The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1872-06-07
OLD tsRGINiA LAWYEKs.

. ,qry OF the colony Of Virginia, n
, lawyer could lawfully take fee fo
pleading the cause Of cadet in eour,
nor give counsel in any cause or cor
: troversy. for any kind OF compensa
ton, under penalty Of five thousan,
pounds OF tobacco for every offence
put III 1850, after a quarrel which ha,
lasted thirty-eight years. the Hopse 3
bnrgesses again admitted them I,
the practice Of their profession ant
hxed theIr compensation at rate
which were meant to be liberal. Fo,
conducting cause in the chief cour
OF the colony an attorney was allowed
10 charge five hundred pounds of TO
bacco, and in the county courts one
hundred and fifty pounds-splepdid
compensation if tobacco couid oniy
have been kept to shilling a pound
when John Rolfc, not yet husband OF
focahontas, planted the first tobacco
sced I'D jamestown in 1912, good to-
bacco sold in London docks at five
sblilings pound, or two hundred and
hity pounds sterling for a boesbead of
thousand pounds weight. Fatal ia.
chity OF money makingl 1t was this
mat diverted all labor, capital, and
enterprise into one channel. and
caused that first ship load of NEGROES
I'D the James River TO be so welcome
The planter could have had but one
obJect-to get more slaves in order tn
raise more tobacco. Hence the price
was ever on the decline, dropping first
from smiling to pence, until it re.
NAMED Tor two years at an average of
about two pence pound in Virginia.
and three pence IN London. In Yir.
ginia, it often fell below two nence.
as during brief periods of scarcity. IL
would rise to sixpence and seven
pence: A fee of FIVE hundred pounds
OF tobacco, from 1850 to 1850 might
average about three guineas: and |
Zee Of one hundred and fifty pounds
OF tobacco, something less than one |
guinea These sums, as small as tbey
seem to us, sufiiced to create the pro-
iess'on OF the law in Virginia, and to |
draw into it few of the Younger
sons OF great planters, and the eldest
sons OF Western yeomen.
But these fees were the hiehest that
could be charged. 1t is evident from
Jefferson's own books, that his usual
compensation was somewhat less: for
be records. that during bis first wear
at the bar, 1T67, he was employed in
sixty eight cases before the General
Court - business that must have
brought with it many cases in the
county courts; but his entire e,nolu-
nent Tor the year was little more
nan two hundred pounds sterling: or
y the currency of Virginia, as set
iown by himself, with Jeffersopian
,xactness. two hundred and ninety
hree pounds four sbillings fiye-pence
md three farthings. From the ac-
'onnts of later years, I should con-
inae that his cases, one with another.
'ieided him about one pound sterling
'rofit: for the number of his cases
nd the number of pounds of his law
,come are never far from equal. in :
ne buster years of his practice.-i
ransiating the pounds of that period Y
ito the dollars of this, it was as
iough a lawyer of the present day s
1ould receive fifty dollars for arpn. /,
e cause before the Supreme Court .
the United States, ten. dollars for a {
'use before local court, two dollars
'r verbal opinion, and five for a i,
ritten one. As late rs 1892, when h
wyers fees were again fixed by law
Virginia, the most eminent law G
'r in the State could not charge
r the most elaborate written d
,inion on the most astruse question e,
iatlng to real estate, more than six. :,
en- dollars and sixty-six cents; and u
hen lawyers attended at a distance
pm their homes, they could charge al
r their time not more than three r
liars and fifty-eight cents per day. -
ell might Mr.. Webster say, that in q
1t age lawyers, worked hard, lived
Ill, and died poor" ii.