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note 125: _Daily News._]

Apart from any question of Mr Odger's possible candidature, my father
had another reason for hesitating before incurring such heavy expenses
as the contest of Southwark would entail: the Northampton election,
in spite of the long subscription lists made up from slender purses,
had left him heavily burdened with debt. In August (1869) he wrote
that he had still £250 of borrowed money to repay; by November this
had become reduced, though even then there was still £100 "due to a
friend at Norwich, and £20 to another friend in Huddersfield." A debt
of £120 will seem a mere bagatelle to a rich man, who will pay more
for a handsome dog that takes his fancy, and ten times as much for
a thoroughbred horse; to a poor man, however, a debt of £120 is a
millstone. And for that matter, if this debt had been the only one, my
father would soon have repaid it, but he was hampered on all sides.
Being so encumbered, he naturally felt bound "to exercise extra caution
in contracting further liabilities for election purposes, especially
as the large portion of the funds for such a struggle would probably
be provided by my working friends throughout the United Kingdom, whose
subscriptions I have no right to take except with the certainty of
fighting a creditable if not a successful fight."

However, at the end of November all hesitation on my father's part
was brought to an end by the receipt of the following letter from Mr
Odger:--

 "DEAR MR BRADLAUGH,--I have decided on going to the poll. I
 shall see the Southwark Committee this evening (November 29th), and
 make the declaration to-morrow.

 "Thanking you for your manly and straightforward conduct,--I remain,
 yours truly,

 GEO. ODGER.

 "18 High Street, Bloomsbury."

Under these circumstances my father at once announced that he should
not seek the suffrages of the Southwark electors. He believed Mr Odger
had a better chance of being supported by voters "who would be afraid
of returning one whom the _Daily Telegraph_ had described as an English
'irreconcilable,'" although, as he frankly said, he made no disguise
of his wish to be in Parliament, and of his intention to be there as
soon as possible. He earnestly entreated all his friends in the borough
to give their unreserved support to George Odger, who was a real
representative man.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

LITIGATION, 1867-1871.

Mr Bradlaugh took part in so many law-suits during his life that
people have hurriedly jumped at conclusions, and condemned him as a
"litigious" man. They have not troubled to consider the circumstances
of the different suits; it was sufficient that Mr Bradlaugh took part
in them, and that at once stamped him as litigious. Now, as a matter
of fact, it will be found that in a large number of cases he figured
as _defendant_ in the action, and where he was plaintiff I think it
must be admitted that it was rarely without sufficient cause. Although
many years constantly libelled, he seldom brought an action for libel;
there were indeed such actions, all of which will be found mentioned
in this book. After he had engaged a hall for lectures, it was no
uncommon thing for the proprietor to break his contract; and if it was
a very gross case this occasionally resulted in a suit, but much more
frequently he accepted the situation, trusting to time to wear away
prejudices against him.

In each of the four cases I am now about to speak of Mr Bradlaugh
was the plaintiff. The first was an action arising purely out of his
business as a financial agent, and would have little interest now were
it not for the terms of the Vice-Chancellor's judgment. The second also
arose in the course of business, but was greatly complicated by the
oath question. The third was a libel case; while the fourth was against
the Mirfield Town Hall Company for breach of contract.

In January 1867 the case of the English Joint Stock Bank (Limited)
and Charles Bradlaugh was heard in the Court of Chancery before
Vice-Chancellor Wood. Mr Bradlaugh claimed to be admitted as a
creditor against the Bank, then in course of winding up, for £12,350,
or for such less sum as the Court might think just and reasonable,
in consideration of his having negotiated a purchase for the Bank of
the banking business of Messrs Harvey & Hudson of Norwich for the
sum of £210,000. The sum thus claimed was the one agreed to be paid
him by the general manager of the Bank. The Court decided against
him for reasons not necessary to enter fully upon here, and the
Vice-Chancellor's judgment was reported at considerable length in the
_Times_ of the following day. The extracts given here are based upon
the shorthand notes of the case. Vice-Chancellor Wood commenced his
judgment by referring to "the great ability with which Mr Bradlaugh
had argued his case;" and after dealing with the arguments at some
length, said that he regretted to come to the conclusion that there was
no completed agreement which could be enforced, "as Mr Bradlaugh--to
whom he gave implicit credit as to everything stated by him on his own
recollection--had no doubt been put to very great trouble and anxiety,
but in deciding against his present claim he would not be shut out
from obtaining what he could for his services on a _quantum meruit_.
The costs of the summons would be reserved until the result of such an
application should have been ascertained. The question had been argued
with extreme ability by Mr Bradlaugh, and he could not possibly have
been assisted better by whatever counsel he could have retained than he
had been by his own advocacy. He had put it in the clearest and most
concise manner possible, and the Court had been much assisted by the
whole of his argument. He had very fairly produced every document that
he knew anything about, or which he thought could throw any light upon
the transaction. "The Vice-Chancellor repeated that he gave unfeigned
credit to everything that Mr Bradlaugh had said; he did not try to
exaggerate or to improve upon his case; and he was sorry--because he
had no doubt that Mr Bradlaugh had had great trouble and anxiety in the
matter--he was sorry that he must decide against him on his claim.

These words of Vice-Chancellor Wood's are specially valuable; first,
as showing a judge's appreciation of Mr Bradlaugh's legal ability
even when he was arguing a case which concerned an ordinary business
matter only, and was neither directly or indirectly a defence of those
principles of liberty of speech, of press, or of conscience which
were so close to his heart; and next, as a tribute to that calm and
well-balanced temperament which even as a young man of thirty-three
enabled him to state his case so manifestly without gloss or
exaggeration.

Later in the same year (1867) my father commenced a suit against a
gentleman named De Rin. This case went through various Courts, and
although the subject in dispute was really a private matter, the
peculiar course taken by the defendant resulted in a public benefit

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