The record-union., 1893-10-14
WHERE FBES ARE HIGH.
Lawing is Decidedly Costly in
England.

Justice is Reasonably Even-Handed,
but Indulgence in Litigation is an
Expensive Luxurv-Some Features
of the Courts-Dealing With Rail-
roads.
There is perhaps no country in the
world where litigation is more expen-
sive than in Great Britain, says the Lon
don correspondent of the New York
Press. It is scarcely true that England
has one law for the rich and another for
the poor. Her laws are for all classes
equally-providing they can stford 1t.
Rascals with big bank account are not
spared on the ground of either their
wealth or titled connections. The Brit
ish courts are great on Furnishing the
guilty. Where they fall short is in vim
dicating the rights of the innocent; especi-
ally so when wronged innocence labors
under the disadvantage of not having
much money to squander. This is not
the fault of the law itself, but of the COM
plicated and costly processes by which
alone the law can be put in motion.
The attorneys fees are the first impedi
ment. An English solicitor will hardly
listen to you for less than guinea (S5),
and even at the very beginning, when
you may only want to find out if you
have a valid claim, he is almost sure to
wish to consult a barrister. Really, an
ordinary lawyer over here doesn't
amount to much. He can only plead in
courts Of thesvery lowest jurisdiction; at
every other tribunal you need barris-
ter, and these two functionaries play SO
completely into each others hands that
the poor client is quite at their mercy,
and it is often the case that before
long he breads his own dignitied and
costly cOunSelOrS almost as much as the
fellows on the other side. Besides, one
soon finds out that both solicitor and
barrister have satellites in their train
called clerks, and at every turn he is
charged fee tor something or other these
gentlemen are supposed to have done for
him. 1t is the same with law clerks as
with house servants over here. Your
first supposition is that their wages Will
be paid, as a matter Of course, by the
parties who employ Them. But you find
out tinally-in fact, very soon-if you
come in contact with them, that they
draw their support in fees and perquisites
from poor unfortunates like yourself.
ga DEPRESSING INSTITUTION
The English court Of justice is so awe
inspiring function that to merely wit
ness it throws a wet blanket over ones
spirits, to say nothing of what it must be
to the parties in interest. The bewigged
Judge with the sword suspended above
his solemn ViSage, the terrible dignity of
the court officials, the restraint which
seems to rest like a spell upon the
gOwned advocates. who really themselves
seem to be almost afraid to open their
mouths lest, like Mrs. PartingtOn, they
should put their feet into them-a1 these
things, and many other contributing ad-
juncts make big trial in an English
court seem to the looker-on much as the
day of judgment used to picture itself to
me ere yet the new theology had come
into vogue.
Still the people insist on focking to
these functions, and the way they flock
in this land, ladies not excepted, when
that which is salaciOus or particularly
morbid is likely to transpire, is some
thing for the student of human nature TO
puzzle over. AT that dreadful and dread
fully nasty Cream Trial ladies were in
conspicuous abundance, and at one
session a real lady (of course she was sat
by the side of the Judge, and was cor
daily greeted by him upon her arrival.
all the facts underlying this case were as
filthy as they were bloody, and many of
the witnesses were of the prostitute class.
To read of such a case ought to make any
pure woman blush, one would think. !
But women seem to be changing-at
least some Of them do, and over here
those of the sex whose virtue is supposed
to be above suspicion seem to think moth |
ing at all OF appearing as interested spec |
tators at the most disgusting trials. Or, |
rather, l should say. they seem to think |
everything OF such opportunities, and |
viii endure anything rather than miss |
them. Ladies will please retire." said |
one Judge, but not a lady moved. Then !
he said, Ladies of decency win retire."
when, of course, there was a grand, no |
doubt a deeply regretted, clearing out of
these perpleXing specimens of the fair.
sex.
THE POWER OF A BRITISH COURT.
The awe-inspiring influence of the |
British court of justice is felt outside, |
and nowhere more effectually than in /
newspaper offices. Hardly line of COM |
ment appears while case is IN progress. |
The Judge and jury must be left to try |
the issue without any help from able |
editors or from inventive reporters. This, |
partly as matter OF taste and partly |
from fear of falling under the contempt |
OF her majesty's Judges. The English |
press is deierential at first to even the |
yilest offenders. The red-handed muir |
derer, whose guilt no one can doubt, is |
always spoken OF, until convicted, as the |
''alleged" murderer In our country the |
newspapers frequently do not scruple to |
try the case and pronounce verdict be- |
fore the accused has even been arrested. |
But here, in both capital and lesser |
crimes, the facts are given only as they /
are testified to in court, and it is often the |
case that the police have plies on piles of |
facts bearing on criminals record, |
which, as they are of no use IN his trial |
for particular offense, are never given |
to the press at all, or, II at all, only after |
he has been found guilty and sentenced. |
Here, again, the case of Cream comes in. |
The most damning facts in his American |
and Canadian career were not given to |
the public until the day after his trial |
closed. The police department had them, |
but the press could not get them for love |
or money prior to that time, and, indeed, |
if the press had known all these facts il |
could not have used them. Precedent |
and law together exercise tremendous
censorship over the newspapers of Great
Britain.
Trial by jury seems to be known over
here only in name. 1t is the Judge who |
tries the case and it is really his verdict |
scientiously concur, but they know be- |
fore they retire what is expected, and /
they know also that woe will betide them |
at least to the extent Of round judi |
cial scolding-if the Judges wishes are
set at naught. There can be no doubt, |
that English Judges are terror to evil |
doors, but whether they are the defense |
they ought to be to those not really guilty |
of evil doing is another question. The
Judge i'll summing up is sure TO
The Change from Girlhood to Womanhood
"a - is fraught with dangers. At