a " • • • • " • • • • m j l tsmm*9&w WMMMWI THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: WHOAf, DfrafcaWsKK U 3aTB liHT 09 »napa- ||lif ^ hit-ago ^ribnn^ «.w MHNMfl W « * U aeruow. see r « r , br " A H Bandar Idtuoo p«r jeer, by MAIL Weakly EdiGoa, p w f w r , by H4IL. I M i at ayeac aft *t» ***** wan. To pWT«* 6*1*? * • « -in**'"*". b* W * end ***• ' • • * • S o * I M T M I la full, laorodlac 8te*e and o**msr. Keaalttt nee* may b* ****** ettaer by sraft. •*»«"•» r*et Oeko* oce*r, oc la r******** h»tt*r». M n a a s r o CITT *c*»c*i«aa* i DsUly, 4*iiTar*d, Sunday e***»>t«d, * •*••» P** Daily JoUvmw*. a**U*T U»cl*«led, * <>•»>»• Per T H 1 T R l B C i m COMPANY, So. U Caaai *C. OHIO**?*, 111. ire would be of ita*-lf » con.i-tote »n«l { foil restoraWon of the government credit, j and that, with *i»e«c P*> u i e u u met..nut. the ; public debt would wfuiul itoelf at a lower | rate of interest. Without the excessive striiuuing which we have lately witneeeed. j We fear, howevfi. that Mr. Sumner'sbill will meet with little favor at t h e hands of 4h® B f f f t e Finanoo Com nut toe, a§ a t present S ^ ^ S I * JI * .' "" j O.'Ustiiiiteu. FRIDAY, DKi t-MBEK 9, 1871. SO EBOOnfG AT WAlHUraTOH, T h e County C o B U a i a t a H a , at tavair V H J M I o n Tuesday, inadvertently, w e suppose, a tatiaa a t - g e ^ ' l u t u o s asking that refund to the aoaaty taa aaaaey expended for boonties and far the support of f amiliee ef soldiers during the war. This Is one of those short cttfeUto fat rnaaey which too often receive mow favor than they de- aarve. To any person who wilf ponder on the consequences of such a proposition, its absurdity wttt be evident. Cook Comity is but one municipality in some ten thousand which expended money for preoiecly the same pnrpose. The money was not expended for any public purpose: it was not expended on account of the war; but wWtantially to induce man to enlist as substitutes in place of those who ought to have gone to the There is not the slightest ground of In law, justice, or equity, upon the government, for any portion of the money so expended. But, looked at financially, and as a meas- ure of relief, the proposition ia still more preposterous. Cook County is not a pauper. I t is still a rich community ; it has sustained a severe loss, but not b y any means a total one. W e are not reduced to beggary ; there is no danger of our being unable to pay our public debt, and the interest on it, at matu- rity. T h e County Commissioners have i t in their power.by abolishing useless offices, and reforming the manner of expenditures, t o accomplish a reduction of useless outlay an- n u a l l y ! equal to t h e w h o l e interest on the county debt. W e h a v e t w o hundred millions of taxable property in t h e county, a a d w e can p a y our debts and the interest thereon w i t h o u t a n y increase of taxation. T h e m o n e y w h i c h the Commissioners can save a s b y their reforms exceed* t h e rev- enue which , would h a v e been receiv- e d free* the property destroyed. W e contracted this debt to avoid personal service in the army. Instead of enlisting, or going w h e n drafted in t h e third and fourth years of the war, w e hired other m e n t o go i n our places. W i t h the money t h u s borrowed we purchased exemption from military service. If Cook County stood alone in this kind of business, w e w o u l d , perhaps, b e ashamed t o acknowledge t h a t we contracted such a d e b t ; b u t t a s t e are t h o u s a n d s of other com- munities which purchased exemption through the same means, some of Ihem paying a much higher rate t h a n w s did. Many of these communities are much poorer than w e are; t h a t is, t h e y h a v e less taxable property and more debt*, than w e h a v e in proportion to population. W e cannot ask t o be a s excep- tion from t h e general rule in such cases. I f t h e government should un- dertake t o refund all the money t h u s advanced b y all t h e cities, counties, towns, villages, and wards of the United States, it would require the creation of an additional national debt, amounting, proba- bly, to several hundred millions of dollars. T h e share of the interest on this debt, to be paid annually b y the people of Cook County, w o u l d probably exceed the interest on the county's present w a r debt. Iustead, there- fore, of getting rid of t h e debt, w e should merely b e converting it into another form. Under these circumstances it would be the Worst kind of economy for this comity t o ask Congress to do anything of t h e kind suggest- e d b y the resolution of the Commissioners, L e t us hope that the hasty action of t h e res- olution will be reconsidered, and t h a t no re- quest of the kind will ever he made b y a n y official body in this county. C01J11T fJawBES, OFFICIAL. AJTD 0TH1K- w :s.£ W e learn that t h e l o b b i e s of the Board of Cook County Commissioners were infested w i t h a horde of petty office-seekers, ravening after the spoils of, the Poor House, County Agency, and othe» public establishments. Among these, t h e present incumbents— Puahek, Carroll, and company—are in full force, and their ranks are swelled by mem- bers of t h e defunct Board of Supervisors* a a d others too numerous and not sufficiently respectable t o mention. W e trust that aha board will not yield t o t h e clamor or the pressure which any of these fellows may be able to raise in their o w n behalf, or elect to office any of t h e pres- ent incumbents, or any of those w h o h a v e abetted t h e m in t h e old Board of Supervis- ors. T h e y have, as a rule, proved disgrace- fully incompetent, and* i a some prominent cas es, criminally corrupt t t h e principal of them, one Puahek, t h e County Agent, w h o has acquired the sobriquet of Potato Puahek—not, perhaps, because he served the county any worse in his potato contracts than In ethers, but probably because the ansae h a s a aaare music- al and alliterative sound than any ether,—and P a t Carroll, w h o ceates out very sleek and fat from his administration M Warden of the Poor 1*8use a a d Insa&s Hospital. Carroll i s w u: m of no :id:uiui*tr»cive ability or energy, his talents l y i n g solely in the direction of entertain in g the Poor House ConuaJPasa w i t h g o o d diuaera a® often as they visit . i.y, fre@aw to extricate th« doofs of t h e P' closed sga^Dft •hoalda&y tm ; t h e c o u n t y , ; , l . c : ;i*l. o r j I t&aft good snaaeM aj , msy of the.* o.iruacle* And the olil hangers t. i i>o.,rd of J-LI^I . .rxirs .ue to the same .-ntejorT If m y of rotated, b y the ev&ato&edr'«& r-,|ii.sites, to .* cou.htini >>f lichthey have act the ability •selves by honest labor, the or House should asvsx he then. But OB no account ot b»- *'T to m;»aage that tlmm 8iBtit»Ska&, «th©r in a • rttmate .»{>»< ity. THB TM* Z O n , T h e «*resalaht» i n his measage, refers to r tie ontroven>y with M e x k o couceniing her tarirt !»»•>, ;»nd expresses the hope th*t tliut republic will voluntarily n»pt*ui the law ^ which ope rites so disastrously t e American j commerce on the Kio tirmnda. The case i s | Sag w i t h o u t i t s troubles, and the President wisely abstains from reaaattaend|ng t h o e x - t r w a e moaaaxes which have been urged up- on hi™. Fat- m a n y years previous to 1858. t h e tariff of the United States w a s v e f y moderate, especially upon those ansae which are most ueeded ' in the frontier districts. T h e tariff IU force m Mexico w a s very high, and high duties were imposed upon many articles w h i c h were admitted lntd ' h e Unitew States tree of duty. The result w a s that commerce desert- ed the Mexican side ef t h e river a n d flour- ished i n Brownsville and the other American cities. T h e Mexicans, w h o obtained their goods from t h e river towns, crossed the river and bought a l l t h e y n e e d e d from t h e Ameri- can merchants, w h o , owing to the low tariff on their side, could sell from 30 to 30 per cent lower t h a n t h e Mexicans. T h e Mexicans ceased t o import, getting their stocks on the American side, and smuggling t h e m into Mexico. T h e consequence w a s that t h e Mexican Creverninent collected little or n o revenue on the Kio Grande. I n response to the appeals of the Mexican towns thus deprived of their trade, and making a virtue of necessity, the Mexican Congress, in 1858, established a "free zone," or district,ex- tending, say, fifty or one hundred*exiles back from the Rio.Grande, into which it w a s de- clared foreign goods might be imported free of duty. This placed the Mexicans and the Mexican t o w n s on an equality w i t h t h e Americans. T h e war followed, and after it came our present high tariff. At t h e close of the war the condition of affairs w a s directly the reverse of what i t had been ten years before. On the Mexican side of the river there w a s n o tariff; on the American side t h e duty w a s from 40 to 190 per cent. T h e Mexican could import foreign goods free of duty, while t h e Anrerlcftn could not. Trade immediately recrossed the river. Merchants in Brownsville packed their goods and moved over into Mat a moras. The whole country traded w i t h t h e Mexicans. The peo- ple of Texas, w h o obtained their supplies from t h e river t o w n s , traded w i t h t h e Mexi- can merchants, and, precisely as American goods were once smuggled across the river into Mexico, so n o w t h e y are smuggled from Mexico into T e x a s ; and as MexicO'Could col- l e c t no r e v e n u e from her porta on t h e B i o Grande, so now t h e United States do not re- ceive enough t o pay the salaries of the offi- cers. The owners of empty stores and unoccu- pied buildings in Brownsville demand that the United States shall compel Mexico t o abolish t h e free zone, and establish a tariff as high as ours. T h e Texan remedy is t o take forcible possession of t h e whole territo- ry embraced in the free zone, thus settling the question b y eon quest. T h e demand for the abolishment of this free zone is resent- ed in Mexico b y t h e whole nation. They present t h e case strongly when they show that t h e United States, for many years pre- vious t e 1868, had a tariff imposing nominal duties, while Mexico h a d a high tariff; that what the United States now experience, in an inability t o collect revenue, is uo more than w h a t Mexico endured for m a n y years, and that the establishment of t h e free zone was forced upon Mexico by t h e policy of the United States. The change in t h e relative position of the t w o countries is not the result of Mexican legislation, but is entirely due t o the voluntary change in her tariff policy made b y t h e United States. I t is difficult t o a n s w e r t h i s argument. Certainly, t h e con- dition of affairs does not call for any invasion ef [Mexico, or any conquest of her territory. It is no part of t h e dnty of Mexico t o enforce the collection of our revenue. i u series free from and from dancer of »r« IUe*fe tariff men—" W i>er cent men," they are •uaaetuneH calloC. l)»wm and Roberta are Mod- erate Pronectttmwta; Brooks and Ftafeelaturg • ra Frer Tradeskj Bnreteani and K>rr are M«4- erate Revenue Tariff m e a s a d Beck Is for Piee TY«d<> gvnerally, t>at*fur Froteetlou for aiich ax titles *• kentueky prodncas. AU abadea of opia- teru Dii the tariff are i>rett\ fairly represented on the eotijmiUee. and iu aoout the i>r,.i>oi tionate strength they have in the House. aotmour teiML loots. AT last the South is happy aad proclaims her HKiepviW" ice of Noi titeru text-books for use in schools and colleges, A number of tiiaounteuted ireutlemeu have been for some tame engaged i n t h e preparation c O'f school books which should w the blemish of Northern imprints, that' sectionalism which w a s in inspiring the Southern yanth w i t h radical- ism aad other Northern peeuMarities, which j are regarded in Dixie w i t h mortal aversion, •' The University Series" is t h e name under which these beaks are t o . b e k n o w n hereafter. T h e y are issued b y a stock company, and among the stockholders are Jefferaon Davie, Generals Johnston, Beaure- gaud, Eweil, Hood, Buckner, Hays, Taylor, Gilmer, Lee (eldest son of Robert E . Lee), J a m e s A. Seddon, late Confederate Secretary of War, and m a n y prominent bankers, rail- road men, planters, and others w h o have\ it is to be presumed, made education and edu- cational works a subject- of profound s t u d y for m a n y years. Professor Holmes has issued the Readers and History of the United States, and, in t h e latter, the Mobile Register informs us, has avoided " the provincial narrowness w h i c h characterizes N e w England histories," and " has done full justice to his o w n side in treating of certain matters necessarily in- volving sectional questions." Commodore Maury furnishes the geographical be- ginning w i t h " First Lessons " a n d ending w i t h " Physical Geography." Prof. Venable's arithmetic a n d algebra are pronounced or- thodox, not a s u m in addition or t h e most abstruse equation containing a n y of t h e Northern v i r u s . Be v. Mr. Carter i s represented b y a General History, but "unfortunately t h e work h a s some serious blemishes," which is unfortunate for the reverend gentleman, a n d throws* doubt upon the critical judgment of t h e education- al stockholders. T h e Mobile Register, from which w e derive our information, glowing as the prospect seems, is not altogether hap- py over the situation, as m a y be inferred from the following frank a c k n o w l e d g m e n t : Vponthe whole.weare" satisfied that nothing at ah comparable to this series of books— taking them altogether—lias ever been offered for the use of Southern schools and Southern households If they are not universally adopted, it will not be frointany literary, or artistic, or mechanical Infe- riority, but simply on account of the inveterate prejudice consciously or unconsciously prevall- own vernacular. As an aid tothis exercise, we clip for His Honor, from a Bostou paper, the following apooimen of Court Russian, said THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. transmitted by the mianotts to t h e M. to have been set on of the 1 ton, in respaajMj to a pressing ia' t h a t official: Or! rlt&itt tiuti'iii v'W.e/i tor mi ci»r lie W««/, i hi 'vr Boitton. (Hig* /©*:<•» citti Ixmiert i U,n I,,,,I v<, If/K-ta itf* This is, w e snpp< inula for all tike ot i l k *vor it at,i.. strioua of BOS- MI from iii> but. •tdi, anion Urrtiira* ,-Hto unah iallak untile. ee, t h e regular official, for- casions ; though w© feel ill do something special for Chicago, At all events, >tful whether, under the n e w order qffhings in this'city, t h e " rumanwiski» will be forthcoming. «. • sore that A and disting u to don Jury Feea pi the Circuit and Su- perior Court*. r V IS isht CATAGAZT8 ItEWSFAP'ES EXPLOITS A portion of t h e much-talked-about Cata- cazy correspondence has, through the blun- der of that illustrious diplomat, Cameron, reached t h e public eye. It has been under- stood for some time that Catacazy's offence, for whiten t h e United States Government has asked of the Emperor of Russia h i s imme- diate recall, consisted in meddlesome inter- ference w i t h affairs not his o w n or his na- tion's, and in a too free communication w i t h the public press t o s u i t t h e dignity of his office. One illustration of this affinity of Catacaxy for printers' ink leaked o a f before the great Pennsylvania diplomat dis- covered that t h e correspondence e n - trusted t o him was not y e t ripe for public perusal, and w a s transmitted t o T U B T l l l l l l W readers b y our special Washingteu correspondent. This consisted of certain let- ters t o the N e w York World, either written or inspired b y Cataca/y published early last spring, and intended to stir up a feeling hos- tile t o an adjustment of the questions then pending b e t w e e n the American Government and Great Britain. The zealous and eccen- tric Ambassador of the Czar evidently felt it his d u t y to serve his government by keeping the United States at swords' points with England, a a d thus weakening the moral support of the latter power, and rendering, a t the same time, a close alliance w i t h Rusaia more desirable to the United States. This was a manifesta- tion of affection, not perhaps without a pre- cedent either in social life or in diplomacy; but, M i t has any proper place in diplomacy, it was for Prince Gortschakoff, at St. Peters- burg, and not for M. de Catacaxy, w h o w a s sharing, at Washington, the hospitality of the government which he sought t® embroil. A n d then the daily seribWing te the journals! Putting a l l h i s exploits together, it is obvious that M. de Catacazy's career at Washington has been very scaly, and the only wonder is that he has been tolerated so long a t Wash- ington. As H is, the determination of the Russian Government to send the Czar's son over to us without changing beforehand the officer w h o was to act as his usher in America, seems to have dampiaart ainimawtiat t h e frBthp^wi*" of the authe€tii«s at Washington, whose recep- tion w a s very formal and brief. All t h e „!.^:ini«" that has (been done over 'Alexis has proceeded from social sources, most- ly i n H e w Hscic etty. That the,:!gov- ernment aad t h e eeemtry a t large have n o t made more fuse over the y o u n g Oread B u k e iwho is, by all accounts, a very flue fellow) may be ehaaiaad ui fieial m a y now n e of h i s going, but go tersbnrg—dis^'i-t.-.i at the bad faith of CQTTe*|>-'tl>U-nt.®, W h to L I St ha* introduced a hill in the v. nate for thf restoration of »pecw pay- mento by the process of «iiu*4ituting oom- p o n n d i o t r t r e a l not*!* for t h e r»rfft.-vit gt>-ein feackf, St t h e rate of •KU.MI.LMJ per month, cotiiiB<*ueLuK >u the onds at 'Ike ©xftoation of .two .ye&r,». l'he poem of Bnl««t i t i l l i n g t h e new u o t e e for the >ld ones would t* by paying out the former m place ©f t h e latter for tin* carrent expense* of the gtiieriiUieiit, and th.-r ••;>,>n can ess I Lug toe greC2ihacks to the tauie amoant m the new * jiC^'* swued. The <•.•••«»;-«>«iul int«rent n.»trt« vroi.... tK' i explained m these columns. 1 he plan is :h* only on* n e w en the rites of Con- gratia for rn«toruii{ specie pj%> meat* by auy kind ef pneese. It is the only one Lav ia^irs^r m ^ s t s b U advocacy which will i. - . , . : , M'cotupliah ta«? oiyect sought, and, a a w e t l d n k , without auy hanlahip or suffer iog to the bofcmeaa couimaaity The bug tx-ax ,,t contraction Uaa nearly c e a a e ^ to haunt the tniannationsof men. and the an U c i p e u d d!*cnlty ofaettling oontra. u made a few rears ago. with *,wt At l40, amt. become a mere laughuig-atuck ,i ,e« g.-.ld hiwi fallen to uw. .f mmm gs®wity, wtthoat any hv terfervuer h> «; >\eminent Mx. Bmmm m right ia MVUMI that thm T H B N O B T H W E S T . ataeasy, and that of- ir s t a y upon the order once back t o St. Pe- as lie doubti'.-v. will be, he American uewsnap.-r • take Ms gossipy centri- butiena and » l a s e t o help him .lie away t h e responsibility af them. T h e appointment of Mr. Burchard. of lili- nois, as a maaaher ad t h e Committee of Ways and Meaoa, is a deserved coino'.irucnt to the st odious and. p»»r*eNt-nng habits, the careful tiauiiugtinl uul'Utuiahed cliantctei of the Bapreasatative ef the Third District Of Illi- uois. Although in his second term, he haw ^shieved a notable distinction who h t!ie Speaker has properly rwcogniaed* in giving hisa so ;ai,»ortant a position in the ceuncils ot the paity and the nation. T h e ^®w Yarifc 3WSa»s ackao wledgae d o - $m& i a the new Com nut tee of Ways and Mmm* I t a a y a that " t h e coau^.tte.- is no loagar Protectionist, BS w e think it ought w 1H-. It adnata, however, that the c«*uimU- tee fair!} reprt-wnti the House. The Trih»*r't ^'a.-.hiuirton correHporrdeut. describing the apiteaiaiu-e of the H e a s e when the com inn lee s wcie ,'i tuiinuted, aays: The U'ays ADJ Meaiu* ' otnmitti-e excited thft moat remark. Judge Kel ej aanl that A m^iaritv of th* niemberawetw for Fi ee Trtilt So rnougSt Mr. Dickey ot l>au.}'..»ii;j, v '.,> w.-n: .,• t.i in,- f*i«akti, whjaut on tae ?toi:< *teps »t cha foot of his v hair, aad saM.; " Ulalae, you h«vt» ^Jven ta a Free Ti ade O :-»j>. .e 1 riority, but simply on account of the inveterate prejudice consciously or unconsciously prevall- i»g in our schools in behalf of the modes of thought, modes of speech, and other peculiarities ef New England. To the inveterate prejudice for N e w England modes of thought, speech, and other peculi- arities, t h e Register might h a v e added the inveterate partiality or universal necessity for N e w England teachers, as the large ma- jority of the educators in. the* schools of the South are from N e w England; and Virginia, at least, has modelled her schools upon the graded school system of Boston. W e are n o t inclined, however, t o find fault w i t h the South for adopting a course of instruction for schools and colleges, and urging its im- portance through t h e public press. W e rejoice t o see the South moving in t h e matter of general education, even through the medium of distinctively Southern text- books ; for general education, freely and in- telligently disseminated, will, in due course of time, perhaps in another generation, s h o w the students that t h e North w a s right a n d the South w a s wrong, and that a free gov- ernment cannot exist if it gives a n y person the right t o o w n human labor or deprives a laborer of his fair wages. '• •. fa———a»—— THE PASS FAMILY MURDER. Our readers are already familiar w i t h the recent terrible murder of the Park family in Clark Count y .Indiana; the arrest of three negroes for t h e offence, and their execution by a masked mob, w h o took t h e m from i h e jail where they were confined. Since that event t h e people of Indiana have begun t o suspect t h a t t h e three negroes were inno- cent, and that t h e murder, in reality, was committed by white persons. The Indianap- olis Journal of the 6th contains some astound- ing developments, w h i c h go t o show that the innocent have suffered, and that the guilty ones are still at large. T h e grounds upon which these facta are asserted are sub- stantially as follows: First, that Mr. Park had some bitter enemies, and that some time previous t o t h e murder he h a d received threatening letters. This fact w a s tes- tified t o b y a Mr. Kirk, and, on t h e same day, an attempt w a s m a d e to murder Mr. Kirk b y t w o white men. Second, t h a t the negro Johnson, from w h o m a confession was extorted b y torture, invari- ably denied the crime w h e n among h i s friends. Third, that no definite testimony was given as t o t h e identity of the coat and pocket-hook found at the honse of Taylor, another of the negroes, and that, as t h e al- leged object of the murder was plunder, they w o u l d h a v e been more likely to have taken more valuable clothing and a pocket-book containing monejh w h i c h were in plain sight. T w o searcnes were made in Taylor's house. T h e first revealed nothing, and t h e •second resulted in finding these t w o articles in a trunk which had been thoroughly exam- ined during t h e first search. Fourth, public rumor asserted that t h e tracks of " three bigjnegroes" were found about the resi- dence a n d in an adjoining patch, while, since the mob violence, it has been ascertained t h a t there were only the tracks of t w o persons, one of whom had very small feet, and these tracks have been proved t o be identical with the tracks found about Mr. Kirk's house. Fifth, the Itestimony before the grand jury is shown t o have been contradictory and much of it fake. Sixth, that Mr. Park w a s a true friend and benefactor t o the negroes in a re- gion where public feeling w a s entirely against them, and had been a special friend of Squire Taylor, w h o is alleged t o have been the most active participant in t h e murder. Seventh, that t h e barbarous execution was by no means an impromptu affair, but w a s deliberately planned and definitely appoint- ed long before it was decided that the grand jury w o u l d not indict the accused, and that three of the grand jury, before the close of t h e court in w h i c h they were sitting, were members of the mob. Of these three, each has killed a man before and never been l e g a l l y dealt with. Eighth, it is n e w as- certained that the little grandson of Taylor was induced, b y offers of money and threats of death, to give in false evidence, corrobo- rating t h e confession of Johnson; that his piece w a s prepared for him, and all he had t o d o w a s t o commit it and repeat it, in w h i c h latter performance he signally failed. Ninth, tti at one of the mob, w h o had'more to do w i t h the detection and execution of the negroea than any one else, now says, to clear his conscience that the negroes had nothing whatever t o do w i t h t h e affair. And,lastly, that t h e reports concerning the bad character of t h e negroes are utterly un- founded, a a d that, in the case of one of them, a clear alibi can be proven." The evidence furnished b y t h e Journal seems utterly iiioaalra*—tilde, and almost unmistakably points to the commission of a triple murder even more terrible than that of the Park family, at the hands of a cowardly, lawless mob. It .is the most disgraceful epi- sode in the history of Indiana, and calls for the condign punishment of every one con- nected with it. The /carnal is, warranted in saying : " W e again warn t h e paralysed and cowardly ministers of the law in Clark Coun- ty 'that, if t h e y do not bestir themselves to famish these crimes, a power, strong and in- • 11.igoan enough t o accomplish what it un- dertakes. will assume the performance of the Neglected task." It is difficult to see, if t h e K •; Klux of South Carolina are to be sup- pressed by the strong arm of the government for setting, laws at defiance, w h y the Ku- K lux of Indiana should uot be suppressed for the same tmt I'ntil something is done, a re- i roa< ii must always rest upon Indiana law aad Mistice, I in, a Krea < oal CeniBSittee." the - iwk»>r •• »nd ? I know my mea« I have done -> • Tlie Protectioni*t» have got t.iio w**y» ,u4 M * u - Chairmanship." «a-Hl * \\ e.-o«-i . lier Tr-.i.trr •..,.' w«- ha',- > ma..>rit\ 01 ' >•• 'in 01 tee- rhe cotmnittt^ ;* - '.eved tj •»: 1 • t *.« :o! low* on the taufl 1 oe-'.ou Kelic) ami >!.»; uaoi The Grand Duke Alexis will he in Chicago 011 the'Jtah uiataot, provided the indefatiga- I I ie radladetu C alaoa-ey can be persuaded to t. .11 hiniseit iway from the overpressmghos- pitality of the one hundred select New York- ers, and, brave the coantleee droves of buffalo w h i c h a t e supposed i a Imperial Russian 0 1 cles t o rage bet ween Chicago and New Vork Meantime, our new Mayor is understood to be brushing up his Russian, in order t o turn ' off a neat isoaettoaBpaaah in ties Msa coy He's n x n m a A collection of 1,500 beetles is for sale in Bloom ington. The eolleetlon w a s made by Dr. Benja min Norris, of Pike County, from various parts of this county and Europe. The bogs are scien- tifically named and classified. —A magnificent golden eagle, measuring seven and a half feet across the wings, was captured near Carrollton last week. He was shot and crippled in one wing. On being brought to the ground, a dog attacked him, but the king of birds pitched in and whipped him. —The Jacksonville Journal gives the following: "A gentleman who was visiting at the farm- house of Mr, Thomas Patterson, two miles aorth of Akxander, informs us that a strange oocur- rence bad taken place at the farm not long since. A breeding mare gave birth to twin colts, one a horse and the other a mule. The colts are lively and strong, and seem fond of each other.w —On Saturday week, Eli Brown aad David Smith kihed two deer in White Oak Grove, Mc- l e a n County. These are the first deer seen ia that section for some years. -Mrs. Julia Newman,a school-teacher of Collins- viile, was drowsed at St. Louis on the 1st inat while attempting to get in a ferry-boat. —A new paper, called the Signal, has been Started at Boodhouse, Jersey County, by Charles H. Johnson. —Macoupin County had «0,S96 acres of wheat, 97,460 acres of corn, and 36,629 acres of other field products iu cultivation in VHt. —Peoria is infested with three-card monte, —Mrs. Sarah Marshall,wife of ex-Mayor Wilson, Cairo, died on the 3d inst. —Mr. E. H. Seward has a dairy of thirty-five cows in Marengo County, which have brought him in an average of S73 apiece the past year. During the year he fed them $17 worth of ifeed per head, besides what he raised himself. Uls cows yielded 800 pounds of milk per day, which he sells At one cent per pound. One, pound of butter is made from twenty pounds of milk, Which is much more profitable than making it in- to cheese. —Bubinl, the conjurer, is getting into trouble everywhere. At Quincy, he gave the winner of a prize-horse a eight draft "on a livery-statue in that city. The draft, however, was not honored, as Bublni had no horses on deposit. In the mean time, the conjuror had gone. He next turned up in Peoria. The waiter of a hotel drew a horse, got drunk on the strength of it, treated all his friends, spent all his money, and lost his situation. The next morning he applied at the stable for his horse, but found none there, and Rubini gone. The waiter and some of his friends have now gene for Rubini, and will prob- ably make it lively for him when they find him. People will do well to give all these gift-distribut- ing conjurors a wide berth. —The Elgin Universalists contemplate raising and enlarging their church edifice to accommo- date their necessities. —A fire in Fulton on Thanksgiving Day burned Fisher A Horn's cigar store, John Dyer's shoe store, Gay & Dyon's grocery, and C. N. Wheeler's hardware store. —A man named James H. Morris was found dead in his bed at Decatur, one morning last week, with his arm around his little son, with whom he slept. The Coroner's jury returned a verdict of death from heart disease. —The new High School Building at Delevan, re- cently erected at a cost of $35,000, was destroyed by fire on the 4th Inst. —George Starr, a we1|%nown farmer living near Woodstock, died from an apopleptlc stroke, on the 3d inst, while drawing water from his well. The wife of Mr. Alexander Martin, another farmer living near Woodstock, was killed, on the 3d inst., by a fall from a wagon. —Some thieves lately drove their wagon up to the store ot H. E. Woods, at Garden Prairie, and helped themselves to about $300 worth of goods. —Livingston County sends more insane people to Jacksonville than any other county in the State, except Cook. —The Rev. Mr. Morrison, of Iowa, has been transferred to the Alton Distriet, and lappointed to the pastorate of the M. E. Church, in. Alton, made vacant by the appointment of the Kev. J. W. Lane, as Presiding Elder of the district. —The question of the location of the State Fair will come before the Executive Committee of the State Agricultural Society, at their meet ing in Springfield, oommeueing January 9,1872. —DuQuoiu has prohibited gambling, by a late ordinance. The Ruahville Times reports that D. E. Wtfbds, a stock-dealer of Sharp's Landing, recently left tor St. Louis with a lot of stock, for which he ewes the citizens, and has not since returned. —There are twelve colleges ia this State, with 2,630 students in attendance. —Monmouth College has lately acquired an ad- dition to its Cabinet in the shape of a collection of Chinese curiosities, presented by the Rev. J. C. Nevin, missionary of the United Presbyterian Church at Canton, China. IOWA. A man in Washington sold Martino, the illusion- ist, a cow for #26, aad then went to the show and drew the cow back again. —A man in the employ of the Northwestern Railroad Company met with a singular accident at Boone, a few days ago. Whilst springing from a car to the ground, a heavy gold ring, worn upon the small finger, caught on a nail-head, and m an instant was separated from the hand by taking the finger with it. —Marshaltown has thirteen religious organiza- tions. —The Mississippi River at Keokuk is at present down below the lowest recorded mark. t —A suit is now pending before the Circuit Court at Ottawa involving the sum of sixty-one cent*. —Mrs. Mary M. Harris, wife of Mr. Harris, who was killed last winter by the falling of an em- bankment on the Dubuque & St. Paul Railroad, belo-w Fayette, has sued the contractors, the Messrs. Burch, for damages, laying a claim for |s,oco. Toe trial will probahly take place during the next term of the District Court. WISCONSIN. George M. West, late of the Brandon Times, has hoaght an interest in the Ripon Free Press. The editor introduces him by saying, "Like ourself, he has no religion to speak of." —Lumber has advanced one dollar per thousand in the St. Croix trade , —The Wood County Bejwter sayss " Jtobert Blow last week had eighteen sheep killed by a valuable dog. Twelve were killed outright, and six were slaughtered to save their lives." —The Jackson County Banner says: "Fits, hog cholera, or some other pork disease, is pre- vailing among the hog family in this region. We have heard of several hogs dying in the county within the oast ten days in a singular manner. They appear to be attacked with fits or spasms, and generally die within a few hours." IKDIAKA. Considerable excitement has been occasioned in the township of French Lick by a case of sup- posed poisoning. The poisoning occurred in the family of Mr. Charles Lewis. During his ab- sence, Mrs. Lewis prepared a bowl of milk for the four children, and, ordering that they should drink it at a certain hour, left home, and had not returned at last accounts. The children drank the milk, and were immediately seized with spasms and other manifestations ot poison. All of them recovered with medical aid, —An Irishman named Thomas Kelley was burned to death on the seta alt., about two mites aorth of Brldgton, Parke County. It seems he was holding some kind ef a jollification, and was full of liquor, when his shanty burned down, and, not being able to get out, he was destroyed with It. —A lady in PerrysvtUe, Vermilion County, the other night, threw a brickbat through the win- dow of a billiard hall at her husband, who was «a the inside playing a game of billiards. —Oa Friday morning last, Luey Singleton, an inmate of the Jefferson County Poor Asylum, was terribly burned by falling into the fire. Her recovery is doubtful. , MfCHIOAN. Miss lola Cdmore. a young lady living at Augusta, was burned to death on the 29th alt, by the explosion of a gasoline lamp. —A petrified body has been found in the Kala- niasoo cemetery. —Standing beside the school honse stove, at Clayton, on the 20th ult., a little girl named Reams ignited her clothing, and from the burns received died on the 32d. —The Congregational Church at Dryden was burned on Thanksgiving Day, during the services. —A little daughter, of Mr. Clary, of Escaaaba attempted to light a fire, Foverafcer 19, by the aid* of kerosene, when the usual consequence follow- ed. Sua died after a few hours of agony, and her mother and. two other*, in their efforts to save her, -were seriously burned. - f t is estimated that over 100,000 barrels of ap- ples have iK-en freighted over the Michigan. Cen- tral Railroad thus far this season. - T h e venerable Dr.Charles Stoari died on Sun- day last to Kalamazoo,at the residence of Ms sou, ex-Senator Stuart. He was so years of age, aad lived .ia Kalamazoo sine© 183S. Reconsideration of Mr. Aohton's War Debt Resolution. Interesting Disen*aio« ahont the Lost RecortU. * . • '.if,- ' ," 1 • . '^ "~~ Pursuant to adjournment, the Board of County Commissioners met yesterday afternoon, at 2 ,'i,,,k in the County Treasurer's office, Presi- dent Whitepn the chair. There were also present the following Commissioners: Ash ton, Harris, Harrison, Herting, Hitchcock, Jones, Pahlman, Boelle, Skelly, Stearns, Talcott, Lonergan, and Crawford. TUB BILLS OF EatMANUEI»BOCKJ6T. Commissioner Talcott moved to reoonsider the vote authorizing the payment of the bills of Em- manuel Rockey. Carried. The bills were then referred to the Committee on Miscellaneous Claims. BELIEVING THE CITY OE THE NOEMAL SCHOOL. A communication from the Board of Education with a resolution, asking that the Commissioners relieve the city of the Cook County Normal School (published in THE TRIBOJTK) was received and read. It was referred to the Committee on Education. IsstKASCE ON THE EAST WDJG. A communication from the County Clerk with regard to the insurance on the east half of the old Court House, was received. It set forth that the insurance was as follows: Mutual Security .»- *S,000 Lamar **R* •••••• 0,000 Merchants •«* §t®to Oeiluania... 4Kt..>>- 8,000 Total , A $20,000 Proofs of loss had been prepared and were now in the hands of the Clerk, awatkng the action of the board as regards the securing of the insur- SD't. Referred to the Finance Committee. Jt RY I'EES OF THE CIBCUIT AND SUFEIUOK COURTS. A communication was received from the Coun- ty Treasurer, submitting the amount of jury fees paid out, as follows: Jury certificates of the Superior Court...*.....$ 9,644.80 Jury certificates of the CUcuit Court. 15,207.90 ! t Total ,.».ttMi»M« »»Jfcni,Mii,.:$*4,932.70 Commissioner Talcott inquired how the Crimi- nal Court jurors were paid. The Chair said the city paid them. It was vefeircd to the Judiciary Committee. TBANBPOETATION OF AU INVALID. A ecmniunioation was received from isaa? Spear, stating that one J. L. Galiauer, injured at Mattoon and taken to the County Hospital, and that t hough amputation was necessary ne wished to go to friends to Philadelphia. Referred to the Committee oa Poor House and paupers. COFHTT ACCOMMODATIONS. Commissioner Hitchcock presented a commu- nication from the Board of Public Works, express- ing a regret that arrangements had not before been made with the county for rooms in the res- ervoir lot, and that to build an additional story during the present season was difficult. The board therefore offered the county such unoccu- pied rooms as were at their disposal. The communication was placed on file. DUPLICATE BONDS. The Committee on Finance, to whom was re- ferred the communication of the Widows' and Orphans' Association, requesting duplicates of war bonds Nos. 103 and 367 of $300, reported favor- ably to the prayer of the petitioners. The report was adopted. •» THE NEW QV ARTIES. Commissioner Talcott, ot the Committee on Public Buildings, reported verbally that they had conferred with the Board of Public Works, aad that rooms would probably be offered by Janu- ary 1. , THE AVAR-DEBT RESOLUTION RECONSIDERED. Commissioner Harrison moved a reconsidera- tion of the vote memorializinr Congress for the remission of the war debt. He was opposed to the passage, by an immediate vote, of resolutions of 6iich magnitude and importance. He thought it was not the resolution required. Commissioner Hitchcock thought it desirable to reconsider the vote. He thought the Commit- tee on Finance should have considered it first. He did not think Congress should be asked to make a precedent by which any city or county could impost* upon the General Government any debt that might have been incurred to the war. He thought, by judicious economy, Cook County could pay her own debt. But, without passing any judgment upon it, he would like the action of the board to be considerate, and thought it should be referred to the Finance Committee. Commissioner Ashton could not see what ad- vantage the reconsideration of the vote and the reference to a committee would be. He had no doubt that the coun- ty would ultimately be enabled to pev its own debt. They were not placing them- selves in the position of mendicants asking a favor. They were merely asking the General Government to give back to them what they had given the General Government. He saw no way in which the county could, at present, pay its own debt. No one to the history of the world had seen such a precedent. He saw no reason for delay; no occasion for such red tape as the Re- lief Committee was inflicting on the people. Commissioner Harrison said that the resolution asked Congress tor money watch Cook County had never paid. She had Issued bonds. Commissioner Ashton said $he only way in which Congress could act would l>e either in as- suming the bonds herself or returning them can- celled. He had made up his mind never again to allow so important a measure tone hurried through the board by an eloquent speech. He hoped if Congress was to be memo- rialized it would be to do the proper thing. A vote was taken on the motion to reconsider, resulting, yeas, 9: nays, 5—as follows : Yeas—Crawford, Harris, Harrison, Hitohcock, Jones, Palilman, Skelly, Talcott, and the President-9. A"I»I/*—Ashton, Herting, Lonergan, Itoelle, and StearnB—8. The resolution was referred to the Committee e n Finance. WHAT RIGHT HAD IHET ? Commissioner Stearns offered the following: Besotted, That the Judiciary Committee be requested to report to this board, as soon as convenient. whether in their opinion tne old Board of Supervisors had legal lights to appoint employes, and to fix salaries for the county beyond the lifetime ef their office. The resolution was adopted. TN COMMITTEE OF THB WHOLE. Commissioner Talcott moved to go into Com- mittee of the Whole on the subject of the lost records. The motion prevailing, General White called on Commissioner Talcott to take the chair. Commissioner White read from THE TRIBUNE'S report ef the proceedings of the Legislature with regard to the two bills introduced by Mr. King, of Cook County, with regard to the destroyed records. If he understood that it was intended that the State was to pay tor the lost abstracts, he was greatly in favor of it, and woidd be thankful to the State for so doing. But if it was proposed t*. ap- point a commission to examine and purchase the abstracts, at their prices, andj further compel Cook County to pay for them, he would most strenuously oppose it. The law provided that the County"Ctnrmissioners Bhould supersede the Board of Supervisors. So far as his knowledge went, there had been DO change to the constitu- tion. If that had not been abrogated he would like to know by what process the Legislature could disburse the money of Cook Coun- ty. Then he wished to know if it was necessary for the county to apply to the Leg- islature for authority to purchase the records. He was not certain the county wished to pur- chase. He did not know whether the abstracts were worth purchasing. If this action on the part of Mr. King was intended as a piece of pleas- aptry. he did not aee where the joke oame in. He did him the justice to believe he was not serious. This question was one about which the board should proceed with the gravest deliberation. If these abstracts were vaduable, and it was desirable to buy them, i s would then be time to decide what they would pay for them. He did not think the Owner thereof would ask for these abstracts a price*ve or six times their value, and consign their names to everlasting infamy. But even more appalling than the pros- pect of paying ten times its value for an abstract, was that of going into the courts for one hundred, two hundred, and even three hundred years of litigation, when his heirs aud descendants, by reason of the lapse of ages and the diffenertlations of the species, would lay no claim of relationship to him or pos- session to his real estate. He beheved, however, that the owners of abstracts were men of con- science. If there was any process by which, at a reasonable price, the records, or copies thereof, could be placed in the hands of a custodian, and made by the Legislature jtrimm facie evidence of title, that,it seemed, was the desirable thing to accomplish. But he was opposed to giv- ing that up to tour or five individuals. He thought some course ought to be taken by the hoard, to undertake, by the cheapest, speediest, and most convenient method, to restore the titles. But they ought to be deliberate, and see that no wrong could be done the county in doing so. He moved that the board invite owners of abstracts of title to present te the board what they have to offer and to sell. Commissioner Harrison moved to amend, by adding to their offers the price they would charge tor copies. There were lawyers hi this town who looked tor a vast amount of fraud and land-grabbing in the matter of titles. There were some who thought that allowing it to be settled by a summary pro- cess, with shmt limitations. Would be fraught with more danger to minors or absentees, than by allowing Tom, Dick or Harry to ianiiliariza himself with the indices of the records. His idea was that if anything were bought, it should be copies of the records and indie**, with an act of the Legijlature making them the original rec- ords. He went further than Ooianiisskmer White. He thought if the board determined to take the matter " in hand, and purchase copies, sworn to, certified to, examined and compared, such a law only was required by the board. There were Tammanys in every State and coun- ty Give a few men the power of changing the tities to property to the extent of millions or dol- lars and he could not ans-wer for them. If the ahstrat t mskers would give copies at fair prices, the board to determine them,. they would deal with them. But If they came with propositions of ii per tent of their prospective profits, he would rather leave their property just where it RT i"M "Mrs, i commissioner Ashton thought the actionof the mender from Cook county Indicated that it was either a stupendous joke or a great steal. Some evidence of the muniments of title were necessary. The geatlemeu had pre»cr\ed their books, records, and estuMiaaments. AU the comity could do was to otter them reasonable compensation for certified cupaea,- *r to set to woik a corps of experienced copyist* to copy the whole three sets; have then compared and swern *o» a n a deposited with the Reoord- e r • then have a sioeJl law passed making them i>it»a '"<«< evidence: ana have rhtin indexed by the « ierk. They would then be ,,'st exactly what those were previous to the tire. It would cost the county not eiore than $75,000. It was;i piece of folly »ud extravagance to talk al out paying these abstract men 6 per cent of tne average o t their past three years' profile, or tscoooo. It might cost $78,oes, but $60,000 would, i n 1 ji.iMinion, be oostir. The records, by this —loeess* vsould be just what they were !.*efofe the Viimniissioner White handed the Clerk Ms mo- luced to writing, as follows : •ti. That the owners of abstracts and other M of title be invited to exhibit to this board Micli evii'.t-ri-e.s for examination, nl such lime within tbe nc\t five dio - us iiiav !«• to them convenient. Commissioner Hitchcock said he apprehended that there, was a great deal of popular error with regard to the extent ot the iu formation which tlie»e abstract books could afford Me feared that they would l>e found to be nothing more than indices or guides to the records, ft they oonld not give information beyond the mere devise, they would give just information enough to an adv* utuier to levy uiaekmaU npou the true title, and ttien we all should be in chancery in truth. Cntil the board could aec w hat these indices were. worth they could offer no price for them. He thought the members ot the board should as yet lesei ve tiicir opinion As well as their action, lie hoped that the board would not, alarmed by the cry that the whole of Cook County would be in chancery, satisfy themselves that the courts themselves that the courts should take no action on the matters. He would give a year or so to minors or non-residents to come in. After further discussion the committee rose and re ported the resolution to the board, recom- mending its passage. * The resolution was adopted and the board adjourned till Monday, at 2 o'clock. THE BUMMERS' RETREAT. Heme e f the «• Sou p-Tir ket » ii older. H e w the hnmUtt Soeettniet Behave Them- w h r * Saorini Prohibited- The En«Uah Sys- tem Better Than the Chicago Plau. Practical experience never having impressed the faot upon them.it is Just possible that many persons are unconscious of the fact that at the old police station on Union street, between fe|Ufc> dolph and Lake streets, any belated wanderer, overtaken by cold and darkness, and possessed of uo money, can obtain free lodging for the nighs and a slice of bread and bacon in the morning. To secure these blessings he has only to present himself at a police station and make known his destitution, when what is facetiously termed a " ticket for soup" will he given him. But since such a place does exist, and since the wanderers who obtain relief from it pay no money for the shelter and food they thus obtain, it may be taken for granted, that, being human.theygrumbleatthe qualitv of bed and board. As those who grumble are generally more or less drunk, it is not aston- ishing that their complaints are made with stvh emphasis as a string of blasphemy can attach to them, and that they thereby create a greater sensation than a candid, unvarnished recital of their miserit s would produce. For instance: A full-blooded, healthy, brawny Irishman returned his ticket to the sta.tion-keeper at the Union Street Station, the other evening, with a long curse, partaking equally of the characteristics of depth and dlu, and said he had been turned out. It would be difficult to convey to ears polite the Injured gentleman's discourse, inasmuch as it was so Interwoven with language that does not look well in print that to purify would be to annihilate it. The general tenor of his rambling remarks was that he was drunk, whi 3h was the only statement confirmed by a due investigation into the facts of the case. He had snored modestly, as any foreign or native-bora citizen had a right to snore—delicately and equa- bly, without particular emphasis or other annoy- ing property, and for tins exercise of his privi- leges had been summarily seized by the throat and jammed into a neighboring gutter. The facts of the case were about as follows: He was drunk when admitted. As he lay on the floor he was beastly, and howled and snored, and snored and howled, until the other victims of the barbarity ef the Belief and Aid Society, who had neglected to provide fearlier beds, arose in a body and re- monstrated with the janitor. The drunken man was quieted for less than eleven seconds, when he repeated the performance with the zest pecu- liar to an encore at that kind. He was again roused, placed in a perpendicular position, aud begged to start out until sober. It is supposed that a man who is belated on more than two successive evenings is totally un- fit to associate with more enlightened persons, and is not admitted. Hence, an old man who os- cillated between the various stations aud the lodging house, on presenting his ticket at the last named place, recently, was refused admittance. Hence, also, he professed, in various quarters, the most unmitigated abhorrence of the whole system of relief for belated wanderers, and pointed out with much perseverance the imper- fections and shortcomings of the Superintenaent of the lodging house. The room is large and very warm, so that a blanket, except as a shield against the assaults of tobacco juice, is an unnecessary addition to the furniture. And yet these men cry aloud for com- forts, sheets, pillows, and other luxuries. In the morning they receive a share of bread and bacon, in inventing names for which they occupy their leisure moments, which are numerous, and ex- pend as large an amount of intellectual force as as could be expected of them, their vocabulary l>eing strong in adjectives and past-participles, indifferent in verbs and shockingly attenuated in nouns substantive In the large cities of England the average be- lated wanderer is equivalent to his average brother here. There, however, in order to more healthily occupy his mind, and give him an op- portunity to earn as well as enjoy his breakfast, lie is required to furnish a certain amount of easy manual labor before partaking of the matutinal meal. The vocabularies there have grown still more limited than they are here by this simnle process. REAL ESTATE. Iwetruiaeata Filed fer Kecerd en Thursday, December 7. CITT PROPERTY. River st, s w corner of Michigan av, n f, 51x125 ft, dated Nov. 24; consideration, $2i,000. Meacher st, 80 ft w of Canal st, 50x80 ft, dated Dec. 5 ; consideration, $6,500. Western av, s e corner of Second st, w f, 72x100 ft, dated Nov. 16 ; consideration, $l,C80. Lot 40 of Greenebaum's resubdivision of Block SO in Sec. 7,39,14, dated Nov. 25; consideration, (800. Fifth av, n w corner of Washington st, e f, 40x 80 ft, dated Nov. 15; consideration. $5u.ooo. Lot *o in Block 2 ef Walker and Western's Block 4 of n e 1-4 Sec. 31, 38, 14, dated Sept. 25; consideration, $950. Ashland av, s w corner of Van Euren st, e f, 60x150 ft, dated Dec. 4; consideration, $32,500. SOUTH OF CITY LIMIT8. Lot 64 in Stone's Addition, being in w 1-2 n e 1-4 Sec. 8, 38,14, dated Oct. 1; consideration, $300. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. i The Quevtian of Putting Up Fire Alarm Telegraph Wires. •r, fheadier Authorized te the Werk. Proceed wftk CITY AFFAIRS IN BRIEF. The Grand Dnke's Visit. The visit of the Grand Duke Alexis to Chicago will be a brief one—how brief may be understood from*the announcement that he will start for New Orleans r»o Chicago and St. Louis. As an educational measure this can scarcely be deemed a success. He could learnmore about the United States in Chicago in a dayrhan in New Orleans in a year. As he rushes through the city he will look for the rums, and compare the aspect of the city with the New York newspaper reports, and heave a sigh for the mendacity of the journals of this country. He will inquire for the barren waste of charred real estate that they dilated on and endeavor to secure a rel ie, but it will be too late. He will travel to New Orleans, ria St. Louis, and not enjoy bis visit at all, regretting forever that he omitted to stay a day or two at Chicago. He will remember to the day of his death that it was due to the Russian Admiral Poisset who has given orders for the fleet to proceed at onee to China. Whether it was a mere coincidence, or whether the Admiral wish- ed him not to see Chicago until it was rebuilt en- tirely, or whether he did not wish to take us from our work of rebuilding to entertain a Prince, docs not appear. He will see Boston and Philadelphia before going toNew Orleans via Chicago and St. Louis. A New Rati Home. The new route to Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Louisville rfo the Michigan Central and Indianap- olis, Per»& Chicago Railways was opened on De- cember 1. Two passenger trams leave Chicago daily ria the Michigan Central Railroad from the Etation at the foot of Twenty-second street, as follows : 6:13 a. m., daily express, Sundays ex- cepted, reaches Indianapolis at 5:10 p. m.. and Cintinnati at 10:45 p. m. The 9:13 p. m. eight ex- press, Saturdays excepted, arrives at Indianapolis at 7:65 a. m., and Cine i una ii at 4:25 p. m. Sleep- ing cars run through to Indianapolis with jut change. • • • • ' »•• Mysterious Disappearance. Albert M. Fuller, by trade a printer, left home on last Sunday morning, telling his wife be would take a little walk, having been unwell tor two or three days. Since that hour he has not been heard from. Fears are entertained that he has been foully dealt with. He is about five feet ten inches high, dark eyes, brown hair, whiskers, and moustache; had on black pants and vest, brown coat and slate-colored overcoat, Congress shoes, and rubbers, and heavy cloth cap. Any informa- tion of him will be gratefully received by his af- flicted wife, at No. 1161 State street, or at No. 441 Wabash avenue. MiscetianeeM. The damage done to the dry house of the fSkayer er mile; the city also to pay the ac- tual cost of putting up and taking down the lines when they are through with them, or until such time as we shall be in condition to reconstruct our lines in A permanent and substantial manner. In view of our lack of appropriation to purchase material for and doing this work ourselves, I deem this a very ad- vantageous arrangement for the temporary reconstruc- tion of our lines, and the proposition a very liberal one on the part of the to!* graph company, and would re- spectfully urge Its acceptance by the board. Commissioner Sheridan thought some arrange- ment Bhould be made to save the North Side in case of fire. Commissioner Brown asked how long the poles would remain up. Mr. Chandler said as long as the eity needed them. Commissioner Rehm asked what streets the poles would be erected on. Mr. Chandler replied that ibey would follow the route ofpolcs now up, to the intersection of Clark and Wells streets, with aide lines to reach the fire alarm boxes. The route, he thought, should be determined by the board. About twenty miles of wire would be needed. The South Side boxes were already connected. Sxity boxes had been lost, and twenty-five new ones weie on their way to the city. The cost ot putting up and taking down the poles would not exceed $6 a mile. Commissioner Chadwick wanted to know if the wires and poles would not revert to the telegraph company. Mr. Chandler said they would, and that any part the company used would be exempt from rental. Commissioner Brown asked if it was proposed to have watch-towers on the North Side. There ought to be two or three, as they could not de- pend altogether on the boxes. Fire Marshal Williams suggested that there bea look-out on the top of the old reservoir ou the South Side. Commissioner Chadwick thought the Water Works tower would be an excellent place. The Secretary imagined that It would take all day to reach the top of the tower in cold weather. Commissioner Brown sail a high look-out was not needed for this winter. Fire Marshal Williams remarked that the tower on the Rehm Engine House was not burned down. Assistant Marshal Walters reminded him that the stairway had been destroyed. Commissioner Brown thought the top could be readied with a ladder. Commissioner Rehm did not think it would re- quire much money to repair it. Two look-outs were necessary, and it was the intention to have them connected with the telegraph lines. Commissioner Chadwick said the lines could be up in two weeks, and he did not think the same facilities could be got for the same amount of money. Commissioner Sheridan inquired the cost of the work per mile. Mr. Chandler said the cheapest it could be done was *i:«>a mile. Commissioner Sheridan thought that was a good investment for the company, as the poles and wires would revert to them when the city was prepared to erect its own. Commissioner Brown asked if the company proposed to put their own lines on the poles. Mr. Chandler said they would if business war- rant edit. Commissioner Brown remarked that they could telegraph for beer. Commissioner Rehm thought there would be no beer on the North Side this winter. Commissioner Sheridan said the proposition ap- peared to l>e a reasonable one on its face, but when analyzed it was not. The investment would pay the telegraph company 20 per cent interest, which was exorbitant. Commissioner Rehm was ef the opinion that $2,009 would lie sufficient to put up the wires and poles, and hence did not see the necessity of pay- ing $500 a year for their use. He, therefore, moved that the Superintendent of the fire alarm tele- graph be authorized to erect the lines at an ex- pense not exceeding $2,000. Commissioner Sheridan said he would second the motion If there was any chance of getting the money. Commissioner Rehm did not think the Council would be so mean as to refuse to pay it. Mr. Chandler said, it would be useless to at- tempt to do the work with his present force—he hadn't men enough. He had hud $.>,000, but it had all or nearly all been expended in repairing the lines on the South Side and lu replacing the batteries destroyed. The motion was agreed to. Commissioner Brown voting in the negative because he did not know where the money was to come from. A list of the property belonging to the Police and Fire Departments, destroyed by the fire, was Huliniltted to the Secretary. The value of every- thing burned up is $1*6,165.19. Fire Marshal Williams suggested that a hook and ladder truck be provided for the South Side, as there was none now available should there be a fire hi the burnt district. Assistant Marshal Schank recommended that a new one be purchased in New York. Marshal Williams said the wheels and iron parts, with the exception of the springs, of Truck No. 1, which was partially destroyed, could be used again. He would get estimates of the cost, and report to the Commissioners. The board then adjourned. J. R MOOEK, • • — * : • Card. To those whom it may concern : The undersigned are deeply sensible of the good will toward themselves, which animated those unknown persons who sent them a sum of money on Thanksgiving Day; but they apprrootAto, also that it was given because of supposed losses in the Teat tire. Those los.-es were not at all con- siderable. As the money cannot be returned to those who sent itjit has been remitted to the Treasurer of the Chicago Relief Society, tn the hope that the intention of the donors has thus been fulfilled. With thanks, OLIVIA B. PAIKK. LAPORTE, Indi, Dee. 1. CHARLES P A K E . • • Sure Protection, ( T h e celebrated steam fire-proof safes of Boston have proved themselves in numerous tests, and •'es accidental fires, te be reliable, flre-p Examine them hsfQM i". re tin sing. Ti them now in use. No. 63 South Canal safes, imis of • . r e l o g i c a l Experiment*. STATE GEOLOGIST'S OFFICE, i SPRINGFIELD, 111., D e c 6,1871, > To the Editor of The Chicago Tribune: Sra: The suggestion of your correspondent "Rural," in his letter, published in THE DAILY TRIREME of (he 25th ult, in regard to the impor- tance of making such experiments with the dia- mond-drill as would determine the source of our artesian waters, and the extent of area over which artesian wells may be made available for a water-supply in this State, I most heartily ap- prove, and would most cheerfully direct any ef- forts that might be thought advisable In that di- rection. But the formidable question of the means to carry on such experiments at onoe pre- sents itself, and, until that can be fully met and answered by your correspondent, I sub- mit that it 0*11 hardly be considered the duty of the State Geologist to .undertake, iu the absence of legislative authority, anv experiments of the kind. The entire amount of the annual appropriation for carrying on the geological survey of this Btate would not be suffi- cient to pay the cost of sinking a single well to one-half the depth required to reach the water- bearing sandstones, anywhere in the central por- tion of the State ; aud hence all experiments la this direction must be deferred until the means for carrying them to a successful issue are pro- vided. I fully agree with your correspondent that such an undertaking, if carried to a success- ful issue, would be of great value to the industrial interests of the State; but, until adequate means are provided for placing in the hands of the peo- ple the results of the work already done in the prosecution of the geological survey, I have not felt disposed to suggest an appropriation for any other purpose. Should it be thought advisable to ask tor an ap- propriation tor this especial purpose, I would suggest that at least three experiments be made, a hundred miles or so apart, and at such points as would afford the best economical results, if suc- cessful A boring is now being made by the citi- zens of Vandalia, to determine the coal resources of that locality, which will probably be carried to the depth of five or six hundred feet, unless a workable coal is sooner reached. Let the State provide the means for carrying this boring on with the diamond-drill to the depth of twothou sand feet, or until the sandstones of the Potsdam group are reached; then let two additional bor- ings oe made.—one at Jacksonville, where a sup- ply of water is gfeatly needed to supply the State institutions there located, and the other at Tolo- no, or some other point on the Illinois' Central Railroad north of Vandalia ;"and these three bor- ings, if successful, would settle the question of a water-supply, in a general way, for the central por- tions of the State, and be of inestimable value to the industrial interests of our population. Borings at the points suggested on the line of the Illinois Central Railroad would also help greatly to settle aucther question of scarcely less unportanee to the industrial interests of Central Illinois, namely, the extent to which the worka- ble coals are developed in what is known as the Illinois coal-field. These localities are near the centre of the basin; and the opinion has been ox- pressed by some of our Western geologists that the heavy coal-seams that lie near the base of the coal-measures, and are extensively developed around the borders of the field, will afford no coal of sufficient thickness to be worked by deep min- ing in the centre of the basin. This opinion has been founded upon one or two reported borings for oil in the central portion of the State, where no coal was reported, though the borings were carried down far enough to have penetrated to the base of the coal-measures. Although not agreeing with the views of these gentlemen, I cannot demonstrate their falsity until workable coal shall be found hi this portion of the State; and hence I deem some experi- ments with the diamond-drill a matter of great importance to the people of the central portion of the State, as the present supply ef coal for this region is either furnished by rail from distant localities, oris obtained from the thin seams of the upper coal-measures at their surface out- crops, affording a coal usually inferior in quality, and which can only be worked at favorable local- ities, by the process of " stripping." Should the borings above alluded to be under- taken, a careful section of the strata passed through at each locality should be constructed, and a eopy of it hung in the office of the Secreta- ry of State, where they would at all times be accessible to those who might desire to consult them tor information: and the specimens taken out by the drill should be carefully labelled, the thickness of the strata, and the depth below the surface carefully noted, and then they should be placed in the State collection of geological specimens, where |kfty would always be accessible forjfuture refer- ence, and for comparison with other from dif- ferent locations. , , With these brief suggestions.! leave the m titer in the hands of those whose duty it is to see to the development of the best and highest interests of our commoBweaith. Respectfully yours, A. H. Won readr for issue, and then afterwards, on the first dav ol each month, untU the requisite amount shall be tax- uisht^tL SEC. S. The notes thns providevl shaiqbe paid out for all 4teburwnienti< of the Treasury, except those due ft coin, so long as they are sufficient for the purpose ; and if the whole monthly instalment is not thnndis- nosed of. it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the TTCHKIHT to exchange the snrplan tor tke present le- Kal BOteii. so far «s practicable, that the full sum of fen willkma may be put into circulaUon each month SEC 4. That it shin be the doty of the S^retary of the Treaaurv to cause the destruction of legal tend- ers each mouth, to an extent equal to the notea issued under this act. . * . . . . . . . . _» 6Fc. 5. That the notes issued under thin act shall, at the option of the holder, be convertible at the enn ot fwo years in sums of *100 or its multiple into bonds of the "TJnited States, not baring less than 10 nor more than 40 years to run, sad bearing lnl*rest»l the rat« of 5 per cent, and ft e Secretary ef the Treasury is herebv anthorty.ed to issue*uoh bonds. Sac «. That whenever Chess note* and the bonds into which they may be converted, cui be sold at pai- m gold, the secretary of the Treasury may sell them in such saniR as mav be called for. and apply the pro eeeda in gold to cancel legal tender not** m they are paid into the Treasnrv. feEO. 7. That the notes issued under this act shall constitute no part ol the legal currency re*erw>re- quired by the National BanksT *2£m fiSF"i Compound interest notes have w , ™^ K T a ^ y ^ l i a d ' *° that their operation hi tSsTZki.I, l i s.» U e i r P ^ b a * quality that at tha g f t g . 1 " — ^ e y en\cr into the national currency and bet cine part of the active circulation ; bug E w 3 1 D t e r e s t Jaccumulates they are gradually withdrawn, and held as securities so long as them is little appreciable accumulation of interest. These notes pass from hand to hand as ordinary greenbacks: but this ceases with their increase in value Now, if these are made a substitute for gretnbacks the currency Is gradually contracted according to the laws of trade, until|it >, a oa a par with gold, and we arrive at specie payments. I'ntil this is estab- lished the nation is bankrupt, and its outstanding notes arc no ltetter than failed paper. Beyond the stigma implicated by this condition, there is a derangement of affairs and consequent embar- rafsment in commercial relations abroad. Our business is out of gear with the business of the world, while at home a vicious speculation runs riot. This lias been allowed to go on too long. During the war it could not have been preveateo, but it should have ceased with the war. The sufpension of specie payments was a war measure like the suspension of tlie habeas n&rpwc and the draft, and like those it should have discontinued at once t o long as it is allowed to prevail we hare o war measure projected into a penod of peace, and as such if ia out of place and out of season. I am hot insen- sible to the credit obtained by a swift payment of the national debt, but this is superficial only, f t docs not enable us to refund our debt without ex- traordinary and abnormal effort Let there be specie pajments and the debt will refund itself. The payment of the national debt is a feather ia our cap, but Instead of taxing the people fo' the sake of this feather, I would reduce taxes ami ap- ply the irresistible energies of the government to make paper equal to coin. Hero is another equal- ity before the law which I would establish. I - A I L R 0 A D S . A surveying party has just completed the pre- liminary survey of a railroad line from S t Cloud, by the way of Litchfield, to St. Peter, where it ie to connect with the Winona & St Peter Railroad, —The Fort Scott (Kan.j Monitor says: " We learn from Colonel Shepard, of Ottawa, who has just returned from New York; that arrangements have been made with one of the strongest houses In New York for the negotiation of the first mort- gage bonds of the Fort Scott, Humboldt A- West- ern Railroad ; and that his brother, the contract- or, was about closing the contract for the pur- chase of the iron when he left." —The sales of Burlington A Missouri Rifer Railroad lands in Iowa during the mouth pf No- vember, were 2,227.48 acres, at an average price of $13.38 3-10 per, acre, amounting to $29,810.36. -•The Vermont &. Massachusetts Railroad has reduced its passenger tariff from 4 cents per mile to 3 1-2 for local rates, and to3 cents tor through rates to Boston. —At a meeting of the Directors of the Lake Superior it Mississippi Railroad, in St. Paul, ou the 28th ult., Charles Elliott Ftirness was pro- moted from the office of Secretary and Treasurer of that road to that of Vice President, and Mr. Thomas M. Davis was elected to fill the offices thns vacated by Mr. Furncss. —The Quincy, Alton & S t Louis Railroad is nearly completed to East Ixnusiana, and will be iu oiieration to that point this week. ' —The Louisville, New Albany & 8t, Louis Rail- road was completed to M t Carmel, III., Nov. 27, and tracklaying between that town aud Albion is progressing rapidly. It Is thought that the latter place will be reached by Jan. 1. —The New London Northern Railroad has been leased by the Vermont Central Railroad for twen- ty years, the latter paying 10per cent per annum on the capital stock of the former. The road under lease extends from New London, Conn., t o Grout's Corners, Mass., a distance of 100 miles. —A railroad from Warren, Trumbull County, O., to Sharon, Pa., is talked of. —At the annual meeting of the Baltimore A Ohio Railroad Company, the report presented showed that the revenues of the road and its branches for the fiscal year were $12,557,629.42— being aa increse over the previous year of $1,717,- 168.91. —The work on the Milwaukee A Northern Rail- road, between Cedarburg and Plymouth (Minn), is progressing rapidly. The company have struck two subterranean bakes, one in Saukville, and the other in the tamarack swamp crossed by the road in tue town of Fredouia. In the latter a portion of the grading suddenly dis- appeared from view, sinking to a depth of twenty-nine feet These "sinks" have been re- filled and the grading brought up to its former level.so that no delay will be experienced through these unexpected breaks in the line. —The Omaha & Northwestern Railroad will be extended to a point opposite Sioux City within a year. —The Prophctstown Railroad will be completed to Clint on January 1. which will give that plaei another outlet to Chicago over the C , B. A Q. line. . DRESSED HOCWt Dressed Hogs. As the season has now opened, and the market is fairly estab- lished for Dressed Hogs, we invite our former shippers and the trade to send ns their consignments. 111 the regular facilities extend- ed. Advances made on ship- ments. Benefit ot over ten years* active experience here and per- sonal attention to sale and deliv- ery given to consignments made to us. POPE & DAVIS, 43 W. Washington-st, Chicago, W. J. POPE R. L. DAVIS. O V E R C O R T S . MABLEY&HULL. As a sample .of our prices, we invite the at- tention of the public to our $7.00 Fur Beaver Reefing Coats. For the benefit of those in a hur- ry we have hung a few outside to-day. 122 W. Washington-si rUBTJRANCR, The Great Western FIRE njSTJRANCE 00. The only heme; company that fcju, 8to0!icle» and accommodate all who »a,Tant r* . Alae make proofs o* losses S T w v one winhiag them. LAMAR, OF CHICAGO. We will furnish to policy holders the names of re- sponsible stockholders, and * -hereaboutsr? the cas* asset* of this company. Claims corrected: EOT A BAJLL, 28 West Madisen-st. SHCFEI • Mr. ,'OBTHEH. P a y - SumMrr'a H i l l •# Restore Specie wtrnta. On Monday, Mx. Sumner introduced in the Sen- ate the following bil! to authorize compound in- terest notes as a substitute tor legal tender notes: SFrrtov 1. Beit enactctl. That the Secretaiy of the Treasury be aa4 he i< her*bv authorised and directed to prepare for circulation^ compoond Interest notes, •ii i.'imi.r.t TO tne ouiarancuua- legal tender fractional currency oi the United States, and in all respects similar 8> those aeretotore issued under the act approved March S, 186&. entitled ** An act to pro- vide -nays aad means for toe support of the Govern- Eient.** SEC. 2. That these notes of uifierent de&otaiaations to the aatouut of fiaooo.OM shall be dated or the first day ot eatli month, commencing with the first day of July next ensuing, when the araeimt shall be STATE 1 1 GARDE!!' fill, Policies wanted fer cash. Highest price paid. 8H U FKLDT a BA U+ » West Madison.**. PACIFIC, OF m imnmT We can collect to advantage IS0.000 to tlOOeOo ne claims on this company. *«~,uuu or SHUFELbT * BALL, B West Madison st. H O T E L S . CENTRAL HOUSE Has rcswoea ansiaeM ta the aew Brtre Be- tel, comer Halite* a*4 Tyler st*. Flrat- class aeeeavnecatlaai far 75 gaeatg aao bearters. Beaee an* famltare elegant. Terms, t t . l t p«r day. ^a^m^ev S. H. MLL, Preprleter. Real £i Hoi rjougl Wm, H, SmpsonX'Co.]' te and House Beating Agency, So. JS6 Wast Madisoa-st. rested aad rents collected Boat eettta a en . •OMTARI I U I i i MOWTTA. j> — Fan>a The situation in the monej and general, rcmaina unohi perabundant here, aad pleat the latter market there \s a largely in bonds, especialr} sons who have recently retu say that, not withstanding money, there seems to bean lative rise to railway stxx •cliques seem to have disbar Eastern exchange was In bet again to-day, and solft to25cpert*^oooisafrant. i sell at par and bay at 1-W & Jas. W. Scorille, Preaktoa Loan A Trust Company, sa ing to take at par the whoh dressed a letter to Ma •bonds which are to belpald |aryi. • :* - I n the Associated Pi Washington, on last Taesd Hem stating that the lee* < al Banks by the great Are is nothing Hate bemg "Connection itia Worthy ol Ington iirteHlgenc* pa of the CQncago hanks to eimply a ronn>! #1,000,006 «xart information ir, we ] • miner in this city, who Comptroller of the Currei banks a vi«it of about flfi lact week, to ascertain the 1>y the fire. The Cashiers bankf were nearly unanim were unable to tell what though a* near a* the lata now. it is tielieved it rill b —In this column, yestei 1iun to the fact that a coi "Glolie Insurance Compa previous to the tire, been ii any legal authority, and ti ]>olieiea were now anxious t.Thof the said "compan received a note from w. I wa.>, the Secretary of the •iiranee Company," bnt w l.im from now signing him adjuster." Mr. Bailey d issue* policies illegally, M puny is now adjurtiag k* llar* 1 Fine bais I'opaited bars..... *.. Total gold iTt, Jrilver- __ Dollars an Half dollar* •« Quarter dollars K llimes ,.....,..• 11 Half dime* l'J 1 In**.cri.t pieces.. Bars ~ C ii parted bars Tot af stiver tM> Copper— Five cent pieces ... S.4S Thiwcent piece*.. M Tw