The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-01-20

fession and incidentally for the fees
appertaining thereto. Why pay good
money TO another lawyer, when ! will
be quite willing to undertake your case
Tor las you say) a little money down,
taking the rest out In trader"
Mr.. Hemms was stricken dumb by
the proposal
.Beinr certain that so amicablc an
arrangement would commend itself to
YOU the moment it was presented in its
full advantage, / have taken the
trouble to look up the law on the sub
iect. and will without further parley
let you know just where you stand.
You are doubtless aware that there
have been a number Of acts passed in
relation to tailoring which think will
tend to make our negotiations exceed
ingly simple. For instance, there was
an net passed in the reign Of William
and Mary which made IL Illegal for a
tailor to sew cloth buttons on q suit.
The penalty is forty shilIings for every
half dozen buttons he uses, besides the
forfeiture of the goods. But you wcre,
Of course, cognizant Of this before you
threatened the law on a lawyer"
81 never heard of such an outrageous
act 1t is certainly not the law now"
..Ah, there you are wrong. and that
shows the advantage Of having the
best legal assistance. 1t would i'll be-1
come us, Mr.. Hemms, TO characterize
the wisdom OF our ancestors as out
rageous. There are 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 repealed2"
$50 far from being repealed. it has
been affirmed and added To In other
rcigns. In the fourth yearof George !.
the law was made TO include all kinds
Of buttons covered by any material
whatever and the forty shillings was
retained as the penalty. In George
the Eourth's time there was a button
act passed, forty shillings remaining
the favorite penalty. ! have often
wondered why forty shillings was
always a 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 shil1ings,
or fifty shilhngs, or e5? Still SO II is.
and we must accept it."
why was such an unjust law
passed?'
DO not ] beg Of you, term It unjust.
Respect the law. should be sorry to
think that my custom went to q man
who was not as law-abiding and as
law-respecting as myself. Why was 1t
passed. It was passed to protect the
button makers OF birmingham"
And do you mean to say ! cannot
collect my Just debt because ! have.
sewed cloth buttons on some of-your
suits?'
You will collect your debt the mo-
ment | get money to pay you, but you
cannot collect 1t in any English court
That was tried quite recently at Mary
lebone county court, when a Mr.. King
was sued by q tailor named Shirley.
The amount claimed was nine pounds
sterling. Mr.. Shirley was a most es-
Unable man, no doubt, and probably
nm excellent tailor, but people should
have the law on their side. The law
1AN az A&NOhAk VI lnObiNGs liz tttAlOT
vas not only nonsuited, but was also
fined the requisite number Of forty
shilling pieces, If there are any forty
shilling pieces / confess l am more
familiar with law than with the coin.
age Of this country. Mr.. King was
suited not only by thelaw, but the tailor
as we'll"
rs this why you asked me to come
here2n
Eyes. You gave me Of your clothing.
] give you Of tie law. Each the arti-
Gle he deals in. Now if you sign a re-
ceipt for the clothes, / will charge you
nothing for the law, nor will / say any
thing Of the just penalties you have in
cured
Before doing so, remarked the
tailor, rising. II will consult another
lawyer"
"A most excellent. resolution in or
binary cases In multitude Of queens
counsel there Is wisdom. or ut least
much law. But this case must be set
tied now. In Your letter you expressed
. wish for an early settlement. 1t is
my desire. I must have my receipt
now or I will invoke the law against
you as a breaker of it.
The receipt was given. or course, O.
tailor is no match for a lawyer. 92It Is
always better to turn one OF the&leRal
gentlemen on another. That liSsNhat
the tailor did. He consul ted another
lawyer. This gentleman assured the
tailor that the acts complained ofSstill
stand on the statute books. He said,
however, that Blk in demanding and
obtaining the receipt had compounded a
felony. For this he could be- brought
to book. But the tailor did not want
70 put BLK in jail; hez wanted his
money. Why not t-hreatenRlk2 Then
ne could be settled with and the money
obtained, This, it. seemed, would be,
also compromising Bilx's felony. and
then another lawyer could jump on the
second lawyer. II the second lawyer.
settled, then the third lawyer would
have compounded a felony and SO the
thing would go on untrl all the legal
talent OF London would be enveloped
IN this network Of compromising fel-
onies. 4@
This IS Nov tie mater Stands IL the
moment Of writing How il viii end
no knows, II is a complicated
question. shah keep ny wye on the
case and report Progress from time to
time Meanwhile those whY read may
lake my word for ii that the1aw 81
England to-day in regard to buttons
ma as stated in the foregoing pa
thetie narrative. Luke Sharp, ia De-
troit Free Press.