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OLD SERIES-VOL. ICII NEW SERIES—VOL. LI. TERMS. PSK DAILY CHRONICLE 4 HKNTINEL, the oldest newspaper id the South, is pobliehed daily, except Monday. Term* : Per year, (10 ; eix months. (6 : three months. (2 50. THE WEEKLY CHRONICLE * SENTINEL is published srery Wednesday. Terms : One year, (2; six months, (1. THE TRI-WEEKLY CHRONICLE 4 SENTI NEL is published every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Terms One year, (5; six months, (2 50. SUBSCRIPTIONS in all cases in advance, and no paper continued after the expiration of the time paid fer. RATES OP ADVERTISING IN DAILY.—AII ! transient advertisements will be charged at | the rate of (1 per square each insertion for ; the first week. Advertisements in Tri-Week ly. tl per square: In Weekly. (1 per square. Marriage and Funeral Notices. (1 each. Special Notices. (1 perequare. Special rates will be made for advertisements running for one month or longer. ALL COMMUNICATIONS announcing candi dates for office—from County Constable to members of Congress—will be charged at the rate of twenty cents per line All announce ments must be paid for in advance. Address WALSH 4 WRIGHT, Cbbowicls 4 Htvnm. Augusta. Qa. Cljromcle anb Sentinel. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1877. j TO OUR SI’BSCBIBEBM. We request our subscribers who owe us to pay their subscriptions. It is im portant to us that every man on our books should pay at once. Let each subscriber bear in mind that while one er two dollars may appear to be a tri- Hiuk amount, the aggregate amounts to a large sum. We hope our friends will respond promptly. wtf A patent has been issued for horse powers to Messrs. R. C. Rhodes and W. F. Holden, of Crawfordville. Mention of this invention was made in the Chron icle and Bentinel some time since. Packard declines to give private audi ences to any more “newspaper corres pondents.” They wili have to pelt him with “paper pellets of the brain ” in etead of leaden balls shot from police revolvers. The Columbus Enquirer thinks that the General Assembly has too many members and calls for a reduction of the number. The House is too large and the B mate too small. But nothing can be done with either House except through the agency of a Constitutional Convention. Dancino by telegraph is something new and novel, but yet the same has been done. During the progress of a ball at Chicago the other night, waltzes and quadrilles were played in Milwau kee, eighty-five miles distant, and being transmitted instantaneously over the wires to Chicago the same were tripped lightly by the merry dancers. Soon after the Presidential election General Grant made haste to say, “The country cannot afford to have the remit t ainted by the suspicion of illegal or false returns " The country seem to -"afford” it pretty well about this time, the President to the contrary notwith standing. “No man worthy of the offlce of President should be willing to hold it. if counted in or placed there by fraud.” This is what President Grant said a few months ago. Mr. Hayes has been ‘‘counted in by fraud.” Will he have the moral courage to decline an office obtained by auch means? We think not. A dispatch to the Chicago Inter-Ocean nays that the Northern leaders of the Democratic party have lost their heads, aud that the reins have passed into the thsnds of the Southern members of Con gress. ‘.‘Lamar and Bits Hill have •oome forward and are trying to brief .order out of confusion, in which endeav or they may suoceed.” The Terra Haute Express says: “President Grant desires to see the Government resume specie payment on the Ist of Uarch. As the Treasury does not now hold more than $520,000,000 of coin belonging to the Government, the proposition is quite as reasonable as if the President should recommend a law removing the Capitol building bodily to ;St. Louis on Ist of March.” Thk fund raised for the family of Joseph Lee Hbvwood, late acting cash ier of the First National Bank of North field. Minn., who was killed by robbers last September for refusing to open the bank safe at their command, amounts to $17,602 06. The committee who had the work in hand have made their re port, and the money has been invested for the benefit of the family. Attorney-General Taft reports that lie employed 11,614 Deputy Marshals to semtre a /air election through the coun try. Eight thousand of these constables were employe t in the Southern States, gad largely in Louisiana, Florida and Routli Carolina, where the Hayesites assert “the poor, unprotected black iman" was driven from the polls. In ladditioa to these armed coustablee ttroops were liberally distributed through Eke three States named. Ec bote an newspapers never publish “personal intelligence,” but strictly im personal information like the following, which we find in a Paris paper, is some times printed for the benefit of the pub lic: “Baron and Baroness Alphonse de Rothschild gave a J inner of twenty ■covers recently. Tbe situation of the •daughter of the host and hostess duns not permit of any grand soirees at the ■present moment, bat after her confine ment, which is expected next month, tthey will be resumed.” Tat Satiate yesterday, quietly and without debate, paeeed a bill to remove the disabilities of GeneraJ Jos Johnston. and the House to remove those of John T. Mason. Who is there still laboring under these disqualifica tions. —PhitadetyMa Times. Hon. Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, Hon. Robert Toombs, and Hoc. Jno. Jones, of Georgia, are still honored by proscription. There are not probably more than half a dozen whose disabili ties have not been removed by sot of Congress. Judge Mackey talks a great deal and likes to have his talk appear in print. He is as vain of his visit to Hayes os a puppy of a red ribbon tied to its tail, and is not as trnthfnl as the Sermon on the Monnt. Nevertheless, he talks well, ,aad if one will take what he says as a (boarding house lodger takes hotel hash, ,on faith, a good deal of comfort can be •extracted from his conversation. If the Judge would only omit his gallantry in the Mexican war, sad the statement that be never took bnt one drink of whisky in his life, the omission would make his interviews decidedly more symmetrical. A malignant man in Griffin is trying to guess the age of Judge Tompkins, of the Eastern Circuit, who has the reputa tion of being the youngest, as well as one of the ablest, of the Georgia Judges. The Griffin man says that Judge Hall was only thirty-one when appointed fonr years ago; that Judge Tompkins was seventeen or eighteen years old when he went to school in Griffin in I&S7 or 1858, and therefore be is now at least thirty-six yean old. Perhaps if Judge Tompkins would furnish a leaf from his family Bible for publication the Griffin man would cease guessing about so moment ous s matter. THE NINTH DISTHICT. We are sorry to see that Mr. Emory Speer has announced himself aB an in dependent candidate for Congress in the Ninth District. It is of the utmost importance that the harmony and or ganization of the Democratic party in Georgia should be maintained. The candidacy of independents is fraught with much mischief. Their contests with the nominees of the party will ! make breaches through which the con mon enemy will some day enter. We do not pretend to say that nominating conventions are infallible bodies. They are some times the cause of incompetent and nnwortby men being placed in im portant positions. Bat as a general rule their work iu Georgia has been for good and not for evil. Bnt for the per fect organization and discipline of the Democrats the Btate coaid not have 1 been redeemed from the rule of Bul lock and his robber b: nd. If organi zation and discipline are abandoned we may find ourselves in a few years in the ' same position from whioh we were ex tricated with so mnch difficulty in 1870. We express in all kindness the hope that Mr. Bpeeb will not lend his count enance to a movement that in a few years may demoralize and destroy the Democratic party in Gecrgia. THE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS. The dispatches to the Associated Press received Saturday night stated that at the meeting of the Democratic Con gressional caucus a resolution was adopt ed, as follows : That the count of the electoral vote shall proceed without dilatory opposition to the or derly execution of the act of Congress crea ting the Electoral Commission, whose decision shall be received and acted upon in accordance with the provisions of said law; bat this resolution is accompanied with the solemn and earnest protest of the Democratic party against the gross and shameless violations of law, justice and truth contained in the decisions of the majority who signed the same in the cases of Florida and Louisiana. The dispatches also stated that this resolution was adopted as a substitute to one already offered, the character of which had not trar spired at the time the telegram left Washington. From the dispatches of the Western Associa ted Press we obtain a more detailed ac count of the proceedings of this very important meeting. The first resolution presented in the caucus was the follow ing, offered by Mr. Wallino, of Ohio: Resolved, That in view of the fact that the so-called Electoral Commission have refused to receive evidence of frauds charged in the reeent elections or the ineligibility of Elec tors, it is our duty, as the representatives of the people, to do further legislation, not recognizing said Commission, or meet in joint session to further count the electoral vote un der its decision." This resolution is on the line of the editoral artiole that recently appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer, recommending the House to repudiate the work of the Commission. It embodies the senti ments of the ultra, or the Radical wing of the Democratic party in Congress and in the country. Its adoption would have percepitated a conflict that would have resulted iu the most serious con sequences. It counselled the Democrats to disregard the decision of the tribu nal whioh their votes had created and tv take such steps as might lead to the in tervention of the sword. The votes it received shows how few friends this policy has ; only thirteen members vot ing for it. Upon its rejection, Mr. Cochrane, of Pennsylvania, offered the following preamble and resolution : Whf.reah, The Electoral Commission was created in goo.l faith, with a view to the ex amination of evidenoe and all questions which pertain to the disputed votes of Florida, Lou isiana and Oregon; and whereas, said Com mission, in disregard of their oaths, fraudu lently refused to obey the law and will of the people by defeating such examination ; there fore, Resolced, That it is the duty of Congress, which it owes to the Democratic party and the Americau people, to defeat the fraudulent acts of said Commission by all means knswn to the Constitution and laws ; to this end all pos sible delays will be in'erposed, dilatory mo tions made and objections interposed to the vote of every State yet to be counted, with a view to multiplying the issues and thereby de feating the inauguration of an usurper. Mr. Cochrane’s proposition would have caused the Democratic members of the House of Representatives to fili buster, as it is technically termed, in order to prevent tbe result of the elec tion being declared until after tbe fonrth of March, It is doubtful, in the first plaoe, whether such a policy would have met with the approval of the great mass of the people who approved the bill creating the Electoral Gonjuiissiou, because they believed it offered a peace ful, speedy and certain determination of the Presidential question; and it is, in the second place, questionable whether the plan proposed would have suseeed ed. If we are not mistaken as to the nature of the bill, it provides that the vote of a State shall be referred to the Commission only when two or more sets of returns have been delivered to the President of the Senate. Of the States remaining to be counted, Oregon and South Cantina, only, have forwarded more than one tatqyn. In lien of this resolution, Mr. Rbaoah, ol Texas, of fered the following: AVsoiced. That the count of tbe electoral rote shall proceed without dilatory opposition to the orderly execution of the act creating the Commission, whose decisions sha 1 be re ceived and acted upon in oe'car<}ai\ce with the provisions of said law. This resolution, coming from the source it did, showed very plainly to tbe Northern and Western Democrats what were the views of the Sonthern wing of the party. The dispatch states that there was a long and animated debate on the original resolution and the sub stitute. Among those advocating the former worn Mess -s. Thompson, of Mas sachusetts; Bod*h*rd and Hurd. of Ohio; and Ltnse, of Wisconsin—all Western men but one. Among those who opposed the resolntion were Messrs. Reaoan, of Texas; Hill, of Georgia; Brown, of Kentucky; Singleton, of Mississippi; Bayard, of Delaware, and Kerb**, of New York—all Sonthern men bnt two. 0n one side it was con tended that the conception of a tribunal to ad|aat controverted questions was s sublime sot of statesmanship, freighted with the hopes and wishes of the nation, bnt the result was dissatisfaction, mixed with grief and misfortune, ft would, however, be injurious to the Democratic party, who so strongly supported the Electoral bill, if they did not now abide the result in good faith. On the other side it was nrged that it would be better to have an interregnum, and for the presiding officer of the Senate to act as President nntil there oould be anew election, rather than to submit to fraud, which should be defeated by all means known to the Constitution and rales of the House. Mr. Bright, of Tennessee, at last offered an amendment or ad dition to Mr. Reagan's substitute, which read as follows: But this rseoiation is accompanied with the solemn and earnest protest of the Democratic party agonist the gross end Mia melees viola tions of law, justice and truth contained in the decisions of the majority who signed the same in the cases of Florida and lenfatma This substitute, offered by one South ern man and amended by another, read as in the first extract whioh ap pears in this article. The subOitute was then adopted by a rote of sixty-nine to forty. We have no moans of ascertain - iug how the members voted ; but if the list of yeas and nays should bo published we are quite certain an analysis of the vote would show that a large proportion of those voting in favor of the substi tute were from the South, and that a large proportion of those opposing were from the West. After this action had been taken Mr. Field, of New York, offered a resolution for the appointment of a committee of five to inquire whether it would be expedient to withhold ap propriations for the support of the army. Mr. Willis, also of New York, moved to lay the resolntion on the table, saying that to withhold such supplies would be revolutionary, and the action contem plated would alarm the country. After some discussion, Mr. Field wisely with drew his resolution. The lesson of the caucus is plain. The Democratic mem bers of Congress voted, in good faitb, for the creation of the Electoral Com mission as the only means of obtaining a peacefnl solution of the Presidential i question. That they have been grievous ly deceived in this Commission there can be no doubt. They believed that they were creating a judicial tribunal, the members of which, casting every other consideration aside, would decide fairly and impartially the merits of every question submitted to their adjudica tion. Instead, they have been a band of partisans who, np te this time, have voted solidly for every proposition cal culated to aid the Republicans or to in jure the Democrats. But having advo cated and voted for the bill, they are in honor bound to accept and abide by the decision of the Commission, iniquitous and infamous as it may be. The duty of the party is plain. It is embodied in the resolution which passed the caucus. The position of the Southern Democra cy is unmistakable. They will be bound by the judgment which may be rendered. If it is for us, as we believe it will be, well and good. If it is against us, we must take the bitter dose as beßt we may. THE GEORGIA LAND AND LUMBER COMPANY. The “President and Trustees of the Georgia Land and Lumber Company” have addressed a memorial to the Gener al Assembly asking that body to refuse to pass two bills that have been intro duced which they consider inimical to the interests of the corporation. The first is a bill requiring the company, now a corporation under the laws of the State of New York to become a corporation un der the laws of Georgia under penalty of forfeiting the right to hold real prop erty in this Btate. The second bill com pels Jambs Boyd, formerly Tax Collec tor of Telfair county, to make titles to the purchase of some three hundred and twenty thousand acres of land which he sold in 1845 under a tax execu tion against the old corporation known as the Georgia Lumber Company. It is claimed that the legislation contem plated is both unfriendly and illegal, and calculated to keep foreign capital away from the State; that the operations of the company have greatly benefitted the State, anew Court House, a fine hotel and au elegant private residence having been built at Eastman, and one hundred and fifty thousand dollars ex pended in the construction of a saw mill on St. Simon’s Island. With regard to the first bill we can not see why the oompany should object to its passage. The object of the proposed law is simply to make the corporation conduct its litigation in the State Courts and in the counties where plaintiffs or defendants may reside, instead of in the United States Court, as at present, whereby persons who may sue or be sued by the company are taken a long distanoe from their homes and put to very great trouble as well as no little expense, The juries, too, iu the United States Court are of a much lower grade than those empanneled in the State Courts, and the chance of obtaining an intelligent verdict less in the former tribunal than in the latter. Mr. William E. Dodoe and his associates in the timber business in Georgia should not object to the Courts of Geor gia passing upon matters in dispute be tween them and citizens of the State. Neither should they wish to drag resi dents of Laurens, Telfair and Mont nomery counties from their homes to Savannah to have their rights adjudi cated by a Court, the whole machinery of which is hostile to Georgia and to Georgians. If they are to do business and to make money in Georgia, and to have the protection of Georgia laws ex tended to their persons and to their property, they should be willing to let the State Courts pass upon questions arising between themselves and citizens of the State. We are glad to see that the bill has passed the House of Repre sentatives by a large majority mangre the memorial, and we hope that it will meet with like success in the Senate. Concerning the merits of the second measure, we are not so well prepared to express an opinion. If cur memory serves us right, however, it grows out of an alleged attempt on the part of Messrs. William. E. Dodge and his associates to eject a large number of the citizens of L&urens, Tel fair, Dodge and Montgomery counties from lands whioh they purchased and settled many years ago. There have beep frequent conflicts between the company and pitijsen§ concerning titles to lands, and we beljeye a pumbep of suits are now pendit g in the United States Court to determine the question at issne. Most of the settlers claim un der a purchase from the sheriff of Tel fair county, who sold more than three hundred thousand acres of the land un der tax executions some forty years ago. It teems to be questionable whether the Legislature should interfere in behalf of | eitbey litigant in a suit now pending be j fore a judicial tribunal. But of one i thing we feel assured . Messrs. Dodge & i Cos. should be made to carry on their law-suits in the Coarts of Georgia. They | have aa ri?ht to put poor men to the unnecessary tro.abla and expense of con ducting their litigation In the Courts of the United States, when the State Courts are much more convenient and much less expensive. Notwithstanding the fine Court House at Rastman, upon the erection of which so much stress is laid, they should not be allowed to annoy and oppress citizens. Let them seek justice in tbe Court House of their pwn build ing. Some of the Northern papers have been misled by the dispatch abont the funding bill, which was recently passed by one branch of the Georgia Legisla ture. All of the railroad bonds endorsed by Btllock will not be funded in State six per cents., but only those which the Legislature have recognized as valid and binding upon the State. These consti tute bat a small proportion of the bonds which B. UiOus signed. The only bonds to be funded are the recognized endors ed bonds of the Macon and Brunswick, North and South and Memphis Branch Railroads. The beyy issues of the Brunswick and Albany, Gartersvifle and VanWert, Bainbridge, Onthbert and Columbus, and Alabama and Chatta nooga, are left oat in the oold, and will never be heard of again if a Constitu tional Convention is called. AUGUSTA, GA„ WEDNESDAY MORNING. FEBRUARY 28, 1877. THE NINTH DISTRICT. We take a deep interest in the coming election for Congressman in the Ninth District, for two reasons. The first is, that the Chronicle and Sentinel has many subscribers and friends in the counties composing that District. The second, because the Congressman from the Ninth will represent not only that District bnt the whole State as well. We do not assume to dictate to the people of the District, but we claim the right to express our views upon a sub ject of so much importance. Without intending to say one word in disparage ment of the gentlemen who have been mentioned as candidates, we frankly confess that the man of our ohoice is Hon. H. H. Carlton, of the county of Clarke. The gentleman of whom we write would adorn any position he might be called upon to fill. He is a man in every sense of the term, and when we say this we can pay him no higher compli ment. He is talented, well belanoed, liberal minded and sincere ; loyal in his friendship, plaoable in his enmities, un swerving in his integrity. His course in the Legislature is the best guarantee of his conduct as a Congressman. He has never hesitated what to do when he saw his duty plainly. He has dared to do right, no matter what the conse quences. During his long term of ser vice in the General Assembly he has been devoted to the interests of the peo ple of his section. Every scheme calcu lated to advance their interests or to promote their prosperity has enlisted his warmest interests and secured his most active co-operation. If sent to Congress he will add to the laurels he has already won, and prove au honor to the Ninth District and, as well, to tne whole State of Georgia GRAIN VERSUS COTTON. We published in the Chronicle and Sentinel yesterday morning a carefully compiled table showing the average value of land (uot wild land) in every county in Georgia for the years 1871, 1874, 1875 and 1876. Some of the facts revealed by that table are worth con sidering. One of the most striking is the difference shown between the price of grain and ootton lands. Before the war Southwestern Georgia was consider ed the Eldorado of the State, and it was the popular belief that gold could be realized as readily from the rich ootton lands of Terrell and Dougherty as from the quartz beds of California. Cotton then was king, and the whole State bowed down before his throne. The lands lying in the Delta of the Flint and the Chattahoochee rivers brought fabu lous prices when sold,and they were not often to be bought at all. During the first few years following the surrender, these lands still brought high figures, bat experience soon demonstated that the sceptre of King Cotton bad passed from his hands with tlie extinction of the system of slavery. Men have grad ually discovered that ootton is only valuable as a surplus crop, and that the planter must raise the necessaries of life. Asa consequence more attention has been paid to the cultivation of wheat and corn and grain lands have appreciated in value while cotton lands have de clined. Lands amoDg the mountains of Northwestern Georgia whioh were worth little or nothing before the war, now bring more than the cotton plantations of the Southwest. In proof of the correctness of these remarks we give below a table showing the average value per acre of land in ten counties of Northwest Georgia in the vicinity of the Western and Atlantic Railway, and the average value of land per acre in ten counties of Southwest Georgia in the vicinity of the Southwestern and M us oogee Railroads : N. West Ga. Price. S. West Ga. Price. Bartow $7 30 Dooly $2 64 Chattooga....... 4 66 Dougherty 3 23 Oobb 7 63 Houston 4 46 Dade 6 26 Lee 2 99 Floyd 6 92 Maonn 2 87 Gordon 6 33 Schley 334 Paulding 5 03 gumter 3 77 Polk 6 73 Terrell 2 61 Walker 6 18 Webeter 3 03 Whitfield 6 82 Randolph 2 84 Av’geper acre,s6 18 Av’ge per acre,s3 17 From the above prices it it will be seen how great a change has taken place. Grain lands are worth nearly twice as much per aore as cotton hands. It is true that ootton is raised in several ot the Northwestern counties that appear in the table, bnt wherever it is raised it is a surplus crop. The planters of that seotipn .of fhp State raise their own sup plies. Their corn cribs pre not in Illinois nor their smoke houses in Ohio, They are independent and they are, as a general rale, prosperous. Avery dif ferent state of affairs, we think, exists in the .cotton region of Southern Geor gia. Thp figures which we have given oonyey their own iqoral to thpse who are wise enough to understand it. PRESIOENT GRANT’S LAST. President Grant’s order to Col. Black, commanding the post of Charles ton, to prevent the white military com panies of Charleston from celebrating Washington’s birthday, will create a mingled feeling of astonishment and disgust in the breast of every respect able oitizen. It is an unauthorized and high handed interference with the affairs of a sovereign State ; is flagrantly ille gal, and wotild pot be worth the paper upon whioh the infamy is written if it were not directed against the people of some such State as South Carolina or Louisiana and backed by the bayonets Of Federal soldiers, right has the President of the United States to say that the citizen soldiery of Oharlestom shall not parade in honor of the birth day of Washington, the Saviour of his Country ? From whence does he ob tain the authority for this act? Not from the Constitution; not from tbe laws ; assuredly from neither. What pos sible excuse can there be for this con duct—what possible justification can be urged ? For nearly three quarters of a century Charleston has celebrated the natal day of George Washington.— Never before have each celebrations been made a crime to be suppressed by the strong arm of military power. Only twelve months ago this day was cele brated in Charleston with unusual bril liancy. One of the central figures in that display was the Washington Light infantry— a company as old as the Revo lution—which afterwards was the guest of the city of Boston, yben the Blue and the Gray mingled lovingly together. F et this is the organization, forsooth, that the mere ipse dixit ot a drunken and brutal boor, who has floated to position on the blood of his countrymen, pre vents from celebrating the birthday of the great Liberator for whom it was | named. Did General Grant tear for his i favorites, and think that the twenty-sec ond ot February would witness the Sicil ian Vespers of South Carolina—that the birthday of the enemy of tvrants would be consecrated by the extermination of tyrants. If so he was deceived.— When the General Government, in spired by madness and folly, shall decide Chamberlain and his crew of thieves and soonndrels con stitute the legal government of South Carolina, then, and not nntil then, may men dread a repetition of fhe Sicilian Vespers. If such an order had been is sued to the military organizations of any city of Georgia we should advise resistance to the last extremity—even unto death—and there would be resis tance. But Carolinians occupy a dif ferent position, and to Carolinians we say, submit. You are playing for a great stake, the political redemption of a great State and a noble people. The game is rapidly drawing to an end. Yon have not made a single false play. Do nothing now that the ingenuity of malice and of sconndrelism may distort to your disadvantage. Bear and forbear yet a little while longer. As for Grant, leave him to the Furies that never fail to torture the wicked, the oorrupt, the unjust man—that are even now upon his track. It is, perhaps, in accordance with the eternal fitness of things that to honor the birthday of the hero of the Revolution'and the first President of the American Republio should be forbidden by the last President and the man who has done more than any one else to sub vert the principles of political freedom and to bring republican institutions in to contumely and contempt. A NEW STORY. Prof. Wm, Henry Pros, one of the most prolific and popular Of oar Ameri can novel writers, will commence the publication of anew story, entitled “Rodolph the Red Dwarf,” in the New York Ledger, of February 24th, This is a romance of the reign of Charles 11. There have been but few periods more filled with the elements of romance than the reign of Charles N. Prof. Peck’s intimate knowledge of history enables him to set forth the plots and lawless ness and suffering of that age with graph ic power. “Rodolph the Red Dwarf” is one of Prof. Peck’s best works. It will be read with interest. Those of our citizens who had the pleasure of bearing Prof. Peck’s admirable leoture on the rise and fall of Cardinal Wolsey need no assurance of his ability to in terest au intelligent and discriminating publio. THE GEORGIA RAILROAD. The Legislature has passed three very important acts in relation to the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company, One anthorizes that corporation to buy or lease the Port Royal Railroad. Another anthorizes it to buy or lease the Macon and Augusta Railroad. Another em powers it to issue bonds to meet its in debtedness. The bonded debt of the Georgia Railroad is, we believe, only one hundred thousand dollars—less, perhaps, than the bonded debt of any railway corporation of its size in the United States. Its seven per cent, bonds shoald, and doubtless will, readily com mand par or a premium. The day of high rates of interest has passed and the perfectly safe security that will yield six or seven per cent, upon the money in vested in its purchase will ein demand. The indebtedness of the road, whioh these bonds are to meet, is, we presume, that arising from the failure of the Port Royal Railroad to pay the interest of its bonds on whish the Georgia Railroad is an endorser. Growing out of the same circumstance is the bill authorizing the purchase or lease of the former by the latter. If the Georgia Road is to be re sponsible for the debts of the Port Royal the stockholders may decide to take pos- session of the property and operate it themselves. The bill authorizing the purchase or lease of sfip Macon and Au gusta Railroad.takes us somewhat by sur prise. Three or four years ago the South Carolina Railroad, then a large stock holder, bought the stock owned by the city of Augusta, amounting, nominally, to half a million of dollars, and obtained a controlling interest. Since that time the stock has greatly declined in value and a lease or a sale might be effected on very favorable terms —if it is to the in terest of the Georgia Bailroad to buy or lease. All of these questions will doubt less be considered at the annual meeting in this ojty of the stockholders next May. The Macon Road is now operated by the Georgia, as it has been ever since its completion. GEORGIA AND RAILWAY CONSTRUC TION. The last number of the Railroad Ga zette contains a full review of the rail road construction of 1876. It appears from the exhibit that, though the con struction of new roads has been s nail as compared with those years in whioh building was most extensively carried on, the progress was material and healthy. The time has gone by when railroads can be bnilt on speculation and proye profitable enterprises for those who first took the project in hand, what ever the effect might be upon those who had to bear the brant of the undertak ing. Texas, California and Colorado exhibited the most (parked railroad pro gress in 1876. The first named State built nearly as much railroad during the year as it ever did in any preceding year, and increased its mileage more than one-fifth. Both California and Colorado constructed more railroad than in any previous year. Ohio led Colorado in the number of miles, but not in the proportion of the mileage to the exist ing length of road. The exhibit which Georg’a makes both in the number of miles of railwav constructed during the year, as well as in the total number of miles in opera tion, is very gratifying. During the year forty-four miles of railway were built in the Stpte. Qnly fourteen States bnilt more. None of the Sonthern States bnilt as mnch, with the exception of Arkansas, which bpjlt fiye miles more. Georgia has twenty-three hundred and eight (piles of railway ip operation ; only ten States have more; Illinois, Indiana, lowa, Kansas, Michigan, Mis souri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. In railway transporta tion Georgia ranks as the eleventh State in the Union. The whole of New Eng land has bnt fifty-six hundred miles, while the Sonthern States have nineteen thousand miles. The position which Georgia occupies will be maintained. In a few years the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad will be extended; the Bruns wick and Albany Railroad will be com pleted; the Marietta and North Qeorgia Railroad will be finished; the Augusta and Knoxville and the Georgia Western will be constructed. Georgia will be the Empire State of the South in rail ways as in everything else. A supplementary resumption bill has been prepared to meet the recopmenda tions o{ the President in his recent special message. It authorizes the re tirement of $100,000,000 greenbacks by funding them in 4 per cent, thirty-year bonds—tbe funding to be at a nqt great er rate than $10,000,000 a month, which would require tep months at least, and probably longer, to retire the amount proposed. In addition to this general sum of $100,000,000 greenbacks retired $30,000,000 of $1 and $2 notes are to be redeemed in sabsidary silver—coins of half dollars and under. The object of this provision is to get rid of all small notes at once, and substitute silver for them. The fractional currency, $45,- 000,000 in amount, is already being ‘re deemed with silyer, and if $30,000,000 of $1 and $2 notes be similarly redeemed, the country would have $75,000,(100 in small silyer ooips for use as change. — ~ m m... The election in the Ninth District oomes off March 13th. THE LEGISLATURE. WHAT WAS DONE IN ATLANTA YESTERDAY. Georgia Railroad Bills—A Board to Revise Taxes and to Insure a Fair and Uniform Return of Taxes—Gnano Inspectors—The Honse Concurs In the Senate Amendment, and the Convention BUI Passes. [Special Dispatch to the Chronicle and Sentinel.] Senate. Atlanta, February 19 —The follow ing bills passed; To limit the pav of the Treasurer of Fulton county to $1,200; to provide for the mode of government for the Deaf and Dumb Asylum and to remedy existing abuses. House. The following bills passed : To repeal the act creating a Board of Commission ers for Washington county; to make it a felony for any person to carry away cot ton and other produce from the farm 'of another; to authorize the Georgia Rail road to buy or lease the Port Royal Railroad; to authorize the Georgia Rail road to issue a million dollars in bonds, to take up maturing bonds and to meet other indebtedness; to authorize the Georgia Railroad to lease or buy the Macon and Augusta Railroad; to repeal the act providing for the payment of insolvent notes. The bill to authorize the Governor to pay the claim of J. Boarman John son & Cos. was withdrawn. The bill to provide for a more oorrect and uniform return of taxable property was reconsidered and passed—yeas, 75; nays, 63. This bill provides for the ap pointment by the grand jury, at the Spring term, of three discreet, intelli gent and responsible citizens in each militia district, who shall constitute a Board of Revision. The Tax Receiver, before closing his returns, shall submit the same to the B°ard, and where there is an undervaluation of property, the Board shall re-assess fhp same and place thereon a correct valuation. The party affected has the right of appeal to arbitration provided for in the bill. Tax Receivers shall, before forwarding digests io the Comptroller-General, take an oath be fore the Ordinary that they }iave ad ministered the oath provided by law to tax payers. If the bill is carried out, it will increase the taxable property of the State millions of dollars. It is to the interest of people who return prop erty at a fair valuation, and will only operate against those persons who do not make honest retnrns. Your editorial in reference to the value of landed property, as compiled from the reports of the Comptroller-General, had much to do with the reconsideration and final passage of the bill. It demonstrat ed that there was no nniformity in the returns, and that in many counties the property was not returned at anything like a fair valuation. The bill to render more economical inspection of fertilizers, tabled this morning, was taken up and passed this evening. It turuß the whole matter over to the Commissioner of Agrionlture, who appoints a chemist and six inspectors. The chemist receives three thousand and inspectors fifteen hundred dollars per annum, and those officers arc ap pointed to hold offloe at the pleasure of the Commissioner, The fees are fifty cents per ton, which are to be paid into the State Treasury. The bill goes into effect the first of June. The bill passed by a large majority. Mr, Moses gave notice of a motion to reconsider. The bill to appropriate one-third of the State tax to be paid .by Chatham county, for the present year to be ap plied to draining said county, to protect sanitary interest of Savannah was lost— yeas, 74; nays, 78. Notice of reconsid eration was given. Second Dispatch. The House receded from its amend ment to the Convention bill submitting the question of Atlanta oc Milledgeville to the people and then conourred in the Senate amendment submitting to the people the question of Convention or No Convention. Qn tfie final passage of the bill the yeas were Jfilj nays, 15, P. W. Senate. Atlanta, 20. —The follow ing bills passed: To pay for the West ern and Atlantic change bills ten cents on the dollar. To authorize the City Council of Augnsta to create a Board of Health. To require sheriffs to keep a reoord of persons committed to jail. Bonne. The bill to grant one-third of the State tax of Chatham county for drain ing lands near Savannah, lost yesterday, was reconsidered and passed—yeas, 69; nays, 61. The bill to require railroad companies to pay promptly* for stock killed, passed last night, was reconsidered. Mr. Black moved to reconsider the bill appropriating the net proeeeds of convict labor to the Marietta and North Georgia Railroad—the motion was lost. The bill gives about twelve thousand dollars this year and twenty-five thou sand per year for the next three years, the State to have the first mortgage lien on the road for the amount so ad vanced. The Committee on the Penitentiary report various convict camps in the State properly conducted, and express satisfaction with *he treatment and gov ernment of oonvicts. The Senate bill was read the first time and referred to the committees. Mr. Rennon, of Clay, sat down on the bill making it a misde meanor for any person to give away liquor on the day of election within one mile of any election preqnct. He show ed the absurfiity of the law, which pro posed to interfere witfi a man’s private rights. The bjll to provide for the pay ment of expenses incurred in Washing ton, Burke, Jefferson and Johnson coun ties in suppressing an attempted insur rection should have been passed. Mr. Robßon worked faithfully and spoke earnestly for the bill. The sale of the Macon and Brunswick Railroad to Mr. Hazlehurst and New York associates hangs fire because of the delay of the Legislature in expressing its views. P. W. The Convention Bill. The iollowing is the Convention bill as passed, with the exception of the amendment allowing voters to vote fo* Convention or No Convention when voting fer delesates. Section 1. Be it enacted by the Sen ate and House of Representatives of the State of Georgia, and it is hereby en acted by authority of the sane, That immediately after the passage oi mis bill, bis Excellency the Governor be, and he is hereby, authorised and re-' quirpd to issue his proclamation order ing an election to be he)d in each and every county in this State on the second Tuesday in Jnn ’, 1877, for delegates to a Convention of the people of Georgia, to convene at the Capitol, in the city of Atlanta, on the second Wednesday in July, 1877, for the purpose of revising the Constitution of said State. Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, That said election shall be held and conduct ed in the same manner and at the same places as elections for members of the General Assembly are now held by the laws of this State, and the returns of said election shall be ip the same man ner forwarded to the Governor, who shall issue certificates of election to such persons chosen as delegates to said Con vention receiving the highest number of votes. Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, That rep.esentation in said Convention shall be based upon population, in the ratio of one delegate to every six thousand inhabitants ; and to this end each Sena torial District in the fcjtate, as the dis tricts are now arranged, shall consti tute an Election District, from which delegates to said Convention shall be chosen as follows, to-wit : From the First Election District: Eight delegates. From the Second Ration District; Three delegates. From the Third Election District: Two delegates. From the Fourth Election District: Two delegates. From the .’lection District : Two delegates. From the Sixth Election District : Two delegates. From the Seventh Election District: Four delegates. From the Eighth Election district: Fonr delegates. From the Ninth Election District: Three delegates. From the Tenth Election District; Four delegates. From the Eisysnth Election District: Four delegates. From the Twelfth Election DWot; Fonr delegates. From the Thirteenth Election District: Six delegatee. From the Fourteenth Election Dis trict; Four delegates. From the Fifteenth Election District: One delegate. From the Sixteenth Eleotion Diatrict: Three delegates. From the Seventeenth Eleotion Dis trict: Five delegates. From the Eighteenth Election Dis trict: Seven delegates. From the Nineteenth Election Dis trict: Five delegates. From the Twentieth Election Distriot: Six delegates. From the Twenty-first Eleotion Dis triot: Five delegates. From the Twenty-second Election District: Eight delegates. From >he Twenty-third Eleotion Dis trict: Six delegates. From the Twenty-fourth Eleotion Dis trict: Five delegates. From the Twenty-fifth Eleotion Dis trict: six delegates. From the Twenty-sixth Election Dis trict: Four delegates. From the Twenty-seventh Eleotion District: Six delegates. From the Twenty eight Eleotion Dis triot : Five delegates. From the Twenty-ninth Election Dis triot : Five delegates. From the T hirtieth Election Distriot : Four delegates. From the Thirty-first Election Dis triot : Three delegates. From the Thirty seoond Election Dis tion : Two delegates, From the Thirty-third Eliotiou Dis triot : Four delegates. From the Thirty fourth Election Dis trict : Five delegates. From the Thirty-fifth Eleotion Dis trict : Nine delegates. From the Thirty-Sixth Election Dis trict : Six delegates. From the Thirty-seventh Eleotion Dis trict': Six delegates. From the Thirty-eighth Election Dis-. trict : Three delegates. From the Thirty-ninth Eleotion Dis triot: Four del-gates. From the Fortieth Election Distriot: Two delegates. From the Fortytfirst Eleotion District: Three delegates. From the Forty-seooud Eleotion Dis trict : Seven delegates. From the Forty-thild Eleotion Distriot: Four delegate^. From the Forty-fourth Election Dis trict: Three delegates. Seo. 4. That in said election every person entitled to vote for members of the General Assembly shall be entitled to vote and eligible as delegates. Seo, 5. That the oonstitution framed by said Convention shall be submitted to the people for ratification or rejec tion, and all persons entitled to vote for members of the General Assembly shall be entitled to vote in said eleotion. Seo. 6. Be it further enacted, That the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars, or so much thereof qs may be necessary, be, and the same is hereby, appropriat ed to pay the expenses of said Conven tion (if held), and his Excellency the Governor is hereby authorized to draw his warrant on the Treasury for the same. Senate. Atlanta, February 21.— A resolution was adopted to pay Col. Xj. Snead, of I{ew two thousand dol lars for legal servioes, A bill to incorporate the Georgia Land and Lumber Company passed. The bill in reference to inspectors and and inspection of fertilizers, giving the whole matter into the hands of the Com missioner of Agriculture, was made the special order for to-morrow. A resolntion to protect the claims of Messrs. Branch and Her(iflg from opera tions qf the pending constitutional amendment was not agroed to. House. A resolution was adopted to elect State Printer to-morrow. There was a spirited debate over the proposed sale of the Maeon and Bruns wick Railroad to George H. Hazlehurst and his New York associates. ‘ A resolution iyas adopted directing the G yernpr not to lpase oj sell the road, but to run ft until the hC*t session of the legislature. It was stated, by authority of Dr. Flewellen, that the road would pay into the State Treasury sixty thousand dollars for the present year, without any appropriation from the State. This resolution disposes of the question for the present. The Governor is authorized to receive proposals for the lease or sale, subject to approval or rejection by the Legis lature. The appropriation ftiU is mow being considered, P. W. THE NINTH DISTRICT. The Candidacy of Mr. Speer and the Recent Meetine in Athene. Athens, February 20th, 1877. Editors Chronicle and Sentinel :■ The Congressional race in this distriot seems to he exciting much interest throughout the State, and being in the midst of the excitement, I ask the use of your oolumns to explain the position of a party to which I belong, since there is being made an attempt to deprive it of the advantage gained in a reoent election of delegates to the Nominating Convention of the distriot. The Ninth District has certain mountain counties in the northern portion whioh, though very sparsely populated, hay.p bitherfo, owing to the system of nominating con ventions in vogue in the district, com pletely gagged and entirely controlled the more populous counties in the southern end of the district. The peo ple of Clarke last year, in a publio meet ing of the Democratic party of the county, passed pointing to reform, and asking the po-operation of those cjoquties in the southern end of the district, which were, ip like manner with Clarke, injured by the present con vention rule, to come out of the Conven tion, nominate a candidate and elect him, As long as Mr. Hill was willing to represent the Ninth District, the people were unanimously in favor of returning him, and the question of a change in the convention system was not one of im portance. Mr. Hill has now been sent to the Senate. There is no longs? a unanimity between the people pjt the northern and southern, portions of fhe district, aDd the of the pres ent Contention is likely to work great ii justice to the southern counties. Un der the present convention rules, based on the representation in the Lower House of the State Legislature, two hundred votes in Union have as mnch voice in the choice of a Congressman as have one thousand votes in (jlarke, equally good Democrats, equally intel ligent men, equal in every respect except in the Nominating Democratic Conven tion of the Ninth District. Mr. Emory Speer, echoing the senti ments of the southern end.of the dis triot, has headed the move for a reform in the Convention system and placed himself in the field as a candidate, snb ject to a Convention which will give each county a voting power in Conven tion equal to its voting power at the polls. Clarke county, in two public meetings, has expressed herself with, Mr. Speer and has elected delpMfes to the Convention, who wilj insist on a re form, and iavpr'Mr. tjpesr. While the delegates are wholly uninstrncted, they were elected by the friends of the Convention reform, and are expeoted to oome ont of the Convention, if the other populous cotton counties of the district will oome with Clarke, but Clarke is not to come by herself—so said one of the delegates who has been chosen, in ex plaining bis position, and the others by their silence acquiesced, Now then Mr Ranter, member of the Democratic Copamittep of the Ninth Dis triot, in accordance with a call from Mr. Hockenhnll, of Dawson, the Ghftirgm D i called the citizens of the county togeth er last Satqyfiay, February 17th, to elect delegates, which call being ratified by Dr. B, M, Smith, Chairman of the county organization, ura authoritative. The meeting was duly organized, largely attended, and ejected delegates to repre sent Clarke in the Gainesville Conven tion on the platform I have laid down above. Mr. Hunter is not a friend of Mr. Speer’s, and now he issues another call, based upon the supposition that the delegates already elected will withdraw from the Convention amf leave Clarke unrepresented therein, in case the Con vention refuses to listen to Clarke, and whether the, other cotton counties oqme ont or not. The delegates aye unin strncted; the delegates nave said plain ly such would not be their coarse, and Mr. Hunter and bis last call have no more solid foundation thaq th%t gentle man’s opposition to Mr. Speer, and the fact that the present delegates favor Mr. Bpeev- By issuing another call he puts himself in the position of a hoi ter from the Democratic party of the county, and does the very thing in regard to the par ty in the county whieh he accuses Mr. $2 A YEAR—POSTAGE PAID. Spier of threatening to do in the Dis trict. Furthermore, Mr. Hunter has no more authority to call a meeting thau a tom oat, and a meeting so called would be no more binding on the Democracy of the oounty than the gathering to gether of a serenading party of the aforesaid oats. The people have spoken and it is time for the politicians to quiet down. Reformer. FIRE IN THE PICKERIES. Quite a Conflagration Last Night. It is not often that Augusta has a fire, and those whioh do sometimes break out are genei ally cheeked before any damage has been done. Last night, however, about seven o’clock, the city was startled with the fire alarm, and a bright light up on the river bank soon drew a crowd to that spot, where it was ascertained that the warehouse, waste factory and pick ery of Mr. 0. W. Simmons, situated ou the corner of McCarten and Bay streets, on the river bank, were in a blaze. The fire had made much headway before the engines oould reach the spot, and it soon became evident that the buildings them selves oould not be saved. The time whioh had elapsed before the alarm be- came general, the distance of the water plugs and the highly inflammable ma terial upon whioh the flames were fed, all conduced to give the fire great ad vantage. The Department, however, was promptly on the ground, and by coup ling the hose together three steamers soon managed to put their streams upon the burning buildings. The flames, however, soon began to spread, and the stable and warehouse in the rear became speedily enveloped, while a small house immediately across McCar ten street began to crackle and smoko from the nearness and hotness of the fire. Had this building been fired the flames would have readily been com municated by fences and small wooden houses to Mr. Goodrich’s workshops, and the consequences would have been disastrous indeed. The fenoes, er, running up to this threatened point were speedily knooied down, and a stream directed upon the house itself. Fortunate indeed it was that a stiff south breeze was blowing, aa the smoke a “ d B P a fks were carried directly over the Savannah river, and not in the di rection of the surrounding buildings; but aa ■it was the revolving column of flame and smoke, roaring and crackling, rolled directly over the waters, where the sparks and burning spars spent their harmless fury. The buildings were soon consumed and the cotton bales with other articles in the second stor} falling throughjat a comparatively early stage of the fire, left pothipg bqt the slight frame timbers which were easily pulled dowp and the water from the streams poured in direotly upon the homing maaa. The origin of the fire appears to have been the explosion of a kerosine lamp. The lamp in the hands of some person in the main building of the factory be gan to flare up, and in thi* efforts to put it out and the room m whieh the machinery was sit uated surrounded by rags and lubrica tors, apd saturated almost with oil and grease, was soon in a blaze. Mr. A. F. Proctor, the Superintendent of this faotory or pickery, assisted by Mr. Armstrong, staying with him, got out the Baboook extinguishers and soon had some three or four of them at work, but the flames had ffiude tpo much head way for these, ep the attention of the gent(emeq and the hands around were engaged W removing what they could from the house. The fire, however, be coming very hot, they were forced to relinquish their work, indeed Mr. Proc tor himself beoame very nearly suffocat ed before he was removed from the building, both he and Mr, Armstrong having lost their eptire wardrobe and furniture, and ‘he latter, fifty dollars in money, which was consumed with his trunk. Mr. Simmons’ loss is very heavy. Be sides the waste pot fop, furniture, books and machinery in the factory proper, there were from 3,01> to 400 bales of ootton in the warehouse, which were heavily damaged, and many of tbem en tirely oonsumed. The damage was esti mated at from $30,000 to $40,000, with only about SIO,OOO insured. The safe, in which were confined the ledgers, books and other valuable papers, was found to be red hot, and the contents destroyed. The building was a pqttun and yarn fac tory, where rough and damaged cotton was, worked over and repacked, and the fire, which originated in the main build ing, was communicated to the buildings on the side, and this to the warehouse and stables in the rear. There Were aome mules in the stable, but they were turned louse before the fire had gained muah headway. Mr. Simmons, who is also of the firm of Bussell & Simmons in the ootton fac tory on the panal, was burnt out, we lear, some years sinoe in Savannah, where he was also engaged in the facto ry business. The fire among the bales was still alive at 12 o’clock last night, at which hour the steamers Georgia, Gazelle and Vigilant were playing npoD it. This fire is said to have been the iuvgpat in Augusta since 1870, at VfMpA time the noted Goodrich wwk B JMW and the Plan ters’ Hptfd fiW occurred, each at separ ate intervals and all within a stone’s throw of the scene of last night’s burn ing. Incidents. The soenery up and down, ft>e Savan nah river for some distance during the brightest stage of the fire was extremely beautiful, the light shining upon the Water ana the waves, pioturesqe forms of trees and objects upon the Carolina side being frequently remarked upon by many gentlemen and several ladies who were also in attendance. The capers of several little nigs, who were improvised firemen to scoop up mnd and water in their hats and throw upon the long lines of tow and bagging along the bank, were hugely enjoyed by the orowd. Over the stable, immediately in the rear of the factory, large flock of pigeons roosting there swarmed on* of their 88 flames became too hut, and began fo whirl around in a con fused a hd giddy wj In the ourrent of smoke and flame, fluttering wildly about in the glaring atmosphere, and many of of them fell into the burning building, while not a few fumbled over upon the river bank, where they were eagerly picked np by the small boys and col ored youths ip attendance. Mr, Gasper Ferrer, pipeman of No, 1, was severely burned, and bad to be carried home. This office is iudebted to the Me chanic boys for a bowl of coffee last night, very acceptable and enjoyable. MONDAY NIGHT’S FIRE. Picking* from the Pickeries. The chief looal theme of conversation upon the streets yesterday was the burn ing of Mr. Simmons’ waste factory Monday night. Many persons visited the of the fire during the day, *knr£ bauds were busily employed re moving the damaged and waste cotton and pif\hg it up in the va oant tod m the rear, or upon the river bank to dry. The steamer Geor gia remained at her place until fonr o’clock yesterday morning, while the Gazelle held the fort at her plug until al out three. Yesterday morning early Chief Robbe visited the ruins, and as some fire remained in the cotton,coupled up the hose of Nos. 3 and 6 and himself directed a stream upon the burning spots. The firemen evinced a heroism and fortitude remarkable npon the occa sion, Chief Robbe having in many in stance* to order them away from the burning walls for fear that some uf them wonld lose their lives. The brick wall dividing the engine room from the pick ery partly remained yesterday, and the boiler enclosed in its bnck covering re mained intact, bnt the machinery of the engine was scattered around generally, parts of it being melted, broken and mostly rained. The safe rested in a standing position upon its charred supports. The safe was not opened yes terday, so that ** yet it has not been as certained to what extent the contents have been damaged, bnt from the length of time whieh it remained in the hottest part of the fire very lit Re hope remains of any preservation of the books and *r loss will probably amount to abont $30,000, and the insurance aggre gates ten thousand dollars, being par celled eat in the following companies : Merchant and Mechanics Fire Insurance Company of Richmond, Ya., represented by Mr, Wm. Reid, agent at Angusta. $2,000. The following companies, rep resented by Mr. G, W. Hams, are also involved to the extent of the accompany ing amounts : London and Lancaster .* $3,000 Mississippi Valley 2,000 Old Dominion 1.000 Commercial j qqq Farmville 1 000 The lots up m which the factory stood were owned by Mrs. Andrew J. Miller and had been leased by Mr. Simmons for a term of years, the first factory having been created in 1871, and addi tions subsequently made. Mr. Simmons may build again in tliAt B P° t bnt asserts that his next factorv will be of brick and as near fire-proof as can be made. Ibe and ffionity of procar* ing water and the distance it had to be oonveyed rendered the suppression of me names Monday night impossible. Mr. Simmons is one of our most, en ergetic and enterprising manufacturers, and we hope will “loom up” again in the near future. BIRTHDAY. GRANT’S INFAMOUS CAROLINA EDICT. A Wise Proclamation from (Jeneral Hamp lon-Tbe Washington Light Infantry In vited to Augusta, lint Decline—The Clinch Send Their Delegation to Charleston. The miserable pronnneiamento of Presid< nt Grant embodied in the dis patches of yesterday, forbidding military demonstrations to-day, was the occasion of great indignation among Augusta’s citizen soldiery in sympathy with their Palmetto comrades. ‘ The fact, too, that the colored companies had been repeat edly allowed to drill in Columbia and Charleston wiihout interference, within, the past few weeks, aud that they wonlrt probably celebrate to-day unmolested, made the distinction particularly gall ing to the gallant men. The following is the communication addressed by Col. Black, United States army, commandaut at Columbia, to Capt. Thompson, and officially served on him Tuesday afternoon: Post of Columbia, l Columbia, S. G., February 20, 1877. s To Captain 11, Thompson, Colum bia, S, CJ Dear Sir— l have the honor to notify you that I have been this day directed by the honorable Secretary of War to in form you that his Excellency, the Presi dent of the United States, directs me to notify you that the members of the so called rifle clubs who, under his procla mation of the 17th of October last, were instructed to disband, are not to make any public demonstration or parade on the 23d instant, as is said to be com templated, and it is to be hoped yon will give a cheerful obedieuce to this order, and notify the members of your club or company, in order to prevent a parade of any kind taking place. My orders require mo to see t hat no such parade takes place, I am, sir, very respectfully, your obe dient servant, H. M. Black, Lieut.-Col. Eighteenth Infantry, Com. Post The feeling whioh followed this order when it became generally known was in deed very bitter, but the matter being brought to Governor Hampton, of Caro lina, that official issued the following Proclamation : State op South Carolina, } Executive Chamber, v Columbia, S. C., February 20, 1877. \ His Excellency, the Presid nt of the United States, having ordered that the white militia companies of the State should not parade on the 22d instant, to celebrate Washington’s birthday, in deference to the office he holds, I here by call upon these organizations to postpone to some future day this mani festation of their respect to the memory of that illustrious President., whose highest ambition it was, as it was his chief glory, to observe the Constitution and to obey the laws of his country. If the arbitrary commands of a Chief Ex ecutive, who has not sought to emulate the virtues of Washington, deprives the citizens of this State of the privilege of joining publioly in paying reference to that day so sacred to every American patriot, We can at least show by out obedience to constituted authority, how ever arbitrarily exercised, that we are not unworthy to be the countrymen of Washington. We must, therefore, re mit to some more auspicious period, which J tfusf is not far distant, the ex ercise of our right to commemorate the civic virtues of that unsullied character who wielded his sword only to. found and perpetuate that American constitu tional liberty which is row denied to the citizens of South Carolina. Hampton, Governor.. As was stated in yesterday’s Chronicle Sentinel, the Clinch Rifles of this city had detailed a delegation from their company to be in Charleston to-day, at the annual parade and celebration of the Washington Light Infantry, and made them the bearers of a very hand some testimonial of the well known friendship between the two companies. When the astounding news in this connection, however, was received, inter dicting the celebration in Charleston, the military and citizens generally con cluded to invite the Washington Light Infantry to Augusta and honor their visit and the day with a grand battalion parade. Yesterday morning, therefore, Capt. Frank G. Ford, of the Clinch Rifles, in behalf of his company, sent the following telegram to Capt. E. C. Gilchrist, Commanding W. L. L, Char lesleßton S. C. : “Have just read the proclamation of President Grant. The Clinch Rifles and citizens will heartily welcome tho Washington Light Infantry if they will celebrate their anniversary in Augusta. “Frank G. Ford, “Captain Clinch Rifles.”' In a short time the following reply was received: Capt. Frank O. Ford, Clinch Rifles, Augusta : Your patriotic and generous invita tion gratifies the W. L. 1., but we have concluded to accept Gov. Hampton’s advice and abandon this commemora tion of Washington’s birthday. R, C. Gillohirst, Captain W. L. I. Dispatches from Mr. Jas. A. Gray and Mr. W. Stevenson, and other citizens, were also sent to Capt. W. A. Courtenay, former Captain of the W. L. 1., and the following reply was received last night by the latter gentleman: Explain to all our noble and gener ous Augusta friends that in declining an invitation to be with them on the morrow, we obey the letter and spirit of Governor Hampton’s wishes. It will be a dies non in South Carolina. Even St. Michael’s bells will be silent. W. A. Courtenay. Capt. Jno. W. Clark, commanding the Richmond Hussars, sent to Capt. Courtenay the following: “As you > re not allowed to parade in Charleston to-morrow, the Hussars will tender you a hearty welcome in Augus ta and will assist you in honoring the memory of the “Father of His Country.” John W. Clark, Captain Commanding R. H. After these answers were received, the Clinch Rifles resolved to send their dele gation to Charleston anyhow, to appear in citizen’s dress, and act with the W. L. I. in any manner they proposed to pass the day, and to deliver their beau tiful medal. Last evening, accordingly, at 6 o’clock, the following detachment, in command of Lieutenant J. D. Cole, appeared at the Union Depot and took the cars for Charleston: Jbeuteriant. Ben D. Jones, and Messrs. Clarence Levy, Henry Hyams, S. Green Simmons and W. W. Starr. In Auffunta. Here in Georgia, we are glad to say, that nothing interferes with our cele brations, and the military companies, suoh of them as are so disposed, will honor the day as they desire. There will be no battalion parade, but the grand sabre contest of the Hussars will come off in front of Clara Hall this af ternoon, and the Oglethorpe Infantry, Company B, will have a parade also this afternoon, Grand Bail. The Washington Fire Company, No. 1, give their grand annual hop at Spaeth’s Hall this evening, which promises to be one of the most enjoy able events of the season. The Savannah Morning News says : We learn that Prof. J. H. .Newman, well and favorably known in this eity, has accepted the position of Professor of Mnsic in the Wesleyan Female College, at Macon. Two sets of delegates from Clarke county will appear in the Gainesville Convention from Clarke connty. One set styles itself the “reform party” and the other will appear as the regular Democratic nominees. The Gainesville Southron is informed that there are millions of full-grown grasshoppers in the section of country around Gainesville, and advises the farmers to meet together and burn over the places infested by the pests.