Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 May 1895 — Page 6

BREAK IN THE WALL.

Disastrous result of protection’s Overthrow. ■ Oar Imports of Foreign Goods Become Barger While Exports Decrease—One of the Results—lnteresting Statistics. Work of Tariff Tinkers. During February our imports of for-eign-goods, were much larger in almost [every line of trade, notably so of MY-' -ley,- brushes, buttons, potash, clocks (and watches, raw cotton, cotton manufactures, earthen and china ware, eggs (467,000 dozen more in a month), glass and glassware, hay, hides and skins, bops, leather and its manufactures, paper, meat products, cheese, rice, seeds, silk manufactures, bags and bagging, tin and wood and its manufactures. The gain in the latter, though not quite so large as In January, was still so important as to warrant the production of our woolen imports in detail: Imports of woolen goods: February. February, 1804. 1595. Carpets ......'.. . $50,324 $165,983 Clothing, ready made 47,534 77,204 Cloths 620.074 2,258,812 Dress goods 676,672 2,022,933 Knit fabrics...... 39,346 50,952 Shawls 6,581 30,573 Yarns 33,195 172,954 All other 62,960 123,868 Totals.. $1,541,686 $4,903,279 During the two mouths of January and February we have bought nearly $8,500,000 worth more of foreign woolen goods than in the corresponding months a year earlier. The importance of the lower tariff on woolens'will be best appreciated, or otherwise, by those who gain their livelihood working in the woolen mills when they understand that we bought over 160,000 square yards more of carpets in two months and must consequently make that much less. We also bought, in two months, 5,800,000 pounds more woolen cloths, besides the larger quantities of ready made clothing, dress and knit goods. These larger quantlties will be sold in our markets, and every yard of them will supplant a yard made in an American mill by an American laborer. The competition in the woolen trade is both enormous and unnatural. The result must be as disastrous as the tariff reformers intended it should be. It is the outcome of breaking down our wall of •Protection and giving the other fellows a chance to get in. An Industry Disturber. Will the Republican organs and politicians never get over their passion for tariff tinkering? Do they mean to go on forever disturbing industry and unsettling the revenues with their endeavors to get one more President out of Protection?- - N. Y. World. We are glad to note that the World acknowledges the agency of tariff tinkering as an Industry disturber. Many free trade organs denied the responsibility of the late tariff legislation for the fearful depression which is still so hard pressing. The World ought not now to Complain of .the expressed purpose of the friends of protection to restore protective duties, for, according to its own editorial report on March 26, “the feeling in every deparment of business is distinctly better.” Ought mot the World to conclude that this rm- ’ provement, coming together with the higher tariff talk, is really because of that kind of talk? The difference between free trade tariff tinkering and protective tariff talking, is that, under the free trade kind, industry becomes disturbed and revenues unsettled, while under the protective kind confidence and stability become marked features. Fortunately we have object lessons at hand to which we cite the World, viz.: The period in which the McKinley law was under discussion and the period in which the Gorman tariff was under discussion. The same causes whiclj operated to give tone and stability to business in the tariff changing (period of 1890 will operate in the coming tariff changing period .of 1597. Whenever changes are made for the better protection of industry, industry with all its correlated activities will thrive, and, together, shed their beneficences upon all. On the other hand the same causes which operated in the free trade tariff tinkering period to depress, and oven destroy, industry, have always operated <in the past, whenever tried, in the same way. Interesting; Statistics. A half-year’s operation of the tariff reform free-trade bill gives interesting statistics regarding our imports of foreign cutlery, which were as fallows: Value of imports of cutlery, Sept. 1 to March 1: 1894-95. 1593-94. Increase. $1,080,055 $393,062 $686,943 During the first six mouths ending Feb. 28, 1895, we bought from other countries over $1,000,000 worth of cutlery, as compared with loss than $400,<>oo worth during the corresponding six months a year earlier. The actual increase was $686,943, which is at the rate of $1,373,886 a year. We do not believe that the improved couditiou of trade will Create a demand for this excess over and above the full amount of our own cutlery factories. If it does not there must be a glut in the market—a surplus of cutlery, which will result later on in lower prices, so that manufacturers aud importers can exchange tfieir stocks for money. If this be not done the surplus stocks will Increase. The workers in our cutlery factories know wllat this means. If the manufacturers are stocked up with more cutlery than there Is a mur--ket for, they must close down and the hands they employ must be idle. If the foreign cutlery secures the trade, then our manufacturers must either •hut up shop or reduce their expenses

In some way. The only way in which this can be done is by reducing wages. The outlook is not a bright one for those who work in our cutlery factories. Overproduction Not Responsible. The friends of free trade fannot attribute tbelow prices of wool last year to any increased supply, because from an annual review of the wool trade for 1594-'95. issued by Goldshrmigli, Mart & Co,, of Australia, we find the supplies given as follows: 1892. 1593. 1894. Bales. Bales. Bales. Australasian and Cape. 2,120.000 2.074,000 2,152,000 River Plate 415.000 414,000 443.000 Other sorts. 497,000 476.000 497,000 British pro- - dttCtiOa - . (in equiv-r-alent--of- ==—= .—= colonial bales .... Gs(Vital ttoxono .600.000 Uhited v States (in equivalent of colonial - - - bales) ... 823,000 900,000 526.000 Total sup- A plies available 4,511,000 4,502,000 4,518,000 It appears that the 1894-'95 wool supply was only 7,000 bales larger than In 1892, but our fanners know only too well there has been a great difference between the prices paid for their wool in the two periods. Pnt to Flight.

— ix —-r— One of the Results. One of the largest Canadian lumber dealers is about to establish an agency, in Pittsburg for the sale of Canadian lumber. This is one of tlie results of the pauper tariff act which the Cleveland administration lias loaded upon the people. Just how tlie introduction of foreign lumber is going to start up the American lumber interest is just as foggy as the boom of American wool by the introduction of foreign wool. Nobody but a Democratic editor can explain it and nobody but an ass believe it.—Tribune-Republican, Meadville, Pa. G 1 ass Workcra lnterested. The glass manufacturers of the United States, as well as the wage earners whom they employ, will learn with interest that we imported at New York, during the first half year’s operation of the new tariff, 1,520,000 pounds more of C- C. and C. unpolished glasp than in the corresponding months a year earlier, almost 1,000,000 square feet more of C. and C. polished, silvered glass, and' over 1,000,000 square feet more of unsilvered plate glass. Democratic Garments. Judging from the wool sales thus far tliis season the* consumption of that article in the United States will be but about 70 per cent, of the normal. That doesn’t look very much as if the Democrats had accomplished their expressed purpose of putting woolen garments on the backs of all the people. They might have succeeded better if they had not rendered it impossible for the people to buy any kind of garments.— The Cleveland Leader. It’s Different Now. President Harrison paid off $296,--000,000 of the public debt and turned over to Mr. Cleveland’s adminstration $124,000,000 surplus. There was not u moment from the inauguration of Mr. Harrison to tlie second inauguration of Mr. Cleveland in which we did not collect for every day of every year sufficient revenues to pay every demand and obligation of the Government.— Gov. Win. McKinley. Don’t Want It Changed. If we do our work at home our labor' at home will bo employed, and the wages paid at home will be spent at home. This is the philosophy of protection aud it cannot be abandoned, amended or abated. —Governor William McKinley. More Foreign Tobaccos. Of wrapper tobacco we importer at New York 512,000 pounds more, aud of other leaf tobacco 2,520,000 pounds more during the first half year’s operation of the Gorruan tariff than we did a year earlier. Large Lots of Linseed. An increase of 1,500,000 bushels in our imports of linseed at New York Isthe result of the first half year’s operation of the Gorman tariff. \ Coming to the Rescue.

COMBAT WITH “COIN.”

GREAT DEBATE ON THE CURRENCY QUESTION. W. U. Harvey vs. Prof. Laughlin—Former Champions Free Silver, the Latter Opposing; It —Thousands Hear the Di senssion in Chicago. , ■< v. * ;■ Silver Question Discussed. An animated and interesting debate took place in Chicago the other night between .7. Lawrence Laughlin, professor of political economy in the University "of Chicago, and William 11. Harvey, author of ‘'Coin’s Financial School.” upon the question whether the United-States should at once enter upon the tree coinage "<4l' silver at the ratio of 10 to 1, independently of the action of any other nation. I>r. Homer J. Thomas presided, and the spacious rooms of the -Illinois Club —were crowded to suffocation. Dr. .Thomas read the proposition Co be discussed as follows: “Resolved, that the United States should tit once enter upon free coinage of silver at a ratio of 16 to 1. independently of the action of any. other nations.” Harvey, it was stated, would speak Tor at \ hour. in_the. a titan ativo a n‘d ■ Fros. Lnugldin an hour and a half in the negative, Harvey then having thirty niin"utes~for"Tejdimler. Both men were liberally applauded. In opening for the affirmative, Harvey said: “The first reason why I am in favor of independent action by Oils country is that we should not be subjected to the influences of the governments of Ktivope. When our forefathers declared their Independeueo from Europe, it was lo free tlieuiselves of the class legislation of those governments, justly dueed to poverty and thp prosperitj* of the United State* can In- ruined by hanging to tlie financial policy of Europe. t'hnn we can be reduced to the same conditions by financial legislation as a war Conquest would reduce us. If wo it re right, and our friends.. the mono-metallists mostly say: ‘We admit ld-metallism would be good if wo could get international bi-tnetnlHsm;' in- other words, they agree that there is.something radically wrong, but claim that we are tied to the financial policy of Europe, so, that if there was a war of conquest in this country by the monarchies of Europe, whose form of govornmont is different from ours, it would re--tluco us to u-.eondiUun that the people of those governments aro in, anil they Can accomplish the same purpose by iiusutoial legislation. tlnm there is necessity for independent action. Where there is necessity, there is a remedy. The governments of Europe are plutocracies. They squeeze the lemon for the people about every so often. A few control class loyis:;itjun and the masses are tlie hewers of wood and tho drawors of water for tlie titled few. Hike the farmer (who* goes out and robs the bee's nest, they rob the people and then give them time to fill ttremost again -before going out to roll it again. Wo have certainly not forgotten history giving reasons why our forefatiters established this government- ami that was the reason. •*‘\ow as financial legislation is one of the classes of o' ftsts 1e gi sly tto a by whi e h man y are robbed and a few are enriched; then it is one of the institutions of the European governments that we ns a nation should declare our independence of. That is the first reason -why indendenpent financial action should be taken by the Halted States. If they saj': ‘We must have the same money they have in order to carry on business with them,' mv reply is. ‘that tin; biggest business we ever carried on with tin; balance of the world, and’ particularly with Europe, was the time when they had silver as a money and we had neither.’ “This nation can have an independent financial system without any reference whatocor tp the hciiincc of tlie world, and can tarry on its own commerce by ocean and by land with the. other governments of the world notwithstanding. Wo do not now settle our balances with Europe in coin except on its commercial value and by weight. Our coinage lias nothing to do with it, primarily the balances of- 4rade»axe-settled by. trade. We give them our wheat and we take their silks and the balance that wo may owe them or they may owe us will ho settled just as merchants between importing points may agree to settle it. They can settle it in gold for so much [icr-menuyweight as measured In the money of either country or our conn- , try, or in so much (silver or so much copper, or so much of any other-merchandise may be agreed upon between them in their trade relations. There is no such thing as an international money. “What we are. contending for is tiio opening of the mints to free coinage of silver (they are now open to free and unlimited coinage of gold and have never been closed to that metal), and the establishment, of bimetallism on these simple and fixed principles that were adopted by those statesmen who had in view the interests of no class, hut of all the people. What we want is ldmetallism. And scientific bimetallism is this: “1. Free and unlimited coinage of both gold and silver: these two metals to consHtiito the primary -og-mhuinttoti money of the government “2. The silver dollar of 371(4 grains of pure silver to be the unit of value and gold to lie coined into money and the ratio to lie changed if necessary from time to time, if commercial parity to legal ratio shall lie affected by the action of foreign countries. “3. The money coined from both metals to be legal tender in the payment of all debts. “4. The option as to which of the two moneys is to lie paid in liquidation of debt to rest with the debtor, and the government also to exercise that option when desirable when .paying out redemption money." Harvey closed as follows: "Tills is a question of capital on one side and humanity on the other. Of sound, the sound of the clod ou the coffin, oil one side and sound money, the sound that has an honest ring of the people*! money in It. on tlie oilier side. It is a question of an English policy or an American policy. Which shall it lie 7" Prof. Laughlin’s Argument. Prof. Laughlin. replying for the negative, said in part: "There is no need of an amount of money equal to till tlie goods In existence. The measure of value is that in which tlie prices are stated and debts are paid,.provided the measure is also the legal tender In any country. It is evident that the quantity of measures is not so material as tiie unvarying stability of the standard. The necessity of an increasing quantity of money is growing less important with’ tho development ox the system of exchanges. From 1)2 to 05 per cent, of the transactions nre performed by this machinery without the use of money and investigations by tlie comptroller of tho currency show that 54 per cent, of the retail transactions are similarly performed without the ust' of the money.' “liut some one might say that tliis vast System must he liquidated in actual coin and money, so our business system" rests like nn inverted •pyramid or a vertex on a small reservo of coin. This is wholly untrue. Wo express the value of goods in terms of money, but then we really exchange them almost entirely by means of a deposit of currency. It Is not trtu that this system Is unstable like tbe inverted pyramid. Cheeks and deposits are not reason for the existence of a transaction. The redemption is ultimately in goods, not coin. Coin Is only the means of going from one set of goods to another. “The prices since 1873 have not fallen liecause of lack of money. Silver hup fallen about 50 per cent., compared with the very modest fall In the price of commodities. Silver does not have the same purchasing price as In 1873. Hence free coinage cannot be urgpJ os a Just means of paying a debt. More so-called redemption pioney, by the amount of $1,002,000,000 is in existence to-day compared with 1873, and yet prices have fallen and silver still more. Prices unmistakably have fallen because of the cheapened cost of production. Since we undertook the purchase of silver in 1878 it has fallen nearly one-half in value although we have purchased about $000,000,000 worth. It Is perfectly evident there is no nso in the United States acting alone to holster up the price of silver when we have failed even In concert with the Latin union. Free coinage of silver,nt*lo to 1 means a single silver standard oi sliver monometallism. To-day tho market rutlo between gold and silver is nearly 34 to 1. If we had free coinage there would be a premium of nearly eighteen Ounces of silver on the withdrawing of every bttiiee of gold In circulation. Free eolnIge of silver under aucb . eqndltlonss as exist to-day would mean the Immediate

adoption of a single standard. It would not increase the, quantity Of money. Since gold must he inevitably driven out, the free coin* age of silver would result in a diminution of the quantity of money. , “It Is usually supposed that free coinage of silver is In the interest of the debtor class. h T think it will be found quite the contrary. Bnt greater than ail objections is that of public dishonor and repudiation. No trick or sophistry can make the scaling of a debt to mean anything hut dishonesty and eheat--1 ng. Were free coinage- Ur -past*- it- means" "that every deposit in savings bank, every investor;' in loan associations, every holder of life Insurance, every recipient of pensioru;, would have their dues reduced one half. Is it possible there is something behind this scheme not really discovered? “The proposal for free coinage is in truth a hugh disease, horn in the .private offices of the silver kings, nursed liy speculators, fed by boodle, and as sure as there is honesty and truth in the American heart, it will die voting and be buriedlnihe same Ignomlnous grave wherein now lies the forgotten infant, once famous as the Hag Baby. Free coinage Is gi'eenhackism galvanized into life." 7 ' Contrary to the expected arrangement, the time for the rejoinder was divided into three" parts between Harvey and Laughlin. This splitting up of the time resulted in. the rejoinders being more in the nature of chaffing each other than serious nrgument. The meeting did not adjourn until after midnight.

CHICAGO’S NEW PARKHURST.

l Rev. John Rusk, Ph. D., Smashes Seductive Slot Machines. Rev. John Rusk,. Ph. D., pastor of the Fullerton Avenue Presbyterian Church, Chicago, is the youngest and most Virile of that city’s reformers. He is the president of the Society for the Prevention of Crime. In hit? capacity as president ho has visited many of the plague spots of the city. His discourses upon such evils, and while working to suppress them is active in ameliorating tire condition of those not beyond the reach of help. Ho -4s now engaged, in lighting the places which have the iiickel-iu-the-slot machines and is meeting with good success. Dr. Rusk, fortified with the necessary papers and attended by the officers of the law, invaded a place where n mnuber of machines were in .operation, seized the first one he came to and boldly marched out with it. All the machines in the place

REV. JOHN RUSK.

were confiscated, and great excitement was created: among owners of places where* these devices are used. In an interview the doctor said: "There are upward of 10,000 slot machines in Chicago., I have had figures compiled as to their probable revenue, and find that the sum of $50,000 daily goes into the little slots. This enormous sum of money comes out of the pockets of people who can ill afford to lose it, and is a very considerable income to the men who operate the machjjtc.” The dofctor is an Ohio man. and 38 years of age... Like many other distingiiished pulpitarians, lie has a great variety of topics, gospel, philosophy, theology, history and sociology. He is conscientious in Ids humanitarianism, reaching far beyond mere denominational lines, Sometimes lie shocks his congregation by a lack of orthodoxy, and the ultra conservative element have’made several attempts to depose him.

THE CASE OF MEADE.

Insubordination Is Said to Exist in the Navy to an Alarming Degree. It seems probable that the issue between the Navy Department and Admiral Meade, growing out of remarks of

ADMIRAL MEADE.

granting of this that the interview containing the objectionable remarks was published. The naval regulations expressly f whirl officers from discussing public matters through the press or from criticising or commenting upon tho acts and policy of those in authority. The duty of officers, both in tlie navy and the army, is to obey orders unquestioningly and to refrain from criticism upon their superiors. It would seem that these regulations were violated by Admiral Meade and surprise has been expressed in naval circles that nn officer of-Admiral Meade’s rank aud experience, entirely familiar, of course, with the regulations, should have committed so grave an infraction of them and manifested such a spirit of insubordination. Secretary Herbert, in speaking of the matter the other day, stated that the President was shocked at tho recent prevalence of insubordination among naval officers. At no time for thirty-five years, it is said, have there been so many cases of this character. The Secretary said that there were more indictments pending now ngninst naval officers for offenses against the discipline and good order of the nnvy than tit any time since before the civil war.

Naming Children in Germany.

Id some provinces of the German empire there is an old decree in force forbidding the giving of names not found in the calendar of saints or taken from ancient history. An English gentleman writes to the Loudon News, saying that while In Germany he wished to have his son baptized Francis, but was prevented by the authorities on rlic abovenamed grounds. lie explained that Francis is short for Franclskus, which is in the German calendar, and that Sir Frauds Drake and Francis Bacon might bo regarded as belonging to ancient history. But no attention was paid to this plea. He Anally appealed to the courts, but the case was decided against him, and he will have to pay a flne or be sent to prison.. ' . •’ F _ % ,

the latter iu a public interview reflecting upon the administration, will become a celebrated case in our naval annals. -The admiral has I'been retired from with a year’s leave of ababsence, at his own request, and it was subsequent to the

INCOME TAX INVALID.

SUPREME COURT DECLARES IT UNCONSTITUTIONAL. Decision Goes Much Further than Previous One—Full Bench Preeent" When Opinion Is Read-Jackson, Har laffrßrowa and White Favor the Act. l ’"‘ “ *. Whole Law Knocked Out. In the judgment of the Supreme Court that portion of the revenue law of 1894 relating to tfle tax on incomes is “inoperative, riving at this conclusion the court took the view that, while some .sections of the law might be constitutional if taken up separately, tlie law was s(T framed that It • ctniid-jiot he considered equitably excepting as a' whole. In the opinion of the court Congress would not have enacted the law if it had supposed that that portion of it relating to incomes ou real estate and bonds would be declared unconstitutional, while those sections imposing a tax on business, franchises and privileges would be held to be valid and enforceable. It was clearly not the purpose of Com gross to levy a tax on occupations, professions and other forms of enterprise and labor, and, to exempt real estate and bonds. It-was the aim of Congress to tax capital, and as the court was practically unanimous in the conclusion that to tax income from real estate and municipal and State bonds was unconstitutional there would be a manifest injustice in upholding the law in part and declaring it invalid in part. r The vote resulted: Five against the constitutionality of the law to four for the law; Those against the law were Chief Justice Fuller and Justices Field, Gray, Brewer and Sliiras; for the law, Justices Harlan, White, Brown and Jackson. Chief- Justice Fuller read, the opinion and tho conclusions of the court are as follows: 1. We adhere to the opinion already announced that taxes on real estate being indisputably direct tfbees, taxes on the rents, or income of r eal estate ait equally direct taxes. ■•■■■ 2. Wo are of the opinion that taxes on personal property or on the income of personal property are likewise direct taxes. . *3. The tax imposed by sections 27 to 37, inclusive, of the act of 1894, so far as it falls on the income of real estate and on personal property, being a direct.tax within the meaning of the constitution and' therefore unconstitutional and Void, beeausqnot apportioned according to representation. all those sections constituting one entire scheme of taxation are necessarily invalid. Tlie decrees hereinbefore entered in this court will be vacated. The decrees below will be reversed and the cases remanded with instructions to grant the relief pray--cd. - , Sections 27 to 37 of the tariff" act" of" 1894, refei'red to in the conclusions of the court in the opinions, are ail the sections of the act relating to the income tax, so that-the entire income tax law is declared void specifically.

OUR POSTAL SERVICE.

A Comparison of Postoflices Here and in Other Countries. It costs the people of the United States about $6,000,000 a year to maintain the postal service. No other country in. the. world has so large a deficiency in postal: England makes $13,500,000 from it every year. France makes a profit of $9,000,000. Germany’s profit is more than $5,000,000. Twenty of the countries of the Postal Union have surpluses and fourteen of them have deficiencies. The Argentine Republic loses $2,000,000 a year; Russia, $1,750,000; Canada, SBBO,OOO, and Japan, Queensland, Bulgaria, Salvador, Uruguay, New South Wales, Siam, Luxemburg, Greece and Bolivia pay smaller sums for the convenience of those who write letters and those who receive them. The Post Office Department of the ' United States employs 178,835 workers. Germany comes second with 155,424;' Great Britain third, with 131,459; France fourth, with 57,828. The United States, with limited free collection and delivery, has an average of less than one letter box to each post office. Only 610 of the post offices in tlie United -States have free delivery—less than one per cent. Germany has an average of three letter boxes to each post office, and France, with her 7,369 post offices, has 61,609 letter boxes. There is a very remarkable difference in the character of the accommodations given in these countries. The number of letter boxes in the United States is 53,556; in Germany, 92,202; in

Great Britain, 44,697, or more than two to each office; in British India, 31,842. But Japan makes a remarkable showing in this particular. There are only 3,770 post offices in Japan, but there are 31,243 letter boxes to receive the mail for these offices, an average of more than eight to each office. The whole number of letter boxes in use in the world is 424,247. But the real value of a postal service is shown largely by the number of post offices in proportion to the population, or the area covered. And here the United States falls short. Switzerland has a post office to every 4.7 square miles of territory, and Queensland has a post office for every 428 inhabitants. These are the loaders in these two classes. The T'nitoil States holds the fifteenth place in tlie list of post offices in proportion to area, and the seventh placq iu the list of post offices in proportion to population. There is a post office in this country to every 58(4 square miles, and a post office to every 923 inhubitqnts. In the sending arid receiving of foreign mail Germany comes first aud the United States secoiid. Germany receives 09,000.000 foreign letters, 13,000,000 foreign postal cards, 25,750,000 prints and commercial papers and 3,750.000 samples every year. The United States receives 51,500,000 letters, 2,250,000 postal cards, 44,250,000 papers nnd 750,000 samples every year. > A Texan attended a theatrical performance in St. Joseph, Mo., the other night anti dropped dead in his seat. The “living picture” craze has gone just far enough now. A correspondent write* that “tho “Riviera is part hospital and part hell." American tourists, it may be added, do not go there as a rule for hospital treatment. ■The authorities of South Dakota are still taking steps to apprehend Treasurer Taylor. When last heard from Taylor himself was also takiug steps.

five French dramatists are at pres* entengaged "Tjir-plays-deallng..with "Louis XVII.” —Sardou, Pierre Decourcelle, Henri G'eard, Henri de WeindeL and Charles BueL j William'Watson, the English poeL has been granted a pension of SSOO a! year by Rosebery’s Government Tile Gladstone regime had already proyldedl him wLh a pension of SI,OOO a year. Tolstoi’s new story is called “Master fend Man.” It describes with patlioa and simplicity the way in which a commonplace, money-loving man sacrifices his life in a great storm to save that of his servant ■ ’ Among the comparatively recent acquisitions of the British Museum are a number of unpublished tales by Charlotte Bronte, written under the pseudonym of “Lord Charles Albert iFlorian Wellesley.” The museum also possesses a letter in which Miss Bronte refused to allow a London publisher to bring out her portrait. Admiral Sir R. Yesey Hamilton, of the British navy, is arranging to bring out a collection of letters from naval officers of all ranks, from midshipmen to admirals, containing something more of their daily life than can be learned from official reports. It is believed that the graphic stories of officers describing to their friends and relatives scenes of which they were eye-witnesses, with their observations, would be interesting. An Interesting book Is announced in “The Tragedy of Fotheringay,” by tha Hon. Mrs. Maxwell Scott, of Abbotsford. It is founded on the recently published journal of D. Burgoing, physician to Mary Queen of Scots. It will contain a photogravure of the Blair portrait and illustrations from the Calthorpe manuscripts, among them being contemporary drawings of the trial and the execution of Mary at Fotheringay, and lists of names, in Beale’s writing, those present on each occasion. .

A Modest Millionaire.

I never saw a man take life less serfously than John D. Rockefeller. He has an easy way saying and doing things that appeals! no the aesthetic nature. That $1,000,000 suit brought by Lon Merritt is not costing him a wink of sleep. - Nothing worries him, not all his millions. At times I have known to seem dull. I have known people to' take him for a soft, slow, stupid fellow instead of the hard, gliding, firm, rocky follow that he is. He once had an employe, a nervous, irritable young man, full of his own importance, but, withal, a capable clerk. He occupied an office in which there was one of those pulling and lifting machines, and regularly every morning about 9, when ho was immersed in figures or correspondence, a small, black-moustached man, quiet and ,diffident iu manner, entered, said “goodmorning,” walked on tiptoe to the corner aud exercised for a quarter of an hour. It became a bore to tho clerk, who at last, unable to stand it longer, remarked,- with considerable beat and fireworks, to the inoffensive, but annoying stranger: “How do yon expect me to do my work properly while you are fooling with machine? I’m getting tired of it. Why don’t you put it where it won’t worry a person to death?” The stranger replied with a blush: “I am very sorry if it annoys you. I will have it removed at once.” A porter took it awuy within an. hour, A few days later the clerk was sent for by Mr. Flagler, whom lie found in earnest conversation with the small, black-moustached man. The latter smiled at seeing him, gave Flagler some Instructions and left the room. “Will you tell me who that gentleman Is?” the young man asked, a light beginning to break upon lilm. “That was Mr. Rockefeller,” was the reply. With a gasp for breath, the clerk staggered back to Ills office to think. It was his first acquaintance with the Standard Oil magnate.—New York Tress.

The First Wills.

Wills were at first oral, as were also gifts of lands, and were only morally binding on the survivors. Origen and other fathers of the early church credited Noah with having made tt will, and In the fourth century the Bishop of Brescia declared all those heretical who denied Noah’s division of the world to his three sous by will. The oldest known wills are those of Egypt. Both oral aud written wills-not infrequently contained Imprecations on those who should neglect them. The earliest written will.ln existence Is that of Sennacherib, which was found In the Royal Library of Ivouyunjik. There is a great satneuess about our own royal wills. They mainly relate to beds, beddlug, clothes, personal ornaments, gold and silver cups, and payments for masses, and are generally as prosaic as one could contrive.— The Westminster Review.

The Dukc Vs. Tobacco.

It Is not quite fifty years since the Issue from the House Guards of General Order No. 577, which contained the following memorable counterblast: . “The Commaoder-lu-chiefi has been Informed that the practice of smoking, by the use of pipes, cigars or cheroots, has become prevalent among the officers of the army, which is not only in itself a species of intoxication, occasioned by the fumes of tobacco, but, undoubtedly, occasions drinking and tippling by those who acquire the habit; and he entreats the officers com-* mending regiments to prevent smoking in the mess rooms of their several reglmentsand in the adjoining apartments, and to discourage the practice among the officers of junior rank in their regiments.**—Notas and Queries.