Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 10.pdf/393

 362

NOTES.

A superb engraving of Lemuel Shaw, late chief Justice of Massachusetts, has just been completed by Max Rosenthal of Philadelphia. The edition is limited to seventy-five copies. The first fifty will be supplied at $ 20 a copy after which the price may be raised. The engraving far exceeds any ever issued of Judge Shaw, and Massachusetts lawyers, especially, will desire to add it to their legal portrait gallery. Subscriptions should be sent at once to Albert Rosenthal, 1530 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. Mr. Moses King of No. 4 Postoffice Square in Boston, who became favorably known for his en cyclopaedias and pictorial hand-books regarding Boston, Mount Auburn, Harvard and New York, has in press, both for a professional and a popular market, another hand-book respecting courts, court edifices and judges of New York City, past and present. It will include 160 portraits of its famous judges from the times of John Jay and Kent to those on its benches at date. The letter press is by A. Oakey Hall, who is described by the publisher on the title page as a half century member of the New York bar and fifteen years dis trict attorney; also as contributing notes and personal reminiscences of judges and lawyers. Many views are given of old Court House build ings, from that of the Staat Huysof the seventeenth century and the Federal Hall of the succeeding century to others in use during this century. That the volume (sold by subscription) is competently and doubtless interestingly edited : and that the photogravures of judges will be carefully selected, there can be little doubt when in the literary hands of Mr. Hall and the artistic experience of Mr. King. The mysteries of courts and judicial action are to the layman's mind (and a popular edition is promised) omne per ignotum : and as enticing to curiosity as are the mysteries of be hind the scenes to the average playgoer. President Diaz, of Mexico, several years ago interviewed a famous bandit who was in prison. The robber informed the President that his law less life was the result of having no work to do. The President liberated him, made him Chief of Police of his native district, which was one of the worst in the country, and informed him that he

would be held strictly accountable for all rob beries in his district. From that day to this not one has occurred. The following incident, which has become a part of English political history, is curiously illus trative of the state of public opinion in England at the time of the first imposition of the income tax under the statute of Mr. Pitt, and is derived from the memoirs of John Home Tooke : — Mr. Tooke was an Englishman who partici pated actively in British politics during the latter third of the last century. He early espoused the side of the Americans in their struggle for liberty, and was persecuted, fined, and imprisoned by the British Government for publishing an advertise ment for a subscription for the widows and or phans of the Americans " murdered by the King's troops at Lexington and Concord." After his release from prison he naturally, and in connec tion with John Wilkes, made himself politically dis agreeable to the government, and the government in turn made itself disagreeable to him; and ac cordingly the office of the commissioners for carrying into execution the act for taxing incomes addressed Mr. Tooke the following letter : — "May 3, 1799. "Sir: The commissioners having under consider ation your declaration of income, have directed me to acquaint you that they have reason to apprehend your income exceeds sixty pounds a year. They there fore desire that you will reconsider the said declara tion and favor me with your answer on or before the otn inst. ,, j am vour 0beciient servant, '< H. B. LUTTLEY, Clerk." To this Mr. Tooke replied. "Sir : I have much more reason than the com missioners can have to be dissatisfied with the smallness of my income. I have never yet in my life disavowed or had occasion to reconsider any declara tion which I have signed with my name. But the act of Parliament has removed all the decencies which used to prevail among gentlemen, and has given the commissioners (shrouded under the signature of their clerk) a right by law to tell me that they have reason to believe that I am a liar. They have also a right to demand from me upon oath the particular circum stances of my private situation. In obedience to the law, I am ready to attend upon this degrading occa sion so novel to an Englishman, and give them every explanation which they may be pleased to require. "I am, sir, your humble servant, "JOHN HORNE TOOKE."