Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-03-14

New England fogyism, which have greatly
amused us, and which will, think, amuse
many others. Accordingly we reproduce his
letter:
SAGINAW, Jan. II, 1861.
Friend Clarke Il suppose the Supreme Ju
dicia Court is in successful operation in your
city about these days-and your people, as is |
their wont, are doubtless discussing the ability
of the Bench, the clearness of the Bar, and the
intelligence of the juries. Well, once thought
that we had in New Hampshire Judges of abi-
ity, Lawyers of cearness, and Juries of intel
lgence; but a sojourn in the West has divest
ed me entirely of such ideas. There is too much
"od fogyism' about our New England Courts.
There is certain dignity about the Bench,
certain legal cearness about the Bar, a certain
matter-ofiact intelligence about the jury-box,
that is very much in the way of celebrity in the
dispatch of business. Now in some parts of the
West such trammes upon the Bench, Bar, and
in fact the whole Court Room are done away.
Forms and ceremonies are swept away like so
many cob webs, and we arrive at Justice or in
Justice, as the case may be, with railroad speed,
and without ''going round Robin Hoods barn"
A case in point In New Hampshire, upon
opening the Court now in session in your city,
the jures were called and sworn; prayer was
duly offered by the Rev. Mr. -, and then His
Honor Judge -, delivered an able and elab-
crate charge to the Grand Jury. All form and
ceremony taking up half days time Here
the Grand Jury is done away, and the Petit Ju-
ry is called at the election of either party
There is little form or ceremony. And Judge
D., whole souled specimen of humanity,
opened the Court of Saginaw County after this
wise Taking his seat with all due deliberaton
and dignity, he raped upon the desk, and ST.
lence prevailing, in full seasonable voice, he
said, "rhe Courts opened, and now Boys, il
you've got any cats to skin, fetch 'em onn'-
| Now there is a pattern opening The bject of
all litigation is to skin or prevent being skinned
and Judge d. came at the gist of the matter at
once, without any flourish of rhetoric or display
of legal lore. The Courts opened, let the skin
ming proceed, ommence-"Boys, if you've any
cats to skin, bring 'em on" Parker, Perley
Bell, here learn a lesson of breyity and dispatcl
in opening of Court
Then your lawyers are altogether too prosl
and prolix in their arguments to Court or Jury
A day is often taken up in the arguments on q
case of horse-stealng and the like. In the Wes
they manage things better. Three young mer
were up on a charge of killing colt belongin.
to a neighbor A day was spent in examining
the witnesses on the part of the government
Ill blood was proved between the parties-tha
the respondents passed the house of the com
plalnAllt on tlle lllBNt Tue COlJ was hllltu, dl'
that that upon hill half mile distant, the
hallooed "lIurrah for buggy" There wer
some other matters proved, but irrelevant, an
the prosecuting Attorney made the best OF tn
case in a speech of ten or fifteen minutes. H.
counsel for the respondents, shrewd clever, an
lover of good whisky, addressed the jury thus
"Gentlemen of the Jury we admit the ba
e blood we admit the passing the house, we ac
8 nit the haooing "Hurrah for the buggy !" bu
e gentlemen, we don't admit that "llurrah for
f buggy" will kill colt a half mile, and ST
I gentlemen, if "Hurrah for a buggy" won't ki
, a colt half mile, you'll give us the yerdic
5 and well liquor" There's a speech that's
II models shit the nail on the head, and took Il
J. jury in the right spot, 1t is needless to ad
e that counsel prisoners, and jurors were eenjo
y ing their whisky together in IA very few mlnut
: -whether the Court was included | have N
a learned.
e Then again your Judges "down East assun
a great deal of dignity They arenot approac
a able, Nothing but dinner or supper, or Il
p want of case will lead them to adjourn Il
sc Court. No Judge would think of adjourning
= Court to accommodate an individual. lie
Judges manage quite differently. Judge D.
r of this city, is quite a horse iancier in addit
er to being very accommodating Judge.
of owned a fine horse-Duroc. One day Charl
le F, from twenty miles up river, came in
Of Court, and walking directly up the Judge, spo