LONDON LEGAL LETTER. LONDON, May 10, 1893.
lawyers have had a holiday to-day. The occasion of this welcome remission from forensic toil was the opening of the Imperial Institute by the Queen, amidst every circumstance of pageantry and popular interest. It is seldom that London life is enlivened nowadays with a really grand State function, and so the opening of the Institute with every royal ceremony was sin cerely welcomed by the metropolitan community to whom such festivities are ever welcome. When the project of an Imperial Institute was originally started in the Jubilee year of 1887, it encountered a good deal of adverse criticism, and candid friends are even yet enquiring the purpose of its establishment. One of our best evening news papers asserts that the robust faith of the AgentsGeneral for the Colonies and of some of the most practical authorities upon India outweighs all the influences of " philosophic doubt," and that the Institute will be useful along four distinct main lines: (i) The "Commercial Museum" line; (2) The " Information Bureau " line; (3) The "Social " line; and (4) The " Popular Educative" line. On the whole, you may take it that there is now a general consensus of public opinion in favor of the Institute, and its future utility in many directions is not seriously disputed. At the ceremony of to-day the judges in their robes were of course officially present, and as a preliminary to their participation in the public festivities, they and their wives were entertained to breakfast at Sussex Square by the Lord Chief-Justice and Lady Coleridge. Among the Royal Honors be stowed to mark the occasion has been the appointment of the Lord Chancellor Lord Herschell, who is Chairman of the Council of the Institute, to be an Extra Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath. There were great doings at the Middle Temple on Grand Night this term. The Prince of Wales,
who is a bencher, came to dine; and accordingly a great many more barristers and students coveted seats in the Hall than could be accommodated. Places were assigned in accordance with priority of application. The event of the evening was the speech of His Royal Highness, who gracefully alluded to his son's betrothal, which he stated amidst immense applause was the explanation of his absence that night, for the Duke of York had been expected to accompany his father. At some of the Inns of Court after-dinner speeches are not allowed, such frivolities being deemed inconsistent with the sober character of the surroundings Speeches or no speeches, however, Grand Night is always a very merry occasion, the flowing bowl being much in evidence; and I need hardly say that Middle Temple Grand Night this term was even merrier than usual. There are very few teetotalers at the bar; a few there may be, but they avoid the vinous delights, of a bar-mess; although an abstainer is always cordially welcomed at the table, as his abstinence increases the potential potations of his messmates. We have had one of the most wonderful spells of fine weather in town experienced for many years; the result has been to prolong the spring visitation which country friends make at this sea son. The Scotch Courts have a long holiday in spring; and few are the judges and advocates of the North who have not been seen airing them selves in the parks, theatres, and other fashionable resorts during the past month. The Nestor of the County Court Bench, Judge Bailey, has just died at the advanced age of ninety; he has presided in the Westminster County Court since 1849; and although latterly he suffered from deafness, he has always sustained a high reputation for ability and fairness. The Westminster County Court is the best county court appointment in England.
