The New York herald., 1869-03-13
ENGLAND.
saaa 9ua LoOOux CORRESPONDENT.
judicial and Political Scandnls-Thee Convent
Case and John Bright and His Friends.

Case and John Bright aud His Friends.
LONDON, Feb. 27, 1869.
Ifthere Is one thing more than another OF which
Elgli hmen profess to be proud 1t Is their judiciary
With national complacency they contrast their judi
cial system with those OF other countries and claim
for II the most decided superiority Especially
they fend OF holding up to ridoule and contempt the
elected judges OF the United States, and OF retailing
In the press and society every little bit or scandal
concerning the American bench, What shall we Sag,
then 10 the latest Judicial scandal In England, whicn
is now the prominent topic OF conversation IN the
clubs and in spite OF British reserve, has even been
made the subject OF comment in the press
Your readers have been kept toleraby wen In
formed as to the details OF the great nunnery case
called Saurin VS.. Star, which has been occupying
the Court OF Queens Bench for the past twenty days
and which was decided yesterday by the verdict OF
the jury. No RELIGIOUS feeling was involved in this
trial, because both plaintiff and defendant were
nuns and the plaintiff, so far from seeking TO
be absolved from her conventual vows, only asked
permission to resume them. Miss Saurin charged
Mrs Star, the mother superior Of her convent with
assault, Imprisonment libel and conspiracy. The
alleged assault stripping on her clothes violently
The jury found for the defendant upon that charge
The alleged imprsop was combining Miss Saurln
to her room. Tne jury also found for the defendant
upon this count. AS for the libel and conspiracy,
they consisted magning Miss Saurin to her sister
nuns and to the bishops, and in conspiring to drive
her from the convent. The jury found Mrs. Star
guilty upon these charges and fined her f5O0
damages.
Unioubtedly this verdict correctly embodied popu-
lar feeling In regard to the case 1t was loudly
cheered by the crowd outside the court, and would
have been cneered by the crowd inside had not the
Lord Chief Justice guarded against such demon
stration The case ought never to have come into
.A.tt .Ax~A
been settled by the Roman Catholic bishops without
secular legal interference; but on its merits 1t has
doubtless, been rightly decided. The scandal con-
nected with the affair is Of very little moment so
far as the Roman Catholic Church is concerned for
that mas survived many worse scandals; but there
sued the and cIouded me renutatnn o 1se he
Lord Chef Justice Of England, sir Alexander Cock
burn, and It is to these that especially refer.
During the progress OF the trial 1t was whispered
ebout by those 9st interested, socially religious
ly. that a. clear verdict for the defendant, Mother
Star, was certain. on account OF the inveterate AMI
mosily towards the solicitor General, Sir John Cole
ridge who was the leading counsel Tor MISS Saurn,
the plaintiff. Coleridge Is acknowledged TO be the
most eloquent lawyer at the English bar He Is
called "tae sllyer-voiced orator. and in his style
and manner very much resembles the late James
T. Brady whose sudden death is as greatly reoret.
ted here as 10 New York. Coerdge Is altogether too
conscious Of hs own great powers his popularity and
his high position To condescend to dislike anybody;
but for personal and political reasons the Lord
Chief Justice said to have long regarded him with
sion would influence the Lord Chief Justice Ia sum-
ming up the case were first circulated very few un-
preJudiced persons believed them; but the result
has proven tnat they We're only too true, and has
placed foul bio. upon the English Judiciary.
AS you Will see by The full report In the Times
which you VIII scarcely have space to repuhsh, the
charge 70 the jury delivered by the Lord Chief JUS
ice was more like the appeal OF an advocate than
possible EFFORT 10 decide the in advance for the
jury, and SO framed his charge that 1t seemed in
tended as Iepiy TO the speech OF Sir John Cole
ridge. HIS prejudice WAS so evident that like vault
ing ambition. IL o'ereaped itself actually assisted
the cause which it was designed to injure. After
the nrss two hours-the charge occupied seven
hours IN dellverythe jury paid further attention
to his orushp, and their disgust at his parnality
was so apparent provoke comment in the
court. Coeridse and Digby seymour, the counsel
remarks dl % his crashp 80 than suteu tey v,tSe the
drew from the court room and would not return
tliI the verdict was delivered His ordshp repeat
edly stated that he startled by the assertions
OF tue Solicitor General; and this phrase merely
mu way OF saying that he considered the Solicitor
Generals assertions untrue. So dlsgraceful
has seldom been Witnessed IN any court OF Justice
aud never firmly believe. IN an American cour
upon TIE scandal would have been lnterninable.
Les Ii should be said tnat your correspondent
takes too harsh view OF this matter. and, being
American Is too apt to depreciate anything English
allow me 10 fottiy myself by lew extracts from the
~ ee be g ~ anv cam
dices The report says.-.ihe trial, II the truth be
spoken, was really neld with closed doors and the
aud ence was packed" IL was packed too, IN favor
the defendant. the report goes TO explain by
saying tnat Judging from the smiles and sparkling
giances with which every OF tue Chief Jus
tice ia favor OF the defendant received by the
majority OF the ladies', II appeared that the sympa-
thies OF tie audience were with the sisterhood.r
ADMISSION ana Is responsible for this Partially. But
the report is su more explicit: -"From the COM
mencement 10 the end OF his long address the Chief
Justice charged dead In favor OF the defendant, and
after the nrst two hours the jurys attention obvi
ously began 10 slacken. In fact the address was in
substance exceedingly able reply TO sir John Cole
ridges speech. How lar such controversy can
with propriety be entered into between the Judge
aud a counsel IS a question which It would be
ide TO enter neIen surely need quote no iurther
il is to be presumed that this judicial scandal is
not 10 be allowed TO pass without some OF
plantation or apology The Lord Chief Justice, with
fanous-or iDianou5--for the partsanship which he |
displays IN addressing Jures, and only the COOL
OF tue twelve geGtlelnea IN the Jury has pre-
served clients from outrageous wrongs. The address
OF t2e thiel Justice In the OF Governor Eyre
sayored so much OF political malignity that 1t ac |
tually defeated own OBJ ect; and now In the face
Of packed audience, and seated upon the very
throne OF Justice SIR Alexander Cockhuri has SO ar
permitted himself 10 be carried away by personal
anImosity 10 devote his entre charge 10 petl-
fogglng reply TO SIR Jonn Coeridse Again |
say that n such an occurrence had taken
place IN any OF tie courts OF the United
states the wncie Of England would have been lIed
with sneets aud reproacnes directed against the
American judge anu the american system and 1t Is
but fair TO ask nngiishmen 70 looK at nome and re-
move tue judicial beam from their own eyes before
inspecting the o. America. A lord chief jus
uce, who Is an advocate rather than Judge, should
quit Tue OenCl anu Dc yael 10 the ddvocaes Oar.
long whle ago, when the republicans Of Nassa
chufetts were iaiKng Oi nominating Wendell Philips
for Congress the editor OF tine HERALD. In series
OF artcies by no means forgotten, urged them TO
perseyere In this scheme ON the ground tnat the
conservatism OF once would soon curo Mr.. philips
unruIy spirit and transform The reckless agator unto
common sense statesman. Sir. Phillips read these
articles. pefceve4 tie force aGd truth OF the argu-
ment, anu, having deliberately and peryersely de-
tefmineo 10 remain an aAiiator by profession, de-
cined the nomination when it was rendered 70 him
anu contnueO MS business as an outside operator.
John bngnt u tle Wendell Phillips OF England, both
as an orator and an az taIor. anu II would have been
vel Tor Ar. Biigit nad ne ialitated the shTewd
ample Of bar. Pnilps and refused Office. since mis-
accep oi seat IN the Cabinet, President OF
the Board OF Trade AIR. Jonn Bright has been the
political scandal OF The liberal party. CHRISTIAN Is
said to be I'm the world, but not Of itu Mr.. Bright
Is In the CabineL but not OF It. We have
read his speech as flsnmonger's Hall, In which he
denounced all his colleagues for lnefilcency, but
you can have no idea OF the sensation winch that
speech created IN England or OF the il-feelng
against Mr.. Bright In his own party which II has
generated, and which ~ still on the increase.
Pegasus Is not oi much use harnessed 20 an earthly