New-York daily tribune., 1862-05-19
MIR. JAMES.

tunes. ocdrcoiy t"o yo"i" "k", "o WI" ~ "
the leading barristers of London, Queens 8
Counsel Recorder of Brighton, Member OF
Parliament, and earning by his profession some
$50, 900 to $50, 900 per annum-not bad po'
.i.ion for sef-made man hardly past the
meridian of lite. Suddenly and mysteriously
bs collapsed-resgned his Recordership, his
.eat in Parliament, his membership at the
great Wing Club (Brookes's) and left bis ma
tive Iand-probably forever. After short
adjourn in Paris, he came to this city, where
he was readily admitted to the bar OF our
Supreme Court. This admission was made the
text for q mean fling at our loose ways in The
Soturdau Recier, but most unjustly, for there
was nothing in what was public OF the
career of Mr.. James to justify his ex-
clusion. Since then, the legal corpora
ton or guild of London lawyers known as the
Rcrcber. of Lincoln's Inn have instituted pro-
ceedings against Mr. j. in bis absence, ana
have had him disbarred there for alleged dis
honorable conduct in certain pecunlary trans
actions with Lord WOrsley, N. p, son OF the
Earl of Marlborough, to whom Mr.. j. acknowl'
edges himself indebted in the large sum OF
f3O. 900. as also in the matter OF CERTAIN
dealings with Herbert Ingram, n. Z. lnow
deceased). of whom he borrowed tl,250
while he was counsel against him IN certain
action then pending. (Mr. james explains
that Mr. Ingram was resident aud voter IN
the parish of MarylebOne. in which he (J.)
was a candidate for Parliament. and the money
90 borrowed by bin was advanced by Mr.
Ingram. az like advances were made by other
Liberals, to aid him in defroyng the heavy
expenses of the canvass--to be repaid, OF
course.)
These proceedings in London aud their result
having nut q new face on Mr.. Jamess affairs,
certain distinguished members Of our Bar.
headed by Daniel Lord, commenced proceed
ings looking to the disbarring of Mr. j. here,
on the assumption that bis easy admission was
obtained in ignorance of the material facts.
Pending these proceedings, Mr.. James called q
meeting of the Bar which was held at the AS
tor House on Saturday, to which he gave his
own version of his later London experience.
and by which he was very heartily justified.
Perhaps we ought to say that Mr. James sum-
moned Mr. Daniel Lord to appear aud prose
cute his case before that august tribunal, but
we surely need not add that Mr.. Lord did not
see fit to accept the challenge.
We have endeavored to state the material
facts in this case without going at all into the
matter of Mr.. James's essential innocence or
culpability The simple fact that Mr. D.,
after Oh extended, brilliant, and profitable ca
reer at the bar of London. left that city a
heavily bankrupt debtor, though it raises
against him strong presumption of improvl-
dence and riotous living, does by no means
prove him unfit to be member of our bar.
That he has, since bis exodus, been dsbarred
in London, is O more damaging fact, but one
susceptible of explanation. We all know that
man going down hill is apt to receive vol
unteer kick occasionally, and London supplies
no exception TO the general rule. Behind oil
this stretches the general and very grave ques
tion-liow far ought the errors OF the past to
deprive any one of opportunities for the fu-
turei Let US suppose, for arguments sake,
that Mr. James was tempted by the neces-
sites of high social position to which
he had not been born TO raise
money by exceptonable means-that he
gained aud was unlucky, and borrowed Il
friends acceptances fully expecting to meet
them at maturity, but could noi-that fast
living had made him bankrupt and com.
PEELED him to leave his creditors in the lurch-
say, even, that the Benchers' proceedings
against him were fully warranted-woud there
in all this be good ground for deprivug him
Of all future opportunity to labor in the yoca-
ton for which his whole past life has exclu-
sively qualified him. Ii he has sinLed has he
not grievously suffered Think of what he
was and what were his prospects two years
ago, and then decide that he be deprived of a
chance to retrieve his wrecked fortunes if you
can.
But Mr.. james's meeting of Saturday was q
mlstake-a wOeiul, almost ruinous mistake.
1t is not for him to impeach the motives Of
such men Us Daniel Lord-ceralay not here.
And his talk about the British arstocracy,
the Trent affair, braviag the judges, &C., &c,
reminds us too painfully of the clever, fluent,
impudent barrster trying to save some des-
perate criminal a. the Old Bailey. We are
rather young people, Mr.. James, aud in-
dulse in some spread.eagle defamation, but
yon must not take us for absolute savages. Do
credit us with at least a glimmering ol com
mon sense