New-York tribune., 1878-03-21
NETWORK DAILY TRIBUNE THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 1879

Woods blunders. Meanwhile, in oil depart
ments of business. men postpone their en-
terprises till Congress shall finish its tariff
tinkering.
Secretary Sherman, in his interview with
the Senate Committee, on Tuesday, supphed
MANY facts and details as to the finances oil
the country that will furnish food for thought.
They show beyond question that resumption Is
practical in 1879, and that people who have
expectcd il and made their contracts accord
ingly, have good reason for so doing. 1t Is
simply question of the National will, whether
resumption shall take place. If there is a
will there is way.
Mr.. Hale affixed an excellent amendment to
the bill regulating advertisements for mail
lettings, which passed the House yesterday.
The amendment strikes at an old evil-the
sub-lettng of mail contracts. In successive
administrations the Post Office authorities have
struggled with the frauds of mail contracts
not often with much result. If the practice
of sub-letting these contracts can be broken
up, there Will certainly be less chance for
fraud in them. The instance cited in support
of Mr. Hales amendment-thata a $40, 900 con-
tract is sub-let for 13,OOO-shows sufficiently
that something needs to be stopped.
Several of the bills before our Legislature
are of more than usual local interest Among
these is Mr.. Astors bill for disposing of the
Fifth Avenue Reservoir, and making the
space it occupies a park. Mayor Ely's bill to
give the city authorities permission to make
contracts on any day in the year for street
lighting, has at least the recommendation OF
common sense since now only the 1st of
January can be used for that purpose. If by
any chance, the gas companies should be
compelled to keep the street lamps lit
from evening twilight till dawn, it would
be great improvement upon their
present practice, which gives light on the
principle of Charles Lambs attendance at
oflice-making up for coming late by depart
ing early. Mr.. Brooks has also introduced an
important bill into the Assembly, aprOpOs OF the
collision between the steamship Spain and
Staten Island ferry boat. The bill requires all
kinds Of water-craft to have some sort OF fog
signal and to Use it; and regulates the speed
at which steamships shall travel in fog
across ferry boat routes.
The opinion entertained at Vienna and Ber-
lin that the Congress will meet twelve days
hence. NAV prove to be well founded although
the formal invitations have not yet been
issued. On the Continent, all objections
have disappeared; England alone hesitates.
She is greatly afraid that Russia will have
her own way, and that she will have
no pretext for war by the time the dip
lomatists have concluded their deliberations.
The situation is critical. If England refuses
TO enter the Congress without further assur-
ances from Russia, she will incur the dis
pleasure of Austria and Germany, both
being satisfied with Prince Gortschakof's
promise to submit the whole treaty to
the assembled diplomatists. Great Britain
will likewise, in that event, embitter her
relations with Russia, which are now ex-
trcmey unsatisfactory. But if England
consents to join tho Congress. she will hc NOR
ally bound to accept its decisions. As none Of
the other powers have discerned cause of war
in the treaty of San Stefano, it is highly
probable that their united judgment
will be against the British pretensions
few of which closely interest them. 1t follows
that the British Government is placed
in a disagreeable dilemma, from which
it tries to escape by raising objections
which even Count Andrassy deems un-
tenabe. The crisis cannot last long.
A Congress must be called soon or the project
will have to be abandoned, as was that OF
Napoleon JILL in 1868, when Earl Russell
opposed the general conference which the
French ruler desired.