We have done some good, i...
The Times, 1824-10-01T00:00:00

W-Ve have done some good, it gratifies u's to observe, by touching a few days ago upon the scandalous longevity of the Commnission for determining claimns broughlt forwar(d by French and British subjects, upon the Governments of England and ef France respectively. Tbe attention of the public, and of our cotemporary Journals, has beeni sinee at- tracttd to this grievance, which is one, in truth, of a very provoking nature. Here are a multitude of personi, on both sides of the water, crying for justice tduring ten long years. Their dem ands upon their debtors appear to be as hopeless as if they had filed so many bills in Chancery, instead of merely presenting statements, and vouchiers for the truth of them, to plain men of business like themDselves. Nay, these poor people are worse than Chancery suitors, inasmich as the LoRDi CHANCELLOR has really no interest beyonl the indulgence of an inveterate habit, to serve by the postpone- meint of his decisions. Whereas this Mr. MI'KENZIE (who- ever he is), and his colleagues, are actually bribed by the very conditions of their salary to shuffle off, and defer everlastinigly, if Lhey are able, each questionl that comes before them forjudlgnient. We should like tokniow onwhatgrounid it is that such men have been selected for Commissioners. If a sinecture had beer propose(d for one of them, or a pa- tent office, or a pension to the amount of 1,5001. or 2,0001. per annum, surely some public,service wotild have been alleged, some distinction of name or character, some capa- city for business, some testimonial of ability and integrity, to justify such an appointment. It is often invidious, an(l always painful,to glance at indlividuals, as if we condemned or doubted thiem; but indeed it ttould be desirable to learn what security the Government had in the known merits and respectability of the persons named upon this I'arliament-street Commission, against their yielding to the riclh temptations with which it surtounded them, against their abusing the judicial powers intrusted to them, and against their suffhring the office of a Judge to degene- rate Into that of a mere "tuft-hunting' sineeurist. It is thc more essential .tlat this Anglo-P1rench Commission should be set upon its proper footing, because not only is the corruption of'sac]) an au1thority in itself an evil, but it might become prolific-of other evils, by offering a precedent for the rnisdleeds of similar commissions hereafter. Thelre is, now that we think of it, a case in point-a Spanish coin- missioni has been naizmed, in pursuance of a treaty signed at Madrid, on the 12th of March, 1823. The Intent of that treaty, and of the " Mixed Commission" established under it, was to provide for the settlement in a " summary" man- ner, of all cases that might be brought before it, of seizure of British vessels, or detention of British property, from the peace of I8OS, to the date of this Convention in 1823; the same of Spanislh ships and property. A curious feature in the bargain is, that failing a decision by the arbitrators on both sides, the ease is to be determined by lot ! Chance is to make the award in a question of litigated property 1 Would that such a tribunal 'could be substituted for an- other that we are unwilling to name-that prormptitude could be secured at all hazards, and thus the. litig,ant be suffered to ascertain the worst that can befall him. But to return to the Spanish Commission. What has been the result of its " summary" mode of proceeding? Why, that up this hour not a single claim has beeni satis- fied, or a single judgment pronounced: nor is the thing quite unaccountable. The British Commissioncrs have among them, we are informed, about S,0001. per ankum. Honest mcn ! The receipt of their salary is an easy part of their duty-and that, we suspect, for which they are not the isaost iroperfectly qualified. The Spaniards op- pseed to them are shrewd and clear-headed-they knoW how to appreciate their E:nglish colleagues-they dispute every thing-they laugh, we hear, among their friends, at the qert of argument, and at the amount of intellect, which they are called upon to encounter. towever, have mercy on the poor English suitors who have clai.sns to make uponi such a tribuniial; and equal mercy on the English tax-payers, wvho bi.ve to provide the salaries until the claims shall be Ilischarged.