the same may be best carried into effect; and whether and in what manner the dispatch of the general business in our said courts may be expedited: And for the better discovery of the truth in the premises, we do by these presents give and grant to you, or any three or more of you, full power and authority to call before you, or any three or more of you, such and so many of the officers, clerks and ministers of our said courts, and other persons as you shall judge necessary, by whom you may be the better informed of the truth in the premises, and to enquire of the premises, and every part thereof, by all other lawful ways and means whatsoever: And we do hereby give and grant unto you, or any three or more of you, full power and authority, when the same shall appear to be requisite, to administer an oath or oaths to any person or persons whatsoever, to be examined before you, or any three or more of you, touching or concerning the premises; And we do also give and grant to you, or any three or more of you, full power and authority to cause all and singular the officers, clerks and ministers of our said courts, to bring and produce upon oath before you, or any three or more of you, all and singular rolls, records, orders, books, papers, or other writings, belonging to our said courts, or to any of the officers within the same, as such officers: and our further will and pleasure is, that you do within one year after the date of this our commission, or as soon as the same can conveniently be done, (using all diligence) certify to us in our court of chancery, in parchment, under your hands and seals, or under the hands and seals of any three or more of you, whether any and what part or parts of the proceedings in actions and other civil remedies, established or used in our said courts, or of the process, practice, pleading and other matters connected therewith, may be conveniently and beneficially discontinued, altered or improved, and what (if any) alterations amendments or improvements may be beneficially made therein, and how the same may be best carried into effect; and whether and in what manner the dispatch of the general business in our said courts may be expedited: And we further will and command, and by these presents ordain, that this our commission shall continue in full force and virtue; and that you our said commissioners, or any three or more of you, shall and may from time to time proceed in the execution thereof, and of every matter and thing therein contained, although the same be not continued from time to time by adjournment; and we do hereby direct and appoint, that you, or any three or more of you, may have liberty to certify your several proceedings from time to time to us, in our said court of chancery, as the same shall be respectively completed and perfected; and we hereby com'mand all and singular our justices of the peace, sheriffs, mayors, bailiffs, constables, officers, ministers, and all other our loving subjects whatsoever, as well within liberties as without, that they be assistant to you and each of you in the execution of these presents: And for your assistance in the execution of this our commission, we have made choice of our trusty and well-beloved George Faulkner, attorney at law, to be secretary to this our commission, and to attend you; whose service and assistance we require you to use from time to time, as occasion shall require: In witness whereof, we have caused these our letters to be made patent. Witness Ourself, at Westminster, the sixteenth day of May, in the ninth year of our reign. By Writ of Privy Seal. Crown Office in Chancery. BATHURST, 180 LIST OF GENTLEMEN TO BE CALLED TO THE BAR IN A List of Persons who have given Notice to be admitted Attorneys of His Majesty's Courts of King's Bench and Common Pleas, at Westminster, in Trinity Term, 1828. Eliot, James Fisher, John, jun. Fane, Gregory Fraser, George Gibson, William Good, Henry Hill, Charles Stephen Lamb, John Francis Lucas, George Lechmere, William Lane, Farindon Marshall, Joseph Edward Millett, John Fortescue Marsden, Geo. Edensor Pearce, William Henry Palmer, Charles James Russell, J. H. Cromwell Stewart, Robert, jun. Smith, Edward George Townsend, J. Honeywood Turner, Samuel Wylde Wathen, John Hayward Waters, Thomas Williamson, William Wilson, Wm. Silvester 182 EVENTS OF THE QUARTER. THE most important event that has occurred within the period which it is our duty to comprise, is the appointment of the law commissioners. On this, however, it is not necessary to dwell, as the public know full well the characters and attainments of the gentlemen selected by the Ministry. Serjeants Bosanquet and Stephen, Messrs. Parke, Pattesop, and Alderson have, perhaps, as intimate an acquaintance with the law of actions as any men whom it was possible to choose, and in the intricacies of pleading are all particularly versed. But with the exception of Mr. Serjeant Stephen (whose work is as admirable for the comprehensiveness of its views as for the clearness and accuracy of its details), we are not aware that the individuals alluded to have ever done, said, or written anything which affords an earnest of legislative ability; much less, a fair reason for supposing that the plan or groundwork of the system will be changed. The theorist has little to anticipate; the formalist slight cause for apprehension. A body so constituted, and we speak it to their praise, will respect the rules that have guided them so long, and touch with care what past ages have bequeathed us; but they will bring to light many causes of delay; they will clear away the nonsense of antiquity; and simplify where simplicity is attainable. Of course little progress has hitherto been made: they have intimated, however, a readiness to attend to all who have amendments to suggest; and the propriety of doing away with the general issue has been already the subject of discussion. We hear that considerable difficulty has been experienced in settling this amendment, from the fear of imposing too great a burthen of proof on the defendant. It is also said that a proposition has been made to retain the general issue, and require a notice of the particular defence; in analogy, we presume, to particulars of demand. With respect to the commission, of which Mr. Campbell is the head, and Messrs. Brodie, Hodgson, Duckworth and Tinney the subordinate members, it can hardly hope for that degree of confidence which the other may plausibly demand. Mr. Campbell's fame is principally built upon his knowledge of mercantile and not of conveyancing jurisprudence; and his coadjutors, though all reputed good draughtsmen and sound lawyers, are certainly not the highest of their class. Report says that appointments were refused by many of the ablest men; a fact which may account, in some measure, for the comparative inferiority of the body. It is generally understood that Messrs. Hodgson and Duckworth are rather fond of innovation; Messrs Brodie and Tinney opposed to it; and Mr. Campbell well fitted for a moderator, as far, at least, as opinions are concerned. The list, given above, of proposed enactments, will show sufficiently how the legislature has been dealing with jurisprudence. The most important of these, is the projected change in the jurisdiction of the county courts; which, it seems, is to be extended immediately to all debts under 101.; the process and pleading to be ex tremely simplified; and the jury to consist of five persons only, qualified like jurymen in the Courts of Westminster. Should the bill operate well, Mr. Peel proposes to extend the jurisdiction to all debts under 201. The particular provisions are not as yet determined on; but Mr. Peel of course must know that the present county courts are the worst of nuisances; that the inferior rate of remuneration has compelled respectable practitioners to abandon them, and that the business is almost wholly conducted by the lowest retainers of the law. The consequence is, that a trifling debt is hardly ever sued for in the hope of recovering a sixpence, but merely for the purposes of revenge; and justice is brought home to the doors of the poor, to make them the victims of oppression. Nor is this entirely attributable to the present limited jurisdiction of the tribunal. The Lancaster county court has cognizance of pleas to the amount of £10, and we understand from credible authority that great inconveniences have uniformly resulted from it. The only recent professional changes are the retirement of Mr. Marryatt from attendance on the courts, and the appointments of Mr. Horace Twiss, and Mr. Shepherd. The first of these was in extensive practice, and laboured hard to execute it well; but, diligence excepted, we cannot assign him the higher merits of an advocate. He is a good case lawyer, and troubles himself very little about principles; is well acquainted with laws as they are, and neither knows nor cares about their origin. We say this without apology, for it is the boast of the gentleman we are speaking of, that since he left school he has never read any but law books. "I do not wish to be understood," says an acute critic, "that he is upon a level with an Irish barrister, who, referring to two great events, the obtaining Magna Charta, and the Bill of Rights, confounded the sovereigns from whom they were exacted; nor with the celebrated English barrister, who, having occasion to quote a statute, and being required to mention the period at which it passed, very gravely replied, that it was in the reign of one of the Henrys, or one of the Edwards, but he could not exactly tell which ordinary conversation, and the indorsements upon his Ruff head, supposing he never opened it, would afford sufficient instruction to avoid such exposures. There is no doubt, however, that he is what would be considered in welleducated society-that society for which his rank qualifies him—an ignorant man." As a speaker, Mr. Marryatt does not rise to mediocrity; his language is bad, and his action peculiarly ungraceful; yet now and then he succeeded in a metaphor. "It poured forth," said he on one occasion, (he was speaking of a chimney) "it poured forth whole volumes-volumes did I say?—whole encyclopedias of smoke!" In examining a witness he was occasionally effective; rather, however, by perseverance than acuteness. No retort confused or startled him; and he would patiently reiterate a question till all modes of evasion had been tried in vain. In private life he is reputed an amiable and excellent man. Mr. Horace Twiss has not formally seceded from the profession, yet for a time, at least, he must surrender it, as inconsistent with the duties of his post. Some surprise has been expressed at his appointment, and the public at large are by no means aware of his capacity, though few men have made better speeches. On his first attempt, the common rules of courtesy were departed from, and he was most illiberally received. He had proceeded for about ten minutes when he came to the words, "I have now said enough”—“on this branch of the subject," he meant |