The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-07-09
TWO HONEST LAWYERS.

We sill occasionally meet with individuals
who entertain p1ejndices against whole professions,
declaring. for instance, that all engaged in the law
must needs he tainted with roguery That there
may be some thing unavorable TO general morality
| IN The maxim which sanctions legal man in ia
king mp causes, which he fully believes 10 be had.
we are not prepared 10 deny tina, there are MANY
desPcable peliioggers continually engaged in
dirty and rognish work. he doubted bnt il
is at the same time evident TO all who can take a
! comprehensive view of the profession, that the
great mass are men Of the purest honor, while
many eXhinlt even an unusual eXactness in their
dealings with their fellow creatures The effect
of the following true story will be, we think. to
show that honor and shame are not necessarily
| connected with any of the walks of life in which
common prejudice expects to find them
| In certain mercantile town, which need not
he named, there existed, thirty years ago, a house
| transactng Business under the firm of B M III &
Co. Ihsr lrusty clerk. j. S. having been one
day sent 10 The bank for a large sum, which was
paid to him in hundred pound notes, was return
ing with IT, when. having gone into a shop for
some unimporiant purpose, he unhappy dropped
one OF the notes. which he did not miss till he had
reached the counting house of his employers-
The Jnnior partner of thriving manufacturing
house happened 20 observe it Immediately after
! the loser had departed. and, picking it up unob-
served he showed ii 10 his partners as windfall.
they agreed to regard IL a common rood and
| entered II as such in their books The loss of the
note was duly advertised in the newspapers and
| by pacaids; the fact became universally known
ana was as universally regretted; but no trace of
| 1t was discovered. The very men who bad an
PrnPriated it, joined heartily in deploring the mis-
fortune OF the poor clerk, npon whom it was known
that the loss would fall when all efforts had fail
| ed. j. ,. was obliged To make up the sum 10 his
employers, out of a iitle fund which he had &C
! cnm"iaied as provision for a lunaIc daughter.
Worse still the misfortune preyed upon his spir-
lis He fell into i'll health and soon after died
! leaving destitute family
For twenty years. The trio W no had divided the
hundred pounds pilesSIy beheld the STRUGGLES of
The poor widow and her children Atlenotb their
opartnery was dissolved and the junior partner,
IN consulting his legal agent,-W as to some de-
tails OF that transaction, incidentally stated that
he had hardly got his fair share of that hundred
pound note which he had picked mp twenty wears
ago. Little more passed at that time; but about
hree months after, Widow b the surviving child
poor 5. who had lost the note, having occasion
o consult the same legal gentleman, made allu-
lion to that circumstance as what had produced
The ruin of her fathers family Struck with the
coincidence OF time, place, and the sum lost w
made further inquiries, and the result, was. that
he recommended Widow b. To call upon the prin-
cipal partner of the dissolved concern, and ask
poinedly If member of his house had ever found
! A hundred pound bank note, and if the sum had
been credited TO cash IN their books.
! The poor woman acted according 10 direction
4 and by the person to whom she applied was or
dered to quit his house, and never trouble him 2
gain on such subject Not daunted by the re-
( puIse,-W. caused his poor proiege ia apply io
- B. the principal partner Of the house nv which
her father had been employed, requesting tina, he
would kindly exert himself To see Justice done TO
her - b. was benevolent, as vel as consci.
entlous man he had regretted the fate Of
poor s. and he now felt the deepest indiuna zion at
the trio whom, from the report of - w he he.
Iieved to have appropriated the note He applied
by letter, and personally. tor tho restoration Of the
money but met only shutting deniaIs and reft-
sails. A rupture then took place between the par
ties, and, with BIS concurrence. a summons
was served by w. upon the three partners of the
dissolved firm, nauating all the circumstances of
The case, and concluding for the value or The rr:
sing note, with interest and expenses. An apent
was employed in defence but, happily, like 49,
w he was an honest man. - NJ observing
something suspicious in the case. assembled the
three partners in his chamber, where a converse
lion somewhat like the following took place.
" We'll, gentlemen, your defence in this case
shat is il
Trio Oh, there is M proof that tho pursusr's