Indiana State Sentinel, Volume 23, Number 49, Indianapolis, Marion County, 14 July 1874 — Page 4

THE INDIANA STATE SENTINEL TUESDAY, JULY 14. 1874.

TUESDAY, JULY 14-

In the Sentinel, thi morning, will be found extended reports from different sections ol the ttate in regard to the farmers' prospects of a harvest. But the concurrent testimony tends to establish the same joint, that the prod act of the year will be imlr.enm. It is becoming a matter of belief tliat the wheat product of the world 1 greater than the consumption of the world. "Russia comfs as a competitor in tin Enropean market, and if he bad tbe machinery of the United Slates, would produce a decided effect on the wheat producing business of thecoun.try. It will not be many yef.ra before the' , railroad will carry to fttssia all the tjther improvements of -cWillzaftion, tbougb their adoption will not, perhaps, be as rap4d as im "this country. In -quantity and quality -of wheat she 4s not surpassed by any of her "near neighbors. Tbe corn prospect was never better asawble, and in fruit she has an excellent . report. The mischievows insects a? a doing what they can, but while some individuals will suffer, the general dimao will probably be insignificant. There is always a cry about chiocS bug, which comes from the same class generally as tue complaint about lice on calves, both nuisanoes effecting but little except on -weak -and ickly subjects. Th corn crop Till ensure n Shvavy pork crop, and if the state is vtc.t foaud a little easier financially this fall the cause must be ontside and independent of the most vigorous proepevifry in tbe objects of iudtretry. The-contracts in the ostofhee department re htitl let to straw bi-ddn. The straw bid is an exceedingly simple "iut highly effective appliance for swindling all parties, public or private, whs let. wort -mider the system of sealed proposals. Ia "injury nothing could hfl neater than tbe ytan ot having contractors sttbmittberr-estinmts to the party requiring a lervioe performed, or to his agent, and allowing -tfie work to go to the lowest 'responsible biddr. Iu practice tbe -virtuous intent of this coni(etitiv6 svsteci is too yfben -pet at noaHit by the wily contractor. It is not uncommon for bidders, fco get together beforehand and decide that if they Teally contend against each other in makiag eBUuiates for a job, the nmri n of profits will bo altogether too pmall. They tbereiore -select some one anions tnern as the f'avorad individual wbo shall b.ve the award of the work. He is then at liberty to Bet a round price on his services and the others put a number of good sized flaws--kto their proposals so that Lis bid may L sure of success. : If there le an y oi the uninitiated -contending for the work, the Saws arc omitted and tbe conspirator whs puts in the lowest figures receives the conwact only to relinquish it. in favor of tbo comrade who cau take it to more advimt&ge. The action oi tliete straw bidders, it K:ay be assumed, is not tLs remit of gene-roes impulse, nor yet ot hasfcy repentance for a rash business venture. Tbe adept in tLe art rect-irrs his little .percentage to re?ey bkn for his trouble Tlie gentlemen of tbij - description who haunt the p:t office -de pert meet are now giving up the disadvantageous contracts awarded to them in favor of more prudent i irethren. Tie -straw bidder is certainly one oT tho institutions of tie ae. lie Las uialtiplied with a wonderful fecundity and Latinte every other city in the Union as 11 as Washington. Nothing is too large or too mall for him, from the St.-Hiouis bridge to-e, lumberman's shanty. He-Js the friend of fhe architect, the patron of toe coroner aud the undertaker, and tbe ben&tctor of tbe novspaper. He is tbe primal. use of the breaking away of dams, the falliar ot floors and the giving way of bridges. He is by oo means a strawman. Ho is in all respects eave one a tern and solid reality. Only the bidding portion of his identity is of a stipulary character. A very eareless and loose correspondent of the Chicago Inter-Ocean contributes an article on the subject of teachers' wage. He assumes the formidrble character cf statistician, fortifying his argument with figuret, a .very effective Kind of irtitica tiou if boil- with accuracy otherwise the weakest of tiie weak. With tha writer, in regard to tbe main poiot which he attempts to establish, that teachere are not well enougk paid, not .as weil paii as members of lesstimport&nt profes-aoas, the Sentinel makes no controversy. In some Instances teacters are -tot well euough pid.; in othefi, they are. But gristing tfcat their upport is not prooortiMiate to the ralue of tbe ser vice rendered, toe argument in tne en.se isd not strengthened by tnaking it worse than tbe facts. AH the writer's teures inhit-h be shows the averaga salaries in leading cities and State are evidently incorrect. A single example s a stiincient illustration. For 1871 be puts tha average salaries of New York teachers atl,084 atd those of St. Louis at a littla over kalf the um, vi.. .j8. Without the exact reports at hand, it U well known as a general fact that St. Louis pays about the best salaries t teachers of any city, and certainly cannot fall tar behind Xew York. Huf the object of this paragraph is only to repel the injustiuo done to Indiana and her capital city. To begin with, the writer goes back to 1S70 in lcx-king at the state. He picks up a report somewhere of a total sum paid to teachers in the state of ?2.7CI,C23, and then to And Iba acr- , age annual salaries paid iu the state, divide -that amount by the whole number of teacher. 11,82), and incorrvctly obtains fSli as the average pay per aanrra. The true quotient U iiS, but that is not material compared with the greater error of ousting tte whole number ot toahers if they wero engaged in .teaching tha whole year. In point of fact, probably not more than one-foarth of tho number taught more than six months in 1.870. At' that date and een at tho present, there are a large cumber of six months' fcchoola, taught by persons who cannot be jejjarded 83 devoted to teaching as a pro

fession, and sole dependence for livelihood. 1 But tbe figures for Indianapolis, probably not correct for the time, 1871, are worth nothing for an argument on teachers' ways now. They show lor that year IIS teachers employed in this city and paid in the aggregate SG8,S57, making an average of salaries ifSOS. It is enough to say to this that during tue year just closed according to official reports, 151 teachers recaived ?103,S27 80, or an average salary of $087. There are many other circamstances to be noticed in the discussion of teachers' salaries which bear on this shewing.but that is not the present purpose.

Tbn Illinois writer should be more correct or else confine his blunders, to his own state. From euch indications as have already appeared, the prospect for the Industrial fairs of this state the coming fall are very bright. The universal promise is fOr a very large improvement on the campaign of last year. Those few counties which faired to do mach the last fair season are rallytn? to redeem themselves. Among these, were two of the strong counties ot the state.-Xllen and Yigo. The former of these is rallying in earnest for a good fair this fall, having secured new grounds and prepared for an early start. Irt WayneTias relinquished the idea ot a "world's exposition," bat in the way of a ccmiity fair Allen will no donbt be able to do herseli credit. Tippecanoe, which holds the iest fair of the state, in some features still excelling the state lair, this year has largely increased her premium! and will excel all former efforts. In the matter of grounds she has the advantage over aov other localiT. and the current of stock exhibition has set in that direction, making it the place both to show and to 6ee the beat fine stock -of the region for a hun dred miles around. The premium lists of tbe county fairs in general show an advance movement in tbe inducements offered, nd practice is making the arrangements and management of the lairs more satisfactory year by 5 ear. There is no doubt that the grange organization can and will do very much to sustain and improve the agricultural fairs. And, if tne Sentinel may be allowed to make a suggestion, the grenges can do vast service, both to the fairs and to the . interests o( agriculture, by acting in their organised capacity to encourage contributions to the various displays. The point of failure is in tbe lack of a show when t&e materials at hand are abundant to mako a -creditable and instructive, not to say inspvring.-exhibi-tion. The granges, as granges, have )t in their power to secure a lull and cavsplete showing of tke best products or a -ceunl.y, and one that in quantity and variety will equal its resources. As to tbe que&tkiu of management, especially in resrd to rao?, the discussion in tbe abstract has beto exhaustive already. The experience of t! e various fairs will direct in the policy to le pursued. At the present stage of racing furor, it will not be possible to whol ly discourage the exhibitions of speed. Tl e jockeying in these races, however, xnry b e controlled by sufficient decision and famine on the part of judges, if judges undeistan. 1 their duties. On the whole, tbe acrk ultura 1 fairs deserve all possible encouragement and'. support. The meetings of the ifcople together, the lew days of pleasant excite ment in seeing and being eeen, the stimulus of good examples in production, all these are invaluable and must be sustained. And tho only sufficient support, it racst be remembered, consists in progress, in making the fairs better, rnoae intelligent, more scientific, more strictly professional in the illustration of scientific agriculture. There must be uiore going back, there can be no standing still. (Forward and one.-ard must be the watchword, and the movement. Indiana has a glorious future and her glory is in her -industries, especially that of farming. Tfee Yellow Servant. Tha curious utterances of many county and some 6tato conventions on tlnancial matters suggest a statement of a few eleinec tary jn-incipleHin regard to the functions-1 f a circulating medium. The .purpose f money is eknply lo effect exchanges. Men are so situated that he who produeee an article may be. a thousand mile a .Jpom the Juan who wants to buy it. and the would-be-purchaser may have noth log in his possession which üm producer de sires in return for his handiwork. Con sequent lv an -exchange annot be brought -about. A manufacturer of pianos if he had to exchange in kiad r&ight starve belore he could find a grocer who wanted one f his costly instruments tnd his cobbling bill would have to run along time before he could aTord to settle it by letting hi shoemaker have an eight-octave parfo r grand piano, for carrying on ttie tral&c ot a eWilUd comuaunity, therefore, it 13 necessary that there should be sote par ticular product which everybody wants at all times which the fancier is willing to gwve bis wheat for, tbe baker his bread, the butcker his meat, and tho manufacturer his etotns. Then the farmer who want to trade bw grain for calico need not travel until he find a weaver who waats corn, and pass by in hifi search all the millers who want grain. but have no calico to give for it. . lie can sell his products for a certain amount of that one sutstanee which every body wants at all times and with that purchase in the ruont convenient market, and in suitablo quantities, whatever article he needs. Such a universal solvent for all the difficulties of traffic would naturally become the-medium of exchange or money. The usage ot all civilized nations seems to have establiabedl gold as the substance most suitable for this purpose. It has done so not because of any government enactment or because there i& any divine right inherent in specio to make it a medium of exchange other than its natura fitness for the function of money. Sparta u$ed iron, the Indians used beads, and the tribes on the African coast to-day use sea shells. But gold has in the first place great intrinsic value. It has many uses for which it is available, especially those of fine ornamentation. Again it has great market value which is not like that of the products of the soil or oi the loom, subject to sudden varia

tions. ItVjtists only in such quantities a'ad under such conditions that it costs a great amount ot labor to produce it. Therefore small quantities

of it are exchangeable for large quantities of other products. It is thus constant in value and convenient in making extensive trades. It is likewise easily divisible, not roadily worn and indestructible in nre. The duties of governments toward this medium of exchange, which has been adopted by the common sense of mankind, are very limited. They consist in simply moulding it into proper shapes for convenience in handling and resistance to abrasion, and stamping it to guarantee by tbe national faith tbe weiarfat of the coin and tha parity of the'metak As to tbe relative values of gold aod other commoxlities, tüey merely follow the law of trade. When wh aat 1a plenty a dollar 1 gold will buy more of it than when the harvest has yielded -a, m oderate crop, tor the labor that produced the rold still remains equal to the Ubor tht produced tlto wheat, and labor is tbe test f value. Wten from any cause go?d has been partially withdrawn from the cauntry, specie increases in pur chasing power, and vice Versa. The diseov tries of the California raid Australian' mines in Rated gold currency and lessened, to an appreciable extent, the. market value of every dollar. This tact of the in, Tease or 'diminution of the purchasing power ot cold in relation to other commodities t aken in connection with its usees a circulating medium throughout the wotld, gives i; a peculiar adaptability. There is no means of calculating exactly the amount of gold necessary to effect the ex changes of any country, as'tbe quantity de pends on tbe tha.acter of tne industries car ried on aud on o ther modifying contingencies. There is, however, this peculiarity about coin, that sin?e "its relative value increase a with " its-scarcity, and vice versa, a nation isolated from all intercourse wiJJ find "the -amount of gold within Its bord'ars suitable' to tbe work of conducting its exchanges nnd.'r all circumstances. The f moameree of different nations, however, alio rstbo cbaogesin each to affect the money m'irket of the woLi, and when gold is rjaar, f n thw phrase tuls, in one spot, a tide-of the. precious mettl immediately tends towad that locality until equilibrium is. "restored. When it cheap in atiy country, on tbe contrary, trie tendency Is to export it rsntil the honie f ienvarsd checks the outflow. Wbca gold is at : heavy premium in this country, England prefers tokipit here, rather tbau send goocs, as its ptrrcba3iug power is increased b eyond that of "her manufact ure. Whea th e shipment affeeta her own market as it did last fall, the bank of England raises he r rates xtt interest setting a prwe cn motwy Avhich "fiows in from other nations to the bt market. This is crorcling t o the raw of trade that causes the people to export whatever Vfi.s the most purchasing power. ' It wil 1 be eeon tfrom these considerations that gold is a safe, natcral and universal medium of exchange, sbl ject to litt le fluctuation, c apable of eny amount of worfc and obedient only to tho highest kncwti laws those which contrdi the nature ot thir.pe.'It is comraonly Happoeedthat paper moify haa supplanted it to a reab extent becauso there is not enough of the precious metal in xis(nr tf enndnrt the business of modert; ia. I tions. This is doubtless a misapprehension. I, Tbe employment oi paper money is due k lis r i? j ti t ; own peculiar auvsniagts, ana us use tias lloed a great qufta'ity f gold, which the : mines of Australia nd California has. increased to such an -extent, to be turned to other purposes, ort find its way eastward, where it is said to disappear from active employment in the hoarda of Indian mrrhanta and princes. 'Economists have calculated that there is . uo less than i leven thousand mi'Mon .'dollars worth -of the 'precious metal aow in the possession of mankind, which sum U eual to "about Are dollars '-per head to each inJiabitant of the globe a sum probablv ample for all business purposes. It will require another article to discus the peculiarities of a mixed circulation of pa per and gold, and a circulation consisting of paperanoney alone. Fair FrMee. French .ffairs have arrived at such a crisis that it may be worth while to hazard a few opinions on their progress and tkial destination. Th present Assembly was chosen at the close of theFranco-Prussiae war during tbe truce granted to constrnet a government with which Germany could treat es representing the :French nation. The elections htCA at stich & time may naturally be considered as failing to repreeent the cool judgment of the people. Some districts were occupied by tbeeuemv.and the whole country was in a condition of dismay almost bordi-ring on desptir. It waa a season of reaction and consequently the -conservative elements of society were in the ascendant. The reeent dieasters-of tbe republic and the fall of the empire gav the partisans of legit truacy aod conrtitntional monarchy an uadue influence and secared for them and the moderate republicans a controlling power ia tho assembly. It U probable that the body which has governed France since tbeestabliibmentof peace ndhasdrawn the attention of the civilized world upon lis vehement riiscuasions. was chosen rarelv to ratify the treaty with Prussia. It assumed, how ever, t tie power or a con:iiueni assembly, and set about organiJng a government. From the beginning the extreme republi cans of the body have denied that this was one of tbe functions of the present assembly, and they have fought for a dissolution, con tident that in an appeal to the people under

the present circumstances a great republican convention for "an unfettered aod unrestnemQinrifv wo n M ba njnirnd in the new con. ted comnterc?." It is not fair to assume

ulituent body. It is useless to refew the presidency of M. Tmcrs, and the wavering and uncertain policy that marked that period. Suffice it to say that upon that venerable statesman's declaration in favor of a republic, the monarchical ei'ement in the assembly was strong enough to compel his resignation. He was overthrown ot: the 21th of May, 1873. and the only man upon whom tbe country '

coold place, reliance for the preservation of

order, Marshal MacMabon, took hisfplace. This expedient was supposed to be no more than a temporary one, but the inability of the assembly to do anything towards the establishment of a constitution and the growing dread of the royalists to risk dissolation served to . prolong the Marshal's reign. Finally, on the 20th ol November 1S75, in order to calm the general dis content and apprehension of the public earned by the uncertainty, it was resolved to confer upon MacMabon tho chief authority Tor seven years; In tbe meantime the details of the constitution cocld ha elabo rated and the ultimate for n of the government determined. ' ' The task assumed has cot been an easy one, and there is now every prospect of a dissolution of the body that has so lorrg tailed to accomplish it.- The very formation ot tha assembly is enough to show its incapacity lor action. There are, it is computed, 110 partisans of Count Chambord, the divine right candidate for the throne and the last pciou of tbe Trench Bourbons. There -w e 170 moderate loyalists who care less frrr the point as to who shall ' be kingfLan they do for the establishment of the monarchy. Since the fusion of the claims ot the nouse of Orleans into those of Chambord aird th. publication of the ratter's foolish manifestoes, the 'royalists' cause has perceptibly weakened. Then there is a small and determined bodyof Iinapartists uum bering about thirty and possessing a strotig and active party in the natiou. The republicans count up ::J5) members and there is besides a floating element that votes as circumstances guide it in political isue&. The last straggle in this helerogeneoas body resultfd in a defeat of tbe ministry on a vote resolving to support tho septeauatic form of government and reserving the consideration of bills submitted to tbe committee OT thirty. One of these tills is that known by the same ot its -author, Casimer Perier, which declares a republican form of government to be that whrch shall be established in in France, The itinisters have tendered tboir resignations, and the president has refused to acceptthem, sending a strong and determined messagato the assembly, in wbichthe ever threatened subject of dissolution has again catuevp.1 Re declares in effect that they have choeen hhn to rule France for evot years, and he -has accepted the trust ; that 'It is idle for tbora to waste words in -discussing his term of office or authority, as neither they or ' himself can recede frosi the bargain that has been made. The people look to him tax peaoo and permanent order, -and they shall have it. The intimation is that if the Assembly does not proceed to its duty and organise a constitution it will be dissolved. MacMahouVj -message musteomewhat astonish the assembly and reassure the public, It puts off the -return of monarchy indefinitely and answers the supreme necessity of France in giving a guarantee for good order and pertuauent-government. The nation is naturally republican, but the successive revolutions it has uudergone have created a morbid dewire among the wealthy and respectable t-tasKes -for quiet and security. To gain these bleswicps they jvoald serve the strongest despotism. In the hope Of recovering 'then they would even submit to th6 -reign of a Bourbon or hail the return of a Bonaparte with deT light. It would wm that under the septenate Fraucecau enjoy the peace' of the em pire without its tyranny,aud still prepare for self-rule. It is supposed that tbe fate of the assembly will depend upon its action on the roport of Cosemer Perler's bill, which is to be immediately submitted. Blaine of Maine. Ttie letter of Speaker Blaine, published elsewhere, is a document which deserve? no particular consideration on its own intrinsic merits, but acquires .a certain importance from the fact that the author is one of tte men named as . possible candidate in tbe coming presidential election. It has been reported, indeed, that he will recei f e I the full support of the administration for the republican nomination, in the event of Mr. Grant!s withdrawal. On this account his utterances have fictitious value, aud it is worth while to put him oa record for future reference. It will be 3een that in thanking the repub licans of the forty-fourth congressional district of Maine he has gone very far toward destroying his chances of obtaining higher honors. On the question of the resumption of specie payment.the candidate for the presidency assumes the position, common throughout the esst, that "it is the imperative duty of the national government to return to specie payments as soou as wise statesmanship can .safely reach the result." Thisdoctrine issoun1,but,fromtbe style of Mr. Blaine's letter, it is clear that he advocates it not because it is wholesome, but because it is palatable to tte men whom he addresses. Had he lived In the valley of the Mississippi, he would, ttoubtles, have been among tbe most outspoken in ationists, He probably thought that he had no popularity in the West worth aving by au attempt to teiuporize. In his argument in favor of the present protective tariff Mr. Blaine has followed the same guide, namely, the sentiment of his own section, anu has asziuu turned his back on the West. Indeed, by his protective opmions, he has doubtless lost most of the friends whom he had gained outside oi New England by advocating a. hard money policy. There is something, too, decidedly mean and tricky iu the way iu which he ftrgues ag.vustthe resolution of the democratic that this declaration means that no import duty shall be levied for revenue. England taxes scarcely a riczen imported article, and her revenue is no less productive than xurs. It is safa to say that every duty let-led simply for protection might be stricken off without seriously affecting government receipts, and the ?200,G00,000 revenue on the strength of which Mr. Blaine argues should not be set down to the credit ot the I

evil features of the present tariff law. Tbe idea of protection is to preventthe importation of foreign manufactures and thus afford a market for home products, consequently. In so far as a protective tariff is ef

fective, its tendencies are to decrease and not add to the amount of import duties. The prospective president while advocating the theory of protection, should also have explained the practicability of the system. Men who refuse to apply abslTact principles to the affairs of everyday life find this single objection to discri mi noting duties unanswerable: In a country tike ours, with many great and diversified interests to be cared for, it is impossiuio ior me wiiot man to devise a protective tardl which ball be absolutely fair to all sections and to all dasfsos, and, were there statesmen among us capable of form ing rucb. a law.it is not possible that it should be passfjd, against all the powerfulJcorrupU ing infl uences that wonki be brought to bear on Congress to defeat it. In reading Speaker Btain d's mournful lauentations over tbe Main e lumber trade, it is easy to anderstand with what narrow views aod prejudiced, pur fo he would come to the consideration of 'iuc-h a measure. As a matter of course the letter discusses tbe proposed reciprocity treaty with Canada from a standpoint under the lark shadows of Maiaes -pine forests. The writer has no open-fcearfeed or gecerous desire for free intercourse" with eur Northern neighbors. He is blind te the benefits reaped by the Middle states from the untaxed exchange of commodities with the Dominion. He does not care for the magnificent opportunity granted to the West of a free water-way along the great St. Lawrence. Certainly, for a man hoping to become the representative of the nation, Mr. Elaine exhibits a cheer ful partiality for his own state, and an unwise as well as unpraiseworthy determi nation to seek her good, even at the expense of 11 the neighboring commonwealths. In deed, fee goes "so far as to proclaim boldly that ""in f"vernment as in family matters; charity bogies at home, and that be wbo providet'h not . for those of his own house is worse than an infklel." This declar ation simply means that all the rest of the Union -should make laws with tender hearted sympathy toward the state of Maine; snd, consequently, few will sub scribe to it. If it meant that Maine ought to be good to herself at her own expense no oae could object to it. The stereotyped praises of Grant and his administration are as tiresome as a twice told tale, and deserve no comment. On the whole it may be said that Blaine's letter proves thtt he is no statesman, and, unless tbe administration party continue in tbe policy of putting forward the mosf'aenseless acd lit person" in its ranks to be pres-ident, the Speaker's chances may be considered as ruined. PERSONAL. Prof. .James Russell Lowell bat; just re turned from Europe. Theon of Gen. Sherman enters tl scien tific school at Yale this ye,ar. Mr. Samuel Hooper, of Boston, is added to the list of Congressmen who decline reelection. Sardou asks (3,000 down for the rieht to reproduce bis new play, "A Soldier of Fortune," in England or America. General -Sherman has rented a pew in St. John's (Catholic) church, corner Sixteenth and Chestnut streets, St. Louis. The Rev. Dr. Day, editor of the Morning Star of Dover, N. H., declines the call to the Presidency of tbe Hillsdale (Mich.) College. Tbe most frequently mentioned among tbe aspirants for the Russian mission are ex Senator Nye, of Nevada, and ex -Senator Cattell, of New Jersey, Sir Peter Leiys painting of "La Belle Jenninge' tbe pure and beautiful maid of honor at the court of Charles I., has fallen by inheritance to Mrs. John Edmunds of Corning, la. Tbe editors of the Advance, Chicago, are going to the Rocky Mountains, accompanied by ex-Governor Bross, the Rev. Robert Collyer, Prof. Nathan Shepard and other prominent citizens. Miss Sarah E. Raymond, for many years a valued teacher in the city schools of Bloomington, 111., has been promoted to tbe superIntendf ncy ot public schools of that cify,vice S. II. (Jaylord. Archbishop Manning states that the order excluding female voices from the choirs in the achdioceee of Westminster, Epgland. has not been rescinded, as has been reported, but is still in full force and observance. Miss Sallie A. Bowles, daughter of Samuel Bowles of the Springfield Republican, has married Mr. Thomas Hooker, ol New Ha yen. and will soon sail for Furore on a pro tracted "bridal tour" of two or three years' au ration. J. A. Macgahan, the correspondent of the New York 'Herald at Khiva, has received from the Russian government the cross of tbe Russian military order of St. Stanislaus, witn tne s words crossed, ana inscribed with the words "For Bravery.".Mrs. Van Cott, the revivalist, was, at last accounts, in an Francisco, soon to come east. She says that in one year she has spent 1.76C hours in religious meetings, trav eled ,zvs miles, written tax) letters, conduct ed 823 prayer meetings, preached :3; times and converted l,.u people. The German jonrnals Inform us that Prof. G reist, an eminent German writer, is about to leave for America for the purpose of. makins researches in the state archives lor a history of the American Constitution. We are also informed that the professor will be the guest of President Grant doringa his si ay. Washington Chronicle. Tbe poet Teunyson, who has been suffering from a severe rheumatic attack this summer, has just sent a cheering letter to Walt Whitman the first letfer written by him for several weeks, as his right arm was affected. The laureate mentions in it the case of a friend of his prostrated with cerebral anaemia, Whitman's malady, but who recov-! Mrs. Maria Jourdan Westmoreland re cently delivered her lecture on Kisses" before a large and distinguished audience in Atlanta, Georgia. The lectnre was delivered in response to a request s.'gned by many of the most prominent citizens of the place. Mrs. Westmoreland will make, during the reason, the tour of the principal summer re,sor:s, stopping at the White Sulphur Springs, Cape May, Lot's Branch, Newport and Saratoga.

THE noOSAC TUNNEL.

THE WOBK YET TO EE POTtB THE PIF11CÜI.T1ES TO BE OVERCOME ITS PKOUAIII 4 COMPLETION IN A FEW MONTHS. The Troy Press gives the following ac count of tbe present condition of tbe Hoeaa tunnel: When the headings of the Uoosat tunnel met last Thanksgiving day, Mr Shanley promised those who were there ride throuzh the complete bore on the Fourth of July. This promise was heralded through the country. Many people wba were acquainted with the character of tha work wondered that the opening was fixed at so late a date. Not so those wbo oa that bitter cold day made a pedestrian excartAoa through the tunnel. Most of them imagined that Mr. Shanley was a trill aver enthusiastic when he made the promise. Tbe Fourth has come and eone, and tha tunnel is not yet finished. Still the amount of work that has been accomplished in tbe last aeven months is remarkable. Mmcb. account was made of tbe speed of tbe borings previous to the meeting or the headings, yt,t the subsequent progress has beem fully as rapid. Last Thanksgiving day the last obstacle that Intervened between tha east and west ends was removed. Since then the work of "trimming off" has been carried on. The task ot enlarging tha bore to tbe full sire required by the ecu tract has been found by tbe Messrs. Sfeaaa ley to be an undertaking second only in magnitude to the woik of making tbe hole through the mountain. From the central tha ft west and from the west shaft east the hole gradually tapered from tbe lull ska required by the contract until a man could easily touch both sides with his hands and tbe top with his head. Since the meeting of the headings the work cf ''finishing" has been carried on continuously, but comparatively slowly on account of "the hardness of the bench rook. A brief and cursory examination of THE PRESENT OONPITION OF THE WORK shows that it will be Idle toexp6ct the opening ot the tunnel route before the end of the present year. Entering the tunnel at tbe west end the visitor observes that it is brick arched for a considerable distance. The b9d however, has uot been graded. In the center a swift and not very shallow stream of water Is running. The water drops through the sides and roof. The intention is to build a drain through which this underground creek will run the whole length of the tunnel. Beyond the arching ana to a point n-ear the central shaft a great deal of rock must be removed before the work is finished. From tbe central shaft to the east end the work is substantially completed. The contractors are obligated after they make the tunnel of full size to lay a continuous track for th whole length. At the east end they are about ready to commence track laying. Ties are now being laid. But a great deal must be done after the single track is laid through the tunnel. From tbe present terminus ol the Troy A Boston railroad in North Adams to the west end, a distance ot two miles, a track must be laid, and the peculiar situation will render the building of this track no easy task. Work is progressing however, with as much rapidity as possible. When this is done and the tunnel track laid there will a single track line between Boston and Troy and thenca to the West. But this will not answer. The Boston & Albany railroad, which must ever be a 6trong rival of the new line, has a double-tracked line, splendidly equipped and plenty of money. The road bed of the tunnel line is in many places cheaply constructed, and having been originally built to subserve local purposes, runs out of its way to leach small villagei. When it becomes a through line the track must be straightened, grades reduced, and better rolling stock and more of it nroviiWJ else the Boston it Albany will maintain tk supremacy. TUE PILGRIMS. LETTER FROM FATHER HAMILTON, OF LAFAY ETTE MASS IN THE HOLY CITY IRREVERENT FLEAS MOVEMENTS OF THE INDIANA MEMBERS. The following letter from the Rev. George A. Ilaneilton, of St. Mary's church, La Fay ette, appeared in the Courier and will be read in various parts of the state with deep interest: Hotel de Roma, June 17, 1874. Rev. Dear Father Hallinan: We are still here in the Eternal City, making a final finish of sight-seeing. This morning I said mass on the very spot where St. Peter was crucified the last mass I will ever say in Rome, as we leave the Holy City this evening at 5 o'clock for Florence, Venice, Milan, and other cities, on our way to Pans, which we expect to reach by the middle of next week. The, pilgrims have all dispersed in different directions, some to Germany, some to France, others for Loretto, and not a few to Ireland. Thomas W. Kone and George Ball started last Friday for tbe last named place. Our Lafayette band has kept together since we left the Star City: now it is broken, and we feel lonesome since Thomas and George left our ranks. I would remain some days longer in Rome, were it not for the excessive heat and the tormenting fleas. We have, however, seen and visited most of the sacred shrines, and our religious curiosity is pretty well satisfied, though it would take two years to study and understand the wonders of pagan and christian Rome. We visited this week the Forum ot Trojan Temple of Pallas, Temple of Mars, St. Peter "in vineuto," Baths of Titus, tho Church of Se bast in aud the church of "Domine quo vadis," bo called from the fact that Peter, escaping from Rome to avoid persecution, met our Savior. St. Peter addressed our Lord, "Domine.quo vadis?" to which the Savior replied, enio iterum crucifigi," "I come again to be crucified,' which caused the apostle to return to bis doom. We visited the Catacombs of St. Sebistian.of St. Calixtus, tbe cemetery of Domitilla, where thousands of heroic christians were buried. These are cacred shrines indeed. Ob, if the degenerate Italians had but one drop of the blood that coursed the veins of those primitive heroes of the faith, they would not süßer the Holy Father to be now in chains, and tbe monuments built up by their pious Catholic ancestors to be confiscated by an infidel government. Father Benoit yesterday left for his native place in France. He felt u n well an d t hou ght the mountain air would restore him. Father Steiner has gone to Naples. Father Lorin is still here, and Bishop Da engcr is also detained here on ousiness. The pilgrims have been received everywhere with every mark of respect; Cardinals, Lords, Counts aud visCounts have all been running after ns, so that we begin to think that we Ilöosiers are grea. men. James B. FalJey, my companion, and I will reach London about 'the 1st ot July, then visit our friends in Ireland, and leave for home about tbe 15th or 20th of July, U. A. 11. The editor ol the Worcester, (Mas?.) Pal ladium announces that in futuie that paper will be published under the name of Helen M. Knowlton & Co., and says that she trusts that the knowledge of the fact that this is a woman's paper," will net lead her readers to recognize any les3 ability in her editorship than if she belonged to the sterner sex. Miss Knowlton and her sister hwve had entire control of the Palladium since October 1. 1S73, and a good paper they have made ot it.