The Sun.
London, England, 1826-08-16 00:00:00

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SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

A case came on yesterday in Chancery, which excited
a good deal ef'attention in Trinity Tern) last, "
dau v. Pater Moore and others," in which, on the advice
of " three sir finer of the mou respectable Counsel in Caere,"
according to the Lord Chancellor, fourteen different (but
in fact the urne) answers bud been put in to the plaintiff's
bill:andioneteen different (but similarly worded)-schedules
had been attached to eaeh. The plaintiff complained. of
,
the attempt to ruin him, by the expellees of the proceed-
ings, which this mode of defence imposed on him ; and
some very strong observations were made
,on the conduct
of the Counsel, by the Lord Chancellor. His Lordship
still seemed to insinuate, that " the three or, four of the
most respectable Counsel in Court," had, in advising the
above course, proved that their consciences were equal to
the cerriage of no ordinary " With respect to the
fourteen answers put in to the Bill; he never Would (he
said) visit upon the Solicitors blame which, if at all, ought
to be etticbable; to, the Co use who had signed them."
So much for Chancery morality.. But hie Lordship Ali&
thecnot only may a plaintiff be baulked by a number of
defendantaavailing themeelves of the forms of the Court,
to render the proceedings so expensive that he cannot pro-
ceed, but moreover, that the very circumstance of the ans:
possibility of a plaintiff obtaining redress in the Court of
Chancery against a number of defendants associated toges
titer in an undertaking; from the defeetivenessof Chancery
precidure, is si proof of the, illegality of the 'Association..
" if it was impossible' to sue such a-Company as this with'
effect, it was a strong proof that a Company so constituted
could not be legal.". This is giving us a new edition of
Procrustes's bed. Every Association must be chopped
down to the precise,,lntp4nde that comports 'with. Chan-
cery procedure. His Lordship takesgreat credit for hav-
in warued ~roPle against, engag ing in these joint Stock
sch• ,
emes. e remember well the nature of some of his
warnings. He actually eonfouhded Joint Stock Companies
with monopolies. He hid an idea that these great Com-
panies wouldingroar the business (if the.tonntry, and
leave no employment for persons who did not belong to
them, lie did not consider (or rather he did not know)
that if joint Stock Companies carried on any business
more profitably than smaller Associations,: they would in
so far mereaSe the national capital, and consequently in-
crease the means of giving employment. We observed;
however, at the time, that his • alarm was groundless, as
with the exception of associations for objects of too great
magnitude for individuals, such as Rail-roads, Canals,
Bridges, &c., Joint Stock Companies would be losing con-
cerns. The difference between Joint Stock Companies
and monopolies; we observed, was this---that the former
could only succeed by adding. to the wealth of the com-
munity, whereas the latter could only weaved at the ex-
pence Of the coaurninity. The theoretical views of the
tbrAChancellor were so far mischievous, that. from their
absurdity, they had it. tendency to render the public less
atteetive to the. good sense of the observations' which his
profound:knowledge of the present stateof the law enabled
him to make. However, during the mania, it may be
questioned whether people were,in a' temper to listen to
any caiitione.-e-Morning Chronicle.
it is strangsethat so much of our internal trade as con-
sist)) (if the " selling of poisons" is nOt put ileder some
regulation. Every druggist and grocer in this country
may-sell the most deadly poisons that the mineral or vege-
table world produce, with as ;little caution or enquiry-as
they dispose of ordinary medicines. Whenever the pre-
vention of crime can be acted-upon, it is better than its
punishment; and therefore' in some countries the selling
of poisons was made highly penal,, unless the person who
sold thern had taken care toga satisfactory proof they
were t a ley
were not intended for a criminal .purpose. lit looking
over the reports of trial:; for poisooing, and attempts to
poison, at the verious Assize , we aro often astonhed ut
the culpable,carelessness, or stupidity, with which country
drugg;,sts.or grocers dispose •of arsenic, laudanum, and
•other 41,4,4-pious article, to pen4nis. of whom they know
ratrtltiu(!, rte 'ivito ask for those things under circumstances
that. ought to exolte their suspicion. It seem, 10 lie the
gem"; practice, that if a :granger only says lie or she
w to arsenic to kill rats, or laudanum for the toothache,
e to,- • 7 • •
al is considered right, the deathly stuff is sold, and no fur-
ther inquiries made. Tn, ignorant persons,, iodeed—such
as peasants, servants, &c., those things ought never to be
sold under, any circumatancee, for they 'are net always
aware of their danger, and when, their intention is not
criminal, their application of them is, often destructive.
It is, in feet, like putting gunpowder in the possession of
`C'hild. It is easys: to see how crime it promoted by this
open and easy sale of poisons. When a person conceives
that nidde of horrible revenge, Which is the most treache-
rous anti, subtle of all others, does not the readiness with
which the fatal material of aboniinable can be pro-
cured greatly tend to 'fieilitate the crime? Were' it more
difficult, there. would be some' time for compunction, or
the feat of :consequences to operate, and perhaps teve both
the destroyer and the vietim. Another practice greatly
to be reprobated is the indiecriminate way in which poi-
sons and eertain medicines that resemble them are placed
together in shqs, and scud by ignorant boys, and some-
times by women, so that the, one is 'frequently mistaken
for the ()these Too often have we to record the unfor-
tunate instances of people who lose their lives by this
'predict or are brought into imminent peril •of losing
`there. ''Persona who deal in such things ought at least to
'ire. that vigilance and caution, widish would prevent them
from inflicting calamities on others that are beyond their
power to redress.---Moruiree Herald.
. ,
The niettifesto of the .Fairisethr N ieholaf abont the ;n-
-olo( at Petsirshingli has now been published. There can
be but one opinion coneerning the fate which men like,the
Russiareconspiratees deserved. It is not by dark tionspis
melee that. the istate of nations can be ameliorated ; but by
the open and manly, mlOlOOll of just rights. We confess
that we should not regret are accouq•lisliment of certain
changes in the state of Russia; rind we are .perenaded that
the diffusion of that spirit which butt been So grossly Os-
-directed and ito basely perverted by the Russian conspira-
tor*, 'will speedily' and quietly effect those alterations,
• whiMi.areveeesSary to enable Russia to keep pace with
nations. if the conspirators bad aimed at nothing
but the establishment of a defined system of law, founded
upon the principlese of justice and individUel rights,
their object would have been proper and avowable; but
to talk of a Republic in Russia, or even of a Ow/eminent
like our own, while society is in such a state as it is at
.present in that country, is highly ridiculous, not to say
trim ctul.-• Too little, attention, is in general paid by those
who wish fur the i.tiveneemertt of the cause of rational
liberty, ti, the effect whielt the proPagation ofalound print
00es bus upon thp indivicitatis themselves who are placed
at tin head of aib,iN. Is is generally sepposed that So-
yereigne cannot pessibly have tiny feelings but those of
hostility ,to the cause of the people ; but the fact is, that
Princes. are themselyee,as tum.:lt influenced Eby the state of
public opinion as private indieidualS. Those 'who are
sensible to flattery must be sensible to Mame; and.even
flattery at present
,canuot lie adorioistered with discretion,
essetess dashed with a sprinkling of ,fiberelism. The de-
acesAants Of the Ilattetetis or LOUIS XIV-, would nor preise
hi i present successor for his pulacee, hie splendour, his (em-
power, Or any-or those whjet,t4-whi4:l,
quests,liteitheot lute
9 of pretended tabuiratimi dune,
used to form, toe tree- ,I at
14d t 4am ; they would not praise mast:mated conduct in
spurred to dissolve the Parliament of
g booted and
thry would not: talk of the revoiettien of the Mid
of Nantes as a meask.fre, "t.r ,d
o they did
panegyric, they would
choose such awkward ali•isrer. lie
receive(
Pt* their objeet, for 'web praiaes wouos
ittatilts, as the bitterest of 'ilitrciim% ►as proofs of their
the person addressed.
contempt for the under
let
-of
Flatterers at this momeut, even in the Court of the Gored
e beliberalists, and serve to
Seigoor, must in some degre h • whim,
inthue the minds of saovereigee .
ose r new e- •
inter ests 'p of Sovereigea
will. tend equally to Promote tho
mittof rwhieets, In the of teuseia„ at. no very distant
slate before the late reign,' it very certain, that the most
s • eel e and the •
illiberal prineip t. pre_ considoed
77t.

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