The Sun.
London, England, 1857-06-02 00:00:00

LEGAL. EDUCATION.

(Fioeo the kvamine2..)
One of the many snbjects which is to be cast upon
the brea•l shou!ders of the nett session is that of the
compulsory examinations recommended by the coals
miseionere of 1855, for the purpose of securing a
competent know'ek!'e of la* by persons entering
the legal pi ore-Sion. The Inner and Middle Temples
admit he propriety of such a system, but Gray's-
inn and Lincoln's-inn are recusant; so • that the
subject is to remain over, with ail the evils'attend-
ant upon the existing state of things, until the
great legal cerporetious shall be of one way of think-
ing. Next session it will probably be said that Par-
liamentary
Reform is business enough to engross its !,
time and attention ; and thus a question will in ad !
likelihood be postponed again in which the public
has a very serious interest. There is too much of •
this procrastination. lt weiedevoutly to be wished
that there was some process to make the thieves of
time and their accomplices amenable to justice.
Whatever mey be urged in defence of things as
they are, on the ground that the public is sure to
decide correctly in the long run on the qualifica-
tions of members of the bar freely competing for
professional business, there is a large and most im-
portant clazs of cases to which the argument is ut-
terly inappEcable. The public is surely entitled at
least to have some guarantee for the capacity and
attainments of barristers appointed to all legal or
judicial offices. At present there is•none. A cer-
tain number of years' professional standing is the
only peremptory qualification' for a multitude of
situations requiring a high degree of legal effici-
ency, and there are numerous places, especially in
the colonies, for which the mere wearing of a wig
and gown is the single test of eligib lity. Now,
assuming it to be right. to rely generally on the
principle of competition, or, in other words, to
throw the onus on individuals engaged in litigation
to make a judicious selection of their legal advisers,
ought there not to be some better security for fit-
ness in the case of a man employed and paid by the
country for his professional services We have no
such blind confidence in the distribution -of patro-
nage by any Minister as to leave matters of.such
moment as this absolutely in his • hands, with no
rules to govern him but that his nominees are to be
of six or seven years' standing, or barristers in
"actual practice." The Minister may possibly
select competent men within those loose limits, but
what guarantea is there that he will be guided in
his choice by merit only ? What protection is there
against any of the influences that tend so strongly
to improper selections 1 What reason can the
public have for believing that any given appoint-
ment has been conscientiously made on no other
ground but that of the requisite amount of know-
ledge and ability ? We do not live in Utopia.
There is such a thing as nepotism. Dispensers of
place, like other men, have sons, sons-in-law, and
nephews. At all events, they have friendships and
prepossessions ; or they are under political or pri-
vate obligations ; or they are influenced by those
who are ; in short, there a hundred temp-
tations to make wrong promotions, while, be-
vend the sense of duty to the public, which sits on
most men so lightly, there is nothing whatever to
Trees, or Void them. It is evident, therefore, that
there should at least be a public test of legal attain-
meets for candidates for legal offices. Until there
is there will never be the confidence that ought to
exist in the administration of justice. Unfit men
will he always creeping into employments through
the notorious variety of crooked and dirty ways ;
and the most competent will not carry the weight
which the public proof of their abilities would give
tliern..,We do not say that examination ought to be
the solo test; but we are satisfied it ought to be one
of the teats by which fitness for legal situations
should be ascertained.
Taking the instance of the county courts, we
cannot but think it would materially add to their
consequence and usefulness were theirjudgesknown
to be men who had all passed with credit a compe-
titive examination in the principles and practice of
law by the heads of the profession. It appears to
us that much of the reluctance which we observe,
even on the part of Government itself, to extend
the jurisdiction of these courts arises from the want
of confidence which a public demonstration of at-
tainments would supply. We have an instance of
this in the discussions in the House of Lords ou the
Divorce Bill. It was suggested, and very properly,
by Earl they, that some of the questions arising
under the bill should be disposed of by the judges
of the county courts. "He could not understand,"
he said, "why somelocal tribunal, upon due cause
shown by the wife, and after the husba,ndhad a full
opportunity of being beard, should not be empowered
to decree a separation d mosso, et thoro. He would
not, however, give that power to a single justice,
however high his opinion was of the magistracy of
England as a body. He believed that the desired
protection might be secured by bringing such cases
within the jurisdiction of the county courts."
On the other band, we co'lect from what fell
from the Lord Chancellor that he has not sufficient
confidence in the county courts to vest in them
any part of the jurisdiction which the House of
Lords is about to part with. Although the de-
clared object of the bill is to extend to all classes
of society a relief that hitherto has been the mono-
poly of wealth, and the county courts therefore so
obviously present themselves as the natural deposi-
taries of a jurisdiction intended to be popular and
cheap, they are not to be trusted with it ; and this
we cannot help ascribing to the feeling that these
atibutials do not command all the respect that ought

to belong to them, even in the opinion of the Lord
Chancellor, who chiefly responsible for their cha-
acter and efficiency.

THE NEW CLUB-HOUSE OF THE JUNIOR
UNITED SERVICE CLUB, REGENT-STREET.

(From the Builder.)

The design is in the Italian style of archite3ture,
the bow-window in Regent-street forming a promi-
nent feature in the composition, above which is a
sculptured group allegorical of the army and navy.
The whole of the sculpture and ornamental details
throughout the building is characteristic of the
profession of the members of the club. The exterior
of the building is surmounte I by a richly-sculp-
tured cornice, with modillion and dentils, and
beneath it an elaborate frieze, having medal-
Ilions with trophies and other suitable em-
blems, separated from each other bythe rose, sham-
rock, and thistle. The external walls of the build-
ing are of Bath stone, and the balustrade round
the area is of Portland stone ; upon the angle-
pieces of this will be bronze lamps, supported by
figures not yet placed in position. On the left of
the entrance-hall is the morning-room, 63 feet by
30 feet, with a bow-window fronting Regent-street.
On the rig'it of the hall is the members' coffee-
room, 65 feet by 41 feet, With a bow-window front-
ing harles-street. At the back of the members'
coffee-room is the visitors' coffee-room, 55 feet by
21 feet, lighted by a turret-light, filled with painted
glass, and separated from the members' coffee-room
by Sienna marble columns in scagliola, in pairs.
Communicating with this is the hou-m dining-room,
23 feet by 22 feet ; and beyond this the smoking-
room, 54 feet by 22 feet, lighted by a dome-light with
painted glass, and approached from a corridor lead-
ing from the entrance-hall, with an exit for mem-
bers in St. Alban's-place. Upon the first floor
fronting Regent-street, and over the morning-
room, and of the same dimensions, is the evening-
room, which is also used as a picture-gallery, 24
feet high, with a bow-window fronting Regent-
street. lu the gallery are portraits of military
and naval commanders, her Majesty and Prince
Albert, and the Emperor Napoleon, and an alle-
gorical group in silver, presented to the club by
the Emperor. Messrs. Nelson and Inues, of
Whitehall, were the architects. Mr. John Thomas
executed the sculpture. The total cost of the
building will be about 50,0001.

The Archbishop of Paris has narrowly escaped being
poisoned. He partook of an ice, into which some
colouring matter, composed of acetate of lead had been
introduced.
The Count do Nieuwcrkerke has made proposals to
the legatees of M. Paul Delaroche for the purchase of
several of that artist's pictures for the Louvre.
A rumour is afloat that the Nord is to be given up.
In most parts of France the appearance of the grow-
ing crops of grain is described as most favourable,
e,but,
owing to the reduction in the stocks, and to the activity
of the demand for immediate consumption, the recent
high prices are maintained. In the United States
the wheat
the
seo:wa is backward, but the appearance of
plant is generally promising.
rrHE EDINBURGH, PERTH, AND DUNDEE AND SCOTTISH
CENTRAL RAILWAY COMPANIES.—The directors of the
Edinburgh, Perth, and Dundee Railway Company have
published a statement in regard to the working agree-
and the Scottish Central
between that company
ITlR''ainitway Company. The agreement, which came into
operation in January, 1856, and has now terminated,
gave rise to a long correspondence with regard to the
pr )portion borne by the actual working expenditure of
each line to the expenditure with which it was charge-
atde under the agreement. The directors of the Edin-
burgh, Perth, and Dundee line state their conviction
that the prospects of their company will not suffer by
independent management.
An elegant banquet of the officers of the Queen's Dra-
goon Guards took place yesterday, at the London
Tavern ; the Hon. H. J. C. Cavendish, colonel of the
regiment, in the chair, supported by Lieutenant-Colonel
H. Campbell, Captains Keene, O'Hara, C. Hutchinson,
G. P. Smith, Seymour, Silveeter, Calvert, Me roll, &c.
THE COMING ALLlGATOR—Arrangements are making
in the Z )ological Gardens, Regent's-park, fur the recep-
tion of an alligator, which is expected to arrive at
Southampton in the West India steamer Orinoco about
the middle of next month from the great swampy river
near Grey Town; in Central America,
. .. .

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