Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-10-22

Y
forgotten himself as to- treat your hon
orable bench with disrespect; he is ex
tremely penitent, and you will kindly
ascribe his unintentional insult 70 his
ignorance. You will see at once thai
it did not originate in anything but that
He said he was surprised at the deci
sion OF your Lordships. Now, if be had
not been very ignorant of what takes
place in this court every day-had he
known your Lordships but half so long
as / have done-he would net be sur
prised at anything you do
In 1863 a fat man rushed into the
olficeof a well-known New Hampshire
lawyer, ond told him he was drafted.
"1he deuce you arel" said the lawyer.
1T must be a strong man that could
draft a man Of your size"
Well, | am drafted, and want you to
get me off, will pay you well for il"
Very WE'LL" and they proceeded to
the office Of the provost marshal.
=" Here" said the lawyer, ave got a
substitute" -
He won't do" said the marshal;
he's too fat and wheezy; he can't march. /"
Can't you take him just for me?'
said the lawyer.
No" said the marshal, it's no use;
| don't Yant him"
This was just what the lawyer wanted.
He won't do, ehY
No, he won't" said the marshal.
Well, then, scratch, his name off the
| list, for he is drafted, and came here
with me to be exemptedr
The marshal saw they had proved too
much for him, and without another
word, ordered the mans exemption pa
pers.
ip An amicable contest concerning the
pronunciation of word once occurred
in Westminster Hall, between Lore
Campbell and a Q. c., who is still in the
front rank of court advocates. In an
action brought to recover for damages
done to carriage, the learned counse
repeatedly called the vehicle in question
a brougham. Whereupon Lord Camp
bell, with considerable pomposity, OBJ
served, Broom is the more usual pro
nunciation; a carriage of the kind you
mean is generally and not incorrectly
called broom; that pronunciation is
open to no grave objection, and it ha:
the advantage Of saving the time con
snmed by utteTing an extra syllable. =
Half an hour later, in the same trial
Lord Campbell, alludlng to q decision
given in a similar action, said " In that
case the carriage which had sustained
injury WAS an omnibus" Pardon me
my Lord, interposed the Queens coun-
sci, with such promptitude that his lord.
ship, was startled into silence, "a car
riage of the kind to which you draw at.
tention is usually termed q buss that
pronunciation is open TO no grave OBJ
lection, and-it has the great advantage
of saving the time consumed by utter.
ing two extra syllables." The interrup-
ton was followed by roar pf laughter,
in which Lord Campbelll joined more
heartily than any one else,
Early in the rebellion, when the
| Federal forces we're stationed at Beau
fort, South Carolina, there was an old
darky by the name Of Lige Jack
son, who, deserted by his maaiap, was
left 10 take care of himself as best he
might. Lige was considered chattel of
weak intellect, and, moreover, he was
exceedingly awkward in his attempts to
play the. role Of q house servant. He
snsShsd and destroyed nearly every
thing he laid his hands upon, and having
waited upon nearly every officer at the
post, each in turn, after giving him the
benefit of some hard language for his
stunidity, turned him sdrifk.
II happened that Lige was a witness
in case that came before a court mar
tial, and being called up TO give his tes-
timony, was objected to on the part of
the defendant who stated that he didn't
believe the niggAr was Of sound mind.
Stand up Lige," said the court.
"De you understand the nature of an
oath r. t
Lige scratched his wool for a moment,
and then turning up the white of his
eyes, replied:
Look a yeare, marse, dis niger has
waited on bout half de ossifers since
dey cum to dis place, and if he don't
understand de nature OBJ an oaf by dis
time, den dares no virtue in cussing."
The Court considered Lige a eompe-
tent witness. fra
Some years since one eofthe trial terms
Of the Niagara County Court, New York,
was attended by q yeoman from one of
the towns, to whom will give the name
of MacPeelings. Mac was farmer Of
some wealth, and very little know
ledge. which latter acquisition was to
him a dangerous thing. His ambition
had been grati6ed BY seat in the pop
ular branch Of the State Legislature,
where he had voted AYE" and me"
through the winter, besides picking up
an idea or two; one, at least, as the
sequel will show. The term Of Court
referred to was attended BY the legisla-
tor in the capacity Of jurymani and just
as the gas vas being lighted in the
Court room one evening, Mao was drawn
upon a jury for the trial of a new cause,
Our hero was wearied and hungry, and
perhaps sick Of the progress Of sleepy
counsel pleading. After the twelve
we're duly sworn and accepted, and
when plaintiffs counsel was about to
open the case, McPeelings antici-
pated him, and astonnded Court bar,
Jury and spectators, by rising TO his
feet abd remarking in loud voice
May It please the Court, / move that
this court do now adjourn until to-mor-
row moFning" ..
The Court elevated its spectacles in
amazement at such an interruption, and
informed the bold juror that courts were
not accustomed to entertain such re-
quests from any person, as they always
u -. a..--a1 - fhosr rrru r,otfrr ... f"
"Well," responded MscPeelings, with
the promptness Of perfect assurance in
his position, the Court can't deny that
a motion 70 adjourn is always in order. -
The Court smiled, bit his lips, and told
Mac to resume his seat. The cause pro-
ceeded, and | fear that poor MacPeel.
ings wonders &c ~: dky what suthesi.s