The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-05-14

, Ia PORTLAND.
II e'day Morning. May ID, 1867.

1 = lam IL. ..
Or Ii 'e'day Morning, May ID, 1867.
~ Bri,ish ColoniaI Record.
Our files of Provincial papers for the last
week afford the following summary, which
may be of more or less interest to the readers
of the Press :galin fBoOE .rm DOS. r.e
| ,e@, --{ GRAND TRUNK RAILWAY. ...rt
We learn from the Montreal Witness that at
the semi-annual meeting of the Direct
ors of, the Grand Trunk railroad, in
London, Mr.. Bridges submitted very SEN
sible report which they have appended to then
own semi-annual report to the bond and stock
holders. In this document Mr.. Bridges shows
that the traffic has increased in a satisfactory
way upon the road during last year, notwith-
standing Fenian alarms, repeal of reciprocity
treaty, and deficiency of rolling stock He is
particularly emphatic upon this last point,
that great additional amount of traffic would
be obtained if the road were properly equipped.
| Mr.. Brydges shows that while that
traffic and business of the road, in five years.
have increased Al IL per cent, the working
| expenses only increased II per cent, SO that
tue percentage which they bore to the gross
receipts was only 60 per cent. last year against
| 70 per cent. in 1861. gg,7y tedi .f..5 r
| Mr.. Brydges calculates that by an addition
of 100000 worth of rolling stock such an addi-
tional amount of business could be done les
pecially through business which is pressed up
on the Company that the average weekly in
come-which was e17,70O in '61, and R26,O92 in
G6-would soon be 932,OOO week; leaving a
net annual profit of upwards of three millions
and half of dollars! ,1r ',-.-.L.- ..lT
| Mr.. Brydges confirms all that the so-ealled
enemies OF the Grand Trunk said at the time
about the imperfect construction of the road.
The ballasting, drainage, quality of iron, and
mode of fastening the joints have all, he says,
been finished in q manner less substantial than
experience shows to be required; and he sug-
gests that the deficiency in the original con-
struction should now be made up out OF some
other source than revenue, especially as the
line must be put in good order to correspond
with the intercolonial road, and carry the ad-
ditional traffic which that road is to bring. 7a
| THE GOLD MINES. r4Et
| IA great deal is being done by correspond
ents to write up the gold excitement at AIadoc.
New and rich developments are claimed, and
the Richardson mine, it is asserted, is likely to
prove the richest ever known in the history of
mining. 1T -shebnssI9Ti Vi "s1E3s 51i sT8ilial.
| In this connection we may as well give an
other communication from our own cores
pondent, "Steve," dated at Madoc, May g.:
| The arrivals for the last week have been less
than since the season opened. Seventeen no
| tells have been. built at or near the Richardson
| mine since Feb. 1st, all of which are finished
| but not one half OF them furnished, nor
does the present prospect indicate that they
/ will be. A shingle is stuck out on nearly all,
| marked For Sale, and they can be bought for
| one half their cost The Richardson gold mine
was opened and worked three days, with what
success is not known TO outsiders, as it is work
| ed by two miners who are guarded by an agent
Of the proprietor, and that they may not take
out specimens, they are required to change
| clothing. gl4taiamol % 3si Bod l3aina.tuIig. (.
A body Of citizens visited the mines and de-
/ manded admission that they might learn
/ whether it was q humbug or not; at first they
were refused, but alter some parieying two OF
| their number We're allowed 70 make an exam
| ination and after some hours returned and re-
| ported one of the richest mines iii existence
| ut which the crowd departed. Soon after it
| was found out that these persons were set on
| by some spectators who owned an interest
and that those who were designated by the
crowd to make the examination were in the
| "ring"5 yaiu nuiuU 9dl Do tllfts n.ld uar
| An kinds of extravagant reports relative to
| new discoveries are ahoat but no one trace
| them to any foundation 1t is said that three
| barrels were spirited away to be asSayed, and
until the result Is made known, it is lmpossi-
| ole to. declde relative to the prospect OF the
| country. There is quite q number OF Temporal
| nv residents here who are not wanting in
| CHEEK. AT any rate ir is Ilo place for niechan-
les or laborers, as there are hundreds in the vi
| clEity who would be glad to work tor their
| hoard which he oDfaiupu for fn dollars
| a week DAia - tliW btio~ Aisr-ji1 5hA --
y Ii gold is found tits in quartz which requires
capital to work it, No surface digging is pre-
| tended to be found.
| THE JURY SYSTEM.
From articles in the Canada papers we infer
that doubtful things quite uncertain"
i'll the Dominion as in the Great Republic, :"
and that among these doubtful things none
are more uncertain than the verdicts ofjuries.
After speaking OF q particular case the London
Free Press uses the following sensible Ian
guage: e,isdI qoz. asiI r.,,,. Y,,i.., t....r
1t is no donbt the case that good deal Of
dissatisfaction exists in tie public mind on the
| matter of iuries Bad verdicts, inconclusive
verdicts, verdicts against law ana fact, verdicts
intended to shield 4 tavOrite or partizan, are by
| no means unfrequent Going to under the Jury
system is quite as uncertain in its results as
| as dip in lucky Dag" anu yerdlcts gwen art
| more frequently tue result of accident than o.
justice. In practice it is very much as follows
Twelve persons are summond to give col
| lective opinion upon certain questions OF fac
and evidence. These persons are selected pro
miscuousIy from the people, without any RET
erence to their qualification TO execute tn
trust reposed in them. 1ndividua ly no on
| might give two pence tor their opinion ON an
matter; but the law invests them coliectivei
with the faculty of disposing OF mans life
liberty or goods. In ordinary affairs one woul'
not select "a captain for a ship out of proms
cuous crowd, choose surgeon from a mob O
civilians, or entl ust the lives OF railway passen
| gers to u man who had never stocked a boiler
| and knew nothing ofthc action of steam en-
gine.4 Special knowledge is required in suel
cases, but in no department OF llIe is an educat
ed Judgment SO necessary as in the sitting O
evidence, unearthiI. g OF false testimony, the re
sistance OF speciouS arguments and appeals t
passion or prejudice, and the faculty of arriy
lng at a correct estimate OF the merits of cast
Tnat Juries do not possess such qualification
is notorious, and nine persons out of ten woul
| prefer to leave their causes in the hands of
Judge, or legal commission, than have tbeI
dealt with by people, who however estimabi,
have never been mentally trained to the tas
of arriving at just conclusions as to tact froI
circumstantial or conflicting evidence and ties
-timony.7dl iaagd ~ l1b8os na.uaw B57ol1.
r9 ss DON'T ACCEPT THE SITUATION. s r.
While in both the Canadas and New. Bruins
wick the anti-confederates gracefully aecep
, the situation in which the imperial act OF Con
federation places them, different feeling
more or less marked in Nova Scotia. The op
ponents of Confederation there profess to re
gard the matter not yet finally settled, so IA
as they are concerned. Their political combat
iveness on the point is not yet exhausted. The
are determined to fight it out ON this line fo
another season at any rate. Confident that the
have majority of The people in their favo
they refuse to acknowledge their defeat, unles
it is confirmed by an adverse vote at the geneI
al elections. They accordingly pledge them