Middletown transcript., 1874-05-02

closed-postage paid"
respectfully commend this incident to
the attention Of the gentlemen who serve
their country in the New York Custom
Hou Sc; large majority of whom, I do
not ioubt, are strictly honorable in all
their dealings, both public and private.
But the time has been when a prodig ious
nun Der Of boxes of cigars were given and
received by them in the course Of year !;
not to mention other products of tropical
climes, and of the lands of the vine
cannot but remember, too, that all this
giga antic plunder of the people of New
York, of which we hear SO much. began
in aldermen pockcting bundles of cigars
and quires of note paper in the old corpor-
alton tea-room.
AS Chief Justice, Taney was not less
scrupulous. In 1851, Mr.. Seward asked
his permission to dedicate to him speech
which he had delivered to the Senate,
upon the claims of American merchants
for indemnities for French spolations
But this was subject which might come
before him in some form as Chief-J ustice
Of the Supreme Court i; and the dedication
of the speech to him, by permission
would be an approach to taking sides. He
declined the compliment.
" Ever since have been on the beach, :"
he wrote to Mr. Seward, II have felt
very unwilling to have my name in any
way connected with measure pending
before the Legislative or Executive De-
par ments of the Governmen. and have
studiously abstained from doing anything
thai might be construed into interference
on ny part"
At the same time. he was firm and
resolute in maintaining the rights of the
Court. When the income-tax, in 1868
was deducted from the salaries of the Su-
preme Bench, he protested against the act
as unconstitutional just. though highly
unpopular, proceeding on his part. The
constitution expressly says, that the com
pen saton Of Judges Of the Courts of the
United States, "shall not be diminished
during their continuance in Office" This
protest, which was attributed at the time
to party feeling, and disregarded by the
GOVERNMENT, received attention in after
years, and in April, 1872, Mr.. Boutwell,
declined to deduct any portion of the
sala ries Of the Judges.
Another curious instance Of Judge Ia
ncy's punciilousness has been recorded
by his biographer, Mr.. Samuel Taylor
He had invested all his small private for
tune in Nlrgiuia State Stocks When the
war broke out, it was intimated to his
agent that, although the Virginia Legis-
lat pre had passed law forbidding the
paYment of interest to stockholders in the
non seeding Stltes, an exception would
be made in favor of the Chief-J ustiee
He needed the money, but he refused to
accept it. ''lf mine is paid" he wrote,
III is a matter of favor and not of right,
under the existing law of the State. If |
were private individual would accept
it but in my official position, aud in the
present posture of public affairs, | cannot
consent to an exception in my favor, when
other stockholders in Maryland are rcfus-
edpayment."
During the whole war he lost his inter-
est He must have missed it in those
years, when the imitation of the currency
tho deduction of the income tax, and the
high price of commodities, converted his
six thousand d,llars a year from compe-
teuce to penury.
In his private dealings we observe the
same scrupulous integrity. When he
EN- uncipatcd the slaves which he inherited
fro M his father, Il number Of them were
old and past service. These of course, he
maintained as long as they lived. I'll,
was bound to do this by law; but in the
mode of doing it he went beyond the law,
and showed thoughtful consideration fol
their convenience. Each of these old pen.
sdners brought to his house once month
a Gather wallet, provided by him for the
purpose of holding the monthly allowance
These monthly sums were always paid ia
them in small silver pieces, halves anc
quarters of dollars, C onvenient for the ole
folks to handle, and not so likely to be
aken from them upjustly by dealers pre-
suming upon their ignorance.