The morning call., 1890-05-24

EDITORIAL NOTES.

The Senate eonferees on the Pension
Bill have accepted the House amendments,
excepting MorrilPs service pension feature.
The Senators claim that the object of their
bill is relief to the necessitous, and that
service pension should not be involved
with disability bill. Estimates prepared
by Captain Ainsworth of the Adjutant-
Generals office show that the approximate
aggregate cost of service pension upon a
basis of 81 years as the limit will be
81, 1S2, 095, 525, and upon a basis of 60 years
the cost. will be 81, 1888, 100, $50. These esti-
mates are materially greater than those of
the House Committee on Pensions. The
Senators believe that whenever it is wise to
inaugnrate a system of service pensions it
should be graded according to length of
service.
A remarkable result of the unreliableness
of circumstantial evidence is reported from
ChengkiatuaD, China. While thief was
engaged in rObbiug house during the alb
sence of the family, the Waterman hearing
noise entered, but failing to discover the
intruder proceeded to enjoy his pipe. lie
fell asleep and set fire to the building. The
frightened thief was caught by the villagers
as he essayed to escape, and as many houses
were consumed by the devouring flames,
they proceeded to lynch him as an incen-
diary caught in the act. He was bound
hand and foot, saturated with oil, hurled
into the burning mass and speedily cre-
mated, victim to the blind fury OF Mon
golian mob.
The Naval Appropriation Bill now under
consideration in the Senate draws upon the
Treasury TO the extent of So, $50, lS6, or
S4S9,650 more than the House appropriated.
The Senate Committee made provision for
swift torpedo cruiser of $50 tons displace-
ment and maximum speed of not less
than twenty-three knots, to cost, exclusive
Of armament, $3.50, 600; also a torpedo-boat
tc cost $4,000. The appropriation for the
Improvement Of the machinery plant at
Mare Island is increased from $4,000 to
S60,1OO
The fate of Kemmler, the New York muir
derer, is settled So far as the courts are
concerned, the highest tribunal in the land
having declined to interpose any obstacle
to the execution of the sentence of death by
electricity. Chief Justice Fuller, in an
nouncing the decision of the Supreme
Court, declared there seemed to be no evi-
dence that death by electricity is more cruel
than the methods recognized by the Con-
sttution.
1t is reported that half million dollars
Is about to be invested in establishing a
tln-plate mill in the vicinity of Pittsburg
The supply of Cornish tin has been cur
tailed, and British manufacturers are now
importing raw material from Sumatra and
other places where the mineral is found in
profitable quantities. The tin from Su-
matra is about $50 cheaper than Cornish tin.
Whatever disposition there may have been
to prevent the passage of the River and
Harbor Bill has melted away, for the meas
ure is fairly under consideration in the
Committee of the Whole House and will in
ell probability be passed with little prun-
ing. The harbor appropriations for the
Pacific Coast have been considered and
passed without amendment
Blaine, it is now asserted, is bent on re-
turning to the Senate as the successor of
Senator Hale, whose term expires March 8,
1888 Hale is also an avowed candidate.