The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-28

JAN UAkY 20, lo(O.-Ih1
"Lawysrs" and ssLawyers' Fees"
When the venerable and accomplished
Uncle Sam Ward, "the King of the Lobby"
was entertaining the House Committee of Ways
and Means with his narrative of the life and
adventures of the lobbyist, he called the at
tention OF the committee to the fact that this
function in Washington was practically the
same as that of parliamentary lawyer"
in England Uncle Sans intention was to
convey to the country tho impression that
the lobbyist does not deserve his i'll name,
and that his functions are necessary to effect
| legislation. We observe in the testimony of
Mr.. Irwin and other Pacific Mail witnesses
that much stress is laid upon the
fact that certain Congressman, journalists
and attorneys have the power to earn
from fifteen thousand to three hundred
thousand dollars by few weeks
services in Washington. The question
arises whether we have not here developed q
new and honorable professional estate, the
emoluments of which far exceed those of any
known calling-the pulpit, press or the out
side humdrum bar of New York.
There is in London class of attorneys
known as parliamentary lawyers and Uncle
Sam 8 reference to them was keen and apt
The parliamentary lawyer occupies an honor
able and necessary position His duty is to
attend committees, to study up subjects that
require legislation in the House of Commons,
to present the case before the members of the
House, to examine witnesses, to shape statutes
according to law and precedent and give his
whole time to legislation and the means
necessary to enable members of Parliament to
act intelligently upon the question he has in
charge This is fairly lucrative business.
The attorney who obtains q parliamentary
practice, like our own attorneys who have
especial celebrity as patent lawyers is as sure
of large income. The skill necessary to be
good parliamentary lawyer is something
like that necessary to be good patent lawyer.
1t requires special training. It is we'll
paid. But no such fees are given as those
which the evidence befole the Committee of
Ways and Means shows to have been paid to
parliamentary lawyers like Whiting and Schu-
maker.
The difference between the parliamentary
lawyer as we see him in England and the par
liamentary lawyer that Uncle Sam sees in
Washington is as great as that between gold
and freight. Take the case of Schumacher,
Tor instance. Mr.. Irwin testifies that Schu-
maker was a man Of SO much genius that his
services in one short session of Congress were
worth three hundred thousand dollars. Ger
tainly it this person has talent enough to hon
cstly earn these fees by the practice of his pro-
tession as lawyer, then he has been the most
sadly misunderstood man in New York, and
we congratulate him on the prospect of an in
come as large as that of Mr.. Vanderbilt or
MIR. Stewart. But who. for o moment
believes that Mr. Irwin accurately states
the circumstances of the services Schu-
maker was to render to the Pacific
Mail Company? Take the other cases--jour-
nalsts, correspondents, minor officers of the
ence by hanging around Washington, very
much as water rats subsist in the hold OF o
ship, going with it through sens and storm,
taking their chance for the gafbage-who
believes that these gentlemen honestly earned
by the exercise of any legal knowledge, the
money paid to them? Take the whole party
in the list furnished by Mr.. Irwin to the COM
mittee, and there is not enough legal knowl
edge to conduct an assault and battery case
before o police court. They were paid, not
because they were parliamentary lawyers, as
Uncle Sam would have us think, but because
Of their ''infuence." By the word "infu-
ence'' we understand political, social, per-
sonal and business relations; we discover
that Congressman ore owned by able men in
Washington, who hold them as they hold
Investments that Bill King, for instance,
had Congressman just as he has blooded stock
that shrewd man, with wide business ex-
perience, could own patches of ten or twenty,
while the modest doorkeeper doing business
in small way, never got higher than two or
three. But it is extremely interesting to see
this Third House-this mysterious body be-
hind the Senate and the House OF Representa-
tives-representing Influence" and standing
between the sovereign majesty of the people,
as expressed in Congress, and the ambition,
tho cupidity and the revenge of the outside
world. The marvel is that men who have
this power should be in so many cases worth
less and disreputable people, without stand
ing, character or ability. 1t is not a pleasant
discovery, taking it all around, and we ques-
ton whether the good that has been done by
the Pacific Mail investigation will compensate
for the wounding to our national self-respect
| involved in these disclosures.
The Latest Mystery.