io8 State Legislation 



go by the name of the "Colonel," owing to his hav- 

 ing seen service in the army; while the other was a 

 dapper, voluble fellow, who had at one time been a 

 civil justice and was called the "Judge." Somebody 

 was opposing the insertion of the item on the ground 

 (perfectly just, by the way) that it was unconsti- 

 tutional and he dwelt upon this objection at some 

 length. The Judge, who knew nothing of the Con- 

 stitution, except that it was continually being quoted 

 against all of his favorite projects, fidgeted about 

 for some time, and at last jumped up to know if he 

 might ask the gentleman a question. The latter said, 

 "Yes," and the Judge went on, "I'd like to know if 

 the gintleman has ever personally seen the Catholic 

 Protectoree?" "No, I haven't," said his astonished 

 opponent. "Then, phwat do you mane by talking 

 about its being unconstitootional. It's no more un- 

 constitootional than you are !" Then, turning to the 

 house, with slow and withering sarcasm, he added, 

 "The throuble wid the gintleman is that he okkipies 

 what lawyers would call a kind of a quasi-position 

 upon this bill," and sat down amid the applause of 

 his followers. 



His rival, the Colonel, felt he had gained alto- 

 gether too much glory from the encounter, and after 

 the nonplussed countryman had taken his seat, he 

 stalked solemnly over to the desk of the elated Judge, 

 looked at him majestically for a moment, and said, 

 "You'll excuse my mentioning, sorr, that the gin- 

 tleman who has just sat down knows more law in 

 a wake than you do in a month ; and more than that, 



