122 



THE PREDECESSORS OF THE 



under which the proposed arrangement of terms was adopted, 

 "but not established by rule lest it might be found expedient 

 soon to alter it again. Hence the succession of terms in the 

 Supreme Court continued in fact to be a provisional one 

 from term to term only, subject to be established by rule 

 under the Charter with modifications as and when the Court 

 might think proper, till 1831, when it was ordered that in 

 every year there should be four terms, each term to consist of 

 twenty-one days ; the first term in every year to commence 

 on the 2nd February, the second on the 2 1st March, the 

 third on the 18th July, and the fourth on the 12th September; 

 provided always that if the twenty-first day of any term 

 should happen to fall on a Sunday, such term should end 

 on the following day. 83 



This rule remained without alteration during the existence 

 of the Supreme Court, but by Act XXVIII of 1845, section 

 2, the Court was empowered to transact out of term all busi- 

 ness which it had power to transact in term ; and on the 

 opening of the High Court on the 18th August 1862 it was 

 intimated by the Chief Justice, Sir Colley H. Scotland, that 

 there would be no longer a division of the year into four 

 terms. 



By the constitution of the Court of the Eecorder the Bench 

 consisted of the Mayor with three Aldermen, the Recorder 

 presiding. The Mayor was of course a permanent member 

 during the whole of his year. The Aldermen were by rotation 

 changed every term. The Recorder and either the Mayor or 

 one of the Aldermen were sufficient to hold a Court for all 

 purposes, and the Court had not been long established when, 

 in consequence of the acts of some of its members, disap- 

 proved of by others, a majority of the Mayor and Aldermen 



fc3 Supreme Court Rules, 22nd February 1831, G. R. 1. The information 

 as to the Recorder's Court is taken chiefly from a MS. Introduction to the 

 Correspondence of the Court of the Recorder, 1798 to 1801. 



