Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-03-03

At this time when the subject If the sala-
ries Of Federal Judges has teen the subject
of so much discussion, brief review Of the
scale Of stipend Paid the English Judiciary
may not be inappropriate. The Lord Chan
celor. who is speaker of the House Of Lords
and D." keeper of the Queens conscience,
] the highest law officer known to the English
constitution, receives 10000 year, 81
600 on entering on bis office, and retiring
pension of -, 600 the Lord Chief Justice
of England receives IS, O00; the Lord Chief
Baron and Lord Chief Justice Of the Common
Pleas receive 1900 a year. The retiring
pension Of each of these judges is the same
as the Lord Chancellor, and on leaving the
bench they are almost invariably appointed
members Of the Judicial committee Ct the
Privy Council. and in that capacity render
good service, though Of kind infinitely less
laborious than that on the bench. The
Lords Justices Of Appeal in tie Court OF
Chancery receive Il 900 a year, the Vice
Chancellor 81, 600 q year, the Master of the
Rolls - 600 a year The Judge of the
court of Probate receives $4,000 year as
Judge ofthat Court, and $1,000 year as
Judge Ordinary Of the Court Of Divorce.
His duties, in common with those OF the other
Judges, are very onerous.
The basis on which these salaries are liked
is that of the earnings Of leading members
of the bar. 1t must be tolerably clear that
such an one is the true standard. The argu-
ment used by the advocates Of low salaries
for our Judges, that at the present rates
of pay there Is no difficulty in filling the
places, is good go far as it goes and if they
we're reduced to one half their present rates,
the number of applicants for them would
probably be still larger; but the question Is,
whether the salary ola United States Judge
Is adequate to the duties Of the Office, and II
it is sufficient to secure tie best men for the
place The English bar Is crowded with
aspirants for legal honois, and the dignity
attached is the position Of judge IN
England is very great; yet it is believed
there that it would be impossible to secure
the services of the first men in the profession
as Judges if the remuneration offered were
very inferior to that obtained by them as
barristers; and further, that the salary of
Judge ought to be sufficient to place him
above temptation, and enable him to live in
style BETTING his high Office. The practical
working Of this system is, that no member OF
the English bar, however eminent, but re-
CARDS the office of judge as an object of am
bition and whatever may be the defects OF
the English legal system, one fact in regard
to it is certain-that the judges and their
judgments are held in high and well-deserved
estimation. The tenor of the recent debates
in Congress shows that public opinion is not
vet prepared to see the salaries Of our Judges
put at their proper standard, the slight and
wholly inadequate increase recently made in
them being obtained only after severe strug-
gle vet the indications are hopeful that the
country is getting to recognize the fact that
in law, as IN other. matters, if you want
a good thing you must pay for it, and
that when Judge is in question you want
very good thing indeed.