Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1851-07-02

said Curran, ''but don't indorse my sins up-
on their backs.'
Curran was told that very stingy and
slovenly barrster had started for the Con-
linanl with shirt and guinea "He'll not
change either till he comes back" said he.
1t was well known tha, Currah entertain
ed dislike and a contempt for Downes-
"Bushe," said he, "came up to me one day
with a very knowing look, and said, DO
you know, Curran, ] have just left the
pleassn!es, fellow ever me, ? 'lndeed who
is he2 ? 'The chief justice was the answer.
My reply was compendous and witty. J
quired all his oil TO keep his coun!enance
smooth"
\ very stupid foreman once asked Judge
how they were to ignore bill. "Why sir,
said CurIan. "when YOU mean TO find true
one, jus, write Ignoramus for self and fellows
on The back Of i,''
\ gentleman just called to the bar took
up pauper case. 1t was remarked upon.
''The mans ,gh,,' said Currsn; "a barber
begins on beggar, that when he arrives 81
The dignity he may know how 10 shave
Duchess"
He was jus, rising to cross-examine Q
witness before Judge who could not com
prehend any jes. That was no. written IN
black letter. Before he said single word,
the witness began to laugh. ~Wha. are you
laughing at, ftIend-wha. are you laughing
at? Let me tell you that laugh without
Joke is like-is like" Like what, Mr..
Curran - asked the judge, imagining he was
nonplused. "Jus. exactly, my lord, like q
contingent remainder wi'hou, any particular
estate to supper. i..' am afraid that none
bu, my legal readers will understand the ad-
mirabIe felocily Of The simiitude, but it was
quite to his lordship's fancy. and rivaled
with him all ''lhe wit that Rabelais ever
scattered"
Examining a county squire who disputed
colIer's bill: "DId he not give you The
Goals. friend :" Vie did, sir, bu,-", "Bu,
what? On your oath, WASN'T our payments
slack ?"
1t was thus, that in some way or other.
he con,rved TO throw the witness off their
centre, and he took care they seldom should
recover it. My lard, my lard!" vocifera,ed
peasant witness, wIihing under this men
tai excrucialion, 81 can't answer you linle
gentleman, he's putting me in such dold-
rum "A doldrum! Mr.. Curran, wha.
does he mean by doldtum - exclaimed
Lord AvoDmore. "Oh my lord, lis very
common complain. with persons Of this
description i.'s merely a confusion Of The
head arising from the corruption Of The
heart"
To the bench he was al times quite as
unceremonious; and if he thought himself
reflected on or inleilered with, had instant
recourse either 10 ridicule or inveclive.-
There is celebrated reply in circulation
Of Mr.. Dunning TO remark OF Lord Mans
field, who CURLY exclaimed al one of his
legal positions, so! if that be law, Mr..
Dunning, ] may burn my law-books !''-
Better read them, my lord" was the sar-
castle and appropriate rejoinder. In diff
erent spirit, bu, with simIlsr effect, was Mr..
Curran's re.ou npon an Irish judge, quite
as remarkable for bis good-humor end rail-
Iery as for his legal researches. lie was
addressing a jury on one Of the state trials
in 1903, with his usual animation. The
Judge, whose political bias, if any judge can
have one, was certainly supposed not to be
favorsble to the prisoner, shook his head in
doubt or denial Of one Of the advocates ar
gumen,s. 81 see, gentlemen" said Mr.. Cur
ran, u see the motion of his lordship's head;
common observers might imagine that i'm
piled difference of opinion, but they would
be mistaken: it is merely accidental. Believe
me. gentlemen, If you remain here many
DAYS, you will. yourselves perceive that,
when his lordship shakes his head, there's
nothing in ii %
PERSONAL APPEARANCE AND HABITS OF
GRATTAN.
Gra,tan was short in statue, and unpre-
possessing in appearance. His arms were
dispropor,ionately long. His walk was q
stride. With a person swaying like a
pendulum, and an distracted all, he SEEM
ed always In thought, end each thought
provoked an attendant geslculalion. Such
was The outward and VISIBLE form of
one whom the passenger would stop to stare
d, as droll, and The philosopher to con-
template as study. How strange i, seems
.hs. q mind so repIete with grace and sy m
metry, and pow er and spIendor, should have
been slIo,ed such a DIV eling for iss resi-
dence Yet SO j, was and also was it one
of bis highes. attributes. lha, his genius, by
its "excessive light" blinded the hearer 10
his physical imperfec.ions. |. was The vic
tory of mind over matter. The man was
| forgotten in the orator. Mr.. Grattan, whose
father represented the city of Dublin in
Parliament, and was also lis recorder, was
born in the year l746. He entered the
Middle Temple in 1862 and was called to
the Irish bar in 1772. In the University
Of Dublin he was eminen,Iy distinguished,
sharing its honors, in then amicsbls conten-
,ion. with Fi'zgibbon-not merely the an