The Sun.
London, England, 1837-02-24 00:00:00

valuable addition to our standard political literature
There is not a page of it in which we do not find traces of
careful research, and the evidences of a vigorous intellect.
The Whigs owe much to Mr. Wingrove Cooke, and,
judging from his works, they would find him an invaluable
acquisition to their strength in the House of Commons.

JUSTICE IN SWITZERLAND.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR-I observe in your Paper of the 18th instant an CXII act
from a Frankfort Newspaper, which contains a garbled state-
ment of a case, which, if it affected only the interests of an
individual, I should not have noticed at all, but affecting as it
does, the rights of every British subject, I presume to think
that you will deem it proper to admit into your columns my
explanation of the ease referred to.
The statement imports that the Chamber of Finance of the
Canton of Zurich claims the property of my relative, who
lately died in that Canton, " that on his death an inventory
was made of his property, and the Magistrates, ignorant of the
English language, were forced to make use of strangers, and
it is believed a will was forged which was found sometime af-
terwards amongst old linen, by which distant relatives in Eng-
land are left heirs to the property." The article concludes in
effect that it will be highlylbeneficial to the State of Zurich to
appropriate this property to itself. Now, Sir, what are the
facts of the case ?—On the death of my relative at his house
at Goldenberg, near Zurich, the Officers of the Government
took immediate possession of his effects, they went through his
papers, and were assisted in the examination of them by Mr.
Henry Escher Zolli Kofer, a highly respectable Swiss
Banker, who has a perfect knowledge of the English lan-
guage, and they found the will of the deceased, which they
took possension of, and still hold. Fortunately for me my re-
lative has placed in the hands of one of the Magistrates of this
town, a duplicate of this will under a sealed envelope, on
which was written a direction that it should be opened in the
presence of six respectable gentlemen, so soon as authentic in-
telligence of his death reached England. In compliance with
the wish of the testator so expressed, the seals were broken on
the Bth of November last, in the presence of Charles John
Brigg, Esq., the Mayor of this town ; John Clayton, Esq., the
Town Clerk ; Robert William Brandling, Esq., a Magistrate
of Northumberland ; George Thomas Dunn, Esq. (the gen-
tleman with whom the deposit had been made), and other in-
dividuals of known credit. The will was found to be properly
executed by the testator, in the presence of and attested by
three respectable Englishmen, and every word of it is in his
own hand writing—it has been proved by me, the sole execu-
tor, in the Prerogative Courts of York and Canterbury, and I
am in full possession of the testator's large property in England.
The will in Switzerland, as appears from a copy transmitted to
me, is a perfect duplicate of that which is acted upon here.
So much for the pretence of the Zurich Treasury, that some
one had forged the will ; but the Chamber of Finance make
use of other pretexts to deprive me of my property—they have
the modesty to contend that all my relative's property not only
in Switzerland, but also in England, must pay a legacy duty
of 101. per cent, to the Treasury of the petty' state of Zurich,
in which he happened to die, and in order to enforce the pay-
ment they seize my property in Switzerland, about 8,0001. in
value. Every British subject is interested in the successful
resistance of an attempt to make his property in his own coun-
try pay a legacy duty to a Foreign State, and in resisting it I
feel that I am entitled to the protection of the British Govern-
ment. Assisted by a spirited and intelligent countryman,
Ralph Carr, Jun., Esq., who happens to be resident on the spot,
I am repelling this unconscionable demand before the legal
tribunals of Switzerland, from which I expect justice, and I
will continue my resistance to the last.
The writer in the Frankfort Newspaper concludes " that no
one will grudge this acquisition to a State which boasts that it
manages its small resources wisely." Now Ido grudge to the
Canton of Zurich, as I would grudge to any other State, or in-
dividual, the possession of property acquired by injustice,
whatever may be the purposes to which it is applied.
I am, Sir, your most obedient servant,
WILLIAM MATHER.
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Feb. 20, 1837.
RE