EXTRA-JUDICIAL OATHS.

Poverty Bay Independent, Volume I, Issue 40, 25 August 1885, Page 3

EXTRA-JUDICIAL OATHS.

Entertained the other evening by the Lord Mayor at the Mansion House, Her Majesty’s Judges had a considerable eulogy pronounced upon them by his Excellency the United States Minister, concluding, as reported, thus :— *• An American Judge once remarked that two courses were open to a disappointed suitor in the United States. He might either appeal the case or go away and swear at the Court. (Laughter.) Ido not think this latter course is very much in vogue in this country. (Cheers.)” Perhaps it isn’t. Swearing, in this country, is not at all in vogue, except among classes comprising but few litigants. Diappointed suitors, in the present day, do not usually go away and swear at the Court aloud. It may, however, be feared that the language they would use if they expressed their feelings audibly would sometimes prove rather strong. They seldom take this second course mentioned by the American Minister. But they do very often resort to the first, and not only “ appeal the case,” but go on appealing it through Court upon Court, each Court above in turn reversing the decision of the Court below. If disappointed litigants were accustomed to swear at Court after Court upon each successive disappointment, and all the| profane oaths thus sworn could be recorded, registered, and the swearers I every one of them for every oath fined! five shillings, what an immense amount! of money from that source of revenue] would accrue to the Crown!—Punch.]