Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-01-07
Ensland,s Roast and Shninc.

If there is any one thing which Increases
to higher degree than any Other an
Englishman's zest for his H'af and 'alf"
it is a discussion upon the subject of
English lnws and the manner in which
they are administered Others may sug-
gest that, although Britain has Justly won
fair reputation for adherins TO and en-
forcing what were recognized, for the time
being, as ,hws; yet that she has consider
able facility IN finding occasions to prove,
satisfactorily to herself, that circumstan-
ces had charged the character Of the act,
and exempted it from the operation Of the
law but your regular staid John Bull
docs not see it, to him the laws of his
country are as those g Of the Medes and
Persians, which change not" He will
tell you with pride how English law bears
with equal weight upon the rich and poor
upon the noble and the plebeian how
none are SO exalted that the law cannot
reach him, and none SO humble as to be.
beneath its protection: All this is true Of
the theory Of the English faw, but his
loudest boast is of the irfexibaity with
which the law is administered and the ab-
solute certainty of punishment to the
guilty. Conveniently forgetting some ex-
ceptional cases in the history Of the past5
he will tell you how promptly every dis
order is suppressed by the authorities"
and how impossible it is that they should
ever rise to any magnitude. Taking his
assertion for it, the execution of the laws
is perfect. In all this boasting and cx-
clusivcness there is always an implied i'm
putation, arrogantly conveyed, Of the
worthlessness OF all laws as administered
outside of "Old England" This IS
sample of the tone Of the English Govern
ment and Of too many of the people.
Some in California, when charged with
Secession procliSitiesf have said tauntingly
that they did not consider the United
States Government; that we were un!
able to enforce order and compel obe-
dicnce to laws, and it mattered little how
soon we were broken up. Yet, during
the Crimean war and at other times, when
attention was called to it, the Government
of the United States has found the means
and exerted the power to promptly reprcss
the fitting out Of pIiyateers in her ports
against neutraIs, and fulfilled her whole
duty under the recognized laws of nations:
Still, all powerful England, under tho
same or more aggravated circumstances,
while admitting her duty, is impotcnt to
stop the building and sending forth from
her ports cf pirates to prey upon the COM
merce of friendly power. The quibblc'
about her inability to find proof Of intcn-
ton, adds to her disgrace and deepcns her
guilt. And now we have another instance
of her inability to enforce her laws which
should silence her boasts of superiority in
government. With prompt, if not hasty,
courtesy, the Chesapeake, and such of her
piratical crew as did not escape, captured
in British waters, are handed over to Brit
ish authorities, to be dealt with according
to British justice in the land of Blue,
Noses" But the "prominent citizens"
of Halifax proved stronger than the Gov
ernnent, and the pirates escape such pen
aIties us the whim Of British law just at
that time, might have dictated. Such an
event in the United States would have
furnished ammunition for the Thpndercr
and all the British press for the next
twelve months. Nothing additional would
be necessary to establish the weakness and
instability of Republican Governments!
Will England confess, with humiliation
and shame, her want of power to preserve
order and law i'll her dominions, while
condemning the conduct of her subjectss
or will she applaud and reward them for
the fidelity with which they have copied
the examples set them by the Government:
$. +. Journal. a