The Express.
London, England, 1859-02-11 00:00:00

EXAMINATIONS FOR THE BAR.

" The Law was my profession," wrote Lord Bacon,
1" to which I am a debtor ;" and both before and
sines the times of the great inductive philo-1
sopher the Goddess of Law has given a loud credit.
If we regard the annals of early civilisation and
trace the wonderfully beautiful history of mankind,
foremost in the rank of the illustrious stand the
Lawgivers and Advocates—luxuriating in a pars
and unearned glory. Demosthenes occupies as
great • position in the peat ae Themietocke ;
and Cicero se cherished a space in the
classical memory as Marina or eves Cesar.
And how does the past differ from the present?
Next to the science which provides for the safety of
the human frame comes the science which regu-
lates the security of property. Of the medical pro-
feeeloll we have nothing to say further than that
ex ien experience has shown the necessity of its professors
be
d qualified. The legal profusion has been
left a very different position. Up to the present
day any loan who was able to sign his name and
obtain due references was eligible to be called to the
Bar. He might have known ea little about Coke or
Littleton as a scullery maid, and as little of logic
as a mason, yet he might have become a barrister.
Socrates used to ny " that the people were the
"best schoolmasters;" and certainly the legal
alumni of this wintry have had no other. It was
said that the attorneys would soon find out whether
a man was up to his work or not • and in the mean
time the usual COW of Law Students was to " put
"in " twelve terms of dinners and be called. The
impropriety of this was obvious. It not only gave
an undue advantage to the presumptuous
_ and unde-
serving, but at the same time effected a species of
enmity, in sending forth to the world • number
lof professed lawyers who, the moment a lucky
connexion threw a brief into their hands,
found themselves in a state of helplessness. Why
had they not then to pass a compulsory examina-
tion ? In 1853 the Council of Legal Education
instituted a studentship of the value of 50 guineas
for three years, to be awarded to the most diatin-
' guished candidate at each public examination ; but
the examination was left as a hoop that might
be ,jumped through or passed by in the legal arena.
Within the last few days • Council of Legal Educa-
tion has been sitting at Lincoln's-inn, composed
of 12 deputies from each of the four lons
of Court ; and it is understood that they
are about to make the examination compulsory.
No doubt the honourable societies had reasons to
urge against this resolution. Many gentlemen
aspired to the degree of barristers who had no in-
tention of following the Law sea means of sub-
sistence. They were often the jolliest fellows in
their respective halls, and many of them looked for-
ward to possessiog large private fortunes—they
paid their fees well, and frequently had some float-
lug ideas of becoming some day or other country
magistrates. These gentlemen had a slender con-
ception of the arduous study of law. They were
not, however, unuseful in their way. They frequently
turned out serviceable to their fellow members of
the Bar; and many a junior banister has
in his remembrance the generous hospitality he I
received from some member of his profession who
never put on a wig and gown. Many a circuit was I
enlivened by our country squire who had eaten his
dinners at the loon, and a struggling youngster his
occasionally come in for a brief through the good
offices done belonging to this blissful race.
However, there can be little doubt that in making
the examination for the Bar compulsory, the Council
have taken a step in the right direction, and although
the examination itself may not he as practical a one
as might be desired, yet we have every hope that it
will have a beneficial effect, and give some security
to the public for the qualification of advocates and
legal advisers.

The " religious " marriage of M. Rothschild, jag.,
with the daughter of M. Anapath, Judge of the IMAMS'
COW, took place on Wednesday alum synagogue in the Roe
Notre-Dame de Nisareth, Pavia. The signature of the cos-
ine< tot p'ace on the previous day at the fool R .tb.cbild,
in premium of a nau.bge of distinguished perentages. The
synagogue was lilted up in a vtry iamb manner for the
0001n0.11. The Grand Rabbi gave the nuptial benediction,
and eehrereiessepropriati address. Among the promising
precast were the Minister of State and Muse. Fould, the
Mints''r of the Interior and Mum. Delangle, the Delores t
family, If. Linea M. Haldvy, M. ifsyerhew, M. Jules
Janis, de., and the rind, al remsesetativse of the ought of
Serape 4 ?Me.