CO129-367 - Acting Governor May - 1910 [6-7] — Page 495

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additional expenditure.

4

Nor can I follow the argument

that existing arrangements give the Crown Solicitor an

unfair advantage over the rest of the profession. The Law

Society and Mr. Goldring apparently overlook the fact that

any advantage the Crown Solicitor gains from his position

in getting certain practice o.g. Chinese Extradition Cases

and conveyancing for the Admiralty and War Office, is

counterbalanced by losses in other directions. For

instance his Firm are precluded from defending prisoners

at the Police Court and Supreme Court and loses other

lucrative business, e.g. that of the Opium Farmer which the

Firm held till Mr. H. L. Dennys became Crown Solicitor, in

which the interests of clients might clash with those of

the Government. Moreover the fact that Messrs. Johnson,

Stokes and Master gave up the Crown Solicitorship in 1896

and that Messrs. Dennys and Bowley have recently stated

that they must resign the Crown Solicitorship unless

emoluments of the office are increased is evidence against

the soundness of the argument; as is also the fact that

even with the Crow Solicitorship, which engages the time

of more than one member of the Firm, the Firm of Messrs.

Dennys and Bowley only consists of 4 Solicitors against

6.