NOTES AND EVENTS OF THE MONTH. 571 



it is that such is the case, for half-a-dozen more of these ' Bully Bottoms' 

 would convert a hall of justice into a tennis-court judge, jury, tipstaves, 

 prisoners, and witnesses, all in high melee together. As it is, indeed, 

 the moral decencies are sometimes sadly at discount, for when the Bench 

 is bearded, with as little ceremony as the culpr it in the dock would be, 

 both by insulting language and gestures more insulting still, it is not 

 very likely that those who happen to he present can entertain any great 

 reverence for the court, or be impressed with the solemnity with which 

 it ought to be invested. 



In the superior courts, such scenes are very rare ; and if it has hap- 

 pened that a great sweeping authority, more eminent as a politician than 

 as an expounder of the statutes, was made the peg whereon a disappointed 

 unit or two hung their peccant humours, the ill-feeling was expressed, 

 nevertheless, in a manner which any gentleman, in the sullens, might be 

 generously forgiven for. Either he was brought to his senses by the 

 learned friends about him ; or, if his peevishness was very grievous, he 

 selected some other court for practice : but there was nothing of that 

 bow-wow barking impudence, and swaggering vulgarity, which certain 

 members of the profession are somewhat overmuch fond of displaying, 

 on slight occasions, elsewhere. 



Barristers do sometimes take censurable licences admitted, but we 

 believe that the bar, generally considered, is distinguished for great 

 earning, correct feeling, and a high sense of honour ; it is the uniformly 

 dignified bearing of the majority, which places the unseemly conduct of 

 the few in such striking and disgraceful contrast. As an illustration of 

 the effect produced by the mistermed independence of the bar, alluded 

 to, we may mention the retort of an angry mother, who was cuffing her 

 daughter for insolence " Sa'cy, Mrs. Simson, lord bless 'e ! the hussy's 

 as sa'cy as a Hole-Bailey Couns'lor." 



These remarks are founded upon a scene which occurred not many 

 days ago, at one of the Criminal Courts, where the " sa'ciness," as Mrs. 

 Simson's gossip calls it, was remarkably caustic. But fame such as 

 this is, surely, not glory. 



POLITICAL ORATORY. The dinner speeches at the Bristol festival in 

 honour of Lord John Russell were " expressed" to town at the rate of 

 fifteen miles an hour, and the Times felt itself called upon to express its 

 thanks to the various postmasters on the road for the unparalleled 

 celerity which, by their efforts, was afforded to the dispatches. 

 Very creditable to the postmaster's horse-flesh, and to the gratitude of 

 the once leading journal of Europe. After all the contemptuousness 

 shown towards " little Lord John" by the hireling press, does it not 

 seem strange that any extraordinary means should have been used to 

 publish an account of " the feed," or that the words spoken by so puerile 

 a being, as the Tories affect to consider him, should be of any supposed 

 value to the public ? But the anxiety shown to furnish a supply, pretty 

 clearly infers the urgency of the demand. Any speech of Lord John 

 Russell's is looked for and listened to by the people of England with 

 deep anxiety, and the Conservative newsmongers know it full well ; so 

 well, indeed, that arrangements are made at any cost to secure even a 

 fractional report of the proceedings with an expedition exceeding the 



