Son and Heir._ "HOW MANY OF US ARE
THERE? WHY, IF YOU COUNT THE GIRLS, THERE ARE SIX--BUT SOME PEOPLE DON'T
COUNT THE GIRLS.--_I'M ONE._"]

* * * * *

THE CABMAN AND HIS GOOD AND EVIL REPORT.

The Reporter of the celebrated Bow Street Cab Case has written to the
_Times_ and to us (our letter is sealed with the official seal of the
Court) to contradict the contradiction which was given in the House of
Commons to his report of the case of PHILLIPS the cabman, who would not
or could not put down five shillings for measuring the distance of a
fare with respect to which he was charged with an overcharge.

The Reporter appeals to our sense of justice--a tribunal to which nobody
ever appealed in vain; but we cannot see that any injustice has been
done, and therefore the appeal can only meet with a dismissal. The
Reporter and the Magistrate are at issue in their statements of what
took place, but the former's contradiction of the latter had not been
published when our article was at press; and, had it been, we certainly
see no reason why we should believe one party to the discredit of the
other. That reporters are fallible we know by the frequency with which
their inaccuracies are corrected; and we fear the Reporter in question
is capable of making a mistake, for he informs us that "years ago" his
"Bow Street reports led to the dismissal of a very incompetent
magistrate" (which may be possible), "and to the appointment of MR.
HENRY as his successor," which is utterly incredible. We need not waste
words in pointing out the absurdity of the assumption that the report of
what was being done by a magistrate at one court, could in the smallest
degree conduce to the appointment of any other magistrate, though the
publicity given to any improper acts of the former might lead to his
dismissal.

In conclusion, we have only to say that the Magistrate gives one version
of the affair, and the Reporter gives another. Neither magistrates nor
reporters are infallible, and we must therefore leave the public to
decide for themselves which of the two has, on this occasion, been
accurate. The Reporter lays some stress--and with some show of
reason--on the alleged fact, that his statement of the case is supported
by a note in the minute-book kept by the clerk, and pried into, as it
seems, rather unceremoniously by the Reporter; but if a magistrate is
liable to err, it is possible that his clerk may be capable of