PALATINE (from Lat. palatium, a palace). A Comes Palatinus, or count Palatine, was under the Aerovingian kings of France, a high judicial officer, who had supreme authority in all causes that came under the immediate cognizance of the sovereign. After the time of Charlemagne a similar title was given to any powerful feudal lord, to whom a province. generally near the frontier, was made over with Jura regalia, or judi-, cial powers, similar to what the counts palatine had received in the palace, and the dis2 trict so governed was called a palatinate or county palatine. There were three counties palatine in England—Lancaster. Chester. and Durham—which were, no doubt, made separate regalities on account of their respective proximity to the frontie'r of Wales and to iliat turbulent Northumbrian province which could neither be accounted a portion of England nor of Scotland. In virtue of their regal rights, the counts palatine had their courts of law, appointed their judges and law officers, and could pardon treasons, mur ders, and felonies; all writs and judicial process proceeded in their names, and the king's writs were of no avail within the bounds of the palatinate. Lancaster seems to have been made a county palatine by Edward III. Henry, first duke, and John, second duke of Lancaster. were both invested by him with the dignity of count palatine. Henry VI. was hereditarily duke and count palatine of Lancaster, and on his attainder, soon after Edward IV.'s accession, the duchy and county were forfeited to the crown, and confirmed on Edward IV.—afterward on Henry VII, and his heirs forever. The queen is now duchess and countess palatine of Lancaster. There is still a chancellor of the duchy and county palatine, whose duties are few and unimportant, but the administration of justice has gradually been assimilated to that of the rest of England. See LANCASTER. Chester
is supposed to have become a county palatine when made over with regal jurisdiction by William the Conqueror to Huguw d'Hvranches. In the reign of Henry III. it was annexed to tile crown by letters patent, and since that time the earldom palatine of Ches ter has been vested in the eldest son of the sovereign, or in the crown, whenever there is no Prince of Wales. Durham seems to have first become a palatinate when William the Conqueror constituted bishop Watcher, bishop and duke of Durham, with power (accord ing to William of Malmesbury) to restrain the rebellious people with the sword, and reform their morals with his eloquence. The palatinate jurisdiction continued united with the bishopric till 1836, when it was separated by act of parliament, anti vested iu William IV. and his successors as a franchise distinct from the crown, together with all forfeitures, mines, and jura regalia. It has since been more completely incorporated with the crown. Pembroke was at one time a county palatine, but ceased to be so in Henry VIII.'s time. The archbishop of York also exercised the powers of a palatine in the county of Hexham in Northumberland, of which he was deprived in the reign of Eliza beth. In very early times there were a number of similar privileges in Scotland, the most important of which was that of the earls palatine of Strathern. In Germany, the Pfalzgraf, or count palatine, exercised ajurisdiction much more extensive than the simple Graf or count. A consid&able district in Germany was long under the jurisdiction of a count palatine, who was one of the electors of the empire. See PALATINATE.