New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-01-15

| Cubans appear to have acted throughout with
great bodness and sagacjty. The torch which
| set her on fire doubtless avertcd long diplo-
| matte dispute, and was no less OppOrtune than
the accidental" sinking of the Confederate
corsair Florida which once saved us from
quarrel with Brazil.
| Mr.. Talmage's series of sermons on the pro-
LESSONS, the second of which is outlined else
where. began with the journalists, rested yes
terday with the actors, and takes a long leap
next week to the lawyers. What comes after
is not vet known, or whether the ministers are
TO be preached about Mt all. ItwOuld add to the
interest of Mr.. Tamage's discourses II he
| would let us know on what system he pro-
cecds - whether he places the newspaper
writers first, because they arc most in need OF
it, or because. as some contend, their many
| virtues and general blamelcssness of walk ana
life entitle them to this distinction Also
which mode of classification we are to infer
| from tho fact that the clcrgymen have not
vet been assigned place. Meanwhile every
one is ready to be sorry for the lawyers. 1t
| is their turn next week.
There is to he no element of safety wanting
| in the East River Bridge. The public Will
| heartily approve the extreme care that Is used
| in selecting and is to be used in testing the
metal of the wires. The makers of Bessemer
steel will hardly cOncede that it is as detect
i've as NJ. Hewitt alleges; but if there is
| grave doubt about it and no doubt about cru
| clble steel, the difference of cost between the
two should not he taken into consider alton.
The Bessemer process is of recent invention
and rapid growth very great improvements
have been made in it but there is still posi-
bilhty that it's products cannot he relied upon
as fully as those of the Older methods. The
manufacture of crucible' steel has the advan-
tage of dealing with small Masses each OF
which can be separately tested. Whether the
tests for the wires shall be made more stIin-
| gent, or whether the higher grade OF steel
shall, be selected, should be determined simply
upon the question which course would result
in making the safest bridge
All the light that intelligent discussion can
| shed upon the Presidential question Is wei
come. Two communications printed elsewhere
set forth clearly some interesting views Per-
| haps the greatest interest will attach to the
| quotations made by our regular Washington
correspondent from Mr.. MadisOn's letters. when
| the closely contested election of 800 afforded
| a situation not unlike the present HIS opin-
ions of the powers and duties of the
House of Representatives might be studied
| to great advantage by present mem
bers of that body. The Hon. John D..
| Defrees contributes an argument i'll favor OF
the right of the President of the Senate not
| ONLY to count the votes but to decide which
| Il. y, In hIl
! Mr. Defrees rests his opinion that Congress has
no right to question a return from the proper
authorities Of State on the well-known rule
that the Constitution shall be strictly construed
| d" in all cases where the rights of States may
9" he drawn in question. or are involved"
1t is barely possible that the gentlemen OF
the Senate who are adhering to the vote OF
| last session to revive the frankng privilege,
in spite of the refusal Of the House to concur,
think this is a good time to slip through a
lob of this kind. They never made bigger
| blunder. The mass of the people have never
had two opinions about the franking priv
lege, or about the men who have persistently
defended it. Their opinion is not likely to I'M
| dergo any change, now that more than three
wears have gone 10y since the privilege ceased
| to be, and they find that the average citzen Is
lust about as well Informed as he was
when carloads of Congressional wisdom
on the currency, commerce, taxation,
and the like were Weighing down the mails.
Their opinion is not any more likely to change
because the attention of the country is concen-
trated on more important matter Congress
is watched nowadays as it has not been watched
in long while before. In this broad glare OF
publicity nothing remains unseen, and the best
way for Congress to keep out of trouble IL not
TO do things that should be left undOne. Since
this odious and extravagant privilege was
swept away, if never before, the people have
found out just how useless and absurd 1t was,
| and have learned to estimate at its real worth
! all this cant of the HonOrablcs about dis
seminating information" derived from fort
| night courses in finance, or twisted out OF
shane by some of the crooked brains that get
| into Congress. The Senate may as well re-
cede, gracefully if it can: but promptly any
how, for recedc it must.
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| THE CONSTITUTIONS AND THE ELECTION.
Unoucstionably the trainers OF the COnstitu-
| t;on ncver contaminated a situation such rs