DOI Heft:
July to December, 1849
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16604#0116
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
JUSTICE AT CALIFORNIA.
us own correspondent furnishes us
with a very amusing batch of legal
intelligence from this quarter, and
we can only regret that there is not
more of the otium cum dig. at the
diggings. The most effective and
most respectable of the Californian
Tribunals is the little court of con-
science which is held in every man's
breast, but there are attempts at
sittings in Banco by a functionary
who sits on a Bank with a revolving
blunderbuss in his hand to enforce
his decrees, and who, by the aid of
a few slugs, corrects a tendency to
sluggishness in obeying his edicts.
The criterion for ascertaining which
is the superior, and which the in-
ferior court, consists in a trial of
strength between the respective
judges who usually fight it out, and
if the representative of Equity
proves his superiority over the
Common Law dignitary by getting
him down, it is held at once that Equity is the Court above, because Common Law is
undermost. There is no such thing in California as a puny judge, because if he happens
to be puny he gets rapidly pitched out of office by some, not perhaps more learned, but
bigger brother pitching into him. Refractory suitors find their heads m Chancery after the
old pugilistic fashion, and when there is anything for the Court to peruse and settle, it proceeds
to peruse the state of facts and settle the party in fault, by administering a regular settler in
accordance with that species of Law commonly known as Lynch, which is at the fingers' ends
of the Americans in general. Most of the proceedings instead of being in black and white are
in black and blue, which are quite as effective on a prima facie view of the case, and the repli-
cation de injuria is of very common occurrence. The judge after laying down the law proceeds
to lay down those who set themselves up against its authority, and the _ contumacious are
invariably afforded an opportunity of becoming thoroughly well grounded in their knowledge
of the power of Californian justice.
One of the judges it is said, uses a sort of hammer, for the purpose of hammering it into
parties who will not recognise the force of his decisions at the first view, but he seldom has j
the trouble of a new trial.
DEFECT IN THE GAME LAWS.
However stringent the law may be in its preservation of Game, there is a class of Game
that can enjoy no perfect preservation—though legally entitled thereto—so long as nothing is
done to secure to them the full benefit of the provisions that the legislature has made with
regard to them.
These remarks have been suggested by the premature death of a pheasant a few days ago,
at the hands of a cockney sportsman, who mistook him for a partridge, and the animal himself,
though as thoroughly protected by law as a certificated bankrupt, fell a premature victim to the
error of one who little knew what he was aiming at. In order to secure to all pheasants
the benefit of the act which they are so fairly entitled to, until October, we recommend that
protection-certificates shall be issued, and that every gentleman really wishing to preserve his
Game, should take out one of these certificates for each of the pheasants on his property. Each
bird should wear the protection round his neck, as the omnibus conductor wears his badge ;
and every pheasant appearing without his number, should be held liable to a charge of small shot
and gunpowder.
BALLAD CORRESPONDENCE.
The advertisements continue to inform us of the distinguished success of the elegant and
tasteful ballads " Write to me" and " Yes, I'll vjrite to thee." The pair seem to be the latest
specimens of the new invention of dialogue ditties, the best example of which is the well known
series, " Will you love me then as now ?" " Dearest, then I'll love you more." " No, I don't
love you quite as much." " I never loved you, dear, at all," Sec. &c, a set which appears to detail
the ins and outs of a very inconstant attachment. At this time of year when everybody
is from home, and friends are universally scattered, the idea of wedding the post to the piano
might be worked with effect in an Interlocutory Songster or Post Office Little Warbler, as
in the following—
"WRITE TO ME."
From a Wife at a Watering Place to a Husband in Town.
Apartments are so very high, j
Provisions are so dear,
That when the bills are in I sigh,
And wish my Edward here.
Such mems of washing, cruets, soap,
And kitchen fire I see :
My cash is low, I really hope
That you will write to me.
Eliza's got a dreadful cold;
(Beds here are always damp)
And Tom, while bathing (he's so bold!)
All but sunk with the cramp.
If you come down on Saturday,
Do mind and bring the tea—
But don't forget the money, pray,
When next you write to me.
I've had to buy sun-bonnets, too,
To guard from the sea air ;
And my own things, of course, won't do
At the_ sea-side to wear.
To-day his bill the Draper brings,
Which settled ought to be ;
Besides some other little things—
So, dearest, write to me.
The Answer, from the Husband in Town to Wife
at Watering Place.
My love, it really is too bad,
You had a cheque last week,
And money isn't to be had—
But it's no use to speak.
You seem to think that money grows,
And for it send to me—
All I know's how the money goes
Each time I write to thee.
When you proposed a bathing trip,
And talked of feeling ill,
I always felt the nicest dip
Would be your's in my till.
So once for all, I beg, my dear,
That you '11 not make so free :
Don't ask for cash—and never fear
But I will write to thee.
No. 2.—" Write to Me."
{From a Creditor.)
I've waited on you several times
With my account so small;
And now I write to ask, if you
Intend to pay at all ?
You used to say that you'd look in,
And settled it should be ;
But you forgot—I'm short of tin,
And so I write to thee.
Oft at your chambers did I call—
Long on your stairs I sat:
You were denied—though in the hall
I'm sure I saw your hat.
When I got in once by mistake,
And 'twas too late to cut,
You said, you'd only got a cheque,
And all the banks were shut.
But all your dodges ain't no use,
Letters must come to hand,
And neither humbug nor abuse
Am I a-going to stand.
Shell out—or in the County Court
Pulled up you sure shall be;
But if you'd settle—as you ought,
Write by return to me.
Answer. {From a Debtor.)
I need not say that I'm surprised •
At your offensive tone ;
Though from the first I was advised
To leave your shop alone.
Tradesmen must wait, for gentlemen
Insulted ain't to be;
Learn to be civil, Sir—and then
Perhaps I '11 write to thee.
As for what you in bullying tone
Of County Courts let fall,
As I'm at present at Boulogne,
It has no weight at all.
Patience is what I'd recommend,
'Twill farthest go with me :
If civil, some of these days, friend,
Perhaps I '11 write to thee.
NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.
We cannot impress too strongly upon all Cor-
respondents, when they are doubtful whether
the postage of a letter is a penny or twopence,
the force of the old proverb, " Two Heads are
better than One."
JUSTICE AT CALIFORNIA.
us own correspondent furnishes us
with a very amusing batch of legal
intelligence from this quarter, and
we can only regret that there is not
more of the otium cum dig. at the
diggings. The most effective and
most respectable of the Californian
Tribunals is the little court of con-
science which is held in every man's
breast, but there are attempts at
sittings in Banco by a functionary
who sits on a Bank with a revolving
blunderbuss in his hand to enforce
his decrees, and who, by the aid of
a few slugs, corrects a tendency to
sluggishness in obeying his edicts.
The criterion for ascertaining which
is the superior, and which the in-
ferior court, consists in a trial of
strength between the respective
judges who usually fight it out, and
if the representative of Equity
proves his superiority over the
Common Law dignitary by getting
him down, it is held at once that Equity is the Court above, because Common Law is
undermost. There is no such thing in California as a puny judge, because if he happens
to be puny he gets rapidly pitched out of office by some, not perhaps more learned, but
bigger brother pitching into him. Refractory suitors find their heads m Chancery after the
old pugilistic fashion, and when there is anything for the Court to peruse and settle, it proceeds
to peruse the state of facts and settle the party in fault, by administering a regular settler in
accordance with that species of Law commonly known as Lynch, which is at the fingers' ends
of the Americans in general. Most of the proceedings instead of being in black and white are
in black and blue, which are quite as effective on a prima facie view of the case, and the repli-
cation de injuria is of very common occurrence. The judge after laying down the law proceeds
to lay down those who set themselves up against its authority, and the _ contumacious are
invariably afforded an opportunity of becoming thoroughly well grounded in their knowledge
of the power of Californian justice.
One of the judges it is said, uses a sort of hammer, for the purpose of hammering it into
parties who will not recognise the force of his decisions at the first view, but he seldom has j
the trouble of a new trial.
DEFECT IN THE GAME LAWS.
However stringent the law may be in its preservation of Game, there is a class of Game
that can enjoy no perfect preservation—though legally entitled thereto—so long as nothing is
done to secure to them the full benefit of the provisions that the legislature has made with
regard to them.
These remarks have been suggested by the premature death of a pheasant a few days ago,
at the hands of a cockney sportsman, who mistook him for a partridge, and the animal himself,
though as thoroughly protected by law as a certificated bankrupt, fell a premature victim to the
error of one who little knew what he was aiming at. In order to secure to all pheasants
the benefit of the act which they are so fairly entitled to, until October, we recommend that
protection-certificates shall be issued, and that every gentleman really wishing to preserve his
Game, should take out one of these certificates for each of the pheasants on his property. Each
bird should wear the protection round his neck, as the omnibus conductor wears his badge ;
and every pheasant appearing without his number, should be held liable to a charge of small shot
and gunpowder.
BALLAD CORRESPONDENCE.
The advertisements continue to inform us of the distinguished success of the elegant and
tasteful ballads " Write to me" and " Yes, I'll vjrite to thee." The pair seem to be the latest
specimens of the new invention of dialogue ditties, the best example of which is the well known
series, " Will you love me then as now ?" " Dearest, then I'll love you more." " No, I don't
love you quite as much." " I never loved you, dear, at all," Sec. &c, a set which appears to detail
the ins and outs of a very inconstant attachment. At this time of year when everybody
is from home, and friends are universally scattered, the idea of wedding the post to the piano
might be worked with effect in an Interlocutory Songster or Post Office Little Warbler, as
in the following—
"WRITE TO ME."
From a Wife at a Watering Place to a Husband in Town.
Apartments are so very high, j
Provisions are so dear,
That when the bills are in I sigh,
And wish my Edward here.
Such mems of washing, cruets, soap,
And kitchen fire I see :
My cash is low, I really hope
That you will write to me.
Eliza's got a dreadful cold;
(Beds here are always damp)
And Tom, while bathing (he's so bold!)
All but sunk with the cramp.
If you come down on Saturday,
Do mind and bring the tea—
But don't forget the money, pray,
When next you write to me.
I've had to buy sun-bonnets, too,
To guard from the sea air ;
And my own things, of course, won't do
At the_ sea-side to wear.
To-day his bill the Draper brings,
Which settled ought to be ;
Besides some other little things—
So, dearest, write to me.
The Answer, from the Husband in Town to Wife
at Watering Place.
My love, it really is too bad,
You had a cheque last week,
And money isn't to be had—
But it's no use to speak.
You seem to think that money grows,
And for it send to me—
All I know's how the money goes
Each time I write to thee.
When you proposed a bathing trip,
And talked of feeling ill,
I always felt the nicest dip
Would be your's in my till.
So once for all, I beg, my dear,
That you '11 not make so free :
Don't ask for cash—and never fear
But I will write to thee.
No. 2.—" Write to Me."
{From a Creditor.)
I've waited on you several times
With my account so small;
And now I write to ask, if you
Intend to pay at all ?
You used to say that you'd look in,
And settled it should be ;
But you forgot—I'm short of tin,
And so I write to thee.
Oft at your chambers did I call—
Long on your stairs I sat:
You were denied—though in the hall
I'm sure I saw your hat.
When I got in once by mistake,
And 'twas too late to cut,
You said, you'd only got a cheque,
And all the banks were shut.
But all your dodges ain't no use,
Letters must come to hand,
And neither humbug nor abuse
Am I a-going to stand.
Shell out—or in the County Court
Pulled up you sure shall be;
But if you'd settle—as you ought,
Write by return to me.
Answer. {From a Debtor.)
I need not say that I'm surprised •
At your offensive tone ;
Though from the first I was advised
To leave your shop alone.
Tradesmen must wait, for gentlemen
Insulted ain't to be;
Learn to be civil, Sir—and then
Perhaps I '11 write to thee.
As for what you in bullying tone
Of County Courts let fall,
As I'm at present at Boulogne,
It has no weight at all.
Patience is what I'd recommend,
'Twill farthest go with me :
If civil, some of these days, friend,
Perhaps I '11 write to thee.
NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.
We cannot impress too strongly upon all Cor-
respondents, when they are doubtful whether
the postage of a letter is a penny or twopence,
the force of the old proverb, " Two Heads are
better than One."