Morning journal and courier., 1885-03-28

will compel the owners to throw much of
their surplus stock on the market, which
will depress the price of beef. The Texan
ranges are overstocked. Last year at this
time over 81 10000 worth of contracts were
held by Texas ranchmen, but this year not
dollar, owing to the closing of the trail. Mr..
Atwater thinks the day of free grazing in
Texas is about over. In the near future
stock raisers will have to pasture their herds
on their own lands and cultivate ground
enough for fodder to carry their cattle
through the winter
A clock on the twenty-four hour principle,
possessing probably the simplest method yet
introduced for indicating time upon the new
enumeration, is giving satisfaction in Lon
don. 1t has only one hand, the long minute
hand, and the figures around placed
heretofore; instead however, of indicating
the hours, they indicate the minutes only,
which are marked from five to sixty. The
hours are shown on sunk dial revolving
under the upper dial, a space being left in
the upper dial in which the next hour figure
comes forward instantly upon the minute hand
completing it's circuit of sixty minutes. In
short, the solitary hand marks the minutes and
the sunk space shows the hour.
The case which has been argued in the
United States Supreme court in relation to
the value of the coupons of the bonds of
the State of Virginia, available for the
payment of taxes, is one of great Importance
not only as to the law of this particular case,
but as involving the limits of effectual repu-
diation by State; and also incidentally as
manifesting the commercial morality of the
State of Virginia. Virginia claims that those
who deal in the bonds of State must rely
upon the good faith of the State alone for
their security, and that the good faith of the
State is confded to the legislature of the
state The action at law is action against
the State If the court should give judg
ment against the State relief only come
through the legislature. The property of the
State cannot be seized and sold to pay the
judgment. TheState ofVirginis declines to dis
cuss the morality of her position and claim,
but insists upon the law. The judgment of
the court will be awaited with much interest.
The North China Herald describes the fol-
lowing scene, which recently was enacted in
one of the courts: IA case in which Chi
nese auctioneer was sued by gas company
for damages which had been caused owing
to the sale and removal of gas fittings, where
by large quantity of gas was wasted, the
magistrate ordered the defendant to pay ff-
teen dollars. The auctioneer inveighed
against the sentence with much heat fee
some time, and then pulled roll of dollars
from his pockets and banged them down
three or four at time on the table nearly
under his worship's nose. Mr.. Huang's face
grew purple at this insult. He lifted a
heavy wooden implement from the table
and aimed blow with it at the audacious
auctioneer's fingers, which would have made
them smart for many long day if it had
only hit him. Failing in this mode of pun
ishment, however, his worship directed the
runners to vindicate the majesty of the law
in more regular way. Forcing the luckless
auctioneer upon his knees, and holding his
head in position, they administered a couple
of dozen blows on his mouth and cheek with
a thong Of leather, which caused him to sing
in much less defiant tone than before his
punishment