New-York tribune., 1879-11-01

constable after him. Ii may be unreasonable 10
expect NJ. Lawson to take this view. But he must
have friends acquaintances who could explain
to him the feeling of men of the world on such a
matter 1t his misfortune that, in a matter OF
honor he chose to seek the advice of an Old Bailey
lawyer.
Perhaps IL did not occur to Mr.. Lawson. or to his
adviser, that he would have to endure
animation at the hands of Mr.. Labouchere in person.
Mr.. Montagu Williams. being himself baIrister.
could hardly imagine that any laymsn's audacity
would the height of dispensing with trained
professional assistance, and conducting his own
cause. Yet that is what Mr. Labouchere has done.
He elected to meet this charge bv himself, undis-
mayed even blythe array of eminent counsel whom
Mr.. Lawson employs, including Mr.. Poland, one OF
the counsel to the Treasury, and Sir John Holker,
| Her Majesty's Attorney-Geueral. The Attorney
! General is often a good card to play when jury
has TO he won over, influence brought to bear
| on public opinion. The average Juryman can with
difficulty bring himself to comprehend that the At
torney-General is not the representative of the
Crown. CustOm-and very bad custom 1t is-per-
mits the Attorney-G General to exc out his official
income IA mere pittance of some $4,000 a
year, with the fees of private litigation. Some At
.orney Generals have thought IL right to show some
discretion in availing themselves of this privilege
But Sir John Hcker does not soruple TO appear as
and before the Middlesex Magistrates the next, in
the unsuccessful effort to license for another
client NJ. Bisnell, proprietor of the Argyll Rooms
place which has for years had notoriety the
sort of prostitutes. He is within his legal right in
so doing but it Is at least doubtful. the leading
journal of bis own party remarks this morning,
whether he adds to the dignity of his office
The hearing on Thursday was only preliminary.
The usual practice is to issue a summons to per-
son charged with libel, to appear before magis-
trate, and the magistrate has to decide simply
whether there is legal evidence on which to send
the defendant for trial before the regular criminal
court. don't remember any previous case in which
the first officer of the Government has attended
on such an occasion. But Sir John Holker came.
and only made his speech, reciting In his
| own way and with bs own cooring the
series of incidents which had led up TO this
| ton. Then Mr.. Lawson stepped into the witness
box and swore to such statements as were thought
ueedful. The only interesting part of his examina-
| ton-in-chief touched on his relations with Mr..
Gladstone. He gave MS to understand that he had
parted company with Mr.. Gladstone on the Russo
Turkish question, after unavaiing effort to con-
vert Mr.. Gladstone to his Mr.. Lawsons, views
of the proper foreign policy of England. We
talked the question for long time" said Mr.
Lawson; II had enjoyed the honor of the acquan-
tance of the right honorable gentleman-l might
almost say of his friendship" added he paintlvely.
But the audience laughed.
Mr.. Labouohere began his cross-examination In
the easy style of old hand He had entirely re-
covered his cooness and you would have said that
this spoiled child OF fortane-aristocrat, diploma
tist traveller, man Of pleasure man of business at
home IN every rank of society," and expert In count
less forms of worldly knowledge-had never done
anything in his life but extract fragments of truth
I from
and from the printed report but the cleverness of
the performance is obvious to anybody who reads.
Beside having seen Mr. Labouchere stand up in the
box before Mr.. SERGEANT Bslantne and bowl that
great man over, can form some idea of the way IN
which he would handle Mir. Lawson. All the cross
examination on Thursday related to the assault
Now Mr. Lawson has sought to possess the world
with the notion that his conduct IN that matter
was of q heroic kind, and Mr. Labouchere's
cowardly. Under gentle but firm pressure
of steadily-applied questions, an admission or
two came out not perfectly consistent with this
theory. Mr. Lawson had TO state that he bad in-
formed four persons of his intention to assault Mr.
Labouchere, on the understanding that they were
10 keep this intention secret. lie sw0re rst tna In
the street. where the blow was struck. II was hight
enough to read by which he presently modihed
into under the gas lamps" lie had to confess
under the Magistrates compulson-that Mr.
Montagu Williams brought him word that Mr.
Labouohere was In the club. Then he was invited
TO give and did give, his own version OF the assau
which was dramatic-even melodramatic-though
the mention Of his uncle's stick once more pro-
voked the laughter Of tne audience, TO whom lie
sabre de mon pere IN the Grande Duchesse of Ofen-
bach was evidently not unknown. MIR. Labouchere
heard his witness quietly to the end, then asked
not less quietly, 81 suppose you have read Alex
andre Dumas's novelist" some of them Mr.. Lawson
owned he had. Then came this'
"SoI thought. You will admit this rs rather
strange and remarkable account. i Will take 1t l
am the most abject coward IN the world. But did l
| make resistanceT
1.-THE very feebest it is possible to imagine"
| Laughter.
Resistance Of lamb to a butcherP
"No, not that" Laughter. II was astounded."
The drift Of this tolerably PLAIN. yet 1T did not
| occur TO Mr. Lawson that there may be limits to
| human credulity and that he was being gently led
forward on the dangerous path toward proving too
| much Nor had IL occurred 10 him when. moment
later he was taken by the hand along the same
| slope.
"You hit me very hard n
"As hard as could"
"You hit me IN the faceP
"Several times"
"Seyeral timesl Should you think II you hit a
non on the face several times it would make a
| mark"
"Some mems flesh is so soft il is difficult to make
mark %"
81 won't imagine such thing. but suppose you
hit Sir Robert Carden-fmuch laughterl-wouldyou
| not expect 1t TO make u mark"
| Sir II. Garden" hope he won't try"
| Mr. Labouchere-" If you hit as hard as you could
several times and the person should not put up his
| arm to ward off the blows, do you think 1t possible
L hax-o lao aftori