On Monday, the question whether the Queen's Bench Division of
the High Court should grant a mandamus to compel Mr. Bridge, the Police Magistrate, to hear and deter- mine an application made to him by Mr. Simms for a summons against the Duke of Cambridge for assault on the occasion of the Fire Brigade Parade—when, it may be remembered, no proper means were taken to keep the ground, and the utmost confusion and disorder prevailed—was heard by Mr. Justice Day and Mr. Justice A. L. Smith. In giving judgment, Mr. Justice Day pointed out that all the Court had to decide was whether the Magistrate heard and determined the complaint, —for if he had done so, there was no ground for issuing a mandamus. That he did, in fact, hear it, the Judges both agreed, and Mr. Justice Day very properly defended Mr. Bridge from the imputation of unfairness made against him. It would have been impossible to grant a summons for assault in regard to anything done in such a scuffle as prevailed at the Fire Brigade Parade, without inviting Police-Court actions from the pit-door of every theatre. On such occasions, every one who is shoved fancies that the shoving is premeditated, though, as a matter of fact, it is usually quite involuntary. Still, if it is true, as alleged, that the Duke of Cambridge refused to apologise to Mr. Simms, we think he acted very foolishly. Doubtless both men lost their tempers ; but since it was Mr. Simms who was actually struck, the apology should have come from the Duke.
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