Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-11-21
The treasury now holds:

1ne treasury now holds:
e. s. bonds to secHre public deposIU@ IS. e1e 200
Bonds held TO secura per cent loan 3, 4Sl, 800
U. 5. bonds deposited for circulation
for the week ending .to-day......... 179, 500
U. S bonds held for circulation, with
drawn week ending to-day: G46 coo
National bank circulation 0utstand-
ing-currency notes ........ ....... 3a1, ,72S, ,231
Gold notes.. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 1,468, $40
Internal revenue receipts to-day. 333 109
Receipts of national bank notes for
week ending to-day. compared with
corresponding week last year-IS7G. 1913, 900
-1S78. ................... =, 2a8, COO
Receipts to-day .............s....... 325, COO
OUR NAH. SERVICE.
The annual report of Postmaster
General Key was made public Novem-
Der 10th. Considerable space is de-
voted to the subject ofthe present and
prospective Deficiencies III the amounts
appropriated by congless for salaries
of postmasters and for railway mail
transportation. In regard of post
masters's salaries he says the deficiencies
or prevention of them. SO far as salaries
of postmasters are concerned, are not,
and cannot be, controlled by the depart
ment. If the amount appropriated by
congress for the purpose be not adequate
to the amount of compensation estab-
iished by law, there must be a deficiency.
After describing the rates of compensa-
ton prescribed by law for railway ser
vice, the postmaster-sene says the
appropriation made by congress at its
last session was not sufficient to pay
for the existing service on railways and
should no additional appropriation be
made for this service lie shall feel it his
duty under the law b so curtail the
service as to fall within the appropria-
tions, however much ne might consider
public interests injured thereby. He is
satisfied it would lead justly to much
complaint; mails would be detained at
the offices hardly ever less than twelve
hours, and generallytwenty-four hours.
Books, papers and packages passing
over great distances G cIcuitous routes
would be detained at more than one
such Office in very many cases; and
| there would be delay in the number
of business transactions which are mi
/ tiated, conducted and completed by
communication through the mails. In
| his opinion it would Cause shock to
our postal system froniwhich it would
not soon recover. Railway companies
which have been a. the expense of fur
nishing postal cars night be slow to
furnish us such convenience a second
time, and there is no law to compel
them to do so.
In relation te the reRnues of the SER
vice the report says: Tine and again it
has been shown that natter of the End
and Sd class does 1ot pay its way
through the mails, md congress has
been urged to increasdhe rates ofpost-
considered time and igain by appro-
priation committees nd discussed by
both branches of conpess, and the re-
suits have shown that was not expect
ed the department shuld be self-sus-
tanning, but Deficiencies in its revenues
should be met by appropriations from
the general treasury. The amount of
matter sent throughhe mails free is
very large, adding gretly to our expen-
ditures and giving us D revenue. The
franking privilege habeen restored to
members and the CHI officers of con-
gress, so as to allow tpm to send free
almost everything vhch they were
ever allowed to transmit through the
mails free except l,ters. Tons and
: tons of books, documnts, seeds, shrubs
and the Ike are plaed in our mails
free of charge on It's score. Now /
most respectfully ut earnestly sug-
gest that it would E better policy to
reduce the deficiencs of the revenues
of the department curtaiIing or abol-
iShing the list of fre matter and by in
creasing the rates { postage on mer-
chandise than by ppropriating sums
inadequate to an elcient, prompt and
fast transmission ol mails. The post
master general recommends that suita-
BILE provision be nde by law for the
delivery to addresse in this country fo1
the customs duty oall newspapers and
other articles of prited matter received
in mails frcm foren countries, when
dispatched III aCcerance with the con
ditions prescribed y the international
postal union.
POLAGAMY BEFORE HE SUPREME COURT
Arguments waslad in the supreme
court Nov. 10th Jpn the appeal in the
case of Geo. Reynds, the Utah poly,
gamyist, convictepf bigamy. Counsel
| raised two technal exceptions-the
| exclusion of q polyamist from the petit
| jury and that onlyifteen persons were
5 on the grand juryand then proceeded
: to the merits ofthe question, argu.
ing that since the olyganlist cted con
5 scientiously the LEGGED crime lacked
, the evil intent nich constitutes the
: gravamen of thefense. Further, IL
bigamy, deceptia was the essence O
the statutory erie, and deception IL
5 this case did not exist, while, without
= the statute, it doubtful if bigamy
| could be held arime, not being men
: toned in the dec.ogue. Upon the con
| stitutional aspect Of the case counse
f argued at lengthhat the acts prohibit
3 ing polygamy we ultra Uires.
Attorney Genal Devens, of counse
) for the United tates, urged in reply
that an interpration of the eonstitu
i ton, which wald restrain congress
/ from attaching penalty to the crime
: of polygamy Onccount of its being ar
d article of religics faith, would also re
strain it from atching penalty to any
other crime with might be sanctioned
r by religion; tha under this rigid inter
r probation of tn constitution a set O
East India thu, who should settle IL
y the territories night commit murder
with impunityon the ground that i