The New York Herald Newspaper, July 6, 1873, Page 5

JAPAN. ‘Treasury and Taxation Reformers Snubbed in the Name of the Government. —_—_—_ Triumph of the “Ring” Men and Their Calcula- tions for Working the Account—How Im- perislism May Be Troubled by the Market Rates for Grain—Paper Money in Puzsling Variety. YoOroHaMA, Jane 6, 1873, The bombshell which wag recently thrown into ‘the government camp, in the shape of a manifesto from Inoye, the Chief of the Treasury Department, has created no little excitement, It has been copied in all the Japanese newspapers and ‘Widely discussed by them. Every Japanese who is anybody, whether he is connected with the govern- ment or not, Ras talked about it, and, in fact, is Still talking about it. So great has been the storm raised that the ministers who signed the document have had to disavow their intention of publishing Ms. They stave that it was intended for the govern- ment only, and that some inferior officer in the Department took a copy of it surreptitiously and gave it tothe Japanese newspaper. But this as- sertion won’t do. In the first place two versions fit have been published vy two different news- papers—one evidently the original draft and the Other an amended copy—differing, however, but Very slightly. Inthe second place, it is not likely that any inferior would have taken the responst- ‘Dility of publishing a document without the con- sent of hischief, The document has been returned to the two signers with some remarks appended to it, which remarks I give further on. It appears that documents addressed to the government are of four kinds, as follows :— First—Petitions for something to be granted. Second—Reports of occurrences, Third—aApplications for instructions, Fourth—Memorials on political affuirs. ‘The first and third kinds are invariably returned; the second 1s not, and the routine action on papers embraced in the fourth category seems to be doubt- fal. It is claimed by some that the return in this Case was made to show the displeasure of the gov- ernment. However, the resignations of both Mimisters have been accepted as far as the Treasury Department is concerned; but they have both been ordered to hold themselves at the dispo- sition of the government, and Inoye Is still toretain the position of Jinshii and Shibuzawa that of Shogol. Both these terms can be approximately translated, tlie one as Deputy, the other as Vice Minister of a department. They also still draw a certain mount of pay. THE EXECUTIVR ENDORSEMENT on the document 1s as follows :— ees be the views brought forward in your memorial are proper in the points enumerated and the facts hinted at, there are considerable contra- Gictions of the actualtruth. As far as the re- marks about the necessity of taking as an aim the accordance of the theory of government with the capacity, of the people are concerned, they are not te be gainsayed, and as His Majesty lately de- creed reformations in the regulations under which the business of the Council of State (Daijokwan) is conducted, you may relieve yourselves of anxiety On that point, As to your statement that a rough calculation of the expenditure and income jor the year shows a deficit of over 10,000,000 yen, this result was ob- tained by caiculating the value of the koku of rice to be 2 yen 75 sen ($2 75). Part of this (indebted- ness) has been incurred in preceding years; part coneiess of extraordinary expenses, such as those connected with the conversion of han into ken; another part consists of occasional ex- penditure, and which ts not expeeted to recur every year. Moreover, you state that the actual liabiities of the government amount to 140,000, 000 Faced There are many serious errors in this calculation if the actual facts be con- sidered. Neither is there an actual annual deficit of apes yen; nor is there such an enormous debt a8 140,000,000 yen. To make such statements, therefore, i most reprehensible, and your docu- ment is simply returned to you. HOW FIGURES ARE MADE TO WORK, I wish to draw attention to certain parts of the endorsement of the government disapproving of the report, as it will be seen they are by fo means explicit. In the first place the government finds fault at the low valuation of the koku of rice, and, although they do not correct the error by giving what they consider to be the real value, some of the oMictals state it should be esti- mated as high as 4yen. Now, Inoye’s calculation 1s based upon the market value of rice for last year, large quantities of which were sold for export at that time for much less than $2 75, and the value of the koku now 18 only $3 40, Thisis the market price, and a8 a matter of course when the expenses of sell- ing it are deducted the government would realize aul less, as the government would not obtain the tull market value under any circumstances. As to the unusual expenses referred to, the explanation is exceedingly vague. ‘True, some of these ex- penses will not recur; but will not others, equally a8 costly, creep into future budgets? Again, as the government took the pains to state that both the expenditure and the statement of the debt were excessive, why not have given the actual condition of affairs, and tell us officially the annual income and expenditure—with the total debt! The truth is that the finances of the country are in such a ee. that they will not bear close investiga- jon, THE “FLIMSY” RESOURCE. There are no less than four kinds of paper cur- rency now in circulation, and there is not a man in Japan who knows the actual amount represented by these promises to pay. It seems that all they have to do when they want money is to set the ma- chine going and turn out aiew thousand dollars “for circulation; but how thts currency ts to be re- deemed does not seem to enter into their caicu- lations. As te the discrepancy that appears in Enoye’s Memorial, and former statements pub- lished in England, when Japan was in the market rowing. Enoye denies that he is responsible for he latter, claiming that a subordinate was ordered to prepare such a document. ‘he Treasury Department has been placed in commission, with Qkuma, Qhief Commissioner, assisted by Watanabe and Mori. CHANGES WHICH MAY BE ACCOMPLISHED, Rumors are being whispered about of some very great changes that are about to take place in the ernment. One report is to the effect that the uence of Schmadzu Sabore is so great as to be able to control the whole situation, According to this programme, the Mikado is to leave Jeddo for Kioto, ostensibly for a visit only; but in reality to resume his old position of @ great royal puppet— the government to be run in the meaa time in his Dame, but the ministers to have all the power. Ridiculous as this ramor appears to me, there are, nevertheless, many intelligent and weill-poste men, both among foreigners and Japanese, who give it credence. To me it appears utterly absurd andimpossible. The jealousies and internal dissen- sions that now exist, and have existed for the last Jour years among the chief government officials, would of themselves be sufictent to defeat any such plan—provided there was any one bold enoug! to attempt to earry out such # policy—and for that Schmadzu Saboro himself would be found wanting. It is more ees cite that during the coming Summer the Mikado wili revisit his native city and former resi- dence. The people of Kioto have been dissatisied ever since the capital was removed, as it has inter- Jered to a great extent with the prosperity of the city. This discontent the goverument has tried to allay by throwing to,them such placebos as indus- trial exbibitior &c.; butIlam afraid that these have not had the desirea effect. It is therefore quite possibile that in the future the Mikado wiil reside alternately in Jeddo and Kioto, INCENDIARISM AS A MEANS OF ECONOMIC REFORM. Avother circumstance that may induce His Majesty to leave Jeddo for a time is the recent burning of his castle. ‘his is still ascribed by some ‘to the work of the enemies of the present govern- ment, but there is not the slightest ground jor an: euch supposition; but his palace has been burne: and that fact remains. It appears that gov ment does not intend to rebuild the paiace imm diately, a8 will be seen from the following note ad- dressed by the Emperor to Sanjo, the Prime Min- ister :— Thave lately met with the disaster of having my palace burned by fire. At this time government has many ex- Gh 6 % SANEYORHT. The allusion to the government being under so “many expenses” seems rather to endorse the statements of Enoye, ‘rhis, after all, may be the great reason that will influence the Mikado in re- moving temporarily to Kioto. BARTHQUAKE. A severe shock W after Of earthquake was on the short seven o'clock, and caused many to give pre erence to the streets asa place of safety rather than remain indoors. The duration of the vibra- tion from the commencement is generally consid- ered to have been nearly a minute, and appeared to gradually increase. It was succeeded by another hock twenty minutes later, but the second one ‘was less violent. In the opinion of both the matives and foreigners. the sheck of last evenin; was by fa bon Ge severe yet felt ‘at this port @uring ears. PAGRIOUITURIST RESOURCES, ‘Tho crop of silk and silkworms’ eggs for this sea- gon promises, up to the present date, to fully equal that of previous vears, One million five bun- red thousand stamped cards have been issued \dsold}) by the government to the rearora in the felt at the Soversign Looked When He Was Shown to His Subjects—“Under the Influence”—A Poor Time for Thousands of Ponies. Acorrespondent of the Shanghae Courier, writing from Pekin, supplies the following spirited, curious and attractive account of an imperialist and civic Procession as it was witnessed by him, just lately, in the streets of the capital of the Chinese Empire. The Emperor’s Visit to the Royal Tombs and His Return. A few days ago it was generally reported thas, when the Emperor was leaving the capital to visi the imperial tombs, he had asked, as he traversed the deserted streets in which every door and win- dow was closed, where ali the people were ? He was told by his attendant Ministers that the eyes of the had never been Bonored to gaze on the face of now beatified imperial ancestors, to which the “soli Man’ replied somewhat irreverentiy that he ‘did not see why the people should not see bun.” The hint was considered suflicient to war- rant the issuing of orders against his return that the streets were not to be cleared of people when the imperial cor passed along them, and the fact that these rs were carried out gives con- firmation to the uriginal rumors. Accordingly, on the day officially announced for the ror's re-entry into Pekin (the 8th April), in company with some other foreigners, | sought a likely place of observation. Proceeding along (he expected line of procession, we found the streets crowded with an unusual concourse of mandarins and soldiers, and at length the head of the impe- rial procession appeared; a com; of soldiers, each with what seemed to be a matchlock si across his covered with yellow cloth. Behin came an umbrella ol yellow , fringed with gold, carried between two men on horseback. At a short interval came a calvacade of a dozen or 80, carrying spears tinted into the all pervading impe- Tial yellow, and having near the top a tuft of crim- son-dyed hair, fastened to which a tiger’s tell hung down—the intention being, no doubt, to suggest their courage, though the result was somewhat different to a 1 ‘observer, Theu came mandarins to the number of about filty, nearly all of the crystal or blue button grade ofrank. These were armed with bows and arrows, and rode in & most promiscuous siyle; and with the preceding tigers’ tails, transformed the whole array inte a burlesque. Immediately behind this mob of officials, so sadly representative of the state of things over which he has begun to preside, came the in a chair covered with yellow satin aud carri eight bearers, wearing the usual crimson uniform dotted over with yellow patches, their turoans fastened with yellow tassels. Immediately oppo- site where our party stood, @ halt was called, to enable the chair coolies to be relieved by others, who had come along on horseback, This gave us the opportunity of baving a deliberate look at the Emperor, His Majesty was asleep. He looked much older than he really is, seme going the length of saying he looked like a man of forty. His face is long and pointed, and has & worn expression; In fact, one of our party said he has a dissipated look. But, of course, @ man does not look itis best when he is asleep and just returning from 4 jeur- ney. Butif Mis Majesty really wished to see and pesean by his peeple, hts siumbers were unseason- le During the pause occasioned by tne change of chair coolies & man who had some grievance made a rush to get near the Emperor’s chair to present petition. He was, however, caught, chained, aven and then carried of to prison. Alter the imperial chair a body ef cavatry closed this section of the procession, THE EMPRESS DOWAGER AND EMPRESS MOTRER— TIGER'S-TAILED SPBARMEN—OOUKT MORALS AND A MOURNFUL CAVALCADB. Subsequently tne Empress Dowager passed along, carried in & yellow chair, followed by the Empress Mother, whose chair was green, both hav- ing eight bearers, and being escorted by the same attendance of bow-and-arrow mandaring and tiger’s-tailed spearmen as His Majesty. At a short interval came a long array of eighteen {etow-coverst carts, said to contain tne concu- ines of the late and present Emperors, though some people said the carts were empty, and that the concubines had been sent round to a different entrance of the palace. But what a tale of mal- administration and ry had those eighteen rellow carts to tell! Eight days before these wagons ad left the city bright and new and well-appointed; now ‘hey passed along broken and battered, bespattered over with mad, and We ame slow! along by an inadequate number o/ wretched, starved ponies. The explanation given was that large numbers of the ponies had starved on the way, and villagers and soldiers had to be empleyed to assist those that remained to ox the wagons back into the city. We saw some of the carts with only one wretched mule attached to it, its lack of traction power being made up by coolies, whose dirty clothes, and trousers rolied up over their thighs, and legs plentifully daubed with dried matches of mud, looked anything but imperial. ‘he Chinese say that 10,000 horses were collected by the authorities and left Pekin for the tombs; but commissariat arrangements were go defective that this immense cavalcade speedily exhausted all sup- plies on the route and then large numbers died of starvation. To add to the wretchedness, the frost broke up and the rain came down a day or two after they started, and the road became one con- tinous quagmire. Perhaps it is just as well that the youtnfnl mon- arch should have, perforce, learned a Little of things as they are. Effort for an Abatement of Some of Its Most Revolting Consequences. Honea Kona, May 15, 1873, The Cotonial Council of Hong Kong, after mach discussion, yesterday passed an ordinance im- posing @ heavy fine and a long term of imprtson- Ment upod any person caught harboring women or young girls for exportation or sale for purposes of prostitution. This also applies to parents. It has been one of the worst features of the coolie trade, and the action of the Council is believed to be the beginning of a@ wholesale crusade on the coolie trade about Hong Kong. PIRATES IN THE BAY, A Surprise on Board the Schooner Julia A. Rich—Four Robbers Board Her in the Dead of Night—“Your Money or Your Life.” The schooner Julia A. Rich, Captain Benjamin Coulson, arrived a short time ago from Bangor, Me., with @ cargo of timber, When she had dis- charged her cargo in Brooklyn she went to Eliza- bethport for coal. On Thureday last she returned to New York. She was lying off the Battery, and the Captain, who is @ short, thick-set man of about jorty-five, had no fears in regard to his safety. He was sadly mistaken, On Thursday night he was sleeping soundly in his berth when a peculiar sen- sation at his forenead awoke him. It wasa cold leaden feeling, a8 though a ptece of steel or iron were being held against bis temple. He looked up and rubbed his sleepy eyes. What was his amazement and terror when he saw @ tall man standing at his bedside and pointing a revolver at his head. The barrel touched his temple, and the Captain started with a shriek. “what do you want?" he gasped. He saw three other men standing benind. Two of them bad their faces hidden in their handkerchiefs. “Give me your money!" the nan said, pressing the pistol against his temple. ‘i have got word that pe have counterfeit money here.” “I have none,’’ the Captain replied, armed and defenceless. “Tam a United States officer,” the thief said, “and i want your money; if you don’t give me your money instantly I'll biow your brains out.” Captain Coulson produced immediately all his money, $5 50; but this was not enongh, and the robbers threatened to shoot him if he did not give them all the money he had. They searched the whole vessel, but were unable to find any more money. The steward (Mr. Tyler) said he had two cents, but they refused this generous contribution. Seeing that they would get no more money the thieves opened tbe tranks and took 4 razor, a quantity of smoking tobacco and the Captain's silver watch. ‘They then made their exit in a very dramatic manner. While three of the thieves jumped into the rowboat the fourth kept his pistol pointed at the Captain’s head. There were no firearms on board, what could they do? Yesterday the rowboat was iound drifting near Brooklyn, but the police are still without any clew that could lead to the arrest of the thieves. The tain says he is unable to identify the robbers, but Sullivan, one of the crew, feels certain that he He was un- could identify one of them. They were ail tail men, he says, evidently Americans, and not over twenty-five years old. CASUALTIES, John McClain, aged twenty-five, no home, fell in @ fit in Fighteenth street, near Eighth avenue, yes- terday, and was sent to Bellevue Hospital by the Police of the Sixteenth precinct. William id ten, of 483 West Fak a fot street, was shot in the left eye yesterday by John Rutwesser and severely wounded. He was sent home by t ice of the Twenty-second precinct. John T. Reddington, aged of 342 Bast Forty-sixth street, was shotin the leg yeste while at the foot of Fast Forty-flth stree! ‘He wee pared for by some friends, THE WARD'S ISLAND CHURCH TROUBLE. Se ea The Reply of the Late Secretary Casserly to Ex-Commissioner Wallach. To THe EDITOR oF THE HERALD:— In the interest of truth, and for the information of your readers, I desire to correct the misstate- ments contained in the communication of ex-Com- missioner Willy Wallach, published in your issue of last Sunday, concerning the Catholic chapel on Ward’s Island and the proceedings of the late Board of Commissioners of Emigration in relation tol. Referring to the communication of Commussioner Lynch in your issue of the 22d inst., in which an extract was given from the last annual report of the Commissioners of Emigration, showing that all the Commissioners adopted and signed and swore to the report, and that thereby they acquiesced in the action of the Board in appropriating the ehapel to the use of the Catholic inmates, Mr, Wallach says:—When he (the Secretary) reached the papers (sic.) on page 4, referring to ‘the erection of the Cathelic chapel, Mr. Kaufmann objected to the word ‘Catholic,’ and on his motion it was Stricken out;” that “the papers (ste.) on pages 10 and li, referred to by Mr, Lynch in hig communica- tion, were objected to by me on the ground that the Board had never decided that the chapel should be devoted exclusively to the Roman Catholic ser- Vice. A discussien took place on this issue, in which Mr. Lynch took an active part’ and the matter was finally settled by the President di- aecting the Secretary to strike out from the report all special reference to “a Catholic chapel,’ leaving only the plain statement that the chapel was com- Pleted in December and i# now tn use. In order that the whole subject may be clearly unuerstood I will here give in full the paragraphs oe p peaee 4 and 10 referred to by Commissioner Of this balance there was spent during the past year, fer completion of the gas works, for account of the Lu- natic Asylum, for erection of the Catholic chapel, ex- tensions to Hospital buildings, and a division lence be- tween the land belonging to this Board and that of the Commissioners of Public Charities and Correction, The chapel, referred to in the last annual report, was completed last December and is now in use. The erec- tion of this building is due to the fact that the room tor- of a Cathohe chapel was macceasible to aged or infirm persona ‘Thi: been obiained before the present Commis: sioners came into office, by adding @ mansard roof to the top of the three-story frame structure erected in 1849, and Known as the Nurgery Bullding. ‘Tlie Commissioners being apprehensive of some calamity, resulting either from, the giving Way of the floor or ‘stairway, or trom tuted another and more commodious, as yrcilas saler building, for thie purpose, Thiv new alia: ing, while being a substantial ‘structure, is built in the Plainest style and most economical mansier. I was the secretary (referred to by Mr. Wallach) of the Commission at the meeting when these paragraphs passed the Board, and can state the facts in relerence to them and how they came to exist in their present shape. The proceedings were in regular form throughout. ‘I'he whole pro- posed report was read aloud by me, paragraph by paragraph, each Commissioner following me by &@ duplicate copy before him. After the reading of each paragraph there was a pause, in which op- portunity was afforded for discussion and amend- ment. All suggestions and motions were ng Sooch put by the President ana ucted on by the Board, and the action taken thereon announced by the President, who, when there was material altera- tion, would direct the paragraph amended to be reread, There were, in all, three places where this building was referred to as a Catholic chapel— one on page 4 and two in successive sentences of a paragraph on page 10. When the first of these paragraphs at page 4 was read it was, contrary to what ex-Commissioner Wallach asserts, adopted without any change whatever, and it stands in the printed report in the precise form, word for word, a8 it was read by me and passed by the Board. It was not at this Stage at all, but six pages further on, after the reading Of the paragraph on page 10 (which re- mains exactly the same as I read jit on that day, except that the words ‘for the Catholic mmates” followed the word “chapel” on the first line), that Mr. Kaaimann made his motion, which was that the words ‘for the Catholic inmates,” atter the word “chapel,” in the first line, should be stricken out, and went on to make some remarks in support of that motion, The motion was seconded by either Mr. Forrest or Mr. Wallach; I do notremem- ber which of them. Both appeared equally eager for the honor, and I, for one, should not like to de- Prive either of them of it. Aiter some discussion, in which Mr. Wallach took an active part and Mr. Lynch made some remarks ou the other side, as the sentiment ot the majority of the Conymissioners present appeared \o favor Mr. Kaufmann’s motion, the Presi gested shat it was not material that the w “Catholic” should be retained im this sentence, inasmuch as the sentence simply referred to a part ef the pre- vious year’s report, in which was the following paragrapn:—‘‘The Protestamt chapel has been renovated during the year and now furnishes all needful accommodation to inmates of that religious belie But the Catholic chapel has proved much too small, and it has been decided to erect a larger building im the Spring.” Ana no objection being made to striking it out, he announced that At was so ordered. The President then said:—“The Superintendent will now read the paragraph as amended,” whereupon I proceeded to read and did Tread it, word for word, as It 18 quoted above, and as it appears in the transmitted to the S is correctly printed in the published report. ‘The President ery id, in the form observed by him throughout the'reading, “there being no further objection the paragraph, as amended, ts adopted,” and directed me to proceed to the next paragraph, which I did without objection, Mr. Wallach, Mr, Forrest and Mr. Kaufmann being all present. My remembrance of this matter is particularly distinct and jor a specitic reason. ‘The subject had not only come up at previous Meetings, but both the anti-Catholic and the other commissioners had canvassed the question among themselves in my presence, and thus, knowing the temper of the Board, I had fully expected that a determined effort would be made to strike out the word Catholic wherever used in reference to this chapel, and that it would be met by an equally determined resistance. No opposition, however, was made to the word where it appears first in the paragraph, on page 4, and, although some- what surprised, 1 accounted for it at the time by supposing that the anti-Catholic members did not deem its presence there of any moment, it being used there only to denote the building as one on which & portion of the surplus moneys of the Commission had been expended during the year, and net to indicate the use to whieh it was to be devoted. But when Mr. Kaufmann moved to strike itout, when it first appeared in the para- graph On page 10, I supposed that this would be Joliowed by @ similar motion to strike it out in the following sentence also, and on this 1 looked tor a contest. When that motion was not made, even on the second reading, | was much astonishea, especially in view of the animosity which had been shown on other occasions regarding the matter. This fixed the proceedings of the day especially in my memory. In‘addition to this, however, I have had before me in writing this, not only the report itself, but one of the very proof copies used at thé meeting, on which ts noted, in the handwriting of one oj the Commissioners, the same correction a8 have mentioned, and no other. At any rate, if the anti-Catholic element in the Board committed an inadvertence at that meeting there was ample notice of it afterwards. For Within two er three days, by instruction of the President. I sent printed revised proofs of the en- tire report, as adopted at that meeting, to each one of the Commissioners, Mr. Forrest immedi- ately calied at Castle Garden, spoke of the reten- Jatholic,”’ where it now appears on page 10, cited above, and said it had been stricken out of the report, or that such had been the intention. 1 told him distinctly that, Whatever was the intention, the word had been stricken out in the first sentence only, aud lett in where he found it in the revised proof, and that it must remaim in the report unless the Board otherwise ordered. Mr. Forrest, Mr. Wallach and Mr. Kaufmann were @ upit on the subject of this chapel and in almost daily communication, and could have had » meeting of the Board called, simply on their joint request, and this whole matter considered anew. As they never took that, nor indeed any action in the premises, they may have committed an im- policy, but can hardly plead mistake nor allege any fault but their own, Ex-Commissioner Wallach asserts that all special reference to @ “Catholic chapel” was stricken gut of the report of the Board. Yet Mr. Forrest, his coadjutor in all this, in speaking of this very sub- ject within a few days of the meeting, with the whole matter fresh in his mind, even fie went no further than to claim that the word “Catholic” had been stricken out in both the sentences on R fe 10 instead of one. He never pretended that it had been expunged everywhere, or anywhere else at all, and said nothing whatever of the paragraph on page 4. Mr. Wallach’s si rity of fury and their Church is so weil known, now, when it appears that he and his faction beat themselves by their own carelessness, he must be very angry indeed in looking on what was done, and ponder- ing on what, as ke understands it, ought to have been done. In his anger, I fear, he has mixed the two things a little; certainly, in view of his loose statements of the actual fact, it would seem that i ery My Frown as partisan 8 ed and ish i8 ering his thor it mm tt mat- ter. Your obedient servan: = RNARD CASSERLY. New York, July 6, 1873, PATAL RAILROAD AOOIDEST. Coroner Herrman was notified to hold an inquest at the Grand Central Rattroad depot yesterday, on the body of John Slater, watchman on the trestio bridge at Fourth avenue and 111th street, who was Tun over and instantly killed late on Friday ntght, by an extra train on the New Haven Raitroad. The deceased nine’ years of and restded Williamnsbridg fois dappoaed te ha been k a jams! . mn 10ok- ps ‘at some firewosks in the vicini! ny the death, and to have had nccen jon thas at tracted from the approaching Catholics his tra time of POSTAL AFFAIRS, ‘The Money Order System at the General Pest Office—Enuormous Increase of the Business. Some highly important facts and figures con- nected with the money order business, which, doubtless, will prove interesting to the readers of the HERALD, will be found below. Few persons are aware of the large amount of money which is transmitted by this system, in sums varying from Mfty cents to fifty dollars, the latter sum being the mit of a single order. Three orders of fifty dollars each can only be sent in one day by @ remitter to the same payee, THE MONEY ORDER SYSTEM Was maugurated and established in the United States November 1, 1864, since which time there has been a remarkably steady increase therein. On the above mentioned day, in order to make a commencement, & transfer of $6,000 from postage account to money order account was authorized by the Department at Washington. When the ofMice closed—which had then three clerks to con- duct its affairs (and there are now forty-two)— only nineteen orders had been issued altogether. On the third day the first orders for payment were presented and cashed, numbering fourteen in all and amounting to $184 92, The largest number presented for payment in one day since that time was on the 4th of January, 1873, when 4,532 orders, summing up in the aggregate $39,698 50, were received, all of which were carefully examined by comparing with the letters of advice, and then cashed. A large number of these orders were pay- able to prominent publication offices in this city, subscribers to newspapers preferring to remit their subscriptions by money orders rather than by the old method through the mails; where in some in- stances it would find its way into the pocket of some dishonest employé, or perchance be destroyed while en route, by the burning of a mail car after a collision had rendered it a wreck. Now, happily, there 18 NO DANGER OF LOSS when transmitted by the money order system. The applicant has simply to deposit his money with the issuing clerk in the money order department, and in return receives an order ior the amount to be sent to the payee. An advice of notification containing lull particulars of the order is then transmitteed without delay to the paying post- master, The latter is thus furnished, betore the order itself is presented, with iniormation which will enable him to prevent its payment to any person not entitled therete, provided the Temitter complies with the regulations of the De- partment, which prohibits him from sending the same information in a letter enclosed with his order. The order simply bears the amount on its face, leaving out thé name of the payee or person for whom the money is intended. In this respect it differs from an ordinary bank drait or check. In case of loss by transmission or in the event of its being stolen payment can be stopped thereon and @ duplicate issued in lieu of the original. ‘The fol- lowing are THE RATES OF COMMISSION charged for domestic money orders :— pe nts, On orders not execeding $10. Over $10 and not exceeding Over $20 and not exceeding $30. Over $40 and not exceeding $30. The New York office receives DEPOSITS OF SURPLUS MONEY ORDER FUNDS and also pays postmasters’ drafts, which are, with few exceptions, negotiated through some national bank. When payments -at any office continue to exceed the receipts thereat the postmaster is fur- nished with a letter ef credit, to be used only when absolutely required to pay money orders, the said credits bemg entered on the books of the New York office, which pays all postmasters’ draits. The balance of credit remaining to postmasters at the close of the last quarter, June 30, 1873, was $401,671. The following table will show the in- crease of business, comparing the quarters ending on the 30th of June irom the commencement of the system up to the present year:— Orders Paid, No.’ Amount, June $), 1865, & June 80, 1865.. 5,130 — $81,205 June 80, 1566 . 66 June 30, 1866..18,769 200,870 Tune 8, 1867: 862 878.710 J 0, 1868 Tune 30, 1868. |36)644 619,802 Tune 30, 1969. Tune 30 1869: 51,125 824,179 June 30, 187 June 30, 1870. 989,962 june 30, 1871 Sune 80, 1871 1,257 Tune 30, 1872. June 30, 1872. 84,402 7 Tune 30, 1873" June 3, 1873. [96,616 1.236.996 *The reason ot crease in the issue’ of ofders is fthe de owing to the establishment of moncy-order business at the stations in this city last July. Postmasters’ Drafts Paid. i Depowita Received from Pos- manera June 30, 186. From the above ii will be seen what animportant and very convenient adjunct to the commercial interest this money order system has become, and what immense proportions it has a8sumed in the very few years it has been established. The figures thus given only include the domestic transactions. The foreign money orders coming under the same department show an equal large proportion. Mr. William Plimlay, the Superin- tendent, and Mr. Joseph Elliott, Jr., the Assistant Superintendent of the Money Order Bureau, have grown up with the same and both are considered great experts in the business. Postmaster James very justly not only retained them in their present position, but has given them all the necessary authority to make such improvements in the sys- tem as comes Within their scope and the interest of the Department. When it is considered that the registering of valuable letters has also increased as rapidly in proportion as the money orders the pros- perity of the country may be readily inferred from these sources. THE AXE STILL FALLING. (saat tite Wholesale Dismissals in the Bureau of Sewers=More Reduced Salarics—The Laborers’ Turn To Come. The rumor that the axe was to /all yesterday on @ number of heads connected with the Department of Public Works drew no small crowd to the City Hall yesterday aiternoon. Most of those present were laborers employed on the big and little pipes, sewer openings, 4c. The politicians, the regular habitués of the City Hall, were absent, but it was evident from the serious faces of those who put in an appearance that they hud something at risk on the contemplated action of the Comm:ssioners of Public Works, Mr. Van Nort came down town early, and re- mained at his desk until tour o’clock in the after- noon, The pay rolis of the Department of Public Works and the reduced estimates of the Board of Apportionment were still spread out on the desk | When the HeRracp reporter calied, | a before him, late in the afternoon, he was still engaged in making out his list of REMOVALS AND REDUCTIONS, In reply to the reporter’s question, if there were any further removals to be made to meet the re- duced estimates, Commissioner Van Nort replied :— “oh, yes; I have just been looking over tue list, and have made reductions of salaries and have re- moved several.’” “What bureau do you intend touching next, Mr. Commussioner ?’ asked the reporter. “The Bureau of Sewers. The removals and re- ductions will be promaigated on Monday.” After Commissioner Van Nort had completed his work, in consideration of Sunday intervening the HeRALD reporter wea supplied with the following exact list of reductions and removals which will be promulgated officially on Monday morning and which Will take effect immeaiatety. Ligt OF REMOVALS. One leveller, at a salary per annum of... One rodma: Two axeme One leveller, (Tota! annual saving by removal.s. REDUCTIONS ‘The following reductions in salaries have been made in the Bureau of Sewers Chief Clerk, reduced in yearty sa! Secretary, reduced in yearly sai Four asiistant engineers, red: $780 cach per annum, @ salary per annum of. ‘Total in reductions......... Total annual reduction yest Reductions in the salaries and dismissals of la- borers will probably be commenced on Monday to meet what remains of the reduced estimates, CENTRAL PARK METEOROLOGICAL DEPART- MENT. Abstract of Report for the Week End- ing at One P. M. July 5, 1873. Barometer.—Mean, 29.937 tnohes; maximum at two P. M., July 2, 30,182 inches; minimum at seven A. M., July 1, 29,780 inches; range, .352 inches, Thermometer.—Mean, 78.3 degrees; maximum at three P.M. July 3, 03 degrees; minimam at five A. M. June 60.2 degrees; range, 23. Honbarka sary in fain trom tena. M. to halfepast twelve P. M.; amount of water, .17 inch. July 3, from five P, M. to twenty minutes to six P. M.; amount of water, .37 inch. July 4, rain from twenty minutes to cleven P, M. to ten minutes to tweive P, M.; amount of a4 -09 inch. July 5, Fain from haif-past nine A. if. to one P. M.; amount of Ree | 90 inch, Total amount of water for week, 1.53 1 Distance travelled by the wind during the week THE COURTS. ‘SUPREME COURT—CHAMBERS. Two Poor City Railroad Companies, Before Judge Daniels, All our city railroad companies are not, it seems, the wealthy corporations many suppose; or, in other words, their transportation of passengers is merely an act of charitable consideration for the public, This state of facts was developed in appit- cations made yesterday in this Court for writs of certiorari addressed to the Tax Commissioners on behalf of the Second and Sixth Avenue Railroad Companies. Both applications were granted and made returnable at the Supreme Court, General ‘Term, in October next. They ask to be relieved of taxation on their personal estate. e exhibit of the Second Avenue Raflroad Com- y shows that its capital ts $1,009,500; that of amount $374,167 20 ia invested in real estate, on which they fo igen me and that their debts are $1,467,899 90. This stock is set down at ninety- nine cents on the dol: The tax assessors, they complain, in assessing them for personal estate, ducted from their capital stock the amount of thet real estate and assegsed them on $635,249, which they have deducted, besides $1,467,899 the amount of their debts, leaving nothing on which to impose @ tax, The capital of the Sixth Avenue Rallroad Company is given as $750,000, their real estate as $680,360 07 and their debts as $350,000, They complain that no deduction has been made on account of their depts, and only the assessed ue of their real estate deducted, so that they assessed On $213,689 as personal property. They claim that their debts should have been de- ducted. It is also alleged by this com nee that in the proceedings before the Tax Commissioners there were technical irregularities. Messrs, Hutch- ins and Platt made the applications, which, ag stated above, were granted. JEFFERSON MARKET POLICE COUST. An unusually large number of unfortunates, charged with the small offences which grow out of a celebration of the national holiday, appeared be- fore Justice Cox, as the Jefferson Market Police Court, yesterday, Among them were several young men, who in aspirit of mischief had con- cealed themselves near Jackson square and threw stones at the paper balloons which were sent m4 in the evening, heaton gp them to the ground, much to the astonishment of those having in charge the parotecnale display. A policeman finally discovered he cause of the diMcuity and arrested the men, who were severely reprimanded by His Honor and discharged, The same disposition was made of the majority of the offenders, who were supposed to bave been led away by the exhilaration of the occasion, Highway Robbery. At one o’clock on the morning of the Fourth, as Christian H. Hobbe, of 98 South Fifth avenue, was going to his home, he was set upon by three men, one of whom seized him by the throat, while the others took from his pocket a wallet containing $75. They then knocked him down and ran away. A woman who witnessed the transaction trom an upper window identified as one of the robbers John Evans, of 87 Sullivan street, and he was ar- rested and brought before Justice Cox yesterday, ‘who committed him without bail to answer, A Brutal Assault on a Woman. A respectable lady, named Harriet Orvis, of 349 Sixth avenue, attenaed the races at Long Branch on the Fourth, and on returning toward the boat became separated from her friends, In this situa- tion she was accosted by Henry Henderson, alias Scott, a noted desperado of the Eighth ward, who tendered her some courtesy, which she accepted, and they subsequently came on to the city to- gether. Arrived here, Henderson placed her ina pecaeee and directed the driver to go to a hotel. She refused to accede to this, when the ruMfan struck her several violent blows in the face. This was followed by such an outcry on her part that hebecame alarmed and directed the driver to go to her house. He accompanied her thither, and, on her entering the house and appealing to her brother, attacked them both, finishing with an in- decent assault on her. He then went away, but was arrested about midnight and taken to the station. Yesterday he was arraigned beiore Justice Cox, who held him to bail in the sum of $2,000 to anawer for an assault on thé woman and on her brother, Mr. Ambrose C. Webber. ‘ BROOKLYN COURTS. SUPREME COURT—SPECIAE TERM. Marital Infelicitiecs. Before Judge Gilbert. John Simonet, of Flatbush, has brought a suit against his wile Caroline for an absolute divorce on the ground of adultery, and his wife has brought @ suit against him for a limited divorce on the ground of cruel treatment. The couple have been married about fourteen years, and have one child, a daughter, aged twelve years, who now lives with the mother in New York. Yesterday the father applied to Jadge Gilbert for the custody of the girl, alleging that his wite was not a fit person to have the charge of her. He charged that Mrs, Simonet was in the habit of visiting lager beer saloons and taking the girl with her. Ts. Simonet opposed the application and renewed the charges 01 ili treatment against her husband, The hearing of the matter was postponed until next Wednesday, when witnesses on both sides will be examined. Simonet says that his object in obtaining possession of his daughter 1s to place her in some respectable institation. fe ig a French- man and a Catholic, while his wife is a German and @ Protestant. SURROGATES COURT. Wills Admitted. Before Surrogate Veeder. During the past week Surrogate Veeder admitted to probate the wills of William T. Smtth, Trembi: W. Mulford, Samuel Leach, George W. Blake, Wil- liam Hughes, August Ulrich and James Waterbury, all of Brooklyn. ‘ ABOUT CITY BALL. Heavy Award of Stock. The City Hall and the departments pertaining thereto rested under a spell of quiet yesterday. The Fourth of July seemingly had exhausted the energy with which patriotism is conducted about these noble precincts, and not a stir or ripple dis- turbed the placid surface of the municipal pool. Commissioner Van Nort was busy revising his salary list to meet the reduced estimates of the Board of Apportionment, and the employés gen- erally about the Bureau of Public Works wore an air of weariness and anxiety. The changes in the departments will be officially announced on Mon- jay. ‘The following city stock was awarded by the Comptroller :— CROTON WATER MAIN STOCK, F. L, Hale, Massuchasetts.......... 15,000 at $103 51 Samuel T.'Skidmore, Massachusetts 5,200 at 103. 67 R. G. BR. m trustee. te 105 26 CITY PARK IMPROVEMENT FUND STOCK. City Park Improvement Stock—$8,300,000. All this stock was taken by George K. Listare at bids ranging {rom 103.04 to 103.51. CONDITIONS OF THR BIDS. Said stocks bear interest at the rate of seven per cent per annum, payable on the Ist day of May and November in each year. The proposals wil state the amount of stocks de- sired and the price fag! $100 thereof; and the per- sons whose proposals are accepted will thereupon be required to deposit with the Chamberlain the sums awarded to them respectively, together with any premiums thereon. On presenting to the Comptroller the receipts of the Cl berlain for such deposit, the parties will be entitled to receive certificates for equal amounts of the par value of the sums awarded to them, bearing interest from the dates of payment, COMPTROLLER’S RECEIPTS. Comptroller Green reports the following amounts paid into the city treasury yesterday :— COLLECTOR OF ASSRASNENTS. agsemments for street openings and im- From provements and interest . . $7,300 BURKAU OF AWRKARS. From arrears of taxes, assessments, Croton rents Nd IMUOFEME. 666s see eee esseeeeersseeseeeees seeeeees 6988 RRCKIVER OF AXIS. Prom arrears of personal taxes and interest....0.. 1,099 SURKAU eR, OF WATER REGIST! From Croton water rents and interest... 6,233 SROOND JUDICIAL DISTRICT ciry ECORI From receipts for sale of City Kecord. . BURKAU OF CITY From market rents, foes, &c. Total... ALTERCATION IN MOTT STREET, Morris Coleman struck Peter Condon om the head with @ brick, at Ne, 196 Mott atreet, yesterday afternoon, during an altercation between them at that place. Condon was conveyed to the Fourteenth net station house, where bis wound was Rreased, and he left for home. THE WAR ON LAGER. Publio Sentiment Regarding the En- forcement of the Excise Law. WE MUST HAVE OUR LAGER! Views at Length Upon Liqnia Liberty. The Excise Commissioners seem to be in a quan- dary a8 to whether they shall carry the present stringent law into force or whether they shall again avoid the iasue, which such an action is sure to bring, by @ compromise of some sort or other. Speaking politically, they would seem to be in & decidedly unenviable position. If they try to con- ciliate the liquor men, they will be branded as bribe-takers and corruptionists by the radical anti- wine party. If they meet the liquor question sqnarely and fairly and execute the law, & politicak revolution threatens them, two years hence, to sweep over the city, which will change all party re- lations at present existing. As a matter of fact, there are to be found among the proprie- tors of many of the gardens and saloons reasonable men, who, though determined to contest the enforcement of the statute, are ready to admit that the present law seems to be the will of the law-making party, and that the Excise Board can- not avoid “tackling” the question. All of the pro- prietors admit that the Board has the law greatly in its favor, and that it must becomes a dead fight between the two antagonisms, Itis asserted on the other hand by a prominent man in the busi- ness that ‘the present law has holes enough in it to drive a cart through,” and that a test case, well: defended, would make the fact apparent. As the Sunday question now stands it is certain that there is much to be said upon both sides. That such ts the fact is easily ascertained by hearing both sides argued by their respective adherents, TWO SUNDAYS MORE. The Commissioners, on the ong hand, seem anxious to do their duty fairly by both anti and pro liquor men. There seems to be an earnest de- sire to avoid all the low trickery and adroit double- facedness which many years ago characterized the action of an Excise Board. That they are acting in all fairness with the Sunday liquor question is evidenced by the fact that a fifteen days’ exten- sion has been granted upon the time for making application for licenses. This announces that the struggle is yet a thing of the future, and that the beer drinkers may indulge for two Sundays more atleast, The clauses in the law which are violated during every day of the week are those in regard to selling to minors and intoxicated persons, “WHAT'S YOUR AGE, MY HEARTY 1”? ‘The liquor men declare that it is impossible to avoid breaking this clause. They assert that their bartenders or waiters cannot discriminate regard- ing the age of a young man or woman to such a nicety; that out of 1,500 persons, all clamoring for lager, @ waiter should be able to serve only those who have reached the age of legal accountability, is declared to be an impossibility, Men who are on the verge of the deepest drunkenness may be able | to deceive a rather negligent waiter, and the last glass of brandy may put him under the table. The Excise Commissioners have in view the oblitera- tion of many of the low resorts which, as yet, the police have been unable to suppress. By revoking the licenses of all such ptaces ypon their opening again action can be brought for selling without a license and the offenders punished. As it ig now there is no possible way of reaching them. ‘The Board will exercise great care in the tasuing ofnew licenses, Already the Police Department has made up and furrished to the Commissioners of Excise an alphabetical LIST OF EVERY DRINKING SALOON in the metropolis, its character and the class of men who frequent it. This list will be carefully in- spected, and those whose names are not found in é great book will be prasics ged looked ap by the agents of the Board. Dressed in citizen’s clothes, agents of the Board wrll make the rounds aad visit all places making application for licenses, and the report upon the same will determine the ac- tion of the Commissioners. It is to be regarded as @ part of the duty of the Commissioners to prevent, So far as possible, the murderous affrays which are of daily occurrence in liquor saloons by removing the places themselves, and thereby breaking up the haunts of vice which are so deuioralizing to the whole community. A SOCIAL viarr. The Board of Excise were visited a few days since by many of the leading beer sellers ef the city, and, while @ better understanding may have been arrived at, it is very certain that no settle- ment was proposed on either side. As for the Commissieners they merely say, as they hand outa copy of the law:—"Read this for yourself, sir, and see What we are expected and sworn to execute. The dilemma is bad enough for you, perhaps, but here is the law. We can neither say nor do anything else.” The vender of lager then adjusts his eye- glass and spelis out the law. No matter how he twists it or how light he tries to make it, the hard fact remains that be must not open on Sunday. Visions of numerous hali dimes, wich on that di flow into the treasury of the establishment repre- sented by each, awaken a righteous indignation in his heart, and he deciares the stavute an out upon civil liberty. The Sunday clause is the im- portant one. Rumors have gone abroad that itis vo be enforeed—“There’s the rub."’ ‘‘a WORD IN YOUR EAR.’? All the dealers have some kind of an opinion re- garding the Sunday liquor fel A lew are quite liberal in their views. Here is the opinion of one of the most reasonable encountered yester- day :—“I believe that the Board have a right, under the new law, to attempt to prevent the sale of liquors on Sunday, but there is. eons. about closing the shops. My place has been visited by one of the Excise Commissioners, and he finds very little to condemn. The great trouble, from first to last, is that the liquor trade is not regarded as a legiti- mate business. Ln Germany, when a public garden 1s opened and patronized by the class which visite the Central Park Garden and my place, the law protects the proprietor, and, instead of doing all that it cau to destroy his business, encourages him. My garden is regarded in no better lignt by the poiice than any dive down in the Sixth ward. The result is that, although my place is licensed, I cannot command THE PROTECTION OF THE LAW. You believe that the law was strengthened be- cause of the recent murders committed by those who were intoxicated. That is a mistake, The ratio of crime is no larger than it was during 1866, wiren the sale of liquor on Sunday was almost totally prevented. The papers on Monday morn- Ing record about one hundred and twenty-five to one hundred and fifty arrests, about one-half of which are for intoxication. Call it 200, for the sake of saving trouble, and I would ask you if even 200 drunken people in @ population of 900,000 is very alarming? Every town throughout the country can show as great an average. Are the 899,800 people to be ruled by the TWO HUNDRED TOPERS? The assertion that | keep a disorderly house is without anv foundation. There are fully 5,000 people in my place during Sunday, Of all this number not above one or two ever cause any dis- turbance. The clamor is raised against my place and I have to go into Court to defend myself. The people in the neighborhood would shut out the 4,998 persons just because two ruMans got in among the crowd. [f the Germans are to be locked out of their beer gardens they cannot be driven like sheep inte the churches, So long as we are orderly we want to be let alone. 1 am in favor of punishing drunkenness very severely. Give every man three months on the Isiand who ts tound drunk in the streets. and there will be fewer cases. This system, however, of pun- ishing people for doing what they regard as the simple exercise of their liberty, only because some one else gets drunk, is nonsense, We don’t want to hear any more of it.” BUILDING UP THE SUBURBS. Nearly ail the dealers sing 1n the same tune, but one was encountered who said:—“If the Germans cannot get what they want at home they will away for it on Gee The stringency wit which the law was carried out in 1806-7 drove a Great deal of business to Jersey City, Brooklyo and, especially, Hoboken. Thousands apon thou- sands of dollars earned here in New York were taken across one of the rivers and expended. We caunot go on building up the suburban villages, The rejoicing ‘annong? the beer venders in the suburbs is something beautiful to see.” A FAITHFUL SERVANT, On last Sunday the Rev. Father Sylvester Malone celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of the dedication of the Church of Sts. Peter and Paal, Wiktamaburg, and the twenty-ninth of his sacred Ministry, When Father Malone commenced his labors tn the vineyard of the Lord he had an im: mense district to attend to, His original parist has been divided and subdivided until it now com: ses fourteen churches for ae Barnottes snd nine for Germans, These Mie al three churches have been erected threugh piety of the Catholics made fervent by the priestly tions of Father Malone and by his active Sofie ean me aks