New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-17

Few of the English papers discuss the dynamite
question coollv. Most of them seem to think that
the United states Government is bound to atone
for the negligence of the English Custom House
authorities Thus The Spectator says: " 1t is be-
coming a serious question whether the BRUSH
Government should not ask that Of Washington
10 aid in suppreesing these villains, by signing Il
treaty binding both nations to make conspiracy
TO iniuro foreign cities. or Indictment thereto
hipbly penal Offences The SATURDAY. R0iec how
ever. /, more reasonable, remarlmg that "scoIdlhg
America is both useless ard undienied, ana Whlle
orr own Custom House officers are so lax ma allow
ing the import of dynamite we cannot justly
blame those of the United states for not stopping
its export" The fact seems to be thath the British
Custom House authorities exercised due vigilance
none of the internal machines which have been
shipped could have got into the country and until
the British Government has purged itself OF con-
uibutory negligence it ought to be cautious about
blaming the United States.
4 forestry commission was appointed by the last
California Legislature to examine the watershed
supplying Lake Tahoe, and ascertain the extent OF
injury done by the destruction of the timber III that
r4,jon. California is threatened with even worse
couteoueuces than Ncw-York from the denudatlon
of her mountain slopes but this is the first legsia-
tive RECOGNITION of the evil, though the press has
been urging action for many years. The commits
sion has gone to work apparently IN an earnest
spir,t having issued a circular asking for lnIofhd-
ton bearing upon the question of forest spoIaton
over the whole state.
The new CONGREGATIONAL creed, which has Just
been promul gated. Will bind only those churches
which accept it. This is a necessary result OF the
Congregational polity, which makes any coefclYe
denominatonal test oforthodoxy impossible. Not
/ with,fandlng this fact, the creed may fairly De
taken to represent the current belief of the Con-
grcgatioua churches, 50 faras such belief can ne
formulated. lis most marked characteristics are
an absence of dogmaJism on many points on which
older creed, have dogmatIzed, and a general ten
depcy to yagucness on some questions once deemed
most important Nevertheless it afirms the essen
tias of Christianity clearly and reyerently, and II
will doubtless receive the hearty assent OF the
great majority of COngregationalists.
THE Yojes Cou,ty chronicle lately was moved to
remark that as a result of the troubles at Hamilton
College. the standing of two of the students had
been DESTROYED "at one fell swoop." But since the
students referred to, along with the rest Of the
class have returned to duty, and all is once more
running smoothly at Hamilton, there is reason to
hope that this particular swoOp was not attended
by fatal result All the same fell swoops are dan
gerous things to triile with.
Governor StOneman, of California, IN his message
calling special session of the Legislature, enumer-
aes as one of the objects of the session the passage
of a law prohibiting the railroad corporations from
applying for writs, injunctions, or any other means
of postponing or preventing the summary applica-
ton of the hghway-robberm measures which he calls
on the Legislature to enact. 1t is in fact deiber-
ately proposed to deny to the corporations the
equal protection of the laws, and upon this remark
able programme the California Democrats are now
invited TO take tho field for the Presidential cam
paign. 1t looks as though California would not be
a doubtful state this year, unless the Republicans
bluuder as badly as their opponents.