rmed "Bim"
was soon on the spot; but, without asking or waiting to hear the cause
of the disturbance, he shouted to the volunteer peacemaker, "I see you
are fighting: you are my prisoner!" Saying this, he clutched the poor
thunderstruck creature by the wrist, and there [90] and then set about
hurrying her off towards the police station. It happened, however,
that the whole affair had occurred in the sight of a gentleman of
well-known integrity. He, seated at a window overlooking the street,
had witnessed the whole squabble, from its beginning in words to its
culmination in blows; so, seeing that the woman was most unjustly
arrested, he went out and explained the circumstances to the guardian
of order. But to no purpose; the poor creature was taken to the
station, accompanied by the gentleman, who most properly volunteered
that neighbourly turn. There she was charged with "obstructing the
policeman in the lawful execution of his duty." She was let out on
bail, and next day appeared to answer the charge.

Mr. Mayne, the magistrate, presided. The constable told his tale
without any material deviation from the truth, probably confident, from
previous experience, that his accusation was sufficient to secure a
conviction. On the defendant's behalf, the gentleman referred to, who
was well known to the magistrate himself, was called, and he related
the facts as we have above given them. Even Mr. Mayne [91] could see
no proof of the information, and this he confessed in the following
qualified judgment:--

"You are indeed very lucky, my good woman, that the constable has
failed to prove his case against you; otherwise you would have been
sent to hard labour, as the ordinance provides, without the option of a
fine. But as the case stands, you must pay a fine of L2"!!!

Comment on this worse than scandalous decision would be superfluous.

Another typical case, illustrative of the truth of Mr. Froude's boast
of the eminent fair play, nay, even the stout protection, that Negroes,
and generally, "the weaker," have been wont to receive from British
magistrates, may be related.

An honest, hard-working couple, living in one of the outlying
districts, cultivated a plot of ground, upon the produce of which they
depended for their livelihood. After a time these worthy folk, on
getting to their holding in the morning, used to find exasperating
evidence of the plunder overnight of their marketable provisions.
Determined to