e
Attorney-General. The Judge in his turn availed himself of several
opportunities of showing how little weight he attached to the
Attorney-General's opinions. Worse still, he brought upon himself the
lasting indignation of the Lieutenant-Governor. It would perhaps be more
correct to say that his wife brought this calamity upon him, for the
origin of the trouble was a hot dispute between Lady Mary Willis and
Lady Sarah Maitland on a question of rank and precedence. In this
quarrel it is quite clear that Lady Mary was in the wrong, but the whole
affair was utterly contemptible on both sides. The ladies dragged their
respective liege-lords into the dispute, and each of the latter espoused
the side of his helpmeet. Sir Peregrine necessarily got the better of
his adversary, whom he never forgave. It is impossible to say how far
this unseemly women's wrangle contributed to the humiliation which Judge
Willis was subsequently compelled to endure, but it is pretty clear that
from that time forward Sir Peregrine was bent upon getting his adversary
removed from his position. Unhappily the Judge, by his want of
discretion, made this resolution comparatively easy of accomplishment.
He constituted himself a sort of general censor of judicial and official
shortcomings, and from his seat on the bench gave utterance to petulant
and unbecoming strictures on various transactions with which he had no
need to concern himself.

[Sidenote: 1828.]

At the York Assizes held in April, 1828, Judge Willis came into such
serious public collision with the Attorney-General that the affair was
bruited abroad, and made considerable noise throughout the Province. On
Thursday, the 10th of the month, Francis Collins, editor of the
_Freeman_, was brought up on certain indictments for libel preferred
against him by Attorney-General Robinson, under circumstances which will
be detailed in a subsequent chapter. The bench was occupied by Mr.
Justice Sherwood. The Clerk was just about to proceed to arraign the
accused, when a postponement was asked for on the latter's behalf. The
application was granted, and there the matter ended for the day. Next
morning--Friday, the 11th--the bench was occupied by Justice Willis, who
then for the first time in his life presided at an Assize. He had no
sooner taken his seat than Collins rose at the bar. "May it please your
Lordship," said he, "I have a motion or two to make in Court, if I, not
being a lawyer, am in order in