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and perhaps more important uses to which it may be then applied, of which the following is a brief enumeration of such as occur to me at the present. To be continued.

ON THE DELAYS INCIDENT TO THE COURT OF SESSION.、

Continued from p. 60.

To the Lord President of the Court of Session.

MY LORD,

THE

LETTER III.

HE waste of time in a law suit is like the squan dering of money: It is continual and irreparable. A month's time is allowed to a party to make his appearance in court. A fortnight more is consumed by the outgiving and enrollment. And after the pleading of the cause, the lord ordinary seldom decides even the relevancy, but generally appoints à condescendence, either of the facts that the pursuer undertakes to prove in support of his action, or of those the defender founds upon in his defence. Ten days are commonly allotted for this purpose; but they extend to a fortnight, before the cause appears in the roll. Another fortnight elapses in the making of answers; and the like space is equally necessary both for replies and duplies: nor can less than a fortnight well be allowed to the lord ordinary for advising the whole of these papers. Thus a period of three or four months is consumed before the first interlocutor is pronounced. In other words, a whole winter sefsion is necessary

for bringing the parties to join ifsue in the cause, even though neither party fhould occasion undue delay.

But the fact is, that the tardy party in place of a fortnight, will often take six weeks or two months at a time, to give in his paper; and will procure repeated delays, under various pretences, in spite of continued inrollments.

Even the party whose interest it is to expedite, will often delay his own cause, from the prefsure of other business; or from indolence, or the difficulty of procuring or arranging that sort of evidence which he wishes to found upon.

And when a cause grows bulky from length of time and length of writing, it becomes burdensome to the judge also, who cannot but feel a reluctance against sitting down to consider a variety of long and perplexing papers; and to unravel the facts, and turn up and apply the law to them.

If this be the case at the commencement of the action, and before an interlocutor allowing a proof or appointing a production; what must happen when a cause grows tiresome upon all hands, by being brought under review again and again and again; and that too either when one question is started after another, and followed out with the same lengthened and persevering obstinacy; or, when the whole points that can be brought forward are blended together, so as to make the cause more burdensome, and to increase the confusion; and render the case still the more inextricable.

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It is in vain to think that the vigilance of an or dinary, will ever be sufficient to remove such complicated causes of delay. Besides that an artful party is often able to influence the pafsions and prejudices of the judge in the way of creating confusion, for the purpose of procuring time, or misleading the judgement.

Nothing fhort of necefsity will ever compel parties to forgo every attempt of that kind, and prevent the judge from indulging them in any degree. Indeed the beauty and excellency of forms is, not only to constrain the parties, but also to fetter the judge himself, without influencing his opinion; and so to free him as it were from the weaknefses, and errors of human nature. But how that can be accomplished in the present case, is a matter that must probably be left to your lordship's own consideration. I fhall however submit what occurs to me . upon the subject in a future letter, and I remain &c.

LENTULUS.

NOTICES OF THE

HORSES IN SIBERIA.

WILD HORSES

We can have no idea of the natural faculties of animals which we have been accustomed to see only in a domestic state; for there, depending upon man for a liberal supply to all their wants, they have no occasion to exercise their natural talents; and these appear to be entirely obliterated.

in the

These reflection are occasioned by a communication of a correspondent from the province of southern parts of Siberia. He says there is nothing in that province which he thinks will be so acceptable to the people of Britain as the history of the wild horse, a noble animal that is found in the extensive plains of Southern Siberia, in considerable numbers.

He warns me that my readers may susp the exaggerates here: but he afsures me he does not; and says if he does he can be corrected by some persons now living in Britain, who know the facts &

him.

well as

The wild horse, he says, though a gregarious animal, does not go in promiscuous flocks like cattle or sheep; but each male chooses for himself a certain number of females, with whom alone he afsociates during the whole year, beating off every other male which offers to approach them. The strongest of course has, the best haram; and the weaker are obliged to go without any But when he has once fixed himself, he defends his own property, never attempting to incroach on that of another. The battles that are fought for the females at the beginning of the season are furious, and often prove fatal to one of the parties; but when the victory is once derided, the weakest never afterwards that season disputes for superiority.

The horse, when he has once obtained his females, governs them with despotic authority. Whenever calls upon them they must obey otherways the are punished severely; and the mares are so sensible

of this, that they discover every symptom of the most perfect obedience to their lord and master.

His government however is founded on love; and his authority is exercised, rather for the protection of his subjects, than their injury. The great enemy they have there to dread is the wolf; and if the horse did not take care to keep them close together, so as to receive the benefit of his protection, they would be soon exterminated. It is the foals only that the wolf ever attacks; and against his attacks they are much upon their guard. When they see any appearance of danger, the horse gives the call; and they all instantly gallop up to him. The foals are then put all together; and the mares laying their heads together above the foals, form a circle all round with their heels outward, ready to strike their enemy if he approaches. The horse in the mean time remains without the circle to be ready to attack wherever the danger fhall be greatest. One wolf dares never make the attack by himself. When they come up, the horse gallops round his family, trampling to death every one he can reach, or tearing them with his teeth; and so strong is his bite when thus enraged, that they frequently have been known, with a single gnash of their teeth, to break the back of a wolf and kill him entirely. It seldom happens that the wolves prevail in this contest; and they so much dread the power of this noble animal, that they seldom make the attack unless when hey are much pinched for hunger.

This breed of horses, though nimble and active, not of a very large size. The hunting of these

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