New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-12-24

Mr.. Owen Murphy. Excise Commissioner
is wanted by the police, who wish
to sec a little sum. anywhere from $4,000
to 100000, which he has IN his custody, re-
turned TO the treasury of the Board. nr'
Murphy is a poor pupil of the Tweed school.
He made a great mistaken running away.
There is actually division of opinion in the
Tennessee Legislature on the question OF re-
pudiation. A bill to adopt the latest phase OF
readiustmcnt," and pocket Just one-haif oil
the State debt, passed the Senate by but one
vote. But, unfortunately, there is nothing to
show that this is an honest minority which
wants to pay the whole debt. 1t is more likely to
bc composed Of men who think 30 per cent
too much, and prefer to pay nothing Tie
Scnatc's proposition the bondholdcrs' repre-
scn,atiyes here have refused to adopt, and the
people of Tennessee have now an opportunity,
which they are only too likely to embrace, to
save the whole amount Of the debt ct the ex-
pcnse of their reputation for honest dealing.
The West and South are not satisfied with
their chance of flooding the country with cheap
currency with which to pay their debts to The
East. They propose now to regulate this mat
ter Of taxation in the same cquabie and fraternal
spirit. They want to reCnact the old income
tax, and 10 reduce the taxes on whlSkoy and
tobacco. in other words they propose that the
East shall foot the bills, while they take
care that it shall have less money to foot them
with. But it will take a hard struggle to re-
establish the income tax II is the most I'M
popular Of all imposts, and those who would
be deferred from favoring il by no other con-
sidcration, would think twice about increasing
q thousardfold our annual crop Of perjury,
already sufficiently large
\ pamphlet supplementary 10 the annual re-
port of the Agricultural Bureau will recon-
mend the cultivation of the toa-plant in parts
Of tlis country. There is force i'll the sug-
eestion that while American tea may never
enter into commercial competition with the
product of Asia, there would be a great
satisfaction in drinking a beverage from
the product Of ones own to&-gardan, even
though the leaves cost a few cents more
per pound than the imported article. Much
interest should attach TO the japanese colony
experiments on tea culture in California. Il
successful, it may point the way to an en-
ploymcut for the Chinese there, in which they
would not interfere with other laGoIers. 1t
might solve the Chinese problem.
Instead OF sending silver to England to
pay debts. the East Indian Government sells,
through what may be termed IFS agency
there, orders payable in silver in India.
Bankers and merchants buy these, pay
ing therefor in gold, and collect them in
the ordinary course Of trade. Recently the
India Council sold orders amounting to
f2.OOO,0OO, receiving only 2O'IG pence per
runec Prior to 1875, when silver be-
can to Guctultc the rupee was worth
2p2 pence, and was legally valued at 1915
cents in cur money. The sum realized was,
it appears less than was anticipated, and in
CONSEQUENCE the silver market became "com-
"pletely demorali2ed." This Circumstance is
another striking illustration Of the absolute
uusuitability of silver as a permanent standard
OF value.
Though presented in few words, there is
much pregnant Thought compressed in the adj
dresses OF Prof ssors Eliot and Marsh at the
o9cuing OF the American Museum Of Natural
History, which are elsewhere given in full.
The value of scientific methods in every field OF
study is thoroughly appreciated by Harvards
President. and nc recognizes especially the re-
ceptiye condition Of mind which it implies; a
condition in which new trgths are well
come while cid rrcjudices are liable to be
turned adiift. The important results that
must flow from the scientific doctrine of
hcrcdiiy are briefly pointed ont, and the prob
ability is indicated that it will somewhat mod
ify society at large, and be Of peculiar service
in cur methods OF managing criminals and dis
pcusng charities. Professor Marsh sees a
bright prospect for the advance of science in
America, and cnumcratcs some Of the great
problems which it may hope to solve. The
addresses are especially worthy Of note as
dealing with topics Of a high order in liberal
spirit
Capitalists have learned at last that rapid
transit means quick dividends. Ii took them
good many years to find this out, but now
that the discovery has been made, there
is a grand scramble for lis first fruits
Two elevated roads are building with
all possible speed, and now it is an
nounced that an old underground scheme
has been revived with large amounts
Of British capital back of it. The reports as
to the supporters of this project, and their
means, may all be true, but large amounts of
British capital have been so often promised to
aid enterprises here, and then have mystcri-
ousy failed to make an APPEARANCE that
the public will wait to see the constIuc-
ton of an underground railroad, neceS-
sauly enormously expensive fairly begun,
before accepting al the statements Of its pro
jectors Still the public will not discourage
anybody who proposes in good faith and under