New-York tribune., 1878-04-04

most important portions of which are else
| where presented, is as conclusive statement
1 of the law of the case as can well De
| imagined, and it is worth reproducing, even
at a somewhat late day, to show just why the
Senate could not do otherwise than it did.
| Mr. Frye enlivened the House yesterday with
| q panoramic view of the disabled soldiers roll
which the large hearted Polk made up III the
| interest of reform and the late Confederate
Army. There was the man who had belonged
to the Boston home guard, the man who had
spraincd his ankle during the war and the man
who had asthma there was the youthful vet
| eran who was not born when the war began,
and the man who died long before Mr.. POLK
| made up his roll. All these fought nobly, but
it was to get their places and their pay from
| the Doorkeeper, and no lives were lost. Inc
| bel-punch isn't in use on battleiclds.
Earl Granville tersely described the British
situation Yesterday when he said that there is no
| cause for war, but if the Government was deter
| mined to provoke one, the Liberals conld not
avert it. The ex-FOreign Secretary discerns,
| no doubt, that large portion OF the LlDerai
party itself is tactly in accord with the Gov
ernment, and that the British people are
| in the mood to crush Russia, II thcy
had the power. Under these clrcum-
stances, it may be best for peace-lovlng
Liberals to allow the Government to take its
course, and enjoy full sense of RESPONSE
blity. Eventually it may come to so6erer
Judgment than if frantic appeals made to 1t
should increase the prevailing excitement.
Prince Gortschakoff, or rather the semi
official agency which communicates his
opinions, has hit on the weak point in the
British circular, when he says that 1t
contains "criticisms but no proposals."
Lord Salisbury outlined in strong terms the
dominant position which Russia has acquired
in Turkey, but he studiously avoided any
proposition which would secure protection for
| the Christians or compensate Russia for the
sacrifices she has made. Prince Bismarcks
proposal that the treaties of 1856 and 1871
should be made the basis of Congressional
delberatlOn seems a solemn joke, but If there
is any desire for harmony left it might serve
| as an excellent pretext for more diplomatic
| letter-writing
| In the volumnOus reports of Major Powell
on our Western Territories there is usually
much that is suggestive and more or less new
| This is especially true of his recent report
upon the arid regions of the United States, III
which he points out the need and value of or
| ganzed systems OF irrigation there and indl-
| Gates the probable returns from such an III
vestment of capital which might prove quite
as Iemunerative as mining enterprise, and less
subject to extreme fluctuations. The destruc-
| ton of growing timber by great fires is shown
| to be very far in excess of its removal by
clearing or for the uses of the inhabitants
These fires, it is charged, are mostly due to
| the red men Of the forest, and not, as is gen.
orally supposed, to the sparks of the locomo-
| tive. The question whether forest fires are
preventable is likely to awaken much discus
sion it has latterly been taken up by some of
the larger insurance companies, as farm and
village property covered by their policies is
| often involved in the flames of surrounding
woodland. Major Powelrs contribution to this
subject will be timely.
On the first day of May the Paris Exhibition
opens, and the tide of travel has already set
toward France. The number of our people
| who go abroad for vacation is growing every
year, and includes greater portion each sea-
son of the class whose incomes and Occupa-
tions will admit of only a brief and economical
trip, but who have the tastes which make such
a journey great privilege and are willing to
undergo some small privations to secure it. To
this class the Paris Exhibition offers special
inducement this year, and they are likely
to be grateful for any hints which will
help out their close calculations, or may put
the voyage within the reach of some who
have decided that the project is beyond their
means. A London letter on another page
shows how, by travelling mOdestly and living
carefully, two months can be spent abroad for
something less than $500, including the cost
of the two ocean passages. This scheme
gives three weeks in Paris and like sojoum
in London. 1t allows, also, excursions to
Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon into Wales, etc,
and is worth the study of those who long for
O look at the Old World