The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-07-30
LAWYERS Charges.
THE BIG FEES SOME OF THEM HAVE RECEIVED.


THE BIG FEES SOME OF THEM HAVE RECEIVED.
,t.y. TTroy Pressl
Yesterday the Press informed its readers,
through special telegram from New York,
Of certain high fees charged by lawyers in
the Vanderbilt-wiIl case. As was there
stated, Mr. Henry l.. Clinton charged $780,
OO0. MIR. Clinton was attorney in the case,
which was we'll worked up, and probably
his bill contains items of money expended
by him for detective service and other mat
tiers. Judge George +. Comstock, Of SYRIA
cuse, charged and received $4,000.
We learn that Mr.. Vanderbilt declines to
! nav MIR. Clinton's tremendous bill, and we
don't blame him, for it is utterly absurd
that any lawyer should receive in one case,
and that only Of short duration, larger
sum than one lawyer in million makes by
lifetime OF hard work; and we think that
Judge Comstock (whose bill for sitting in
this case and looking wise and occasionally
arguing point OF law was very modest In
comparison with ClInton's) has great reason
for commenting Mr.. Vanderbilt's gene
rosity.
We learn that Mr.. Scott Lord, the coun-
sci for the contestant OF the will, received
500, 900. TheSe immense fees are beyond
anything ever known or heard of not only
in this country but in foreign lands. The
famous lawyers OF England or France have
never received such large sums even in
cases OF much longer continuance. To be
sure, there have been few, il any, cases in
yolving such an immense amount of money,
for there have been very few men in the
world worth so much property as Mr. Cor
nelius Vanderbilt left. During the entire
eight years which the famous Warren
Hastings trial went on meme OF the LAWYERS
received such heavy fees. In the even more
famous case OF "Jarndyce and Jarndyce"
the reporter OF that case is silent in regard
to the fees Of the counsel, but we presume
: they consumed the estate.
Erskine, the leader OF the English bar in |
his time, and one OF the most brilliant law |
yers Great Britain ever produced, never re- |
ceived a greater yearly income than SG8. 600. |
and not more than $4,000 in any one case
Sir james Scarlet, afterwards Lord Abinner.
"a very successful lawyer, had an income
certainly not to exceed Erskine's. The
same is true OF Garrows, another great
English lawyer. Ballantyne received from /
the British government very large fee for |
,0ing to Calcutta 10 try murder case, but |
D iarge part OF IT was consumed in expenses.
america takes The lead in big lawyers
Tea anu IL IS only within dozen years or |
30 that our lawyers have been so lucky. !
Pin ckney' Webster, Choate, or: any OF our
yrea lawyers In times past, never dreamed
81 su On extravaganza bills. The tirst great
lee eS er known in this country was received
by Ola fkson n. Potter in the foreclosure OF
he Ca, 1andaigua raiiread, not many years
sgo. 1t is stated that be received -ctpo,Vuo
% that case. 1t is reported that Charles
0'Conor received $1,000 10 the Jumei VIII
.ase and { 100000 In the Parrish wiii-ease:
n the Iatf. .r case Judge John Is. Porter and
Daniel Lor. received large fees.
ITO nonoa,, 20 our own city, which Is SCI
ion lar bebi nd In anything. the late Henry
Burden paid his lawyers upwards ware Of sas
.oi,a, Waiwort:h, the referee in that case,
.snsiyeT sbo. 900 referees fees. In the Mar
hal wiiEcase Townsend 81 Browne re.
,eiyed $685. 600.