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A Mercantile Judiciary

A Mercantile Judiciary image
Parent Issue
Day
2
Month
February
Year
1872
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Tho recent decisión oí tho Supremo Court roveraing the legal tenrter decisión given by the same tribunal is not the ontij ovidenco tbat mder the muligii infiuence of a gift-taker and corruptionist at tbe White Ilouse the Federal judiciary is fast becoming thu friend of commercial diahonesty. Michigan gupplies another p'oof. By the constitutiou of that comjnonwcalth State aid, or the appropriation of the mouey or credit of the many to the business enterprises of the few, is inhibited, and, as oertain corporntions had uevertholess secured subscriptions ud indorsemuuts by divers countic, ;m! municipahties, tho Supreme Court very Í)roperly adjudgod all such assistanco ilogal, nuil and void. Dctonuiücd, notwithstanding, to secure payment of the bonds thoy had Biicreptitiously obtalned, tho corporation8 iirected tho Öov.ernor to conveno tho Ijogjslatnre for Ure purpoee of devising soum method of sotling the decisión of tho court asido. To this ond an mneudmeut to tho State constitutiim wub proposed validating tho bonds, bui providing thut tho Lcgislaturo should thereafter have the power of legulating railway ohargeg, mul that there Buouldbe no consolidation of competin lines. At the election in 1870 tho peoplo of Michigan lickfd the sugar off the pill with groat skill, adopting tbo charges amendmunt by 'ÍK.eOi to ."1,;Í)7 and the 11011consolidation amendnient by 76,912 to 61,194, but rejecting tho proposition to Talidate tho illet;ally issviecï bonds by 78,5i;i to 50,078. Foiled thus once mon-, the corporations invokod the aid of tho United States Circuit Court, and on the lCth instant that tribunal decided in favor of the validity of tho bonds, the constitution, the Supremo Court, and the people of Michigan tothecontrarynotwithstanding. There is yet, it is true, an appeal to tho Supremo Court of tho United f(:itis, but tho recent decisión of that tribunal in tho matter of tho legal tender law provea only too cloarly that honest mon and upright judgi.-s xv. iu a miuority uponits beuch. Mnnwhowill hiro themselveB to ronder ono decisión for an uppointmt'iit aro not too good to sell another. Agaiust tho robbcry thjeate&ed Hxe peoplo pi' Micliigan have no remedy but in thenwelves. MoroMian money ii invol vod in 4ho tpoliation just decreod by the United States Circuit Court. Soltgovvrnment is in question; for if, whenso retpoetablo a poition of tho Americnn people as the citifcens of Stiehigan iiot only orduin in theii State oonstitutioDi but reafflrm by their voto, that n nioney nor orodit shall be put at the seryioe of oorporationg, tbstdistinct and roiterated will eau bo ovcrriil'lon, gOVernraent of the puoploliy thopcoj] au oud. The Circuit Court oi tliu tfnited Sutes has virtually. deoidïd tluit Sta_t6( county, or municipal ofBocrs ra) , ■ the cloarest possible inhibition, issue lionds to or biiy stool; trom :i Corporation, i aud that the oonstituenoies of these offioew are bound by guchillegal aotsi To so liold is to nmkti a mooi of popular io - eminent and pnt nny oommumty ftt the luercy oi' an eoounurel who proatitutea

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Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus