The Sun.
London, England, 1831-02-03 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIDIES.

Ste,—lt is now my task to examine the judicial offices, and I
tremble : the long flowing wigs of my Lords, the Judges, float
before my eyes, neither upon their blocks nor on their proper
heads ; yet hanging in the air,---they seem to say " Beware, be-
ware ! you will appear before us some day, and then we shall
show no mercy. You may now beat the powder out of us, but
take care you are not yourself extinguished with our dust.,
But as to the Lord Hi:4ll Chancellor, I dare fearlessly make my
attack on him, as he is a merry good-humoured gentleman, and
smiles even at the growls of Old Bruin, if he stumbles on him in
Westminster, near the Cockpit.

THE LORD CH•NCELLOR.

X. s. d.
- 4,829 5 0

Net yearly salary - - -
Fees, after deducting 2,100/. paid to the Vice-Chan-
cellor, and 450/ land-tax

10,271 17 11

This does not include the fees received as Speaker
of the House of Lords, nor, as I suspect, those for
commissions of bankrupt and lunatics, as the in-
come of the Chancellor is calculated as nearly
16,000/. per year. His Lordship has three secre.
taries : Ist, his principal secretary, who is a bar-
rister, and receives annually from fees only, and
after deducting the expenses of clerks and rent of
offices - - - -
This gentleman is Mr. Lemarchant, the secre-
tary of the late Lord.. Mr. Murray was also Cur.
sitor for Essex and Berks, but which is a place for
life. The Cursitors being under 1,0001., no men-
tion is made of them in this return. The fees in
this office fluctuate.
2d. For commissions of Bankrupt. A salary allowed
by the Chancellor out of his receipts in Chancery
Fees for business done in his office

- 1,070 13 6

400 0 0
. 2,309 14 4

2,709 14 4

This secretary iii 131 r. VizARD.
3d. Of lunatic,.---Fees for business done, having de-
ducted the salaries of clerks employed therein - 1,301 810
This secretary is Mr. Lout's'Au, the late Lord's

secretary also.
Gentlemen of the Chamber to the Chancellor from
fees - - - •
The Chancellor has the patronage of the ten Masters in Chan-
cery whenever a vacancy occurs : these must be barristers, but
need be of no eminence, but are named entirely at the pleasure
of the Chancellor. They are allowed to sit in Parliament ; he
has also the nomination of seventy-five Commissioners of Bank-
rupts, or bringing forward young inexperienced barristers either
for political objects or giving them a maintenance until they be-
come established in practice, or of assuring a scanty livelihood to
the old ones who are not so fortunate. The incomes arising
from fees average from three hundred to three hundred and fifty
pounds per annum. This office of Commissioner of Bankrupts
is a sad imposition on the 'public, and is quite a disgrace to our
legal institutions. They are divided into fifteen lists, five in each
list, and three are necessary for all acts : so it is not unusual for
a member of one list sitting there as a Judge, to go before an-
other list, and there act as a Counsel, very often supporting a
case, upon the very contrary principle to that on which he has
before passed judgment as a Judge ; for their mutual convenience
members of the same list arrange with each other as they have
business, whether to play the part of Counsel or that of Judge.
For each case as Judges they receive one pound, and it is very
often curious to see them pocket their fees. A story is told of a
Commissioner ringing his Sovereign on the table to ascertain its
not being a counterfeit. Three or four cases are disposed of at
the sitting, Whoever has attended the Bankrupt Court, either
on business or from curiosity, must be shocked at the confusion
and indecency which prevail there ; strangers and foreigners
cannot understand its being a Court of Justice. Bankrupts,
assignees, solicitors, creditors, Commissioners, witnesses, all one
mass of confusion and uproar. It is to be hoped that the present
Lord Chancellor will, in his course of law reform, cause this
Court to be constituted very ditfbrently from what it now is.
One-third of the church-livings of the country is also in the
gift of the Chancellor, and he has likewise the disposal of some
nice snug sinecures, as will be afterwards shown.

TILE VICE-CHANCELLOR.
Sir L. SHADWELL has only a net salary of 6,0004
per annum.
Sinecures held by W. H. J. Sccrrr, the son of Earl
Eldon, formerly Lord Chancellor,—lst, as Re-
ceiver of the Fines of the Court of Chancery, fees
on the issue of writs at the office of the Cursitors
of the Court of Chancery 171 9 0
On the preparation of the Chancellor's orders for the
election and removal of Coroners, Verderers, and
Regarders . -----
Per centage of 2s. in thepound on amour t of fines
received for the use of the Chancellor and Master
of the Rolls

12 0 0