The Irish standard., 1896-07-25
Summary OF the Method and the
rleans Employed By the
Great Lawyer:
Won His Way to the Bench by
Application, oratory and q .
knowledge of the Law.
Interesting Stories of the Bench
and Bar in the Present and
the Past.

:
in the front rank of the English bar: He
had been thirty-fve years in practice.
and had worn silks: for twenty-five
years. AS a lawyer there was no man
more widely known in England, and, in
the popular estimation he was in the law
courts the first man of his time. In
America he was better known than all
the other members of the English bar
put together, if Tor no other reason than
for the tears-genuine tears-which he
shed in his reply at The close of the Par
nell Commission Sir Charles Russell
was a many-sided man, and each side
was attractive. There were clients who
swore by him for his commercial ability;
others for his extensive range OF common
law Jurisprudence. Others for his all
round forensic ability and subtle grace
of manner when it was wanted to convert
a Judge or convince jury, but above all
for the audacity of the orator, scholar
and jurist who knew his racing calendar
by heart, went to Epson, and dearly
loved a rubber at whist, says the New
York Sun.
This was Sir Charles Russell in the be-
ginning of 1894, when destiny stepped IN
and closed his career at the bar. Lord
Chief Justice Coleridge was dead. The
political life of Lord Rosebery's admins
tration had begun TO flicker. By long
usage it was the privilege Of the attor-
ney-general to have the refusal of the ju-
dicial vacancy The Lord chief Justice
ship Of England was vacant. Sir Charles
was the Attorney General Would he &C
cept or refuse the office? The situation
was full of interest in the Royal Courts
of Justice and in the Houses OF Parlla-
nlent at Westminster
Sir Charles had all ambition-he want
ed to stick on the woolsack; to have the
mace and purse carried before him; to be
the keeper of the Queens conscience; TO
+ be the. ;lread of thaslesal professions, and
to be the first Catholic Lord Chancellor
of England and Ireland since the days OF
the Stuarts. This would be. immortality;
In history Lord Rosebery was willing;
but there was a difficulty. Lord Her
schell was already on the woolsack and
intended to stay there. There was no
precedent for two Lord Chancellors.
Would Sir Charles wait until after tbs
next great election and take his chance.
He thought not. A bird in the hand is
worth two in the bush, every lawyer
knows. The Lord Chief Justiceship If
England was vacant. Sir Charles looked
toward the woolsack and sighed. and
then he sat down in the vacant chair.
History may tell more, but that is how
Sir Charles Russell became Lord Chief
Justice of England, with seat in the
House of Lords as Baron Russell of Kill
lowen Killowen is his home in County
Dublin and from it he takes his title.
1t was time for the vacancy to be filled.
The one court in the Royal Courts Of JUS
tice about which there had been any at
tempt at adornment or effort to meet an
aesthetic taste had been too long empty.
A sort of perpetual gloom hung
over it in consequence of Lord Coleridges
frequent absences Every travelled Amer
lean who has visited the royal courts
knows the interior of the lord chief JUS
tice's court full we'll, with its wide plat
form on which thirteen judges can be
seated, on solemn occasions with it's
heavy tapestry curtains to cut off the
drsught form a movable frame to the
+ lion and unicorn, carved in oak and
shaped like an almond When it became
known that Lord Russell would take his
seat al the best Of the profession came
into the court. Every man who was not
engaged was present. The i silks
crowded the front row. The Outer. or
Junior bar filled up the back seats and
overflowed into the gangway. The pub
!. lie was nowhere. The royal courts are so
arranged that the public may be shut out
when there is anything to be seen or
heard, and as they never complain, 1T is
supposed they like the arrangement.
When the curtains were drawn aside AMI
his lordship entered every ybody arose in
his place. His lordship bowed and ,v-
erybody bowed in return. Then, address
ing Sir Robert Reed, the attorney gea-
eral, he asked: - 't=a 3
.Do you move, Sir Robert ?'' 'f.:. ~.
Sir Robert bowed negative, for he
had nothing to move, being present as a
matter Of courtesy; and that was all che
ceremony. When. the lord chancellor
takes the oath to be loyal to the sover-
eign and constitution, and to administer
i,istice impartial.y to all men, he sWears
in open court and in the presence Of all
the Judges who are minded to be there;'
hut q. Judge takes the oath before the
lord chancellor in private Al day long
r@o,le went in and out to see the new
lord chief justice and to hear him. speak,
FOR he always had a musical voice. @ ssssE.e 81
s,fshe outside world does not know what
it#racans to a man like Lord Russell to
be transferred from the bar to the bench:
In England a man of small. practice sis
seldom elevated; and a man in large
practice, although he may have the selev1e
Arrest Of men to devil for him, he has to
work hard himself. For years Lord Rus-s
sell has had an enormous practic His
briefs made profession lips water,H and
the .fees and freshsr IS were ssplen--.
sdid. 1t Was ssaid that his fee book showed
an aysraga income OF ESQ., 100 a. year 4 And
he never spared himsel Ie met his ja-