"The new Act requires the signature _either_ of the clergyman, _or_ that of the majority of the parish officers, together with four reputable and substantial householders;--or that of eight respectable and substantial householders. Fowler's certificate has all the parish officers but one, and other names in abundance, and _good-nature_ will prevent any one from saying that some of those names are neither respectable nor substantial. The magistrates will see that the requirements of the Act are complied with, and they will perhaps feel like me;--they will be unwilling to incur the odium of opposing the wishes of all those _respectable_ and _substantial_ personages, and thus _good-nature_ may induce them to sign the licence." "At all events," said Stanley, "you will be able to keep Fowler in order by the penalties of the new Act. The old system of absolutely forfeiting the recognizance was too severe to be acted on." "Perhaps," said Mr. Hooker, "now and then, in some flagrant case, by which some individual is _personally_ injured, these provisions may be called into play. But how seldom do you hear--in the country at least--of penalties being enforced from a sense of public duty? _Good-nature_ is always against it; and the man who from the purest motives endeavoured to enforce them, would be sure to have all the host of the _good-natured_ arrayed against him." Two days after was the licensing day: the _good-natured_ Barton having undertaken the patronage of Fowler's application, set out in good time to advocate it at the justice-meeting. He had got about three quarters of a mile from the village, in his way to Chippingden the market town, when he was overtaken by Mr. Bentley, one of the magistrates. "You have a dreadful road here, Farmer Barton," said Mr. Bentley. "Who is your surveyor?" "Why, I am at present," replied Barton, "and as we are a little behind hand with the duty, I am afraid that I shall have to go on for another year." "Then why do you suffer the road to continue in this state? The ruts are so deep, that it really is hardly safe." "It is all occasioned by that high hedge," answered the farmer, "which keeps off both sun and wind.--And besides, from there being no trunk or tunnel in that gate-way, the water of the ditch is thrown into the road. To be sure it _was_ pretty dirty in the winter, for all we buried so many stones in it." "Then why was not the hedge cut, and a tunnel made in the gateway to carry off the water?" said Mr. Bentley. "I did once give Farmer Dobson a hint about it," answered Barton, "but he says, that the hedge is not above nine years' growth, and that he shall have better poles by leaving it a few years longer." "But you know very well," replied the magistrate, "that your warrant empowers you to require him to cut it, and if he refuses, to do it yourself at his expence."