The morning call., 1891-02-18
EDITORIAL NOTES.

Unless some special ACT is passed providing 10r
the repair of the Despatch, the Presidents
yacht" as she is often called she viii soon be
condemned with a prospect of ben. converted
into frewood and material for Tie junk-Shops.
Originally The yacht Americas, she was built IN
1874 for Henry c. Smith, a New York broker,
who desired to possess the biggest and best
equipped yacht in the world. Financial re-
verses Obliged her owner 10 dis ose OF her at he
END of three years, the Government securing her
for $50, 900, though her cost was nearly $780,
coo. During the RussoTurkish war she
served rs dispatch steamer for the United States
Minister at COnstantinOple. and in October. 1880,
she became the Presidents yacht, BOOSTING for
lie first time The distinguishing flag OF the Chief
Executive. a blue flag with the coat Of arms Of
the United States, surmounled by crescent OF
Thirteen stars. She has carried more foreign
celebrities and representative men of this eoun-
uy than any other vessel IN tile navy, Dom
Pedro, King Kaldkaua and Queen kaplolani
having been among those that trOd her deck.
The whaeboat OF the Despatch formerly be-
louged 10 the Bear, and her gig 10 the Thetis,
when they went 10 the lar north 10 rescue Gem
eral Greedy and his comrades. The barge or
Presidents gig is named after Queen Kapiolanl,
whose flag was the first 10 fly from its staff
aStefn.
According to Brazilian advices via Lisbon,
thousands upon thousands of square miles of
Brazilian territory have been granted TO the
faYorltes OF FoDseca and The members OF his
government and the future wealth OF the nation
is being gradually sapIed by private adven-
turers. The Minis er OF Agriculture Is said to
have given the best OF tile Government lands in
Santa Paula 10 his friends and relatives, one
land Zeal having resulted in profit OF million
and a half. HOIdeS of would-b be contractors
have made costly presents 10 the relatives of
and those supposed 10 have influence with the
Ministers, aud according to these accounts
gifts valued al over $50, 1000. While there is no
doubt affairs under the new regime were not
conducted III apple pie order, there Is an impress
slou that news coming by way of Lisbon is bound
10 be highly colOred, just as 1t was when Dom
Pedro was deposed. There are now clustered at
Lisbon quite number Of tie relatives and
friends OF The ex-Emperor WHO bound to
magnify the shortcomings of republican officials
thousaDdfOid.
At present other cities besides San FsanciSc0
are dey0Iins considerable attention to water
front improvements, New YORK is gradually ac-
curing tiLs to all wharf properties with funds
derived from rental and the issue OF > ~ per cent
bonds. In 1888 The city owned 165 piers out Of
205. as well as most OF the uHimpiOVed water
font, and private improvements now have to
conform 10 The Dock Departments plans. The
value of the Improvements SO far elected Is
about S25, 100000. In the plan of Improvement
the street along the North River Is being widened
TO $50 feet and that along The East River TO from
$50 10 200 feet. Philadelphia has under consd-
Grafton plan Tor the fuIIher Improvement of the
Delaware River front aud talks about magnih
cent piers 600 feet long, extending out into The
stream $50 feet from the building line on Della
ware avenue. Funds have been appropriated by
Congress for the removal of obstrucHDg Islands
and The specifications require Tie commencement
of work by the LIST OF ADiil.
Tbara b,va bsap mara ob,,ro- -, ,t.o ,.,..,-
house of the Fifty-frst Congress than were ever
chronicled In any previous one. SIX OF the MEM
bers resigned, ten died, viz: S. ). Cox of New
York, Samuel j. Randall, William d. Kelley and
l.. L. Watson OF Pennsylvania james y. Burns
and James p. Walker or Missouri, James Laird
Of Nebraska, Z. J. Gay Of louisiana Il. W.
townsend OF Illinois and David WILDER of New
York; and nine members were uuseated-Turpin
of Alabama, Breckenridge and Cate of Arkansas
Compton of Maryland, Elliott OF South Carolina,
Wise aud Nenaole OF Virginia, aud Pendleton
and jackson OF West Virginia. The Committee
on Elections has also reported in favor OF un-
sealing John b. Anderson from the Third West
Virginia District aud seating James McGlnnis
the Republican contestant, ard in favor OF un.
seating Robert Bullock from The Second District
Of Florida and seating +. ). Goodrich his Repub-
llean opponent,
Marcus Aurellus Smith, the ex-deIegate to
Congress from Arizona, who fell on Monday
night at the national capital and broke his leg
has heretofore enjoyed phenomenal luck He is
4 heniuckt3n by birth, ard when lie struck
Tombstone ten years ago lie was treated as
"tenderfoOt" and guyed accordingly. On one
occasion lie was called upon to umpire game
Of basel ball, Which speedily resulted in general
row and knOtIy problem for his decision. His
ruling only intensified the discomfort ana wsan-
CLING When 1t finally looked as II tile umpire
about 10 BE- "dOne up" the kentuckiau
ppp nd a in M ~ -.
fellows, play BALI" aud emphasized the order by
presenting a couple of ugly siy-shooiers The
BOYS promptly acquieSced dropped their guying
and The newcomer was soon tossed into promi-
nence and prosperity on The wave of popularity.
The Japanese are cOnsid ring The adyisability
OF opening up commercial communication with
the South Sea Islands and competing with the
Germans FOR the trade. AS reason why South
Sea trade should be more pfoiiiabIy conducted
BY Japanese. 1t is argued that most of the goods
needed in these Islands be better shipped
fiom Japan because of the latteI's proDinqu
ana because many OF the required articles are
very cheaplY produced there.