New-York tribune., 1875-03-11
BRITISH TOPICS.
NOTES FROM LONDON.

PROTECT MEN OF RANK AGAINST THEIR VICTIMS
MEMORIAL TO Mr.. KINasI.EY-NRwsPAPER EN-
TRRPRIsE-NEw ANGLo-AMERICAN CLUB.
vpox THE RyouIAR coRREsroNpENr OF THE TRIBUNEl
LONDON. Feb 27-The disagreement Of the jury
in the great Canadian Oil Wells case is thought TO
be due TO the extraordinary charge Of the LORD
Chief-Just But for that verdict for the PLAIN
tiff would In all probability have been rendered. The
defendants were directors. The plaintlh was
stockholder who had invested money in the company
on the faith of the directors statements ana no
sued them to recover his money on the gronnd tna'
the statements were false and irauduieh''
1t was proved beyond all question that tney
were false all the directors had to say was that
they believed them to be true. In reply 10 tns IL
was shown that they were guilty OF Incredible neg.
lgenoe and folly; that they took the statements Oh
the vendor of the wells without any proper invest
CATION as to the truth of them that they were
warned by men of high standing both in Canada
and in Londop-men who had means of knowing
that the whole thing was swindle; yet that they
de6ed all the warnings and went on with the COM
pany. It proved worthless. The defendants are all
men of well known means. All but one OF them
have been members Of Parliament They have in
fluential connections. Sir John Hay is a baronet
Rear Admiral. an Oxford d. c. L.. and has been
Lord Of the Admiralty. Mr. Eastwlch has been
Secretary Of Legation in Persia. is distinguished
Oriental scholar. and OF good family. Mr. lorrenS
is member for Yiusbury Mr.. Francis Is director
of the London County Bank. Sir Seymour DIlio
is a baroDet, an officer formerly in the oco's r."
siliers. then military secretary to the EoVernor-
General Of India and is G. Is.
Such men as these cannot be dealt wlth-are not
dealt wlth-like common offenders 1t is something
very hko high treason to hint doubt of the fairness
Nl.. hut hicfi ip,ah ha has
too far even for public opinion here. It's openly
remarked of him that social consderations have
affected his opinion and action. Rely upon II.
said the well-known dIssolute French noble
man, the Lord does not damn man OF my
rank without thinking twice about it, The Lord
Chief Justice does not mean that five nOtabltles
shall be convicted OF vulgar swindliDg without
more trouble and risk than most OF the swndled are
willing to take He has accordingly laid down the
law in a form which startles the business commu-
nlty. Heretofore it has been supposed that gross
negligence was sufficient to create liability, and
that has been sort Of check on the reckless
ness of spectators This mere rag OF protection TO
an oyercreduous public has been ruthlesSy stripped
off. The Lord Chief Justice says in so many words.
mo amount of rashness and of folly would warrant
a verdict against these gentlemen unless they
had acted in bad faith" That was equivalent
ants and think it much to the honor of six of them
that they stood out against this judicial dictum.
certainly don't mean to say that all the defendants
were equally guilty. Mr.. Eastwich, for one, was
simply the dupe of designing knaves and of his own
creduty and Mr.. Francis had less knowledge ap-
parently of what was going on than the rest. But
the effect on the community is likely to be none the
less injurious. What was needed was verdict
against somebody. We have some reason, perhaps to
congratulate ourselves that none was given. 1t Is
said that had this action beensuccessfu other stock
holders stood ready to begin actions against the
directors who had deluded them. The Emma Mine
was mentioned one of the companies likely to be
overhauled in this way 1t is something for us to
escape the fresh humiliation of legal inquiry In
England into the circumstances under which the
American Minister and his fellow Directors and
Trustees induced the English public to invest their
money in the Emma Mine.
The list of names obtained in support of the plan
for bust of the late Mr. Kingsley to be placed in
Westminster Abbey. is already large, and includes
many strong names. Amony them are Mr. Tenny-
son. Mr.. Motley, Archbishop Trench tho Bishops of
Winchester and Chester, the Duke of ST. Adams, the
Marquis of Lansdowne, the Marquis Of Lorne, Lord
Houghton, Lord Carlingford, Prof. Max Muller, Mr..
Thomas Hughes Sir Arthur Helps, Mr.. w. T. Fors-
ter. Mr. Matthew Arnold Mr.. John Walter Mr..
Anthony Trollope. and Mr. Russell Sturgs. 1t is
desired / believe, to add as many Amer
leans as possible. whose subscriptions may be
paid as shall hereafter be arranged. Names may be
sent to the Treasurer of the Fund, John g. Thyme,
ESQ.,. Little Clolsters, Westminster London 1t is.
think. certain that the bust Will be executed. Still
another honor to the memory of Mr. Kingsley is pro-
posed by the members of the Chester and Wrexham
Society of Natural Scence-a society which was
founded by him. They will establish Scholarship
for the ENCOURAGEMENT Of Natural Science, and also
a Kingsley Medal to be awarded from time to time
by the Society for original research within the dis
trict of the SOciety's operations.
Why did not the Duke of Wellington follow Ham
let's prescription and build churches Then should
neither he nor his hobby-horse have been forgot,
nor the latter been sold this week for beggary
800 For hobby-horse the literal may read yelling
ton Relics-a curious lot. blue undress suit.
plainly braided with black pair of short Yelling
ton boots, a lock Of hair whether the Dukes or not
is not stated) note from the Duke, small canvas
with several careful studies of the Dukes features,
taken separately; all these in strong mahogany
wardrobe. the latter even framed under glass and
fixed by brass chain TO the door. All genuine too,
for they belonged to the late Mr. John Lucas the
esteemed portrait painter, who painted the Duke,
and the clothes the clothes worn by the great
man when he sat to Mr.. Lucas. And only 800 for
them! The chances are they were bought for Ma
dame Tussaud, and will go to keep company with
the relics of the Great Napoleon, W hich the Little
Napoleon sold to the famous waxwOrk woman OF her
SUCCESSORS.
An outburst of London newspaper enterprise has
occurred The Times, for once, led the way by start
ing special express train at 4:55 Cd the London
and North Western Railway, for the early delivery
of papers in Birmingham and most of the great
towns in the north and west Of England This in
effect brings The Times within reach of nearly all
the more important cities in time for business pur-
poses-n many cases in time for breakfast. The
penny papers seem to have joined forces to put