Conservador dos Inglêses

British subjects residing in Madeira enjoyed, by an old treaty, the right to choose a judge to preside over any disputes or disagreements between them and the Portuguese. This judge, known as the 'Conservador dos Inglêses,' had to be legally trained, and the choice depended on the confirmation of the Portuguese government. According to an old English work, the magistrate was always the chosen judge, and his impartiality was usually rewarded with an annual gratuity of 400 dollars. This right of the English disappeared with the treaty of July 20, 1842, but it was established that in the event that any of them had to be tried in Portuguese courts, the jury would be composed of British and Portuguese subjects. This provision has long ceased to be in force.