Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-12-04
FIRST EDITION.
PHILADELPHIA.
OUR SATuR DAY LETTE

EXPOSE OF THE PENSION CLAIM BUsINEss--PUN-
IsHMENr oRs.BLAsPHEMY-AMusEME &c.
Special Correspondence Of the Commercial.
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 8, 1875.
The sale OF the old navy yard property has in
| terested everybody. Apart from the curiosity
as to what WAS to be the disposition of the old
landmark Was the question whether that sec
tion of the town was at last to be opened to the
Improvement which tho Government ground
has efrectually debarred up to this time2 One
question has been answered but the other re-
| mains unsettled. The Pennsylvania railroad is
the purchaser, but whether the company will de-
vote the property entirely to its transportation
business (Which would be equivalent to keeping
it in its present condition) will hold portions
OF it as improved real estate for Investment, has
not been determined. When it wss fret learned
that the government works were to be removed
to League island there WAS instant hope that the
opportunity had at last been reached for the
proper development of the southeastern Sec
tlon-a neighborhood with excellent ad
vantages but which has been held back in
the race of improvement while the
City has been enormously growing in every 9TH
or direction. But it is not very likely that this
change will do anything for "the neck" The
advantages OF the site for the Railroad termi-
nus, in conjunction with the business OF the
American Steamship Line and other ocean traf-
fc, is very evident, and the Railroad Company
has never shown better Judgment than in max
ing the purchase The price of 81, 900 is
thought TO be cheap, yet it is represented that
Secretary Robson is well satisfied with it.
The Central" has also succeeded in getting
authority to rebuild the Market street bridge.
The question OF Permanent vs. Temporary, on
which 30 much has been said has been deter
mined in this way The Railroad Company s
10 build a Truss bridge, wooden and unroped,
for $4,000, guaranteed to be OF double the ca
pacity of tile bridge which was burned, to be
built in 80 days, good for at least five years SER
vice, and which can be used during the con-
strnction Of the permanent bridge, just "a the
old wire bridge WAS used during the erection OF
the mammoth new yiaduct at Fairmount. The
company took Councils by storm with this propo-
stion,A time when everything was at sixes and
sevens in the discussion, and captured the Faith
ers without trouble. Any funds which may re-
main Of the $4,000 it is agreed shall be re-
turned to the city and there will be nothing here
to divide among parties anxious 70 serve the
Commonwealth, Work has already been COM
menced on the new bridge, which is to be fin
ished by the 1st of January
Oouncilmanic rows have become so frequent
of late years as almost to have lost their novelty
but struggle of the kind this week even rose
above the average OF such dsgraceful exhibi-
tions. The trouble was in the Highway Com
mittee, and the chief performers were Council
man Z. G. Quin and Mr.. Z. w. q. Greene, OF the
Sunday Transcript. Each charged the other
with ''bribery and corruption" and the language
used was as vulgar as the implications were Sc
rious. Greene charged that Quin had endeay-
ored to subsidize the press in the matter OF
building and paving stone contracts. while Quin
retorted that Greene was q black mailer. Greene
called Quin an Iriahman " with hair on his
teeth" and the freshman called the editor a
" drunken loafer hanging round bar-rooms,
| begging for drinks" This is barely sample
| the more outrageous portions of the quarrel you
would not print. These are leading +" fathers,
and what wonder is 1t that the citizens, in view
| Of suoh ,ontemptuous disregard OF simple de-
cency in municipal Affairs should lose all hope
| of anything proper being done by the present
Councils? The February election is anxiously
awaited, and then il Philadelphia does not per-
| manently retire the tricksters we shall not de-
serve to have an honest city government.
| The cold weather has seriously interferad with
the Revival Meetings this week. The Depot
| Church" is not suitable for meetings in such a
| temperature as we have been having, and it was
the fear of this weeks contingency which was
one reason why it was desired to have Messrs.
| Moody and Sankey give the time here which was
devoted to,Brooklyn. The smallest OF this week 3
audiences would have several times filled the
| largest of our churches, for at no meeting nave
| less than 5000 persons been present. but they
offered something of a contrast to the crowds OF
last week. Yesterday the weather moderated
| again and last night and to-day the Depot had
much of its earlier aspect. believe there is NO
Il
alone has caused the decreased attendance. The
change of hour in the morning service, from
O'Clock to IL is found to work we'll Excursion.
lists can reach the city for noon meeting, and
q incoming" ut church. 1t is painful to note the
semi-hostile attitude of portion of the press
towards the revival. The services are reported
but in hppant manner,as il the real desire was
to cast the whole thing into ridicule instead OF
helping it along. What there is funny in this
earnest effort it would be hard to say, but the
comical reporter (than whom, for the most pa t.
a more doleful creature does not EXIST does ms
best to make it appear. We do not need to be-
lieve all that Mr.. Moody says in order to have 6
most sincere respect for a movement whose only
end, and as far as can be seen, whose devoteo
and unselfsh end is to make men better thar
they are. -
The Brown Murder Trial exotes more interest
than has been felt in any case OF the KIND for a
long while. 1t has been on trial five days al
ready and the lawyers have not yet commenced
to sum up An ordinary homicide case rarel.
occupies over one and half OR two days. VIM
W. Brown is young man who killed his wife III
the Park one afternoon last summer. You ma,
remember how he got away although the muir
der was committed in broad day and in a public
place-and then deliberately returned to the
scene OF the crime and was captured. 1t was
singular affair, altogether. This action OF the
criminal is.now being used by his Counsel, to
eether with various other instances of " wild
ness, testimony that he has epileptic sister
&c, to sustain plea of insanity and it is quite
| possible that he may be acquitted Yet more
shocking and deliberate murder has scarcei.
| ever occurred here. His wife had justly lef
him because of ill treatment and his refusal tt
! support her and now he is to be pronounced IN
!, sane because he gave way to his revengeiu
, passion. new reading of the insanity plea In
our courts is certainly needed.
An announcement that several leading nrml
engaged in the Pension claim business have beel
, suspended by the Commission OF PENSIONS IRON
practising before his Office in Washington caused
, considerable furry among persons Interested IL
the pressing Of such claims. The suspenson
! in uuestion-prominent among them being Jos
u. dewitt Il Co., and Matthews, Poulson u 10. :
/, involve both pending and adjudicated cases
amounting in all to several thousand and as eacl
one is the centre of family and friendly inter
est of hopes and fears the matter will be seen u
be A yery important one. 1t has long been know
tbat there was great deal Of underhanded ant
dishonest work in this claim business. The fac
of its existence at all is suspicious because TINT
person having a right to pension does not nee.
any such go-between to reach the central autnorl
! ties. The law is very explicit and the appncan
is sure of hearing without the help OF al
! agent. But many people do not know this, ano
= the claim agents prey upon their ignorance, IN
venting excuses for delay, and coaxing out ad-
ditionai fees under pretense Of hnrrying VI
matters, which they have done their best to re
tard. 1t is fine thing that bold hght ID 10 pt
; thrown on the whole bad system. Ihe grouhe
! on which these suspicious have been maze Il
that the agents have been in the Illegal habit
Il .tn