The morning call., 1892-02-28

and rs they may have three or four day
minutes are precious to them. The reYels
OF the bar mess are jealousy kept secret
/ from outsiders, but II is easy 10 imagine what
dTolieres are enacted on these occasions OF
Jest and banter chatf and song, and seTiO-
comic forensic displays which turn folly into
wisdom, wisdom into folly and. everything
/ into lCht-hearted hIlaTity. In the ancient
days OF heavy port and potent Madeira, and
no stint Of bottles, the jewellers must often
have had groggy heads in the morning and
cannot have been very well qualified to mas
ter an intricate right of way case or COM
/ plicdted business dispute. Heavy drinking
/ Is now thing OF the past, and, compared
with any other professional classes, there are
! no healthier men IN mind and body than
/ barrsters As the longevity OF many Judges
/ tcstifrs, they have hopes Of living to a good
/ old age pludiiug away at law IL the very
| last, either for profit or pastlme.
RISING N THE PROFESSION.
When lie has attained middle age and has
gained p good pos liOn with clients, and Is
held in some respect for his talents by the
bench, q time arrives when the barrlster
thinks be may replace his StuI gown with
SIX one. lie accordingly applies to the
Lord Chancellor. the highest judicial dlgni-
tary ia England, for the privilege, aud in
ordinary course but u0t as a matter of
TgGt, IL is granted. The ceremony Of max
ing due recognition Of the honor conferred
is quaint, and If performed on the stage
N0u.d make an audience merry.
When lie various recipients have received
their patents Of rank they repair to the
courts 10 make their bow TO the Judges.
| They are ruShered into the court in file
and take their seats on the front bench
| reserved for Queens Counsel. ALFRED
ID their new gowns and wearing
| full bottOmed wig. the flaps Of which
/ come well down the breast. their names
/ are called over as newly constituted q. C's,
an % 4 = I o.
+ ton day. Mr. S0-and-ou, 10 you mOye|
The invitation to plunge into business is
only formal, however, and the response IS
gracious bow, responded 20 by smile and
| bow from the bench, and then the q. C's
gather mp their skirts and file out Of court
again. They are somewhat futigued when
the whole Of the courts have been peram-
/ bulated. and they ale not ayerse TO the Gus
| tomary festive celebration IN the evening
IN honor OF tie august event in their lives.
1t does not necessarily follow that bar
Uisttr who takes silk increases his fees
either in amount OF number. nor does IL fol-
low that ne Is any nearer a position on the
Supreme Bench or County Court judgeship.
There are a few Judges who never were
made Queens Considerably Lord Han
nen, Lord Justice Bowen aud Nh Justice
Mathew. There. have been eases OF yenera-
bic juniors" taking silk who almost immedi-
ately found most Of their practice vanish.
/ They were valuable as assistants, but very
sell although several OF them may some
/ times be employed In cause ceiebre, must
always be regarded as leaders. 1t Is also
understood that =. C.'s must not take
a bilef in criminal cases under a heavy
specified fee, and they are p9nalIZed heay-
ily If they 60 out If their circuit in civil
case. BY going out OF his circuit Sir Charles
Russell has been known TO earn $500 IN
couple Of hours, AMI when he defended
0'Douuel, the slayer OF the infamous
Carey. his brief was iud7rsed for $1,000 If
his practice lies mostly IN civil law the
q. Z. as a rule continues 10 prosper.
PARLIAMENTARY HoYORs.
By and by the successful barrister be-
thiakS himself OF the hnuOrS Of Parliament.
There lies the road 10 the highest fame. If
he has made himself renowned in any eel
ebratej trial and Their gets into Parliament
5y plucEy lighting ~ Il constituency sup
posed 10 be doubtful or hos lie 20 his party
his success Is emphatic both in the arena Of
the statesman and ~ the courts. 1t was In
this fashion tlat Sir Edward Clarke jumped
into distinction AMI obtained In due time
the second highest position at the Uar-the
Solicit0r-GeHrIa., hip. Yet a few years
and be Will be Attorney General and then
/ tie supreme honor Of the Lord Chancellor
ship with peeraEe and pension viii come
10 him. These Gt Incentives to spur a man
II talent en- 10 90 his best Tor himself and
his country. A pHlSue JligasuIp Is WltHiu
the reach OF many Of the 1aIIis.ers who en-
| ter Parliament. They have only 60 wait, ana
If tIay do nor do anything very clever
iu tie political arena they can at G5t avoid
giving olfense to the powers that be. This
most Of them lu1.c0usIy cOutriYe to do.
For the position Of Lord Chief justice Of
England. or the Master or The Il Ills. there is
a keen s-Tau bic. \ strong man must be
found fer these prizes OF the bench, aud
mistakes are rare. such IS the income CT
the picked men Of the bar that many decline
the hOBOTs of the bench when first offered.
Their income is far higher from practice,
and they are COntented 10 wait for, say, the
GROWING appointment. But 5000 year
and complete Independence while on the
bench, and a iwO-thirdS pension after fl
teen years OF service, are toleTable tempta-
tons 10 the prudent and not OutWaTdly
brilliant lawyer. a number Of years ago
there WAS movement 10 double The salaries
OF the Judges, but Mr. Gladstone firmly
resisted tile proposal possibly rejecting
that he works very hard himself when in
ClG e for $3.50 q year. At tile same time II
Is a pity that tie bench should not be re-
cru.teu on every occasion from The strongest
talent Ia the front ranks If the oar. ii IS
a calamity 10 have strong lawyers pleading
AID weak Judges decluing-tO have medl-
ocrty above aud superiority beneath. TIE
English bench IS, however, faT from having
REACHED this stage OF b0uleYersement.
OTHER POSITIONS.
For county court 1udIeships, with a sal
aIy OF SD % TO 5000, there are many caudl-
dates in the secondary ranks OF the bar,
Tie work Is hard and irritating, for hun
dre1s Of suits are always pending and all
phases Of the law have to be dealt with eX-
cept crime but the hours are not long and
there is q fair allowance of holiday-nOt,
however, 50 long as that Of the Supreme
Court Judges, who at Christmas. Easter,
WhtsuutIde and during the long vacation
have nearly four months Of respite from
their dignihed labOTS. Besides these ap-
p0lntment5 the barTl5teT has open 10 him
numerous maGlst6rIal positions or commits
sl6uersGlDs at tempting salaries for the not
too ambitious; and be may hope 10 become
rec rider of a furnishing town or city and
pocket from 800 TO $1,000 year for a few
days work at quarter sessions, where
he sits in the capacity OF judge in
both criminal and civil business. The
revising Of the electoral lists in the
bOTOUghs and counties also provides
him with employment at remunerative
rates, besides the pleasure Of travel at a de-
Ighuui season, when the country looks its
best. Should none Of the pums Of Office
and little or DO comfort from appearances
in court come his way bairIster has other
irons IN the fire. He Is frequently asked TO
state opinions for the Information Of the
disputaciuuS, aud the drafting or reYis-
ing aud terrifying Of cases Is often entrusted
70 hun. IN iuct 40 great case Is undertaken
without his advice being secured Great
public companies, such as railroads, employ
solicitors as legal advisers ana the solicitors
employ barTlsters. Corporations OF every
kind nave need Of the barristeT or counsel
as he is then called. Municipalities also
require a barrster for many purposes when
tho clerk is doubtful about a legal opinion
or declines sole responsibility. NOtwjth-
standing all the chances the fact remains
that only a small proportion Of barrsters
rise 70 eminence or even comparative sue
cess. The rest 90 to the wall or DO not
venture upon practice at all.
PAEIIA8IENTARY COMMITTEES