The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-22

parks, lawns, flower gardens, churches
and cemeteries within their walls, Not only
do the barristers nave offices in the tenn
pies but many of them live there. 1t ia
the fashion for unmarried barristers 70 do
SO. Formerly barristers' families We're al
mitted TO the inns, and there is nothing to
prohibit them now. but convenience and
comfort has made the custom obsolete The
temples formerly belonged to the Temp
lars the knights HOsptalers Of st. John
of Jerusalem. When they went away to
the crusade the lawyers were admitted as
guests to their quarters and finally took
possession. In the time Of James l the inns
were incorporated and their character was
changed They became bar assOcia tons
and their influence and authority have
Srown from time to time until now no man
can practice law in England unless he be-
longs to one of these He can take law lee
lures at oxford or Edinburgh or Aberdeen
or elsewhere, but he cannot practice in any
court in the kingdom unless he IS a men,
Der of London inn. The four inns of
court consolidated some time ago into a
central organization. They pooled their
issues for the sake of convenience and
economy. Their organizations correspond
to the several colleges Of a university
Each inn has its own law school, faculty
and library. Each has It's peculiarities and
individual customs and traditions and it's
own local government for the purpose of
a
tees, or "benchers," as they are called.
composed of representatives from each of
the inns, exercises a general supervision
over the affairs of the combination
Inc buildings in which the courts are
heId belong to the CROWN but the several
inns which surround them are owned by
their respective members, and the prop
erty IS held in trust by the "benchers,"
VINO collect the rent, supervise the dis
bursements and select the executive Of
hcers who look after affairs. There are
now upward OF 5000 barristers belonging
TO the several inns and 1900 law students
in their schools.
If a young man desires to become a bar
rlstef he makes an application to the
benchers of the inn which he prefers. with
ENDORSEMENTS as to his character and an
tecedents, deposits a fee of $50 guiueas,
which is about $3.50, andesubmits to an
examination in Latin and English litera-
lure and history. If he comes direct from
one OF the universities this is an easy
matter. Then he is admitted to the law
schools and keeps his terms"-that is,
ne spends three years in study and in at
tendance upon the lectures delivered daily
by the members of the faculties He is
not compelled to devote his entire time
10 study nor to attend all the lectures
that rests entirely in his discretion, pro-
Vided he passes the examinations at the
end OF each year and his finals" al the
end of three years. But he is required to
eat sevCnty-two dinners in the dining hall
OF ms inn every year That is absolutely
essential. This peculiar custom original
ed centuries ago in order that the stew
ards might keep track of the attendance
OF students upon the lectures Dinner is
served at o clock every day during term
time-that is, for about eight months in
the year. Each student is provided with
a card. and as he passes into the dining
hon 4
1t to show that he is present He need
not go to the table; he can slip out and
dine elsewhere if he prefers, but he IS
compelled to show himself once in so Oft
en-. and pay for his Commons" as they
call it,
At the end of each year the student is
examined and the ordeal is very severe
much more so than in the law schools of
the United States. The principal theme Of
examination is evil or Roman law. At
the end of the course the final examina-
ton Is even more severe. 1t lasts for two
days, and the students are quizzed in
every branch of Jurisprudence Their
minds are SEARCHED by the examiners to
ascertain the extent of their know.edpe
and the accuracy Of their Judgment, and
the standard is so high that 50 per cent.
OF those who present them selves usually
fail to pass. Those who fail have another
opportunity, however, and can go back
-
be called 10 the barr if they have better
luck The examining committee reports
upon each candidate to the benchers The
latter then address a CALI or invitation
to the successful ones to enter the inn.
and the formalities are completed by taxi
ing the oath at Westminster and signing
certain obligations of % professional char
acter.
The daily dinner in the dining halls of
the inns is an interesting scene. At $50
O'Clock the barristers students and bench
ers begin TO assemble in the corridors and
anterooms, and when the clock strikes six
they enter in process. on, with The bench
ers or trustees in the lead The latter oc-
cupy tables upon a platform al the head
OF the room. The other tab.e s are ar
ranged at right ang.cs, and the barristers
sit at them according 20 the seniority,
those who were first admitted being near
est the benchers' platform. When every
body is seated the head steward. who is
dressed in gorgeous livery, strikes the
table three times with a gavel Then
everybody rises and grace is said by the
senior bcncher present. The bill of fare
is usually soup, fish. roast of some sort
with vegetables salad, a pie or tart and
cheese, with a bottle Of port wine. The
dinners are divided into "messes" of four
persons, ana each mess Is attended by a
waiter called pannier-a title which was
inherited from the attendants Of the
Knights Templars i'm oldon times. on GER
tain occasions a loving cup of sack Is
passed from table 20 table with some
Formally on May %, at the dinner IN
the Inner temple everybody drinks a cup
Of Thanksgiving for the restoration Of
Charles H. This IS in compliance with q
resolution passed on that date In 1860 At
Grey's inn there IS a similar ceremony
on the anniversary OF the accession OF
Queen Elizabeth, when the loving cup Is
passed around and every person present
drinks 60 a toast 10 her memory, which
Is proposed by the senior bencher.
Some Of the dining halls are very hand
some specimens Of architecture; that OF
the Middle temple is l40 feet long, 40 feet
wide and Cd feet IN hight. with a beautl-
ful roof of oaken timber. Each OF the
temples has line collection OF pictures
and a museum filed with mementos Of
members who have achieved fame. Around
the dining halls and the corridOts are
portraits Of former benchers and famous
men. The Libraries contain valuble coli
lections Of legal books and manuscripts.
the most complete In the world.
a few years agO the library Of the MID