Lord Lieutenant

Lord-Lieutenant. A Lord-Lieutenant in England is an officer of great distinction appointed by the Crown for managing the standing militia of the county and all military matters therein. The office is supposed to have originated in the reign of Henry VIII., for Lord-Lieutenants are mentioned as known officers, though they had not been long in use.' Camden speaks of them in the time of Queen Elizabeth as extraordinary magistrates, constituted only in times of difficulty and danger. They are generally of the chief nobility and of the best and most esteemed interest in the county, and they are to form the militia in case of a rebellion, etc., and march at the head of them as the Crown shall direct. They have the power of presenting to the sovereign the names of deputy lieutenants, who are to be selected from the best gentry in the county, and act in the absence of the Lord-Lieutenant. Their jurisdiction and privileges in relation to the militia, yeomanry, and volunteers reverted to Her Majesty by statute 34 and 35 Vict., c. 86. Subservient to the Lord-Lieutenant and the deputy-lieutenants are the justices of the peace. The appointment of county magistrates has been usually made by the Lord Chancellor on the recommendation of the Lord-Lieutenants. This practice has lately been the subject of discussion in Parliament, and objection having been taken to this almost invariable practice it is quite likely that some modification in such appointments will ere long take place. The Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland is the representative of the Queen in that country, and is invested with special rights and privileges in that capacity.