Butte record., 1854-02-18

iiAC AuueS 1OOfiHg uONu vi u pOldVOS-
hill he didn't propose to offer scarcely
any proof; and that little was by way OF
set-otf-tongue against tongue-accord-
ing to the statute in such case made and
provided F.; he hoped the Court would ex-
anime the law for himself Here Sile
unrolled long account against Philista,
measuring some three feet, and held it
up to the Squire and jury } This, he
said, was reg'lar statement OF the sian
derous words used by Philista Filkins
agin' Charity Beadle for the last three
years, with damage annexed everything
had been itemized, and kept in tlp-top
style all in black and white, just as it
happened Sile was about reading this
formidable instrument, when Ike objec-
ted.
THAT can't be did in this 'ere Court'
exclaimed Ike F.; the light Of civilization
has she'd itself a little tao thick for Hat
This Court might just as wei try to swal-
low a chestnut-burr, or eat-tail fore
most, as to get such proposition a-down
its throat
Squire Lonsbow said he'd never
heer'd Of such law-yet the question was
new to him
Laid down in all the law-books Of
the nineteenth century ? exclaimed Sile,
'and never heard on'ti'
'Never did,
why, continued Sile, the statute al
lows set-off where it is of the same natur'
of the action. This, you see, is SANDER
agiE' slander.'
True, replied the Squire.
True, did you sayl' exclaimed Ike
You say the statute does allow SANDER
to be set off; our statute-that statute
that I learned by heart before | knew
my A 3 C's-you old bass-wood head
ed son = But the Squire stopped Ike
just at this time. 'We viii decide the
question first he said. SThe Court have
made no dicision yet
Squire Longbow was in trouble. lie
smoked furiously. He examined the
statutes, looked over his docket, but he
did not seem to get any light. Finally,
a lucky thought struck him. He saw
old Mr.. Brown in the crowd, who had
the reputation of having once been
Justice in the State Of Newly ork. The
Squire arose and beckoned to him, and
both reIired to an adjoining room. AZ
ter about half an hour, the Squire re-
turned and took his seat, and delivered
his opinion. Here it is:
After an examination Of all the p'ints
both for and agin' the lowing Of the set
off, in which the Court didn't leave no
stone unturned to get at justice, having
some half dozen books from
eend to eend, and noted down everything
that anywise bore on the subject recol-
lecting, as the Court well doz, what the
great Story, who's now dead and gone,
done and writ bout this very thing, for
we must be lowed to inform this 'sembly
that we read Story in our juvenil' years J
having done this, and refreshing our
minds with the testimony; and keeping
in our eye the right of parties-right-er
liberty, and RICHTER speech, back ards
and or'ards-for I've as good right to
talk agin' you, as you have to talk agin'
me-koowing, as the Court doz, how
much blood has been shed cause folks
wern't lowed to talk as much as they
pleased, making all natur' groan, the
Court is of the opinion that the set-off
must be let in; and such is also Squire
Browns opinion, and nobody will contra
dict that I knoao.'
'Je-hOs-a-phatn groaned out Ike,
drawing of his very longest breaths.-
'The g eat Je-mi-lna Wilkison and so
that IS law, arter all There's my hat,
Squire Ike continued, as he arose and
reached it out to him; 'and you shall
have my gGllUsses as soon as l can get
at 'em.'
The Squire said 'the dignity of the
Court must be preserved
'Of course it must of course it must =
replied Ike, who was growing very phil
osophical over the opinion of the Squire
there amt no friction on my gudgeons
nO1o l always gins in to regular opinions,
delivered upon consideration; l was just
thinking, though, Squire, that as their
bill is so much the longest, and as the
parties are both here, Charity had better
let her tongue loose upon my client, and
take out the balance on the spot
The Squire said the cause must go on.
Sile read his set-of, made up of SANDER
GUS words alledged to have been used