Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-09-06
LORD BRoUGHAM.

Lord Brougham is common sized, PLAINLY
dressed man, about ffty-five. His face is pale
and somewhat thin; his eyes are not remarKa-
BILE in themselves, and except when excited, are
covered and halfconcealed by the upper eye,
lids, his nose is only remarkable from the enc INC
turning up very much; his mouth is Dr so;, Mtn
rather thin lips, which have more nexiphty
and ease of motion than any lips / ever saw,
His countenance is extremely mild ana goou
humored: and he is represented to be one OF tue
most amiable men in the world; nevertheless, ne
!, very irrascribe. He has great deal in the eX-
pression of his face, like. that OF Frankiln' d.
though Frankln's pinched lips are the very a!,-
tpodes of his free ones. he mas the stunt S e
ING self possessed, knowing look, that we ma
in fbe pictures of the great philosopher. And,
nerhaps this very expression OF countenance
has done more to obtain for them both the
character of cunning, than that acute pohcy
Franklin exerteG, and which Brougham Is now
exerting for the good ofmankind
His voice, in ordinary discourse, is rather low,
but very smooth and cultivated; when he speaks
in the House Of Peers, it is clear and distnct,
still smooth, but without sufficient volume his
strong sense, his earnestness, and strickingly
impressive enunciation, easy independent air,
which runs out to his very fingers ends, and the
honest passion into which he sometimes rises,
makes him, however, an eloquent speaker
But. after all the best British eloquence is We
ry polite, passionless affair, compared TO the nre
Of American oratory. In one particular,
Brougham is like Henry elEpossesse {,
and respectful to antagonists; yet II sharp I'M
worthy thrust is made at him, he flashes out up
on the aggressor and withers him.
tits a pleasant sight to see him on the bench,
in his own Court Of Chancery. The Court is
held in very large apartment: the vlsiter
walks three fourths ofits length on very coarse
thick mating; the other fourth is parted OIL by
a bar. beyond which are found rows ofseats, one
above the other for the gowned lawyers, whose
sapnent noodles are all covered with powdered
wigs.
Then comes table for two clerks and then
against the wall is fixed sort of arm chair, not
large or much elevated from the floor but with
small desk extending before it. There my Lord
Chancellor SITS with that horrible relic OF the
DAYS oil legal mnmmery, judges wig, hanging
down over his gown covered shoulders, and
almost hiding his chest. No American. having
the least sense Of the ridiculous, possibly re-
frain from laughter at this assemblage of gowns
and wigs, especially IS Brougham looks all the
time as if he had himself just ceased laughing at
the farcical array in which he is the prlnclpai
figure.
His whole manner in court seems to be found
ed on a resolution to break down the attach
ment of the limbs of the law to their antedilu-
Wan forms and follies. by treating all such, him
self with the greatest disrespect and to convince
them that law is or ought to be based on the toun-
dations of justice and common sense, and not
on the whms Of clerks or the concets OF peru
quieurs. He preserves the dignity without
maintaining the stately gravity of the bench;
and he delights to rebuke the pompous advocate,
by himself speaking in the voice, and with the
countenance Of human being. He usually has
lying before him huge pyramidical bouquet OF
flowers, some seven or eight inches in length;
this at times, he twirls in his hand, and now and
then he smells at it, snulfing short and violently,
as,if vastly delighted with the odours. In this
manner he listens to the most important ar
guments and delivers the gravest decisions.