The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-02-17
ICHMoND vA FRIDAY MORNING. FEBRUARY IL, 1865

much as whole pane of window~glsss
or an entire chimney; or, at the best,
any other aspect than that of pictu-
rescue ancient ruin. Like the specimen
suit Of Jarndycc. and Jarndyce, lawyers
were always appearing and disappear
ing in the case, swearing and interroga-
ting, filing and cross>fling, arguing and
motioning, referring, reporting and re-
volving about the Lord Chancellor and
all his Satellites" and would have con-
tinued to do SO till the end of the world
if Lord Brougham had not risen, and,
by his vigorous reforms, rendered it
possible for Chancery Suit in England
to be begun and ended in the same CEN
tury. :
We have been reminded of these in.
terminable delays in the administration
Of English justice by two paragraphs in
the local columns Of the city papers, one
of which sets forth that Mrs. PATTERSON
ALLAN has lately re appeared to answer
an indictment for treason; and another,
that GEORGE w. ELAN, indicted for con-
tcrfeiting, is again up for justice. If
there is anything in English equity at
the present day which can equal these
specimens of the vital energies of our
criminal practice, Brougham has lived and
labored in vain. We mean no disrespect
to "Mrs. Patterson Allan" or to "Mr.
George w. Elam," nor do We pretend to
sit in judgment on their guilt or inno-
ccncc. But we arc becoming as nauseatcd
with those two names as with the phrase,
"Forcign Intervention" How long they
have been appearing and disappearing
We do not pretend to remember, but we
are scarcely permitted to forget them a
few weeks at time before Monsieur
Tonson come again y to our infinite dis
gust and Indignation. The types an
nouncing the fact seem to be left standing,
in readiness for the same impression from
term to term,-" Mrs. Patterson Allan,
recognized in the sum Of one hundred
thousand dollars for her appearance to
answer an indictment of treason," ETC., g,
etc. ANY one, in that sum, ought to be
recognized, no doubt ; but it is question
whether, even with the aid Of that amount,
Mrs. Patterson Allan's best friend will be
able to recognize her by the time her case
is ended. Summers bloom and fade and
winters come and 80; battles are fought
campaign follows campaign; great mill
tary regulations are born and die
wcll-known citizens are borne to
their last home, ard whole hosts
of young soldiers vanish from the
earth together, but "Mrs. Pattcr>
son Allan" never becomes extinct
She is always appearing and disappear
ing, and VIC verify believe will continue
to do the same till the present generation
is gathered to it's fathers. Girls who
were born when that case was young
will be. married and become mothers be.
fore it i ended; boys will grow up, enter
the army, and die on the field of honor,
before We hear the last of Mrs. Patter-
son Allan" We are not certain that
peace itself may not arrive before the
conclusion of that investigation. There
arc people who predict that the end of
the world will occur in this century. We
have heard no one venture prediction
of the end Of the case of "Mrs. Patterson
Allan" We are confident that the last
paragraph which the youngest Confede
rate baby, who lives to become an octo~
genarian, will read in the newspapers
will be this: "Mfs Patterson Allan, re-
cognized in the sum Of one hundred
thousand dollars for her appearance tc
answer an indictment for treason" etc.
We are ip favor at once of recognizing
the independence Of "Mrs Patterson
Allan" and permitting her to retire to
any quarter of the globe most agreeable
to herself, where We shall never hear her
name again.