The New York Herald Newspaper, April 4, 1874, Page 5

etme INFLATION. Opinions of the and People. CURRENCY Press Besant etsy tle Ses The West Condemns the Folly of Its Repre- sentatives and Repudiates Their Measures of Expansion, ———_ CALL FOR A PRESIDENTIAL VETO. In the HunaLp of Wednesday appeared extracts from some of the leading journals of the country | relative to the proposition to increase the green- | backs instead of retracting. To-duy we give ex- tracts from thirteen leading papers upon the same subject. allof them entering their protest—as did the eleven quoted trom yesterday—agalnst the suicidal policy of debasing the credit of the country in times of peace by an expansion of the currency. We have carefully noted the drift of the editorials of all the papers of the country, and we find that thirty-two have already spoken unmistakably against inflation, while a few, principally located iu the South, are in favor of the bill asit passed Congress, It is worthy of especial note that, while Western representatives loaned thelr votes to the passage of tire bill, we fail to find, trom a critical examination of our exchanges, bat one Western journal that heartily approves the bill now await- ing President Grant's signature, In Opposition to Inflation. {From the Detroit Free Press—democratic.) * * Jt may possibly puzzie the new countries of the future, beginning life free from debt, and with revenues sudcient to meet the expenses of government, to get themselves sufficiently in dent to supply the people with that currency which the imfauonists consider the only perfect one. ‘to get the currency into the hands of the people the government must clearly buy something which 16 does not want or incur unnecessary expense in some way. Perhaps when the reflection comes that the debt is not 80 much a debt as an addition to the national wealth, the necessary extrava- gance will suggest 1teei!; but the statesmen of the suture who are troubled with any ot the old- fashioned notions about honesty, economy and pradence, will find it exceedingly dificult to real- ive in’ practice the periect currency of Ferry, Field & Co, {From the Providence Journal—republican.] Tt is said that even if the $400,000,000 bili should become a iaw, the amount of uctual inflation of the currency would not be near so much as many of the friends of tne measnre have anticipated. When the minimum of $356,000,000 was recognized the Treasury Departmeat always had on hand a currency balance of trom $10,000,000 to $12,000,000, with the knowledge that, if absolutely necessary, the $44,000,000 reserve could be drawn upon, The old currency balance was paid out during the panic, and since then $26,000,000 of the reserve have gone after it. The department, therejore, cannot lecl sale if it shouid let the whole of the re- maining $18,000,000, go into circulation, It will hold on to the greater part of it, Uaiess some reason us | urgent a3 those Which have been operative thus jar in drawing out the money of the department shall again occur. ‘The $15,000,000, 1t is true, will be transferred and be nominally in circulation, but will really remain in the vauits of the Sub-Jreasury at New York, ‘This, if trae, will be a heavy disap- polntment to the inflationists, who calcuiated that the whole amount of legal tenders would be at once thrown upon the market. it may mitivate, to some extent, the evils of this threatened act of Jegislation, but will never justuy it or deprive it of its pernicious effect as aprecedent. Indeed, the inflationists may carry another law lin ting t e amount of reserve to be kept by the Treasury, which would entail bad consequences of a new kind, ‘The whole measure, in fact, is evil in its elects, and 4s a nation we shall have to pay for it. The Chicago Zribune (independent) discusses the inflation question from a constitutional stana- point, claims that the present bill 1s illegal under the ruling of the Sapreme Court, and closes this; ae ‘ The rewmsue of the $44,000,000, therefore, is equivalent to passing a legal tender act at a time woen it cannot be pleaded that self-preservatioa demands the measure; When no enewy threatens the overthrow of the government; wien the 4 hte eat ts in no need of money which cannot é raised by taxation; when it cannot be said that the Treasury is empty, or the credit of the govern- ment exhausted; when there is not asoldier in the field, nor & man-o:-war engaged in hostilities | on the ocean; when we are in peace with all the world—a_ time, i rg wile! ae ee aus eee gained, but ever; 6 bé Congress; when there isno excuse to plead for the extraordinary moasuré—a measure which, luke the clippin, never resorted. by & civilized nation except under most exceptional circumstances or vy robber Kings. What is the real grouna of this strange action of Congress? That vusiness dae- anus it, It is not business, however, but specu- ators that demand it. And now comes the ques- tion:—Has Congress the power to resort to a most extraordinary War measure in order to help Tou, Dick and Harry to succeed in their specutations’ If it has noi, then plainly the reissue of the $44,000,000 is unconstitutional. Nothing can war- rant such reissuc, under the ruiing of the United States Supreme Court, but the salvation vi the uation. [From the Boston Post—demoeratic]. Those democrats in Congresss who assalie that liberate proposition to destroy the pubiie credit and precipitate natioual bankruptcy, with no re- spect or obedience for the unchangeaple doctrines of the organization to which they belong, will not have long making the discovery that they have erred m their recent act beyond reparation. It is with shame and coniusion of iace that tie democrats, ever wedded to the docrtine of hard moncy, principles which neitner time nor circumstance can change, Democrats have voted to depreciate the currency indefinitely. This is a@ guesiion that | dissolves party relations all at once, for it 18 vi- tal hot more to the prospects of basimess than to the character 0! vhe national credit. Congress is Only taken a bimd jump of into the air, The ecutive veto is the one force that can pull it back before ib lands, bat ol that there is email hope. A mania seems to have taken possession ol the Majority, and they vote to indefinitely in- crease the national notes and to revolutionize the banking system of the country togetuer. This, too, in a time of depression, the shadow of a gen- eral distress which is not yet wholly past, in the face o! the earnest protest of tue whole business community ana with a perfect consciousness of the final resuits. {from the Concord (N. H.) Patriot. The great wrong dove to the democratic.) People and the business inverests of the country by the action of | Congress in increasing the volume of the currency to $400,000,000 has aroused the press of the Nortu, which is speaking out against the measure. If ine democratic press alone sould denounce the meas- ure it would be considered partisansiip and dis- loyalty. {vrom the Concord (N.f.) Republican—democratic.] The inQavionists have triumphed in the United States Senate as well as in the House, and passed the $400,000,000 bill, It ROW remains to be seen Where they can be arrested in their schemes for inflating the currency of the country by the issue of irredeemadie, inconvertible paper money, (From the Boston Journal—republican.] ‘The inflationisia taik as if our present financial Situation Was entirely anomaions; as ff no light couid be obtained either irom other countries or irom Jormer crises 1n our own, The truth is, how- ever, that “that which bas been is that which shall be,” Onancially as well as morally; and there | is not a feature of the present fnencial exigency Which has not been experienced in the past and has not been luminously and permanently dis- cussed by American statesmen trom Alexander Hamtitou down. Banker's’ Magazine wil) abundantly prove this by giving copious citations from former Secretaries of the Treasury. Hamilton alone had to consider ait the difficuities now pressing upon tne Treasury ana the business interests Of the country, besides concerning himselt with others which we nave not. Otherwise how would he have been able to deal our pubic men the tollowing blow, as unerringly given as i( he were among us to-day :— ‘There is a general propensity in those who administer the affairs of a goverament, founded in the constitution of man, to shitt off the burdey trom the present to a tu- ure day—a propensity which may be expected to be strong in proportion as the form of a State ig vopular. Yo extinguish a debi which exists, and to avoid the {acting more, are ideas always ihyored by public. teel- ing aud optnion ; but to pay taxes for the one or the other purpose, which are the only means of avoiding the evil, is always more or less unpopular. Theae contradictions are in human nature H happy, Indeed, would be the Jot oF a country that should ever Want men ready to Win them to Wie adcorint of their own popularity or to some other sinister account, There is tne wile existing trouble in a nutshell. Nor was Hamilton's diagnosis in other particulars less acute. He declared, for instance, that “evary breach of the public engay choice or necessity, is, 1 dierent degrees, hurt ul to pabite credit,” and that it the evil was in avitabie it was the duty of the gov aroment to make it as slight and brief a8 possibie; “that no ohange 10 the rights of its creditors ought to pe atiempted without their voluntary consent, and thatthis consent Ought to be voluntary in fact as Well asm name.” If this great statesman nad been enaowed witn prophetic powers he could not have spoken to this generation with a closer regard to our wel- pd er seems: to have dictated the following “ ‘True patriotism and genuine policy cannot, It is re- specttally presumed, be vetter demonstrated. of the Culted sates, at the present teat by tee proving eftic ythe very iay Which they stumd tor extinguishing. able sitnation in With reasonable if ‘of the coin in times past, was | 0 y were licensed Lo vote a3 they Chouse on wu de- | to walt betore | have witnessed so open a betrayal of | ‘Lue forthcoming number of the | ements, whether from | Hneture, than by tin- | | geleritv. the actual dedt of the ‘the foundation of # system which a Atal poser pelilshnces cigs tacestare: and w possible, may give immortality te public credit . (Krom the Troy 8—republican.} The course of Congress, in view of the existing ; financial situation, may be characterized properly } a8 the mantfestation of insanity. Money, or what | we call money, in itredeemable paper currency, ac. [From the Newark (N. J.) Journal—republican.} ‘The Senate has avowed its determination not only to insist On inflation, but, as far as it was | able, to prevent the possibility of redemption of | the national currency. This almost fatal move- | ment was accomplished by the combined strength | of tne South and West, 1n the same manner in wich they succeeded in carrying the $400,000,000 Inflation vill, {Frou the Chicago Times—democratic.} Alter an ineffectual attempt to preveut a sudden and violent inflation of the currency by providing that greenbacks should not be issued for the pur- chase of bonds ata premium Mr. Morril announced, in effect, that he would stand aloo! and let the m- | Mators go it wild, The rest of the conservative Senators seem to have taken the same resolution, for tne iufators did about ali the talking and suggesting on Friday. Perhaps the advocates of sound currency in the Senate cannot adopt any better course than this, They have pointed out the consequences of inflation, and uttered their | Warnings and protests as became them, Now they | can do no more. It would be a mere waste of time for them to say more or interpose more obsta- cles. They had better do uothing now beyond seeing that the infators are placed squarely on the record on every important proposition, so that they may be held to strict accountability when the day of reckoning comes. Let the suspense be ended as soon as possible. Let the balloonists do their worst, for the worse they do the sooner will the country be cured of the paper money delusion, ‘There now seems to be no prospect of @ cure ex- cept by way of unlimited expansion and explosion, and the taster we expand and the sooner we ex- plode the more compiete and lasting will be the cure, Let the remedy be applied heroically, until the greenbacks and banknotes shall, like the as- signats of France, be pasted on the walls of our cottages and farmhouses as a perpetual warning | against paper money schemes and the American | Jobn Laws who invent them, and the Logans who | advocate them after studying finance for two whole weeks, But let not the sound money men be the ones to apply the remedy. The intlators have made the prescription; now let them admin- ster as large and frequent doses as they please. {from the Philadelphia Chronicie—republican.| The present course of Congress can have but one of two results, Hither the steps now taken must be retraced, and the task of some iuture Congress 18 made more difficult by the weakness of this one, | or else we must goon to ultimate repudiation. No other result is possible, {From the Boston Transcript—republican.] The Western and Southern members of Congress, as a general rule, are determined to have wore currency, “Additional circulating medium” 1s their cry. But what will that avail? ‘the increased | issues of paper ne Will not permanently en- large the volume of the same in the sections now complaining of scarcity, Being ‘circulating me- dium” the surplus will speedily go to the great embarking points of trade and commerce, or such Wil immediately be the tendeucy. Congressional action cannot compensate tor tack of industry, en- bi paren economy and business sagacity, which will result in abundant means to any free cominu- nity where these qualities are displayed. {From the Boston Traveller—repubdlican.} * * It is obvious tuat we shall have to make the best of it, and although we haVe often ex- terests of the country demand a return to the com basis, and fully believe that irredeemable paper money encourages and develops excessive enter- | prise and speculation, we are not prepared to ussent te the proposition that the greenback is “a le and acheat.” It 1s, in its worst aspect, only a | suspended promise, but @ promise based upon the good faith and the wealth of a loyal people—a people full of energy, enterprise and vitality—and it will be pee to the last dollar beyond a doubt. »* * * Letus then be tolerant on this question, and not having been able to convince people that they were about to take a lalse step, let us do all hard-money advocates beleve May or must fol- | low, and act upon our faith that the greenback is no more of @ jie and a cheat than when its legal tender character enavled the country to go through. | One of the mightiest civil wars the world ever saw with honor and in triumph, {from the Hatrisburg Patriot—democrat.] Ir there ever was a fit occasion for the exercise { ol the veto power it will be when the bill to Inflate } the lrredeemable paper currency to the extent of | $44,000,000 comes before Presiueat Grant for his siguature. {From the Hudson (N. Y.) Register.) It was hoped and believed that the bitter lessons oflast year would have had a wholesome effect upon both the peopie and their representative: ‘Toe blow stunned and should have sobered w Yet, in the face of this, the majority in Congress | legisiate tor just such another tabric—a tempie | without & 1oundation—destined in a briet period to topple more disastrously upon our devoted heads, (From the Dethi (N, Y.) Gazette—Jemocrat.] Swell the volume of the currency and you out add power and torce to the flood that is sweeping on to destruction, Specie is the only trae basis, ! ie Ss apeedy Yeturn thereto is the only true poll 1 this ts khown and tangny oy ail our statestieh. acknowledged, by EVc?. olitician and —pro- | claimed ‘by many & demagogug, | (from the Detroit Free “Press—democratic,] We very mucn tear, however, that General | Grant will not rise to the height of greatness de- | munded of him—that he will not be able to put | aside all temporary and paltry considerations and | do what is best for the ultimate and general! pros- \ pericy of the nation, [t would amord us pleasure to | be able hereaiter to say that we have misjudged him in tnis particular, bat his record since le has been | President has not been such as to warrant the hope that, however he may feel m secret, be will openly and to the extent of his power oppose inila- tion and inflation schemes, {From the Balttmore Sun—independent.] * * The conservative sentimenis oi tue Pres } dent stand in happy contrast to the wild legislation | ol Congress, and u the stand should take the shape ofa veto would susiain the honor and prosperity of the country. | [From the Schenectady Union—administration.) | The action of Congress is u blow at the pubic credit, for how can we ever expect to reedecm our | greenbacks it We go on increasing them? And if Congress is Mabie to change te vaiue of our | money, according as it is affected by its whims, | who can feel the confidence in suca money that w | sound state of public credit requires ? | (From the Manchester (N. H.) Mirror—adminis- | tration.) eee ® tor the rejiet of bankrupts.” likely to be, tt will send the financial balloon up to a height from which a safe descent is impossibie, | and those of us who live to see it sirike the eartn | again will probably witness a panic compared ; with which the one 01 last fall was only an ud- | monition. (Prom the Portland Press—ad ministratiot Who cau tell where the demand for ‘snore’ will | stop? The South and West are cordially anitea m the mad enterprise, amt New England ts no more needed than an old grandmother who stands | | exhorting headstrong children uot to go skating | on thin tee. We may yet buy our four, as the Hay- | tans do, at $100 a pound, and exchange a cord of | the coveted grevabacks tor & like quantity of wood, WHAT THE PEOPLE §. tes is Views of a Baltimore Banker. BALTIMORE, March 40, i8T4. ‘To THE EDITOR oF THE HERALD :— lai a irequent reader of your great paper, and have been Very much pleased with the stand you | take as regards the question of our disordered cur- | Tency. for newspapers, and especially such as yours, there- fore L will try to put my say as short as possible, and | The | | would like to have your opinion of the same. | Hon, Carl Schurz has made a very able speech on t nvject, and Many oOtuers have done well, and dese | root of the evil, I held taat no government is | suitable to issue currency in the Way we have | done, least of ail ours, which is so extremely re- ; Publican in form. douw’t say this because the republican party has doue tiis, ior | assure you this sume question will ruin any party. it is omly a@ question of time, tor we will always have in the ordinary run of time hard times and panics. You can’t run pol- Micsand finauce with safety. Look at our own State. Mr. Hamilton hails trom the western part of our State, and Mr. Dennis from the Eastern Shore. Both are democrats. You can guess where | the difference comes in. The only argument that | Lever heard against withdrawing the government | issue has been that we would have so much more | interest to pay. Now, I ask you wiat is that in | comparison to the great evil under which we | {| now aud always will labor; for it will get worse { and worse the longer we tolerate it, I you find ; this wortay of a place, [ shall consider it's favor, | aud remain yours truly, | A Numbskall’s Opinion, | New Yor«, March 30, 187: | Yo THe Eprrok oF THE HFRALD:— When I was @ very little boy I learned that “twice one are two.” Later I learned that, money and circulating medium meant one and the same thing. Later still 1 learned that money or circula- ting medium represented the value of those things | which we make use of in life, and was merely used to facilitate exchanges of our corn for dry goods, | wheat for hardware, or vice versa, &c., &c., through tae whole catalogue of bulky things We use; giving money, Which We can carry in our pockets, for that. which we Want next, insteal of swapping the bulky articles themselves. Money being merely an opligation passed trom the purchaser to the seller, current anywhere, upon which he can yet valine in anything equal to the value he parted with for the money. [ learned that money some- times consisted of gold and silver, sometimes in paper currency and sometimes (with primitive Dations) in shells, hating limiter cuantitv. Tad pressed our strong convictions that the true in- | we Can to avert or mitigate the evils which the | The bill ought to be entitled “An act | It passed, as it seems | in the door, with warning finger raised in air, | Aslam a very poor hand to write articles | e great credit; yet none have gone to tne | always supposed that if money was 8 circatating medium, me; resenting ue of thi Sie SA. dollar of the circ ing iuediam repre: sent en quantity of something else, Soeeiwweatateerenece ms en quan! Was at first purchased with one dollar. By which we would reason that increase of circulating me- dinm decreases the quantity of material value that one dollar of it wil! purchase, pro rata, unless the material wealth (wnich circulating medium merely | represents, be also increased pro rata, But, | alas! t fear that that primitive theory of “twice one 8re two” must have misled me aud le we incapable of appreciating the intricacies of finance us they are promulgated at Washington nowadays, aud leit me oniy A NUMBSKULL, Floed Him With Postal Cards. New York, April 1, 1874. To THE Eviror oF THE HERALD:— How would it do to ask the people through your Widely circulated journal that each one should Send to the President a postal card requesting him to veto any Inflation bill that may come betore him? I rather think that if this tdea was gener- ually carried out that we would not long have to look ruin and dishonor in the face, as it is likely We may have to do under our present prospects. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, NsW JERSEY, We Have Brains as well as Bullion, New Yors, Apri} 1, 1874, To THe Eprror ov tHe HERALD:— As @ constant reader, I feel that your strong financial articles will develope one good result, 4. ¢,, they will attract the attention of the general public and incite to action the conscientious opin- ions of the people of this country to dictate to the (apparently unpractical) representatives now dis- cussing the subject, their respective and general Wants as an honest, God fearing people. The sooner now the good practical business men and people awake to an intelligent sense of the hour und stndy political economy with its uses and abuses, the better will be the result and the sooner will the world be taught that we have not only a creditable character to pay our promises and opli- gations leit, but that Providence bas given this free born Kepubtic the brains as well as “vullion’? to conscientiously fultll them. Whenever that tine arrives (1 hope it will be soon) that discloses | @ consciousness among the people at large that | they are the sufferers from a debased and fuctuat- ing medium of exchange, we can safely legisiate | lor @ reorganization o1 the whole (bonded and irredeemavle) currency together, or, as Judge Pierrepont wisely advocates, the present time, re- organization (a8 1 would suggest lor the total debt into 20,40 and 60 years, at 5. 4 and 3 per cent re- spectively ; of the irredeematle currency debt into 30 year 5 per cent bonds) of the total debt of the government on a solid footing, At present there are too many deluded with the idea or notion that the more there is of what passes currently (in this country only) for money, the richer they will be likely to be. ‘The present times are now daily teaching business men this idea 18 a fallacy. 1 fear that we snail have to pass through a good deai of tribulation beiore the sense of this error will lead to repentance and good works untess the people’s representatives wisely anticipate a necessarily slow educational power, | until the time requisite teach the people the | direful resulta, alter practical experience and dis- aster combined, will reflect bankruptcy and ruin im common throughout the length and breadth of the land, Why, simply because we have an irre- deemable curr + and we suould reorganize and opt a specie basis lor our internal and commer- clal exchanges, without any discount. Are our legislators asleep ? More anon, A READER. | A Thorough Financier for Secretary of the Treasury. | To THE Eprror or the HeRau Your earnes: protest against inflation is com- | mendable. I think the sooner the currency 1s brought to a specie standaré the better; but there will be suffering to all classes in reaching that point. Ihave little hope in the Pres‘dent vetoing the measure just passed by Congress; and, if he did veto it, probably Congress would pass it again by a two-thirds vote. Whatl wish to say, how- ever, particularly is this, that, although the issue of greenbacks is tixed at $400,000,000, there really will nog be so inuch In existence; for itis estl- Inated that from $25,600,000 to ARS dog obo of areak. backs have been entirely destroyed since their issue began in 1862, by fire, shipwreck and many | other disasters. it is dificult, of course, to make ) @ correct estimate im such a matter, Yet when | we consider the wide expanse of territory over | which these grecnbacks circulate it is very prob- able that tne destraction has been oeat Again, before this act was passed, fhere were sald Lo be outstanding legal teuders to the amount of $382,000,000 (without, of course, allowing for thoxe which Lave just referred to as bgin igs stroyed), so that reaily I do not seg tit th qe crease of $18,000,000 50 daihaging as many can TO’ op TORS rd favor paper money. { A] ide aban been opposed to it, The great trouble we labor under is the lack of a thoroughly eancated Huuncier in the Treasury Department. b. UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT. WASHINGTON, April 3, 1874, ifle Railroad Company vs. Me- Guire—Hrror to the Supreme Court of the State of Missour{.—This wus an action to recover a tax of ten per cent on the gross receipts of the road im- posed by the State for the year ending October 1, | 1866. By an act of 1852 the State exempted the | road from taxation until completed and in opera- tron and until it had declared a dividend, but pro- vided that af the company should fai to declare a dividend within two years aiter its completion its property siould thereafter be subject to taxation. | ) The road was not completed until April, 1866, and | ; had never declared a dividend, when, in pursu- ance of an ordinance of the Missouri State Con- nition of i tax of ten per cent on its gross to provide tor the payment of the mdebtedness of the roud to the Sate for as- iruction, Under these circum- stances it Was contended the tax could not be Jevied without violuting the exemption thus anted, and that to uphold it was to allow tne | ve to impair tie Obligation of the contract. It aiso argued that the eXuction Was not & tax, nor within the exercise of the taxing power. Jt is simply an effort to collect a dent, the greater part of which, it is alleged hud not matured, in a manner hot provided in the contract between the partes and unsuown to the jaw, and in direct violation of the iaith of the siate as pledged to the compuny. It 1s alsy claimed that the tux is in vio- lation of contracts made by the state in later acts neerning the indept ‘88 Of the corporation. he decision of the State Court sustained the tax, | and it is here mamtained that the efort to enforce the tax 1s but an attempt to sequester the property ot the corporation under the pretence of an exer- cise of the taxing power, No, 281. The North Missouri Railroad Company vs. Maguire, invoiving the same questions, is argued with 280, J. B, Henderson ana William M, Evarts for plaintit in error; Blar & Dick aud 0. H. Buckner jor defendant, | The assignment for the Cirenits since the ap. pointinent of the new Chiel Justice is as fohows :— For the First circuit, Mr. Justive Clifford; Second circuit, Mr. Justice Hunt; Third circuit, Mr. Justice Strong; Fourth ctrcutt, Chief Justuce Walte; ruth circuit, Mr. Justice Bradley; Sixth eireult, Mr, Justice Swayne; Seventh cireuit, Mr. Justice Davis; Eighth circuit, Mr. Justice Muller; Ninth circutt, Mr. Justice Field, No. 280. The P. TOMBS POLICE COURT, A Weakness for Silk, Before Judge Morgan, | On Thursday afternoon Henry Adams entered | the establishment of Sweetser, Pembroke & Co., and asked to look at goods, He walked through | the store, examining different articies, and was | seen by James Colby, one of the clerks, attempting | to carry away three pieces of silk, valued at $550, Adums was arres' and placed in the hands of | OMicer Hagan, oi the Filth Precine He was ar- riugned before Judge Morgan yesterday, and held | in $1,000 batl to answe! Adams pleaded not qullty, and said that he Was Covk on a steamer, The Alleged Lottery Swindle, Boyce Callard, Montrose Berman and Heary Hud- son were arrested, Thursday atternoon, by De- | tectives Von Gericnten and Dann, of the Central office, charged With keeping a lottery gawe and obtaining mony under false pretence. They showed yesterday to the satisiaction of the magis- trate that they had no guitty knowledge of any swindie ip the lottery Uckets Which they were selling, and whien lotiery, it was stated, was to ald the Masonic Relief! Association of Noriolk, Va. ‘The prisoners were discharged on their own rec- ognizances, to appear aguin if required, | CORONERS’ CASES, Death in # Shanty. Coroner Kessigg was yesterday called to hola an inquest ina shanty tn Forty-lourth street, below Tenth avenue, on the body of John Coleman, a boy, seven Naat of age, who died suddenly the day previous. e deatn was report by Margare | Bogers, a neighbor who lived across tie street trou the Colomiaus. Death on Shipboaril. About haif-past five o'clock yesterday morning Bernard ©, Olsen, twenty-iive years of age, a native of Sweden and second mate of the bark Carib, lying at plor 28 Kast River, who retired the night pre- vious feeling quite unwell, was ‘ound dead in his berth. The Vody was sent to the Morgue aud Coroner Kessier noutied. | TRADE IS PHILADELPHIA. General Disappointment of Merchants and Dealers—The Spring at Hand, but Little Business-The Panic Made Worse by the Inflationists. PHILADELPHIA, April 1, 1874, It is pot a happy thing to awaken from dreems of bursting blossoms, chirping birds and all the merry attractions of an opening season to leaden skies, blustering weather and sloppy, slippery sidewalks, Nor is it at all agreeable to set out to investigate the condition of the spring trade, as your correspondent did this morning in the midst of @ snow storm as driving and severe as Uid Winter himself nas ordinarily been able to trotout. Of course, all things, not even excepting the ele- ments, seem to hang fire, until that perplex- ing money question is satisfactorily settled at our national capital Spring weather seems re- luctant to advance upon us until spring buyers and spring sellers, by means of honest and sensi- ble legislation, willbe made to know the founda- tion npon which the business of the season must be transacted. Hotels, perhaps, at this time of the year are about a3 fair criterions of the bus- iness Of wholesale houses as any that can be founa. “My business,’ said one of the managers of a well known hotel in this city, this morning, “is simply damnable ;” and this remark to some de- gree indicates the condition of local spring trade, though many of the hotels are comfortably filled, One does not find in the corridors of public houses that great crowa of impetuous drummers and impatient customers who from every section of the country come here usually at this time to buy their goods, Different years, however, produce different conditions of commerce, and, lest from the above circumstances your correspondent might have drawn wrong conclusions, ne has spent the greater part of the day among wel! known firms of Philadelphia, with the view of ascertaining the exact Circumstances under which the spring re- vival was coming on. DRY Goons. “The business in dry goods is dull,” said a geu- | Ueman prominent in the trade, “and our pay- ments are correspondingly slow. We hoped at first that as April approached the more disagreeable features of the panic would have passed away. ‘Then, again, as we read of the manner in which money and commercial affairs were being dis- cussed at Washington, we squared ourselves for a duller season than that which is actually upon us; consequently when we measure our business with our iears, we find that it averages very well, but when we compare it with actual trade of former years it is far inferior to wnat it should be. Our buyers find it impossible this year to secure the usual discounts which hitherto the bankers have seldom refused to give. The actual tendency of the panic has been to draw money to the banks located in our large cities; countrymen find 1t almost impossible to secure sufficient funds, while we, upon our part, are unable by our own obligations to afford them more than the ordinary run of credit. Ido not hesitate to state that our trade is almost unapimously opposed to inflation. When I look at it I am reminded of a little boy blowing soap bubbles, The bubble increases as the air passes witnin its tender shell, and the ball with all its pretty colors looks glorious in the sun- shine. The youngster is happy; but, when he bids others to regard it, it suddenly breaks, and in an instant the day’s pleasure is turned to grief. In- flation is precisely the same, and the wrecks which must inevitably follow it will be more terrible than. the financial ruin of last year. We would rather not have inflation ensue, preferring an easy busi- ness to a feverish and unhealthy activity of trade, Palen will eventually fall like a man Irenzied with ruin. Among most of the dry goods houses business seemed very Slack, though one large house, Hood, Banhight & Co., informs me that its business 1s actually livelier than it was | ear; but this is the exception and not the rule, These gentlemen attribute the momentary lull to the present month, when surburban and provincial districts are busily engaged in settling Bp thou yearly atfairs at home. “J wish you had called upon me at some other time,’ sald a leading wholesale grocer; “al any other time, 10 fact, than this, for my business was never so duil. During the past few months I have done really nothing, and I tiave no flattering opin- ions to express concerning the wholesale grocery business for the month just opening. 1 unde: stand that there are men in my trade whd say they are doing a Very good business, but 1 assure you nene of t personal acquaintances.” WHOLESALE CLOTH. This business 13 not a8 dull as some others, but the general state of the market is lar irom peing lively. The spring trade, when compared with Jast year, 1s dull. A dewer said, “We anticipated an absolute stagnation, and because this did not come exactly about we feel good because our trade ig not so bad as we expected that it would he.” ‘The buyers are very jew, however, and tie mer- chants waiting for petter times to come. LIQUORS. “We generally transact a much larger business than we ure doing now,” said a large dealer to ine; “our customers are lew and buy but little, It is | this confounded inflation business which is ren- dering everybody timid. Why don’t our govern- mantreoailite Revolutionary period and the ettect | produced by the large issue 0} Continental scrip? | ‘rnousands upon thousands of our countrymen, by the issue of an irredeemable currency, were ru- ined then, and millions by the similar issue pro- posed at this moment will suffer in precisely the | same way. The present state of business 18 bad enough, but in cage of this inflation the Juture must be drearier still.” WHOLESALE NOTIONS. While many of the stores in this line business present the same aspect as stated above, there ure individual exceptions, and J lave found one or two houses which appear to be transacting a ve lively trade, Of course this business consists of many things which all persons are obliged to pur- chase, necessities as they are, no mativer what may be the coudition of trade or the circumstances of the money market. HARDWARE. There is, however, no busiuess in the city so dull as the hardware trade, particulariy those houses which furnist haraware tor butldings, The firms iniorm me that there has never been a time in their history when business was so dull, “Look about the city,” said one of them, “Look at the houses which are tor sale. You can buy them for just what they cost. to get along well when the builders refuse to go ahead with their work. are doing nothing, Hor can we hope to do much jor a long time to come.’ THE MILLINERY. Wholesale millinery, 1 am muormed, is yery back- | ward, While BOOTS AND SHOES, the trade in which 1s partly over, while showing no increase In receipts, shows an actual decrease jrom last year, “Our business for the balance of this season de- pends very much npon the action of our govern- ment In relation to our money matters,’ suid one, THE POPULAR SENTIMENT, ‘The above shows clearly just what the business men think of inflation, will be the resuit if inflation ensues, Your cor- respondent puinped none ot them ior their opinion in relation to this matter, because closely connected with their business that in speak- ing o/ the Jatter it naturally came up, DISRAELI AND THE PENIANS. {From the London News, March 20.] We hear, on what we believe to be good au- thority, that the government will take an eariy opportunity of setting free the Fenian convicts at present in confinement. Mr, Disraeli can adopt this course with perfect personal consistency, hav- ing deprecated the partial amnesty granted by Mr. Gladstone, on the ground that all the Fenian pris- oners ought to be released or none. ‘A MYSTERY, The Shooting of William Bang. Coroner Croker yesterday took the ante-mortem | statement of William Bang, employed by the West- | ern Union Telegraph Company, who is lying at Bellevue Hospital in @ very precarious condition from the effects of @ pistol shot wound of the leit breast caused on Wednesday evening last in some manner at present wnknown, Banyg'sstatement is in substance as follows :— Ldid_ not to work yesterday because [ was sick. [laid down on a stoop in West Washington place and went to sleep; somebody woke me ap and told me to get up or I would vatch cold. I got Up but could not walk far. The next morning L did not know where I w Lwas hurt. { had « pistot ‘was not capped. | had the pistol tor about a week and was mending it ior a boy who lived in Chris- | topher street; a voy named Jolhny Carroll was with me at dinner. it was half-past six o’clock when i laid down in the stoop, Did not see any one fire a pistol of. — f had $1,000 in my pocket when I lay down to sleep, came to mysell. Dr. MacWhinuie considers Bang's recovery very doubtiul. Joho Carroll, the boy reterred to abov: Was arrested at his residence, No, 69 Sixth avenue, late on Thursday night, and taken before Coroner Croker yesterday. He states that le knows noth ing of the shooting, and had not scen Bang sin | Sunday ldoty ese gentiemen are among my own How can we expect | We, as I have just said, | md just what they velieve | it was so | | ‘The Ladies’ Aid Association of this precinct were present this day and distributed provisions to 500 and the following additional contributions nd don’t know how | ih WY Vest pocket, buL IG It was gone when [ | THE POOR AND NEEDY. Pictures of Poverty—A Living Skeleton— No Food, No Clothes, No Home—Dying and Leaving Her Children to Beg. Two days ago St. John’s Guild, which cares for Jadies of culture and wealth who are its volunteer Visitors were becoming despondent, and it seemed amount will, at the rate of the last week’s expense for suppiles, enable the Guild to remain in the field and provide for its army of helpless ones for at least eight days longer. Perhaps other donations will be added, that will support these Poor people after some fashion or another with bread to eat and @roof to shelter them till work opens im the factories and workshops, In the meantime much has been done by the Guild and its Kind-hearted visitors to assuage the suffering of those who, with babes at their breasts or the aged and feeble to nurse, were in the greatest dis- tress, ‘The following are from the visitors’ lists of yes- terday :— A LIVING SKELETON, Thomas Richardson, @ volunteer visitor, found at No, 20 Baxter street (second floor) a Mrs, Locke, | @ middic-aged woman, Who was Weeping bitterly. Bemy mterrogated in regard to the cause, she went to a little palie: of straw, and, drawing Cown a plece of tattered carpet, she exposed to view a litde bony skeleton ofa child. it could not have been more than Jour years old, yet it bore every mark o1 decay that vid age 1s wont to impress on the human body. ‘There were wrinkles where there ought to have been round and blooming tuere ought to have been happy, smiling orbs, Every bone and mu: of the little spectral chiid stood out sharply and clearly defined, and in a | language stronger than words told a story of starvation and death, The jittie rag-carpet irag- ment was the only covering of the sufferer, The mother kneeled above the waif thrown of from her life and wept bitterly, In broken accents she toid the story of her husband’s fruitless search for work and her own sickness and ber child’s, Then Jollowed the brief recapitulation 01 the steps down which she had descended slowly to utter destitu- tion, when there was no bread in the house, no coal in the grate and no credit tor them in the wide, wide world. NO HOME, NO FOOD, NO CLOTHE: At No, 231 Mott street there lives a family, con- sisting of a husband (a tailor), a wile (Wao was a Tew days since confined, giving birta to twins, still-born) and four children, ‘The eldest child is a Son, fourteen years of age, Who was iuraisned with clothing, and last night got a situation as an errand boy. ‘the fatuer, with a broken wrist, 1s just able to sew on a machine, and the others of the family are too destitute of clothing to go out upon the street in daylignt. DYING AND THE CHILDREN TO BEG, At No. 89 Muiberry street lives a Mrs, Flynn, who is dying from cousumpuon and had two smal children, neither of them big enorgh to work, whom sue will leave to the cold pity of neighvors Who will not feel able to care for them, and who must let them take the natural course of vaga- bondism alter their mother’s death, The Guild it can so long a8 it has 1unds; but years will go by, and the name of the Guild may only be remembered as that of an organization extending a helping hand tn a great calamity, and mien. Who knows waat fate will be in store tor them.in their darkest hour o! trial? Episodes of poverty 60 heartrending as to draw tears from the coldest eyes have come to public knowledge, and the victims hive recetved no measure of assist- ance, Who, then, cau tell the Jate of these waits When their motner is laid in the grave? They m: cnias, but the chances are much greater that they will become young thieves, If leit to the streets of ooh York ala the associations they will naturally nd. St. John’s Guild and the Downtown Poor. The following additional contributions were re- ceived yesterday by Rev. Alvah Wiswall lor the poor of the Fifth and Eighth wards, and handed to | the Almoner of the Guild, Mr. Henry (, De Witt :— [Those desiring to visjg the office of the Guild | Will remember that it 15 in the school buildings at- ' tached to St. John’s chapel, Varick street, between Laight and Beach strects.1 THROUGH MRS. JOHN R. BRADY, Contributions to this fun HERALD Office, to Mayor Huvemeyer, City Hail; C. V. B, Ostrander, President of the Merchants’ Fite In- surance Company, No. 149 Broadway; Andrew W. Leggat, Collector of Assessinents, New ei House; George Wilkes, M. D., No. 16 North ington’square; G. K. Lansing, Earle's N. Zabriskie, Cashier of People’s Bank. corner of Canal and Thompson street: L. Davis, Sheldon No, 677 Broadway, and Rev. 8, H, Weston, D, D., No, 3 East Forty-tiith street, or tothe Rey. Alvah Wiswall, Master of St. John’s Guild, St. John’s chapel, Varick street. Packages of clothing, groceries, c., should be sent to St. John’s chapel, Varick street, between Laight and Beach streets, or if an order be sent a messenger will call tor any packages. Mrs, Judge Brady, No. 19 West Thirty-third street, has kindly consented to receive subscrip- | tions. | Tenth Precin To THE Eptrork oF THE HERALD t. Ihave this day received the ‘ollowing contribu. | tions for the poor of the Tenth ward:— Lonis Reuter, No. 05} Broome stret 100 loaves of 170 Ch yatie street, 50 loaves of bread. 5 Brooms street, 100 toaves of . A. Banden, Fecob Mander, No. 138 Chrystic street, 100 loaves of Church, the Worsuipper 18 indescribably stricken bre | pre rv, No. 27 Bowery, 10) loaves of bread. ry Bailey, No, 336 Broome street, 10) pounds ir | ¢ Hen meat. : Wiliam Hilgenberg, No, 12 turnips, L barrel cabbi | By publisning the above you wut! oblige | Capt. J.J. WARD, Teuth Precinct Police, | i Hester street, APRUL 3, 1874, Sixteenth Precinct. | . New York, April 3, 1874. To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD :— { have this day received the following additional respectiully, THOMAS CHERRY, Captain, Peter Speucer, No. 194 Ninth avenue, baker, 400 loave of bread. loaves of brea carriage makers, 50 loaves of broad. street, liquors, 100 loaves of bredd John Wanver, No. 19 Ninth # ; } ue, baker, 5) loave: of bread. 109 loaves ot bread, John McUlave, Twenty-second street and Eleventh avenue, lumber, {0 loaves of bread. Twenty-Seventh Precinct, To THE EDITOR oF THE HeraLp:— families, ; Were received this day and distributed. Mecers. Howell & Mverton, No. 81 Dey street, bundie of oafish. esses. Myhan & S¢ of codfish and 4 hans. in Duryea, West Washington Market, 2. Thamas Cherry, West jenek, No. 85 Dey street, 50 pound 1 barrel hington Market, sheep. | 2 barrels potawes, 1 barrel turnips and 10? pounds meat WILLIAM B. LOWERY, Captain Twenty-seventh Precinct, APRIL 3, 1874. Sparta Clap, To twe Eptron or tHe Tenatp:— ‘The reliot committee of the Sparta Club, having been in existence since November last, being about to close their lahors, desire to report, through your columns, a whose liberality aided and assisted them during tia’ tin Murray Hill Dramatic Association, on the evening of De cember 22, under the auspices of the Club, and $880 for &c.. to the amount of about $1,250. We donated from the above sum $250 to the North furnish them with nourishment, food and fuel. relieved during that time through those good Samari: tans, the lady friends and relatives of the member: the club, and also through Policems families in the ward with food and 35,000 poor people in the metropolis, was about to close its gates for want of supplies. The hundred as though the agony of the sufferers was only to cheeks; sunken, hollow, lack-lustre eyes, where | will, @s a matter Of course, care for them as best | these children may be growing into men and wo- | become young Washingtons or young Roits- | imay be sent to the | fotel; G. J. | 2 barrels contributions for the poor of this precinct, Very Mrs, James Hunter, No. 152 Seventh avenue, baker, 60 | ‘Robert Kenuedy & Co., No. 208 West Eighteenth street, O'Reilly, Skilly and Fogerty, No. 205 West Nineteenth Bell Brothers, foot of West Twenty-third street, amber, | 1 Messrs. Vacant & Brennan, West Washington Market, sheep. James i Teg in £ D treet, 1 bas nee He George Wiley, No. LIS West street, Uburrel potatoes, 1 Ge rae Bo; West Washington Market, 3 barrels | cabbage. Dealers in West Washington Market, 4 barrels cabbage, 7 | Nineteenth Ward—Final Report of the We have received in cash the sum of $145, of whieh | ance. $805 was the receipt ofan entertainment given by the | donations to the soup house by the members of the club | and thelr friends; also received donations in produec, eastern Dispensary, to be applied by thelr visiting physicians to relieve the sick under their charge and We have of Tooker, about 100 fuel, Pitty. mi meat tn + " best conta, otatoes, turnips and cabbage in mak Bor, which as ig the me there were consume: loaves of fresh beet, 1,000 potinds of salt beef, 1.600 pounds at west fish, 600 pounds of sult pork, 250 Ads of walt sh, 400 heads of cabbage, 21 barrels of potatoes, 7 barrels of tur. ni barrels of ttour, 5 barrels of beans, 570 barrels of be prolonged, not abated, At this moment the oom a rly Pane ot sugar, together with other vegeta- managers of the late Union Dramatic entertain- The committee feel under many obligations to the ments in our first claas theatres have | Ci qumsucnatnin yop uUamning oUF Acknowledgements come forward and placed in the hands | and Policeman Tooker for their invatu id in fur- ;of thé Guild the sum of $5,000, This | Preuyidit wath Inlormation and donations: and te the always remember with pleasure. The following donations have been made since our last acknowledgement Stranger, through William Marsh..... Stranger’ through William H. Richards. James Mathews, East sixueth street.. fimon Goldenberg, for tickets sold. . Marx Rothschild, thira donation. John J, Macklin, iexets sold George Gomer, Hekets sold. 50r Edward Odeil, tickets sold 5 A.M, Platt, uckets sold. 500 W. L. Pinckney, uckets sol cm) J.D. Welch, tiekets soli. 500 Dirs. Townsind, tekets so) 50 SH. Bloomingttaie, tickets sold. 500 s. H. Howes, tickets sald...... 50) Mr, Pullen, tlekets sold through James A. Piack.... 5 Ww ©. W, rederi 5 0D Metropolitan Gas Conipa Hervey C. Calken Wuham H. Gidersie & orner Fifty-tird street Second avenue, 1,00 loaves of bread. David Scott, No. 929 Third avenue, 860 pounds of fish. pebn H. Waydell, Madison avenue, 200 pouuds of suzar, and oomingdale & Br jothing; one bund! | Patrick Donohue, No. 764 First avenue, through Captain , Gunner, one halt barre! of ox-talls. GM. Straus, Forty-sixth street and First avenue, M4 pounds ot 1 "orty-seventh street and First avenue, . 935 Third avenue, one bundle ‘of shocs. Vo. 810 Sixth avenue, 50 pounds of meat. 1 Touey, Pity-third street, near Third avenue, of hour: ‘ten, one barrel of beans, through Mr. Cody nds of Boston steam mush. Association, through Mr. S mLONgers? B. Fourth donation. Mellen, 230 pounds of tresh | \ Mr. Frederick Davenhaur, Wand 12 Clintou Mar- | mer, 200 poanis Ce rough G, G. Wood. " in Henry, donation of ren John MeCool, 1d touves or broaden te oo iat leremuan, No. M2 Bast Forty-ffth street, half " codtish W. Fairbanks, No. 734 Third avenue, fifty loaves of read. J. Waxelbaum, Lexington avenue, 3) JAMes L. MILLER, Chairman. DAVIDSON, ‘treasurer. ‘RT McGINNESs, Secretary. + BRYA. JAMES: jt WILLIAM A. BUTLER, Members ot Committee. sh. bi ounds of coffee. i Brooklyn Charity. There {3 a slight decrease in the number of ap- | plicants for ood at the soup kitchens, The num. ber ted at the Fourth precinct relief depot, Van- | derbilt avenue, yesterday, was 3,883, At the Ber- | gen street station house Captain Campbell sup- plied 850 hungry persons with soup and bread, ‘Uhe society jor the Aid of Friendicas Women and | Children acknowledge the receipt of $125 ag their portion Of the Sawuell’s entertainment ior the poor. | The El | tributed tue past qu zhth Ward Relief Association has dis- : RACES 805 destitute families during reer, THE FAMINE IN INDIA. | (Durbungah (March 19) telegram to London News.) {have just returned from a@ tour in Northern | Bhauguipore. But for the relief administration there would have been fearful distress there al- | ready. Thisis averted, and the district is safe as | to the future by timely organization. AN appre- | hension about the half-million of population in Northern Bhaugulpore may be dismissed. Distress 1s tucreasing in the Durbungan sub-division, where the 1amine is certainly worst, A hundred thousand persons are on the relief works, Hospitals everywhere are being estab- lished for suflerers, who are Broggnt round by @ miuik diet. There is much delay in the grain trans- ) port to Mudhobuaee, and a collapse threatens. ‘’wenty miles o/ railway have been made. | The Lieutenauc Governor has returned to Cal- cutta. “GOOD FRIDAY. |The Sombre Celebration Yesterdaya 'To-Morrow and Its Joyous Meaning. | Inali the Catholic and Episcopal churches yester- y the most solemn services of the year were held, Leeda aa ag 10 eats erything that could be used fu adding to the ex Sailors’ Snug Harbor 15 00 | pressive grief of the Church for the Saviour’s death | RENT FUND, TH Was availed of, The churches were stripped of Mrs. S. K, Satterlee. ee te barge ey | every decoration. Purple was the emblem of the TOtal....sscceve $90 00 | Churen’s feciiugs. The saddest appearance was | Previously acknuw + 19,318 20 given to every emblem of Christ's life at its moat Grand total. I, . $19,408 20 | joyous as well as its most painful periods, Not an ornament but was shrouded, To visit @ church, | usually so bright and joyous in all its decorations, | Was to be put im mind that this was a day conse- ) erated to a most sorrowful anniversary. In ali the prayers said or sung a mournful expres- gion was uscd. The most loving and the saddest words weve selected to commemorate the death of | Christ. Ptlaintive music prevailed at the requiem. ‘The mass wis simply typical of the tomb, The mass said in the morning was that known as the “presanctified’’—as the Uhuren does not onsecrate the bread and wine on Good Friday. | At the usual time of communion the “host,” which | Was reposing in the decorated “repositories” on Holy Thursday, Was consumed. A procession carries | the sacred parucie from the repository to the high altar during the mass. Tnis is the only day in the whole year on Which the priests do not consecrate. | So profound is the griet intended to be manifested } that the most cherished ceremony of Cavnolicity is not allowed to be performed, In the evening in many of the churches the “Tenebre”’ was sung. 1613 One of the saddest chants known in the Catholic Chureh. The singing 13 done by the priests. No more pisintive music could be sung than the “Lamentations.” Remem- > bering the occasion and surrounded by the gloom and the sombre coloring o! every part of the with the service. To-day the Church relents a little from the aus- terity of the Lenten season. The preparations for the glorious resurrection begin, One might even cease tO fast on account of the anticipated joy of the morrow. in the humblest rural chapel, as weil as in the proudest and nobiest city church, the song ot praise and joy goes up to-morrow. Every sign of griel disappears, and the most gorgevus insignia ure put m requisition. The purple covered cross is unveiled, Windows are no longer hung with darksome colors, The supshine pours in and the | golden ornaments are made brighter and the inusic is a peal of triumph and halleigjah. Ser- mons, explanatory of the Resurrection, will be preached inall te Catholic churches, The music Of the masses will be of the very grandest char- acter, each choir putting forth its best efforts. The day will, ina general way, be significant of the | most Hopeful as weilas the most glorious of the Chureh’s holidays THE COHOES CONFLAGRATION. 'The Losses and Insurance on the Tivol) DMAlls. " | Conors, N. Y., April 3, 1874, | ‘The burning of the Tivoli Mills, owned by J. G Root's sons, yesterday, caused @ 1088 of $200,000, rhe insurance is as follows: — North British and Mereantile i 3 Commerce, of 2 Josurance Com ork, Harttord, of Connecticut. | Germantiy, of New York......- Springfield Fire and Mariue... Wnt ot Connegueut. : Impertal of England. | New York Fire, of New York | Sun, of Cleveland, q Obie. ool, ork... Capital Cit; DANY... Lamar, of Sew York. Scottish Commereial, of | Manhattan, of New York Atlantic, of New York. n Citzens’, of New Yor <. | Bennsyl Ph * | ‘The damage to the mill will amount to 1 | which there is @ full insurance. The wor! New ot Al 000, on } Will account of their doings, tor the information of those | probably be stopped two months, The damage to the adjoining mill, owned by Gregory & Hiler, t ) Will amount to $15,000, om which there [8 no ingur- THE PENSION AGENOY, The disbursements by Pension Agent Dutcher during the month of March amounted to $236,000, and have exceeded those of any similar period during his administration. The increase recentiy authorized by Congress to Officers’ widows having minor children and to soldiers of the rebellion | who have been permanently disabled has canset the additional expenditure, Daniel Drew, a sur- vivor of the war of 1812, called for his first tnstal~ and received @ check for $203, General A. irling, of Maine, @ special agent appointed by the department to investigate frauds, whose sers vices at this office the last two years have bsen of f°