Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 12.pdf/634

 "On Circuit" in England. guineas, never more than ten. Besides this, the barrister must pay a fee each time he goes on circuit. On some circuits he has to pay a certain fixed sum for each city to which he goes; on others, a single payment covers all the towns he may visit. These fees are collected by " the junior " of the circuit, and are returned in a way to which objection may certainly be raised by the advocates of total abstinence. They go into the fund for which the wine treasurer is responsible, and which is expended on the purchase of wine to be consumed at the mess dinners. In England, the educated people neither frequent bars — I mean public drinking places •— nor do they 'any longer get drunk in clubs or elsewhere. They drink with their meals, a process which enables them to consume a small amount of wine without injury to their health. A barrister who was known to be a drunkard would soon cease to have any practice worthy of the name. The bar dinners are held each night in the respective towns during the assizes. A hotel is chosen in each place, and the treasurer of the mess keeps a stock of wine there. As a rule, the hotel proprietor has the audacity to exact six pence for each bottle of this wine which is consumed in his house. The dinners are strictly limited to the members of the mess, except upon Grand Night, when one or more visitors may be specially invited by the mess committee. Except upon this particular night, evening dress is neither re quired nor expected. But light colored coats or knickerbockers are objected to and will cause ostracism to the wearer. It should be noticed that the judges do not dine at the bar mess, except upon special invitation. Upon some circuits the practice of inviting them is more common than upon others, but the frequency or infrequency of a judge's presence is, in reality, only a partial guide to his popularity with the bar, because, upon some circuits the custom is, and has always been, to give few invitations to the occupants of the bench.

595

The mess dinners constitute one of the most amusing features of circuit life. Bar risters are a good-natured set of men, and there is, I may safely say, no other profes sion in which the members are upon better terms and are less envious of each other. This condition is, in my opinion, due to the division of the legal profession into two branches, the higher one still remaining dis tinctly a profession and not having been de graded to the condition of a trade. In New York State, of which Г have abundant know ledge, practicing law is a mere business; little general or legal learning is necessary; and unprofessional conduct — to put the case mildly — is seldom punished. Incidentally, I may mention that, in England, barristers who take no part in politics have equal chances of promotion with those who are members of the House of Commons. If a man is unaffected in manner and well-behaved, he is welcomed by the bar as soon as he commences his career. It is Certain, how ever, that overweening conceit and gross ignorance, unfortunately so common among young "lawyers" in what we call "new" countries, would not be tolerated. I may add that in no European country can a de gree in law be obtained in two years. There is nothing which develops social qualities so much as dining. Once dine with a fellow-creature, afterwards spending an. en joyable evening in his company, and dislike of him will not grow rapidly; and if a young barrister on circuit does not quickly make friends, there must be some very good reason for it. After a satisfactory dinner, accom panied by a couple of glasses of that wonderful beverage, champagne, it is difficult to avoid being agreeable, and counsel, old and young, freed for the time being from the cares and troubles of clients, and no longer burdened with the unpleasant necessity of appearing professional, proceed to enjoy themselves. Wit sparkles, jokes are made and stories are told. On Grand Night, after dinner, humor ous songs are sung, often accompanied by a