from the local livery stables, the trumpeters, the javelin men, and all the paraphernalia of the judge's progress from his lodgings to the Court, falls upon the High Sheriff, and not upon the country; but it is, nevertheless, a vexatious impost and an intolerable anachronism.
Hats and wigs.
The prerogatives of the judges still far exceed those of any other public servants; they are permitted to perform their duties almost at their own pleasure; even the Legislature refuses to recognise any power over them, and they have also much patronage vested in them, such as the appointment of revising barristers, chief clerks and masters, who exercise judicial functions.
The holidays enjoyed by the members of the judicature are far in excess of those in any other profession.
The following figures will give an idea of how many days out of the 365 are occupied by the judges in earning their salaries:-
| Christmas holidays. | 21 | days. |
| ChristmasEaster holidays" | 12 | days." |
| ChristmasWhitsuntide holidays" | 10 | days." |
| Long Vacation | 72 | days." |
| Queen's Birthday | 1 | days." |
| Sundays (besides those included above) | 36 | days." |
| Courts sit | 213 | days." |
| 365 |
Luncheon.
Although there is no statutory authority for the closing of the courts on the Queen's birthday, the judges have recently, with one or two exceptions, made a point of showing their loyalty by doing no work on that day. Many of them also are frequently absent on ordinary working days from other causes than illness. These delinquents are well known to the members of the legal profession, and it is unnecessary to mention their names.
The hours of sitting are nominally from 10.30 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon, with an interval of half an hour for lunch. Some judges, however, do not generally take their seats until a quarter to 11, and often later, and one or two are known occasionally to steal a little time from the end of the sitting. It is also a matter of common observation that the orthodox half-hour for lunch is very often spun out to three-quarters. So that, including the short sitting on Saturdays, when the courts rise at two o'clock, the judges do not sit much more than an average of four hours a day.
