17 April 1807

J.B. to Scotland

Lawyers judged

In Scotland, the interest of the Judges is less palpably /somewhat less plainly/ adverse /than in England/ to the interest of the people in the character of suitors than in England: but it is not less effectually so.

1. In Scotland their emoluments do not in so large a proportion as in England depend upon the quantity of suitors' delay, vexation, and expence which they can contrive to create /set/ or keep in foot.

But though the existence of any benefit at all from that source has been expressly and authoritatively denied, I shall state further on why I can not look upon that denial as conclusive.

2. Be this as it may in regard to profit, their interest in respect of ease is irreconcileably opposite to that /the interest/ of the people to the interests of justice: and to this sinister interest the public interest as you will see has been made a notorious sacrifice.

3. Even if their self-regarding interests were not thus adverse /opposite/ to the interest of the people in the character of suitors - to the interests of truth and justice - their affections[?] and thence their habits are so, and can not but be so, at any rate. Not one of them but[?], before he was raised to the station of a Judge, had passed a great perhaps /[...?]/enormously/ the greater part of his life, in the profession of as Advocate. But the utter and irreconcileable hostility of the interests of the Advocate with that of the people in the character of clients is too obvious and too undeniable to need insisting on /need any more words to prove it/.