attorney's ready eye to business, let us hear about them.'

'The total amount of costs adjudged to be paid by defendants on the amount (752,500l.) for which judgment was obtained, was 199,980%.;' was the answer; 'being an addition of 26.5 per cent. on the amount ordered to be paid.' 'Well,' said Mr. Ficker, 'that's not so very had. Twenty-five per cent.,' turning to me; is a small amount undoubtedly for the costs of an action duly brought to trial; but, as the greater part of these costs are costs of Court, twenty-five per cent. cannot be considered inadequate.'

'It seems to me a great deal too much,' said L. Justice ought to be much cheaper.' 'All the fees to counsel and attorneys are included in the amount,' remarked the clerk, 'and so are allowances to witnesses. The fees on causes, amounted to very nearly 300,000l. Of this sum, the Officers' fees were, in 1848, 234,274, and the General Fund fees 51,784/.' "Not so bad!' said Mr. Ficker, smiling. 'The Judges' fees amounted to nearly 90,000Z. This would have given them all 1500 each; but the Treasury has fixed their salaries at a uniform sum of 1000l., so that the sixty Judges only draw 60,000l. of the 90,000.

Where does the remainder go?' I enquired. The County Court Clerk shook his head. 'But you don't mean,' said I, 'that the suitors are made to pay 90,000l. a year for what only costs 60,000l. ?'

'I am afraid it is so,' said Mr. Nottit. 'Dear me!' said Mr. Ficker. I never heard of such a thing in all my professional experience. I am sure the Lord Chancellor would never sanction that in his Court. You ought to apply to the Courts above, Mr. Nottit. You ought, indeed.'

'And yet,' said I, 'I think I have heard something about a Suitors' Fee Fund in those Courts above-eh, Ficker?'

'Cer

'Ah-hem-yes,' said Mr. Ficker. tainly-but the cases are not at all analogous. By the way, how are the other fees dis│tributed?'

6

'But,' continued our friend, three-fourths of the Clerks get less than 1007. a year.' 'Now,' said Mr. Ficker, tell us what you do for all this money?'

'Altogether,' said the clerk, 'the Courts sat in 1848, 8,386 days, or an average for each Judge of 140 days. The greatest number of sittings was in Westminster, where the Judge sat 246 days. At Liverpool, there were sittings on 225 days. The number of trials, as I have before mentioned, was 259,118, or an average of about 4320 to each Judge, and 528 to each Court. In some of the Courts, however, as many as 20,000 cases are tried in a year.' 'Why,' said Mr. Ficker, they can't give five minutes to each case! Is this "administration of justice?"

'When,' said the Clerk, a case is undefended, a plaintiff appears, swears to his debt, and obtains an order for its payment, which takes scarcely two minutes.'

'How long does a defended case take?' 'On the average, I should say, a quarter of hour: that is, provided counsel are not employed.'

an

Jury cases occupy much longer.' "Undoubtedly.'

'Are the jury cases frequent?' I enquired, some feeling of respect for our time-honoured institution' coming across me as I spoke.

'Nothing,' said our friend, 'is more remarkable in the history of the County Courts than the very limited resort which suitors have to juries. It is within the power of either party to cause a jury to be summoned in any case where the plaint is upwards of 5l. The total number of cases tried in 1848, was 259,118. Of these, upwards of 50,000 were cases in which juries might have been summoned. But there were only 884 jury cases in all the Courts, or one jury for about every 270 trials! The party requiring the jury obtained a verdict in 446 out of the 884 cases, or exactly one half.'

'At any rate, then, there is no imputation on the juries,' said Mr. Ficker.

The power of resorting to them is very valuable,' said our friend. There is a strong 'The Clerks,' said Mr. Nottit, 'received disposition among the public to rely upon 87,2831; nearly as much as the Judges. As the decision of the Barrister, and that rethere are 491 clerks, the average would be liance is not without good foundation, for 1804, a year to each. But as the Clerks' fees certainly justice in these Courts has been accumulate in each Court according to the well administered. But there may be occasions business transacted, of course the division is when it would be very desirable that a jury very unequal. In one Court in Wales the should be interposed between a party to a Clerk only got 8. 10s. in fees; in another cause and the presiding Judge; and certainly Court, in Yorkshire, his receipts only amounted if the jurisdiction of these Courts is extended, to 9. 48. 3d. But some of my colleagues made it will be most desirable that suitors should a good thing of it. The Clerks' fees in some of be able to satisfy themselves that every opporthe principal Courts, are very 'Comfortable.'tunity is open to them of obtaining justice.' The Clerk of Westminster netted in 1848. £2731 Clerkenwell 2227 Southwark

1710

Bristol, Sheffield, Bloomsbury, Birmingham, Shoreditch, Leeds, Marylebone, received 10007. a year and upwards.'

For my own part,' said I, 'I would as soon have the decision of one honest man as of twelve honest men, and perhaps I would prefer it. If the Judge is a liberal-minded and enlightened man I would rather take his judgment than submit my case to a dozen selected by chance, and among whom there

would most probably be at least a couple of rushed frantically from the room 'ere I could dolts. By the way, why should not the same reply. option be given to suitors in Westminster Hall as is given in the County Courts?' 'What! exclaimed Mr. Ficker; abolish retired also. trial by Jury! the palladium of British liberty! Have you no respect for antiquity?'

The danger to be apprehended from the close contiguity of so much combustible material to the engine-fire is obviated, in case of accident, by eight pumps on the decks and two patent pumps below, besides others in the engine-rooms. There are fourteen pumps altogether, which can be handled in case of fire or leakage. Some of these are worked by the engine, some are placed in warm berths below, so that the men may have exercise at them without exposure on deck. Nearly all these pumps work independently of each other, so that if one is deranged, it does not hurt the rest.

search of the lost Sir John Franklin and his thus strengthened this floating fortress against companions-now four years unheard of, and the fierce assaults of the Giant Frost, we believed to be frozen up in the regions of turned to look how they had stored it to thick-ribbed ice at the North Pole. Two of withstand the beleaguering siege of-it may the Arctic ships were put in dry dock, and be-a two or three years' Arctic winter. two afloat in the river. The names of the Here we found an ample field for wonder ships as put together by an old sailor in our and admiration. Surely human ingenuity hearing, express their mission. The 'Reso- and ships' stowage were never better dislute," Intrepid,' 'Pioneer,' goes with 'Assist-played. Every inch of space had been made ance' to Sir John Franklin and his frozen-up the most of. In the centre of the vessel were pack. her engines, cased round with iron, so that We had followed the workman with the outside them could be stowed away no less artificial memory, and by this time stood be- than 85 tons of patent compressed fuel to side the dry dock in which one of the vessels, feed the fires. Thus surrounded, the engines the 'Pioneer,' a steamer, was fixed upright and were literally bedded in a small coal-mine, out of water. There she stood in a fine massive for their own consumption. granite basin, the sides of which were fashioned into steps. Down there we went, and then walked round and under her from stem to stern, and in doing so, could see what preparation had been made to fit her for the duty she had to do. This steamer had been in the foreign cattle trade, and had brought, it seems, many a drove from the fields of Flanders, and from the hills of Spain, to make fatal acquaintance with the abominations of Smithfield. Bought out of that unsavoury service as a strong capable steamship, she had been placed in this granite cradle, and been swathed outside with tarred felt, upon the top of which additional planking was then fixed. Upon her bows where the shock of the ice would be most severe, another layer of felt was then applied, and over this was riveted tough sheets of iron. With this metal casing her stem was complete. At her stern, as she stood thus out of water, we had an excellent opportunity of inspecting the screw by which she was to be impelled. This was of a brazen compound metal prepared with a view to great strength and toughness; but as its blows upon the stray floating ice might injure it, another screw of iron was on board to replace it should it be broken when out of reach of dockyard help. Having passed round the vessel, and looked up at her huge bulging sides, we ascended the stone steps, and walking along a plank from the dock-side, boarded the 'Pioneer,' to see-after such outside preparations what care had been taken with the inside of the ship. It was soon evident that the felting and planking of the exterior had been matched by a similar felting and planking of the interior; with this difference, The salt sea there is a surface of ice that that inside the felt was untarred. These comes direct from Heaven. The snow is not additions to the thickness of her sides to salted, and the fires will melt the snow-mademake her firm and warm, had been followed ice for the ship's use. by another contrivance, to give her still Having learned all these particulars as to further ability to withstand any crushing the essentials of warm air, and good water, weight she might have to endure. Strong and having heard an account of the four beams had been placed aslant, from her keel years' provisions, with a certainty that there and her decks, outwards and upwards towards was a still further supply near the Copper her sides; and lastly, her decks had been Mine River in case of need: and having learned doubled; so that, thus secured, she became also that the doctors had got ample supplies almost as capable of resisting outward of lime-juice and lemon-juice to keep off the pressure as a solid block of oak. Having scurvy, and that they had mixed it with

The question as to how the ship is to be kept warm?—was answered by our being conducted deep down into the hold; there we found a patent stove, so constructed that pure air was admitted by pipes to its neighbourhood, and being heated there was passed through other pipes through all parts of the ship, until having lost much of its heat and more of its purity, it was allowed to escape, and was replaced by another stream of pure air to be warmed, and used and replaced again; so on from day to day while the ships remained in the ice. This warming apparatus, the 85 tons of fuel, the four years' provisions, and the Bolton and Watt's engines occupied, in spite of the most perfect stowage, so much room, that it was puzzle to know where the water was stowed.

It was, however, explained that 85 tons of coal round the engine is not all that must go. The ship will take 200 tons of coal altogether, but won't want much water room, for along with the engine is a contrivance for melting ice for use whilst the ships are locked in.

alcohol to render it less liable to freeze; having at the dock side, and, being sailing ships, had seen, too, that the purser, thoughtful man, had of course none of their space filled by engines, not forgotten to order in some sound-looking and, therefore, seemed rather more roomy. casks of pale sherry, and some cases that had Yet, having seen one Arctic ship, we had an agreeable champagney French look, and seen the whole. We heard of gutta-percha these sights having strengthened the hope that sledges to be used on the ice, and of small the brave men who were to take these ships on pilot balloons to be inflated and sent over the their perilous duty would have their hearts frozen regions of the Pole, and which, as warmed by a glass of generous wine when they they float in the air, are to drop printed drank to absent friends next Christmas Day- slips-words of hope and news of succour we had time to glance over what may be called -in anticipation that some of these paper mesthe miscellaneous stores for the voyage. These sages may reach the frozen-in, lost, mariners, made a picture, indeed. Everything of every Sir John Franklin and his crew. We heard, possible kind seemed to be there, and to have also, that the sailing ships would each have a been multiplied by two. Thus there were two crew of about sixty-five men, and the steamers screw propellers, and two rudders, and two each about twenty-five, including others. But funnels. And then there were certainly twice every one was so busy on board these sailing two dozen ice-saws (with teeth an inch long ships, and their work was so holy in its intent, and handles eight feet wide), and ice-hatchets that we were unwilling to disturb either enough apparently to slay any number of officer or man with many questions; and so Polar bears who might feel inclined to call made our way again London-wards. upon this 'Pioneer' during his visit to their The last thing we noticed on board these neighbourhood. Between decks the place Arctic ships was an inscription that glittered looked like a mingled establishment made up in the sunshine of that April afternoon, for of a rope-walk, a sailmaker's, a currier's, a the words were carved in letters of brass on brushmaker's, a dreadnought clothier's, a the steersman's wheel that is to guide the cooper's, and a very extensive oil and colour vessels on their perilous way. And our last warehouse. There were certainly goods feeling was that the hope contained in the enough pertaining to all these various trades words would be realised. The words so to set up one man of each with an abundant written are:-ENGLAND EXPECTS EVERY MAN stock in any street in Bermondsey he might TO DO HIS DUTY.

select. Over head, there was a ceiling of oars

OF THE PEAK.

IN THREE CHAPTERS.

CHAPTER III.

THE COURTSHIP AND ANOTHER SHIP.

and spare spars, and handspikes, and cap- THE MINER'S DAUGHTERS.—A TALE stan-bars; at the sides, rows of blocks, and lanthorns, and cans, and paint-brushes; and under-foot, bars of iron cased with neatlysewed leather. This last peculiarity, indeed, was observable in many parts of the ship. Wherever there was any iron it was neatly cased over with leather, to secure those who ONE evening, as the two sisters were might have to handle it in the Polar seas from hastening along the road through the woods the well-known consequences of touching on their way homewards, a young farmer naked iron in those latitudes, for cold iron drove up in his spring-cart, cast a look at there, like red-hot iron elsewhere, damages them, stopped, and said: Young women, if the fingers of those rash enough to touch it. you are going my way, I shall be glad of This abundance to overflow of stores ex- your company. You are quite welcome to tended itself even to the commander's cabin, ride.' for every inch of space was important. That The sisters looked at each other. 'Dunna spot, however, showed no confusion or cram- be afreed,' said the young farmer; 'my name's ming, though he had near him two of the most James Cheshire. I'm well known in these dangerous commodities in his ship,-under- parts; you may trust yersens wi' me, if it's neath his sanctum was a store of ardent spirits, agreeable.' and astern of it a small magazine of gunpowder.

To James's surprise, Nancy said, 'No, sir, we are not afraid; we are much obliged to you.'

The young farmer helped them up into the cart, and away they drove.

The engines of the 'Pioneer' are 60 horse power, and as she now is she will not run very fast without her sails, but with wind and steam she will make eleven knots an hour. 'I'm afraid we shall crowd you,' said Jane. The two steamers-the 'Pioneer' and the 'In- 'Not a bit of it,' replied the young farmer trepid' are to go as tenders to the sailingThere's room for three bigger nor us on this ships, and to tow them in the still waters at seat, and I'm no ways tedious.' the Pole, for there when there is no wind there are no waves.

We left the Pioneer' to look over her companion ships. The Intrepid' was being arranged on the same system; the others, the Assistance' and the Resolute,' were afloat

The sisters saw nothing odd in his use of the word 'tedious,' as strangers would have done; they knew it merely meant 'not at all particular. They were soon in active talk. As he had told them who he was, he asked them in their turn if they worked at the

mills there. They replied in the affirmative, going for the night to the straw-yard. Jolly and the young man said :

'I thought so. I've seen you sometimes going along together. I noticed you because you seemed so sisterly like, and you are sisters, I reckon.'

They said 'Yes.'

I've a good spanking horse, you seen,' said James Cheshire. I shall get over th' ground rayther faster nor you done a-foot, eh My word, though, it must be nation cold on these bleak hills i' winter.'

The sisters assented, and thanked the young farmer for taking them up.

We are rather late,' said they, for we looked in on a friend, and the rest of the millhands were gone on.

'Well,' said the young farmer, 'never mind that. I fancy Bess, my mare here, can go a little faster nor they can. We shall very likely be at Tidser as soon as they are.' 'But you are not going to Tidser,' said Jane, 'your farm is just before us there.'

Yay, I'm going to Tidser though. I've a bit of business to do there before I go hom.' On drove the farmer at what he called a spanking rate; presently they saw the young mill-people on the road before them.

There are your companions,' said James Cheshire, we shall cut past them like a flash of lightning.'

Oh,' exclaimed Jane Dunster, what will they say at seeing us riding here?' and she blushed brightly.

"Say?' said the young farmer, smiling, 'never mind what they 'll say; depend upon it, they'd like to be here theirsens."

James Cheshire cracked his whip. The horse flew along. The party of the young mill-hands turned round, and on seeing Jane and Nancy in the cart, uttered exclamations of surprise.

'My word, though!' said Mary Smedley, a fresh buxom lass, somewhat inclined to stoutness.

'Well, if ever!' cried smart little Hannah Bowyer.

Nay, then, what next?' said Tetty Wilton, a tall, thin girl of very good looks.

The two sisters nodded and smiled to their companions; Jane still blushing rosily, but Nancy sitting as pale and as gravely as if they were going on some solemn business.

The only notice the farmer took was to turn with a broad smiling face, and shout to them, 'Wouldn't you like to be here too?'

Ay, take us up,' shouted a number of voices together; but the farmer cracked his whip, and giving them a nod and a dozen smiles in one, said, 'I can't stay. Ask the next farmer that comes up.'

fellows, those-eh? But I reckon you don't understand much of farming stock?

'No,' said Jane, and was again surprised at Nancy adding, "I wish we did. I think a farmer's life must be the very happiest of any.' "You think so?' said the farmer, turning and looking at her earnestly, and evidently with some wonder. You are right,' said he. 'You little ones are knowing ones. You are right; it's the life for a king.'

They were at the village. 'Pray stop,' said Jane, 'and let us get down. I would not for the world go up the village thus. It would make such a talk!'

'Talk, who cares for talk?' said the farmer; 'won't the youngsters we left on the road talk?'

'Quite enough,' said Jane.

'And are you afraid of talk?' said the farmer to Nancy.

'I'm not afraid of it when I don't provoke it wilfully,' said Nancy; but we are poor girls, and can't afford to lose even the good word of our acquaintance. You've been very kind in taking us up on the road, but to drive us to our door would cause such wonder as would perhaps make us wish we had not been obliged to you.'

Blame me, if you arn't right again!' said the young farmer, thoughtfully. These are scandal-loving times, and th' neebors might plague you. That's a deep head of yourn, though,-Nancy, I think your sister caw'd you. Well, here I stop then.'

He jumped down and helped them out.

'If you will drive on first,' said Jane, 'we will walk on after, and we are greatly obliged to you.'

"Nay,' said the young man, 'I shall turn again here.'

'But you've business.'

'Oh! my business was to drive you here→→ that's all.'

James Cheshire was mounting his cart, when Nancy stepped up, and said: 'Excuse me, Sir, but you'll meet the mill-people on your return, and it will make them talk all the more as you have driven us past your farm. Have you no business that you can do in Tidser, Sir?'

'Gad! but thou 'rt right again! Ay, I'll go on!' and with a crack of his whip, and a Good night!' he whirled into the village before them.

No sooner was he gone than Nancy, pressing her sister's arm to her side, said: "There's the right man at last, dear Jane.'

'Whatever are

'What!' said Jane, yet blushing deeply at the same time, and her heart beating quicker against her side. you talking of, Nancy? That young farmer fall in love with a mill-girl?'

With this they drove on; the young farmer very merry and full of talk. They were soon by the side of his farm. "There's a flock of 'He's done it,' said Nancy; 'I see it in sheep on the turnips there,' he said, proudly; him. I feel it in him. And I feel, too, that they're not to be beaten on this side Ash- he is true and staunch as steel.'

bourne. And there are some black oxen, Jane was silent. They walked on in silence.