The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-09 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY, MAY 9, 1868.

It seems as if we were not likely to hear the last
of Mr. EYRE'S prosecution for some time to come,
for nothing► will satisfy the Jamaica Committee but
persisting to the uttermost. Yesterday the case
was heard before the Court of Queen's Bench, and
the proceeding was to compel the magistrate at
Bow-street to hear and determine a charge
of high crime and misdeamour against the
late Governor of Jamaica. Mr. POWELL appeared
on behalf of Mr. VAUGHAN to submit to the Court
the grounds upon which he conceived that he bad
no jurisdiction in the matter. After some discussion
of the technical points had been gone through, Mr.
Justice BLACKBURN said they thought that the
magistrate must hear the charge, and then, if he
thought proper to commit the accusedfor trial upon
it, he must do so, returning the depositions into
that Court, where the case would be tried before
the next sitting of the Grand Jury in the
next term. This will, in all probability,
be put into effect, and the same plan be followed
that was acted upon in the case of General NELSON
and Lieutenant BRAND. It is possible to raise the
question on the record, and carry it to a Court of
Error and the House of Lords ; but it is believed
that the magistrate will abide by the decision of
the Court, and hear the case. The Court, after
their judgment had been given, added that he was
quite right in seeking their direction, as
there had hitherto been no case under the
Colonial Governors' Act. It will be seen from
all this that there is no chance of Mr. EYRE escap-
ing a good deal of annoyance, to say nothing of
expense and loss of time. It is really too bad for
the Jamaica Committee to go on after this fashion,
and, in spite of all that hasbeen said and written on
the subject, to persist in bringing forward the case
time after time. We have no doubt that the result
of the trial of Mr. EYRE will be the same as in the
case of his friends, General NELSON and Lieutenant
BRAND ; but at the same time why should he be
subjected to the trouble and irksomeness of the
affair, in order to gratify the prejudices of a faction?
Some of those who compose the committee in ques-
tion have not done themselves any honour by the
course they have pursued ; and the more we con-
sider the case as a whole the more fully convinced
must we be of the injustice done and the injuries
inflicted on Mr. EYRE through the harsh
manner in which Lord RUSSELL prejudged
his case before his defence was heard.
An English Minister has seldom lent himself so com-
pletely to the aid of a faction, and we hope it will
be long before such another instance is afforded.
It would be well indeed if some definite understand-
ing were come to on this subject, and if it were not
so easy for those whose peculiarities of opinion and
prejudiced notions lead them in a contrary direction
to the popular opinion, to prosecute, or rather per-
secute who have been valued servants of the Crown.
The least to be expected, after all this fuss and fer-
ment, is that the Colonial Governor for the future
will be more slow to act when promptitude is
earnestly called for, and that, instead of think-
ing what steps to take to save the country in-
trusted to their charge, they will have to weigh
each word and scrutinise each act, lest, after
they have received the thanks of those around
them, and earned the commendation of the
Government which sent them out, some second
DANIEL may come to judgment and indite them
on the ground of committing grave offences.
NELSON is reported to have said when entering on
an engagement, " A Peerage, or Westminster
Abbey ;" but our Colonial Ciovernor's must reflect