New-York tribune., 1872-03-28

eral wealth, and some remarkable additions
to previous scientific knowledge Of the strange
animals and plants of geological eras.
Senator Summers testimony before the
Senate French Arms Committee of lnvestiga-
ton, yesterday, was highly interesting, giving
as it does the history of the inception OF the
now famous case. OF course, the usual petit
Jogging attempt to impugn the motives OF the
mover of the original resolution of inquiry
was made; but we have gone over that
ground so many times in the debates IN tne
Senate that the matter has become stale anu
Improbable. All of the incidents of the carry
beginning Of the affair are entirely creditap'e
to the Senators who initiated 1t, as shown ny
the evidence of Mr. Sumner. We wish IL were
possible that some of tho subordinate officers
of the Government and their Jealous deieho-
ers in the Senate could appear as creditabiy IN
the case.
Col. Mcclure has achieved signal and sig
ni6cant victory. When the Reform vote had
been polled in Philadelphia in the Mcclure
Gray election, 1t was found that. nOtwithstand-
ing the unmistakable popular verdict, the re-
turns had been made to show success Tor
the Ring candidate. The case was carried De-
fore the Legislature, but an obstinate ma
jority, bent on working the Republican patty
in the interests of q turbulent faction, denied
the contestant hearing. The Washington
powers saw however, that the Reform spirit
was fully aroused. and that the people of the
outraged district were not to be swindled by
so barefaced fraud. The Legislature finally,
through the independent action of one Repubh-
canmember Investigated tho case, and now, after
an exhibition of frauds matched only by Tam
many at its worst, the scat is awarded to Col.
Mcclure, whom the RefOrmers selected to
defeat the Ring.
Our correspondent Mt Trenton sends us an
explanation of the curious phenomenon which
was perceptble in tho recent peaceful passage
of the New-Jersey Central Railway project
through the New-Jersey Legislature. 1t now
turns out that combination was effected by
which that bill was let out of duess, the Cen
trail Railroad to be left untaxed, and the New
York and Philadelphia Railroad project to be
killed. As the matter now stands, the State
of New-Jersey is to be deprived OF 100000 per
year, taxes due on aforesaid railroad property,
and the monopoly is moro securely intrenched
in it's line across the State Gov. Joel Parker
| was elected as q specially honest and public
spirited candidate; he has it in his power to
prove his claim to wear that title now by
vetoing this corrupt measure. He can save
$50 900 per annum to New-Jersey, and destroy
the railway monopoly which rides the State.
There seems 10 be no other resource than
this, as the Legislature shows indubitablc
signs Of being utterly in tho hands OF the
| Ring.
The curry fee swindlo' exposed III another
column, is relic of Tammany cxtortion which
| should be speedily rooted out. Under the old
| system, jurors i'm courts of record in this City
were paid after the cause was tired and be-
| fore the verdict was entered. BY virtue of a
clause covertly slipped into an act passed in
May, 1870, the clerks in these courts are now
| empowered to collect So as jury fees from
every lawyer bringing "a jury cause, before it
is even placed OH the calendar. In three
fOurths of these cases. it is said, the matter
in dispute Is settled without a trial, and. as
the lawyer is obliged to obtain an order from
the court in order to recover his deposit, and
| is usually unwilling to take this trouble, the
fees have generally remained in the posses
sion of the clerk. 1t is believed that no less
than $4,000, wrung from litigants by this dis
honest trick, has thus fallen, in less than two
years, into the hands of the clerks of the Su-
preme, Superior, Common Pleas, and Marine
Courts. 1t is certainly time that this mis-
chievous law should be changed, and that the
clerks who are said to have enriched them
selves under it should be called to the strict
oSt account.