Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-06-12
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
THE BRITISH COURTS OF Law
FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.

THE BRITISH COURTS OF LAW.
FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.
The administration Of the laws over the whole
Neld Of civil comms sies criminal, and ecclesiastical
.iurisaic4ior " ~ 5 nation AZ - Bxitsh In
sC0urN u indeed : raost ecnplS6sted piece Of ma
chinery but yet far from being 80 abstruse and
intricate as it is generally supposed to be- Few per-
SONS, indeed except professionally legal ones make
any very elaborate inquiries upon the subject, nor
can it be expected that they should do so; but we
fear that not one man out of every five hundred in
Great Britain has even that elementary knowledge
which it might, priori be supposed he would have
respecting matter SO connected with his own we'll
being and the interests and rights ofyhis fellow
countrymen If we are within any proximate de-
gree of truth in this opinion we cannot greatly
in supposing that at least an equal absence of in
formation arising from neglect to inquire, exists
in the United States although there it would be
entirely excusabe Yet we are decidedly Of opinion
that, generally speaking, there is a much higher
Average of information respecting the history, the
laws and the constitution Of England in the United
States than there is in England itself. We do not
say this either in praise of one country or in dero
cation of the other; we merely state what we be-
ieve to be fact, arising from the peculiar circum-
stances of each country, and from which it
would be far from difficult to explain. Be this as it
may, we have thought that brief outline of the
construction, duties, and peculiar field of action of
the various British courts of law might not prove
uninteresting to our transatlantic friends.
The Sovereign is intrusted by the constitution
with the whole executive power Of the law, and has
the power of appointing the judges, but not of re-
moving them, which can only be done, since l3
William Ill on the address of both Houses of Par
lament impeaching their good conduct nor are the
e Al
Crown The judges thus hold their responsible Of
fees by the most independent title, and are separa
ed from all political influence, either of the Crown
the Legislature, or the Executive Government
Until the / William Nv. the number of common
law judges was II, viz. one chief judge and three
puisne judges in each court. One puisne Judge was
then added to each court The courts of COMMON
LAW are now organized as follows:
Cosst Of Qssn,s> Bench. A
Lord Chief Justice Of England, Lord Campbell,
salary
Justices, (Coleridge, Wightman, Erie, and Cromp-
ton salary Of each. 5000
Court Of Common Pleas.
Lord Chief Justice, (Sir John Jervis) 200
Justices, iaue, Cresswell, Williams and Tafourd,)
salary OF 6,0OO
Court of Erchequer.
Lord Chief Baron, (Sir Frederick Pollock) 1000
Barons, Parker, Anderson, Platt and Martin sa-
larry of ............................. 5000
annually through England and Wales, for the ad-
ministraton of civil and criminal justice in every
county. For this purpose the country is divided
into eight circuits. The judges, according to Sc
niority, choose their circuits which are held in the
spring and fall
The Courts OF EQUITY form distinct part of
the administration of the law Their jurisdiction
is of very extensive nature, especially in all mat
ters relating to trusts of which they have exclusive
cognizance. The Equity Judges are the Lord
Chancellor, the Master of the Rolls the two Lords
Justices Of the Court of Chancery Appeal, and the
three Vice Chancellors The LORD CHANCELLOR
is political officer of the highest Importance and
influence, and his duration of Office depends upon
the existence of the administration of which he is
member He is a privy councillor, and has always
seat in the Cabinet, where he has great weight in
all mixed questions of law and politics. He is also
the adviser of the Royal Family in all cases of
doubt and difficulty affecting the interest of any of
its members. He is at the head Of the Judges and
head of the Law. He has great power and patron
age The present Chancery officers are
LORD CHAsoELLon-Lord St. LeOnards, (sugden; ssla-
ry E10,00o.
JupoEsor CHAsoERY APpEAI,-Sir James Knight Bruce
and Lord Cranworth salary Of each G6, 900.
MASTER OF RoLLs-Sr John Romilly salary
E6,O00. a
Vrcr CHAscELLoRs-sir James Turner, Sir R. T. Kin
dersey and Sir James Parker; salary Of each e50o0
All the Equity Judges, with the exception of the
Lord Chancellor are separated from political power,
and independent Of its influence the Master of
the Rolls holding his appointment for life, and the
Vice Chancellors and Lords Justices of Appeal du-
ring good behavior. The Lord Chancellor and Chief
Judges Of the Common Law Courts possess consdera-
blepatronage to the appontmentsin respective
courts; but all sinecures have been abolished.
So much for the present organization of these
Courts With respect to the duties attached to the
separate Courts, and their special Jurisdictions, we
have, commencing with the Common Law Courts,
briefly to state as follows The Court of QUEENS
BENCH has always exercised q supreme original ju-
rlsdiction in all criminal matters. Its authority is
transcendent; it is the highest court of Common
Law 1t superintends all civil corporations in the
kingdom; grants wrts of nadndamus to restore to
corporations, colleges &c. officers who have been
unustly expelled, and writs of quo pa,ranto against
corporations or persons usurpng franchises or ber
ties It Furnishes by due course Of law all officers of
justice and inferior magistrates for wilful and cor
rupt abuse Of their authority It protects the liberty
of the subject by speedy and summary nterpositio,
and, in common with the other Superior Courts and
Court Of Chancery relieves by writ Of haJeas corpus
persons wrongfuly imprisoned, andmay bail any per-
son whatever. An appeal from the judgments Of the
Court lies by writ Of error to the Court Of Exchequer
Chamber. The Court of Queens Bench holds it's
sittings in Westminster Hall. The sovereign used
formerly sometimes to SIT in this Court in person,
and therefore IL was moveable with the Court or