New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-02-24
CANADA.
JUDICIAL OFFICES BOUGHT AND SOLD
IN CANADA.
From q, O>e.sSonsl Corres2ondsEt.

after making 4 tour OF observation, De WrO'e 10
Mrs. Smythe, lady resident in England; "Que
"bec, Aug. q, l543. ! an making hurFled
tour through my dsminioss - fear toe
whole concern is rotten st tie core" IL is rot
ten; and if some beneficial change does not take
place soon, we. may zee teniod more trouble in
Capads than you have had, thus far in Kansas and
Utah. Persons in trade should urge influential
men in En- gland TO look more clearly to the condi
! ton of things here.
| This day week, the Court Of Queens Bench gave
! Judgment in case which has excited much atter-
! ton in Canada although il is unfortunately only
| ore Of hundreds quite as disgraceful. With you
the ShsrGs are chosen directly by the people, for
brief periods and if their choice is bad the people
have the power 10 amend it. Here, on the con-
trary where teryllity to the agent " the Colonial
Office is the true test of loyalty TO the State, many
| officers are selected BY the Executive during Its
pleasure. Sherifs are thus appointed; aud, if
memory serves me right, Abraham Rapelje was
| selected by Colonial Governor to serve as Sherh
of Norfolk County, &C., nearly forty years since
held Office for an age, and retired in favor of his
son, Henry Van Allen Rapeje, who, considering
the sherfsbip to be his private property IN great
measure, and being DESTROYS of the ease and com
fort Of private life offered that high office for sale
40 openly as an English captain adyertises his
|
Giving" He would take 80, 900 for tor say
80 Geo down, and $ 200 year, to be secured on
freehold estate, during his lRapege's) lifetime
| Those only could bargain with him who had the
favor of John A. Macdonald, our Attorney-Genera
in whose gift, with the assent OF the GOyernorln-
1 Council, the office would be Whenever Rapele
| resipned: and accordingly, one Lawrence W.
Mercer. brother.in-law to John and Samuel Ridout
here, who held in their family the Registrarship Of
| Toronto, York, Peel and Ontario, worth from
s. OC0 to SIC, 900 year, for about thirty years
offered to purchase. Few will believe that Mercer
| the Ridouts, Rspelje, and Dr. Rietiington Connor
practicipg lawyer here, who represents Oxford
| County in the legislature were ignorant that the
! statute of Edward VI, the common law, and a
recent British act expressly incud ng the Colonies
seyerally provide eectuay against such violations
| ofpublic morality. Yet Lawyer Conner, for his
fee, wrote out for Mercer plain, clear, positive
opinion declaring that the bargain and sale Of the
| interest Rapeje had in the Office, and the landed
security to be taken for the annuity would be quite
valid in law. Conner is Chancellor Blake's broth
er-in-law, and one of yonr hot-aspepper patriots-
great in opposition, and was TO have been Dir.
George Browns Solicitor General learned in the
law" notwithstanding that corrupt "opinon
which the Courts have just reprObated. Lawyer
Gait, a son of John Gait, the tar-fhmed novelist
and brother to our Chief Minister Of Finance, Mr.
A. 7. Gait gave like opinion to Rspelje, who, on
the S22 coo being secured to him through his at
torney resigned; and, without asking her party
any questions as 70 Why man In fine health had
thus thrown up at the age of - an office worth in
some hands perhaps 81, 400 year but which, IN
Rapclie's hands, netted $4,000, Mr.. Macdonald
htOnce appointed the man who had bought the
place as principal Sheriff, to administer law and
Justice on the north shores Of Lake Erie, in the
room Of the worthy who had sold out to him.
The people, however, were indignant at having
a stranger thus thrust upon them; and In my Judg
ment the electors ought to choose their own
Sheriff, which would help to destroy that corrupt
ing central influence which proved so injurious to
New-York State before ISi7, and would have been
got rid Of here ere now had not Mr.. George Brown,
leading patriot OF very questionable pubic
| character, and who is also editor Of The Globe
here, continually opposed motions in Assembly to
apply the elective principle TO the appointment OF
Sheriff, Registrar Clerk Of the Peace, &c., all
| over Canada. Mr.. Brown looked for Office, and
probably expected to require the bad old Influence,
which five hundred to one thousand places, worth
| from 81 900 to 1000 year each, would occa-
sionally give. Last Monday, Mr.. Morrison, lately
proprietor of The Daily COiOHist, wrote letter IL
The Leader plainly affirming that, at the time
when Mr.. Brown was in the midst OF his struggle
for place. last August, political agents, authorized
! by him, waited upon Mr. Morrison, Offering HIM
| reasonable prospect Of profits equal to $4,000
Il Il
| Brown in The ColOnist What the brbe was, j
know not; most probably it was half the enormous
| profits of the great monopoly OF Queens Printer
Instead fan indignant disclaimer as 10 this BRIDE,
Mr Patriot Brown and bis Globe seem 10 feel that
| it is the part Of prudence 10 keep silent.
The citizens of Norfolk held public meetings the
moment they heard that Mercer was put over them
| the magistrates refused 10 accept his b0nds-a
deputation waited upon thu members OF the Execu-
! tive Council at Toronto, and offered, and stood
ready 10 prove the disgraceiul bargain Mercer had
| made with Rapelie; but Mr. Macdonald and his
unworthy colleagues held fast 10 Mercer, rejected
all densnds for inquiry, gazetted Mercer theresittf
as Sheriff. and Of cOupe, the Governor zone OF the
Head family must have sssented to this d.shonor-
/ able scheme. Mercer WAS the iTiend ana follower
| Of Macdonald. Gov. Heads best man, and hld ms
conditional ;omise Of tie Office even before RsPeJe
! had resigned H. .
Thus EsfFed by the colonial oilice-holders, the
people of Norfolk applied 10 the Legislature, a
Committee of Which TOOK evidence, clearly proving
/ the ilegs and immoral transaction to have taken
place as above stated, although whether any direct
/ tribe went into the hands OF any member OF Mac
! DOnalds Government, the testimony did NOT snow
Mr.. Foley moved, IN June last, to address Gov.
! Head. representing that the Mercer appointment
W.. corrupt and criminal, and if permitted to be
:. copsummsted With mpunity, would lead 10 re-
Z" suits In the highest degree demorallzing, and
! praying that MERGERS commission might be re-
"yocied" "a clear majority Of the Upper Canada
members supported Mr. Foley, but a larger party
from French Canada joined the official people west,
and being headed by NJ. Thibandeau, rhom Hr.
Rr1e. aftsr,cars s,Letted his % Minister Of Agr-
culture. who moved to eIonerate the Govern
- ulent from all bame, they gave the main Qnes-
ton the go-by and voted that If The lave were IN
! sufficient (which they well knew they were not),
Ia preyent such abuses. the House was quite ready
~ tegslste for the future. The majority also re-
4 - l,enaral 70 =.