The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-09-14


be quite willing 70 undertake. your case
for las you kayN little money down.
taking the rest out In trader"
Mr.. Hemms was stricken dumb by
the proposal
'lscing certain that SO amicable an
arrangement would commend itself TO
you, the moment II was presented Units
full advantages, have taken the
trouble 10 look M the law on the sub
iect, and viii without further paFley
let you know just where you stand.
You are doubtless aware that there
have been number Of acts passed In
relation TO tailoring which think will
tend TO make our negotiations exceed
ingly simple. For instance, there wns
an act passed in the reign Of William
and Mary which made II illegal for q
tailor TO sew cloth buttons on q suit.
The penalty Is forty shillings for every
half dozen buttorS he uses. besides the
forfeiture OF the goods. But you were.
OF course. cognizant Of this before you
threatened the law on a lawyer.
II never heard Of such nm outrageous
act 1t Is certainly not the law now. \
''Ah, there you are wrong, and that
shows the advantage Of having tho
best legal assistance II would i'll be-
come us Mr.. Iiemms, To. characterize
the wisdom OF our ancestors as out
rageous. There arc many things per-
tanning TO the law that may not COM
mend themselves TO the lay mind
do you mean to say that act has
never been repealed"
$50 far from being repealed, II has
been affirmed and added to In other
reigns. In the fourth year Of George l.
| the law was made TO include nll kinds
Of buttons covered by any material
whatever and the forty shillinRa was
retained as the pcnalty. In .Georgt
| the Fourth's time there was a button
act passed, forty shillings remaining
| the fnvoritc penalty. l have often
wondered why forty shiIlings was
always popular penalty imposed on
| Englishmen for doing that which they
should not do Doubtless you have
| yourself pondered on the same inscrut-
able mystery. Why not thirty shillings,
or fifty shillings, or G52 Still so It Is,
and we must accept IL
| sWhy was such an unjust law
| passcd?" I.
do not, beg & you, term II unjust
/ Respect the law. should be sorry to
think that my custom went TO man
who was not as law-abidlng and Us
law-respecting as myself. Why was Il
passed2 II was passed To protect tho
button mixers Of birmingham"
.And do yon mean to say cannot
4 collect my Just debt because ! have
sewed cloth buttons on some Of your
suits?
"You will collect yonr debt tho mo
men4 get money to pay you, but you
cannot collect II IN any English court
That was tried quite recently at Mary.
i lebone county court, when Mr.. King
wns sued by tailor named Shirley.
The amount claimed was nine pounds
sterling. Mr. Shirley was . most es.
Unable man. no doubt, and probably
A an excellent tailor, but people should
have the law on their side. Yhe law
takes no account Of motive The tailor
4 was not only nonsuited. hut was also
i fined the requisite number Of forty
shilling pieces. II there are any forty
sbilIing pieces ! confess ! am more
I. familiar with law than with the coin.
!, age Of this country. Mr.. King was
suited not only by the law. but the tailor
rs we'll"
is this why you asked mo to corss
here2
nYea You gapc me Of your clothing
Il give you Of the law. Each the arti
Gle he deals in. Now if you sign re
i ceipt for the clothes, will charge yor
nothing for the law, nor will ! say any
thing Of the just penalties you have In
Cured"
Il before doing So remarked ths
tailor, rising. Il will consult another
lawyer"
"A most excellent resolution in or
binary cases In multitude OF queen
counsel there is wisdom, or at leasi
much law. But this case must be set
tied now. In your letter you expressed
wish for an early settlement II i
my own desire must have my receip
now or viii invoke the law agains
you as breaker Of it"
i The receipt was given. OF course. |
tailor Is no match for q lawyer II j
always better to turn one Of the lega
, gentlemen on another. That Is wha
4 the tailor did. He consul ted anothe
lawyer. This gentleman assured thu
tailor that the acts complained os still
. stand on the statute books. He said
however, that Blk In demanding ant
obtaining the receipt had compounded
felony. For this he could be brouRh
to book. But the tailor did not wan
to mt Blk In jail; he wanted hi
money. Why notthreaten Bilk2 Thel
he could be settled with and the none.
obtained. This, 1t seemed, would b
also compromising Bilk's felony, an.
. then another lawyer could jump on tn
second lawyer II the second lawye
settled, then the third lawyer woul,
have compounded . felony and SO tn
thing would 20 on until NIL the lega
talent Of London would be envelopes
In this network Of compromising fel
onies
This is how the matter sta6ds at tn
moment Of writing. How it will en-,
no one knows. II IS conplicate,
question. shall keep my eye on tn
case and report progress from time y
time. Meanwhile those who read maj
take my word for It that the law D
England to-day In regard to button
! remains as stated in the foregoing pa
thetic narrative. Luke Sharp, in De
troit Free Press.
The cheek Of some people Is sim
ply amazing said the young mother
s.lN,l,at a. ft,a t,-s1.,f.ia r,fxv aei.ai th