Sir,--As the recognised organ of the legal profession, will you permit
me to address you? It is common knowledge that within the last few
days the Right Honourable Sir JAMES HANNEN has been raised to a
dignity greater than that he has been able to claim for the last
eighteen years, when he has sat as President of the Probate, Divorce,
and Admiralty Division of the High Court of Justice. On leaving the
Court in which so many of us were known to him, he was kind enough
to say, "Those eighteen years had been eighteen years of happiness to
him, chiefly arising from the advantage he had had in having before
him habitually practising in that Court Barristers who had felt that
their part was just as important as his in the administration
of Justice, and who had assisted him enormously. Without their
assistance, his task would have been an arduous one, whereas it had
been, as he had said, an agreeable one." As I personally have had the
honour of appearing before his Lordship for many years, I think that
it is only right that I should make some acknowledgment of this kind
recognition of my services.
It is quite true that I have felt, as Sir JAMES HANNEN suggests, that
my part (humble as it may have been) has been just as important as his
in the administration of Justice. But it is gratifying to me beyond
measure to learn that my invariable custom of bowing to his
Lordship on the commencement and conclusion of each day's forensic
duties--which has been the limit of my "habitual practice" in the
Probate Division--should "have assisted him enormously." I can only
say that, thanks to his unvarying kindness and courtesy, my daily
recognition of his greetings from the Bench, instead of being an
arduous task, has ever been an agreeable one. I have the honour to
remain, Sir, your very obedient servant,
(_Signed_)