The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-09

III.

attacnmouB 20 thou p0NttcnL party, 10 sb VA
judgment even upon Jcdreys.
III.
In December, 1880, Jeffreys, Who some
time previously had baen madeC hief Justice
of the County Palatine Of Chester, resigned
the Recordership OF the city Of London, tho
House Of Commons having requested his
Majesty, Charles L.. to remove George
Jeffreys from all public Offices. The SOW
ereign declined 10 remove him from the
Chief Justiceship Of Chester and that JET
freys parted on good terms with his old
friends the Aldermen IL evidsnt from the
fact that they ordered the City Chamber
lain TO pay him Zoo. the residue OF a sum
voted to him In Acknowledgements OF his
good services to the city. and appointed "A
committee to consider What further COM
pensation should he granted to him for the
large sums he had disbursed in putting up
his Official residence in ~Aldermanbury.
1t Is plain, therefore, that although Po-
Iitical differences had come between JEFF
freys and his old employers he parted from
them with tokens OF mutual good will.
Bishop Burnst says hat Jeffreys was rather
raised han depressed in the eyes OF his
royal master by the proceedings Of Parlia-
ment against him. The assertion seems
to be confirmed by Charles's subsequent
employment Of Jeffreys in his most i'm
portant legal concerns. When the tide
turned against the Wings, as IL did in 1881
50, Jeffreys resumed his former influence
and enjoyed in a full measure the conf
dencs OF his own party. As a lawyer cir
cumstanccs we're about to give him a greater
eh,r. 10 Ella V~nlietoa1 hiGtnrv pf hil TINA
than has ever before OF sincs fallen to a
person in his situation; but 1t was an In
iuence he had better nave exercised in any
other capacity than that OF a lawyer, an
influence that has been disastrous to his
reputation, evea II s~alutary 20 his country,
an influence too severely felt even mt this
distance Of time to he considered candidly
or impartially.
At the time Q6S0) when Jefreys resigned
the ~Recordership he was in his ~thirty-third
year; he had about eight more years TO live.
In these coming eight years no was TO estab-
lish his reputation, his claim to historical
notice. He had already plunged deeply
into the politics OF his day; he had seen u
political party put 20 death innocent Papists
on the evidence OF villains; he had seen the
courts OF law used as the Instruments OF
faction, the Judges swayed by passion and
prejudice on the one side and the other; he
had felt the pains OF defeat and experienced
the merciless accomplishments OF political
victory; he had witnessed the unscrupulous-
ness OF statesmen. the brutality OF the mob.
Trained in a reckless school. the servant OF
hesrtless masters. he was predisposed by
his character 20 fan in too readily with the
violent passions Of his time. II was in
September, leS3-not November. as the En-
c~yclopedia Britannica says-that Sir George
Jeirreys, already knight and baronet, was
appointed Lord Chief Justice OF England,
and in October OF the same year he was
sworn a member Of the Privy Council. The
part which he had taken on behalf OF the
Crown against Sir william Russell, when
the latter was on trial for completely In the
Rye House plot 20 murder Charles H.. un-
doubtedly had much to do with his eleva-
ton. Az the King realized that his victory
over the Wings could only be secured by
the rigorous punishment of his openly de-
clared enemies, tho influence OF his more
moderate councillors decreased and he lent
a reader ear TO the voice Of his brother
(James) and those friends who advised him
10 take severe measures. Above all, n
strong Judge was needed who could instil
awe from the bench and impose n powerful
will Upon the rel~uctants.
Jef reys az Recorder of London had
already given proof Of the strength of hIs
personality. II some said no had no learn
inu. there we're others who held him to be
a man Of great parts, and as things turned
out the latter we're nearer the truth. IL
Jer reys was impudent. u degree OF impu-
dence has never been held 'amiss in a sue
cessful advocate; and II he had no manners
it need only be said that good manners
nave never at any time been e.
| sential in a Judge. Lord Campbell has
said that Jeareys was deliberately made
Chief Justice that he might be the re
morseless murderer OF Algernon Sidney.
then aw aiting trial" There Is no doubt
that the conviction OF Sidney was import
ant to the Government, which regarded
him as what he undoubtedly WI the most
daring, INSCRIPTIONS and revolutionary OF
its enemies. IN avowc Republican, he
was prepared TO go 70 any lengths in re-
sisting the encroachments Of the royal
authority. As having been one OF the
Judges Of Charles l., he owed his return
TO his native land, after the Restoration
10 Charles lis pardon, but he was too
| acknowledging a revolutionist to suffer
anything so irrelevant as gratitude to deter
him from the turthrrauce OF his political
principles.
A study Of Sidney's trial has convinced
the author OF this book that Lingard's
criticism is justified. -0n the one hand, /"
wrote Lingard, the cool judgment, the
undaunted spirit and tho eloquent defence
Of Sidney excited admiration; on the other,
Jeffreys showed That he was able to con-
troll the impetuosity Of his temper, adopting,
az he did, a courtesy OF language n a
tone Of impartiality which no man would
have anticipated from his previous reputa-
ton" Mr.. Irving would not deny that the
treatment OF Sidney by the court may appear
to us harsh at times. but he reminds ne that
such was the treatment of every prisoner
at the bar in those days, Judges being then
far less patient than they are now. He
holds that of Sidney's guilt II is impossible
to doubt and il is equally certain that
Jefreys did not mean to let him get of if
he could help H.. ~Jerreys succeeded in his
object: but il canno he said that his success
was as d~isreputable a. succeeding writer's