The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-31
ODD PRIVILEGES
Where Juries Are Not, and Venison
Is Free.
London Answers.

LONDON answers.
When the Cirque Ports were by act OF
parliament deprived of most Of their an
cient privileges, their tributary town
Brightlingsea, on the Colne-which shared
| the same rights, was somehow overlooked,
and consequently it is place well worth
living in. OF these varied privileges far
the most valuable is that none of the
| householders of the borough can be sum-
moned to serve on juries-a right no other
town in Britain has.
But, shorn as the Cirque Ports are Of
much Of their ancient glory, their barons
can still claim to carry a canopy over the
king at his coronation This canopy is,
by old custom, OF cloth or purple silk,
with gilt bell at each corner, and sup
ported by four silVer-cOYered slaves.
-Four ,barons hold each staff, while others
do the same Office for the queen. Their
fee is the slaves and canopies, and the
privilege of dining at table on the king s
right hand.
The Cirque Ports are also permitted to
send special addresses to their monarch
| upon his accession or other occasion Of
national Importance. This is done at a
court Of Brotherhood and Guesting which
| is summoned by the mayor, who happens
| to be speaker for the year of the loyal
and privileged Cirque Ports'-the speak
er for last year was the mayor Of Rye.
Every Easter sees curious ceremony
in the parish church of the little Somer
setshire town of Chard. The town council
| no other town in the kingdonl-that OF
electing the church warden for the COM
| ing year. During morning service on
Easter Day the head of the borough po-
| lice marches up the aisle and the rector
receives from his hand q document noti-
flying who has been elected church
warden. "
iS 1ola in
g. very important act Of parliament-that
known as the ground game acts not in
force. That Is in the manor of the Earl
| of Carnarvon. From time immemorial
the people there have had the right of
free chase and warren" over all free
| hold land in the manor. The inhabitants
may go anywhere on the land to kill game,
| and only special act Of parliament could
| break this privilege. us IT,
| Several of these quaint old memorial
rights and customs are still in vogue in
different parts of the kingdom. At one
| time many toWns-such as Leominster, in
Observation-Disclosures the right to hold
Courts Leek or Courts Customary. These
had to do principally with the settlement
of disputes regarding roads, boundaries
and rights Of way. AT Leominster the old
elm Is still to be seen under which Court
Leek was held. Most Of these courts are
now obsolete; but there is one place
the village. of Mottisfont, near Romsey-
where similar court-Court Baron-still
exists. 49, "
Any tnhabitant of the Island Of Gurnsey
has the curious privilege of exercising the
Glamour de Hare" person who con-
sfders his land rights to be infringed has
only to swear an affidavit on the subject,
attested by two witnesses, and present
this to the bailiff Of the island. Then,
sinking on one knee, he cries in French,
'Oh, Rollo, my prince, succor me! 1 am
wronged!" BY this proceeding the act
of trespass is stayed until the matter
has been judicially settled. This strange,
old-world privilege was exercised only
| last year. .=..--
| Hurstbourne Woods were in old and
| 1awless times the favorite resort Of the
! people of Andover, who used to kill and
| carry off all the fat bucks they could lay
their hands on. The property belongs
to the Earls Of Portsmouth, and the peer
of the time at last bought the poachers
off by agreeing to give them a buck for
! each Of their feasts. This privilege is still
exercised.