The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1880-04-18
CURRENT TOPICS.
A roorHoIp ON THE Isru MUS,

TooTHOLD ON THE IsTHMUs.
Advices from Panama report that the United
States steamer Adams has formally established
a coaling station at the Cola lice, and as an
earnest Of the sincerity Of the projsot five tons
OF coal have been deposited on the shore. The
Panama Star thinks the consent of Colombia
or COSTA Rica. to one or other of which powers
the territory belongs. should have been asked.
There is conflict between Costa Rca and Co.
lumbla as to the ownership OF certain landz
bordering on the Cola Dulce. and therefore IL
Is impossible TO Fay ut present upon whose soil
the new cohling station is situated. That 1t is
! n OF the property of the United States is IN In
dfsputabe proposition. Whatever the condi-
tion OF the Thompson grant may be ut present.
whether expired by limitation or still In OK
istence, II 10 argued that 1t never conferred tho
| right to convey title to any foreign govern
ment. Neither the Panama Railroad Company.
the canal company. the Chiriaui Improvement
Company. or any other. says the Star, has had
any such principle recognized in the conces
sions they have received. but on the contrary
such n pretension is emphatcally forbidden.
BRITISH GRAIN PROSPECTS.
! The late seasonable weather. 1t is said. has
made a wonderful change In the crop pros
| poets OF Great Britain. Wheat Ia somewhat
backward in some districts but Ia therefore
weather. The supplies of Eoelish wheat are
again reported small both In London and the
provinces. A decline is noted owing to mill.
| era requirements being light and the weather
favorable for the new crop. The speculative
| combination In the United States has caused O
marked decline In foreign wheat In London.
| The official estimate of the stock of grain In
London is larger than Anticipated. being 287 900
uuarters against 100000 quarters ut the corre-
| 50 onding time last year. Compared with the
stock In granary at the beginning OF the year
| there is decline of ais 600 quarters. The I'm
ports Into the United Kingdom during the week
ending April were 1.o49 149 hundred weight of
wheat and l4l es2 hundred weight of -four.
THE TREEDMENs BANK swrNDLE.
| The bill introduced in the Senate, by Mr..
Bruce, of Mississippi. to reimburse the oolored
depositors OF the Freedmen's Savings and
Trust Company for losses incurred by the fall
ure of the bank recites that the institution
was incorporated for the safe-keeping of saw
ings OF persons who. when the bank was In
corporated, were In one sense the wards of the
government: that the circumstances under
which It was chartered. and the representa-
tions of its agents. were calculated to impress
the freedmen with the idea that the bank was n
government institution. and that their deposits
would be guarded by the government; /;
and that the charter Of the bank provided
that deposits should be invested I'm the
stocks bonds. treasury notes. and other
securities OF the United States" The bill
then provides that the commissioners
of the bank shall, within sixty days after pas
sage of the act. fle full and complete inven-
tory Of the assets Of the institution. and that
within forty days after the filing OF this inven-
tory the Secretary of the Treasury shall cause
to be sold at public auction oil the real estate
and personal property of the bank. the pro-
oeeds Of such sale to become the money Of the
United States: and that within six months after
the passage OF the act the Secretary of the
Treasury shall pay to the depositors OF the
bank or their legal representatives. sum Of
money equal to the balances due to the depos-
itors respectively. For this purpose the bill
appropriates 50 100000. or as much thereof as
may be needed. 1t Is thus that the people are
called upon to pay for the dishonesty Of ring
! of spectators.