THE COURT OF EXCHEQUER CHAMBER.

THE COURT OF EXCHEQUER CHAMBER, which was a Court of Appeal, had, as its judges, the Lord Chancellor, the Lord High Treasurer, and Vice-Treasurers, the Right Hon. Lord Chief Justice Rogerson, and the Lord Chief Justice Reynolds. The Clerk of Errors was Luke Donagh.

OTHER OFFICES.

The Lord Almoner was the Primate; the Principal Secretary of State was the Right Hon. Edward Southwell; the "Publick" Register of Deeds and Conveyances, the Hon. Arthur Hill, with, as deputy, William Parry.

The Secretaries to the Lord Lieutenant were the Right Hon. Edward Walpole and Nicholas Bonfoy. One wonders if the Hon. Edward was anything to the Premier, Sir Robert Walpole.

The Secretaries to the Lords Justices were Thomas Tickell and William Lingen.

The Clerk of the Council was the Right Hon. George Sackville (the Council office being in the Upper Castle-yard), with, as the Deputy Clerk of Council, Robert Harris, of Abbey-street.

THE PREROGATIVE COURT.

There was a Prerogative Court, with its office in Stafford-street, the Right Hon. Marmaduke Coghill, J.U.D., of Capel-street, as Judge, and his Register was Ambrose Philips.

THE CONSISTORY COURT.

The Judge of the Consistory Court was Thomas Trotter, J.U.D., VicarGeneral of the Diocese of Dublin, of Capel-street. The Surrogate to Dr. Trotter was the Rev. James King, A.M., of Kevin-street; the Register, Edward Sale, J.U.D., of Bride-street.

ADMIRALTY COURT.

The Court of Admiralty had as the Judge, John Hawkshaw, J.U.D., and Thomas Medlicott, of Peter-street, as its Register; and as its Marshal, James Palmer.

OTHER OFFICES.

The Recorder of Dublin was Eaton Stannard, of Stephen's Green. It may be curious to add that Commissioners of Oyer and Terminer were then appointed for the county of the city of Dublin, and they were the Lord Mayor, the Lord High Chancellor, the Earl of Meath, the Earl of Rosse, Lord Viscount Fitzwilliam, Lord Viscount Allen, Lord Viscount Lanesborough, Lord Santry, Dr. Marmaduke Coghill,

Lord Chief Justice Rogerson, Right Hon. Thomas Carter, Lord Chief Justice Reynolds, Lord Chief Baron Marlay, Sir John St. Leger, George Gore, Michael Ward, John Wainwright, Robert Lindsay, Henry Rose, Henry Singleton, Robert Jocelyn, John Bowes, Richard Bettesworth, Eaton Stannard, Boleyn Whitney, Warden Flood, Thomas Le Hunte, Right Hon. Luke Gardiner, Alderman John Porter, Alderman Percival Hunt, Alderman Nathaniel Pearson, Alderman Thomas How, Alderman Nathaniel Kane, Alderman Richard Dawson, Sir James Somerville, and Alderman William Walker. There were also Commissioners of Oyer and Terminer for the County of Dublin, largely consisting of the above, with Lords Howth, Ranelagh, Southwell, Valentia, and others in addition.

The Solicitor in Criminal Causes was St. John Bowden.

The "Ulster King of Arms" was John Hawkins, of Capel-street; while the Athlone Pursuivant was Philip Ridgate; and Chief Serjeant at Arms, Richard Povey; and Second Serjeant, Thomas Carter.

The Keeper of the Records in Birmingham Tower was William Tighe; the Constable of Dublin Castle, Thomas Hatton, with, as deputy, Nathaniel Clements.

The Clerk of the House of Lords was Enoch Sterne, and Henry Baker Sterne, associated with him.

The Clerk to the House of Commons was Isaac Ambrose, and Burdet Worthington as his deputy. The Chaplain to the House of Commons was the Rev. Joseph Story, D.D., the old Williamite chaplain and historian. The Post-Master-General was Sir Marmaduke Wyvill, Bart.; and I may add that the Post Office was then in Sycamore Alley. The King's Printer was George Grierson; and Samuel Fairbrother was King's Stationer; and William Maple the Keeper of the Parliament House.

We find there was a Supervisor of Hearth Money, in Dublin, in the person of one William Keane; and as an "Examinator" of "Hearth Accounts," William Cocksedge. The Solicitor for "Quit Rents," Thomas Pocklington; and the Solicitor to the Commissioners of Inland Revenue and Excise was James Howison; while their Counsel was St. George Caulfield. The "Comptroller and Accomptant-General” of Patents was Agmondisham Vesey, with, Agmondisham Vesey, junior, described as his son. In the list of members of the Irish Parliament in 1739, I find these two names appear as the representatives for the Borough of Tuam. There was a public and legal recognition of gaming in a Stamper of Cards and Dice, holding office in the Custom House; and he was one William Maple. There were an Assay Master and a Receiver of Duties on Plate, and a "Master of Weights for all foreign gold current in the Kingdom," all combined in the person of William Archdall, who had his office in the Goldsmiths' Hall in Werburghstreet, and his house in Skinner's-row. The "Register of Seizures was William Elderton. The Commissioners of Revenue Appeals in the

Exchequer Chambers were Thomas Trotter, Robert French, and Boleyn Whitney, with Robert Roberts, as their Secretary.

The General Officers on the establishment comprised the General and Commander-in-Chief, Richard Lord Viscount Shannon, Lieutenant-General Thomas Pearce, Aide-de-Camp to the Lords Justices; Lieutenant-Colonels Peter Kerr, Edward Richbell, and Michael O'Brien Dilkes.

The Court of Delegates had as its Register, James Medlicott.

The Seneschal of St. Sepulchre's was Boleyn Whitney, with Joseph Bury as Register, and Coroner, Deputy Register and Appraiser, William Williams.

The Seneschal of Donore and Thomas-court was Warden Flood; and the Seneschal of the Liberties and Manor of Grange Gorman was Gerard Burke; while the Seneschal of the Liberties of St. Patrick's Thomas le Hunte. The Register to the Dean at Christ Church was Richard Morgan; and of St. Patrick's, William Shiell.

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These names and offices, taken from old books of the period, are interesting in some aspects; and they show the multiplicity of the offices that then existed, and which are more numerous than even in these days when the volume of business, bad as it is, is probably greater. Nepotism seemed fully prevalent, judging by the recurrence of father and son, and the "deputies" were certainly very common; but as probably most, if not all, the holders of the official posts were paid by the fees they exacted from litigants, and not by salaries, the general public purse was not the worse of this apparent redundancy of office. It is interesting also to notice in this connexion the residences of the judges and functionaries. At that time a resident nobility and a native aristocracy probably kept the judges from being and becoming greater social personages than they are in London to-day; but, at any rate, they lived in different quarters of the city from those they now occupy. The north side was then the fashionable quarter; and fashion and society there mostly congregated. Now that part of the city is given over to lesser personages ; and convention has driven persons who are slaves to its whims to live in the relatively darker, duller, and less healthy houses upon the south side. The various curious old offices, such as "philizer," "exigenter," clerk of the outlawries, "auditor of foreign accompts," and many others, are now all abolished; but they then had their uses, and the holders of them contributed as much as those with offices of less pretentious and less sounding names to-day perhaps as efficiently to the despatch of public business, such as it was.

The Union was socially the blight of Dublin; and from it down the fine old family residences decayed. In 1795, and probably in 1739, there lived, out of the 204 peers who belonged to the Irish House of Lords, 140 who had residences in Dublin. To-day there are not five. In 1795, and before it, there resided in Sackville-street, Lords Drogheda, Bellamount, Altamount, Netterville, Gosford, Percy, Belmore, Leitrim, and

Sunderlin; in Rutland-square, Lords Ormond, Darnley, Charlemount, Bective, Grandison, Longford, Farnham, Enniskillen, Erne, Wicklow, Caledon, and the Bishop of Kildare; in Gardiner's-row resided Lords Carrick, Arran, and Ross; in Henrietta-street, Lords Shannon, Kingston, Mountjoy, O'Neill, and the Bishop of Meath; in Marlborough-street, Marquis of Waterford, Lord Glerawly; in Dominick-street, the Earl of Howth and Sir Hercules Langrishe; while Summerhill was also a fashionable residential quarter. All that is now changed; and the change can hardly be described as an improvement socially or otherwise.

THE PRIVY COUNCIL.

His Majesty's Privy Council in 1739 must certainly be described as a very representative and respectable body of noblemen. It consisted of the Lord Lieutenant, William Cavendish, Duke of Devonshire; the Lords Justices, Dr. Hugh Boulter, Archbishop of Armagh; Thomas Wyndham, Baron Wyndham of Finglas, Lord High Chancellor; and Henry Boyle, Speaker of the Commons. Dr. John Hoadley, Archbishop of Dublin; Richard Boyle, the Earl of Cork; Dr. Theophilus Bolton, Archbishop of Cashel; Dr. Edward Synge, Archbishop of Tuam; Robert Fitzgerald, Earl of Kildare; Henry O'Brien, Earl of Thomond; Chaworth Brabazon, Earl of Meath; James Barry, Earl of Barrymore; Richard Lambart, Earl of Cavan; Algernon Coote, Earl of Mountrath; George Forbes, Earl of Granard; Henry Petty, Earl of Shelburne; John Villiers, Earl of Grandison; Thomas Fitzmaurice, Earl of Kerry; John Percival, Earl of Egmont; Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Malton; Richard Fitzwilliam, Viscount Fitzwilliam; Richard Boyle, Viscount Shannon; Richard Molesworth, Viscount Molesworth; Gustavus Hamilton, Viscount Boyne; Trevor Hill, Viscount Hillsborough; Joshua Allen, Viscount Allen; Brabazon Ponsonby, Viscount Duncannon; Charles Fane, Viscount Fane; Pattee Byng, Viscount Torrington; the Bishops of Meath, Kildare, Clogher, William St. Laurence, Lord Howth; James King, Baron Kingston; William Berkeley, Lord Berkeley; James O'Hara, Lord Tyrawley; Arthur Cole, Lord Ranelagh; George Evans, Lord Carbery; Thomas Southwell, Lord Southwell; William Flower, Lord Castledurrow; Henry Boyle, Speaker; Edward Southwell, Principal Secretary of State; Marmaduke Coghill, Chancellor of the Exchequer; John Rogerson, Lord Chief Justice; Thomas Carter, Master of the Rolls; James Reynolds, Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas; Thomas Marlay, Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer; Sir John Stanley, Sir Henry King, Sir Edward Crofton, Sir Thomas Prendergast, James Tynte, Martin Bladen, Edward Webster, Thomas Clutterbuck, Richard Edgecumbe, Marquis of Montandre, William Conolly, Walter Cary, Francis Burton, William Graham, Henry Bingham, Luke Gardiner, Edward Walpole, and Thomas Pearce. These constitute a very representative body in every sense.

THE LORD MAYOR OF DUBLIN.

The Lord Mayor of the city was John Macarell, and the Recorder, Eaton Stannard. There were two sheriffs, Thomas Baker, and George Ribton, and thirteen "sheriff peers," whatever their duties or responsibilities. The City Treasurer was the late Lord Mayor; and the City Receiver-General, Alderman Nathaniel Pearson. The City Coroners were Alderman William Walker, and Alderman David Tew, the Mayor of the staple, the late Lord Mayor; and the constables, the late sheriffs sworn into office, St. Paul's night, 25th January.

LEGAL HOLIDAYS.

A matter not unworthy of passing notice is the holidays then recognised by James Swift, of Eustace-street, David La Touche, Nathaniel Kane, and David La Touche, junior, of Castle-street, John Fade, Isa. and John Willcocks, of Thomas-street, and William Lennox, of Lower Ormond-quay, the Bankers of the city. These holidays were 1st, 6th, and 20th January, Ash Wednesday, 25th March, Easter Monday and Tuesday, 1st May, Whitsun Monday and Tuesday, 24th June, 1st July, 1st August, 29th September, 23rd and 30th October, 5th November, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th December; and the hours of attendance at the banks were from 10 till 1, and from 4 till 7 in the afternoon. It will be seen from these figures that there was a good deal more time for rest than even to-day is recognised.

A habit that then prevailed, and will be found noticed in some old almanacks, is the hours for divine service, to enable servants (as it is considerately said) to attend prayers, sermon, and sacrament, which began at 6 in the morning.

These statistics and details of offices and office-holders will be best understood and appreciated when one bears in mind the population of the city and country at the time. In 1728 the population of Dublin was 146,025; but it fell to 128,570 in 1753.

THE OLD TERMS.

While giving the names and holders of legal offices, we may add the law terms as then regulated. Hilary Term began on Saturday, the 20th January; sat on Tuesday, January 23rd; ended February 12th. The Returns were the eighth day from Hilary, Saturday, January 20th; the fifteenth day from Hilary, Saturday, January 27th; the day after the Purification, Saturday, February 3rd; and the eighth day from the Purification, Friday, February 9th. Easter Term began on May 7th, sat on Wednesday, 9th, and ended on June 4th. The Returns were the fifteenth day after Easter Monday, May 7th; three weeks after Easter Monday, May 14th; one month after Easter Monday, May 21st; five weeks after Easter Monday, May 28th; the day after the Ascension, Friday, June 1st ;