The Sun.
London, England, 1822-09-13 00:00:00

COURTS OF LAW IN WESTMINSTER HALL.

The most ancient Court is that of the Chancery.
We have no account of the I)erson who first filled the office.--
Unwona, Chancellor to King Offa, is:the first named. The first
after the Conquest was Maurice, afterwards Bishop of London.
This office was originally filled by Churchmen. They sat at a
long marble table ; the Chancellor in a marble choir fixed in
the wall opposite to the table. They are now lost, probably
removed when the Courts were altered in the last reign, by
Kent. The next Court is that of the King's Bench, the ancient
Curia Domini Regis. The Justiciariusilywiia presided when
the King did not. On the suppression of this office, the name
was changed to Capitalis Justiciarius,in 1267. The first Justice
was Robert de Thus. The glorious office of attending in per-
son to the rights of their subjects, the Prince being the fountain
of justice as well as honour, is of high antiquity. Augustus
sometimes sat up all night for that purpose. Our Saxon Mo-
narchs continued the custom, and after them the English for a
long period. The Common Pleas is the third Court of Justice
held in the Hall. The first Chief Justice was Gilbert de Pres-
ton, in 1233. The Court of Exchequer is held in a'room ad-
jacent to the Hall ; erected by William the Conqueror ; ori-
ginally a number of Lords Spiritual and TeMporal sat. The
Judges, in old times, rode to Court, at first on mules, but
in the reign of Queen Mary they changed those restive animals
for easy pads, Sir John Wheddon setting the example. Par-
liaments often sat in this Hall. The solemn-trial of Charles I.
was held here; before a packed Jury Court .of Judicature ;
likewise the trial of the great Earl of Strafford. The Com-
mons had an enclosed place for themselves. The House of
Lords was originally used as a Committee-room for the House of
Commons. The tapestry was bespoke by the Earl of Not-
tingham, who sold it to James I. It was put up .in the year
1650. In the Prince's chamber, where his Majesty robes, was
a piece of tapestry representing the birth of Queen Elizabeth ;
Anne Sullen, in her bed; an attendant on one side, and a
nurse, with the child on the other; beyond is Harry, with his
courtiers.

The Court of Requests is a largp room modernised. It takes
its name .from the Masters receiving petitions of the subjects
to the King, in which they requested justice, and the Masters
advised them how to proceed.
That Court of Justice, so tremendous in the Tudor and part
of the Stuart reign, the Star Chamber, still keeps it name,
which was taken from the stars with which its roof was said to
have been painted, which were obliterated before the reign of
Elizabeth. The Commons nts Great Britain hold their assem-
blies in St. Stephen's Chapel, built by King Stephen, and de-
dicated to his namesake the protomartyr. It was beautifully
rebuilt by Edward 111. 1347, and by him made a collegiate
church, and a Dean and twelve secular Priests appointed.--
Soon after its surrender to Edward VI., it was applied to its
present use. The revenues at that period wete not less than
1,0851. a-year. The under chapel had been a most beautiful
building ; the greater part is preserved, but frittered into vari-
ous divisions, and near the entrance to the lobby of the Com-
mons is the finest gothic screen in the world. The roof is
gothic workmanship, not to be paralleled even by the beautiful
Chapel of Henry VII. Several parts are walled up for the
meanest uses ; even a portion serves, with its rich roof, for a
coal-hole.

There is at present in Liverpool a native of
Van Diemen's Land. lie is a youth. The in-
tercourse with the interior of that country being
very limited, the natives are objects of curiosity
even to the settlers themselves. The following
letter, addressed by the Governor of the colony
to Mr. KEIBIODE, of this town, gives an ac-
count of the manner in which the boy fell
into the hands of the settlers, and explains the
object which the benevolent Governor has

in view in sending him 'to this country. The
boy may be seen at Mr. liEamooF's, 2, York-
street. He is, in our opinion, well deserving of
the countenance of the benevolent and humane.
The land of his birth is at present uncivilized ;
but the education of a few of its natives in the
arts and manners of civilized life will be the
most effectual means of reclaiming the whole
native population from the state of barbarism in
which they are now sunk.

" Goverment-House, Hobert-Town, Sept. 15, 1821.
" DEAR SIR—As you have expressed an inclination to take
the native Diemese George to England, in which disposition
of him I most readily concur, it will be well to tell you his
history. About two years ago, this boy, and one much
younger, were found in the woods above New Norfolk, be-
ing at the time, as it appeared, abandoned by their parents;
probably in consequence of a sudden interruption from the
appearance of the settlers' servants who discovered them. They
were both brought to flobart- Town, and this boy has since remain-
ed under my care: the other died of a bowel-complaint, having
been placed at nurse in the country. The boy who now goes
to your charge was christened George Van Diemen, and has
since been taught his letters and his prayers ; but, though he
has become obedient and tractable, and is weaned from his
wandering habits, and even is tolerably clean, very little
expansion of intellect is yet perceptible. I believe, also,
that he is sufficiently impressed with the law of meum
and team, and would not take anything except to eat;
with respect to which, I am afraid, he is open to tempta-
tion. I believe only one native boy from this island has
yet been taken home, and as the experiment of instructing
and civilizing a being of a race so little known may attract
the notice of some persons in your great, liberal, and enlight-
ened town, I am very happy of this occasion of trying it.
Should my expectations in that respect be realized, you would,
of course, feel authorized to have George, on your return to
this country, in any hands that you may consider fit to ensure
his good treatment and education ; and he would, of course, be
allowed by his Majesty's Government a passage back to his
own land, when he approaches or arrives at manhood. If
things take the other turn, I would beg of you to bring George
back with you, only securing him as to instruction, religious
and moral, during your stay in England.—Believe me, dear
Sir, very faithfully yours,
(Signed) " W. 51. SORELL,
Deputy-Governor of Van Diemen's Laud."
( Liverpool Courier.)

EVASION OF THE NEW MARRIAGE ACT.--A-
couple having, during the week, given notice to the clerk of
one of the chapels in Whitehaven, that the bans of their mar-
xiage were to be put up, and understanding that their names
must be placed for three successive Sundays on the chapel
doors, requested that in that case they might be fixed behind
the door, as the act did not forbid it. This is not unlike Lord
Rochester's evasion of the Lamp Act, who, as directed by that
act, had a lamp placed before his door, but never lit it, as the
act did not specify that it was necessary to do so.
A robbery was committed on the Ipswich
coach coming up to town, to the amount of Forty
Thousand Pounds in Bank Notes. As the person
in whose care the above Notes were entrusted,
on leaving the coach for one minute, on his return
found the bag stolen. The above property was
from four different Banks.