The New York herald., 1873-12-20
Collisions at Sea.

The Chamber of Commerce has acted wisely
in asking Congress to take some steps towards
diminishing the danger of collision at sea.
If some general laws of an International
character were established the chances of
collision would be considerably reduced.
Some of the more important transatlantic
steamship lines have already laid down regu-
lar course for the ships Of their own lines, and
the result has been. far, satisfactory. The
disaster to the Vile du Havre has called at
tention to the subject in France, and resolu-
tions looking to the establishment of an inter
national code have been adopted by the
Assembly The moment is therefore propitious
and if the matter be taken up energetically by
Congress some regulations making ocean transit
safer may be agreed upon. We do not, however,
think that the mere marking out of highways
for steamships will accomplish all that is
necessary The use of lights that shall be visi-
BILE at considerable distance ought to
be insisted upon. Had the Vile du
Havre been furnished with the electric light
might never have occurred. The danger
arising from collision with sailing vessels
must be dealt with in a special manner; for
the mere laying out of ocean tracks to be fol-
lowed by the steamships will not meet the case
of the sailing ships. These last, from the
steady course, but must be guided by the con-
dition and direction of the wind The ques-
ton is one that we'll deserves the closest study,
and we hope it will receive from our repre-
sentatives the attention it merits.
DURELL ON THE GRIDmoN.-Bad men may
often escape the punishment due to their mis-
deeds, but they cannot expect to escape always.
Judge Durell whose decisions did SO much
to bring about all those shameful troubles in
New Orleans-troubles which perplexed the
government and disgusted the American
peoples likely at last to have an oppor-
tunity of standing forth in his true colors.
General Butler is after him. and the General
is not in the habit of resting half way. 1t is
his habit to finish what he begins. Durell
has had his day of notoriety and if General
Buffers resolution, passed by the House yes
terday, leads to the exposure of Durell's in
iquity Durell will be the last man to find good
other charges made against him, it can be
proved that he has been guilty of the misap-
preparation OF the public funds, and also of
misproceeding in bankruptcy cases, it is high
time that this dispenser Of justice was himself
in the hands Of the law. The subcommittee
off fha Ju1iciorv Cnp,p,;ftoa mill - Jo,,bt 6,J
out and tell us oil the truth ; and it is not
unfair, we think, to say that in this case
guilt, if established, will be properly punished.
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE ABROAD. The
British press, according to the shades of SYM
pathy for or against the United States which
the leading journals display on all subjects
of concern to Americans, devotes leading
criticism to the Message of President Grant.
The Times, which is famous for being wrong
on all American topics, cannot agree with the
idea that we have suffered an insult TO our
flag in the capture Of the virginius Other
wise the Times IS sympathetic, and declares, in
consonance with the Executive utterances that
"Spain must control Cuba or Cuba must be
separated from Spain, and free creole rcpub-
lie established in the island to replace the
authority of tho mother country The Post
thinks that unless there has been secret
understanding between General Grant and
CASTELAR, tho Message is injurious to the cause
OF the Spanish Republic. The Standard is
rate, and its writer exhibits premonitory
symptoms Of the great London fog.