Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, January 30, 1881, Page 4

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CAGO BUNZ has established ‘branch T oo . subscripiions and sdveruse- mexntaas follows: NEW YORK—Room FADDES, Manager. - L GLASGOW, Scotland—Allan’s American News Asency, 3t Benteld-st L ONDOS, Eng—American Exchange, 9 Strand. 310 F atraet. Y MEETINGS. F. & A l!J-—-W:IKI.! No. 15; Rinzie-st, Sunday, Jan moet 8t el e S Yidfond the funeral of our 1a.e prother, Tbomas Kerr, Xfium ;l‘“ llux;n:!exgenm. 157 Ce zes 10 Hose! L Centre-st. Curriayes 19 \AS M. DILETON, W. 3. KILWINNING LODGE. A. 56, A. F.& A M.—Rezular - Sipmin dal A A masans’ Hall, American mM(SL-P\:SI:!n: Ry v order o M. 11 BOZZELL, Secetary. ¢ RENSSLAER GRAND LODGE OF PERFEC- AN NENSILARLSICH ITE-Hevinr Assoni- oo A Yaceday ovening next. Instauton of o ers unid such other business us war perly cugxe_bemre the Assembly. BY QI SODALE, Grand Scerotary. .\ Gri . BEXNARD COMMANDERY, NO. 35 K. T2 e e iave Wednexduy evenin, b u?é. nt 70 Hdiges Work on we Tewplar Ogler. Hislting Sir 1ig) v Invite a snighs are courtepuiit G i Commander. J.0. DICKERSON, Recorder. pes CORINTHIAN CHAPTER. NO. @, . A. M. clal Convocation Monday eveuing, Jun. 3L af Stloek. ' Work o the Royal Arch Degree. Vist C ited. y arde Companions are 1wty (R INGTON, H. P 3. 07 DICKERSON, Secroiars. CHEVALIER BATARD COMMANDERY, U. D., OF ENIGITS TEMPLAR—Sinted Uonclave’ Thurs= 9ar, Feb. 3,568 p. minbatl of Home Ludge, 1H Serty-second-st. Visiuns Knights weicome. By o tke Eminent Comwunder. order of the Eminent Cop i ASNEY, Recorder. CHICAGO: COMMANDERY, NO. 15, RMGHTS EM Pi.AR.—Special Conclave 3londay eveninz, Jan. 31, at 720 o'clock. Work on the Templar Order. Vids Biog Sle Koigns gourievusly ovited. By order of mander. Sl D. GOODMAN, Eecorder. ASHLAR LODGE. NO. 3R A.F. & Regular mesting Tucsday evening, Feb. L Tr business and G Monroe-st. The traternity important work.” Hall, 76 e cordtally taviied. C. H. CRANE, Socretary- 'APOLLO CUMMANDERY. NO.1, KNIGHTS TE: LAIt—Siated Conclave Tuesday evening. Feb. L aLbociock, Visiting Sir Bnizhts olways welcome. DBy orcer of the Eminent Lol andei LADY WASHINGTON CHAPTER. KO. %, 0.5 8.— Willmect at their new, Bl southeedt comer, of Hal- sted and Trelfth-s! esday evening, {hesis. TRCIT. KASTLE W. P, SUNDAY, JANGARY 30, 1881 - SexATor LooAN's Lake-Front bill passed the Senate- yesterday in a slightly amended form. . Notwithstanding that some of the amendments were adopted to meet tne ob~ jections of Senator Edmunds, that gentle- Inan continued to oppose the passage of the measure to the last. It is quite probable that the House will pass the bill as it leaves the Senate. Senator Davis hus been very zealous In Lis advocacy of the bill. TrE terms which Chili wants to impose on Peru and Bolivia as the price of peace are severe. They include the cession of some Peruvian territory; the surrender of the Pe- ruvian and Bolivian fleets; the payment of, an indemnity of 530,000,009, of which Peru is asked to pay 20,000,000 cnd Bolivia $10.- 000,000. The Chilians propose to occupy Cailao, and to work the Perufian guano de- posits, and the Peruvian copper and saltpetre mines until the indemnity is paid. M. THoRNTON was a candidate for Judze in Sallivan County, New York, last Novem- ber. During the cun ¢ promised to per- form the dutles of the judi perannum. He was elected. His election was contested In the Courts on the ground that the offer to serve for a reduced salary was in the nature of a bribe to those voters who were taxpayers. The Court upheld this view of the case, and Mr. Thornton was de- felared ineligible. Ircland. The mortality among the infants was disproportionately large: there were The death rate for the year was 20.79 per 1,000 in- liabitants, while in 187 it was only 18.0L The death rate washighestin the Fourteenth Ward, where it was27.93 per 1,000; and lowest in the First Ward, where it was €33 per 1,000, The death rate is lower here than inNew York, Brooklyn, Boston, or Baltimore. The deaths from diphtheria alone numbered 930. 3147 Geaths of childsen under 1 year. A BIrL has been introduced into the Legih Jature of Illinois putting a stop to the unjust and malicious practice of suing a man before a Justice of the Peace out of his own city or township, and compelling bim to appear and defend himscif in aremote part of the county, in order to put him to t rouble, loss of tiue, and destructive costs. Low-lived shysters are the class of collecting agents who resort 1o such tricks; but the law is to blame for al- lowing them to do it. In the surrounding Western States Justice of the Peace in the town. In Ohio the jurisdiction of a Justice is lim- ited in civil sunits to his own township, ex- cept In attachment cases, or cases of forcible entry and detainer; and the same law should be adopted in Illinois. In Jowa the jurisdiction of a Justice ex- tends over the county, but suits must be ‘brought in the township where the plaintiff or the defendant, or one of seversl defend- ants, resides. In Michigan the law in this particular is substantially the same as in Jowa. In New York suits must be brought in the town where either plaintiff or defendant re- sides, or before some Justice of another town nest adjoining the residence of either plaintiff-or defendant. We ask the special attention of the twenty- eight Cook County Hepresentatives in the- General Assembly to this matter. Itis their duty to press for a change of the law. Poor snen have a hard enough strugele for life at best, withont being subject to special perse- 23 Tridbune Buiiding. F.T.3C- er. IFFANT, Recorder. oflice for §1,200 Drnixe the year 18, 10,462 persons died in this city, of whom 7,592 were born in the TUnited States, 1,09 in Germany, and 786in this malicious persecution was stopped long ago. In Indiana the law requires that a defend- ant must be sued in his own township, ex- cept in capias suits, or where there is no cution by harpies in being dragged all over the county—twenty, or thirty miles away from the place where the alleged cause of action originated. Letaman be sued in hisown town or clty, dnd stop maliclous persecution. R ————cy We prinl elsewhere an abstract of the latest political brochure, which has been published under the title of * Solid for Mul- hooly,” and advise everybody who"has ever had oceasion to observe the sham of local politics to read it. ‘The cutting satire of this pamphlet, sufficient extracts from which plies to every large aty which has Dbeen cursed with “Boss” rule,and illustrates the nature and aim of ward politics with so much justice and such keen insight that it caunot fail to make a deep impression, even though it shall not indicate a remedy. +)ichael Mulhooly” and ** Blossom Brick” are veritable types of local pollticiaus, and every city will claim the possession of the originals. There will be less doubt every- where of the pgrsonages who sat for these pletures than there las been about the models for Disracli’s characters in * ‘Endym- fon,” for they will be recognized by the knowing ones of every large community as having been drawn from every local circle. The political maxims of Blossom Brick are the ruling principles of the men who have run the caucuses, with possibly an exception 1o the last one: “If the people ever tuble to our game hell will be to pay.” Thisis as trueas the other maxims, but the machne men do not trouble themselves aboutit. To acter and methods of ward politics, *Solid for Mulhooly ™ will be & revelation. MANY people think there ought tobe a handred more policemen In Chicago. Work could certainly be found for them, and they could be made very useful to the public. But the money “hecessary for -their support can- more pressing demandson the Treasury will exhaust the 2 per cent tax limit,—for the Jaw for the taxpuyers’ protection limits ap- propriations to 3 per cent on the value of taxable property. But there is a source of revenue which it is surprising the Councll has not thought of, that will provide the money to support & hundred more much- needed policemen, Let the salvon-license for the sale of whisky, brandy, rum, gin, schinapps, etc., be 5100 per yeay, and the leense for beer and wine remain at §30 per year. This Is a change which public sentiment gill sustain. A whisky license should be at least double that of a beer license. The Increase will not affect the Germans, who, with few exceptions, never drink whisky, but satisfy their appetites with mild lager. There is no sense 1in letting whisky slip in free of tax under a beer license, which practically is the fact at present. A whisky license of $100 would have the effect of weeding out thelow, disreputable dives and doggeries, and concen- trating the business in the hands of the more responsible class of sellers. The money ob- tained from a §100 whisky license would pay and équip 100 stalwart policemen and leave money in the Treasury besides for other useful purposes, such as street-cleaning and better sanitary inspection and removal of filth. . Mr. GLADsTONE defended ' the Irisht Coer- clon bill in the Tonse of Commons again yesterday. He said that no arrests would be made under the provisions of the provosed act except on reasonable suspicion of the parties arrested being concerned in violating the law in a proclaimed district. A clause has been added to the original draft of the bill providing that a list of those arrested, withgythe grounds of arrest and other- cir- cumstances connected therewith, be pre- sented monthiy to the House of Commons. Mr. Gladstone also stated that there was no intention to Interfere with the right of pub- lic meeting or. public discussion. Infact, both the Premler and the” Irish Seere- tary were very comclliatory in tone; , doubtless in order to* disarm the re- sentment of such men as Labouchere, Collings,-and Sir Wilfrid Lawson, who are opposed to coercion in any shape. The Par- nellites in the weantime are preparing for obstruction. They have resolved to chal- lenge the correctness ot the eriminal statis- ties for their respective constituencies. Each member of the party, which numbers about forty, has placed himself in communi- -| cation with persons residing near where the outrages are reported to have been com- mitted, -and on the discussion of the Coerclon bill * will rise to show the falsity of the Parliamentary returnson which the Coercion bill is based.- This means forty speeches i least, and those Land-Leaguers who want to doso areat full liberty to get out of the way pending. the pns'snge of the objectionable wmeasure. But, strange to say, the k:uxd-Lea::uexs do not seem to be fright- ene ' ‘TrE TRIBUNE has commented several times of late on the barbarian law of distress which jdisgraces the statutes of Illinois. We will again state the radical defects in this law. It uuthorizes any person claiming to be alandlord, or the agent or attorney of & sence of any oath of other afiirmation that there is due him any sum for rent, to write out a warrant of distraint, and proceed to the premises of an occupant and seize and carry away all the furniture or other prop- the law further authorizes the man who does his to file his warrant of distress with any Justice of the Peace lving in any partof a county, and remote from x city, and the per- son whose property Is talien may never hear any more of the proceeding or of his prop- erty, be denied the opportunity of replevin, or of even contesting the claim for rent. That is what the letter of the law authorizes, and that is.the Jaily practice in this city. (2) The law aunthorizes also the institution of a civil suit against any citizen béfore any Jus- tice of the Peace, reslding in any purt of the county, compelling the persons sued to attend the trial of such cases, at the most unreasonable hours, ‘twenty-five miles dis- tant from their homes, or suffer judgment to be given by default. Under this autpor- ity of law, gangs of disreputable attorneys, equally disrcputable Constables, and more disreputablé Justices carry on a large .amount of this class of so-called legal busi- ness in this city and county. The victims are mostly poor laboring men and defense- less and friendless women, who, upon the judgment being obtained, are Tobbed and plundered of their household goods in fla- grant abuse of honesty and generally of the commonest law of decency-and propriety. The law should be amended o as to render these abuses impossible. This fendal and brutal law we inherited _where tenants have no rights and landlords are almost as supreme and -autocratic as American slaveboldérs used to be in the South. A number of . States have abolished the- English distress seizure system and others have modified it. In Wisconsin the writ of distress for rent has been abolished. In Pennsylvania the old exists. In New York distress for rent is abolished. In Indiana distress-warrants for rent are not allowed. In Ohio distress-warrants for rent were abolished long ago. B In Iowa‘ distress-warrants, eo nomine, are brutal law still are given to reveal lts character, ap- those who are not familiar with the char- [ not be obtained from taxation. as other and | not allowed, but Jandlords bave lens which can be enforced by attachment: D ceedings in Justices’ courts.” [ In Michigan distress-warragts are not al- lowed. . ... 5 P In Lonisiana distress-wariants are wholly. unknown to the law..: ; b 3 ‘We submit that the tbreemillions and more of free people in Llinols should. abolisbaany. barbarous, cut-throat law which nlull;oflzeb any man to write outa warrant authg tizing himself to seize and carry off anotherman’s, property, without an.oath as to rosi pr e THE LAXE-FEONT ,mm,—mums' 0P~ . POSITLON. 3 The Lake-Front bill is arrested in the Sen- ate by no less a person than Senator .Ed- munds, of Vermont. The ground of cbjec- tion is almost as surprising as is the author. The United States prior to 1839 owned a tract of land (51 acres) In this eity, which svas divided up into lots and sold by the Sec- retary of War, and the proceeds were paid into the Treasury. The lots weresold at a time when real estate was booming, and the pricés obtained were good. Two fragments of blocks fronting on Michigan avenue, with the rear ends obscured by the waters of the Iake, were set apart from sale and dedicated, as the adjoining blocks had been, to public uses.—the view of the lake niot to be inter- rupted by buildings. So the land has re- mained froni’ that time to the present. Up to the date of the fire in 1871 Michigan avenue was a choice residence Jocation, its value being enhanced because of the unobstructed view of the lake,—thesetwo blocks being the north end of the vacant ground or park, The fire changed the whole character of the neighborhood. - The adjoin- ing land is no longer choice or desirable for residence property, and the only part of the burned city which-has not been rebujlt and improved Is thatin the nelghborhood of thése two blocks, which, forty years azo, ivere ded- icnted to public purposes. The hand of restoration and improvement, which has cown- pleted its work everywhere else, bas not touchied this locality, where the ruins of the fire and the débris remain a disfigurement and an evidence of desolation, as conspicuous as they were on the morning after the fire, more than nine years ago. Change, which is inevitable in all cities, had been accelerated by the fire. What was considered advisable forty years ago is not deemed so now. The ownersof the adja- cent property, who ten years, ago appealed successfully to the Courts to prevent any buildings being erected on. those blocks, as provided when that land had been set apart, notw unite in a memorial asking that the use be changed from one public purpose to another, and to the one which they resisted in 1870. The City Government, which in 1870 had sunited with the property-owners in resisting any change in the uses of that property, now’ ask permission to have that change made. " The United .. States, however, being the original donor of these two blocks, has a technical, reversionary right to the property in case the original purpose to which it was set apart be abandouned. Being no longer needed or desirable as a pak or as landlord, on his own motion and in the ab- erty he may find theére, and secrete it; and” an outlook, the City of Chicazo and the owners of all the property having an casement now ask that Congress shall waive this remote, continzent, reversionary claim, and give its consent to the use of this prop: erty (with other lots, in which the United Stat8s have no interest) for other public services. Mr. Edgaunds objects on the United States have s techuical title, dower claims by venerable widows. - These claims bave arisen in cases where forty or muny acres were sola and paid for at thelr full value at that time, and when in those days of primitive good faith the conveyances were not scrutinized very closely as to form- ality, Later, and after the land:had attained large .values, the widows of the original grantors have put in claims that in the deeds there were informalitiesin the acknowl- have demanded dower. - The claim set up by the United States in this case is about as techuical, and -as equita- ble, and as stale as the worst of those made in the dower cases. The United States hav- ing a large tract of land to sell, offered, as an inducement to parchasers, to set aside two blocks then nearly covered with water, and which provably would not have sold for $50 each, to remain unoccupied, affording an un- broken view to the lake. -The Government got, in the increased prices obtained for the rest of “the property, tenfold the value of these water-covered lots, and.now, after the lapse of forty years, comes in the shape of & venerable widow asking dower in property whose value has by the lapse of time greatly increased. i The uses for which itis desired to obtain this Jand at this time are public uses. In the first place, Congress s asked to complete the original dedication of these two blocks by giving its remote -reversionary claimto the City of Chicago, representing an eutire com- munity largerin point of numbers than the population of Aeveral of the States. "It is true the City of Chicazo proposes to transfer the use of this propirty (with other) for another public use. The direct money consideration is, however, the least in importance. The . price to be paid direct is as nothing compared with the other public ‘benefits. The entire district of the citv now lying in rulns will in case this transfer be made. be improved from our British ancestors—{rom a conutry’ by costly and numerous warehouses, all of which becoming taxable will be 2 perpetual source of revenne. The ground itself will be imp‘l.'ll\'ed by cosily bulldings, which will also be taxable. . Ooe large district in the centre of . the city now ai unsightly mass of ruins. will - be improved in keeping with other parts. A Iarge district 1iow unavailable for any pur- The now useless blocks of ground will be applied to 2 great public purpose,—that is, an enlargement of rnilroad facilities absolutely In this last improvement Chicago alone is not luterested; the whole country doing business with this clty is directly interested. All New England, direetly and indircetly, has a large interest in everything that per- tains to railroad and transportatign economy in Chicago. Thousands of Senator Ed- munds’ constituents who have commercial deallngs with Chicago, who buy and sell here, who are interested in railroad traffic, who are stockholders in:Chiczago railways, and improves the railroad facilities in this great central point of distribution of th products of the whole people. 7 What will be the effect of defeat of L“z Dbill® Theland wust remain vacant,—uniised and unoccupled. It will perpetuate the.non- use of all the property contiguous and abut- ting. No longer desired or' usbful as-an out- look, it will become the receptacle of the ritb-" bish of-the city. It will bea blank page 1“: an i lnminated volume. It will be the asje pitiof a great commercial city. Itwillhea perpetial illustration of the old story of the dog in the manger. {t will suggest ninljte; envy, and short-sighted eruelty. It will -be- come historical for its isolation, desolatibi the validity of his debt, and_ without a bond or other se- t curity for the property seized and carried off! the ground that’ and must be pald for it.=*Thebeopte _jof this clty are famillar with what are. known as. fifty years ago lots and blocks and tracts of edgments by the wives, and o2 proof of this pose will be occupied by business buildings. | needed for the business traflic of the city.- or who come hither for pleasure or profit,” are all interested in everything that enlarges | 4 30, - 1881—EIGHTEEN PAGES. and nakedness, and it will be fortunate if it do not farever bear the title of the “Widow Edmunds’ dower claim.” P We acquit Senator Edmirnds, however, of any intentional injustice in this matter. l:la} has evidently misunderstood the case in its detalls, and perhaps is not Inforned of the piratical efforts niade of late years to plant old land warrants tn the heart of this city g;\der the claim .of title from the United ates. In view of, the whole faéts of the l_ne there can hardly be any substantial ob- Jkéton to the passage of this bill. o ses ] —m——— N mezxg.ggvs B‘B)BLATI?’XVB TO ENGLISH Under the above chption, Mr. E. S. Nadal hns contributed a~paper to the February number of Scrl % BMonthly which is . very notlceable, ,pog, only for the interesting ws upon Mr.Thackeray’s light whi¢h it thry personal relnuong"f)\\f"nlso for the opportu- nity it affords of -instifuting some compari- sons betwebn the treatment of literary men in Great Britafh hd'ij'oir own country. It is no secret how thiit it W3s a'ruling passion in Thackeray’s mind:liis-desire to secure ad- mission into the Inghest-English soclety, and that, while he unmgreifullyJashed spobs, he was 2 snob himself, in that he would. have toadied to that class in order fo have gained admission to it. Mr: Nadal véry cleverly de- seribes him in this sketch; . Ie belleved in the world, and bestowed a Teluctantbut in- evitable worship upon it He was borna poet and; humorist. .Iis eyes were life - so strongly been . impossible for thom altogether. = He could mnut- cense to be a poet and he could notforget the world. Between the two he was unable to nake up his mind. e discovered dally the vanity of mundane matters, but the discovery, had nevertheless to'be made the day after. -He was a proud and ambitious man, who hated to be ignored 'or thought trifling or unim- portant. He had a desire for social position which he wasnnable to put aside.” So in- tense was this desire that at the age of 40, when he had established his reputation and had written * Esmond” and ** Vanity Fair,” he tried to get the position of Secre- tary of Legation at Washington, a position which financially wasof noaccount. AsMr. Nadal says: * He was willing to step down from one of the highest literary thrones of the day to accepta place where he should copy the words of mastersat home who were scarcely conscious of him, and take lessons of junfors who despised bim as an interloper and a good-for-nothing; and he would do all this that he might ‘have the consciousness of belonging to a respectable profession.”” He carried . this passion to the most extreme degree. He hud come to regard the British world of fashion as the most tre- mendous object in. existence. He had not only on admiration, but a fond affection, for Lords, Counts, and Earls. e was willing _even tobe their Inckey, this man who' had charmgd all: England and America with his +writing, provided he could be, admitted to their society. Ie was willing to sit at the foot of their tables and eat the crumbs that fell fromit. It isnot a pleasant picture ‘to look upon, butunfortunately it is o true one, and thiswan, who, apart from this servility, was.one of Nature's own noblemen, with the bighest title on earth,—that- of intellect;i— would have descended to any humility that would have admitted him’to their presence. When Beethoven’s brother wrote to him and signed himself *Land-Owner,” the penni- less old nmster® replied signing him- self * Brain-Owrner”; and svhen Goethe servilels removed. his hat' while . the Empéror _passed, the sturdy Beethoven kept’ bis, on, and frebuked. the poet.. . $ Thackeray was not one of this gort. " He only attacked theworship of rank, but satir- ized all the follies and absurdities of English .soclety, and could ‘make Bulwig exclaim: And you, Yellowplush, would penetwate these mystewles; you would walse the awful vell and stand in the tremendous Pwesence. Withdwaw, wash:neophyte,” and yet no man would have been more - delighted to haveraised that veilthan he. No manyould have been more delighted to have taken a seat by the side of titled nonentities, aristo~ cratic roués, and nobles half removed from idiots, And what constitutes this Enzlish soclety, which would not to-day admit Shak- speare, if he were living, with all his present fame, to their tables, except as g lackey ? What is this *society” but a handful of feudal land monopolists who are rich by half starving milllons of poor wretehes? There -is secmingly a democratic equality In the English laws, but ‘their social system is a caste that is more -exacting and rigid than that of the Hindoos. Nomatterwhataman's character and brains may be, no matter what he may have accomplished for the benefit of the world, he cainot enter that charmed clr- cle of titled nonenity and glittering fustian. But Thackeray Is not the only Englishman ‘who adores the sristocracy of hiscountry. | Twenty-five millions of Britons are willng to be quasi-slaves, and to toady to and fawn* .upnn and worship the idols they have set up, and certainly the idol, so handsomely set,up and eutertained, cannot be blamed fof tie- cepting the worship.: Tt is only a pity wheén a man of intellect, like Thackerny, ‘consents to bow down and worship even though he e~ ceives only sneers and snubs. Ilad Ar. Thackeray’s lot been cast In our own land, every door 'from the huinblest to the highest would have been.open to receive him, and his gift of genius would have been '_'curle blanche into our, best soclety, whick would have taken him by the hand and honored him, and admired hiw, and made him. the idol of .its affection gnd reverence. He would have escaped there- buffs which met him whileliving. Ilis mem- ory would not have been subjected,years after his death, to insult at the hands of the most offensive snobin England in one of the 1nost stupld books efer written, that hds only found readers becanse its snobbish.author wears titles and siis in the seats of English aristoeracy. Mr. Thackeray Jjas written much that will comuend liig-t0 the world, much that is good aid genefous and noble, and has written eloguently for humanity, but it will be hard to imazing'thiat the “mereiless Iashing which he bestows upon English snob- Dery Is not his revengesfor its*treatinent of ' hiw, rather thanothe'lgfest - conterant which he should have felt'fjity; Bat he does not stand alone, for-hisgreat,’contemporary, Charles Dickens, hadieisame over weening desire to raise the sEl’phd “penetrate the awful mystery” tl frbunds that ledst useful of ull God’s cjufures, the English aristoerat. i A NATIONAL, TELEGEAPE SYSTEEL fixed on- that- 1t would . have. him to withdraw. pany, or several new companies, to buildand, maintain telegraph lines; then certainly the Government may do_ on its own account what it is at liberty to authorize othersto do. 'The greater powerincludes wie-less. Any movenent in tLis countrs: toward the es- tablishment of & Government postal telegraph must proceed, in justice to-the people, inde- pendently of the existing companies, their watered stock, and- their- extortionate rates. The single error in the establishing of the English system of postal telegraph was the purchase at a fictitlous valuation of the lineg and privileges of the private companies. The transaction proved to be a hugeswindle, The Government was not merely cheated in the price it paid, but was loaded up with a Iot of obsolete material which it could rot use to advantage. As a matter of fact the English Government had no sooner bought outgthe telegraph companies than' it dis- covered that it was necessary to construct new lines-and provide new material; It might much better have begun the work of con- struction de novo. Any project for a Gov- ernment telegraph in this country must take warning of the English experlence and look to the establishmient of new facilities with- out auy regard to the existence or fictitious valie of existing lines. The bill introduced into the United States ‘Senate by Senator Kirkwood, which proposes the creation of a * United States Postal Tele- graph Company” upon terms that will se- dure the construction of the lines by private q:mfnl. and the operation thereof in connec- , tion® with the Post-Office Department and. unider ‘the supervision of .the Government, presants a new solution of the “telegraph urleexp, and in a shape that may be prac- ticable and desirable. The proposition on the firg of the bill Is certainly fair. The Compafjy asks that the United Stated Govern- ment .shall extend “to It the right of eminent,, domain over the post-roads,. bridges, public and private lands, for ‘the same unhmpeded construction and main- tenance of telegraph lines which the Govern- ment miglit exercise;.and also the privilege of running these lites into the Post-Office buildings. In consideration of such privi- leres the Company agrees to subject its busi- ness to the supervision of the Post-Office Departmént; to fix a uniform rate of twenty cents o messages of twenty words to and from all points within the United States; to pay the Government the regular rates of one cent for drop-letter delivery, two cents for, delivering by carriers,.and special rates for special delivery; to begin the construction of its Jines within ninety days; to have the principal citles joined by telegraph connec- tion within twelve months; to build 30,000 wiles within three years,and 70,000 miles _within seven years; to limit the Issue of stock to the actual work of construction at s’ ‘ fixed rate; and to Issue to the Government one-half the stock, which, without having any claim upon dividends, shall enable the Government to bar any disposal of the Com- pany’s franchises and property. . There is not a reasonable doubt that such a scheme, authorized by the Governwent, - would be carried out much more promptly than is proinised, for the stinple reason that it would pay. Any company that shall un- dertake to do the telegraph busipess of the country at & uniform rate of 20cents for messages of twenty words, and one cent a word beygund that, without regard to dis- tance, and with a corresponding reduction in night rates, will be able to do it at & profit. Distance is not an element of ex- pense in the telegraph businéss, except as to the additional investmentto cover the ground. The profit in 2 uniform and cheap rate has been abundantly. demonstrated by the En- | 411sh expirients. - Thié rote of- 25 cents upon- fwenty words has proved to beso profitabie in England, in the face of an investment equivalent to perhaps three times the actual cost value of material, that 2 reduction to onehalf that amount Is already con~ templated and ‘will ‘undoubtedly be made within a very short time. In fact, the success of tliis system of. tele- graph is so certaln that, if such a bill as Senator Kirkwood’s shall ‘pass, it is not un- likely that the. consolidated Western Union willendeavor to prevent the establishment of the new system by coming in under the proposed terms without' any- consideration for its inflated stock. It may be that further investigation will show that the Jowa project for a postal tele- graph is not so desirable ‘as full Gov- ernment ownership and operation would be; but at first sight it suggests two advantages over the proposition that the Government shall construet an independent systein of its own. The first is, that the desideratum of a postal telegraphi under Government con- trol, and withafixed, uniform, and minimum rate, may thus be. acquired witihout the In- vestment of Government moneys, and that in this way the usual waste and frequent seandal of Government contracts may be avoided. The second advantage is, that the plan of private ownership and manageinent under Government supervision and restraint will remove the chief vbjection urged to the Government telegraph—viz.: that such a system wofld create another political ma- chine and:lead fo mew abuses in the Clvil Service. Under the plan of private owner- ship the business of & postal telegraph com- painy would be condicted with the same vlew to economy and ‘profit, and sould be as widely separated from ‘politienl influences as that of the existing telegraph companies is now. Certainly the Kirkwood bill isa good pmmlie for public protection against telegraph combination and monopoly in the near futu,rxé, for it indicates o purpose to do -sometliing. - Adviees frem Washington indicate a pre- vailing jmeression, there that *“the Govern- ment, agrding,to English..precedents, can- not ob2in ‘curitrol of jthe ‘telegraph. lines withaUtpasing the valte estimated upon the npgm® B the companies.” - This: view of the cast is an utter misdpprehensicn of the aim ard scope of a postfil telegraph system, and itbrobably emanates Trom ' the control- ling yeu in the Western Union amalzamated mongoly. If it means that the Government canzjt take possession-of the -existing lines withfut paying for them, the proposition Is self-yident, and the Govermuent. would not tuin] of anything else. ButIf it means that ‘the'tovernment hias no authority to proceed witftlfe construetion of a’'separate and inde- pengnt system of. telegraph . lines, the as- setdnftis absurd. Noliody will deny that .th€fovernment may cligrter a new com- K Astronomicals - Chicago (Truuse office), north Iatitnde 41deg. f2m. 57s.; west longitude 42m. 18s. from Whaehlfigton, and Sh. 50m. 83. from Greenwich. The Sibjolded table -shoiws the time of set- tigg of thie moon’s lower limb, and the officiul time for lightibg the first street-lawpin each cir- cult i this city, during the coming week, unless ordered sooner on account of .bad weather. Also the following times for extinguishing the first lamp: ' Alnon gets, * Livht. Extinguish. n. am 11:05 p. Feb. 8. 1183 A m, 12:10 p. m. Tho moon was new last night. She will ®e in her st quarter next Saturday at 7:04 p.m. She will bo near Venus Tuesday night, Jupiter Thursday night, and Saturn Fridsy moraiug. The sun’s upper lwb will riso_on Monday at 7:13% u.'m., south at 13m. 47.18 p. m,, and set At % p. m- 3 The sun's upper limb rises Friday next at 7:00%, a.m., souths ot 14m. 18.54s. .p. m., and sets at :103 p. m. The sidereal time Thursday mean noon will be 20b. 50m. 00.778. . g B Mercury w.ll south Thursday at 0:41} p.m., and setatb:44 p. m. He 1s now appronching bis exstern clongation, walch will pecmit bim to e scen 28 wn'evening star a little more than-three weeks bence. . Mars will south Thursday at 10h. 10m. 8. m., risiog ut 5:38 8. m. He isa not very bright ob- Jeet in the morning twilight, between the prin- clpal stars of Sazittarius nnd those of Cupricorn. Venus, Juplter, nnd Saturn afe now' three splendid objects in tho evening sky, the distance between the two first being about twice 88 Zreat 83 the distance between Jupiter and Saturn. The distunce 18 rtapidiy diminishing, thouzh Venus is now moving among the stars 4t almost precisely the same rate as thé sun. Venus souths Thursday at 3:07 p. m., Jupiter at 4:02 p.m., and Saturn at 4:3f p. m. They will set that evening in_the sume order,—Venus at 9:12 p. m., Jupiterat 10:23 p. m., and Saturn at 1:02 . . . = 'pVenusfs now at nearly her greatest elonga- tion from the sun. She will reach that phase (483 degrees) Feb. 203 but will continue to io- crease in brilllancy for five weekslonger. About one-half of ner jlluminated ‘surface is turned | towards us; so that in the telescope she presents nearly the samo appearnnce as the moon fn ber first quarter dves 10 the nuked eye. Jupiter now subtends to us an angle of 35 seconds,— “equat to o circular disc of 103 inches in diam- eter seen nt the distanco of 3 mile. Saturn i3 now a magaificent object through & good tele- scope. The greatest appurent. dizmeter of his ring-system 1s about 89 seconds of arc, and least do. 9.3 seconds. Uranus will south ‘Thursday at 2:03% 8. m.. ‘wiin mght ascension 10 hours 6. wioutes, and dechination 7 degree3 29 minutes o will south Thursday at 5:42p. m. tion 13 degrees 3734 minutes north. orth. Neptune, with declina- TaeRE 18 in the Turkish Empire a ‘{nrze quantity of -property known.as ** Vakufl be- longing to the mosques. 1In 1867, according to the Rome correspundent of the London Standard, Bismarek sent g special agenT-to ascertaln the value of this property, and whether it mightnot be delivered from the dend band of the State; also what income it might be expected to bring 1n under rutional methods bf administration. It may seem incredible that Prince Bismurck sbould occupy himself with such matters even before the catablishment of the German Em- pire; but Germun Government often causes elaborate inquiries to be made which do not ap- pear to have any immediate bearing on its in- terests. This was shown in 8 striking manner at the time of the Zw war, when trustworthy maps of the Zulu country were pluced at_the disposal of the British Government by the War Ottice at Berln. 1t is surmised also that Prince Blsmarck may have bad special reasons for causing these inquiries to be made. At any rate it is known that o -1878 the Crédit Mobilier of Paris had arranged to advance the Porte 38,000,000 of Turkish pounds on mort- gage of the mosque lands. The negntiations were.brought to the knowledge of Bismuarck by a Prussian in the Turkisnservice, and, says the Standard correspondent, ‘*as the arrapgement would byno.means havesuited the views of either Russia or Prussia, those Powers pushed on Servia to declare war against the Sultan. wittL the immediate effect, of course, of.causing tho Crédit Mobilier to break off the affair.”” What the Crédit Mobiiler was prevented from doing in 1876 fs now, we are told, to bd done by a Berlin association, which *has 02,000,000 marks at the disposal of Turkey in exchange for all the +Vakuff’ and mines in Macedonia and Thessal If this is true 1t is obvious that the Greek ques: .tion must ussume gn entirely new cbaracter, for the scheme would give Germuny {mportant in- terests In the territory clnimed by Greece, and Prince Bismarck would bave o right to.insist that these Interests should™not suffer {pjury from Hellenjc pretcusions. $ ' e LA, which has just been eaptured by the bloody Peruviaps, 18 situated on the Rimac River, seven miles from Callao, its port on the Pacific. It bus a population of about 150.000. The houses are fiat-roofed, and most of them only two stories high, as enrthquukes are com- mon. There are thirty-three public squares in Lima, the mostspacious being the Pluza Mayor, Which embraces an arez of nine gcres in the centre of the city. It hasafountain Ineach of the four corners and one in the centre,” sur- rounded by a gorgeous garden. There aremany . beautiful public edifices, the most remarkable of which are the Cathedrul, the Archbishop’s and the Government palaces, and the Town- Hiill, all constructed by Fragcisco Pizarro, whose asbes repose beneath the grand altar of the first. -The Cathedral Is' of stone, 320 feet long, and sirmounted by two.towers 133 feet bigh. The interior is_sumptuously orpamented. 1t was greatly .damaged by earthguakes in 1946, and was rebuilt by the Viceroy Count Super- unda. There are fifty-six other ecclesiastical edifices, oneof the mostsplendid of which is the jmmense Church of San Pedro, founded in 1598, which has scventeen altars, and is dec- orated in good taste. The Lima University, founded in 1351, is the oldest. in America. The present building was erected fn 1576. Few Amer- jean citles have a larger number of handsome statues than Lima. The city bas frequently been visited by earthqiiikes, that of 118 prov— ing fatal to'the port.’ In 185¢ it was _ravaged by vellow-fever. the only disastrous epldemic re- corded fn its punals. On July 21,1321, it was en- tered by the Chillan army under San Martin, who, on the 25th, was proclaimed Protector of Independent Peru; and on Juae 29, 1833, the in- habitants revolted against Gen. Santa Cruz. ————— #I7 is'a curious thing.” says the Pall Moll Gazette, *that three of the most -expressive words in the Engllsh lanzuage shoula bavebeen added to it, if not by Irisbmen. at least by men belonging by residence or descent to the west of Ireland. To burke, to lynch, and to boycott haveall taken their places,’If not exactly in classical literature, at_leust in the veruacular of the English-spenking race, all over the world." The orizin ot “to burke” and “to boycott” no one will dispute,—especially that of the lntter,—but what about the American “tolynch”? We desire to be justto [relund, but it i3 rather bhurd to give up to itaword which we have so long supposed to be native bere. And yet the Pall Mail makes out n pretty strong case for the Green Isle, provided it Is not rely ing on its Imugination for its facts. - There are two persons, according to the Graphic, who figure in Americun tradition as baving given rise to this expressive phrase. The most popular 1s the Virginia farmer, or Squire, of the name, who won fame through his rough and ready way of punishing evil-doers; next comes the Judge Lynch who was sent over from England in 1677-"18 to suppress piraey. The renl, genuine, original Lynck, however, itIs now:clalmed, was Mayor of Galway at the cluse of the fifteenth century, who hanged his own son out.of an up- per-stoty window of bis house {n retribution for robbery and murder. Probaoly all these Lynches contributed to making’ the name famous in thelr time, and each is entitled to at least a part. of the credit due. 9 ———— A CORRESPONDENT asks for a brief expla- nation of the * Three Irish F's,” anda coutempo- rary furnishes this one: The firstis * Fair Hent,” based on a new val- nauon of theland exclusive of all improvements- Emdu by the tenunts themselves. The second i3 Free Snles,” or the right of the tenunt to seil his improvements whenever he gives up his !wl{ih'u‘. This Is the Ulster custom ~ Thethird is * Fixity of Tenure,” whereby . tenants will be sccured amminst unwarrantable evictions and higher rents. Al ndvoentes of land-reform ree- ognize the necessity of facilitating tne trunafer of land by abolishing all restrictions of primo- geniture and entail, and removing difliculties of title. 7T'his is the natural meaning of Free Snles, althGugh the phrase hns come to be used inu epecial sense. The necessity of buildingupa new eluss of peasant proprietors and of recluiin- Ing wuste Junds, und thus extending the area un- der cultivation, is also admitted by all students who have examnined this suvject.’ ——————— Tne result of the recent municipal elec- tions in France is n great triumph for Gumbetta. His only defeat seems to have token place in his own old constituency, Belleville, from which he was elected n 1869, defeating Carnot. There his defeut was ouly partial, Brutaret, his old friend,” having obtained. a plurality. The two extreme Radical factions will probably unite in support of Lebegue and elect bim on the second ballot. The elections huve been more disastrous to the Communists than to the Clericals. The latter will have seven representatives in the Paris Municipal Council lnstead of three. One of their new members, M. Herve, a Creole, born in the Island of Reunicn, Is & man of more than ordinary ability, and, though a Clerical, i3 not greatly opposed to the Republic. —_—— A pispater from Jacksonville, Fla., says: A contract bus just been ngreed upon botweet the uuthorities of Flurl-mxand J. ‘l,} C‘Irgl ot Jucksonville, and A. ‘B. Lindermun, rep: ing cup.tafists of Philudelphin and the Pucitic Cunst. to drain Lake Okeechubee, in South Fior- 1da. If the scheme is carnied out. 12.0ku neres of the best sugar tund in the world will be re- cluimed. The- territory reclaimed will include the celebrated Everglides, and will be in extent twice 25 large as the Stute of New Jersey. | T'hiy is the largest contruct on record,and when' com- leted Florlda can produce more s United States now consutnes. gur than the — TrE meeting of the New York Horticult- ural Soclety at Delmonico's Monday was, in the Jungunge of the old-time. reporters, “a- festal occasion.”” Gen. Grant was expected to make the speech of the evening, but he failed. and Chuuneey M. Depew touk hig place. I did not fully understand the object of this dinner,” he sajd, *until I came here. But when I saw such *old Grangers® us Jay Gould, Russell Sage, and Charfes Lanier present, then T knew that mo- nopoly was on the rumpage, and that the agri- cultural interests of the country were to be pro- tected.” Mr. Depew proceeded and Mr. Gould “points” ag w‘?::\iv"'.::fi:,m Deat each other In borticulture. He did gy g t0 do-It, for nelther of thom hnd cver » giper hitm péints.” He ndvised Mr. Gould to oin thy Horticultural Soclety, and thus aad fen yepe . his life and tiwentv years to bis enjoyment, r;xm Hugn Hastiogs then spuke, and after him p, Peter Henderson, who, s a practical horticuls. urist, felt ashamed of the absence from Nes York of such beautiful public gardens as sy Jthe pride of Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, u:; other cities. It was a hot-house g‘u[h;fl Think of expatinting on the beauty and sweer: ness of flowers in Delmonico’s with Jay Gould and Russell Suge for nuditors. A Parp1s correspondent describe: who fnvest in the Panama Cumulsmnksz mixcgfi’ smith with abasket of tools on his shoulger; g woman of Breton physiognomy in vers plat patched, and darned garments; on old wnmlz whose head was bound up In a colored handker- chief, nnd whose wenther-Beaten fuce and borp, bauds told ot other than domestic emvloymemy- a_company‘of mulattoes, enguged, I should think, in bousehold service. There were cooks and some of the demi-monde very luxuriously dressed. Among the bumble investors there were no Semitlc physiognomies.” Perbaps 'thy Hebrews sharg Gen. Grant's distrust of the scheme. The French, however, buve an abiding faith in De Lesseps. e ———— Toe challenge of Bradlaugh by Laisant— the latter called the former o Prussiun spy and cownrd—is the subject of?60me gossip. . Drade Iaugh’s course in declining to fight Is generally approved. Some of these French duels are cope . ducted In rather & curious fashion. There wera 100 of them last year. Some of the combatunty are said to bave dipped thoir swords {n red fak, and whben the shirt of either combatant wag stained by the fluid, honor-was satisfied. PERSONALS. / THughesseems to goas he pleases. : Afr. Vennor’s thaw seems to have been-g- very chilly one. s It is expected that the Princess Lonise will return to Cznada in March next. - Her heaith has improved. : Mr. Gladstone, in reply to & cotrespondent, gays the rumor that he i3 about to enter thg House of Lords because of ill-healtb Is perfectly groundless. . A London paper says that *““the ragefor relics bas declined very much of iate.” The English eirculation of the Chicago Journalis evidently doomed. Jobn B. Gough has a sore throat, and can- not lecture any more this season. Somebody else would have beeu a better manin his place —better for the public. A young man fell dead .in New Orleans Iast Sunday while singing for the etertainment of the family. Probably the plano-players will be reached after 2 while. Baron von Jena, of Germany, is soon to marry Miss Egith Porter, of Skaneateles, New TYork. He was tirst attracted to the place by tas homelike sound of its name. G i Sir Thomas Hesketh, who recently married Senator Sharon's daughter, IS said by a London paper to be a direct descendant of the fnfamous Judge Jeffreys. As Sir Thomas Is said tobe very decent young man, it strikes us u;.; Jeffreys is in pretty good luck. . *“A widow in good circumstances” ad- vertises in ‘the Boston Globe for a husband. Victoria evidently knows where'the really nice ‘men are to be founa. . The Prince of Wales will have to toe the mark o little -better, however, in case a Boston man gets torunning the family, Three young girls sliding swiftly downs hiilin Boston the other day saw asleighand team 1in front of them, and A collision seemed imminent. Fortunately one of the young ladles had the presence of wind to smile, and the team at once ran away, thus probably avoiding a loss of life. . = “I see that an Italian scientist named- Grimaldi has invented a new gnuge, by means of which he not only tells how much rain has fallen. but also the hour in which it fell, and how long thefull lasted. DBig money awaits ths - man that fnvents a gauge for telling whén youe” wife is coming over townaftera spring —. H. Vandcrbilt. When crossing the ocean, Mrs. Harris, wife - of the United States Consul at Venice, wus ol that her life was despsired ofyand she nearly lost her evesight. The best physiciansof Loo~ | don and Paris told her she could return to this country only at the risk of her Life, and with tha certainty of total blindness. She Is a bright it tle woman about 50 years of age, with a sutny - smile and & complexion like a girl's, softened by. puffs and curls of ilvery Wwhite hair. Mrs. Har, ris wus very prominent during the Civil War, baving - been Secretary of the Philadeiphia Ladles’ Afd Society.—the first one organized: She passed months with thé -Army of the Poto- muc, overseeing the distribution of delicacies for the sick. and watching with the wounded on -~ the fleld of battle. x 2 1 and my sweetheart spelt together; Our ages were together ten; T How sad 1o waste the sweet spring weather~ In the old dame’s fusty den! White lilac, fragrant, gruceful, cool, . Tapped at the window of theschool; *--." Alns, too well our doom we knew— There was o tremulous birch-tree, tool . | 1 and my sweetheart dwell together; Many tcas are our ages now: il Vanished is youth’s gay violet weather, . - Stays the old dame’s frowning browe . Dame Nuture keeps the eternal school, And grows green twigs to flog the fool; But looks nway with pardoning eye . When wepluy truant, my love and L —Susan B. Anthony. i ——————— + .CUl\'/IMINGS' BILL., The ¥ive Hundred Million Pension Swindle on the Taxpayers. 3 *Guth ™ to Cincinnatt Enquirir. « WasmNGToN, D. C., Jan. 98, ~Having heard that the enormous sum of over Si0-: 000,000 would berequired to,pay claims under the Arrearage-of-Pension bill, I called ob Tuesday afternon on Mr. Bentley, of Wis: consin, the Commissioner of Pensions. Tler oceupies the fire-proof building which Boss: Shepherd built, and which broke him dows. on account of lts cost. Mr. Bentley 158 youngish wan, of “a plain, sincere manneh: and a countenance that inspires confidence I asked him what it would cost 10 ny claims under the new bill. 5 % 1sent an estimate into the Approprintion; Colnmittee yesterday,” said Mr. Bk‘nflg]._ ¢ & which leaXed out, but was wrongly. prind % in the evening newspaper. The suw I na_me!l was $510,000,000. I think it will cost that amount.” % e o How in the world, Mr. Bentley, did s‘;lch 11, involving such consequences, passe - Jell; sir,” the Comnuissioner sai, yulet Iy, 1 suppose it was because Congeess KnEW so little about what they were Pisss They allow committees and individuals 10110 the work, and take n great deal for grantid; They thought this was a bill to help soldlersy s and “soldiers are voters; so they just letlo pass. But the conseguences I have to swae’ frunkly to Congress.” b} “How did this thing get ‘into legislation AMr. Bentlev?” 2 g *Well, Mr, Rusk, of Wisconsin, propose’ 2 bill, and estimated the costof penafons wE der it at about - $9,000,000. lI.;x‘;':u a R:W‘?‘ ‘lienn. Gen. Rice, of Ohio, o Democral, ‘?fl- up a bill, and he thought the espense wot be about $15,000,000._The present bill comes from Mr, Cuminings, of Iowa, whol x;lill)l. now in Congress. It was a sweeplog - Congress passed it without knowinz l{llfifl about it, except that it was a soldier Lill; it will cost 3510,000,000.” s BilL, *What is the pature of the Cummings Mr. Bentley?? - Wk * it becaine a law,’” said Mr. Bentles, lfls, the c¢lose of January, 15:9; but’ some of ! provisions I tieen enacted earlier. It vlfl‘:_ y vides that all pensions, pust or futurt, g%fl ed in consequence of elther wounds, inju! :fi ordisease contmeted in the Lebellion, 5_11 coumence either from the discharge VT Yictim from the service, or from the date 05 his death, The amendments provide a the rate of the pensions shall be graded & cording to the pensioner's disabilises. “How much will it cost to pay pens! for the penuing year?” . R e by £50,000,000, said the Cot missioner. - It will Inerease for. sev ratiy of the expecta i entisted -than I¢ B/ {620, years to come.. The of deatl is mtich hizher in e & in the-army and survived the War, in Carlisle’s tables of Insurance. s the highest it cost us for pensions ims; beedy - $29,000,000 a year. The United S Know, pays niore for pensions than 2l rest of tne Govermuents of the world™ .,