1815  23 Nov  Annapolis  

1023. Nathaniel White to his father, chiefly relative to the practice of law in Nova Scotia. "One Court treads so closely on the heels of another that I really can think of nothing not immediately connected with them. The litigous spirit that prevails in this County is truly astonishing. There is, in fact, scarcely an individual that is not in the course of the year either Plaintiff of Defendant. And the beauty of it is they do it with such perfect good humour that like the spatting of two attorneys their disputes cease and entire cordiality prevails the instant the suit is decided. ...In the last Year there haave been about six hundred suits instituted in this county, nearly three fourths of which have been brought by Mr. Ritchie. His practice is almost incredibly extensive, and is the result of close and indefaticable application unassisted by any remarkable endowments either natural or acquired. There is indeed so much sameness in the cases that occur in this country and so plain a tract has been beaten, that the practice has become quite mechanical and requires only moderate parts but most immoderate labour and toil. There is nothing in my opinion that so effectually cramps genius and stifles all liberality of principle, as the constant repetition of form. It binds one down to precedent without allowing the smallest latitude of thought or expression. I refer to the practical forms in Our Courts of Law, which every man of sense must acknowledge to be unnecessarily and even ridiculously prolix, and evidently contrived with no other view than increase of Costs. An Attorney should be made of stern and obdurate stuff to be conversant without rremorse in the many scenes which he is obliged to witness." Family matters. Holograph.

White Family Nova Scotia Archives MG 1 Vol. 953 No. 1023