New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-01-06
ANGLO-AMERICAN TOPICS.

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PERSONAL NOTES.
.SN THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIDUNE.]
LONDON, Dec. l5-The general sympathy of the
British people with heroic deeds, or what seem
such, has led them into hearty demonstrations in
favor of Capt. Mares and the officers and men of the
lately returned Arctic expedition. They have been
dined at the Guildhall, praised in the newspapers,
and finally received in state by the Royal Geograph-
ical Society, the Heir Apparent to the Crown pre-
siding. All this time, oddly enough. controversy
has been carried on whether the expedition really
accomplished the work it ought to have accom-
plished; whether its failure was not really due 10
the outbreak of scurvy in the sledge parties ana
whether the outbreak of scurvy was not due to the
disregard by Capt ares of positive instructions Tor
the issue of daily lations of lime-juice to the men,
II the charges made against Capt Mares can be sus-
tanned he would seem to be worthy of rewards very
different in kind from the kuighthood and banquets
which have been bestowed upon him. The truth OF
fasehood of this depends TO some extent on evidence
now In the hands of his superior officers ana "i'h-
held by them from publication. medical report
has been made which is suppressed-for the present,
at least The fact of the suppression causes grave
suspicion and meantime Capt. Mares has been de-
Tended in a way which almost turns suspicion INTO
certainty. A distinguished geographer, brother 10
one of the Arctic commanders, has written great
neglected to take me-juce on the sledges, then de-
pying that he had orders take it, that it would
have been any use if he had affirming that 1t could
not have been taken that if taken it would have
lost its virtue by being frozen into yellow Jumps
and that. in any case the scuryy when killed TWO
men and we'll nigh disabled nearly all the rest was
due to excessive hardships. darkness. and other
causes quite independent of the failure to provide
lime-uce, and which lme-juice could not nave
counteracted. One by one these astonishing denlals
and affimations have been disposed OF, and
the result of all the correspondence is
q general feeling that nothing but official
documents can save Capt. Mares from censure,
coupled with a general apprehension that those
documents. when the world is permitted to read
them are less likely his acquittal than con-
demnation. In short, people are beginning TO be-
eye that the failure of the expedition TO reach the
Pole or at all events higher latitude than 1t did,
was a failure for which the commander of the expe-
dtion is directly responsible. 1t certainly does not
do Capt Sir George Mares, X. C.. b., any good to
have it supposed that efforts are made III high
quarters to screen him. contrast, however,
Is to be noted between the conduct OF the
Admiralty in Capt Naress case and the conduct OF
the Board of Trade. When a ship arrived the other
day in London docks from Bassein with two cases of
scurvy the Board of Trade at once directed their
medical adviser to hold inquiry. When the
Alert and Discovery of the Royal Navy arrived at
Portsmouth, having had, as a medical journal OBJ
serves nearly every man except the officers crippled
with scurvy aud two dead, the Admiralty i'm
mediately promoted the officers without further III
auiry and when, fortnight later, they asked the
head of their medical department Tor report, TOOK
good care not to publish it. The honors showered
OIL Capt. Mares from other high quarters, including
the coveted Knight Commandershp of the Bath BY
Ia. ,,I,.b rl-oHu An
Arctic medal has been ordered to be struck and it
is said the Queen will make public distribution of
these medals What is TO be done for the families
of the men who died of scurvy, whether they had
any families have not heard; nor whether the III
scription on the medals Will contain any mention
of their unhappy fate; any reference to lime
Juice, liquid OF frozen.
A case was tried this week in the Exchequer i'll
which Mr. S0thern and Mr. Bucks one as lessees of
the Haymarket Theatcr We're defendants, and the
plaintiff was their late stage manager Mr. Coe Its
interest to the theatrical world is considerable, but
Inotice it more particularly an illustration of the
strange freaks to which juries are liable. Mr.. COe
had been engaged III July, 1875 for three seasons OF
80 weeks each, at salary OF $50 a week. FIVE
months later he dismissed by Mr.. Sothern on
the ground tina he had been in the habit of levying
bonuses and commissions upon the actors and
actresses he engaged. He admitted the commissions
denied the bonuses, and sued Mr. Sothern for the
damages resulting from the breaking of his contract
including his salary for the uneXpired term AT the
trial there was not much dispute about the facts
except two-the exactiOn of bonuses distinguished
from commissions, and this part of the charge was
abandoned; and, secondly, whether the practice OF
receiving commissions which Mr. COe did not deny,
was within the knowledge of Mr. SOthern while it
was carried on. Some attempt was made by the
plaintiff to Prove that Mr. Sothern did know, but
MIR Sother swore he did not. Moreover, his letters
to Mr. COe express pain and establishment at the dis
covery, and Mr. COe, when writing to Mr.. Sothern
after notice of hs dismissal, says not word to ndl
cate that Mr.. Sotlcrn aware of the practice. As
to the practice itself, Nj. Coe swore that he consd
cred it honest and honorable The managers OF five
leading London theaters swOre that 1t was unknown
to them would nos be tolerated by them, and was,
in their opinion injurious and immoral. One would
suppose there could hardly be two opinions on such
question 1t is simply the case of an agent acting
for ono party to a negotiation receiving pay from
the other party. But the jury-a Especial"
iury-took Mr. Goes view of the trans
action and gave him verdict for $j,165,
being nearly 1000 more than the amount he
would have been entitled to if lie had kept his place
during the full term of his engagement. This sum
they awarded in the face Of the Judges warning
that the plaintiff could not recover his whole salary
il not being certain he would have earned it, and
he not being in any case entitled TO fold his arms
and do nothing for two years and half
after his dismissal. 1t appears to be ON
this ground of excessive damages that
q stay of execution has been granted and that u
motion for a new trial will be argued. But the pub
lie dissatisfaction with the verdict is quite ire
spectve of the amount. 1t is a nonstrous thing