New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-23
NOTES FROM LONDON.
MR.. BESJAsilN-BELT VERSUS LAWEs-THE
LONsDALE LIBEL.

Nothinr could be more splendid than u, ooDph-
r,ent offered to Mr.. BENJAMIN by thc Beneh and
Bar of England and pcthins. il eught to be said az
once could 10 less political or less tincturod With
amy sysnpafnies that Da5 have existed here In the
mas for the ,ost cause for which MI Benjamin snp
p,icd the brains. How the matter may be regarded
n America l have no means OF knowing. but
know how il is regarded here and what the pur-
noses aod feeling. of the men concerned Ia THIS
NANTES. alton we're and are IL is to Mr. benjamin
ths lawyer and not 70 the cx-Confcderatc cheI
that this homage of afieetonete admiration Is PAID
That being SO, see reason why those Oh Us noS'
hostile to the Confederate CHEF may not take pleas
ure in the tribute to the lawyer vino was once au
armament of the American bar For myself, should
gladly had other engagements pernltteu' nave
gathered together all the scraps and rehcs oil ti'o
legal quality once possessed, and gone 10 lhe UNI
ner as an American barristsr. Certainly feel
pride IN Mr. BenianJin's position, ana IN .ht eo"
plete recognition OF it by all tAat is most brilliant
and d,nniGed in the legal profession IN England
No sucb honor was ever before paid foreigner vi
onasi-foreipner You all know how Mr. Benjamin
attained to such distinctions how the way was
smootLed for him here to practise al Tie paI' h0"
time was shortened III bis behai1, anu Ughi"e'
were granted him prematurely and now "i,nin
few year, after his first start in life he rose TO the
highest rmnence in the profession where 'ne e"Ii
:etlton of the acutest iutelfets IS keehes'. AL
that is an old story, ami yet VIII never 10 ola
know son,rthing personally OF the esteem 10 when
MFR. BENJAMIN was held, and of the value set on
ssrurinr his aid IN great The Attorney
General speaking on Saturday the representa-
tive NJ the Bar of England, has retold the whole
story in hrieI and eloquent and feeling words. Re
markabe ana unprecedented he might well call
the occasion:
You know how Mr.. BENJAMIN came among MS and
how we received him. Ejectam thore agt'tem dc
cepUaas but ne ragret, no selfreproach. has ever
coma TO us for having given HIM place within our
kingdom. lie knocked at cur doors ana they were
widely opened to him. We found place Tor nun In
onr foremos. rank grudged HIM not the leader
ehp he so easily gsned, we were proud OF his sue
cess for ne knew the strength of the stranger
among us ana the Bar is ever generous even III IT'S
rjyalry toward success that is based merit. And
the merit must have been there. Tor whe is tue man:
sayo this one OF whom 1t can he SAID that he held
conspicuous leadership at the Bars OF two eoun-
tries
What Mr. Benjamin said in reply was not less
we'll said. He has never think made much pre-
tension to mere eloQuence, but there are moments
when the simple expression of genuine emotion
rises TO high level of eoduence, and this WAS one
of them What gave Mr.. Benjamin his supremacy
at the English Bar was his uDrIvalled mastery OF
principles and his unrlv allied power OF conducting
q difficult argument by simple steps and the clear
persuasiyeuess of pure to the end lie wanted
TO reach he was the most learned OF inouefn coiu-
mercial lawyers bnt his range went far beyond
commercial law The grasp he had of the prin-
ciples OF jurisprudence was such as few but the
greatest men In the annals of the English Bench
have ever had The arts of the nis prius advocate.
cunning in cross. examination or nice familiarity
with the weak points of jury. Mr.. Benjamin can
hardly be said to have possessod. 1t was IN the
higher walks of his profession that lie gained his
fame and there he had of late years no SUPERIOR and
suppose il may the Whole be said, no equal. in
England. He must have a charm of personal char
aeter as we'll for the things now said OF him by the
foremost of his contemporaries are all colored by
evident personal fcndness 1t was. believe, the
Attorney General who, spokesman of tie Bar,
proposed to Mr.. Benjamin to accept parting
dinner But this offer was. more accurately speak
Ing the spontaneous proposal of the whole body of
his comrades. The dinner took place ON Saturday,
with the Lord Chancellor, tho Lord Chief Justice,
the Law Lords the Master of tho Rolls, members of
the judicial committee Of the Privy Council, most
of the Judges of the Supreme Court OF Judlcature,
the Lord Advocate of Scotland. the Attorney-Gen-
eral for Ireland. nearly every leading Qneen's
Counsel and the most rising of the junior Bar pres
ent The Attorney General for England presided,
and the company assembled in the Inner Temple
Hail. The speakers included besides the Attorney
general the Lord Chancellor. the Lord Chief Just
ice. and the future Attorney General of the next
Conservative Government. Sir Hardinge Clifford.
Mr. BENJAMIN began his address in reply to the At
torney- General with the cnriously unconventional
formula Dear and honored friends" and bis
W hole speech in the same tone of a man who
feels himself strong enough to depart from routine
and speak out what he thinks and feels at the mo-
ment The outsiders who comment on the event IN
the rrcss show themselves ready to do honor 10
Mr. BENJAMIN as his associates aid. They see that
it doe, honor to the profession also this generosity
and freedom from jealousy. and they join in the
prst which hope we Americans share and may ex-
press, that Mt. BeDjamin's health should compel
his retirement while still in the full vigor of ms
mental powers.
majority of the court are favor of a new trial
IN the too famous case OF Belt versus Lawes The
ruIe for a new trial was argued before the Lord
Chief Justice and Justices Denman and Manisty.
1t was early perceived by the counsel concerned
that Mr. Justice Manisty had made up his mind to
stand by the verdict and by his Brother Huddle.
ston 1t was equally clear that Lord Coleridge
meant to upset the finding Of the jury and pass a
stern censure upon Baron HuddlestOn's cxtraordi
nary conduct of the trial. The balance of power
therefore lay with Mr.. Justice Denman, and since
the court have taken some weeks to consider their
Judgment the anxiety on both sides great 1t
was drst arranged that Baron Pollock should hear
the arguments with the Lord Chief Justice and Mr..
Justice Manisty. Reasons OF circuit required this
arrangement to he altered. and MIR. Justice Denman
10 be substituted In place Of Baron Pollock.
heard one hardened lawyer, with that imperfect
respect for tho majesty of the Bench characteristic,
feaI in private. OF the profession, observe that
Coleridge wonld have let Pollock 60 unless he
had squared Denman first. This remark is mon
strous and yet in the end the Lord Chief Justices
view prevails and there is to he trial Of Belt
versus Lawes. But since it was preordained that
nothing should occur in this extraordinary cause in
the usual manner. she judges, instead of deliver