EYRE, Sr. A large salt lake in the northwest of South Australia, about 550 miles north of Ade laide, reached at Stuart Creek Station by the railroad from Adelaide to Oodnadatta. It con sists of two extensive and shallow sheets of water, known as Lake Eyre, North and South, covering an area of about 4000 square miles, and connected by a narrow channel. There is no outlet: in the rainy season its principal feeders are the Diamantina, the Warburton, and the Truer or Macunda.
E.YRE, 5r (Scottish variants also air, afire, from AF. cire, OF. erre, oirc, journey, from Lat. itcr, road), or EIRE, JUSTICES IN (corrup tion of Lat. in itinere). Itinerant, or, as we should say. circuit judges. By this term, both in England and Scotland, were the judges of assize (q.v.) formerly designated. Justices in ()re were first established in England by Henry 11., in the sixteenth year of his reign (1170). The inconveniences and the frequent denials of justice resulting from the infrequency and irregu larity of the royal progresses, at which justice was dispensed by the Curia Regis, throughout. the kingdom, called for the institution of a dif ferent system. Accordingly, Henry appointed twelve justices to perambulate all the counties or England regularly, and to hear on the spot the complaints of his subjects. The number of these' itinerant judges was in 1176 increased to 18, and at the Grand Council at Windsor in 1179, to The subsequent rapid development of the regular' common-law courts which resulted froiS the 'divi-' sion of the Curia Regis and the institution of cir cuits regularly held by these, gradually threw the courts of the justices in Byre into the shade: They came to be regarded as of inferior position and authority, and in 1335 ceased to be ap pointed. Thereafter the expression had no pre
eise meaning in England. hut was sometimes loosely employed to describe the judges of the King's Bench. Common Pleas, and Exchequer, when on circuit.
In Scotland, the chief justiciar. says Erskine, i. 3. s. 25, was originally bound to hold yearly two justice courts or 'aires' at Edinburgh and Peebles. This court gradually became fixed at Edinburgh. Besides this court, special 'justice wires' were frequently held in the more remote parts of the country by the King in person, or by judges named by him, twice in the year—in spring and autumn (St. Robert HI, c. 30, 1440 c. 5, 1491, •. 29). These courts were discontinued, but re vived by Statute of 1587, c. 81. The term is still in use in Scotland, where, at the commencement of every circuit, proclamation is made to the lieges to attend the 'circuit nice.' See CIRCUIT; CURIA REGIS; COURT, and the authorities there referred to.