Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, February 13, 1881, Page 4

, iton them Teavil; . and all the ouiside towns a third; the five THE CHICAGO TRIBU NE: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1881—FIGHTEEN PAGES. every alternate year, and five Comissloners in the county on a general ticket in thé years the city does not elect; is the true one; and is the only amondmens that would improve the present-law. The County Board is doing well.as it is. -1t should be let alone; and Re- publican inembers of the Legislature should ' Jook with special disfavor on such mis-! chievous schemes as Kroll's, which, could only result in handing the control of the vounty over to the worst elements in the Democratic party. - " LERMS OF SUBSCRIPTIO EY MATL~IN ADVANCE—POSTAGE PREPATD. TrE hew law in New York State prov}d- ing for the taxation of the gross receipts and dividends of corporations 1ot engaged in manufacturing is said to be working ad- Specimen copies sent free. dress In fall, including County Give Posw-Oftios adi and State. omittancos mav be made elther by draft, 6XPress, by °'$‘g;:- gn:cfl:;;wmmh mirably. The State Controller says that ui:lel re < this source W d cepted, 35 cents per week- revenue derived from m;:::“:::%.g::d:fi:dudmsocenupe_rweak. amount annually to §2000,000. The New o THE THIBUNE COMPANY, | York Central Railrond Company alone, in et actson snd Dossbora-si GRS * | 11 e months beginning with July 1 189, has paid the State at a rate which will make its total annnal taxes $300,000. , Below will Ertered at the Post-0ffice at. Chicago, Tl a3 swond- | be found a statement of the taxes paid by Cldss Magter, some railway companies: New York, New Haven & Hartford, on fzross roceipLs. New POSTAGE. e bepeft ot our patrons who desire to rend A coplus of THE TRILTXE through the mall, wo ivebrewith the transient raté of posiago: Domestic, on pross recol Manhatian, Fightand Twelve ‘Page Paper.. 2 cents. New York onteal Sleepl b Faay Faper.« Foreign. TeCeIPIB. .vasaesnrnnene . Fight and Twelve Page Faper Sow Lork Central Sleeplng- 4850 Sixieen Page ¥aner, Fonda, Johnstown & Glo CEFICES. | Dhawirod NE BRANCH 3 nwaro & Huds vare, ckawanna & . ,0 TRIBUNE has established ‘pranch elaware, A oftces for o pecelpt o1 subscriptions snd sATertise” | o o :‘?r&'gg menta as follows: ao- | New York Central, dividends. . 'REAW YORK. Tioom 3 Tribune Buldteg. F-T-6 | New York, Lake Erle & Western, on divi- o ‘dends .57 FADDEX, Manager. s aiaa l(‘iLAEGOW- ‘Scotland—Allan's American Kews | New York, Lako Erie & Western, 6a capl- .31 Rendeld-st. . talstock klg\c;m o .;né—-:mem:n Exchange, 49, Strand. | Lake Shore & Michigan Southers, on HENEY F. 61LL1G, it 2RLBIOCK. .ovuanensensansees 435 Lake Shore & Michigan South dends.. The companies are sald to be entirely satis- fied with the new law, as it relieves them from burdensome local exactions. At the same time the Controller estimates that three-* 2 —Hall LA FAYETTE CHAPTER, NO.2 - A 3 “Hall o PAT R ated Convosadug Monday evenion 723 o'clock: , & 31. 1, Degrees. BbSiara® orelock: for ork ob P&k oF s wolcome. v:r‘:‘;‘::r:;c}‘;i:;" FoudYTH AL EE-P- | r,urth of the money the Stategets frow cor- . porations is in excess of what was ever be- .CORINTHIAN CHAPTER. X0.0 LA, a—Stated | Tore obtained from them by taxation lawe. fsfi‘;fi-fiugg fi-fi%\ufic‘;flufil e 1 Pie ML E M. | The negléct of local Assessors to tax them Degroe, By order . o p wARRINGTON, IL P. | Was notorlous d Tue statement that Mr. Parncll had left England to avoia arrest turns out, like most of the English stories about him, to be utterly without foundation. In tho first place, Mr. Parnell was in Ea- gland several days after the alleged treasonable documents were found on the 3. 0. DICKERSON, Secretars. 7. DEKSALD COMMANDERT, X0, &, K. T-0 O dias evenruz, Feb. 16, 8t 1) Saed Oghelae S 'nrr:‘ixvlur:()rder. Visiting Sit 3 G order v Knights aro invited, U3 95T SRR, Commander. 3.0. DICKERSOX, ltocordet. C. CREGIER LODGE. NO. 03, A. F. & A M. o W dny eveninz, Feb. 16, 3r Communteation Wedacsdss eveninz, Ton -0 D. &t 1:00 v'clock snarp, for wWork. X eondialiy Inylies: A7 °m"f1mss HEATS, W. L person of Davitt; inthe next place it is quite JOLN GINOCEIO, Secretay. likely that 1 such documents were found it would be made known at the time; anduow, COMMANDERY OF to further confirm the untruth of the state- cilswmxi:l'knngl\;u EXIGHTS 11 Z1 stated Conclave will bo 4 3 s ‘p. M., at their Asplum. I 31*:‘3.:‘?3‘;2’& q“" e Fsiers. nfl:\Hy’wol- ment, the-Dublin Treeman’s Journal, good st Cowe. By ordér of the Eminent Comun et ANREY, der ger. | authority on the subject, says that Mr. Par- ‘lle]_l will return to England to-morrow. 1is visit to France was for the purpose of naving the Land League fonds. in- W LODGE, NO. % L 0. 0. F.~There will b m—lgiot.\nu{-'g D ovara cundidates on .;:mn_dm: Pen e Al Brother, QG LetSre K vory interest e new work I v Freate 4 Yo no now work 3¢ Sory MR | Nested in such & way that the British Governmant could not et controf of {hem or any portion of them, as they did of the Fenlan funds. 'Thereis no doubt that Government ofiicials open letters sent from this country to membvers of the Ldnd Leazue or persons suspected of Land League syw- pathivs, and that mauy of the letters ad- dressed by persons on_this side to Mr. Par- nell'and others are not ealculated to soothe the ®erturbed spirits ot the Irish au- thorities, who.would make treason out of PESPERIA LODGE, NO. 411, A. F. & A M—Tho mmombars are hereby notifled' (o’ aitend a rezular ‘Communieation of s¢ to be held Wednesduy b 16,1 §:30 w'clock, ot the hall. corner of fundolyn w0 ‘Halsted-six, Muster, Masons mem- of sister es cu! y invi L. poskat NAELOCH JAMES SMITH, W. 3. CHAS. H. BRENAN, Secretary. : VANRENSSELAER GIRAND LODGE OF PERFEC- TION, 149, A% A ECUTCH RITE—Rezular Assem- By dndradiy cvepiug next Work v, B TR = T GOUDALL, Grand Socretars. APOLLO COMMANUDERE, ~0. 1 .ENIGHTS mx’un-ggmuc?fln;g 'rnemrl'ernnm:. ¥ remarks which In this country would be e Cort and. e Committeesn UyLava iy | merely laughed at. But Mr. Parnell hasso K e A mcetlng ul ihe corporate buds wilibe } far managed to keep himself within the I the same place during the evening Itislm- % portant that_every member lhguld be &fiem_nm; bounds of the law. All his acts, he c¢laims, grder of wne Lmistny, Commen S man of | v been open, aud his statement is con- Recorder ond Secretars. | firmed by the hostility which the Fenians NO. 19, K. T.—Spi _evince to the Land League. There is good CRICAGO COMMANDERT, ‘reasou to believe, too, that the story that Mr. Conclave Monday evening, -fob.. oY Ound Itehoarsal. Invitations: ‘annual Reception 1 be held at the 3 Parnell is soon to visit America is devoid of eveoing, Feb. 24, wlll be issued, Every member vf the Commundery is earncstl ret§neficd truth. - entati: oclock. Byororderof = H. —— . ‘Exinent Commander. 78 = 8 Arrer much hesitation, frequent an- nouncements, and a vast amount of gossip, Lady Burdett-Coutts, urged even by Royalty itself ne'er to consent, consented, and has become a bride—we were going to say 2 blushing Dbride, but poetic license even would not permit—at the ripe, if not sweet, age of 67. Young Mr. Bartlett, who will hereatter be known as Mr. Bartlett-Burdett- Coutts, for the lady not only conferred her hand and fortune, but her name as well, on ber lover, has not woved In vain. He has won the lady and her ducats. ‘The years of devoted service which, practical man that he was, he spent in the service not of a Laban, but of his Rachel herself, havebeen rewarded. Though when first he * breathed the tender tale,”” not be- neath the hawthorn’s shade, 8 Burns had his lovers, but under the saferif less poetic sheltor of his lady-love’s mansion, he must have had some misgiving, the ardent and im- petuous nature of his passion has sur- wounted all dificulties; it has trivmphed. We were rtecently informed by the gentle- man himself that he had learned to discipline the ardor of his affections, but they were yet deep, if still and silent. Who will say that bis patience and perseverfuce were not worthy D. GOODMARN, Recorder. P SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13, ISSL e * Mz STRUCKMAY, of the Seventh District, is o country Justice of the Peace. Hels, thereforein favor of the present law under which citizens of Chicago are liable to be dragged fifteen or fwenty mwiles into tbe country to answer groundless or frivolous complaints. An hoporable Judge will not sit Ina case in wifich he hasa direct pe- cuniary interest; and 2 fair-minded legis- lator ought not to vote, much less to’ speals, on abiil which regulates the performance of his public duties. Tae Western Reserve (0.) Chronicle puts the truth concerning the prolibitory liquor legislation in that State in a very strong way when itsays: “Olio is the only State in tbe Uuion thatallows free trade in liquor.”” That is precisely the effect of the legislation in question, which has been” in force upwards of thirty years. The State has not enjoyed the "benefits of prohibition, while it has lost the control and: regulation of the liquor- tratic by license, and given up the revenue that might have been derlved. “Tax the liquor-dealers,” says the Chronicle. *‘Pile i qmistress’ eyebrows—under difliculties, it Is true, for those eyebrows can searcely be of the soft and poetic hues or of the heavenly Dblack, but of the cold and not imagination- inspiring gray—have had their effect; his furnace-like sighs melted that time-dried heart, and, abandoning mmany friends and much fortune, the ancient dame surrendered at diseretion. After this let it not be Said that gallantry belongs entireiy to the French- man ogpersuasiveness to the “roving blades P of the Ewmerald Isle. 'An American has proved that he possesses bothi qualities in an admirahle and ewminent degree. There will be those malicious enough to assert that the lady is in her second child- hood, and others that she has onty adovted AMr. Bartlett as a grandson, and that Mr. Bartleit is a fortune-hunter, but such per- sons do 1ot believe in hearts that age caunot chill or brows that time does not furrow. They -do not believe that May can repose comfortably in the lap of Januery, or be- lieve in what Wordsworth called the “un- conquerable strength of-love.”” i e 2 i e A St. Lours Republican correspondent has discovered another great * Possibility of North America,” andit Is a great one in reality,—so great that the building of the Pyrawids seems child’s play in comparison. The Republican man proposes to construct a lake 2,000 wiles long by 200 in width, to be called Lake Mackenzie, by damming up the Mackenzie River nearits wouth, at latitude 6Snorth. Speculating upon the results, e cloquently says: 5 It would cover withone continuous surface the labyrinth of streams and lukes whica now d Le l‘t‘l Mzs. WALTER ALLEX, the reportorial mem- ‘ber of the Ponca Commission, has plainly mistaken the purpose for which it was ap- pointed. It was not designed to be a court of inquiry into the conduct of Secretary Schurz, or a commission todig up the facts concerning the removal of the Poncas, but it was directed to ascertain the actual present condition of the Indians, and to suggest proper measures of reliel for them. Mr. Allen and Senator Dawes have succeededbe- tween them in making the whole subject a public nuisance, and in bringing Tibbles, Bright-Eyes, and the Boston Pecksuiffs and Jellabys into common contempt. If a sepa- rate reservation and more hay would be an *inducement to Mr. Allen to stop braying, he ought to be furnished them forthwith. Mi. GEORGE WasurNeToN Krorr, Re- publican Representative in the Legislature from the Third (Bridgeport) Distriet, has in- troduced a bill to change and regulate the election of the Cook County Board of Com- missioners. 1t proposes. to have the whole Board of fifteen members elected annually, instead of having one-third go out each year, as at present, and to divide the county into three districts, ench electing five members. The wards of the North and South Divisions would constitute one district, according to Eroll’s plan, the West Side wards a second, mermbers in each to be glected by cumulative votes. The proposition is as dangerous and bad as it well could be, and seemns to have been drafted in the interests of the bummers of the Democratic party by some wily parti- san who has chosen Mr. Krall as an innocent instrument fo foist it upon 2 Republican occupy the Mackenzie Valley. it woml never-failing feeder for tho Mississippl. It connect with Hudson Bay aud with tho »grait lukes,” and nlso with the interior of Alnska by conuceting with the Yukon and 1ts atliuents. Legislature. It W ori. | B coucurrent resuls aud other ** Possiuliities* e casii Id discount experi- | {fyould become, during some touths of cach ence, sponsibility, and fidelity in | yeur. u navigable wuter adding not less than the Board, rendering’ it llable to | L¥eive thousand mileaof cummunicauion o tho Misstssippl. It would complete the interiorlines of river courses by connectlng thew, Cutling the “divido " which now exists between the Mis= sissippi and Mackenzie would dv this. ‘This work 13 small when mensured by its results, und it be- ('uugs cusy of accowplishinént -under the methods oroposed. ‘Flie counecting of the Upper Misaissippl with the proposed Lake Mae- kenzie would be easily mada it that Iake had a surfuce At the proposed nitiiude of sic hundred and Afty feet above® the sen. The outtlow from such a inke, baving a lonvth of wore thun two thousand miles from south to north, and drain- ing o very widg raoge of altitudes und lati- tudes, would be a'timely and enduriog one. This done, this dam 650 feet high and 200 e wholly changed every year, and filled with green, inexperienced men, and increasing vastly the chances for dishonest and ignorant 1men to get elected. If the vigilanceof the people should be relaxed for a single year it is certain that 3 bummer majority of tax-eat- ers would be returned, and the taxpayers be again put at the mercy of a gang of thievish adventurers, gs they have been until within afewyears. The plan of electing ten Com- missioners on @ general ticket in the city of success? Those sonnets that e madeto his miles long, constructed by the 1abor of ten iniliions of men working 100 years inanAre- tic region, the Republican's sane, corre- spondent is sure that it would supply the Mississippi with plenty of water, besides effecting funumerable elimatic and other changes that would be of advantage. Per- haps it would, ¥ it could be done, but to construct this Lake Mackenzie in the high region north of the Mackenzie Valley would require n dam at the mouth of the river fully 900 miles long, 650 feet high, anda milethick at the base. It would taxe pretty nearly all the surplus men, and horses, and money on *earth for one or_seve_rul centuries of time, and when done, if it ever were, it would ac- complish nothing more than can be effected. by, going 2 thousand miles farther south and damming up the outfct of Lake Winnipeg, which now \empfles through the Hill and Nelson Rivers into Budson Bay, turn- ing its waters into their old channels, and with them the Assiniboin, and Saskatche- wun, and Red Rivers, and other tributaries, down to the St. Peter’s, and thenco into'the Mississippt. Why go up into the frozen Valley of the Mackenzle and fight Nature by forcing water up 650 feet high at an expense o0f time and money that cannot be computed, when, by damming up & narrow outlet only ;about 400 miles away from the Mississippl, all the water thet is wanted can be had? The trouble with St. Louis is that it is always \wanting to bulld Towers of Babel instend of dolng thingsina practical way. If St Louis capitalists want to go up to the Aretic Circle and danrup rivers, Great Britain will proba- bly not object. - THE STORM. The extraordinary weather of the current season culminated yesterday in one of the most furious snow-storms ever known throughout the Western States, and in heavy rains, consequent . floods, and extensive damage in the Eastern States. The .rains in the East, following the partial thaw,have swollen the rivers, and ‘all the prineipal cities along the Potomac, the Pennsyl- vauia rivers, and othar streams have had their streets turned into tempopary canals. The oxtraordinary sight was witnessed in Washington City yesterday of tow-boais empleyed in transferring passengers along, Pennsylvania avenue. At Toledo, 0., the water in the streets was five feet high last night, and was then rising. Boats, barges, and selooners were caught in the ice gorges, and many of them were sunk. Trains coald not leave. ns the tracks wert flooded or strewed with débris, the -bridges dangerous orswept away.” Several freight cars lying on the tracks were submerged ‘and. their contents damaged. The loss to the cit- $zens from the flood could not be estimated last night, but it will doubtless bé very neavy. The people are greatly alarmed. From Trenton, N. J., it is reported that the jce on its way down the Delaware River - crushed everything in its track. Bridges on Gountry roads and railroad bridges have been sweps away by thousands throughout Olio, Pennsylvania, New York, and New At this writing further reports of ve floods continue to come in. RAIDING TEZ BY. The Treasury was the objective pointaimed at vesterday by both Iouses of Congress. ‘The maneuvering was under the diréetion of the chiefs of tho lobby, some of whon were on the floor of cither House, and others in the ante-roomsand corriders. Legislation was surrendered for the time being to private Interests, which sought the assistance of® Government funds- under various pretexts. In the House subsidy-hunting took the shape of the ship-canal projeet, engineered by Capt. Eads, for a part of the day, and . then gave way to the far-reaching River and Harbor Dbill, which holds out Dbaits to all sections of the country. In .the Senate it was pro- posed toinake Mr.John Roaeh, shipbuilder by trade, the beneficlary of Govermugnt bounty to the amount of §1,000,000 during the next year, through the vehicle of a *rider” to be attached to the Post-Office Apppopriation bill. Nothing definit was aceomplished in either House by the aggressive raiders upon the Treasury, and the signs as to the measure of their ultimate, success wero varying and uncertain. “T'he people scored one victory ngainst tho 1obby in the stunning blow thab was dealt to the Eads scheme. It may be,in thisiense. {hat thesubsidists failed rather by mismanage- ment than by reason of overwhelhning hos- tility to the vicious theory they repre- sent. They could hardly have hoped to grab 850,000,000 for the construction of ‘n ship railroad in Nexico. Their temporary purpose Wwas to put the Gov ernwent in an attitude of approval, so that the engineers of the scheme might operate upon the Mexican Congress from this van- tage ground. Eventhis miscarried. There was a dispute as to whether the favorable report broughit in by the Speeial Committee on the Interoceanic Canal had been agreed to by.a majority. The fact seems to be that only n ‘majority of a quorum of the Committce had voted forit. Mr. King, the Chuirman-of tho Committee, under an absurd procedent which prohibits a, recital before the lHouse -of what has transpired in Committee, prevented Mr.Page, of Louisiana, from reveaiins the true state of thacase. Thereupon Mr. Page moved to recommit the report, with instructions to strike out that portion of the report which provides for the sabsidy. Pending the call for the previous question, Mr. Cox moved, at the opportune moment, to lay the whole mat- ter upon the table. This was carried with a hurrah, the votes to do it being supplicd mainly by the Republican side, and the sub- sidists were somuch startled at the turn of affairs that the negative vote was feeble and uncertain. This takes the Eads subsidy for aship canal out of Congress for the pres- ent session, and it is probable that nothing more will ever be heard of it. The proposition was so colossal in impertinence that it is & matter for surprise it coultt go a3 far as it did, or that it should find men like Conger on the Republican side and Singleton of 1llinols on the Democratic side openly and actively in favor of it. The subsidists in the House made more Dbeadway with the River and Harbor biil be- cause that measure has the advantage of distributing its benefits throughout different parts of the country, and has, at least, the appearance of appropriating moneys for needed public improvements within the ter- ‘There was a preliminary struggle to retard or embarrass this bill by various amend- ments, but they were all voted down in Com- mittee of the Whole. The friends of the measure proved strong enough to carry their points, and progress was made to the con- sideration of items which, as faras it went, indieated that the bill will be agreed to substantially as it has been reported. Itmay be that an ugly fizht will be made on- the itemof $1,009,009 which it is proposed to give the Mississippi River’ Commission in order to begin work on the embankment system, swhich may result in the squan- dering of $100,00,000 more, -but it "is probable . that the Southern members wift insist upon this appropridtion as the sinc qua non, and threaten to defeat the wholé measure unless this enormous sop be thrown to them. It would be an excellent #ring for the eGuitry If the whole bill should fail. Upon this very controversy some moi- itorious enterprises would suffer, while re- quired imnprovements of real rivers and real ritorial jurisdiction of the United States.. harbors would be delayed, bat such & dead-lock" might possibly result in bringing the loiz-rolling system into contempt, and in saving the country yast sums of money in the future. It Is hot -Hikely, however, that the scheme will have auy such outcome. Indecd, there is mood reason to believe that the opposition to the bill comes largely from disappointed members. who did not get as much for their districts as they hoped for, -and such selfish and sectional antagonism, ‘overned by no spirit of economy and no sense of patviotism, will yield readily to.con- cessionsthat may'beoifered. The probability is, therefore, that the bill,- when it -comes up mext week, will bd hurried through the Commiltee of the Whole ns other appropriation bills in the House have been, and finally set aside 510,000,000 of the public money to a system of improvements.where 2,000,000 at the outside would supply all the legitimate and proper demand. The Sennte advocates of glving away the public moneys were as zealous as their fel- Jowsin tho House. The opporfunity’cgme up in the shape of an amendment to thereg- ular Post-Office Appropriation bill, providing 51,000,000 to be expended during the next fiscal year under the direction of tho Post- master-General in aid of additlonal foreign postal service in American ships. This is the best proposition which the Ronch lobby cowld sceure with any hope of its passage. The lobby began work even before Congress convened for the present session. It brought its forces to bear upon the _various Departments, and secured several offi~ cial recommendations in its favor from the President and his Cabinet aids, and met with -considerable discouragement in its movement upon the House, and finally changed its tactics and procured a *xider * to the Post-Oftice Appropriation bill when 1t should reach the Senate, instead of secking the passage of & separate measuré whiel would frankly avow its purpose, ‘Thereisa rule In the Scnate that no geueral leglslation shall bg atteched to an Appropriation Dill, but the Senate construes this fo suit its own purposes. Ience the Roach amend- ment was admitted to copsideration, though it ought not to have been. Encouraged by the success thus far, the friends of the subsidy sought still greater advantage, and Ar. Hamlim put forward still another amendment, - authorizing the - Postmaster- Geueral to make- contracts extending ten years for additional ocean-mail service ata Ccompensation of $50 a mile. This was going too far, and the Semate decided that amendment to embrace general legislation, though the other, by some flexible proc- ces of interpretation, was not. Then the case was further complicated by the proposition that the proposed benefits should 0 to forelgn-built vessels that should be pur- chased by Americans as well as American- built vessels. This opened up the whole subject of free ships. Of course this supplementary_amendment will be ruled out as legisiating fipon the Ameri- can Navigation laws, but the discussion, in | the meaygime, may arouse the ovposition to the Ronell measura “of Senators who were expeeted to favor it Nevertheless, there Is aprospect that this “rider ” will pass the. Senate, and it can only bo defeated by prompt and energetic eruticism of the press, dirceted especially to members of the House. It is disgraceful that the subsidy cormor- ants should be permitted .to exerciseso for- midable ar influence over the Nauonal Legis- Iature in spite of the lessons taught by former experiments. The history of the Roach subsidy. of §150,000 a year for the ten years following 1865 shows that it failed utterly to acconiplish the purpose which fur nishes tho basis for urging it: 1t was claimed that the export'trade to South America would -be largely increased. The fact is that there was . no Important increase “in our export trade to that part of the world -during the ten years when the Government gave away §1,500,000 to promote it. But the subsidized line drove off other lines not sub- sidized without lowering the rate ot freight, and then withdrew as soon as the term of the subsidy was ended. Then a line of British- built steamers were put on which carried thomails for §100 a month, and the exports {mmediately jumped up. There could be 1o more conelusive demonstration of the in- efliciency of the subsidy system which the. Senate now renews in the' very same direc- tion. The lesson of the Pacific Mall subsidy is similarly ignored. It was proved, by subsequent investigation, that nearly $1,000,- 000 had been expended for purposes of bribery and corruption in . secur- ing - the granting of that subsidy. But the Scnate, apparently, has mno concern about the morals or reputation of Congress when it Tanews the opportunity for the same corrupt influcuces by opening the flood-gutes for subsidy purposcs. The Senate has_ twice before prepared the way for renewing the subsidy policy for the -benefit of Mr. oach, and the Tfouse, under the pressure of public . opinion, has refused to concur. It may be that the same experience is to be re- peated this session, and the press of the country must be quick and emphatic in denouncing the scheme if it would protect the public again through the agency of the House. Public policy and public mor- als alike exact that {ho subsidies of all kinds, und especially the so-called mail subsidies, be made as odlous as treason. THE RAILROADS AND THE VIADUCTS. ‘The most important local question now be- fore the public is the relation of the railroads to the viaducts; which shall build them; the roads or the citizens; and shall the former be compelled to give the latter a safe cross- ing. The officers of the various railways using the streets of the City of Chicago formally deelared at the meetings held last week that, while they admitted the obligation uvon them to construct viaducts when thereunto requiréd by the City Council, they repudiated any and every obligation upon them to re- patz, renew, or muintain such viaduets. "This extraordinary declardtion the several companies have made after full cousultation, and evidently with & purpose to resist any demand or requirément made of thew by the city with that view. 1low far is this declaration by these rail- road corporations justifiable either as a legal or as an equitable proposition? ‘We dis- cussed n few days ngo the advantages to the rhilronds resulting from the permission to build these vizducts over the street-crossings within thecity fimits. We showed that Chi- cago had been more liveral to the ratlway companies In the way of aduission to the very hieart of the city, the use of the streets and of the crossings by the trains and machinery ot the roads, and the connectivn and trafsfer of ears between the several com- panies, than any othér city in this country. Lntire streets running from the northern to the southern limits, and others from the castern to the western limits, have #been abandoned to the exclusive use of the railx ways. No train has ever been prohibited from crossing any street needed to becrossed in order to couneet or exchange cars with the roads of any or all of the other roads do- ing business here. i ‘fhe population and general business of this cify and the -trafic of the railways through the streets of Chicago have so grown that it has become a necessity that the city should exclude the railways nltogether outside of ceftain limits, or restrict their use F to horse-power, or that yiaduets should be erceted at the strett-crossiugs. The latter policy, belng clearly In the interest of the railways, and securing to-them " the unob: structed use of steam power at almost un- limited rates of speed nt all hours and with all manner of traius, has been adopted by the vity rather than the exclusion of the rail- sways insido of certain lines or the limitation of the use of steam in'the city. 2 In conceding that there isan obligntion on the part of the railways to build these via- duets, the railways admit the liberality of {he city, and that the surrender of the public right to the free use of the streets implies | tlie obligation on the part of the railwaysto furnish the public other Foadways in place of those surrendered to them. The right of the public to the free and un- obstructedycrossing of the streets is a perma- ‘nent right, not one limited to & few months of & few years. Can thio substitution of a temporary vianduct, one insufficient to sustain the travel beyond a few -years, and iu order o be atall safe for use requiring to be re-y paired every few weeks or months and’ re- pewed every few years, be a legal or equita- ble performance of Lhulcontmct and duty to furnish a proper and sufficient highway to the public fo$ the one surrendered to the rallway? Who will say s0? Tho privilege to cross the public stigets is one thet these #ailway corporations expect to enjoy and exercise for all time. Is the erec- tion of & fragile, temporary structure, that may fall down or wear out in four or five years any such compensation or equivalent Yor the permanent and forever use of the stréet as will discharge such railway from any further obligatton fo maintain the via- duct in a safe and proper condition? \We trow not. If the railways demand as ane- cessity for their business the permanent and perpetual use of the surface of public streets and crossings, to the permanent and perpet- unl exclusion of the Chicngo public, Is it un- just and unreasonable to requireof them an equally permanent and perpetual use of a viaduct over which the citizens can pass? Of what use Is a viaduet so out of repair, so Dbadly constructed, and built of such unsuit- able materials that it eznnot be traveled with safety, and is a perpetual menace to those who venture upon it? The eity grants to the railways dolng busi- ness here what no'other great city.in America offers,—the freo and unobstructed right to cross. its streets on the grade surface by steam power at all liours, upon the single condition that the railways shall build over the erossings of these strects other permanent bridges or viaduets for the public use. The railways now refuse to build such permanent vinducts, They offer to put up temporary struetures and no mote, and claim that they are acting justly towards the public. But this wonit doj it will not be accepted. One argument offered Is, that, when per- mission to use the streets was granted, they were largely out on the prairies at the time, and some of them perhaps not yet laid out. To this sort of sophistry it is suilicient to say that at that time each raliroad did not run wore thay from one to three trains & day, pas- senger and freight, and the occupancy of the street-crossings did not éxceed ten to fifteen iinutes duriug the whole twenty-four hours; while now there are from 50 to 100 tralns 2 day on each of those roads. A multitude of cars and tracks occupy the slreeb—c'mssings‘ constautly during the whole twenty-four hours of each day. So constantly do the roads occupy the crossings with their freight and passenger traing and their switching- locomotives, that the people find it nearly impossible to get across, and are in such constant peril of destruction that life itself is becoming a burden. - B It is ulso argued bysome of the railroad attorneys that the city erectsbridges over the river and dees hot require the vessel-owners to keep the bridges in repair, or fo renew them, or to operate them. This criticism has no relevancy whatever. The river is not the property of the city, nor one of its streets, and the right to build bridges has been granted the city by the United States,” to which the river belongs, just as the city grants the railways the privilege of bullding viaduets in compensation for the use of the streets. But having built the bridges, the city does not insist that it isthe duty of the United States to keep them in repair, and rebuild them when they give out or.tumble into the streant. *'The city is the absoluts pwmer of ihe streets, and the railways can only use them by the consent of the city, and on police reg- ulations, as the city may dictate. The city may adopt the sanic regulations for street- crossings that it has adopted at the bridges. It may provide gates on both sides of each street crossing, and close these gates to street travel every ten iminutes, and, opening -themn to street travel, eclose them to street-crossing by the gailways every alternate ten minutes. How would the railways like this just regulation, which would place them on the same footing with those who navigate the river? Moreover, the great danger from railroads at street- crossings s the use of steam poOWGr. This danger may be wholly obviated by the use of horse power by railroads within the city lim; its. If the railways will not erect viaducts, and keeép them inrepair, and renew them when necessary, then. let the city abandon the Viaducts and resume the control of the strect-crossings. They are thio inalienable property of the city, and are the natural, as well as the more convenient, highways of the public. If we cannot have viaduets, we can, at least, restore the free use of thestreets to'the public for the purposes to which they were dedicated. If the railroads take they must give. 1f they insist on crossing the streots on grade they must be compelled to glve the people a safe and unobstructed way above grade on a viaduct, and for the same Jength of time the railways ocenpy and ob- struet the surface crossing. That proposi- tion is fair, just, and nccessary. Let the THE LATE OPERA SEASON. The opera season of “Her Majesty’s Troupe” has closed and the company is on its way to St. Louis, with designs upon the purses of that considerable place. Finan- cially, the fortnight season has been a great success; musteally, it bas fallen below the standard of the other two seasons given here by this troupe; from the business polat of view, touching the xelations between man- agewment and public, it has not been alto- gether satisfactorv. N 1. Viewed from the situation of the man- } ager's cash-box, Col. Mapleson, on his way to St. Louis to-day, has no reason to com- plain of Chicago. ~ 1t has had an opera craze, and. nsusual when beople go 1fad, they pay | for their luxiries much more than their mar- ket value. In otlier words, they have paid this scason double prices to hear operas which have been done over and over agtin, and done better by other troupes, which were not in the service of Royalty, but plain Signoras and Signors, Herrs and Fraus, and “ Misters,” and Mesdames. What the re- celpts have been, we, ‘are unable to say, for reports from box-offices are rarely re- liable, but there have been only oneor two | evenings when the ‘house was not full, and upon several occasions it has been crowded to overflowing, so that the average must have been very large, and sufficlently ample to overcome whatever losses may occur in the non-musical city of St. Louis. Itisbut fair to the managewent to say- that it has not noglected any means that would coax the dollars out0f patrons’ pockets. From an economical point of view, or rather from the politico-economical point of view, the result. is not a benetit to Chicago, as the money is | taken out of the city and nothing is left to | show forit. Looking at it from thestand- | point of social economy, it has been a severe sumptuary tax, which will cause paugs to many who gaze upon their collapsed pocket- Dbooks and reflect upon the dollars that have | gone for tickets, carriages, opera-glusses, | ties, kid-gloves, perfumery, knickknack: and general nonsense that are neces-; sary to the apprecintion of opera und ! the enjoyment of music when it is to be patronized from the fashignable standpoint. There may Ue those who have enjoyed the musle, for there were many things to been- josed, but it is much more likely that they ere the cheap fellows in the upper gallery who hissed in “Léhengrin ” than those in the choice seats who followed the lead of the ushers’ claque. For certainly it was much easier to enjoy the performances at 50 cents | in the swinging gallery than at $3in the parquet circle, because the relations between the purchaser and the goods were much more nicely adjusted in the former case. % Musically theseason has yielded butlittle for several reasons. First, the chorus, upon which so much depends, has been one of the worst'ever brought here, and there have been some pretty bad ones here. Secoud, two of the best artists in the troupe, Miss Cary and Galassi, have been indisposed, the former serfously and the latter sufficlently so to cause his absence at times when he was needed. Third, Campanini, who unques- tionably is tho greatest of Italian Iyric tenors, with the single exception of *“Lohengrin,” has been cast on the off nights, and has evidently been -somewhat disgruntled, althqugh he’ has sung with Valleria, who is in all respects & superior’ artist to Gerster (musical tricks of vocaliza- tion not being essential to art and as super- fluous as a train and furbelows would be on the Medicean Venus). Fourth, the répertoire has becn a shabby one. With the exception of *Mefistofele,” “Don Glovanni,” aud «“Lohengrin ”- the operas were old, light, and hackneyed works in the Italian school, —not that the Italian operas are to be dis- carded by any means, but has not Her Maj- esty’s manager ever heard of other operas in the Italian school that he must zive us the same little handful of threadbare works every time he comes here? If he is going to retain this troupe for next sgason, would it | not be well for them this summer to study up such works as *Lucrezia Borgia,” «Norma,” “Il Poliuto,” “Barber of Se- viile,” “Ernani,” * Dinorah,” * North Star,” “Robert the Devil,” * Huguenots,” “asaniello,” *Semiramide,” “ L’ Atri- calne,” and scores of others that belong to tho Italian stage, not to mention a few Ger- man works that seem to have made some noise in the world outside of her Majesty’s dominions? The dose of “Lucia,” *Mar- tha,” *Sonnambula,” ** Faust,” ete., etc., is getting a trifie ugunotofious and tasteless. 3. Though the public is not disposed to complain of anything so.long as Col. Maple- son permits it to go to the opera, there are some things of which it might complain if it were so disposed. For instance, if it.were not so long-suffering and patient it would complain of the mounting of operas in such amanner that large tracts of landscape at the back will manifest a disposition to travel back and forth across the stage; that solid columns in Egyptidin temples will vigorously wave in the staze-drafts; that cathedral doors and palace fronts will recline ina fatizued manner at angles of forty-five de- grees; that vigorous trees will appear grow- ing in drawing-rooms; that New England parnyards will furnish rendezvous for | Italian bandits and lovers; and that large arens of real estate and sections of architect- ure will persist in running off the track or roosting in the flies. It would“complain of bad management in getting to and from the theatre. It would complain of discourtesies from ushers. It would complain of the gang of speculators who follow the troupe, and forage upon the public pocket, without dis- traint. 1t woulds complain of belng com- pelled to pay real prices for an article that is not royal by any means, but quite plebeian. But the public does not complain, Now and then a growler appears who has an outraged sense of the eternal unfitness of things; but the great public pays its meney, and would manifest much indignation if Col. Mapleson aid not take it. h There is o *remedy for all these troubles. e aro to-day in a savage condition, operat- jeally, as compared with the advantages we enjoyed from 1865 to 1870. What is wanted is an opera-house. There never was a better time to build it. There never was a time when money was cheaper or more plenty. There never was a fime when peoplo were more ready for it. There never was a time when there were more mqlflwitb means here who could build it without fecling it. The Crosby Opera-Ifouse was built by one man of courage and faith, when the erection of such a bullding was an experiment. Now an opera-house would be a certainty, finan- cially, if erceted on business principles. We lave capitalists here with so much money that they don’t know what to do with it, and with so much leisure that they don’t know what to do with it. Have not some of them thie public spirit to move in this matter, and | zive Chicago an opera-house of which it can be proud? A WATER FAMNE THREATENED IN | NEW YORE. The people of New York City are rapidiy cominy to that contingeney where they must seriously consider the problem of their wa- ter-supply. For efght or ten years past there has been great complaint of lack of water, and upon two or three oceasions the city has Larely eseaped great conflagrations owing to this deficiency at the hydrants. Ilousehold- ers are already complaining that they have not enough for purposes of drink and clean- liness. More than this, the quality of the water is not good. It is surface waterat best, and with it is mixed the surface drain- age of Westchester County whenee It is drawn. In winter it gets frozen up and is difiicult to vrocure, and in summer it is so mixed with impurities as to be unhealth: Added to these troubles there is that itumense waste which Is 2lways common in large cities, and which there can be 1o way of preventing except by placing meters in every house and chargiog extra for all nsed over a certain ‘amount,—a charge to which the people of that city, alréady burdened with heavy taxation ! for the water-supply, would notbe likely to submit. According to the Watér Commis- - sioner, betore 16T when water was scarce ail they had to do was to orded fresh supplies, but now the limitof supply has been reached, and+the only help, in his ovinion, isstzinzent legisiation to prévent waste, and the building of another aqueduct,—but even the latter relief can only be temporary in character so long as the population increases at the pres- ent ratio. Svmeof the fizures presented by the Water Commissionerhre of interest in this connection. 1le says: The furts miles of aqueduct between this city | and Croton daw were able, according to olficial stutements, to furnish fn 1870 m less than 1 O gullons daly. It scems that now only | about 13,000,000 gullons can by furced through. | Lute reports cinim thas un additionul 2.060,00 gullons aro nceded every -day to mect the in- éreased demand from year to year. Should a new goucduct become’ iudigpensable its con- struction would cost at least $10.00J.0K. Such » work woid involve nn outlay of unother sum amounting to perhaps 26,000,000, means for tho Storngo of new sunpllt}: P ent polnts where feeders could be made m-ufi;". ble. Sowe bydrographic engincers avernge the - daily tlow of the Croton River nt 40, i Guring the dry season it s not u,u;-i%gfli T Sinont. whilo s0me weeles 113 utmost, cnpuois ¥ould not exceed V0000 u day. The tota susl DIV which could be obtaftied fim the Brons jy D ously estimated ot from 9,0:0.00 (0 15 0o Y Hlons overy fwenty-£our Bours. The cstine; FXpenditire for this Work is set duwn at Shgm. ©00. It was intended to How the Bronx hm? (e aucduct at o polut_somewhere nbove Joss Btk put it 18 believed that an operatl o B P14 endanizor His water: way: whlos S Aittally runs a8 much as it ought to. oy All that this amounts to is an enormoug outlay of money that affords enly temporary relicf, and this is very poor economy. New York is.now large enough, strong enough, and rich enough to provide for lier vrl;ex‘. supply so that it shall be awple for all futyrg time. Instead of spending $10,000,600 upop another aqueduct it would be wiser to spenq +850,000,000, or even $89,000,000, and build an aqueduct to Lake George or even Lake Erje,’ whence an unfailing supply of pure water - instead of A precarious supply of unhealthy water could always be had. ] Astronomicals Chieago (TRIBUNE office), north latitada 41 deg. 52m. 57.; west longitude 42m. 13, from Washington, and 5h. 50m. 80s. from Greenwich, The subjoined table shows the time of- set ting or rising of tho moon's lower limb, and the official time for lighting the first street. Jampin each circuit in this city; during the come ing weel, unless ordered sooner on account of bad weather. Also the following thmes for extinguishing the first lamp: Jlom s, Ligh. Bt Day, Feb. 13.. Monday. Sundny. Monday. TFeb. 0. + p.m. The moon will be full at 12;33 p. m. to-night and in her last quarter 2 week from to-morrow, ‘The sun's upper limb will rise on Monday at 3¢ 0. m., south at 1m. 22.5%, p. m., and setat 233 P- The sun’s upper limb rises Friday next at :514 a. m., souths at 15m. 05.023. p. m., and sets at 5:81% p. m. : The sidereal time Thursday mean noon will be 21h. 51m. 21515 Morcury will south Thursdayat 1:18 p. m, and set at 7:00 p. m. The middle of this weekha will be nearly in line with the western side of the Square of Pegagus, but about 20 degrees south from Markab, nad a little more than that distance north from Fomalhaut He will be a prominent object Iate in the week. half an hour after sunset, if the western horizon be clear. Mars \yill south Thursday at 10:00 o. m., alng at5:2 though not prominent, a3 ho i3 nearly on the. other side of the sun, as referred to the earth. Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn, nsmed fnorder from right to left (the way ono reads Hebrew), are stlil the most promicent objects in theeven- ing sky. Next Thursdey they will move as fols lows, with reference to our mendian and hogi- zon: ‘ St . 9:35 p.m. 9:41 p. m, Saturn, - 10:15 plm Venus s gaining rapldly on her larger breth- ren. A week from to-morrow night she will be . m., ond visible as a worning star,: in “conjunction™ with Jupiter, but nearly 3% - deprees further north than he is. She will at- tafn her greatest eustern élongation from the sun next Sunday, being then 4513 degrees dis- tant frown him, and appear in tné telescopp like the moon does when in her first quarter. That i, she now presents the maximum part of her liluminated surface to us. She fsnot Fet at ber brightest, nowever. For more thans mouth yet she will grow brighter und brighter pssden from the earth. Durlng that timg hee: flluminated surface will turn away from uy more than now, but this wili bo more thaa com- pensated by her lessening distaoce in miles from the earth. Her brilliancy is all the greater,as she is now near her perihelion. - Tne npparent diameter of Jupiter now isabout 34 seconds of ares that of Saturn oly 16 seconds. The major axis of Saturn’s rings, however, 10 subtends an angle of a little more than 38 sec- onds to an observer on the earth, which isa trifle less than four times thelr least apparent diameter. Granus will south Thursday at 1:08% 8.m., bé- Ing then In right nscension 19 hours 38 minates, and north declination 7 degrecs 42 minutes. Neptune will south, Thursday &t 447 p.m. Right ascension 2 hours 53¢ minutes, andnorth declination 13 degrees 1) minutes. ¥ ‘A correspondent asks what s tho use of re quiring him' to velieve that the sun, moan, &nd stars rise and sct At certain stated times, ¥bea 10 one can sce them. We reply that Dundreary wished to know 1l Mary’'s brother wouid lke chebse, provided she had a brother. Sothers are people who like to know where they canges the planots, provided they can be seen at all For such the astronomical column Is written. ———— ' Save the Trust. > Tt is well known that the University of Chk cago was founded by Stephen A. Douglas, snd that heand his friends gave & large amountot property and money to the cstablishment of thid jnstitution; that it was a pet projectol nis; and ‘that he mtended to be tho founder of aprett public charity for cducational purposes. 1t I3 whispered ubout versity bas matured due witbina few days, and in the same cannection it is now recalled sk the gift of Senator Douglas was on g condition that the College should be established on to ground where it now stands, and that the prop erty should be forever used for the purpsses of the University, and should not be alienated: but it scems that ar attempted allenation of tha - property has been made, and that the bulldisss oud ground are in danger of being sold out under a mortgage, and thus of becomfug con verted to uses fureign to those intended by the onors. We do not know tho preciso stato of the questlon, but we belleve It to be the duty of tho guardinns of the institution to protect? Droperty for the public. It was giren 10 B9 public; Regents were chosen 0 protect the trustsreposed in the corpuration. and we be- lieve the public will hold these Regents. to nccountabillty In regard 10 dfechargs of tholr. dutics. What SieP} ought to be taken it Is not for us tosa, escept | that the citizens o] Hinols appear 1o have rights and in the waintenaace of his public charity, which somebody ougnt, 10 Pro” Tect. Hns tho ‘corporation exceeled e POVER in conveying this property? who will ptgv 1‘: the front and prevent w perversion of B0 great interost—uno which ought to bo KO8 zezlously cared for. both on memory of Douglas, and for the here ls the nucleus of o great Dniversity ought to become the pride of the State, as it second to none in its means of usefulness - In this property, R — Trre London Spectator of Jan. 2953582 Another grent figure bas -SODNCETEE by Turope. It Is unncunced from = I that Prince Gortschakott, now, 3 m'"nhlp ot age, has linally r d 'the Chouceliv f the Russkan Enmipirs T tne cept Prince Lism in Tiurope, and es Prince hus bren re: tion of RKussia, n strategy, and foree. o1 s the very incarody ster ut once of guile, fi utteriy unse |>"|""‘_-m|‘, Withatn barbartan At heart. Fuller (55, muy show that he was all (ko3 muxxf-‘:‘fmfl of hem, for the'exteat of bis nuch: Thires sccessive masters o still 1ok one point Wbt him is certain. ship dla_not saceeed. opinion {1 Evrope, be of Lussta, pd e cndless und neediess eucwics Napoleou 1L be risked wid 1"‘“zwrilr|§ & e Wb, B0 nilowed the German BB LG ger- 0% lelpoil, perbasi He hus hn,pl:\sh. ot ught biscouts and’ ke shruik at the | throwlug the Suitinet. tin some fumense desarts he husb ~ fngs but fa Burop: e no heprer to_the southern wiileh she incessanuy <t seeu her frontier o the W steel. We shoultt say Prin rent quthor of Hussian oulicy couniry’s welzht in the v Nichotas had twice could Wi of Czur Alex~ i avout ma,m"‘ or In 180, aud Capital, teo. - A vERY curious story i3 t 4 Laudon Standard from Vienna: I£i10 the € fect that Spain Is_secking to be recogal e one of ths Great Powers. Bye fecl3 puinil atnot belng udmitte European Coneert, ang ske ligents destinles of the Bast afe belng arranged bor leave botng so much as nsked. 10 area: not §n popuiution. population, if not in area. sbe Bus the advan o of the Sultan. Why then should she not b that the that n lurge debton theTsl: * sbe s superior to 1! andla clographed 0 e, . A to mewmbership of FAL ithout - 4 it