Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-03-05

matter. All who desire to enjoy hearty
laugh are referred to the explanation made
by General Cas-, on Monday. in the Senate
wherein they will see that the unlucky Chevs-
lier's statements with reference to that gentle.
man are wholly made up of imaginary facts.
There is an United States statute imposing
heavy punishment on an American citizen
who takes the liberty of interfering with the
negotiations of his Government with foreign
Powers; and but for the fact that the Cheva-
lier, by his own showing, places himself be.
fore the world in an attitude 90 ridiculous az
to prove st glance that he is perfectly harm
less when essaying to indulge in his favorite
psstime, it seems to US that it would be clearly
the Governments duty to cause his prompt
punishment under that law
The Marine Hospital Question &C Congress
have caused marine hospitals to be built in
all quarters Of the country. The construc-
tien of quite number of them has been or
dered only by "log rolling" after the fashion
in which river and harbor bills are worked
through the House. Gentlemen ambitious of
doing something for bunkum, manage to in
duce the enactment of appropriations for ma
rine hospitals in their respective districts, by
giving glowing descriptions of their wants in
that connection. It not unfrequently turns
out that, after largo amounts of public money
have been spent to erect the necessary build
ings, and heavy salaries have been paid for
superintendents, physicians, stewards, nurses,
and laborers, to keep the hospitals in opera.
ton, the number of patients treated In them
is actually so small as that Government would
save money by boarding all of them at the
highest price hotels within one hundred miles
of the hospitals in question, and paying for
the services Of physicians and nurses the
highest prices charged anywhere. In more or
ten times as much to take care Of the sick
sailor, as in those wherein there are sufi-
cient number of patients really to justify their
establishment and maintenance.
The Secretary Of the Treasury has asked
Congress to permit him to close such of them
as are evidently mere tax on the treasury
without being corresponding benefit to the
marine or waterman-public; providing, of
course, amply for the real necessities of suf-
fering sailors in such districts of country
when so doing. The wisdom of his recon-.
mendation is not to be doubted. But Bunkun
sternly says-No. Bunkum is stronger than
the Secretary, by long odds. If it cost the
Treasury ten times as much to take care of
would cost to board them at the Astor or st.
Nicholas, and to pay the first physicians in
New York to attend them, Bunkum would
probably hold on to every hospital of the sort
now in operation; and Bunkum will surely
put in operation an unlimited additional num-
Der of them. At many points they are great
blessings, because q sufficient number of pa.
tients are found in them to make their main
tenance wise and philanthropic. At other
points where they are now kept open by law,
they are little more than sheer pretences for
the useless waste of public money. That's
clear.
Important Debste.-The English. papers
received by the America give reports of tho
debate in the House Of Commons on the 18th
ult on Mr.. Roebuck's motion for the produc.
ton of the correspondence between Great
Britain and the United States on the Enlist
ment question, with the instructions to Mr.
Champion. Lord Palmerston's reply was sin
gularly evasivs, and it appears that he in.
tended to divert the charges by impeaching
the personal character of the witnesses, by
whom his unsuspecting envoy here was led
astray, He said
During the course Of the transactions, Of
fers were repeatedly made to her Majesty 8
officers in tho United States by persons whose
sole object was to entrap them into something
which might afterwards be construed into a
violation Of the municipal law of the States
A conspiracy was got up for the purpose of en-.
trapping and misleading them, and inducing
them to do that which might afterwards be
fastened upon them as 3 violation Of the ma
tional laws
1t is worse than idle for the British minis.
try to essay to shield themselves under the
conspiracy plea, and by attempting to i'm.
peach the character Of the witnesses for the
prosecution, who are men of quite as much
standing as those who were employed as the
agents Of Britain throughout the enlistment
affair. There stands Mr. Champions letters
and instructions, description of proof Tin all
respects ample to justify all that this Govern
ment has done in the premises0 perfectly un-
answerable.
By the by, the trick of sending large body
of troops to Canada is merely repetition Of
the trick of sending large feet to the West
Indies. As that latter was designed to frigh-
ten this Government from demanding Mr.
Champions recall, so the former is intended
evidently to prevent the President from insist.
ing on his recall or sending him home. We
feel assured that it will fail as signally as did
the feet dodge.
1t is understood in London, that Mr. Cramp-
ton intended making an elaborate defence of
bis nonlnnt in apsua- 70 M. Mo-.v,s L.,