Lord Coleridge. the year 1865, he was elected by the city of Exeter, whose citizens retained his services as their member until, by his elevation to the Bench, he was disqualified from repre senting them any longer in the House of Commons. While he was in the House he was an earnest and a valuable supporter of the Liberal party, and soon after the com mencement of his parliamentary career, had firmly established himself as a member who could obtain an audience whenever he was on his feet for the purpose of making a speech. Mr. Gladstone had his eye upon him before he entered Parliament, and indeed, it is said, encouraged him to try for a seat, as he ex pected valuable support in the furtherance of his principles and ideas. Upon the for mation of his first ministry in 1868, Mr. Coleridge was made Solicitor-General, and, as is usual in such cases, had the honor of knighthood conferred upon him. Three years later the Attorney-General was placed upon the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, and Sir John Duke Coleridge, as he must now be called, was appointed Attorney-General in his place. Honors seemed now to come to him fast. In a short time he was offered an admiralty judgeship, which he declined. Not long after this the office of Master of the Rolls became vacant, through the retirement of Lord Romilly. This too was offered to Mr. Gladstone's Attorney-General, and this also, after mature deliberation, he refused to ac cept. Being a member of the Common Law Bar, the offer of this appointment to him caused some surprise, as it was a departure from long established custom. Mr. Glad stone is, however, not a slave to custom, if he sees that good will result from a departure therefrom. He considered Sir John Coleridge as well fitted as any for the post, and offered him the place. There is no doubt, however, that the Bar felt relieved when the offer was declined, and Sir George Jessel was appointed.
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Sir John did not have long to wait. But two years had passed when the death of Sir William Bovill made a vacancy in the Chief Justiceship of the Common Pleas, and there was no cause for hesitancy in accepting this when it was offered. He had not been long installed in this office when he was promoted to the House of Lords, under the title of Baron Coleridge, of Ottery St. Mary, in the county of Devon. After he had held this office for about seven years, Sir Alex ander Cockburn, the Lord Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench, died, and all eyes turned naturally to Lord Coleridge as his successor. Both chief justiceships were however abol ished, or rather the two branches of the law were united, and under the style and title of Lord Chief Justice of England, Lord Coler idge was appointed to the newly created office. This office he held until his death, which occurred between eight and nine o'clock on Thursday, the 14th of June last. During the year 1873 Lord Coleridge paid a visit to this country, and his dignified and distinguished carriage and appearance will, no doubt, be remembered by many. He was well entertained by the Bench and Bar, wherever he made his appearance, but his proceedings here were much criticised in some of the ultra-refined journals of Eng land. It was even spitefully hinted that he acted as the " advance agent " of Mr. Henry Irving and Miss Ellen Terry in the States. It may be remarked that, as a reply to this, when these illustrious tragedians were leaving England soon afterwards for their first visit here, the Lord Chief Justice's son, the Hon. Stephen Coleridge, went to Liverpool to see them off. This was regarded as, under the circumstances, a bold thing to do, but by the people generally it was sustained, as an evidence of pluck which all admire. •It was also objected to that his Lordship talked politics while here. This was re garded as unpardonable in a judge. The ermine should be kept pure. The critics little saw what a reflection this was upon
