Something About Lawers.

Manawatu Herald, 14 June 1892, Page 3

Something About Lawers.

No one likes lawyers, at least their bills, and there is pleasure when two of'the trade disagree. One learned counsellor living within fifty miles of here got to Wanganui upon a case, and had to appear as witness — what a difference from the usual position of parties. When one is in a tight fix it is as well to put plenty of side on, and so thought the subject of our sketch. The cross-examining o.vm.illor aakfd thil unfortunate

solicitor why he had neglected some important point ? "Oh ! Ah ! my chancery clerk attends to this." Why had lie hot dolie something else "Oh ! Ah ! my conveyancing cler.k attends to this." Why had he neglected another iteni; " .Oh ! Ah ! my magistrate's courfc clerk attends to this.'' Why had an item been added "Oh ! Ah ! my book keeper attends to this." Evidently the witness was a bit of a swell— until — v. ' ich is just like a lawyer, the .rossbAiuniuer wauled to know you know. " Who is your chancery clerk ?" "Mr Tenuis." "Who is- your conveyancing clerk ?" "Mr tennis '| Who "is your magistrate's clerk?" Mr Tennis!!" And who is your book-keeper ?" "Mr Tennis ! ! !" The clerk evidently was the holder of many offices. This nofc only shows how disagreeable lawyers are to ordinary mortals, but how disagreeable they can be to one another. However they are still both alive. It has been told us that in Palmerston there lives a man who sued for a sum of £20 and engaged a member of the fraternity, not in Palmerston, [but elsewhere. The man secured a judgment, but never got his money owing to the absence of property belonging to his debtor. He, however, secured a bill from his solicitors for the cheerful little sum of £Bo ! Lawyers never mind how much they are abused as long as they are paid. Those gentleman following the profession of tbe law in England during tho railway construction mania, did well, at least in their own eyes. The parliamentary costs of the Brighton Railway averaged £4,806 per mile ! a sum for which our railways have been constructed. The Brighton shareholders got off no better than the Manchester and Birmingham shareholders did, as on that line the lawyers ran the cost up to average £5190 ! The lawyers in these two cases were beastly honest compared to those who conducted the law proceedings for the Black- | wall line. These solicitors' bill numbered ten thousand folios, and amounted to a total of £240,000, or an average of £14,414 per mile !!! Kindly considerate ! Solicitors' charges are now usually regulated by " The Solicitors' Reumnerafcion Acfc 1881 " in England, but note, fche Act allows an option to a solicitor of declining to adopt ifc.