present at a cause that was heard before the
President of the Probate, Divorce, and Admiralty Division of the High
Court of Justice and a Special Jury. The trial created considerable
interest, not only amongst the general public, but amongst that branch
of our honourable Profession represented by the Junior Bar, no doubt,
because certain points of law, not easily recognisable--I frankly
confess, I myself, am unable to recount them--were no doubt in
question, and had to be decided by competent authority. The Counsel
directly engaged were some of the brightest ornaments of Silk and
Stuff. Amongst the rest were my eloquent and learned friend, Sir
CHARLES RUSSELL, my erudite and learned friend Mr. INDERWICK (whose
_Side-lights upon the Stuarts_, is a marvel of antiquarian research),
and my mirth-compelling and learned friend Mr. FRANK LOCKWOOD,
whose law is only equalled (if, indeed, it is equalled) by his comic
draughtmanship. As the details of the trial have been fully reported,
there is no necessity to go into particulars. However, there was a
feature in the case that the passing notice of an article in one or
more of the leading journals is scarcely sufficient to meet.

It was proved that the detective part of divorce (if I may use the
expression) may be conducted in a fashion, to say the least, of not
the most entirely satisfactory character. A talented family were
called before us, whose performances were, from one point of view,
extremely amusing. But, Sir, although (as you will be the first to
admit) laughter is a most excellent thing in its proper place, the
sound of cachinnation is seldom pleasing in the Divorce Court. Under
these circumstances I would propose that, in future, Divorce Shadowing
should be put under the protection of the State. There should be a
special department, and the Shadowers should be of the distinguished
position of Mr. MCDOUGALL of the London County Council, and the like.
The office of the rank and file of the Shadowers should be honorary,
as the pleasure of following in (possibly) unsavoury steps in the
cause of virtue, would be to them, I presume, ample reward for any
trouble the labour might entail. I would willingly myself undertake
the responsibilities attaching to the post of Director-General, of
course on the understanding that a suitable provision were made, not
only as compensation for the loss of my practice, but also that I
might perform the duties of the office with suitable di