Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-07-09

at period coeval With the settlement Of America, We
down the line Of the Chancelors and chief Justices
from Lord Bacon and Sir Edward Coke to the close Of
the last century, II will in any generation, be
free from the record of personal official and political
infrmty. from which unfriendly censor might have
drawn differences hostile to the integrity of the tribunals
Of England If not to the soundness OF her public sent
ment. But he would have erred. The character ofgov
ernments and Of nations must be gathered from large
experience from general results from the testimony of
ages thousand years, and a revolution in almost
every century, have been necessary TO build up the
constitutional fabric of England to its present pro-
portions and strength. let her no. play the I'm.
friendly censor If some portions Of our newly con-
structed State machinery sometimes heard 10
crate and jar. With respect TO the great two-edged
sword with which justice smites the unaithfu public
servant the present Lord Chancellor aie Chief Justce
of England observes of the acquita of Lord Melville in
1906 that it showed that impeachment can no longer
be relied upon for the conviction Of State Offences and
only be considered test OF party strength" while
Of the standard OF professional literature the same ven
cradle magistrate who untes the vgor OF youth to the
experience aud authority Of fourcore years. remarks
with candor not very ittering TO the United States,
that down to the end Of the reign Of George the Third
"a. d., l820l England excelled by contemporary
judicial authors not only in France Italy and Germany
but in America" will only add that of the very
great number Of judges Of the Federal and State Courts
although frugal salaries short terms of Office and the
elective tenure may sometimes have called incompetent
men to the benefit is not within my recollection that
single individual has been suspected even Of pecunary
corruption.
Next in Importance to the integrity Of the Courts in
well governed State is the honesty Of the Legislature
remarkable instance OF wholesale corruption In one Of
the new States of the West consisting Of the alleged
bribery Of considerable number Of the members Of the
Legislature, by corrupt distribution Of railroad bonds
is quoted by Lord Grey as specimen of the corruption
inf al hath ofN II
of the States and showing he state Of things which
has arisen in that country" Ii was very dscredable
occurrunce certainly, (f truly reported, and Of that
know nothng) illustrative hope, not OF "a state Of
things" which has arisen in America but Of the degree
to which large bodies Of men, OF whom better things
might have been expected, may sometimes become so
infected when the mania Of speculation epidemic, that
principle prudence aud common sense break down in the
eagerness TO clutch at sudden wealth. In bubble sea-
son the ordinary rules OF morality lose their controlling
power for while, under the temptation of the day. The
main current of private morality in England probably
flowed deep and strong ever both before and after
the South Sea frauds when Cabinet ministers and Court
ladies and OF the highest personages in the realm
ran mad after dishonest gains aud this in Engands Au-
GUSTAV age Lord Granville in reply, observed that the
"early legislation Of England in such matters not
so free from reproach as 20 justify in attrbutipg the
bribery in America solely to the democratic character
Of the government and the Bographer Of George Ste
phenson furnishes facts which abundantly confirm the
truth of this remak After describing the extravagan
length which railway speculation was carried 10 that
country in ls44-ls45 Mr.. Smiles proceeds:
Parliament, whose previous conduct in connection
with railway legislation open to apprehension, in
erposed no check, attempted no remedy. On the con-
rary il helped intensity the evil arising from this
seemly state OF hings Many ofits members them
selves involved in the manis and much interested in It's
continuance the vulgar herd Of money grab6ers
The railway prospectuses now issued unlike the Liver
pool and Manchester and London and Birmingham
schemes we're headed by peers, barouets landed pro-
pretors and strings Of N. Ps. Thus it found 10
1915 that not fewer than hundred and 6ftyseven
Members OF Parliament on the list OF new compa.
nies subscribers for ranging from tao hundred
and ninety thousand pounds sterling mot far from
q million and haf Of dollars downwardsl The pro-
pretors Of lines came 10 boast OF their para
mentary strength aud the number OF votes they could
command 10 the House The influence which land
ers had formerly brought to bear upon Parliament, in
resisting railways when called for by the public necess
ties employed 10 carry measures of far differ
ent kind originated in cupid y, knarery aud folly
But these gentlemen had discovered by this time that
railways we're golden mine to them. They sat at
railway boards sometimes selling TO themselves their
lands at their own price, and paying themselves with
the money Of the unfortunate stockholders Others used
the raii,cdy mania a convenient and 10 hemseiUes in
erDensive mode Of purchasing Constituencies. Ii
strongly suspected that honorable members adopted
what Yankee legislators call logroing that is you
help me roll log anu VIII neip you 10 roll yours
At all events is natter OF fact that through parlia
mentary influence many utterly runous branches and
extensions projected during the MANIA calculated only
TO benefit the inhabitants OF few miserable old BOROUGH
accidentally omitted from schedule A. authorized 10
the memorable session of lsi4-45.-[Smiles Life Of
Stephenson, p. 57l
These things, be Il remembered, took place. not in
aewy gathered republic just sproutng, SO to say into
existence on the frontier inhabited by the pioneers of
civilization who had rather rushed together than grown
up to the moral traditions OF ancient community; but
they took place at the metropolis OF the old monarchy in
Europe the centre of the civilized world where public SER
ment propped by the authority of the heart of the
old English oak encased whit life circles Of thousand
years. | was in London at the height of the mania
saw the Railway King he called at the zenith Of
his power; member Of Parliament, through which he
walked quietly it said, with sixteen railway
bills under his arm almost fourth estate of the realm
his receptions crowded like those Of Royal Prince and
saw the gilded bubble burst. But did write home
to nv government that this marvellous state Of things"
showed the corruption which springs from hereditary in
suons nor did hint that extension Of the right Of
suffrage aud moderate infusion Of the democratic prin
cple the only remedy.
have time for few words only on the "unscrupulous
and oyeroearng tone" which is said by Lord Grey to
mark our intercourse with foreign nations"
"If an European nation." he observes were to act
in the manner il could not escape for single
year We ourselves save been repeatedly the verge
of quarrel with the United States. With divergence
of interest but the strongest possible interest on both
sides TO maintain the closest friendship, have more
than been the Of quarrel and that great
calamity has only been avoided because the
OF this country has had the goodsense TO treat the gov,
ernmel Of the United States much as We should treat
spoiled children and though the right clearly our
side has yielded the unreasonable pretensons Of the
United States There danger that this may be pushed
too far, and that question may sriss which our
honor and our Interests will make concession part
impossible"
No one is an impartial Judge in his own case. If we
should meet these rather ndiscreet suggestions in the
only way 10 which charge without specifications be
met-by denial as broad the asserton-the matter
would be left precisely II stood before; that IT, each
party in its national cont OVERSEES thinks itself right and
its opponent wrong, which is not uncommon in
human affairs public aud private. This at least may be
added without fear Of contradiction, that the United
States. in their intercourse with foreign governments
have absained from all interference In European politics.
aud have confined themselves the protection Of their
own rights and interests As far as concerns theoretical
doctrines the subjects usually controyered between
governments distingui aed English magistrate and ci
william pronounces the lhoIty of the United States ITO
be always great upon all questions OF international Law"
(R Philmores International Law, vol Ill, p 1852 Ma
ny of the qesons which have arisen between this
try and England have been such most keenly touch
the national suscepbilities That in discussing these
questions at home and abroad no dispatch has been
written, word uttered in warmer tone than might
be wished is not to be expected and is as likely to have
happened on side Of the water the other. But
that the intercourse Of the United States with Great
Britain has in the MAN, been conducted earnestly in
deed as becomes powerful States treating important
subjects, but courteousy, grayey, and temporarily,
one well acquainted with the facts will, think deny.
IL would not be difficult to pass ia review prnc
pal controversies with Engaud and to show that when
she has conceded any portion of our demands, It has
not been because they urged in ian INSCRIPTIONS
and oyerbearing tone fan idea not very compliment