New-York tribune., 1873-03-22
BRITISH TOPICS.

COMMENTS on PRESIDENT GRANTS MESSAGE
THE COAL FAMINE-CENsORsHIP OF THE
STAGE.
rrROM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or THE TRlBuNBt
LONDON. March S-One good purpose has been
served by President Grants message, OF which Reu-
ters agent gave summary two-thirds OF column
long piece of enterprise deserving notice and cost
ing the Baron or his company good bit OF money
II has given the English papers and other English
critics of the United States fresh topic The stand
ing topc until Yesterday was the Credit Mobiher;
and we bave had it proved clearly that corrup-
on is the necessary result of Republican institu-
tons and particularly in America, that an Ameri-
can is almost as weary of English semOnzing as he
is shocked by the sorry and shameful story itself.
Probably it will surprise the President to find that
the comments on his message are strongly Favored
with irreyerence Mingled with serious criticism IL
! a strong tendency to making fun of certain Presl-
| Dental notions Gen. Grants tirmest supporters on
this side the water surprised To find HIM putting
into a state paper notions which they have hereto
fore found in Fourth Of July orauons. The wind
| lest document We have lately received
from America says one journal dis
! tinguishcd for ITS American sympathies-
a document that several places verges on the alb
surd and containing wonderful burst Of hghfalutn
Providence" says another journal, is preparing the
! day when the whole earth shall be- admitted to the
Union and He is assured that in this great work. He
shall have President Grants cordial cOOperationat the
proper moment There is plenty OF speculation IN those
parts the from which the bnrlesqne Is an
sent Tn what IS said Of santo Domingo. Englshmen
believe they find clear intimaton OF GeD Grants pur
pose 20 annex Cuba Whenever he shall feel assured of
| popular support.
The coal question l. sti question more interesting
10 majority Of mortaIs than politics To tho majority
OF those discuss eagerly, it involves addi-
|
their anxiety about taste for small economics
is au English characteristic and which would do no
harm If adopted n America. To all but the weto-do
classes the matter is however quite serious enough IN
its present shape. aud with view 10 the possible future
| s more than Serious TO everybody. Just at
this moment better of than We were
a month ago. Coal has fallen from 81 shilngs to So
slllngs q ton. and the weather Is much mider that
we may hope the period OF actual suffering from cold Is
over Meantime the cOal-Owners and coal merchants
have had quarrel with the result OF enughtemng If
not beneftng, the general public. Not few core
spondens the daily papers had sought 10 eiueldate
the true cause causes OF the sudden and apparently
arbitrary the price Of coal which took place last
month. The blame was pretty generally laid on the
shoulders Of the London coal merchanis but one OF the
largest FIRMS Messr-. Cockerell, denied the charge with
some heat asserted the period Of high prices had
been disastrous themselves and the other large mer
chants aud ayerred that they had been paying 30 sbi
that the expenses transport and delivery made the
actual price themselves only two shillngs ton less
than the price paid by consumers. Tnis looked very
well until at meeting OF some OF the largest coal
prctors in South Yorkshire, the Chairman declared,
with the assent OF all those present. that no such
prcc as 30 slings had been paid TO their knowledge by
! Me,-rs. Cockere anybody else. To this, Messrs.
Cockerell reloiued that tue owners whom they had
uald 80 shings. Messrs. Newton, Chambers ~ Co..
vino had heen present az the meeting. Then. finally,
came Mcssrs Newton Chau hers d Co., with ietor in
winch truth, and very damaging truth, about the
trade told than the public had known or had means
OF knowing before. IL true they sad that Messr
Cockercll had for a short time, paid slings
ION for coal not Messrs Cockere had
suggested, lef II 10 be inferred, that the rAe origin
ated with the cOalOWners Messrs. Newton & Co. were
selling coal at % shDgs per ton, when they received
telegram from London firm Offering them . shilliugs,
yhereupon they advanced their price TO that figure The
| London merchants then simultaneously advanced
their prices sbings ton, aud week later
! shilings a ton more, and IL not till
| this had been done that MessrH. Newton raised
| their own price a. 80 sliihgs. Moreover, they,
with the London dealers demonstrated in the strongest
ters characterizng their policy rs one OF commercial
suicide" aud 1t only upon this remonsrance being
uuheced and overrd by the second advance that the
miners put the price to the dealers Even then the
price TO the in London dealing direct with the
owner in South Yorkshire did not exceed ~ shllings
while the London dealer was getting 50 shB-s. Mcssrs
Cockere make attempt 10 dispute this statement
and there but conclusion to draw from IT, that the
| manic and sudden rise In London aud the exOrbtant
oyercharges and the distress consequent upon them
were the combined action OF the London Dealers
| and especially To the firm who were writing TO the
papers that hey deplored the rse and were themselves
the victims OF It. II Is plain that their profits have
been enormous, and that the art Of organizing Ring
has crossed from Nsw-York London losing nothing
| by the voyage.
Before the laughter provoked by the censorship on
the Christmas paDtomimes has quite died away, the
Government have cOnrived To bring another gust Of
rdcue their hands They have instigated or per
mitted the Lord Chamberlain 10 prohibit "The Happy
Land" at the Court Theater account Of Its satrca
representation Of the members OF the Government, Mr.
Gladstone, Mr.. Lowe, and Mr.. Ayrton. The piece is
itself burlesque Mr.. Gilberts 'wicked World" and
the fun consists IN making Mr. Gladstone and his col
leagues visit Fairy Land and under pretense of setting
things In order there, upsettng them. The three dis
ungushed personages do and say great number OF
foolish things, and wind up by dancing a sort OF cancan
They are not named hut the makeup Of the three actors
was unmstakabe. 1t was the makeup which brought
the Lord Chamberains thunder their heads He had
previously licensed the piece. IL produced certain
elements people thronged 10 II the Lord Chamber
lain himself went, aud the edct followed. The
manager Miss Lttou, issued the following pthy
notice
Nal.