The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-30

thoroughly digested what he has read. He is
also endowed with a strong logical faculty,
intensely Scotch, which enables him TO knit his
premises and COnclusions together with rare firm.
ness and teuaCity. Where be fails Is In manner.
There is uOta particle of real arrogance or assump-
ton in his character; and yet, not long ago, he
managed TO get intoa very disagrecaDle difference
with the sheriff and county magistrates at an
assiZe town, and made the public think him
wrong, when most probably he was substantially
right. lie was educated nc EtOn amt Trinity
College, CAMBRIDGE, whore he took degree Ia
mathematics. His friends thought highly Of
him, and he was enrolled a mcmuer Of the club
OF society called "lhe Apostles" which boasts of
having worked wonders 10 the domains Ofthougnt
and imagination. lt my lay claim TO man Of
genius or two, and several men OF talent, as
having belonged 70 the fraternity, but as regards
national thought or progress, IT'S annals mi Iht b'
cut out of the intellectual history OF England
without being missed.
Mr.. Justice MCllur is turning ont a fair AVERAGE
judge, although he had no marked or recognized
qualifications for he prultrmuut. lie was q SER
rtautat-'aw In tUlCrahle practice, @ member Of
parliament, aud highly respected by his friends.
he is admitted TO possess sense, patience, and
imrnItiHlHy.
Mr. Jusico Shcc, along with fair reputation
as "a lawyt brings elements of strength and con-
udCucc which are IarCr and not less valuaD.e-a
man y Independence of character, q sold and
comprehensive understanding, "a generous dis
position, and commanding powers Of CN-
preston TO enforce the dictates of his reason aud
hi, heart. Am Iushmau, Roman Catholic, and
% member during a four years session for the
county of Kilkenny, he was exposed 90 more
thpu ordinary temptation but he never dIrrcs-cd
into tuC by-paths Of pOitics, nor ever c3mprD-
missed himself by the adoption of the unteuab,e
doctrines which his constituents would ttu have
iOICtd on him. We believe that it was Bu entire
mistake TO suppose that bis prefermenI was de-
luytd on account Of bis religion.
The Chief Justice Of the Common Pleas Sir
William Erie, is OF good DOrsetshirc family, tine
a|..H NN
Ch, ster and New College, Oxford. His entire
CaIOOr has been successful and irrcpr0aclabIc, [,
but his best qualities are none of SNOWY quality
He is % good scholar, a good speaker, an excel
lent lawyer, an accomplished and agrccab c gen
tltman yet we should be puzzled to point 20 any
particular occasion on which he came out I'm a
manner to attract extraordinary attention or ap.
plausc. His panuess Of manner, also, and
a slight touch Of prOvlucaism in his speech, are
apt 90 hide the genuine refinement OF his mind
from those who DO not know him well. MSen
he first joined the Western Circuit, il partOok
a good deal Of the nature of q pleasure party
and an amusing anCcdote is told Of his half
serious rtmOnstrance with Wilde lLO-d TrurOl
who had no taste for the prolonged mCrrimcuJ OF
the mess table, for equestrian expeditions to the
sea-COast.
u tell you what it is. Wilde till you came the
circuit, We lived tolCrably idle life, like gentle
men; evening consultations we're mere formal
matters, very rapidly got over and when we
came into court in the morning, we were all
pretty nearly on par, so far rs concerned int-
mate acquaintance with our briefs. Now, you
have set the example of sitting up half the night
pOring over them; and the rest OF US must do
likewise to keep pace with you Wilde also set
the example of long speeches. bad habit, which
long survived him on the scene Of his earliest
forensic victories.
Erlu was member for the city Of Oxford from
1897 to 1871; but he made no attempt at pirlla-
mentary distinction; and when, in lSij he was
appointed to puisnc judgcship in the Common
IN Vt0e hat Fkara
appeared strong comments in the leading news
papers en- the alleged Injustice or preferring him
to Mr.. afterwards BarOn) Platr. He was removed
to the Queens Bench in 1916, and appointed to
the dignity he now fills in 1859. He has every
reason 70 congratulate himself on HE colleagues,
and, as regards authority on law questions, is
thought 10 preside over the strongest Of the COM
mon law courts.
Mr.. Justice Vaughan Williams, especially
strong in special pleading and real property law,
would rarely be found wanting or tripping Ia any
branch OF English jurisprudence; aud his whole
soul is In the effective discharge of his duty. Ur-
luckily, an incipient deafness threatens to impair
his utility az Judge of assizc but las in the case
of the late Judge Pattersonl the public, if they
had a choice in the matter, would be extremely
ill.adyised not TO put up with his nfrmity.
Mr. Justice Wiles was pet proiege Of Lord
Wenseydale, which is a sufficient guarantee for
his legal requirements as well rs tolerably sure
indication Of his quality of mind. Admirable
ingenuity, combined with an extreme tOudnesl
for technical distinctions and fine (nOt always
obvious analogies aud trains Of reasoning is his
forte. He iscOnsequently safer in double than
in single harness, but q most valuable member
OF a court in all respects. lie is by birth an IRISH
man, u native OF Cork, and graduated a. Trinity
College, Dublin
To come TO the ESchGquer. The chief baron,
Sir Frederick Pollock would hold very high
place among the intellectual nOtabililies Of ms
time, even had he never adopted law rs his pro-
fesson. His mind is undoubtedly one OF extra
ordinary grasp, vigOr, and versatility; and If he
had stuck 10 mathematlcs or mcchNncS, ne mlgut
be now in the same category with the herscuels
Aireys, De Morgans, and Babblges. We allude
not merely 70 the senior wranglersAip, which was
his starting point, but to the manner in which
be grapples with the scientific ques-
tiOns which come before him. No man,
writes Lord BrOugham, "can doubt that
a familiar Acquaintance with mathematical
principles, mathematical methods Of demon
stTation, and the doctrines Of mechanical and
of chemical science, IS Of unspeakable import
ance to the practical lawyer" The chief baron S
general requirements, too, are varied and eXten-
sNe, and his aTgumenIatiye powers are Of the
highest order when he is sufficiently warmed and
stimulated to pIt them forth. 1t must be admit
ted, however, that his mind is subject to fits Oi
suggishness, or demands intervals OF repOse; for
his business at the bar was sometimes discharged
in IerfunCtOry manner and he Is rather unduly
prone to talk himself into the subject, as 1t were
by a running coloquy with counsel from the
bench. As one example among many, we may
refer 20 that which must be fresh in the memory
of our readers, the argument in the Alexandra
case, in which he maintained his ground aglinS
a formidable antagonist, Sir Roundell Palmer
without the semblunCe OF an appeal for iOrOear
anCe on the score of his elevated position or hii
age. His easy disposition, habitual good temper
and considerate kindness are well known,
When a "tne old man" was mentioned II
Swif's presence, he broke out angry -" There
| is no such thing if his head or heart had beer
! worth anything they would have worn him on
| long ago" Sir Frederick Pollock, born IN 1888
! must be admitted to form an exception 70 thu
rule He was elected a member Of the House o
| Commons in 1881, and was attorneys general il
| Sir Robert Pees short administration OF 1884
He came in again with bis party in 1871, and wa
| made chief baron In 1914. Although he neye