Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-10-19
LORD COLERIDGE.
His speech at the New York
Reception.

At the Academy Of Music in New
York, Thursday evening last, grand |
reception was rendered to Lord Chief
Justice Coleridge. Alter speeches
by the Chief Justice OF the State and |
Mr.. Eyarts, Lord Coleridge rose TO
reply.
The Lord Chiel Justice was greeted
with renewed applause when he arose |
TO speak. He held in his hand |
paper which was supposed to contain
his speech, but it proved to be only
letter, to which 10 the course of his
remarks he referred.
Let me thank you, he said, when
the applause ceased, for this brilliant
reception which you have accorded
me here tonight. Let me thank the
Chief Justice OF this State and thank
Mr., Evarts for their admirable
speeches-admirable in all except
what referred to myself. | wish | had
the power to fttingly answer them,
but | feel unequal to the task. Do
not think | am speaksng idly, for self
depreciation is too often but salt to
egousm. mean shat | have not the
power to ittingly speak all my thanks,
do not presume to speak for the ora
tory or legal acumen OF my own dear
England, Tor in no sense am | the ems
bodlment OF the finest form of either.
| am keenly conscious of this, and if |
were not | would be frequently re-
minded OF it at home. The chance
holding OF an exalted Office does not
IN any case qualify any man to speak
Tor England. My eyeNight is not good,
but there is here tonight, or there
should be, one to whom the House Of
Lords listens with close attention
when he speaks, aud he is indeed a
more eloquent representative Of our
eloquence There is here also
learned Judge OF the Probate Court,
who was, in measure, responsible for
my coming here. He is one of our
most distinguished lawyers, and we
also have among US some eminent
Queens counsel, who are fitting rep,
resentatives OF our legal acumen. And
so l do not wish to be understood as
speaking for England | give my in
dlvidual views, and, like all lawyers, |
am liable to be reversed am a rad>
ical, aud, while | find myself often in
sympathy with Mr.. Gladstone, | am
oitener in fellowship Of view and sen
timent With Mr.. John Bright. Ap-
plause Now, being a radical, | must
say what | believe, and so, ladies' and
gentlemen | address the ladies, too,
since their presence here gives rise to
the presumption that they feel some
interest in az old lawyer, must give
you my Impressions OF your most hos
pitablo land. have been here some
thing over two months, and have
tried to master, with only indifferent
success, fear, your somewhat diff
cult ana intricate law systems. There
are certain intricacies which | know
| have not oomprehended. am not
unmindtul that | am now 10 State
which has a code, when | say that
practically your law is our law. How.
ever, you have grown more than
we have, for you have had opportuni
ties opea TO you which were not open
to US. The international or quasi in
ternational character of your practice
has given broad and ample character
to the law and the practice of it, |
have in my hand letter from dear
friend, the Master of the Rolls, writ.
ten to me just prior to my departure
from England, and in it be says:
Americans have the legal talent Of
their English ancestors; their im
mense and varied interests gave them
opportunity Of applying their talent,
aud l hold them in the highest esteem.
After coming and seeing | value his
opinion at its true worth.
THE LAWS DELAY.
They say we go faster with our law
business than you do, and that our
judges have more latitude than yours.
1t IS question whether, under your
conditions, it would be we'll for you to
initiate us in this last regard. Il is
true that since 1873, when |. as At
torney General, had the indioature act
passed BY Parliament, business has
been expeditiye. 1t was high time
something was done to simplify the
common law practice. 1t had come
to be associated in many minds with
mere technicality. Success was all in
pleading, and the science OF state.
ment grew superior to inherent
might. To this connection am
reminded Of remarkable converse.
ton between Sir William Earle, a
certain law baron, and Mr.. Charles
Austin, famous in his day The baron
boosted to Sir William that he had
done much TO make the sixteen vol
umes OF Mason aud Wesley Reports
Sir William congratulated him that
there had never been a seventeenth
volume, for If there had, be said
the common law would have passed
out OF existence amid the universal
jeers and Kisses Of mankind There.
upon Austin asked with the utmost
seriousness Sir William do you think
it would have made the slightest diff
ference if all the cases in the sixteen
volumes had been decided the other
wayP just what the baron said do
not recall. There is one State, am
told, which still holds TO the pure
common law. Would it not be q good
idea to let that condition Of things 90
oD undisturbed2 You have preserved
a great natural park, wherein all the
weird and iancilul-and some Of the
awiul-iorms of nature are TO be pre-
served forever. Why not Lave a com
mon law park, toe, SO that il ever some
Of the good old judges and practition-
ers revisit the glimpse Of the moon on
this hemisphere they may have some
place where TO rest their weary spirits
and find comfort?
GENERAL TOPICS
] must now pass on TO general
topics have been asked, more fire.
quently than any other question, if |
was not amazingly struck by the size
oiyour country. must say | was not
tits not the size Of your country that
struck me most; it was the bigness Of
its sentiment which gave its best blood
for the vindieation Of that thing most
beloved, and for the extension ofitto
the poorest and most despised among
you. 10 is hot your size. Your
country was as big when only solitary
mammoths gazed on your great lakes,
1t was as big when the civilized people
who preceded your Indians, and whose
movements are daily coming to light,
practieed their rites and held the land,
il was as big before you came to pos
sess it. Russia is bigger than you
are. aud so is Africa.
Your increase Of population Is 70.
markable in the history Of the world,
but it is for you and not for me TO say
whether the wholesale immigration
now going on, and likely to continue
for years, is an unmixed blessing.
Your great fortunes do not strike
me, for one can sec great for
tunes 10 Europe. No, il il
not auV of fhpae thinga that arrapt ms,