The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-10-26
LOED STIRLING.

The October number Of the North American
Review, just rcceircd contains the fulioi0ei
article on subject which has attracted d coed
de2' OF interest during tie few months pass.
! NINpICArIoN or THE RIgVrS AND Thus. PolitislI
AID Territorial, of ALEXANDER, Bart of Nt.rlu,g
aud DSvan, and Lord Proprietor OF Canada AM
Nova Scotia. BY John L. Hayes, Counsellor 20
Law Washington 1853, svo. Pc. 81, 20.
SIR WILLIAM ALEXANDER, the PHILOSOPHER
| ana poet, the most brilliant man IN tho court
of James vi Cf Scotland, followed his King 10
London, and therceforth reEounccd lcttcrs f.r
politics. He was created Scotch peer. with
numerous tides, Of which the Ear 81 Sa.r-
ling" is the Inoss convenient fo- use. He had
previously received in 1921 4 grant Of Nc5a
Scotia with the title OF Hereditary Lieutenant.
| TINS grant was confirmed by Charles | On E.I
accession 20 the thccne, and three J ears after
ward was augmented b the charter Of Can
ada, Including fifty leagues Of bounds On to-a
sides Of the river So. Lawrence aad the great
| LaktS" In addition 70 administrative pow
| eTs almost without limit, lie VAS authorized
70 appoint enc hundred and fifty baru1ets, and
| nearly Fifty Of tho present baEunets in tIrca-
| Britain actually hold their raoI IN yiG,us al
| patents granted By HIN. lie deso,-d his CO.
tire fortune TO the colonization al defence 81
| his domains and when Nova Sc8tIs fell iatu
the hands OF the French, he received uoE..a.
! y =
inr mis- losses. This sum sill TeE7eiGs UNPAID
Dor!ug the subsequent polis:oai ,roa5lc- q taa
seventeenth century, the Stirling estates al
Scotland passed into other hand, v.i,- the
| tTGn5atlantic claims Of the family were hcGls-
sandy IN allegiance during tho French oocupE-
tion q the American provinces. Shorty at3r
the rostorGt!oa Of Canada and Nova Soy1.l 20
the British Gown, the last mals heir cl the
Stir..nS family died, leaving his rights 10y TIC
ocotSi6d law opufcmcd 10y express provision IN
tne royal chGrteTsj to the elde5s female heir.
She died unmarried, and her sister and legal
hex married William Hunrhrvs, Of The
La7ches, county Of Warwick. ald became the
nlo;her or Alexander, who Low caims the tides
OF LIS l-iustrlou2 ancestor, and demands, as his
legAl aud equitable Que, some consideration for
the lapse of his Territorial iahc.- slpcs and the
| suspended debt due 60 his i2El.... ~ lie
| proper processes Of law NJ established III. jisia
/ IN the Scotch courts, ard from 1925 60 1897
| he voted Is q peer of Scotland. He was rccCg-
Missed as Earl o. Stirring - va.icus tines By
the LORD Chancellor, the CaieS Justices Of the
| kIng'8 Bench, and the Court CT Coram0n Pleas,
and the Privy Council. It seems certain that
his ttular hOn0rs would have been left undis-
putcd, had ne not, in 1852. III q petition to the
KIM, preferred his claim for s.e dabs incurred
| by Charles 10 bis ancestor amounting with
| interest, TO clio 0OO This claim was no doubt
regarded as toe precursor 70 stlli mere FORM
liable demands, and from that time the Crown
oihcers for Scotland comm0rCGt q series Of
hostile MT asuTc5, designed e. brand the claim
ant with ign0miny as @ fraudulent prcteuder
Their master stroke was prosecution for for-
gerry. The principal charge related 10 sigma
lures bearing date l7O6, 1907 and 17l2 ap-
pended to documents endorsed upon 4 map,
known to have been fist published in 1903
hut I'll r - l.
scription, "Par Gui!Gume 90 lisl5, premier
Geographic dr. Roi title which Was not con-
lerred upon De lIsle hy royal patent til IT'S.
This Gnachroniau was the paint chiefly relied
upon for the proseousioa. ESrsrts rr0nou leed
the questioned writing ana iigo9+g-c7 genuine.
Al the same tine IL was RI svn &. 10 1T le.ss
highly probable that lie Else Id a>.uuaa
tie tide o. first gcGgraPhcr before q vas iyrI1-
ally conferred upon hir5. That lie DID so ID
now beyond dispute, foT there exists in this
country full collection Of his original MAPS,
on no less than thirteen Of which, published be-
tween 1903 and IT'S, the tite Premier &c
ogrsphe du R1i" is inscribed. The jury ac-
quilted Lord Stirling, notwithstanding the
strongest efforts Of the court aud the oficcrs Of
State to Insure his conviction and the verdict
was received by the poyp.e Of Edinburgh y,ith
so strong demonstration Of en- h.sia m, t.as
he escaped with difficulty from being made taa
hero of triumpbal procession and p,pu'ac
ovation.
The domains granted to thc fr-5 Es.l of
Stirling included, ia addition 60 Nova Scotia,
New Brunswick, Prince EiEaEd's Island aaG
Canada, q considerable portion IF SIairo ii,ch-
igan, and Wisconsin, together with strip Of
laad reaching from the head waters OF Like
SuperiCr 20 the Gulf Of California. aad 'suu
laads and bounds adjacent to tie sid Cr'f ou
the wcs: aud south, Wheeler trey le found
part Of the continent or mainland, Or Sn Isl
and as It is thought they ere which "a C III
monly called and distinguished ny the name Il
California" OF course, the juuens. ~ Of thcse
claims is alone g, ri ,iont to d..eIt them
Such grants were in almost every cats iuey-
itably futile; for it was in the nature Of thing
impossible for individual subj sets 10 eztcgd ald
maintain aC.5 Of ownership over sha paper elu-
pics which KiUg9 ss Ignorant as they v ga
reckless, we're ready 10 cyds i0r e sorE. Bus
if the present claimant is ialcod Ia We believe
bin TO b,) tie legal reroye1ta.iye Of .he FIST
Earl, there can l. TO toubt thuJ he "a moral
ly speaking, entitled 20 the principal and IL
tercss Ct tho debt secured hY rJy3i bond 10 his
ancestor and that 1t welI n.s be unworthy
the maguanimitv of both the Byit'sh y ysln-
mcGt AMI cur own to tender him Some honor
able consideration for the entire loss 10 LIS
family through the fortunes Of yrar. Il rove
uue, and benefit from the bono 2 aul. Ey- this
times immense outlay Of Lis ancc-..- in tl5
coi3Dz stion Ct the Western wiliernesg. IL il
now in this country, eng, god in measures pre-
Urinary TO the further prosecution nt s1iU q
his alleged rights as he can hope TO zee fae'S-
used. The book before Ia was written by o.,
of his legal advisers and i ch1racterztd LY
lucidness of statement and c75e0ey Of reason
ing We have also On cur table q lu;-ru-
script opinion Of Dir. EeverIy Johnson, cz-
pressing his entire concurrence with Sir.
Hayes rs to the facts and principles ~ law
stated in his argument, and closing rs iJl-
lows:
" Although Lord Stirling, on account &C the
vastness Of his legal rights, has failed thus fAr
to secure their full recognition, we are of opjn-
ion that, when hi5 case Is flir!y presented iar
compromise, the British G0ycrnmcns cannot
wisely or hOnorab!y refuse HIM a II =s liberal
cum for tho surrender Of HE vast rights AMI
privileges including, besides the right % many
millions of aces OF public land 10 tie Colonies,
tho right of fishery on the coasts o. CSra1a,
Nova Scotia, and New B,uuswick ;ho rights
Of royalty, and the extraordinary rriy.lCgr
of creating baronets, al secured LYu,i1uhsed
charters and confirmed By the highest judicial
and official sanction"
A USEFUL Hint The difference between
rising every morning at s.E Gud az eight. 81.
the course OF forty ycass aI0oGats t. 20 POO
hours or three years enc hundred end twenty
one days. and sixteen hours " bich axe equal