New-York tribune., 1885-01-28
THE EXPLOSIVES BILL.

THE EXPLOSIVES BILL.
e The Explosives bill introduced by Mr.. Gilbert
in the State Senate differs in one respect from
Senator Edmunds's bill. The third section Is
directed against collection agencies for dyna-
mite funds. 1t provides that any person con
"tributing or soliciting money or other prop
"erty for the manufacture, sale, transporta-
" ton or use of said explosive compounds,
@knOwing or having reason to believe that the
@same is intended to be used for any unlawful
destruction of life or property, shall be deemed
aguilty of a felony and shall be punished by
imprisonment" ETC.. As the first section con-
tains the phrase " in any place whatsoever" we
presume that the design is to make the collec-
ton or contribution of money for such purposes
felony without reference to the locality in
which the destruction of life or property is at
tempted. If such an act does not transcend the
constitutional powers of State Legislature, it
may offer practical means of dealing with
dynamite collecting agencies. In this respect it
is more intelligent effort to aid the British
Government by American legislation than Sen
ator Edmunds's bill.
Under the third section of Mr.. Gilberts bill
any newspaper proprietor acknowledging the
receipt of money for dynamite fund, or any
person contributing money or soliciting sub
scrptiOns for such purposes, would render him.
self liable to prosecution for felony. The col
lection or payment of the money would be an
overt act committed under the jurisdiction of
the State of New-York, for which he could be
punished by law. Under Senator Edmunds's
bill the manufacture, sale, purchase, traDsporta-
ton, OF shipment Of nitro and chlorate ex
plosives is made felony, provided there is an
intent to use them for the injury or destruction
of life or property, at home or abroad. But OBJ
vously it will be impiacticabIe to furnish evi-
dence of the intent when explosives are made,
purchased or shipped for unlawful use abroad.
AS matter of fact, the compounds OF nitro
glycerine which have been employed by the
London cOnspirators are easily and cheaply
made Hartmann, the Nihilst dyDamteur, used
nitro -glycerine and sugar and the most dan
gerous explosives can be compounded by simple
chemical processes from inexpensive materials
and with very little mechanism. The ex-
plosiyes employed in London were probably
manufactured there, and were not transported
even across the English Channel, much less the
Atlantic The Edmunds bill is thus directed
against acts that are not committed, and since
it will never be practicable to prove the inten-
tons of the coDspirators the measure will not
serve to protect life and property in London.
Mr. Gilberts bill can be applied to the collection
of dynamite funds. 1t can be levelled against
O'Donovan ROssa, whenever he openly asks for
a single dollar for purposes of destruction in
England.
1t is an open question: however, whether a
State Legislature has authority to locallze the
prosecution and punishment of persons consplr-
ing against life and property in a foreign coun-
try. Such offences ought to be defined IN
Federal statutes as breaches OF neutrality law.
1t is difficult to do this so long as the Govern
ments of Europe have not agreed among them
selves to discriminate between political offences
and dynamite Outrages. The Orsini bombs
manufactured and purchased in England
caused the death of many innocent bystanders
in the streets of Paris. 1t was a crime against
civilization analogous in many respects to the
dynamite outrages in London, the only dlstinc-
ton being that the c0nspirators had aimed to
murder sovereign. An English jury acquitted
Orsini's associate and English public sentiment
and an adverse vote in Parliament forced Lord
Palmerston to retire from office for proposing
legislation designed to prevent similar con-
spiracies England has always been an asylum
for political refugees from every country on the
Continent, and the rights of c0nspirators have
been jealousy guarded by Ministers and Parlia-
ments Now the time may have cOme-and we
think it has for the Governments OF Christen-
dom to take concerted action against dyna-
miteurs as foes Of civilization and to assert
definitely that political offenders shall not be
protected when they use so dangerous a tool as
dynamite and aim at indiscriminate slaughter
of men, women and children. Is England ready
to accept this doctrine and to extradite Hart
mann or a Niederwad assassin 7 Are the
French and Italian Chambers with their con-
tingents of Radical Deputies prepared to sane
ton extreme rcprisals against dynamitcurs
These are questions which should be seriously
considered before the United States or any of
the federated commonwealths set the example
of discriminating between political offences and
dynamite crimes.