ATT 
bafe and unfair dealings towards tlieir clients, in the way 
of bufinefs, as for protracting l'uits by little (hifts and do- 
vices, and putting the parlies to unnecetrary expcnce, in 
order to raife their bills ; or demanding fees toi bufinefs 
that was never done ; or for refilling to deliver up their 
client’s writings with which they had been entrnfied in 
the way of bufinefs ; or money which has been recovered 
and received by them to their client’s ufe, and for other 
fuch like grofs and palpable abufe. 2 Hawk. P. C. 144. 8 
Mod. 306. 
In a criminal cafe the attorney for defendant may be his 
bail. Doug. 467. Payment to the attorney, is payment to 
the principal. Doug/. 62 3. 1 Black. R. 8. An action lies 
againft an attorney for neglecting to charge a perfon in ex¬ 
ecution at his client’s fuit, according to a rule of court; 
although it feems it was rather want of judgment than 
negligence, yWi/f 323. But the court will not proceed 
againft him for it in a fummary way. a, Burr. 2060. 
An attorney has a lien on the money recovered by his 
client, for his bill of cofts : if the money come to his 
hands, he may retain to the amount of his bill. He may 
flop it in tranftu if he can lay hold of it; if he apply to 
the court, they will prevent its being paid over until his 
demand is Satisfied. If the attorney give notice to the de¬ 
fendant not to pay till his bill be difcharged, a payment 
by the defendant after fuch notice, would be in his own 
wrong, and like paying a debt which has been alligned 
after notice. Doug/. 238. 
The court, under circumflances, will entertain a fum¬ 
mary jurildiCtion over an attorney, in obliging him to de¬ 
liver up deeds, See. on fatisfaCtion of his lien, though 
they came into his hands as fteward of a court and receiv¬ 
er of rents. See iSalk. 87. 1 hill. 148. Mod.Caf Law & Eq. 
306. the latter that an attorney cannot detain papers de¬ 
livered to him on a fpecal trufl for money due to him in 
that very bufinefs. 
Attornies have the privilege to fue and be filed only in 
the courts at Weftminfier where they praCtife : they are 
not obliged to put in fpecial bail, when defendants ; but 
when they are plantiffs, they may infill upon fpecial bail 
in all bailable cafes. 1 Vent. 299. Wood'slnjl. 450. But an 
attorney of one court may, in that court, hold an attor¬ 
ney of another court to bail. Attornies (hall not be chofen 
into offices againft their wills. See Privilege. 
Attorney of the Duchy Court of Lancaster, 
Is the fecond officer in that court ; and feems for his lkill 
in law to be there placed as afleffor to the chancellor, and 
chofen for fome fpecial trull repofed in him, to deal be. 
tween the king and his tenants. Cozvel. 
Attorney-general, is a great officer under the king, 
made by letters patent. It is lus place to exhibit informa¬ 
tions, and profecute for the crown, in matters criminal; and 
to file bills in the Exchequer, for any thing concerning the 
king’s inheritance or revenue. The informations w'hich 
lie exhibits in matters criminal, are properly for fuch enor¬ 
mous mifdemeanors as peculiarly tend to dilturb his ma- 
jelty’s government, or to molelt him in the regular dif- 
charge of his royal functions. For fuch offenders, the 
law has given to the crown the power of an immediate 
profecution, without waiting for any previous application 
to any other tribunal. ^Black. t,o%. In cafe of mifapplica- 
tion of charities, the attorney-general at the relation of 
fome informant (who is ufually called the relator) files ex. 
officio an information in the court of Chancery, to have the 
charity properly eftablifiied. 35/^.427. His proper 
place in court, upon any fpecial matters of a criminal 
nature, wherein his attendance is required, is under the 
judges, on the left hand of the clerk of the crown : but 
this is only upon folemn and extraordinary occaiions ; for 
ufually he does not fit there, but within the bar in the 
face of the court. 
To Attor'ney, v. a. To perform by proxy.—Their 
encounters, though not perfonal, have been royally attor. 
nied with interchange of gifts. Shah.efpeare.r-T o employ 
as a proxy. 
, Vol. II. No. 87. 
ATT 541 
As I was then 
Advertifing, and holy to your bufinefs 
Nor changing heart with habit, i am Hill 
Attornicd to your fervice. Shakcfpeare. 
ATTOR'NEYSHIP, y. The office of an attorney; 
proxy ; vicarious agency. 
But marriage is a matter of more worth, 
Than to be dealt in by attorney/hip. Shakefpeare. 
ATTORN'MENT, f. \_atlornamehlum, Lat. from tour¬ 
nee , Fr. to ,iurn from one to another. ] Is the agreement of 
a tenant to the grant of a feigniory or a rent, or of the 
donee in tail or tenant for life or years, to the grant of a 
remainder or reverfion. 1 Inf. 309. Attornment may be 
either by words, or writing : bywords; as by faying, ‘ £ I 
attorn to you by force of the Laid grant,” or, u 1 acknow¬ 
ledge myfelf your tenant.” By writing ; which may be 
indorfed on the deed, or fet down in any other writing, 
which is the fa re ft way. And in both cafes, the tenant- 
may moreover deliver to the grantee a finall fum of mo¬ 
ney by way of acknuwlegement, that the witnefs may bet¬ 
ter remember it. The form of which faid attornment in 
writing may be this : “ I A. B. do hereby agree to attorn 
and become tenant to C. D. of E. of and for the meffuage 
and tenement now in my poffeffion, that is to fay, lying 
and being in the pariffi of F. and county of G. and have 
given to the faid C. D. fixpencc in the name of attorn¬ 
ment, and in part of rent. Witnefs my hand the .— day 
of — in the year —.” 
The title of attornment was anciently a large and diffi¬ 
cult title ; but now attornments are not fo much in ufe as 
formerly : for new expedients are found out by fines to 
ufes, by bargain and fale, by leafe and releafe, and in¬ 
dented and inroll'ed. And by the 4 An. c. 16. all grants 
or conveyances, by fine or otherwise, of any manors or 
rents, or of the reverfion or remainder of any melfuages or 
lands, (hall be good and effectual without any attornment 
of the tenants; provided that no fuch tenant (hall be pre¬ 
judiced by payment of rent to the grantor before notice 
given to him by the grantee. And by the 11 Geo. II.c. 
29, attornment to ftrangers claiming title to the land (hall 
be void ; and the poffeffion of the landlord (hall not be 
altered thereby : provided, that this fhall not affeCt any 
attornment made in purfuance of a judgment at law or 
decree.in equity, or made with content of the landlord, 
or to any mortgagee after the mortgage is become forfeit¬ 
ed. Till the palling of thefe ftatutes, the do Grille of at¬ 
tornment was one of the moil copious and abftrufe points 
of the law. But, thefe aCts having made attornment both 
unneceflary and inoperative, the learning upon it may be 
faid to have become near entirely ufelefs. See 1 Inf. 309. 
To ATTRACT', v. a. \attrako , attraBum, Lat.J To 
draw to fomething. 
The (ingle atoms each to other tend, 
AttraB, altraBed to, the next in place 
Form’d and impell’d its neighbour to embrace. Pope. 
To allure; to invite. 
Deign to be lov’d, and ev’ry heart ftibdue ! 
What nymph could e’er attraB fuch crowds as you ? Pope. 
Attract, f. Attraction ; the power of drawing : not 
in ufe. 
Feel darts and charms, attraBs and flames, 
And woo and contract in their names. Hudibras. 
ATTRACTI'CAL, adj. Having the power to draw t© 
it.—Some (tones are endued with an electrical or atiraBical 
virtue. Ray. 
ATTRAC'TION,y. The power of drawing any thing; 
the power of alluring or enticing.—Setting the atlraBion 
of my good parts afide, I have no other charms. Shakefp, 
Attraction, in natural philofophy, is a general term 
ufed to denote the caufe by which bodies mutually tend 
towards each other, and cohere till feparated by fome other 
6 Y power. 
