New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-03-19
BRITISH AFFAIRS.
PHASES OF BRITISH JUSTICE.


PRACTICE.
IFRou THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
LONDON, March Us the throne of England so
unstable that breath sets it rOcking' The magis-
trates VINO preside the Petty Sessions Court Of
Iodcastcr seem TO think So for they have seized
rather slight occasion to prop mp the majesty Of the
Queen with the terrorS of the law / don't think
ever heard of Todcaser before. am sure / never
heard OF Mr.. Leatham of Ulleskelf whom the mag
istrateS above named have sent to prison for two
months for audibly cursing the Queen. This Of
fense-lt IS certainly an Ofense against good man
| ners-was committed in church while service was
going on; 1t was twice repeated, and Mr.. Lcatham
became violent when demonstrated with and had to
be put out, the services Of less than four men be-
inc required TO eject him. All these seem 10 have
been regarded by the magistrates as aggrayaions Of
the original outrage I perceive it is stated with
great particularly that the scene took place while
public worship was being conducted by 4 clergyman
OF the Church of England. IL il had happened in
Dissenting chapel a single months confinement
might perhaps have been thought enough. Mr.
Leatham, who Is described man of good position
Ill lie-which may mean anything from small
shopkeeper 90 n county magnate-peaded IN extern
uation OF his crime that the words were uttered
spontaneously. He further defined spontaneously
by the remark that shortly before service he had
been talking about the Queens taxes. This
shows the inconvenience of legal fctions. Be
cause the taxes are called Qneen's taxes, poor
Mr. Leatham plainly believed all the money wrung
out OF the hard earnings of the subject goes into
the private pocket of the Sovereign whereas, in
fact. the poor woman gets only some bcggarly two
millions of dollars, aud can by no means regard all
that rs piu-moncy for her personal spending. The
monster urged also in defense that he had given
literally to church and schools in the parish. and
had already sent letter of apology TO the clergy
man. All would not do. No passion is stronger in
the human-I mean the Engsh-breast than out
ragged loyalty. The magistrates of the Petty Ses-
sOns of lOdcaster were firm. They were resolved
that the British Constitution should not perish
by their fault. Yet SO little gratitude do the
nCbest actions earn in this world that those
who ought 10 be the eulOgists of this devoted
cOnstancy are the first to make public an in
timation that the magistrates have oycrdonc
1t. There would, indeed, be nothing surprising
in a mere Radical detecting an ncongruIy in
laborer being rewarded for breaking his wiics head
with fortnights confinement, while Mr.. Leatham
crts TWO months for, shall we say, merely damning
Her Naiesty's eyes. But in these days even Tories
pay, on occasions, some outward Difference 10
public opinion and it may not be an error OF judg-
.nenJ which leads their great organ to describe the
sentence Of Mr.. Leatham as one which must DC pub
lil justified or promptly revised.
4 still worse case has occurred, worse because tho
offender is in n still higher position Of life; worse
because no is himself charged with the admlnistra-
ton OF what is ca led Justice; worst of ALL perhaps
because lie has attacked not the THRONE, indeed but
Society suppose il must be admitted that Society
is very neara general collapse when revolutionary
dicta are uttered from the Bench itself. And when
| reflect that il is the Lord Chief-Justice of the
Common Pleas who has shown himself n Jacopln
and Communist, am OF the point Of packing my
trunks and returning to q country where no such
monsters exist. Don't be surprised ii 1 arrive By
tlc next steamer III the hurry and anxiety Of pos
s;Llc departure ! have not had time 10 consult my
law hooks but ! have 10 doubt il is laid down III
R,ackstoue tina. the Game laws OF England are the
palladium Of its liberty and the foundation stone OF
liz social existence These metaphors may bc mixed;
they ougt not admit, to be combined III tue same
sentence, hut am too much acltated to mnd that
now. For whatever Blackstone may say know
that by vast majority of the peers and country
gentlemen OF England they arc SO regarded. Ills
nalIadium has been attacked; this foundation stone
shaken. And since Lord CoicIdge IS both ieglS-
lator aud Judge whose dutyit Is both to make and
TO enforce laws, think it will not De toe strong II
say that a parricilal hand has been Iltted against
the palladium and laid upon the foundation stone;
Lord ,,ole;.dpc has in fact, been trying poaching
case an oilense which the peers and country gentle
men. and all persons of well regulated minds regard
with lust horror 1t is not capital, but it may yet
be made so Lord Colerld2e did not Of
course venture 10 acquit the three men
charged with this atrocous crime They
were convicted but after the conviction an applca-
ton was made to Lord Coleridge to allow the costs
of ur,secutIon; in other words, that these COSTS
should be paid ont Of tie public treasury instead OF
being paid by the prosecutors lie refused, ana not
only refused bat said, that it was the frst occa-
sion any such application had been made 10 Diih, ana
he oped il would he the last, for lie certainly never
.bould order the costs in any such case lie wished
il 10 be distinctly understood that he was only IOi-
lowing the practice OF eminent Judges Inc ii"
ought undoubtedly to be enforced, but as TIC law
protected The amusements of rich people, they must
nav for its enforcement" II is this last sentence
Which has excited the greatest and most righteous
indignation. Could any language be more lnceh-
Ji,,y, How long can the rich hope to go on egis-
Iating in their own interest If lord cheiJhstice De-
,roys them Is he not himself rich mani Did
mo-, ,ic,, men appoint hm9 Is he. merely because
no has taken an oath to administer the laws equally
between man and man. to disregard the interests OF
Lie o,v, ciass; Can the game laws surylY, dec.a-
rot on from tho bench that they are enacted only to
,ro,.ct the omuaements Of rich peoplef These aud
NAM, mare questions are asked. Sir Charles Legard
. yorj, 4hlre member, asked in the House Of CON-
ncn,-nOt all these indeed, but the much simpler
one whether Lord COlerilge really SAID the things
;mnpted TO him. Lord Coeridge wrote to the Home
SECRETARY. 10 whom Sir Charles Legard's question
was addressed. rather remarkable reply. He adj
m,t,ed that the worls-with the exception OF one
ipaccuratcly reported-wcrc his, but added that he
was moi accountable for his acts to any member OF
=, H.. ,.r r,u,u,nns. r,rnarliDp further: