New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-03-25

another bill Of costs
4 person who vas present n one Of these opera.
tions OF smother occasion, described IL as follows
msn came into the room Of one Of the Agents, and
informed hin thst ID. Cashier had stated 70 him
that he must the Solicitor before be could re-
ceve the interest d1e on his Mortg age, ~ Il was
marked ia suit I think the man SAID that be
had received no notice even. and tod Tue Agent
that there colld not have been any costs inside
that he was very poor and unable to pay any The
Solicitor desired the young Lawyer who does Their
legal business. q see whsther the mans mortgage
had been len IN their hands icr collection, and
uDon being informed thst II had be told the Young
nan 20 make OFT q moderate bi. al costs which
wss done and presented 70 tie Fsrmer-amounting
n $50 Tie person present. who ~as witness o.
this scene said th't the effect upoa the poor man,
t0 whom this Moderate biz wagpresented was
60 painful. thathe let the room without being able
to speak. and that drring the shot tme be- the
witness. remained after the bal was handed - the
Farmer. he bad not uttered q word. but seemed
borne down with grief single one Of the
charges in the bHl was s. for retaining fee
would ask whether legal robbery can 90 farther
and whether FOO; padding is not an honorable pro
fession in comparison with system ike this
Another case: A gentleman OF my acquaintance
was present in the Cashiers room. when 4 msn
came TO psy his interest amounting 10 about $50
II found that bis mortgage had been let accord
ing 20 tie phrase OF he Solicitor, in their hands
tor collection and marked in suit upon the
Cashiers books bat n psHcl so that It could easily
be erased. The man said that no suit had been
brought Of which he was aware he called upon
the Solicitor 90 bis room-tirouyh the back wsv
not By the placar!ed door with no adm.ttance
upon it-and was charged only s20 costs, as he
had suurosef ,Lit no slir ho1 been comnerced-
lie returned I'd the Cashiers room, anf paid the
balance OF us money some $50. As interest on his
mortgage
-. =, - - o. ,,.-.,,t ~-.-.-r4r,-r ri saa-n.,
and couvers.ug with the people on their return
from the Office where they had been - pay their
interest informed me that be had, IN veral m
stances seen tears start m the eyes OF these poor
men, while telling hin how they bal had 70 part
with their money 70 meet lawyers fees, instead OF
being able to apply it 70 diminish the debt upon
their lands
You will ask me why the people have not risen,
destroy ed the Office of these legal and odious ex
tortiOners and driven the miscreants from the
country : The question il easily answered. These
people are poor they live isolated from each other
there is no union Ct action, no general understand
in- among them. an they are willing 70 bear much
Injustice rather than resort 10 violence or any e-
cal means They fear that il they make 4 move
and are unsuccessful. they will be farther op-
pressed many ere waiting, IN tde hope that these
Agents who have become SO OliOus. viii be re.
n we'd by the Trust Company.
The question was asked IN a meeting Of some
leading persons, who contemplate a movement in
one OF the Counties on this purchase, whether
there was not some pacific mode OF removing these
Lawyer Agents And |. in my turn, ask you, gen.
tlemen ofthe Trust COMPANY the same question.
trusting for your sake and that o. the settlers,
tha, IL NAV be answered satisfactorily.
will give one more example OF this system Of
legal plunder but OF another kind. and will then
explain % the Trust Company how it also is made
the victim Of these Lawyer Agents, whose sword,
as said, cuts both ways.
a man who came 10 Pay the principal, think, as
well rs the interest Of his mougege-a small
amount-found, on arriving ct the Office. that bis
land had been sold 10 some Spectator, and the pa
pers made out, but not executed the man was in
digpaut, and expressed his opinion upon the sub
iect 20 ous Of the Agents, who said that It was
wrong. and that the owner Of the land and not the
speculator must have il; the Agent even told the
man that he did not know that the land had been
promise "a 20 the Spectator. | leave You 10 Judge
OF the ruth Of the answer Of the Agent namely,
that be wcs not aware q the sale Of the mans
land when It IS understood that he Is placed IN the
position be holds, rot 20 sell other mems lands but
those unso.d and that no lend Is disposed Of with
ont his know edge. The man who came 70 pay
the balance due upon his mortgage believes that
the son Of ;his Agent was 70 share 10 some way ~
the prosts with tai gentleman Spectator, who had
purcl ased the land, and was ou.y prevented from
receiving the deed By the arrival Of the owner.
Gentleman Of the Trus, Company Your Agents
on this Purchase have many relations and friends,
who are no doab, anxious-in al honest way-to
make money Therefore. when YOU are compelled
10 remove them. look well into their affairs and
take not their word that oil is right II the man
spoke Of waJ right in his suspicion that son OF
one Of the Agents was connected with tie neiar.
Gus transaction Of uncer6uying him, this business
NAV have been carried % q great extent and you
yourselves plun1ered the same system OF opera.
tons may be directed against you as wen as against
the settlers.
Let me state case hich Will show you how
these AGENTS can legally rob You in the operation Of
costs lou can apply Il then % other operations
man OF straw bought ON speculation lands enough
% give eighty bonds and mortgages. As he was
unable % cell the lands aud as the time Tor pay ing
the interest hni passed he called upon the Agents
and frankly tod them that II woaid be Impossible
Gr him 10 paw and requested them. as bis bond OF
personal liability was gocl ior nothing % iOfeccse
these eighty mortgages IN one suir, winch would
cost st the most $500 Instead OF taking tMs
course. every mortgage was inreclOsed separately,
and thus instead al $500 the costs amounted 70
some $4,000: and By this operation. gentlemen OF
the Trust COMPANY YOU were legally deirsuded out
Of about $500. l am not informed whether any
relations Of the Agents bought m the best farms
under these foreclosures. while they themselves
bought IN the poorer ones for the Trust Company.
This is an example OF the manner IN which these
men can operate both against the settlers and The
Cor1pqnv We see here some = 700 taken from
tue later when il could have been saved. call
this legal robbery.
A Young man ia some way connected with one
Of the Agents has said that nearly or q1ite one
thousand suits Will be brought IN the different
Counties during the present Spring.
This Agency cOald be managed Tor less sun
than il now paid az per ccutage. that ) 5000 and
in r manner which while II would Be Perfectly
satisfactory % the settlers would probably save
the Trust Company L'iy thousand 39lors gear
+ The Agency ought and could be done for $500 per
anlum- applied a. follows. Cashier acting as
agent g 20 year Book-keePer $500 and q
voung LAWYER. like the one BOW employed. who
would do any Legal business, absolutely indispen-
sable. which under an honest Agent would amount
10 a mere trifs-S5oo. AL other expenses S4oO,
making ia all : 500 per annuD
Thus have presented you general statement OF
such ofthe transactions Of these lawyer Agents as
can be Ascertained by investigation.
Yoz vii please bear IN mind the most striking
features; FOR example that in the County Of Wy.
cminr Ia one single year, there were iro hnra'sd
and sersnfyslgt, sulfs brought 70 ChaHeery, as
The IL p<aiSs fled IN the Clerks Office az " ar
saw-tEe County town, show. Inc number OF lure
closures AZ law during the sane year was very
srze. and as % tie quantity OF suits settled where
notices only were gwen, and known onlY - me
AGENTS themselves, DO exact estimate can be
e-.9 have 10 hesitation In stating that the