, 1860-05-10
49rtsa NCtibtt1tG
THURSDAY. NAY 10, 1860.


THURSDAY, NAY 10. 1850.
JOHN BULL on AMEHtcA"
We published yesterday the complneo 's~'~
rama. ~ .na London T;mes AMI Lord Grey on
tbe American system Of government anu 'n'
result wss rather appalling to ell believers III
non,,,ar rights and popular capacities. Aris'
tat]e cave it as the sum total of his exhaustive
st,,;7;ae m political affairs, that whether the |
caon,e in uaasa wers more OF less wise than
anr mona, chr or oliganchy, they were moro
honest and therefore more competent to admin"
;stcr their own government Thus be held |
.hat though the earliest governments institu- |
ted would be monarchical, the tendency would
always be towards democracy among people
advancing in civilization. So far as apse dt7'ts
may 60, let the London newspaper and the
Tory noblcman settle their quarrel with tho
philosopher Of Greece, whose doctrines have
mol become so fogyish hui they find plenty ot
adherents in England to this day. osher
Englishmen, very many indeed, tell
us that no particular class Of men
ancs the world began, ever exercised
power long without abusing it AL English
historians confirm this view, and the English
Constitution is a monument specially erected
10 its truth Because King john abused his
power the Barons forced him to sign the
Magma Charta. Because King Charles and
his Star Chamber abused their powers, tne
people beleadcd him and his most obnoxious
minister, and enacted The Petition Of Right
Because King James and his Judges abused
their powers, the people sent him into banisn-
ment, and enacted the Bill Of Rights and the
Act Of Settlement. Because the nobility Of
England have been constantly abusing their
powers, the people have been constantly
superseding them in the business Of govern
mept, until the upper house Of Parliament has
become only a fashionable adjunct Of the leg1s'
lature. Because the bishops have always
played the roac,ionary part in the House Of
Lords, their numbers have been reduced IRON
one.half Of the entire body to less than one"
tenth aud their influence, from commanding
power to something near zero. And me
causes which lave wrought this mighty
change since the people had their reckoning
with one sorereien at Runnymede, ana
another at Whitehall, arc still vigorously at
work. Tacv will not cease until universal
suffrage is obtained, despite the eloquent pro
tests Of nohlc lords, and the fearful pictures O
democracy drawn by the organ OF British
commerce,
Our purpose in noticing tho remarks of Eau
Grey is particularly to call attention to hi
exposition Of certain Wisconsin Legislature
Said he:
at appeared thai 1t was the practice to gran
public lannds to tue Western States for the puE
pose Of encouraging the formation o1 railway
60 obtained, they were used By the independen
States in the munucr they thought best. and
appearcd TINT Railway Company i, w'scor
sin had really purchased the whole governmen
OF TINT State There we're thirteen Senatot
who had received Es5,000 amongst them, j
sums from $4,000 10 5000. There wer
siatr members Of the Lower House wh
had received from FL 900 to e. 900 eact
and there we're only four members VII
volcd for the bill who had not been bfabe
fLaughter aud shear, hear,'l The Goserne
himself had received 10000 1eE his inhueus
in passing tue measure, and his secretary r
oeised 81 900. Even the clerks Of the Hou:
had received from Il 900 to G2, 600 each. otl
ers had received large sums of money, and tt
sum Of 100000 Was placed for the acceptance
those who vera called outsiders. Laughter
This statement did not rest upon mere rumo
but it was the result Of an official inquiry " Il
Legislature, nud the whole transaction had pee
reported by committee Of the House Of kel
re.entatiyes. Such WIS the state OF th,n'
which had arieen III the United States. lie
hear."j
Tho sequel to this sad story would perha
have been less interesting to the Tory side
Parliament than to tho friends Of the Refor
Bill It is as follows. Not one man in t
whole gang Of corruptionists, Of any party, Il
been able TO attain tile smallest othco in
gift OF tue people Of Wisconsin, since the c
posure was made. Not one VIC believe, /
ever been ahle TO secure a nomination
Office. They were a]l politiclans-all hs
been struggling for nearly four years to r
above the tide Of popular indignation VII
overwhelmed them. Not scou adrel Of tn
has been able to do 50. Their friendship
been avoided by all who have aimed at pul
tayor, The mark Of Cain has been upon tt
felouious brows without i solitary except
What does this fact say foE the purity Of ?
ular government?