The Sun.
London, England, 1868-09-29 00:00:00

BARRISTERS AND ATTORNEYS.

A meeting of the Leeds Law Society, and of deputations
of the law societies of neighbouring large towns, was held
at Leeds, a day or two back, to consider the remarks of
Mr. Justice Hannen at the late annual meeting of the
Solicitors' Benevolent Association, on the subject of the
amalgamation of the two branches of the legal pro-
fession. Deputations attended from the law societies of
Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Newcastle, and
Hull. Mr. John Bulmer, of Leeds, occupied the chair. A
paper was read by Mr. Jevons, of Liverpool, advocating
the establishment of a law university, common to both
branches of the profession, the degrees of which should be
the sole basis for determining the status and rank in the
profession of all practitioners alike. After considerable
discussion on Mr. Jevons's paper, in which reference was
frequently made to the speech of Mr. Justice Hannen
and to the speech of Mr. Field, Q.C., at the same
meeting, and likewise to the Report of the Inns of Court
Commission of 1855, and the professional practice in
America and the several States of the Continent and the
colonies, the following resolutions were unanimously
agreed to :—Moved by the Vice-President of the Liverpool
Law Society, and seconded by Mr. Roberts, mayor
of Hull : " That the present status of our branch of
the legal profession, and their exclusion from all
offices of honour and distinction, is unsatisfactory and
injurious to the interests of the public ; especially having
regard to the fact that, before admission to our branch
of the legal profession, examinations of a stringent
character as to knowledge of the law are required,
while in respect to the bar no test of legal knowledge
is necessary." It was moved by Mr. Lowndes, of Liver-
pool, seconded by Mr. Saunders, of Birmingham : "That
the tendency of modern legislation to continue and extend
the exclusion of attorneys from various offices and appoint.
ments, for which their education specially qualifies them,
calls for united action on their part to remove this in-
justice, and that it is only necessary to call the attention
of the bar and the public to the matter in order to ensure
their co-operation in devising a remedy." It was moved
by Mr. Jevons, of Liverpool, seconded by Mr. Thomas
Marshall, M.A., of Leeds : " That this meeting is of
opinion that the time has come when provision should be
made for the foundation of a law university, which should
be open to both branches of the profession without distinc-
tion, and that the means of providing an institution already
exist in the funds at the disposal of the Inns of Court and
Inns of Chancery, which were originally common to both
branches of the profession." Moved by the President of
the Manchester Law Society, seconded by the President
of the Newcastle Law Society " That the foregoing
resolutions and the paper of Mr. Jevons be referred to a
provisional committee for consideration, with instructions
to invite the co-operation of the bar with our branch of the
profession generally, and to report to a future meeting to
be summoned in such mode and at such place and time as
they shall determine."