Page:A General Biography of Bengal Celebrities Vol 1.djvu/138

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the Contempt cash I2S has certainly done enough, within the short time that he hasr filled the High Court Bench, to shew how unworthy he is &c u Scarcely four days had elapsed since the appear! ance of this para in the Bengalee, when on the 2nd of May, the Hon'ble Justice Norris took his seat on the Bench after lunch, and after repudiating; the charge that he had ordered ' the idol to be brought into the Court without the consent of the parties concerned, and against thp feeling of the entire Hindu . community, issued a rule on Babu Surendranath and his Printer Babu Ramkumar Dey to shew cause why they should hot be punished for contempt of Court. Only* two days' time was allowed them to prepare to answer the charge ; and on the 4th of May, Mr. W. C. Bonnerjest Barrister-at-Law instructed by Babu Gonesh Chuhder Chunder, one of the best native attorneys of the High Court, and with whom it is a pleasure to help his* countrymen in their difficulties, appeared for Babu Su- rendranath. It was urged on his behalf that the "ob* servations were made in perfect good faith, and with* out any motive of any description whatsoever othef 1 than the motive to promote the public good. Babii Surendranath moreover expressed regret and apolo* gized, but his apology was not accepted. The case came to a speedy close. Judgment was : however rei served till the following morning, when Babu Suren- dranath was sentenced to two months' imprisonment? on the civil side of the Presidency Jail. Fine -wa3 not imposed on him on the ground that "it would- be? a mere nominal penalty." Of the five Judges, viz., the 1 Hon'ble Sir Richard Garth, Chief Justice, the -Horc'J ble Mr. Justice Cunningham, the Hon'ble Mr: Justice* Mcdonell v. C, the Ho'nble Mr. Justice Norris,- and* the Hon- ble Mr. J ustice Romesh Chunder M itterV the first four were unanimous in their opinion, 1 the last being the only dissentient • Judge in'the case.* Mr. Justice Mitter differed from his hr6the^ Judges** on the ground that "as in 1 two* "previous cases" of con-* 17