Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-08-23
DAILY EVENING STAR.
[FoE the Evening start
The very last Clutch at tho Treasury.


members of tn. Alexander family of Alex
andria county, in connection with SUBJ
iect which has assumed at least temper
airy interest in the public eye. You have
styled it the I" Bubble of the day." but so
many of the editorial fraternity have lent
their aid of late in initiating it, that its
appearance at least has become pOr-
tent: while to many it must still be a
mystery. As you have thought proper to
direct momentary attention to myselfin
connection with this bubble, or pOrtent,
or mystery, whichever it may be, you
will hold me excused, no doubt, for Oc-
cupying a small portion of your space IN
discussing it.
A parsonage who is styled the Earl of
Stirling, and who lays claim as such to
almost regal prerOgatiyes in Canada and
Nova Scotia, after figuring somewhat con-
spicuously, though not very gloriously, in
the recent annals of British Jurisprudence,
has transferred the scene of his operations
to this country. In common with your
self have been surprised at the attempt
of certain American editors, chiefly be-
lieye of the INTERCHANGEABLE type, to
make political capital out of this claim.
thus placing Young America in the anom-
alOus position of supporting one of the
most gigantic mOnopOlies of old Europe.
To common apprehension, the question,
as you justly say, would seem to rest
exclusively between the claimant and his
own Government. His own Government
at any rate has taken this view of the
question, and Judged no doubt that by the
formal and searching investigation of the
case at Edinburg in the year 1899 it had
disposed of 1.-The Earl" and his pretensions
forever.
It's impossible, of course. to repeat here
what is so effectively said upon this sub
iect in Blackrood's Magazine, april and
May, 1851 which again is but nara
tive of what was still more effectively
done at the trial aforesaid. Itmay suffice
at present to state, for the information of
those not otherwise enlightened, that after
long and patient investigation, during
which (if there be any trusting to official
report) great tenderness and considera-
ton were manifested for "the panel" or
prisoner, several documents adduced in
support of the claim were pronounced to
be forgeries, though "the Earl himself
wasdisrnissed under theconvenient Scotch
formula of mot proven" so far as his own
personal completely in those forgeries was
concerned. 1t was assumed apparently
that he had in this respect been the dupe
of others who had practised on his too
easy credulity. Yet not the less did the
verdict of the jury on that occasion I'M
dermine the whole fabric of proof, since
the phrase mot proven" as again applied
to the forgery of certain other papers,
was manltcStly an evasion rather than a
decision. At all events, a tombstone
which could no where be found, an ex-
ccrpt OF charter no where recorded, and
numerous Superscriptions on an old map
of Canada were distinctly discrcdited.-
And 50, the prediction of the redoubted
French Sybil, Madame de Normand, (paid
for as Biackwood asserts with guineas)
that the claimant after suffering great
troubles would come to great honors" re-
mains to this day unfulfilled, and, as re-
CARDS the British tribunals, apparently
hopeless.
1t can well be conceived that by dwell
ling long and exclusively on cherished
idea, one may become an involuntary &C
complete in the work of his own selfde-
ception. But this consideration as an
argument for forbearance loses its force
where the interests of others are liable to
be lnjurlously affected by the result. In
letter from British officer of much
and merlted distinction, find it stated
that an office was formerly opened in
London IL connection with this claim for
the sale of land titles in the British prov
lnccs, and that large sums were realized
by that expcdient. This imposed upon
the British Government the necessity of
interference. II a similar course is to be
pursued in this country, | will just hint
that 1t might be as well for those disposed
to deal IN Nova Scotia rights of piscQru or
tHfbary, first TO inquire what has been the
net profit hithertoto those earlier custom
erS of 1.-The Earl" or what may be the
marketable value of those previous grants
to the Smiths and Jones's of Parliament
street and the Strandl
Or Is it after ALL that the whole thing
Is but, as you represent it, "a scheme on
the part Of well known Spectators to
get mp claim on the United States trea-
sury for indemnify" If so, we shall
witness some of -hese days. not "a bub-
bic, hut the full-blown efiiorescence of
q new Galphinism.
Taking occasion to say, in passing,
that yon are totally mistaken in suppos-
ing that | ever brought suit for the title
and estates, | beg leave to subscribe my
self, Very respectfully, &c.
Z. A. ALEXANDER.
Washington City, August 30, 1853.
THE MYSTERIES OF CooKERY.-Iti is said
that some OF the great cooks of ancient
l.rnncc carried their art to Snch nnrfnnf;ar,