for corruption, and commenced reading a long string of vituperative and incoherent charges of criminal conduct.  The proceeding was so outrageous that we could not overlook it.  We accordingly adjudged him guilty of contempt, fined him five hundred dollars, and ordered him to be committed to prison until the fine should be paid.  Whilst in prison, and not long after his commitment, he was informed that upon making a proper apology for his conduct, he would he discharged.  Instead, however, of submitting to this course, he commenced writing abusive articles to the newspapers, and sending petitions to the Legislature charging us with arbitrary and criminal conduct.  His articles were of such a character as to create quite erroneous impressions of our action.  The newspapers, not waiting to ascertain the facts, at first took sides with him and assailed us.  These attacks, of course, had no effect upon the man’s case; but, after he had remained in prison for several weeks, on understanding that his health was infirm, and being satisfied that he had been sufficiently punished, we ordered his discharge.

THE HASTINGS MALIGNITY.

Whilst the Moulin matter was in progress, an individual by the name of William Hastings was practising before the United States Courts.  He had been, as I am told, a sailor, and was then what is known as a “sailor’s lawyer.”  He was a typical specimen of that species of the profession called, in police court parlance, “shysters.”  He was always commencing suits for sailors who had wrongs to redress, and particularly for steerage passengers who complained that they had not had sufficient accommodations and proper fare.  He generally took their cases on speculation, and succeeded very often in forcing large sums from vessels libelled, as he was generally careful to bring his actions so as to arrest the vessels on the eve of their departure, when the payment of a few hundred dollars was a much cheaper mode of proceeding for the captains than detention even for a few days.

But in one of his suits in the United States District Court, in the year 1869, brought for a steerage passenger against a vessel from Australia, the captain declined to be blackmailed and defended himself.  When the matter came on for hearing, Hastings was found to have no cause of action, and the case was thereupon dismissed by Judge Hoffman.  Hastings then appealed to the United States Circuit Court, and that court affirmed the judgment of the District Court.  This happened as I was about leaving for Europe; and I left supposing that I had heard the last of the case.