APPENDIX. , 51 



his own mental abilities. Amidft that multiplicity of fuits L^rdTrcSdcot 

 with which the Court of Seffion is at times overv/helmed, no E>"'"i"' 

 party was ever heard to complain that the Prefident had treated 

 his caufe fuperficially, or with an imperfedl intelligence of the 

 arguments which fupported it. But the truth was, he often 

 drew his knowledge of thofe arguments, lefs from the informa- 

 tion of the counfel than from the ftorehotife of his own mind ; 

 for it was peculiar to him, that he could make himfelf tho- 

 roughly mailer of a caufe, and form the foundeft judgment of 

 its merits, from the fimple perufal of the ftate of fadls. His 

 memory enabling him to retain thefe fads with the utmoft eafe, 

 he could, in the courfe of a very few hours, dedicated to the 

 perufal of the cafes, prepare himfelf upon the daily bufmefs of 

 the Court. Stimulated by his example, the other Judges ex- 

 erted all their powers of application ; and thus the machine of 

 juftice moved with a couftant and equal celerity, while his re- 

 gulating influence operated on all its parts. 



But if the affiduity and diligence of Judges in ftudying the 

 caufes that come before them, is the firft requifite towards the 

 difpatch of bufinefs, the next efTential concern is, that thefe 

 caufes (hall be decided with brevity, and that the time which is 

 appropriated to giving judgment be not confumed in fuperflu- 

 ous reafonings, or that fpecies of wavering debate, which equally 

 retards procedure, and diminifhes the refpedl and dignity of 

 the Court. There is no doubt that the reafoning of Judges 

 upon the Bench, is of excellent effe<fl, when feafoned by that 

 difcretion which is fitted to imprefs an audience with reverence ^ 



for the wifdom and folemnity of the tribunal. And of this we 

 have daily examples in the Supreme Court of this country. 

 The arguments of the Judges are often replete with inftrudion 

 to the bar. In many cafes, to which, from their circumftan- 

 tiate nature, neither the written nor the confuetudinary law is 

 diredly applicable, thefe are the Refponfa Prudentum which fup- 



G 2 ply 



