produce a complete cessation of all legal business. The stamps arrived, but no one would purchase them. The Courts of justice were shut up.

But this state of things could not last long. The people were becoming impatient of its continuance, and tired of mere passive resistance. Associations had sprung up in nearly all the Colonies, under the title of "The Sons of Liberty," who were in favor of setting the provisions of the act at open defiance. Efforts were made to induce the lawyers of New Jersey to transact business without the use of stamps. Another meeting of the Bar was proposed. Heretofore, all had been done in perfect harmony. There had not been a single dissenting voice. But now, the line began for the first time to be drawn, between those who thought they had gone far enough, and those who were willing to go farther. We have a letter from David Ogden, to Philip Kearney, in which he declares himself opposed to another meeting of the Bar, and expresses the hope, that they would continue to pursue the peaceful method they had adopted, until the Stamp Act was repealed.

The meeting, nevertheless, took place. It was held at New Brunswick, on the thirteenth of February, 1766. The Sons of Liberty, to the number of several hundred, took care to be present at the

same time, and united in a written request to the members of the Bar, urging them to proceed to business as usual without stamps, and to use their influence to have the Courts of justice opened. The meeting, while they agreed to preserve that happy state of peace and tranquillity which had thus far been maintained in the Province, at the same time resolved, that if the Stamp Act was not repealed by the first day of April following, they would resume their practice as usual; and they appointed a Committee of two, to wait upon the Sons of Liberty, and assure them, that if the act was not suspended or repealed, they would join them in opposing it with their lives and fortunes.

These were bold and spirited resolutions. Even in Massachusetts-generally in advance of the other Colonies-the most patriotic of the lawyers deemed it impossible to conduct judicial business, in open disregard of an act of Parliament, however unjust and tyrannical 'it might be; and nothing but a resolution of the Assembly emboldened them to venture upon such a step. And in Philadelphia, at a numerous meeting of the members of the Bar, held a short 'time before the Stamp Act was to go into operation, upon the question being submitted,

1 Grahame's Col. Hist., II. 405.

whether they should intermit all business, or carry it on without stamps and set the act at defiance, only three individuals were found, who were willing to risk the consequences of going on without stamps. John Dickinson strenuously opposed the adoption of the measure, upon the ground, that the Colonies were bound by all acts of Parliament.1 Before the arrival of the day, however, named in the resolutions of the Bar of New Jersey, the Stamp Act was repealed, and all further proceedings upon their part became unnecessary.

In 1769 and 70, and while Chief Justice Smyth was on the Bench, the most serious complaints were made against the lawyers of New Jersey, followed, I regret to say, in some instances, by tumults and riots of the most disgraceful character. For many years, complaints had been made, from time to time, of the abuses practised by attorneys, of the multitude of lawsuits, and the expenses of judicial proceedings. During Governor Morris's administration, repeated efforts were made by the Assembly to correct these evils, so far as they were thought to have any real existence; but the measures which they adopted for that purpose, were not so fortunate as to meet with the approbation

1 Sanderson's Biography of the Signers, II. 312.

of the Governor and Council. In Governor Franklin's time, these complaints grew louder, and became more frequent, until, in 1769, so many memorials were presented to the Assembly upon the subject, and in language so strong, as to indicate a very wide-spread excitement. A pecuniary crisis had arrived in the Colony, not unlike one of those periods of financial embarrassment, through which we have since occasionally passed. Money was scarce, prices were low, business in all its branches depressed, and property of all kinds greatly depreciated. Creditors grew clamorous, debtors were unable to pay, prosecutions were set on foot, and judgments and executions followed as of course. The people as is not unusual in such cases-looking round for the causes of their sufferings, and not taking the trouble to search very far for themascribed them all to the lawyers. It never seems to have occurred to them, that the multiplicity of lawsuits-which was the principal topic of complaint-might have been the effect, rather than the cause, of the universal decay of trade, and the entire prostration of the business of the country.

However, the excitement was not the less violent, because it was unreasonable. The table of the Assembly groaned beneath the weight of petitions which were daily presented, praying for relief, and

invoking vengeance on the heads of the attorneys. It was almost impossible for the House not to catch the contagion. Individual members of the profession were pointed out by name, and charges preferred against them. Among others, Mr. Bernardus Legrange was accused of having taken exorbitant fees in certain suits brought by him, and was ordered to answer at the bar of the House. He appeared, and delivered a written defence, and offered in evidence a number of affidavits. But the Assembly-not unwilling perhaps to find a victim, with which to appease the popular fury-resolved, that the charges had been sustained, and ordered their Speaker to reprimand him at the bar of the House-which was accordingly done. The ground upon which he appears to have been convicted was, that the Chief Justice, and his associate on the Bench, had certified to the House, that the fees complained of were unnecessary in the prosecution of the suits, and not warranted by law. But it turned out that the Judges had been entirely mistaken, and Mr. Lagrange had the satisfaction, a short time afterwards, of laying before the Assembly, certificates of the Chief Justice, and his associate, Charles Read, stating, that upon further examination, they had found the bills of costs in question fully warranted by the practice of the oldest