AMUSING SCENE IN GREENOCK POLICE COURT.

Evening Star, Issue 4075, 18 March 1876, Page 2 (Supplement)

AMUSING SCENE IN GREENOCK POLICE COURT.

Bailie Scott preaided in Greenock Pdfo. Court recently, when overcrowding weroset down eluding five in-which lodgers' Hid beeaßya oeived intounlicenaed houses. (Jn iSySS case called, one of the 'mtUMlerdLebefert that in a honse ticketed to two adults he found sleeping the.' aoeiuML his wife, and their iSS Bailie : Dear me, that''s. this mU's cwa family. The Fiscal (Mr Auld); But thaft does not matter. The house is overJ crowded, and it is for: the man’s own good wo are prosecuting.- The Bailies Matter 1 the thing is absurd. Ariy Act that wodld compel you to. prosecute Parties owing to the size of their families is an ( alwurdity, and not an Act at all. The Fiscal: Some of these houses are little better than styes, and had. this house hot been built prior to 1865 it could not have been used as a home at aIL The Bailie: Well, I am not. going to adjudicate upon Acta of Parliament at all. The Assessor s But you must be guided. The Bailie (angrily) : I will not be guided. I am. not firing to adjudicate upon matters that I don’t understand. After the hearing of- further evidence, the Fiscal pointed out that the prosecutions were made so as to keep down disease iii the town, and as in almost no case could it be ‘proved that a landlord let- hie house to accommodate a larger number of persons than it was ticketed for, the tenant was

£s® who could be dealt .with. The Bailie; Oh, yes; it is just the old, old story over again. Yon always lay hold upon the poor, man and let the rich man ofL The Fiscal; But how can I help it ? The Bailie : Help it ? Why, bring the landlord here, and I’Q let you see I’ll sentence him. (To accused); Well,-look yon*here, don’t' you come here again or you’ll be fined—mind everybody’s not so s6ft as l am. Prisoner then left the bar. In the next case, the Bailie at first declined to administer the oath to one of the witnesses, on the ground that ho had been sworn in the previous case. The Fiscal: You must swear him, as this is a new case. The Bailie: But it is the same m»n, You are wanting to draw the line too tight, Mr Auld, The Fiscal: I can’t help it; The Bailie (indignantly): But I can. The Fiscalr Well, you can just ask him to say, *‘l swear I will tell the truth.” The Bailie then proceeded to administer the oath, shaking his head, however, all the time, and afterwards stating that he “ could not see the beauty of that.” In the third case it was stated that the house was ticketed to accommodate 5J adults. The Bailie (lifting his hand and knocking it firmly on the table) s Why, the thing is ridiculous. Do you expect persons to cut themselves up into halves to oblige,you! It was explained that the space for the half adult could also be used for a child underweight years of age, but this appeared not to satisfy the Bailie, who cpU| turned to give ominous shakes of his head*' After hearing > the evidence; however, he found the charge proved, and fined the ac| cused ss, offering at the same time the altetg native of a day’s imprisonment.