New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-10-23
COLERIDGE A JUDGE.
roBcus His Father and Grandfather
on the Kings Bench.

-. coleriige VINO has just been raised to the
=, NJ EneIand's High Court of Justice, Kings
,,rch Division, with salary Of $4,000 year and
= assurance OF n pension OF N1,So year on
sc retirement, VIII be remembered IN TINS country
.se Hon Bernard Coeridge. As such he ac-
Ea,faa his father when Lord Chief Justice of
-io,d on one of that celebrated lawyers longest
IS il America. and impressed those who met
-, oyer here AZ that epoch as n rather sharp
-.,,re5 Young man With a quickness of look and
s..isfon of character that one is apt to seek in
.,sv5cans rather than IN Englishmen.
later on when his father died, he excited a good
soo1 Of surprise On both sides OF the Atlantic by
+is efforts tc ave. his succession TO his fathers
os-age ard 70 his seat in the House of Lords.
The discussion the subject, which was ulti
r,atey referred 10 the highest law officers of the
crown and to the courts Of final appeal, established
.he fact. generally unknown until then, that the
heir 20 a peeTaEe is unable to renounce his sue
.ssson and TO remain commoner. The courts
ard the law officers took the view that an in
berted peeraRe -'pertained TO the blood" and
could not be alicnated discarded ut the VIII of
Us holder. and that. therefore, nolens volens
Bernard Coleridge had become through his fathers
death peer OF the realm in the eyes OF the law
possessed Of the prerogatives Of that rank. but
also subject its disadvantages among the latter
being the inability 10 sit IN the House Of Commons
Bernard CoeridEe was at one time Member OF
Parliament for Sheffield. and had built up for
himself lucrative practice at the bar. lie had
expectations and hopes of political career. which
he realized would be sacrificed by his removal
from the lower 10 the upper chamber of the ma
tonal legislature. It was likewise believed at the
time that a peer Of the realm he would be
compelled 70 abandon his legal practice. 1t was
eontended that . peer had no right 10 practise
law since the House OF Lords is the supreme
court Of justice OF the British Empire and its
ultimate tribunal OF appeal, OF which he was.
z peer. one Of the judges
,-,I
Coleridge, for with the loss of his seat in the
House Of Commons and consequent wreck of his
ralical prospects and the sacrifice OF his legal
Tssctice. he was confronted. as he himself nd
rtted. by beggary. since his father had be-
olssthed every penny OF his large fortune 10 his
young second wife.
Finally Il was decided by the court and the law
offcers Of the Crown that Notwithstanding his
having become peer, he could continue TO practise
in all the courts save that constituted by the
House OF Lords Practice before the latter IS the
most -ernunerative branch Of law. Still. it was
better than nothing and. in spite Of his being an
advanced Radical. his case excited so much sym
nathy that even the Conservative and Unonist
governments helped him along with commission
eTships etc
Lord Coleridge. whose grandfather, the Right
Hon. Sir John Duke ColeTidge was likewise
Judge Of the same court that 10 which he, Lord
Coleridge. has now been appointed. VIII as a peer
Of the realm be debarred by statute from taking
his turn with the other judges in presiding at the
trials Of contested parliamentary elections. These
in Great Britain are always determined by
tribunal presided over by Judge Of the court
Of the Kings Bench Division Of the High Court,
without any Jury. Lord Coleridge is married to
the daughter of the late Bishop Mackarness, Of
oxford, and Is a great-graudnephew OF Samuel
Taylor Coleridge, the poet Of THE Ancient Mar
iaer."