The English Bar

It is a chatacterisüc difltineUon that at the luns of Cour) im-ii ure "called to the bar" after acertainprobation, wliilc in the United States they are, upon amlnation, "admïttedtopractice" in the courts. The formar mode ia a voluntar iy act of grace by whicta the benchera úkaman to beoome one of their fraternity; the latter is in the nature of the recoguition of a ïïght upon the fnlfillment of certain conditions. A barristcr's profcssion in England is noniinally of an honoravy eharacter, and fee is an honorarium, which cannoi be Büed'for ai law as an attórney 's costa may. Piractically, hovever, :i barrt ter services ol eourse are paid lor like any other prof essiona] services, and Uie professional incoine of many successful English barristeis ai e ery largo. Law is the nobleet of all professknts in Eng land. It takes men into Parllament: it tnakes them peers and lord hancellors. tdidnoi have Mie good fortune of seeing anj of the greal nourta In Bession, for my visit was in the lon.i vacatton; bat l saw a criniiiiai cause tried in one ol the minor courts in Liverpool, and was much nterested m the proeeedings. First of all, 1 was struck by the costume of the judgiand of tlie barristeis, whose wigs and gowns gave theoi au air of dignity and authority well suited to their functiona and not without its practical value. The wigs, indeed, did seein sonicwlmt ridlculbns, because of their absurd likencss and unlikeness to the natural covering of the head. The jiulgu's wig was the lenst grotcsque. It was quite like the large bob wig worn by all gentlemen in the latter part of thé last oentury, - much like that, for examplg, rep resented in Dr. Jolinson's portrait. But the barrister'swigiscertainly the queercst covering that was ever put upon a human head. The gown gives dignity to the figure and grace to the action ; but I found it difiieult to lonk at the wiga without laughing. Behind and at tliesides there bang four little formal, isolated curia in doublé roWs, so unlike anything human, and vet go plainly an iniitation of curlcd and powdwed liunian halr, that they would seeoi like caricature. I spoke of tlieir absurdity to i friend wlio was at the bar, andsaid that, wbile the gown seemed worthy a reverence and admiration, 1 wondèred whv the ridiculong little wiirs were nut discanta!. "Disoard wigs!" was hisreply. "AVliy, w' couldn'tget on withont thein. I couldn't trv a cause without my wig. I should feel as if I had no right to be in court; as if tho judge would be juatified in taking no ni ofme; and as if the witnessea had me at tlieir mercy, instead oí having tliein at mine. I shoukln't daré to cross-question awltnesswithóut a wig." "In other wonls," I said, "your vyig givea yon an authoritative position whioh eniililes yon to bamboozle a witnpss." "Why, yes," he answeied, smiiing, "that's pretty niuchit.if TOuchoose to put it