smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1874

LEE MERCHANTS, ,LICEN5E-TAx--JuDGg GrI
i CON TO DECIDE THE CASE on THURSDAY


The counsel, engaged In the case of the Com


monwealth against Moore & Goodsons have


finished their argument, and submitted the


case to Judge Guigou upon motion to in.


struct the jury that If they believed from
the evidence that the defendants were mer-


chants, doing general merchandise bust.
| ness, buying and selling merchandise for
profit, and having definite capital employed
| In their business the amount of which was
proyedl, they must find for the defendants.


La support of this motion counsel for defence
argued as follows:


| First. That, but for the Constitution, the
Legislature would have an unrestraned'
power of taxation; the Constitution in its
very nature was for the restraint Of Leyis-
lative power for the protection of the citi-
zens, and therefore when the Constitution is
to be construed In reference to pow er
claimed for the Legislature, its restrictive


character should not be overlooked, and the
leaning of the court where ambiguous Ian.


guage appears should be for the citizen,


especially when charge was sought TO be
fastened upon the citizen by the Legislature


under the pretence Of q Constitutional war


rant.


Second: That under the Constitution of


1852 and the Alexandria Constitution the


Legislature was expressly restrained from


imposing license tax upon merchants aud
at the same time assessing their capital; TINT
1t might resort to either mode, but not to


both; that the Convention of 1S67-'GS in
tended to deprive the Legislature of this
discretion, to take away the power Of levying
license taxes upon merchants, and to require


the assessment of their capital and merchan-
disc in lieu of the license tax. In support


Of this view they relied upon the proceed
ings Of the Convention as well ns upon the


language of the Constitution itself, contend.
ing that section 1, article 10, required all
taxation to be equal, uniform, and ad ualo-
rem, except in certain excepted cases, and
that the general merchants business was
not embraced in any Of the exceptions which


were expressly made, and that so far from
being included they were excluded by i'm
plication.


The counsel for the Commonwealth, how
ever, contend that no matter what was the
intention of the trainers of the Constitution
the effect Of the constitutional provision is to
leave it in the discretion of the Legislature
to impose upon what business it may please
q license tax that il the intention was, as is


contended by the defence, the Convention


failed to express that intention by apt words


in the Constitution; that the only guide to


the Legislature TO the intention OF the
| trainers of the Constitution is the language
| used which permits all business to be reached
| by license tax which cannot be reached by


the ad ralorem system, and that the Legis.


lature is to judge what business cannot be
| so reached.


Judge Guigon will decide the case Thurs.
| day.
Year: 1874

ALE FOR FAMILY uSE-ESGLIsu ALE, CREAM
ALE, AND PoRTER.-To supply u demand from hts
many coautrymcn here, HENRY BOWLER has now
All ale that he iattcrs himself win fairly compete
with their home beverage both In flavor and quality,
and with his unlversally-approved cream ale" and
porter will enable him TO please the palates Of all
Orders to Spring Park brewery promptly filed.
Year: 1874

THE FLOWER GARbEN.-Flowers may now be
set out without fear OF injury from frost or cold
weather. and the work should be done while she
earth Is In proper condition.


JOHN MORTON has the best Selection OF plants
ever exhibited in this city. Can at corner OF Main
and Reservoir street and examine his stock.
Year: 1874

1oLai-.. So,ooS Il
The coal and wood furnished the poor
amounted in value to more than the sum
contributed to the committee by the City
Council.


The following is statement of the relief
Year: 1874

What is it to 60 away on visit? Well,
it is to take leave of the little velvet
rocking-chair, which adjusts itself so
nicely to your shoulders and spinal col
umn to cram, jam, squeeze, and other
wise compress your personal effects into a
an infinite small compass; to be shook,
jolted and tossed, by turns, in carriage,
railroad car and mboat; to be dealened
with the stentorian lungs of cab-drivers,
draymcn and porters; to clutch your
baggage as if every face you saw was a
highwayman; or to find yourself trans
ported with rage at finding it transported
by steam to Greenland or Cape Horn.


1t is to reach your d'sh0use, travel
stained, cold and weary, with an unbe-
coming crook i'm your bonnet; to be ut
terly unable to get the frost out of your
tongue, or, "the beam into your eye"
and to have the felicity of hearing some
strange guest remark to your friend, as
you say an early good night, 'Ts it posi-
bic that is your friend Miss GreyT


1t is to be ushered into the best
chamber" (always north one) of cold
January night; to unlock your dress
with stifiened digits; to find everything
III ,NOul tIuhh \Dut goui hiShe-NuPu W
creep between polished linen sheets, on
to congealed mattress, and listen to the
chattering of your own teeth until day
light.


1t is to talk at mark, twelve hours on
the stretch; to eat and drink all sorts of
things which disagree with you; to get
up sham fits of enthusiasm at trifles; to
learn to yawn circumspectly behind your
finger tips; to praise spoiled child when
you feel like wringing its neck; to avoid
all allusion to topics unsuited to your
pro TEN latitude; to have somebody for
ever at your nervous elbow trying to make
you enjoy yourself; to laugh when you
want to cry; to be loquacious when you
had rather be taciturn; to have mind
and body in unyielding harness, for lin
gering, consecutive weeks; and then to
invite your friends, with hypocritical
smile, to play the same farce over with
you whenever business or pleasure calls
them to FrogtOwn!
Year: 1874

Some of our readers who have watched
cats or dogs while doing, have probably
been amused at movements showing that
they really were dreaming, in their way.
Land and Water tells this story of cat
which evidently had dream


"She was very still, and appeared to
be fast asleep, when suddenly she sprang
into the middle of the room, where she
fixed her feet on a limited spot on the
floor, to which also her nose was applied,
as if closely grasping something which
she held with her claws. This continued
for short time, when the nose was gently
raised, and the visible attention was di-
rected to the feet, which still continued
their grasp, but, after time, one of them
was gradually removed, and then the
other, OH which puss appeared greatly at
loss to imagine whittier the imaginary
object could have gone 20 as to escape
her grasp. She looked in various di-
rectiOns along the floor with foolish face
of confusion and then again her at
tention was directed to the spot on
which the feet were closely pressed, as if
to examine closely whether the presumed
escape had been by sinking through the
floor; and when this seemed unsatisfac-
tory, the disappointed animal, now
widely awake, retired slowly from the
spot; but she returned more than once
to re-examinc the place, as if she found
it impossible to comprehend how an OBJ
ject she had 20 plainly seen and grasped
should sink into nothing. Many minutes
elapsed before this cat appeared to be
reconciled to the conviction that what
had seemed a dream wasnot in truth
reality.
Year: 1874

IT did not take long for L. J. Coger,
of Cynthiana, KY, to make up his mind
"To be, or not to be?" Why not to be,
of course, said Coger, and giving his wife
an extra blowing up and announcing to
off for the eternal bowwow, he ran to
the river. Mrs. Coger and the little
Cogers went bowling after him. Into
the river he plunged, while the lady
rushed to the house screaming for help.
During her absence, the question again
occurred to COger, "To be or not to be T
With the same celerity which character
lied his former decision, he said Why, to
be of course, and he sneaked dripping TO
the protection of some trees on the bank.
Then commenced grand hunt for him,
and Just as il was determined that his
body was at the bottom of the earthly
stream, and his soul floating on the
Styx, younger Coger deserted him in
his place of concealment. Then the un-
fortunately not bereaved wife went and
pleaded with him, the burden of her
entreaty being, 40, Coger, dear Coger,
come home with me now; the clock in
the steeple (if he had any, which we
havn'D strikes one. But Coger declined
to bulge. He was determined to make
a Mantilini of himself, and widow of
Mrs. G. At last the good woman had a
rush of common sense TO the head, and
informed Cogcr that If he meant to
drown himself he might do so, for she
was getting sleepy and going home.
This apathetic, not to say hydropathic
treatment by the wife whom he loved to
beat so worked upon Coger that he gave
one long, despondent look at the water
flowing before him, and plunged head
long---homeward.
Year: 1874

A very searching investigation was
carried on, few years ago, in the north
of England, by two families who were
hunting up their respective ancestry.


The strife was great between them,
each being determined to look back into
antiquity farther than the other.


One Of the families, whose name was
Spencer, employed an artist to paint a
historic scene representing the building
of the ark by Noah and his sons, with
its multitudinous cargo. On the gang
plank leading to the deck of the ark two
men were seen rolling up a huge box,
on one side of which was painted, i'm
large letters, "Relics, insignia and papers
belonging to the Spencer family"


This was considered a coupP etat hard
to beat, but the other family, not to be
outdone i'm the antedeluvian pretensions
of their family name, prepared at
great cost and research record of their
antiquity. In describing the exploits of
one of their ancestors ut a very early day,
who was represented as man of great
authority, this passage occurs: During
this year Adam and Eve were driven out
of Paradise"
Year: 1874


Why, did you think the fairies dead {,
Or travelled far away?
oh no don't shake your little head
saw troop to-day.
They stood beside the garden walk,
As prim as they could be;
They didn't even deign TO talk
AT least, to speak TO me.
Some stood In caps Of pale gold,
And some stood in hoods Of blue;.
Some just displayed purple fold,
And some plume or two.
Some held aloft sharp green lance,
Prepared TO push their way,
Some gaily bowed, as IL 10 dance,
Some waved their hands In play.
Then count not fairies dead or lost
Just come and walk with me,
I'll show you soon fairy host
On every bush and tree.
Their slender fingers soon shall trim
The stiff, ungainly bough,
And hang gay banners from the limb
That looks so lifeless now.
And so along the garden walk
Their brilliant ranks shall rise,
And we might learn their fairy talk
If we were only wise.
But we may touch their dainty caps
OF purple, blue and gold,
And smooth the emerald sheen that wraps
Their forms in loving fold.
And we may kiss their velvet cheeks
And scent their fragrant breath;
Then woe to him who lightly speaks
OF fairy loss or death!
For while we watch their gorgeous dress,
Their fresh and sprightly ways,
We know there's not one fairy less
Than i'm the old-time days.
Year: 1874

FOR the last day or two the proceedings in the
/ nited States Senate seem 10 be heading a little
towards imitation, with what result it Is quite in
possible at present writing to tell There is q
ma ority against initiating by "greenbacks' and a
majority against Initiating h national bank notes,
cut it is barely possible that the two Interests
may in some way compromise
Year: 1874

LAVE PROVED, FROM ETHE MOST AMPLE
] experience, an entire success Simple, prompt,
efficient and reliable. They are the only medicines
perfectly adapted to popular use-so simple that
mistakes cannot be made in using them; SO harm
ess as to be free from danger; and efficient as
TO be always reliable They have the highest COM
mendaton from all, and will always render stais-
Year: 1874

New ORLEANS, April 3, 1874.
Arthur E. Adams, Esq:


DEAR SIR have considered your letter
with careful attention, and arrived at the
conclusion without Offense) that you have
given yourself a great deal of trouble to
inform me Notwithstanding the advice of
the law officer of the State) what should
be my duty from your standpoint.


1 reiterate what 1 have stated in my
former communication to the New Orleans
REPUBLICANS:


l. That two bills can not be taken up
together, acted upon together and legally
pass together.


3. That the journal of the House is the
only real authority that can go by. The
Chief Clerk affrms the journal to be a
true statement of the proceedings of the
last night of the session.


Therefore, that journal showing by yea
and nay vote that the rules of the House
were not suspended to take up either one,
or both bills, the balance of the proceedings
on said bills were ire gular, thereby illegal.
l can not take the responsibility to enroll
bill which was satisfied had not passed
both houses without committing fraud.
Any citizen who, like yourself, is pos
sessed of great legal attainments, knows
that the remedy lies in an action to show
cause why the bill should not be enrolled.
Twill be happy to meet you.


Very truly yours,


P. E. BECHTEL,


Secretary of the Senate.
Year: 1874

Miss Ada c. Sweet, the young lady who
has been appointed to fill the responsible
and trustworthy position of pension agent
for this federal district, is at present en-
ployed in the license department of the
Office of the collector of internal revenue,
in this city, where she has been since the
beginning of the present month.


Miss Sweet is in her twenty-second year,
and is just such young lady as her name
indicates. She is a blonde. of medium
stature, and looks very pleasantly and
modestly out of two bluishgray eyes, Her
complexion is light, and every feature of
her face regular and comely. She is fair
to look upon. and presents graceful and
modest mien in a suit of black. Grief for
a father who was kind and indulgent to a
fault, and who gave her such an insight
into the business affairs of the pension
Office, has made the lady look a little care
worn. Miss Sweet will resume her new
position about the first proximo. The duties
of the Office will not be new to her; she is
thoroughly conversant with every detail of
them. The congratulations of her friends
and the sudden assumption of her new
Office cause her moro embarrassment than
the responsibility she is 20 soon to take
upon hsrsef.-CRieago Nail.
Year: 1874

The Washington correspondent of the
daily Graphic says:


The members of the House of Representa-.
tives are beginning to find out that, al
though leaders are scarce on the floor, one
OF the ablest politicians in the country sits
in the Speakers chair and directs the pro-
gress of legislation. Mr.. Blaine has had
some remarkable opportunities this winter,
and he has not failed to make good use of
them. Not only did he have the power of
mapping out the whole general policy of
the session in his organization of the COM
mittees at the start, but his guiding hand is
constantly seen or may be detected in the
legislation that is adopted. That the busi-
ness of the session has not advanced more
rapidly is not, of course, due to him. He
has used all his efforts, both in the chair
and privately with members, to for
ward the business. A good illustration
of the manner in which he works is
the passage of the railroad regulation bill,
which went through by the slender majority
of five votes last week. 1t was in the
power of the Speaker to have defeated this
bill if he had chosen to do so. Two of the
Maine members voted for it, and one did
not vote at all. Had he desired all these
three would have voted against it and de-
feated 1t; but he was very anxious to have
the bill pass, and used his influence with
members to that end. He made up the
Committee on Railroads and Canals at the
opening of the session with lthe especial
purpose of putting through this bill, as a
party measure, to strengthen the Organiza-
tion in the West next fall. Mr.. Blaine Sc
cured the defeat of the franking bill some
weeks ago by manipulating the Maine dele
CATION In the same way. He works SO
quietly and discreetly that many on the
floor do not detect his operations.
Year: 1874

4 lOtcJ COMMUNICATIONS k>NOGtSVSO-LO1L
Ones Invariably Rejected-Zhe Editor no
Responsible for the Sentiments Expressed
sn the Comm,snications.l


Que sasesess Opposed to Eaoansios OF the
Currency.


New ORLEANS. April 2. 1874.
Editor REPUBLICAN,:


l have seen it stated in your columns


several times since the question of finance


has been under discussion before Congress
that the interests Of the West and South
are 10 favor of an initiation o, expansion of
the currency, and commencing our repre-
sentatives in that body for voting in that
interest. While entertaining great respect
for your editorial opinions on most subjects,


have to differ with you on this one. 1t


appears to me that the interest of all who


work for wages or salaries in the West and


South, as well as in every other section of


the United States. are opposed to any en-


largement of the present volume of cur


rency. The issuance of more currency by


the government is, OF course. the evidence
OF additional debt, and its inevitable effect


will be to depreciate the value of all gov
ernmept obligations. In the same or even
greater proportion az the currency depre.
ciates in value, all articles intrinsically
valuable in themselves will be advanced in
price-those things especially which enter
into the necessities Of existence-to conform
to the new standard. For although YOU
may call the printed government promise
to-pay dollar, or whatever you please, it
is in reality only worth so many pounds of
sugar, or flour or bacon. And if the gov
ernment "waters" its currency by an en-
larged issue the same piece of paper which
you call dollar will buy less quantity OF
sugar. flour, etc. Consequently the man
who works for fixed salary or rate of
wages will be injured by the proposed ex-
pansiOn, whether he works on plantation
in Louisiana OF a cotton factory in Massa.
chusetts, wages being always the last to
advance.


There is but one class of people to be
benefited by the proposed change, and that
is the class who owe debts. A man who
has contracted debt while gold Is at ITO
duu pay . ~ Ou Wuou, ny d manipulation OF
the currency, gold is at 100, pays ten per
cent less than he agreed to. AS the South
and West are large debtor sections, that is
probably the reason for the unanimity of
the representatives of those sections in
favor of expansion. But is this honest?
Would it not be quite as fair for Congress
to declare that on and after a certain day
all debts maturing should be settled at ten
per cent, or such a matter. less than their
face value! That would accomplish the
object in a far more honest and straight
forward manner. and at the same time not
cut down the wages Of several millions of
working people. As the representatives Of
Louisiana in Congress were elected by this
class, it appears to me that they are not
fairly representing their constituents while
fayoring this measure.


Yours respectfully.


WORK1NGMAN.
Year: 1874

Yesterday was celebrated in our churches
the crOwning event in the mystery of the
redemption. Good Friday, the day set apart
by the Catholic Church to commemorate the
crccifxion, was this year observed with
moro than usual solemnity. All the
churches were draped in mourning, and
from the rising Of the sun unto the latest
vigils of the night they were thronged with
worshipers. The solemn stiffness of the
houses of worship, the bleak and sombre


walls, the vast multitude of meditative Wis.


itors that came to kneel before the image


of Christ crucifed, spoke lesson of faith


that might touch the heart of intidelity
ITSELF


The sable hangings that draped the altar
and the chancel, the solemn chant of the
office of tenebra, the intoning of the sta
tions of the cross, all made the ceremony
most impressive.


In the Church of the Immaculate Concep-
tion was exposed figure Of the dead
Christ, creation of Heaven-born art that
tells at once Of the agony of the passion and
the sublimity of the sacrifice. In St. AL
phonsus, and st. Theresas also, were like
visible symbols, set forth as appeals to the
heart and mind of the Christian.


To-day marks the Inauguration of the
resurrection-the descent of the Redeemer
into Limbo is the first testimony of his tri-
umph over death. For that reason Holy
Saturday is regarded as more of feast
than a fast. To-day the bells again joy
ously peal; the deep silence of the passion
time is broken and the church awakes to a
song of praise that will swell on the morrow
to pfeans OF triumph.
Year: 1874

the New Finance Bill.


New YORK, April 3.-The Liberal Re-
publican General Committee last evening
adopted resolutions expressing themselves
as opposed to any action by Congress look
ing to an initiation of the currency as detri-
mental to the best interests of the country,
and as steps toward reputation of the
most sacred obligation of national honor.


The Tammany Hall General Committee,
last evening adopted resolutions setting
forth that the recent action of Congress in
dicated a further increase of irredeemable
currency, while no steps were being taken
to bring about resumption of specie pay
ments; declaring that the Democratic party
had always been in favor of spe-
Gle payments or its equivalent, and
that the commercial honor and safety
of the country demanded the speedy return
to it, and further that if the business de-
mands of the country could not be met by
the present amount of currency medium
the remedy lay in system of free banking
founded upon currency redeemable in spe,
Gle or its equivalent.
Year: 1874

The wonderful strides OF the extreme
northwestern portion of our great eoun-
try, are among the most gigantic the
world has ever witnessed, and il seems
almost like reading a fairy tale when
we scan the papers from that far-off
land. We take il that the newspaper is
the best index OF the progress of any
people or country, and Judging from the
character OF, aud ability displayed i'm,
the journals from the State of Oregon
for instance, we feel not only a degree
of pride which only an American may
justly feel, when viewing his own, and
comparing il with other countries on
the globe. In examining these news
papers, we cannot fail to perceive that
the elements of greatness, advancement
and progress exist to the most astound-
ing degree in that State, so lately taken
into the sisterhOOd Of the Union. Port
land, the commercial capital, with
population of about 10000, boasts of all
the elements OF all the older and larger
cities of the East, and the press of Port
land stands forth in a prominent degree
of respectability and Intelligence. To
the best of our knowledge, the city has
no less than five daily papers, all of
them conducted by most excellent talent,
and all of them exercising an extraordi-
nary influence upon the community at
large, being well supported by the peo-
pie, thus showing that the standard OF
intelligence compares most favorably
with that Of any community in our
country, aud indicating most conclu-
sively that the inhabitants of that new
country are self-cOnscious Of their great
ness and power.


But six years ago Oregon was still
without railroad. To-day she has her
lines running in every direction from
the city of Portland, and but for the
failure of Jay Cooke & Co., might within a
very few years have been connected with
the East by a continuous chain of the
iron highway. One rather unpleasant
feature in her railway system seems to
exist in the fact that it is controlled by
one selfish, ambitious man, and this is
q drawback upon the prosperity of the
growing State, which is keenly felt by
the people, and doubtless tends In n
great measure to retard their onward
strides to greatness.-Loolcdster Reuie10.