New-York daily tribune., 1843-07-22
:, Mo. Tra,,e in Measuring.n

| argument; II any udse iioSi " :
will read it at once. Whatever OF iorce or reason
there is in it, we desire to have duly considered
There is an odd look on the face OF tins matter
Hon. Paul Grout, an eminent and sweeping
7 oco Foco legislator, thorough Free Trader,
.nd devont believer in the axiom that the world
;s Governed too much appearing as the cham
MON of Compulsory Measuring 'by authority,
while I, who differ from him emphatically on all
the abstract propositions which would seem to
bear on this question, am found on the opposite
side Some mistake here, is there not The fact
that Mr.. Grout holds the Office of Mcasurer- Gen.
eral of Grain, while still enjoy that blessed ex.
/ emption from official cares which has ever been
my good fortune, would hardly seem adequate TO
explain this discrepancy.
Let us first see what the matter in dispute real
! ly is. for the letter OF Mr.. Grout does not seem
TO throw the cleares. light on this point. There
is in this City State Measurer General Ito wit,
Mr. Grout) and several sub. Measures of Grain
the latter doing the work under the supervision oi
the former, and receiving share OF the proceeds.
Very we'll: agree to all this. But the City had
municipal power to appoint Measurers also, and
did so until our late Wing Common Council SO
modified the ordinance as to direct the Mayor TO
commission every good citizen to measure who
should make application and give satisfactory Sc
curty for the faithful discharge of the duties of
| Measurer. This modification | heartily approve,
but Mr. Grout does not, deeming it (er oGcio)
fraught with peril and mischief TO the community,
who will be cruelty cheated in grain unless it shall
be measured in his bushel. confess that this
peril does not appear SO formidable in my eyes
probably bccaused am farther removed from it.
But Mr.. Daniel Adee, who was lately a State
hleasurer and Of course then gifted with the suf-
ficent official capacity and uprghtness, has been
turned out to make room for one of Mr.. Grout's
subordinates, yet he thinks he can measure grain
still Deluded man! he does not perceive, in
the depth of his unofficial blindness, that 'the vir-
tue has gone out Of him. 1t happens that other
people, likewise laboring under the dsqualifica-
ton of holding no office, also blind to his loss
of capacity. They therefore, being buyers and
sellers of Grain, employ Mr.. Adee to measure for
them-or rather, as appears by the testimony ad
duced in MIR. Grout's suits, he is hired by them
to labor generally, and then set to measuring
Grain as part of his duties For the heinous
offence of thus measuring, contrary, as alleged,
to the statute in such cases made and provided
and to the manifest attenuation of Mr.. Grout's
wallet, Mr.. A. is brought up in one Of the Ward
Courts, and there he is sometimes made to suffer
and sometimes isn't, just as the Jury happen to
view the premises. l am compelled to believe
that either the Law or the Justice is very decl.
dedly on Mr.. Grouts side, otherwise cannot see
how he should ever get a verdict. 1t must beaa
tough job TO Jury to give him one.
My friend the Mcasurer General, who has be-
come, er ogicio, not only an advocate of Pro
lection bat a warm champion Of Law and Or
der also, is afraid there is 'fagitious intent
i'll my intimation that there are JURIEs to scruti-
nizc such actions as his. [ cntreat him to dis
miss his apprehensons. All | desire is that Ju-
ries shall look at the whole matter as upright,
intelligent, and law-respecting men, doing Justice
as nearly as the law will allow theEl and not suf-
fer the Liberty of Working to be infringcd by
mere Judicial assumption, as think the Liberty
O; Speaking and Writing has been. No treason
here, is there
Now accept all Mr.. Grout urges in support
of the expedicncy of Mcasurcrs of Grain, &c.
This is ri ght. am decidedly in favor of Meas
urers and of a Measurer- General, if he be an cs-
sential part Of the system. dcmur only tc, com
peiiing men to employ Mr.. Grout and his subor-
dinates. Just look at the reason Of the thing.
John Nokes is country merchant, who brings
or sends down a sloop-load of Wheat !; Sylvester
Scrip, Broad-strect man, buys the cargo at nine
shlngs bushcl. The next stcpis to determine
| how many bushels there are. Here walk IN Mr..
Paul Grout and Mr.. Daniel Adee, each offering
to measure the Gram for q consideration. Mr..
Adec says to the buyer and seller: Gentlemen,
will measure your Grain for mill a bushel ;
have measured for you thousand times; you
know whether am or am not entitled to your
implicit confidence But Mr. Grout stands
with his hands in his pocket saying Gentlemen,
you mast hire me to measure your Grain, whe-
ther you will or no, and whether YOU have con-
fidence in my honesty or not. One of you may
kno,s that will not measure fairly, but favor
the other party, and yet you must employ me
and you must pay me what the law allows me-
though you can get the work better done for hall
| the money.'-Now am in favor OF an cfficen,
Government, and of protecting the People against
fraud and imposture, bat really, Mr. Grout, yonr
Protection goes good deal farther than | can
follow.
But, says Paul, these free Measluers may not
measure honestly; they may be in pay of one par.
ty; they may act as arbters in Disputes, and ia.
voy the party which gives them most custom
don't you see that IN the boy 10 co the business
/ LII,