Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1864-11-11
Anecdotes of English Judges.

Judge Bethel was wont to amuse the
house of commons BY such pleasantries
as the following "The honorable mem
Der promised to turn it over in what be
is pleased to call his mind. The honor
able gentleman has treated subject OF
which he knows knothing, in temper OF
mind which would incapacitate him from
treating effectively one of which he knew
much.'
Lord Peterborough was curt, but his
surliness was redeemed by humor; as IN
his encouraging remark to the tyro who
stammered out, "My lords, my unfortu>
nate client-my unfortunate client. -
"Go on, sir, so far the court is quite with
you" Or 10 his reply to Mr.. Preston,
who, after occupying an entire day amid
the yawns of the court, appealed to know
when il would be their lordship's pleasure
to hear the remainder of his argument.-
"NIr. Preston, we are bound to hear you,
and snail do so in due time, the court
has no pleasure in the matter"
Anecdotes abound of Chief Justice
Wille's galIantry, not to say proflsacy'
which we cannot venture to reproduce;
and Boswell reports a conversation with
johnson, in 1878, which appears 20 have
been suggested by some judicial irregu-
larity. "On the same evening be would
not know that the private life of a judge
in England was required to be so strictly
decorous as l supposed why, then, sir,
said |, according to your account, an
English Judge must just live like gentle
man. johnson Yes, sir, if be can"
When Hone under trial for a profane
parody, was quoting passages from skep-
teal writers in his defense, one of his
Judges was overheard TO remark TO one
of his colleagues, that he "would be id
TO HI if he would sit there and hear the
Christian religion abused" 1t should be
remembered, in mitigation, that swearing
and drinking were then not deemed in
compatible with the habits and manners
of good society. Even the pious Eden
was frequently guilty Of an oath.
Within the memory Of the senior m en-
hers of the profession, the court Of exche-
quer was stated to be composed of one
Judge, who was a gentleman and no law
yer; a second, who was a lawyer and no
gentleman third who was neither; and
a fourth who was both. This description,
in which strict accuracy may have been
sacrificed to antithesis, recalls Charles
Lambs jocular remark on his four friends
of the Lake school, that one would tell
a lie, but woudi not pick a pocket; an
other would pick pocket, but would not
tell lie a third would do neither, and
a fourth would do Notwithstanding, of
course, the professed moralist for the cli>
max.
The gentleman judge not lawyer,
was Baron Graham, and some curious
stories are told Of his uniform politeness
on the bench In his day, il was usual
to suspend judgment in the criminal ca
ses till the conclusion Of the assizes and
deliver all the sentences in a lump. A
name had been accidentally omitted in the
list of capital punishments, of which he
was reminded on coming to the end of the
list, ooh, yes, | see, John Thompson
John Thompson, | beg your pardon, you
also are to be hanged by your neck till
you are dead, and may the Lord have
mercy on your miserable soul too"
This is not so bad as the hanging judge
once frequently discoverable on the
bench. One of the most repulsive speci-
mems has been handed down TO lasting
ignominy by couplet of Pope's:
ISLANDER or poison dread from Dcia's rage,
Hard words or hanging, If your judge be Page"
Johnston records that, at the trial of
Savage for murder, Page concluded an
in0ammatory address to the jury in this
fashion; "Gentlemen of the jury, you
are to consider that Mr.. Savage is very
great man, a much greater man than Ell
Their you or !, gentlemen of the jury
that be wears very fine clothes, much
finer clothes than you or /, gentlemen Of
the jury that be has abundance Of mon
ey in bis pocket, much more money than
either you or /, gentlemen of the jury ;
hut, gentlemen of the jury, is it not a
very hard case, gentlemen of the jury,
that Mr.. Savage should therefore kill you
or me gentlemen Of the jury."-Fraser's
Magazine.
A sinful thought or feeling is like a
spark of fire. 1t seems like little thing
and is easily extinguished; but it has a
tendency 10 consume and destroy let il