The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-01-26

Periodically the Middlesex sessions and the Surrey sessions are held in their re spec,ive eour-houses a, Cerkington and Newington Causeway. The Middiesex sessions are reported for all ahe papers by an old gentleman of nearly eighty years of age, and his :, copy never very legible- does not improve with time. hut, on the other hand. does not deterioraie. His "reminiscences cover the history at ,achlng 10 licensed houses. the owners of which. whether they require beer, wine or spirit. music or dancing licenses, are com pelled 10 come once year and obtain the necessary power from the Middle sex magistrates. Curious questions have sometimes to be decided. as for instance :: .. Who is 10 be beheved-the music hall proprietor. who declares his place the home of virtue, or the converted brewer. who swears to its being the road to he'll"
 Similar business is performed at New ington Causeway, where II may be reeol- lected that Mir. Hardman IS chairman. This court seems to be the favorite one of priceless barristers who are pursuing \ double calling, or rather, they earn their bread by the complimentary report ing-and wear their wig and gown in the other. remember one such student of the law announcing with great glee that the number ei cases had been so great that the barrlsters present were not equal to the work, and. the rota being called, his own name was reached at last with the result ,ha: a, tivc minutes notice he was called upon 10 prosecute man on brief which he had never studied. Bu, magistrates are ienlent and the prisoner was convicted. the counsel pooketing his guinea fec, the first he had earned after years of paiien, waiting.
 Among the reporters al the Surrey ses- sions should be named man of rough exterior and altenuated frame. whose real abiding place IS the Central Criminal court, in the Old Bailey. The liner IS frequently lnstanced as one of the most taking men among his class, but should fancy that m days gone by he did better than al present. when host of small fry nlbbled round the big lack. So many filmsies has he written in his tune that the pressure upon the hrst loin, of his AoiN-'dSN-, III uSii AiC oRyius pNSi sSN- eral sheets of tissue. has absolutely forced il up higher than his thumb. and has shortened the finger to that eN;ent. The same deformiiy charaCterl3cs, to more or less degree, All those persons who habiually write with stylus, instead of the pen. Al home thls gentleman ot whom i speas: IS n amateur farmer. and his income from lineage has reached S.ooo per annum. He has d keen mem oty for faces, which IS the more extra ordinary as he has seen all the noted criminals, judges. counsel and witnesses for the past thirty or forty years
 Now that the law courts have mi grated en masse from Westminster 70 the Royal Palace of Justice, Temple Bar. the whole of the legal business of the country which can be centrally transacted is there dis posed of. In the Court of Appeal, the Chanoery Division, the puecn's Bench Division. the Probate, Divorce and Ad miralty Division, there IS plenty of work for reporters who rank among the best in London. Some little while since there was an effort Tn the city to frustrate the proposal to remove the sittings of the Queens Bench from Guildhall, where they had taken place occasionally for many years, but the opposition fell through. and consequently the courts of justice are all contained Tn Streets fine building. and barris,ers. in wig and gown, are less frequently seen flying in cabs from their chambers in the Temple or the Courts Westward. ,o appear Il the Gulldhall, in the city of London proper.
 Generally speaking. Il will be found that law court reporters are disCharglng double functions for SIN months al least during the year. By day they are pre- parins concise summaries of the cases heard by the chief judges of the land and a, night they pop T and ou, of the boxes Tn the reporters gallencs of the houses of the lcrds and commons. V hen morning siitings have been voted urgent the straln upon the reporter is fearful. for he has to turn his attention to two things al once and to do his best 10 be in two places simultaneously. When the courts were ad aceni to Westminster hall Il was an easier matter than II IS now, for quarter O an hours walk connects the new seat Of justice with the houses of parliament. and even the Metropolitan Underground railway does not lessen the distance. 50 hear that a encouragement has been the result. and the work which formerly was monopolized by some few well-knowa parliamentary men has been divided among a new tribe of workers.