The San Francisco call., 1895-12-15
RIJSSIAS CAME WILL Be READY BY SPRING,

reason why they should abandon their ad-
vantage. Not only are mercantile orders
increasing in the Northern shipyards, but
the crisis in the Levant makes it certain
that the Government must insist on big
shipbuilding programme without delay,
and the men think that this is good
reason why they should stand out for the
utmost farthing of their claims.
1t is taken for granted that the Clyde
men will follow Belfast's example of re-
jecting the masters offer, and then the
Ministry will have to take up the matter
in serious earnest.
The meeting of Parliament has been
fixed for February IL, much later date
than usual. On the other hand, deputa-
tions of Tories, representing all sorts of
reactionary schemes, are coming to Lon
don and besieging Salisbury and his col
leagues in such numbers that the papers
are as full of politics as if the Westminster
talking-shop were in full blast. These
deputations draw from the Ministers one
by one assurances that the promises of
July will not necessarily bear any relation
to performances of February. All Lanca-
shire was given to understand in the last
obnoxious Indian cotton duties, and voted
accordingly. Now the Secretary for
India announces that it is an entire de-
fusion to suppose that these duties can be
abrogated. The fact that he himself when
in opposition last spring exceeded most
others in the vehemence of his denuncia-
ton of these same duties is bitterly COM
mented on, but does not affect the situa-
ton.
The Tory squires who are fiocking to
town in the interest of this, that and other
projects for restoring the prosperity of the
farmer by taxing somebody else all find
the same cold official shoulder turned to
them. In wrath they are joining Jimmy
Lowther's mutinous faction, which openly
spells protection with big "P," but that,
too, hardly matters. Oddly enough, how
ever, the Times to-day says that had Low
ther contented himself with asking for
reimposition of the shilling duty on wheat
it would have been thought, perhaps, that
there was nothing unreasonable in the de-
mand. This remark is quite out of the
Times ordinary line, and may indicate
ministerial desire to see how the country
would take such proposal. If that is the
purpose there will be no doubt about the
answer that the country will give.
The episode of the Germanic being dis
abled in the Mersey may turn out to have
a rather important bearing on the yexed
question of the American mail service
from this side. When the Germanic
turned back the British postal officials
calmly took out her heavy w Wednesday
mail and put it on board the Umbria,
which would not sail till Saturday. but
Thursday morning letter from George
W. Smalley appeared in the Times, begin
ming with detailed attack on the British
Postoffice in connection with the Cunard
and White Star mail contracts, which
make the whole Atlantic service ridiculous,
and the effect was instantaneous. A tele-
graphic order was dispatched at once to
hurry the mail southwark to Southamp-
ton, and it was placed on the Normannia,
which sailed Friday. This use of a nom
contracting line to expedite the mails is
unprecedented in the annals of British red
tape, and the postal reformers hail the
precedent as hopeful sign.
Even a quainter illustration of the power
of the press is afforded from Rome when
the private cham berlain of the Pope writes
to the Standard correcting newspaper re-
port current during the past month that
the Pontiff once wrote a book, which was
placed on the Index. The explanation
given is that the book in question was
written by an obscure Perugian priest
called Paoletti, who was well meaning but
half demer ed, and that Cardinal Pecci,
then Bishop of Perugia, suppressed it,
but now by some careless misreading, he
becomes credited with its authorship.
This Is interesting, but that the Vatican
should compose personal explanations for
newspapers is perhaps even more so.
What promises to be an unusually note
worthy doctrinal struggle inside the
Church of England has been begun at
Portsmouth, where DR.. Davidson, before
he vas hardly settled in his new see of
Winchester came in conflict with the we'll
known Father Dolling. one of the hardest
working and most devoted of the parish
priests.
He had a third altar in the church as a
memorial to a deceased associate in mis-
sion work, and had been accustomed to
celebrate before it services for other de-
parted souls, which be described as masses
for the dead. The new Bishop abruptly
OTUeISO ulu 10 remove the screen ana Q1S-
mantle The altar. This he has done, but
he has sent IN his resignation, and over
5000 signatures were at once obtained
among the parishioners begging him to
withdraw the resignation. This he de-
clines to do but the parish itself is in re-
VOLT and deep feeling is being stirred up
throughout the church. The difficulty, as
may be seen, does not turn on a question
OF ceremonial like most previous ritual
istic prosecutions, but on the dogma of
prayers for the dead, which incidentally
raises the whole question of purgatory
and hell as articles of belief. 1t is qlite
likely that the affair Will provoke mem
orable controversy.
Dean Farrar's profitable skimming over
the summer season sentimental platitude
has been rudely interrupted by an unex-
pected rock. His Byzantine novel. called
Gathering Clouds contains no more
padding scissored from literature at large
than his other works, but it appropriates
in one case from an author that demurs
Professor Bury of Dublin finds that Farrar
has taken bodily his translation of the
"Decree of Orcadius" without hint of
obligation, and he has denounced him