The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-14 00:00:00

PROCEEDINGS of LAWSOCIETIES 1

(From the Lazo Times May 9.)
ARTICLED CLERKS' SOCIETY.

The g2ntlem,n w:to, so creditably to th,:ins',lves, pro-
posed thi) formation of this very useful s,.ciety, or which
the plan was sugi.-,ested by a correspondent some time
have, in pursuance of their obj'ct, addressed thf,
fulluwi letter to the Lord Chancellor and the Nias!.e7
of the Rolls, who have promptly transmitted the replieN
which we subjnin. The suggestion of the Master of the
Rolls will, we hope, be adopted by the attorneys, who
should give their cordial aid by contribution and advice
to this endeavour of their clerks to obtain the most effi-
cient means, for that best of all education, self-improve-

went :

My Lords,—We, the undersigned committee of ar-
ticled clerks to attorneys and solicitors in England and
Wales, having mot together for the purpose of consi
dering the propriety and 'necessity of establishing a
general Law Students' Society, and having resolved
that such a society would be a great boon to the pro-
fession to which we have the honour of belonging, it
was determined that our first step should be to obtain
the sanction of your lordships. We have, there ore,
,taken the liberty of addressing to your Lordships the
tollowing observations, under the full conviction that, as
your Lordships have ever lent your powerful influence
towards the promotion of all wise and judicious re-
forms in the law, and of all measures tending to raise
the legal profession in efficiency and public estima-
tion, your Lordships will not deem it an intrusion on
your valuable time when we humbly state that we
entertain the highest sense of the importance of the
society in question ; but that, on the contrary, your
lordships will grant us your sanction, and render us all
proper encouragement.
Our objects may be briefly stated to be educative and
protective. We humbly think that nothing will tend so
mich to secure the honour, respectability, and efficiency
of our profession as carefully watching the education of
its rising members. It was to promote this (as your
Lordships are well aware) that the examination pre
paratory to the admission of attorney s and solicitors
was established, a measure which, in our humble opinion,
has already been of great advantage, and which bids
fair for much greater hereafter. Your Lordships' atten-
tion may not have been called to the fact that there is
no institution existing, either in the metropolis or else-
wberc, receiving the general support of the profession,
calculated to assist the articled clerk in his studies or to
aid him in his preparation for the examination, and that
consequently the clerk at the commencement of his
articles (tor want of that advice and assistance which
such an institution might afford) has to struggle with SO
many difficulties that he too frequently abandons himself
to despair of ever acquiring a sound and comprehensive
knowledge of his profession, and aims solely at getting
up sufficient knowledge to enable him to pass,. know-
ledge acquired merely for the occasion, and which, not
being engrafted firmly in his mind, and made, as it were,
a part of himself, is more speedily lost than attained;
or, as is frequently the case, he fails, not owing so much
to his want of inclination or ability, as of that assistance
acid stimulus which the generality of youth so much re
quire. We would also request your Lordships' attention
to the fact that, although amongst articled clerks are to be
found youths at least equal in ability to those of any
other profession, and although their number is so great'
yet few ever attain to eminence or distinction in their
profession, caused, as we would humbly submit to your
Lordships, by the absence of an institution such as we
now propose. Another consequence is, that the profes-
sion and the public are much exposed to the malpractices
of artful and designing men, who, having but a superfi-
cial acquaintance with the law, make it an instrument of
oppression. Thus the public are injured and the pro-
fession disgraced. The remedy, we humbly suggest, is
to be found in the establishment of an institution which
will raise the qualified practitioners above the attacks
of these individuals, and draw so wide a line of demarca-
tion in respect to character and competency between the
two classes, that none in intrusting the care of their for-
tunes and interests need ever err.

We have viewed with great interest the late proceed-
ings of the benchers of the Middle Temple on behalf of
candidates for the bar, and we humbly think that the
time is now arrived when the articled clerks should put
forth their claims to the consideration and assistance of
the attorneys and other members of the legal profes-
sion, upon the subject of education. The present ap-
pears, for this reason, to be a very happy crisis, and if
we delay urging this subject now, we shall suffer such an
opportunity to pass unimproved as may not occur again
for many years.
The character of the society will not, of course, be
collegiate, but institutional. It is intended to be a
♦aluable auxiliary to the office or chambers ; and
whilst at the institution the theory and principles of the
law are principally learned, the practice at the office or
chambers will be rendered more interesting and instruc-
tive. It is hoped that theory and practice will be thus
happily combined ; and that whilst the institution may
be as a study, the practice at the office may bear the
same relation to the lawyer as the experiments of the
laboratory to the chemist.
We have not at present entered minutely into the de.
tail of our scheme, further than was necessary to satisfy
ourselves and to convince your Lordships of its import-
ance and practicability ; and we have thought that, as
so much would depend upon the sanction of your Lord-
ships to the principle of the measure, it would be better
to apply for that in the first instance. Your Lordships
will already have collected the general character of
the proposed institution ; but we would more par.
titularly state, that the specific objects which we
have at present contemplated are—the formation of
an institution where suitable lectures would be
delivered ; the formation of a library ; and, we
would here state to your Lordships, that there is
not a public law library in London accessible to the
general body of articled clerks ; also the formation of
classes, under competent tutors and professors, for pri•
rate instruction ; the institution of periodical examina-
tions, and the award of prizes, honours, and distinctions
to these who most distinguish themselves. Another
object would be (as before stated) protective—namely,
for the gelieral conservation of the political and social
interest, of the articled clerks, as occasion might here-
after be found to arise. Although the majority of those
undersigned have but a short time to serve under arti-
cles, and are therefore unlikely to reap any of the pro-
posed advantages, yet we aro so fully convinced that
the scheme we have suggested would effect a more im-
portant reform in our department of the profession
than has ever yet taken place, that we have resolved to
devote our time and energies towards the accomplishment
of our object ; and we very earnestly and respectfully
solicit your Lordships to take the subject into your con-
sideration, and kindly to give your sanction to its prin-
ciple, which we feel no doubt would insure to us abundant
success. We fear that the importance and number of
your Lordships' engagements will prevent your Lord-
ships from giving us advice or directions in aid of our
proceedings ; but it is needless to say with how much
respect and gratitude any such suggestions would be re-
ceived by us.

In conclusion, we would state to your Dirdships that
we represent a very nurn.rous body of articled clerks.
equally desirous with ourselves for success. With great
respect, we have the honour to remain, your Lordships'
most obedient, humble servants,
W. W. WILSON,
EDW. TURNER PAYNE,
GEO. MARSLAND, jun.
S. S ANSOM,
T. COOKE.
London, 13th March, 1846.
To the Right Hon. the Lord Lyndhurst,
Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain,
To the Right Hon. the Lord Langdale,
Ifaster of the Rolls.
Copies of the above letter were forwarded to each of
the above Noble and Learned Lords, and the following
answers have been received from their Lordships' ra
spective secretaries:

(Copy-)
George-street, 28th April, 1846.
Gentlemen,—l am directed by the Lord Chance!Lir
to acknowledge the receipt of your lett; r to his lordship,
and to state, with reference to the scheme proposed in it.
that the Lord Chancellor's engagemet,ts prevent hi,
entering into the details of the scheme, or offering env
suggestions respecting them; but that, so far as he has
had time to examineirtop
it, there
fo
doesrincreasing
not appear any ob-
jection to the V v
an the profes-
sional knowledge of the members of the intended society.
I have the honour to be, Gentlemen, your very obedient.
servant, H. I. PERRY.
Sir,—On receiving your letter of the Bth inst. I laid
it before the Master of the Rolls, and his Lordship di-
rected me to offrr the following observations in reply.
His Lordship is satisfied that much may be done to
encouragr, and promote the instruction and education or
articled clerks, and it would give him very great satis
faction to hear of a well-considered and practicable plan
being established for that purpose ; but he thinks that
such a plan cannot be formed and carried into execution
without the advice and assistance of experienced attor-
neys and solicitors, who may be able to direct attention
to the most advantageous course of study, and concur in
the application of the time which may be required for
pursuing it.
I am, Sir, your very obedient servant,
G. W. SANDERS.
Rolls, 15th April, 1846.

EMIGRATION TO OHIO-A SET

TLER FROM BRIGHTON.
(From the Brighton Herald.)

A person has recently returned to this town, of which
he is a native, from the State of Ohio, in America, to see
his friends who are residents in Brighton and other parts
of this country.
He left Brighton with his wife and several children
about 14 years ago in straitened circumstances, landed at
New York, and proceeded at once to the " far west. Ar -
rived in the State of Ohio he pulled off his coat, to use his
own words, and went to work on about 100 acres of land,
which he found means, slender as were his resources, to
purchase, and has succeeded well, considering that he
had little or no capital to commence with in the New
World. He has now 90 acres of well-cleared land—all
his own; a house, gardens, outhouses, stables, cow-
houses, piggeries, &C.; abundance of everything, and
only wants a better market for his produce, of which,
he says, he can raise twice as much, if required; but
as all his time is not required on the land, he and his
sons work during the season in his own brick-yard. He
returned this week to the States; but whits- in Brighton
we had a long conversation with him, and found him a
man. He thought, he said
plain, but well informed
that the time was not distant when there would lee a
separation between the northern and southern States of
the Union, as the feud between them runs very high on
the slave question. It was the Democrat; (Tories,
as we should call them) of the slave-hold
ing States who returned Mr. Polk, in spite
of the Whigs (Liberals) of the northern
States. It was the Democrats who insisted
upon hexing Texas, and now insist on haring Oregon,