Year: 1874

an absolute preventive OF such disasters; puI
the unconditional discharge and prompt pun
ishment of every employee through whose care
lessness or error of Judgment life Is lost
may make them of less frequent occurrence.


A Chicago court has decided that the Rev.
Cbas. z. Cheney was never legally depOsed
from the ministry of the Protestant Episcopal
Church. As DR.. Cheney is now con-
ncctcd with another religious denomina-
ton. having been elevated to Bishoprlc
in the Reformed Episcopal Church, THIS
decision cannot affect him, personally, IN any
considerable degree. 1t may be important,
however, because it passes upon some legal
points of interest TO all churches and rarely
if ever, before reviewed by civil tribunals III
this country; "a we'll as because it illustrates
somewhat that stretch of authority and rigidlty
of discipline which, in the Judgment OF some,
made the schism in the Church possible.


The suit of the City against the Broadway
Bank to recover moneys paid to lngersoll and
Woodward on the warrants OF Connolly Is one
of whose merits no proper Judgment can now
be formed. Unfortunately the plunderers OF
the City who operated through that bank were
public officials and their cOnfederates and the
defense of the bank that it paid out money
only on the warrants of recognized officers of
the Government will probably prove sufficient
with an ordinary jury. There is suspicion
that the suit is one of those unwisely instituted
by personal or political malice. without due
consideration of its probable great cost to the
City. At the same time, there are able law
ycrs engaged in 1t whom we should believe
incapable of originating or conducting suit
on account of the City. which they do not
believe it possible to win.


The Senate Committee on Finance and the
Ways and Means Committee of the House OF
Representatives have not done with Customs
Reform. This is well. There is yet room for
judicious legislation not only for the protection
of the government from frauds. but for the re-
lief of that portion of the mercantile commu-
nifty upon which the present laws weigh
unduly. 1t would be advisable for the sub
Committee of inquiry at their meet
ing during recess to seek light
as well from the business men whose inter-
ests are so deeply involved in q revision of
the Customs Laws as from Department officers
ard persons engaged in the collection of the
revenue. Secretary Bristow seems disposed to
further the work of the Committee by every
means in his power and to have Secretary
who gives the subject any attention whatever
is q great point gained.


So barren and uliinvitng have been the soli-
tudes through which Western explorers have
had mostly to pass, and so perilous have their
undertakings often been, that the story of the
Black Hills Expedition, which supplements the
news of its discoveries which we printed ex
clusively week ago, reads almost like a trav
elers tale. To descend into a valley whose
sod was brilliant with flowers of every hue
and perfume, a smiling garden seven thousand
feet above the sea, where the richest gifts of
Nature were displayed and the soil gave evil
dcnce of great fertility, was in itself
enough to turn tedious march of
wearied soldiers into holiday excursion. II
was by no means inappropriate that the first
entry into this peaceful valley. if made by sol
diers, should see their trappings of war hidden
under garands of flowers and the military
train transformed into a festal procession
There are other elements in the story less pic
turesque, but more practical. The future of
such a region cannot be doubtful. The inva-
sion of Gen. Custer has virtually laid 1t open,
Notwithstanding existing treaty stipulatiOns, to
the settler and the advcnturer. If 1t is not
peopled with both of these classes after lapse
of time, it will be because history has lost the