Local Affairs

_ Leut commeiioes on the Hth inst., with j), Wednesday. _ Fred. Pistoriua haa removed his law oflice to No. 15 Maiu street south. _ That January thaw came on time, aud the olí proverb is as true as ever. _- A freshman uamed Treadway broke one „f hia wrista ou Saturday last, while wrestling. __ The nam of the postoffice in Salem, this county, has been changed from Summit to Silem. - H. T. Frueauff, of this city, has been appointed teacher of Oerman in the Detroit finíale Seminary. - OityTreasurer Terry has clostid uphis tax collections, and claims to have collected cleaner than his predecessors. _The sleighiug is just about whipped : " bat is the remark oiteuost haard for a day or („o,- about the weathor. - Prof. J. B. Steere lectured in Detroit, on ffeduesday evening, before the Scientific Aaciition, on " Formosa." _ Tickets have been issued by Company A for a Washingtou's Birthday recoption : the evening of February 22, of course. _D. Darwin Hughes, Eaq., of Grand jipids, ia to deliver the addresa before the law jrraduating clasa at the coming commencepunt. _ About 30 f eet of the dam of the Swift „ill was carried off on Tuesday night. A ]rge iorce was iminediately put to work to rop,ir damages. Weudell Phillips is anuounced for a lecl,re before the Students' Lecture Aasociation jij evening, in Uuiversity Hall. Subject: jiaiel O'Connell. _ If no change of date haa been made in Ilifl programme, Joaquiu Miller, the poet of tht Sierras, is to teil what he kuows about be"Afloat in Venios." _ Prot. Prescott, of the TJniversity, has (jmpleted the aualysis oí the stomach of John foe, who reoently died 80 suddenly in York, ind reporta that he finds " no morphine or flther poison iu it." - There was a little collision on the " lower Ijito" hill on Saturday night last, between [tudents and town boys, and an attempt on ïouday evening to renew the same. " Discretiou is the better ot' valor. -The lecture of Rev. O. H. Tiffany, of Chicago, on Thursday eveniug of last week, tore the Studeuts' Lecture Asiociation, on He "Yosemite Valley," gave general aatisfaction to a fair-sized audience. -Got. Croswell has done a sensible thing in appointing Bishop Oilleapie, of Grand B.pids, formerly of this city, to be a member ( tbe Coinmission on Public Charities and Penal and Keformatory Iustitutions. - C. K. Whitman, one of the Circuit Court Cmmissiooers, will be found at the offi.ce of the Prosecutiug Attorney in the Couit House ou Mondy and ïhursday of each week, and we hM it stated that he proposes to remore to this city in the spring. - A. Oseauder, of Saline, formerly a resident of thi3 city, and whose family still reside bíre, attempted suicide on Thuraday eyening oi last week, by cutting his throat, hacking nis irm, gashiog his side, etc. Too niuch whisky or other fluids these raany years. - President Angelí will give a parlor reading on Tuesday eveniug uext, at 8 o'clock, at :ae residence of H. W. Rogers, on Huron itreet, for the benefit of the Ladies' Library iiiociation. Subject : National Wit. Admission 10 cents. All ure cordially inrited. - Four new Chronicle editora were elected inSaturday last; Clareuce Origgs, Stewart D. Walling, Horace Greeley Rlyers, and Horace !. Wamsley,- iumors all, the first two beine et society men, the other two indepeufetts. None but paid-up subscribers voted. -U a ineetiug of the New York Historical S;lj, to be held on the 6th inst., at 8 o'clock ..Prof. Moses Coit ïyler, of the University, ulo read bis paper on " The Humorous Element Ui American Literature." We don't tliÍDk that we eau accept the ïiivitation to be present. - Stnce the adjournment of his term Judge Huatington has sent down and had iiled in the Clerlt's office two imjiortant decisious. Ia the cue of Jacob Larzelere et al vs. John Starkweather et al., decree is entered in tavor of defendaut. In case of Jemsha P. Noble vs. Ja$ . McMabon et al., order appoiuting a receiver to collect aud hold reuts of mortgaged premisos tacítsd. -EJwardFitzgerald, engiiieer at the oental University building, feil down sUirs last Sitarday foreuoon and dislocated one of bis ikoildera. The professor of surgery was holding hls usual weekly cliuic and Fitzgerald's diiloCEited joint was immediately restored to ita normal condition, - in the interest of science. One lady student said the joint went iuto the tocket beauüf ully. -In face of the recent semi-authontative unouncement, by a Free Press reporter, that Hon. E. H. Thompson, of Flint, was the own of the largest and most reliable Shakspear■ private library in the world, and that he proposed to bequeath it to the University, we tnow told that Detroit hankers af ter ths ïuection, and proposes to capture it by mak'■t Mr. Thompson the librarían oí the Detroit fiblic Library. " For waya that are dark Kd tricks that are vaiu-" -The " oldest inhabitant " never looked out pon a more beautiful, brilhant, or lovely later landscape than that the sun rose upon Sunday morning last. Tree and shrub ere covered with a heavy net-work of froat, 'i glistened and sparkled like a foliage ot Prl and diamonis. But it needs the pen tbs poet and pencil of the artist to do justa to tae picture. Aa late as half-past ten '■" 'huroh-goer and the aimless stroller or ■erer seeined wandering in iairy land. -The second report of the State Commis'oner and Supenutendaut ot Fisheries is on wtable, from which we lcarn that during the onth of February, Maren, and April of 1876, 'kite fiah were deposited in the lakes and 'teams of this county, as follows : Base Lake, ; Big Portage, 20,000 ; Blind, 10.000 ; - ÍUanchester), 10,000; Park's (Webster), '6; Portage, 20,000; Silver, 12,600: South fyadon), 10,000; Watson, 10,000. Ou Decem'28, 1875, 8,000 Salmón íry were put into "Huron near Base Lakf. ". A. Lovejoy, ex-city i'"c;order, was ar"sted on Saturday evening last, on a warrant i by Justice McMahon on complaint of rman Cate (made under the direction of ftosecuting Attorney Babbitt). The action is u8lit under the provisioua of the oompiled w'p the charge being embezzling or fraudu'""? Wnvertiug certain city moueys to his "o use,- which the statutes make larceny. !fl was held to bail in the sum of 12,000 to Ppear for examiuatiou to-morrow, Lewis C. "a aud John B. Dow going upon his oís. Lovejoy admita the deüceucy and "! that it shall be made good as soon as he I" gt the money, which promise doii't seem '"üsfy the city fathers. 'S2 Laboeatoey Investioation.- The "'versity Committee is atill taking testimo'Üü regard te the laboratory defalcation. ce our report Regenta Cutcheoii aud Esta"ook have been sworu, and Begents Mcüow drant recalled. Assiatant Professor O. C. Dsou as also been aworn, and a student by ' "ame of Hugo Thum, who receutly pre"Mod au old deposit tickut which caused a reh aud the fludiug of some stub books not 'ore usod. Dr. Douglas took the stand esday evemug (there was uo session Saturj or Monday, and but an hour's sessiou on friiay), and wag on the staud aU d.ly Wedueaï nd yesterday. Up to thii poiut nothiug tr'"y mw haa been brought out. The Coubt Houss.-The Manchester Enterprtse follows the lead of the Ypailanti Commercial and Sentmel, and puts itael f ia opposition to the pending propositiou for a new court house and the appropnation of f40,000 therefor, this city haying Toted a donation ot $20,000 in addition to that amouut. The Enterprise, however, bases ita opposition on different grounds from its Ypsilanti cotemporaries. The Commercial and Sentinel antagonize the measure for the aole (assigned) reason that the board of supervisors at the recent aunua! session ignored or snubbed them and played into the hands of " Boss Beal, " of the Courier, a crime for which the county ia to be punished, on the principie of makmg faoes at the big boy's aister. The oppoaition of the Enlerprite is grounded on the assuiuptiou that the supervisors have gone to work wrong end firat. It concedes that a new court house ia desirable if not a necessity, and disclaims any sympathy with the suggestion that comes up whenever a court house loan or tax is proposed, that the county aeat should be racated and iU re-location aold to the highsst bidder. lts objction is that the supervisors did not, before calliug for a vote of the tax-payers or electora, adopt a plan, and get estimates or proposala. It iears that the 140,000 will be exoeeded and that th county will be ealled upon to raise the excesa. This may be, and with a plan adopted and the closeat of estimates made the same may be the result. Nothing but a legally executed contract with a reliable builder could guard against uch a contin. gency, and even that fails with private individuáis. Such a coutract could not be made in advance of a vute, and to invite the competition of architects and builders bef ore the expenditure was legitimately authorized, would be air-castle building in reality, or worse than that, child's play. We fail to see any great force in the objection of the Enterprise. It may furuish an oxcuse to thoae who have determined to vote against the court house, but an excuse not of the most trauk and mauly type. _ We hear it suggested that the Couucil or aome of its members have in view au amendment to the city charter in regard to the oollection oi taxes. It u proposed to return to the old system, three soüeotora and a treasurer. Our observation and experience combine to convince us that such a chunga would be unwise. It is much better to have the taxes collected by one man than three, and payment at one office, to a singlo oflicer, is both a conveuieuce and a benefit to the tax-payer, who uot infrequently holda property, real or personal, in each ward or supervisor's district. If offices are created simply to give honor or emolumentto individuáis it may be well to multiply the positions; but if they are created for the public, good, no .more offices should be created than are ncecessary to enable the work of the public to be done afely, satisfactorily, and well. Too many financial officers dissipate or divide responsibility, lead to loose and contradictory methodi and ways of doing the public business, and inconvenience the public. As well, in a city of our population, have a treasurer in each supervisor' district to hold and disburse funds, as a collector in each district to collect the taxes. To simplify the work of the treasurer and save misunderstaudiug with the tax-payers, we would suggest that the treasurer be a salaried officer ; that the amount of bis Bulary (as collector at least) be added to the roll; that up to the first day of January no collection fee be added to thetax;and that after the first of January two or three per cent. be added, auch fee to go to the treasury and not to the treasurer. This change would simplify aud perfect the system the proposed chungo would benefit two or three collectors at the iucouveuience of the public. The percentage now paid to the treasurer is not enough to compénsate luni for the labor and responsibility, the work and the bonds. We have tried it and kuuw. As the storins of winter are about subsidian aud the time ior settlei weatber approaches, the prospecta tor a speedy complotion of the Toledo, Auu Arbor and Northern Bailroad . Can auybody complete thia sentence 'i Register. Here goes for a trial: " ought to be good." The receat completion and opening of the Coluinbua and Toledo Bailroad, which turuiahus the shortest and moat direct route from Toledo to the Ohio coai regioua, atiordi additional reaaons for the completion of the road heuce to Toledo. By this uew road, which has its northern terminus in the depot of the Penusylvania road at Toledo, the Toledo terminus of our projected aud half-built road, the best soft coal mined in Oluo eau be Jelivered in Toledo, in care, at t'i a ton or within a f ractiou of that figure. Complete the road from here to Toledo and the same coal can be put into the blus or store-houses of our citizens at within a sinall froction of $4. Thosa iuterested in that oue line [can easily figure their individual gaius. We will not at this time multiply or enumérate the other beneütt to come to our city with the completion ot this euterprise. Will not some oi our land owuera or other capitalists give the subject a little thought 'i A coucert of action with Toledo capitalista aud the parties controlling the Columbus and Toledo Railroad, who are also largely interested in the coal mines oí the Uocking Valley, we are confident would result in the iininediatti commeucement of work on the Toledo, Ana Arbor aud Northern Bailroad, and its completiou in time to bring next winter's supply of coal to our doors,- not only our soft coal but our hard coal, which always, or nearly always, averages one dollar per ton less in the Toledo than in the Detroit niarket. We wait the effect of this suggestion. Because the Akhus last week ventured to take ground against au amendmeut to the city charter establishing a pólice court, one " (j ' rushes into the Register to intímate that W3 hold the charter perfect and oppose any ameudment. This is dodging the single issue. We do uut believe that the charter is periect, do more than we beliere that the proposad amendment will perfect it or interpose auy checka agaiust Wholesale stealing by dishouest oíncers. Uuder the charter as it is the Oouncil can impose all necessary checks and balances upou iis riuancial oincers ; eau prohibit auy ullicer, by whatever name, receiving any moueya save by due procesa oí law_ except the treasurer ; and eau require that officer to utake duplícate receipts for moneys he receives, - unless on tax rolls, - one to be tiled with the recorder. A pólice court is certainly not for this purpose. As to the poor, now a city charge, the Anoutj will antagonize no amendment uecessary to give the Council or proper officers junsdictiou and control, with meaus and moueys to provide humauely and generously for their support. " (i, " whoever he may be (and the suppressiou of his name may or may not give his statements and personal flings lesser or greater weight), cannot place us in a false positiou. Each proposed ameudmeut will be considered upon ita merits.