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Leader (1850-1860), 4th October 1851, Edition Town of 2, Page 937

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      carried through both Houses of Parliament . If , on the Stand , the result of the next general election should oi to confirm the policy adoptel in 1846 the county members could not help it , and their constituents must ruitientlv accommodate themselves to circumstances . Until that time arrived let them hope for nothing from Parliament . { Hear . ) Wanting Protection , they must eo to other sources for relief . { Cheers . ) Mr . Disraeli had fointedout these sources , and without ^ expressing any Secided opinion upon the plan _ propoundedt b , ' thai ; g en that the farmers of land hd

      tleman he must say Eng aan undoubted right to ask Parliament for some relief , either from local rates or general taxation . { Cheers . ) Still he thought it was " very distressing" to b e compelled to submit to wheat at 36 s . a quarter . But '' if as Lord Palmers ton had laid it down , it was a question between landlord and tenant , he , for one , should know how to meet it . { Cheers . ) He was ready at all times to regulate his rents according to the price of agricultural produce . { Cheers . y

      Major-General Wemyss admirably touched the hearts of the farmers in a subsequent speech : — 44 Palmer had told them he could not see the time ¦ when a return to prosperity might be expected , and the mischief was that while the grass grew the steed would starve . ( ' Hear , ' and laughter . ) In his opinion , the only safe plan to pursue in the interim would be ' To live and let live . ' { Great cheering . ) He spoke quite disinterestedly ; for he had no property of his own , nor was he likely to have any . { Laughter . ) He was no tenant farmer , but he had been one . { Hear ) He knew that there While the the

      was truth in the proverb , ' grass grows steed starves . ' { Cries of That ' sjust it . ' ) His advice to the tenant farmers was for them to try and carry on the cultivation of the soil on the most approved principles ; and his advice to the landowners was that they should in every way meet the tenants who so conducted themselves . { Great cheering . ) He had never been a legislator , nor was he likely to become one now ; but he had a very poor opinion of state interference , he would rather see the matter arranged between the landlord and the tenant , then under the pressure of any legislative measure . { Cheers . )"

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      A SCENE IN THE COURT OF ALDERMEN . At the sitting of the Court of Aldermen on Monday , Mr . Alderman Wilson moved that the thanks of the Court should be presented to the Prefect and Municipality of Paris . Whereupon Mr . Alderman Sidney took occasion to draw the attention of the City magnates to the recent and piquant leaders in the Times , on the City and its corruptions , when the following dialogue ensued . Mr . Alderman Sydney said : — " He did not stand there to state any cause which the Times newspaper might have had for so sudden a change in their opinions of the Court of Aldermen ; he was at a total loss to account for the line which they had recently adopted , and he greatly deplored it , if there could be discovered any just cause for so powerful an engine being brought to lend its weight and influence against the corporation of London . { Cheers . )

      " Mr . Alderman Farebrother thought his friend Mr . Alderman Sidney had selected a wrong opportunity to talk about the Times . " Mr . Alderman Lawrence : I think so too . { Hear , hear . ) " Mr . Alderman Wire submitted that the question before the Court was , whether a vote of thanks should be passed to the French Ministry and others who had so kindly and hospitably entertained the Court of Aldermen on a late occasion . What had the Times to do with this ? { Hear . ) " Mr . Alderman Sidney : We have everything to do with what the Times has said about us . 44 Mr . Alderman Farebrother called upon the Lord Mayor to decide whether Mr . Alderman Sidney was in order or not .

      Sir P . Laurie said he should support Mr . Alderman Farebrother . The Court had nothing to do with the Times . { Hear . ) ' Let the gall'd jade wince , our withers are unwrung . ' Who cared for the Times t { Loud laughter . ) He waa sorry that his friend ( Mr . Alderman Sidney ) should be so sensitive upon all matters connected ¦ with the press , and supposed he would attack Punch next . { Laughter . ) No newspaper ought to be attacked in any way whatever . { Hear , hear . ) 44 The Lord Mayor : I think it would be better to keep the motion before the Court quite independent of the Times newspaper . { Hear , hear . ) Mr . Alderman Sidney said he was sorry that lm friend ( Mr . Alderman Farebrother ) Bhould be so sensitive when the Times was mentioned ''

      Mr . Alderman Sidney persisted , and ra ked up two certificates of character , one from Sir llobert Peel and the other from Lord Lansdown e , -wherein those ntiitCBmcu respectively eulogized the Corporation of London ! Of course Mr . Alderman Wilson ' s motion waa unanimously carried .

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      A COUNTY COURT JUJHJK IN A " FIX . " Mr . ltamshay , tlio Judge of the County Court at Liverpool , has lately become notorious from Iuh niodu *> l conducting busineHS . Not long ago ho was formally arraigned before the Chancellor ' s Court of the Duchy of LancuHtttr , and , wo arc bound to add , formally acquitted . But as he does not possess the niOHt " ! UIIll ) le <> f tempers , and is more than usually nusceptible o ( external worry and unnoyance , lie has again K <> t into rather warm wutcr with the people of Liverpool . Ab ho wuh proceeding to the court-house on

      Saturbut Mr . Whitty called upon his men who , headed by Mr . Whitty , junior , interposed , and on the police arriving , gave the bailiffs into custody . They were taken to the police station and discharged . Subsequently Mr . Ramshay issued a summons against Mr . Whitty , for an alleged contempt of Court , the contempt being the line in the placard above recited , and against Mr . Whitty , junior , for having assaulted the officers in the execution of their duty . The case , as regards Mr . Whitty , lies in a nutshell . Was the exhibition of the offending line outside the court a contempt of Court ? Sir George Stephen , who appeared for Mr . Whitty , contended that it was not . The Judge contended that it was ; and at his own risk , thinking that the offence was one of " great enormity" sentenced Mr . Whitty to a

      day morning , he observed a placard containing the titles of the contents of the Liverpool Journal , edited by Mr . Whitty , and his eye caught the following line , " Mr . Ramshay ' s opinion of the people of Liverpool . " Thereupon he ordered a bill-sticker to be arrested , who , however , proved not to be the billsticker of the Liverpool Journal . His next step was to send the bailiffs to " bring " Mr . Whitty before him . They went accordingly , without any warrant or written order from the Judge , and , on finding Mr . Whitty , that gentleman refused to accompany them unless they had a proper warrant , at the same time menacing the bailiffs with a " paper " knife , and retreating into his printing-office . Thither the bailiffs followed

      penalty of £ 5 , or seven days' imprisonment . In the midst of the proceedings a reporter was singled out as having insulted the Court . His offence was this : —he had been pointed out to Mr . Sumner , the examiner of the court , as one of the reporters of " the journal , ' ' and consequently a chair was refused him . Whereupon he said the man was " as bad as the master . " His name was Simon Harker , and he was a reporter of the Albion . We have not heard what punishment was inflicted . Mr . Whitty was afterwards charged with having insulted the bailiffs , and assaulted them . The insult and assault were alleged to have taken place at the attempted capture of Mr . Whitty . We append specimens of the Judge ' s mode of dealing with the case . The witness is one of the bailiffs : —

      44 One man held his hand up in my face , and he said he would strike me . 44 Judge : Do you know him ? " Witness : No ; he was a man with black hair , and in his shirt sleeves . 44 Judge : Was his hand doubled ? " Yes . " Judge : Then , you ass , don't you 7 cnow that was a fist : that is what it is called , legally ; you ought to know that . 44 Witness : these men came and interrupted us , and Mr . Whitty went out . A number of the other men came round , and that is the reason I lost sight of Mr . Whitty . 44

      The Judge : Let the bailiff * go and take every man of them into custody , every man they can identify ; and if it took a regiment of soldiers , if a regiment of soldiers were required , these men shall be brought up , every man of them . " The police declined to interfere unless a warrant were produced . On learning which the Judge ordered " every one" to be apprehended . The witness stated that young Mr . Whitty did not interfere with him , and at the samo time mentioned the name of Mr . Clough .

      Judge : Who is this Mr . Clough ? 44 Witness : The indoor superintendent of the police . " What did ho aay at all ? 44 Witness : We said we had come to arrest Mr . Whitty under an order from the County Court . 44 Q . Stephen : If thatstatement wss made in writing at the superintendent ' s office , it should be produced here in evidence . " Judge : No , Sir George ; you will see that I am taking a statement of my own in . the case . 44 Witness : Mr . Clough said , ' Well , you can't take him without a warrant . '

      " Judge : Did that apply to the taking of Whitty ? " Witness : Yea . 44 Judge : He is very much mistaken in the matter . I do not care who the man is , a » sure as he is a living man I will bring him before me . I do not care who he is , nor how low or how big his uume may be ; but as sure as he is a living man , I will bring him before me . 44 Witness : They were laughing at us all the time in the police-office . 44 Judge : Who were laughing at you ? 44 Witness : The parties in the office . 44 Judge : All this may be a laughing matter in town , but whatever I have to do with , you may tell them will bo no laughing matter by and by . Was it Clough that laughed at you ? " Witness : No ; it was them in the office

      Judge : Why did not you say so ? You'll be telling me by and by Homebody wim selling tea and augur in the next shop . What have I to do with that ? " Sir ( ieorgo Stephen contended that the bailiirH were strangers and trespassers on Mr . Whittv ' s promises . "Mr . Whitty was perfectly justified in what he did for if these men came to his ( Sir O . Stephen's ) house ' without warrant , without a semblance of authority or without any authority of any kind , as they did in this asssr-a ? JSr ° - 8 top " « " > w » uid *» — ^

      { Here the whole court , which was croicded by a great number of most respectable merchants , bankers , and traders , burst out mto a loud and vociferous shout of applause . ) J J " Judge : I will clear this court if I have any more of this . I will close the doors , and I will fine every man I have reason to suspect for giving such expression to his feelings . { Loud hisses . ) I have no doubt but that all the men belonging to this man ' s ( Whitty ' s ) shop are here insulting me in my own court . If you bailiffs don ' t take one of these men who made this indecent expression—if you don ' t immediately , I will fine you . " Bailiff : Everybody in court cheered ; they all cheered . 44 Judge : Well , Sir , if you don ' t bring one in—if you dont bring one before me this instant , I will fine you , Sir .

      " Bailiff : I can't swear to any one ; they all cheered ; the whole court cheered ; they were all glad . " Judge : Then I will fine you if you don't bring some of the parties here ; if you don ' t bring some of them before me . " Whereupon two were seized and fined respectively £ 5 , or seven days' imprisonment . The summing up of Mr . Ramshay is unique : — " Judge : . Mr . Michael James Whitty , you have been brought up here by an order of this Court , and it has been satisfactorily shown that you have acted in a most gross manner to the persons sent to you with a message from this Court . If you had been a man , Sir , like any other man carrying on business in this town , and if

      nothing had occurred in your own mind of an evil character , you would have at once attended to the suggestion of the Court , or any suggestion I might , as Judge of this court , send you . In reference to the legal objection which has been made in your favour , I have only to say that it is impossible to send the bailiffs of this court everywhere —and as to their appointment , it does not require to be in writing , but may be general—and , therefore , they were in discharge of their duty . I tell this court that that man ( Mr . Whitty ) has been found guilty before me of a crime against the act of Parliament , and h . e must answer for it . ( Here the Judge became deeply excited , and ground his teeth when he concluded the sentence . ) He has publicly offended against the bailiffs of this court . It is quite

      obvious ( addressing Mr . Whitty ) that you were determined to set the Court at defiance , and you have long done so ; but as you will stand elsewhere to answer that charge , I will not enter into it . What you are here now for is one of the cases of offensive insolence which you have so repeatedly committed and carried on . I tell you , Sir—for you are a man—and every man like you , that the law will be too strong for you , and you will find it out . I tell you , Sir , that you look like a man in whose eyes and in whose face the worst passions and worst feeling of our human nature are delineated . { Murmurs . ) You do not look like a man , but like a person who is not at all sorry for what he has done . I tell you this , Sir , that for this disgraceful offence , of which you have been found guilty before me , you shall suffer punishment which shall which have

      be in some sense adequate to the crime you committed . I shall not waste my words with you . I tell you , Sir , that I shall inflict upon you for this offence—for insulting the two bailiffs whom I sent to you , —for that offence , —for wilfully insulting a bailiff of this court of the name of Hartley , I will order you to be imprisoned in her Majesty ' s gaol at Lancaster for seven days ; and for your offence of insulting another officer of this court , of the name of Cholmondley , I shall order you to be further imprisoned in her Majesty ' s gaol of Lancaster for another seven days , to commence at the expiration of your former sentence . ( Loud murmurs and disapprobation . ) Bailiff , I hear another case of insolence and dierespect to the judgments of this Court . I heard a voice in that corner . Bring that fellow up .

      " Bailifi : I did not see any one in particular . They all did it . 44 Judge : If you bailiffs are not active enongh , and bring those persons before me , I will iine you ; ay , and I will commit you . I am not to be both bailiff and judge in my own court . It is impossible that all the people here could be engaged in this ; because I Bee people here of the highest respectability , and they did not join in . this expression of feeling . " Bailiff : They all did it . 4 < Judge : If this occurs again I will clear the court at once . " The ' result was that the Judge lined Mr . Whitty two several additional £ /> , or imprisonment for seven days , and Mr . Whitty left the court surrounded by ii host of sympathizing fricndH .

      lho same night , Monday , Mr . Whitty left per railway for Lancaster Gaol . His progreNs was ji triumph , accompanied by tremendous cheers for Mr . Whitty , and yells for Mr . Rumshay . As the train loft the platform a railway ofiicial set the company in a roar by calling aloud " Any inoro gentlemen for Lancaster ? Any moro gentlemen for Lancaster Castle" ? The police were summoned , as also the editor of the Mail , for tlio line in Iuh placard of Saturday , " Mr . Kinnshay and hia accusers . "

      In young Whitty ' s case which was heard on Tuesday , the churgo beitig that of assaulting the oflicer . s in the execution of their duty , though the oflicers severally declared that they did not eoiiHicler thenisolveH assaulted , the Judge ( Mr . Rainnhuy ) mud he Bhould impose a fine of £ 2 for insulting Hartley , and £ 2 for the name offence against Charnley , or be imprisoned seven days in Lancaster Castle . He wan also sentenced to pay £ 2 each to the same men ( or obstructing thorn »» t' > " execution of their duty . Thoro waa no imprisonment added to the latter

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      Oct . 4 , 1851 . ] Sft * ******* 937

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 4, 1851, page 937, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1903/page/5/