Homeopathic Legislation

In tho Houso, on MoDday, Mr. CamekoNj from the Committce on Siato Affuirs, roportcd "a bill to pro?ide for he appointment of two Professors of lomeopathy in the Department of Medoino of the Unirersity," nnd recommended its passage. We are not advised as o whcther tho bilí makes a specifio apiropriatiou for tho payment of such loraoepathic Professors, or leaves the .iegonts to pay them from tho Universiy fund. In reporting the bill tho cotmnittoe wieely intímate tbat "tho Regenta are he servants nnd not the mastera of the )eoile," wbich eolemn truth - it must be solerán to be so asserted - would not warrant thom in obejing legislativo in.crfofüDce with thcir constitutional duties, and any act assuming to reguato tho internal arrangements and discipline of tho institution, or requiring the appointment of a special professor in any depaitincnt, is just such in inerference. Tlie Legislaturo may mako any appropriation iu aid of tho University conditional upon couiplianoo with eithcr the wise or foolish terras it maj prescribe, but the regular fuuds of the Univeisity aro happily beyoud its control. - We are not about to dispute the claims of Homoopathy ; we oonceds the intclligcnoe of its iriends and supporters, professional and laymen ; we recognize their riglits as tax-payera, "and all o'that; " but to believe that two medical systema diametrioally opposed to cech otLer can bo taught to the samo classes, to lbo benefit of cither, is to "go back on human nature," However, as our views may be cbarged to tho account of ignoranco, prejudico or obstinacy. we let the Lansing correspondent of the Detroit Tribunt, a gentleman of decided homeopathio proclivities, speak Lia viowe of tho bill and its provisions : "Itcontalns the most unsatlsfactory solutlon of tbc problem possible. In the flrst place, tliere is no probablliLy that the llegcats wlll obey lt any more than they (Ud the similar law of 1805. Therefore it offers uo practical relief to the homeopaths, and it leaves this vexed questiou to tormeut future Lcglslatures, and to dlsturb the University. In the second place, If carried out, it would break up the medical departmeut of the Uulverslty unquestionably. People may say that it ueed not, bul tbc fact s that it ■vould. Thus it is a proposition that has no chance for success, and ought not to succeed, and the arguments in its iavor are much lesspoteutthan those iu iavor of the establishment of a separate and distinct homeopathie department, eithtr elsewhere than at Ann Arbor, or at that place durlng those months of the Uníveialfi year that the 'regular school' is not lu sesïion." - The present medical dopartment of the Univorsity, eatablishod before Homeopathj had attaiacd to tho lenst proiuineaco or standing as a system, is doing a good work for ho Stato nnd its citizen?, and should notbe disruptcd in the manner recommended. It is úseles? to say that tho professors therein should not object to tho propos jd action, that they ebould bo able to maintain their ground against what they claim is error, eto. Medical professors are dodo the less human beings, and wbcn oil and water mix then two opposito systems may be expected to work Larmoniously together, and students be benefitud by being taught one thiog one hour aud lts reverso the next. The only way, iu our opiuion, out of the woods is a separate and distiuot departmcut, either at tlio University or n some other locality, and wo know that such is alao the opiuion of many earncst bclievora in HomeopaUiy. In the House, ou Tuesday, Mr. C. B. Gkant, from tho committee on eduoation reported against tho bill referred to iiuch committoe aboüshing tho County Su perintendent system. After canvassing tho various objeotions against the system, the oommitteo say : ''Wo have yot to find a singla oducator of any prominence who advises a return to the old system, but all unite in a warru oommondation of tho present one," which, if true, and we think it is, would scem to warrant the conclusión roached by the coramittee as follows : "After a thorough iuyestigatlon, your committcc nrc unaplmous in the opinlou that the present gjstem Is correct In theory and successful In practica whero the people have clectcil experienced superintendente. Tliey fear lts ïepeftl would bc a step backward. Fulling to see a.ny other system of soperlutemiehcv superior to the present one it seems to us clear tliat it ought to be retalncd and more thorouglily tested." The coniraittee, however, reoommend that tho bill- against which it reported - bo printed and plaoed on tho goneral order, thnt the sonso of the House miht be teetod. A sort of splitting the difference, it strikes us. A molion to tablo the bill was lost, yeas, 32 ; nays, 48, and tho bill went to tho goneral order as renotumended, - At the aamo timo tho committeo reported fuvorably upon a bill to próvido for a uniformity of tost books. Wo are not advised ae to its provisions. In the Frenoh National Assembly, at Bordeaux, on tho lst inst., after a long and heateddtbate, tho treaty of peace ijegotiated by Thiers aud his associates wos ratified, by yeas, 546 ; nays, 107. This ends tho Empiro and gives poaco to Franco, with dismembennont and an imimonso debt. - The first repre-entative corps of tho victorious Qeruan arniy entorod and possessed Pnris on Wedncsday. It was 30,000 stroug, with 96 piece3 of artillory, is to remsfin three days, and then be euccoeded by anotlior corps for throo days, oto., fur un iadoü&ltc Lo ol. CoNtwKes has reachod anothor etage in tho "contesting game." A day or two ugo the Jlouse paascd a rosolut:on to pay tho widow of a contestant wlio had doccased, with bis "hoad iu chanóüiy," tho sum of 32,500, expenses of contesting. We congratúlate the widow od the liberality of tho House - with the moneys of their coüBtituents ; hut aak again, is it not time for Cougress to turn over a new leaf and dispose of contueted seats at the opening of the tortn ? Every caso ought to bo disposod of within tho fiiSt four weeks :f tho first sest-ion of eaoh Congrcss. - Dr. Miller, of Georghi, who has boen knooking at tho door of tbo Seaato for two or threo years, was admitted to hia Beat on Saturday last. As this session aud his'term both expire to-day, he will have the honor oí boing Senator sevcn days, and tho plcasüre of pocketDg $5,000 for a single week of servioe insidt tho Scnate Chauibcr. And the country need not be surprised if, "by resolution," he shall bo paid for tho yoars ho bas been "knocking at the doors." If he were a Iïadical we'd bet üu this issue of his adventure. - Binee the above paragraph was written the proceedings of Monday have oomo to hand, from which we quote : "A " resolution was passed providing for " tho compensatioii of tho Georgia 8en" ators, Messrs. Hii.l and Miller, from "from the dato of their election, July '29th, 1868, and the contestants, Far" row and Whitklt, from thcir alleged " eleetion to tlie date at which they " wcre deolared not entitled to seats." Thero, we were either in a prophetic spirit, or it is safe to reason on the liberality of a Congressional Sánate or House in theae latter days. We havo scrioua thoughte of contesting the Beat of Ferry in the next Congress. It mattors not that nobody ever voted or thought of voting for us as against Feury "or any other raau," doa'tFARrow and Whitbly get paid for ehiming seats not vacant wben thoir friends went "through the motions of electiug them," and why not we draw pay for olaiming a seat to whioh we were Dot cleoted ? The difference is less than that "tnixt tweedledum and tweedlo doe." Well, "the people pay the fiddlor." While tho coal operatord and coal ruinera of Pennsylvania are plnying into each othi-rs hands, and whilo strikes are "put up" by mine ownors and coal put up in New York to freezing prices, the protectionists Lave a hard grip upon the throat of Congress, the introductlon of a bilí to take off the duty 3 not permitted, and the monopolista aro cujoined from tho legislativo hulls of the capítol to dcmanë the pound of flesh as"D0miuated in the bond." Admitcoal freo of duty and the Nova Scotia mines will be worked by New York and Boston capiital ; keep on the duty and tho Peansyl yania mine owners are given a olub with which to beat down any competition. By working the year through so rauoh ooal would be minod that high prices could not be demanded ; to stop mining voluntarily would bu too patent a way to an inerease of price, and would not be tolerated ; and eo strikes are inanufuctured and manipulated in a business way, the striking mincr3 being only the toole of the mine ownerp, the cals' paws pulliDg the chestnuts from the fire. How many coDgressmen, who vote persistent ently against taking oS tho improductivo coal duty, are interested in the sylvania mines, or who give their votes to secure Pennsylvania votes for othor sobemos? oa tbe principie of "youtickle me Billy, and I'll tickle you Tommy.'' It is about time tkut the uiasses made tliemselves heard at Washington, and that such who'.esalo robbery of the people für tbe benefit of a small uumber of niiniog capitalists was stopped. - Willing to recognizeauyihinir good that CongreKS may do, wo eheerfully adl tbat on Tuesday a successful move was mado to givo the eoal monopolista a rap. In tbe Houee, Mr. Wood, of New York, got the floor by a aheer oversight of tho protectionists, aud moved tbat tho rules be suspended and a bilí passed repealing all laws aud parte of laws im posiug a duty on foroign coal, tbc bil1 to take effeet at once." Tbe motion was so presumptious aod impudi-'nt that Kbl. ley, MoitRELL & Co. were slunnod, and beforo they reoovered the rules wero suspended and the bilí passed. by yoas, 144; nays, -18. Tue Senate on Tuesday, by a vote of 26 to 2, passed "a bilí to próvida for the eroction of a new State Capítol, and a building for the tomporary uso of the State offices." We havo Dot the bilí beore u, bat undorstand that it provides for the erection of a building for temporary State offices in tho córner of tho prusont capítol pquare, bo that tho rickety building now used tor that purpose mny be torn down, and the new capítol building erecled on its site. The bill raakos an appropriation of 8106,000, provides for building commissioners, plans, eto. It ia time that a uew capítol was coinmenoed, und wo hopo that the House wiil concur in the bill. The Senate, also, on the same day, passod a bill appropriuting 100,001 for a laboratory building at the Agricultural Collego. The Houso struck a section making a similar appropriation from Ha bill making the usual annual appropriations for tbe eupport of tho college. The Senate some days ago adopted a resolution ehadowing some doubts as to tho eligibility of Judgo Dkwey - undor the constitution - to the offico of compiler, and calling upon Attorney-General May for bis opinión. The wits of legislatcrs, liko those of sorao other poople, como rather late. Ti;e University appropriation bill - $7&,000 fer a new building - passed the Sento yedterday, by a vote of 29 to 1. The University has friends al tlie last. - liully lor tho Legislature. A brie editorial article in tho Akqus of the lOth of February, commouced with the foüowing sontences : "Siiice the San Domingo Oommisslon saileil ttie Impresslon seems to have alnod grouml tliat if a report shiill be made that tlie Dominicana favor anncxution the Seuate wlll fecl bound to ratify the treaty of purchn.se. Are the opinlons of our people to bc Iguored, or is one party to a barguln siiftloiuit in thls case ?" The nblo correspondent of tho N. Y. World, dow "iloing San Domingo" in the company of tho öovernmeut Commission, hatbors the aame idea, and writing frcm the city of Snn Domingo, uuder dato of February 14th , he fiays, speaking of "an intelligent and cluarhoaded Germán physioian who has paesed mony years in both parta of the island.nd whom lie had "interviewed." "It is his belief that both sections of the islnnd absolutely neeJ the extensión over tuein of eoine well orjiauizetl forelgn au thorlty to save tliem from literal polltical aiul social decomposUlon, and he main taina tliat all the best part of the population of both sectious of the islund are of thls mind. All of whlch, however, while it tciulti to show tliat Öanto Domingo and Ilayti have much reasou to deaire aimuxatlon to the United States, does uot cxactlv prove that the United States ougbt to desire annexation to Santo Domingo and Hay ti." That's exactly the point bofore the country, and one wbich can not be termined by the wishes of Bakz or tho rotes of bis constituents. The oondition af the mland and the Wants of its people may throw a little light npon tho main uestion, which ia : Will the best interets of this liepublic be promoted by establislrng n colonial BVHtem, or by absorbng the outlying islands and didtant States with their diverse intcrests and mongrel populations ? And on that fu vote no. In tho Saaato, on Tuosday, by a voto of 18 to 10, a bilí was passed, ontitled "a bilí to protect the people of the State of Michigan against empiricism and imposition in the practico of medicine and surgcry " If it Bhall go through the House, spiritual physioinns, liealing mediums, etc, will have to organize county societies and vote themselvea diplomas. - The Tribune says that Senator Cravath advocated its passage, but the journal of the day records him asvótiog aguinat it, and as moving the following litle : "a bill to protect empiricism and imposition in the practioe of medicine and Burgery in the 8tate of Michigan." We fear that Senator Cravath is unstablo. - ïhe voto by which the bill was pai-sed was roconsidered on Wednesday, and the bill laid on the tablo. Tiik Indiana Legislature has come to grief. The ltepublican Senators having resigned in a body, to prevent disagreeablo legislation, both Houses have been compelled to adjourn sint die. At the last scflHiou the Damocrats tried the same game, but the Republicana prooeeded with legislation, passed theappropriation bilis - which the Supreme Court held good, and ratified the XVth amendment - wbich Congress held good. If "sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander" tho Democratio members should have proceeded with legislation - holding that resigned members dou't count in esti:i:uing a quorum. - We think that this Ls the fourth timo an Indiana Legislature bas been broken up by "bolting" or resigning, tho pratense each time being to prevent obnoxious partisnn legislation. It 8 not a justiñable means ; and both pnrties aro to be ulike condemncd. Unless the Seoate eball provo more oonservative tliun the House our State a to lo blcssed witb a township draiuago system, the latter body haviug passod a bilí, on Monday, creating suoh a system. We hope that the Scnato will "pause and refleot.:' We do oot believe in the efficiency of a townahip system, and the bill passed ly the Hoase must be a great improveinent on its ordinary logislation touchiog 8uch eoraplicated and important matters or it will not be worth tho State printer's charge for printing. The oounty system should bo amended and rctained. Tuk bilí appropriating 75,000 for a building on the grounds of the University, whioh passed the House two weeks ago yesterday, scems to hang fire in the Seuate commitUes on public instruotion and financo, to which it was referred jointly, or at least it had not been reported back at our latest advices from Lansing. The delay may be all right. We sha 11 eoe. In the Demooratio oonvention for the Fourth Conressioniil district, held at Grand Rapids on Wednesdny, Col. Wm. M. Fekrx was unaDimousIy nominated as a candidato lor tho vacunoy created by the promotion of his brother. Col. Ferrv 3 au abler man than his brother, and tho latter owes his position to a big majority rather than larga talents.