Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, March 1, 1878, Page 4

——.———* “ THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 1878, — Thye Trtbane, TERMS OF SUDSCRII"TION. TT MALL—IN ADVANCR—POSTA ally FAltlon, one ves ‘artaof n yesr. rer i 4] Literary " and tonday Ldition Doufile Kiieet. Eotudar Fditi F11-Weekly, ong ye: T411a08 A vear. per mon WELKLY ED {ne coy, rerye Cinb of four,. Syecimicn copte sent 1ree. Give Post-Ofiice addrers fn fall Including State and County, Tiemittances may be made efther by draft. express, Tost-Oice order, or In regiatered letters, at our risk. TENMS TO CITY SURSCRIBERS. Tsily, Aclivered, Funday cxcepted, 23 centa per week. Latly, deifvered, Gunday Included, 70 cents ner week. Address THE TRIBUNE COMPANY, Corner Madison and Dearborn-sta., Chicago, Ill. Orders for the dellveryof Tine TRInUXE at Eranston, Englewood, and Hyde Park left in tho countiog-room wilirecelye promnt nttention. Tz CiticAno TRINUXE has estabiished branch ofifees for the recefptof subscriptions and advertiscments aa ORK—Toom 20 Tridune Bullding. F. T, Mc- Fannex, Manager, PARIS, France—No, 10 Ttue de Is Grange-Datelfere. 1, ManvER, Agent. 1.0 Eng.—Amerlean Exchange, 440 8trand. Hzxry F. Giuuia, Agent. 6AN FIANCISCO. Cal.~Talsce Iotel. AMUSTMENTS. MeVieker's Thentre. Madiron eirect, between Dearborn and Etate. 4The Two Orphians.” ¥ Tandolph Hreet, Engagement of Mme, Janauschek. aley’s Thentre. Dbetween Ciatk and LaSalle. *'Chesney Wold." New Chicago Theatre. Clark strect, opposita fherman House. ment of the liyers Sisters Combination, Liondage." Fngages sout ot Haverly’s Thentres Manroe preet, cornerof Dearborn. lm:n:em.snlot Colvllie’s Tolly Compan) oblnson Crusoc. Coliseum Noveity Theatre. Ciark street, opposlto Court-House. Variety per- formance. Farwell il Mndison strect, between Clark and LaSalle. ~ fistor- fcal Costume Jmpersonations by Alfred P. Knight. N CHAPTE! on i (Frid and A, M lon th O, S el ebettng 2t n oAb orintiilan Jiatl, 187 Fast Kinzlest, Degree. The inembers are requests s of m““ll’ll"fl'hl;fllnl"h:\'fil'.l;l"lfl !II{H & alBo variia . S R i £ Vi HBeeretary, YRIDAY, MARCH 1, 18i8. Greenbncks at the New York Stock Ex. change yesterday closed at 984, s The Conferenco is roported to he off. What else could be ezpeeted, considering that the Russians end overything, even thoir own names, in *off " ? Docs the New York Nation still beliovo that the country will go to tho demnition Low-wows, now that the dollar of tho daddies is rtoplaced in the curroncy as full Iegal- tender ? Snch is the noble friendliness felt by the Turks for the Russiana that even tho potty traders of Constantinople go ont to tho Rus. sinn camp nnd peddle frmt and wine at 500 per cent profit. ‘Tur Cnicaco Tmipune tenders ita most profound how to Gobrix's Nution and Jax Gourp's Tribune, and desives them to join it in cougratulating the country upon the res- toration of tho bi-metallic aystem, "The Now York press can now estimato the extent of ita influence on popular opinion in tho United States, ns shown by the vote in Congress on remonctizing the silver dollar. It searcely amounts to a row of pins, Docs Jax Gourn's Tribune still think that 1ho national crodit is destroyed fora contury ? Yow doces it happen that silvor has advanced 4 per cent in anticipation of tho enactment of tle Remonetizing bil? Will Dlack Frday please explain? "Tho silver dollar is not dobased or clipped fo much as it Iately appeared in the eyes of tha Enst. Already they sre beginning- to regard it o o pretty sound institution, that gives good gospel mensnre, well shaken duwu, heaped up, and running over. Joux Suenyan must now play fair, or woo betide him. T'lio Remonetizing act must bo carried into efoct in good faith and accord- ing to the true intent and meaning of the law, ‘Tho mints can jurn ont four millions n nwnth, and it is Buerstan’s bounden duty to s:o that it is done and tho money promptly put into cirenlation, Senator Hiw, of Georgia, npon the sober axcond thought, concluded to abey the will of his constituents, aud Laxan, of Missis- #ippi, to disregord the wishes, interests, nud instructions of his; whilo Braixe, of Maine, who belioves aud declares that the demone- tization of silver was nnconstitutional, yet deliberately stultifies himsel! by voting uygainst the repeal of that uncoustitutional nct. 'Tho enornous number of 2,470,000hogs has heen cut up iu Chicago during the four months euding yesterday, which embrace what is usually called the packing sesson. "Ihis exceeds Ly about 500,000 Lead tho total unumber cut iu Cincinnatl, Bt, Louls, Louis. ville, Indianapolis, and Milwaukee, Our ag- gregate for the past twelve months is 3,910, 00y, against 2,933,486 for tho twelve mouths mext preceding, The London ZTtmes finds fault with Ans- trin's policy of moderation and delay, do- cluring it to be more dangerous to the peace of Kurope thun o vigorous aud emphatic expression of uilitery purpose would be. No doubt Austria's prudest resolve to g0 slow is inteusdly aggravaling to Nuglaud, whoso traditional policy has been to let other nations do the fighting while by cume in for tho lion's share of thy benc- tits. Austria will do nothing rash for the sako of grodifying British hatred of Russia, und at present seems strongly disindlived to yull anybody's cLestuuts out of the fire, ——— A scrious chargo of kidnapping has been Lrought to the notics of President IHaves, und rteps bavo been taken fora prompt and thorough iuveatigation. It is said that sev- crel tegroes living in Florida have becn ab- duct=d and taken to Cuba aud sold into slavery. Judge Lroxarp, Republican mem. ber of Congreas from Louisians, has been se- Jocted by tho President as an sgent to pro- the Bhylocks waxed fat, bankrupts and tromps filled tho strocts, Tho Eastern gold. geabbers have acted the part of vampires, sucking thoe life-blcod ont of productive cn. terprise, enough must suffice them inatead of a foost, ordinpnce to repeal the ordinance for tho oxtension of Denrborn stroot, ia ono .of difficuity as to what had best bo done with this repenling ordinance, one hand, 3t the ropealing ordinance shall Lo pnssed, thera is grave danger of tha city rendering itself liable for tho total damages of upwards of one millicn dollara awarded for the opening, and on the other hand, if Between the two dilemmas the Council should cliooso with great caro and delibera. tion, The «city at large is in no condition to pay a million dollars to open a streot, howsocever nuch domanded by public intercats; but it it be true, as alleged, that the city has taken pos. sesuion of portions of the proposed strect, either by acquiring title under and (he ac. ceptance of doeds, or by excrcising proprie- ceed to Cnba and institate a searching in- quiry into the facts, and his mission receives the heerty co-operation of the Spanish Min- 1ster at Washington, who has requested the Cuban Captain-General to extend, overy pos- sible facility for ascortaining the facts, for the rescueof any citizens of tho United States who have been kidnapped, and for the pre- vention of similar ontrages hereafter. e In tho Scnnte yesterday, dEg the debate on the Mississippi Pine-Log bill, Senator Braise took ocension to got in a shot on Secrotary Scniunz in return for tho opposi- tion of the Intter gentleman to the Maine Senntor's nmominntion ot Cincinnati. Bruse took the part of thieves ngainst the Becrotary, Scnunz of charging poor sottlera in Montann cxorbitant prices for fuel taken from the publie lands. The time and place was rath. er inopportune, but the Sonator's grievance urged him on, and ho was not cortain that ever such a chance as then presented itsolf would ocour again. Mr. the timber- neensing 1] Blmkx?aman sonti- ment in regard to the anti-silver veto, that “If it wore done when 'tis done, then ‘twere well "twore done quickly.” Everybody feels bettor that the long agony is over. For the first timo in the political listory of this country, struck hands and acted spectiva of party lines or antagonism, The ‘West waa na rolid as the Bonll, and a little more Bo. tho great Keystone Btate went with the West, making the remonetization movoment irresistible cven ngainst a veto, Taking all things Into consideration, it is n famons victory, and tho victors nro entiled to sing ** Loudamus!" tho West nud South together, irre- The East was not fully united, for Ft\)r whatever disrespect was implied in tho railrond speed with which the veto was over- ridden in both tho House and Sennto, and for the fact that the message was neilher 1ald over for ono day mor ordered printed, the President need expect no sympathy from the country. no consideration, and was entitled to none, 1t presented no objection or argument that lias not been ropeatedly mot and answored, and any time wasted in debato would have ‘been timo wasted. Tho two Houses had pass- ed the bill by ovorwhelming majorities, and were in no manner bound to go over the snme ground again. What the people want- ed was, that the question bo settled without o momont of unnccessary dolay. Tho veto message called for The system of pnlrlng— w!:le;; obtaing in tho Senato in cases of veto had the offect of making the strength of the silvor men soom loss than it really was in tho vote taken yes. torday, A two.thirds majority boing re- quired, two afirmatives aro paired ngainst ono negative, o that among the Senators not voting the proportion of silver men to gold- ites s two to one. strength by the veto, the bill gained one vote,—that of Senator ITiLy, of Georgia, who, whon it camo to a question whether the bill shonld becomo alaw, obeyed the wishes of his constituents, aud voted to veto the veto, The only nbsenteos not poired wero Sianox nnd CnrisTIaNcY, able opportunity to vote right for onco on the silver question, 8o far from losiug nny Tho latter missed n valu- After s lor;g and exaiting ntr:gglo tho an- cient silver dollar ia restored to the seat from which it was wickedly dothroned. The evil conspiracy ngainst tho wolfaro of the Amor- fean people s brought - to grief. Tho bi- metnllic principlo ‘is roasserted. Tho disas. trous exporiment with the single standard is abandoned by the peromptory order of the National Legislatnre, pay debts in either motal is recovered, never again to be relinquished while the Republic lnsts. tonacity to their fraud-begotton advantage, and they subsidized: nud prostituted both pross and pulpit tho right has - triumphed, will loso theroby anything that was justly his. The couutry could not prosper or ro- cover from depression and curtailing mar- kots while money conlinued to ascend in purchasing power and property, and wages to descend, weight of debt and tax rose with it, and wages aud omployment sank at the other ond of the beam in the same proportion, The former option to The money power clung with frantic to rotain it, But and nmo man As tho gold dollar rose, the and prosperity fled from the constry, Whilo Thoy will atill get onongh, but The Conx;éu‘ hnw)um ng beforo it an The question On the the proceedidgs for the cxtension are allowed to proceed, great distress will be imposed on the ownera of property specially assessed. torship over tho street by limiting owners of abutting property to the lino of the new street in erecting buildings, then it may be that the facts would take this case out of the reasoning of the Bupreme Court in the North State stroet decision, and render the city liable if, by passing the ropealing ordi- nauce, the right of the city to collect tho special asseasments is cut ofl. ‘The rise enactment of the Bilver bill, aud in advance of any demund for American coinage, has embarraased the gold faction. 1fad the Bil- ver bill provided for free colnage, or had it provided for the deposit of silver bars in the ‘Treasury and tho issue of certificates there. for, as is done with gold, there would have been au immediate market for every surplus ounuce of silver now mined, and silver and gold would at once have resumed their accustomed relative values. The price of silver has, however, advanced within a week from 53} perce to 53} pence per ounce ju London. When silver sells for &9 pence per ounce, 371} grains, or the silver in the old dollar of 412} graius, will bo equiy- alent to the gold dollar in value. The coinage of silver will not ex- pel or drive out the gold coin. Those who have been deceived into buying gold, expect. ing it to rise because of tho introduction of politicians and secliish denngogues, President arbitrary power of veto, to perpetuate, so far as o might, the most scandalous act of leginlation which has ever disgraced tho records of Coungress. williont even a rensonnble pretext, and ns if o took especial personal satisfaction in the whanton exercise of naked power. Fortunately the * debased silver " money, have discovered the falsity of their predictions. There hns, moreover, grown up within tho last ten days, ond since the ndoplion of tho rosolutions de- claring nll bondspayable in silver, an extraor- dinary demand for the 4 per cent bonds, purchased with gold at par, and payable, principal andinterest, in silver. The terri- ble consequence of paying the national debt in *‘Qobnsed coin™ does not seem to doter nny one from buying silver bonds at par in gold. Tho valno of 671} grains of silver— the contents of n dollar—is now 94 cents in gold. As Tne Trisvse predicted, the ailver dollar, long before 250,000,000 can be coined, will be at par with gold, and the country will hiave n gold, silver, and paper currency, all of equivalent values, THE VETO OF THE SILVER BILL. o8 To tho regrot of nine-tenths of thoso of the American peoplo to whom the President nlone can expect sympathy or support in his cfforts to rescue the administration of tho Government from the control of machino tho has nndertaken to nssert his He bas done this for tho country, fortunately for tho Rte- publican party, nnd fortnnately for the President's own official usefulness, his veto has been disrogarded by the country and Ly Congress as contemptuously as was the com- mand of that other ruler who forbid the rising of the ocenn tide. The veto, so far as intended to bave any legal cffect, fell as barren and impotent ns the Papal bull ogainst the comet. The Silver bill had two'affirmative objocts. Ono was to incrense the volumo of metallic monoy in the country, aud thus make specie payments possible; nnd tho second was to stop the fall in the value of Inbor and of property, owing to thorise in the value of money, nggravated by the offort to reduco metallic money exclusively to gold coin. The opposition to the Silvor bill had for its purposa to reduco the quantity of metallio money by demonetizing silver, and thus in- crenso its valuo, and espocially of gold, and to ndd to the value of all indebtedness and the incomo therefrom by requiring payments to bo made exclusivoly in tho scarce and dear gold coin. It was a question whether or not mn averago of 40 per cont should bo taken from the valuo of labor and property, and ns much added to the burden of debts and interest thercon, by having an exelusive gold currency. On this issue, o clenr and distinct that it was readily understood, the people of tho country rap- idly took sides. ‘The peoploof thirty States ond a minonty in tho others beeama advo- cates for tho Silver bill, while tho moncy. lending interost and the Secrotary of the Treasury opposed that bill, The President, on a question of mere ox- pediency, a question of policy, free of all complications of constitutional anthority, by his veto, wantonly bat deliberately, put the wishes and the interests of the peoplo all at defiance, and, so far ns he had the power, sought to defeat the bill, and force the country to submission to the conflscating de- mands of the money-lenders, Tho promptness with which the two Houses of Congress placed tho stamp of roprobation upon the President’s intorpo. sition in bebnlf of the gold faction; tho promptness with which they pronounced on the over-zenlous ofliciousness of the Ex. ecutive in behnlf of a dishonest, rapncious, and fraudulent conspiracy to rob and plun- dor the country, carries with it n signifi. canco which recalla the fate of other Execu. tives who hava sought to coerce a froo people by the exerciso of arbitrary power, In tho light of the prompt cnnctment of tho law, and the overwhelming rebuko to the nauthors, defenders, and npologists for tho demonetization fraud, it is hardly uoces. sary to comment upon the President's mes- sage, Thero s nothing in that messago which has not been heard before. Argu. ment lad long siuce ceased. The country, in its triumph, cares little for what may now be said, and thq President may be thankful if the fact of his veto can Lo as quickly forgotten by his countrymen as will ba the rensons given in his messago. The victory is ono of the people. It is a victory that was necded to remind the world that Wall streot no longer controls and dic- tates national legislation. For the first time perbaps sinco the War there has been legisla. tion on a question of finance which has not been inspired by and in the intereat of those who live by gambling in money aud public securitles. Wa congratulate the conntry on the substautial victory it has gained. Wo congratulate tho representatives of the country in Congress upon the ability, unity, onergy, and fidolity they bLave shiown in de- fense and maintenance of the publie inter- ests, While we regret that tho Prealdent has voluntarily shut himself oufjof sll par- ticipation iu this national victory, the valus and the moral sublimity of the vietory itself is only intensifled because in the ranksof the discomfited aro included tho President and Lis Administration The following extract from the New York Tribune sufliciontly attests the malignity of thio golditos in tho effort to alarm the country s to future financinl legislation: The faint hope that the limited remonctization of sllver may put an end 1o financial agltstion and shuig sccur w revival of buvimess, which in turn will atop the spreail of popular dlscontent and pre- veut furiner repudiation, s somewhat strength. & break in tho ranks of vhe silvernyi. ‘The iwo Republican newspopers fn the West which bave done more harw than any otber one uflueice by supporiing the Sli- ver bill,—Tug Cuicavo Tiiwuss and the Cin- ciunatl Commerclal,—have switched ol from HLani and Ewixa and arc trylng to stop the storm they have raised. Whettier tney can du it ar uot Ja eatremely doubtiul. reat inass of iver parly s not satlafi the loudest tors ar they will uot keep qulel, If the discussion is contipucd, if addltional legislativn is attempted, there can be no stability of values and no fmprove- ment 1 business, ‘Thu demaguzue witl tell tho peapls prosprity dous not cowwe becauss tho amount of silver fs limited, and the dsnger is the peosle wil besiove llu, Uy that tluio Measra, 1atetean and Mevitt will discover that it s & xood deal easler 1o kiudlo a coptlagration than to extinguish it Thu best answer 1o this came by telegroph yesterday, iu the announcement that the House of Kepresentatives and the Senate jmmedistely passed the Silvor bill over the President's veto. Had there been any 1uten- tion on the part of the extreme Greenback Coungressmen to interfere with the silver legislation for the purpose of crowdiog their own vagaries to the front, they would have used the veto ns n means to that end. The remonctization of tho silver dollar stands alone. It has been demauded by Tne Cni. crgo TRinuxE ns an act of justice fo the people, and a8 an essential auxilinry to resumption. The charge of ‘‘switch- ing off” from tho exiromists has no foundation in fact, since Tnz Tainune has never in any senso been allied with thoke who favor an indefinite postponement of resumption and an unlimited inflation of irredeemable curroncy. These extrame agi- tators havo received their main oncourage. ment from tho intolerance and greed of thoss who have ineisted upon rosumption in gold nlono, Any legisiation they may propose liereafter to carry out their schomes will lave nothing in common with tho silver movement whan remonetization shall have become n fuit accompli, nnd the goldites will then bo powerless to swell the ranks of the greenbackers from tho mnsses who might havoe joined them inindignation, had remon. ctization been defented. e — THE POSTAL SAVINGS BILL. The bill for a national savings scheme agreed upon by the Suh.Cgmmitlcu of the Ifonse on Banking and Currency, and likely to ba reported by the full Committes, differs materially from Mr, Buncuanp’s bill, which was explained by Tue TniouNe a day or two ago, and which ia under consideration in the Ways and Means Committee, This Postal Savings bill, ns it is called, scems to bave beon framed largely with the purpose of watering tho currency by a new issue of 250,000,000 in legal-tenders, which is inei- dentally provided for in the course of the DLill, and it is not so eatisfactory in 1its rela. tion to the general subject of a national savings scheme as Mr, Burcuanp's bill woulk Lo with ono or two amendments, ¥ 'Tho bill provides for deposits at every monoy-order post-office in the country of sums not lees than 25 centa nor more than $5 in any one weok, which shall ba entored upon a pass-book; whenover tho account renches the sum of $10, the depositor may demand a postal.ordor on the United Btates Treasury, freo of chargo, These postal- ordors aro mode transferrablo on indorse. ment, but it is provided that thero shall not be moro than five indorsomenta on any ono ordor. These orders themeelves do not draw intercst, butthoy are exchangeable on demand for * Postnl Savings Bonds " in sums of $10 and multiples thareof, which shall draw 3.65 per cont intorest for the term of three years, but no longer. Pending the threo yenrs, those bonds may be cxchanged on the de. mond of the holder at the United States Trensury or any Sub.Treasury for United Btates notes in an amount represonting the principal and accrued intorest, and they can also be exchanged at auy time for tho 4 -per cent refunding bonds of the United States. The objections to thoe bill so far are (1) that thero {s no renson why the deposit should bo limited to 85 in any one week, sinco thero is not n sufficient purpose in contracting tho privilego of such deposits; (2) that no pro- “vision 18 made for tho allowance of interest on doposits nnder 810 pending the acenmu. Intion of deposits to' that amount, and this will have a tendency to exclude a largo class of depositors; and (3) that it Is not neces- sary to put a limit of threo years ns tho term during which the small bonds shall hava the charactor of savings deposits, which should ba limited rather by tho amount,—sny 81,000 in the mamo of nny one person, MMr, Buncuanp's proposition provides 3 per cent futerest for open nccounts, convertible into 8.65 per cont savings bouds, which in turn are convertible at the option of the holder into permanent 4 por cont bonds, Both the open accounts and savings bonds should bear interest and bo conyer(iblo at pleasure into currency. Tho chicf objoction to the Banking and Currency Committeo's bill, howover, is found in the provision foramncw issne of green- backs, with which to pay off tho postal- savings bonds, and to be issued at tho rate of 10 per cont of tho doposits, until such new issuo of groenbacks shall have reached tho sum of $50,000,000, Such a provision is not at all necessary to n national savings schome, but enlargos the volume of the out- standing greenbacks by $£50,000,000 in tho end, occasions a fluctuation in tho value of grecubacks, and rendors tho resumption of spocio payments just go much moro difficult, In ordor to protect tho savings deposits, and meot oll domands for the withdrawal of monoys, it will only bo necessary to rotmin in the Tronsury 10 per cont of the moneys doposited, reisaning all the remainder in the purchase of coin for the redemption of ¢ per cent and 5 per cent bonds subject to call. We suspect that tho present bill has beon concelved largely for tho purpose of provid. ing for o speclal issue of $50,000,000 of greonbacks, and this purposo shonld not be permitted to interfere with the pnssago of a National Savings bill, which necds no such special Issuo to sustain it in oporation. A “CONDITIONAL" DECISION, The Iate Custom.Houss appeal ease of Mesars, H. A. Koux & Brothers, of this city, promises to result in wome startling developmenta, Following is n statoment of tho case in brief: (1) Koax Droa., heing manufacturers of clothing, imported a lot of canvas paddings, which wore nssessed for duty by the Appraiser at this port at 85 per cent ad valorem. (2) Konx Dros, appealod to the Hecrotary of the ‘I'rensury from tho decision of thie Appralser, claiming that the goods should pass at 30 per cent, and sus- talned the appeal Ly letters from J. & A, D, Guuxoxp, of New York City, declaring thnt goods of that description aro passed at that port (New York) at 110 per cent. (3) Upon the filing of tho appeal with the Collector, the Appraiser was requested to mako a special report on tho case, which he did, sns. talning his original return by citations of authorities, (4) Thoreupon the appenl and accompanying papers, iucluding samples of the goods in question, went to tho 'Frensnry Department. (5) The Department, through IL F. Frexcs, Asistant Secretary, mformed Koux Bros. that, * on full consideration of the case,” it had * conditionally reversed " the Iccal decision, and forwarded its * con. ditional * decision to the Collector. (6) This 4 conditional” decision referred to a former decislon, in which it wus held that cer- taln maucufactures of Hax *assimilating burlaps” are logally dutiable at 30 per cent, but which decision contained an exception to the rule laid down, and this exception cov. ered the goods in question; and the goeds in question, by sample, were before the deciding officer for snapection. Tho docision con- cluded as followa: **You will therefore ap. ply such ruling to the goods covered by the appeal in this case, so that, it the samo or any portion thereof come within the cate. gory of ‘burlaps’ or ‘like manufactures,’as therein set forth, they msy, rogardless of width, be so classified, and tha entry be veliqul- dated accordingly.”” (7) Upon receipt of this “conditional* decision by the Collector, it was submitted to tho Appraisor, wherenpon that official made a third report on the sub- joct to the Collector, containing, among other things, the following: ‘Thia decinion dnes not militats againat the cor- rectness of my return in tho Koty case, hecanse all the **military eanvas® incinded 1n the eotr) In that cane waw ‘*atarched” and n portion of it *tcrenmed," hringing it within the ezcention of the rnle aiready quoted, n cancluston, | bex reeprctfally to call youe at. tentlon to the fact that Messre, Kanx & liros, state in their appeal that like goods nre passed at the New York Cnatom-Ionase nt i) ver cent ad valorem, and this on the strength of lotters from Meassrs, Jo & A. P Gusoxn, of Now York Cl({. If this bo a fact, the practice Is cf Mll{ in violas tlon of Department deciston (Sept. 7, 1877), the authority of which s reaflirmed in this, the De. partment Jetter of the A1st ult, I auggest that tho attention of the Lepartment bo directed to thiv circumetance. One 11 B, Jastea is at tho head of tho ens- tom’s division of ths Tronsury Dopartment. His chiof duty, or atlenst his most impor. tant function, consists in the rendering of de- cisions on appoals from the various custom- houson in the country. He prepared the *conditional” deoision fn the Komy ense, which wns signed by Assistant-Secretary Frexem. The *‘conditionnl ” feature of this decigion tnrna npon o question of fact,—the fnct whether the gooda cavered by the appenl fall within the rule or within the excoption to the rule. Now Mr, Jasea had before him conclusive evidenco of thisfact. Tho goods, by sample, were in his possession, for the very purpose of -cnabling him to render a final dectsion, ITe had only to look upon them todetermine whother they fell within tho rule,—30 per cent, or within the oxcep. tion, 35 per cent. Why, thon, did not Le decide the ense? Why did not he say: *“The ovidenco (samples) Leforo mo shows that the appeal of Kony Bros. is not well taken; the decision of the Apprniser is afirmed "? Or, “The evidenco shows thrt the appenl §s well taken ; the decision of tho Appraiser is reversed; you will reliquidato the duty nccordingly "2 This “‘conditional " decision is oxplainnble npon ono hypothesis, —thio hypothesis that the Appraiser at Now York is actually in tho habit of passing the goods covered by the Koux appeal at 80 per cent; that Mr. Jaxes knows this to be the fact; that ho desires the practico to bo con- tinued thers but not clsewhere, and thore. fore cunningly avoids the responsibility of placing on record n decision flatly probibit- ing tho practico. Thoro is a support for this theory in the circumstance of the neglect of Mr, Jaues to give nny explanation in regard to the statements of the Goustonp lotters. Thoso letters state positively that the goods covered by the Konx appenl aro ** imported ctery day in New York at the rate of 30 per cent duty.” It this bo s fact, Mr. Jaxea knows it ; if it bo not a fnct, he knows it. Io ought to afflirm or dony it; but he does neithor. Now, if tho statements of the Grntoxp letters are true, wae havo presented tho spectacle of a high official in tho Treasury Dopn:tment using his position to guard certaln Now York jm. pertora while they rob tho Government of n portion of its just rovenue. Wa do not pre- for the chargo specifically, but we insist that ncnso ngoinet Mr. Jaues is presonted, so atrongly supported by circumstantial ovi. dence, 0s to demand tho instant atten. tion of Seccretary Sueryan, Lot the facts of tho KonN caso bo sifted to the bottom, and lot tho Secretary, select- ing his sgents for the work, take good care that nono but relinble men are choson, We presume that Br. Syrrir, the chief customs officer at this port, has already placed or will immedintely place all tho factsof the Koun caso directly in the handsof Mr. Secre- tary Suensan, with o request for a searching invealigation. This much is duo to tho mor- chants of Chicago aud tho West generally, They have aright to know, and know prompt~ 1y too, whether discrimination in favor of Now York City and against Interior ports of ontry fluds ita chief support in the very heart of the Treasury Department, in dofi- anco of the will of tho Bccrotary, THE CONFEDERATE PENSION DILL. The DIl introdunced into the National Fouso of Representatives under tho titlo of “A Dill to Pension American Veterans,” should be called ‘A Bill to Pension Confed- erate Soldiers.,” The support which it has rucoived from the Southern members is not entirely duw to the fact that a large propor- tion of those who sorved in tho Moxican War lived south of Mason & Dixon's line, but be- causo this Mexican Pension bill contains n clauso which absotutely repeals tho present statutory prohibition of the payment of any money on account of pension to any person, or to tho widow, children, or heim of any deceased porson, who was ongnged in any cnapacity iu the Robellion against the United States. As originally prepared, this Mexican- War Pension bill merely repealed this pro. hibition ko far as it should apply to pensions on account of service in tho Mexican War; but the Committee lopped off the clause m- iting tho operation of the repeal, and, it tho bill should become a lnw a8 It now stands, thero wonld no longer bo any prohibition of pensioning Rebels, ‘This bill would consoquently serve as an en- tering wedgo. for future legislation in this direction, which is unquestionably the dream and the hope of a largo part of tho Bouth, Henes the enthusiastio aud solid support which tho measuro has received in the House from 1ho delegations of the Southern Btates, Its pasango will be a quasi recognition of the claims of those who fought against the Gov. ornment to sharo cqually in its bounties aud gratuities, not morely in thiy caso, but in all future ponsion schemos, ‘'Lhis clausa alone should be suflicient to insure the defent of tho bill in the Henate, oud even the loyal men iu tho Democratic party should yefuse to countenance so unjust aud pernicious a doc- tiioe, But, aside from the Confederate clauss of the bill, tho measure has no merit of its own with which to appeal to the patriotism of Congress or the gouerosity of the antion, It is not a proposition to allow a pension to men who wero maimed in the Mexican War, or those whose henlth was 8o shattered by the campaigu as to render them helpless, or the widows of men who perished inthat wur aud left them or their children without support, Such a proposition might bo made with some show of justice, though evon this much would bo out of place now whea the Government revenue is running bebind Gov. eruwmcnt expenses, and when the people of tho country are too wmuch impoverished to listen to any proposition which involves an incroaso of taxation. Bul the Houso bill ac- tually confers a pension of $8 a month, or 496 & year, on all tho survivors of the Mox. ican War, and upon all the unmarried wid~ ows of men who served in that war, with- out any reference to the extont or the character of the service rendered, or to the present condition of the beneficiaries, All are to be served slike, and every one treatcd more bouptifully than the men who went through the War of the Rebellion fighting for the maintenance of the Union. There is not much reason to wonder that Mr. Six- xicxsoN, of New Jersey, gave notice that, if this bill should pass, he would offor another Lill gronting pensions to il soldiors who fouglit on tho Union side during the Rebell- fon, There would bo more justice inthe Iatter proposition than in the pending bill, for the Mexican War was an unimportant skirmish by the side of the flercs and pro- longed struggle to sustain the Government. It this bill to ponsion Mexican War soldiors shall become n Iaw, it will impose an anmal burden of from $7,000,600 to $0,000,000 upon.the people. It is estimated that thero are 76,000 survivors of the war. Tho num- ber of unmarriod widows, with ample proof of fdenlity, will bo overwhelming. ‘The cost of this bill will nbout doublo up the deficien- cy in tho Government revenus alrendy nn- nouncod, and Congross will next be obliged to devisa ways and monns for increasing toxation at the rate of $14,000,000 or 815,000,000 n yoar. 'That this shonld be done in order to repeal the prohibition of pnying ponsions to Rebels, and whilo more than 100,000 cases of Union War pensions nro not passed upon boenuse Congress re- fased enflicient appropriation for clerk-hire, 18 significant commont on the Democratic professions in favor of rotrenchment, and an abundant warning of the Confederate pnr- pose in regard to pensions when the Sonth shall hiave succeeded to the control of the Government. A NEW DEMOCRATIC ISSUE. The Democratic party of the Western States are uvidently preparing the way for n now political issue, and seom to expect not only to unite that party inats favor, but to draw to its support a large following from other parties. In the Iudiana State Demo- cratic platform was a rosolution reciting that sinco 1860 thero had been oxtraordinary addi. tions made to the jurisdietion of the United States Courts, by which the authority of tho State Courts has been greatly abridged and overshndowed, If any nccessity existed for thias during or because of the War, or bocause of the condition of affairs in certain Statos, that necessity no longer exists, and all such legislation ought now to bo repealed. Like resolutions have boen offered and adopted by various Democratio organizations in this Btate, and notably in this county. The de- mand is, that the jurisdiction of tho Federal Courts shall be restricted to what it wes under tho Judiciary act of 1780. In roferonco to this subject o bill hns been introducod by MMr. Townsnewp, o2 this State, in tho RHouss of Representatives, having for its object tho restriction of tho jurisdiction of tho United States Courts. ‘Two points are mnde in support of this bill: (1) That it will restore to the State Courts jurisdiction which has beon illegitimately taken from them, and (2) that it will furnish all the relief to the Federal judiciary that is needed. The main point in this matter, however, is tho assertion of Btato sovercignty, nnd the restoration of tho supremnacy of the State Courts in nll mattors not specifically excepted by the Constitution, This is the political or porty point on which the Domocrats from all sections aro expected to unite. Another poiut, however, is hardly less significant, It is urged that at present tho Federal Conrts havo taken possession of one-third or more of the railronds of the country, and of vari- ous othor corporations, to the outire exclu. sion of tho Stato Courts; that, under the bankrupt laws and otherwiso, the Federal Courts, through Recelvors and Asaigness, have control of immense amounts of private property, to tho exclusion of all interforence by tho State Conrts, It is fur- ther claimed that the Federal Conrts have, through tho fiction of foreign suitors (por- sona resident in other States), undertaken to override Btato Constitutions, State laws, mu- nicipal charters, and to usurp the interpota. tion of State Constitutlons and laws to the exclusion of the State Courts; that it has now becomo o common fhing for the Fed- eral Courts to direct its officers to lovy taxes, —specinl taxes,—onforco their collection, to arrest Municipal Governments ond imprison the officers at tho more spplication of somo non-rosident, claiming to bo a creditor; and that tho Btate judiciary is powerless to pro- tect the persons or the property of its eiti- zens, or to enforco their rights aud privileges under tho State Constitutions and laws, Wo hava givon thus bricfly a synopsis of tho programme of the Domocratic schome which it is proposed to makq the leading feat- uro of its future party policy. Our rcaders way readily underatand tho scope of this de. mand for tho restriction of tho power of Foderal Courts and the snperior authority to be claimed by the State Courts. Wo content ourselves, at this time, to the mero stato. ment, and will have something to say of it horenfter. It is expectod that even if tho ‘Townsnexp bitl be not passed by tho presont Congress, its purposo will be indorsed and adopted by tho Demoeratio State Conven. tions in every Biate in the Union, ontslde of New Logland, New York, and New Jersoy, 18 LOYALTY A CRIME?Y For ton yoars a petition has beon bandied nbout from committea to committeo in Con- gress which should have been acted upon when it was first presented, This petition is signed by eight widows, who ask to Lave themselves and their minor children placed on the pension.rolls, to date from °tho death of their husbauds, The petition recites ono of the most brutal and horriblo cascs of cruelty that took place during the War of the Rebellion, Their husbauda were loyal to tho Government, and oarly in the Robell- fon were sworu Into tho servica by Col. Frx, of the First Tenuesses Cavalry, As it was impossible for them to got to the Federal lines, 300 miles awsy, thoy organized them. sclves iuto & company at Laurel, N, O., for the protection of Union men, and to aid Northorn soldiors in their nttempts to escape from the Southern prison-pens, whilo thelr wives contributed from their small means of support to provide the fugitives with food and temporary shelter, The Con- foderate authorities made several desperate attemnpts to break up this gallant little com. pany, and sent battalion after battalion agoinst them fu vain, For a year and a half the company successfully resisted every ef. fort matle to capture them. In 1863 an overwhelming force was seut sgainst them, ond on the 19th of January they wero cap- tured, together with five small boys, their children. They were tiod together two and two, in one case a father with his sou only 11 years of age, and wore led out two at a time and brutally murdered in the presence of their wives, imploring mercy for them. For thus imploring mercy, the poor women were tied up by their thumbs to trees and saplings, and unmercifally whipped sad in. sulted by tho Confederato soldiers. Thelr bouses were then fired, their little property either stolen or destroyoed, aud they were turned adrift to depend upon charity within the Pedern! lines. The petition of these sfllicted widows of North Carolina Unlonists, indorsed by the Governor and Becretary of State and mem- bers of Congreas aud of tho Btate Legisla- ture, an well as by the Judges of tho State Courts, waa presontad to Congress in 183 In the Sennte it was referred to the Gom- mitteo on Ponsions, who presonted a bill jn Februnry,. 1860, asserting that the factain the petition were abundantly proved and recom- meonding that the petition be granted. No nction waa taken upon it. It was again pre- nented in the Forty-third Congress and 8gain referred to the Committeo on Pensfons, Ay odversa report was prosentod by Mr, Haspy- ToN, of Texas, upon the technieality thay ** 80 long & period intervened between thy date of enlistment and tho date of death as to raiso the presumption that thoy (the mur. dered men) had abandoned oll intention of trying to moke their way to the Federy army.” Tho petition has baon presented to the presont Congress also. It was roferred once moro to the Committco on Pensions, and this Committeo has ovaded all responsi. bility in the promises by turning it over to tho Committee on Military Affairs, who haye no jorisdiction in pension cases, which of coursa onds the matter for this Con- gress, and onco more thoso unfortunats women aro rebuffed, if nat rebuked, for pre. suming to think that thoy are entitled to pensions becauso their husbands were mur. dered for loyalty to their country and invaly. nble sorvices rendered to it under circum. stances that called for moro of courago and determined devotion than if they had beon in tho active military sorvice. Meanwhile Congresa Is almost daily put. ting its hands into the Public Trensury to pay Southorn people for losses incurred dur. ing the Rebellion whose loyalty ia insum. ciently established, and who lost only in property, and to pay some SBonthern peoplo who can present no proofs of loyalty, nnd whose losses wera incnrred by reason of thelr dovotion to the Confedernoy and their efforts to destroy tho Federal Govarnment. Wiilg the prayer of theso women I8 slighted and soubbed, an effort is mndo by the Democrats of the Houso to grab £9,000,000 ot of ths ‘T'reasury to pay the veterans of the short. lived Mexican war, nenrly all of whom aro in comfortable circumstances, and probably none of them in necd of the money, and this while there nre over 100,000 cases of pen- sions from the War of the Rebollion not aet. ed on becauso the Domoceratio House will not supply the clorical force to audit the claims, Whilo this Democratic Houso refusos to act upon tho pensions of loyal porsons, 14 is logis. lnting to remove the disabilitics of thoso who wera disloyal, so that thoy may got on the pension-rolls again, nud is socking to romove several hundred Northorn officers from the army to make room for Bouthorn Brigadiers, ‘when the Democrats obtain the power to placo them thore. It is ovidently the sonti. ment of the Democracy that thoso who fought for the Government are not ontitled toreward, and that officers who have served the Government arc not 80 much entitled to their places as those who deserted thoir posi- tions to serve under the Confederato nuthori. ties, TLoyalty to the Government is rapidly assuming tho shape of a crime to bo pus. ished. THE FAMINE IN CHINA. Late mails received in San Franciseo bring heartrending reports of the famine in Chinn. Husbands nre sclling their wives and pr rents thoir childron to obtain food for all, Threo or four millions of peoplo are depend. out upon tho Goverument for support. At lonst ten millions aro in extremo dostitution, Tho four provinces in which famino is felt, in a groater or leas degree, are Shensi, Shan. wi, Chilili, nud Honan, They have an aggre- gnte popnlation of 75,000,000. Since gho avorago of wenlth among them is very low, it is probable that the additions to the number of the sufferers will be rapid and large. No reliof from tho crops can be looked for be. fors Mny or June. Meanwhile, thera are only threo sources of reliof opon to the starving people, and none of these seems to bo eithor sufficiont or certaln, First, thers is tho Chincss Gavernment, which, with the best intontions to care for its subjects, js nn- abla to deal with an emergenoy of this de. soription, Tho recsources of tho Dritish Government, which are mony times larger than thoso of the Chinese, were taxed to tho utmost to meot tho demands of the Indian famine; and the latter was much smaller, both in tho extent of territory covered and tho numbor ‘of sufferors, than the one which now prevails in China. Morcover the Chineso Government labors under the difMeulty of having to mako its distributions through corrupt and inefficient sorvants, Tho dispatches in yesterday's papers stato that the exertions of tho Government nre lo n great extont nullified by the dishonosty of officials, This dishoncsty has been s flagrant in many instances that outbresks have occurred, snd at Houching a mandarin was behieaded for spooulating on tho necessis ties of the peoplv. Another sourca of relief, suggested by tho philanthropists of the United Btates, is the roturn of the Chiness Indemnity Fund, now uuappropriated in tho Treasury, for use in the rolief of the sufferers. ‘The objections to this scheme aro, first, that it caunot roceive the sanction of Congress until too late; ana, saconilly, that the United Btates have not tho right to specify how the monoy shall be used when it is rotnrned. If the money was unjustly extorted from OChina, it ought to be ro. turned without conditions ; if it was not e1* torted, it ought not to be returned at all. There {8 no room for casulstry in tho dis cussion of Bo siwple a question as this The thinl sourcs of reliof is voluntary contributions from tho countries of the clrile fzed world. ‘This is manifestly tho one upon which, next to the Chincse Governwment, the priucipal dependence ought to bo placed, and which the benevolent friends of Chins in this country ought most eagerly to avail themselves of. Our commercial relations with China are closor and more profitablo than thoso of amy country excopt Great Britain, and a moral obligation resta upon u$ to contribyte liberally to the relief fund Lot tho lists bo opened at onco, Those who are clamoring for the return of the indemol- ty monoy can prove thelr slncerity aud liber- ality quite a3 well by making proctical and personal appeals to the people for subscrip- tions. All that can be obtained in this mau- ner will not be too much for the purpose. ‘The Indian Famine Fund fu England was 8 wmere drop in the bucket, aud the Chiuess Famino Fund in tho United States will scarcoly be more. DBut, whatever it is, it should be applied rigidly and exclusively 10 the purpose for which 1t is collected. This will be comparatively a simple mattor, it tho distribation is made through special agonts —say the American Minister or vomo well known firm in the Pexin trade. Tho primary causes of this famine ar® wortls inquiring into. Thoy furnish an io- structive commentary upon the policy which is now cxtensively pursued in tha Uni Btates, of denuding the soil of its nals proteciors,—the forests and undergrowtbs of timber. Bhansi and Shensi—the two pro*s inces which are now the principal scats o