The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-08-03
A Richmond Judge I'm Libcrta..-Str-
einiaps (NeSrocs) Rule the ROOst.


fr. A. b. willia,ns's letter to the Charleston NewsJ
THE BAR
does not seem to be one OF great ability. l
attended the Quarterly Court, where suit
for damages was in progress. The proceed
ines were opened by the reading OF the
journal of the previous day, after which the
nudge nut the question whether or no the
minutes should be confirmed, and kept on
puttine it until every one Of the four law
yers present voted "aye." Altogether
there seemed to be delightful absence OF
those formaIites and accessories which
make the administration OF the law so ter
ribIc and grim elsewhere. There were no
| Gowns. no cooked hats, no swords, no
| tipstayeS: only one bald-headed man,
bit about twenty constables. There was
not even a man with q paper collar on to
stand ut the door and deaien everybody by
| yelling .,Siicnce - and no piles Of law
books and green bags to till the spectator
with dark forebodings. The only book l
saw was copy OF the Statutes OF LIBERIA
| There wasn't even an almanac, Tor When
| the Judge wanted to sec what date certain
day would fall on he had To lean over the
desk and look at the tin calendar hung 10
the clerks watch-chan. When the Jury
brought in a verdict OF 81 ZOO damages for
|
themselves to the four winds in state OF
apparent but to me ineXpllcable excite
ment. Honorable counsel for plaintiff
and ditto ditto for defendant (the latter
in n very snort Jacket and having the
general appearance Of an insolvent hetel-
Wai;er) sprang simultaneously to their feet,
and each claimed the car OF the court, the
former with Il motion to record the Verdlct,
and the latter proposing to have it set aside
as being contrary to the law and the evil
dence. Each seemed to think that it was
matter OF vital importance to have his say
first, claiming the floor on the ground that
he had first spoken. The Judge ordered
both to sit down several times, to which
they responded by easing very gradually
to their seats, keeping one eye on
each other, and suddenly Strengthening
out their legs and coming on their feet
again. Finally the honorable counsci en-
tered into verbal compact, each binding him.
self to sit down il the other would. From
this scene would Judge that the legal tai
emit of the country lies in the supple hinges
OF the knee, the advocate who can come 10
his feet quickest being tue successful one.
When it is said, therefore, Of Liberan
attorney that he is rapidly rising young
man, it is high praise, and the man who
waits is not the successful man. The judge,
on this occasion. after consulting the sta
lute-book, and after several attempts on the
part of honorable counsel for the defence
to put the motion properly in writing, set
a day for the hearing OF argument on the
motion to set aside. This Judge, by the
way, is
ANOTHER vIRGINIAN,
being from Richmond, and laid aside his
dignity for a time 10 talk Of old times and
old people, and the "New market" Flr-
ginians seem to about run the machine here.
| expect that from them the Liberians in
herit the dclusion that they are constantly
tention, that being weakness Of the Old
Dominion. In fact, many OF our southern
foibles obtain here. When heard "our
colleges have turned out world.renowned
scholars, our soil is the most fertile, and
our climate the most salubrious, our men
brave and our women handsome" could
have sat me down and wept at hearing the
| familiar song Of Zion in a strange land.