Chancellor

THE LORD HIGH. The lord high chancellor of Great Britain Is "created by the mere delivery of the king's great seal into his custody, whereby he becomes, without writ or patent, an officer of the greatest weight and power of any now subsisting in the kingdom, and superior in point of precedency to every temporal lord. He is a privy councillor by his office, and, according to Lord Chancellor Ellesmere, prolocutor (or speaker) of the house of lords by prescription. To him (under the crown) belongs the appointment of all justices of the peace throughout the kingdom. Being formerly usually an ecclesiastic (for none else was then capable of an office so conversant in writings), and presiding over the royal chapel, he became keeper of the king's conscience, visitor (in right of the king) of all hospitals and colleges of the king's foundation, and patron of all the king's livings under the value of twenty marks per annum in the king's books. Twelve canonries and 650 livings are now in the gift of the lord chancellor. Second Rep. Leg. Dep. Comm. 34. He is the general guardian of all infants, idiots, and lunatics, and has the general superintendence of all charitable uses in the kingdom." 3 Bl. Comm. 47. See Butler's note to Co. Litt. 290b. He was formerly the principal judge of the court of chancery, and is now president of the court of appeal, of the high court of justice, and of the chancery division of the high court, and acts as president of the house of lords when sitting as a court of appeal. He is therefore, of course, a barrister, and, as a rule, has previously either been attorney or solicitor general, or held some judicial office. He is also a cabinet minister, and has charge in the house of lords, of all legal measures brought forward by the government. See "Chancery;" "Vice Chancellor." CHANCELLORS' COURTS IN THE TWO universities.

In English law. Courts of local jurisdiction in and for the two universities of Oxford and Cambridge in England. These courts have jurisdiction of' all civil actions or suits, except those in which a right of freehold is involved, and of all criminal offenses and misdemeanors, under the degree of treason, felony, or mayhem, at Oxford when a scholar or privileged person is one of the parties, and at Cambridge when both parties are scholars or privileged persons, and the cause of action arose within the town of Cambridge or its suburbs. 3 Sharswood, Bl. Comm. 83, note; St. 19 & 20 Vict. c. 17, § 18; Id. c. 88; Rep. temp. Hardw. 241; 2 Wils. 406; 12 East, 12; 13 East, 635; 15 East, 634.

THE Lorp Hicu.

Also, by the 14 and 15 lished (18.) the Court of the Lords of whom there were two; and who, with formed the (18.) Court of Appeal in By the 36 & 37 Vict. o. 66, usually known