Question About

1895

Lord Chancellor Camden of England, in consequence of the interest which he took on behalf of Wilkes, became so popular that the parishioners of Chiselhurst, where he resided, made him a present of ten acres of common.

His lordship, who was a very early riser, was the first to discover, in one of his morning walks, that a poor widow who resided on the common had all her geese stolen during the previous night. He chanced to meet a laborer going to work, and thinking from being wrapped up in his greatcoat that he was unknown to the man he inquired of him respecting the geese and asked him if he knew what punishment would be inflicted on the offender who stole the geese from the common. The man answered, "No." "Well, then," said his lordship, "he would be transported for seven years." "If that is the case," replied the laborer, "I will thank your lordship to tell me what punishment the law would inflict on the man who stole the common from the geese." — San Francisco Argonaut.