The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-06-16
DATLY- LEADER.
THE A 9F ENGLANR,
The old Lady Of tbread-BeedIe Street
sl I'm u Terrible Stew Or ...5
IFrOm the LOOdsn star, May la.

IFrOm the Lond,n Star, May 10. -rls s
The pinnacle Of folly appears TO have
been reached blythe directors Of the Bank
If England, in their proceedings against
the committee Of the West London Indus-
trial Exhibition. The whole affair is %
ludicrously childish that It would be In
credible If the facts were not found narrsted
IN the records Of 9 regularly constituted
Judicial tribunal. Bot there they are set
down in black and white, and no particle
of doubt as TO the authenticity of the tale
can check our wonder st the eeregious
sbsurdity which has been perpetrated I'M
der cover of the Law. Among the works
of art sent in "a this exhibition were three
specimens of pen.andlak drawing, each
representing newspapers and documents
of various kinds lying upon q table in nat
u-al disorder, and in leach q portion Of
Bank Of England note was among the OBJ
iects portrayed. Certainly no n who was
guided by the ordinary rules Of common
sense could ever have supposed that in
this there was anything calculated toicFe f,
ate a panic in IhTead-nedle street. The
imitsLIQns might be SO good that some one
would endesvOr to abstract the notes, ss
Qsuxis tiled 10 Draw aside the curtain
painted by Parrhssius, but it was ObVins
that the Enormously disposed visitor would
get only his LABOR fIr his pains. In each
instSne s only q portion ofths piece O bSnk
paper was represented, 80 that even if il
we're cut out 1t could be put to no frAudu.
lent use, and this being the case there was
obviously no reason why the Issue Depart.
ment should not rest in peace. SupPOsiDg
any msnato be idiot enough to receive .
piece of stout drawing psper with NJ wa
ter mark as 8 genuine bank note, he Ger.
tsinly could not be induced TO give either
commodities or change for q corner of she
document, and nothing more was delineat-
ed by either Of the exhibitors whose works
figured at the Floral Hall Not only was
there nofshsdOW ofground for alleging dis
honest intent, there was, moreover, no
possibility that any n should make
dishonest use of these initiative fragments,
each forming q part ola miscellaneous pic
ture. But their exhibition put the direc-
of the Bank of England In a terrible
illustration, and they resolved to make this
very small gsme q mark for the artillery of
the law. They called upon the committee
of the West London Industrial Exhibition
TO give up the wicked forgeries, but these
gentlemen, regarding themselves as trus-
tees Of the objects sent in, declined to do
50 save upon cOmpulsion. They offered, it
is true, BY way OF compromise, to hatd
them over to the bank when the exhibition i
closed, instead of giving them backto their
owners; but this proposal was Indignantly
and the sggrieved directors pro-
st once 70 exrremities. At Bow
street yesterday, Mr.. Freshfsld, the Bank
g.ls.gs.- az..-n1 $3.50. c.. nfIa." L. 4
and with all due solemnity made his moan.
He cited the act of oath and 25th Wet,
chap SO, sec. l3, which forbids the making
; copy of any note or any portion offs note
f the Bank OF England, and called upon
ne magistrate 70 put q stop to the further
exhibition Of these painfully accurate imi-
.stiOns OF corners of such valuable securi-
les. He had the letter of the law in his
isvor, and of course Sir Thomas Henry
,ould not refuse TO order the DETACHMENT Of
be three pictures by the obliteration of
hose portions Of them which had
made the tentn ts OF the bank parlor so I'M
,asy IN their minds, Mr.. Freshfeld urged
his client could not permit the expo
itioD, with however innocent intent, Of
that their paper could be dexter
lusly counterieited, but those folks are
Tery fortunate whose painful personal ex,
,sriencs has not plsced them above the
reed Of such demonstration. He stated,
90, that their jealous vigilance in such
matters was 30 extreme taRt they had once
compelled suppression of 8 piece of porce.
ain which WAS painted as q representation I
fs bank note but surely that was carry &
Bg prudence to excess. As there is reason /,
ven in the roasting of eggs, so also there
hould be In the application of acts OF Par
lament. 1t Is quite right that everything
hould be done TO prevent limitations which /
1Ay Dc fraudulentlV usodi Jus Nv
t ali likely 10 mistake a china dish Tor 3
,iece OF bank paper. In that case, IS In
his. the Gction Of the directors, though
echnIcally correct was morally ridiculous
nd. moreover most oppressive. 1t would
ave been Just as rational for the proprie-
ors of the newspapers depicted in these
TO bring actions against the
for Infringement of copy
in initiating their titles.
rne bank directors have compelled Sir
Thomas Henry to use the law for the iDjunes
ion of 8 private injury which is not bal
BY the smallest public benefit. No
me in his senses can suppose that the Leg
stature eVer contemplated such an sPpil-
alton OF the provisions Of the statute, md
,uch s~traiDiDg OF the letter Of an enactment
AN lend only to bring the Jaw into disre-
oute. Artists had bstssr be on the lookout
.or perhaps it may be discovered before
.ong that introducing into Apicture a repre-
of any OF the current money OF
these realms amounts TO coinage, and en-
tails GENIAL s~ervitude. This would be quite
IS rational as to hold that a pen-And ink
drawing OF 8 fragment of a bSLk note on 8
OF drsWins paper is such an imitation
as the law intended to inteTdict. Every
body will feel for the working men whose
clever and innocent handiWOrk has been
thus dsfaced, and there can, We should i'm
agine, be but one opinion among folks
love OF needle-pointing does not car
~ them to the verge of lunscy with regard
W this most absurd and childish legal pros
ia which the directors of the Bank
of England have msde Themselves the
laughing stock of sensible Englishmen.