tennessee, ‘fexas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virgiula, and Wisconsin, Objectious may be mado in the case of each Btate, requiring the sopara. tion of tho two Houses for cousiderntion. In the case of ove Btate—Bouth Carolina—an objection refers tho vote under the law to the Electoral Comnmissfon, as there are two returos from that Btate. Of course the Democrats Lave no claim to the Electoral vote of Bouth Carolina; even the House Committee which fuveatigated the South Carolius election admitted that the Havey Electors had veceived a clear majority of the votea. Nevertheless, au objection and refereuce to the Commission will ex- Laust sbout as much time as if the Demo- crats had even the sewblance of a claim. In case the Houso should asdopt the same pro- gramme with refcreuco to counting the Ore- gon vote that it followed in the case of the Flerida oud Louisiana votes, it will take o recoss till Monday before considering the re. port of the Commission, and it will bo Tues- day befora tha Honth Carolina casn can ba refarrod from tha Joint Convention to the Electoral Commission, and probably Friday befors the Commission would report back its decision, There would romain, then, bnt two days—Friday and Saturday—in which to completo the count of the vote of the six remaining States. A number of dstermined fililmaters, if assisted by the Bpeaker of the House in the separate consideration of the votes objected to, might be able to exhaust this brief time before the end conld be reached, % 1t will be ovident to<doy whether tho rov- olutionary obstructionists are to receive. the assistance, eoither active and declared, or latent and surreptitions, of tha Democratic majority in the House. If not, then the consarvativo and honest Democrata will act with the Republicans in giving the Oregon roport immediato consideration and in ena- bling the Joint Convention to proceed forth- with in tho connt, In that event, SBouth Car- olina could be referred to the Commission to-dsy in case of objection, and reported back by Tuesday next. Such a course wonld probably make it impossible for the obstruc- tionists to carry out their perfidious and cowardly plan. It is, therefore, really in the hands of the Domocrats cither to enforce respect for the law to which they agreed so eagerly, or to permit it to bo flagrantly vio- lated bocanse it has not eventuated according to the Democratio hopes. If thero be a fail- ure to complate the count by filibustering, even though it shall not reccive a formnl indorsement by the Democratic csucus, the Demooratic party will® have to ‘bear the responsibility of saddling the cost sud misery of n new eloction upon the country. Wo venture to soy there isnot one Democrat in a thousand outside of tho office-seekers who would not rather oo Ar, Hares inaugurated a week from next Mon- day than have the business of the country dopressed daring tha nine-monthe' agitation pending the new olection, and the party responsible for this agitation, if it comes, will suffer the consequences at the polls. The proposition for a law calling a special election in May, and constituting the Sec- retary of Btato Regent, or Prosident pro tem. during the iaterim, {s nmere makeshift to assist in furthering the filibustering dosigns of the obstructionista. Of course, tho Ben- ate will not give such a proposition any seri- oué consideration. Tho present Iaw of long standing meets all the requirements of a vaoaucy in the offices of Presidont and Vice- Prosident. In caso the obstructionists prevent the counting of the Elcctoral vote, there will bo a vacancy in both theso offices, and, un- dor the lnw, the President of the SBenate will bocome de officio the acting President of the Unito1 Btates, and it will be tho duty of the Becretary of Btato to notify the Governors to cal' an eleotion for Prosident for the fol. lowing Noyember. 'This law will not be changed. The only action the Senate is likely to take upon the first sign of organ. ized filibustering s to elect Monton Presi- dent of their body, for two reasons, viz.: (1) Becausoe Senator Frany's present term expires the 8d of March, and even though he. should bo sworn in immediately and re- electod President of thoe Benate, there would bo at least an opportunity to clalm thatthere wng nio Presidont of the Senato on the morn. ing of March 4, and thercfore the Bpeaker of tha House was entitled to succoed to the offico of Presidont of the United States; and (2) becauso the choico of Benator. MonTon would insnro a vigorous enforcement of the Inws in case of n Domocratic attompt to carry the special election by a atill mora formida- ble system of bulldozing. Tha desperation of a certain portion of tho ofilce-seeking Domocracy is so exagger- ated that it 1s fmpossible to forecast what they may or may not do'to keep M, Haves out of the Presidential chialr, The attempt, under tho circumstances, will be the crown- ing infamy of American politics, but these fellows cave litile for that, . The great mis. fortune s that the penalty for their proposed perfidy, in case of its success, will be visited " upon all partiea and all men, blocking the progress of the bunainesa rovival, destroying confidence, creating uncertalnty, involving & large outlay of money, adding to the already too numerons class of political bummers, and bringing about a condition of things only less dizastrous than civil war Itself, ‘Tho country will gwalt with anxiety a tost of the actual strength of this filibustering move- ment, TILDEN'S BARREL. Mr, Tiosn's lotter to Bonator Kemwax relative to the corruption fund which was drawn from his individual barrel is fairly il- lustrative of his cunning and hypocrisy, A comparison between tho bank accounts of the Republican and Domoeratio National Committecs is in ordor st any time, The nccounts of Becretary Omaxprean and Ar, McCoruick, the Socretary of the Commit. tee, have been in the possession of Davin Deprey Freuo's Committes for more than six mouths, and if they showed any corrupt use of money that cunning and unscrupu- lous Tammany lawyer, who defended Fisx and Tweep, would not have kept snch dis- olosures locked up in his own breast or in the archives of his Committee all this time. Tle would have spread thom before the coun- try with such a blowing of trumpets, accom- punied with such howls of delight from the Bourbon organs, big and littls, as have nover yot been' heard in this campaign or ouy other. 'I'he Democratic National Committee’s account, on the other band, showa that their starling fund was §800,000, and of this amount, which was the nuclous of the Democratio cawpsign fund, Mr. Hewprr contributed from Lis own funda $100,000, oud Ay, Tizoen from his private Larrel $300,000, Why should Mr. Tirbex contribute this balf million of dollara? Cor. tafuly not for legititate oxpenses, The party could easily take care of those. No Presi. dential caudidate ever before contributed towards bis clection from his own private funds. Mr, Mavzs did not apend a cent of his privata fortune in the campaign, There ccn ba but one answer to the question that will satiafy o roasonably intelligent man, e spent it for corrupt purposes, Ona illustra- tion has already been furnished in the Ohlo October election, to carry which he aud Lis Hscal agent sent soveral thousand dollars to the editor of the Oincinnati Enquirer, Tow the money wes spent hasalready been shown ig the astoynding testimony of Eea Hot- zawp, It paid the expenses of Bumxs andy bis gang of voters from Chicago, of Greasox sud his lambs from New York, of McCoy and Lis roughs aud prize-fghters from Baltimore, and other mobs of patriots who went o Cinciouati to vote for economy and reform, because, in Ar, "TriLoex's langusge, *‘the people demand reform.” For the. first time in this country, the New York Tammsny methods bave been introduced in clections by &' Presidential candidate. It i3 oaly necessary tothink of the villainy that half & million of dollars dis- tributed among the bummers and ballot-box stuffers can accomplish to estimato the onor- mity of Mr, TiLoen’s corruption business. In view of theso and other dovelopments in the shiaps of ciphor diapatches that have ‘been bronght to light rineo Mr. TaroRys com= menced to contest the clection, every honest and respectable Democrat ought {o be sin. cerely satisfied that the Donrd uf Arbitration has counted him.ont, buyer ought not to ba deprived of the right of contesting the payment for what ho did not raceive. So if an insurance company is deceived in the valuation of proporty, it is entitled to oquitablo adjustment at the time it becomes liable for the paymont. But the intereat of tho community extends beyond this. No ono wants alaw on the statute. books whicl: really oxtends a preminm to in. cendiarism, and which, moreover, encouragos private unconcern and carelessness as to the outbronk of fire, Nor does any houssholder or business man dosire the passage of alaw which not merely increases the danger of fire, but at the same time will increaso the rates of insurance to such an extent that he cannot avail himself of the entablished usage of insuring himsolf ngainst loss. We nre surprised thatany such law shonld havebeen introduced, and tho Legislaturn can only vindicato ftself in the matter by promptly squelching it, ‘THE CITY GOVERNMENT. Within four or five iveeks the people of {his city will have to elect a Mayor and one- half the numbor of the members of the City Council. A yesr ogo the city was ina con. dition of helpless insolvency. Without money, without credit, and with soveral millions of outstanding paper of donbtful’ validity, the promise for the fuluro was n dark one. Aroused by tho extraordinary emorgency, and by tha bold attempt of the eriminal class to seizo and hold tho city, the citlzens, without distinction of party, elected o now City Government, which waa new not only as to tho persons eleatod, but new as to tha character of the men who were elected. A result was, that the city expenditures ware reduced, offices * wero abolished, salaries cut down, all uscless appropriations out off, and a thorough system of retrenchment or- | ganized. Tho number of persons omployed by the olly at liberal pay was reduced sove oral hundred. The Leroic conduct of tho City Government attracted attontion all over the country. The credit of the ecity was {nstantly restored; credilors willingly | extonded their claims to s city which had shown thecourage and tho ability toreduca its exponditures and abolish offices, This notion of Chicago has been published in all parts of Europe, ns evincing a firmness on the part of tho poople all the more remarkable Decauss of the nniversal growth of municipal indebtedness and expenditure. ‘This, reform has not been accomplished withoat an effort. The old schiool of politi- cians, and place-huntcrs, and pensioners ‘upon the public treasury have not submitted to the change with any plensure. They have argued that the popular demand for honest and cconomical governmont having been complied with, there wonld bo an indiffer- enca nt tho next election, and that in April, 1877, tho old style of Government could bo rostored. Ilence the preparation for this campalgn has been n long and a labored one, 'The armyof contractors, of discharged omployes, of men seeking offico and jobs under the city, the gamblers and the other crimiunl classos who have boon ronted and circumscribed by Mayor Hear and his po- lice, have made a thorough organization to recover possession of the City Government and re-establish tho old order of things. . For this purpose, Mr. Corviy will bea candidate for Moyor. Ife will, of course, be the spontancous choice of the mob who want toliva on the city, and he can, of courso, control and obtain the Dewmocratio nomina. tion, He will therefors becomo a formidable condidata for Mayor, the election this yoar being for two years, But tho city is equally throntened {n the character of tho new City Council. Thero will be even a moro despo- rato struggle in the election of Aldermon than for Mayor. Tho present Council is mainly composed of gentlemen who were in- duced to take the offico becauso of the ex- traordinary complication of tho city’s affaira, Those whose terms will expire this year will wont to retire, aud thero i n great publio danger that in ohoosing thelr mecessors the general character of the City Council will be changed, and the old stylo of Aldermen will be restorad. Wo suggeat, therofore, that in each ward thers be an immediate cffort made to induco every respeotablo member of the present Board to become a eandidate for ' ro-sloction, and that for this purposo there ba hearly co-operation on tho part of citizons of all parties. Chick- go cannot afford at thiu juncture, while poss. ing through o convajespence of her crodit, finance, and economy, to 1turn to the old system of expendituro for expenditure sake, Au honest Government, nud an economical one, such as we havo had for nearly 4 year, dnring the next two years will bring order out of chaos, eslablish rotrenchment as a rule, put an end to waste and oxtravagonce, and give some relief to the tax-oppressed community, To secure such a Government requires earnest and detorinined effort by the united people of all intereats and partles, UBELESS EXPENDITURR. The Common Council at its special meet- ing on Thursday 1ast for the considerntion of the Appropriation bill, after incrossing sal- ares and other {tema in the Firo Department nearly $10,000 above the estimates, insorted two more items in tha Appropriation bill, adding 89,500 more for the purchase of n lot ond erection of an engine-house near Ogden avenue and Harrison atract.” Encour- sged by this success, another motion was mnde to insert in the bill $10,000 more for an engine-house and lot corner of Ashland avenuo and Auguata street, This was tem- porarily laid over, and, had not the Council adjourncd at this juncturo, it s possible the Approprintion bill might bave been stuffed with new ongine-houses, located in overy quartor of the city. In view of this mania for engino-housas, would it not Lo well for the Council to move n litile more slowly and investigate to find out whother the city really needs them? Wo have slready thirty-nine steam fire-ongines mnd equipments, being double tho nmmnber we lhad previous to the great firo, and more than New York, Philadel- phia, or London, with their largo population and orea of territory, possess. Wo hoven Fire Deparlment second to none in tho world in point of efficiency, intelligence, and discipline, and our losses by fire during tho past threo yoars of this efficiency have been amaller than thoso of any othor city in the tion. The present facililics for extinguish- ing fires are In faot from four to oight times greater than they have Lieon at any provions time in tha history of the city. Hinco the great fire millions of money have been spout in ongines, tunnels, increaso of water-pipos, fire-alorms, double and vinglo water-plugs, nnd men and machinery, to reduce the dan- gerof tho city from conflagrations to the very minimum, and to satlsfy the Insatiate demands of Eastern insnrance companies. The result of this vast expenditure is shown by the Pire Marahal's ro- ports of losses, tho rapidity and comploteness with which fires ore quonched in thelr very incipiency, and tho fact that Chicago offers insurance companies more fo- voruble risks than they can obtain in sny other city in the country. This being the notual condition of things, it is timo for tho Council to halt in mnking exponditures and lot up on the overburdenod taxpayers, If any further protection is needed, it can be afforded by placing n fow lengths of hoso, that can bo coupled to hydrauts, in cottage neighborhoods of the city. - This will ba amply sufficient, in addition to what wo alroady have in the way of fire-oquipments, Givo the taxpayers a rest. SENATORIAL EXTRAVAGANCE. As n goneml thing, the United States Sen- ate is given to wasteful extravagance in its appropriations, Benators scem to be unable {o resist the importunities of thoso who live at the public expense. The Houso of Ropre- sentatives rocently made o reduction in a large number of salaries, to take offoct aftor July next ; but tho threntoned officers wont to the Banato, and that body promptly re. stored the salaries, and increased tho nume ber of persous to be employed, . Ono of tho aristocratic institutions of the conntry is the nayy. ‘The number of offl- cors of this establishment, in proportion to the number of vessels in service and the shors duty to perform, is a marvel, We Lave a skeleton navy, whicl is, or ought to ba, getting woaker every day. Wo lave & number of useless navy.ynrds, kept up for no purpose but as means of squandering money upon political favorites aud &s an ald in carrying clections. When the House bill making appropriations for the navy renchod the Bounte, the Committeo of that body at once set to work to find .objects on which to increass the expenditure, Of courso, the first thing was to add 81,070,000 to the ap- proprintion for the pay of the navy, Con. sidering that four-fifths of our naval opern- A PREMIUM ¥0k INCENDIARISM, It ia not ensy to understand the preclse purpose of the Insurance bill fntroduced into the Illinols Legislaturo by Mr, Wriaur, as it 1 made to apply only to companics organ. ized under the law of Illinola. If it was the intention to lave the bill passed in this shapo, then it is evidontly a conspiracy on the part of the lusurance companies organ- ized elsowhere but doing busincss in this Btate to bankrupt sll tha Illinois compantes, Dut, if this was inerely an oversight and it v intended that the provisions of tho bill shall spply to all insuranco compauies doing busi. nesa in Illinols, then it is a profect to drive all the insurance companies out of the State, and to make rates so high that insurance will oceasa to bo a business advantage. In elther caso, the bill ia wrong in prinoiple, and would prove so dangerous and mischievous in operation that it should be promptly de- feated. The bill provides that, in case of loss, the Company shall be liable for the full amount stnted in tho policy, that the valnation'scs copted by the Company when tho property ‘was fusured shall be conclusive, and there shall bo no litigation aftor the loss as o the netual valus of the property destroyed, I¢- this were tho law of the Btate, governing all insurance transactions, it would promote in- cendiariam to an extent heretofors uuknown, ‘Tho temptatlon to over-insure would bo held out ia the certainty that the over-insurance could always be collected In case of destruc. tion by fire. A man with a stock of goods worth $5,000 could not then have u better {nvestment than to insure them for $8,000 or $10,000, and thenceforth be exceediugly careleas a8 to whether they caught firo or not, since he would be able, without litigation or delay, to collect from the insurance company nearly double what ho would have realizedl in selling the goods by the slower process of private sale, Of course, this sort of Lusiness would load the safor and more responsiblo companies to withdraw from the Btate altogether, while those remalning would have to increase their rates to mcet the outrageous demamds in case of loas to such au oztent as to wmake in. suranco scarcely less ruinous than destruc. tion of property without insurance. There i3 no principle of justice which war- rants depriving fnsurance companies of thelr right to contest an unjust demand. It would be scarcely more unfsirif alaw should be passed prolibiting every person from dis- puting an exorbitaut bill for goods furnished or work done. If a merchant sells 100 worth of goods and ouly delivers §50 worth, the Treasury hardly lovites an incronse of the pay of the officers. Two hundred nnd seventy thousand dollars ndditional are to be added to equip vessels for the men who have in. orecsod pay. The Senate Committee, of course, was not satisfied with the appropria. tions fur navy-yards, and therefore they have added $1,800,000 to the sum already provided for that great abuse, aud they have added $1,200,000 for steam engineering aud somo §00,000 more for other purpoges, These arv, it should be remewbered, all additions to the House appropriations, Theso ndditions ag- gregate about §4,400,000, to which the SBeu- ato will sdd perhape as much moro, The Sanate s the unfailing friend of the. ofcial stipendiary, The men whose ofticea are abol- ished, aud thoso whose pay {s reduced, fly to the Bonate for protectior, The BSenate nover inclines to retrenchmont or cconomy ; it invarislly votes all the monoy that is asked, creates all the officea that huan. gry spplicants demand and that the oxigen. cles of mochine politics require. The sub- sldy-scekers and the monopoly-owners are alwaya coufident of success in the Senate. Not that " that body s corrupt, but becansa the wenkness of that body is an in. ability to refuse an appropriation of monsy. 'T'o increase the sppropriations of . the navy at this time, under the well-known condition of the publio revenue, is an ot of waste, & wretched weakness, which wmight bo easily obviated by a provision for the gradual re- daction of naval expenditures to §8,000,000 or $10,000,000 o year. ‘That would bLea liberal anunal cost for the small navy we bave, which after all servea moro as o' means of expenditurs than for any other purpose. Among the dleaths of prominent persons which bave occurred during tho past week are those of Dr, CrarLzs E. Buckinguay, of Bos- ton, Maas., recently lecturer on medical juris- prudencs. at Harvard College, and for forty years & pbysiclan of emineuce of that city; of oBERT WTYLIE, the well known sriist, who be- gan the study of his profession in the schuols of the Penusyivania Academy of Fine Arts, but Lias resided for many years in Paris; of the Hou. Davip C. Buaxmaw, Stute ¥evator fn the Iu- diana Legisistury, who was the leader of the country, in proportion to size and popula-. tions are on the land, the coudition of the' Republican party In Indlana during tho War of the Rebellion, Spesker of the House in 1508, a candldate for Qovernor last year, and builder of seven rafironds In that State: of Mrs. Mclt- vAINR, wilow of the late Dishop Mcitvaine; of the Rev. James K. Bravew, curate of Bt Joseph’s Roman Catholte Church, Providence, 1. I, one of the oldest riests in the United States; and of Mre, MixrrvA Ronarns, widow of Commodare RoakRs, who died at the head of the United States Navy In 158, She was the mother of Admiral Joity Roporus, of the navy, Mra. Gen. Mrias, aml Mra, Macoms, wife of Col.Joux N. Macoxn, United Btates Engincers. < ee— M. H. Bovke. the anticapital-punishment man, Is plying his trade In Indiann A corre- spdndent at Elkhart says he ls a dead-beat, get- ting money of every sflly fellow he can find. Our correspondent tvants people warned againat him. PERSONAL. **In the langnare of Oliver Johnson," seriten Hlenry S, Oleoit, the Prealdent of the Theosophical Hoclety, **we are Theosophista but wa are not d-d fools," Tunot this virtunlly a begging of the whole queation? 5 The Rev, Phillips Brooke eays thata hard theo. logy is bad, buta soft theology ia worse. Cood preachingonght tostir men's minds and consclences and not simply thelr, feclings, Sentimental ser- mona and prayers accomplish little permanent A Misalesippi Jonrnal notices the killing of tWo prominent citizens within twenty-four hours, and remarks that it was not & good day for shooting at that. The best dey for mhooting In Misstesippl, there Is good reason to belleve, Is tho day ap- pointed for Important electiona. ‘M. Max Outroy, the new Minfster of France to the United Statos, wne a warm friend of our conn- try during the Civil War, 1o was in Ryria daring the greater part of the time, and his Amorican col- league ftestifies that he missed no epportunity to show his warm sympathy for the North, or to be~ fricnd Amerlican travelers, ‘The eldest son of the Crown Prince of Prussia has been Invested with the Order of the Garter sent to him by his grandmgther Vietorla, 1t la sald that the Crown I'rince was greatly delighted Ly this distinction. -Never before in the kistory of the Order Liave three members of the emae family worn tho badgo at the same time. The Bpringfield Repudlican, which holds iself In & measure responaible for the acts of Congressman Scelye, Is in ecatnsles ovor his vote against tho counting of the vota of Loulsiana. It says his speech and vote **form s fitting close of a notablo Cangresslanal eareer. Thore is very little Seelyo ccstasy, ns for as observed, In any other section of the country, Mr. A. Oakey Iall nnsuccessfully defended o man arralgned on o charge of manslaughter ina New York court, When the jury brought in a verdlet of gullty, Mz, Hall said he would never try. o cowo of homfeldy arain, Mo knew that tho prisoncr was innocent, and. folt that ho had a right 1o find fault with himeelf for not procuring a ver- dict of acquittal under tho circumstances, Tho Contt thought Mr. Hall did bimeelt snd tho jury cqually Injustico, Bentence was suspended, In order to glve opportunity for an appeal to the Gov- crmor for a pardon, Edward Tsadors Sears, LL. D., Iately publisher and adltor of tha Natlonal Quarterly Keview, died Dec. 7, 1870, . e gave to Munhattan College the ulk of his property, ‘on condition that the Trus- tees of the Institution pay tothe wifo of deccased the sum of 81,500 & year, Threo relatives of the deceased contest the will, and probably can suceeed in dlesipating s lazge part of the property, It is s pity that the monoy cannot go direct to some wor- thy educational Institution, for Dr, Bears maln- tained hie review by contributlons, voluntary and Involuntary, levied on such educators as had not the coyrage to restat his exactions, Thera is & Tichborne case in Alsace. A few months ago & young mon named Joscph Koller happoned o be passing throuch the Town of Mul- hausen, The miller of the town hod a son who had heen about four years In France to escapo duty in the Germanaormy. Younng Keller was mistaken for this son, and, on denying his identity, was np- brafded with filial rroverence and threatened with imprisonment for vagrancy, 1lo proferred Lo nc- cept the blushing honors of sonship thus poralet- ently thrust upon him. Tho Imposture was discov- ercd in & short tmo, and Keller las boen sentonced to nine months' imprisonment, 1iis was certainly 8 hard case, To Le sent to prison after all hig faithrul service was not one of the contingencios that he had foreseen. The bill now before tho Michigan Loglelature prohibiting the marrlsge of first-cousins fn that | Htate excltes the apprehenslon of some well-mean- ing persons, who fear that its operation willnffect porsous vo related now hiving In wedlock. Of coure this aporehension Is groundlessand foollsh. The axpedlency of the Jaw Is disputed by many of the Michigan editors, they malntaining that marriages of thls nature, however lll-advised, do not propers 1y demand any interference on the part of Govern. ment,' 11t can be proved, hbwever, that tho mar. riage of Arst-cousins causcs any perceptible la- crease in the number of holpless poraons supportod in public charitable fustitutions there will bo & strong argument in favor of the bill, Popularsen- timent sccms to be on tho sldo of its enactment Into a law. Donn Piatt's explanation of his assassination edl- torial s genorally regarded ms pretty thin, The whine iu It sbout Fred Grant's rald upon the Pistt mansion to take satistaction for an inwult to hle mother, Is oat funny, Frod Grant, on tho memorable occaslon referred to, carried o stont atick, which he intended ta lay well on the al oditor's back; this, we mustsay, was not a digni. fled weapon for an ussasvination. There would not ‘bo much weeplng in tbe country if Fred Grant, or auy other patriot, ahould at thls time nssassinate the tiuck cuticle of Mr, Platt with a cano or a raw- hide, or sny llko invtrument, 'There ls a largs and growing public opinlon that Piatt ls not & big cnuugh man to prosecate for **inciting an Insur- rection, " although the 8 thus far taken have met with the bearty auj of tbe press and pub- c. 'The Lluesglus mania has at last atruck New York, and the modeat nowspapors of that city are Qlaputing us to which deserves tho credit of first bringing the matter bofors the public, The Herald calmly assumes thet cortaln articles printed inlts columuns a year ngo are thu cause of the present in- terest in tho subject. There 1s, In fact, nosort of doubt that Tui Cuicaao Tasuxe printed the let. ter that gave riso to the recent fnvestigationsof the curative propertice of blue giess, It lv a pleas- ure, all tho same, to seo New York calching the intection, although late in tho day, The Mail Las printed a blue-glase oxtra, and the other newspa- pers are likely scon to be compolled 1o Imitste the example, Uy the way, 8 8t, Paul editor potices that the very pervons who now put faith in blue £laes some years 0go were taken in Ly tho condu- rango boax, ‘This le not unlikely, Thosame de- #iry for the truth snd capaclty for ssalinllating nuw Ideas that induced o patient trial of the first pre- tended discovery leadv to & similur treatment of tho wacand one, ‘The February number of the Fortaighlly Review contains an Interesting srticle on **Munlcipsl Pullic Ilouses," Ly J, Chamborlatn, 3. P.,whose name will be recognlzod as carrying with it wo authiority In counection with this subject, weiter lsa strong advocsie of what is known sa the Uirminghsm plsu of publlc-touse reform, which proposes 10 make municipal governments in wuch Instauce (he sole vendors of ardent aplrits Mr. Robert Lows had asssied the schemie in 3 previous uumbor of the Review; Mr, Chame herlalnuow undertakos to unswer some of the obe Jectlous raived. 1le ways thut Ar Lowe's argu- ment, it currlod tolts logical conclusions, wmust 1ead 10 an alternative whicu the majority of thiak- 1ng people wuald consider u reductio ud absurdum, 1hat Iu t0 say, to free-irude in drink, Mr, Clum. berlain argues that tho ¢xceptional condltions In regard tothe sale of Intoxicating lquora fmposed upon public-bouses—such as that they shall close ot & certain Lour, shall not scll w0 cllldren, elc.—eurely pont 1o au exceptional trade, Mr, Lowe's - olservation that drunkenaess **docs not a1l depend upon the nume« er or paucity of the public huuses ue compared with the population® s uot dluposed of by Mr. Chamberlain in the most complete mauner. He produces disgreme showluy the proportion of per- eona proceeded ogalost for drunkenuess In every town of Eugland snd Wales of uver 20, 000 Suhablt- ants and the nunver of public bouses, Tho ab-. sence of uniformity in the resulls is negative cvl- donce fu (avor of the presumptions of Mr. Lo ‘To Illustrate the escessive supply of public houscs in Blemlogham Mr. Chsuberisin privts snother diagram, warkisg every licensed place in a district chlsfly fohabited by workingmen. The dlsgram sbows that there 1o oue liconse fur overy slxiy-tive yurds square, und that the svesage distance of vue bouse from unother is less than 200 feel. There arc in Dirtologbam thre publicaus to every grocer seven publicans 10 every two bakers, and four pub- Meuos 1o every butcher. STATE AFFAIRS. Yesterday's Proceedings in the Illinois Legislature at Springfield. A Long Dobate on Temperance in the Lower House Passage of o Bill ' Making It a Little Easier for Dram- Sellers, Mr, Joslyn. Does Some Caus. tie Talking on State- House Matters. He Promises a Rattling of Some * Human Warlous " Next Thursday. Mr. Mills Rufuses to Be Squashed by Mr. Banker Haines, The Penitentiary Committee in Becret Session---Rich Dovelopments Suspeoted. Business Transacted in_Other Legisla- tivo Assemblles, A NILL PASSED IN TUE IIOUSE. Special Dispatch to The Tribune. SrniNaristp, I, Feb, 23.—The Iousc this morning took up and passcd the Lill requiring all neceptances to be {n writing and Invalidat- ng oral acceptances. As passced the bill reads 24 follows: A Bt for an act to requlre all acceptances of bilts of exchiange and written orders to ‘be In writing, before aceeptor shall be charged, BreTiox 1. Ul It coacted by the People of the Stata of 11lluols, representad in the Geueral As- sembly, That no person In this State shall bo charzod as accoptor on ony bl of oxcline ar written ordor, unless his ncceptanco shall in writing, signed by himself or his lawfully aothor- tzed avont. ‘The bill now goes to the Scuate. TIHE MONTIL OF MARCH. Mr. Kearnoy offered the following preamble and resolutions: ‘WilknEas, Tho revenua lawa of this State are In o confuead and uncertaln o condition as to render it leculk and frequently lmpossible, to collect “\‘lyl‘lir:l‘.lu‘ ‘The paople demand that the Thirticth R o a Cletiral Assembly’ ahall, devisy o revenue.systen: Im:lz will remedy the dofocts of that now In usej an Wienzas, To fall in the nccomplishment of this h-necded work would caude great dissatinface ong all classes of people oxcopt tax-ght. era? theroore, Jiesolved, That the Honse of Ropresentatives devots the whole of tho month of March, or such ‘portion thereol us may be necossary, to the consid. eration of the revenus laws, to the cxclusion of all other bumnoss cxcept the recelving of petitivus and reports of cunmittees, A TEMPARANCE DISCUSSION. Mr. Winter's bill modifying the Liquor law 80 as to make sale of llguor without license, or saloto ininors, punishable by fine or im- prisonment, or both, instcad of fineand {m- prisonment fn every casc, ns prescribed by the present law, The bl reads as follows: A B foran sct toamend Hocs, 2andGof *‘An act to pruvide for the Neenalug ud sgainet the evils arlsing frum the male of Intoxicating Tiguors, " approved March 10, 1874, SecTioN 1. o it enacted by the J'eople of the State of lilinols, represented In the -Genoral Avsombly, That Secs, 2 and G of ‘‘An act’ to pravide for the llcenllnjf of and agalnst the evilaariuing fron the sale of [ntoxlcating liquors, '* approved March 30, 1874, Ly umendoa 50 nu to read oa folloy ke, 2, **Whaover, nut having a lcense to keep o dram shop, shall, by Limaelf or another, elthor o principal, clerk, or servant, l.llucll‘y or Indl- rectly, soil any Intoxicating 11quor in any less 3\|lnuly than une gallon, o¢ in auy quantity to be rank upon the premlacs, or fn or npon ad)acent ruom, hulldlnf yards, promines, of place of pub. lie reanrt, shall be Aucd not less than $20 nor mory than 8100, in the County Joil not ), or lnaprisoned leas thau ten nor more than thirty dayw, or both, w the discratiun of the Court." 8ge. G, ** Whoever, by himaclf, or hla azeat, or servant, shall sell or give :intoxicatin: flquorw Ay TINo WiLkout the WeILton RIOF OF 1A FAFnty gunrdiun, or lllllllL ?h’lm‘"‘ or Lo any peryon in- oxicated, or who [4 In tho habit of gottiug Intaxi- cated, shull, for cach ollensc, be fimd not less thun $20 nor more thun 8100, or linprisoned In the County Jail not less than ten nor mure_than thirty glut.‘?g.balb. according to the nature of the Mr. Budlong opposed tho bill, The present law had beon found satisfactory, The penalty now lnposed was not extreme, and it ahould be lot stand, But the specfal objection to the present bill was that the penalty was fine or fm- prisonment, or both, *in the dlscretion of the Court.” No Court shouldt b vested with such discretion. NoJudge should be put IN POSITION T0 DE TEMPTED tocaterto tho lquor-sellers. The like objeo- tion hie made to the proposed amendument of the section preseriblog the punishmeunt for sell- fug llquor to minors. The bUl wade that fine or imprisonment, or both, *‘accord- Ing to tho pature of the offense. Lot the law at least deline the punishment. Let it bo uniform throughout the State, instead of “according to the naturc of the case'* aud “¢in the dlscretion of the Court.” § 112 MOVED A NECOMMITTAL of the bill, with {ustructions to let the punish- ment for the first offeuss be as provided for by the bill, and to word it 20 that for the sccond of- fense tho ponalty should be as uow provided by law,—Uno and limprisontent, Mr, Merritt safd it was notorfous that the prescut law was & dead Jotter, because of the severity of the peualties impased. Every Pros- ecuting Attornoy and Circuit Judge fn the Btate would testify that such AODIZICATION OF TUE LAW A8 FROPOSED WAS NECEBIBARY, Mr. Herron argued thut what was wanted pre- clsely was that tho punlshment should In sume degreo o left to the discretion of the Judge. Tue courts should not In overy case be vowe elled to both fnie and fuprlson uveryrmun who appened to sell Hquor toa minor, Tha setler 1ofght oot know the fact, Ho might nurp«m tho mluor to be of uge, He ight scll to sa Labltual drunkard ut knowln the purchaser to an habitu druukurd. Yet, iy these cases, under tho prescnt law, such louor-seller must be both tined and fmprisuned. ‘The tuse of the liquors seller wua the cnly case known to tho law in which the aceused was deprived of the benef$ of all reasonable doudts,—he was wssumed to be eullty without any gullty kuowledge, Tho law augainst bim wos MORR #RVERE THAN AGAINST A MURDEREE. ‘The effect of the present Liquor law was, that in some localitles Nquor-sclllug was practieally 10 offenae, whits I others it was a crime. Per- h;rl 1t might by well to stop distilling soastocut off all the ovils of drum-drinking. But then othe erstimulantsand nascotive \'mllh besubstituted, and thy evil would be greater. Dut the ques tlon was not as to abolition of tho lquor trutlle, but as to the proper penalty for violation of the Liquor law. The present’ penslty worked fu- lunlue in mauy cases, t0 provent that the aw stiould b moditled as proposed by the bill Mr. Rowett upposed the blll. ‘The preseut law pruvided none ton severs penalties, TUE CIMH OF TUE DRAM-ELLER was greater thau that of the iurdeser, He who attacked one's lifs was less a crimiual than bo who from behiud the bar sold polson that de- atruyed body aud soul, and who put up his wilded sigu to sttmet' our sous there to ba ruined forever. Mr. Howett dwelt purticularly upon the envrwous evils of Intemperance. Mr, Merritt—I would like to know Low tbe gentiemen knows, if bio hay had no experiencel Mr. Rowett—I havo hada gued deal of ob< scrvation, and 1 am op) to such debauche eryof the vourts as this bill would lesd to. And { do oot want the Liquor law practically repealed. o 70N AUTHOR. 311, Winter sald ho regrestod that the discues slon had turned upon the evlls of inteinpersnes The question was not us to the sbolition of 'the lquor tratiic. It was only 24 to the proper pea~ alty for violstion uf the prescot law, which i witho