New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-08-04
The Saturday Reriep and The Pail Mall Gazette. The
former says plainly that the Merchant Shipping bill

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former says plainly that the Merchant Shipping bill
was sacrificed because of the Prime Minister'S bad
management of business, which would have made it
necessary in order to pass it, to sit beyond the time
when members expect their vacation to begin.
Rather than incur this unpopularity he leaves the
sailors to meet the storms of another Winter in the
midst of fearful and unnecessary risks. This 1t de-
scribes as one Of those conspicuous plumbers
which sap the condcn of the nation in the Govern
ment. The Pail Mall Gazette remarks of the choice
between this and the Agricultural Holdings BILL that
it "amOunts to deliberate abnegation by the Gov
eminent of the first function which Governments
exist to discharge; that Government which is slow
to appreciate the difference between measures OF con-
venience and measures of necessity-which shows SO
defective sense of proportion in its view Of human
affairs as to prefer the readjustment OF pecuniary
rights to the protection of human ledeclares itself
out of accord with the sense of the practical people
over whose destinies it is called to preside Not only
does such Government discredit ITSELF but it dis
credits our whole parliamentary system Also"
When such journals use such language, it is easy to
Judge of how strong the merely popular feeling must
be.
Perhaps the best practical commentary OF all on
the whole matter is tie following:
Waterford Asszes yesterday sentence was passed on
to Cardiff in September, 1874, a brgantne named tne
Alceto in an unseawOrthy state. Sentence had been
delayed pending the decision of the Court FOR crown
Cases Reserved point reserved at the trial IRON
the evidence il appeared that the vessel 20 years o
although built Of leak wood, which would not last more
than half time The timber was so rotten that me
decayed parts could be taken ont in handfus before te
vessel was sent to Cardiff Mr. Freeman wrote to Messis
Berg OF Cardiff "a follows: would be Gnclinei TO re-
new the former insurance at eight guineas thought
there would be danger of Pnsoll This between our.
selves, private" Messrs Begg IN reply wrote We dont
think there Is any fear OF Plimso interfering az all
events on this side they don't appear to be 80 nch on
the lookout here" The defense was that the prs
oner had expended 100 in repairs on the vessel
and that not being seafaring man, he could not DC sup
posed to have guilty knowledge Of the &
OF the vessel The points reserved were that the jury
should have been instructed to take into consideration
the circumstance under which the ship was sent TO sea-
the nature OF the cargo-pitwOOd-the character OF inc
voyage and the Of the year. The Court FOR crown
Cases Reserved decided against the accused on these
points. He sentenced TO pay fine OF 1900 ana TO
be imprisoned for two months.
The sentence is far too light but the lesson will be
taken to heart "No danger of Plimsoll" is not
motto on which it becomes Prime Minister to act.
Let him leave it to the ship-knachers. G. W. s.