The sun., 1879-03-23
CURIOsITIEs or EN0LISH Law

not greatly regarded In law. In many rcspoota
quito the contrary Ia the fact. The worst fen.
ture OF English law seems to be It's protection
OF monopoly Of ovory kind; but. So far as inter-
ference with personal liberty is concerned ita
laws are often far more liberal than those of
the United States.
Tho drink question 10 n case in point To
Americans, nothing seems moro Just. az a gem
eral thing than the rule Of the majority. If tho
majority wish to abolish the drink trufllc on
tircly tho minority submits with coinmendablo
grace. In England, tho indiscriminnte and I'M
limited rulo of majoritcs in tho United Statcs
In looked upon as n very gross kind Of tyranny
For many years a measure called the Pcrms-
sive bill has been brought before the Paro.
ment almost every session. but its utmost
strength has never been above 1876 votes in tho
House OF Commons. out OF II total Of $50 sitting
mombers. At present the magistrates issue
licenses to sell spirits, wne and beer and
those latter, except few cx-oflico magistrates.
are appointed. not elected. for life. Tho Per-
mssive bill is n sort Of local option measure.
and proposes to give voters power over the
granting OF licenses. even to the extent Of ut
terly prohibiting tho traffic. This would be
fair majority rule. But the English people say
majorities should have no such power over
mnorities. and very many Of the most eminent
men in the country concur in this view.
John Bright is Quaker anda total abstnincr.
but has always opposed the Permissive bill on
the ground mentioned above. lie does not vote
against il. but merely abstains from voting az
all. He says he is willing that maiorities in
towns and cities shall have restrictive power,
but such power must not 70 TO the extent Of total
prohibition Gladstone occupies practically
the same position toward the measure.
In some other respoets; ,Eng!isl Laws ana
customs sccm exceedingly liberal. In all pub
lie parks. the right Of tbs peopl" 10 walk about
ON the grass, very much ut Will Is most jeal-
ously ma aintained. Certain parts may be- fenced
on. and III" margins may be fcu ed In for aow-
crs, hut still far the greutrr part NJ IL IL always
entirely open n mi free Notices to kcpp on tho
grass " are very rare indeed. The right OF way
through private estates X also carried to n very
extreme point OF hberality to the people. No
one can close up against the public the merest
trace OF n path where there has heretofore been
any right OF way. even in custom alone. A no.
bleman must submit to see people passing at
will through his fHvOrite park. IL they only Keep
reasonably near Whatever truce OF a path there
either gate or stile at each end for their use.
At public meetings the people uso some re-
markaho liberties, though most q these look
meeting is held. though speakers are an
nounced. every one present claims right to al-
dress the meeting They often use this privi-
lege too. md the only refuge OF the rest is TO
boot down any one whom they do not wish 10
hear. The opposite party often assemblies in
force, moves an opposite resolution. and oft'n
changes the whole character OF tho meeting.
What would Americans think II Republicans
on having their own speakers heard. took part
In the voting on resolutions. and perhaps even
carried motions in favor OF Republican princi-
plies. That is exactly what is done here.
In carrying party measures In Parliament.
c2sss Very few I5erass sI woud neyer a9nsrp f"E 10
abide by tho decision Of caucus Of that party.
Indeed. party lines are never rs closely drawn
as in our country. A man is not denounced as
traitor To his party because he does not vote
With his usual companions. even on vital meas
ures. This looks ike liberty OF a very admira-
bio kind. The same thing Is true in nomina-
tiohs To office. There is often no definite nomi-
nation at all. A few leading men. perhaps con-
suit about a desirable candidate ana some ono
Is presently found who agrees TO stanu for tho
oi Y neral consent. This has been the rule here
toiore, and Is still the prevailing rule.
Bat 1t cannot be denied that the caucus Is now
though the better class OF political men count il
an evil omen. and very much d.ploro IT, The
distinctive feature OF caucus rule is this: that
the entire membership OF a party agrees to ac-
qulesce in the decision Of the majority. even to
the extent OF supporting measures personally
obnoxious TO many OF thcm To this the English
object. though recently many nominations have
been made clearly on the caucus principle. In
southwark, several candidates were presented
with the clear agreement that neither was to al-
low himself 70 be candidate in that borough
In case tho Libsrll Hundreds" selected an
other man. In Bradford the Liberals have been
trying the caucus rule. 9pt hayo had somo
trouble In carrying 1t out W. L. Forster repre-
sents Bradford. and the Liberals are preparing
the way Tor tho next election. Mr.. Forster is n
most able and honorable man. and is popular.
They asked him to agree to submit to the de-
cIsion OF the Liberal Hundreds. lie promptly
declined to DO this. and intmated in tho most
direct terms that he should reserve the right Of
Offering himself for election. should he deem il
HIS duty 10 do so. no matter whom the Liberal
Hundreds might choose To select. Mr.. Forster
has won the day. and tho Bradford Liberals
nave agreed not to insist on his 50 pedging
But English laws have some wretched in
equalites. No legal system could be- more in
the interest OF monopolies Of all kinds. Gas
and water companies and other corporations
nave such a grip upon tho public that little less
than revolution can affect them. The small
part OF the metropolis known as tho city OF
London, contains less than the one hundred
ana eleventh part OF the area. and less than tho
one n!lelh part ol ths population OF the whole
In size but so great in innuence-reluses muni-
clpnl government 10 tho rest Of London and
llas monopoly of all market privileges within
seven miles Of lis limits. aud has, thus far. with
only TWO or three eX ,rptOus. refused to allow
inc eStahlislnent ot any markets whatever
outside its own little limits
The land OF Great Britain is nearly all In tho
hands OF lew very wealthy landlords. In
cues ana towns i is common to let land ON
what are termed building leusr-" Now, SEQ
mo lhlquity 81 the Inv, All buildings erected
ON such land fall to the owner II the land on
tho close OF the lease. without the payment Ofa
single Ienny. What IL more the houses must
be LETT IN trnaniabe repair. and the landlord
can compel them To tc nut into such repair: YET
they have never cost him "a penny. Tie terni-
nation Of such lenses often nrreasrs a mans
wealth. hy many millions IN a sing" year
Toll rohls are going out OF date. but there ara
stlll quite "a number lett In many cases GER
tain persons have hereditary rght to levy toll
ON certain roads. AMI vt thcy do hot keep up
ihose roads. 9nd. in fact, have NO Just right in
any sense to levy such toll. They merely hava
u leudal rlght To levy tho toll. without having
any capital Invested in such roads or even tho
y, !,,aht resInn7inlntS or expense connected with
them. II r. hard to tell why such monstrous
things are allowed 10 exist in ariVllzad country.
There Is no registry ot land titles In this coun-
try Several laws have been uus sd in recent
years wlth view 10 securing such registry, but
lhcre has been no practl' al result and tho end
mas not at all been rcachrd. II "A figure Of
spescl were wanted tp cNI ross in n general
way something extremely vague amt uncertain,
you may well say As uncertain u9 Hn English
land titc.' Every county ia thf United States
has complete registry of land titles.
Persons who have ever been officially de-
clnrrd bankrupt cannot st in Parliament.
W Nom"u who are houSr holders muV vote for
members OF school boards. parish officers. nnd
boards uI gudrilaus, but not for ucmhcrs ut
Parliament. Women may even be- elected mem
h"rs ui s'hoo boards and the London School
board has no less than three such members.
0n" Of THESE, Miss fIel"u Taylor. Is a niece ut
JOhn stuart MN. Sh" luhrrlts "A good snare Of
thC ability uI her DISTINGUISHED uncle
o., Hcrn are solnn curious results at English law.
nhe directors oi the ruined Cty ut GLASGOW
bahk were proven Ia have issued fraudulent
balance sheets, and hy their rock ,- ,our.t. of