all property not owned by the State and managed by the State, be impartially taxed. R. B. WESTBROOK.

Philadelphia.

[The writer of the above, overlooks the practical result of his theory. When the Church becomes a tax-payer, it will at least claim the rights of other tax-payers. So, if the plutocrat at one corner petitions the police against street minstrelsy, the church on the other corner will ask the police to stop heavy traffic or lay a noiseless pavement. Why not? If a late sleeper on Sunday morning seeks to enjoin the church bell, why shall not the tax-paying church corporation insist upon the guests' to the Sunday afternoon dinner coming on foot and in silence, or after the service is over? If the Church is taxed, as well as the people that go to church, where is the reasonableness of taking all that part of the tax which is set apart for education and devoting it solely to one kind of school? No doubt many such things are charged against the Church now when she is not taxed and cannot complain; but why should she meekly pay her taxes and not raise her voice against "godless" schools, "scientific" hospitals and other means of using the public monies? She is to be taxed because it is unjust that the nonchurch-goer shall pay that much additional tax; shall she pay in silence, when he is allowed to raise his voice? Already the influence of the Church in politics is apparent; shall this be justly increased? It is not well to remind the Church that she should be as harmless as a dove, as the other half of that saying is, and wise as a serpent, and this because she is sent as a sheep amongst wolves.]

[Since writing the above, the Convention of German Catholic Societies at Milwaukee, has determined to enter upon an active part in the coming State election for the purpose of defeating the election of all friends of "paternal" laws. This follows closely upon their victory in the Bible case (fully annotated in the May, (1890) American Law Register). In the attack upon the Protestant public schools, the Roman Catholics have the sympathy of the German Lutherans and in faulting the "Godless" feature of the ordinary public school, probably very many protestants agree with them, in principle, at least.-ED.]

ter.

A LEGAL HOLIDAY depends entirely upon a statute for its characThe statutes are collected in the March (1890) American Law Register with the decisions of the courts.

HEAVENLY ACCRETIONS.-It takes something more than good luck to get possession of a meteorite, and Horace Winchell, who has just returned from Forest City, Iowa, has lately demonstrated it. He started several days ago on an expedition in search of the fallen meteor, and the story of his experiences is full of interest. When he arrived at Forest City he learned that the main meteor had fallen on the farm of a Norwegian farmer named Hougland, living about 12 miles from the city. On reaching the place he found that the fame of the meteor had preceded him, and the first finder considered that about $100 would be the price which would satisfy him.

Mr. Winchell demurred to this, and, after some consideration, was apparently about to gain possession for $50 when a team drove up containing a man of the law, to wit: one B., who hailed from the town of Britt, in Iowa. B. evidently wanted to purchase the meteor for speculative purposes and began using all his bucolic arts to win the peasant farmer. But the farmer had quite a keen eye to business and when B. offered $60 and W. promptly raised him $5, the former saw that the chances of a lifetime had come. There were numerous consultations on the part of the lawyer and the farmer, brought about by the fact that each bid of the former was raised by the plucky scientist. At last W. bid $105 and the lawyer's heart was broken.

There were about 30 small pieces which had been picked up at various points on the farm, and, using a little stratagem, W. made a bargain for them, much to the discomfiture of the disciple of Blackstone.

Here he de

At last, with his meteorites all safely and snugly stored away in his carriage, W. drove to town. It was late in the evening, but it wouldn't do to take any chances, so, putting the big 672-pound meteor in a box alongside of the 30 smaller ones, he procured a wheelbarrow and trundled them off to the express office. posited them with the agent and took a receipt for them. About I o'clock in the morning, as he was passing along on his way to the station, he saw a number of men in possession of his box. Calling a halt, he found that the sheriff had replevied the meteors, and so there was nothing to do but to give them up.

The question now to be decided is. Who owns the meteor? It appears that the man Hougland rents the place he occupies and the claim is made that the meteor belongs to the man who owned the farm. A fine legal point is here raised as to whether anything of a money value coming from the heavens and falling upon leased ground, belongs to the owner or the one who leases the property.

The suit over the meteor is set for May 12, but it is not likely to come to trial before the September term.-Minneapolis Journal.

MOUNTING PHOTOS.-Recollecting the trouble with some photos which would not go into an appeal book and would not bind up into a good "record," the following seems worthy of laying aside for such a contingency :

"A silver-print photograph should never be placed on a very white mount, because the high lights of the print are never pure white, and a bright white margin round the print spoils its beauty by killing its delicate half-tones. Lay the print on paper of various tones, and select the tint that harmonizes with it best. Next, pay attention to the mixture you use to fasten it; let us call this the mountant. This cannot be too pure.

"If you use starch, which is employed, we believe, more than any other paste, make it fresh every day, and in this way: take a teaspoonful of best starch in a large cup, add just enough cold water to break it up, but don't put in more than is quite necessary, pour boiling water on it, stirring the while, until it is quite transparent; when cold it may be used.

"Or, if you wish to use paste, take a teaspoonful of corn-flour, beat this well up in a teacupful of water till it is quite smooth and there are no lumps, place this in a porridge saucepan (that is, a double one), and let it boil, stirring it continually; it will turn to a delightfully thin and transparent paste, that will be easy to work with and very adhesive. Gelatine dissolved in water-say a half ounce to a teacupful—is also a very good mountant. It must be of the best quality and ought to be used hot.

"Now for the difficult part of mounting. We will give three methods

"1. After trimming the print all round, moisten it slightly (the object being to have it limp, without stretching it), by placing it between sheets of damp paper over night, and it will be about right next morning. Damp the mount, also slightly, paste your print very carefully all over (using no more paste than is just necessary), lay it carefully on the mount, cover it with a piece of clean paper and rub it down well, and then place it in the standing-press, between pieces of blotting paper, and allow it to dry under pressure. It may be perhaps necessary to take it out of the press and change the blotting paper. If all this be done properly, the photograph and its mount will be quite flat."

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Another plan is to paste the back of the print all over and allow it to dry; damp the mount, lay the print on the damp mount and pass them through the rolling-machine, or place them in the standing-press, under strong pressure.

"3. Take a piece of lithographic stone or a thick piece of glass; glue this all over with the gelatine, place the photographic print quickly down on the glued stone, rubbing it smartly all over, then pick it up and lay it down on the mount. All these actions must be rapid, and if done properly, by this method a photograph may be easily monnted even on thin paper without cockling.

"There are other methods, but with any one of these a binder may easily, cleanly, and properly mount a print of any size; the chief object being to get the print on to the board or mount before it has any time to stretch. As a final warning, see that the mounts are not boards made from wood pulp."-The Bookbinder.

JOHN VAN METRE, the Sioux Indian, who was admitted to the bar yesterday (May 14th, 1890), by Judge Fuller, is a very bright man intellectually, and a fine specimen of manhood physically. He attended the public schools at Philadelphia, and graduated at the head of his class. He was sent to Queen Victoria's jubilee at London a few years ago by the United States as a specimen of the American Indian. Since returning from England he has read law three years with Dillion and Homes of this city, and formed a partnership at Fort Pierre, and will commence the practice of the law there. A brilliant future opens before him. He has the whole Sioux nation for a clientage. He is well equipped for his profession and has no bad habits. Who will be the next Indian to thus distinguish himself?—Capital (Pierre, S. Dak.).

[The editor of Current CommeNT can heartily endorse all of the above, from personal acquaintance with Mr. VAN METRE while in Philadelphia, and can add that, beneath the quiet dignity of the usual Indian character are some accomplishments which the ordinary white lawyer might well acquire.

THE CHAUTAUQUAN calls the first day of Lent, which comes on Wednesday, Palm Sunday, which occurs more than six weeks later and is the Sunday before Easter. We mention it in the interest of journalistic accuracy and lest the Chautauquan may lose ground as a Christian educator.-The Churchman. [Possibly the editor has risen above the knowledge contained in Webster's Dictionary.]

WHAT CONSTITUTES AN "ARTIST'S PROOF."—A judicial decision has at last been given against the practice of issuing an unlimited number of so-called artists' proofs of popular etchings or other engravings. The practice is one by which the English and American public have long been imposed upon. One victim finally had the courage to refuse payment for an impression of Sir John Millais' "Bubbles," which he had agreed to take. This engraving was published by Messrs. Tooth & Co., of the Haymarket, in London; 500 artists' proofs at $40 each, and 500 letter proofs at $10 each. When the buyer learned the number printed he refused his artist's proof on the express ground that no such number of proofs could properly be so called, or have any value, artistic or commercial. Mr. Fagan, an expert from the British Museum, and Mr. Stephens, of The Athenæum, both swore that the practice was dishonest, and the Judge agreed and gave judgment for the defendant.-London correspondent of the N. Y. Tribune.

SPANISH POLITICAL PROGRESS.—In the course of a recent interview, Senor Castelar expressed the liveliest satisfaction in having lived long enough to see universal suffrage voted in Congress. He went on to explain that fourteen years ago he began his new plan of campaign to evolve from pacific agitation and from legislation those measures that were one by one to re-establish all their public liberties and democratic principles which Canovas and Alfonso XII. had suppressed after the restoration of the Bourbons in 1874 by royal decrees or by acts of the first Parliament of the Monarchy in 1876. They had regained almost completely liberty of conscience, liberty of meeting and association, trial by jury, the principle of civil marriages, more rational and liberal penal and civil codes, and better municipal and provincial laws. Slavery had disappeared from their colonies, which are now ruled more fairly and assimilated to imperial provinces. Their monarchical governments had had to abandon all idea of alliances incompatible with their national interests and aspirations as a Latin and Mediterranean power. Their very political customs and habits were improving; their parties, with few exceptions, no longer dream of appealing to pronunciamentos or to barricades for attaining objects that can be secured legally and pacifically. Universal suffrage was the crowning act of the policy he had patiently and unceasingly advocated, and he was convinced that it would be the electoral law of Spain before the next general election in 1891.-London Daily News.