Decisions in France.
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That care and forethought which the law says they ought. Thus causing their own demise; That a prudent hound-dog, in a case like this, Would employ his gumption and brain, When the whistle would blow he wouldn't be slow In giving away to the train. When the plaintiff was told the result of the suit, And he figured the costs and the fees. It is thought then and there the circumambient air Felt quite a perceptible breeze. When further informed, in a technical way, That the learned Court,, the Curia, Had decided his case by applying the phrase Of damnwn absque injuria.
It is possibly true that he said that he knew Xo Latin—and couldn't translate. But he thought that he heard a strong English word In the Latin which settled his fate; To his feelings long pent he would have to give vent, And he did it without any qualm, For his feelings were best and most clearly expressed In that Latin's first syllable—damn.
DECISIONS IN FRANCE. BY H. CLEVELAND COXE, Of Paris, France. ONE of the first things an American law yer asks, when visiting France, is "What are the decisions" on this or that point in connection with the interpretation of the Civil Code? When told that decisions of Courts are not binding, he is not unlikely tempted to compliment himself on being an American lawyer and living in a country where he can tell beforehand, approximate ly, how the Court is going to decide on many questions propounded by his clients. The American lawyer, however, resident and practising his profession in France, while, perhaps, flattering himself on his American judicial system, is sometimes puzzled to know how to explain superiority of his sys
tem to a Frenchman who asks "What is the American law?" on this or that point. The American lawyer, of course, explains that in his country there are forty-five States and that each State being, in certain respects, quite an independent country, makes its own laws on this or that subject, and their Courts are independent one of the other. Then his French confrère is likely to smile politely and, without making open com parisons, will leave the American lawyer a vague impression that somehow the Ameri can system may be open to criticism after all. Now, the fact is that both systems are good and that when you are accustomed to
