The morning call., 1892-12-24
HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF.

The English press is horror-Stricken at
the revelation of corruption among French
politicians, and the Tory organs intimate
that this is just what is to be expected In
society in which the conservative influence
Of an hereditary nobility is Ignored. Lon
d0ners seem TO nave short memories. Ii
they oyerhauled their MaeaulaY they would
find that there have been times in English
history when the British constitution ap.
peared to be in danger of laundering in
sea of yenality, and that after ali, history
is only repeating itself in the Panama canal
scandal.
Under the reign of Charles Ii social pro-
f1igacy naturally infected the political at
mosphere. ana every one, from the Kings
Ministers d0wn-without excepting the King
himSeif-took brides. Things were no bet
ter under the reign Of the stupid bigot
James III. After the accession of William
and Mary the boodlers paused, moi knowing
how the stern Dutchman would deal with
peculators. But under the later years of
Mary they recovered courage and votes ia
Parliament once more became articles of
merchandise. After Mary died popular in
dignation at the corruption prevailing in
political circles fairly exploded, and Will
liam found that he had to deal with boOdlerS
who would put him down if he did not put
them down. He did not hesitate for mo-
ment. lie insisted on full and searching
inquiry.
The dominant corporation of the day,
which played the part which has been per-
formed by the Panama Canal Company in
our time, was the East India Company; and
only second to it was the corporation of the
city of London, which was then undertake
ing public improvements costing vast sums
of money and requiring Parliamentary
franchises. At the outset Of the iuvestiga-
ton it turned out that the Speaker Of the
House Of Commons, Sir John Trevor, had
taken a bribe Of el0O0 His salary as
Speaker was $1,000. He had spent al0,-
| 600. lie was expelled from Parliament,
having been required TO put the question OF
his own expulsion himself. 1t appeared
that the East India Company had disbursed,
through the hands of the Governor, Sir
Thomas Cook, about half a million of our
money to get a renewal of its charter from
Parliament. Who got that money? Cook
refused to tell and was sent to the Tower
Being threatened with the passage of an act
holding him liable for the money he had ex-
pended, he made partial confession, which
implicated the Duke OF Leeds, who was
Lord President and one of the most power
full peTsonages in the kingdom. he was
impeached. Henry Guy, Secretary of the
Treasury, was convicted Of having accepted
a Daltry bride OF thousand dollars; he was
sent to the Tower. Duneombe, Cashier Of
Excise. was convicted of receiving the public
income in a currency which was worth par
and paying the creditors in exchequer bills
which were at a discount, the difference
going into his own pocket; he was jailed.
But not until he had furnished evidence
that his chief, the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, Montague, had been allowed by the
King to take for himself $4,000 worth of
securities which had been forfeited to the
Crown. His friends rallied round him and
he escaped punishment
The list of REGULATORS might be indefinitely
prolonged. Indeed, men in Office in that
day were generally in the habit of enrich
ing themselves by accepting fees from those
| who had business with Parliament. 1t was
hardly thought wrong. OF the convicted
corruptionists of the early years of Will
liam's reign hardly one was punished. In the
| first outbursts Of popular fury they were sent
! TO the Tower and impeachment proceed
| ings ordered. But in the end they nearly all
| got off. When it was proved in the In
yestigation that Williams chief adviser,
! the Duke of Portland, had been offered a
| Ol'Dc Va S~OOBbOO, dBu lcIuSc4 H. do
many people sneered at his squeamsh-
ness as applauded his integrity.
1t looks as though history was not going
to repeat itself in this particular. The
| French seem bent on melting out even
handed justice to the Panama corruption
lists. Not that the French are an honester
| people than the English, but that the STAN
| dard of public morals is higher at the close
| of the nineteenth century than it was at the
| beginning Of the eighteenth century. Man.
kind is Improving in virtue as it has i'm
| proved In manners. In the delightfully."-
| dissipated city of Paris the improvement is
sometimes questioned. In society which
lives wholly for pleasure. and in which
wealth and the JOYS 1t brings are the one
thing sought for. rectitude of life does not
seem TO be rs much of an ideal as Ii is in
| communities cast in a sterner mold. But
| before this Panama business ends ii will
| probably turn out that even in gay, luxurious
Paris bribery and corruption are punished
| and boodlers go to the wall.
/ ---------------