46 
Attorney General, on the ground, that a 
negative was lodged with the Parliament, 
which could, at any time, interfere, by 
mezens of the Annual Mutizy Biil, uf ne- 
ceffary. 
Ast length the time arrived, when Mr. 
Wedderburn was to receive an ample re- 
ward for all his fervices, as well asa re. 
mouneration fer the abufe which had been 
fo capioufly lavifhed upon him: for, in 
‘Trinity Ferm, 1780 (June 14), he was 
nominated io the important office of 
Chief Jufice of the Common Pleas... On 
this occation, he had a powerful competi- 
tor, in his contemporary at the Bar, the 
late Sir Fletcher Norton, atierwards Lord 
Grantley ; and the conteft, at the period 
alluded to, was, not unaptly, compared 
to the firugele between Ajax and Uiyfles 
for the frierd of Achilles. 
On the fame day that he was invefed 
with the dignity of the coif, a Barony 
was conferred on him by patent; in con- 
f:quence of which he was c3iled to the 
Houle of Peers, by the flyle and title of 
Alexander Lerd Leughberough, Baron 
Leughborongh, of Lougatorough in the 
county of Leiceftes. 
No fooncr was his Lordfhip invefted 
with his cew cflice, than en opportunity, 
unfortunatery, qccurred, for the exercife 
of ics funétions: this was in confequence 
ef the riots that took place durirg the 
fymmer of 1780, and were fuffered, by 
the mo! culpable negligence, to attain a 
molt alarming afpect. His charge to the 
Grand Jury, in the great hall at St. Mar- 
garet’s hill, afembled for the purpo‘e of 
finding the Bills upon this occahon, has 
always been confidered as a mailerly fpeci- 
men of juridval eloguence.~ It is but 
juftice allo to obierve, that he recom- 
mended to the clemency of the Sovereign 
anumber of unhappy yoyng perfons, of 
both fexes, who had been carried away 
by the prevalence of example, and 2 moft 
ridicubons optcry, on the {core of religion. 
Ov the other hand, it wceuid be culpable 
to omit, that the mode then introduced, 
ef tryinz feveral, who were flrangeis to 
eachother, fome of whem were innocert, 
-while the guilty were implicated in dif- 
ferent degreesaf criminality, at the fame 
tome, and by the fame indi€tment, was 
loudly, and juitly, cenfured, as a mof 
dangcrous innovation. : 
While Lord Loughborough prefided in 
the Common Pleas, a pioligious influx of 
fuitcrs erowded into that Court, and his 
Lordfhip, in particular, afforded relief to 
a body of men, who had, fomecimes, fo- 
heitcd, elfewhcre, eliher ia vald, of un- 
Afempirs of the Earlof Rofihn. 
[Feb. t, 
der confiderable difadvantages, The clafs 
we allude to was compofed of feafaring 
men ; who, inthe courfe of long voyages 
to the Eaft Indies, America, and the 
coat of Africa, were not unfrequenily 
expofed to cruelty and injuftice; on’ the 
part of their officers, while they were 
not always abie to contend, on their 
eturn, with the real or fuppofed offen- 
ders, by means of an expenfive fuit at 
Jaw. Several noted examples of -this 
kind were held out to the world, and 
_the damages awarded tended nota litle 
to check brutal ufage on the part of com- 
manders, and fuberdinate oficers.* _ 
A queftion relative to the right of leaf- 
ing or gleaning came before this courts 
which aff rded his Lordthip an excellent 
opporiunity of dilplayinz his eloquence, 
M°. Juflice Wilfon, fince dead, and ano- 
ther jucge coincided in opinion with the 
Chief Jultice, who was for the negative, 
fo that-honeit Gould was left by himfelf 
to contend for the afirmative, which he - 
did fiouly, and with confiderable effcét. 
On one fide, the arguments tended chiefly 
towards demonftrating the impolicy of 
the cuitom; on the other, they were bot- 
tomed.cn ancient prefcription. Since this 
peiiod, a number of real aétions have 
been brought (for this may be confidered 
merely as a fiftitious one to try the quef- 
tion} and the decifien of that day has 
been ated upon to its full extent. 
Waile invefted with this office, a cir= 
cumftance occurred, which was f{uppofed 
to have brought fome obloquy upon the 
premier of that day. This was the aug- 
mentation of the falary of the Chief Juf- 
tice of the Common Plas. Mir. Fox, 
wito mentioned the bufinefs in the Houfe 
of Commons, contended that fuch a pro. 
ceeding tended to violate the mtegrity and 
independence of the judges, as it was not 
fufficient for this purpofe, that they fhould 
be immoveable at the pleafure of the 
crown. For it ought alfo to be impofli- 
ble to feduce, or at leaf, warp them by 
means of donatives. He therefore in- 
ferred that in this, and all fmilar cafes, 
application ought to be made to parlia- 
* It was his Lordfhip’s cuftom to invite all 
the officers of his Court, once a year, to an 
entertainment ; and cbout this peried he was 
greatly, and, indeed, juftly, difgufted with the 
indelicate condué of one of them, who fated, 
after dinner, by way of joke, that it was cuf- 
tomary for a failor to threaten his captain 
with ¢* Loughboroughing”’ him ! 
fon, who had lately purchafed his office; was, 
of courfe, never invited again te Bedford- 
{quare. . 
This per-_ 
ment, 
