Worcester daily spy., 1859-08-06

clear, brought from Leyden to Plymouth, viz :;
= Common Schools.
The Registration of Deeds.
Civil Marriage.
What concerns the schools OF Holland have
fully discussed on another occasion.
You are well aware, Mr. President, that in
the days of the Pilgrims the old Saxon custom
of publicity of conveyances had fallen into dis
use, and that there was no registry of deeds
in any part of England, the statutes, provid-
ing for such registration in few counties, dat
ing only from the time of Queen Anne.
A learned English jurist, Mr.. Joseph Parker
has written work upon the laws regulating
real property in America, in the hope of i'm
proving the English law and securing gener-
al registration of deeds. Mr.. Parkes has de-
clared that the civilization and prosperity of
country may be judged by the facilities which
attend its transfers ofland.
But few years since, when an attempt was
made i'll England to pass general registration
act, it was met by an indignant protest from
the conveyancers who declared that they had
vested interestin in the obscurity Of titles.
The Pilgrims had in Holland opportunities
to observe the advantages of registration-the
deed of John Robnson's own house was, as we
have seen, recorded-and one of their earliest
acts was toprovide for registry of all deeds of
land in Plymouth; an example soon after
The security of families and of SUGGESTIONS
was also increased by making record by the
magistrates of all marriages, and by having
their participation in the ceremony. For this
course the Plymouth colonists were attacked
in England, when Edward Winsow declared
to the Lords Commissioners for the plantations
in America, "that marriage was a civil thing ;
besides civil marriage was no new thing, for
he had been so married himself in Holland by
Magistrates in their Stadt-House."
But greatest good of all things which the
Pilgrims found in Holland was freedom of
speech-the liberty of searching for the truth,
and of freely discussing it. This they steadily
maintained until IVA, when the Royal Cover
nor in Boston sought to control opinion by de-
claring that town meetings should only be con-
voked by his order. Perhaps no one measure
tended more in the country districts to CON
centrate that spirit which year after showed
itself at Lexington and at Bunker Hill, than
this attempt from the capital to limit the free
dom of speech.
1t is related that at the close of the war
Washington said to that son of the Old Col
ony who had received the sword of Cornwallis
at Yorktown, eve know what we Virgin
ians have been fighting for, with our fine
farms and climate, but can you tell what you
New Englanders have fought for, with your
granite rocks and your cold and barren land %
10 which the ready reply of General Lincoln
was, eyes we fought for the liberty of using
our heads and our hands" For freedom Of
speech and freedom of action.
Fortunately in our day these are secure.
Should any attempt be made at the present
time to assai the freedom of speech, it would
utterly fail and recoil upon its abettors, who
would shrivel into nothing before the silent
contempt of the grave and the mirth Of the
humorous.
The effects Of censorship upon thought we
can hardly comprehend without looking to
despotic countries, and the hero of Beau
marchais's comedy has given us a very good
definition of freedom of speech as there under
stood. During my absence" he says, "a
new institution has sprung up called Freedom
of Speech; and, provided l say nothing of
politics and nothing of morals-nothing of his
tory and nothing of sprudence-nothing
of men in place and nothing of men who
are trying to get into pace-nothing of
great public bodies which have discredited
themselves-I am at liberty to utter all my
opinions; subject, however, to the control
OF body Of censors, who, as they hold public
office, naturally represent all the wisdom,
learning and virtue Of the community"
Mindful of the fruits of early sacrifices,
which we now enjoy, permit me, Mr., President,
to propose as a sentiment
Freedom of speech and freedom of action
the liberty to use our heads and our hands
for which the Pilgrim Fathers Of New Eng
land suffered-the revolutionary fathers of
New England bed; may grateful posterty
ever guard the precious heritage"