New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-22
MASTER OF THE ROLLS
vs1 appointment to One of Eng
l1nd's Most Ancient Offices.

Almost go ancient as the Office OF Lord Chief
s7ges oS the Realm Sc that OF Master OF the Rolls
% which Sir Herbert Cozens Hardy has sust been
.opontea The master has precedence over all the
5sh.r Judges OF the Supreme Court OF yudieature
vSfh the exception OF the Lord High Chancellor
ana the Lord Chief Justice. next 20 whom he ranks
aiFle n dignity ana emolumsnf. One kears OF tho
Master q TIE Rolls already at the beginning OF
ne thirteenth century, and there Is no doubt that
An ghs origin he had charge % all the patents
gvaaa ana STits Issued under the Great Seal ana
TIA. be often fulfilled the duties OF the Lord Chan
oslor ead Keeper OF che Great Seal during the
l1sfsTs sbEsnes. In fact, at time he used 20
be known the Yice-Chaneeilor. Formerly 10
was eligible 20 q seat In the House OF Commons
nut Re deprived OF this privilege, enjoyed Sy
40 other member 90 The judicial bench by an act
q Parliament passed n ls2 debarr.ng oil Judges
a the Elgh Court Of Justice Court OF Appeal
from sitting In ehe House OF Commons He has
custody of al the national records which date
hack for more than thousand years-siEce times
pgog 10 even che Norman ConQuest-and which.
comprising Dooms6ay Book, are preserved IN a
huge building known as the Rolls House. which
opens on 10 chanosry Lane through an aTched
gateway
i Is precisely on account OF his keepershIp OF
tie state records that the Master OF the Rolls Is
more frequently consulted By the monarch than
any other law ofdcer Of the crown on points con-
corning his pTerOgatives and duties as sovereign
Es receives q salary OF sSooeO year. which IS
SEQ more than the lord justices or the Judges Of
the High Court Of Justice. and IS usually created
q peer OF the realm on HIS retirement promo
ton. which latter fate has oveTtaken that genial
Irshman Sir Richard Hem Collins who now be-
comes Lord Collins, and who will be remembered
n this country as one OF the Rrbitrators OF the
Venezuelan boundary controversy.
Lord Collins is the most perfect French scholar
On the English bench, adept in golf. and Is
great at .mpromptu verses. apropos OF any topic
brought up Cor discussion with the post-prandal
cigar while remarkably smart epigFaus in rhyme
9uEt havored with touch OF brogue. aow from
his lips easily as the very sound Judgment
which he delivers from the bench He has
strong sense % hunor. which at times takes a
somewhat cynical turn. and there IS no Judge who
has had so few legal decisions overruled on APP
peal He does not however. share the extraordi-
nary accomplishment possessed by his predecessor
Master OF the Rolls. Sir Robert LAndley. Dur
ing the course OF trial at which he had 20 pre-
side, and IN which the Tival interests of couple
OF professional conJurors involved. the fact
vas brought 20 light that the august occupant OF
the bench was himself a cOnjuror of extraordinary
skill, ana Il subsequently discovered by fur
ther investigation that he was IN the habit OF oc-
oasionally giving performances Of sleigtt-Of-han6
for the benefit OF charities.
sLEIGHT-oF-HAND on THE BENCH
There seems TO be something intensely eonlcsl
IN The notion OF of these imposing and be-
Eigged judicial iuminaries, who has been invested
Hith so much pomp and solemn dignity through
ont the entire day not only interpreting but like
wise making Law, subsequently holding forth in
the evening a conjuror and extracting eggs
from peoples noses watches from their mouths
and Ike rabbits from the hats Of friends who had
never dreamed OF their presence there. I may ada
IN this connection that OF the judges OF the
Court OF Bankruptcy. in London. is a clever and
accomplished ventrilOouist. who like the former
Master OF the Rolls. occasionally places his ser
vices in this respect the disposal OF charitable
organizations. After this. Gilbert and Sullivans
comic operas. which represent the Lord Chief Jus
fice as adept in dancing breakdowns and the Lord
High Chancellor skilled confortionist will no
longer appear so eKtravagant as heretofore.
AproDos OF these accomplishments OF these legal
summaries, may mention that the Parliamentary
Etsspiechases about to be revived for the first
tine IN nine years These are steeplechases in
which the House OF Lords contests for the honors
with the House OF Commons. England's national
legislature IS about the only parliament in thu
world that IS either disposed 10 capable OF get
ting % contest Of this kind. and cannot quite
picture 10 myself q steeplechase contest at Wash
inston between the two houses OF the National
Congress. Formerly the Parliamentary point 10
point steeplechase IN England was annual az
fair. bit Captain Bay" 2Giddleton's tragic death
BY breaking his neck caused them 10 be discon-
tinued FOR time although there are several iegis-
lators still n Parliament who distinguished them
selves in The contests in question. among them
being lord Knaresborough, Walter Long. who
was the Tnonist Secretary for Ireland in the last
BafouT administration: Victor Cavendish, nephew
Of the Duke OF Devonshre and J. A. Pease. who
is now one OF the ministerial whips.
BAY" CURED OF PRACTICAL JOKING.
Bay Middleton whose prowess in the hunt
ing field may be said 20 have enjoyed alto
gether European reputation. was invariably
lscted 10 pilot the late Empress OF Austria in
the hunting field when Fhe stayed either in Eng
land or IN Ireland for tho sake OF the hunting He
was in great demand. also a diner out and a
objected 10 him on account OF his positive mania
for practical jokes. ore OF these and a particu-
larly unpleasant one, was the practice which he
made n quietly approaching when in evening
dress and seizng their coat tails. TO suddenly rip
the garment from waist 10 collar. He was wont TO
play this trick IN particular upon men who Of
Tended the ethics OF country house life by appear
ing in an evening dress coat in the smoking room
after the aides had retired Tor the night About
scar before his death he was cured OF this pro-
pensity IN a rather amusing manner A new ar
rival. who had been warned Of Bays" ways en-
tered the smoking room after the ladies had
gone 10 bed and stood with his arms resting
the gnsnteIpiece looking at picture above IT, and
apparently lost 20 reyerie. He had on an evening
dress coat. The temptation was too great for
Middleton n resist Quietly approaching his in
tended victil he suddenly seized the tails Of the
coat ana. with q strong Jerk ripped II up 10 the
follar Much 10 HIS establishment. the wearHr gave
no signs whatsoever of annoyance, but. on the con-
tary, soined more heartily IN the laughter than
Rny one else On being complimented the
rneaher IN hich he had taken the joke he cheer
'ily exclaimed oh the Joke is aot upon me. but
Upon Middleton Pressed for an explanation. lie
related that passing the captains room on HIS
aos~u r,.l he M