Morning journal and courier., 1881-11-23
EDITORIAL NOTES.

The subject for debate in college society at Toronto, Ontario, the other night, wa thus stated: 'eThat the statement that Cana dian loyalty to the English throne is no sen timent, but an enduring principle is erro neous.''
 In the full court of queens bench at Mon treal it has been decided that Orange associa tions come under the Lower Canada statute prohibiting oaths of secresy, and are, there fore, illegal. The case grew out of the actio1 of the Mayor of Montreal who ordered the arrest of the leader of an Orangemen's pro cession on July 12, 1878. The mayor wal subsequently, sued for false arrest. The de cision is complete vindication of his course
 Mayor King of Philadelphia, started oui as reformer, and he has done a good dea of reforming too. But, as was to be expect ed, he has incurred the enmity of the poll ticians of certain stripe in both parties, anc the Pennsylvania Legislature is to be asked to pass new police bill establishing com mission, which will take the control of the police out of his hands. The explanation o1 this is said to be that Mayor King has per sisted in using the police force in executing the laws.
 On account, probably, of the demand of Dakota for admission to the Union as State, Secretary Kirkwood this year requested Gov ernor Ordway to make an unusually full re- port of the social, financial and industrial con- dition of that territory. The report has been made public. It shows that there has been during the past year very large increase estimated at nearly 50, 000-in the population of the territory by the immigration of, for the most part, industrious and intelligent set tiers. The total valuation of property in the territory has nearly doubled. The finances of the territory are in excellent condition, bonds selling at from to per cent. pre- mium.
 The State of Maine has many political troubles. The latest is in connection with 8 large number of county officers, whose terms are to expire at the end of the present year. These officers were elected before the change was made from the annual to the biennial system. The Legislature has provided for the case by authorizing the Governor, with the advice and consent of the council, to ap- point persons to fill vacancies until they can be filled by regular election. As is well known, the Governor is a Democrat or Green packer, but his council is Republican to 8 man. The question now is what the Govern or will do. He is expected to appoint none but Fusionists and the council is expected to confirm none but Republicans
 The spirit which inspires the great Stand ard Oil company monopoly is illustrated in 8 contest now going on in Columbus, Missis- sippi Three years ago the merchants at that place asked the company to vary its prices ae- cording to the market, and, upon being re- fused, combined together and bought oil from other quarters. The Standard company then lowered it's rates, and finally put local agent into the field to undersen the mer- chants at retail, but still the latter refused to surrender, and to this day have handled none of the company's goods. Finally the monop- oly has put 8 great quantity of groceries into the town to be sold at cost, and small dealer who had built up petty business in chipping dried beef for his customers had to see the great company set up an opposition slicer next door to punish him for refusing to sell it's oil.
 The suggestion has been made that several branches of the public service which have no vital connection with the departments to which they are attached should be diseon- nected from those departments and grouped together into new department, under the supervision of an additional Cabinet officer. The signal service is, with no special propri- ety, attached to the army, and General Sher- man wants to get rid of it. The life saving service, the lighthouse board and the coast survey are at present under the authority of the Treasury, though there is-no good reason why they should be attached to that rather than to any other department. The census bureau IS an appendage of the interior de. pertinent, which has work enough of a suff. ciently varied character without that, and the so-called department of agriculture is an independent bureau, not under the control of any Cabinet officer. All of these, and per haps some others, might, the Worcester Spy thinks, Do grouped together as the depart ment of industry and trade, or with. some