Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-04-16

morning eOtempOrary has several times
urged upon the President the necessity of an
extra session, because of the failure of the last
Congress to pass a river and harbor BILL a bank.
rupt act and to provide other legislation
which IL deemed imperative. There seems to
be no cause for special anxiety on the score of
the omissions of the late Congress, but there
may arise a contingency when an extra session
would be desirable.
III war is declared between England and
Russia this country would have q commercial
opportunity such is seldom presented to q
nation. The most of carrying trade is now en-
trusted to British bottoms, and these vessels in
the event OF war, would then sail under a beiiig-
erent flag and be subject to the dangers OF
search, seizure and capture by the enemy.
American ships, on the contrary, as belonging
TO a neutral nation, would suffer none of these
risks or annoyances and could nearly monopo-
lie the Atlantic commerce. But we have no
great number of ships. and If we desire to secure
the advantage presented. the opportunity must
be seized at once AS the law now stands no
vessel can fly the American flag If it be foreign
built, so that our citizens could not buy ships
abroad and protect them with our flag. We
cannot build ships with sufficient rapidity to
make them available and unless some change
Is made in the navigation laws the prize will
slip from our grasp.
Under these circumstances It would perhaps
be wise for the President 10 call an extra session
of Congress Immediately after the announce
ment of declaration of war between the two
great nations. In addition TO such modification
of our navigation laws as may he deemed nee
essary, our position a neutral nation should
be sharply defined so that England and Russia
with both of whom we are upon friendly terms,
should know exactly what to expect.
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The prospects of peaceful adjustment of the
Anglo-Russian difficulty seem to be brighter
The terms appear to be in favor of Russia, who
is to have Penjdeh coded To her, if the ameer
does not object, subject TO satisfactory expia-
nation of the recent attack on the Afghans.
The consent of the ameer is, of course, mere
farce, for England can control him as she de-
sires, and Russia can very easily make her ex-
PLANTATION of Gen. komaroffs action "satisfac-
tory" In this whole business Russia has had
the advantage in every respect. She knew
what she wanted at the outset. Her object was
to secure one step in advance, and in the ces-
sion OF Penjdeh she gains it. From the moment
she commenced her march eastward from the
Caspian sea, Russia has taken no step backward.
khiva, Bokhara, Balkh and Merv have fallen
into her hands, and now she has secured in
Penjdeh portion of the debatable ground be-
tween Afghanistan and Turkestan, the boun-
daries OF which were to be settled by a Joint
commission. England simply saves the cost
which a war would involve. In giving up Pent-
deh she brings her powerful adversary one
stride nearer the gate of India which Is be-
Heved TO be the ultimate object of Russia's am
bition. She gains time, however, for the settle
ment of her troubles in Egypt, Ireland and Can
ada, so that when the struggle, which is be-
Heved to be simply postponed, does come, she
may be in better condition TO meet it.
The reported discovery by the police that the
negro Harrison, alias Gray, had no child that
could have died during his Imprisonment may
reduce the pathetic interest taken in this case
but the fact remains that the man was arrested
ON mere suspicion. was kept in confinement
from Saturday until Monday and then dis
missed in the Police Court, and the action of
the police is in no way justified by the knowl-
edge. now gained, that he was of bad character.
The police no doubt, acted from proper motives
of zeal in the supposed discharge of their duty,
but the plain fact remains that in seizing
citizen and imprisoning him for forty-eight
hours simply because they suspected him to be
thief, they had not particle of law to sustain
them.