No. XXVII.] APPENDIX. 343 



converts and members ; and, lastly, to institute an inquiry whether laws in 

 other countries to protect families and heirs-at-law from the combined 

 actions of the members of confraternities and members of religious 

 societies may not be beneficially followed in the construction of enact- 

 ments to restrain members of the Order of St. Philip Neri, or other 

 monastic orders, from absorbing the property of those whom they convert, 

 or induce to become members of such orders. 



No. XXVII. 



PRACTICAL REMEDY FOR EXTORTION AND INTIMIDATION 

 PRACTISED BY THE AID OF THE SUPERIOR LAW COURTS. 



(Pamphlet. ANON.) 



THE continual increase of extortion and intimidation through the medium 

 of the superior Law Courts is now attracting great attention, not only 

 among the mercantile and professional classes of the community, but also 

 among the higher class of solicitors, who are greatly scandalised by the 

 extent of this demoralizing practice. 



In the innumerable methods by which the superior Law Courts con- 

 tribute to this end, there are always similar circumstances a needy client, 

 an artful lawyer, and a man with money to be attacked. 



The lawyer declares that he is the mere agent, and although the cause 

 may be bad, yet his client is a great rascal, and orders him to proceed ; 

 and therefore, to avoid solicitors' and counsel's fees, and the expenses, he 

 had better compromise and pay at once, as the cheapest thing which can 

 be done. 



The sum total extorted annually from persons of respectability, and 

 which goes into the pockets of the lawyers, in the aggregate is very 

 large. 



As far as possible, the actual mode is a charge damaging to reputation, 

 and calculated to raise a question and prejudice in the public mind : such 

 as, firstly, a charge of wrong professional advice; secondly, a charge of 

 infringing the patent law; thirdly, a charge of fraud, which is chiefly 

 directed against those engaged with public companies ; fourthly, a charge 

 of ultra vires, where there is a trust ; fifthly, a demand for money with 

 only partial information ; and, sixthly, the extortion is effected by keeping 

 possession of a house or other property. 



As a matter of experience, most men will make sacrifices to prevent 

 charges, as denials and explanations will not prevent those in a similar 

 line of business from stating that such a charge was made ; and hence 

 these cases are usually compromised, by the payment of the bill of costs, 

 and perhaps some small sum to the client in addition. 



The remedy for all this is very simple. The extortion cannot be 

 effected without the lawyer : then let him be responsible for the transaction, 

 and if fraud is charged improperly, or an untrue attack is made, let him 

 and his client conjointly be liable for damages. 



