collected to purchase slaves and other property. One man was selling a horse on which he was mounted, and riding up and down the streets; another, in the same way, was driving about in a curricle, bawling out to the spectators to make an offer for his carriage and horses. But of course my attention was most taken up with the slave market. A long table was placed in the middle of the street, upon which the negroes were exposed, not one by one, but in families at a time. From this conspicuous station they were shownoff by two auctioneers, one at each end of the table, who called out the biddings, and urged on the purchasers by chanting the praises of their bargans. These parties of slaves varied in number. The first consisted of an old infirm woman, a stout broad-shouldered man, apparently her son, his wife, and two children. The auctioneer, having told the names of each, and described their qualifications, requested the surrounding gentlemen to bid. One hundred dollars for each member of the family, or 500 for the whole party, was the first offer. This gradually rose to 150, at which sum they were finally knocked down; that is to say, 750 dollars for the whole, or about £170. Several other families were then put up in succession, who brought from 250 to 260 dollars each member, including children at the breast, as well as old people quite incapable of work. The next party was exceedingly interesting. The principal person was a stout well-built man, or, as the auctioneer called him, a fellow who was a capital driver. His wife stood by his side, a tall, finely proportioned, and really handsome woman, though as black as jet. Her left arm encircled a child about six months old, who rested, in the oriental fashion, on

the hip hone. To preserve the balance, her body was inclined to the right, where two little urchins clung to her knee, one of whom, evidently much frightened, clasped its mother's hand, and never relinquished it during the sale which followed. The husband looked grave and somewhatsad; butthere was a manliness in the expression of his countenance, which appeared strange in a person placed in so degraded a situation. What struck me most, however, was an occasional touch of anxiety about his eye, as he glanced from bidder to bidder, when new offers were made. It seemed to imply a perfect acquaintance with the character of the different parties competing for him and his happiness or misery for life, he might think, turned upon a word! The whole of this pretty group were neatly dressed, and altogether so decorous in their manner, that I felt my interest in them rising at every instant. The two little boys, who appeared to be twins, kept their eyes fixed steadily on their mother's face. At first they were quite terrified, but eventually they became as tranquil as their parents. The struggle amongst the buyers continued for nearly a quarter of an hour, till at length they were knocked down for 290 dollars a-piece or 1450 dollars for the whole family-about £330 sterling. I learnt from a gentleman afterwards, that the negroes, independently of the important consideration of being purchased by good masters, have a singular species of pride on these occasions in fetching a high price; holding it, amongst themselves, as disgraceful to be sold for a small sum of money. This fact, besides shewing how difficult it is to subdue utterly the love of distinction, may perhaps be useful in teaching us never to take for granted that

and stockings, from ever being clean; but their tables, and what utensils they have, are generally spotless.

The Essayist.

ESSAY ON THE STATE AND CON. DITION OF ATTORNIES' CLERKS.

vest them, but, on the contrary, as men gifted more or less with generous motives, capable of being turned to account.

THE NORWEGIANS.

Extreme poverty, in some parts of Norway, produces much filth, and a paucity of articles that may be almost regarded as necessary to the comforts of life. In some houses the whole stock of utensils were one large iron pot, an axe, one knife, and half-a-dozen wooden bowls and spoons. The moss that stuffs the seams between the trees of which the wainscots are composed, harbours much vermin: the severity of the climate obliges the people to sleep in their only room that has a fire-place, and in one large bed, like a deal box, into which they all crcep: some straw is spread at the bottom, and sheepskins serve for covering. They seemed to have scarcely a fixed hour for sleep, but each got in by day, as he found himself tired. At Dal none of us were much at home, except our great dog, who was hospitably received into the family bed, and the next morning we found him asleep between the children and their parents. The swampy land they labour in, prevents the women's bare feet, or their miserable remnants of shoes

(Continued from page 78.)

An attorney's clerk must consider every place where there is business to be transacted to be " in his way home," and which his employers find more to their

(as, for example, private business of their own, which consequently cannot be charged to any of their clients,) no matter if it be as diametrically opposite as are the poles from his habitation; or describe a complete semicircle, or two sides of a triangle in the direction of it, and the grand object of this trouble, loss of time, and, perhaps, loss of dinner, to the clerk, is very likely to save some intimate friend of the principal twopence postage for the letter which he delivers, and whatever length of time this may detain the clerk beyond the apportioned period for taking his meal, he dares nottake the slightest refreshmentno, not a penny biscuit, at the expence of the office, unless perchance the business happen to be for some rich and foolish client on whom the attorney can " lay it on," and charge five hundred per cent. upon his disbursements.

Five shillings being only allowed in costs for the service of a copy of a writ, and it frequently being a work of time, according to distance, &c. the clerk is generally expected to serve it "in his way home." What is his reward? Nothing, with very few exceptions; one or two houses, whose business is conducted on a more liberal scale than the generality, present their clerk with the five shillings.

An agreement is generally made between the principal and clerk, on certain specific hours of employment: how far this is kept on the part of the former, what has been above stated (and which is a general complaint among nearly all the junior clerks in the profession) sufficiently shews without any observations; but let any impartial man look fairly at both sides of the question, and say, if it is either fair or reasonable, that, if certain hours for business are agreed upon between the attorney and his clerk, that that clerk's private time should be encroached upon, and he be sent roundabout ways home, to his own and his family's great inconvenience, or, even admitting that every place he was to call at were immediately in his road, what right has his employer to know that he is going home at all, or that he has not engagements of his own (no matter what) which call him another way?

At the same time, no clerk would be acting justifiably, were he to refuse to dedicate a portion of his own time to business, should there be any special matter in hand which will not admit of delay; as, for example, preparing and delivering briefs for counsel, in a cause to be tried the next day, &c. and even in that case it is but just that some extra remuneration should be made to him. Such a thing, however, is never thought of.

But this imposition is not confined to pressing business; every trifling letter or message which the principal chooses to think too unimportant to send a clerk on purpose to deliver, must be done by him out of the few hours which he can call his own; so that in almost all offices, a junior clerk is compelled, upon an average, five days out of the six, after his office hours are over, to do that business which

the avarice of his employers will not permit him to do during the day.

This may seem a strange and harsh term, but avarice is the grand cause of this unfair system, as may very easily be proved.

We will imagine the clerk to be occupied in drawing or copying some document; at the same time, there is a "letter to be delivered" "rule to be served," or other out door work to be done at some distance from the office, for which a certain sum only is allowed on taxing costs, say 3s. 4d. The attorney, then, calculates, that during the time the clerk takes going and returning to the place where the business lies, he only earns 3s. 4d., whereas if he be kept hard to writing during that time, he earns perhaps a guinea, therefore says the attorney-LET HIM DO IT IN HIS WAY HOME. -This may be profitable to him, but it is not justice to the clerk, nor can it be denied that business ought to be done during the hours appointed and agreed upon for business, and not during that time which the clerk has a right to consider as his own, except (as before observed) on cases of emergency.

The hours of most offices are from 9 in the morning until 9 in the evening in term, which, in houses of extensive practice, frequently extends to 10 and even 11. In vacation the grace of an hour earlier in the evening is sometimes allowed. Two hours are allowed in the afternoon for dinner; as for tea, that is a luxury never to be thought of, save on Sunday.

Such close confinement during so many hours totally prevents a young man from following up any other pursuit whatever, either of profit or pleasure, for few persons, after having been confined to a sedentary employment all day,

can find resolution to apply themselves to books, on their arrival home, at 9 or 10 o'clock at night; or if they have undergone fatigue during the hours of business, feel much inclination for study.

many other degrading employ ments too numerous to mention, which is a gross imposition, more especially as many are young gentlemen of highly respectable family, who are compelled through misfortune to hire themselves in that capacity; but these things they must submit to, or give up their means of subsistence: in fact, any young man who enters an attorney's office, as junior clerk, must make

tion; and, really, tho' they may be blamed, they cannot be wondered at, for at the late hour when they leave business, what means of recreation are open to them of a really beneficial and healthy nature? None; and as some recreation is absolutely necessary to the human frame, he resorts to those which are less innocent than probably his inclination would lead him to. This mode of life plunges him into expenses which it is impossible the miserable pay of an attorney's office can support; the consequences are easily imagined, and hence arise the numberless instances of fraud and robbery which are committed by clerks upon their employers; and attornies should remember, as they know how difficult it is to find honest and trustworthy clerks, that whatever truth is contained in that theory, they themselves are the primary cause of the practice, by their egregious imposition, in late hours and low salaries. They, perhaps, do not imagine they may be called upon to account for those sins which their unfortunate hirelings commit, by reason of their injustice and tyrannical oppression. The proper business of a junior attorney's clerk is to copy writings, and to do all that relates to the profession; but in many cases he is compelled to do far more menial offices, and carry huge parcels to all parts of the town, with

he may be sure the principal will not pay a man for the carriage of any little light parcel under half a hundred weight.

With respect to salary, the grades are numerous, but the highest seldom or ever equals the wages of a journeyman mechanic, whether he works per piece or weekly hire.

A lad of about 12 may enter an attorney's office, at a salary of from 5 to 8s. per week; and it frequently happens, that a young man of 18 or 19 receives no more than from 12 to 16s., especially if he be a novice: but to view the matter in the fairest and most favorable light, we will suppose a boy of 12 years of age enters an office at 10s. per week, by the time he is 16 or 17 he may be considered to be of some service, from the knowledge he must have acquired of the lawoffices and the common run of business, which, with the improvement in his hand-writing, entitle him to a rise, probably to 15 or 16s. He continues thus, perhaps, for three or four years, when his additional experience may gain him a pound, or a guinea, and he is found a useful assistant clerk. In two or three years more, he finds himself competent to undertake the management of a small business, under the superintendance of the principal, and receives, as a remuneration, 26 or 28s, weekly. After a lapse of some further time, he

1

may boast sufficient experience to assume the entire care and conduct of a practice, and take the burden from the shoulders of his employer, for which his reward will be about 35s. per week. This may be called the standard salary for the best managing clerks, doubtless, with some exceptions, but few ever receive more, unless, perchance, their good genius places them in the employment of a liberal man who appreciates the services of his clerk, in an honorable and considerate manner; but such a one, in the profession of the law, may with truth be denominated a rara avis.

It may here be noticed, that in all these different grades, it is always expected that the clerk maintain a neat, genteel, and respectable appearance; but any person who will take the trouble to place himself in the Rule office, Symond's Inn, on the first day of term, will observe how far the generality are able to comply with that requisition. Indeed, the highest salary enumerated, is insufficient to support a man and his wife and family in a state of respectability.

There are some few houses in London who allow their clerks very fair and liberal salaries; but let it be remembered, that those are the select few. The preceding pages speak of the οἱ πολλοὶ; and it may also be observed, that the grievances complained of relate principally to junior clerks: managers, in most instances, are free from them; but to them the juniors are, in many cases, indebted, for some of the impositions which are laid upon them, for the purpose of saving the superior clerk trouble. And now, gentle reader, fare thee well! I have made a statement of facts as they really are, and the truth of which I challenge any attorney on the Roll to deny. Personality I have avoided, or nu

merous instances might be adduced in proof the statements made.

It is not for an humble individual, like myself, to attempt the remedy of such great and keenlyfelt evils as the two principal ones complained of, viz. low salaries, and late hours; it is not to be accomplished by the single-handed exertions of any one, yet I cannot but think that the daily sacrifice of health, morals, and honest principles, caused to one numerous body of persons, by the avarice and selfish feeling of another, as worthy the attention of a generous-minded and impartial British public.

AN ATTORNEY'S CLERK.
Varieties.

JOHN KEMBLE.

Perhaps no actor of any age or country, Garrick excepted, lived upon such intimate and equal terms with the great as Kemble. There was such a natural patent of gentility about him, that the highest nobility gave way to it. He and Talma were the last of their caste. There are now perfect gentlemen on the stage,--but the heroic age of the theatre is over. To observe to any gentleman now, that he drank, would be to utter a disgraceful reproach; yet up to the last quarter of the century, the male nobility, and even royalty of Great Britain, gave themselves up to inebriety. At the Marquess of A-'s, * Kemble was seated between two Scotch Dukes of Hand of A--. The conversation turned upon genealogy, and the two Peers grew warm upon the relative antiquity of their houses. Kemble, who had not drunk pending the argument, and who saw with despair the bottle in abeyance between their Graces, after mut

* Marquis of Abercorn's-Stanmore Priory.