New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-16
NEW PUBLICATIONS
ENGLISH JUSTICE.

Mfiln 4 Co
Tn, se who cultivate a regretful devotion to the
good old times would better not read this record
of the State trials in England during the first thirty
years OF the century. more humiliating picture
of immortality political intrigue, perjury anu IN
Justice can hardly be imagined. Society and gov
eminent in the time of that particularly dirty
scoundrel the Prince Regent, will furnish texts ga
lore to the moralists while history lives a.
the death Of this the personal interference Vi
the sovereign with the policy OF his ministers was
ended forever in England, and so departed INC "o''
fertile cause of much injustice and meanness'
Mr.. brownies record takes the form OF MARIA
tives instead of detailed reports, and he mas
porated with official statements much lniorina'ion
gathered from the biographies and diaries OF coh'oi
poraries He has little of the Storytelling ar' anu
his STYLE is not attractive; but be shows me Peioo
tion Of the LAWYER in choosing important dela'is,
and his occasional moralizng, If unnecessary Is ho'
unpleasant A.
The strange severity of military discipline at the
bec,nning of the century is illustrated by the triai
of Governor Wall of Goree for nogging soldier 10
death in that far-off dependency. wall was an
Irishman of good family, gallant soldier anu 'no
possessor of violent temper. Inc garrison VI
Goree relied for supplies entirely on the unceI
arrivals of storeships, and was frequently reuu00u
to short rations. Consequently custom "ioso % y.
credtinp the men with the value of the arrears OF
food in the commissary's books and hquldatiDe
this either in money or in additional stores Al'er
+wo vears, rnle Wall was in 1882 about to leave
the island when the men became anxious ior tne'r
arrears and having got one of their number TO make
nm account of them agreed to send some OF 'neh
comrades TO demand a settlement from the cohiii'is
sary who was to leave the island with the 1o'ernoi'
On their way to the commssarys mousse 'neS
passed that of Wall, who himself met thein a' 'no
gate. What then passed between the Governor anu
the little group of soldiers was afterwaru decare"
by Wall to be mutiny Sergeant Armstrong 'lo
leader OF the rarity, was at sunset that dsy sou
fenced by drum-head court-martial 10 SUI lasheS'
which were at once inflicted by negroes with snort
kno'ted rope in less than week after he dieu III
hospital from the effects of the punishment
Wall left the island on the day after the fogglng
and in his official report TO Government ala ho'
mention the "mutiny." The newspapers, however.
made the story known with many ampllfoatlons OF
crneItv and Government having received from
his successor detailed account of the supposed
mutinv and of Armstrong; fate, he was arrested
nv messengers of the Council in October, l'of
On the way to London he escaped he went aoroau
and for eighteen years the matter Slept Inv"
when every officer who had been witness ol 'nn
tragedy save one was dead, he returned anu gave
himself up for trial 1t was proved that there nau
been no semblance of mutiny and twenty years
after the cruel murder of the sergeant wall palu
its penalty on the scaffod his voluntary surrehue
not mitigating his punishment lie was theh Sixty
four wears old "a handsome man, OF COMMANDING
presence and great nerve This failed hlu' however
at the end. when a painful delay in the arrange
ments and yelling mob attracted by the strange
circumstances of his crime. his surrender ms rank
do rio Of IN
terable.
Mr.. Browne tells another story of British cruelty
IN his narrative OF the trials of General Pictou Tor
authorizing while Governor of Trinidad the lnlic-
ton of torture on ayoung Spanish GIRL flc'on
was man of the type which USED to be consluefeu
Enthusiastically Engish-brave, audaclous' impe-
mons obstinate-the sort of nature which carries
all before 1t. He was the first Governor oil the
island after it's capture from the Spaniards whose
rule had been lax that life and property were
nowhere safe Pictou's rough and ready British
STYLE of dealing with offences quickly reduced inc
lawless TO subsection; and he then in obedience
10 orders from the Council attempted TO govern Us
nearly as possible in conformity with the ancient
Spansh laws and institutions. His rule made for
him MANY enemies who sent to England all manner
of charges aOaint him. and in 1S03 he resigned and
went home where upon his arrival he found HIM
self pleasantly described in newspapers ana pam
phlets as the bOod-stained Governor. Charges
jmputing illegal punishment OF death ana the IN
Fiction of torture brought against him, and he
was tried both before she Prvy Council and IN the
Kings Bench. The charge which excited most IN
dignation was that of the inflicton of torture On
Louisa Caderon in order to make her confess the
details of a robbery. The local Alcade under an
order from Pictou attempted to extract statement
by means of the piquet. This was round-headed
Go int ha
victim was suspended by one wrist from beam
overhead. her other arm being tied to her side and
the great toe of the opposite foot resting on the
head of the piqaet. The Council considered 1t un-
advisable to pursue the case but IN the courts 1t
dragged on for several years the prosecution above
all endeavorIng to prove that even II the rlght 10
infict torture existed at the capture OF the island
IL ceased on its coming under British rule. NO
Judgment, strange to say, was ever pronounced.
In 1912 Pictous IecognZances were respited until
further order and the prosecution virtually ceased
legists believing that the Judgment would have
heen AGAINST him, but that the punishment would
have been so slight that it would make the pros
ecution ridiculous. The romantic part of PictOus
story is ths-that while the court was celebrating
be was covering himself with glory in the PENN
sula npder Wellington. All sorts Of honOrs were
Maid him he even received the thanks of the Com
mons for his services at Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajos
and Vittoria. lie finally fell at Waterloo, gal
lantly leading charge, and a monument to his
memory was erected in St. PsuPs by a unanimous
vote of the House Commons. lie was such a
heIo as Charles Reade could best do justice tO-a
man of Steel quick at striking tire, stern, head
strong, and ambitious
II Reade could tell to perfection the story Of
Pictou who but Ihackeray could deal with the I'M
fortunate Lord Cochrane, afterward Earl Dun
dopaldf His life was full of strange and pictur
esoue episodes. He was man slnguiarly ike
Thomas guieless, generous, tender. cour-
teous and brave to a fault. lie had no worldly
wisdom whatever, and was utterly defenceiess
AGAINST the shrewdncss and unscrupulousness of