Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1841-08-31

except IN some rare cases, such as the |
visit Of stranger Of the cloth from for
eign country.
The House Of Lords, which has been
sitting as a court of Appeals every morn.
ing; the courts of Queens Bench, Com.
mon Pleas, Exchequer, and Old Bailey
which sit regularly, have generally ter
minated my daily rsmbtes. have been
much disappointed in the size and style
of the rooms in which the Lords and the
Courts of Westminster Hall hold their
sittings. The House Of Lords [ should
judge, was not more than sixty by thirty
feet, plainly furnished throughout, and
with very meagre accommodations for the
bar. A small lobby is sci off one end by
plain railing, which crosses the room
and at this railing or bar the ad-
VOcato stands, or rather leans while
addressing their lordships. On a
chair by his side, making an occasional
note on his knees, his inksand ON the
floor at his feet, sits the opposing counsel.
The sergeant at-arms occupies second
chair in one cOrner-the chair of the ad
vocate who is speaking is occupied by
some weary spectators; two or three re-
porters sit on the floor, writing out the
argument with their nOle books in their
laps, anil the little squad of unoccupied
barristeis aud spectators, lean against the
wall, OF sits on the gallery steps. In the
House, on the woolsack, a long table be-
fore him sits Lord Chancellar Couenham
fine, portly looking man, the picture
of patience and eqGanimiiy; on one side
sits the clerk; near the other side, loung-
ing on one bench with his feet stretched
out on another, is Lord Brougham, in
dress and manners as plain as plain can
be, but sharply watching the argument,
aud frequently perplexing the advocate
by short and abrupt conversational re-
marks; two or three persons stroll about
the house, read their letters, to amuse
themselves with the colloquies between
The advocate and Brougham-but mani
f festly pay no attention 10 the merits Of
the case. And this, as far as have seen
is fair sample of the House of Lords
sitting as a court Of Appeals in the last
resort in the kingdom. Il is proper, how
ever,to say, that both the Houses of Parlia.
ment hold their sttngs in a temporary
) building, hastily put up for tue purpose
! when the old Parliament House was burn
J ed. and that magnificent building is
, being erected for their accommodation.
at the foot of Westminster bridge, which,
it is supposed, will take several yeals YET
! to complete.
In Westminster Hall, or rather in
+ rooms entered from the Hall, are the
Courts OF Queens Bench Common Pleas
r Exchequer, and courts of Chancery. The
rooms occupied by these courts are all
| very small, do one of them as large as
. the supreme court room at Trenton, and
\ very plainly furnished. The judges sit
i. upon an elevated cushioned bench against
the wall, each with desk before him
h The clerks table occupies the space
( Immediately in front, and the bar Occu,
py CIRCULAR seats, rising one above anoth'
3 er, with narrow desks before them.
/. Such of these seats as are not requi'
e red by the profession, are used by spec
# tators. In the courts where jury trials
:. are heard, the jury box is on the left,and
It the witness box on the right of the bench
$ The witness box is constructed like ar
old fashioned pu pit, elevated as high as
IF the Judges; and the cou lSel, while exam
IS ning the witness, always stands. He
has the questions to be put in the exam
e nation in chief on his brief, and merely
+ notes there the substance of his answer
il The cross-examination is always briet
IF and directly TO the point. The briefs arr
al prepared with great care; and the tint
I. and labor of getting through cause i
l. consequently greatly ecOnomlEed. Iw'
or three important matter-of-fact canse
10 are geserally disposed Of in single sit
h. ting, which occupies, oTdipaFily, from tel
, in the morning to FIVE in the afternoon
n and so netimes longer.
r. In Doctors Commons, the profession
a wear the collegiate gown Of scarlet. !
v. the courts of law the black silk gown
IT. universally ;the judges OftheQueen
he Bench wear light blue gowns-and a
. the members of the courts, practitioner
m judges, and clerks, wear wigs. The Co
he tune, as a whole, is rather awkward
he appearance.
"a. have listened attentively TO the arg
I'D mcnts of counsel in the House of Lore
iCe and in several Of the courts, and heaI
,rv Lord John Russell address the eIecto
,ti- of London in BishopgaIe street the 9th
ce day, and have been invariably disaPPoin
ed ed. The legal arguments have hea
have been ordinary in their character,
and Lord Russel's was below madoc
me ty; not that it wanted good sense, b
m that it was delivered in lame, haltiu
ion stammering way, hardly PardonabIe ii
er. protessed public speaker, much less in
" leader of house of Parliament.