The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-01-06 00:00:00

THE SPEAKERSHIP AND THE LAW.

Few of our readers may be aware of the close con
nection which once existed between the legal profession
and the office of Speaker of the House of Commons
(remarks the Solicitor's Journai). Down to the time
of the Revolution it may be said that the Speakerehip
was more often than not held by a lawyer, and the
reason for their selection is obvious; they were in point
of fact the only persons who were at all accustomed or
able to deal with questions of form. An English
country gentleman is now fully as competent in many
Cases as a professional man, but it would have been
quite beyond the power of the majority of the squires
of the Stuart period to have presided over the delibe-
rations of the House of COMMODB. Indeed, even now
local qualifications would not be found without their

....
Without going back to times when Parliament did
not meet with regularity, we find that in the reign of
Henry VIII. there were eight Speakers, of whom five
afterwards held the judicial office. Thus, in 1509,
Sir Thoina.s Englefield was Speaker. He presided over
the House until 1512; and some years later was created
a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. In 1523 the
great Sir Thomas More occupied the chair, and on his
becoming Chancellor he was succeeded by Sir Thomas
Andlev, who also in turn held the Great Seal. Audley
was followed by Richard Rich, Solicitor-General, and in
the next reign Lord Keeper. Rich's successorwas Sir Ni.
holm Hare, who was Master of the Rolls under Queen
Mani. In Edward VL 's reign there were but two Speak-
me, one of whom was the famous Sir James Dyer, after-
wards (1559-1582) Chief Justice of the Court of Com-
mon Pleas. Two out of the four Speakers of Queen
Mary's Parliaments became Judges afterwards. The
first was Robert Brooke, member for London, who
was Chief Justice of the Common Pleas from 1554-
1558 ; the second was William Cordell, Master of the
Rolls from 1558 to 1581, Under Queen Elizabeth
there were ten Speakers, of whom seven afterwards
sat on the Bench. They are Christopher Wray,
Chief Justice of England from 1574 to 1592;
Robert Bell, Chief Baron for a few months in 1o77;
John Popham, Chief Justice of England from 1592
to 1607 : John Puckering, Lord Keeper in 1r92; the
illustrious Coke, afterwards Chief Justice, hot of the
Common Pleas and then of the King's Bench ; Chris-
topher Yelverton, afterwards a puisme Judge in the
King's Bench; and, lastly, John Croke, the famous

reporter, Recorder, and representative of London, and
and Judge of the Court of Queen's Bench in the next
reign. It is worth notice that Popham and Coke were
advanced to the Speakership, like Rich,- while
Solicitors-Generah'amh like him held both offices con-
emporaneously.
It would he wearisome to continue to catalogue the
s nen of all the Speakers in subsequent reigns, but it
nay be stated generally that nearly all of them be-
k aged to the legal profession, and nearly all eventually
attained to a seat on the judicial Bench. The rule
as to choosing lawyers was naturally relaxed as the
lay members of the House became better able to
undertake the duties of the President's office; but
up to the commencement of this century a professional
man was occasionally selected. Thus, in 1770 and in
1774 Sir Flstcher 'Norton, who had formerly been
Solicitor and Attomey-General was Speaker. Thelut
f,ilV,i'rid"falcltatrtder h John
t'ord .ehelicohraiorf wirelSainrd
with
the title of Lord Redesdale), who was el vted in 1801
while Attorney-General. In Mitford's case Mr. Glad-
stone might have found a precedent for proposing, had
he thought tit, Sir John Coleridge for election. Such
a recurrence to ancient practice might perhaps have
proved more agreeable to the House than the nomina-
tion of the former Liberal "Whip." Sir John Coler-
idge, both by his abilities and bearing, would be well
qualified for the Speaker's office. Probably, however,
he would not have been willing to abandon the prac-
tice of his profession.