nfirm, and being satisfied that he had been sufficiently
punished, we ordered his discharge.

THE HASTINGS MALIGNITY.

Whilst the Moulin matter was in progress, an individual by the name
of William Hastings was practising before the United States Courts.
He had been, as I am told, a sailor, and was then what is known as a
"sailor's lawyer." He was a typical specimen of that species of the
profession called, in police court parlance, "shysters." He was
always commencing suits for sailors who had wrongs to redress, and
particularly for steerage passengers who complained that they had not
had sufficient accommodations and proper fare. He generally took their
cases on speculation, and succeeded very often in forcing large
sums from vessels libelled, as he was generally careful to bring his
actions so as to arrest the vessels on the eve of their departure,
when the payment of a few hundred dollars was a much cheaper mode of
proceeding for the captains than detention even for a few days.

But in one of his suits in the United States District Court, in the
year 1869, brought for a steerage passenger against a vessel from
Australia, the captain declined to be blackmailed and defended
himself. When the matter came on for hearing, Hastings was found to
have no cause of action, and the case was thereupon dismissed by Judge
Hoffman. Hastings then appealed to the United States Circuit Court,
and that court affirmed the judgment of the District Court. This
happened as I was about leaving for Europe; and I left supposing that
I had heard the last of the case.

During my absence, Hastings moved Judge Hoffman, of the United States
District Court, from whose decision the appeal had been taken, to
vacate the decision of the United States Circuit Court. This, of
course, Judge Hoffman refused. Hastings thereupon made a motion that
my decision should be set aside, on the ground that it was rendered by
fraud and corruption. When Judge Hoffman became aware of the charges
thus made, he was indignant and immediately cited Hastings before
him to show cause why he should not be disbarred and punished for
contempt. Hastings refused to make any explanation or withdraw his
offensive language; and thereupon Judge Hoffman expelled him from the
bar and ordered his name to be stricken from the roll of attorneys.
I was then absent in Europe, and knew nothing whatever of the
proceedings.

About this time Mr. George W. Julian, a member of Cong