Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-08-20

to be kind of Kilkenny cat affair. Bust
ness in the former country is utterly des-
troyed. while on the other hand its navy
has already captured vessels belonging to
Chilli estimated at over million dollars
in value, and the people of Chill, exasper-
ated Mt the course of war, visit through
the press the most savage censure on the
government foe inactivity, Incidence and
stupidity.
The only argument worth much in
favor of leniency to wrong doors of refined
habits is that they suffer more from the
seventies of prison life than those Of
coarser character. But it must be remem-
bered that they cannot plead the unfavor-
able influences of birth; the want of guild
ance and instruction and religious training,
the brutalizing tendencies of pauperism,
which are the lot of children born 10
cellars and nurtured in slums. So if their
sin be greater, their punishment should be
more severe.-NeD York Tribune.
At recent trial of Krupp guns, in
England. surprise was expressed at the
absence of United States representative.
Our government does wisely in concluding
that it has no funds to waste in such costly
experiments rs the European powers
indulge in. The army and navy depart
ments manage TO keep informed on i'm
provements in artillery, and their policy is
10 Strengthen our coast defences and let
more warlike nations drain their treasures
| II they choose in elaborate experiments
with ordnance and armor.
Tho lotaet ooptr ;h,t;on IN tho co;antiho
literature of alcoholism comes from DR..
Martin of Paris, who has made series of
interesting observations on nervous affec
tons among the offspring of alcoholic
parents. His results may be summed up
rs follows: In SO families in which one
or more members showed nervous excita-
bility with a history of alcoholic origin,
there were 410 children. OF these 108,
more than quarter, had commissions, and
in 1874, 100 were dead, PAL were still
alive, but SO, l. e., more than one-third of
the survivors, were epileptic.
The LAKE CHAMPLAIN SEA SERPENT
feAIN.-Thomas johnson, who lives near
tn mouth of Salmon river, AYERS that
while lie was out in boat on Lake Cham
plain last week, he saw near the west
shore of Valcour Island, between the Fay
place and the buoy north of the lighthouse,
what appeared to be the forward end of a
huge serpent, which raised or ran itself
slowly out of the water at considerable
upward angle, and then came down again
with tremendous splash He thinks
about ten feet in length was visible, and
| . tha baoI 81 ;nn
and the body as thick as a mans.
Professor Otto Strive. the eminent as
tronomer in charge Of the Russian observ-
atory at Pulkowa, near St. Petersburg, has
arrived in Washington for the purpose of
inspecting the United States naval observ.
a.ory and testing the power of the great
Equatorial telescope. The object of his
visit to the United States is to make ar
engagements for the construction of tel
escope for the Russian observatory, the
disk of which shall be as large as the firm
of Alvan Clark & Co., of Cambridge,
Mass, (who have made the lenses for the
largest telescopes in use) can make, it be-
| ing the desire of tine Russian government
to mount an instrument which will put the
Pulkowa observatory at the head of as
Economical institutions.
According to the forthcoming report of
the commissioner Of agriculture, the rate
of wages for farm laborers decreased in
this country from three to fifteen per cent
during the year ending last April. A
decline of ten per cent from an average
of S22.60 per month to S20.31 is recorded
for New England, and the general reduc.
ton in the wages paid to this class of labor
is reported to extend to all parts of the
country except California. The decrease
in the gulf and south Atlantic states,
which contain the great hulk of the color
ed population of the country, is said to be
less than that in the north, but on the
other hand wages are much lower, S14.90
per month in the cotton belt and SLID
in the border states.
POSTAL MATTERS.-The registration of
packages of merchandise, known as third
and fourth class matter, was undertaken
by the post office department about year
ago as an experiment. Such matter at
the rates of postage now established does
not pay for its transportation, and it was
thought the revenue from it might be
increased by allowing the public the
privilege of registration, and that this
might be done without any great increase
in the clerical force. The experiment
has been abundantly justified by the re-
suits. The registration of merchandise
has proved a great public convenience
and the number OF packages registered in
the New York offices during the quarter
ending June 30th exceeds by II ,499 the
number registered in the quarter proceed
ing.
The latest witness in the long list of
competent observers who have testified to
Engand's almost unexampled industrial
prostration is Mr.. Shaw, United States
consul to Manchester, who, in a dispatch
to the department of state gives gloomy
account of both the agricultural and man
ufacturing interests OF that country. The
failure of the crops is much more serious
than is generally supposed abroad and
the demand in England for meats and
grains from the United States will be
enormous. The cotton trade of Lancashire
continues in depressed condition, with
little encouragement for the near future.
The machinery has been sold at a great
sacrifice, and strikes have ceased. Already
calls upon charity are heavy while last
year more than eighty thousand persons
were supported in Manchester by the
public. The coming winter, Mr.. Shaw
says. will probably witness still greater
restitution.
In reported interview between Repre-
sentative Springer and S. j. Tilden, the
latter said that whether he was the nomi-
nee or not he was anxious for democratic |
success in 1880. He thinks that waves of
prosperity are soon to roll in upon the
country, and likewise thinks that if the
democracy can ride into power about that
time its hold on the country will last for
an indefinite period. If the republican
party succeeds, he says, it will be liable to
hold its place for half II century. Very
likely, Mr.. Tilden; and, basing future
hopes on what has occurred in the past,
the people will consider this republic of
ours safer in the hands of the republican |