Newspaper Page Text
VOL. XXIV -NO. 287.
COLUMBUS, GEORGIA. WEDNESDAY MORNING. DECEMBER G, 1882
WASHINGTON NEWS-
FORTY-SEVENTH OONGKHS8.
Hcporft »f the 1'lnb CommlMlon—Trial
or Foreman Dickson—Second Chap*
ler or tbe Star Bonin Trlala—
Important Supreme Court
Decision, Etc., Etc.
HOUSE.
Hpoclal to Knquirer*Sun.]
Washington, December 5, — The
bouse met at 12 o’clock.
After the reading of the journal, the
speaker laid before the bouse the an*
nual report of the comptroller of the
currency and it was referred to the
committee on banking and currency.
The speaker, as the regular order,
proceeded to the call of committees lor
reports.
Kelly, of Pennsylvania, chairman of
the committee ou ways and means, re
ported a bill to abolish internal reve
nue tax ou tobacco, snutTand sigarettes,
It was referred to the committee of the
whole, and the minority was granted
leave to tile a minority report.
The house took up the calendar bill
to repeal and amend certain acts par-
taiulng to the shipment and discharge
of seamen, was passed. It repeals
the provision for the payment ol three
months extra wages to seamen and
provides in lieu that seamen discharged
in foreign ports shall be provided with
means ol returning home, or provided
with auother berth. The bill em
bodies substantially the modifications
of law recommended by the Joint
special committee having in charge the
question of the decline of American
shipping.
A message from the senate announc
ed the death of Hon. Benj. H. Hill, of
Georgia, and after a few touching re
marks by Hammond, of Georgia, the
house, as a mark of respect to the mem
ory of the deceased, at 1:80 adjourned.
SENATE.
Brown presented the credentials of
P W. Barrow, chosen to fill the uutx-
pired teim of the late Senator Hill, ol
Goorgia. When the credentials had
been read, Edmunds remarked that
tiie governor’s certificate was not, in
his judgment, in conformity with the
act of oougress, but as ail know that
Barrow had been regularly eleoted he
would not urge the point, being con
tent to call attention to it so that this
defective certificate should not be
drawn into precedent.
The oath ofollice was then adrninis*
tered to the now senator.
The president, pro tern laid before the
senate the annual report of the comp
troller of currency which was ordered
printed.
On motion of Anthony, the standing
and select committees as they existed
at the close of the last session were con-
inued.
Petitions were introduced by Davies,
Ingolls and Cockrell in relation to the
passageot the pending bill lor the in
crease of pensions to soldiers whe lost
limbs or are laboring under equivalent
disabilities.
Saundeis gave notice that early next
week be would call up the pending
bill for the admission of Dakota.
Beck offered a preamble and resolu
tion setting forth the law against levy
ing political nsstssmeuts with copies
ot circulars asking contributions for
political purposes issued by tne repub
lican and read] nstor committees during
the last campaign, and instructing the
judiciary committee to investigate the
matter fully and report how much was
so collected, where and how it
was spent and whether those
political committees, or any
of their members, have still any of
the money in their possession; also,
the names of all persons dismissed
from public service since the 5th of
May, 1882. and how many of them had
failed to contribute, as requested. The
resolution requires the committee to
report, by bill or otherwise, on or
before February 1, 1883.
Beck said he would call up the reso
lution to-morrow.
Platt offered a resolution instruct
ing the commissioner of pensions to
give a mass of information under four
teen heads in relation to pension rolls
and the probable effect upon it of the
passage of the house bill, 1410,: now
pending iu tlio senate.
Bayard asked Platt to amend the
resolution so as to call for a complete
alphabetical list ol pensions, but
Platt declined upon the ground that
this would delay too long the informa
tion desired by the committee on pen
sions in connection with the pending
hill.
The resolution, at Beck’s suggestion,
went over until to- morrow.
At the conclusion ol the morning
hour Hoar called up the resolution to
meet daily at 11 o’clock. After discus
sion, it was rejected, leaving the hour
of meeting at 12 o’clock ns usual.
After the passing of the bill permit
ting retired army officers to hold offi
cial positions in territories, the senate
at 2 p. m., on motion of Pendleton, ad
journed as a mark of respect to the late
representative Updegralf and Lowe
UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT.
Washington, December 5,—A de
cision was rendered by the United
Btates supreme court this afterternoon
in the tax sale case ol the United States,
plain till'in error, against Gen- W. P.
C. Lee, which involves the title to the
tract of laud iu Alexandria county, Va,,
knows as Allington, and which was
brought here by writ of error, from the
circuit court of the United States for the
eastern district ol Virginia, The judg
mentofthe court in favor of the Lee
heirs is affirmed. Opinion by Justice
Miller, Chief Justice Waite and Justice
Gray; Bradley aud Woods dissenting,
THE SECOND CHAPTER OP THE STAR
ROUTE TRIALS.
No progress was made to-day in se
curing the remainder of the jury for
the second trial of the star route cases.
Everybody who was eligible was able
to present some valid excuse, and the
case went over until to-morrow.
STAR ROUTE DICKSON ON TRIAL,
The preliminary examination of Wil
liam Dickson, foreman of the last star
route jury, began to-day. There are
two charges, one of attempting
to improperly influence the star
route Jury, and one of conspiracy
to Illegally obtain money from the
United States. The government was
represented by H. H. Wells. Nearly
all of the members of the last star
route jury were present. Several of
the jurors testified to Dickson’s read
ing in the jury room his now famous
statement in which he asserted that he
had been approached by agents
of the government. A copy of this pa
per was put in evidence. The defense
interposed strenuous objection to the
admission of the copy and demanded
the production of the original, hut
after Judge Snell admitted the copy
the defendant’s attorneys held up a
paper which they said was the
original document and which they
meant to make use of themselves. As
sistant District Attorney Moore identi
fied the attested copy of this paper. He
had sealed up the original and sent it
with other documents iu the case to the
office of Attorney-General Brewster,
and had not heard of it since until the
assertion of the defendants counsel to
day.
The jurors who testified to Dicksons
reading his paper, stated it had
no influence in shaping the
verdict, meaning thereby that those
who voted against conviction had tdeir
minds already made up independently
of the evidence, and no weight was at
tached to Dickson’s statement by the
other jurors. Oue of these discredited
Diokson’sassertions atthetime he first
heard them, whereupon Dickson
“hoped the Almighty God might strike
him dead if the story wasn’t true.” I
Counsel for the defence made no effort
to controvert the charge that Dickson
bad read the paper asjeharged, nor to
dispute that the effect ot Dickson’s ao- I
tion was to vitiate any verdict which
might have been arrived at, hut held
that the charge at issue in the present
trial was the corrupt purpose on the
part of Dickson.
MONUMENT TO THOMAS .TEFPRSON,
Among the recommendations in the
book of estimates submitted by the
secretary ol the treasury is an appro
priation of ?10,000 to erect a monument
at the grave of Thomas Jellerson at
Monticelio, Va.
REPORT OF THE UTAH COMMISSION,
The Utah commission, in the report
to the secretary of the interior, dated
November 17th, 1882, detailing the re
sults of their labors in the territory,
say ‘‘the analomus condition of this
country and its people, together with
the inherent difficulty of adjusting the
local laws to the act of congress, are
such that they imposed ou us great
oaro and deliberation lest on
one hand we should go be
yond the limits of the law,
or on the other band fall short of a
vigorous and effective discharge of our
duties. We were obliged to construe
ourselves. The commission
did not oonstrue the spirit of the act
forbidding polygymists and bigamists
from votiug only to effect those
who were actually in polygamy
at that time, such construction would
sanction perfect nullity, and they added
such regulations as seemed desirable to
carry out the objects of the act. The
commissions recommends that mar
riage by law he enacted by congress
which would form theauxllliary in the
suppression of polygamy. This law
should declare all future marriages
in Utah null and void unless con
tracted aud evidenced in the manner
provided by the act. Certain places
should be designated for all marriages,
which should bo witnessed by certain
persons and registered in specific pub
lic offices. So as to make the proof of
marriage morally certain, parties and
witnesses should be required to make
their affidavits against polygamy. Ans
other suggestion is that marriage be
solemnizod in private, but with like
guarantees of registration, affida
vits, witnesses, Ac, In either
case appropriate penalties should be
provided for the violation of the act.
The commission say that owing to the
peculiar state of affairs in Utah, the ter
ritorial law allowing to women the
ight of suffrage is an obstruction to the
peedy solution of the “vexed ques
tion” and should be re
pealed or annulled by con
gress. To obviate the difficulty
in proving the first legal marriage the
commission recommends that congress
declare the first or legal wife a compe
tent witness iu such oases. The com
mission say that they have not had
time fully to test the operation of the
law, hut so far it has been decided a
success in excluding polygamists from
the exercise of suffrage and they are of
the opinion that a steady and
continued enforcement of the
law will place polygamy
in a condition of gradual oxtiuction.
The commission notices, as an encour
aging sigu, that many of the “liberal”
meetings have been largely attended
by Mormons, and that these meetings
have been characterized by good order
and good humor.
There is no inclination in the report
to advise congressional legislation
a radical character, unless
upon further observation and expe
rience its necessity shall be dem
onstrated. In conclusion, the
report says, after counselling modera
tion : “If, however, the next session of
the legislative assembly eleoted under
the act of congress shall tail to respond
to the will of the nation, congress
should have uo hesitation in using ex
traordinary measures to compel the
people of this territory to obey the
laws of the land.
Utah Territory.
Special toEnqulrer-Sun.l
Salk Lake City, Utah, Dec, 5.—
Governor Hooing has made appoint
ments of those municipal officers who
would have been elected last August
but for the Edmunds bill. The pres*
ent incumbents of those offices refused
to turn thorn over to the governors ap
pointees in all cases but one. Three
district courts of the territory havo
already ruled on applications for man
damus. Judge Hunter has decided
that the pleadings were insufficient.
An amended complaint lias since been
filed. Judge Emerson virtually
decides that the complainant is entitled
to the office, but has granted a stay of
proceedings aud an appeal has been
taken which will be argued at the Jan
uary term of of the territorial supreme
court. Judge Swiss decided that a
mandamus is the proper remedy and
offices were vacated by a lapse of the
election. The governor was, therefore,
authorized to fill them. Amotion for
a stay of proceedings pending an ap
peal will be argued December Oth.
ResnrrectionlatN A r veiled.
Special to Enquirer-Sun.]
Philadelphia, December 5.—Frank
McNamee, Dutch Pillet and Levi Chew,
the latter a colored man, were arrested
late last night while driving a wagon
containing five dead bodies to the Med
ical College. The bodies had been stolen
from the Lebanon cemotery, a burying
ground for colored persons in the
lower part of the city. The prisoners
are professional “resurrectionists,”
aud their operations havo been carried
on for a long time. This morning a de
tective visited the cemetery ground and
arrested Robert Chew, its superinten
dent, and Andrew Mullen. The pris
oners wero this afternoon held iu 85,000
each for a further hearing on Friday
next.
An Editor Attacked.
Special to the Enquircr-Sun.]
New York, December 5,—A Troy,
New York, dispatch says: “Jerome
B. Parmonter, editor of the Press, a
democratic newspaper, was attacked
and struck with a horsewhip by a son
of Secretary of State Carr this morn
ing. The provocation is said to be a
porsonal article which appeared in the
Press of last evening reflecting upon
Carr,”
Steamer Monk.
Special to Enquirer-Sun.]
Liverpool, December 5.—The Al
ban Line steamer Peruvian, from Mon
treal, while entering the river Mersey
at 5 o’clock this morning, collided
with the steamer of the Clan Line.
The Pei uvian was considerably dam
aged and lies sunk ou Crosby Beach.
The crew and passengers were saved.
The other steamer was damaged, but
not sunk.
Indicted for Forgery.
Special to Enquirer-Sun.1
Richmond, Va., December 5.—At 3
o’clock the grand jury of the United
States circuit court returned with a true
bill of indictment agaiust Win. H. Tal-
inan, oue of the parties charged with
forgery, etc., in connection with sup
plemental assessment lists. Several
other employes in the commissioner of
revenue’s office are under arrost on
similar charges.
GEORGIA LEGISLATURE.
Twenty-Seyentli Day’s Proceedings,
Senator Brown’s Donation Rs<
fused by the House.
A n.itl Ulrl wire.
Special to Enqulrer-Hun.J
Little Sank, Minn., December ft.—
J. C. Goodwater was yesterday shot
by his wife. He had habitually abused
her and on this occasion attacked her
with a knife, whereupon she shot and
killed him, Mrs. Goodwater is only
seventeen years of age and has two
children.
Failure.
special to Enqulrer-Hun.l
Chicago, December 5.—-E, S. A C. W.
Richards, caught in the corn deal, buh-
peuded yesterday.
SENATE.
Hpeolal to the Enquirer-Sun.1
Atlanta, December ft.—The senate
was called to order by President Boyn
ton at 10 o’olook, a. m.
A message was received from the
governor that he had signed the fol
lowing:
A joint resolution providing for in
dexing the journals of the present ses
slon.
An act to amend an act to enable
the purchasers of railroads to form cor<
porations, etc.
Also, a sealed communication in
writing, to be considered in executive
session,
TO SIT IN RECESS,
The resolution of Senator DuBignon
to permit the committee on ^district
ing the state to ait during the recess of
the general assembly, was passed.
THE AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT.
Mr. Livingston, chairman of the
committee on agriculture, reported
back senate bill “to abolish the depart
ment of agriculture, and for other pur
poses,” with the recommendation that
it do not pass.
Mr. Tatum, of the committee, sub
mitted a minority report.
COTTON SEIZED DURING THE WAR.
Mr. Gustin, chairman of the commit
tee on special judiciary, reported the
resolution “requesting our senators and
representatives in congress to procure
the passage of an act allowing claims
for cotton seized during the war to be
filed, notwithstanding the lapse of
time.”
his report was afterwards agreed to
and the resolution adopted.
On motion of Senator McDonald, the
bill to abolish the department of agri
culture was laid on the table.
message was received from the
house announcing the passage of cer-
iin hills.
Senator Pike reported the correct en-
dlment of certain bills.
House bills for first rending wero
taken up, read and referred to proper
committees.
Two bills amending the codo were
rend the third time and passed.
The bill to abolish tho department of
agriculture was made the special order
for Thursday nexL
The resolution on the subject of edu
cation, to distribute United States funds
on the basis of illiteracy in the states,
ns read.
The resolution was discussed by Sen*
ators Livingston, Tutt, George and
others.
The resolution was agreed to by a
unanimous vote.
The bill to provide for an election on
the sale of liquors in Decatur county,
was passed.
The senate bill to allow local bills to
originate in either senate or house, the
same being an amendment to the con
stitution, which was reported adverse
ly by the committee on the judiciary,
was brought up for consideration.
Senator Parks moved to disagree to
the report of the committee, and in a
forcible speech urged his motion.
After some further discussion the
bill was lost.
Adjournod.
IIOUNE.
The house was called to order at 10
o’clock by Speaker Garrard.
Mr. Hoge moved to reconsider the
vote of the house by which Senator
Brown’s proposed donation|to the Uni
versity was rejected. Messrs. Hoge and
Hulsey supported the motion to recon
sider, and suggested that if tho bill was
placed ou the oalendar as unfinished
business, some way of accommodating
or removing the obstacles in the way
of accepting tho gift might be found,
Mr. Falligant opposed the motion to
reconsider, and moved to lay it ou the
table, which motion prevailed—yeas
74, nays 47.
The special order, the general local
option law on the liquor question, was
recommitted to the committee on tein-
peranoe.
The house then went into committee
of the whole ou the bill to appropriate
810,000 to complete the rebuilding of
the North Georgia Agricultural College
at Dahlonega.
After some opposition bv Mr. Roun
tree the committee rose and reported
the bill back to the house, with a re
commendation that it be passed, with
some amendments ns to its details pro
posed by the finance committee
Messrs. Little and Rico supported
the bill in forcible speeches, and Mr
Rountree again opposed it.
The bill passed as amended: yeas 103,
nays 32
The following hills were read a third
time and passed:
To authorize the board of roads and
revenue of Taylor county to let out
contracts without requiring security
To amend an act incorporating the
town of Butler, Taylor county.
To fix the fee for retailing intoxica
ting liquors in Ware county at 810,000
To repeal an act to fix the license for
retailing liquors iu Washington county
at 820,000.
To prohibit (by an election on the
question) the sale of intoxicating
liquors in Washington county.
To prohibit the sale of intoxicating
liquors within three miles of Rehoboth
church, Wilkes county.
To incorporate tho town ol Sumner,
Worth county.
Adjourned.
Mteamboat Darned.
Special to Enquirer-Sun.I
Raleigh, N, C,, December ft —A spe
cial from Washington, N C , pays the
steamer Enterprise was burned off
Maud’s Point, ten miles from Wash
ington yesterday afternoon. Captain
W. A. Thompson, W. H. Hancock and
a colored man from Peyton, were
drowned. Captain Mayo displayed
great heroism in saving the passengers,
among whom were Mrs. Dillon and her
children.
New Orleans I'ollon Exchange
(Special to Enqulrer-Hun.j
New Orleans, December; - ) —At the
annual election of the Cotton .Exchange
yesterday, the following named gentle
men were elected for tho ensuing year:
John Phelps, president; Gilbert H.
Greene, vice-president; Adolph Schrie-
ber, treasurer. Great interest was
manifested and almost a full vote cast.
UenerAl M. C. Haller Ke-Elecled.
Special to Enquirer-Hun.l
Columbia, S. C., Doc. ft.—Gen. M. C.
Butler was to-day ro-elected by the
general assembly United States son a*
tor. Col. S. S. Thompson was inaugu
rated governor. He delivered an ad
dress touching on national as well as
home affairs.
Tried and Acquitted.
Special to Eoquirer-Hun.l
Danville, Va , Doc 5.—John Henry
Johnston, mayor of this city, indicted
for the murder of Hatcher, the late
chief of police, was acquitted in the
hustings court at 12 o’clock last night.
The jury was out about twenty min
ute*.
Steadier Ashore.
Special to Enquirer-Huu.J
London, December 5,—The steamer
Strotlimore, Savannah, November 10,
ror Iireweu, is aslioro at Colondsoog,
Netherlands. She has jettisoned a part
of the cargo. Assistance has been sent
her.
A I.riral Opinion.
Special to Enquirer-Bun.|
Richmond, Va., December 5,—Judge
Hughes, of the United States dlstriot
oourt, to-day gave apodal instructions
to the grand Jury iu tho matter of tho
alleged electiou frauds which that
body are investigating. Judge Hughes,
in referring to the recent election in
Virginia, says that tho whole machinery
wherewith it was conducted was
mainly supplied by tho laws of the
state. ’ It was none the less a federal
election, and all oltenses against a fair
and free expression oi the popu
lar will wero punishable un
der the federal laws. After quoting
from sections ftftOG and Bftll of the re
vised statutes in support of this asser
tion, he instructed the jury that if any
of the persons whose cases they were
considering havo committed perjury
or forgery, or giveu false certificates
for which thoy may he prosecuted un
der tho laws of Virginia, thou thoy
were, under the circumstances, named
offenses against the United States and
punishable under the sections quoted.
These Instructions wreo doubtless
given by Judge Hughes to offset the
charge of Judge Christian to tho grand
jury of tho hustings court yesterday,
and in which ho alluded to the recent
arrests made by the fedoral authorities,
and said that as far as the offonses
against the state laws are concerned
the UnUed States courts are in tho con
templation of the law as much foreign
courts as those held in St. Petersburg
or Vienna, with no jurisdiction what
ever in cases of offenses against state
laws.
Three Notorious Outlnn* Captured.
Special to Enquirer-Sun.]
Kansas City, December 5,—A dis
patch from Moberly, Mo , reports that
three men yesterday registered at the
hotel under the names of Curry and
Smith, two representing themselves as
brothers. They wore soon recognized
as Nicholas, John and ^Richard Bok,
notorious outlaws from Mt. Sterling,III.
Officers were notified, and promptly
attempted to arrest them. A running
fight ensued, in which many citizens
participated in aid of the officers. Rich-
ALABAMA LEGISLATURE
Eightt'entli Dny’a Prooedim-H,
Kipping Into Railroad Matters.
aril Cook wan killed, ami John
Nicholas were hadly wounded, and
Nicholas will probably die of Inn In-
juries,
ratal Railroad Accident.
Special to Euqulrer*Sun.]
Tow an da, Pa., December 5.—An ac
cident, caused by a misplaced switch,
occurred ou tho Lehigh Valley rail
road to-day, at Rumraerfield. A freight
train standing on tho sidling was hid
into by an express Lraih, aud Engineer
Foulke and Fireman Kingail, of the
freight train, were burned to death.
R M. Mullan, brakeman, was badly
hurt. Botli engines wero totally
wrecked. Tho baggage and express
cars and sleeping coach wero burned
also. Tho mails and passengorH were
uninjured.
Another Aveonnt of Wlini Became of
Special toEnquirer-sun.i
Rochester, N. Y. December 6 —To
bias Forbes, of Clyde, who is nearly
eighty years oi ago, and whoso father
was a cousin of William Morgan, "i
Masonic notoriety, says thru Mi i\thii
was released on the condition Unit he
would leave the country. He did so,
going to Welbourne, Australia, and
there commenced the pubdeaiion ot h
newspaper, which, af.er his d<a'h.
passed into the bauds of his son, v li '
may now he living iu that locality .
Probably Stic- Could (?'.
Special to Enqulrer-Hun.l
Paris, December 5.—Relative to the
report that the United .Stales govern
ment contemplates making a claim
against Franco in regard tr» the murder
of two American oitiz ms in Madagas.
car, the Afoniteur Universal publishes
an insulting article, declaring tlmt the
American navy is so reduced by pecu
lation that tho United States were
recently obliged to backdown »«> Chili.
France, it says, could ruin every A mor-
ican port.
The Swollen Heine.
Special to Enqulrer-suu.i
Paris, December 5—The cellars of
the Pallaia Bourlson wine vaults at
Bercy and th« printing offices of the
newspapers Union ami Universal arc
flooded by tho overflow of the .Seine.
Engineers apprehend that the pressure
of the Seine will destroy tho emsoway
protecting Entrepot des Vino.
The Flight ofNlnm
To the Editor of The Hun—Mr.*
Has there ever been known any ap
preciable change iuthe relative posi
tions of the fixed stars?
Has there been a change of lute iu
the angle formed by the three stars
in the extremity of the handle of the
Dipper? A Constant Reader.
New York, Nov. 2!).
Yes, and the rate ol motion of a
great many stars has been carefully
measured, but their distances are ho
immense that a change of millions of
miles in their real places is percepti
ble to us only by the most delicate
measurements. Although some ap
pear to he moving more rapidly Ilian
others, yet many thousand years
must elapse before any of them have
changed their relative places suffi-
ciently to sensibly alter the appear-
ence of tin; constellations. Stars are
moving not only in such directions
to slowly change their relative sit
uations as seen from the earth, but
also in the liuo of sight, that is to say
toward or from tiie earth. With the
lapse of ages this motion will change
the relative brilliancy of the stars as
seen from the earth, some which
now shine brightest becoming faint
while others that at present are bare
ly visible becaming the most bril
liant.
A change is taking place ilithe rela
tive positions of tiie stars in the Dip
per, nut so slowly that it is not appa
rent to ordinary observation.
Benetnasch, the star in the end of
the handle, is moving toward the
howl, while Mizar and Aliot.li, the
other stars forming the bundle, an
moving in just the opposite direction
Magnetize the Bkij.—A German
bus occupieil many years in studying
the art of bed making, or rather bed
placing. Baron iteichenhach
painstaking German, maintains that
improperly placed buds will shor
a man’s life. Hesays:
If a mere magnet exercises an
fiuence on sensitive persons, tiie
earth’s magnetism must certainly
make itself felt on the nervous life of
man.
In whatever hemisphere you may
be, always sleep with your feet to tl
equator, and let your body lie “tri
as a needle to the pole.”
The baron says the polar direction
of the body is of the utmost impor
tance for the proper cultivation of tiie
blood, and many disturbances in the
human organism have been cured
by simply placing the bolster at a
different point of tiie compass from
that it had occupied.
Let such as have hitherto been in
the habit of sleeping with their heads
where their feet ought to he, take to
heart the example of the late Dr.
Elschweiter, of Madgeburg, who
died recently at the age of one hun
dred and nine yeurs.
The most unhealthy position, we
are told, is when the body lies due
east and west. Borne observers as
sures us that to sleep iu such a pos
ture is tantamount to committing
suicide,ami that diseases are often ag
gravated by deviations from the
proper posture.—C/irlaliun ut Work.
SENATE,
Special to Enqulrer-Hun.l
Montgomery, December 5.—Bills
wore introduced as follows:
Mr, McClellan—To amend section
1111 ofthe code. m
Hr. Jackson—To regulato the man
ner of working parties convlotod of
misdemeanors.
Mr. Troy—To amend section 2234
(102(5) of tho code concerning tho re
linquishment of dowers,
Also—To authorize the railroad com
missioners of "Alabama to co-oporate
with tho railroad commissioners of oth
er states iu recommonding joint rate on
lines extending out of the state of Ala
bama, so as to avoid the effect bf un
just discrimination by combined local
rate or otherwise.
Also, to empower the railroad com
mission of Alabama to recommend
joint local rates on freight and railroad
companies iu this state.
Also, to amend section 28 of an act
to provide for the regulation of rail
road companies in this Htate, approved
February 20, 1881.
Also, to protect passengers from
drunk aud disorderly persons while
traveling on railroad cars.
Also, to prevent railroad corporations
in this state from transporting dyna
mite, uitro glycerine or like explosive
articles in an any baggage, mail, ex
press or passenger car.
Mr. Brooks, of Mobile—To provide
for tho better enforcement of sections
4408 and 4445 ol the codo, relative to tiie
keeping ot g-uuing tables and lotteries.
Mr. Gardner—To protect railroads
from trespassers.
Also, to authorize conductors of
trains to put < IV a passenger and hiH
baggage when such passenger refused
to pay his fair.
To putiish any servants of any rail
road who shall iu consequence ot in
toxication or gross or willful miscon
duct or negligence cause any.loss of hu
man life.
Also—To punish any person who
shall maliciously cause an accident to
any railroad by which the death of a
human being is produced.
bills passed.
To compensate sheriffs for feeding
prisoners confiued in jail for contempt
of court, allowing seventy-fivo cents
per day lur each prisoner.
To authorize the mortgage of planted
or unplauted crops. (Does not apply to
prior superior lien of landlord).
To pay sheriffs amount due for feed
ing and removing prisoners.
IIOUNE.
Bills wero introduced as follows :
Mr. Moren—To amend section 2820 of
the Code.
Mr, Watlington—For relief of jus
tices of pea'o, notaries public and con
stables.
Mr. Bury—To regulate and prescribe
the number of hours which shall con
stitute a day’s labor upon railroad
Mr
tin* codo
4019 of
Underwood,of Frank 1 In—To ren
der void mortgages on growing crons.
Mr. Glover—To prohibit the sale of
pistols and pistol cartridges in this
stato.
Mr. Simpson—To provide compen
sation ior constables for feeding pris
oners in certain cases.
Mr. Cowart—To provide for the
building tof lino fences in districts
whore the stock law prevails.
Mr. Griffin— 1 To provide for the pay-
ment of tho commissioners for locating
tint swamp and overflowed lands and
securing patents to tho same.
Mr BroyDs—To authorize tho com-
inssioners court ot Russell county to
ppoint and employ a superintendent
f public roads and bridges.
Mr. Reynolds, of Talladega—To reg-
ilate tne time in which tax collectors
shall make final aottlernont, and to fix
ishmont for non-compliance with
the fime.
o, of Talladega—To pro
tect persons dealing with minors car
rying on business.
Mr. Wood—To amend section 51 of
tho code.
Mr Samford—To amend section 2899
f tiie codo,
AIho, to amend section (»3 of tho code,
Mr. Hawkins, of Jefferson—To
mend section 3 of an act to regulate the
pay of sheriffs for feeding prisoners.
Mr JO lwards—To amnim section 4773
of tho code.
Mr. Foster—To repoal an act to pro
hibit tho sale of liquor in Macon county
*» far as relates to .Society Hill boat.
The bill was passed to divide tho
ate into four chancery divisions.
J. If. I*.
I'KtIUniNI.
i ICE A I’ NI'OKM.
Washington, Dec. 1.— 1 The presi
dent has received a communication
from Prof. E. Htone Wiggins, LL.
D., astronomer of the Canadian
finance deparmeutas follows:
Ottawa, Nov. 27, 1882.
To ftis Kr.ce/tency President Arthur,
President of the United States,
Washington
May it please your Excel
lence: Ou the 23d of September
last I announced through the Cana
dian press that a great storm would
occur in March next, that it would
first he felt in the Northern Pacific,
would appear in the Gulf of Mexico
on the night of the 9th, and, being
reflected by the Rocky Mountains,
would cross this Meridian from tho
west at noon of March 11, 1883.
No vessel, whatever her dimen
sions, will he safe out of harbor, and
none of small tonnage can hope to
survive the tidal wave and fury of
this tempest. As the wind will blow
from thesouthest, the planetary force
will he sufficient to submerge the low
lands of the American coast, especial
ly those bordering ou the Gulf of
Mexico and washed by the Gulf
Stream, while the air currents for sev
eral hundred miles along the east
side of the Rocky Mountain range,
owing to the atmospheric pressure in
those regions, will spread universal
destruction.
The New England states will also
suffer severely from the wind and
Hoods. No point outside of harbor,
in the whole area of the Atlantic, es
pecially north of the equator, will he
a place of safety, for this will tie. pre*.
eminently the greatest storm that has
visited this continent since the days
of your illustrious first president.
In view of this event, therefore, I
take the great liberty of representing
to your excellency the advisability of
ordering all United States ships into
safe harbors not later than the nth ol
March till this storm he passed.
The coming man will have micro-
scopes over his eyes,telephones ou his
ears, speaking tubes in front of his
mouth, a porous on his back and
liver pad on his stomach and well
healed.
Power, in its quality anil degre.,
the measure of manhood. Scholar*
ship, save by accident, is never the
measure of a man’s power.—«/.(/. I fol
'land.
Tli© rnnlvmirtt of iho 9
UeurglM Nfllioilhli-Thn A
polnfmeat uriltiiirnim.
Lagrange, December 4.—Confer
ence met at 9 a. in., Bishop Pierce In
the chair. Religious sorvieos wore
conducted by Rev. Morgan Calloway.
The bishop reported the following
nominations of yostorday: Traveling
deacons, H L Crumley and E T Hen
drick ; local deacons, F P Hudson, T
J Chattin, W G Spenser, J U Nolan, J
H Ellis, VV H Graham, L Pierce, A P
Jones, A F Norton, J O A Hickman, J
N Rivers, S H Braswell, 1C W Ballon-
S 3r ; traveling elders, J II Daniel, J C
aniel, J C Davidson, K Rond, u B
Qulllian; travelingoldors, B F Dodson,
J F Jones, F P Langford, VV F
S Powell, W J C .Simmons.
W. F. Quillian, A. J. Jarrell ami J.
T. Gibson wero appointed a ccnmiitteo
ou Iho Blblo cause.
Tho appeal oommittae in the case of
C. J. Oliver, reported that tho commit
tee affirmed tiie decision of tho court
below. Whereupon the said Oliver
stated that although suspended for only
twelvo months, he could never again
preach tho gospel ill the Methodist
church, and tonderod to the conference
his credentials.
The following wero admitted on trial:
li. M. Lattimor, L. W. Rivers, J, li,
Little, E. VV. Ballinger. J. T. Lin.
When tiie subject of Young J. Allen's
Anglo Chinese college waH presented
to tho conference, the most genuine
enthusiasm was awakened, and in the
shortest time conceivable, tho sum ol
84,837 was contributed. A preacher
from Tenuessee gave 8200 and several
members of the oonfurenco gave 8100
each. One layman % put down 81,000,
another 8600, and several 8100, a Baptist
brother among tho number. Tho sum
raised for all missions in the conference
this year reaches beyond 821,000.
When Iu Kill Alenl.
It is well known that the digestion
of different kinds of meat is tiie more
easily effected the longer the time
that transpires after the death of the
animal. The explanation given is,
that by keeping, the muscular fibres
become gradually dissociated; they
soften, become less compact, and con
sequently are more soluble in
the gastric juice. According
to physiologists, however, it is
not considered advisable to
wait until decomposition sets in, be
cause, in addition to its losing agieat
part of its nutritive qualities, the
meat becomes so nauseous that no
amount of cooking, or the addition of
condiments, will much improve it.
Messrs. Pasteur and Lemaire, in an
interesting paper lately submitted by
them to the academy of sciences,
stated that meat too far advanced, or
what is termed “faisandee,” is most
unwholsome, and it is a mistake com
mitted daily by sportsmen to wait
until game gets into this condition,
for it is thtfcii simply unfit to he
eaten. The above-named biologists
have shown thut tainted meat con
tains animalcules, which do the
work of transformation aud destruc
tion; and as it is difficult to ascetain
exactly the extent of putiefaction
that the meat has undergone, one is
liable to consume it just at the mo
ment when it should he rejected. M.
Pasteur and other micrographers are
ofthe opinion that those animalcules
of which there are uo less than thir
ty species, are of the same nature as
those that are found in living ani
mals suffering from virulent mala
dies, such as eharhou, etc.
Neiirly Teu TIioiinimhI Do! lorn for a
Copy of Petrarch,
From the Tall Mall GFzatte.j
Every one knows that the hook of
hooks — the hook which (saving a
Gutenberg Bible, which is out of the
comparison) has fetched the largest
price on record—is the Valdarfer
Boccaccio that was sold in the R »x-
hurglie sale. In that battle between
Lord Blandford and Lord Bponeer
the former won the prize at the cost
of £2,280, and by so doing he raised
himself to a pinnacle as yet unat
tained by others. But on November
11, at Messrs. Puttiek and Simpson's,
a struggle between Messrs. Guaritcb,
Ellis, and Thibaudeau had unending
almost as sensational. The P**lrarchs
of the Sunderland library came or;
for sale. Book buyers expected some
excitement, hut it was thought that
the great price would he given for the
editio jtrlnccjts, printed by V. de
Hi lira in 1740 on vellum, ThG fell to
Mr. Ellis at £280
But when the Petrarch of Bernar
dino di Novara (1188)came to he sold,
the price was instantly outdone. The
hook is rare aud beautiful. Its great
attraction lies iu the illustrations,
which resemble those of the etlc
brated Poliphllo. Aftei much fran
tic bidding it fell to Mr. Q.uaritoh
for the enormous sum of £l,9ftn the
second largest price ever paid for a
hook printed on paper. If dukes’
books are to go on selling like this,
surely in another ten years there
will not he a ducal library left in the
country.
A ICoonter Walking Around ’.tillioiit n
■lead.
Hlcbtnoml Whit,'.]
“Dr. Lancaster, what on earth arc
you doing?” said a Whig reporter to
the physician at the city almshouse
yesterday, as that gentleman was
found administering a big dose of
chloroform to an old barnyard rooster
in the hospital dispensary.
“Why, sir, this is the rooster Hea
rt, and I am going to show that
both politicians and roosters without
heads can live iu this free coun
try,” ami he went to work
carefully with his fine instru-
nts and took off the bird’s head
just above the ears, and cautious
ly gathered up tin* muscles, arteries
and veins and applied chemicals to
nt the (low of blood. Into the
of the biped he placed a glass
tube—a channel through which to
introduce food into the craw—and
then put the bird into a box covered
tli a cloth, with a hole in thecen-
j for the headless nec-k to go
through.
“In u few hours,” the doctor said,
this chicken will walk around with
steady step, a brainless agent without
sight, thought or feeling.”
And sure enough, the doctor was-
right. At .5 p. m., the chantieleei
was walking about tin* floor of tin
dispensary with no care us to the re
sult of the election or as to where
when he would get hiH next it
The head was put away in aleohn
Several years ago Police (’aptai
II. Leary, of Brooklyn, N. Y.,
consciously swallowed a nee lie.
lodged iu his [stomach and for
years it was a constant source of
fering. He was treated for dysp-psia,
catarrh of the stomach, and other dis
eases, hut the medicine did no good.
Suddedly, after he ceased to take
medicine, the pain disappeared. Re
cently his ankle began to swell, and
then it as mysteriously got well, and
the side of his left foot began to pain
him. He treated tiie swelling as a
bunion, hut the trouble did not cease.
Inflammation followed, ami extended
to the knee. A few days ago a phy
sician, In making an examination,
found tiie point of the needle pro
truding from the side of the foot, and
lie drew it out with a pair of pincers.
, Since then all the pain disappeared.
The needle was covered with rust.
THE TRANSIT OF VENUS.
Th« Phanomonon to be Seen by
Any One Through Smoked
Qit.se.
Tlio Antrouomors nml Their Prepara
tions to Soe Ilia Transit at
Various Points.
Tl.r- M.tvf'rnnieiil A|»|»roprlatInns-
Ollier TriuiNilN of Venus.
The planet Venus to-day will pass
between the earth and the sun for the
first time since 1874, and for the last
time before theyear 200ft. The planet
has for some time been brilliant in
* she swings
rapidly near-
»e earth and
1 behind her
the evening sky. I
round her orbit she is
ing the line between i
the sun, setting closi
fieiy lord every i
when the “trai
she will
veiling;
lit”
urs
appear as a small
spot upon the sun’s bright disk,
moving from edge to edge in about
six and a half hours—from 0 a. m.
until 2:21 )>. m. A piece of smoked
glass will enable any one along the
Allan lie coast to see the phenome
non, which a pair of common opera
glasses will make more distinct, (.’are
should he taken to have the glass
which is to protect the eve from the
sun well smoked. Better than
smoked glass, on which the loss of a
Hake of soot might injure the eye,
would be a piece of colored glass,
dark brown or blue.
A transit of Venus is due to the
simple fact that her orbit about, the
sun is inside that described by tlio
earth. I f her orbit were in the same
plane as that ofthe earth there would
he a transit every time Venus com
pleted her revolution in respect to the
earth. But sometimes she passes
above and sometimes below the sun,
and the transits are rare events, oc
curring in pairs, eight years inter
vening between those of a pair. The
pairs are separated by periods alter
nately of 105A and 121A years. The
transit to-day is the second of a pair,
the first of which occurred in 1871
the importance of the transit.
There iH no display of interest to
the unscientific eye in (he transit of
Venus. The thousands of observers
who will crane their necks and dirty
their noses with smoked glass to day
will see nothing hut a little round
black spot moving slowly over the
sun. But the scientific value ofthe
transit lies in the fact that it can he
made to measure the distance from
the earth to the sun, which is itself
the astronomical unit of measure*
ment iu the vast distances of space.
The mathematical process by which
this is done is very complicated. But
it can readily he seen that two ob
servers at distant points on the earth
would see the planet at different
points on the sun’h disc at the same
moment. I f theexact distance between
the two points can he measured,
the sun’s diameter can he calculated,
and its distance from the earth di
rectly follows. Tho details of this
work are so complicated that the re
sults of the transit of 1874 are not yet
fully known, and years will pass be
fore anything definite will be known
of the deductions from the observa
tions of December. So far the only
transits observed are those of 163i,
17(51, 1709 and 1874. After the transit
of 17(59, the distance from earth to sun
was reckoned at from 92,000,000 to
05,000,000 miles. This was so wide a
margin that over a million dollars
was spent in observing the transit of
1874, and the calculations so far made
vary from 92,000,000 to 9:5,500,000
miles. Tt is hoped that the observa
tions will reduce this immense mar-
gin.
HOW OBSERVATIONS ARE MADE.
Observations are made in three
ways. The simplest is merely to
observe the moments when the
edge of tiie planet just touches the
edge ol the sun—the “contracts,” as
they are technically;called. Another
method is to measure as often as
possible the apparent distance ofthe
planet from tho edge of the huu. A
third method is to make as many
photographs of the sun with Venus
upon it as can la* obtained during the
transit. The pictures are afterwards
measured. The photographs of 1871
were for the most part failures, but
the American photographs were ex
ceptionally good. It is difficult to
avoid distortion in photographs, and,
moreover, the scale of the plates must
be so accurately fixed that errors shall
not exceed l-lOOOdi of an inch on a
four-inch picture.
The difficulty in tho observation of
“contracts” caused by the atmos
phere of Venus, which causes a hand
•f darkness which seems to join the
planet to the edge of ihe disc for sev-
• conds after it has really passed,
tinosnhere was first observed
by David Rittenhouse of Philadel
phia, at the transit of 17(59, when
Venus was half on the sun, he saw a
ring of light surrounding tiie rest of
the planet, so that its whole
outline could he seen. This
statement was doubled un
til confirmed by the observa
tions of 1871 Another point of in
terest to observers will be the possi
bility of discovering a satellite to
Venus, which would probably be
named Cupid) Supposed discoveries
noon to Venus have been often
made, hut more than a century huf
passed since the last announcement.
If the discovery is again made the
lost satellite will appear as a small
black speck near tin- planet.
VV 11»EI. Y Si 1 A TT E RED TEL EK< I ■ Ks.
The transit will he widely observed.
Congress at the last session appro
priated $7ft.000, which will put eight
parties in tiie field, provided will
tiie same apparatus used in 1st l Tlit
transit will he visible from beginniiR
to end all ovyr S>uth America am
the Atlantic slope of North America
Prof. Newcomb’s party has sailed foi
the (’ape of Good Hope; Prof. |>,
goes to Santiago, Chili; Assistan
PRICE FIVE CENTS
n il.MUV II ATTItKNNEN.
Memphis Avalaunhn, j
The United [states harbor improve
ment force on yesterday was engaged
in picking mattresses along the slope
of the river hank, below low water
mark, just north of the elevator
building. The process of placing the
mattresses is quite interesting. The
mattress is made of poles and
willows firmly hound together, and
is about one hundred and fifty
feet long, by 100 feet wide aud about
five feet thick. Tt is floated or towed
by a tug from above the mouth of
Wolf river to the place desired.
One end is then fastened to the hank,
while the other is held out in the
stream by means of a shore line. A
barge laden with rock is placed on
either si vie, and the rock is pitched
on the mattress, and also heavy
hags of gravel are arranged on
it. When it begins to sink tbe
barges are drawn near each other
over the sinking mattress, and the
rook is pitched pverboard radidly.
The mattress settles lapidly and
rests along the bottom or slope ofthe
hank where it remains and is soon
covered with a deposit of sand and
mud. In this manner an artificial
bank is formed wbieb prevents un
dermining and caving at that point.
This method is recognized as the
best by the United States engineers
to protect the banks of the river from
tbe rushing waters, finite a long
stretch of the river hank from the
mouth of Woll river to a point north
of the elevator has been thus protect*
ed, and except in two or three locali
ties tho mattresses have held their
position. In the places above men
tioned the mattresses were undermin
ed by sewers and storm water from
above and were washed away. The
plan is somewhat experimental, hut
the engineers appear to have great
faith in its efficiency for the purposes
intended, and it is said to he the
cheapest plan,each mattress costing
from eight hundred to one thousand
dollars when in position. Tiie plan
is quite simple in practice and would
seem to bo correct in theory—but as
to the Father of Waters t lie best plans
for its government and control too
often turn out a grand failure.
THE FORMATION OF COAL.
New York Tribune.]
At the meeting of the National
Academy of Science, ou Thursday,
J. S. Newberry, of Columbia college ,
read an essay on “The Physical Con*
ditions Under which Coal was Form
ed.” The paper was in substance as
follows:
The peat-bog theory of the forma
tion of coal has generally been ac
cepted. Tula view is to the effect that
coal is the residual hydro-carbon of
plunts which have grown whore their
remains are found, aud that it has
been found precisely as peat accumu
lated In marshes. Mr. Grandeury
lias recently endeavored to refute this
theory, and that makes it necessary to
discuss the matter again. He holds
that the plants from which the coal
is formed have been trans
ported from their place of
growth to a greater or less dis
tance in the bottom of some water
basin. Nature has in most instances
left a full and faithful record of her
work in the fads to which we have
given an imperfect study. I will
confine myself to one of the coal beds
in Ohio. This is of the lowest eoul in
theseries. This coal lies in a series
of narrow troughs or basins, which
were evidently once marshes occu*
pyiug local depressions, and the val
leys of streams upon the then exist
ing surface. Many of these deposits
have been worked into and expose
the following phenomena to view:
1. Afire claim below each seam
penetrated in every direction with
roots and rootlets of stigmaria.
2. A coal seam having a maximum
thickness ot six feet in the bottom of
the basins, thinning out to feather
edges.
3. The coal ou the margins of the
basins is some times thirty 1 or forty
feet above its place on the bottom.
4. An average of 2} per cent, of ash.
5. A roof composed of argillaceous
shale, of which the lower layers are
crowded with impressions of plants.
From these facts 1 derive the his
tory of the formation of coal which
made the peatbog theory the accepted
Dr. L. (’. Woodman, of I’aw Paw
Michigan, contributes the following
I have a singular phenomenon iu
the shape of a young man liviug here
that I have studied with much inter
est, and T am satisfied that his pecu
liar power demonstrates that electric*
ity is the nerve force beyond dispute.
His name is William* Underwood,
d tv
ily-s
I his
ifl
is that of gen til
medium of h
manipulations
breath,
with
Migh the
isted by
ids.
itli, of tin
Zealand, an
the navy, t«
Assistant
ii Lieute
'ey, u
mt Y<
W
idson,
tli
Forth Thorn, New Mexico, am:
Profs. Hall, Harkness and Eastman
will observe, respectively, at San
Autonio, Tex., Washington, U C.
and Cedar Iveys, Fla., France, Ger
many and England have also sen
out parlies; aud besides all these, oh
nervations will he made at all fin
observatories which command tin
eclipse, and the result collated a
Washington. Prof. Sharpless, o
Haverford college, will observe “eon
tacts.”
It is hardly likely that the best re
sults will do more than lessen uncer
tainty. Errors of second in an obser
vation mean errors of millions of
miles in a calculation; and so elusive
and diverse are tiie phenomena, so
different the circumstances of air aud
instruments, that comparisons ofob-
: orvations are difficult. Fortunately,
there are other means 1 to sovle the
problem, based on the velocity of
light; hut theopportunity of a oen-
1 tury will not he allowed to puss un
tried.
ybody’s haudke
and hold it. to his mouth,
rub it vigorously with his hand.-:
while breathing on it, aud immedi*
aiely it hursts into fiames aud burns
until consumed. He will strip and
rinse out his mouth thoroughly,
wash his hands, and submit to the
most rigid examination to preclude
tho possibility ol any humbug, ai.d
then by his breath blown upon any
paper or cloth envelop it in flame. He
will, when out gunning and without
matches, desirous of a lire, lie down
after collecting dry leaves, and In
breathing on them, start the fire, aud
then coolly take off his wet stockings
and dry them. It is impossible to
persuade him to do it more than twice
a day, and the effort is attendant with
the most extreme exhaustion. He
will sink into a chair after
doing it, aud on oue occa
sion, after he lmd a newspaper on
fire as narrated, l placed my hand
on iiis head, ami discovered hi* scalp
to be violently twitching, as if under
intense excitement. He will do it
any'time, no matter where he is, un
der any circumstances, and I have
repeatedly known of his sitting back
from the dinner table, taking a swal
low of water and by blowing ou his
napkin at once set it ou lire. He is
ignorant, and says that he first dis-
overed his strange power by inhal-
ug and exhaling on a perfumed
lkerchief, that suddenly burned
vhil
hands. It is
umbug, but what is it?
The Warren ton I iryiniun is re
sponsible for the following: informa
tion has reached this place that a roos
ter belonging to a fanner near Thor
oughfare Gap i i a • live with
a flock of wild turkeys. Every
morning at daybreak he crows, aud
the farmer, who knows where hi b
rooster is, is thus enabled to go out
^audkillawi turlce everyday. ,