Morning journal and courier., 1889-02-11

The late Oliver Ditson of Boston left $15,- 00o for the founding Of home for poor singers Some have thought this a small sum for such purpose, but the Springfield Union rises to remark that it is enough, for no singer could be hired to acknowledge himself or herself poor singer.
 There is some common sense as well as justice in New Jersey. Judge Hopper re- fused the other day to admit challenges of jurors because they had read newspaper arti- cles about the cas on trial, declaring that if man were able to judge fairly of the evidence produced he was not disqualified by having intelligence enough to read the newspapers.
 The growing scarcity of United States government bonds and other frst-clsss secu- rites has driven the savings banks of New York to appeal to the legislature for an en- largement of the list in which they may in vest their trust funds. bill has according ly been introduced allowing investments in stocks and bonds in cities of 50,000 inhabi. tants in certain States not given to repudiat- ing debts, with various limitations. One proviso of this bill is that no city stocks or bonds issued to aid in the construction of any railroad shall be eligible for investment. The annual review of the American whale l fishery shows that there now 106 whal 1 ing vessels owned in this country, of which l twenty are laid up at home. Prices for the products, except whalebone, have been low, { and the right whaling in the Arctic ocean, where most whalebone is taken, is becoming l more and more popular, so that now about l half the total tonnage of whaling vessels is l employed in that branch of the service. In | the Arctic last summer there were forty- seven whalers, a slight increase from the l year before, but their average catch was on- | ly about half that of 1887. Of the American whalers now in service, sixty three are own ed in New Bedford, twenty-three in San Francisco, eight in Provineetown, four in l Edgartown, three in Boston, three in New
 London and two in Stonington.
 1 The business of the Supreme court of the United States is several years behind l hand and how this condition of affairs is to be remedied is an interesting problem. | Judge A. c. Coxe of New York proposes, l in the Forum, some measures of relief which seem to be practical. In tho first l place, he says, lot the judges of the Su- l preme court give up holding the circuit 1 courts Those courts are supplied with judges who have full jurisdiction, without the presence of the Supreme court judges, and, as the latter are more needed in Wash ington and in the Supreme court, that is the
 place for them, while the business of that
 court is in arrear. He advises also that the
 practice of giving up Monday to the rerdine of opinions should be dispensed with, SC
 that one day for work may be added to each
 week. The third measure of relief is tha
 when judgments are affirmed long writer
 opinions be dispensed with, except in suit
 involving constitutional questions or ques
 tions of great general interest.
 At recent meeting of Massachusetts doc
 tors Dr. Holt read paper Mrs. Robin
 son, the Somervile poisoner, and he succeed
 ed in making quite a stir. Although he
 victims were treated by physicians of larg , practice and standing, yet, as Dr. Hol
 charges, they were 50 ignorant of the symE
 toms of arsenioal poisoning that they did nc
 \ araneck if uufil orosu;zatinn in vhioh th