29 April 1807

4

Lawyers judged

Letter 1[?]

A remarkable fact, the cause of which I have endeavoured to develop [...?] /already had free occasion to unfold to a considerable extent/, is - that to the opposition between of the interest of the lawyers and their own interest, the eyes of the people /public/ governing classes included seem in general to be but half open /open to no more than a part/. So far as concerns the professional class of lawyers, yes: so far as regards the official class and in particular the ruling /governing/ ranks, no though[?] the same persons who fill these official statiosn are the same who for a great part of their lives occupied the /the[?] of/ professional stations, no. The reason is that the sinister interest to the action of which the numbers of the official class stand constantly exposed, has never yet been sufficiently developed /placed in its [...?]/, and placed in that clear and strong light of which it is susceptible. Reference to J.B.'s letters to L d G.

Even in the case of the professional lawyers, in whose instance their[?] expresses to the action of the interest /a sinister interest as above/ opposite to that described of the people in ther character of suitors is too obvious to be overlooked, even in this case how clearly soever the speculative truth may be perceived, yet /+so far as concerns the state of the law, and the measures to be resorted to for the rendering it better or keeping it from growing worse, it seems in general to have had little or no influence on practice. So far as depends upon the state of the law /law/ it is their interests that the condition of the people shall be as miserable as possible: and yet it is to them that the public are in the habit of looking for measures having for their objects /object/ the improvement of it: it is their interest that the law should be as uncertain and unknowable as possible, and the administration of justice or of what is called justice, under it, as delatory, tedious and expensive as possible: and yet it is to them that the public look for measures having for their object, the rendering it certain and wellknown, and for taking away what is superfluous and unnecessary in the burthen of delay vexation and expence pressing /that presses/ upon the administration of justice.