Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, March 26, 1878, Page 4

s . THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 1878, Tlye Tribyne, TERMS OF SUBSCRII'TION. N MAIL—IN ADVANCE—TOSTAGR PREPAID, Edltlon, one vear. 1300 of A yeRr. rer mow nday Eaition: ” Lite Tiouble 8hect Eaturday kaition, si-Weekiy, ona year. 'ertaol A vear, pet mionin WEEKLY EDITIO! ©ne copy, per sear. §:gl Club of our..... S50 i Bpectien coples sent fres Glve Tost-Ofice address In fall facluding Stateand County. Temittances maybe made efther by draft, express, Fou-Ofice order, or In reglatered ietters, at our risk. TERMS TO CITY SBUDECRIGERS. Dilly, delfvercd, Sunday excepted, 33 cents por week. Datjy, dellyered, Sunday Incinded, 50 cents per week. Adiren THE TRIBUNE COMPANY, Corner Madlson and Dearborn-sts., Chicago, Tl Orders for the deliveryof TRE TAIRUNE st Evanston, Eogleweod, and Hyde Park left In the countlog-room Whilzecelve prompt attentton. TRIBUNE BRANCIl OFFICES. Tn® Cn1caGo TATOUNE has establishied branch offices for the recelpt of smbcribtions and advertisements aa tollows: NEW YORR—Room 20 Zyibune Buftding. F.T. Ma- Fappxx, Mansger, PARIB, France— 1L ManLER, Agent LONDON, Eng.—American Exchange, 449 Birand. DxxerF. Gietio, Agent. BAN FRANCIS 18 Rus de Is Granga+Batellere. Iace Hotel. “AMUSEMENTS, MeVicker's Theatre, Madlson street, between Desrborn and Stats, ** ACelebrated Case,” by the Unlon Square Company, Hooley’s Thentre. Tandolph street. between Clark and LaSaite. Fogagement of Sothern. **Our American Cousin.” New Chleago Thoatre, CIark street, opposite Sherman House, Engage- ment of Haverly's Minstrels, Taverly's Theatre. Monroe street, vorner of Desrhorn. Engagement of Frank Mayo. *‘Davy Crockett.” Colisoum Novelty Theatre. Clark strect, opposite Court-llouse, Variety pers formance. TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 1878, Greeubacks at the Now York Btock Ex- changa yeslerday closed at D8, The Hon. ALexaxpzn MaokeNzie, Premier of Cannda, reccivgd Bunday an auonymous epistle informing him that he had but two days to live, at tho end of which time ho’ would be shot. The fate of a Conadian statesman ton years ago, who foll by the hand of an nssassin, lends some weight to tho threat, but it is, howover, belioved impossible of fulfillment. — e It apponrs thot the Democratio Governor of Ohio hias so shamalessly and inaatiably pursned his pocuniary interosts, through the advantages afforded by his high official posi- tion, ns to have excited the warm disgust of tho most hungry of his party. Even tbe not very squesmish Democratic pross of Ohio is distressed that tho spectacle should under Democratio rulo bo prosented for the firat timo in the history of tho Htate of & Gov- ernor solling provisions to the Penitentiary, and summoning whole delegations of Repro- sentatives to his mansion to demand their votes for a grab for a railroad corporation of which he is a principal functionary, it b bt Roprosontative Borp, of the Ninth Illinols District, can with advantage take a fow los- sons {n parlinmentary dignity and logislativo docorum if & fair sample of his qualities in that regard is afforded in the bill which ho yesterday introduced providing, among other things, for tho sale by tho State of that portion of the Lako-Front Park lying south of Madison stroet, and the application of tho procceds toward tho completion of tho Hlinois River improvement projeot. Tho bill is chiefly remarkable for its malice toward Chicago, for its incongruity as alogislative onactment, and for tho certalnty that it will never be- como n law. It is daily becoming more evidont that the pending controversy betwoen England and Russin bns not only delayed tho meeting of tho proposed Congress, but will possibly re- sult in postponing the meeting indefinitely. Boveral Continental journals have already virtually admitted that thero is little likeli- hood of England’s roceding from the position sho has taken, and tho tone of the Russian press indicates a tomper on tho part of that Government which gives littlo hopo of con. cossion. The last named journals acouse tho English Govornment of chicanery, and call upon the Continental Powers to ignore Grent Britaln and wottle the existing orisis among themselves, A resolution was in! ucod last evening in the Common Council by Ald. Kinx, and ander the rules roforrod to tho Judlciary Committas, which ought to bo promptly passed, ne it undoubtedly reflects tho senti- ments of a very large majority of the tax. payers and paronts of Chlcago. It recitos that it ju tho scnso of the Counail that the appropriation for school - purposes was intonded for, and ehould be first op- plied to, furnishing mesns of pri. mary cducation in tho ncceasary com- mon-school branches to every child of schiool age for tho full achool year, The passago of such a resolution a8 an expres. slon of tha Council's desira in the matter would bo entirely proper ot this timo; and tho Board of Education should bo glad to obtain such an expression from the ropro- sentatives direct of the people. ——— According to a decision of the Wisconsin Bupremo Court just rendored, the Tax As. sessors of that Btato have timo out of mind beun guilty of systematio and repeated per. Jury in making afidavit that they had per- formed their dutles according to ntatatory requiremont. The law declaros that . real property shall bo assessed at ita full cash value; the practico has uniformly been to as- ey on a valuation of about one-third, All such nssessmients aro docided by the Court to bo null and void, and as scarcely any othor kind have been made in the State during the past twenty years, o condition of chaos has neorly come to pass in tax matters. Tho moral of it all is, that oach Assessor should cither be authorized to make o law fo suit himself, or else the whola tribe of Assessors should bo punished for failure to execute tho low s passed by the Logi. re, For a most cruel aud brutal murder com. mitted on the 17tk of October, 1868, Par. zicx "Turry, Patatcs Histes, and Peren Mo. Huau were yesterdsy executed st Blooms- burg, Pa. They were members of tho bloody erganizativn of assassins and bardits known u4 the ** Mollie-Maguires,” which for soveral yoars flourished to the shame and disgrace of Penusylvania, and theirs was awony the first of a long calendar of mur- ders which have since accuwulated against the Order. Its backbone iy at last broken, the numcerous arrests, convictions, and exe- cutivos that have occurred within the past year or two Laving evideutly divested tho organization of its chief attraotion to the cowardly ruffians who composed it—viz.: tho opportunity it afforded for escaps from de- tection and puunishment. The hanging of Touruy, Hesten, and McHoan will help to strengthen the hands of the law officers, since it will help to .make the law respoctod by a class of mon who had come to disbeliove in tha existenca of logal restraint or the power of retributive jnstice. v Bonator Howx, of Wisconsin, has had ample time in which to ascertain and record in the form of a speech the completa failure of the Presidont's Southern polioy and his offorts in behalf of Civil-Service reform, Heo has hod a year to do it in, and it must be conceded that he has done it. Time was when Henator Hows had high hopes of the Administration, when Lo was propared, in- fact, to pronounco it tho most successful Administration in the history of the Repub. lican.or.any other party. Just st the critical juncture, whon its oternal fame hung in tho balance, the Administra. tion blundered and fell, never to riso again— in tho estimation of Senator Howe. That was when the Presidont fatally failed to np- point Sonator Howx to the SBupreme Court vacancy. BSince then tho wholo face of nature has changed. The policy of rdcon. ciliation and local self-government in the South has censed to bo beneficent, and be- come an infernal plot to destroy the Repub- lican party; Oivil-Service reform fs a hollow mockory; the Cabinet a collection of no- bodies; the Administration a flaaco on gon. ornl principles, Senator Howz doubtloss considera it a fortunate thing that ho escaped tho necossity of remaining the friend of the President whon hé fell short of the supreme judicial prize; ‘the country, mora than ever sinco the specch of yosterdsy, fecls sure that it was a fortunates thin; The election of Tuesday next is not of less jmportance to the poople of the city bocause it is confined to tho choico of ono Alderman from each ward. Tho eighteen Aldormen who may be elested will constitute one-half of tho now Board, and the oharacter of the whole Board will depend upon the personal and official charactor ot the mon chosen this ,yoar. Tho city has had n hard strugglo to ‘maintain o prudent and to some extent economical City Government during the last two yoars. Many of the bist men in the Council havil'declined furthor service, but thore is a'largo rush of quito a different class of perspns oagor to begome membars of the City Gavernment. Thero nover was a stronger cffort on the part of tho money-expending class to get control of the Council. Aore thian ono of the notorions County Commis- sionors of last year soek to becomo City Council men, that they may co-oporate with their friends in the County Board in manipu. lating the expenditures for the City-Hall and Court-House, and the exponditures of the city generally. The election of Aldermen is thorofore of vital importance to thae cherac- ter and credit of the city., In this hour of financial distress and ombarrassment, the city neods tho services of men of integnty nod business experience, ond theso can only be clectod by the general support of the tax- paying voters. To allow the elootion to go by default is to surrender tha City Govern- mont to the rule of the corruptionists that aro clamorous for the work of spoiiation. ———— Becrotary Scnusz has been compelled to confoss himself beaten in his warfare with Mr. Buamve. The timber-thieves have boon coverod with the protection of Congresa. It hns boen resolved that no company which cuts timber for uso within ita own territory shall be prosecuted, although it had pre. viously been shown that s number of com- panios were making large sums of moneyout of thelr operations on Government lands. Tho arguments with which Mr, Braove do- feated Mr, Sonunz wero: (1) That Mr, Scnunz was born in Prussia ; (3) that Prus- sia was smaller by 15,000 square miles than Montana; and (3) that the timber-laws of Prussis may be, for all Mr, Braixs knows to tho contrary, opprossive, Mr, Bramz also assumed by some sort of implication that the character of Becretary 8cnunz, becauso ho was born in Prussia, was not good, and conscquently thnt ho was not entitled to credit. Now, it is an exceedingly dangor- ous thing for a man in Mr. Drawe's delicato position to invite a comparison of characters with Oany, Scmuzz. 'The popular momory is not so short that it hna already forgotten the Little Rock & Fort Smith scan. dal. It s romombered that, whon Speaker of tho Houso of Iepresentative, ho saw “yarjous channels” in which bo knew he could ho useful to this railroad specula- tion, then likely to solicit Congresastonal aid and ho promised that ho *‘would not prove n deadhead in the enterprise” it he should once embark fn it. Thoro is evidence that he afierwards did *embark In the enter. priso,” and did not prove *‘n deadhead.” Ha worked his passage nobly. Mr, Branm will in vain sttompt to rehabilitate bis charactor by sttacking better men than himself, He ought to take some man of hia size; but, unfortunately, they are all with him in his attack on Mr, Beaune., ‘Wa print elsowhere an interwiow with Mr, Cuanes M, Haw, United States Apprais. er at thia port,in regard to a difference botween New York and Chicago In the class ification of certain lace edgiugy, reforred to in our Washington dispatclics of yesterday, Wo allude to the interview for the purpose of calling attention to a very remarkable statoment thereln contalned, namely: that the Department i in the babit of subumitting such disputes to the decislon of vne of the porties to tho controversy, For instauce, tho case referred to is this: The New York Appralser classified certain shawls as * wool, cotton, and worsted,” dutinble at 50 cents per pound and 40 per cent ad valorem, Tho Chicago Appraluer found them to be of wool exclusively, dutiablo at &0 ‘couts per pound, and 85 per coutad valorem. The Dopartment being notified of the difference directed the Collector at Ohicago to have samples of the shaw!s sent to the Appraiser at New York. In other words, the Departmont surren. dered ity right of ultimate decision on a divputed question to oreof the parties to the dispute! ‘Ihe statement of Mr. Haw is al most incrediblo ; but it iv partially supported by the Washinglon dispateh $ouckivg tho lace-edging oase, which statos that the Cus- toms Division of the Ivéasury Department * has sent samplos of the lace to tha princi. pal Eastarn Appraléers,” otc. Wo never heard of the Customs Division sending sam. ples of aoything to the principal Western or Southern Appraisors! Bat if it is proper to send spmples to one part of the country, it s equally proper to send them to snother part of the country. The practice of hawk. ing samples through the country is utierly sbsurd. In this Wrst, Kxmzz & Co. case &z weeks time has been con- sumod, and there I8 Do declsion yet; only notice of one. Under the proposed Sausple Bureau systemn @ daclaion wight have been reachied in the case in five days instend of forty. The operations of Mr. Jaurs' #Customs Division " reminds us of tho En- glish ** Qirenmulocntion Oflco ” so graphical. ly deseribed by Dicraxs, whero prompti. tude is represented ns a crime. To overy question pointing to the disclosure of in- formation the listless British offfcinl replics : * You mustn't want to know, you kuow.” OITY FIN. 3 The Comptrollor explains that the $724,- 000 of cash in the City Treasury to . which wa referred yesterday {s not available excopt to o vory small portion for any current cx- penditures of the city. 'The law prohibits the use of the Water Fuud for any other pur- pose, no matter howover temporary such use may be, Bomo of the itoms of money in the Treasury represent surpluses of old ap- propriations, and these are available, a3, for instance, the Rivor Improvemont Fand, and the Building Fund, amounting to about 870,000, which is mow npplicable to tha, City-Hall improvement, Tho largo sum on deposit for special nssessments are the sums collocted for streot openings; this money, large as s the sum, s bat o small portion of what remeins to bo collected. It is due in small payments to many hundred people, and is subjoct to call. Tho remnindor representa tho partial colloations mndo on taxes to meat unexpond- ed approprintions. This money 18 collectod in small sums, and collections continue to drop in and the monoy is accumulating in the Troasury until such timo as sufficient can be collectod to go on with the works for which the nppropriations wero made. Thoro ave at this timo botween $:i00,000 and $600,- 000 of unoxpended appropriations, To moct this thero js some money in tho Treasury, and the rest will be colleotod within the noxt two or three years. Tue Trrnuns docs not suppose that the Mayor or Comptroller bas any right to take this monoy and expend it for other purposes; but what Trg Tamune said, and now repoats, is thet it is in the power of the City Counail to dis- continuo all the works which have not been begun, and for which these unexpended ap- propriations have been made. This wonld roloaso a large sum of money now held idle intho City Trensury, and porhaps half a million dollars or moro which is yot to be colleoted, croating a purplus revenue which would be cspecially available at this time, and would ba of groat assistance in carryiug on the city until such time ns tho current revenue can be colleoted. There s not the slightost logal diffoulty fn the way of tho Qity Council ordering the discontinuanco of all the cxponditures ropresented by unexpended oppropristions. We do not rofor to &pocial nasessments, but to opproprinstions for new engine- housos, school sites and buildings, and like purposes, We know that it will bo claimed that thers nre not school-housea enough; that s freely admitted ; but the cily bas not monoy enough to pay the current expenses of thoe schools we Lave, and it is a question whether it may not bo more advisable to use the money appropriated for additional build- inga than to close the presont schools for the want of moncy to support thom. To the average Alderman nnd the averago city officer, n suggoution to repoal an appropria. tion and practically put tho money back in the Trensury ia not only unprecedented, but is revolutionary, It i o violation of * vested rights,” and an appesl to the courts for an injunction is *imperatively de- manded. Give back money onco votod out of the Trensury? Perish the thought | Yot an ordinary man, finding himself about to bmld o costly addition to his house, and at the same time skort of monoy to pay tho ex- penss of living and unable to borrow, would natorally sbandon the schomo of building, and 8o rotrench his oxpenditures asto be able tolive within his availablo means, That 1s the policy which a prudent business man would adopt in his own affairs, and the City Council might well imitate it by discontinu. ing oll unexpended approprintions made when the city was not embarrassed, and apply the money intended for those purposes to meet the now absolute necossitios of tho city., That would bo a dlrect and practical roduction of 600,000 in the expenditures, and creato o surplus that would materially aid tho oity in its enforced policy of * Pay as you go." PHANTOM MONEY, The introduction of the greenback consti. tational amendment by Gen. Ewivo, of Otio, Into the House is an open confesslon by thia spostle of tho rag-baby that tho limit of 400 millions of forced war notes, commonly called *‘groenbacks,” cannot ba constitutionally exceeded. 'Thero is not a lawyer in Congross of any party or faction who has given the subject sorious consldera. tion Lat has come to the same conclusion, Tho Bupreme Court practically decided sev. eral years ago that Congress could not {usue irredecmable notes in timne of peaca and com- pel one privato citizcn to reccive thow from another in payment of dobty when uo great or irresiutible mnatiousl peril or mnoces. sity required it.' Geu. EwiNo sees po ‘way of gotting around the coustitutional ob. stacle except by changing the Constitution itself, which is a slow and difficult.thing to doj he can hardly expect to live long enough to witness the incorporation of lna proposed amendment into the suprems law. Acurious hallucination possesses theminds of many well-nieaning persons touching tho power of the Fodoral Govornmont to croato ““monoy,” by bill, out of some worthloss substanco, and endow it with a purchasing power equal to that of the prepious molals, They think that Congress posassics a power oven greater than that ascribed to the fabled Aladdin's lamp. Tho al- chemists only sought to divcover a sup- posed secret of Nature which would enable them to transmute base metals into gold. Bat tho genuine Greenbacker beliaves that the political corporation known as Congress can easily eclipse all that was claimed for tho occult sclence of thoe alchemists by changiog a mixture of lampblack and straw into o monoy superior to silver or gold. 'This Congressional-fiat money is not to bo like the greenbacks, redeemable in coin, snd not like a note, a promise io pay some valuable thing to the holder, but it {a to be an abso- lute substitute in purchasing power for the precious motals! Thero are two JoNzees— one of them is kuown as * Silver™ Jovis, of Nevada, the other as Rag-Baby Joxrs, of New York, with the prenominals Grorox O, ‘This Gzonos O, Joxzs is an euthusiastio dev. otes of the Burizs-Voosuxes-Ewnio chemi cal sclonce, which coin by *presto change” straw pulp into bonanzas of gold and silver. This Joxrs thus effervescod over the Ewixa smendment, as deacribed in the Washington Poat: *‘Does that ‘B-mu& amendment cover your idea, Mr. Joxge!" saked the Poul. *Yes, slr. It embodies the idess of the ad- vanced currency reformers throughout the coou- Ty o bE0 canStence Lo pADeE wiouey Lsautd. St tha Government has becoma so identifcd with tlie ia- telligence of our peuple that they nover will con- arattu uac sy other, wold and sliver as wiegiures of ralues hare had their day among beople who be. liove in the stablilty and perpetnity of thele Gove ernment, It seeme abwrd for this Government to be franing oblizutions payablo tn a material which sy at any time give ont. Our civilizstion has come to regard the legal-tender monoy of the Government oa beat adapted to fts wante for too many reasans to here enumerata, **What i1 ta become of the gold and sllver?™ ** Give them to thoro lgnorant and barbarons people who are strugeling towanda civilization, ret atill require & money they can bury in tho gronnd and therevy conceal from thelr lons conquer- m‘!l'. or otlierwieo use them in the arts where thoy oug, " There are multitudes of other persons sat. urated with the same sophism that wators the imngination of this gushing Joxes. It it wero possible to got them to comprohend that the Government can only creato phan- tom monoy out of rags or straw when it cuts loose from standards of actual valuo, they would discard the rag-baby at once and for- ovor. Buppose, for tha sake of illnstration®thnt gold and silver as money are thrown away as * barbatous™ Yy Congresa; that their vory idoa ns stardards of valuo or equiva- lents of valuo iz banished from trade and commerce by statuto; that it is mide penal offenso to mensure the value of any commodity by them, or to give or offer them in oxchange for any proporty. Bupposo, next, that Congress fasues this potont poper ““money " bf the usual denomi- natfons in the goneral form of bank-notos, excopt that the slips are not rodeemable in coin, or bonds payable in coin or auything. The quostion arlses, What would those slips with dollar-marks on them ropresent? What couldn “dollar” in such currenoy mean? The ncoepted definition of a *“dollar” ia a viece of silvor or gold of a certain woight, or ® paper promise to pay that weight of procious metal. Sinee by the Borten-Ewixo- Voonnees systom, gold and silver are to be banished as usoloss, pornicious barbarlsms, what idea of value will attach to ono of those groen piecesof paper? Iow can ono denomination bo worth more than another in the way of exchangeabls value? How many bushola of wheat, corn, or oata will o ploco of paper marked $10 purchaso? ‘What reason is thera for supposing a slip of paper with the sign £1,000 printed thorson will purolinse moro cabbage, coal, or cloth than o similar parallelogram stampod with 25 or any othor figuro? Those slips of col- ored paper aro not to bo redeomable in gold or silver, or any commodity possossing in- tringlc valne, Thoy are not to be measured by any tangiblo thing ; they are simply ideal or gontimental *‘monoy.” A silver dollar is o tangible picce of motal weighing abont one ounce avoirdupois, and it has cost somothing liko n day's work to obtain it. ‘When wo speak of 316 of gold wo monan an ounca of gold, which . cost tho oches and swont of more than a fortnight's toil to extraot from the earth, ‘When tho miners part with theso motals thoy demand in exchange other produots which have coat equivalent amounts of Iabor. We thus ronghly establish an oxchangeable voluo in commodities with the preolous motals, Gold and sllvor aro articles of bartor 03 woll ns logal-tonders in payment of debt, and he who receives them for debt can ox- change them for sny property ho desires, according to what is, called tho market valae. A pound of silver will purchase six- toon times as much commodities, or land, or Inbor as nu ounce of silver. The purchasing power of silverand gold is determined by the woight or guantity of metal, and this barter.valug fluctuatos with tho abundanco or sonrcity of the articles offerod in exchango for them under the influonco of the law of supply and demand. The difficulty with the proposed straw monoy is, that no standard of exchangoable value can bo applied to it. It has no intrin. slc or commodity worth ; it cannot be used in bartor. Aslip printed with the figures *§1,000 " {a worth no more property nnd is redeemablo in no moro value than s slip with *§1" printed thoroon, becouso the $ mark means nothing tangiblo, Disnssociated from all connection with gold ond silver values, tho patent-paper scrip must establish a new relation to commodities of ita own, What shall that rolation be? How is it to bo measured or estimated ? How much wheat will a farmer give in ox- chango for a pleco of scrip marked “21"7 If a bushol to-day, why more than a quart to-morrow? What reason is thoro for offor- ing moro than s single grain for any pleco of scrip, no matter what figure is printed upon it? How can prices bo fixed fn such monoy, when one plece of irredecmanblo sorip i in. trinsically worth no more than nnothor? How can thoro be any prices reportedin such currouoy, whon it possosses no intrinsic valuo itselt, nud is redocemablo in no substance or product having any value? If it bosaid that it will bo n logal-tendor in tho payment of dobts and taxes, and thus some value will attnch to it, the reply ls, that nobody will sell property on trust to be paid in such cur. renoy ; no debts will be made payable in that kind of paper; and no Government can bo maintained on revenuca of that worthless sort. Nobody would sorve the Govern- ment, or soll supplies to It, and take such valuolosa stuff in psyment. An attempt to introduco such curronoy would immediately result in tho adoption of ‘a goneral systom of barter and oxchango of commodities, sud §n wpocial contracts for tho payment of debts iu products in so many busbels of grain, or gullons of whisky, pounds of fron, or cunces of silvor and gold. Thus, In spite of all the laws that could bo passod, the exchango of equivalents in valuo wonldrenssert ond re-es. tablish itsolf, and tho country, after con. fusions aud convulsions, would swing back to that metallio monoy which is bothn mensure and an oquivalent of commoditles and labor, Tho relatious of tho grain-elevator to the rallroads in thia city have radically changed within a fow yoars past. Not very long sinco it was practically impossible to receive grain here without paying toll to the ware- houseman, Contracts existed by virtue of which & certain house was bound to receive all the grain arriving on a certaln lino, and tho line was bound to deliver tho graln to the housonamed inthebond, 1t now looks as if the raflroad intorests wore loagued against the warehousea to the intent of making the busi. ness of tho latter os small as possible. Tho rallroad official will now agree to receive and transfer, freo of cost, graln from one car to another, by the laborious process of hand or team carrisge, but will not recelvo the same grain from an elevator-spout with. out & charga of some §2 per car for * switch- iog." Ho will send his cars to the flouring. mill, or the packing-house, to take on loads of flour or meats, without s cont of charge for vwitching, but the car-load of graln from the elovator must pay full toll. As a conse. quonce, tho elevator would fail to attract largo percentage of tho grain that comes hither, evea if ita proprietors wers willing to handle the grain for notbing, and the grain.warchousing interest is now suffering saveroly—shall wo say * paying the penalty of extortion practiced up lo a fow years ago™? It is understood that an effort is now being mads to induco the rallrosdinterest to act alit- tloloss discriminatingly in this matter; andit is thought that recent experienco will enforeo It is known that the process of the appeal. tranafer on track ia attendoed by great waste, —estimated by somont not less than one cont per bushol,—while the process is also vory unsatisfactory in.the matter of woights and quality. Thero fa no doubt that the great majority of parties in tho grain irade wonld gladly wolcome n return to the warchouse systom of transferring grain In this city if thoy can ¢btain the sorvico at something like what it is worth, allowing a fair profit to the partics who haudlo it. e e TAXATION OF GREENBACKS, Wo have beon ropeatedly questioned by correspondonts whother there is any Inw ex- einpting groanbacks from taxation. One cor- respondent writes roferring us to a law of tho United Stales passed Juna 30, 1804, entitled “‘an Act to provide ways and menns for the snpport of the Government, and for other purposes.” Tho last clauso of Boc. 1 and all of 8oc., 13 of said act rond: d a1l bonils, Treasury notes, and Sec, 1. . . Andal other obligations of the United States shiall be ex- empt from axation by or under State or municipal auf tity. 'l.’h'l‘ht'. the wonls '‘oblization or other of the United States” nsed In this act o held fo Includo and mean all Londs, coupons, national enrrency, United Stotes notes, Treasnry notes, fractional notes, checks for woncy of authorlzed oftice; the United States, cortifi+ cates of Indebtodnoss, certiicates of depusit, #tamps, and other ropresentailves of valuo of whatever denomination, which huve been o may be 1saued under any act of Congresa, ‘I'he syllabusof tho decision of theSupremo Court of the Unitod Btates in the cnso of Mironert vs, Board of Commissionors of Lenyenworth County, Knusas, repdried in 1st , i8 ns follows : ‘Where, for the purpose of evading the payment of A tax 0n his money on devosit, which the Iaw of a State required 1o de listed for taxation March 1 ineach year, a party withdrew it Fob, 28 from a bank where It was aubject to his check, converted it Into notes of the United 'States, and’ denositou them to his general credit March ', and tho Htate Court passed a decrea dismiesing the bill in cquity by him filed to restraln the collection of thu tax tnereon, —Aeld, that tho decree was correct, and that, althouak such nofes (grecnbucke) were er- «empt from tazatton n’ oF under State or municipul aulhdrily, o court of cquity would not use Its cx- traordinar: vised for the pnrposo of anabling u varty to escave 18 proportionnte share of tho burdens of taxation. Chief-Justico Warrx delivered the opinfon | . Presbyterian Charch In Scotland 1s more liberal . than its offshoots in tho United Slates, of the Court in that case, and snid : We think that tho declsfon In this case was cor- rect, Uniled States noles are exemnt from tata- tion by or under State or municipal authority : but n court of eqnity will not knowlingly use ils ex- ummlnnr powers to promota any such scheme ns this plaintiff devised to eecapo his Jroportivuaty share of the burdens of taxation. Huw remedy, if he bos any, is In & court of law, 7he decres 48 aftrmed. Tho Rovisod Statutes contain two scctions applicablo to this quostion: i, 3,701, All atocks, bonds, Treasnry notes, and ofter obilgutions of the United States shall bo exempt from taxation by or undor State or muniel- pal nuthorlty, Bxc, 5,41l Tho words ** obli sccurit; ‘menn all bonds, certidcaten of Indebtedness, Na- tional Dank corrency, caupons, United States noles, Tressnry notes, fractional notes, cortificates of deposit, bills, checks or drafls’for moncy drawn by or upun authorized oflicers of thio United Btates, stamps, and other representatives of value, of whatever denomination, which have been or way be lasued under any act of Congress, All these authoritics ssom to be conclusive that grooubacks are exempt from all Stato and munfcipal taxation, tions or other ‘Tit1ERs’ prescienco ns & political prophet has been siznally approved of late on at least two occaslons. ‘The clection of Cardinal P’rccr to the Pontlifieal throne brought out the fact that at aprevious time, when Pto Nono's deathseem- cd imminent, the President of the Third Ropub- lc hau nddressed to the French Miniater at Rome a lettor pointing out tho absolute nocessi- ty, both for tho Church and Frauce, of selecting nPope whoshould bea practical man, havinghad admimstrativo experience, and, if possible, one who had traveled, knew something of politics and forelgn affaira, and spoke French, A com- pleter skotch of Leo XIIT, it would be hard to find. A French magarine has now unearthed o lotter from the great statesman, written just elevon years ago, not long nfter Sadowa. In it M. Tuizns Inments bitterly that Europe should have been glven up to pillage, declared that as England hod no longer a Continental polfey, there was no longer a curb to tho smbition of powerlul States, and added that at Parls, In the Emperor's councits, ‘oll was anarchy, tho nation was & helmless ship driviug over o stormy ees, and Gop only knew what was io stors for France. This waa just thres years and a half before Sedan. ‘With this accursta forccast of Kuropcan polltics under the exiatence of the compact between the two Chancelliors s also published a uo less remarkable lotter from Prince JEroum Naro- LEoN to ExiLs OLLivizn. It was written in confidence durlug the pourparlers between tho Emperor and 5L OLLwvizr which ended fn the formation of the Ministry of Jan, 8, 18670,—that Ministry which went Into the war **with a light heart,” nud was kicked out by the Corps Legls- latlf to make room for the administration of Couut Pavixao. The Prince, Iu the note, de- clared that tba crisis of the Empire hiad been roachod, that OLLIVIER must put everything In writing and io tho plalioest terms, and, unless tho Emperor agreed to all that the Minkster had Intended to domaund, break off tho negotistions; that there must be **a new deal,” a more liberal policy towards the press and public assemblies, and constitutional reforms; that all this had to be done inslanter, for they could feel the heat of the volcano over which thoy walked, It may well bo doubted whether, even if the disastrous experiment of 8 dynastic war had not been at- tempted, the Empiro that had rotted to its fall could have survived wuch longer than It did, ——— Nzar Dow has written to our Now York namesske to say that In all thelr warfare agalust the grog-shops the Probibittonlsts of Malue havo been aware of the fuct that the stralning of n law far beyond tho demand of public oplolon would inevitably produce o resce tion, and so bave bLeen careful to prepare the public mind for overy now stup ln advauce, he saxs: - In Jonuary, 1877, was passed an act far moze stringent tnan any'which proceded it, without & dussenting vota in olther flouse. ‘Tals act probib- fted the manufacture of lnwnuu%qunn. . cupt cider, under & pensity of $1, flue, and throo months in jall fur every day In which n dis- tillery or brewery whall run.” On the 12th of March 1ast (ho fires ware lot down in all these places in Mulne, and this actlon Lias buen formally indorsed r{ntz‘om political partics iu thelr Slate Conven- We can't exactly see the renson why people should be allowed to manufacture one kind of Intoxicating llouor and not another, that ts, If this Jegialation {s based upon principle; but let that pass. What we dotake exception tols Mr, Dow's remark that the action of the Legis- lature ‘ hag been formally indorved by Loth political parties in thelr State Conventions,' The Democratic platform of 1878 makes noal- luston whatever to Probibition. The Republic- anssdopted a resolution as follows: ‘Temperance smong the people may be greatl promoled by triae prohioliory loglelation, and it fs o source of congratulation thst the princivle of Prolibition, always upheld by the Republicaus of Malne, lenow concurred ju by 80 large a majority of tha people that It Is no longor s pasty guestion, the Democrats for several years haviog decliued to cootest it or dispute it. We full to find bere any **formal® fndorsa- tion of the act of January, 1877, or sny sssur- suce that the Ropublicans regarded it as a specimen of the * wiso prohibitory legislation " by which temperance among the peoplo * sy be greatly promoted.” On sundry occaslons gopublican papers have stiacked the Democratic rulers of New York City for thelr extravagance. They should tako {tall back. Tamnmany liall can economize—is saviog money. It stopped two cents out of the Py of s girl who got $34 & month for teaching 1o & night school, because she was cne wmiluute late one night. The vigilant Auditor ot Joux KxiLx's department, while exawmiuolog the pay- rolls to check any wasto of the tazpayers' mouney, discovered this item. He dictated a memorandum ou :M subject to his private sco- powers to praniote such s scheine de- |- of tho United States™ "ahall be beld to | routine been submitied ant’s office and ete. cent. the pay-roll it could not be oitored. lawyers and $3,750 clerks are grappliog with it It 1s too soon to declde whether the City and County of New York will get one-third of a cent. ahead of Miss NEwxLL, or Misa Newaru will get tvo-thinds of a cent ahend of tho City and County of New York, but, If {t coats $50,000 of walaries and statlonery, Tammany Hall fa golng to have this matter settled. Tammany Hall takes care of tho mnllls; the milllons will take of themsclves. —————— The case of Prof. ST, who has been on trial In Scotland for promulgating * opinfons which contradict or are opposed to the doctring of the Immcdiate inspiration, fafallible truth, and Disine muthority of the Holy Seriptures,” has been partially disposed of, the Presbytery flndivg a verdict of not guilty on this charge. ‘The other charges are subordinate to this, and will probably drop of thelr own- welght, An anpeal has, however, been taken to the 8ynnd, aod more will be heard of It from that quarter, It witl be remembered thot the slleged hercales complained of aro principally found In the articleon the Bible In the uew edition of the En- cycloprdia Britannica. This artlcla was recontly reviewed In these columns, and was shewn to bo [ startling, at least from the Presbytorian polot . of viow. It has the approbation of probably | not one in ten of the Presbyterian clergymen in this country; and, §f Prof. 8siTi wero submit- ted to their judgnent, ho would be sent out of 1f, therefore, he fs the Church in short order. 1 acquitted by his Synod, there will be evidence of tho remarkable fact, loti suspected, that the ————— . It {s dangerous for o person who Is only “‘umbilically ** connceted with tho vre: himeolf up s an authoritativa vxpositor of tho fustdo workings of newspapers, An unknown | andividusl fn Washington has recently caused [ bimeclt'to be Intervlewed regarding Chicago uewspapers, and this is what the New York Times says about his performanco: * Tho Waslington Post has dult Interviewed an alleged Chlcago person named INuznsoLL, who s1ld to ba & correspondent for 8 Garden City no paper, in regard to Uhicago journaliste, The ieged (.'\ucn?a man, among much other equally valuable information, furnlehus the (following: ** YCuanLEY' WitsoN, as rybody called him. who also dled very recontly, was as clever a follaw 88 you over aaw, but be was ouly principal editor of the Jouragl In neme. He never or soldom wrote for the paper; didn't know how. 'Axpr' Burnuax, now Licutonant-Governor of Iilinols, has been the renl oditor of the Chicago Journal for nearly twonty yoars. ‘Dic' Witsox used to write much for if, and admirably, but has not done #0 tor mauy years." Too troe, and for very sufil- clont caunse.” oor Dicx WirsoN was buricd five andtwenty years ago. ** *AXpY' Buenxax ' never ad oo oxtalonce. This alleged Chicago person evidently DAIII)IIE- to tho class of ‘Chicago cltizens who aru botter known and know more when oat of Chieago than when In Itf. To the Edltor of Tha Tribune, Citicaao, March 25. —1 seo by the paper that you yazy kindly nvwer many questions asked you b readers, Pleaso anewer mine: Whi husban, Tolt the ariny, somo twolve yeats ago. as Drigadiers Genoral, 1t ‘was not conenlont for bim to take up the land which he was entitied to for servicesin tha War, but Intended dolng %0 soon. "By his having died suddenly before lacating, ls the smoant lost to usg, or can uiy boya and self get it? Respecifuily, HoLviEn's Winow, The only law under which any person s en- titled to tako land freo1s the Homestead law, and under this & widow, as head of a family, may enter and take possession of the amount authorized. Thers wero no bounty lands ever voted by Congresa to the soldlers of the late War, ——— ‘Tho London 7¥mes recently published a tele- gram from Quecnsiand stating that ** Lady Kex- NEDY (wife of the Governor) had given birth to twlns, the cldest belnga son,” Bome days later it was called upon to make a retraction, Revre Bn's Telezram Company explained that the message recelved from Australis contained the 'words, ‘' twins,—first son,’ but belng informed that Sir Aurnus KENNEDY was unmarried, o telegrapbie repetition wus demanded. It was then learned that the words really telegraphed from Queenslaud wef®: * Governor [of] Quecns- land turns first sod,” alluding to the openlng of anew rallway. This 1s oneof the most re- markablo of newspaper errors on record, —— Prince Tenznkassxy, whoss death by apo- plexy occurred recently, far from belng gn fm- perialist, as might bo supposed from bis ap- polutment to the Governorship of Bulgaria, wos the most liberal of Rusylan politicians. He was & frequent coatributor to GAXDRTTA'S puper, the Nepubligue Krancals, advocating the most advanced Kepublican oplofons, yet alweys ro- malued a favorite at Court, No better argu- ment than his appointment to the rulership of Bulgaria could be found to show the good falth of the Czar, sud his desire to really amelforate the condition of the Christians of the Ottoman provinces. ——— An noxlous parent writes to the Springfleld Republicans protestiug nguinst the practice of holding ycung men's prayor-aneetings so Jato as 9 o'clock in the ovening. On careful veflection wo are foreed to acknowledge that there fs something in this protest. Wiy should not re- liglous disslpation be frowned upon os well as carual Indulgencest To kevp the young men out after o'clock, when they ought to bo al- ready wrapped In peace(ul slumbers fu thelr 1ittle beds, is surely reprehensivle, e —— ‘The open wiuter has been pecullarly embar- russing to the lumber intercsts, InMichigan the pluo-trees were cut, but, owlog to the lack of suow, ouly a small proportfon could be traus- ported to the streams, and tha bulk of the cut- tinge wiil have to lle whero they fell, unused, The loss, however, will not bo so severely felt, &8 for scveral yours past there has been s gen- eral combplaint of overproduction, and dealers will now have o chance to work off thelr old stock, —— Weare glad to observe an Increasing desire on the part of the agricultural communities of Englaud to becoe acquainted with American Improvements o farm-implements, A clrcular faforms us that the Royal Agricultural Soclety of Englaud will hold thelr meetiog and exbibi- tion at Bristol this year. Entries are to be mady by the 1st of day, and Awerivan iysuulacturcrs are invited cordially to participate, e —at— e To ths Editor of The Tridune. Pxrwares, Mich., March 20.—Was there a resolution passed by Congress in 1873, or say uvther time, declanng that the word *‘cofu® on the bunds meant guld? Does the Sliver bill pro. yide for the payment of all bonds issued sinco 1873 in gold? Coxstant Rxaven, (1) No such resolution was ever passed by Cougress. (3) All the bonds of tho Unlted Btates are payable at the option of the Govera- went in silver. e — ‘There 1s only oue English steamship compsuy which has ever dared to have its veasels bullt anywhere except ou the Clyde. The White Star ships were all constructed at Belfsst, Ireland, aud the experiment bas proved so successful that the Cumpany now proposes to bave itsnext one wade at Philadciphis. Tbis will be & most notable event {u ablp-building annals. —————— A by no means unlikely rumor comes from New York that Temany Hall, which s power- less fu the Leglalature sud in grave danger of belug wiped out, coutemplates, fn order 10 so- cure iteclf, an alliance with—3r, CoNxLixg. rotary, who dictated it to the officlal stenoaraph- er, who wrote It out and gave it to the copying clerk, who copled it and had it entered by the Index clerk, who gave it to the chief messen- ger, who handed It over to the deputy nessen- ger, who suminoned o messengor, who took it to the chief clerk of the Duresu of Correspond- ence. This official, aftor the matter had In duo to the account- checked by the statisti- clan, wrote to the Board of Educatlon that fostead of deductiog two cents from Miss Nzwerr's pay there should have been deducted g The Boanl of Educa- tlon thought it was better that the girl should Tosa 83333333333 ctc. of acent, to make even change, than that the taxpayera of New York should be robbed of 0300000800 ctc. of a cent, and roplfed that the Trustees having spproved The Finance Department haa referred the matter to the Legal Ucpartment, where several $0,300 0 set The rumor 18 by no means unlikely. Mr. Coxx. LiNg, we belleve, sccured from Tammany, somc. thing more than a yeur ago, the appolnt. ment of his henchman, 83 ¥1i, to the Commig. stonership of Insurance, the consideration belng 8 promlise to help fu counting in 8 Democratie Presldent. 'To securo a re-election to the Ben. ate, Mr, CORKLING Is apparently not unwilling to perpetuate Tammany's leste of life and make the election of a Republican President 1y 1850 well-nigh impossible. Iaving consum. mated this Holy Allfance, iswill then be fn order for Mr. ConxLiNG to deliver his oration ex- communfeating the Adminfstration, beenuse iy does not reflect the doctrines and senttments of the Republican party. —————— Ex-Congressman VANCE, whose sudden dis. sppearance !9 nuw astonishiog the Cincinnaty papers, was formerly Chalrman of a committes 10 Investigate the Government Printing Office, It he has gone on another fnvestigation, it s to bo hoped that ko will arrive at miore tangible results, —————— An Englishman read the war nets, Which gave him a it of the blucs Ea he smashed Gladatone's windy, And went off to Indis By the route of the Isthmus of Buez, o Miss Tenfr s olng to marry the Baron BLAXC, 20 as to cnable the members of the Amerlcan Paragravhers' Assoclation to say that shie hias drawn o BLaxc in the matrimonlal 1ot tery and make Miss Ternr-ous jokes, = R PERSONALS, O'Leary i 8 native of Cork. The Blshop of Melbourne 19 an entlusing, tle defender of the theatre. Tilton has Leen leoturing nssldnously fn Kew England this winter, getting from $100 to $250 o nlght, Bosuregard, Nicholls, and tho Mayor of New Otlcens have been acting as Judges of a baby. stiow at that city, The 8an Marcos (Tox.) Free Press prints 20 an advertisemont an elaborate disquinition en. titled *The Enaless Holl Muddls Analyzed," Mabel Loonnrd, the cbild sotréss, has at Iast found & guardian to look after her morals,— Willlam F, Yiowe, tho Tombs lawyer, of Now York, The DBnrlington Arende, now the most faslilonable lonnge in London, was once owned by Goorge 1V,, but that plons monarch lost It one eveniog at s gama of roulette, Presidont Jnyes has boon telling Murphy, the temperante evangollst, that his work will only bo lasting sud permantly powerful as it allles itaclt with tho Chrlstian churclies, Mrs. Myra Clark Gnfhes offers to come promise herclalm agalust New Orleaos fn con- aideration of an annual payment of $250, 000 for & torm of ten years, She has obialned a verdlct, but the city ya so hard up that it cannot eathly Judgmont. . The lato Mayor Workman, of Montreal, bequeathed his carrlogo-horses to his principal belr, with an Injunction not to sell them, nor work them hard, but to keep them in comfort and ease, and when they bocame {nfirm to shoot them a8 bumanoly as possible, Beecher set out yostorday ona two weoks' lecturing tour, making his first wppenrance at Logansport, Ind., on Wednesday, He has Afteon engugoments, ending at Cleveland on tho Bth of April. is ogent, Mr, Pond, pays him $32,000 a year, and (akes whatever 1a over, P Bancroft gardons accompaniod by two sorv- ants, one of whom holds 2n umbrella over his head toshleld him from the sun. An Itallan Count meanwhile plays the hand-organ, of which the grent bistorlan Is passionately fend, at the back gate. But for the accldent of clothes it wonld be Just 1lko the Garden of Rden, Gov. Hampton has basn formally thanked by the Loglslature of South Carolina for the honest aad Impartial mannerin which he has executed the laws of tho Btate and redeemed his pledges. The resolution, which was unanimously adopted, wasintroduced by Mr, Taft, of Charleston, the Radica) Republican leader, ‘Worth, the man-milliner, declares that the handsomest and healtbiost femalo costume ever devised 19 that of the Porslon women,—a loose walst, short skirt, and trousers not too looss, He bas made the costumo beattifully, and hung it up In Parls, but women will not wear it. *¢8o," snys tho philosophor, ** they must sutfer i1} they do; I have done all I conld. » It soems that Lady Rosebery ia not, after all, the first Jewlsh lady to wear tho coronat of & British Peercss. Countess of the nnermost circlo of of Jewlsh parentage, although she long ago gave up every kind of religious bellef. It is mald of ber that, like Helno's father, she represents the blsak Jeat between the O1d and New Teslaments. Nilsson hai had a wonderfully successful season In Rusuia this winter, having garnercd sov- ersl bushele of jewels and plats. ‘The accurscy and vigor of ber kick still delight sndlences, and when at Nijnl-Novgorod she propelied a plano- stool up to the seventh tier of saats tn the gallary, she was cailed befors the curtain ninety-six tinies, and a wealthy Prince gave hor an omerald as big ss a brick, Elbert W, Brown, Prinoipal at the Eight- eenth Ward ovening school at New York, deducted from the pay of ove of his teachors, Kate Neweil, two cents for boing one minute late. But the Aud. itor found that this was opo-third of acent too much, and restored Miss Newell's salary to fts foll Ggure, doclarlogthat **tha city should waive tho tiaction ratbher than clalm more than the exact penalty "1 The Boston Fost says that *Senator Burn. side, the Deantiful, 1s & consplcuous figure on ‘Washington's fashionable drives. He has & stylish T cart, drawn by one superd horse, elegantly caparisoned, a llveried footman In top-boots, high hat with rosstte, olive gresn livery, with allver fsin place, while beside the Benatoris ‘buds from the Capital's ross-garden of beaut!fus glsls, Prince Valdemar Viadimir Tohorkaski, the Russlan Qovernor of Bulgsris, who dled a few days 8go, at tho age of 00, was foremost Pan-8l 1st of tho Russian Empl man of very & vanced idess. Ue was contribator to the Repablican pape a fact which dld not, however, alarm the *for," satd the auto crat philosophically, ‘*the moro he writes in France tho less he'll write in Russla, " Forty years ago Mr, Isaso Ohild, of Bos. ton, discovered that & Norman family named L'En- fant ontered England about the yuar 1300, changed thelr nane to La Chlld, and wore the progenitors of people memed Child, Chiide, or Childe, now numerous {n England and America. From that tima to this ho has been at work getting them all inta genoafogical order, and hopea he has nearly ot through with the job. No vast juberitance has been atruck, Desale Turner has made her sppearance oo the stage at Danbury, Con: n A Celebrated Case." Bho plays one of the girls who appearonly in Repaud's cottage In the prologue, She bas only 8 few sentences 10 speak, but It 1a sald that s! talent for the bual faund It difticult to obtain employmen of the notoriely attaching to ber na: ouce wallress at s dalry restaurant, me futo notice atsLong Dranch hotel, as livisg with a emall politicias, through & wrangle with s hackmsa, who isslsis hat she Ie bis wister nnd wishee Lo provide for her. The New York World bas printed its aaual Jeros on the decltne sud fall.of of American newspaper bumor, It §s 8 Httle eariler tban usual, but then we hive bad & vory open winter, The World's lamont fs based upun the neglect of the American newspaper humonasts 10 make any jokes about the Rosedery-Rotbschild weddlog. Well, hers goes, sinco Tus TuiaUs® humorist (1) is forced nto It isa L. de llothachild als 88 tLiat sea-fro Veous, bassive a1 11 thia Lord of st s Intersai lent niors, T 8be's wed Lond liosedery: 3 Waithytant clover, end 8 Bcoteah Barts that paragraph, oF 11 tue Rotbachilds resolve to pot Lhe Unlted States 10t0 the Bands of & Hecelver, tho Horid will be sasuonaible. v