The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-09-07

A1o0V q BIcut DVust VI Vtn P1o6tSsO osA~
superior intelligence in matters Of political and
general legislation end no doubt our political
system ia better on the whole than that Of most
other nations. But when we pass to genera!
legislation. and especially to that branch Of law
which concerns commercial affairs, we must con
fcss, to be honest, that we are very far indeed
behind such nations as England and France.
Of late years every session Of the British
Parliament has witnessed the passage of one or
more acSa irgeniously and deliberately contrived
10 meet new cascs Of commercial and financial
fraud The council which reports that branch
Of the code under the imperial regime 10 France
is constantly occupied in like work though, in
France, judges and juries are LEES apt than they
are with us to give rogues the benefit of doubts.
Nor arc these laws imperative either through
fault in the authorities entrusted with their exc
coion, or through the errors or mismanagcment
of the courts. The directors OF the fraudulent
British Bank icd to ali parts of Europe to es-
cape the penalty OF their misdeeds but they
were all taken, brought back and thrus. into
prison to await their trial So with the French
rcgues who robbed the Rothscnn1At They were
pursued to this country, and in spite Of inccedi-
bic obstacles, they were taken back whence they
came, to stand their trial according to the
laws Of their country. Nor does a knayes
trouble end, in those countries, when he has
been arrested. He is brought to trial. and in
credible as it may appear to us he is actually
convicted when guilty. The last news we had
from England was of Sir John Paul, Strahan
and Bates, who were once BANKERS Of high re-
pute, going out to Australia with batch Of con
victs The French rogues who swiudled the
public in the affair Of the Napoleon docks are
now some Of them in prison, and others in
poverty, in consequence Of the heavy fines they
have paid; somc were great friends OF the En-
peIor aud the government.
How would these matters have worked in this
country? Sir John Paul and his partners would
probably never have been tried. They would
have obtained the opinions OF eminent counsel to
the effect that they had committed no offence
known 10 the law; these opinions would have
been published in the commercial papers; libel
suits would have been threatened against the de-
famers of these excellent bankers and pillars of
the church. They would have retired ffom
buniness with The competency they had obtained
by their robberies, and would have wound up
their connection with the financial world with
pstheihic deuusciation of their enemies. In
course OF time they would have been pointed out
10y fathers to their children as instances of the
success which never fails to attend commercial
shrewdness tempered with piety.
Some people suppose that had these
worthy bankers lived here, they would have
run away, and successfully dcGed detection.
We don't think they would have put themselves
to so much trouble. II is very doubtful whether
Schuyler would have thought it necessary to fly
had he lived here up to the present time. At
the time he manufactured spurious stock, the
tbine was new ard he had every reason to sup
pose that people would make a great outcry
against the novelty; wherefore he sought a new
home abroad. Now, the everlasting Of stock is as
common all occurrence as the robbing of a till.
or the embtzziing Of bank notes; and no sensible
officer who had happened this little accident
would put himself 10 any trouble to get out of
the why. Hcwould bring or threaten an action for
libel sgainst any enc who mentioned what he had
done, and would illuminate proclamations from
time to time to show that he hadn't over-issued
any stock; that If he had he had acted for the
best, aud that the other Wall street men were no
better. But as to running away he wouldn't
think of it
The fact is we have no laws at all tina, will
touch our commercial and financial frauds of the
present day. And until some such laws are con-
triyed il cannot be expected that our knaves
viii be punished, or that this VIII be as safe a
country TO do business in az England or France.
VIRGINIA LaSps IN THE MARKET We have
not heard recently from our chivalrous friends In
the Old Dominion who threatened to hang Mr..
Iii Thaycr because he desired to put some money
in their pockets; but We see by the following adj
vcrtisemept in Florida paper that his idea has
been taken up by some resident spcculators:-
PosssrS,D pox si0-rsu.p DIVISION $50 oco worth
OF farms and building lots gon region Of Calpepper
county, virginia 10 DO divided smyngr 10 100 scrs
the TN o. December, 1857 subscriptions MY $40
doxD NJ sIS, hs down, tue rest delivery Of
deed. Every sutscrbei vii ret buiicng lci farm,
rausiuI il value from $40 s25 600 Tnese farms ana
lnasa es-if tatw