4^0 POSITION WITH THE BAR. [1823. 



" May I be permitted further to say, that political 

 differences would of course preclude the possibility of 

 my making any application for rank, if I could regard 

 the distribution of it as a matter of official patronage. 

 Those differences can in no degree lessen the profound 

 respect with which I have the honour to be your Lord- 

 ship's most obedient and humble servant, 



"H. BROUGHAM." 



To this application no answer was returned, and, of 

 course, no compliance with my demand ; for I con- 

 sidered it rather in the light of a just demand for the 

 sake of others than a favour personal to myself. I 

 then, as usual, joined the spring circuit at York. What 

 we had anticipated in February, before I left London, 

 having happened, I wrote the following letter to Lord 

 Grey : 



"NEWCASTLE, March 11, 1823. 



"My DEAR LORD GREY, Jonathan Eaine is made 

 a Welsh judge, and has signified (as of course) that he 

 has left the northern circuit, so that here we are to go 

 round on this large and important circuit with one 

 single silk gown for the first time that it has ever 

 been with less than three. All the northern counties 

 have a right to complain of this, for it makes it abso- 

 lutely impossible for more than one side of each cause 

 to have justice done it. Whoever retains Scarlett has 

 a leader and a special pleader ; at least his choice of 

 the special pleaders. Whoever docs not, must take a 

 leader, and has only half a choice of pleaders. It is in 

 vain to say there is Cross, a sergeant, for they will not 

 take him, as has been shown in these two counties, 

 when he came with Williams and me, and never had 



