The New York herald., 1869-03-13
ENGLAND.
sR0a qua LODDuR CORRESPONDENT.


sRaa qua loDDuR CORRESPONDENT.
judicial and Political scandals-Thsa Convent
Case and John Bright and His Friends.
LONDON, Feb. 27, 1862
II there is one thing more than another OF which
Ergis hmen profess to be proud 1t Is their judiciary.
With national complacency they contrast their judi
clal system with those OF other countries and claim
for II the most decided superiority. Especially are
they ftnd OF holding up to ridcule and contempt the
elected Judges OF the United States and OF retailing
In the press and society every little Dit or scandal
concerning the American bench What shall we Sag,
them 10 the latest judicial scandal In England which
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 tolerably wen In
formed as to the details OF the great nunnery case
called saurn vs.. Star which has been occupying
the Court Of Queens Bench for the past twenty days
ana which was decided yesterday by the verdict Of
the jury No religious feeling 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
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 the bishops, and in conspiring to drive
her from the convent. The jury found Mrs. Star
guilty upon these charges and fined her S5Oo
damages.
UnioubtedIy this verdict correctly embodied popu-
lar feeling In regard to the case. It 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
straton. The case ought never to have come into
court at all. 1t was matter which ought to have
been settled by the Roman Catholic bishops without
secular legal interference but on Its merits It 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 has survived many worse scandals; but there
certain circumstances regard it which have
sued the ermne and clouded The reputation OF the
Lord Chief Justice OF England, sir Alexander Cock
burn, and It y to these that especially refer.
During the progress OF the trial It was whispered
ebout by those most interested socially religious
y, that O, clear verdict for the defendant, Mother
mosy towards the Solicitor General, Sir John Cole
ridge who was the leading counsel for Miss Saurin
the plaintiH Coleridge Is acknowledged TO be the
most eloquent lawyer at the English bar. He is
called 'tle silver-voced orator." and in his style
and manner very much resembles the late James
I. Brady whose sudden death Ii as greatly regret
ted here as 10 New York Coleridge Is altogether too
conscious Of h,s own great powers his popularity and
his high position to c0ndescend TO dislike anybody;
but for personal and political reasons the Lord
Chief Justice Is said to have long regarded him with
sion would niuence the Lord Chief Justice in sum-
ming up the case were first circulated very few un
has proven that they were only too true, and has
placed foul bio: upon the English judiciary.
AS yon Will see by The full report In the Times,
which you Will scarcely have space to repuhIlsh the
charge 70 the Jury delivered by the Lord Chief JUS
tice was more like the appeal OF an advocate than
n IA IIa ma ada aauarv
possible eort TO decide the In advance for the
jury, and SO framed his charge that 1t seemed in
tended as a Iepiy to the speech Of Sir John Cole
RIDGE HIS prejudice evident that like vault
ing ambition. oereaped itself and actually assisted
tue hrs. two hours-the charge occupied seven
hours IN dellverythe jury paid no further attention
10 his iorusnip and their disgust at his paruaty
court Coierid.e and Digby seymour the counsel
ImarEs Ier tRe pa srsbp %ers 50 ,ha lusutea @ ne
drew from the court room and would not return
t the verdict was delivered. His lordship repeat
edy stated that he startled by the assertions
OF the Solicitor General; and this phrase merely
mild way OF saying that he considered the solicitor
Generals assertions untrue. So dsgraceiul scene
has seldom been witnessed IN any OF justice,
aud never, firmly believe. an American cours. |
II IL had been the comments OF the English press |
upon TIE scandal would have been lnterminable
Les IL should be said That your correspondent
takes too harsh view OF this matter and being an
American Is too apt to deprecate anything English,
allow me 10 fotty myself by lew extracts from the
report Of the Dl.ty Te.e07'uph journal which can
dices. The report says:-"Ihe trial. II the truth be
spoken, was really aeld with closed doors. and the
Oh the defendant The report goes 10 explain BY
saying that Judging from the smiles and sparkling
glances with which every comment OF tue Chief JUS
tce la favor OF the defendant was received by the
majority OF the ladies', II appeared that the sympa-
thies OF tie audience were with the sisterhood.n
The Lord CHIEF Justice issued the private cards or
admission ana Is responsible for this Partially. But
the report is still more explicit: :-"From the COM
mencement 10 the end OF his long address the Chief
Justice charged dead 10 favor OF the defendant and
after the nrs TWO hours the Jury's attention obv
ousy began 10 sacken. In fact, the address was in
substance exceedingly able reply sir John Cole
ridges speech How Tar sucn o controversy can
with rropriety be entered into between the Judge
aud a counsel ~ question ON which 1t would be
ld.e TO enter neTe. surely need quote no further
~ establish my point.
not 10 be allowed TO pass without some sort Of ex-
PLANTATION or apology. The Lord Chief Justice, with
Nil his geat abilities, ~ becoming altogether too
famous-or lniamous--or the partlsanshlp which he
displays IN addressing Juries and only the COOL sense
o. sae wes geesa ~ sne Jury oox mas pre-
OF tae Chief Justice In the case OF Governor Eyre
sayored 50 much OF political maiignty that 1t ac-
tuaiy defeated own OBJ ect; and now, In the face
Of q packed audience, ana seated upon the very |
throne OF justice Dir Alexander Cockourn has Tar
permitted himself 10 be carried away by personal
anmosiGy TO devote his entire charge 10 pett |
Jogging reply 70 SIR John Coleridse. Again
say that IL such an occurrence had taken
place In any OF t1e courts OF tne tinted
states the wnoe VI England would nave been nled
with sneers aud reproacues directed against the
American judge am tue American system, and II Is
but fair TO ask rngshinen 10 looK al nome aud re-
move the judicial beam from their own eyes before
inspecting the notes O America. lord chief JUS
uce, who is an advocate rather than judge should
quit the Oencn a1 oe eisgated 10 the advocates bar
long while ago, when the republicans Of Nassa-
chufets We're aikinR vi nominating Wendell Philips
for Congress. the editor OF the HERALD. In series
OF artces by no means forgotten urged tncm 10
persevere In ths scbeme Oh the ground tnai the
conservatism Oh oiice would soon euro Mr. Philips
unruy srt and transform the reckless agitator unto
common sense statesman. Mr. Phillips read these
articles peiceivea tIe IoEce aud trutn OF the argu
ment, anu, having deliberately and peryersely de-
terminea 70 remain al asltator by profession de.
clined the n0nina ion when Il was tendefed 20 him
ana c0ntlnue9 nls business a. an outside operator
John brignt u the Wendell Phillips OF England, both
ns an orator anu an az alor anu would nave been
well FOR hr bIl9tt nad ne Ihtated the shrewd
ample OF Mr. PnIiips and refused Office since mis-
aCcep ance oi seat m the Cabinet, as President OF
the Board OF Trade, Mr. John Bright has been the
political scandal Of the liberal party CHRISTIAN Is
said 10 be I'm the world, bat not OF it,. Mr. Bright
is In the Cabinet but not OF IL We have
raad hla ancnch klshnOnRer's Hall. In which he