Oroville daily Butte record., 1857-08-26
Judge Lewis Practices LAW.

Aion PioObiSiDB ht INC Udr Oh Otner courts.
Notwithstanding this omission of the law,
an honest, upright and conscientious Judge
would hardly consent to practice law in the
District Court of the county over which he
is the presiding Judge. If Jos. E. N. Lewis,
tho present Judge Of this county ever felt
any conscientious scruples about this sort of
work, fee has always been sufficient to si.
lence them and secure his invaluable SER
vices in the District Court for Butte county.
Nor is this all. Judge Lewis has not only
become the attorney for suits in the District
Court Of this county, carrying them up to
the Supreme Court, but has exhibited some
sharp practice that should blast with eternal
infamy the name of any honorable lawyer, to
say nothing of the fact that he was the Judge
of the county at the time. We sllude TO his
course as counsel for the defendants in an
action of ejectment brought against busi-
ness firm of Oroville. by Harris s. Burt, for
the parties claiming the land upon which
the town is located. The defendants had
purchased a lot, and proceeded to erect a
Soda Factory, when an action of ejectment
was instituted against them Being new
comers and comparative strangers in the
county, they made inquiry of friend for
the best lawyer in the County, who men
toned Judge Lewis as having the reputation
of being amongst that class. One of the
firm saddled horse and started for Bidwell
Arriving at Bidwell. he called upon the very
Hon. County Judge and stated the case,
when Lewis informed him that it was his
custom to demand his fee in advance, fifty
dollars. This was paid to him. when the
client was ceolly advised to settle it without
proceeding to law. The client returned to
Orovlle, minus his fifty dollars, and pur-
chased his lot of Messrs. Harris g. Burt, for
a consideration of some three or four hun
dred dollars. Now the facts are simply
associate counsel Of Harris & Burt in these
land suits, he became so very soon thereaf-
ter, and before the last payment was made
on the lot. Is not such sharp practice sutfi-
cient to damn any lawyer in the estimation
of honorable men, and is it not still more
contemplate in one who was occupying the
position of County Judge?
And yet his lying tools and confederates
in his plundering schemes, and the venal
press in his employ, which has sprang into
existence since the refusal of our convention
to endorse his many iniquitous plans of
work of God, an honest man. Moral tur-
pitude and sacrilegious impiety cannot go
beyond the assertion Of Lewis honesty !!
Look at the records Of the Legislature and
see when and where he has invoked Legisla-
tive aid to plunder the taxpaying public
with special acts for his benefit Look at
see where he has plundered the county of
Office rent as Judge while occupying the
Court House at Bidwell. Go to the Clerks
office and see the $4,000 claim against the
comfy for the public square, presented af-
tel the buildings were erected, by advice of
Mr.. Lewis. Do the citizens of the county
desire an economical administration of af-
fairs, or win they endorse these dishonest
and unscrupulous assaults upon the public
revenue? You who are summoned hither to
discharge public duty, do you desire the
small amount Of scrip to which your services
are entitled to pay your expenses, or are
willing that the corrupt and scheming crew
headed by Judge Lewis, should plunge the
county further in debt, appropriate the
funds in the treasury, and compel you to
dispose of your warrant for fifty cents on
the dollar. or leave it to decay undrawn as
in times gone by "Honest3'' Prohibited
by law from speculating in county scrip af-
ter he had taken his seat as Judge. he was
actively engaged in buying it Up at thirty
or forty cents on the dollar, after the elec.
ton and previous to taking his seat His
men were all over the county engaged in
these purchases for him. Whether he has
engaged in such operations since he has oc-
cupied the bench, is only known to himself
and those in his employ.
Failing to become the candidate of any
party for the position he so much coveted,
he set about establishing venal presses to
advocate his election. He procured reso-
I,.;oco~ ~e- a~1oreauaDt from tha nanooro.;o