New-York tribune., 1875-05-13

amount to 1000, and IL the Assembly con-
ours in the amendment striking out the tax
levy, the saving in the item Of extraordinary
repairs will amount to $2,OO0.O00.
BY convention between Japan and Russia
'he latter has obtained possession OF the Island
of Saghalien. Although pretty strong pres
sure has been eYerted upon Japan In this mat
ter, it is presumable that the Government OF
that country has made the best of bad bar
gain. A vexatious question has been settled,
and that is gain for other countries.
The arrival of the disabled steamer Metropo-
lis from Bermuda will be q great relief to all
who had friends on board. Disasters 80 fire.
ouently come in pairs, and the public mind
was so much excited by tho Schiller disaster,
that there werc many who had lost hope dur
ing the long delay of the Metropolis, as she
was known to be in a crippled condition.
The pardon by the President of Lawrence
Habel, who had been convicted OF r0bblng
letter boxes, occasions much comment. Ihls
thief appears to have been one of the most
expert of his kind. He was sentenced to three
years imprisonment at hard labor, and is now
pardoned at the end of one Our mails have
never enjoyed the highest reputation for safety,
and such occurrences as the foregoing hold out
little hope for their improvement i'll that par
ticular.
At every step in the exposure of the Whisky
Ring frauds, fresh light is thrown on the cor
ruptiOn which has penetrated the Internal
Revenue service. How far the official at the
head of the concern should be held responsible
for its utter rOttenness, seems to us question
that is not answered by proofs of his personal
honesty. We have hopes that under the infiu-
ence of the Secretary's determination to effect
a reform in this Bureau, it will be thoroughly
reorganized; and that prompt advantage will
bo taken for this purpose, of the present vic
tory, while the combination of thieves are in
confusion.
In these centennial days a scmi-ccntennial
celebration has at least the merit of variety.
In the case of the American Tract Society it
has something more. There is grand record
of labor, perseverance, and success during 5O
years, in which moro than $13,5OO,OOO has
been received by the Society, and the issue OF
tracts from one of its offices has exceeded
4O,OOO,OOO. Many interesting histories will
probably be told during the progress of the
present meeting of the Society, and there is no
lack of entertaining material, since several
cOlporteurs are present who carried the good
work into the distant fields of the West when
everything beyond the Mississippi was regarded
as outside of the pale of civilization.
very able review of the financial policies
of England and the United States, by Mr..
Gamaliol Bradford, is given in our report of
yesterdays proceedings of the American Social
Science Association at Detroit. The con-
trast between the two systems is sharply
drawn, and the temporizing, vacllating
policy of the United States in respect to
financial measures is clearly depicted.
He shows that what is most wanted is ma
tured plan to take the place of present exrc-
dients and permanent following of this plan,
without reference to sectional or political jeaI
ouses. 1t is a question of grave Importance
in the future Mr. Bradford thinks, between
the people and the politicians at Washington,
as to which shall exercise this great power.
The great oubles about taking ceDsus
are, first, that the law rs too complicated, and
an effort is made to collect too many facts;
second, that the enumeratOrs are ignorant or
careless; third, that the delays in completing
the census especially in places where the float
ing population is large, materially vitiate its
accuracy; and fourth that the great delays
in publishing it make it nearly worthless on
many points befOle it is accessible. Some of
these difficulties are wholly beyond the control
of our Secretary of State. AS to Others, he
may be aided by the efficient cooperation from
publc-spirited citizens which he seeks in a
letter elsewhere published this morning. The
State census is to be taken next month under
his supervision.
A day or two ago we were informed that
the installation of the Prince of Wales as
Grand Master of English Free MasOns was re-
carded at Rome as identifying English Prot
estantism with Free Masonry. The letter from
our London correspondent on the second
page gives a different impression. 1t
is not difficult to understand that
this organization, believing that the
withdrawal of the Marquis of Ripon was cal
culated to bring it into discredit, should en-
deavor to induce the most prominent available
person to become his successor. If the Prince
of Wales has consented to take this position,
his course can hardly be considered as binding
OH ali persons of his denomination some of
whom probably have very vague ideas of Free
Masonry.
The Senate, by vote Of IS to II, have
agreed with the Assembly in enacting the re-
duction of canal tolls proposed by the Canal
Board and urged by the commercial bodies of
New-York and Buffalo. Lake navigation is