Lord Mansfield, when a friend of his own was appointed governor
of a West India island, and complained that he would have also
to sit as a judge and decide cases, which he dreaded, advised
him to decide according to his notions of common sense, but
never to give his reasons; for, said he, “your judgment will
probably be right, but your reasons will certainly be wrong.”
Many years afterward, Lord Mansfield, while sitting on Privy
Council appeals, had a judgment of this governor brought before
the court, which seemed so absurd in its reasons that there was
a serious clamor for a recall of the governor as incompetent.
It was found, however, that the decision itself was perfectly
right. It appeared that at first the governor acted on Lord
Mansfield’s advice by deciding without giving reasons; and
finding that he acquired great reputation by these decisions,
began to think himself a great lawyer, and then gave his reasons
at length, which had the result above mentioned.
(Text.)--CROAKE JAMES, “Curiosities of Law and Lawyers.”
(2622)
=Reasons, Clear=--See GOOD FOR EVIL.