PROGRESS OF LUXURY AND EXPENSE IN SCOTLAND.

MR. JEFFREY told the Committee on the Scotch Judges' Salaries, that "the race of the old frugal solicitors and attornies had died out;" and that "those old-fashioned gentlemen were very penu- rious, but have mostly disappeared within the last twenty years." But it would seem that the attornies are not the only class of per- sons whose frugal habits have given way to expensive modes of living in Edinburgh. Although house-rent, bread, meat, wine, and clothing, are very considerably cheaper now than at the close of the war, yet it is the almost universal opinion of the witnesses, that quite as large if not a greater income is required now, to enable a person to keep pace in his style of living with those of his own rank in life. Mr. JEFFREY says-

" The change in the general style of living in Edinburgh (from 1810 to 1830) has been that of increasing luxury ; and the expense of maintaining a family in connexion with the upper ranks has actually increased a great deal more than the necessary expense of the ordinary articles of consumption has been dimi- nished : and I believe it has been universally felt, that the same nominal in- come in all establishments and in all professions, although of more intrinsic value than in 1810, for the purchase of common commodities, is really less ade- quate to maintain persons in the same relative situation. Wealth has been more generally diffused ; and a more ambitious and luxurious style of living has be- come prevalent, from which it is difficult for any but philosophers to endeavour to keep back."

In reply to a question as to the relative cost of education and insurance, Mr. JEFFREY states, that the expenses attendant upon them are "quite as great now certainly, rather greater." Mr. JEFFREY, we dare say, has been too prudent a man to defer in- suring his life till the present (lay; but if he were to look into a very interesting article inserted about three years ago in the Edin- burgh Review on Mr. BARRAGE'S work on Life Insurance, he would find a good deal of alarm expressed at the too rapid dimi- nution of premiums of insurance ; while certain companies, never- theless, whose terms are considerably lower than those of the old Equitable and Amicable Associations, are recommended as ex- cellent and secure institutions.

This error of Mr. JEFFREY on the subject of insurance, reminds us of a mistake of Lord BRouonam, who, as a set-off against the large income of a leading barrister, compared with that of a judge, stated to the Committee,

. . . . "1 the certainty that a barrister has no means by any insurance of arranging matters so as to have an income if he becomes incapable of work ; though a person can insure against the event of his death. The attempt was made in the Law Life Insurance Office, but it was found impossible. Therefore all a man can do is to trust to his economy."

And if a barrister with a large income is economical, he become his own insurer. But there is no difficulty in effecting such an arrangement as Lord BRouonsm and the Law Life Insurance, - according to his statement, deem impossible. Deferred life an- nuities may be purchased, either by paying down a certain sum at once, or by annual payments. We could name more than one most respectable office where this description of business is done. But when, as Sir WILLIAM RAE observed, "your table is different, your servants are different, your wines are different"—by different meaning more costly—even leading advocates will find very great difficulty in making provision fur old age. The days are gone when "high jinks" in a tavern was the social relaxation of such advocates as Mr. Paulus Pleydell, and when writers like Mr. Allan Fairford supped on bread and cheese and radishes with a glass of small ale. " Of. course, persons of strong mind (to quote Mr. JEFFREY) should be enabled to despise or put aside that kind of admiration or respect that the mere glitter of wealth or station may acquire ;" but such philosophers are now rarely to be met With; and, excepting the late Lord CRAIGIE, we ate at a loss where to find one mentioned in the evidence given before the Committee as setting so ungracious an example to his judicial brethren of the Court of Session. Lord CRAIGIE, Mr. HOPE tells

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us, was a sound, learned, ad able lawyer, of great authority, but remarkably retired habits.

" Ile lived in a way that was strikingly quiet and economical : he had one of the smallest houses that could be obtained, smaller than the generality of houses in Edinburgh ; he had no carriage ; he had only one man-servant ; he never saw company ; and soon after he was promoted to the bench, or about that time, there was a finally of nephews and nieces thrown upon hint, to whom he was remarkably kind."

This old gentleman died with a clear conscience and five hun- dred pounds ; and we trust, for the credit of his fellow citizens, that he lost not an atom of their respect from his lack of powdered menials or a carriage and pair.

We have been amused by the evidence of Mr. ROBERT STE- VENSON, an engineer in Edinburgh. He seems to have uttered every word in fear and trembling lest the aristocracy of the Northern capital should take offence. House-rent, he says, has fallen very considerably in the neighbourhood in which lie resides; but at the West-end—in Prince's Street, or thereabouts—rents have not fallen at all. He allows that bread, coals, and ladies' dresses have fallen in price; but then, people consume more of these neces- saries ; and upon the whole, he thinks 2000/. a year would not go much further now than twenty years ago. Houses are much better furnished now than formerly : the tradespeople have for- saken the Old and come to the New town : formerly they con- sumed brown bread, now they never touch it. Mr. STEVENSON considers that it is quite necessary for judges to have an income to keep up the dignity of their station : it seems quite as necessary as the gown. Then, a little gayety is also, in his opinion, very ne- cessary- for a judge, because Mr. STEVENSON, in the depth of his scientific researches, has discovered that he is himself "much the

, better of a little relaxation" after confine t to business. And gayety is by no means incompatible with performance of very

arduous duties ; for Mr. JEFFREY, when 1 4 "very great employ- ment," used (as we learn from Mr. PETER CAMPBELL'S evidence) to attend the assemblies at Edinburgh, and amuse himself with gay society.

Lord BROUGHAM, speaking of the comparative cost of living in London and Edinburgh, mentions, that he had ascertained, by calculating the expenses of a public officer recently removed from Edinburgh to London, that 600/. a year in the former would go as far as 900/. in the latter city ; but the scale, he thinks, would not apply to larger sums—to thousands as well as hundreds. "It is quite well known," he observes, "that the expenses of a larger scale of establishment are much more equal in different countries." We suspect the reverse is quite well known. Look at the income of the Roman Cardinals, which does not exceed 800/. a year, or the rental of the Florentine aristocracy, and then see the state they keep up ! It is the neglect of economy, the transfer of per- sonal superintendence to servants, which renders a great man's es- tablishment so enormously expensive in England. Large quantities ought to be purchased at a cheaper rate than small quantities; and the Duke of DEVONSHIRE might enjoy the same advantage over a man of 1000/. a year, that MARSHALL and Company of Leeds actually possess over the manufacturer of 10,0001. capital. But we suspect that the Duke pays considerably more, instead of less, than the humble occupant of a cottage at Kensington, for every article he requires. On the Continent these things are differently managed. It is stated by Mr. O'CostreEEE, that the expense of living in Dublin is very considerably less than in London-

" I have never known (the happy man says) the details of family el. penses. Fortunately for me, I have never had any occasion to look personally to the regulations of domestic economy; but I know the gross results, and I have no hesitation in saying that the expense of living in Dublin is much less. I myself live in one of the best parts of Dublin, and paid a very large sum for the house I inhabit ; and circumstances have compelled me to live in such a way as to enable me to judge generally."

Mr. O'CONNELL, though strongly of opinion that the Scotch Judges are underpaid, would not make aristocrats of them: be would enable a judge to make some provision for his family ; but he would " rather see the bench sympathizing with the middling classes, and participating in their feelings as contrasted with aris- tocratic haughtiness." Some " aristocrat " on the Committee, we suppose, asked Mr. O'CONNELL, if by the " middling classes" he meant "shopkeepers?" The Agitator gave the inquirer the rap he deserved- " I would include several shopkeepers, and perhaps many of them ; but I would include all the mithiliag class of gentry, many of whom arc persons of very great individual and personal respectability. Education now no longer belongs to the highest classek at all. . . . . By shopkeepers, I mean substan- tially- the persons selling by retail ; amongst whom I have found an immense deal of intelligence, and the greatest independence, personal and political." , Some of the evidence of Mr. HAMILTON, a land-agent, is very instructive ; and were there not so great a weight of testimony on the other side, it would lead us to doubt the necessity of In- creasing the salaries of the Scotch Judges, to enable them to maintain their relative position in society with comfort and credit. Mr. HAMILTON states, that in 1811, 1812, and 1813, lands let in some places for double the sums they bring now ; and upon the whole, throughout Scotland, there has been a reduction of one third in the value of land. "The relative value of money, as compared with the necessaries of life, has immensely risen. The superior farmers have been obliged to reduce very materially : " and this seems the only class of persons who, judging from ex- ternal appearances, are worse off now than they were twenty years ago. The crops, Mr. HAMILTON states, have improved very much in Scotland (luring the last ten or fifteen years.

On the whole, as respects the Judges and functionaries with

Axed salaries, Mr. HAM LTON considers, that they would be enabled to maintain their relative position in society with much less money than formerly. Bui., as we observed last week, the main question for the public to consider is, can we obtain the most able men in the prime of life for the salaries now paid ? The answer must be in the negeive : therefore it is discreet to increase the present rate of pay.

There are several points of interest in this Report which we have not yet touched ; our object having been to select such portions of the evidence as bear upon the progress of society in Scotland. To the future historian this document may be of value, as affording undoubted testimony on certain interesting facts which regular chroniclers are apt to omit. The amount of labour actually per- formed by the Scotch Judges, the propriety of reducing their num- ber, the satisfaction or dissatisfaction felt by the people at their mode of going through their duties, and the cost of justice in Scotland, will furnish matter for another notice.