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>0ii%ra fanner. H. H. CARLTON, - Editor. Terms of Subscription $2 OO l DO BO 15 00 4 00 ONE COPY, One Year. ONE COPY, Si* Months..- ONE COPY, Three Months .... LEGAL ADVERTISEMENTS. Citation for Letter* of GuarJUMhlP- Citation for Letter* of Administration....-, Application lor Letters of Dlamlaaion Admin- # ^ AppliHtonforLetter*oiDUmUsion Guardian 5 25 Application for Leare to Sell Land* 5 00 Notice to Debtor* and Creditor* — ? ?? Sales of Land. Ac., per *?uare.............--..-~ Sales Perishable Property, 10 days, per *q Estray Notlcos,30 day* - ® X Sheriff Sales, per square....... * Sheriff Mortgago ft. fa. *alea per square 5 00 Tax Collector’s Sales, per square ® ™ Foreclosure Mortgage, per square, each H.n*. 1 «o Exemption Notices (in advance) f " Rule Nisi's, per square, each time—....— HIT Tlic above legal rates corrected by Urdinary #f Clarke county. Hates of A-clvertlsinj*. Advertisements will be inserted at ONE DOL; LA R per square lor the first insertion, and FIFTY CENTS per square for each continuance, for any time under one month. For longger periods a lib eral deduction will bo made. A square equal to NoticesTn* local column, less than a square, 20 cents a line. The Silver Bill. Tlie House bill known as the Bland Silver Bill, and which will be found in another column, passed the Senate on Saturday the Kith inst., with cer- tain amendments, by a vote ot forty- eight to twenty-one, which amend ments the House litis since concuned in by a vote of 204 to 72, and the bill goes at once to the Pres ident for his signature. The benatc amendments preclude the right ot free coinage, securing to ihu Goveru- mciit the protit; provides for a con ference between the United States, the Latin Union, aid other European countries to determine upon an in ternational and fixed relative value between gold and silver; also limits the purchase by the Treasury lor coinage to fonr million dollars worth of silver bullion per month. Various conjectures have been made iu regard to the Presidents action upon this measure. Having passed both Houses of Congress by a two-third9 vote in each, with the popular sentiment throughout the whole couutry so de cidedly in favor of the bill, and with the salutary effects already experi enced in the stock markets and finan cial circles, in anticipation of this measure becoming law, it can scarcely be believed that the President will have the hardihood to delay its be coming law by exercising his executive veto. Such action on the part of the President, as he must well know, would only prove delay in the bill becoming law, for the vote by which it was passed in each branch of Con gress, clearly indicate the requisite constitutional vote by which it may become law despite executive disap proval. Then the Silver Bill may safely be considered the law, and as such it proves a victory over the Eas tern Shylocks, at which the whole country, especial the South, has cer tainly, rightful and abudant reasons for rejoicing. Notwithstanding the antagonists of this bill uniformly and universally staked their leputations as financiers and statesmen, in the predic tion that should such a measure be come a law, the whole financial world, wo far as influenced by American finances, would become convulsed; that gold would advance, and that the stock markets would be glutted with the bonds of foreign bond-holders, disgusted and made reckless by a violation of good faith on the part of the Government, yet just the reverse is true, while these prophetic states men, these experienced and far seeing financiers, constituting a hopeless and most fortunate minority, are left alone amid their disgust, with naught but their own-measured wisdom where with to console their disappointment. The late telegrams inform us that gold has declined, that United States bonds have slightly advanced to the gratification, albeit to the surprise, of both American and foreign holders thereof, and that the financial markets are fast adjusting themselves to the provisions of the silver bill. These speedy manifestations of the beneficial results of the restoration of the silver dollar to its former position in our American currenc)', are indeed gratifying and well calculated to in spire much hope throughout the whole country. Especially is this true as regards the South, which has so long and so seriously languished for the want of greater volume to our cur rency. But we apprehend the long contest over the Silver question, and the great excitement which it has produced throughout the land, has in all probability created too great ex pectations on the part of many of our people as to the good that will result therefrom, by way of relief to our financial necessities and distress. That the remonetization of silver will be beneficial to the whole country and to ^ “ the South in particular, there can be no successful denial. It will be worth millions of dollars to our people by preventing an unnatural aud undue appreciation of the value of money. It will of course increase the volume of our currency, all of which will be especially beneficial to the debtor class But the questions which now address themselves to eur attention, are, will this legislation prove sufficient for our relief? Will the remonetization of sil ver and its restoration to its former position so increase the currency a9 to meet our most pressing demands, making further legislation unnecessary for the relief of our present great fi • nancial embarrassment? These are grave questions, which should at once receive the serious and thoughtful consideration of the people as well as of our representatives in Congress. Taking it for granted that a very large majority, if not all, of our peo ple must recognize the benefits accrue to the country, from the en actment of the silver bill, yet it is hardly fair to suppose that those who have studied the question closely ; who remember that within eleven years our currency has been contracted from %1,800,000,000 to a little more than $700,000,000 ; who take into consid eration the fact that under the most favorable circumstances our annual coinage could not exceed fifty millions; and who bear in mind the great ten dency of silver to seek exportation, are likely to anticipate, without further action on the part of Congress, any very speedy relief from the present legislation touching the silver question. In this view of the question of our finances, our^hopes are strengthened by reference to the Congressional record. The bill for the repeal of the Resumption act, which is now before the Senate, will doubtless be passed by almost the same vote which the silver bill received, and while per se it could effect but little relief to the country, yet, as correlative legislation, it is both wise and important. An other important auxiliary measure is the passage of the bill substituting greenbacks for National bank circu lation, making them receivable for all public and private dues, except where coin is expressly stipulated, and further providing that they shall be receivable at the Treasury at par for four per cenl. bonds. Again, let General Butler’s Senate bill, which proposes the repeal of the ten per cent, tax on all issues of bills by banks, other than National banks, be j passed, thus re-establishing free- banking, and then with our currency made more subservient to the great law of supply and demand, may the country begin fully to hope for that financial relief which our necessities so urgently demand. But there is yet another matter of legislation which should not escape the attention of our Congressmen, and which, in order to secure more cer tainly the wanted relief to the coun try, and gain for themselves the title of wise statesmen and shrewd” finan ciers, they should by no means o\er- look, viz : the proper adjustment of the national revenue and expenditure. In the history of all nations, and in the experience of all the best finan ciers, and the wisest statesmen, there has ever been recognized a close and special connection between finance and taxation. This relation, since political economy has made such ad vancement, has become closer and stronger, showing that the taxes which are the most productive and the most easily collected, are not always the best, looking at the gain or loss of a nation in the long-run. Hence, indirect taxation, such as custom duties, etc., has gained great popularity, since the importer and the rfettttaraddfiiiem to the price of the article imported and sold, the fi naUpfirohafer ou^y realizing that the article is dear without experiencing the inconvenience and hardship ol paying a direct tax. Turgot, the able and talented Frenoh financier, once said “ that finance was. the art of plucking the fowl without making it cry.” This system of taxation has been advocated and sustained in the history, of all governments, and has achieved considerable popularity in the financial legislation of our coun try. But our experience, especially within the past ten or fifteen years, is quite fit vVrianec with this recog nized principle of taxation as being the best for out financial prosperity. In many instances, and in many re spects, indirect taxation has proven much more deleterious to our trade, our wealth, and our commercial progress, than direct taxes."- In view of this most important branch of our national financial legislation, it is a matter of consolation with the people to know that Congress iff row pro ceeding to its consideration l>y way of the “tariff Ml” and a m asure looking more directly to the question of taxation. These are important ques tions of government, in which the w ^ jbially the South and "eply interested, and the people are anxiously, patiently wait ing ( and .watching to see what will btflthe Course of Congfess concerning these measures, embraced in the broad scope of the great financial proposition. Wisdom and true states manship admonish* us ot the gravity of these questions, since in their just and judicious arrangement and ad justment may be stayed that conflict between labor and capital which now so seriously threatens the peace, prosperity and general welfare of our country. Already have we extended this ar ticle far beyond our intention, but we cannot gain our consent to con clude without briefly calling the attention of our people to what we consider and believe to be the more certain, sure, and direct-ruffd to their financial relief and material prosperity. In the agricultural, mineral, manu facturing, and various industrial re sources of the South, is that unde veloped and unapplied power, which, if but properly utilized, will as surely bring relief to our poverty-stricken section, as that its neglect will con tinue us easy subjects for the further agrandizement of the great money- centers of the country; unremuiier- ated and impoverished “ hewers of wood and drawers of water*’ for the ever-increasing money-powers of the Eastern and New England States. Let us cease contributing our hard- earnings for the further agrandize ment of those sections whose opu lence, thus increased, make them more and more our selfish, unrelenting and continual financial oppressors. With out this reform, hard times and scarcity of money will continue to oppress us, although the volume of our currency should be swelled to redundancy. Let the vast horde of agents, who are ever in our midst in the interest of the various Eastern, Western and New England enter prises, return to their masters empty handed. Let what of money is ours be kept at home for the development of our vast resources, for the estab- foc the lishment of manufactures, stimulation of our agriculture, and then with a “Solid South” made independent and self-sustaining, we will no longer suffer from that unnat ural condition of things which enables the speculative capital of the North to control both the price of pro ducing our cotton crop and its mars ket value. T.-ct us change this order of things. The. cotton crop of the South is the true and real basis of American commerce and of our finan cial prosperity. Our cotton will command the standard value of cur rency in this or any other country, be it gold or silver. Then, let us get about such a self sustaining con dition in our agriculture and in our every industry as will enable us to hold and control this staple product of the South, and cotton will again become the “King” of our relief, the source of our wealth, and the power through which the South will again be respected, known and felt as a most important and the only truly independent section of this American Union. The increased commercial impor tance which Atheus has attained within the past few months, is not only a matter of pride with every Athenian, but a subject of universal comment throughout the country. The extent of trade done in Athens this winter has doubtless far exceeded the expectations of the most enthu siastic citizens, and is a matter of proibuud astonishment to the many visitors to our city. That Athens should be receiving a trade which naturally and legitimately belong^ to Augusta and Atlanta, is indeed a most gra’ifying surprise to her peo ple, as well as an indubitable evidence of her enterprise and growing com mercial importance. What then, we may inquire, lias given this great impetus to the pros perity of our city, making her pros pective interest seeond to that of no city or town in Georgia, if not in the whole South ? Need we answer, the building of our Northeastern Rail road ? This is a fact which all will concede, and we apprehend no citizen of our c ommunity, who feels an inter est in the welfare of our town, has failed to fully satisfy himself as to how and why the building of this road has brought such advantages to Athens. Prior to the building of the Northeastern Railroad, we were at the mercy of the Georgia Railroad, whose mercy showed i.ot itself, but whose frightful and most unjust dis ci imiuations against our trading in terest rendered it impossible for Athens to compete, commercially, with her neighboring cities. With the completion of this road to its intersection with the Air-Line Rail road, not only are we enabled to control our freights, giving our mer chants an equal and just showing with those of Augusta and Atlanta, thereby bringing great advantage to the purchasing community iu the reduction of prices, but with this road has come an increased and most valu able trade to A 1 hens, which, had it not been built, »*..«! never could have hoped to gain. These are facts too patent to every one for ns to dwell upon. Then, the question for consideration is, if such have been the advantages to our town and people by the construction of the forty miles of road to Lula, its junction with the Air-Line Road, how much greater would be our ad vantages by its completion to its con templated terminus at Rabun Gap ? This would not only open up, and unquestionably secure to Atheus, as a market, one of the finest, if not the best, sections of Georgia, abounding in those products which arc ever in demaud, and for which our market constantly feel the want, but by the inevitable connection this extension would secure with Knoxville, Ten nessee, and via the Knoxville and Rabun Gap Railroad with Cincinnati and the whole West, our every advantage wonld he increased, our every interest enhanced, and the Northeastern Railroad become an important and valuable link in the shortest, best and most impovtaut through line of railroad between the West and Middle and Southern Geor gia. But the benefits of this exten sion to Rabun Gap do not stop here. Let it be built, giving us this unquestionable Western connection, and an equally inevitable result, and that, at no distant day, will be the building of the Athens, Madison and Eatonton Railroad; thus securing, via Macon, Ga., an almost air-line connection between Knoxville and Southwest and Seaboard Georgia. Aside from the value of this connec tion, as the shortest and most direct line of road between the West and Southern and Seaboard Georgia, when we reflect that thereby the West will have offered to her, via the Macon & Brunswick and Central Railroads, two ot the finest harbors on the South Atlantic coast, Bruns wick and Savannah, all must readily see that this line of road would at once become a perfect thoroughfare for freight and travel between the West and these important points in our State. Indeed, with such a pre sentation of this most feasible and practical through line of road between the graneries and smoke-houses of the West anil the cotton fields of Georgia, it seems to us that every citizen of Athens and Northeast Georgia, as well as of Macon, Bruns wick and Savannah, should regard this as not only a highly important, but ah absolutely indispensable enterprise. Citizens, merchants property own ers of Athens, reflect, that with snch rairoad connections, to secure which, only requires the completion of our Northeastern Railroad to Rabun Gap, Athens will become a distributing point between the West and the Southern portion of our State, thus making it one of the most impoitant commercial points in all this Southern land. Our population would be doubled, if not quadrupled, in a very few years; our manufacturing inter ests would be vastly increased and enlarged; our every industry and our every enterprise would have given them such unrestrained impulse that the comparative quiet of the town of Athens of to-day, Would soon bo for gotten amid the busy whirl and com mercial stir of our rapidly growing city. Now, people of Athens and of Northeast Georgia, shall this consum mation, so devoutly wished for, be brought about? It is for you to say, and it is altogether within your pow er, yourcomparatively easy reach. The people of Northeast Georgia, who are so much to be benefitted by this en terprise, are fully alive to its inter est. The people of Macon, Bruns wick, Savannah and Southwest Geor gia, are fast realizing the importance to them of the Northeastern Rail road as a connecting link with the great West. The city of Knoxville needs only to be assured that we will extend our road, and with renewed interest and increasing enterprise, they will be ready to meet us with their road at Rabun Gap. Then, let us take advantage of these propitious circumstances. The bonds of the Northeastern Road being now endorsed, the company is relieved of its embarrassments and set again upon sure looting. Theu, let the Directors of the road, not withstanding the times arc hard, call meetings of the citizens here in Athens, at Clarkesville, Clayton, and all along the line of the road, and let the people be more fully aroused to this enterprise. Let them now strike while the iron is hot; delay is dan gerous. It will be much easier now while the people of our section are encouraged over the endorsement oi our bonds to give new life to our road, than at a subsequent date, even though it be deferred but a short while. Then, it is to be hoped that the Board of Directors will give no delay to this matter, but at once start the good work, set the ball full in motion, and with an interest and enthusiasm on their part, and on the part of the people, commensurate with their great necessities and the unspeakable importance of this enter prise, we may hope, at no very dis tant day, to celebrate the completion of the Northeastern Railroad to Rabun Gap. Good people of Athens, we request that you give us your attention for just a few moments. The Burns’ Silver Cornet Band is to give a Con cert on the 4th of March, for the pur- pose of raising funds with which to buy themselves uniforms. Now, we want to say a word in behalf of this musical organization of our town. It is composed of seme of the very cleverest and best young men of our community, who have or ganized themselves into a band, not for the purpose of making money by their enterprise, but simply as a con venience and ornament to Athens, ft is, indeed, an ornament to our city, and though it lias only been about twelve months since it was organized, wo doubt if there is a better band to-day in Georgia. There is no one who will da v e ques tion the pleasure, and indeed, the value of a real good band to any community. There are many occa sions in the existence of every com munity when music is altogether in dispensable. And how much better to have our own band than have to secure one from abroad. Be it said to the credit of the members of the Burns’ Silver Comet Band, they are always on band with the very best of music. And be it further said tc their credit, (and this is what our citizens should not forget,) on public occasions, such as Decoration Dav, The Ciiilden’s May Festival, and all oilier occasions of public interest, they furnish music free of charge. This band is becoming quite popular outside of Athens, and is not unfre- quently called to make music for other communities. The proceeds from such trips are appropriated for instruction in music and their more thorough organization as a musical association. Now, in order that the band may be enabled to make a most respect able and genteel appearance on pub lic occasions and on their visits abroad, they propose a Conceit for the purpose’ above indicated, vi**to raise funds with which to purchase a uniform. Citizens of Athens, we ap peal to you in their behalf and in your own behalf, to sustain this most praise worthy and ornamental entei prise of our town. Let them have a full house on the 4th of March. It will cost each of you but a trifle, and will aggregate to them a sum which will enable them to make the Burns Silver Cornet Band an insltitution of which Athens may well be proud. Remem ber, further, that this band has given a number of entertainments, each an improvement on the preceding one, and that while you are aiding them in a most laudable enterprise, you will be treated to as fine a musical entertainment as can be presented by any traveling troop in all the country. Let everybody turn out on the 4‘.b, and patronize a home insti- tution. The Grand Jury ments. Present- The presentments of the late Grand Jury reached us too late for comment in our last issue. They have been given to the public and ere this time, the valuable recommendations therein contained, have doubtless met with the hearty approval and endorsement of every citizen of Clarke county. No more faithful, earnest and hard working jury was ever impaneled in old Clarke. They did their duty ably and with such fidelity to the trust imposed, as to receive the high com mendations of the presiding Judge, and no doubt the plaudit “ well done good and faithful servants ’’ from all the people of our county. Hon. Thomas P. Janes, Commis sioner of Agriculture for the State of Georgia, was elected President pro. tem. of the National Agricultural Congress which assembled in New York City, ou the 19th inst. H. G. & C. N. G. R. Road. The people of Harmony Grove, Carnesville and intermediate country, are fully aroused as to the importance of building the Carnes'ville and Har mony Grove Narrow Gauge Rail road. Let the Directors of the Northeastern Railroad and the peo ple of Athens likewise become fully interested in this enterprise. It is an important one for that road and Athens, and should, by all means, be built, ami that at an early day. Let the ball be put in motion. Let the Directors of the Northeastern Rail road and the City Council at ouce hold meetings looking to this interest, and see what can be done. The friends of the enterprise elsewhere are waiting on you, and are ready to co-operate actively with you. We propose to keep the building of this road, as well as the extension ot the Northeastern Railroad to Rabun Gap, constantly before the people, and will have much to say on that line in our subsequent issues. Hon. Henry W. Hilliard has at last been confirme'd by the Senate as Minister to Brazil.