Horace Gray

“ It has been necessary to state the facts at length in order to make the case intelligible. But the questions of law lie within a narrow compass. The scope and effect of the contract in question depended wholly upon written correspondence, and in no degree upon extrinsic circumstances, and were, therefore, to be determined by the court. ”

“ For the protection of borrowers, as well as of the company, he was prohibited from taking or receiving in behalf of the company any commission or bonus from borrowers beyond lawful interest on the money lent them; from acting on the one hand as a local director of the company, or being interested on the other in any property mortgaged, or proposed to be mortgaged; and his 'professional fees against borrowers, including abstracts, searches, investigating titles, preparation and recording of mortgages,' were limited by a scale prescribed. ”