40 Nisi Prius Cause Lists-Common Law Sittings.-Proceedings in Parliament. Holmes 12 Customs & Com. Juries. . 13 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Baxendale and others Dt. Chester and Co. Dt. Same Dt. H. R. Hill [Co. Pro. Oliverson, Lavie and Threatening Letters. For 2nd reading. Lord Denman. House of Commons. NEW BILLS IN PROGRESS. City Small Debts Court. In Committee. Mr. Masterman. Law of Railways. For 2nd reading. Mr. Strutt. Agricultural Tenant-right. In Committee. Mr. Strutt. Pious and Charitable Property. For 2nd reading. Lord J. Manners. For the Speedy Trial and Punishment of Juvenile Offenders. In Committee. Sir John Pakington. Lunatic Asylums Regulation. Att.-General. Inclosure Act Amendment. Sir F. Thesiger. Health of Towns. For 2nd reading. Lord Morpeth. Towns Improvement Clauses. For 2nd reading. Taxation of Costs on Private Bills. For 2nd reading. Mr. Hume. Registration of Voters. For 2nd reading. Mr. Walpole. Highways. In Select Com. Sir Geo. Grey. Administration of the Poor Laws. For 2nd reading. Sir Geo. Grey. The Legal Observer, DIGEST, AND JOURNAL OF JURISPRUDENCE, SATURDAY, MAY 15, 1847. "Quod magis ad Nos Pertinet, et nescire malum est, agitamus." HORAT. THE METROPOLITAN AND PRO-habits of business, legal knowledge, discreVINCIAL LAW ASSOCIATION. ADDRESS TO THE PROFESSION. tion, activity, intelligence, and integrity are indispensable in transacting the concerns of our vast and complicated system. The address, in its opening, candidly. WE announced the formation of this admits the usefulness of some of the modern new society a few weeks ago," and are now changes in the law, but animadverts on the. enabled to submit to our readers the mischievousness of most of the practical Address of the Committee of Management to alterations which have taken place. It rethe Attorneys and Solicitors of England and monstrates against rejecting the aid, which Wales. It was erroneously supposed that might have been derived from the experithe metropolitan solicitors, in their exer- ence of attorneys and solicitors, in considertions for the improvement of the profession, ing the proposed changes, and calls for due looked only to themselves, and disregarded their provincial brethren. It was imagined that not only was there an actual estrangement of professional feeling, between the town and country practitioners, but that any approach to united exertions for the common good, was wholly incompatible with the nature of their respective positions and interests. True indeed, it is, that occasional differences of opinion on the wide range of professional measures will arise out of the different views taken by some, at least, of the respective classes of practitioners; but we doubt not they are fully convinced that, unless they act cordially together, the objects of the association cannot be completely effected. The great test on all differences will be the public good, not temporary nor partial, but permanent and general. This end and aim must comprehend a due regard to the station, character, and interests of attorneys and solicitors, without whom, we verily believe, the affairs of the community cannot be prosperously conducted. Their practical experience, a See 33 L. O. 508. VOL. XXXIV. No. 1,001. attention to the just interests of professional men, and the improvement of their position in the scale of society. It adverts briefly to the history of attorneys, and sets forth concisely the nature of their office and duties;-the reasons which have induced the establishment of the association; the causes that embarrass the administration of justice ;-and the measures proposed for remedying the existing evils. Many of those evils are familiarly known to our readers, though they require to be again set forth, in order to remind or inform the profession which in general, is too apt, in the discharge of professional duty, to neglect personal interests. Amongst other topics, are noticed the, taxes on administering justice;-ill-digested and ill-constructed statutes;—the unjust and unequal imposts on the attorneys ;-the deficient construction and inconvenient situation of the courts at Westminster, and the want of accommodation both there and in the Courts at Nisi Prius, and the sessions and assizes; the exclusion of attorneys from offices of honourable distinction, and the encroachment on their ancient rights and privileges ;-the improvements in legal D 42 The Metropolitan and Provincial Law Association. honourable practice; &c. education; the promotion of fair and just consideration of the interests of suitors |and the community in general. It is manifest, indeed, that the true and enduring advantage of the profession is identical with that of the public. These and other topics have been again and again discussed in these pages. Here, however, they can only be pointed out, and held up to notice. It belongs During the short time which has been to the members of the profession to occupied in constituting the society we take effective steps for redressing their think the committee of management, or wrongs, and therefore we rejoice that a governing body, has been well chosen. At large and effective body has been formed present it consists of 24 town and 26 to whom the matter may be safely confided. country solicitors. The London members But let it be recollected that success can are as follow:only be secured by the support of the general body. However intelligent and however active may be the committee, unless they are supported by their brethren at large, they cannot fully achieve their objects. We would therefore follow up the recommendations of this address by urging every attorney and solicitor to enrol him self in the association without delay, and to promote the formation of local societies in all the large districts in which none at present exist. It is intended, it appears, to prepare the way for submitting the state of the profession to parliament, and in the mean time / to circulate information on the extent to which the public interest is affected by the grievances complained of. Our pages will furnish a faithful record of those grievances during the last sixteen years, and we shall take an early opportunity of arranging under appropriate heads the large mass of information which it has been our duty from year to year to collect. In this respect we have advantages in aid of the objects of the association which are singularly fortunate, for this work was established precisely at the time when the wild and reckless, the crude and ill-considered, projects of law reform took their rise. Step by step we combated them, sometimes checking or turning their course, introducing palliatives to the coming evils, retarding their progress, and sometimes defeating them. We are glad to observe that the committee of the new association have had interviews with the council of the Incorporated Law Society, and with the Committees of many Provincial law societies. The objects to be attained being just in themselves, tending to the public good in the due administration of justice, and calculated to promote the usefulness and respectability of the profession, the New So ciety will have the cordial co-operation of all the existing societies. We observe that throughout the address there prevails a Richard Baynes Armstrong; Edward S. Bailey (of the firm of Bailey, Shaw, Smith and Bailey); Keith Barnes (of the firm of Lyon, Barnes and Ellis); James Beaumont (of the firm of Beaumont and Thompson); George Bower; Edward Chester (of the firm of Chester, Toulmin and Chester); Henry C. Chilton (of the firm of Chilton, Burton and Johnson); Henry John Coverdale (of the firm of Coverdale, Lee M. Clark (of the firm of Clark and Davidson); and Purvis); Charles Druce (of the firm of Charles, John and Claridge Druce); George Faulkner (of the firm of Gregory, Faulkner, Gregory and Skirrow); Edwin W. Field (of the firm of Sharpe, Field and Jackson); Harvey Gem (of the firm of Gem, Pooley and Beisley); Grant and Walker); John S. Gregory (of the Alexander W. Grant (of the firm of Walker, firm of Gregory, Faulkner, Gregory and Skirrow); Campbell W. Hobson (of the firm of Austen and Hobson); Charles Jenings (of the firm of Charles and Edmund J. Jenings); Henry Karslake (of the firm of Karslake, Crelock and Karslake); Thomas Loftus (of the F. Maples (of the firm of Maples, Pearse, Stefirm of Holme, Loftus and Young); Thomas vens and Maples); William H. Palmer (of the firm of Palmer, France and Palmer); Barry P. Squance (of the firm of Tilson, Squance, Clarke and Morrice); John J. J. Sudlow (of the firm of Sudlow, Sons and Torr); John Young (of the firm of Desborough and Young). The Provincial members of the committee are,— At Leeds: John Hope Shaw; and Robert Barr (of the firm of Barr, Lofthouse and Nelson). At Liverpool: M. D. Lowndes (of the firm of Lowndes, Robinson and Bateson); Peter Wright; James O. Watson (of the firm of Watson and Webster); H. H. Statham (of the (of the firm of Lloyd and Waln). At Birmingfirm of Curry and Statham); and J. B. Lloyd ham: T. Eyre Lee (of the firm of Lee, Pinson and Best); and R. W. Gem. At Folkstone : R. T. Brockman (of the firm of Brockman and Watts). At Gloucester: John Burrup. Lancaster : John Sharp. At Hull: Thomas Thompson (of the firm of Thompson and Marshall). At York: Thomas Hodgson; and G. H. Seymour. At Lincoln: E. A. Bromehead. At Oxford: J. M. Davenport. At Beverley: T. F. Champney (of the firm of Bainton and Champney). At Manchester: James Crossley At |