The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-12-30 00:00:00

THE ANTI-CORN-LAW LEAGUE

(From the Qaarterty Review.)

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ABSOLUTION AT A TURNPIKE GATE.--.-On a Sunday
evening, last autumn, a lady of the Roman Catholic religion,
visiting Harrogate, hired a carriage to convey her to the
priest's house, a few miles distant, and on her way had to

te, attended by a collector well known
neighbourhood as " Joe," and who, in his blunt
honesty, boasts of being a " Leeds loiner." On her arrival
at the gate Joe demanded his toll, on which, supposing her-
self exempt, when on her way to a place of worship, she said,
" I am going to absolution;" which latter word sorely puzzled
poor Joe, who replied he did not " know sike a place here-
abouts," and believing that the little demur in paying the
toll arose from the lady having no change, be civilly con-
sented to allow her to pass, if she wouid pay on her return.
This caused her to explain that she claimed exemption, and
Joe having been partially enlightened that absolution was

luough a toll-

..
some ceremony at the priest's house which he did not under-
stand, brought all his knowledge into play to contest the
claim. In vain the lady asserted she was going for absolu-
tion to the nearest place of worship, for Joe smartly replied,
" Absolushun! absolushun !! it woant do for me,--abso-
lushun woant pay t' bar." She then attempted to reason
with Joe on the •unreasonableness, if not illegality, of de-
manding toll under the circumstances ; but Joe continued
inflexible, and showed " absolution stuck in his gizzard," as
he often repeated the word in a low grumbling tone. The
lady, notwithstanding, persisted in her claim to exemption,
until poor Joe waxed warm, and delivered himself as fol-
lows :—" Marm, I've been a bar tenter these foive and
twenty year, and I ne'er heerd o' absolushun afore." The
claimant became annoyed at Joe's pertinacity, and proceeded
to lecture him pretty freely ; but he answered, " I care nowt
abawt the noise ye mak i'th hoile—l must have t' toll ; there's
pout abawt absolushun on my board, and I ne'er seed it int'
genral or loocal act." Baffled by Joe's law and eloquence,
the lady paid the toll, and threatened to summon him, to
which he answered, " I'll go afore my betters when yo'
and it woan't be t' first time by monny a won." Joe, how-
ever, did not feel quite assured that be had settled this, to
him, new point correctly, and he essayed to consult a rev.
trustee of the road on the following day, but not succeeding
in meeting with the gentleman, he took much trouble to find
the law clerk, whom he addressed thus :—" Mr.—, can yo'
please to tell me what absolushun is ? there's a wooman fro'
Harrygate says it clears her t' bar; but I tould her my boord
said nout abawt it, and I made her pay, and shu says shu'll
fotch me up." The clerk enjoyed Joe's amusing account of
the scene. The lady did not summon him, and poor Joe
was much gratified with his further acquisition of turnpike
law as regarded "absolution."—Leeds intelligencer.

Entellignit