Lord Justice Christian has been attacking the Lord Chancellor of
Ireland again. Indeed, he appears to think that this is one of his principal functions as a judge. The Vice-Chancellor had ruled that a particular matter ought to be decided by the Regis- trar of the Court, and not by himself. This ruling was known to be at variance with Lord Justice Christian's views as to the duties of the subordinates of the Chancery Court, and so it was appealed against, the Lord Chancellor (Lord OlIagan) affirming on appeal the decision of the Vice-Chancellor. Thereupon Lord Justice Christian remarked on "the happy faculty which the Lord Chancellor possessed of taking things easy,"—which meant, we suppose, agreeing with the Vice-Chancellor,—a faculty which he I said be had often observed in him. Lord Justice Christian declared the arrangements under which the Vice-Chancellor had referred this matter to the Registrar to be illegal, and remarked at length on the duties and salary of the Lord Chancellor, being understood to imply
that he had neglected his duty with respect to the revision of the General Orders, an imputation which, of course, the Lord Chancellor repudiated. Lord Justice Christian himself assuredly is never guilty of the weakness of leaving anything to anybody else which be can find an excuse for doing himself. He appears to rejoice especially in undoing what has been done in lower Courts, and in shaking the confidence of the public in what he cannot manage to undo. If he is permitted to remain much longer in his post, he will have the satisfaction of elaborately undermining on appeal the authority of law in Ireland even more completely than the Irish people itself can undermine by disobeying and disregard- ing it.
