Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1858-04-14
MISCELL A n Y

Law and Lawyers--.The Chancellorship.
The literary editor of the Philadelphia Press
gives US the following:
If the Lord Chancellor of England could only
obtain permanency in office, he might esteem
himself fortunate man. His station places him
next but one in rank to the Royal Family-the
Archbishop OF Canterbury alone taking preced'
ence of him-and also makes him preside over
the political discussions and legal proceedings OF
| the House of Lords In addition to this, he is
at the head of the law and of the Judges of Eng
land. To compensate him, a fixed salary OF $780,,
| 600 is paid him while in office, and he has q
ife-pension Of $4,000 on his retirement. The
other Judges receive pensions after fifteen years
service, or on retiring from i'll health
| Nor is this all The Lord Chancellor is made
peer on taking Office. Thus Sir Frederick
Theslger sits in the House of Lords, not merely
as Chancellor, but also as Baron Chelmsford
| Were he only Commoner, as Chanceilors fre-
ouently were in former times, he could only pre-
! side in the Lords, and in the Court OF Ohancery'
without the power of speaking or voting in the
former assembly. AS Lord Chelmsford he is an
hereditary legislator, the limitation OF his pa
tent of nobility expressly giving succession IN
his title to his "msle heirs lawfully begotten. -
Thus, Lords Lyndhurst, Brougham, st, Leonards
and Cranworth continue 10 sit in the House ol
Lords, though they have severally ceased to oc'
cupy the Woolsack.
| By the way, the expression "the noble Lore
ON the Woolsack, often applied to the Chancel
! Ior, in parliamentary parlance, may require ex'
planation in this country. AT remote period
when wool was considered the staple produce Of
England-long before Merino, Saxon, Hunga-
rian aud Australian heeces were in the market
Icommsnding higher prices-the etiquette OF
Parliament, anxious to compliment trade, placed
woolsack in the House of Lords, as the seat Of
the Chancellor, who presides over that assem-
bly,. Hundreds of years have passed since that
| seat was first placed, but the custom continues
| The woolsack, at present, and for long time
past, has been somewhat of an ideality. 1t look:
| like square cotton-bale, covered with red dam
ask, and its occupant need not feel the want o
farms" and regular back to his seat, seeing
that he can and does very we'll support hllnsel
by means of substantial cushions. ln fact, In
dependent OF the peerage and $4,000 q year
! the "Woolsaok" Is comfortable seat.
Besides pay, the Chancellor, has liberal pat
ronage He has voice potential In advising
the Grown as TO the appointment OF every Other
judicial and legal official. He appoints, and cal
remove, all justices OF the peace, usually acting
as county magistrates upon the Lord Lieuten
ants recommendation. He appoints to the sew
en- hundred Grown livings, each OF which is val
ued at 500 year in the Queens books-whlcl
actually includes many valuable livings, some 0
them valued formerly at $40, but now, from the
increase of population and trade, S5,OOO year
He has the patronage OF all offices IN his OWL
court.
His duties, presumed and actual, are heavy
As Privy Councillor and Cabinet Minister, Ia
participates in the responsible task of governing
the British Empire,-advisng his colleagues Oh
all mixed subjects of law and politics, and In al
matters relating to police, law and justice. H
is officially looked upon as keeper OF the Sow
ereign's conscience, and is supposed to be th'
adviser of the members of the Royal Family, il
case of doubt and difficulty, in which their in
terests are involved. He is the er ottcio guard
ian, and absolutely so if their property be "ii
Chancery."
His executive duties make him preside by pre-
>cription as Speaker of the House OF Lords, enc
also as their Lordship's chiefjudge in their cour
of appellate jurisdiction, before which appeal
come from every court law and equity in Eng
land, Ireland and Scotland. The Chancellor
with singular want OF delicacy, often hear
and decides upon appeals against his own declS
ion So between the Cabinet, the Prlvy Ooun
Gil, the House OF Lords and the Chancery Court
the lawyer who is Lord Chancellor has his hand
always full.
By the Catholic Relief act of 1929, q Roman
Catholic cannot be Lord Chancellor. 1t wa
feared that he might dispense church patronag
not quite to the advantage OF the church. Bu
the original holders of the Office were not only
Catholics, but generally ecclesastics. The Ohan
cellor was sort of confidential chaplain to th'
King, or, before the reformation, his confesso
and conscience keeper. He then was the King
chief secretary, advising the sovereign on vari
ous temporal matters; preparing and transcrlo
ing royal mandates, grants, and charters, ant
giving them validity by affixing the Kings seal
His appointment actually took place by tn
great seal being formally delivered to him. Car
dinal Wolsey was Chancellor to Henry Vlll.-
The last churchman who filled the office wa
Williams, Protestant Archbishop of York, IL
the last five years Q620 to 1920 OF the reign @
James l. In the same century the Earl O
SALISBURY, who was neither an ecclesiastic no
a lawyer, was appointed Lord Chancellor.
Much OF the Ohancellor's judicial business ha
been greatly ightened during the last forty years
by giving him assistant or auxiliary Judges
The Master of the Rolls (annual salary $4,000
"AtA' - AO1hh pSuSiOu VI p1C,VOO,) 10 III LluiV
Judge OF great antiquity, with separate court
. and the power of hearing and determining orr
ginally the same matters as the Lord Chancellor
whose signature must be attached, however, t
his orders or DEGREES before they can be enroll
ed. There are, also, with equal powers, tw
Lord Justices of Appeal, each with annual 50
lares of $4,000, and three Vice Chancellors
each with $4,000.
The Chancellor has one awback-its wan
of permanency. Every other British Judg
holds a life appointments the Lord Chanceo
goes out OF Office when his party do, for his i.
political appointment. 1t is true that his fall
broken by life pension of $4,000. No Brit
lsh lawyer, if he once has occupied the judicis
bench, can ever return to private practice
Hence, large salaries, (though not more tba
half of a successful lawyers income at the bar
with liberal retiring pensions, tempt the yer
Il. -.