A LEGAL DECISION AS TO THE LENGTH OF A LECTURE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1214, 5 June 1885, Page 3

A LEGAL DECISION AS TO THE LENGTH OF A LECTURE.

* Mr Archibald Forbes relates the following : —Lawsuits ' are unpleasant ■ things, and I would counsel everyone to shun them as he would a snake.’ I have had but one in my life, af d that was about a lecture. Can anyone tell exactly how long a lecture ought to last 1 Veiy few people know that there is a legal decision on this import tant point; that”decision was givenin the course of this lawsuit in which I was involved. The trouble occurred in the town of Newport, Monmouthshire, England." I was to lecture there, as it might be to-night, and I had promised Mrs M., the wife of the famous painter, to be.present at the marriage of her daughter to. an old Zulu- War comrade of mine, on. the following morning, in ach.u ch in the West-End of London. I could only "accomplish this by leaving Vewport, after the lecture, by a train- stopping there at 9.35 pm. The lecture -hour was eight, the lecture would last an hour and » half, and I would just have five minutes to drive to the station and catch the train. Now, in South Wales punctuality is not a virtue wiih audiences ; the chairman has a habit of making a speech when introducing the lecturer, and when the lecture is finished theie is a vote of thanks to the lec urer and to the chairman,, all of which probing- the performance to two hours. My plan Was to egin at eight, tell tie chairman to make no speech, and escape before the vote of thanks.. I sent an intimation to-the, local agent to advertise punctual commencement, explaining my object. I,reached New]>ort, pressed, and .was sitting, waiting fqr the,|/ia*o tq ; gQ,,t£ ; jiall*.,jyljpg

my frith the hidings that to theairahgemght’ I' had suggested/ and haJ.told him he would not pajr the fee tlie "proframme w«b leisurely 1 gone through, 'at once went across, told the agent that the lecture was advertised puno tiirtlly for eight j that T wpiild begin at that hour, would speakfor.au hour and a hal£ and that then I would have dbne my part and would go. He replied that in that case he would not pay the fee. -Now, I should have carried out my programme, and so put him in the wrong; but I-lost my temper for the moment, and quietly said “ Thehjin that case I shall not lecture.” and left the place. When I drove up to the depot, an hourand a half Inter, an angry mob ; occupied:the platform, and the local ‘a'gent was haranguing them -and denouncing me. I; got the most plenteousabuse. 1 I hid outraged the people of, Newport, was bellowed at by them, and there were threats of lynching me. Fists were flourished in my. face, ami ‘everv moment-/I expected to be atr tacked: When the train came up and I'enteied the carriage a shower of mud and small stones brdke the window and bespattered me. I duly attended the imrria.ee, and, feeling that,!:, had pot, acted with fall consideration towards my auclieuce ; I telegraphed the Mayor of Newport that I would give a free lecture for the benefit of the local charities, which offer was accepted. A good sum was realised for the town infi mary, and I was reinstated iu the good graces of Newport.

But the local agent went to law with me. He sued me for his expenses out of pocket, and concluded,. besides, fir one hundred pounds in the name of lost profits. The trial came off at the next South Wales Assize. His contention was that he was acting in the interests of the Newport people in prohibiting the curtailmnnt of the lecture. Mine was that the.lecture hour was eight, and that my lecture wis only an hour and. a-half long; when the proceedings were protracted it was because of unpunctuaiity and o her people’s oratory. In proof of this I nffere 1 to read my lecture to the Court; but the jury, visibly shuddered, and the Judge said life was too' short for this kind of evidence However, he slimmed up in my favor, and the jury followed his lead, so that I won ray only lawsuit. The plaintiff appealed to a higher Court in London, and the case came on before Lord Coleridge, who made very short work of the mat ter

“It is acknowledged.” said he, “by. the defendant that this lecture is ah hour and a-half long, and ri seems the plaintiff wanted it longer. Now I hold," continued he, “that any lecture is a common nuisance :hat lasts longer than an hour,. ..and, so.I dismiss the appeal.” ’ ';'' . -