Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-10-17

St. Johns College, Cambridge, where he graduated
in 1900, without, however, appearing in the list ri
w%rnnglers of that yenr. In 1906, he was called 10 the
bar nj Lincoln Slim, and engaged i'll the active pur.
suit of the law. He had already marri"d mt on early
age, and 4 rnpidly-incrcasin family gave n stiumulus
Ia his pr.f, ssinnal rxcrti"ns. The moment WIS p".u.
linriy unfavorahir to the public career ~ n y"uny
man, entering in life with principles wholly opposed
20 the dominant school OF high Tory politics. and con.
nccted by education, BY taste, and bv conscirnrc with
the men and the principles which were ioomrl To a
quarter nj A century OF opposition before they ub-
tainc'i Il footing in the Government of this country
and Mr.. Dcnman had none nj the qualifications which
could common him TO the Pcrcevnls or the E!lons
of TINT day.
He entered Parliament for the borough of Ware
ham al the general election Of 1918, and NJ once took
his seat with The Wing opposition. In the following
wear he was elected for Nottingham, for which plar,.
he continued to sit. ~ the great satisfaction OF his con-
stitucnts, until his promotion In tho Bench in 1877. -
His first appearance in Parliament wa, in favor of
certain reforms in the law, bat il was not until lS2o
that the extraordinary occasion Of the Queens trial
called forth all his CLERGY. AMI placed him in Il more
conspicuous position before the country. When
Queen Caroline formed the determination ni coming
To this country upon the accession tt her husband Ia
the throne, MIR. Brougham at once accepted the "fiirr
ut Her Maicsty's Attorney General, while that of her
Solicitor General was filled By Mr.. Dnmman. 1t was
impossible Ia declare war moro openly upon the Gov
eminent, upon the heads of the legal profession, AMI
upon tho private feelings oI the King. We now look
back with amazcm"ur on the spirit which pcrvm,ir,i
ilp country az that time. and on thu motives winch
induced men ri the highest ability and the pure-i
tame voluntarily 10 lend their advocacy To- II client
who had i'll Il thousand ways degraded her position
and disyraced her sex. BIT men like l.I-Iiimgton and
Drnman saw in the Queen n woman whose innuucra-
bic offences against ,!rcrncv and virtue might. thew
thought, IL. palliarcl hv the unworthy treatment ahc
had met with from her husband, and the furious spirit
Ot opposition which prevailed against George " and
his Minister'S animated them 10 the "umirrl, and en-
bcllIshcd even the worthless ana rrpulsivc object
;iIcv consented Ia serve. The phrl taken bv Mr.. Drn-
man IL ihrt memorable trial gave the public u hicli
idea OF his courage and upriyLincss, and contributed!
IA IL" slight degree To its successful result. His sac
rcs-, however, wills IN offence not To be pardpnrd by
the head Of the law rs long as Lord EiduiI held til
Great Seal, and accordingly thu hon"rs nj his pr"ir>-
sion, tu which Mr. Dcnmau was amply entitled By
his talents and his standing, were sru!Iou-lv Withheld
from linn, ~ far ~ they depended IN the will ni th"
Chancellor. Mr.. DrimHn WIS, however. appnint"!
to the Office ri Common Sergeant by the Corporation
ii London III ISL, probably rs Il mark OF their sym
patty for the legal defenders of III" Queen, IN whusc
affairs Alderman WaiillmHn had taken So active. II
part. |; was not until lS2S. when Lord l%.yndhnr-t
irst held the Great Seal, that this injustice was rcpar-
ed, and the King was induced i'll ISIS. NOT, we believe,
without difficulty, 10 grant the patent nj prcccticncc
:" which Mr.. Dcnman had lnng been entitled.
In ls.W the scrIr changed, ana upon the formation
Of Lord Grcy's Governments. Sir Thomas Dcnman
Wa Immediately raised Ia the post Of Attorney Gene
raj, which he held during the momcn:ous debates on
the Reform Bill. In lS31, however, upon the Gcaii.
ol Lord Tcnter,len. he was appointed 10 the Chief
.lu,iicr-hip ni tn" Court Of Queens Bench, which lie
held till 1854. having been raised la the pcrrH:" III
1881. A. Il Judge, we have already observed, that
Lord Dcnman cannot he ranked with the highest IL.
.ai authorities who have presided over that Court.
but no man ever took Il loiticr view Of is duties L.
society. To quote hut one example, ;hc conduct q!
The Court in the difficult case nt 'St0ckCnlc ~. Han
sard, - when il wa. directly assaulted by one branch -!
the Legislature. is a memorable instance of the cXrr-
else OF that constitutional power which "nab!cs nur
Judges to intcrposc ilc authority of the law against
the arbitrary prcr"nsions Of the most powerful body
in ihis realm, and Ia combat privilege in the name al
jns,ice. Most willingly would | Decline said Lord
Dcnnan in delivering Judgment OH that occasion, "to
enter upon M inquiry which may lcHd to my differing
from that great and powerful assembly lthc House OF
Commonly But, when one Of my cllow-subl.rts
presents himself before me III this Court demanding"
Justice for an injury, it is not ut my option 10 grant or
"a withhold redress. | am bound to afford it him, II III"
law declares linn entitled To II. Parliament !" snrl t"
be supreme. most fully acknowledge lis supreme
cv. II tDNrrs, then, hat NEITHER b,HHch ~ II ~ >I-
prtme mhcA oriing by iSli." In those few words
and in the judicial power "t enforcing tha: truth. lns
III" supreme guardianship" Of the liberties al England.
Lard Dcnman lived tho life ni a rcfnrnrcr 81 abuses,
aud an enemy of nj! that III h- judgment cluuic'i the
honor or inquired the public ntiii'y 81 our in-titn-
tions. lie power
fully contributed Ia the furil"rancc Of those reforms
1T IN. criminal law which Sir Samuel Romily had ,
aud which Lord DrnuHn brought Ia ia" =
of his own judicial experience. I" the cause at
md freedom within the boundaries at law ,
he NJ Ill tlmcs gave hs hearty support, ind in all the ,
undertakings set on foot in "nr day for more extended
rnpuinr education, for the diffusion III useful kunwI.
fr the reformation of criminal offenders, and !
;nr other acts Of enlightened charity, he readily bore !
hS part. The warmth he hal sometimes displayed rs "
n partisan gradually subsidized under the higher datirs =,
oi hs judicial station and the soothing influence Of :
n.e. His closing years, though afflicted by severe
Illne,s, wrr; s"rc!ciy devoted t" HAT con'"nrln'i"E
il the w"rthir.t termination of human LIFT" ,
those acts of kindness which cnlrar the memory nt !
tho dcparird-Gni 10 the exercises "f religion winch ;
anticipate the final change. We rank him NOT with .
the grcatc-., but with the wortlirst I'll omr Con;,npD- ,
laric-, and thu lie he led affords, in our Judgment, u =
better example Ia those who follow hiIn than that ~
more eager and lmpctuoa- aspirants utter power aud