They did not examine either Reid or Brown, the witnesses called to prove that Hardie was near Jacobs's close upon ten o'clock; but counsel for the defence cross-examined them, and, inasmuch as their testimony agreed with what Hardie originally said, they turned out to be strong witnesses for the defence. The prosecution were now confining their atten tion to an attempt to prove tjiat Hardie said he was not in the block wherein Fish's shop was situated. If the jury came to the con clusion that Hardie was taken by surprise, or Hid not understand the drift of the ques tion, he was entitled to an acquittal; or if the jury thought he was drunk, as one of the witnesses suggested, and did not under stand what was said, then also he was en titled to an acquittal. The evidence of Mr North must have impressed the jury. He exhibited his notes, and while he had only two or three lines about most of the wit nesses, he had taken nearly the whole of Hardie's evidence, though they were not continuous. It was for the jury to say whether Mr North took the notes in the court at all, and did not write them afterwards. He acknowledged having had a conversation with Mr Fish before sitting on the case, and his own evidence showed that he went to the court with the avowed and deliberate object of sitting on the case in which his friend was interested. Many of the justices "probably knew one or other of the parties, and were only too glad to get out of the responsibility of determining the case. No such scruples deterred Mr North. He was only too glad of an opportunity of sitting, and Hardie was fined. The jury could come to no other conclusion than that Hardie would have very scaut justice so far as that Bench was concerned. Mr Fish could not be regarded as an unbiased witness. He and Hardie were formerly on terms of the greatest intimacy and friendship, and the jury had heard the fulsome eulogy by Fish on Hardie, that he was active, "young, kind, and good-hearted. That was when Fish aud Hardie were friends. A change, however, came over |the scene. 