New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-16

making his measures acceptable to everybody.
Not content with satisfying his own party, he
often sought to please the opposition. There
is no political trimming of this sort in his
treatment of the Irish Land question. He has
dealt with the whole subject in a strong,
mastery way and such changes as have been
made i'll the bill have tended to strengthen
rather than weaken it.
DR.. Russell would not be himself if he found
nothing amiss in American institutions. If
out memory serves u.s. his estimate Of the
fighting qualities of our people was q very
low one twenty years ago. We had neither
wit, knowledge nor political experience in
fighting or killing one another. 1t now ap
pears that our people nre altogether too
oombatlve especially in the West, and
IN no other part of the world is there
so much shooting. stahbing, lynching and
butchery. He can neither explain nor cx-
cusc the lawlessncss which he finds in many
districts Of California; Texas, Colorado and
the frontier Territories. lie must give us q
little more time. The country is not as snug
as England, and triflc newer, but in peace
and orderliness there are broad sections of it
here and there that compare tolcrably we'll
British rule since the days of Queen Bcss
Contrary to popular expectation the proceed
lngs Of the Joint Convention yesterday were
very tame. There was no break in the Stalwart
line. By the return of Mr.. Sheehy the Adj
| minstration men made good the loss of vote
| caused by the absence of Mr.. Crapscr. who
had fled riotousy to his cheese factory. Mr.
| Forster, by some special dispcnsation of Prov
idcncc, voted with his colleagues for Mr.. Nil
Ter. This brought the total up to "A, or
Withn five of IN election for the long
term. Mr. Lapham's vote was 70, as on the
previous day. The Administration men We're
unQucstionably disappointed rs they had re-
| ceived assurances of aid from the minority
faction. The names of the Stalwarts, in
| Guiding those of the Speaker, two Scna-
tors and seven Asscmblymen were freely
quoted Us b0cksliders bat not one of
them could admit what their associates
considered soft Impeachment. They may go
over to-day and break the deadlock, and then
again they may not. The clairvoynnt ntuitions
| Of the cloud of witnesses at the Stale Capital
, are not so unerring that the public can afford
| to surrender ts doubt Of either contingency.
| All the indications point to an election of the
Administration candidates; if not to-day soon.
a small group of disailected Stalwarts are
evidently waiting for a signal with their eyes
| turned in the direction of the Speaker. From
| the abuse which has suddenly been dumped
| upon him by some Ot their own organs, it is
| plain that he is expected to make the sign.
| 1t is customary when highway robbery of
| exceptional daring is recorded to make some
reference to Dick Turpin and other knights of
| the road but the exploit if such it can be
| termed, which is narrated in our local columns
| to-day, is far in advance of any experience of
| theirs. 1t scarcely seems possible that three
| men should have venturcd to do in broad day
| light what was done at Lexington-ave. and
| Forty -eighth-st. They evidently understood
| the office routine in the brewery at Yorkville,
| and had watched more than one day for the
| appearance of the collectors wagon on the way
| down town to the banks. The covered ven
| dcrs wagon in which they are driving is sud
| denly brought into collision with the lighter
vehicle, the reins are cut, the messenger is
| seized by the throat, his younger companion is
| dragged out, and after q short struggle
| $4,000 in packages of bills is captured, a bag
of silver being left on the pavement. In an
| instant the three despcradOes, who have rot
once dropped their masks, leap into their
wagon and drive rapidly down the avenue
| followed for ten blocks by the messenger, who
is unable to find a policeman or to attract
any ones attention. 1t is to be hoped for the
credit of the detective force, and for the Sc
curity of the public, that these bold rufans
| will be speedily run to earth. New ideas arc
| quickly caught up by the criminal classes
when great hit is made at the outset. Tho
police must see to it that this outrage is dealt
| with summarily.