The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1883-11-23

Der or representatives. ms mas Deen ac-
complished without enlarging the space
formerly occupied by the desks, yet with
Out b,d apparent san oyercrowding Of members.
takes the place of the green that was laid
Tor the republican congress, n twO-inch
board covered with green cloth has been
inserted In the marble frame of the speak
ers desk to replace the one that was
pounded to splinters by the muscular
Keller. Outside of the building lie two
long fiag-poles, almost large enough for
masts or schooner. One of these Is to
De placed In position over the senate wing
and the other over the house.
MISTAKES FAvoRING CORPORATIONS.
During the war q great many erroneous
charges were made by the different rail
way companies i'm the TRANSPORTATION of
troops, supplies, etc. These were, as a
rule, due to careleSsness or hasty calcula-
lions on the part or either of the railway
oiiiclals or the accounting officers. Every
thing in those days connected with the
government was done with rush, and mis-
takes were almost q necessary conse-
quence.. Away back in 1867 and 1868 the
work or revising these records was begun.
1t revealed the curious fact that although
the mistakes were as numerous as leaves
In October they were almost invariably on
the side or corporations. During the in
yestigations extending over period of
htteen years. certain companies have been
called upon to refund sums aggregating
500, 600 and over. This is especially true
pf land-grant roads, which were In duty
bound to furnish transportation at greatly
reduced rates, but which ignored this fact
whenever Is was possible and often ex-
.eeded the limit charged to private ind-
ylduals. In the case of the old Terre
Haute and Richmond railroad, now under
investigation, 1t Is found that in the month
of April. 1864, 1t received from Capt. Geo.
Browning, then a Quartermaster in the
United States service, an overpayment of
$500 30. This sum the present owners of
the road must refund or play the role of
ficials say there is no trouble in collecting
these moneys, the roads promptly return
ing the surplus upon the presentation Of
proper proofs.
ADMIRAL PORTER'S RECOMMENDATIONS
The annual report of Admiral Porter Is
notable for its criticism of the armOred
steel cruisers dsigned by the national adj
visory board as being deficient In canvas
and so constructed as not to work under
sail. This in time Of war, the admiral
holds, would be fatal defect, as all coal
ing stations would be closed against us,
and in time OF peace naval vessels should
cruise under. sail for the sake of economy.
The admiral believes in the immediate
construction of large number of swift
vessels, with powerful guns. and thinks
we could build twenty large ships in two
years. Prompt attention to lake defenses
he considers of prime Importance, and he
sees no reason why we should not COM
mence to build on the lake shore two of
the heaviest irOn-clads with powerful guns
and great speed. Upon this subject the
admiral says: There Is every facility for
constructing such vessels OH Lake Erie,
and one such ship stationed near Buffalo
could in case of threatened hOstilities drop
down TO the mouth of Welland canal and
demolsh the entrance docks, ETC., render
ing that work useless for naval or military
purposes. Even should vessel succeed
in passing the canal she would be immedi-
ately destroyed. L would recommeni,"
he says, shat one of the proposed iron
clads be built on Lake Ontario aud k'rI in
the stocks ready for launching in case ~
necessity"
JUSTICE HAELAN's OPINION.
Justice Harlan, of the United States SUI
preme court In his dissenting opinion in
the civil-rights cases says: "The opinion
In these cases proceeds upon grounds en-
stance and spirit of the recent amendments
to the constitution have been sacrificed by
subtitle and ingenious verbal criticism.
The. constitutional provisions adopted in
the interest of liberty and for the purpose
OF securing, through national legislation, IL
need be, the rights In hearing in state
Of freedom and belonging to American
citizenship have been so construed as to
defeat the ends the people desired to &C
complish, and which they supposed they
had accomplished by changes in the funda-
mental law. The court has departed from
the familiar rule requiring that in the in.
depreciation of constitutional provisions full
effect be given to the intent with which
they were adopted. The power conferred
by the thirteenth amendm mt does not rest
upon implication or Inference. and the
power to enforce 1T by appropriate legisla-
ton was expressly granted. Congress,
therefore, may enact laws to protect the
solored people against deprivation on ac-
count OF their race OF any civil rights en-
jOyed by other freemen, and such legisla-
ton may be OF direct and primary char
acter, operating upon states, their officers,
and agents, and upon those welding pow
er under the state. The national legisla-
ture may, without trancending the limits
OF the constitution, do for human liberty
citizenship what it did with the sanction Of
che supreme court for the protection of
slavery and the rights of masters of fugi-
tive slaves. In every material sense APP
plicable to the practical enforcement Of
the fourteenth amendment railroad corpor--
atoms, keepers of inns, and managers OF
places OF amusement are agents of the
state, because amenable to public regula.
ton, and the denial by these instrumentali-
ties of the state to q citizen. because of
his race, of that equality of civil rights Sc
state and the supreme law Of the land
which has decreed that 10 authority shall
be exercised In this country upon the basis
of discrimination In respect Of civil rights
against freemen and citizens because Of
their race, color, or previous condition of
servitude. The assumption that the gen.
eral government can not, In advance of
hostile state laws or hostile state proceed
ings, actively interfere for the protection
of any rights, privileges, and immunities
secured by the fourteenth amendment is
by its langsage.
UNREDEEMED NATIONAL BANK NOTES.
In the report of the comptroller of the
for 1875 he prepared table from
data obtained from series of reports of
the superintendent of the bank department
of the state of New York, exhibiting the
amount of notes which had been issued to
banks organized in the state, and the
amount remaining at the expiration of the |
six years notice required to be given by
the banks before they are by law relieved
from the obligations to redeem them. Re- |
turns were in this way obtained from 2S6 |
banks, either Incorporated or organized
under the safety fund or the free-banking |
system Of the state of New York. The |
Af ntr Intt