In most professions of the more liberal kind there is in England no contract of apprenticeship ; the pupil or learner pays a fee, and has the opportunity of learning his teacher's art or profession if he pleases. Thus a man who intends to be called to the bar pays a fee to a special pleader, a conveyancer, or an equity draftsman, nd has the liberty of attending at the &ail hers of his teacher and learning what he can by seeing the routine of business and assisting in it. But he may neglect his studies, if he pleases, and this will neither concern his master, who can very well dispense with the assistance of an igno rant pupil, and gets the money without giving anything for it, nor the public. For though the barrister is admitted by the inns of court without any examina tion, and may be utterly ignorant of his profession, no mischief ensues to the pub lic, because the rules of the profession do not permit him to undertake business without the intervention of an attorney or solicitor, and no one would employ him without such intervention. But the attorney or solicitor is required by act of parliament to serve a five years' appren ticeship, the reasons for which are much diminished since the institution of an examination by the Incorporated Law So ciety in Chancery Lane, London, before he can be admitted to practise. Indeed a part of the time which is now spent in an attorney's office would be much better spent at a good school, and would per haps cost the parent or guardian as little. There is frequently a fee paid with an apprentice to an attorney or solicitor, and there is a stamp duty of 120/. on his in dentures ; so that it is probable that the raising of revenue was one object in legis lating on this matter. Persons who prac tise as physicians serve no apprenticeship, but they are subjected to examinations; all persons who practise as apothecaries must serve a five years' apprenticeship. The reasons for this apprenticeship also are much diminished by the institution of examinations,at which persons are rejected who have not the necessary knowledge, though they have served the regular period of apprenticeship. If the exami nation of the attorney and apothecary is sufficiently strict, that is a better gua rantee for their professional competence than the mere fact of having served an apprenticeship. Yet the apprenticeship is some guarantee for the character of the apothecary and solicitor, which the examination alone cannot be, for a youth who has much misconducted himself during his apprenticeship cannot receive the testimonial of his master for good conduct, and he is liable to have his in dentures cancelled. The attorney and
apothecary belong to two classes whose services are constantly required by the public, who have little or no means of judging of their professional ability. A man can tell if his shoemaker or tailor uses him well, but his health may be rained by his apothecary, or his affairs damaged by his attorney, without his knowing where the fault lies. There is no objection, therefore, to requiring ap prenticeship or any other condition from an attorney or apothecary which shall be a guarantee for his professional com petence, but nothing more should be required than is necessary, and it is gene rally agreed that an apprenticeship of five years is not necessary. 14 however, the law were altered in this respect, it is very possible that the practice of five years' apprenticeship might still continue ; and there would be no good reason for the law interfering if the parties were willing to make such a contract.
In all those arts, crafts, trades, and mysteries which a boy is sent to learn at an early age, a relation analogous to that of master and servant, and parent and child, is necessary both for the security of the master and the benefit of the boy. Adam Smith speaks of apprenticeship as if the only question was the length of time necessary to learn the art or mystery in. If parents can keep their children at home or at school till they approach man's estate, the control created by the contract of apprenticeship is less neces sary, and the term for serving a master need not be linger than is requisite for the learning of the art. Still. if the con tract is left free by the law, it will depend on many circumstances, whether the master will be content with such a period; he may require either more money with the apprentice and less of his service, or less of his money and more of his ser vice. This is a matter that no legislator can usefully interfere with. But when boys leave home at an early age, and are sent to learn an art, it is necessary that they should be subjected to control, and for a considerable period. They must learn to be attentive to their busi ness, methodical, ail well-behaved ; and if their master sets them a good example, the moral discipline of a boy's apprentice ship is useful. If the master does not set a good example, the effect will be that he will not be so likely to have ap prentices; for an apprenticeship partakes of the nature of a school education, an education in an art or mystery, and a pre paration for the world; and a master who can best prepare youths in this threefold way is most likely to have the offer of apprentices.