HUMOURS OF THE COURT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 45, 4 February 1881, Page 2

HUMOURS OF THE COURT.

% A good story is told down South of a man who wanted'to get a little cheap advice from a doctor. He was travelling in thrt came railway carriage as the disciple of E-culapiu3, ami turning to him said — •' Doctor, if a man were suffering from violent pains in the head, sleeplessness, nervous debilitation, &c, &c, (proceeding to describe his own ailments) what would you advise him to take ?" " Ail vice !" replied the astute doctor. The incident was Wrought to oiiv mind on Wednesday by the lefotulaut in a Court case, who evidently wanted to obtain a little free advice from the Magistrate -" Your Honor," said he, •• can you tell me if it is legal for a landlord to take possess on of a house during the tenant's absence, and still charge him rent ?" " Well, yon have asked my advice," •laid the Magistrate, "and I will give it — (tlio witness perceptibly brightened) —go to i lawyer, state your case to him, and gefc his opinion upon it." The defendant chnn^.-d the subject. A little later on it cfimcimt that the defendant had the previous evening removed his chattels and vllccts from the h uses in rjuestion, and the plaintiff's solicitor broadly hinted 'hat this coun-e had been adopted in orler to eva-le the judgment. The followin <_' dialogue then took place: — His Worship—Now, why did you remove these » hings last night ? Defendant— (after much hesitation)— Well, jour Honor, I thought , the case might co against me, and that it was my duty to take every precaution ! His Worship— Yon are a Scotchman, aren't you ? Defendant — No, sir ! As the defendant spoke with rather a pronounced Scandinavian accent, a smile " rippled " over the Court, whilst the face of a well-known Foxton alderman who hails from Scandinavia assumed a most amused expression it the idea of one of his countrymen displaying such " cannyuess " as to be mistaken for a Scotchman.