The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-02-18
CURRENT AFFAIRS.

CURRENT AFFAIRS.
The New York Worlds "Parsee is
Mr.. Thomas G.. Moore, a graduate of
Trinity College, Dublin, with long red
hair and an extensive knowledge of po-
litical economy. He has written for the
World since 1866. He is understood TO
be the principal author of the new Tariff
bill.
Disputed will suits are apt to reveal
strange family histories. One of these,
narrated by the New York papers, shows
that a wealthy merchant in that city
during life has successfully concealed
his humble parentage, and that his next
of kin, who are runaway negroes in
Canada, have fair prospect of inherit
ing his fortune by breaking the will.
ENCOURAGING accounts come from the
Argentine Republic. Commerce is re-
viving, immigration is increasing, and
304 miles of the railroad across the Andes
have been built. 1t is satisfactory to
learn that this progressive Republic will
be well represented at the Centennial
Exhibition, the Argentine Congress
having voted sum of money for that
purpose.
The people of San Rafael, CAL, were
terribly startled recently by man gal
Looping at furious speed through the
streets, crying as he went: "Flee to the
mountains; the reservoir walls have given
way !" San Rafael lies under the shadow
of 100000 gallon reservoir, and the
proclamation created the most intense
excitement until it was discovered that
the fast rider was a lunatic.
In the United States Senate, the other
day, Mr.. McCreery, of Kentucky, as
tonished his colleagues with substi-
tute for the Centennial bill, inviting ali
of the people of the United States to
assemble in their homes, hamlets, cities,
or towns on the Fourth of July next,
and there celebrate the one hundredth
anniversary of the nation in their own
way and at their own expense.
WESTON, the walker, who has been
beaten by nearly every pedestrian of
note in America, has at last achieved
victory. Knowing from experience that
competition with his own countrymen
was useless expenditure of wind and
muscle on his part, he went to London,
and has defeated Perkins, the English
champion, winning $50 cup. He had
better remain in London.
PRoF. SEELYE has been studying the
Indian problem, and finds that each In
dian costs the Government about 50, 600
a year to keep him alive, but it would
bankrupt the country to attempt to kill
them off, for that seems to cost about
81, 100000 for every Indian. 1t only
costs $3.50 n day to board them in
Washington, so that it looks almost as if
it would be economical to bring them all
there.
The House Committee on Levees Of the
Mississippi and its tributaries are per-
fecting bill looking to the appropria-
.tion of $4,000 900 for the temporary
relief of the States of Louisiana, Mis-
sissippi, Arkansas and Missouri Then
n plan for the permanent reclamation of
the alluvial lands of the Mississippi
delta will be arrived at, with the aid of
Gen. Humphreys, Chief Engineer of
the army.
TIE New York Tribune publishes the
following interesting paragraph, de-
scribing n new and important step in the
direction OF international copyright:
Harper & Brothers publish George Eliots,
Edward jenkins and Wilkie Collins new works
a. Copyright, 1876, by Harper 4 Bros" The
claim is that since the firm have purchased the
MSS. by payment to the English authors they
are owners of the property, aud entitled as cit
liens of the United States To copyright protec-
ton The law, as amended some time ago,
permits either authors or owners to claim
copyright Az the Office of the Librarian
of Congress is in this matter purely clerical.
the validity Of this claim can be tested only in
the courts. If it should be upheld, the present
copyright law would virtually permit interna-
tional copyright, for the English author or
owner wou d simply be obliged to sell his prop
erty to an American citizen to obtain the ad.
vantage of full rights. The purpose Of the
larger publishing houses to prevent English
publishers holding this market against them
would not be fulfilled by this construction, be-
cause an English house could nominally trans
/ fer ownership to any American citizen as a
dummy or obtain copyright through a member
of their house naturaliZed as an American
! citizen.