Legal Reminiscences.
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told respectively by Achilli and the lady in taken from the intelligent community of this question. Three English servant girls, whom city, and when even judges have lent them the prosecutor was said to have seduced, selves to judicial murders, for they were were next examined, and a decree of the neither more nor less, on the score of re Inquisition at Rome depriving Achilli of all ligious zeal. These are indeed different ecclesiastical functions forever, on the alleged times, and this is a trifling cause compared ground of his confession of rape and forni with those. But that same feeling which cation, was held by Lord Campbell to be then deadened men's hearts and consciences admissible. Dr. Achilli stood the ordeal of to the higher motives by which they should examination and cross-examination with have been guided and directed, may . . . courage and ability; he denied each and creep with that insensible subtlety with every one of the allegations against him, which they do creep around men's minds and seems to have impressed the jury and understanding, and may shut your eyes favorably. Cockburn summed up the case to the sight of truth and your minds to the for the defendant with much force and light of reason ... I ask you to give the skill. His peroration is worth transcribing: case a calm and dispassionate consideration, "These halls, in which this inquiry is now and if you do so I entertain the strongest taking place, have not to-day for the first confidence that your verdict will be in my time witnessed the miscarriage of justice in favor." cases of religious quarrels; there remain, Sir Frederick Thesiger's reply — long, unhappily for our fame, upon the pages of elaborate and minute — was worthy of the history some unfortunate transactions which occasion, but presents no passages that have taken place in this great hall, which is lend themselves readily to quotation. After associated, I grieve to say, with the dark as a careful summing-up the jury found that well as with the more glorious epochs of none of the charges of immorality had been our history. Here then have taken place proved. A rule nisi for a new trial was judicial proceedings over which the historian subsequently obtained. But it was eventu would gladly draw an impenetrable veil, ally discharged on the ground that, even if were it not that history, by holding up its Dr. Newman succeeded in proving some of beacon light over the errors of the past, the charges, there were others he could not should warn us against the evils of the prove, and that thus the only defence com future; and though the days, thank God, petent under Lord Campbell's act, viz. a com are now past when human life was sacrificed plete justification of every part of the libel, to religious bigotry and passion, yet there could not be established. A modified pen have been times when juries — aye, juries alty of £100 was imposed. Lex.
LEGAL REMINISCENCES. V. L. E. Chittenden. ARE THE MORALS OF THE BAR RETRO GRADING? A recent professional ex perience has forced this inquiry upon me in a very impressive way. These are the facts involved :
A poor man consulted a young lawyer upon a claim against a municipal corporation. After examination of the records and author ities, the lawyer advised him that he had a good claim for over $2000.
