The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1894-12-29

| otherwise they are useless. Inc VlOla-
ton of an injunction is one of the forms
of contempt of court, and is punished
under that head.-Journdl and Ness n
ger.
THE Meadowcroft brothers, Frank and
Charles, private bankers of this city,who
failed last year, and who were convicted
of receiving deposits, knowing them
selves to. be insolvent. we're taken to jail
last week.
ACCORDING to the opinion OF Judge
Kohlsaat, of the Probate Court of Cook
county, there is no good reason why
there should remain due the county
S15O,OO0 on uncolected fees in the office
of the Clerk of the Probate Court. The
statutes of the State of Illinois do not
sanction any delay in the collection of
fees in this office, and the only excuse
that may be made for the existing con-
dition of the finances in that court, is
that the custom has been followed for
several years past of allowing charges
for recording and docketing important
papers to run along until estates are
settled. In other words the different
clerks of the Probate Court for num-
Der of terms past have not proven them
selves good business men, for they have
evidently paid more attention to getting
new business in order to make good
showing during their administration,
than to the matter of collections and
keeping the accounts pretty we'll closed
up.
COMMISSIONER of Public Works Rose
has made report on the reclamation of
the swamp lands in the interior of the
State of California which originally
comprised 1,750,000 acres. For forty
years efforts to reclaim these lands have
been made, the attempts at draining
costing total of ST, 100000, but the pro-
jected reclamation has proved practi-
cal failure, ascribed to lack of system
and intelligent efforts.
SECRETARY Herbert has decided to
build the submarine boat authorized by
Congress several years ago. The de-
sign of John P. Holland, of Newark, N.
j., has been definitely adopted and it is
expected that the vessel will be built at
NeWport News. Va.
THE Secretary of the Navy has been
requested to permit one of the ships of
the North Atlantic Squadron, while
cruising in the West Indies this winter,
to make surveys and soundings about
Watlings Island in the Bahama group,
which modern authorities agree was the
first land seen by Columbus. The OBJ
ject is to determine. if possible. the spot
where the great explorer landed
AMONG the dead of last week is ex-
Governor and United States Senator
Alcorn of Mississippi. IS years old. and
Douglas Putnam, great grandson of Cen
eral Israel Putnam, of Revolutionary
fame. who passed away in Marietta, o.,
Dec. 20, aged SS years.
OLIVER E. WELLS. superintendent of
public instruction of Wisconsin, in his
annual report, which has just been made
public, sharply criticises the financial
management of the Wisconsin Univers-
ity. Mr.. Wells gives a lengthy review
of the transactions by which $4,000 of
the Jackson bequest has been diverted
by the regents to the payment of indebt
edness instead of being invested SO as
to draw interest, somewhat after the
manner in which s2,500,0O0 of the school
fund is now merely certificates of in
debtedness.
THE New YORK Sun announced last
week ION the highest authority that
"Messrs. Joseph H. Choate and Clar-
ence A. Seward regard the new income
tax as unconstitutional, and that these
eminent lawyers will represent large
body of public spirited New York mer-
chants and business men. who propose
to test the constitutionality Of the law
in the Courts"
The arbitrator appointed to close the
Massillon Ohio mining controversy have
made a unanimous report abolishing the
her stofore existing differential of 10
cents, and placing the district on the
same basis as the Hooking Valley. This
means that the miners will be paid at
the rate of GO cents. instead Of at least
So, as they had hoped.
The employees Of the Lake Erie and
Western Railroad main shops in Lima,
o., have demanded an increase in work
ing hours. They claim they cannot
make living wages in eight hours, ano