CURIOUS COURT CASE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17576, 29 June 1925, Page 8

CURIOUS COURT CASE.

PRIVY COUNCIL ON HUMAN NATURE. “ AFTER THE WAR.” LONDON. May 12. Counsel: This is human nature, my lord. Lord Shaw: It it is, I should be sorry for human nature. In this fashion the mirror was held up to human nature—or the microscope turned upon it—during the resumed hearing by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council yesterday, of the first breach of promise case which has ever come before it. The appeal is that of Mrs Lucia Jacob, a woman of German birth, who v.-as interned in India during the -war, and on her release found that he lover had married another woman. She appeals against the decision of the High Court of Bengal, setting aside a judgment awarding her 35,000 rupees H 2000) damages against Mr David Alexander Wills, member of a Calcutta firm, for breach of promise. *;apres la guerre.” Mr Xisson, for Air M ills, suggested that the promise was to marry within Ta reasonable time. . Lord Atkinson: It was to be when the war was over. If the war had been ‘‘the Thirty Years’ War.” then thirty years .would have been a reasonable time. When counsel read letters of Mr M ills before the internment, contemplating marriage and a honeymoon in hills. Lord Darling interrupted:— ‘‘You leave out a most piquant passage. Listen to this:— “In regard to friends, to my friends, they are a nuisance at the best of times. I say, let them all go to the devil.” Lord Shaw: And listen to this:— “I pray I never betray you, darling It will be a matter of a few years before the war ends. Until it ends’ I must resist all temptation, so as not to betray -your trust.” Counsel quoted another letter, in which Mr Mills said he would never betray his trust. . Lord Darling: Those are the sort of impressions at which Job laughed. Counsel read from another letter: “Next year I might be assaulting the very city in which you are imprisoned. I sat up most of last night with these thoughts.” Lord Shaw: M hy, when the respond ent thought the ladv was ill or dead during the five years’ silence did he not write to the camp and find out? Counsel: Your Lordship asks me that? Lord Shaw: Being only human, I rjo --My Lord, to go to the authorities then, on such an errand, required a considerable amount of moral courage Lord Darling: That is vour view of what moral courage is—(.laughter) why don’t you say that, being a Scotsman, he had not enough (Laughter.! Their lordships reserved judgment.