The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-04-18
WHY SZL YELA
QUITS THE Ia ".

his personal future. which merits more
than mere passing mention He has In
formed the Spanish bar that he abandOns
legal practice not only for the time that
he remains in Office. but also for the sub
sequent portion OF his career.
In order TO appreciate the extent OF this
sacrifice on his part, it should be stated
that until he became Premier a few
weeks ago he enjoyed the largest and
most remunerative practice in Spain, and
vas the leader OF the Spanish bar
The reason which he gives for abandon
ing for ali time the legal profession is
that he does no; consider II consistent
with the dignity of Premier or Of
Cabinet Minister 10 return TO practice
after having held Cabinet office, and that
the custom Of ex-Premiers and eX-Cabinet
Ministers figuring as counsel In court is
not calculated 10 promote the impartiality
OF the Judges. or TO inspire public conf
dence in their strict sense of justice.
Throughout the continent OF Europe the
JUDGES are subordinate to the govern
meIt. and depend upon the Premier and
upon the Minister OF Justice for their
promotion and distinctions OF one kind
and another. Now. a Judge. knowing
this, and finding among the counsel in
his court a lawyer who has already once
held the office of Cabinet Minister, and
who is likely to become Cabinet Minister
again, will naturally be tempted to earn
the latter's good will by granting deci-
sions in favor of the cause which he rep
resents. At any rate, any judgment that
the bench might deliver in favor of the
cause advocated by the ex-Cablnet Min
lister would be exposed to the suspicion
of partiality.
In France one finds constantly eX-Min-
listers and even ex-Premiers pleading in
court, one of the most notable cases being
that OF Maitre Waldeck Rousseau, who
Is practically leader of the French bar.
In England we have the case of ex-Home
Secretary Asquith. husband of "Dodo"
| Tenant; while here in the United States
we have seen ex-Secretary OF State
| Evarts. and even exPresidents of the
United States, such as Grover Cleveland,
pleading in court as COUNSEL
In France l recall especially the in
stance Of an exMinister of Justice being
called upon 10 plead as counsel before the
Court or Appeal at Algiers. He was
known as an exceedingly capable and
brilliant man, likely to return to office at
an early date. The consequence of this
was that the PrOcuratOr General of the
republic, who represented the interests
| OF the state and of the people in the case,
cast all the weight of his influence in
favor of the cause advocated by the ex-
Minister, while the court itself granted
decision in the same sense.
A few months later there was a change
of Cabinet at Paris The distinguished
lawyer in question became once more
Minister of Justice, and one of the very
first appointments which he made was
the promotion of the Procurator General
OF the republic at Algiers TO a lucrative
seat upon the bench at Paris and II was
not long before promotion likewise over
! took the Judges of the Court of Appeal
| at Algiers who had given a decision in
favor Of the case represented by the Min
| lister Of Justice when he was out of Of
! flee.
1t is for the purpose of averting scan
dals OF this kind that Premier Silvela
has made the announcement that he sew
ers his connection with the bar, entailing,
as already stated, a heavy financial sacri-
! flee. He hopes that his example will be
| followed by those of his colleagues in the
| Cabinet who happen to belong TO the
! legal profession.
an immense amount of discussion By
! far the greater number Of people. both
in his own country and abroad, warmly
/ approve of his honorable attitude. There
are many, however, who add that the
rule which he had inaugurated with re-
! gard to himself should be extended not
| only to Cabinet Ministers, but also to
members of both houses of the national
| legislature, the ground being taken that
| nowadays parliaments exercise so much
! influence in determining the course of the
! Executive that members even out of office
! often WELD as much power as full-fedged
| Cabinet Ministers.
While this is distinctly an extreme view,
which it will be not only difficult, but
| almost impossible, TO maintain, there IS
no doubt that there are very serious OBJ
! jections to members, for instance of the
House of Lords in England practicing at
| the bar. For the House of Lords is the
| Supreme Court of Appeal of the British
Empire, and inasmuch as each member
/ of the House of Lords is entitled, by vir-
| tue of his seat (Which he may owe to
/ hereditary descent or to royal favor, to
| have a voice in the judgment of this
! tribunal, il is obviously improper that a
| man thus occupying the position Of Judge
( should, at the same time, be at liberty
! to champion a cause as counsel,
If / mention this il is because the mem
| hers of the British peerage are embdrking
upon the practice of law TO an extent
never contemplated. Thus. there is not
only Lord Coleridge practicing at the bar
| and maFin an income from his profess
sion of some $1,000 year. but also the
! Earl of Desart, who, in addition 10 his
| private practice fills the role of public
| prosecutor Then, too, there is young
Lord Cassilis, eldest son and heir of the
MARQUIS Of AiIsa Lord Cassilis is making
quite a fair income from his law practice,
| and as the ancestral estates are very
limited in extent and unprOductive, he
declares that he will under no circum-
| stances abandon his profession when ne
! inheTlts his fathers peerage.
! There is also peer, namely, LORD Teyn-
| ham. who is engaged in the profitable
| practice of an inferior branch of the legal
| profession. namely, that OF solicitor
Among minor pieces of news, l hear
that Queen Elizabeth of Roumania, who
! writes under the me OF Carmen Syl-
| va" is bringing out a new book, work
of fiction, called The Red Beech Tree"
/ Ii IS 10 be published simultaneously in
French, Roumanian. and German.
Then, TOO, Lady PIunkeJJ, the Philadel-
phia-boTn wife OF the English Envoy at
Brussels has just undergone a very seri-
| Gus operation, from which she Is now
| slowly recovering, although at one mo-
| ment her life was despaired Of
Finally an interview Of considerable
length has taken place al Naples be
| tween Princess Anna Of Battenberg and
| Pietro Mascagni, the composer. Princess
! Anna, who is a daughter OF the ruler Of
! Montenegro and sister OF the Crown
Princess OF Italy. has written and pub
lished anonymously a large number o:
musical compositions, which have OBJ
/ tanned considerable success. even from a
commercial point OF view, the royalties
I derived Iherefrom constituting a hand
I some addition 10 the by no means large
, income OF the Princess and Of her nus
/ band, Francis Joseph OF BatteDberg
! The Princess Is now engaged IN writing
an opeHa, and wished for Mascagui's "a
I vice.
Another royal Princess of the reigning
houses Of Europe Is 70 follow the exam
/ ME ~ Princess Henry Of Prussia and