Page:Harvard Law Review Volume 5.djvu/421

405 NOTES. 405 Right of a Former Ward of Court to Marry. — The recent volume of Chancery Division reports gives us the encouraging decision of Bolton v. Bolton, 1 gratifying to all sympathetic jurists. A young lady whose property enjoyed the protection of the Court engaged her- self, at the age of nineteen, to a commercial traveller in a good position, with a salary of ,£300 per annum ; the contract being founded, how- ever, in the gentleman's affidavit that, if the Honorable Court would permit him to visit and pay his addresses, he would so act as became a gentleman and an honorable man, and in all respects abide the directions and orders of the Honorable Court. As Miss Bolton was anxious to start her proposed husband in busi- ness at once, she ananged to become his wife six days after becom- ing of age, contrary to the warning of her father, whose advice was rewarded by unsatisfactory replies from both of the lovers. The father accordingly procured an order restraining the parties from intermarry- ing, from which order Miss Bolton and Mr. Russell appeal. In discharging the injunction, the Court say, that although it at first occurred to them that the power of preventing a marriage not on terms of their choosing was given to them by Mr. Russell's affidavit, they have been forced to yield to the argument that that promise must be fairly interpreted as coextensive with the Court's jurisdiction. After this generous admission the Court made the luminous suggestion that it is impossible for them to restrain the gentleman from marrying with- out restraining the lady, which they have no jurisdiction to do. So both are free. English Judges of To-day. — The following few details con- cerning the present English judges may be of interest to those who are obliged to read their decisions. The head of the English judicial system, the Lord Chancellor, is Lord Halsbury. As Sir Hardinge Giffard he was a noted advocate in nisi prius and criminal cases. Later he became a politician and orator, was Solicitor General under Disraeli, and in 1885 obtained the woolsack as a political reward, the salary being ^10,000. He is known among scholars as a noted Hebrew scholar. Of the three Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, with salaries of ^6,000, Lord Watson, formerly Lord Advocate under Beaconsfield, represents the Scotch law. He is considered one of the soundest and most brilliant of the judges, with a complete mastery of the law. Lord Hannen was counsel in the great Shrewsbury case before the House of Lords, and late President of the Divorce Court ; he also presided over the Parnell Commission. Of the judges in the House of Lords who usually sit, Lord Bram- well is the best known as well as the oldest, having been born in 1808. He was made Baron of the Exchequer in 1856; he is a liberal in politics, and actively interested in political economy. His opinions are generally forcible and full of common sense. A writer in the " Law Quarterly " speaks of his style as " slashing sword- thrusts." Lord Herschell was Lord Chancellor under Gladstone. He is a well- known philanthropist, and interested in education. Lord Field earned his reputation as a puisne judge in Queen's Bench, to which he was appointed in 1875. Other well-known judicial peers are Earl Sel- 1 iS9i,3Ch. Div. 270.