Chancellor
in ancient times a titled to pass inside. bars or lattice-work in a lawcourt , to The Lord Chancellor of England was originally the king's chief secretary, to whom petitions were referred, whence subsequently gave place to chancellor, he was called referendarius. This title which first occurs, according to Selden , keeper of the king's conscience. Having in English history about A. D. 920. Being generally an ecclesiastic, he became to express the sovereign's views in cases appealed to him from the courts of law, into the potent personage now denomhe gradually acquired a great legal appealed to him from the courts of law, fully the Lord High Chancellor. He is standing himself, and finally developed inated the Lord Chancellor, or more now the highest judicial functionary in the kingdom; he is keeper of the great minister and privy seal; he presides in the House of Lords, in what was the Court of Chancery (once seal; he presides in the House of Lords, spelled chancelry), but is now Chancery Division of the Supreme Court; appoints all justices of the peace throughout the Court; appoints all justices of the peace the throughout the kingdom; is the general of royal foundation; and patron of all the kingdom; is the general livings under a specified value. He goes out with the ministry of which he is a member. vy councillor; presides san England is, properly, the under-treas- The Chancellor of the Exchequer of ua urer of the exchequer, the head treasthe Treasury. The chancellor has, however, a very powerful voice in connecual , but by the Lords Commissioners of tion with the exchequer. He must be in the House of Commons, and may be its leader, and also Prime Minister.
The Chancellor of the former German Empire was an officer, the extent of The Chancellor of the former German been exactly defined. In modern Gerwhose power and influence had never Bismarck, the first to hold that position whose power and influence had never ous by its association with the name of it may be stated that the German Chanunder the new régime. In general terms prime minister of the Emperor. He cellor was an executive of very great combined the functions of one of the powers, being at once the adviser and cellor was an executive of very great prime minister of the Emperor. He powers, being at once the adviser and CHANCELLORSVILLE political policy. The new constitution of the German republic provides that the Chancellor shall be appointed and dismissed by the President, and shall suggest to the latter the appointment or dismissal of the other cabinet ministers.
The Chancellor, however, under the new constitution, needs the confidence of the Reichstag for the fulfillment of his office and must withdraw in the event that the Reichstag by explicit resolution withholds its confidence. The Chancellor shall preside in the government administration and shall conduct its affairs in accordance with an order of business which shall be determined by the administration and approved by the President of the Republic. He shall determine the line of policy and shall assume responsibility therefore to the Reichstag.