The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-01-31 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE BRITISH PRESS.

S ter,—l findlin a Law List the names of about 800 certificated
Counsel, above half of whom may possibly plead at the Bar.
and the greater number of the remainder take cases fur their
opinions.
These
, These may be dispersed through the country and 4or 500 more
Imupgid in a similr.r proportion and manner. The town Attorneys
I=7so be nearly 1,000,.and the country Attorneys about 4,000,
, to use round numbers, we will call 7,000 practitioners in the
law tbsegebese **kingdom. The London Commissioners, 70 in
ergfeletJ up doing in 14 lists of Ave each, and are Chiefly Coon-
M: 7111uallsr Landon Counsel sad Attorneys are an exception to
Kitts. leh net aware of any exception to the whole
- d etamay Coeseel end Attorneys. being eligible to be
- ' ' 16irri16°.8"triadde asalludgesnin„ymnata"ye"oc°icmi. "ianin!lripbte
viez• rwt
.. . zw,...,...h.it appears there are about
feunsel it INA NMI *ho may be Commiasioners ;
Attorneyttle die amelque may be either Commissioners
or Solicitors ; andl,lloo A s id London who an only be So-
bettors, which gkekta totals( Commissioners and 6.000 Soli-
emiwasito
dun to Bankruptcies, tied in 6,300 persons. The other
members of the law, say certificated Counsel, we will suppose
only interested is (min the cans or briefs put into
their hands het llrgasitim• or yielding&
In the as Attorney may one day sit as a Judge
(Commission) with three direr Attorneys (one Commissioner 0
the five being ways a Barebter); another day he may have to act
as Solicitor tea Commiesiou4 is which he is only the agent and sub.
jest to the direction of one, two, or three Attorneys (as the ease may
be) with whom, but lately, he was co-equal in authority as a Cam
nussioner ; and this alternate change of office from Cutnnsissirease
to Solicitor, and vire versa, very commonly occurs, and may happen
with the whole number of country Attorneys, wherein ma be ob-
served an anomalous, mewed mixture of authority led saber-
vieney, against reason and any kapeful ground to expect an impar-
tial administration of Justice ; and it cannot be supposed but that
these members of the law. having a common interest in promoting
their pecuniary advantages, will (as most men so circumstanced
would) be inclined to favour the wishes of their clients, and
therefore sometimes to use their influence with their brother
Commissioners, contrary to tissia..inoral duty as public ministers
of the law.
These 7,000 members of the law, more or less interested in As
administration of Bankruptcies, are eloarly more advantageously
so in proportion as delays, litigation, and expenses are multiplied.
To give an Imperfect sketch of the influence which this learned
bads slay poetess over a_seest portion of the most respectable,
wealthiest, and mom intelligent croons interested in the subjeed, I
may, however detective, furnish some clue to conclude why Mei
obwaxieus system has so long prevailed. We will suppose them
to be all well-educated persons, experienced in the statute laws
and the practice of the courts ; and, besides, from their study and
habiut, men of engaging manners and conversation, which intro.
duce them often to ;anticipate of the hospitality, and social as well
as confidential communications of their clients, whence originate

to a great extent (hereafter surmised) reciprocal interchanges-of ci-
vilities and services of the most intimate and binding nature.
This state of amity and concord is much more worthy our admira-
tion and applause than our censure, and is perhaps contributory to
general convenience and happiness except u concerns the particu-
lar %abject of dieser...marks ; and these, I am persuaded, with the
more enlightened and honourable part of the profession, will be
applicable ; and that sale alteration is necessary to them to place
them under circumstances where their feelings would not be subject
to so close a test as is, in many instances, the case at parent • but
no member of the law comes forward with any proposition to 'effect
this (the Bill now pending in Parliament has no such object), pro.
bably because it would be considered as interfering with the peen-
rntoar interests of the profession, and therefore no effective public
two be expected to originate In these matters with the law-
erest.
But to return to the point Soppier the 7,000 Counsel and At-
torneys before-mentioned, to have oily twenty respectable clients
each, who are liable to the creditors of Bankrupts' estates (with
' country Attorneys in villages and small towns, 20 trading climb
each may be too many ; but is the large trading and manufacturing
places the number is roach greater) the exact proportion is not ma-
terial ; to form some ground of reasoidng on the subject is the ob.
ject. Upon this scale there appears an influence of the lawyers
over 140,000 persons, of the highest consideration in trade, in the
common course of their practice; besides what may arise from
their intermarriages and family connections, which we will com-
pute at five respectable persons mom to each ; add 3,1000 more
friends to their tolerate and prosperity. Here is an influence of
the lawyers over 175,11100 of the first people in the kingdom for
wealth, respectability, and experience in commercial affairs,
which, with themselves, LON more, may account further why the
peat tralag and liana" interests have not cane forward
wfdrallifigg reponewmatione legislature of their sufferings by
the mama emsgerneat rf ptcies, and propositions for an
alarades'inere imonrable ie. interests ; in which they would
benatify be joined by some millions of persons in trade, of less
prier nod influence.
I prinisme to oder an opinion that Ms 'Wert would be very much
'nomad if Judea in Bank=snwein:talioDed, instead of the
presenict et so great a as. Suppose
three woo sommery in the to sit in Lon-
Watrainmer, and sae Bomb ; their jUriU
=l6 OO extend, mit now DO% * nand hoodoo, to be
&alai by three sections in disarm d Sac The London Judge
to have jurisdiction II miles N. and 11, coming to a point, and
ispiaitag Lupins.
e The Westminster Judge's authority, the
ftsil lWa rste week isslining N. sad and inel
eMailnens- imithersok..lotiwu m Non
mike Its sionne meaner sapid, inclining E. and . and
Mg the &rough ; to sit dad", and perhaps it might be more cam
venlent if they were all accanniodated with different rooms, at die
Commissioners' Courts, in Basinghall-street, where other rooms
could he appropriated for Solicitors to meet creditors to examine
their debts,and take their depositions previously to their being sweet
before the Commissioner or Judge, u described in my letter In
the British Press the 10th of September lest.
In the country, Commissioners (Judges) might be found of
learned counsel residing in the country, each of whom should have
a district or limit, extending 30 or SO miles round the town, fixed
on for holding Commissions; and should have a =tam salary,
and be excluded from advising, pleading, or in any manner inter-
fering as Counsel in matters of Bankruptcy.
U believe the Insolvent Debtors' Bill now pending intimates
that a Judge, to take circuit, might be advisable to determine
cases of insolvency in the country. Could not such Judge amide
over country Bankruptcies ? Or rather, could not a Judge in Bank-
ruptcy, in the country, determine cases of insolvency ?)
Should objections and appeals afterwards arise against these
proceedings, such appeals might perhaps be made with
facility and satisfaction to the country, if they were decided by
three London Commissional', who might sit together for that per
at certain periods—aay a few fixed days in every month, when
appeals from distant parts of the country might be heard as well as
those arising nut of town commissions. This would at *nee re-
lieve the Court of Chancery front an immense load of business, and
greatly accelerate divideuts, and the final conclusion of the akin
of an estate.
I lave beard a r

smmissioner's fees called worth 411. a year,
the dormant or inactive Comm--'-• if sp.

which might mean . —want or Mai— ;if so,
it may reasonably be wormed worth 2001. or 300 L more to the
acting Commissioner. It only 4001. a year, which is 2,0001. to
each list, the public pay the fourteen London lime 28,0001. -per
annum. But surprise the emoluments to average 0001. a year lo
each Commissioner, the public pay them 42,0001. per annum,
which probably is nearer the mark. Ili'hat the amount of fees to
Country Commissioners is 1 em not In the least acquainted with.
If it should equal the London lists, or nese! so, we may say that
Canunissioncrs under the present law take 40.0001. or 80,0001. a
year from the assets of Bankrupts' estates. But if the business
were done by three Judges in the metropolis, at 1,01101. or 1,5001
• year each, there would be • public saving of 211,00111. to nearly
4COOI. pa annum in the London department only. As it may
be expected a Commissioner in the country would not require
am the selszy of • London Commissioner; though they would
be more numerous, their aggregate salaries, possibly, would not
much exceed the sum paid Ili Me them tows Commies/owes; sod
it needs not to be said they would be very much under the amount
of fees paid at present t and there is, upon the whole, every reason
to expect the business would be infinitely better managed.
I shall beg to trouble you soon with a short summary of by
former suggestions, and then peke leave of the subject.
I rem*. Sir,

Your very obedient Servant,
EDMUND TOWNSEND.
tee, Jan. 1824.
(Sea Advertivatnent in Brat page.)

IMPORTANT TO PARISHRIL—In the last Session, a Bill
was introduced into Parliament, so very materially affecting
parochial interests, that, wailer the impression that it will
be again urged in the next Session, we think it our duty
to publish the following abstract of it. We have no doubt
that our active Select Vestry will give the Bill due atten-
tioa

Extract from "A 11111. 46th June, 1823, (as amended by the
Columitteeo to amend the Laws relating to the bet•lemeat of the
Poor." It purposes to enact, " That no poor person or persons I
shall be removed from any parish, township, or place, (hy reason
of much poor person or persons being chargeable or incapable of
maintaining himself or themselveso between the Ist day or August,
1824, and the Ist day of August, 18825, in which such poor person!
or persons shall have been domiciled or resident principally each
year for the space of fifteen years.
Nor after Ist August, 1826, if resident principally 14 years.
Nor after Ist August, 1826, ditto 13
Nor after Ist August, 1827, ditto 12
Nor after lit August, 1838, ditto 11
Nor after Ist August, 111211, ditto 10
Nor after Ist August, 11136, ditto V
Nor after Ist August, 1831, ditto 8
Nor after Ist August, 11301, ditto 7
Nor after Ist August, 1833, ditto 6
Nor after Ist August, 1834, ditto 3
Nor after Ist August, 1836, ditto 4
Nor after Ist August, 1836, ditto $
Nor after Ist August, 1037, ditto 2
Nor after Ist August, 1838, dttto 1 year.
Liverpool Pare.
We are enabled to inform cur readers that the report of
Probct having passed through this city last week, on his
way a America, is a hoar.—Chester Guardian.

PRICES OF HA
IT. JAKEs'i. - I

Hay 110 s Al
Clover . Ma id to Ma Od
Straw -40 a Sei to Ma ft

PRICE OF HOPI
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Last Kent and Canter.

Jury - 01 Os to 171 Os
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