Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, May 13, 1877, Page 4

THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: 'SUNDAY., MAY 13. 1877—SIXTEEN PAGES. taken there befors they can be taken to Thye Tribawe. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. BY MAIL—IN ADVANCE—POSTAGE PREPAID AT TIUS OFFICE. Daily Edition, postpaid; 1 year. Tarts of a year, per montb. .. alled to an} buncay Editlon: Ll Fheet .. Saturda® Eaition. twelve paaes. Tri-Weekly, postpald, T Firor e e month. WEEELY EDITION, POSTPAID. - One copy, per il e Posuageprepald. imen capies sen! gl"a‘;flmzdl;hymd ‘mistakes, be sure and give Post- Offce address fn fall, including State and County. Remittances may be made either by draft, express, Poss-Otice order, or in registered letiers. at our risk. YEEMS TO CITY SUBSCRIBERS. Tatly, éelivered, Sunday excepted, 25 oents per week. Lifly, delfvered, Sunday fucluded, 30 centa per woek. Acdresy THE TRIBUNE COMPANY, Corner Madison and Dearborn-sts.. Chicago, Il SOCIETY MEETINGS. MMANDERY, NO. 1, ENIGHTS TEM- Pfngégec‘l?l conclave st Arylum. Nos. 72 to 78 Mon- DAl Conciuve st 5 oo acis Foinsie il be'canterrea. Yisiling Sir Koighs teously nvited. il ST. DERNARD %fiu&u{fig s t e ¥ a; B o en e Kot Graer. “hur Rnighia are requested o appear at our Asylum Tuesdsy evenlng, a18o'clock. starp, foranill, Byorder | oo o J. 0. DICEERSON, Recorder. YETTE COAPTER, NO. 2., R. A. M., Hall 0 Honrorst katen onvbeation. SORdAY evEning Blay 14, at 7:30 o’clock. fflg&flnwfin%&z;k_or Viattors cordially nvited to meet il ua. - By omderdt E. N. TUCKER, AGO CHAPTER, No, 127, B. A. M. ‘Twen- PR Begular Convocaiton Wedneaday even- |IRE May 18, at 8o'clock, ‘“;5‘1" mi'hi:;:u :m LFgepegpmaie SrniviariSe by 0 16, at 8 cal MMANDERY XO. 1, K. T.—Atten- tion S Knlenia, s#telu Conglave Mondsy evenlng, Fayie forwork ovtne KT Grder, Visilag Sl Ealghis coaricontly IavitSg By "SANBORY, E. C. JAS. E. MEGINK, Reobrder. ORINTHIAN CHAPTER. NO. 6, R. A. M.—Reg- ul?r’goemflflk{ifll(fl.fllycvmbfi; Hfl:;'l:, a8 o’ I'JOCE A st Desres. CRAWroro, 1. 2. J. 0. DICKERSON, A BUNDAY, MAY 13, 1877. CHICAGO MARKET SUMMARY. The Chicago produce markets were generally weak Saturday. Mess pork closed 25¢ per 100 lbs lower, at $14.725%@14.75 for June and $14.57%@ 14.90 for July. Lard closed 10c per 100 los lower, at $9.47%@9.50 for Jane and $9.57%@ 9.60for July. Meats were dall, at 5¢perlb for loose sboulders, 7%c for do short ribs, and T%ic for do short clears. Highwines were quiet,at $1.10 per gallon. Flour was quict and steady. Wheat closed 3%c lower, at $1.69% cash and 170X forJune. _Corn closed 2¢ lower, at 53¢ cash and S43c for June. Oats closed 3{c lower, at 43%c cash and 44c for June. Ryewas steady, at 36@87c. ™\ Barley was nominal, at 75c for May. Hogs were \ active and 10c higher, at $5.10@5.00. Cattle % were in fair demand and firm, at $3.75@5.80. Sheep were firm. Ove hundred dollars in gold would buy $107.12}% in greenbacks at the close. In New York on Sattrdsy greenbacks- wero steady at 931@933. Along the north bank of the Danube the any case involving more than that sum, why have such cases go there at all? Why not enact that those cases shall be taken to the Supreme Court direct? Why was Mr. ‘WexTworTn's amendment so providing vot- ed down? The Appellate Court bill, asa soheme for the relief of the Supremo Court and the expedition of legal business, is very greatly damaged—nearly rendered worth- less; changed into a costly and oppressive nuisance by this tricky smendment attached to it for no honest or beneficial purpose. A different picture from that given by ‘most observers is presented by the St. Peters- burg correspondent of the JAemorinl Diplo- matique of the state of feeling in Russia sbout the war. According to him, the Czar has no warlike zeal, and among the people there is not a trace of enthusiasm for a war, which every one considers a great calamity. Bnt the Russians are said to feel that they cannot now, after having done all they could to avoid tke war, abandon the Christians in Tarkey, and they are encouraged by the bf‘ lief that the amity of the throo Emperors is impregnable, and that they will remain steadfast against Tarkey and its secret ally, England. It is a matter for general congratulation that that historic and troublesome Sea-Ser- pent that has periodically infested the news- papers, in salt waters and fresh waters, in seas, lakes, archipelagoes, gulfs, bays, rivers, inlets, and harbors of all descriptions since the imaginative reporter has Lad an exist- ence, has at last been bagged on the coast of Scotland. This is necessarily the last of him. It doesu't make so much difference how many hundred feet long he is, or how brosd proportionately, or how hideous in looks, or how threatening in conduct, or how many thousand men it took to capture him. Heisdead. That is the chief point of inter- est, and we shall protest violently upon the renppearance of even so much as a suggges- tion of his ghost. 1t s certainly very remarkable that the St. Clair River, the passage batween Lakes Huron and Erie, should be blocked with ice nearly & month after the opening of the Straits of Mackinaw, which is usually re- garded as the definite opening of general Iake navigation. The delay occasioned to the lake steamers and barges 18 serious, but it cer- tainly cannot last much longer, and it is be- lieved that the break will come withont doing any material damage to the shipping. As it is, nearly 100 grain-laden vessels, and nearly forty steamersand steam-barges, arede- tained on this side, and further delay will of course add to the accumulation, and prove of great damage to the lake and shipping in- terests. It isto be hoped that the news oi this morning may bring intelligence of the, release of the detained vessels. The conservative press of Prussis, although its sympathies are strongly with Russia, dwells upon the revolutionary elements that Panslavism introduces into Russian politics. Russians have established their batteries, | The New Gazette of Prussia, especially de- under cover of which it is expected they | voted to the cause of the Czar, calls the at- will attempt to cross the river. Rustchuk is | tention of his Government to the perils of threatened with bombardment at any mo- | Panslavism, with which too many Russian ment, and a general movement is imminent. —_— The French Chamber of Deputies adopt- ed a resolution yesterdsy eminently cal- culated to moderate the patriotism of the Bonapartists. Those gentry have been riot- ous of late, and, to curtail their effervescence, an old rule was adopted cutting off the pay of, and imposing still farther financial pen- alties upon, disorderly characters. — Marzhal Feep Dovcrass does not appear to be inclined to take back his strictures on ‘Washington life sad manners, and in the light of action taken by *‘several thonsand citizens, including many business men,” his criticism is apparently just. This band of dignified donkeys have signed a petition ask- ing the President to remove Dovarass, and aro busily engaged in concocting an indigna- tion mass-meeting for a full expression of their fecble views. Servia is said to be the objoct of an cternal vigilance on the part of the Austro-Hun- garian Government. The latter has taken officials are infected, and which may distarb the good relations of Raussia with Germany and Austria. * TcmenNaterr and Faprerr,” says the Gazette, “have directed all their energies to dragging Russia into war with Turkey. They have succeeded; but, if the war is to terminate happily, the Russian civil service must be freed from all comma- nity with the elements which can produce only the most serions complications if they are allowed to follow their tendencies,” A FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATIOR. ‘We understand that cerfain well-known business men have been discussing during the last two or three days the project of a grand city celebration of the coming Fourth of July, including a civil and military pa- rade, & review of the homo regiments, for- mal proceedings in oze of the parks, and an oxtensivo displsy of fireworks on the Lake Front in the evening. So long as the mu- nicipality shall not be called upon to con- tribute anything to the expenses of such a celebration (and this, we believe, is not con- templated), there are many good reasons why the scheme should be carried out. There has been no general celebration of the Na- a mobilization of the army. The different stations along the Danube and the Save, such as Mitrowitz, Neusatz, Waradsin, Basinsch, ond Weisskirchen, have been tional holiday inthe city since the fire of 1871. The time, thonght, and money of the people most likely to contribute to such an event have been too much taken up with other af- stocked with material of war, and the front- fairs to admit of it. Last slock . Troni Yyear, on jer is thoroughly watched. Everything, in { the Centennial Fourth, the interest ,short, is ready for action, whenever circum- was centered in Philadelphia, and stances call for it. 50 many Western people went there ——— There was a great Home-Rule debate in the British Parliament on the 24th of April on the motion of Mr. Smaw, an Irish mem- ber, to send the-whole Home-Rule question to a select committee to investigate and re- port. After spending = night on the sub- ject 'vote was taken, and the motion was rejected by 417 votes against 67; of the lat- ter, 7 were cast by English members who bave large numbers of Irishmen in their districts; on the other hand, 37 Irish mem- bers voted against the Home-Rulers. They that the celebrations hereabouts were gener- ally sbsndoned. This yenr the jubilation may be properly located in the chief city of the West. Thereis more reason to rojoice than there was last year. Pence has settled down upon the whole nation, politics is not the disturbing element it was during last summer, times are certainly better, and the prospect for more decided and rapid im- provement in the near future is much more promising. Of this prospective improve- ment, the West and Chicago are likely to realize the greatest gain, and it wonld not be wersmtly fon Wlites:. . unwise to make a Fourth of July colebration The bearing upon the Eastern question of | the means of impressing the people more the dinner given the Grand Duke Arzxis by | than ever with the consciousness that this Prosident Haves has been overlooked by the | City is the natural Capital of the Northwest. newspapers of this country. The St. Peters- There is no other city in the country so burg correspondent of the Memorial Diplo- | well adapted to a large summer celebration. matique warns the Powers of Europe that | Whatever the temperature may be, it will be they must not forget the Presence in the | cooler in Chicago than in any other city in Bosphorus of four American iron-clads, or | the West. The ample parks in each division the cordial welcome the Grand Dukes Arrxys | of the city will afford attractive and health- ArExaANDROWTICE and CoNBTANTINE Constax. | ful facilities for the largest gatherings of Frsowrren had at the White-House. He | People, and special features of celebration thinks it possible that sooner or later the | could be provided for each. The Exposition friendship of old Russia aud young America | Building, with & capacity for holding 20,000 may become an alliance offensive and defen. | People, and the Tabernacle, which will ac- sive. The aftention of Lord Bracossrrzy | commodate 8,000 more, might bo provided should be called to this clond in the sky. with other attractions, while all the theatres —— would be thrown open with varied enter- We hope the Legal News will not continue | tainments. For the pyrotechnic display at throw dust in the eyes of its readers by o throw night, the Lake Park is just the place retending that the Appellate Court bill does [ of all others that could be chosen, with »? not make asecond appeal mecessary. The assured protection against fire, with {n.ud_ on the public is now confessed that a plenty of room for spectators, and tne casc involving more than $500, when appeal- | wide expanse of the lake to mirror the fiery ed to the proposed new Appellate Court, will | effects. The two Chicago regiments are not be decided there, but must be appealed | now in a condition to make a creditable re- again to the Supreme Court. 'Will the Legal _view, and many military organizations from News explain the use of sppealing a case to | surronnding cities would naturally be at- an Appeal Court that can decide nothing, and | tracted here. The railroads would undoubt- can only work vexatious delsy and incressed edly make the most seductive excursion pm-sondo?sta.’ The bill, as originally drawn | rates, and the hotel accommodations are by the Chxmgo. Bar Association, had not this amplo for all who should eome. A timely Fnufl;cd provision in it; but after it got | notice of such a celebration here would prob- info tho hunds of » House' committes ahly induce the neighboringcities to abandon & ‘*.:!head of which was Mr. E B. | their local celebrations and join largely in ,3:0f Cook, it was fixed. We | that of Chicago, which would offer many at- o have Mr. Smrmyax explain | tractions they could not get at home. ‘his Committee twisted the bill While the flurry and hubbub of a Fonrth July celebration may be regarded with a good deal of discontent by many sensible people who would prefer a quiet day, it must be kept in mind that there is no such thing asaquiet dsy on the Fourth of July. A not o be intrusted with the final decision of general celebration mny, in fact, lessen the desultory shooting all over the city, and concentrate the exuberance of patriotism, to the relief of the community as a whole. If the celebration be properly organized and managed, there will certainly be fewer of the disreputable excorsions, individual drunks, small riots, pistol-shot wounds, and hro!fen heads.. But, if therebe a serious intention to organize it, tho right men should set about it at once, and it should take the ubmc.tar of o general public enterprise, with the active co-operation of business men who ‘would guaranteoe respectability and success. THE CANAL-TOLLS AND THEIR INFLUENCE. Y, The reduction of tolls on the Erie Caual | can scarcely fail to have an important influ.: ence on all rates to the East by rail as well; as by water. With tolls from Buffalo to tide-water at one cent on wheat and corn and one-half cent on oats, with beef, pork, lard, and a large line of return freights toll-free,; the Erie Canal becomes as nearly free as it can well be made until it shall be declared a- public highway. The reduction in all-water rates from the West to the seaboard is larger, than the proportionate reduction in canal-: tolls, for the reason that the remission of all{ toll on much of the return freight will ennbla? the canal to compete with the railronds} in securing cargoes westward, and thus | reduce still more the rates from the] West to the East. Heretofore the canal tolls on return freight have been practically prohibitory, as they wero at a fignre which prevented the boats from earning on their return westward sufficient to pay them. = As' a conscquence, it has been necessary to make arate on Western products going through the canal fo New York that would yield compensation for both going and coming.' The recont reduction puts water rates down at once to 9 to 10 cents a bushel on wheat, and a fraction less on corn, while the rail rates are 18 cents, or just double that amount. 2 There is every reason to believe that the reduction will prove to be of benefit to New , York in all ways. The boatmen declare that ‘the increase of business will fully counnter- balance the decrease in tolls. For New York City the ndvantage is manifest. As a result of cheapening freights to the senboard at that point,. New York will handlo this sea- son millions of dollars’ worth of prodace that would otherwise seek -another outlet, and sell millions of dollars’ worth of goods and supplies that would otherwise be purchased at other points. The decline in New York’s grain trade has made this liberalization of canal-tolls imperative; it may yet demand that the canal bo deeded to the General Gov-' ernment and declared free to all. In 1871 New York City received 56 per cent of all the /grain sent to the seaboard; in the first four months of this year its proportion of the ag- gregate receipts was only 33 per cent. Bal- timore, 50 far this year, has received 2,000,- 000 bushels of corn more than New York, and within 600,000 bushels as much grain . of all kinds. The rivalry of Phila delphin and Boston is also formidable. It is time something were done to check the decline. While Mr. VANDERBILT refused voluntarily to employ his road in the inter- est of New York, as well as the interest of his shareholdors ultimately, by carrying ‘Western produce to the ses as cheaply a3 the rival roads running to Philadelphia and Bal- timore, the reduction of water ratos may compel him to do so. The rilroads can scarcely sustain their tariff, nor hold to their compact in favay of Baltimoro and Phila- delphia, with such competition as they will certainly have by water. Certainly, Mr.’ Vaspersrir will never have a botter excuse, nor amore favorable opportunity, for enfore- ing the rule from which he should never ngain depart, viz.: that all freights to the seaboard must be the same on all lines from 4| . 4 RUSSIA AND THE UNITED STATES. Forty years ago, during the Administra- tion of Gen. Jacksox, D TocQUEvILLE, the closest and most philosophical observer that ever visited this country, struck with the equality of condition that characterizes our society and Government, wrote his famons work on ‘“‘Democracy in America,” in which occurs the following remarkable parallel be- tween the United States and Russia,—a parallel that is of peculiar interest at the present time : There ate at the present time two great nations n the world, which started from different points, but scem to tend towards the same end. I allude to the Russians and the Americans. Doth of them have grown up unnoticed; and whilst the atention of mankina was directed elsewhere, they have sunddenly placed themsclves in the front rank among the nations, and the world learnod their existence and their greatness at almost the same time. All other nations seem to have nealy reached their natural limits, and they have only to main- tain their power; but these are still in the act of growth. Al the others have stopped, or continue to advance with extreme dificalty; these alone are proceeding with ease and celerity along o path to whichno limit canbe perceived.. The American struggles against the obstacles which Nature op- poses to him; the adversaries of the Russian are men. The former combats the wilderness and .eavage life; the latter civilization, with all its arms. The conquests of the American are, there- fore, gained by the plowshare; those of the Rus- sian by the sword. The Anglo-American relies upon personal interest to accomplish his ends, and gives free scope to the unguided strength and com- mon sense of the peopls; the Russian centres all the authority of sociy in a single arm. The principal instrament o the former s freedom; of the latter, servitude. Thelr starting-point is dif- ferent and their courses are not the same; yeteach of them scems marked out by the will of Heaven to sway the destinies of halif the globe. It will be profitable at the present time to analyze DE ToOQUEVILLE'S generalizations, ond follow the parallel in its details ; and, first, with regard to growth. Under Ivay Tae Temrmiz, in 1335 Russia comprised 37,200 geographical square miles. .Russia now comprises one-seventh of the area of the earth, or 8,150,000 square miles, divided as follows: Russia in Europe, 2,261,657 ; Ras- sia in Asia, 6,170,552. Since Dr TocQuEvILLE wrote his work, Russia has added to her ter- ritory between two and three million square miles. The aren of the United States, in- cluding Alaska, is reported by the census of 1870 at 3,603,844 square miles. When Dr TocqueviLLr wrote his book, it was sbont 2,000,000 square miles, The Population of Russin in 1762 was sbout 19,000,000; when De Tocquvemrx wrote, it wag 48,00}),000 ; now itis 86,000,000,—European Russia having 75,000,000, and Asiatic Russia about 8,000,000, In 1790 the population of the United States was 3,929,328 ; when Dz chqwzvm wrote, it was 14,000,000; now itis 4.5,000,000‘ These figures eloguently grorjmm the growth of these two great na- tions, and there is yet no limit to it, either in the extent of area to be traversed, or by the opposition of other Powers. The United States will ‘continue to spread north and south. Russia will spread to the east until she reaches the wall of the Himalayas,—her natural boundary. Since the days when D TocqueviLre wrote, both Countries have developed a colos- sal scheme of railronds. We have spanned number of miles traversed. the same points, withont reference to the | member of the State Legislature may become Governor, will impress upon the people the necessity of choosing the most competgnt men for the representative places. Itis diffi- cult to share his confidence in this particular. The district plan of choosing representatives would remain of necessity in some form or other; there would still be parties, and fac- tions, and conspirators ; and, out of the 300 or 400 members of the representative body, there would be as small a number as there is now of men in every way fitted to assume the duties of Chief Magistrate. The choice by lot is certainly the lowest and most unin- telligent form of fatalism, and entirely un- worthy of a people who boast of self-gov- ernment. And, finally, a Chief Magistrate for & month would be no Chief Magistrate at all. He would lack the preparation and experience, even if the plan were carried out in good faith, and the country would always have & novice playing President and the State a neophyte acting ns Governor. But the fact is that such a plan would sim- ply mesn Government by a Congressional or Legislative cabal, subject to monthly changes by mere chance or cheating the continent from the Atlantio. to the Pacific, and have covered the States with a petwork of roads. Russia has connected the Baltic and Black Seas. Shohas just trans- ported an army from the heart of the country to the Caucasus by railrond. She can carry her Cossacks froin the Volga to the very fron- tiers of Austriaand Germany. Inthe daysof the Crimenn war she had none of these roads, and by their absence alone were the Allies able to defeat her. Since De TocQUEVILLE'S days, both conntries have covered their rivers_ with steamers, their harbors with ships, their® valleys with canals, their railroad routes with telegraphs. Thoy have vastly imcreased their manufactures, developed their indus- rics, nugmented their production, and im- proved their civilization. Under the nnme of freedom, a great nation has developed in one land ; under the name of despotism, a great nation has pencefully doveloped in the other. Russia emancipated 20,000,000 sorfs without a war; we emancipated nearly 5,000,- 000 with a war. We have had our recon- struction troubles and sottled them. Russia has had hers, and is now slowly, but surely, working towards a constitutional form’ of Government, beginning in her communes, | in the drawing by lot. We can She has adopted our jury system and our | imagine no scheme ba%tm' 'mdculntnd system of judicature. She has commenced | to lead to anarchy, dissension, and final dissolution, ~We would be further than ever from the theory of a Responsible Government ; o Government chosen by lot would be responsible to nobody ; and, sub- ject to a change every thirty days, ‘there would be noither policy nor system,—noth- ing but political chaos. Such a plan would certainly give the schemers and intrigners abundant opportunities, The bad men would be powerful for evil; the good men poworless to counteract their conspiracies and villainies, A LESSON IN CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. That peculiar class of sentimentalists who choose to expend.their surplus emotional powers and drain their lachrymal ducts over the scoundrels who go about murdering their fellow-creatures, may turn with advantage to the history of capital punishment in the ‘State of Maine for a startling illustration of the practical working of their pet theory. A .| controversy betweon the Portland Press and tho New York Nation has brought out the fncts, which are interesting and valuable to those who consult judgment rather than emo- tion as o guide to law-making. * The State of Maino has a population not largely in excess of that of Cook County, so that the operation of its laws can be very easily and very ac- corately ascertained. Maine started out in 1820, when 1t was admitted to the Union, with a strict law for capital punishment for murder, and this law was enforced with good effect till 1837, when it was so amended as to leave its cnforcement optional with the to take our free-school system in part; we have almost universally adopted it. They have covered their vast steppes with civiliza- tion beyond the Ural Mountains; we have covered our vast prairies and plains beyond the Rocky Mountains. We are substantiaily in the same latitudes. Add Canada to the United States and Persin to Russia and the lines would intorsect the two countries, one duplicating tho other. We, have developed our institutions, resources, and power by pushing obstacles out of our path; so have the Russians. The last obstacle we removed was the slaveholders. The Russiansarenow engaged in removing the Turks, who stand in the way, opposing Asiatic superstition and fanaticism to Western religion and ci 8 tion. Both nations have gigantic military resources. Russia keeps nomore men under arms than the United States can at any timo. raige, as was shown in the War of the Re- bellion. Such facts as these strengthen the parallel’ that Dz TocQueviLLe drew when this coun.. try wos comparatively in its infancy, and place Russia and the United Statesin the po- sition of tho two leading nations of the world, with their possibilities only beginning to bo developed, with no perceptible limit to their career. Th2 next two Powers aro Ger- many and Great Britain, but their boundaries are already marked out. France has reach- ed its natural limits, Italy its old boundaries. Austria is in more dung@r of falling to pieces than of increasing, and Spain is stagnant and decaying. The destinios of the globe | Governor. From that time till 1864, are, a8 D.z TooQUEvILLE says, yet to besettled | _» torm - of nearly thirty years,— by Russin and the United States. no execution took placa in Maine, and the crime of murder increased at o rate that made Maino notorious about the year 1860 on that account. Botween 1864 and 1870, one or two Governors were elected who chose to construe the law for the beno- fit of the community aud not for the benefit of the murderers, but thereafter for several years thero were no more executions. In 1875 the extent of capital crime was such a8 to impel the Legislature to restore the death-penalty, and the now law was fol- lowed by two exocutions; during the whole of the following year there was but one case of murder, and then the murderer killed himself immediately. But in 1S76 the sen- timontalists agnin got control of the Legis- Iature and repealed the law; the murders began immediatoly, and already eleven of the most cold-blooded murder cases are of record. It is impossible to escnpe the con- clusions of this direct and straightforward evidence of the effect of the law. During the first soventeen years of the existence of Maine as a State, there wers but two convic- tions for murder, both follpwed by execu- tions. Then fora long term of years the murders were exceptionally numerous and atrocious; this was before as well as during ond since the War, and at a time when thero was practically no law for capital punish- ment. Following this carnival of blood, thero was not a single murder during on entire year when capital punishment had been restored; and immediately subsequent to this, there were eleven horrible murders within less than a yoar after capital punish- ment had sgain Dbeen abandoned by the Yegislature. The lesson of this bit of histo- ry is certainly a very plain one. It means that the death-penalty isa powerful restraint on the evil passions, and a protection for buman life. Whatever individual opinions may be as to the restrictive principle of the Mosnic law, the safety of society and sanc- tity of human life is consideration enough to justify a law that assures it to an extent so marked as this. Without any regard to the Inchrymose arguments, it is sufficient to prove that the death-penalty prevents murders, just as thé killing of mad dogs prevents tha infection of the human kind with a fatal poi- son, and it should be retained to that end." — CHAKLES 0'CONOR ON CONSTITUTIONS, The veteran Cuamres O'Coxor, like one risen from the grave, delivered a lecture in New York a fow days ago before the Historic- al Society in celebration of the one hun- dredth anniversary of the adoption of the original Constitution of the State in April, 1877. Since then New York has had two Constitutions—one adopted in 1522 and the other in 1846—and several modifications in the shaps of amendments., Tho historical part of Mr.-O'Coxor’s lecturo naturally con- tained & good deal that was of interest and value. New York may well take pride that hers was the only early Constitution except Virginia's which fally recognized the princi- ple of religious liberty as it is now under- stood throughout the entiro nation, though even then o small class of unbelievers were excluded from giving testimony in the courts until the restriction was removed by tho Constitution of 1846. There have been ‘a good many important changes in the or- ganic law. At first the Governor's pardoning power did not extend to the crimes of mur- der and treason; there was also a Comncil for making appointments to office, and an- other for the revision of legislative ncts, with a qualified veto,—both of which were snbsequently abandoned. The original Constitution required that all who voted for Governor and Stato Senators should be pos- sessed of freeholds to the value of £100 over snd above incumbrances, and those voting for members of the Assembly shonld have a freehold in the county of £20 in value, or pay aTent of 40 shillings per afnum; these property requirements were reduced but not abandoned till the Constitution of 1846. It was this Constitution nlso which established the district system of electing the Legisla- ture, against which Mr. O'Covon directs a good denl of criticism as ““destructive of neighborly consultation and comparison of views among the electors,” and as preventing the enforcement of a sufficiently long resi- dence as a qualification for voting; he holds that a registered residence in the district of one year should be exacted s qualifying for the exercise of suffrage, and that all voting shonld be 2wa 7oce, the voter writing out and signing his ticket. Tt was not till 1874 that New York adopted a constitutional amend- ment prohibiting special legislation on cer- tain subjects, and following pretty nearly the same enumeration that the Illinois Con- stitational Convention of 1870 had adopted. Passing from the historical part of the lecture, Mr. 0'CoNor’s suggestions are en-, tirely novel, and they will scarcely command the general acquiescence which his utter. ances on law and law-making have usuaily received. His theories are based on th as- sertion that, while theoretically every Stato has three co-ordinate and independent branches in the Legislature, ZExecative, and Judiciary, there is in fact but one,—the Ex- ecutive simply carrying out, and the Ju. diciary making everything conform to, the mandates of the Legislature. He suggests that Constitutions showld be simple, and state only the general principles of unwrit- ten law, and that the Legislatare, being first zeduced to one body, should enact only gen- eral -laws resembling what are now known d as constitutional amendments, Bat, in order to curtail the powers of the Execa. tive which would naturally result from such a system, he suggests. that the Executive shonld not be elected, but that the office shonld be filled by lot every morth from the representative body, holding that the brevity of the term would prevent serious mischief from incompetency or corruption. He would apply this system to both National and State Governments, so that the country would have a nei President and every State 8 new Governor at the be. ginnifg of every month. This is Mr. O’Coxor'splanof getting rid of the, great polit- ical prize which he believes, to be the main- spring of the chief partisan conspiracios and the periodical election broils that are con- stantly menacing the Republic. But his plan can scarcely bo contemplated without concluding that his remedy is worse than the disease. Ho believes that the possibility that every member elected to the National Legis- lature msy become President, and every . A LAW FOR THE BENEFIT OF IMPECU- * NIOUS LAV/YERS. The Constitation of Illinois asserts in its Bill of Rights that *Every person ought to find a certain remedy in the laws for all in- juries and wrongs which he may receive in his person, property, or reputation ; he ought toobtain, by law, right and justice freely, and without being obliged to purchase it, completely and without denial, promptly and without delay.” The State has provided courts for the trial of cases, and a Supremo Court to hear and finally determine all ap- peals from the lower Courts. Owing to the vast number of cases of a potty natare, and of those appealed for the mere purpose of delny, thereby denying justice by defeating it, th refbectable members of the Bar asked the Legislature to provide by Inw for the establishment of Appellate Courts of inferior. jurisdiction, meeting in distriots, to hoar and determine all appeals in cases whero the amount in controversy did not exceod $1,000. This would relieve the dockets of the 8n- preme Court, and at the same time have all theso appenls heard and detormined prompt- ly. A bill for that Purpose was preparcd snd submitted. Thon the shystor—that moral pest of the legal Pprofossion—nppenred. He discoverod in this bill a chance to in. crease litigation, to add to its oxponse, and lo encourage appeals by offoring incroasod delays | in the administration of Justico. The bill was, therefore, carefully dootored. As flrst Proposed, no case was, o bo taken to tho Appellate Court except those of which it had final jurisdiction, and all othor appenls were to be taken, as now, direct to the Supreme Court. But the impecnnious tramps of the profession got control of this bill, and they doctored it so that all the oppeals in all manner and forms of action shall be taken first to the Appellate Court, and, though that Court can have no juris- diction of many classes of cases and no final nuflwfi{y in others, they must be the Supreme Court. The motive, of course, is to increase the cost of Yitigation, to extort additional fees, to erect additional toll-gates on the road to justice. Herstofore, a man taking an appeal had his case sent direct to the Supreme Court. Both plaintif and defendant had to engage counsel, and when the case was heard the decision was final. Under this bill that appeal will have to be taken to the Appellate Court, and counsel will have to be employed by both parties to watch it there; costs will be incurred ; and the decision of the Court will, when reached, be purcly formal, because not final; then the appeal will be taken to.the Supreme Court, and counsel will have to be paid again. The effect of this proceeding will bs to extort extra fees from both sides for the extra appeal, and secure & year's additional delay in reaching a final hearing of the case. To secure these two ends the disreputables of the legul profession from Chicago to Cairo have been laboring with the Legislature, and have succeeded. Tae Triouse has repeatedly called atten- tion to the scandalous action on this bill since it has been before the Legislatuve, and we have received letters from members of the Bar indignantly denying that the Bar desired any such legislation, and denying that the bill would have any such effect. This, however, can no longer be pleaded. Tie action of tho House on Friday last unveiled the whole fraud, and com- pelled an honest exprossion of the purpose of the bill. Mr. WeNTworTH, of this city, moved to amend the bill so as to provide that except in those cnses where the judgment of the Appellate Court would be finzl, all appeals shall be taken, as now, to the Supreme Court. This was the original prop- osition of the Bar Association. That amend- ment brought the Homse-toa vote on the direct issue betweon the two schools of the legal profession,—that school which uses leg- islation to encourage litigation and to make the employment of counsel compulsory, and that school which disdains any such aids to business,—and the House rejected the amendment. Here, then, wasa vote by the.House and by the Senate of Illinois establishing four Courts of Appeal, neither Court having any more final authority dver the appeals it hears than has the Court appealed from. The bill is to encourage appeals, and to add from $200 to $1,000 to the fees of counsel in every case appealed from and taken to the Supreme Court. ‘We have not the vote by yeas and nays on this bill. The people of this county would like to know how their twenty-oight Senators and Reprosenta- tives voted on this bill for the relief of the more impecunious members of tho legal pro- fession. - The report states that Mesars. ‘WesTworrE and EasroN voted for and sus- tained the amendment, and that Mr. Smer- MAN opposed it,—insisting upon compelling appeals to be taken to an Appeal Court hav- ing no power to rendera final decision. How the other members of the Cook County dele- gation, the lawyers and non-lawyers, voted on this question, will appear in due time. The bill, however, had votes outside of Cook County,—how many of them by Iawyers, we donot know. But the peopleof this State willin due time inquire of the special friends of the farmers, and the Grangers, and the non-lawyer population, how a bill of this frandulent dnd scandalous nature was permit- ted to pass. The Legislature has just added thirteen additional Judges to the list of Cir- cuit Courts; it is intended to make thesa the Judges of these Courts of Appeal. The ad- ditional cost to the State will perhaps be $60,000 to $75,000 a year, but to the litigants it will averago $1,000 for counsel fees nddi- tional for every appeal that reaches the Su- preme Court, and, instead of expediting busi- ness, may add a year to the present delay in having cases determined. ‘We are sure that the reputable members of the Bar throughout the State will disclaim all responsibility for this bill, and for any logislation to compel suitors to pay extra fees to counsel; but we suppose that, unless the Governor, acting in the interests of the people, shall veto this measure, there are enough men in the Legislature to make it a law. That, however, will not redeem the act from the gross and scandalous character of the motive which prompted its enactment. LITERATURE IN RU3SIA. Letters were introduced into Russia shortly after the adoption of Christianity as the religion of the State, in the latter part of the tenth cen- tury, yet the writings produced during the fol- lowing seven centurics which have survived to the present day compose but an inconsiderable body of literature. As is the case with most European countries, the patlon is mainly in- debted to the studious diligence of the scribes connceted with the monasteries for the preser- vation of the historieal records of this early pe- rlod. A serics of * Chronicles » was begun by a monkin the Lavro, at Kief, then the Capital City, in the eleventh century, and was carried on by successive conventual writers with little in- terruption for sixor seven hundred years. In addition to tliesc annals, carefully collected and treasured in the cloisters of the chief towns, there exist various frazments of fiction and of pocsy, with a few specimens of didactic writing, to testify to the intellectual life of the Middle Ages. The printing-press did not find its way into Russia until more than a cen! tury had passed after its invention in Germany. Tfe first print- ing-officc was established at Moscow by Ivan 1IV., the Terrible, and the first book published wasacopy of the “Acts of the Apostles and Epistles of PAuL,” which bears the date of 1564. Afterthisevent theliteratureof Russia long con- tinued in alanguishing state, and, aside from the compilations of the monks, various memorials of Jurisprudence, some examples of the religious drama, and the folk-songs which were conveyed orally from father to son through descending generations, there was little evidence of intel- lectual actlvity among the people before the ad- vent of PETER the Great. With the appearance of this wonder-working maglcian there was wrought the same mighty transformation in the domain of letters as In all the other ficlds in the range of human activities. By the Impulsc of this mental TrTAY, whose en- ergy and enthuslasm selzed and drove forward In the path of progress a whole nation, educa- tlon was reformed, literature was recreated, and Russin wos f{nspired with an aspiration for knowleage and cultare which has never since lost its ardor. Like the great CHARLEMAGNE, who, a thousand years before him, accomplished by similar means a similar work for France, TrrER was obliged to borrow from other coun- tries the fruits of thelr culture in art, in science, and nliterature, for the instruction of his people. But whether by buying or borrowling, have the things craved he would, in order that Russin might be set in the way of acquiring the learn- Ing and the refinements already in the posses- slon of Western Europe. Spirited, talented youths were sent to study abroad, while at home the substructure of his grand scheme for intellectualizing the people was lald by the slmplification of the Russian alphabet to render 1t more fit for typographical uses. This accom- plished, the printing presscs were employed in multiplying travslations and {mitations of for- eizn books. To manufacture a vational literature by such methods and in a brief perlod, was beyond even PETER'S herculean powers, but he succeeded in rousing the Russian mind from {tsepathy, stim- ulating it to brisk action, and firing noble emulation. To bring his realm in quickest possible timeinto a line with the older civilizations of the Continent, was the alm of -the Emperor, and he transmitted his ambitioy with his crown and its immense resources to the sovereigns who followed after hin. . Poets. dramatists, historians, eseagists, apg miscellancous writers without number P up daring the reigns’of PETER the Great and of the successive RoxAxorrs who oceupled thy throne in the cighteenth century. The age of CatnerINE 1. was especlally protificof anth, the Empress encouraging their efforts by the most generous patronage of letters. She alsy honored the literary guild by placing hersel, through the composition of dramas and essays, in the catalogue of jts royal members. In the interval between the years 1730 ang 177, in which the Empire was Zoverned by three conseciitive Czarinas, every department of literature was lionorably represented. Ths first Russian theatre was established in 1748 .ot Yoraslof, and from this ro6t the drama rapidly doveloped s flourishing growth. ELrzanery was then the reizning monarch, and whils she still held the Imperial seeptre the firgt Russiar university was founded at Moscow, It was in the same prosperous era that Journal. ism took its rise, through the instrumentaliy of MULLER, 2 German by birth,but a Russian by educatlod.” P . Among the authors who did most to clevate the character of Russlan literature in the cighteenth century, none is more deserving of mention than MICOAEL Lomoxosor, the sox: of aserf, who was taught to read by his mother, and completed his education in the schools of Germany. Heitwas who first sabjected the Russian language to the laws of grammar, arg purilying it of the'corruptions that had adhered toitin its contact with foreign tonzues, re- stored it to his countrymen as the naturay and cfficlent medium for the communication of their ideas. Nevertheiess, with all that had been ag. complished in the reformation of the Rugsian vernacular; and in the cultivation of belles- Ictttes, within the hundred years followlng the inanguration of the work of Peter the Great e win | there had notyet been created a gennlnely natise literature. Thinkers and authors were stin n- debted to foreign sources for the models after which they molded their opinions and forms of expression. With the inception of the present century and of the Admiunistration of ALEXANDER I thera was Institated a new school of writing, in which for the first time the real life and genius of the people were faithfally refected. The earliest of the authors imbued with a true national feeling was KARAMZIX, who completed in 1816 a * His. tory of the Russian Empire,” which earned him a recognition from all the scholars of Eg- rope. In 1803, at the aze of 33, KARAMZINY had been appointed * Historiographer to the Em- peror,”” and for nearly a quarter of a century thereafter he labored with distinguished suc- cess to improve and refine the style of Russian belles-lettres. Contemporary with KARAMzI¥ in his later life werc'the three most fllustrious of the Russian poets: Puscmkrv, Lervoxtorr, and Griorzporr. These all, like the histor- ogrnpher, ‘were ornaments of the aristocraticas well as literary circles of St. Potersburg and Moscow. PuscnErx and LERMONTOPP were scions of mnobility, and GRrIBorEDOFF occu- pied a high rank as an officer of the Govern- ment. In truth, until within the last twenty- }lve years, letters have been in Russia the almost exclusive possession of polite society. After KARANSIY, the writers to whom Rus- slan literature is chicfly indebted for the devel- 5 opment of distinctive traits, are Kortzorr,a Iyric poet who identificd himsclf fn souz witn the humble class in which he had his birth; Gocor, the author of soveral powerfal dramas, satires, and romances, aud for many years the leader of the realistic school; KriLorr, whose fables cnjoy a cosmopolitan fame: ana Tor- GENEIFF, the popular novelist,whose works, ex- tending over aterm of nearly forty years, hava been read and admired in many different lan- guages. Tho rigid censorship which the Emperor N1ce- oLas exerclsed over the press restrained the actlvity and spontaneity of intellectual enter- prises, but with the grand reforms instigated by ALEXANDER II. was the gift-of comparative frcedom of cxistence to books shd journals. With extended liberty of action, the nation has. made great progress in the advancement of thought. Authorship has been principally em- ployed in the present refgn in the department of prose, and yet in the * Chrestomathy,” pub- lished in 1873, the number of native poess cited amounted to120. . The majority of Russian writers are to-dsy en- gaged in the province of journalism. Inthe past twenty years several hundred newspa- pers and periodicals have been organized, many of which will bear a comparison with the best In any language except the English. In serfous studies the Russians have also made praise- worthy prozress. In no country is more being accomplished in the direction of history, archelogy. and ethnography, and the same may be sald in regard to the varions branches of sclence and of philosophy and jurisprudence. Althoush, as we have sald, journalism now absorbs most of the literary encrziesof the countrry, 3,141 books were published in the year_ 1875. - Second editions, school-books, transla- tlons of forelgn books, and pamphlets,.are fn- cludea {n this number, and still the exhibit is very table. In the same year the number: of book-stores in European Russia was estimat- edat 413. Since 175¢ seven universities have been founded and endowed within the Em- pire, and the sum which the Government expended in the maintenance of these i~ stitutions during the year 1876 amounted to~ nearly $3,000,000. The Imperial Library at St. Petersburg, the third largest in the world, con- talns opward of 1,100,000 volumes, 90,000 of which arc in the Russian language. :Among the 25,000 MSS. included fn its collection, the oldest in the national tongue is a copy of the Evangellsts dating from 1056. Itisafact worthy of note that the sombre skies and rigorous climate’ of Russia weigh heavily upon the spints of her painters, poets, authors, and others who have the sensitive temperament accompanying a highly intellect- ual organization. winter the sun lights up the earth for the brief term of aix hours daily, rising at 9 o’clock in the morning and setting at 3 In the afternoon. The three months of summer, _though bright, and warm, and luxuriznt, afford the people too scanty o hollday after their weary confine- ment to in-door life during the stern and gloomy reign of frost without. To counteract the depression caused - by a too frowning Nature, susceptible minds are tempted to resort to artificial excitement, which unhappily often ends fn habitaal dissipation. It is thus that we may in a measure account for the short carcer of many of the most eminent Russlan artists and authors. Pusciry died 2t 37, LERMONTOFYF at 30, Kortzorr at 33, and Grmmorzporr at 34, Butwe need ot swell the Ust. Russta will never cease to mourn the Joss of those of her most gifted sons who have been cat off in the prime of their years and fame. Through the protracted over the world After all that has been done to stimulats learning and the polite arts, the natlon still stands on alow lovel of civilization. The grest mass of the people are illiterate. Nearly five- sixths of the population of European Russis, or, roughly estimated, 49,000,000 out of 60,000,000 of its innabitants, belon to the peasantry, and very few of the number can read or write The emancipation of the serfs in 1861 sct {rec an lgnorant and superstitious host, whose ravk in the scale of intelligence was scarcely above that of the negro slaves In our Southern States. The Government has been busy with schemes for their elevation, but as yet little of the enormons work to be done has been accoms plished. The merchant ' class in Euoropesn Russia numbers, according to ‘WaLracs, about 466,000 (iocluding wives and children), and the great majority cannot so much as sign theirname to a document, and are obliged to keep their accounts in their head. The most progressive among them are awake to the importance of ed- ucating their children, and the fature will un- doubtedly sce a constant Improvement in these matters. Culture and refinement have hitherto