CHANCELLOR (OF. chatter ter. Fr. chance Lat. tancellarias, porter. doorkeeper. from caws. Ili. lattice). Under the later Roman em perttr, the chancellor W a - an usher or tdlicer duty it was to stand at the railing or latticework leanctUil to protect the judicial oliieer from the 'roweling of the people and to act as intermediary between him and those hav ing tt hit the ctiurt. Upon the breaking up of the Roman Empire the officer of the Crown in both the Ea-tern Empire and the Roman German Empire and the kingdoms of the \Vest. whose duty it was as notary or scribe to prepare and seal all important documents. was known as a chancellor. His position was one of great in fluenee, and he became the chief officer of the Crown. The office was also adopted by the ecclesiastical court at Rome as an inheritance from the Roman Empire. and the oflice was in turn created in the several bishoprics. each di, -ese having it chancellor. In France the chancellor was an officer of State of great power and dignity. He was charged with the care the great -cal; he presided over the King', conned:, and under him several other k dicers }nearing the name of chancellor were em ployed in the administration of justice and the pre-ervation of public order. During the Revo the tab's was aboli-hed i1791D. It was revived by Napoleon though deprived of many of its ttnwtions. It was Bour bon,. but finally, in 'Sig. merged with the Min i-try oI Justice. The chief functionary of the Austrian Empire and of other European States 'flea het] termed chancellor. and on the establishment of the Germ an Empire Bismarck. as the Prime Minister and chief administrative officer. was made Chancellor of the Empire Reiclr-kanzler.1 In England the chancellor. known as the Lord Chancellor or Lord high Chancellor. is the high est judicial otlieer of the Crown, the law adviser of the Ministry and the Keeper of the Great Seal. The existence (if the (Alice in England. as in the other States of Europe, is to be ascribed to the influence of the constitution of the Roman Em pire, this influence being exorcised in no small measure thrtmgh the medium of the Church. In the early history of the the Chancellor was always an ecclesiastic and the confidential adviser of the sovereign in State affairs. It is for this reason that he has been called the keeper of the King's conscience, and it is to this peculiar method of exercising his judicial function, upon equitable conscientious, as distinguished from purely legal, principles that the Court of Chan cery (q.v.). over which he presided, became of the highest importance in English jurisprudence. The Lord High Chancellor is the highest civil officer of the Crown. ranking next after the royal family and the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Chancellor is a privy councilor by his office. a manger of the Cabinet. and prolocutor, or prc-id ing officer in the House of Lords, by prescription.
The writs for the convocation of Parliament are issued in his name. Though the form in whichhis tenure of ()thee is terminated is by theresumption of the Great Seal by the sovereign, the Chancellor practically resign, office with the party to which he is attached. Ile hots the appointment of all justices of the peace throughout the kingdom, but this privilege he exercises generally on the recommendation of the Lords Lieutenants. But the most important. and, as it now seems, some what anomalous branch of his patronage. arises out of his having been originally an ecclesiastic. Though the last bishop who held the Mike was John Williams. Arehbishop of York. who was Lord Keeper from .1nly 10. 1021. to November 1. 1625, the still continues to be patron of all the Crown of the value of EDI per annum, or under (though in 1S03 about 300 were sold to augment the incomes of those sold and those retained), and visitor of all hospitals and col leges of the King's foundation. As representing the paternal character of the sovereign. again. the Chancellor is the general guardian of all in fants. idiots. and lunatics. and has the super visien of all charitable uses in the kingdom. As regards hi: judicial patronage, the arrangement is. that the Chancellor appoints in general all the of the superior courts, except the two Chief •1n,tices, who are nominated by the Prime Minister of the day. Of inferior appointments, the latter also has reserved to him the commis bankruptcy and the judges of the county courts. All these functions the Chancellor in addition to his extensive duties as tine supreme judge of the Court of Chancery. both as an ordinary court of common law and of record, and as an extraordinary court of equity. Much inconvenience had arisen from the aecumn lation of duties in the single person of this high dignitary. and various expedient: had been de vised for lessening the evil. Vice-ehancellors had been appointed. and the duties of the Master of the Rolls had been extended. In 1S75 a consider able change was made he consolidating all the vice-chancellors' etturts into division, called the Chancery Division of the 1-1 Court. And the Chanmilor's, in the house of Lords as the appeal court were lightened hystatute in IS713. The proposal of a Minister of Justice ha:. however, not yet fount] favor. The salary of the Chauvellor is £10,000 a year, and he has an a lain ity of 15000 on his retirement from office. The style of the Chancellor. -ince the union with Scotland, has lawn Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain; but he ha- scarcely any jurisdiction in Secaland, and in lrelaad there i- a separateChan tenor. having power- in most respects the same fc- those dfi the Chancellor of Great *Britain. To slay the Chancellor is treason under 25 Edward 111., •. 2.