New-York tribune., 1872-04-23

Meantime the country has the right to inquire
whether the Government archives are to con-
tinue subject to the spoliaton of men inside
the Ring, who have friends to reward or enc
mics to punish
General and incisive criticism Of the disin-
genuousnoss of Civil Service reform in WASH
ington has had good effect in the selection OF q
successor to Controller Hulburd. THE TRIBUNE,
some days since, noted the fact that the friends
of real reform on one side. and politicians on
the other, were striving to secure the Office OF
Controller of the Currency. The President has
nominated John Jay Knox, q gentleman whose
experience in the Treasury Department and
general character and abilities, make his an
appointment eminently fit to be made. For
once, the politicians are disappointed.
Let no man at Albany believe for moment
| that he can venture with impunity the desper-
ate device of Orange S. Winans. We trust, in
spitc of all rumOrs. that his shameful fate IS
not already an example lost upon legislators.
But if any man thinks he can betray his con-
stituents to save corrupt judges from long
merited punishment and long impending fate,
and then leave his district to practice law IN
this, relying on their promises to put business
in his way and money in his purse, he has
failed utterly to recognize with what jealous
scrutiny the people and the papers watch TO
see who of the Legislators elected as Rci0rm-
| ers are Traitors.
| In commenting upon tho action Of the Non
| conformists of Great Britain at the time
of their Conference at Manchester, we
predicted the danger to the Cabinet when
is announced in the kilograms published tins
| morning. Although it is reported that COM
promise has been effected by which Mr.. Glad
stone has purchased the continued support of
the NoaconformiSts by resigning, to certain
extent. the principle he has assumed,
such compromise can only be temporary
in its results, and several important measures
still remain upon which the Government may
be defeated If Mr.. Gladstone should be III
office after this session of Parliament 1t Will
be chiefly because the Conservatives are not
! prepared to assume the charge of Government.
| The Rev. Henry Ward Bcecher spoke last
night with his usual eloQuence and force, IA
voring the opening of public libraries on Sun
day. His position did not differ materially
| from that sustained in THE TRIBUNE,
that while, from every point of view, the
| conservation of one day in the week
to purposes of rest and religion is alto
getber beneficial, and any oncroachments
upon its proper observance should be regard
ed with caution, the question as to what is the
manner of observing Sunday which is most
! advantageous to the moral and material inter
ests of the community, is one which is open
to earnest and conscientious discussion. Moth
| ing but good is likely to result from such dis
cussion when it is approached III the spirit
exhibited by Mr.. Bcccher, Mr.. Hewitt, and
others who are now carefully considering 1T.
Secretary Robeson's testimony before the
| Naval Investigating Committee, yesterday, was
| important showing as it does, what he thinks
of the present condition of the Navy. He says
that he instituted certain experiments in build
ing, with tie hOpo that these might result in
the beginning of new Navy. AS the expert
ments were melancholy failures, we are left to
infer that the Navy is incapable of resusctatiOn.
! He saws it costs more to build engines in the
/ Navy Yards than outside; in these establish
ments are engines costing millions, without
ships in which to put them; good machinery,
the Secretary says, can be built, but good YES
sels cannot be reached. That is to say. ma
chiucry which looks well can be fabricated;
but the sort OF machinery which is of real
use is not one of the results OF the present
system. Can any more lamentable record than
this be made2 AS for that part of tho Sccrc-
tary's evidence which relates directly to his
own responsibility in the reopcning of the
Sccor claims, his argument is ingenious enough;
but il is the same which has been used before
in extenua% ion of his action. Nobody needs
however to be told that Secretary Robson
has already been acquitted of the charges Of
corruption made against him.
A desperate effort, engineered we under
stand by Mr.. Richard O'GoIman, is to be made
at Albany to-day to defeat the bill Iemodeling
the Emigration Commission This energetic
animosity arises from the fact that with the
exception of Mr.. Willy Wallach all the old
Commissioners are legislated out of Office
among them Mr.. OGOrman himself. IL
did seem to lis that the Committee which
framed the bill, fresh from a searching inves-
tigation of the affairs of Castle Garden, had
done wisely both in the matter of retain
ing Mr.. Wallach and dispensing with
the others, for Mr.. Wallach has been
an active and energetic Commissioner,
devoted to the interests of Immigrants, while
the Others have chiefly busted themselves not
at all, or politically which was something
even worse. 1t is to Mr.. Wallach that we are
indebted chiefly for the breaking up of the
numerous gangs Of robbers who preyed upon
the poor Immigrants, and the removal of
many of the worst abuses which formerly pre-