The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-04-18
NEW HERALD THURSDAY, IS ls7s-TRIPLE

for the resumption OF specie payments authorizing
the retirement Of eighty per cent Of United States
alter said October l, 1878.
sEo Am laws ana parts Of laws inconsistent
with this ACT shall be aud are hereby repealed. r
The bill was ordered to be printed q amended and
placed ON tho calendar
THE FINANCIAL CONDITION or THE CITY OF
COLONEL SCHUYLER CROSBY, UNITED STATES
CONSUL.
Colonel Crosby, United States Consul at Florence
In his repor. 10 the Department State under date
Of December %, 1877 the subject the financial
condition Of Florence its threatened oanxru pr oy
says:-
Since the removal of tho capital to Rome the es-
penses OF tho city have been continued on az exag
geratcd scale until the debt has swollen apor,
100000 oooi winch gives 95o per head every
man. woman and child. The regular population has
dim iuished between 20 600 aud 80 0CO its boating
population OF ioreign visitors, especially those Of
rank and wealth, which had always been great
moneyed resource the city also decreased Tho
budget OF expenses Tor 1877 figures UP % I45, oOo
and tho dehcit 1000, oooL having doubled IN two
the lowest category Of income taxaiion--
viz, basis of SCOT as their annu4 Al
oarnings-a fac, which srrklngly proves the general
poverty OF the largo majority OF tho Inhabitants aud
the severe pressure OF taxation the comparatively
Tow people in easy circumstances ana the better class
OF ralcsmen Every article ot necessity Is taxed to
It's utmost AZ the CITY gaes, SO that misery and dcsi
tuition are largely ieit W great numbers, who
and herd IN unwhoesome habitations. Landlords pay
over forty-fve per cent OF their receipts as taxes.
while tho rates on building materials and business IN
general discourage enterprise. In 1858 the
OF the grand ducal govern nent OF Tuscany for army
navy civil list &c, and It's popuation then ten4iod
moro than that OF Florence now was less than
third more than the budget of Florence due for 1877
Several years ago the relative taxation OF Italy Mt large,
compared with other European countries, was
as toliOws:-Wth England, 81 to !; wte France, a
heavier on business anu real estate Incomes. Thus
Income from public funds faxed 53of IN England, Ia
2,s4OL On iands-Engana, 63ot Germany ..oooi
France, 1,s00L. IN Italy paid 5,soUf
Tho Rates have since been i-rgeiy Increased IN the
above countries but the dsproporou regards Italy
has grown greater. Florence nnds itself tho
most heavily bnrdoned CITY OF the kingdom. It's
tnoritias arc now compelled 20 apply Tor aid TO
| the national government as taeir last and
only resource themselves from bank
ruptcy. Tney wish the Parliament author.
lie tho Minister OF Finance to mako good
half he dehcn OF their oudgct-say 1000 oo0f =
while they VIII try TO wiring tue other half out III,
| citizens This project, winch at the best
temporary expedisnt. even II enough votes be
found to sanction IT, leaves the enled
and does nothng-but quite the contrary--toward
trievtng the commercial and financial prosperity OF
Florence by the judic,ous development OF It's Indus
trial ami occupations, winch alone can save II
| from oortnh ID decadence and ultimate financial
| run
In my report OF October 10 the department re-
ferred especially to the poverty existing Flore noe,
| ana unless both substantial cement ana EN-.
| poyment given very shortly 10 the large
number OF poor people fear That the most Intense
suffering will take place during the present winter.
| Although the city authorities are doinR all they
can personally to alleviate the suffering IN their
midst aud the foreign residents are earnestly lend
ing quiet but helping hand, tho above described
financial coudton OF the city government itself
renders the municipality utterly poweriess to relieve
the wants OF an ovcrtaxed population. Contrary To
the general idea held In my country have found
throughout ali Tuscany especially IN the country DIS
tricts, the poorer classes hardworking, intelligent
cheerful, kindnearted and con cnted. witna re-
ceving smaller wages and less food than in any other
Tho radical Transformation that exists between tho
Ola Florence OF twenty years ago and OF today has
taken place oy tearing down nearly all me ola walls.
opening new streets ana pidtcs planting trees ana
laying out parks. aud building new system Of water
supply and other improvements on large and grand
scale, which, while making TINS iiiuslrlous Guy
ono OF the most beautiful In tho world has
cost millions OF money. This great debt would
never have boon contracted had IL been
supposed that tho capital would have been
to Rome. Yet several OF those VINO most
In their desire TO have the capital removed also
In responsible for thcgo very improvements
and enormous outlay Of money, and as they arc now
in high positions Rome IL is 10 hoped tina, ,hey
will all thor influence sufficient and
definite budget 10 TINS sorey pressed but deserving
city.
CHEAP TRANSPORTATION BETWEEN THE ATTAIN
ITO COAST AND THE OHIO AND MISSISSIPPI
vALLEYs-BILIs REPORTED BY THE HOUSE
RAILROAD COMMITTEE.
Tho House Com mtttec Railroads and Canals to-
day adopted the report of the subcommittee on Rep
rcsentative Schieicher's bill TO provide cheap
transportation OF freight between the Atlantic coast
and the OHIO and Mississippi valleys ana agreed to
report the bill TO tho House with favorable recon-
msndation. The bill provides for tho appointment
OF commission Of twelve persons by the Governors
OF the States Of New York, Now Jersey, Pennsyi-
vania, Ohio Indiana Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, WIS.,
consin, Minnesota Nebraska ana Missouri each State
being entitled TO one Commissioner; said Commits
sioners to be created and constituted body polite
and corporate, unoer tho namo OF 'The United
States Railroad Corporation and the Same
shall DO recognized a corporation author
zcd to obtain necessary franchises and
right of way ana the title thereto in tho manner
prescribed by the laws OF the States tho purpose
OF locating, building and operating railway,
pally for freight, from New YORK to Council Bluffs
Iowa. shall offer connection with the sys-
TEN OF railroads west OF tho Missouri River. Tho
compensation OF the Comm ssioncrs TO be paid by tho
corporation at tho rate OF SO, 900 per each.
Tho committee also decided to report bills as fol
lows
Authorizing tho Washington, Cincinnati aud St
LOUIS Railroad Company TO construct narrow gauge
railroad from tidewater 10 the cities Of ST. Louis and
Chicago
TO aid the Great Southern Railroad Company ICON
sodated) 10 construct line OF railway In the States
OF Georgia and Fiorias, TO extend IRON Miller Ga To
Key West
THE M'GAgRAHAN INSTRUMENTATION
or THE RECORDS HAVING BEGN TAMpERED
WITH
Tho McGarrahan investigation, adjourned IRON last
Monday, resumed by tho Senate Public LANDS
Committee this evening. Mr.. G. r. shaw, OF counsel
for tho memoriaist, read aud placed in
dence tho officially reported testimony given be-
tore ths Hoase Judiciary COMMITTEE soue years ago
by J. NJ. Granger, former Recorder OF tbs General
Land ONCE. and Commissioner Joseph s. Wilson,
since deceased. Mr.. Granger testified that ne was
Recorder In March, 1855. doring tho time when the
patent to McGarrnhan Tor Panoche Grandc Rancho
Is claimed TO have been duly signed and properly
recorded. He said he did not remember this
patent, but was not likely to remember any
particular patent because each patent submitted
to him for signature was accompanied with
. iettcr from the Commissioner OF tho General Land
ONCE, and he uhe Reccrder) usually signed tho
patent without looking at any part OF except tho
last pages He mad examined his hes and asccrtaiued
that the letters OF the Commssiouer transmitting to