328 individuals. I think that before I would resort to the sweeping measure of depriving law officers of private practice, which really fits them to discharge their public duties in most instances, I would try the effect of defining to some extent the duties of the law officers, which to the present time has never been done.
There is another point also which I think should be taken into consideration with respect to the abolition of private practice, and one that I have heard mentioned more than once by men of standing in various Colonies, and that is that with its limited number of professional men to be found in most of the smaller Colonies, it would be a hardship to members of the general Community if in matters which might affect their fortunes and perhaps their reputations, and in which the Crown could have no possible concern, they were to be deprived of the advice and assistance of those in whom they placed the greatest confidence, without any corresponding advantage to the Crown, and simply because the Crown had retained their services.