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About Weekly chronicle & sentinel. (Augusta, Ga.) 1866-1877 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 18, 1871)
OLD SERIES, VOL. LXXYIIL (fbronidc ftScntin rl 0 Tbil.n> OF SlI'W RiniO.X. DAILY. - JO . 5 W y j/ r 7.V.V. V.V.V’.’.V.V.V V 1090 nu wEE * v ' ; : WWWV.W.W... ::■+ jf. *< oj 'VKKKL7. , „ * 2 J WILD* U JAY MOL'l.Nu, JANUARY 18. • r r ” r ' . Leaie of the* State Koail—Letter «>r Mr. lepUen*. The letter of Mr. Stephens, explaining his connection with the company to whom the acting Governor, Bullock, has leased that valuable property, known as the “State Road,” is before the people of j Georgia. We believe that the almost j unanimous voice of the people of the j State will be that Mr. Stephens lias left ; the matter no better than it was before ! his explanation. No one, so far as we know or have heard, believes that Mr. Stephens was in any de gree personally a participant in the fraud which all believe has been perpetrated by Bullock in the lease of the road. His j friends everywhere believe that so far as j he is or has been connected with the affair, j he has in no degree been a party, directly, in'the wrong which the State has sustain ed. But we have failed to hear of a sin gle person, among his host of friends, who does not deeply regret his connection with the ati'air While his friends are willing to, and do, concede to him the purest and best of motives in seeking admission into the Joe Brown ring, they deplore the egregious blunder which he thereby committed. Heretofore Mr. Stephens’ life, public ard private, has boen “like Caesar's wife, above suspicion.” A. long life spent in the public service, marked by striki ft abili y and rare devotion to the I interests of his constituents, has given him a hold upon the peopl j’s lavor scarce- ! ly attained by any other of our leading j men. Ilia arrest, cruel imprisonment and vicarious suffering for the Southern people just after the close of the war, and his subsequent industry and zeal in preparing for posterity a logical aQd unanswerable constitutional defence and justification of the causes which led the South to take up arms against the United States Govern ment, had almost canonized him in the affeeti <ns of *ho people. They had come to look upon him as a man too honest to bo suspected ; a patriot too pure for un friendly criticism. The people of this State paitieularly, mingled their love for the man with urido for the fact that Georgia, at least, held within her limits a statesman wise as Solon, unselfish as Brutus, honest as Cineinnatus, and just as ArDtcdes. Sympathizing to the’fullest extent in these feelings, we received the evidence of Mr. Stephens’ connection with the Brown Cameron combination with feelings of deep mortification and regret. Mortification of the taint which we knew would attach, whether justly or not, to all who were parties in this trans action ; regret that the power and influ ence of his naum and character should be acquired by a riug of operators otherwise powerless to do much harm. So much for the personal aspect of the affair; aud we would have been glad to leave the matter here. But Mr. Stephens attempts to justify the aotion of the Brown ring iri getting possession of this valuable property. The fust point made by Mr. Stephens iu favor of tho lease is that “ the road was paying nothing to tho State that it “was used praetioally as a political cor ruption fund,” and that tho cry for a lease or sule oi tho road “ was a Democratic ” measure. Admit these statements in all their breadth and strength to he true, liow do they justily tho leaso of the road for a sum little more than half what Mr. Stephens himself valued the road at. Mr. Stephens says in his letter that ho wrote to tho introducer of tho bill, that “in no *' event, nor under any circumstances “ would I (he) favor or vote for a lease, “ were I (he) in the Legislature, for less “ than $500,000 per annum.” It will be dillioult to reconcile his opposition to tho lease for a less sum than five hundred thousand dollars per annum with his sub sequent participation in a leaso in which only three hundred thousand dollars is given to tho State. U Mr. Stephens was right in his valua tion of the road—and every well informed man in tho State will agree that he was— it is quite clear that the Brown-Oamerou ring wilj make from the lease above and over a fair compensation forlhoir trouble, r-^k and labor in working tho road, the enormous sum of FODR millions of dol lars the diffcreuoe between the sum Mr. Stephens thought the road was worth and I that which is to bo paid for it, amounting in the twenty years of the lease to that cum. Wo are sorry that Mr. Stephens at tempts to justify his action on the ground that the lease was a Democratic measure, and that the Atlanta Intelligencer ms the only Democratic paper within his knowl edge that opposed the loan. Mr. Stephens is too intelligent a gentleman, too able a lawyer, not to perceive the fallacy which would make the supporters of a fair and juU lease responsible for an uniair, unjust and, according to Mr. Stephens himself, grossly inadequate one. \\ c know that many good men —Democrats, it Mr. Ste phens please—were in favor of leasing the road, provided a lair price was offered, and ample security given for its payment. We were not of that number, but we should not have had a word to say against it ii the State had received fair remunera tion for the road —even the sum named by Mr. Stephens —five hundred thousand dollars per annum—though we believe that would have been a very small sum for such a property. Mr. Stephens pays a poor compliment to Bullock, the friend of his associates Brown and Cameron, in declaring now that tbh time to« prevent a swindle was when the hill lor the lease of the road was pending iu the Legislature. Even though Bullock’s character was known to be bad, and his * fficial action in many cases cor rupt and venal, yet few supposed that the man would bo backed in any possible at tempt to defraud or swindle the people of the State in the lease of the road iar be low its real value, by the use of such names as that of Mr. Stephens in the leasing company. But the great mi-take which Mr. Ste- . pheus makes in his letter, lies in the tact that he supposes, or seems to suppose, j that the mere fact of the transfer ot the road by lease under the late hill is now opposed, and opposed by journals that were sileut when the bill was pending. We make no such issue. We admit that, under the law, the Governor was bound to submit the proposition for a lease of the road to bidders. This he did. But w e insist that under the terms of the bill he w as not required to accept a bid which was totally insufficient and inadequate. We insist further, that the law did not contemplate, neither did it authorize him, to accept a lower hid in preference to a higher one equally safe and secure for the State- We insist that if no other respon sible hid for the property were made than that of the Joe Brown-Oameron Company, that ho should have rejected their bid and retained the property for the Btate. And just here is where the great injury done ! to the State by Mr. Stephens and the few I reputable men in Brown’s company is : made apparent. Bullock would not have ! dared to lease the road to Joe Brown and Cameron and Ddanoand Dinsmore and Blodgett and Plant, for the petty sum of their bid, ner would even Joe Brown have been hold enough to accept a lease for t'-at pitiful sum, if they had not been backed up by the highly respectable and influential name of Mr. Stephens. Without, as we trust and believe, intend ing it, Mr. Stephens has been, in our opinion, the main cause of the low rate of the lease. t Bat the main fact which stands out with fearful prominence in this matter, is that properly worth, according to Mr. Stephens’ t itiiuate—which we think a low one -r five hundred thousand dollars per annum is leased for three hundred thou sand, aod Mr- Stephens is a member of the leasing esmpany. Mr. Stephens is a man of two much character—occupies two exalted a position, to have plead in his justfication, that as Bullock was deter mined to lease the road, it was better for him and a f'e4 Georgians to have an in terest in the big bargin than for all the large profits to accrue to Brown, Cameron, Delano, Blodgett & Cos. Some of the little men from this State, who are mem bers of the company, may put in a plea of this sort, but Mr. Stephens never. In the conclusion oi his letter, Mr. Stephens disclaims a knowledge of any thing wrong or unfair in the lease. We accord him full credit for this denial, and cheerfully accept his disclaimer to its full est extent. It is possible that Mr. Stephens is not aware of the strength and power of his name in a transaction of this sort. He may not be able to perceive the aid and respectability which his name has given to this project of the Browc-Came ron clique, yet the peoplo see and feel it in &11 its crushing force. We assure Mr. Stephens that his friends do “not indulge in any useless anduaneces "sary pain or mortification at anything he “(1) has done, or shall do in reference to [ “this lease.” They, it is very evident, j see the matter quite differently from Mr. Stephens. They know that however hon estly a man may become identified with a wrongful or unju3t act, his acceptance of the position and reception of the profits arising therefrom, will necessarily cast a shadow over even the most exalted repu tation. Men, in this world, are judged very much by the company they keep. And no man, however pure he may be, can continue association with bad characters without imperiling his own reputation. Mr. Stephens docs not see this matter in ail its hearings. Confined, as he unfortu nately is for the most part, to his home and bed, he seems not to be aware of the many intricate and, in many instances, demoral izing workings of the world around him. If anything could satisfy Mr. Stephens’ friends with the position he occupies as one of the Brown leasing company, it would he found in the declaration made by him in the closing sentence of his letter, in which he says: “ I expect to devote, as i “ have, much the greater part of the pre -11 cceds of my labor, not to my own ag grandizement, but to the assistance, the “relief, tho comfort and well being of “ others.” Already he has become noted for his many noble charities and generous deeds. The recipients of his bounty and his patronage can be found in every county and in almost every district of tho State, and they alike with the writer of this ar ticle will regard as a lasting sorrow this only tail iscrect act of a Jong life devoted to the cause of liberty, of truth, and of justice. T»*e Georgia and the St i te Kosuls. Onr correspondent, “Wilkes,” whose communication will he found in another column, broaches a question of much im portance, not only to the stockholders of the Georgia Railroad, but to the people of the entire State. Wo do not know where the authority to bind the road as a surety on the private or personal obligations of one or two, or even more, of the stockholders, is derived. It certainly cannot be found in its charter. There is nothing in the act authorizing a lease of the State Road which conveys the power. So far as we are able to ascertain the facts, the endorsement of the Georgia Railroad is not worth the paper upon which it was written. It may, and doubt less will involve the road in useless and expensive litigation, but we have no idea the courts will hold the endorsement to he binding. But as regards the interests of the State the question will be much more serious. If it is made to appear that Bullock has accepted security, which is not legally re sponsible, what becomes of the protection which the security was supposed to afford for the faithful performance.2of tho promises and obligations of the lessees ? Bullock must have takeu legal advice upon thia point. If he did, there can be no doubt but that lie was advised of the worthless character of the security ten dered. The State Road has, it is said, been turned over to the now company. If so, wt state upon the authority of the’head of one of the leading companies named as security, that his company has not signed the bond. It is a matter of grave doubt whether either of the roads offered as se curity has executed and signed the bond as required by law. But if they have their endorsement is worth nothing to the State. Mr. Stephens’ I.etter. \Y o take honest pride, as Georgians, in laying before the readers of the Chronicle it Sentinel the honest, honorable, manly act of Alexander H. Stephens as exhibited in his letter withdrawing from the Brown- Cameron ring. Mr. Stephens not only has withdrawn Irc.m all participation in this fraud, and thereby removed ail possible imputation upon his name and fair fame, but, to make the fullest reparation for an unintentioal injury, deeds to the State the whole amount of his subscription to tho capital stock in the Lasiug company. Mr. Stephens’ name stands without taint or blot. Not the shadow of an imputation so often trade, and alas ! in these days of plunder and reconstruction too often true, can rest upon his life-long public service- We have frequently differed from Mr. Stephens, but have always admired him, and no act of his life called from us great er admiration than this which, with the highest gratification, we place upon the public record. Bullock's Getter. We print in to-day’s issue a letter Lorn Bullock, in relation to our late election, that our readers may see what an effect the Democratic victory has had on him. Os course the inconsistency of his posi tions will be readiiy perceived. In one sentence he says, in alluding to General Toombs, that he has entirely lost his in fluence, and in the next he asserts that through the General's influence the elec tion in this district was a farce, and the laws of Congress entirely disregarded. Mrs. Belmont has the most beautiful emeralds in New York; Mrs- R. L. Stew art the most beautiful opal; Mrs. Stevens the handsomest arrangement of diamonds and amethysts. So many ladies have diamonds that it would be impossible to say whose are most beautiful. Mrs. Von Hoffman has, perhaps, the handsomest necklace of diamonds, which she wears on l green velvet, a charming background. Judge King's Letter. In another column will be found the reply of Judgo King to the communica tion of W ILKES, published in this paper on Sunday morning last, in relation to the endorsement by the Georgia Railroad Company of the Buliock-Cameron lease of the State Road. So far as Judge King’s letter is in reply ; to the communication of Wilkes, we do not feel called upon to respond to it. 1 Wilkes is amply able to take care of j himself, and we doubt not will, in good time, be heard again. If Judge King, had confined himself to the questions raised by Wilkes— if he had not in open viola tion of the declaration made in the second sentence of Lis long letter—a de claration in which he seems ta have taken special pride, and in which he says, with somewhat of the pomposity and ostenta tious boastfulness very often found in gentlemen lung accustomed to being re garded as rather above the vulgar herd, “ler political critieiam I care but little”— if, we say, he had not in the conclusion of his letter, in open violation of this high souoding declaration, invited from us our opinion in regard to the transaction, we should not have attempted a reply- Suddenly forgetting his lofty inde pendence cf political critics, he plain tively asks, “what should have been done by the large railroad interests of the State, ! or what they (the critic?) would counsel now- 1 ’ If we thought that Judge Kmg really desired the information he asks or that he would follow the advice he ap pears to seek, we would answer: The large railroad interests of the State were in no wise involved in the lease of the road. The provisions of the bill author izing the lease required that in no eveDt nor under any circumstances should the lessees u;e the road in such a manner as to injure existing roads. The tenth sec tion of the act provides, “that said lessees of said road shall neither make, or per mit to be made, any discrimination in favor of, or against, any railroad company, or other persons or parties having connec tion with, or relations to said road.” Here was ample protection against possible unfriendly discriminations in the manage ment of the road towards aoy of the great railroad interests of Georgia. Did Judge King fear that, being prevented from mak ing unfriendly discriminations in their freight and passenger tariffs, they might sill injure some of the “great railroad in terests of tho State” by making and ad justing their running schedules in an tagonism to those great interests ? The bill provides a clause in the tenth section which declares that “ill schedules and rates of freight shall be so arranged as to give all connecting roads in the States fair, equal chance, doing equal justice be tween them in everything connected with the management of said road aud the business relations between them.” Here, then, in the bill itself, tho “ large railroad interests of the State” were am ply and fully protected. There was no reason for alarm on this point, and we un dertake to affirm that neither Judge King nor any of his railroad associates in the lease, ft It the least concern on this point. The interests of their respective cernpa me; would Lave been, under the lease, in precisely the condition they were while the road was operated by the State, and just where they will be under the manage ment of the new company, composed in part of the leading railroads of the State. To the other branch of Judge King’s, inquiry, “ “what wo counsel now?” we reply, do as Mr. Stephens has done — throw up your interest in the dirty scheme. Como out of the ring cf corrupt, bad men by which you are surrounded. Repudiate business associations with men in whose honesty and integrity you have no confi dence. Cease to lend the power of your aid and influence to a company which have by “• hook or by crouk” got posses sion of property belonging to the people of the State, at less than half its real value. Withdraw your support from a company which nine-tenths of the honest men of the State believe has procured this lease illegally and corruptly. Lend the people of the State the moral support of your great railroad in breaking up this nest of corrupt “ringsters” at Atlanta. Help tho people to expose the shameless dishonesty and corruption of Bullock in leasing the State Road for a mere song when thee were other bona fide bids for a much larger sum. This is our advice. Will Judge King lend a listening ear to it? Will he heed the advice which he has vol untarily sought from us? Judge King is disingenuous in his at tempt to draw criticism from the Bullock - Oameron lease and direct it to the hill au thorizing a lease to be made. His argu ment is this; There was no opposition from the “critics”—he seems to have a holy horror of that word—to the bill au thorizing the lease. The “critics” knew that the road might be leased for less than its value. Therefore they should not op pose a lease even though it were reeking with fraud and corruption. This 7s the whole of Judge King’s argument. It were a waste ot time, an insult to the intelli gence of our readers, to attempt a reply to such a paradoxical argument. Judge King cannot blind the eyes of the people of the State to the great wrong done them in the lease to which he is a party, by holding up to the public gaze the fact, that little opposition was mani fested to the proposition for a lease of the road when that measure was pending in the Legislature. The people know, and Judge King ought to know, that the pro position for a lease was sunported by many members of the Legislature as the only means which could prevent ‘the ab solute sale of that valuable property to wholly irresponsible parties at little over half its real value. Even the gentleman who introduced the hill, Dunlap Scott, openly avowed his purpose to prevent a sale. Neither he nor the honest men who voted for the passage of the bill for a lease of the road, would have given it their support but to prevent a greater wreng, But Dunlap Scott never would have thought of leasing the road for the miserable sum which Judge King and his asssociates have obtained it for. Dunlap Scott is not a member of the Brown-Cam cron Company. Dunlap Scott knows that the road is worth double as much as Judge King, and Peters, and Brown, are to give for it, and liis name cannot be used to bolster up the rotteu transaction. It is very true, as stated by Judge King, that the State Executive is party legally responsible to the people for the lease of the road for a less sum than was offered for it, and for large ly less than its value. Yet while Bullock is by law the offending party, Judge King and his associates cannot escape from the moral accountability which attaches to them as participants in an illegal act. Morally the man or men who procure an illegal act to be done or who aid in its consumation, are as responsible for the act as the party who eommits it. Bollock has violated the law. For this act the law provides a punishment. Judge King and his associates have aided Bullock in his violation of the law, for this public sen timent will set in judgment upon them. It is true, as stated by Judge King, that the Road under the management of Bnl lock and Blodgett was paying nothing to the State. It was worse than that, a heavy expense. But the reign of Bullock and Blodgett would have soon been over. The honest men of the State will assume the control of public affairs next fall. It would bave*been far better to let Bullock AUGUSTA, GA., WEDNESDAY MORNING, JANUARY IS, 187 L. | the road twelve months longer than to have losUne road for twenty years. Judge : King, able financier as he most undoubt j edly is, will admit that it would have been ‘ a good “operation” for the State to lose $300,000 for one year rather than lose $200,000 annually fbr twenty years. I There is much more in Judge King’s | letter which we desire to reply to, inas I much as he is so anxious to have our and the thieving gang around him keep opinion, albeit he “cares hut little for po litical criticisms,” but the late hour at which we received his letter, and other pressing engagements, prevent a further reply to day. We shall return to the snhj ject con amore at another time. We have not songht this controversy —we hoped to have avoided it. A correspondent, in proper language, and with due respect to Judge King, songht and obtained the use of our columns to ventilate a subject in which he and other citizens of the State had a personal interest. Not content with a reply to our correspondent, Judge King, feeling the mighty prowess of his arm, seeks another antagonist. It shall not be our fault if he is not fully gratified before the matter ends. For Judge KiDg per sonally, we entertain the highest respect. For his participation in the fraud perpe trated on the people by Bullock, we have neither words of justification or paliation. Is All. Hill a Radical I A week or two since the editor of the Warrcnton Clipper wrote a letter to the Atlanta Constitution , in which arnoDg other things he said : “If Mr. Hill will publicly deny that he has written a letter to a known Republi can of this county, in which he leans com pletely over to Republicanism, we will produce the proof. “If Mr. Hill will publicly deny that he wrote a letter to the Republican Executive Committee of this Congressional District, in which he endorses General Grant lor President in ’72, and in which he uses language looking to ihe position of United States Senator for himself, we will prove that a member of that committee reports that he has the letter in his possession, and that he boasts of the fact-” To both of these charges Mr. Hill re plied over his own signature,in a few days, in which he absolutely denied that either of them was true. We did not publish these charges when they were first made, because we felt curtain that the editor of the Clipper was either mistaken or had been imposed upon by some enemy of Mr. Hill. As we had notpublished the charges, we omitted to publish Mr. Hill’s defence or denial of them. Now, however, the Clipper man comes back at Mr. Hill, supported by such au thority as to challenge our acceptance of its truthfulness. Below we give in full the letters and certificates furnished the Clip per from gentlemen of known respectabil ity and veracity : State of Georgia, 1 Warren County. J On Friday night of December 6th, 1870, before Mr. Hill’s address to the people of Georgia was published, while travelling on the Georgia Railroad, W. F. Holden, now defeated Radical candidate for Senate from the 19th District, showed me a letter dated Athens, Ga., December 4th, 1870, signed B. 11. Hill. In that letter Mr. Hill requested that his posiiion should not be made known to the people, and that he was in correspondence with a committee of gentlemen in Atlanta. The letter was a political one. I did not read it carefully, but was impressed by the perusal which I gave it, that Benj. H. Hil! had gone over to the Radicals. H. W. Heath. Signed in presence of 0- S. Dttßose, Notary Pnhlio Warrbnton, Ga., January 3, 1871. Major C. E. McGregor : Dear Sir— As you request, we will give the substance of a conversation with Capt. W. F. Holden, at Gunn’s Mills, just prior to the late election. In speaking of B. H. Hill’s address to the people of Georgia, Capt, 11. stated that he had received a let ter from Mr. Hill, and while he did not state particularly its contents, he made the impression on our minds that the sen timents were about the same as those in hjs address. E. N. Hill, W. H. Pilouer. I will also say, that I heard Mr. S. T. Moore state, some few weeks ago, that Mr. B. H. Hill had recently said that the sal vation of the country depended on the re election of General Grant to the Presi dency of 1872,' or words to this effect. W. H. PILOHEB. Warrenton, Ga., January 4, 1871. Major C. E. McGregor: Dear Sir— ln reply to your inquiry as *to a conversation with Mr. S. T. Moore, respecting Mr. B. H. Hill, I have this to say: About the 16th or 17th day of No vember last, 'during the week of the Superior Coutt of Jefferson county, Mr. Moore, the Assistant Revenue Agent (and a Republican) told me that he had, a few days before that time, seen a letter from Mr. Hill, addressed to a Republican Com mittee, in which he said that the hope of the country depended upon the re-election of General Grant to the Presidency. He also said that Mr. Hill was looking to the next United States Senatorship. Ido not recollect the words of this conversation, but am certain that I give you the sub stance of if. I have since been mfoimed that Mr. Moore is, or was, a member of the Republican Committee for this Con gressional District —of this I know no thing, 1 only speak from report. I am, yours truly, E- H. Pottle. A Protest and a Warning. The Governor of New York has solemn ly published the protest of the govern ment and people of the greatest of the greatest of the States against a repirition of the act of the President of the United States, whereby he invaded a State of the Union and arrogated supreme authority over its gteatest city. The protest is de liberately made in his annual message by Governor Hoffman, delivered on the 3d instant to the Legislature. It would be well for the country thoughtfully to mark this as a grave event. Reserving from his studiously mild language everything but the inevitable force ot the principle itself, the deliberate remonstrance of Gov ernor Hoffman at this time prescribes the stern rule from which only -irresolution could swerve him, should the past audaci ty which has occasioned it be essayed again during his gubernatorial term. That it would become hi? sworn duty to mobilize the militia, organize the State’s means ot defense, and complete, for the support of the lawful civil police in arrest ing persons as rioters who might unlaw fully claim authority to interfere, such grave measures as become the occasion of a free municipality menaced by powerful external assault, is fitly left to the reflec tion of every reasonable citizen. And could less be done, should the threat again issue from the National Capital? If, through his impatience of legal disinc tion, President Grant should mistake this official warning for an empty menace, it is not impossible that he may again risk his tenancy in the chair of State. But not without the blindness that will not see. He is warned.— Washington Patriot. Hard, on Blitz— I This story is told about Blitz: When the diggings in Cali oruia were paying well. Signor Blitz visited a gulch, and, before a large audience, ex hibited his legerdemain. During tbe performance he took out his handkerchief, threw it into thfe air, caught it again, when he took a tweuty-dollar niece out of it. ask'mg the boys if_ they could do that. Old Pete, a “forty-niner,” who had never changed his mining shirt since he came into the diggings, immediately went upon tbe platform, took off his shirt, dipped the tail of it into a hucket of water, held it up and rung $39 50 in gold dust, in cluding fifteen pounds of subsoil. Blitz took the next mule train. J. J. Kiddoo has been elected Mayer of Cnthbert. The Savannah Republican has been elect ed City Printer of Savannah. Dr. L. F. W. Andrews has returned to Americus. [comhunicated. ] Messrs. Editors : I think you will admit that I have never manifested much ambition to appear in print before the public- For political oriticisms, I care but little, bat an article appears in your issue of theSth, signed “Wilkes,” which I feel bound to notice. As a stockholder , he has a right to the information he asks. The article is headed "The Georgia Rail road Endorsement for King and Peters,’’ and the writer wishes to know “whether the board of dirtetors have committed them selves to these private speculations?” I answer yes, and not only for “King and Peters,” but fbr the whole twenty three lessesas well. “Wilkes” and nearly all Middle Georgia were ably represented at the board, and the decision tea* prompt and unanimous■ The measure did not originate with the board, but was a re sponse to a simlilar resolution of the Cen tral Railroad Company. Neatly every railroad company in the State pas‘ed similar resolutions, and with prompt ness, and it is believed with ' perfect unanimity. All seemed glad of an op portunity to encourage any measure to secure this property Irorn she hands of politicians. The Central Railroad Compa ny, the Macon & Brunswick Railroad Company, the Atlanta & West Point Railroad Company, the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad Company, and the St. Louis & Iron Mountain Railroad Com pany, all heartily, 1 believe, unanimously committed themselvds “as securities tor not only King and Peters, but for the whole twenty-three lessees.” As to the private sneerlatiop, if there ba one, the Georgia Railroad is most heartily welcome to it, so rar as I am concerned, if the stockholders desire it. On this subjeot I think Judge Brown stated tha ease truly in his correspondence with Mr. Stephens. If wsll managed, it should, after the first year, pay the lease, and a fair profit to the lessees "for their risk and trouble.” But the road is aa expensive cue to keep up, and 13 beset with difficulties, anil threatened with increased competition, and if all the roads chartered and encouraged by “State aid” should be built, the road could scarcely pay running expenses. And what are the dangerous guaranties into which these companies have entered ? They guaran ty that the lessees will pay the State $25,000 per month , and return the proper ty in as good condition as received. Can the lessees make the $25,000 per month? If, on trial, they find they eannot, they will, of course, surrender the lease. What risk do the companies run when the Georgia lessees alone are estimated to be worth near $2000,000 ! I hardly think the “regu lar and vklends” of Wilkes are in much danger from this guaranty. Other stock holders want “regular dividends” also, and it is for this reason that they have wished to get the State Road out of politi cal management, for so far as dependant ou the Western trade for these dividends, it is a vital question with them. So much to stockholders. Now a few words to outside critics. The road is the property of the State, and its management and profits are fair sub jects of discussion in the public press. I think it unfortunate, however, that the criticisms now made were not made before the lease was consummated. The road was advertised for lease for many weeks, and the terms of lease and act authorizing it were also published. Now, why wGre not the people warned that their valuable property might be sactifictd for $25,000 per month, and advised to form responsi ble companies, with good securities, to bid the 'ull value of it? Not cliques of speculators---who might wish the road for speculation, or to devote it to private and Leal interests— but responsible parties, who would employ the work for the benefit of Georgia interests, and equally for evety section of the State. I had heard it rumored that bids would be made by a company whose object was to make the road tributary and subsidiary to the “Air Line” Road through Virginia. I had beard also that a small company was forming in Atlanta, whose solo object was to make the road tributary to local inter erests, or sell it on speculation ! Such disposition of it would not have been for the best interests of the State. The highest bidder wat not necessarily the lest bidder ; but I hac at one time hut lit tle expectation that tie present organiza tion would get the road. If an honest company were madeup, that would likely preserve the interest to the people who built it, and seeurit; offeied, in terms of the law, the con trait should have been given to them. Theresponsibility was on the Executive, ands he failed to do his duty, he should be mule responsible for it. I don’t believe any such bid was made. The bid that seems ;o have operated on Mr. Stephens, so far is it fell under my ob servation, was in fait no bid at all , and I hardly think it was intended as a bid, for the parties knew it muld not be accepted. Now in the kinefest spirit I would ask these outside what should have been done by the lirge railroad interest of the State, or whit would they counsel note t I think both -ailroads and tax pay ers are entitled to their advice. Their Western business was likely to be sacri ficed. They heard and knew from official reports that the read was in miserable condition, and gettirg worse every day. They heard it constantly charged, that the whole receipts—thought, to be large were absorbed and wasted, or used as a corruptiag fund. What was known was, thsfc the road not only paid nothing into the treasury, but did not pay punctually its current expen ses, or its balances to connecting roads. This they Jcntw, and ther further believed , that it never would par another cent for the relief of the tax jayer until taken out the hands of politicians. It never has paid, even in the purir days of the re public, when the countiy was less demor alized than it is now. Where one dollar has been paid into the treasury, two has been taken out, and nost of the State debt coniracted prior to 1868 may be traced to this road. It is in fact always so, when States undertdee to manage the business more properly lelonging to indi viduals or private corporations. They are turned into mere palitical machines, are using the money and corrupting the morals of the people. Wbat, then, were the objects in view by the friends of this lease’ What did they hope to accomplish? Several interests were concerned and brought to bear upon it, and Ist. The railroads wished and expected to preserve and extend their Western con nections, -by having the road placed in first class condition, and managed promptly, impartially and well. 2d. For the oppressed and overburdened tax payers they wished a certain and re liable relief of $300,000 per year, instead of nothing , and worse than nothing , by an iucrease of the State debt. This is six per esnt. on the estimated value of the road—greatly more than the average of railroad profits in the United States. 3d. They hoped to cheek tbe demoral izing effects of this political machine, upon the morals of our people. These were the moving considerations with many per haps most of the parties. No doubt some were made to believe that the lease was a great speculation. I never so believed it, and have abundant proof that I bad nothing to do with getting up the organization, and expressed a wish to have nothing to do in the matter per sonally, if an acceptable organization could be got up without me- As the lease was thought by some to be a speculation— there may have been fraud, concealment and even bribery used to get it through I have heard much on this subject, but l:now nothing. I have never bad a word with the Governor, or witten him a line on the subject. In fact, I don’t think I have ever met with the Governor more than twice or three times in two years! If he has acted corruptly in the lease let him be impeached, and punished if found guilty. What I do know is, that some of the mas ter spirits in getting up and carrying through this lease were actuated by a purity of motive and unselfish patriotism rarely found in these degenerate times- Dunlap Scott, of Rome, deserves the grati tude oj every tax payer of Georgia. His efforts were untiring, and no other policy, than that pursued by him, could have met with any chance of success. He is not one oj the lessees, and asked nothing for him self, nor had he' any free tickets in his pocket. Such rare instances of unselfish devo tion to the interests of the people are refreshing ard worthy of special notice. I have no time, Messrs. Editors, to say more now, and perhaps for the present have said enough. I will only repeat the question—what would you have advised under the circumstances ? Corruption be gets waste, and waste begets corruption, and so far from expecting improvement, we could only expect a more rapid pro gress from bad to worse The organiza tion is a mixed me. None other could have got the measure through, the bare mention of party in the matter would have killed the whole scheme in an instant. W ould you, then, from a squeamish tear of uppopalar party associations, Pave allowed this wasce and ruio to go ou for two years longer ? 1 don’t think you would. . J. P. King. From the Omstitutionalist of Sunday. The State Bo ad Lease. A SECOND LETTER FROM HON. A. H. STEPHENS. Liberty Hall, Craweordville, Ga.J January 6, 1871. > To the Editor of the Constitutionalist, Augusta, Ga : Dear Sir : In the issue of vour paper of yesterday appeared an exposition of the facts of my connection with the lease ot the State Road, When that was penned, several days ago, I supposed, as is apparent from the whole paper, that everything pertaining to the letting o ( the lease, under tbs act of the Legislature, was fair and just. If there had been anything wrong in the accept ance or rejection of any bid or bids, I was not aware of it, as I stated. On that point I had seen or heard of no oomplaints whatever- To-day I have boen put in possession of a statement in writing, made by Mr. A. R. Heago, of Atlanta, in which he avers that l he and others named by him did put in a bid for the lease of the road at $36,500 per month—being $11,500 more per month than the sum bid by the company to which it was leased, and in which my name appears as ODe of the lessees. He moreover states that his company was worth a million of dollars, and tendered security to the amouut of over eight mil lions of dollars. This statement, coming from the quar ter it does, is quite sufficient to cause me to sever all my connection with the lease. In doing this, it is not my wish to be understood as passing judgment upon the conduct of others i act only for myself, in declaring that I cannot think for a mo ment of holding an interest in the lease under this statement of facts. In all that I did in regard to the whole matter, as I have before stated, I was governed pore by a wish and desire to pro mote the interest of the State than by any object of personal gains- I send you with this a copy of a return by me to the State of all the interest I had in the company to which the road was leased, which I will be obliged to you to give to the public with this communica tion. Yours, truly, Alexander H. Stephens. | COPY.] Georgia, Taliaferro County: Know all m«n by these presents : That I, Alexander H. Stephens, of said State and county, for divers good and sufficient causes, mo thereunto moving, have as signed and transferred, and do hereby as sign, transfer and turn over to the State of Georgia, all the right, title and interest I have to and in the Western and Atlantic Railroad Company, under the lease of said road for the term of twenty years; the said share being the one-fourth of a full share in the stock of said company, or the one nineiy-second part thereof; and I do hereby authorize and direct the Treasurer of' said State for the time being to colleot and receive from the proper officer of said company all dividends, if any, whioh shall at any time hereafter be declared to be due to the said portion of said stock so held - by me—the said Treasurer to hold the same subject to the aotion of tho General Assembly of the State. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto . set my hand and seal, this 6th |l. s. | day of January, 187 L Alexander H. Stephens. [communicated.] The Georgia Kalin,ad Endorsement fur King and Peters. Messrs. Editors —l see statements in the papers to the effeot that the Georgia Rail road and other railroad companies in the State have become the securities of a company who have leased the Scate Road. I am a stockholder in the Georgia Rail road Company. What little means I have are invested in that slock. I put my money in it mainly because I thought the investment a safe one and would pay regularly a fair if not a large interest, and because I know that under its charter it could not engage in hazardous specula tions. Now I want to ask (you what authority Judge King or Mr. Peters had to pledge the property of the stockholders of the road, over which one is President and the other Director, as a security for thoir indi vidual obligations? I want you to tell me if, undor the charter of the road and its by-laws, these two gentlemen have the right to use its credit for their own private purposes, and if they do, to refer me to the clause in the charter which confers this power. 1 own more stock in the road than Mr. Peters, and I wish to know whether the company will endorse my note for the purchase or lease of a piece of land in this county which I wish to procure on a cred it? If Mr. Peters and Judge King can give the road as security in their specula tions, cannot each of the stockholders have the same advantages accorded to them in their legitimate and regular busi siness? A large number of the stockhold ers are merchants, who frequently need the use of more money than they can raise on their own paper, hut with good endorsers they can get money from the banks Are they not entitled, equally with Mr. Peters and Judge King, to the credit of the road, as endorser of their paper? Is not every stockholder, what ever may he his calling or profession, en titled to all the rights which these gentle men claim from the corporation ? If these questions are answered in the affirmative, as they must be, do they not show that a great wrong has been done the stockholders bydbe action of President ICiDg and Director Peters. No stock holder has ever been able to get the road to endorse bi-i private paper for however small an amount, yet President King and Director Peters being officers of the company, and charged with its faithful and jnst administration, procure their own paper, to the amount of millions, to be endorsed by the, company .which they control. I want the stockholders of the road to investigate this matter. I want them to consider the risks which the President has assumed, out of the line of the ordinary management of the road, and say whether they are willing to acquiesce in this en dorsement of Judge King’s and Mr. Peters’ private contract. Thus is too se rious and important to all stockholders to be permitted to pass without notice and action. Another thing which I wish to know is whether the Board of Directors have com mitted themselves to these private specu lations of the President and Director Peters, and have, by their actiou, approved the road's endorsement. If they have, will they or either of them be kind enough to let the stockholders know by and under what authority they acted. I agree with you, Messrs. Editors, that the Governor has, in leasing this road to a few of his personal and political friends at less than half its value, committed a gross outrage upon the interests of the people of the State, and which the people should, at the earliest time practicable, set aside and annul. But the injury done by the Governor to the State’s interest, is not more flagrant and- disastrous than that which the stockholders of the Georgia Road have sustained by the pledge of their corporate property for the debt of two of their number. Wilkes. Diabolical Plot Discovered. —On Sunday, Assistant Jailor Howard, of Charleston, discovered that about a dozen of the colored prisoners had managed to carry up to their cells pieces of wood and bottles which they had secreted in their blanketE. Cognizant of the fact that such articles were not included in the ration list, he instituted an investigation, and learned through the confession of one of the confederates, Henry Willis, that under the lead of Abram Brown, they had re solved to break out of their cells, kill the officers if resisted, and inakß their escape. Brown haßjast served oat a sentence in the penitentiary, and had not been in the oity maoy days before he was arrested and convicted of larceny and sent to jail. For tunately the determination on the part of the villains was discovered in time, or they might have enacted a bloody scene. They have all been placed beyond the reach of eaoh other, and so well secured that they will do no harm in the future. j I ram the Atlanta New Era, Januaiy 10th. Important Letter from Gov ernor Bullock. W e have been shown a letter from Gov ernor Bullock in reply to one received from a prominent Democrat, and at our solicitation we have been allowed to pub lish tt. The letter is as follows : Executive Department, 1 Atlanta, January 7, 1871. J Dear biR : Your letter calling my at tention to the newspaper statement that Attorney General Akerman had pro nounced the last election in this S;a*e a fraud, and that in his opinion Congress would or should set it aside, and asking whether such report bo true. Also asking my opinion upon the late election, and what will or ought to be the action of Con gress thereon, has been received. In re ply I have to say that I do not believe the report referred to in regard to the state ment aud opinion of the honorable At torney General of the United States is well founded. During his late visit to this State 1 have had but little opportunity to converse with him, but in the interviews whieb we hate had, there was certainly nothing said which would indicate that the views attributed to him were entertained by him. You do me the honor to ask for my own opinion of the late election, and what will • or ought to be the action of Congress thereon, and I shall respond frankly and and all the more willingly because you act with a political organization in opposition to the one with which I have the honor to be associated. The election held on the 20th, 21st and 22i of December last, taken as a whole, was as near a peaceful, fair and unbiassed expression of public opinion apd prefer ence through the ballot box, 83 it is pos sible to have had in this State at this time. So far as my knowledge extends, there was not a voting precinct in the State where votes were objected to either by the managers or by partisan leaders, on the ground that the persons offering to vote wevo colored. All parties and all citizens ireely concede the right of the black man to the ballot, but it can not, ana I presume will not, be denied that in many cases improper and un lawful means were exercised to compel the colored citizen to cast ballots cf a differ- ent character from those cast by a ma jority of his race, and in opposition to his own preferences ; but the enthusiastic practice of various devices to influence the votes of citizens has been notable, both in this country and abroad, ever since the lective franchise has been onjoyed, and we cannot expect to prove an exception to the natural effect of partisan ambition for party success, stimulated by personal de sire tor official position. The great con test in this and other Southern States has been to secure a universal admission 01, and acquiescence in, the right of the col ored man to vote, and this seems to have been fully gained in Georgia. Tjte ques tion of how or for whom the colored man shall voie is secondary and local. I repeat, that the contest lias been to secure, from the people of our State, a universal admission of or acquiescence iu the right of the colored man to civil and political privileges, and in the presence of the late election, no sane man will deny that this desirable result has been accom plished. To be sure there have been ex ceptional cases in parts of the State where this right has not been fully accorded, but the number is comparatively inconsidera ble, and should not be allowed to preju dice a judgment in favc.r of the State as a whole. But while this is trire, we cannot overlook the fact that in one Congressional District a distinguished secession leader and a learned attorney have made a law unto themselves, and either through fear of or affection for these leaders, the white citizens have generally followed their ad vice. and have set aside and at defiance the laws of the State which were consti tutionally enacted and are of force until constitutionally declared void. 1 need hardly add that I refer Fifth Congressional District. The ambi tion of one of these gentlemen has onoe brought his Stato to the very verge of absolute ruin, and filled its shattered homes with widows and orphans. He seems still unsaiisfied, and is ready to again blind the eyes of his people with prejudico and drive them on to anew crusade against the law aod against the power which will, at all hazards, main tain the law. I protest that the State of Georgia shall not be held responsible for his words, as he has ceased to be a leader of the people of the State and is simply permitted undisturbed to denounce and viliify the Government to whose mercy he is indebted for his property, bis liberty and his life. This is tha situation as I understand it, aud now your query as to what will or ought to be the action of Congress thereon, must be noticed, and in doing so I can only state my own conviction, and by which do one else is bound, and for which I alone am responsible. 1 believe Con gress will do justioe, and in giving my opinion of what Congress ought to do, I speak with great deference for the wisdom, patriotism and virtue of tho body whioh holds our future in its hand. I .think CoDgress ought without delay to admit the State into the Union by giving seats in the Senate to the Senators who were duly elected by the Legislature legally organized in January, 1870, and by giving neats in the House to the members of Congress duly elected from the Ist, 2d, 3d, 4th, 6 h and 7th Congressional Dis tricts. That having been done a joint committee from each House of Congress should be appointed to visit the sth District to investigate and report what action by Congress, if any, is necessary to protect the people of State and district against domestic violence, and to maintain a Re publican form of government bv securing to a majority of tl-.e legal voters in the dis trict their proper representation. In in dividual cases of violation of the election law, the act of Congress, approved May 31st, 1870. doubtless furnishes sufficient remedy, but where a whole district set tho law at defiance, and under the advice of leading public men nullify the whole system provided by law for holding the election, overawe, arrest, and confine, the legally constituted managers, and place others of tlcir own unauthorized appoint ment in their stead, the case calls for more prompt and comprehensive remedy than the slow process of law against individual cases in semi-annual courts, especially when the results of such insurrection and usurpation will have beeo accomplished before a case in court could bo decided. If a Republican form of government, based upon the consent of the governed, is to be maintained in this State, the nullifi cation in the sth District must be prompt ly. wisely and boldly dealt with. The people of Georgia at large now want peace. They now accept the Constitution and laws of the United States and of this State as their guide, and will, I believe, faithfully abide by and uphold both until modified by judicial decision or repealed by legislative enactment. The nullifiers are but few as compared with the whole people, and need be noticed only to be cor- Outside of the sth District, there are but a few counties—-some in the 7th Dis trict, bordering on the Alabama line where serious disturbances have occurred, immediutely before, during, or since the election. Therefore it is, that I am of opinion that Congress 'ought speedily to admit the State to the Union, becanse, as a State, she accepts and will abide by the Constitution as it is. Congress ought to take early and efficient measures to advise itself and act upon the condition of affairs in the oth District; because, if not cor rected, more serious and wide-spread trou hie turmoil, and disaster will result from it. If you were a Republican, I should say further, that Congress owes it to the party to which a majority of its members belong that no delay be allowed to oocur in the work of restoring Georgia to the Union. Its party friends here have carried out its laws and its requirements. The party heretofore arrayed against us now admit and will concur in the civil and political rights of the colored man, and I am en couraged with the conviction that the time has now arrived when the great mass of oar people can bury past differences, and with the war and all the bitterness engen dered thereby put away out of sight, will unite upon the platform erected by Wis dom, Moderation and Justice before our troubles began—“ Tiie Constitution, The Union, and The Enforcement of the Laws.” Under our Constitution and laws, every m&n is entitled to a vote and a voice in the selection of representatives and public agents, and I express the hope that in future our differences will only be a rivalry to propose and carry out measures that will best secure a wise and economical ad ministration of the State’s affairs ; the most rapid and permanent construction of works of internal improvement; the high est development of our mineral and agri cultural resources, and the maintenance of a liberal and efficient system of free educa tion. Respectfully and truly yourr, Rufus B. Bullock. NEW SERIES, VOL. XXIY. NO. 3. (communicated.) Atlanta, Ga., January 9, 1871. Editors Chronicle & Sentinel: Gentlemen —The following statements we ask you to publish in your paper in refutation of the false statements of your correspondent “Torp.” We thought the matter was settled- Tour correspondent shows a disposition to prosecute and make a case anyhow. Such conduct makes him a simple maligner, venting his eumUy without regard to truth- We now dismiss the matter. Yours, very respectfully, W. A. Hemphill & Cos. Atlanta, Ga., Jan. 9, 1871. Messrs. IF. A. Hemphill & Co-: Gentlemen —l find iu the Atlanta cor respondence of the Augusta Chronicle & Sentinel, dated January 6:h, 1871, | the following extract: I “In order to learn tho truth, I called upon Mr. Johnson, Gov. Bullock’s clerk, and this g.-ntleman referred the writer to Mr. Chainhcrlaiu, U. S. Deputy Marshal,” etc. The inference from the above would be that I had communicated to the writer the statement, the truth of which he was (tying to establish. Some day last week, a gentleman called unon me and introduced Intnsell as Mr. Rucker, and Said he had been referred to me as one who knew something of a mortgage Mr. Kimball held on the Constitution. I told him I knew nothing of it, other than what I heard Mr. Chamberlain state one day at the dinner table; that I had heard the statement made at different times that Mr. Kimball held a mortgage on the Constitu turn, but aa it was a matter which did not interest me, I made no inquiries, and could not even remember what persons had jpade the statement. Mr. Rucker then withdrew, and I heard nothing more of tho matter until I read the correspondence in the Chronicle & Sentinel this morning. My object in writing this is simply to place myself right, aod disavow being Mr. Rucker’s ioformaot, though I may, and probably did, mention Mr. o.’s statement to some persons during the municipal campaign. Yours trulv, J. R. W. Johnston. Office United States Marshal, ) Northern District of Georgia. I Atlantc, Ga., January 9, 1871. ] IF. A. Hemphill & Cos. : Gents : You having submitted the fol lowing extraot from a letter to the Au gusta Chronicle, signed “Torp,” and asked me to say whether the alleged statements were wade by me : “The writer, after seeing the card ot Vv • A. nGQipbill & Cos., ifi order to learn tho truth, called upun Mr. Johoston, Gov. Bullcck s clerk, aod th*s genticio&n rnferrod tho writer to Mr. Chamberlain, U. o. Deputy Marshal, as a person ao quainted with the affair, ami who could sneak authoritatively. Mr. Chamberlain stated that some time ago he haJ an at- against Mr. Anderson (Mr. Hemphill s father) for an imouot of money, and that Mr- H. I. Kimball took it up, securing himself against anticipated loss by mortgaging the Constitution. Mr. C. at first thought- the paper was rnort gaged, but now thinks that it may have been other town property belonging to Mr. Anderson.” In reply, would state that one day last week a young man, calling himrell Mr Rucker, called upon mo, mying ho had H ee ? v ,'/ e ' r , r ' <i t 0 mo Guv. Bullock’s clerk, Mr. Johnston, lie askod mo if I held an execution against the Constitution. I replied that I had had an.execution against G. L Anderson & Cos., but did not know whether the Constitution had anything to do with itor not, and that I thr nght >t had bean settled I think lie then asked if Mr. Kimball had taken it tip, anil held a mortgage on the Constitution. I said I thought not I have never heard Mr. Kimball’s name connected with the matter before. I did not tell Mr. Rucker that 1 thought the paper was mortgaged, nor did I tell him that other property was mortgaged. 1 said that I did not know anything about a mortgage, or Mr. Kimball’s connection with it. I only knew of the execution against G. L. Anderson & 00. I informed Mr. Rucker that I would look into the matter. He called again during the afternoon, but as I had not ex- amined the case, he left, saying that he would call in the morning, hilt I think did not do so, and I have not seen him since. On investigation I find that G. L. An derson A Cos., have not had, and have now nothing to do with the Constitution. I mighUadd that, daring the municipal election, when rumors were in circulation, lor election purposes, that Mr. Kimball bad an interest in the Constitution, that I may have spoken to Mr. Johnston of the matter—but I told Mr. Rucker that if I ever metitioqed such a thing it was an ex aggeration on my part. Very resoectfully, Geo. B. Chamberlain, U. S. Deputy Marsha!. Atlanta, Ga., January 9, 1871. Messrs. Hemphill & Go.: Mr. Anderson having called on me to slate the facts in regard to .au execution which I, as attorney, placed in the hands of Mr. Chamberlain, United States De puty Marshal, for collection. . The execution referred to was settled in April last by Mr. James H. Anderson, who was a member of the firm of G. L. Anderson & Cos., against whom the execu tion issued. The execution was against U. L Ander son & Cos., a grocery house in this place, and the Constitution had no connection with it. Mr. Kimball had nothing to do with settling (he execution. There was no exe cution against Constitution office ever in my hands, or debt, or c laicn of any kind for collection. • R. Arnold, Attorney-st-Law. Atlanta, January 9, 18C9. IF. A. Hemphill & Cos., Proprietors" Co nstitution Gentlemen—Yours of this date, refer ring me to the statements of a correspond ent of the Augusta Chronicle & senti nel, about ray having a mortgage on the " Constitution" . is before me. In reply, I have to say, that the statements con tained in the article, of the correspondent over the signature of “ ’lmp" are entirely false: Neither yourself, or aDy individual member of your firm, or aDy one else con nected with the “ Constitution", owe me a dime that I am aware of. Yours truly, H. I. Kimball. Hon. A. H. Stephens’ Letter.—We cony from the Augusta Constitutionalist Mr. Stephens’ letter explanatory of his connection with the State Road lease. There are only two points that we wish briefly to present a9 a comment upon his explanation ; and neither of them is de signed to reflect in auy manner upon him for his part ia the transaction ; for his statement makes it apparent that some of the other lessees ooiy associated him with them to give respectability to the copart nership, or to allay apprehended auspicious of a swindle of the State : Ist. Mr. Stephens is fully satisfied that the lease of the road is worth $500,000 a year. He says that he would cot, as a member of the Legislature, have vo'ed to lease it for a dollar less than that. Yet it has been leased for hut little over halt that sum. 2d. It is confessed that other compa nies offered a higher price for the road.and common report says that nearly, if not quite the sum et $500,1100, which Mr. Stephens estimates it to bo worth, was offered. We are told that the security offered by these higher bidders was not considered satis factory. But the public are Dot informed as to the character and value of the re jected security, or enabled to compare it with that accepted. It would appear that Mr. Stephens was mnoeently associated with a company who have (by some means) been favored with the lease of the road at a price far less than that which he fixes upon it, and that the main object of their making him a partner was to disarm suspicion or recon cile opposition. —Columbus Enquirer. Col. W. H. Dasher, of Lowndes county, has been married to Miss Fannie S. War ren, of Lincoln county. So much syrup has been made in Early and adjoining counties this season that it is going a begging at sixty cents a gallon. Col. H. H. Jones retires from*the edito rial control of the Cuthbert Appeal, and is succeeded by J. P. Sawtell and T. J. Perry. The dry goods house of Lovell, Harris & Go., of Savannah, has collapsed, and the partners fled. The liabilities of the firm are estimated at $40,000. We learn that the negro Sheriff elected in Clay county will be unable to give bond, aod hence won’t be able to take the office, which he couldn’t fill if he could give a thousand bonds. —Early County Eews. Fmu'rnjs Munich. BINOFLAR LAW'S AXI> CUSTOMS, | A correspondent of th o Milwaukee Sen tinel writes from Munich, Bavaria : | . There j s one f eatnre or ongtom ln Mu _ ! 5, "1 .reference to the burial of the dead,.which l think is not generall known abroad. It-isc ntirely a municipal regula i Bon, and worthy of being copied bv other ! S? u ". tr t les - }' he city is divided off into districts, and proper persons are appoint ed, ot both sexes, to take charge of all persons who die within their districts So soon as a person dies, a written report of all the circumstances has to be tiled bv the physician with the police, and notice is then given to the person having in charge that particular district. This per son immediately calls at the house where the d*ad lies, and makes all necessary ar rangements for funeral, if th deceased is a fenisle, a lady has the charge; if a male then a gentleman The persons se lected are people amply competent in every respect, and with a proper regard tor sympathy gentleness and kindness. Ike mends of the deceased have nothing to do with the funeral or burial, as every thing is entirely taken off their hands. V ,e ‘ u ? erals are divided into three classes the rich the moderately wealthy, an the poor. To each class there' is a tariff of expenses. After the funeral tho hill, which is very moderate and reasonable, is presented to the nearest relative these rules apply to stranger and citizen alike. Ac the cemeteries, calle*! the Jcirehthof, is a chapel, and in appropriate rooms ad joining the dead are received, where in open coffins they are obliged to lie three (lays before interment. In front of these rooms is an open gallery where the public can at all times go, and through the large windows see the dead within. No people in the world pay hiore atten ion to the (lead than the Germans. Indeed, so far do they go that death is almost “robbed of its sting and the grave of its victory,” The corpse is so laid out that it resembles life, and when it is left at the house of the dead it is literally embowered in flow ers I have seen half dozen children grouped together, and all looking like beautiful young beings in health, sleeping in bowers of flowers. An American gentlemen, a few weeks since, lost in this city r, beautiful and ac complished wife. In a short time a lady of a most amiable Christian appearance, whose heartfelt sympathy was real and genuine, called to make all necessary ar rangements for the funeral. All these ar rangements were done in a most feeling manner. The corpse was laid out accord ing to the German custom, arrayed in white, with a loug white lace veil, more resembling a bridal toilet than that of death, the hair being filled with orange biossoms, and every space filled with a bouquet of flowers. At a given hour a hearse with a spaa ol biack hordes was dnyeu to the door, the driver ayd six bearers all dressed in black livery suita ble for such occasions. Most tenderly was the body taken and placed in an . inner metallic coffin, and tbonce Inrne to tho bourse. Although it is not i h.- custom, yet the husband, with a friend, billowed tho hearse as it slowly proceeded 'brough the winding streets. It was twi ig 'it when the cortege left the lcircliehoj' v. nere the dead are left. The next niorn j mg early he repaired to the spot, but en tered in front through a gate over which are colossal statues of angels. la trying | to find the place, he passed under a long torridor near the beautiful chapel, which ' is also surmounted by angels and beautiful statuary. Turning his eyes toward a large window, the first object he beheld was his wife tn an inclined position, with her face partially turned toward the window. At first he was shocked, for it seemed to him that life bad agam returned, for her eyes were only half closed, and a faint smile was on her countenance. Her very look was one of welcome, and seemed to say: “ Dear husband, how happy I am ; how sad you look.” Her right hand was slightly raised, holding from a ring on her gloved finger a wire that communicated with a bell above, where night and day is a person waiting to hear the sounds of bells, the dead can not ring, fa three clays’ time, in this beautiful t*pot, while the chime bells wore ringing a knell to her soul, as is the cus tom here, all that is mortal*ol this de voted wife and mother w r as consigned to the grave--a spot near the colossal Ltatue of her Saviour nailed to the cross, stand iug in the centre of tho broad avenue leading through the center of the cemetery. Georgia Sews. W. J. Head, Democratic nominee for Representative in Haralson county, is elected by five majority. J. L. Morton, Cnief Engineer of the Cc lurnbus Fire Department for the last twen ty eight years, has retired. John Mcll benuy is his successor. The Houston county farmers say they are going to farm this year on the high cultivation system—making one acre- pro duce tvhat several Iravc produced hereto fore. Dr. J. D. Me K’liar, of Micod, drew twenty-two teeth fora very delicate iady in lass time than three minutes, and without the aid of ar.acttheaia. Thi3 is about the fastest time known to dentieai surgery. We learn from several sources that hands are not so scarce as they were last year, and seem willing now to go to mak ing corn and cotton, since Radicalism has ‘‘played out” in these parts. Cuthbert Appeal Madame Rumor says that the Calhoun county-hox, which was stolen from the Court House in Morgan on the night of the 22d ult., has been found in the oorn field of ono D . Gould, Bullhead’s Jadga oftbe District Court. We give the rumor for what it is worth. —Early County News. Quite a destructive fire occurred in Cuthbert on Friday morning last, by which Mr. A. Lehman’s large two-storv wood and paiut shop was destroyed. Ills losS is estimated at $3,000. No insurance. The fire company of Cuthbert behaved very gallantry, and prevented the fire from spreading. The buiidiog was fired by an incendiary. W. W. Baldwin was the succe-sfol kn ghc at tha skating rink carnival at Rome. The next most successful knights were Alla Busee, Claude Hargrove, Will Grady, Will Battey and Henry Grady. Mis3 Ella Hooper was crowned Qiecn of Love and Beauty; Misses Mattie Grad/, Floy Smith and flattie Smith, Maids of Honor, A planter in Terrell county, the past season, used one ton of the Homo-made Fertilizer oo ten acres of old worn out broom-eedged land, and made on it six bales of cotton, averaging over 500 pounds each, and thinks if it had not been for the drouth he would have made a bale to the acre. Soluble Pacific Guano —The Con stitutionalist of yesterday contains the fol lowing notice of “ Soluble Pacific Guano Soluble Pacific Guano. —The excel lence of this fertiliz/r in stimulating the fertility of the soil and enhancing the pro duct of farming lands wherever applied, has been so signally demonstrated that its reputation as a standard and reliable com mercial manure is so widelv extended and generally acknowledged among the most intelligent and skilled planters, that the demand for it increases with the advent of every planting season. Nor is this to be wondered at, when the almost wonderful production secured by its application ia understood by farmers. The company, with a view to afford planters u ithio reach of Augusta tho most complete facilities for obtaining this stan dard fertilizer, have, through their active and energetic agent here, Mr. J. O- Mathewson, erected a c ipacious warehouse just outside the city limits, capatde of holding 3,000 tons of the Soluble Pacific Guano, and which is now filled with this ; most efficacious cotton persuader, ready i for delivery upon order. This warehouse j is io direct communication with every line of railroad oeniering in Augusta, affording the most complete facilities for the prompt shipment of the fertilizer stored there to any point along the different lines of rail road. Parties visiting Augusta and de siring to inspect this fertilizer before pur chasing will he so privileged, the ware house remaining open daily. The agent, Mr. Mathewson, eclipsing former liberality in tho extension of ma terial encouragement for the use of this fertilizer, offers fine hundred dollars in cash, the present year, through the Cotton States Fair Association,of this city, for the largest yield of cotton from one acre of ground, fertilized with Soluble Pacific Guano. This exceedingly liberal premium should enlist the efforts of every intelligent and skilled farmer within range of Augusta to put himself in line to compete for the handsome prize, by supplying himself at once with the requisite fertilizer. Favrc still waits an invitation to the Conference.
