New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-03-23

There is a great deal OF legislation needed 70
" make the General Government independent OF
State control and independent OF the power OF
rpobs whenever and wherever ts MEASURES
" chance 10 BE- unpopular. As Congress has got
70 be untrustwOrtby the Supreme Court has 70
supply it's place and make law by Judicial decisions
i am inclined TO take the opposite view from Mr..
Curtis and 10 suggest that there IS great deal of
legislation needed 10 make he States independent OF
the control Of the slavehO1iDg Supreme Court.
The mention of Mr.. Curtis name, puts me IN mind
of she fact, that his libel suit against y. b. Mus
sey & Co., has at last been determined by the ST.
preme Court. In May. 1851, during toe Congress
slonsl contest in the IYth District OF this State,
which finally resulted in IKE defeat of M Palfrey
a speech was delivered at Lancaster by HOr.ce
Mann, IN which he reviewed the decision OF Mr..
Curtis in the Sims case. and got only that. but eX
pressed some opinions decidedly not complimentary
Of Mr.. Curtis bimself. He spoke OF his decision
as 81 verbal legeTdemsn,' legal Jesultsm, " max
- ing proof out Of nothing - dscredtable TO the
profession OF the law and dishonOrable 10 the
Commonwealth" more like forgery than an
argument" - partisan and ignoble act. de
also suggested q comparison between the C0mmls-
siOner and Plate and Judas. This speech was
published with others, making volume OF Mr.
MAINS writings, by Mussey q Co. Now, Mr.
Curtis is no; so cool man az Mr.. Hallet. You
recOllect that when some one called Mr.. Halett
Judas" he remarked 10 Mr.. f. ID. Soher that
he did not care anything about it. Very well
said Soher .'but what do you suppose Jptas
"wOuld saw Curtis, not being so lndiierenttO
his own reputation as iIsllett-or possibly more
solictous for that of Plate and Judas-sued the
publ bers Of the book for a libel. They, in reply,
denied any intent to Willy; denied that the Ian
gusge was libelOus; pleaded that it was spoken for
political purposes, in discussion OF matter OF
great public interest and so on. The plaintiff de-
INJURED to this answer that it did not state
legal defense. Judge Fletcher Oyerruled
the demurrer and reported the ease to
the Full Bench, before which it was ar
gUed in 1854. The Court held that the want of
actual intent to libel rendered the publication no
lets libel if such its natural effect, aud that
the charges on their face appear TO be libelOuS;
that they were not privileged communications; and
finally that the answer was not a complete defense
aud legal bar; but 6s there were still questions at
issue the case must stand for further proceedings.
The defendants moved for a jury trial. but the
fingered along TIL after Mr. Mussey's death, when
il was settled by ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS for Mr..
Curtis in FIRE dollars and costs up to the time of
the decision on the demurrer. The decision will
appear in the 9TH Of GrayS Reports and not only
the decision but the libel ITSELF covering three or
four pages OF small type. Thus the Court have
taken exquisite revenge upon Mr.. Curtis for plac-
ing upon them the necessity Of even seeming TO
yiDdicate his reputation against Mr.. Mamie crtl-
cisms.
There is to be celebration Of Jefersons birth
day Anti Slavery and State rights princ pies at
the Parker House, in this city, the 18th of April,
which conforms TO his birthday (the ID in old
style). The Hunkers will celebrate the same event
at Salem on the lst. Ex-GOv Boutwell, will pre-
side at the Parker House celebration, and invita-
tons have been sent TO the most eminent Republi-
cans throughout the Union TO attend.
JickuOr d Fields announce number of new
hnnl limo ham five Of fulau
travel by Richard Ii. Dana, jr.; the life of The
Ophilus Parsons the great ChieEJustice of Mas
sachusetts by his son, Professor Parsons;
Dante's Inferno, translated by Il. w. Par
sons; "reminiscences of Godfrey Hsmlyn,
a London novel which has made great sensation;
Poems of Percyal with an original biography,
Oven Meredith, Gerald Massey and Motherwell;
new volume by SAKE; the Avenger and other
papers, by De Quincy; Tennyson's new poem,
Guesses at TRUTH two new volumes of +. w.
RObertsOns works two books by Mrs. Jameson;
8 new book for boys by Mayre Reid; ritngs of
he Rev. +. ID. Maurice; Life Of Arnold Of Rugby;
Goethe's Correspondence with Bettine, &c.
Phillips, Sampson q Co., are going to publish
novel called Sea.Clih, BY j. W. De Forest. Mr..
I. III. Underwood has returned to their estab
hshmont, and will be again connected with the
management of The Atlantic Monthly, which is
now looked upon by the BOstOnans as one of their
established institutions. The article on Agra
rianlsm in The April number, is by G. C.. Haze
well; Odds and Ends from the Old World by DR..
Antonio; Drifting, by T. Buchanan Read; the
Utah Expedition, by Albert G. Browne, jr.
MIR. Whippe's Lectures at the Lowell Institute,
fully attended and are regarded by his friends
the best things he has yet achieved. Mr.. Emerson
comes this week, when hope that Freeman Place
Chapel will be filled with quiet and appreciative
company of listeners, like that which he usually
brings cut.