The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-11-19

/ LIZ I6fV, aud VI WuICn GDglanu mas DeSn Bn
great instigator. The demonstration ant
decline Of silver should be ranked as ths
prmordial cause, instead of mere incident
Of the commercial shrinkage and wreckagf
which the Times laments. The extract reads
us blows:
In conjunction with the famlnes in India
and China, It has greatly aggravated the
weakness of the entire export trade to the
Enst-tho temporary recovery of silver il
1877, and the squirt of trade consequent there
on, having little changed the net result Of til c
great decline sinco 1876 But the decline in
the price of other metals has been even
more serious than tho fall in silver. In iron
the fall is not far short Of 80 per cent Taking
Scotch pig-iron as the test, we find that to-
wards the end Of 1875 Notwithstanding the
great fall which occurred in 1874, the price
was still So shillings per ton; it is now AZ
shl'llngs only. In copper the foil is almost Us
great. The price of copper Chilli bars in Oc-
tober 1879, was C82 los per ton: it Is now ego
only Tho decline In other raw mate ,.
1874, has also been considerable. But we
need go little into details. Tho explanation
that large part of the falling off In the
Board Of Trade returns Is to be accounted for
by the great reduction of prices which has been
steadily going on for several years Is only too
familiar. It Is inevitable that such q fall OF
prices should complete the ruin of merchants,
manufacturers and bankers, who were all
increase the margins of the borrowers and
enable tho advances from the banks to be
paid Off.
STATE BANKRUPT JAws.-The repeal of
the bankrupt law has called attention to the
various State laws on tho subject Of insol-
| vency. The following State statutes provide
for an unconditional discharge of the debtor
erty from prior debts, upon q surrender Of his
property and compliance with the condi-
t1ons of laws California, Idaho Maryland,
| Michigan, Nevada, Vermont and Wisconsin,
IIamp shire New Jersey and South Carolina
the discharge only affects the demands Of
creditors who assent to the assignment and
participate In the dividends. The only dis
hSSgS proyNH aw for BY St Nd in n1s
Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and
West Virginia is from imprisonment and
future arrest on civil process for prior debts
made under the statutes of Alabama, Dako-
tab, Iowa, Kansas, NJ innesota, Missouri and
Nebraska euure to tho benefit Of all creditors
who choose to participate. The Connecticut
statute discharges the debtor upon payment
Of 70 per cent Of tho amount OF his Indebted
ness. The MASSACHUSETTS, statute requires, as
u condition to discharge, In case Of the first
application of u debtor for the benefit Of its
provisions, % payment Of 80 per cent of his
liabilities, or the assent Of mnjoritU in num-
claims. In case of q second application by the
same debtor it requires q payment of 50 per
cent or tho assent Of threc-fourthS in number
and amount Of such creditors as have proved
their claims.
The Prllssian soldier there Is no difference
between infantry and cavalry or artillery
has 3R thalcrs as monthly pay exactly 10
shllings pence; therefore, reckoning the
mouth at 80 days, "a pence per diem. From
this he is subject to n daily reduction Of /
groschcn 3 ptcnnige, OF ~ pence, u day, for
messing; he has to keep his clothing in re-
pair, and to find cleaning materials for his
nrms and accoutrements. We will now sec
what becomes OF the remainder. The daily
ration consists OF one and half pounds Of
bread; the remainder Of the messing, is pro-
yded out Of the daily deduction Of l groschen
3 pfenngc, q standing allowance from govern
ment OF 3 pfennige day for all stations alike,
and sliding allowance, calculated quarterly,
on tho market prices of the various garrisons.
The 3-pfennige, somewhat over Il farthing
English, are intended for the provision Of q
breakfast, which consists generally OF cup
Of coffee or q bowl of meal-soup. The cost Of
the midday meal is betrayed from the surplus
OF the messing money. The sliding allowance
is calculated on the market value of $50
grammes Of meat, knocked; 90 grammes of
rice, or 1l8 grammes Of ordinary greats Of
meal; 1888 grammes of peas, beans or lentis,
or II litres Of potatoes, and grammes of salt.
AS there are 500 grammes to the Prussian
OF meat contemplated amounts to something
under n third OF a pound. No evening meal
Is provided. The soldier, therefore, must
either stay his appetite between midday
OF one day and morning OF the next with
what remains over of his daily bread ration,
or expend his remaining pittance Of pay on
his supper should be inclined to infer that
he has not much left over for tobacco Or for
amusement. The clothing Is furnished in the
same spirit Of careful economy and never be-
comes the property Of the soldier. The peri
cd during which the clothing must last Is not
soldier. but Of the government; the grants of
money are administered by the captains. ur-
der the superintendence of the superior regl- |
mental officers, and the time of wear is pro-
traCted as long as the clothing will hold to-
gether. The system Is undoubtedly ecOnOm- |
cal to the government and encourages thrift
in the ADMINISTRATORS acmilan's Maga-
zine.
BEWARE or AMERICA.-The natural and
mechanical powers Of production in the |
United States of America, combined with tho |
our transatlantic cousins, threaten to expose
our producers to u severe il not injurious
It is, OF course, impossible |
with our free trade policy and give and-take |
principle in all that relates to commerce, to |
think Of revertng to protection. SO long as
their cereal produce there was no ground for
alarm: On the contrary we had reason to be
grateful to q source from which we could |
always draw 81 certain and sufficient |
supply of the first necessary of lite to
meet want that was every year increasing.
In process of time we also received with salts
faction consi gnments of other descriptions Of
food. The price Of butchers meat in the me-
tropolis, exorbitant rs it Is, has, no doubt,
been kept down by American exports, and we