The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-27
BLOW AT LONDON COUNCIL.
pARLIASENT TO PASS THE MUNICH
PdLITIES BILL,


win Leave tho Council without Even the
Power of Veto BelRium's Crusade
Against GRmbling-Pnblicntion of the
browning Letters-New Discoveries In
The Excavations Made at Roms-Man-
nCer Lowenfoid's Clash with the Gallery
Gods in tho Prince of wnies's Theatre.
LONDON, Feb 8.--The Parliam entary session
IN England promises to be short and u%nevent-
mi. The legislative programme offers nothing
-, arouse national controversy. Here in Lon
Sop only two bills attract notice. There Is the
bill for creating separate municipalities for oil
tbe chief districts in the metropolis. probably
at least twenty. 1t processes to aim at relieving
the London County Council OF u mass Of minor
details. In reality II reduces that body to q
sort Of municipal House Of Lords without even
ihe ROVER OF veto. Tho County Council has.
IT'S enemies say. suffered from swelled head.
Outlying localities complain that II has neg
lectrd them. The Government listened gladly
TO their grievance and the present bin Is the
remedy. II is beyond doubt that the County
Council has failed to rouse Londoners from
their municipal apathy. Less than n third OF
the voters on the register usually go to the
rolls. Though London is. next to Liverpool.
probably the most Tory city In politics in tho
kingdom. it's County Council Is mostly a COM
mittce OF ltdulChl HrOpHRdHua. lnTOuRn us
Works Committee it has tried its hand at n
species OF industrial socialism. and is COM
r~lctclv under the thumb of the trade unions.
which, as THE Sun has stated more than once.
are doing their utmost to ruin the trade OF the
country. The London Municipalities bill Is
certain to pass.
Tie measure for reforming the Companies
nets is much more doubtful. It's terms are
unknown yet, but If it is anything like as
drastic us Lord Russell proposes. it will meet
determined opposition. He says he would like
to see brought into practice and into law the
principle that every man who was responsible
for putting before the public. by prospectus
or otherwise. an induccment to them to sub
scribe TO tho capital OF a company should be
lound to set out in that document every fact
known to him which could affect the judgment
Of n reasonable man In taking shares. This
commcnds itself to everybody, but his specific
rroI osals are opposed by the Lord Chancellor
md Justice Romcr. the chief companies Judge
IN tho Court OF Chancery. They think the
resent law with the slightest notifications Is
enough. The Lord Chancellor would not have
grown mons freedom Of action in business in
vcstmcnts trammeiled by Rrandmotherly leg
islation framed Cor their protection. On the
other hand, the Government Is entirely with
Lord Russcll's views on trade unions. He de-
%clu~cs:
The action OF trade unions nowadays is to re-
duce all men in a given trade TO a common and
dead level. In other words. they do not give
that prompting to ambition that n man could
single himself out to try and excel In the char
actcr OF his work with his fellows"
II Is remarkable how completely this quts-
ton of trade and its regulations has replaced
foreign affairs in public discussions. Should
many pronounced Liberals like Lord Russell
speak out on the subject. tho Government may
attack the unions sooner than any one could
have believed possible a few months ago.
Belgium. like Germany. is concerned about
the growth Of gambling among certain classes
of its subjects. While the Kaiser harries and
locks up officers who play too high. Leopold
looks even more indulEently on the pastimc
than his people like. The Belgium Senate has
sent down to the Chamber OF Deputies n law
against gambling, which. it is believed. the
lower house will pass in July next.
1t was after the Franco-German war that
Belgium decided to close tho official gambling
houses at Ostenl. Belgium acted at the insti-
CATION Of Germany. who already-in the year
lSt4-had suppressed the Sales de Jeux ut
Wcisbaden. Baden Baden. HomburE and other
resorts. In Belgium this prohibition gave rise
10 clandestinc tripots, and although these
places were not recognized by the authorities.
the latter ended by tolcrating them. First OF all
llt'N W. ~ ~ t'lA INV NFN' ifs ''A' "''''
warl in n host of little spots. which all dubbed
themselves watering places" and which.
though far from any thermal spring. were gem
eral'y situated on the banks of the Sambre. the
Mcu5o or tho HoyouX. Moreover. the munich
palitics of these towns perceived in the tables
Il fruitful source Of revenue. and encouraged
them. The proceedings OF certain magistrates
with regard to this question have in some
places enlivcned the records Of the law courts.
mud th, a,notonla bac AVIAN l,nnn aanD NJ n rn-
tired General OF the Belgian Army presiding at
the opening of q tripot at Erquclines, on the
Trench frontier.
1t is these scandals which have been exposed
BY the press that have induced NJ. Lejcune, q
former Conservative Minister, to Introduce
into the Senate n bill dealing with gambling on
racecourscs and on the Bourse, and with games
OF hazard. Senator Hardenpondt of Mons
sought to import into the measure n clause ex-
emrting from its operation tho towns OF Spa
md Ostrnd. 1t is declared that in doing so NJ.
Iiardcnpondt yielded to pressure on tho part OF
the King. who regards the tables ms a source Of
prosperity for Ostcnd. NJ. de Smedt de Mayer.
who recently resigned the Premiership. was
equally a supporter Of the amendment.
The Chamber Of Deputies has only retained
that portion OF the bill introduced into the
Senate which relates to games OF hazard. The
Rarporteur, NJ. Hoyois. Deputy for Journal.
La I'JtFlcu tIt IIoltoth cAtiIptloi III w
OF Spa and Ostend. and the Government will
support him. This is a question OF opporturism.
for without some such concession to the oppo-
sition-who are tho determined opponents OF
gambling-the measure would have no chance
Of passing. As for the majority In the House.
they are divided among Themselves. The
Deputies for Verviers. for instance. in whose
constituency Spa Is situated. will not vote for
the bill. The proposed law. however. has an
ardent defender in the present head OF the
Cabinet, NJ. Vandenpecnloom. Public opinion
is on his side. and the Government, anticipat-
ing the passage of the bill. is already carrying
on an active campaign against tho gambling
establishments by imposing increased taxes
upon them. At Namur the municipality has
fixed the tax at "a. 600; at Spa. In spite Of the
opposition OF the municipality and Of the in
habItants. the impost has been raised to
$4,000; and at Ostend each OF the five clubs
rays 100000. plus "a for every member.