and acted on by all who take part in the ad ministration of criminal justice." The Bench has robbed The Green Bag of an old and esteemed contributor. A. Wood Renton, Esq., has been appointed to a judge ship in Mauritius, and the press of official duties has made it impossible for him to continue his series of " Cases from the Old English Law Re ports," begun in the last volume. It is a pleasure to congratulate Mr. Renton on this well-deserved appointment, and we trust that his retirement from the ranks of Green Bag contributors is not permanent. The series will be continued by Max A. Robertson, Esq., of London, whom we are glad to welcome as a contributor. NOTES. Lawver : When I was a boy my highest am bition was to be a pirate. Client: You're in luck. It isn't every man who can realize the dreams of his youth. A barrister asked Lord Mansfield when a certain "Nextcase Friday." would be tried. "Will you consider, my lord, that next Fri day will Good Friday?" "I don't care for that," said Lord Mansfield, "the better the day, the better the deed." "Well, my Lord, if you sit on that day, you will be the first judge who has done business on that day since Pontius Pilate's time." At Caruthersville, in the southeastern part of Missouri, the grand jury had returned quite a number of indictments against parties for car rying concealed weapons, and among those who had thus violated the law was a well-to-do saloon keeper. When his case came up, the defendant having pleaded guilty, the judge said : "Stand up, Mr. Blank." The defendant did as requested, and the judge, somewhat severely, exclaimed : "Mr. Blank, I fine you fifty dollars." "All right, Judge! " cried the saloon-keeper delightedly. " I've got it right here in my poc ket," slapping his wallet boastingly. "And three weeks in jail," continued the judge. " Have you got that in your pocket, Mr. Blank?"
Things are done in a breezy way in the West. For instance, a Kansas lawyer prints his portrait in the local paper and adds this bit of philos ophy : "I was born, am living, and I suppose will have to die. As to what I can do, bring me your business and try me." In the mountain sections of the south, in the old days when the judges, on horse-back, rode the circuits of the courts, the members of the bar. travelling in similar style, accompanied them, and good fellowship naturally followed. It was usually the case that his honor, being a gentle man of the old school, took his brandy and water with regularity and relish. To this indulgence at his inn would often be added the diversion of a modest game of poker. In Georgia, in the county of R , bordering on the North Caro lina line, at the fall term of the court, many years ago, the judge who was to preside arrived at the town tavern on the afternoon preceding the day on which the court was to convene, and after supper a number of the lawyers, as their habit was, gathered at the room of the genial and convivial dignitary to pass the evening. As an accompaniment to the " apple jack," thought fully provided by the host, there was nothing more natural and agreeable than a friendly game of draw. Into the good-humored gathering, at the invitation of the inn-keeper, had dropped a couple of the well-known planters thereabouts — among the men of the best figure in the county — desiring to meet his honor and to renew ac quaintance with their legal friends. A game was soon going, all hands joining in, and it was a late hour before chips were cashed and the jovial party dispersed. On the following morn ing, after duly opening court, the judge began his charge to the grand jury. After giving in charge the most important things, his honor said: "Now, gentlemen of the jury, I come to charge you concerning the pernicious habit of gaming, — the vice of poker playing. I do not know anything about it myself," and looking up from his manuscript and glancing over his spectacles, that hung low on his generous nose, he espied on the jury one of the planters who had been in the game with him the night pre vious; so clearing his throat he continued, — "that is, I don't know much of it, but it's a per nicious practice and should be broken up."
