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6 RAILROAD RATES. Ah Important Bill on the Subject In trodncedinthe Senate. THE LAW'S fPREMACY ASSERTED Iron-Clad Provisions Against Unjust Discriminations in Rates. riiovisioxs against accidents. Tho "Coßiimiucs. to be Keld to a Rigid Accountability. Senator Clarke, from the railroad com mittee, yesterday introduced a ill in the renale the provisions of which are as follows: T.j provide for the better regulation of r.-iilroads and to establish a board of rail way commissioners, to prescribe their duties and powers ad to further pre pc'rib'e the" duties and powers of the rail road coQimir^ioner and for the regulation of telegraph and sleeping car companies and other like companies doing business in this stale. Section 1 provides for the creation of a commission to be styled the "Board of Railway Commissioners," which shall con sist of "tho governor, auditor and railroad commissioner. Seotion 1 requires the board to convene at least ou:-.o a month, and the railway commissioner may convene the board oftencr when business of importance requires; a majority of the board may decide all questions, and a majority shall consti tute a quorum. A record is to be kept of proceedings, and a report is to be made to thy legislature as a part of the railroad commissioners' report. Section 3 forbids the railroad com missioner or any member of the board and the secretary of the railroad commissioner from performing any service for any rail road company chartered or doing business in this state, or receiving any discount, re ward or present from such corporations. ejection 4 authorizes the board to em ploy rt secretary, defines his duties aud iixe» his compensation at $1,500 per an num. Section 5 forbids railroads to do busi ness until the railroad commissioner pro nounces it properly constructed and safe. Section 15 requires to be filed in the office of the railroad commissioner within one year after the completion of such road a profile with tables of grades, curves and oilier characteristics, certified by the president and engineer. Section 7 requires railway companies within one year of the passage of this act to file a map and profile of their lino and branches, the same to be certified by the president and engineer, and requires any c!:;:;i^c j-- to lie ported in like manner. Section 8 ikes it the duty of the railroad commissioner to have the general supervision of all railroads in the state.; he shall examine such ,road.- and keep him- F-elf informed of their condition and the manner of operating the same with refer ence to the security and accommodation of ttie public; see that they comply with the laws of the state and the conditions of their charters; hall have access to all their books and papers; shall investigate the cause of accidents resulting in loss of life or personal injury and report the same to the governor; shall receive and consider all complaints made as to violations of the law by any railroad corporation, and if the facts warrant he &hall ma his influence to adjust the same between the parties, and if he fails to do this report the facts to the governor. Makes it the duty of the commissioner to prepare an official railway map of the state which shall accompany his annual report. Section 9 gives the railroad com missioner a clerk with a salary of $1,000 and defines his duties. Section 10 requires every railroad cor poration doing business in the state, at all times upon request to furnish the com missioner any information concerning the condition, management and operation of such road, copies of all lime-tables and rates for transporting freight and passen gers, and requires all charges to be filed in his office. Section 11 punishes a president or other officer by a fine of not less than $500 for neglect or refusal to furnish a report at the time require;! by law or required by the railroad commissioner and $500 for every thirty days thereafter that he so refuses. Section 12 requires corporations, when their reports are unsatisfactory, to amend the same or give a satisfactory rea son. Section 13 makes it the duty of elevator and warehouse men to make a re port under oath to the railroad comission er of the amount and grade of grain re ceived or shipped. Also requires owners of cattle yards to report tinder oath, and prescribes a penalty of $50 for neglect or refusal so to do. Section 14 authorizes railroad cor porations to fix fares.tolls and charges, but they shall at all times be subject to revis ion by the legislatures or officers which it may designate. action 15 authorizes railroads' to make contracts for transportation of pas 6engers,and legalizes limited tickets where the terms of limitation are plainly printed Section 16 requires railroads to give passengers checks for baggage. Section 17 requires railroad cor porations to give shipping receipt and punishes a refusal with a fine of $50. Section 18 requires companies to promptly forward merchandise. Section 19 requires railroad cor porations to give all persons reasonable and equal terms and facilities. Section 20 forbids a company charg ing a greater rate for a less distance hauled. Section provides that when ever the board of railway commissioners are satisfied that any railway corporation is failing to comply with the terms of its charter or the laws of the state in res] to rates for freight and passengers, the railroad commissioner shall point out the excess, and in case of refusal or neglect, to remedy the evil. The board of commis sioners shall make arbitrary rates for such company, and said "schedule shall be accepted in all courts as the maximum rates such road is allowed to charge. The board shall, when circumstances demand, revise such schedules, notice of same being given by publication; provided tho rates so fixed shall not be reduced so low as to produce less than 15 per cent, per annum upon the capital actually' paid in. Section 21 provides that a railroad corporation charging mort than fair and reasonable rites shall be deemed guilty of extortion. It also prohibits all forms of discrimination, either by rebates, draw backs, or other shift or evasions, the fact that the same is made firm and to compe ting points not accepted as a justification ; provided that nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the issuing of commutation, excursion or thousand-mile tickets. & Section 25 simply states the rules of practice in such trials. Section 26 provides that persons or cor porations aggrieved on account of a viola tion of the provisions of the act, may com plain to the board, which may, if satisfied the complaint is well founded, cause suit to be instituted against the offending oor poration: Section 27 allows Lhe board counsel to assist in conducting prosecution? Section L'B prohibits the dismissal of prosecutions unless the reason therefor U stated on the record. Section 2.) declares that the provisions of the act .shall apply to employes and agents as woil as to tho corporation it.vjlf, snoh empl at being made per sonally ro-.ponsibie to the son aggrieved, and to the same extent as th • oorperation litsef. Section 30 provides that ra\: bulk , . [nation or any person de siring to build an elevator or warehouse, me privileges accorded any other pei on, with suitable track connec i of disagreement be person and corporation, the board shall hear and decide. Section 31 provides that all con tracts, agreements, pooling arrangements, eto.,between companies. Bhall be submitted to the board for inspection, which may approve the saiao if considered in the public interest; and the board may make rules and regulations governing such con tracts and pools, and all such contracts aud pools not approved by the board shall bo deemed and held illegal and void. Section 32 requires reasonable acconi niodations and conveniences and provis ions for the safety of passengers, and punishes neglect hy fine of not less than $."> nor more than .s^o. Section 33 forbids the employment of color-blind persons. Section 34 punishes persons who throw or shoot a missile at a locomotive or rail way or street car, or at a person on a car, or in any way assaults or interferes with a conductor, engineer or brakeman, with a fine of not more thaa $100, or imprison ment in the county jail or reform schoo; of not more than one year, and authorizes the arrest of such person without a war rant. Section 35 requires locomotives to have a bell and steam whistle, and requires sig nals to be made at crossings. Section 36 makes it unlawful to start a train without first ringing the bell. Section 37 requires an axe, hand saw, sledge hammer and two leather buckets to be kept in each car. Section 38 punishes engineers, conduct ors, train dispatcher, or other officer or employe who is guilty of any wilful viola tion of his duty resulting in loss of life by manslaughter in the third degree, and where other injury is received,by imprison ment in the state prison not exceeding five years or in the county jail not more than one year. Section 39 punishes injury to baggage by damages to the amount of injury, and fine of §100, and imprisonment in the county jail until such line is paid. Section 40 makes it a misdemeanor for a railroad employe to be intoxicated v.hile on a train, punishable by a fine of $50. Section 41 relates to the abuse of animal 3 while being transported, and punishes cruelty by a fine of not less than $500. Section 42 requires railroad corpora tions in case of accident to give immedi ate notice, where personal injury is the re sult, to some physician for medical service, and it shall also give notice to tho railroad commissioner who shall make an investi gation. Section 43 punishes a negligent employe where personal injury is the result, with imprisonment not exceeding twelve months or a fine of $1,000. Section 44 relieves railroad companies of responsibility for injuries received by passengers while on the platform of a car, or any wood,jfreight or baggage car in violation of printed regulations. Section 45 requires conductors, baggage masters and brakemen to wear a badge. Section 46 requires the president or chief officer of telegraph companies t o make a report of the business done to the railroad commissioner, on such blanks a3 3aid commissioner may direct, on or be ior tho Ist day of September in each year, which must be under oath, which report shall contain a statement of the capital stock, indebtedness, gross earnings, and a fall statement of its financial condition. Refusal or neglect to make such report is punishable by a fine of $500, and a like penalty for every thirty days of such neg lect or refusal. Section 47 gives the railroad commissioner the general supervision of all the telegraph companies doing busi ness in the state, and requires him to ex amine the same as to the manner in which they are operated with reference to the ac commodation of the public. And said commissioner shall receive and hear all complaints as to negligence or non-per formance of duty, and shall use such efforts as he shall deem proper to correct the same. Requires the railroad commis sioner, each year, to make a report to the governor, containing such facts as will dis close to the legislature the methods of the telegraph system of the state, and such suggestions a*s he may deem appropriate. And the railroad commissioner shall have the power to examine the book?, records and papers of telegraph compaaies, and shall have power to examine the officers and employes of such companies under oath. Section 45 requires teiegraph companies to keep an office at some desig nated place in tho state where its books, accounts and other papers shall ba kept, and in keeping such accounts the actual gross earnings of such company within the limits of the state shall be shown. Section 49 requires the president or manager or other officer of all railroads to make to the railroad commissioner an nually on the 30th day of June a state ment showing the number of sleeping cars not owned by such road but used by its railway in this state, and shall report the number of all other ears btlonging to transportation companies, express Cv a panies or persons not owning or operating a railroad. Such imports shp.ll be made under such rules and on such blanks as may be prescribed by the railroad com missioner. Section 52 defines the words "corpora tion" and "railroad"' or "railway" as used to mean all companies, lessees, contract ors, persons or association of persons owning, operating or using any railroad in this state, Section 53 authorizes the railroad com missoner and board of commissioners, with experts or agents, £o pass free over all the roads of the state. Section 54 requires the attorney gener al to give his opinion, whenever requested by the commissioners, on any legal matter coming under consideration. Section 55 requires all the moneys arising from suits ?.gainst railroad or telegraph companies to be paid into the state treasury for the benefit of the school fund. Section 55 reserves the rights of the stats as asserted or reserved in any previous statute. Section 57 authorizes suit to be brought in the name of the state for all penalties incurred under the act, and pro vides that when the sum is under $100, suit may be brought before a justice of th 6 peace. Section 50 requires the railway and ex press companies to make an annual re port to the railroad commissioner, fixing June 30 as tho end of the fiscal year, and authorizes the railway commissioner to certify to the board of equalization such returns when approved by the auditor, re quiring the board of equalization to levy a tax not exceeding 2 per cent, on their THE ST. PAUL DAILY GLOBE, FBI DAY MORNING JiNITAEY 26,15& gross earnings, such taxes to be in lien of all taxes, state or local, and to be paid into the state treasury. Section 51 defines the date at which such taxes shall be payable as the Ist day of November in each year, following the levy, and requires the auditor to make his draft on the companies or persons on that date, and place the taxes in the hands of the treasurer, and authorizes the treasurer ! to collect such taxes, if not paid when due, by distress and sale of any property belonging to delinquents in the same manner as required of county treas urers in like cases, by the statutes request ing the collection of taxes on personal property, and the record of the state board of equalization shall be sufficient warrant therefor. Whenever returns are not made, for any cause, the board of rail way commissioners are authorized to esti mate such earnings. FOREIGN NOTES. FRANCE. Pabis, Jan. —It is reported that De- Freycinet and Wilson will form a new cabinet. Paris, Jan. 25.The magistrate conduct ing the inquiry in the case of Prince Na poleon, states that sufficient cause is not shown for further proceeding. London, Jan. 25.Eugenic told a reporter that she had neither seen nor written to Prince Napoleon, nor attempted to do so. Had no communication with the French government, and no hint of her departure was necessary. She returned to London, having accomplished the object of her journey, which was one of family sympathy with Princess Mathilde. Pabis, Jan. 25.The ministers to-day had another conference v ;th a committee of the chamber of deputies on bills against the pretenders, and in reply to various questions they promised to consider any decision which the committee may come to. After the departure of the ministers the committee adopted a proposition excluding . from French territory, Algeria and the colonies all members of families having reigned in France, depriving them of political rights as citizens, declaring them ineligible to any office, and preventing them from be longing to the army. The resolution of the committee fur her provides that transgressors of the proposed law should be amenable to correction at their tribunals and liable to one to five years' imprisonment, after which they shall be again expelled. The discussion revealed wide divergencies of views of the ministry and of the com mittee. M. Pronst inquired whether the ministry would use permissive powers, if granted. The only answer he elicited was that they would examine the matter. Fallieres, minister of the in terior, declared that no danger existed threatening the republic, although some troublesome desires existed, but they had no chance of realization. No conspir acy, he thought, considering: the general feeling of the nation, could become for midable. The rumor which has gained currency, that the charge against Prince Jerome had been dismissed, having been contradicted, it has been formally an nounced from Frohsdorf that Count de Chambord has no idea of issuing a mani festo under the present circumstances. AUSTRIA. Trieste, Jan. —A new Irredentist club, the 'Overdank club," having issued a paper of an insulting nature, the police v sited the houses of members and arrested several of them. The burgomaster of Versa, who arrested Overdank and associates, is constantly re ceiving threatening letters. He intends to dispose of his property and leave the neighborhood. Vienna, Jan. —The emperor to-day granted a private audience to De Giers, Russian foreign minister. De Giers was received with great distinction, and the in terview lasted half an hour. The papal nuncio subsequently visited De Giers. SPAIN. Madbtd, Jan. 25. —The Marquis de Sar doal, recently appointed first vice presi dent of the chamber of deputies, replying to a toast, said: "We believe monarchy and democracy compatible. Monarchy daily becomes more respected. I drink to the liberty of the press, to democracy and to King Alfonso." The remarks were greet ed with cheers. GEKMANI. Beelin, Jan. 25.—The court festivities were abandoned in consequence of the re cent death of Prince Charles, at the streets are decorated to-day in ...nor of the Crown Prince Frederick William. The crown prince and Princess Victoria re ceived numerous visits of congratulation, including those of the emperor and em press, who were enthusiastically received by large crowds. Beblin, Jan. 25.The president of the reichstag announced that he had received 42,000 marks from New York brewers and hop and malt dealers, for the relief of suf ferers by floods. GREAT BRITAIN. London, Jan. 25. —A gunboat has gone to Innis, Murray Island, Ireland, with provisions for the inhabitants, reported starving. Dublin, Jan. —Healy refuses to give bail, and will go to prison. London, Jan. 25.Joseph Cowen, radical member of parliament,telegraphed Davitt: "If you or Healy desire to give bail, I will become your bondsman." London, Jan. 25.—The Times, comment ing on the parliamentary action at Mal low, Ireland, where O'Brien, editor of United Ireland, defeated the government candidate, says: "This demonstration of the prevailing opinion at Mallow, which is not likely to be more violent than the opin ion in the surrounding districts, can only b3 interpreted as a defiance of the govern ment and all English parties. Lord Greville is dead, aged sixty-two. He was a liberal. On the stock exchange to-day Mexican railway, limited, ordinary, rose 5 per cent, and closed at 136J£. A Cairo dispatch says the porte sent a circular note to the powers pointing out that the English note concerning Egypt is at variance with Turkish admitted rights over the latter country. The porte also requested Turkish ministers abroad to call attention to the absolute necessity of the strict observance of the sovereign rights of the porte. Germany advised the sultan to accept the English proposals as in the interest of Turkey itself. The Brazilian loan of £4,000,000 at 1% per cent, put upon the market by the Hoth3childs at 89, has been more than fully subscribed. SOUTH AMERICA. Cajamabca, Peru, Jan. —The assembly passed a resolution to treat for immediate peace, with or without Bolivia, provided the republic regain its independence and is not stripped of all resource of regenera tion. Logan's recall is expected, because of letter direct to Montsro. SHIPS AID CIGARS; THE HOUSE PASSES THE TTAVAL AV ritOPIIIATION BILL. And Kef uses to Instruct the Committee to Consider the Tax 011 Tobacco and Cigars —The Rest of the Day Spent in Eulo gion of Senator Hill. Senate. Washington, Jan. 25.—T0-day having been set apart for services in honor of the late Senator Hill, of Georgia, ou tho mo tion of Mr. Brown immediately after the reading of the journal, remarks eulogistic of the deceased were begun. At the conclusion thereof the senate ad - journed; and the Republicans resumed their caucus on the tariff. 71 ou v. Washington, Jan. 25.— the house, the naval bill came up as the regular order with pending amendments recommended by the committee of the whole. The first amendment providing that chiefs of bu reaus shall receive no additional pay by reason of holding such positions was re jected. The next amendment being that for the payment of Asa Weeks, $50,0C0 for the use of his invention in torpedoes. Agreed to and the bill passed. Mr. Kelly, of Pennsylvania, moved to go into a committee of the whole on the tariff bill. Mr. Butterworth, of Ohio, raised a ques tion of consideration stating that his pur pose was to call up the bonded warehouse bill which was on the speaker's table. Mr. Kelly's motion was agreed to and at 12:20 the house went into committe of the whole, Mr. Burrows, of Michigan, in the chair, on the revenue bills. Mr. Kelly called up the tariff bill, bat Mr. Carlisle made a point of order that the revenue bills must be taken up in their order on the calendar. Sustained. The first bill was to admit free of duty a monument to George Washington. Mr. Kelly objected to its consideration, and the objection was sustained by the house. A similar objection was taken upon all bills, including that to abolish the internal tax on tobacco, snuff, cigars and cigarettes. The committee then reached the tariff bill, and was addressed by Mr, Kelly, chairman of the ways and means com mittee. At the conclusion of Mr. Kelly's speech, which was brief, the committee rcse, public business was postponed and the house proceeded to eulogize Senator Hill. Touching and eloquent addresses were made by Mr. Hammond, of Georgia, Mr. House of Tennessee, Mr. Hooker, Missis sippi, and Mr. Cox, of New York, after which the house adjourned out of respect to the memory of Senator Hill. The following is the vote on the ques tion of whether tile house should direct the committee of the whole to consider the to bacco tax bill: NAYS. A'drlch, Haste' 1, Banner, .Anderson, Haze 1 too, Kay. Atbenoa, Heilmac, Reed, Baa 1, He'i.kvsoa, Rice, Ohio. Bajje, Henbara, Rice, Ua;s. Bul"ord, HHI, EichS Bisbee. Biscoct, Richardson, N V Bland.' Hilt. Ritchie, Blouat, Holman, Bobbin, Bowmaa, Horr, Ebb'nsoD, Mass. Bragg, Honk, Robinson, Ohio, Brewer, Hampbref, Russell, Briggs, Jacobs, Ryan, Browne, Judson, ScrautoD, tack, Jones, Ark., SMa'lenberger, Bun-ows, Mo., iooes, N. J., S-serwia, Borrows, Mich.,Joyce, Shuliz, Butte; jvorib, . Kaasoo, Skinner, Call"DS, ' Kelley, Smulls, Campbell, Ketcham, Smith, Pa., Cbaud'er, Lacy, . Smith, Ul., Canuoo, Ladd, Smiih, N. V., Caswell, Lewis, Spauld^g, Ca-peatjr, L'lKUey, Spooner, Cnance, Lord, Steele, Cobb, Lynch, Stockslager, Crapo, Mac Key, Stone, CulleD, Marsh, SUait, H. 8., Call, Matson, Taylor, Ohio., Davis, 111., McClure, Thomas, Dawr ;, McCord, Thompson, la., Deering, McKsialey, Townsend,Ohio, DeMotte, McLaren, Mo., Turner, Ga., Deuster, Miles, Updegraff, Dinglee, M;ller, Valentine, Doxey, Moore, Van Aernam, Dwight, Morse, Van Horn, Errect, March, Wadsworth, Far well, 111., Neal, Wait. ;' • : Farwell. lowa, Norcrose, Walker, Geddes, O'Neill, Ward, Va., George, Page, Ward, Goodschalk, Parker, Washburn, Grant, Payson, Watson, Guenther, Peele, Webber, Hall, Pierce, West, Hammond,N.Y. Pettibone, Williams, Wis., Hardenberg, Pound. Willits, Harmen, Prescott. Wise, Pa—l 47. TEAS. Aiken, Erm entrant, Phelp?, Armfield, Evins, Physter, Atkins, Flower, Kandall, Barbour, Ford, Reagan, Beach, Fo-ney, Reese, Belmont, Fulkerson, Rice, Mo., BeUzhoover. Garrison, Richardson, S.C BeYiy, Gibson, Robertson, E'ackburn, Gunter, Rosecrans, ! Blanchard. Hammond, Ga.Scales, Bliss, Hardy, Shelley, Buchanan, Hazelline, Simoaton, Buckue/, Hatch, Singleton, Miss. Cabel Herbeiir, Singleton, Ills. Caldwell, Hewitt, Ala., Sparks, Carlisle, Hooker, Speer, Chapman, House, Springer, Clendy, Jones, Tex. 'Talbott, Clark, Jorgenson, Thompson, Ey Clements, King, Townshend, HI. Converse, Klotz, Tucker, Cook, Knott, Turner, Ky. Cox, N. Y. Seedom, Upson, Cox, N. C. Lefevre, Vance, Covington, Manning, KeDna, Cravens, McKenzie, Warner, Cur, McMillan, Welbern, Davidson, Mills, Wheeler, Davis, Mo. Morey, White, Dibrell, Morrison, Whitthome, Dovrd, Moulion, Willis, Dugro, Muldro-w, Wise,—loo. Dunn, Mutchler. Ellis, Oates, ■ The Republicans in the Indiana legisla ture are strongly in favor •of submitting the prohibition and woman suffrage amendments to the people. It is expected that enough Democrats will vote with them to carry the measures. ! Hop Bitters are the Purest and Best Bitters I'ytr Made. They are compounded from] Hops, Malt, Ba cha, Mandrake and Dandelion— oldest and best/and most valuable medicines in the world and contain all the best and most curative prop erties of all other remedies, being the greatest Blood Purifier, Liver Regulator and Life and Health Restoring Agent on earth. No disease or ill health can possibly long exist where these Bitters are used, so varied and perfect are their operations. They give new life and vigor to the aged and infirm. To all whose employments cause irregu larity of the bowels or urinary organs, cr who require an Apetizer, Tonic and mild Stimulant, Hop Bitters are invaluable, being highly cura tive, tonic and stimulating, without intoxicat ing. No matter what your feeling 3or symptoms are, what the disease orailment is, use Hop Bitters. Don't wait until you are sick, but if you only feel bad or miserable, use Hop Bitters at once. It may save your life. Hundreds have been saved by so doing. $590 will be paid for a case they will not cure or help. Do not suffer or let your friends; suffer, but use and urge them to use Hop Bitters. . Remember, Hop Bitters is no vile, dragged, drunken nostrum, but the Purest and Best Medicine ever made; the "Invalid's Friend and Hope," and no person or family should be with out them. •: Try the Bitters to-day. . GLOBELETS. Gambetta, like Garfield, died from blood poisoning. There is but one paper in Georgia issued every day in the week. Miraculous", prayer-cures are becoming frequent in Massachusetts. It has been decided in a Cleveland, Ohio, ennrt, that it is not libelous to call a man a masher. Percussion arms were usod in the United States army in 1830, displacing the old -ilint-lcck." Proctor Knott is confident of being nominated for governor of Kentucky. But he is meeting stout opposition. It is stated that one vessel was lost every four hours during the past year. Such statements are probably not very reliable. The number of homicides in Chicago in 1882 is stated at fifty- foar, and yet only OTic man-slayer was found deserving of the gallows. A Cincinnati man recently dreamed that he was dead and in hall. Upon waking he said he felt perfectly at home there, and was sorry to leave. At a r&ceut execution in Japan, thirteen strokes of a.sword were found necessary to decapitation. President Arthur wields a keener blade, and £.113 the bloody basket with great celerity "officially." Taking the hint from the recent news paper consolidation, an unscrupulous In dianapolis paper says: "A general con solidation in Cincinnati would be well received by the human family. It is nearly sixty years since kerosene was first used for lighting purposes. It was first thought to have medicinal prop3r ties and was hawked about as such, to be taken internally, under some name as "rook oil." '. Chicago has 444 policemen, but that large force seem tos be generally incon veniently absent when most needed, and the murderous, thieving desperadoes con tinue the use of the slungshot and sandbag with almost uninterrupted brutality. Talmage says no less than twenty-two reputable ministers can be convicted of stealing his sermons, and the Boston Post remarks that it is surprised to hear that there are so many fools in the profession, Russia expected in 1881 a deficit of $21,000,000." Instead it had one of $55, --000,000, and with iittle border wars cost ing §80,000,000 a year in addition to the regular army charge, this i 3 likely to go on indefinitely. The Essex institute, Salem, Mass., has the first shoe ever pegged by a machine, with a letter from the inventor and paten tee, and the original patent, signed by Andrew Jackson, Secretary Livingston and Attorney General Taney. A Missouri bee raiser has just transfer red his 150 hives to Florida, that hi 3 bees may keep busy all the winter in the land of flowers; and on the Mississippi the; are bee boats that carry hives up and down that river to keep paca with blooming of the flowers. The Detroit Free Press says that the feel ing against the play supposod to depict the deeds of the James outlaws is growing rapidly in that city, and that in all proba bility a public meeting will be called to protest, indignate, and petition the mayor to refuse a license to the show. The Rev. Dr. Hicks, of Washington city, who furnished spiritual consolation to Guiteau in his last hours, is still holding on to the assassin's skeleton and is de manding $2,000 from the Government Medical museum for the same. He should be permitted to keep the precious relic. It is reported that a new organization called '-The Three Drinks a Day League," has been formed among the department clerks in Washington. Any member who takes more than three drinks per day is fined $5. As far as known, there is nothing to forbid three fingers to a drink. Vennor and Wiggins and Hazen are dis puting about the weather, and unless they soon come to an agreement, that necessary and indispensable article will get inconve niently mixed, . if, indeed, we have any weather at all. Science is a great thing, and has a great many fools for its vota ries. A weapon found on a Philadelphia bur glar consisted of a canvas bag three inches in diameter and fifteen in length, filled with sand, and having a wooden handle. A blow with it would not break the skin like a club, but would be stunning in its, effect, while the stroke would make no noise. Since. 1822, Boston has had but two city clerks, Samuel F. McCleary from 1822 to 1852, and Mr. McCleary's son,who succeed ed him, and has held the place to this date. The Democrats now propose to replace Mr. McCleary bj» some one who will vote Dem ocratic every time, which Mr. McCleary, it is hinted, does riot. Ten years ago, George A. Gordon, nine teen years of age, went from a little time in Maine to learn a trade in Boston. Some how or other he was induced to take to the ministry, studied, and in 1875 graduated and began to preach. He has just accept ed an $8,000-a-year-and-house-rent call from the famous Old South church, of Boston. . An advertisement in a recent is3ue of the Sun said: "An errand boy wanted. Only a live boy need apply." It is well to be explicit in matters of this kind. Noth ing could be more heartless than to adver tise for boys indiscriminately, and then have, perhaps, fifteen or eight dead ones apply for the position only to be dis appointed. • Mr. James and Mr. Howells, the nov elists, are treated severely in the forth coming number of the London Quarterly It attempts to prove that euch writers as Fennimore Cooper, Charles Brockden Brown, and James Kirke Paulding have a far better claim to rant as the founders of American fiction than James or Howells. Mrs. Burnett and Mr. Cable are also warm ly praised. An anti-vaccination society has been formed at Cape Town, Africa, where the negroes are bitterly opposed to vaccina tion. The population of the town is about 40,000 people, and during the last two months 9,000 of them have been afflicted with small-pox, and 2,400 have died from that disease. It will take a good deal of anti -vaccination literature to confute such an argument as this. Canadian papers enjoy a great deal; of the liberty inherent to American soil. In one of them the governor general! is', told that he is not paid $50,000 a year for trav eling in the United States, and other un dignified remarks are made. A Montreal journal publishes a letter which asks, "How long are we to remain a second-band peo ple ?" And the Quebec Chronicle replies unfeelingly, "Perhaps a couple of years more." OFFICIAL. Report of City Engineer For the Year Fueling Dec. 31, 1883. St. Paul, Jan. 2, 1883. • To the Board of Public Works and Com mon Council: Gentlemen: I have the honor to here with present my report for the year end ing December 31, 1882: The past year has been one of unusual activity in every department under my chargo. Improvements have been made of all kinds, and in every part of the city, and it has taxed the resources of the office to the utmost to keep pace with your requisitions. While the amount of work is about double that of any previous year I believe that the quality of the work has been good, and that it has been done in ac cordance with the plans and specifications. This i 3 due, in a great measure, to the rigid system of inspection of work and material which it has been my eiiort to es tablish and enforce, for I believe that to prepare plans and specifications for public works and not to provide for their being carried out is simply to offer a premium for bad work and dishonesty, and would soon result in driving honest contractors from the field of competition. As a general rule the contracts have been finished closely to the contract time. When from neglect on the part of the con tractor the contract time has been exceeded the cost of engineering und inspection for this time has been deducted from the con tract price, The season has been a favor able one for contract work, extending to the latter part of November, when all work was suspended except on sandrock sewers. The streets at the close of the season's work were left in better condition than ever before. OFFICE WOBK. The large amount of office work that has passed through my hands has been under the direct supervision of Mr. W. A. Som ers, assistant city engineer. It would re quire a personal inspection to understand the amount of this work, and the labor re quired. There have been received from the board of public works 240 orders, and from the city council direct 80 orders re quiring reports, plans, specifications, maps and profiles, besides a large amount of miscellaneous work for assessments, city attorney, records and house number in,?. Three hundred and seventy-five esti mates have been made and allowed for contract work. Thirty-eight street opening plans have been sent to the Board of Public Works. One hundred and nine preliminary esti mates have been made. Forty and one-half miles of levels have been run. Sixty-six contracts have been let. The total area now embraced within the city* limits is about twenty square miles—l2,Boo acres, the quarter part of which is laid out into additions. These additions and subdivisions now number 334, of which eighty-two were recorded during the past year. The total number of streets in the city is 365. I find several with duplicate names, and in a few instances two names for the same street in the different additions. The total length of these streets is 365 miles, of which forty-six mile 3 were added during the year. The total length of improved streets (graded or paved); is about fifty miles, of which eighteen and a half were finished this year. Total number of lots now platted, 45,000 (approximately); of these 7,990 were recor ded this year. Exhibit No. 7 gives a list of the employes of the office during the year, and the amount paid each, giving a total of $13, --280.92. Exhibit No. 8 contains a list of the in spectors employed, and the amounts paid each, at the rate of $3 per day, amounting in all to $6,046.63. STBEET CONTBACTS. There have been forty-nine contracts in progress for street improvements during i se year, the cost of the finished work . ; mting to $253,643.82, and requiring in cans ..ruction 1,266 cubic yards of masonry, 24,C03 square yards of cedar block paving, 14.809 square yards of limestone gutters, at an average cost of about $1.25 per square yard; 23,437 linear feet of stone curbing, 58,560 square yards of macadam. 188,700 feet board measure lumber, and the moving of 655,150 cubic yards of earth work. The cost of engineering for this amount of wcrk has been $3,246.02, or one and a quarter per cent, of the total cost. The cost of inspection has been $2,423, or one per cent, of the total cost. The work has been under the supervision of H. H. Fuller, assistant engineer; and a detailed statement of the cost and charac ter of these improvements will be found in exhibit No. 1. A majority of these improvements were grading contracts. The streets were put to the established grade, the best material found on the street being used for surfac ing. Ashland, Beaumont, Concord, Kent, Fau quier, Grand, University, etc., were of this class. The cost of the work varied from fifteen to thirty cents per cubic yard, according to the nature of the material, length of haul, and quantity of work. The average price paid was about twenty cents per cubic yard. A second clas3 of these improvements would include the graveled streets, of which Tilton, Lafayette avenue, Westminster, and Sixth streets are examples. The surface of these streets was finished with one foot of gravel, which makes an excellent roadway for a light traffic. The difficulty of obtaining good gravel in suffi cient quantity within a reasonable haul of the streets where it could be best used, limit this class of work to a few localities. The cost of the gravel surfacing has been about twenty-five cents per square yard. A third class would comprise the street 3 where a macadam surfacing has been tried. Some of the streets, where the traffic was light, the roadway was finished with six inches of limerock, broken into pieces two inches in diameter, and covered with an inch of gravel or loam. Forbes street and Goodrich avenue are examples of thi3 class 02 work. The cost was about seventy -five cents per square yard. Ninth street, from Broadway to Jackson, is one of the best constructed of the mac adam streets. It has a Telford foundation of stone 3 set on edge, eight inches in depth, covered with four inches of broken lime stone and surfaced with two inches of gravel. The cost was one dollar and twenty cent 3 ($1.20) per square yard. The street is also finished with a Ka3ota stone curb five inches in thickness and eigh teen inches in depth and with stone gutters. Fort street was by far the most impor tant contract of this class, being about 2% mile 3in length, and costing $51,000. The work was under the supervision of Mr. J. Brunton, assistant engineer. From the Seven corners to Western ave nue the street is finished with Kasota stone curbs and limestone gutters nine inches in debth. The roadway is constructed with a foundation of rubble stone well sledged and consolidated by a fifteen ton steam road roller. On this foun dation an intermediate course of bro ken limestone, is placed to a depth of three inches when rolled, upon this a top layer three inches thick of trap rock or granite (both were used) broken to two inches in di ameter and covered with a binding mate rial of the trap rock screenings or sharp sand, then well watered and rolled with the road roller. The cost wa3 $1.25 per square yard. From Western avenue to the city limits a rubble foundation wa.; prt down iv the same manner as before and covered with four inches of broken limerock two inches iv diameter, and a binding material of the screenings or sharp sand. No curb or gut ters were put on this sectiO] . and beyond Randolph street the roadway was redaceel to twenty feet, as the property could not •<■. large absessmo::': and the work had to bo eat down to :" o minimum cost. A liclle more work remains to be done, but the Street Railway company have paved their tracks it will prove one of the treets for driving in the city. The coitoori r this section was c?.:e dolla] ire yard. The utility of the steam road roller has been practically d<. •■:. .1 on thi3 work and will iv the future, prove of great value, not only fur u-c on macadam . bat also in consolidating th 9 fonu daiion of our paved st OUBBS. Tho relative cost ol" cjs kinds of oorbing that have be;;:: used during the year are about as folk- Six inch limestone Bet in position 18 inches in depth, 40 cents per lin. ft. Five iuch Kasota stone Bet in position 18 inches in depth, 70 cents per lin. ft. Five inch granite set in position 18 inches in depth, $1.' i ft. Seven inch granite set in position 18 inches in depth, $1.26. per lin. ft. These prices would be somewhat reduced when the contract was for a large amount. From my own observation I believe that a five inch granite curb r-imilar to that laid on Tenth street best meets the pres ent wants of the city, and will be the cheapest in the end. The importasce of a permanent curb cannor be .. erestirnated as fixing the line and grade and definitely locating the position of catch basins, lamp posts, hydrants, hitching posts and tele graph poles. Specimens of the quarries at Sioux Falls of what i 3 known as the Jasper stone have been recently brought to my notice. This 6tone is now being worked up quite exten sively into paving blocks for the Chicago market. and certainly posseses qualities that cannot be surpassed for curbing if it can be laid down in St. Paul at a revocable cost. PAVEMENTS. After much discussion the cedar block pavement was adopted for the improve ment of several of our business streets and 5,700 lin.feet,or one and a twelfth miles were laid. The blocks used were six inches in det)th, and from four to ten inches in diameter. They were laid on a board foun dation, tarred on both sides, and the inter stices between the blocks were filled with gravel and paving cement, then the whole surface was covered with a coating cf paving cement and ono inch of gravel. It makes a smooth pleasant pavement to trav el over, and the experience of other cities seems, to prove it the most durable of the many kinds of wooden pavements that have been tried. A great objection to this form of pave ment is the difficulty of making repairs of, or connections wi*h, the se .vor,water or gas pipes. It requires tha greatest care and more skill than is usua ly shown to prop erly nil the trenches and restore the pave ment, and I would suggest that an ordi nanoe be passed requiring a written per mission and a deposit of twenty-live dol lars before any paved street can be dis turbed, to provide also for proper inspec tion of the work, and upon certificate being given by the city engineer, that the pavement has been properly restored, that the deposit should be refunded. I would recommend also that a trial be made of the granite block pavement, which although more expensive at first cost, can be laid in St. Paul at a less cost than in most western cities, on recount of the close proximity of the finest granite quar ries suitable for paving blocks, and on ac count of their greater durability may prove the cheaper pavement in the end on streets of heavy traffic. SIDEWALKS. The sidewalk contract has been faith fully executed by Mr. P. Borkey, the con tractor. The total length of sidewalks laid was 23}ij miles, requiring in construc tion 2,003,438 feet, b. in., of lumber at a cost of $41,505.29, or $20.75 per thousand. The experiment of laying the cross walks by contract has beeu tiied and 34 crossings were put down by Capt. Berkey at a contract price of $25.00 per thousand, or about $17.50 each for four-foot cross ing. The result has not been altogether sat isfactory. There is always more or less work to be done to the street after the crossing has been constructed which can not be estimated and paid for, except by day labor, and my own observation has convinced me that we get better results from the work of the street force. The age of wooden sidewalks on our business streets is, I trust, about over. The example of a few of our public spirited citizens in put ting down substantial walks in front of business property shonld be followed by those now building, and permanent walks should be required on streets like Third street, from Wabashsw to Sibley. I would call attention + i the Portland cement walk on the south side of the Market house on Seventh street, costing 25c per square foot, and of the asphaltum walk on the north side costing 15 cents per square foot, also the flagging on the Wabashaw and St. Peter street sides of the same building costing 30 cents per square foot, -.s samples of what can be done at a reasonable expense. SEWEES. The total amount expended in -sewer construction dnrir^ the year waa $Br>. --758.35, embraced in twentr-nine contracts. Cost of engineering was or 2% per c?,.t. and the cost of inspection $2, --656.75, or 3 per cent, of the total cost. Total length of the sewers built, four and twenty-eight hundredths miles; number of manholes, 11C; number of catch basins, 117, and requiring in construction one and a half million of bricks. The work wa3 un der charge of Mr. A. R. Starkey, assistant engineer. Exhibits 3 and 4 6how the amount and character of the work and the details of each contract. Exhibit No. 5 is a recapitulation of the amount of each kind of sewer built, and exhibit No. S shows the length contracted each year since 1873, when the present sewerage sys tem was first commence!, also the total length of the various kinds and sizes of sewers now in use. There are now constructed seventeen miles of sewer.-, in good condition, under proper . apervision and built in accordance with a general system. On the completion of the Third ward sewers, now under contract, nearly all the old sandrock cess pools, built prior to 1873, will be abolished from the system and should be filled up or cut off from all communication by walling up. All houses now connecting with the. =honldthen be compelled to make proper connection with the new sewers. SEWEE CONNECTIONS, One hundred and eighty- six permits have been issued during the year to make house connections with the public Bewers, making a total of 650 houses now connect ing with the various sewers. Plans of these connections are required and placed on file in the sewerage department. In this concoction I would call your at-