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The Green Bag USELESS BUT ENTERTAINING

When Justice Buﬂum opened court in a small town in southern Georgia, one morning last week, he called loudly, “Jones against Johnson!" A digniﬁed gentleman came to bar and said: “I am Doctor Jones, your Honor, the complain ing witness. My chickens were stolen and found in the possess‘on of ——" "One moment, Doctor." the Judge interrupted. "We must have the defendant at the bar. Jones against Johnson! Jones against Johnsonl is the defendant present? Is William Johnson in court?" A tall and shambling negro shuffled to the bar, ducked his head, pulled his woolly forelock in token of respect, and grinned a propitiatory grin. "Ah's Willyum Johns'n, please suh, Jedge," he said. “Ah doan' know nufﬁn 'bout no 'fend

ant, suh. Ah'm jes' the man wot took de chick'ns." "Don't talk like that," the Court warned Wil liam. "You ought to have a lawyer to speak for you. Where's your lawyer?" “Ah ain' got no lawyer, Jedge —" “Very well, then," said his

Honor.

“I'll

assign a lawyer to defend you." "Oh, no, suh;

no, suhl

Ple-e-ease don’ d0

dat!" William begged. "Why not?" asked the Judge. “It won't cost you anything. Why don't you want a lawyer?" "Well, ah'll tell yo’, suh," said William, wav ing his tattered old hat conﬁdentially. “Hit's jes' dis-a-way- ah wan‘ tuh enjoy dem chick'ns mase'f." — Harper‘: Weekly.

The Legal World Equity Pleading and Practice in Federal Courts The important announcement was made June 3 that Chief Justice White had appointed a committee to change and revise the rules of practice in the equity courts of the United States. The committee is composed of Justices Lur ton and Van Devanter, and the Chief

Justice, ex oﬂ'icio. It will report to the full court, probably next winter, such

changes and revisions in the present rules as it believes should be made. William J. Hughes of Washington, of the bar of the Supreme Court, who for years has been recognized as an author

ity on practice and procedure in that court, has been selected to act as secre tary of the committee, which has issued

a circular in part as follows: — “The Supreme Court of the United States desires to consider the subject of revising the equity rules, and in connec tion with that subject the reformation of pleading and practice in equity cases

in the courts of the United States. Desiring to have the beneﬁt of every possible suggestion from all sources, the committee earnestly requests the co operation of the several circuit courts

of appeal of the United States. To this end it ventures to suggest that each of those courts appoint a committee of at least three from their respective bars to prepare and suggest such changes in pleading and practice in equity in the courts of the United States as such committee may deem it would be wise

to adopt, and when the changes are put into deﬁnite shape, to ﬁle the same with the secretary of this committee at the

earliest possible moment, certainly on or before the ﬁrst day of November next. While not desiring to exclude any deﬁnite suggestion from any judge or from any member of the bar, the committee hopes, in order to avoid complexity, that any suggestion which it is thought best to

make may be forwarded through the instrumentality of the committee of the