Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1873-01-29

/ the following facts are interesting:
Mr.. Justice Hammer, who has lust
been appointed to succeed Lord Pen
zanee as Judge of the English Probate
and Divorce Court, is the youngest
Judge on the bench. He never took
silk" as il is termed-i. G., was called
within the inner bar as q Queens
cOunsel-but was raised direct from
being a stuff gown barrister to a seat
on the bench. He will be the third
Judge appointed to the Court Of Pro-
bate and Divorce since its institution,
in 1858.
The salary attached to this Office is
the same as that OF the ordinary
Judges S25, 900 year-with retiring
pension of S17, 500 after fifteen years
service. The position is difficult and
arduOus, but the temptation to take
the post is that the Judge of this court
is an autOcrat, and is always appoint
ed a member of the Privy Council,
and has more patronage at his dispos-
al tIian all the rest of the Judges put
togeth"r. When the English probate
system was remodeled, in 1853, the
various ancient courts, both civil and
ecclesiastical, for proving wills, were,
at a stroke, superseded by the Court
of Probate, and in their stead forty
district registries " established over
the country, at large towns where
wills are proved. A new will must
now be proved within the district in
which the testatOr died, or at the prin-
cipal registry in London. The Judge
of the cOult appoints all these regis
trars, both in town and country, and
in this way has patronage to the ex-
tent of about $3.50, GOO year.
In former days the judges sold their
patronage, and the first Lord Ellen
borough was offered S4O0, 600 for the
reveTsiOn of the place of clerk of the
Kings Bench. He declined this of
fer, and gave the appointment to his
son, who died two years ago, having
held the ofiice-woTth S35, 900 a wear
about forty years. The stO. V is we'll
known of how his father heard of the
vacancy when out riding on horse
back, Immediately dismOunted, told
his groom to hold the horse, and tax
ing a pencil from bis pocket, wrote
his sons appointment on a scrap of
paper, the groom being witness, and
the saddle serving as table. Then he1
mounted and rode comfortably home,
secure of a splendid provision for his
son, even if he should himself be
thrown and killed Oh the spot.
Nearly all of the great legal sine
cures in England are now gone, but
the greatest yet remains in the shape
of two offices worth 100000 a year,
which have been Leld for about fifty
years 10y an old clergyman who has
nothing on earth to do in return save
10 sign his name in receipt. This
venerable ecclesiastic. to whom such
au amazing share of legal loaves and
fishes have fallen, is Mr.. ThurlOW,
nephew of the celebrated Lord Chan
cellOr Of the time, the school compan-
ion of Cowper. TO whom there is such
frequent allusion in that poets letters.
To feather the nest of his family was
an object which ThurlOw never lost |
sight of. When he asked for the bish |
OPr.c OF Durham, the great pecuniary |
prize of the British bench of bishops, |
anO then worth $50, 900 "a year, George !
the Third said: Anything else, my /
lord but the bishopric of Durham /
has always been bestowed on gentle !
men of high family and pOsition."
- Then. Sire,,' said Thurlow, " l ask /
it for the brother Of the Lord High /
Chancellor of England.n And the /
King had to give in.
Sales of offices are now and long /
have been completely at an end, and !
the Judicial bench is utterly free from
all suspicion of completely in such
proceedings.-EUeliRa Post.