Century of English Judicature. dispel confusion, explode inveterate fallacies and give increased clearness and force to principles of permanent value. But here, as in the court of first instance, this plan has not been carried out in practice. The Court of Appeal now sits in two divisions, chancery
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of the court, during the service of Sir George Jessel as Master of the Rolls (1873-83), were James (to 1881), Baggallay (1875-85), Bramwell (1876-81), Brett (1876-97), and Cotton (1877-90). Jessel's short service of less than ten
MR. JUSTICE MATHEW.
appeals being allotted to one division, common law appeals to the other; and it usually happens that chancery appeals are heard by chancery lawyers and common law appeals by lawyers trained in the common law. Nevertheless this court has given general satisfaction. It is, indeed, as one of its most distinguished members called it, the backbone of the judicial system. The principal judges during the first decade
years has given him a place in the narrow circle of great judges. Other judges have been more subtle in intellect, but in swiftness and sureness of apprehension, in grasp of facts, tenacity of memory and healthy supe riority to mere precedent, he presented a combination of qualities hardly to be found in the same degree in any other judge. As a judge he was at once so swift and sure that the surprise which each quality called forth
