The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-31 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, AUGUST 31, 1803.

MINESINIM
gains. And all these people are war patriots. Wily
with their notions should they not be? Would
not peace make as certain an end of them as the
first frost does of the moscinitoes ?
The case of the Peterhoff, recently decided by
Judge Betts, of this city, in favour of the captore,
bits excited by little interest or attention. It is
believed that Earl ltuesell is so satisfed with the
sound law and the dignified impartiality of the
judge, that the British C ihinet will' submit to his
deuision in this as in all similar cases; and that
nothing which Judge Betts can do will ever be con-
sidered a cases ball. It. would be well, however,
for Earl Russell and the British public to know that
Judge Betts, in the first place, is not a functionary
of the rank of such men as Lord Stowell or Dr.
Lushington ; but an attorney, elected to the office
for a term by universal suarage, and paid by a
salary that would have no attractions for a third-
rate, much lees for a leading professional advocate ;
and in the second place, that no reporters regularly
attend his court—and that.no official record what-
ever is kept of the proceedings or the judgments
delivered. The judge keepS his own notes, and such
professional gentlemen as are employed in theseveral
cases . doubtless preserve a private record of the
proceedings. But beyond this there is nothing to
show the exact terms or phraseology of any judg-
ment that may be delivered, or the evidence on
which it may be founded. As these 'decisions be-
come precedents, it, is obvious thatilt,Lis iin-
pertant to the;comniercial public of .Great Britain.
and other countries that there should be some;
official record of them.
~But there is none. Thus,
'
to a considerable extent, the fancy or caprice of
Judge Betts, 'whose'Professional 'status. is not su•
perior to that of a police magistrate in LonclaC,
may decide 'upon the -most delicate queiticins -of
international law, without other remedy, open. to the
aggrieved owners of ships and cargoes than a costly
and protracted appecaTto the Supreme Court of the
United States. There are certain circumstances,
too, in connexion withlhe case of the Peterhoff that
ought to be better kiieivn in England than' they
appear to be. The Peterhoff, it may be remem-
bered, was seizeditti thersouth of Cuba, on the regii-
lar track to Mataniorase Her papers were all regu-
lar, and all made out, for that port. Her insurance
was on the voyage to Matamoras, and nowhere else.
She drew too muc`h veatr. to enter any port in
Texas or the Rio Grande,-except Matamoras. She
'was laden with'Saddles, horse-shoes, boots, and vari-
ous other articles that Adniiral Wilkes deemed to be
contraband of war and destined for Confederate use.
Judge Betts, after a 'lengthened incitairy, decided'
ciss to th
every point against the ,vessel, and;she.was con-
demned accordingly., Yet within two-months previ-
m vegiel7Was not
allowed
to
is
vtrearydetibmeet;weehne`"aaßßrirti'itsh is
and a Mexican
port, no less than 59 American vessels-had cleared
out.from New York 'to' Matamor!as laden ;with ex-
actly, the same kind of articles vas were seized of
board the Peterhoff; besides siX,nr some say nine,
other vessels-fro'
In the 'perrts of'BOston and Phila-
delphia, bound en the came errand, with similar
ventures, ' '-