TO THE EDITOR OF THE UNION.
{"newspaper_name": "The daily union.", "edition": "01", "page": "p2", "byline": ""}
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| Congressional nominations IN .hassaehussns--Th The
| eonisst-0pinions upon the tariff Of l646-CorpO-
| raiiOns.-hapOrtani case IN the United States
court


Our congressional nominations are now all made,
and am glad to be able to assure our friends that
every effort will. be made TO secure the election Of
our candidates They are all strong men, and will
command good vote. They are also true to the
great measures OF the administration, and upon the
question Of the tariff Of 1876, determined give
il an earnest support. The democrats Of the third
district, including the city of Lowell, and their
didae George g. Boutwell,, esq, particularly de-
| serving commentator for the honesty and boldness
with which they proclaim their principles, in this
strong hold of corporations and federal power. Mr


Boutwell, is anable and eloquent advocate Unpopular
rights, and the vote Of his district, against all its fed


eral management, will show powerful and increas
ing party for commercial freedom. Peter L. Homer,
ESQ.,, gentleman well known for his labors in this
cause, both in Washington and in this State has
received the nomination for the Suffolk district and
Hon. Isnac III. Wright, with the same views upon
this question, grappes, in the eighth district, with
the double power Of whigery and abotonism unit
cd in the person Of John Quincy Adams. In the 4th
district the Hon. Frederick Robinson encounters
a similar candidate. All our candidates equally
well chosen, and will in the earnest contest made
for the success Of their principles, give a good
count of the democracy of Massachusetts,.


| The great obstacle with which democracy in this
| Sthte mas 10 Couttnu, special Livery
species Of bUsiness from the manufacturer Of knit
ting needles, to the erection Of huge "sea-cames, I"
| is managed by these whig corporations. Special
acts fill volumes where the general legislation will
hardly cover pages. In the year 1870, the whole
valuation Of the State less than $500, 600, 900;
and more than s240 000, 900 corporation capital has
been created in the last twenty-five years by whig
legislation. Political power is the object sought in
1 these monopolies, and their number and extent
place the great body Of the laborng men almost en-.
| trely under the influence of their unscrupulous
agents. .... ..... .... '. @-..
| An instance of the tenacty with which they
cling to their assumptions OF power occurred last
week, in the Circuit Court Of the United States. IL
| is a case which has created some alarm among
their salaried presses, and deserves passing no
| tce The New Bedford bridge the commercial
channel of that port, and will neither admit the in
gress or egress of vessels of large class to the
| port of entry. Nothing be more pal pable than
the fact Of the obstruction to commerce and naviga-
| ton; and the grand jury, short time since, pre-
sented the concern as nuisance, continued repre-
sentations of the public injury having failed to Sc
! cure the removal Of the evil. The argued
last week. and occupied a whole week in the hear
ing. The corporation was defended by the ablest
counsel of New England, and the cause of the gov
ernment managed by the Hon. Robert Rantoul, jr.,
and c. l.. Woodbury., esq. Seldom has cause, in
our courts been discussed with greater research


learning. The ground of defence was stated as fol-
lows: Though the constitution gives to the federal
government the control of all maritime affairs, yet
Congress had never, by actual legislation, assumed
those powers; and, in the absence of statute law,
| no system Of admiralty law existed which could
give the United States courts jurisdiction in this
| case. The counsel, therefore, moved to quash the


indictment. The attorney for the government, in
reply cited the clause of the constitution above al
uded to; the acts of Congress making New Bedford
| a port of entry and delivery; the celebrated force


law of 1882, (Which Mr.. Choate described, in the


language Of Burke, as having been "dictated by the
merciless policy of fear and several other acts OF
a similar character. The constitutional part of his
argument was pungcnt and forcible. Upon the
mooed question Of admiralty jurisdiction, he dev-
cred one of the most luminous, comprehensive, and
convincing arguments ever listened to in this court
No man in the country is better able, or more
thoroughly qualified, by the course of his studies


to portray the systems Of law in the early history
ofthe feudal nations, than Mr.. Rantoul-a thorough
scholar in every department Of history and uris-
prudence He gave the most critical and phosophi-
cal exposition of the origin Of our admiralty prac-
tice and its extent and character at the time Of the
adoption of the constitution; examining, in the
course of his argument the systems Of the Roman
and eastern empires, the asszes Of Jerusalem, the
sea codes of the Italian republics, and the Kingdoms
of Naples Spain, France, and England, from the
earliest periods; deducing from this whole mass OF


incongruous sea-legslaton, not by the aid of COM
pilatons but by reference TO the original authori-
Ties, simple, perfect, and comprehensive code Of
admiralty laws, existing at the time of the adoption
OF the constitution and therefore, covering the dis
| puted points in this case. The great seamnrks OF
Il maritime jurisprudence considered historically
as well with reference to their legal bearing, un-
derstood by the iursts of Italy, France, Germany,
and England The court remarked that decision


in the case would be reserved till after the session OF
| the Supreme Court at Washington; and the case
will, perhaps, be decided by that court at last.


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