The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-11-07
THE STAR CHAMBER.
Condensed History OF Famous
Scheme OF Oppression.

scheme VI VppIcSSlVus
At First It's Objects We're Laudable, but
It subsequently Became Cruel and I'm
just Power Some Of the Outrageous
Penalties It Assigned.
When the Earl of Richmond had defeat
cd Richard III at Bosworth and had been
crowned king as Henry VII, he found the
times In so troubled state that men
whose rights were infringed upon or de-
MED them dared not apply for Justice to
the ordinary courts. The unblushing
manner in which brides and threats were
resorted to by those that had influence
over the proceedings of these courts denied
to them the security of jurors oath.
To reach q mischief that had grown so
intolerable, Henry, feeling himself strong
enough, with bis second parliament, Great
ed a court, made up of the highest officers
of the kingdom, embracing, theoretically,
the king himself, who was considered the
author of all justice, to which were confld-
ed unlimited power and discretion over
large, underlined class of offenses, many of
which were Of political character, with
out the restraint of jury and subject to
no revision by appeal.
This was afterward known as the court
of the star chamber, SO called because the
ceiling of the room in which it met was
studded with stars, or because in this
apartment prior to the time of Edward I
the contracts Of the Jews, called "starrs,"
were deposited In boxes or chests
This scheme had good results at first.
Wealthy landowners who had oppressed
their neighbors with impunity were
brought before this court, where neither
fear nor favor could avail, and tried for
their ofenses. The greatest merit of the
court was that 1t was not dependent on
jury, for juries were unable or unwilling
to render verdict In keeping with their
consciences.
One said, "a court thus constituted, with
powers SO broad and discretion unlimited
by prescribed rules, though called into ex-
istenoe for wise and salutary purposes, was
in the end like invoking the spirit Of mis-
chief without a corresponding power in re-
serve to lay 1t or check It's excuses, If in
clined to abuse It's authority"
Instead Of losing power as the necessity
for it's existence passed away, it drew to it.
self new elements of strength and enlarged
the extent Of its jurisdiction. 1t became,
after successive administrations, under the
hands of ambitious leaders and unscrupu-
lous prelates such as fourished in the time
of Henry VIII, Elizabeth and the two
Stuarts, q most potent engine of despotic
rule and intolerance. Torture, intimida-
tion and other devices were used to compel
the accused to incriminate himself.
Charles I, through the star chamber,
filled his Golfers. During his reign such
enormous fines were imposed for trivial
offenses that the audience gathered about
the courtroom at 8 O'Clock in the morning
to secure seats to hear the proceedings
The discretionary power Of the court in the
way OF punishment made 1t means of
cruel injustice in the hands of bad men, in
stances OF which disgrace the history of it's
administration during the reigns of James
and Charles I.
Sir Anthony Roper was fined "a, 900 for
violating law made in the time of Henry
VII for converting arabic Land into pas
ture. Richard Granville said of the Earl of
Suffolk, with whom he had some difficulty,
that he was "a base lord" He was fined
eS, 900 for such SANDER.
One Of the most remarkable cases was
that of Bishop Williams, who had been
lord keeper of the seal, popular prelate
and a man of learning and spirit, and at
one time a special favorite of James. While
enjoying his patronage he exerted his in
fuence in behalf Of Laud, afterward arch
bishop, who owed his first promotion to his
good Offices Some disagreement arose be-
ween them. Nothing would satisfy Laud
hnf the rTyiy, nf tho yIo ho1 hofr
ed him.
On some slight pretext the bishop was
brought before the star chamber and fined
910, 900, committed to the Tower during
the kings pleasure and suspended from
office. His furniture and books were
levied upon to pay the fine. Among some
refuse papers were found some letters
from Obaldiston, schoolmaster, directed
to the bishop. In these letters the writer
spoke OF little great man." and In one
place of a ''ittle urchin." As Laud was
small OF stature, it was conjectured that
these terms referred to him. They were
both tried, one for receiving such scandal
GUS letters, and the other for writing them.
Williams paid fine of aS, and Obal-
diston a5, 900, and he had his ears nailed
to the pillory in sight of his own school
Prynne, barrister at law. Of Lincoln's
Inn, Puritan Of the strictest sect, pub
lished his famous "Histrio- Mastix,"
huge volume Of 1000 quarto pages, aimed
at stage plays, music, dancing, public
festivals, Christmas sports, bon1res and
Maypoles. For this alleged nbelous vol
ume he was arraigned before the star
chamber. The trial occupied three days,
and the fourth was consumed in pronouno-
ing sentence against him.
MI. Prynne, in his general sweep for his
historical illustration of the mischief Of
Irequenting plays, referred to Nero, and
spokeo OF Flavius and others who conspired
against him for his bad example upon the
magistrates and the people. The chief JUS
tlce from this inferred that the author in
tended to instigate the people to murder
the king, and Prynne was deprived of his
right OF practice as barrister, condemned
60 stand In the pillory at Westminster an
Oheapslde, to lose his ears, one at each Of
these places, to pay fine Of e5, 900 and to
be imprisoned for life.
Ihere was hardly man in the real
VINO had not personal experience of the
narshness and greediness of the star cham
oer' L. became odious, and not without