Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1866-10-13
4 VIRGINIA Court.

N0thing is more calculated to arrest the at
;ention of an intelligent foreigner in Virginia
than the simplicity Of our Courts Of Justice
We remember going in London into the
Court Of Queens Bench in Westminster Hal
one day, and the dreadful sentiment which
came over Us Of the Majesty CT the Law. -
There safe in that venerable structure the
Lord Chief of Justice of tnglo nd and his four
associate justices in their robes and wigs: and
ihelr safe the learned bar, all in long black
gowns and huge wigs also. Uniformed police
men kept back the crowd and preserved order.
low differently our imagination was affect
ed on Tuesday evening. as we loitered Tor a
moment in the Circuit Court of Albemarie. =
There safe the Judge without any OF the
insignia OF office, and looking perfectly kind
and anliablc There stood the Sheriff with a
pair Of saddle bags over his shoulder, and his
pockets full Of chcStnutS, which he ate with
2rea, Soracity. There safe the Clerk, with
GULL behind his ear, splitting tobacco juice
lie hell was Illuminated with "a dim religious
light three taIlow candles stuck IN black
5ott eS-one By the Judge, onc by the clerk,
ant cue by the attorney ior the Common
weaIth. On bench behind this officer Ct the
iaW safe III apparent unc0ncern a dirty looking
Twelve jurymcn, who did not seem to enjoy
;he proceedings had flooded the area below
thc judges bench with tobacco juice, which
tIai!ed along unit! it effected Il junction with
me current from the clerk desk. ...
There was indeed 4 Spartan rIgor abont the
whole arrangements that showed US at once
!n2t We lived in a free country. (?} There
vas q slight rcyus!on, perhaps, ut the l!lu
@inatng agency. Thc candlcstcks uncGn-
5"louSy almost caused the shade Of u question
70 pass across Our mind, 'whcther there might
2ol be something else in those bottles-besid
the candle?" In the sh2 Cow OF that obscure
apartment, it seemed so easy to take a drink
out CT one of those bottles! There We're 10
Snuf?ers: when the wick had grown incon-
'eDenIly long the Sheriff moistcnca his lin
GerS, and removed the upper part OF it with
great adroitncss; offering, perhaps. some
Ghestnuts to the Judge OF the attorney 1or the
Commonwealth at the same time ...-
:, 1t was scene, We thought, for the pencil OF
iiIogayth. That pencil would have added q
lew additional srokes--a little black terrier,
|!'A hai!Suppresscd growl, and his whole
frame III 4 state of the most violent tension,
walking around, in the area before the bar, =
great bnndle cur that he considered uncntltIctt
~ me entrcc OF the COu. ID great big jury
man begging chaw Of toba oco from a neigh
De:F' and with large ack-knifc cutting off y
piece the size Of Il half dollar, and stufing it
IN}o his mouth like wud in Il Shot-suI--theGe
>0he "elI.known village idler, the regular at
IIc"dant at all criminal trials--therc some timid
iio:o@lng young lawyer, with nothing to detan
Elm IN his oilice-th4re some old ram of the
T. 'aT. battered with the shocks OF ten thousand
I,2S1iSiionS, and shaking his head at any object
'"2t he was paid to attack: ...........
AND underneatl, could orr fancy be realized,
~. ;c you'd TId have written--"Old Virginia never
1Aeo il such homely environment is Justice,
~ III 1Tgobt, more prompt and more sure than in
VI: y" Tue state Of Westminster Hall and the
"lE5 n snd gowns of the Court Of Queens Bench
Charlottesville CtlyuicIc. "s ''-..