CHAPTER LXI.

Otago Witness, Issue 1866, 26 August 1887, Page 10

CHAPTER LXI.

"THE WEAPONS OF A WARRIOR, NOT THE

DAGGER OF THE ASSASSIN."

Thews was a notable passage-at-arms in the House of Commons the other night between Mr Gladstone and Sir Henry James, which bears so directly upon the •story of the Langworthy marriage that we venture to quote it from ' The Times ' report for the benefit of all whom it may concern. Sir Henry James was replying to Mr Gladstone's argument that Mr Parnell might fairly shrink from prosecuting his assailants in the Law Courts on account of the license of cross-examina-tion to which witnesses' are subjected when placed in that modern rack the witness-box. Sir Henry James is reported as follows ; — Speaking of counsel at the bar, my right hon. (end said that they would exercise their power for

introducing invidiou9 J an 3 irrelevant matter. Now, sir, I was sorry to hear that statement.— (Cheers.) . Mr Gladstone : Allow me to speak. The right hon. gentleman has conveyed an idea of my intention, which was also conveyed by tbe Attorney-General lastinight, totally contrary to what I meant. I had in my mind certainly the most splendid piece of forensic eloquence, perhaps, of all eloquence known to the history of the century— a wonderful and wellknown. passage of Lord Brougham's, wherein he described 1 the duty of counsel engaged in defending his client in a criminal prosecution, and said " He has no rigfart to look to the right or to the left or to any con.seqiience or any consideration except the defence of hia client." It-was in regard to the duty of a counsel to his client and to the course he is entitled to take in thai; defence that I said what I did say with regard to tbe introduction of invidious and irrelevant matter. ' Sir H. James: f'can assure my right hon. friend that/ 1 am most anxiods'notstb misrepresent him ; but I recollect that 'speech iof cLord Brougham's.' It was ■ delivered in the -Middle Temple Hall, at a dinner given to M. Berryeri'ana' fay'rlght honl friend will recollect that a distinguished 'member bf the English Bar sprang to bis feet anil- protested against that saying, declaring that that was not the duty of counsel, but it was their duty to fight with the weapons of a warrior, add not with 'the dapper of an assassin. I am certain my right' hon. friend will recollect, even after this interval of twenty years, how the cheers from the assembled' members of the Bar rang out in that' old hall of the Middle Temple. I have only to say 'that I hope' these words of Sir Alexander Cookburn are now the guiding words of every member Of the Bar. - • Readers of the " Strange True Story of the Langworthy Marriage "are in a fair position to form their own judgment how far '• these words of Sir Alexander Cock burn are now the; guiding words of every member of the Bar."