474 Massachusetts Horli cultural Society. 



its foundation, it has distributed ten thousand dollars in premiums ; and our 

 vegetable markets, nowhere to be surpassed, show how wisely and to what 

 salutary purposes these premiums have been applied. This society comes 

 here to-night, through myself and my associates, to tender to the society 

 over which you so ably preside, the homage of its warmest esteem. It 

 knows and appreciates your deservings. It acknowledges with gratitude, 

 the valuable results you have accomplished. It rejoices in the success 

 which has marked your progress. It honors you for the enterprise you 

 have manifested. It reciprocates the friendly feelings which have always 

 marked your mutual intercourse, and it hopes— most earnestly does it hope 

 — that the amity and good will now so happily subsisting between you, may 

 never be disturbed or interrupted. 

 The President gave : — 



Law : An immense morass and swamp, overrun with brakes, brambles and bulrushes ; it can 

 only be reclaimed, by burning, draining and subsoiling. 



Hon. Joel Parker, Royal Professor of the Law School, Cambridge, re- 

 plied to this rather dissentiment, in a speech of much interest : he entered a 

 nolo contendere, that is, admitted the fact to be as charged, and thus con- 

 tinued : — 



And T now move in arrest of judgment. I deny your right to proceed 

 farther upon the charge, notwithstanding the admission, because, sir, this 

 indictment admits, by implication at least, that this swamp may be cleared 

 up, and converted into good, profitable land ; and it fails to allege that there 

 has been any want of diligence to accomplish this object. 



I maintain, sir, that to be a swamp originally, is no offence whatever. It 

 is the neglect to clear up the swamp which alone can furnish matter of ac- 

 cusation. And there is not only no averment in your indictment that there 

 has been any such neglect, but I am prepared to prove — if it were admissi- 

 ble in this stage of the proceeding — that, at a short distance from this Hall, 

 just upon the other side of the river, we profess— \i the law be a swamp — 

 to be now engaged in the very work of clearing it up. 



1 can prove, sir, that we have there a numerous body of resolute young 

 laborers— active, intelligent and industrious, as fine fellows as ever wielded 

 an intellectual bill-hook, or laid hold of a legal plough-handle— busily em- 

 ployed in clearing away, grubbing, ditching and draining that same swamp. 

 How deep we shall drive our subsoil plough, or how smooth we shall make 

 the surface, it is impossible to say,— that remains to be seen. But I trust 

 that, in the language of the venerable gentleman who for many years pre- 

 sided over that department, we shall yet "conquer" it, and raise good 



crops. 



Perhaps I may as well avail myself of this opportunity to say that we 

 have room left for " a few more of the same sort." 



Should you think, Mr. President, that this sounds very much like an ad- 

 vertisement, and that, while grubbing,! " have an eye to the main chance," 

 you must admit that this is more than we horticulturists generally get credit 



for. 

 I submit, sir, that " I have made out a case," as the lawyers say. 



