Chancellor

[Fr. chance lier; Lat. can cellar i us from cancelli, lattice.] A high judicial officer, who presides over a court of chancery or other court; a president; a chief judge. The can cellar i us under the Roman emperors is supposed to have been a notary or scribe, and his title to have been derived from the cancelli, or railing behind which he sat. From the Roman empire, this office was introduced into ecclesiastical matters. In the Anglican Church, every bishop had (and continues to have) his C., who is the principal judge of his consistory; this office is synonymous with that of chancellor of a diocese. Chancellor of a university, is the chief officer of a collegiate body; his office, however, is, in most cases, purely honorary, the duties being discharged by the vice-chancellor. -Chancellor of the Exchequer, in England, that member of the cabinet of ministers who controls the national finances. -Chancellor of a consulate, that person in the office of a foreign consul, who has charge of the public documents, or archives. - Lord High Chancellor of England, the presiding judge of the Court of Chan Fig . 564.-LORD HIGH-CHANCELLOR IN HIS STATE ROBES. cery, and chief adviser of the sovereign in matters of law or conscience. He is by prescription, speaker, or president, of the House of Lords, and takes precedence, ex officio , over all the peers, the Archbishop of Canterbury alone excepted. - The Chance lier de France was one of the highest officers of the old monarchy, and the office was closely analogous to that of England. It is connected with the illustrious names of Duprât, De l'Hôpital, Maupeou, Males her bes, . Abolished in 1790; revived for a short time under Napoleon I., and afterwards, under the Restoration, it was finally abolished in 1830.- Chancellor of a cathedral. ( Eccl .) A dignitary who superintends the performance of religious services. Chancellor, RICHARD, a celebrated English voyager, who was sent out in 1553, by a company established by Sebastian Cabot, to find a N.E. pa age to China and India. The greater part of the expedition perished, but C. succeeded in reaching Archangel, and thence proceeded to Moscow, where he was cordially welcomed by the Czar Ivan IV. On his return home, in 1554, Č . formed the "Muscovy Company," and next year went again to Archangel; but on his voyage home, in 1556, he was shipwrecked and perished.