244 BRITISH RURAL LIFE AND LABOUR. 



acknowledged that he had received from John Webber 

 the key of the cottage, which was part of his wages, had 

 occupied the garden with his own men, and had paid John 

 Webber a week's wages then due, though usually he only 

 paid him once a fortnight, thus voluntarily terminating 

 the contract, if there ever had been one. The presiding 

 magistrate constantly interrupted John Webber's advocate, 

 and himself pleaded more strongly for Mr. White than 

 his paid advocate did. He next conferred privately with 

 the farmer, Mr. White, and then fined John Webber 2 

 with costs, which, together with the sum he had already 

 paid to the solicitor, who most ably pleaded for him, 

 amounted to about ^5. All this time, though I confess I 

 felt in my own mind very indignant, I never opened my 

 mouth or made a sign, but remained perfectly quiet, 

 as was my duty in a Court of Justice. But no sooner had 

 the presiding magistrate pronounced his sentence upon 

 John Webber than, without the slightest right or even 

 provocation to do so, he turned upon me, and, addressing 

 me as though I were the prisoner, began to animadvert 

 upon my conduct in sending labourers away for better 

 wages. I more than once, and very strongly, protested 

 against such an impertinent violation of all rule and order. 

 Then the presiding magistrate, turning to the audience, 

 which was large, and composed partly of farmers and in 

 still greater numbers of townsfolk and labourers, appealed 

 to them as to whether he should go on animadverting 

 on me or not. Invited in this remarkable manner by the 

 chairman in a Court of Justice to express their opinions, the 

 farmers shouted ' Yes/ and the labourers ' No,' at the top 

 of their voice. The other magistrates did not interfere. 

 The Court was turned into a bear-garden, such as could 

 be seen in no other part of the civilized world except 

 North Devon. The ' Noes ' had it by a large majority. 

 The chairman, finding that the ' Noes ' and the Canon 

 together were too much for him, sat down. A kind 

 gentleman in the Court advanced the money to pay the 

 fine and costs, which the prisoner, for as such he was 

 throughout treated, will work hard to repay. And with 

 his wife and family he is now in Lancashire, whither 

 he started this morning, and is under a kind master, and 

 is earning sixteen shillings a week." 



The Times, in a leading article devoted to this extra- 

 ordinary case, very properly asked : 



" What is there Canon Girdles tone has done that a Court 

 of Justice should be the scene of a sort of town and county 

 row on the propriety of his work ? " 



Very many similar cases of magisterial prejudice could 



