The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-08-05
LAWYERS CHARGES.
The Big Fees Some of Them Have Received
['TrnY Prese. ]

TROY Press
Yesterday the Htesa informed its readers
through n special telegram from New York
of certain high fees charged by lawyers In
the Vanderbilt will case. As wns there stated,
Mr. Henry IT,. Clinton charged $3.50, 600. Mr..
Clinton was attorney IN the case, which was
well worked up, and probably his bill confirms
Items OF money expended by him for deteG-
tive service and other matters Judge George
f.. Com stock OF Syracuse, charged and re-
ceived $4,000.
We learn that Mr.. Vanderbilt declines to
pay Mr.. Glinton's tremendous bill, and ws
don't blame him, for 1t Ia utterly absurd that
any lawyer should receive in one case, and
that only OF short duration, q larger sum
than one lawyer in o million makes by Iife-
time Of hard work; and We think that Judge
Constoek Whose bill for sitting In the case
and looking wise and occasionally arguing II
point of law, was very modest in comparison
with Cllntons) has great reason for com
mending Mr.. Vanderhilts generosity.
We learn that Mr.. Scott Lord, the counsel
for the contestant Of the will received $780,
900. These immense fees are beyond anything
ever known or heard Of, not only in this coun-
try, 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 very
few If afy cases involving such nm immense
amount Of money, for there have been very
few men In the world worth so much prop
crty as Mr.. Cornelius Vanderbilt left. Dur
Ing the entire eight years which the famous
Warren Hastings trial went on none Ut the
lawyers recFiVed such heavy fees In the
even more famous case of .'Jafndyee and
Jarndyee" the reporter Of that case Is silent
In regard to the fees u the counsel, but We
presume they consumed the estate.
Erskine. the J. adler OF the English bar in
his time, and one Of the most brilliant law
yers Great Britain ever produced, never re-
ceived greater yearly income than 100000
and not more than G5o9o in any one case. Sir
James Scarlet afterward Lord Abinger, q
very successful lawyer, had an income Ger
tainly not to exceed i. Bkine's. The same is
true OF Garrows, another great English law
yer. Ballantyne received from the British
government very large fee for going to Cal
cu't Ia to try murder case, but q large part Of
it was consumed in expenses.
America takes the lead In big lawyers fees,
and it Ia only within n dozen years or so that
our lawyers have been so lucky. Pinckney,
Webster, Choate, or any OF our great lawyers
in times past never dreamed of such e8trava-
giant bills. The first great fee eyer known In
this country was received by Glarkaon ~ Pot
Railroad, not nlts,y years ago. It is stated
that he received 100000 in that case. It IL
reported that Charles OGonor received S75,-
06O In the J1mei will ease and 500, 600 in the
Parrish will case. In the latter case Judge
John x. Porter and Daniel Lord received
large fees.
TO come to orr own city, which Is seldom
far behind in Dything, the late Henry Bur-
den paid his LAYERS upward Ct $4,000 in the
famous Spike case, and cX-ChanceIlDr Wal
worth, the referee In that case, received $50
coo referees fees. In the Marshall will case
Townsend d Browne received S25, 600.