not so many. It is a known fact that in early days trading vessels sailed together in fleets at regular intervals, and there appears to be evidence that their arrival at their destination was called the Passagium. Mr. Gladstone's theory, which appears to give a reasonable explanation of the name of the court, is that the sittings of the court were fixed for the time when these trading vessels were in port in order that disputes between the town merchants and the captains or members of the crews of these vessels might be tried, and that in this way the term "Courts of Passage" arose. The fact that for a long period Chester contended that she had a superior jurisdiction over the port town of Liverpool would explain a similar name being given to the sittings of the Liverpool court. IV. PRESENT DAY Towards the end of the nineteenth century the Court of Passage fell upon evil days. Its procedure was antiquated, and high authorities in London hesitated to grant power to reform the practice. At last, in 1903, the efforts of the Corporation and the Law Society were rewarded, and the practice of the court was assimilated to that of the High Court of Justice. Since then it has played an important part in the local administration of justice. It has no criminal jurisdiction and its powers are very limited in matters that pertain to the Courts of Chancery, but in common law cases there are no restrictions except that in claims for under £20 the whole cause of action, and in other cases part of the cause of action, must have arisen within the jurisdiction of the court. In Admiralty matters it has the same powers as the county court. The presiding judge sits five times a year at St. George's Hall for the trial of actions, and the registrar sits daily to deal with the ordinary work of the court. On the whole it may safely be said that the Court of Passage is a useful and satisfactory survival from the days when local courts were a more general part of our system of jurisprudence. MANCHESTER CATHEDRAL SCREENS By the Rev. H. A. Hudson, M.A., F.S.A. Read 8th November 1917 THI LADY CHAPEL SCREEN HIS is the most notable, as in its original state it was doubtless the most beautiful, of all the screens in the church. A good idea may be gained of its condition a hundred years ago, and of the alterations and additions which have been made since, if we quote from the description of it by John Palmer. After an allusion to "the Oliverian tomahawk," which not inaptly describes the wanton ravages attributed to Colonel Birch's sword during the Commonwealth period, when much destruction was wrought in the church, the writer laments that the screen ... now exhibits to the spectator a melancholy picture of magnificence in decay. Along the upper part of the screen has been a row of purfled canopies, . . . but nothing remains of them except a small portion of the back part of each. Over the door . . . are fragments of St. George in combat with the dragon; and on each side have been three mutilated statues, comprehending both sexes, but only five of them are now remaining. Those on each door jamb are female figures with crowns on their heads under the pedestal which supports the one on the 1 Foundations in Manchester, ii, 337. In the same volume Plate XIII. furnishes a careful architectural drawing by Palmer, here reproduced. |