New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-04-23
yrom Our Special Correspondent,
LONDON. April 9. 1864.


LONDON April g. 1864.
That preposterous Comedy Of Errors, incar'
nation Of mudde and anti climax OF forensic bedey
ment the Alexandra case has TO a perfectly ap
proprate conclusion The Law Lords" those be
winged beaitudes who are at the chcrubm Of the
cgn heaven and the final aacles Of the country have
decided adversely to the Crown--to the rather short
sighted jubilatlon OF the Condolences and Anglo Reb
els who eAult prodigiousiy yet with certain under
current Of apprehension at future contingencies. The
decision however Is final. The Alexandra is 20 be
handed over 20 Ter owners end The Government pays
the costs % its appeal the Lords and Court Of Ia.
chequer This conclusion in which nothing is con
cludedr has been arrived at not At al the merits o.
the ease but in strict Difference 20 it, legal TECHNICAL
ties. at is q maxim among these lawyers" quoih
Dean Swim, that whatever hath been done before
NAV legally be done again and therefore they take
special care to record all the decisions formerly made
against common justice and The general reason Of man
kind These under the Of Preceden' they produce
as authorities 70 Justify the most ini1ntous opinions
and the Judges never fail OF directing accordingly"
Barring the bitterness OF the savage old Dean this er-
tract from CULVER exactly states the Since Rab.
clsiss Jndge Bridcgoose decided causes and contro
yersps In law by the chance and fortune OF dlcc never
were judgments preeariouS or less hkey to be
GUIDED hy the 'aCts OI Tue tuoh
F.cVberc wh1t.oucht to hedone Is regarded as more
mportnnt Than what-has bcen-done; but forensic Bul
thinks infinitely OF the opinion OF hs kreat-grand-
mother than of her living great grandchildren. linus
the chioancTy II cummun law aYails more Than straight
forward oauity which regards motive. intention and
probability; and legal uent almost invariably over
rides fact. In pleading (Swift aSaiiD tey siudi'
ousv avoid entering INFO the merits Of the cause but
are loud violent AMI tedious IA dwelling upon all cir
cuinstances which are not 10 the purpose Contrast
the decision with that arrived at by the not shrcw der
l. r.Ya.i u4. in fka NJ
most parallel Of the paupeTo seized under similar
circumstances To those Of the Aiexnudra. Ihe Scotch
Judges ~ the hyhes. Court OF the sister AlnEuom WISE
w ny well hon sty determined ~ investigate the Sin
Dis facts before involving themselves In legal suhtleies
Ince the directly opposite result. Similar objections
and belogments SeIe attempted by The adversary -
those successfully employed IN the English Court OF E1
cheQucri but the clenrheaded Ncothmcn saw through
them. put them aside immaS"ra. and gave Their yer
dot Tor the Crown. Nobody sulpoSeS me iheilsH
Lords 10 De anything but perfectly honest ana h"or
aha mcn-fur SWlfts savage assault upon the ermlhe
nppcrtlns a. by gone age OF coIrapu0hOu' tuey a'
fettercd hand aud foot by pNcedeni, and precommil
ted BY u against common selRt. ,u,
English lawyers. in general are pfod'gi"hsi! wen IN
formed ou all matters respecting ther Own pIbcte,
but lmeutihb deficient IN everything lesh oulsso "
their own courts They try Bteinatlo CASTS ehllfry
h, EnpsL urcedent aud usage measuring foreign corn
by their own bushel. British statesmen. knoNln-
absolutely nothing Of law, have Implicit confidence IN
them AMI are guided b. their DECISIONS You need not
be reminded how very different this is 10 what pte'as
in tho Initel states, where nearly every public man
has received sound legal training and therefore Is
well qualified To see through nd NECESSARY TO orush
osIc ,hc cobweb spinning OF merely forensic spider
rneu too international law is bItvery little studied
ar understcod at AL in England, except by few pro
fessors--lcgal diLndSH AS IL wer'-wlilc IN America
thai department Of Jurisprudence seems TO form prom
inent portion Of lawyers education. Remember Gen.
Buter in New Orleans turning tine English and French
cousuls inside ont and showing himself 50 inoonyen
iantly familiar with acts Of Parliament and tho Code
Nopoeon AZ deI,ciossiy related In Mr. Parions book
WHY, tho bcast,"-Pye no doubt that they regarded
him as sucfactually knew More Of the law Of their
respective countries than they themselves The Hon.
w. NJ Evarts now In Europe has ast1nished every.
body here with his knowledge OF international law the
highest British authorities have admitted this and eN.
plain ms superiority by surnslng that the peculiar
ations OF the States TO each other necesslta.e the
especial study would suggest also. that democratic
institutions and certain and consequent expansion Of
MUD and many sidedness of intelect-sneered at by
Irltons perhaps, but perfectly true Notwithstanding
NAV have something TO do with it. Bull you know has
great respect for MIS- Grundy. and believes in caste.
Privilege holds On " .Sel LeIc, aud deesn encourage