Lynchburg Virginian

Notice. Case—The New Orleans Bee states that M.M. Robinson, Esq., an attorney and court’s honor, has been arrested in that city and examined before Recorder Baldwin, upon a charge of secreting a slave. When the investigation was closed, Mr. Robinson was compelled to give bail for one thousand dollars for his appearance at the Criminal Court. The Bee then adds, "It may be considered rather a delicate state of the question for comment, but the affair is a novel one, and has created much curiosity. The nature of the evidence to our mind, only proved that Mr. R. had been applied to, as a lawyer, to establish the freedom of a man of color from Philadelphia, holding free papers, but who had nevertheless been arrested as a slave, and had escaped. Failing in his endeavors to effect this object, Mr. Robinson was requested by a person who had purchased the colored man, to inform him where the boy was to be found, and aid in securing his arrest. This Mr. Robinson refused to do, on the ground that no attorney has a right to betray his client, and he was consequently arrested, and has been bound over by the recorder Baldwin, upon a criminal charge. The only question to be settled in his prosecution, seems to be, shall the lawyer be compelled to divulge the secrets entrusted to him by his client?"