New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-29

| Treasury Department, a considerable irregu-
| larity in the importation Of Grape goods mas
been unearthed. While 1t may not equal In
volume the silk smuggling frauds recently ex-
posed, it looks at present like bad business
for the merchants involved.
Indian Commissioner Smith is busy in ex'
planning away the statements OF army onicers
rcspecting the cattle issue to tho Sioux at hed
| Cloud Agency. So far his explanation is not
very lucid, except that il includes his usual ex-
prc,sion of belief that the Indian chiefs
| his guests-are liars.
One of the Berlin semi-ohicial journals thinks
the Journey of the King OF Sweden TO Berlin
is an evidence that he supports the policy OF
the three Emperors. That is likely enough.
But we are more anxious for information re-
spectng the policy itself than we arc about
this fresh accession.
A revival of trade is manifest from tho re-
ports of our local columns. With the warmth
Of Spring there has come rapid development
OF retail business in this city, and leading
houses find their sales much exceeding those
of May last year. In fact the general testi-
mony is that the Spring trade has put a
quietus on the cry OF hard times.
The preparations for Decoration Day In this
city are more than usually extended and i'm
posing. We present on our fifth page details
of the proposed ceremonies so far as deter
mined. Our citizens have so few holidays that
when OPPORTUNITIES of this sort do occur, there
is every reason for laying aside business and
deyotng themselves TO the Observances of the
day.
| Outside of the immediate circle of the friends
of the prisoner, there will not be many regrets
at the present failure of the plea Of insanity
| in the case of Duffy, tho plisOn-van driver,
who attempted to shoot Deputy Controller
Earle The success of the plea would have
been altogether too encouraging to the reckless
class of men who are ever ready to resort to
the pistol upon the slightest real or imagined
grievance Imprisonment for Dig years Is not
a severe punishment for attempted murder
From the account given in our letter de-
scribing the foreign mission work OF the past
wear reported to the Presbyterian General
Assembly at Cleveland, some falling oft in
this form of benevolence is apparent, though
q great deal of good work has been carried
through. The amount raised in the Presby-
telan Church for missionary purposes is large,
bnt the field is very extensive and the enter
prises are numerous. 1t appears that the sub
| scrptions have been sufficient to keep the
missions from actually falling bchindhand. but
| there is not, on the whole, much progress Ia
report.
Among the most interesting of the subjects
considered at the Convention of Mining Engi-
neers, described in our correspondence from
Franklin, N. j., was the recent invention OF
| glass that is not brittle. Prof. Egglcston has
been examining the subject, and demonstrated
before the meeting that the glass prepared by
the new process could be thrown on the floor
or left on rcd-hOt stove with as little proha-
bility OF breaking rs wrOu yht iron. Herein is
q charming prospect Of economy for house.
holders This is said not to be "a new discoy-
cry, hut the story that represents a Roman
emperor as putting to death the first unlucky
! inventor of flexible glass and thus extinguish-
| ing the secret, has ut best Il mythical flavor.
! More good than could nave Dcch e4pScteu
has come out of the suit of the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company against Richard b. Irwin
to recover the corruption fund which passed
through his hands. The plaintiffs moved to
strike out the answer of the defense that the
Company for good consideration, had already
settled this claim. Judge Brady has refused
to grant this motion, and makes the refusal
| the occasion of delivering an opinion which IL
timely and important. He condemns the grow
ing tendency to making "experimental mo-
"tions,r and regards this kind of practice as q
too expensive way of acquiring legal know-
edge. Clients who have had their time and
money wasted by this class OF motions, so
common in our courts, will appreciate the force
Of Judge Brady's view.