New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-08-01

no small merit as popular educational agency.
Its collections have outgrown the CAPACITY of
the building in Manhattan Square, and the
erection of a new wing of that substantial struc-
ture ought to be begun at once. The Museum is
destined to be the chief institution of its kind
on this side of the Atlantic. Its plan covers
field as wide and varied as the whole domain
of natural history, and much more than be-
ginning has already been made toward realizing
the original conception of its founders.
There seems to be pretty unanimous senti-
ment among the higher officers of the Govern
ment at Washington in favor of Civil Service
Reform in the abstract. All agree that some
thing ought to be done to protect deserving
subordinates against arbitrary removal and to
lessen the evil of Ofice-seeking, which con-
sumes the time of heads of Departments in
listening to the opportunities of eager place
hunters. No doubt there are wide differences of
opinion as to the wisdom of establishing perma-
nenttenure and appointing to Office only such men
as best pass bookish competitive examination,
but substantial accord may already be OBJ
served in favor OF a law fixing the terms of
officials and prohibiting their removal during
such terms except for dishonesty or incompe-
tency. With the powerful support of the Pres
ident bill of this purpOrt will have argood
chance of speedy passage in the next session
of Congress.
A notion prevails in this country that English
newspapers do not print personal attacks upon
public men, and that they are in this respect
superior to their American contemporaries
yet an influential London daily recently pub
lished article discussing the pecunary
affairs of Professor Huxley, and figuring the
items of his income down to threepence to
make out case against his appointment to
professOrshp of physiology which carries
with 1t a salary of $500. If this statement of
his resources were correct it would be nObOdy's
business, but our London correspondent shows
it to be exaggerated. Professor Huxley is in
receipt OF two salaries aggregating $500
year, one of which-that of the Inspectorship
of Salmon Fisheries, with its $50, 50O-came to
him only last year. 1t therefore appears that
the compensation of the most eminent man in
his branch of science in the whole world is
only about half that of the manager of an
English country bank.
Tie operations of the French in Tunis are
bringing them steadily nearer to the frontier
of Tripoli. Perhaps these operations are in
tended solely to reduce the refractory Tunisian
Arabs to subsection, but they certainly are
resulting in giving the French troops an ex-
cellent base for a movement against the neigh
boring regency if the policy of aggression, so
popular at Paris now, should be pushed
little further. In the interests of civilization
it would be a good thing if France should get
possession of the whole north coast of Africa,
but rival European powers will not be likely
to view the matter in this light. Italy looks
upon Tripoi with covetous eye, and England
fears that the ultimate object of Frances
troublesome ambition is Egypt, and the Suez
highway to India. The inconsistencies of
statecraft are specially illustrated in this affair
by the alarm of the English diplomatists. The
British nation has secured colonies and de-
tendencies i'll all quarters of the globe by prr-
suing for centuries policy of conquest and
annexation, but now it thinks France dread
fully wicked for wishing to pick up one or
two of the petty misgoverned Barbary States.