Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1829-02-03

sums Of money as may be necessary for the
construction of such railroads, by loans on
the credit Of the State, bearing an in
terest not exceeding four and half per
cent per annum.
Resoloed, That the Committee on Rail-
ways and Canals be instructed to prepare
and report bill conformable to the above
resolutions.
All which is respectfully submitted.
JOHN w. LINCOLN, Chairman.
. LEGAL ANEcDoTEs. All who have
any knowledge of the characters of the
subjects of the two following anecdotes,
which we find in the Boston Evening
Bulletin, will probably be willing to attest,
at least to the great probability of their
being true -
1t is well known that law now exists,
declaring, that one of the offices, either of
Attorney General or Solicitor General, is
unnecessary. and that after either of them
becomes vacant, it shall not be filled. A
motion was made in the House of Repre-
sentatives few days since, for an inquiry
into the expediency of abolishing one of
these Offices, but was Withdrawn. This
circumstance brought to mind two anecdotes,
where those officers committed pardonable
offence against good manners and bar rules,
which we take this opportunity to relate.
The Attorney General, now nearly eighty
years Of age, and said to be more competent
to tlieldischarge of the arduous duties of
his highly honorable station than almost
any practitioner at the bar. on account Of
his great learning and experience, as well
as a remarkable retention of mental power,
was managing case in behalf of the Com
monwealth, in Middlesex County, where
man was indicted for gouging out the eyes
ola girl, because she had made oath that he
was the father of her illegitimate child.
Her brother, an intelligent lad of nine years
of age, was on the stand, as government
witness; and bis relation of the facts which
he saw, produced an electrical effect on the
whole audience. The girl was also present,
in total blindness, and every circumstance
attending the investigation of this horrible
barbarity, was highly exciting. The boy
stated the preliminary circumstances, and
then said -" was cutting bean poles round
the barn, and my sister was milking; Iheard
her scream, and then ran with pole in
my hand, and as | came up, | saw he had
pulled her over backwards; then he looked
over his shoulders to see who was coming,
and | struck him with the pole, and broke
his jaw" "Why did not you repeat the
blow ?" exclaimed the Attorney General,
carried away by the tremendous interest
"why did not you repeat the blow, and
knock his id brains out ?" "Mr. Attor-
ney," said the Judge, "you very well know,
that profanity in court is high offence,
punishable with Imprisonment, but in conse-
quence of the unusual excitement of the
case, it will in this instance be overlooked"
TheSolicitor General, had been occupied of
a forenoon in examining witnesses in case
where man had been arrested in Brighton
Tor stealing poeket-book. There was no
positive evidence; but very long and in
tricate chain of circumstancial evidence
rendered the conclusion certain, that the
pockeL-book was stolen, and could have
been stolen by no other than the prisoner
at the bar. In the afternoon it became the
duty Of the Solicitor to untangle the thread
OF the matter, so as to convince the jury and
secure the punishment of the offender but
whether he, or the jury, or both, were affect
ed by fatigue, or indulgence in good din
ner, or some other cause unknown, certain
tits, that a wonderful sedative seemed to be
operating in Court, soon after the Solicitor
began his argument, for three or four Of the
Jury began to nod. He looked over his
shoulder and said in an under tone, "d--n
it your honour, have put half the jury to
sleep already" Then turning back, he be-
gan again, in tone which reused the sleep
ers, and went through the case with extra
ordinary eloquence and uncommon precision.
He chained the attention of the whole bar
for more than two hours, and it was gener-
ally remarked that there was not man
living in the Commonwealth who could have
done the difficult job in more workmanike
and elegant style. His talents are of the
very first order, but good deal of drudg-
cry, attached to his Office, has rendered him
rather tame, except on occasions where
some extra excitement arises in the course
of his cases."
FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.
L.. FL o.