The Express.
London, England, 1851-03-08 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—FILIDAT, MAsca 7.
Tim Latta Cataxcatioalsoit lis seat at 5

EITIL-4-810-N-Oi TMIli JII*DICTION OF THE

COUNTY C 0 1.! ltT S.
Lord BROUGHAM introduced and explained his bill
fat xtending the jurisdiction of the county courts. After
deiserthing the successive improvementa and extension
which had been effected in the existing acts for establishing
county courta, and eulogising the operation of those tribu-
sale, •his lordship stated that ea he a bill already before
them he had proposed to bring certain bankruptcy eases
within the county court juriulietion. so he designed by the
pire•tut measure to enlarge the range of its jurisdiction over
caws in equity, to introduce clauses giving very _wide
powers of arbitration when suitors Weft willing to abide by
its deeisions, end to raise these courts into courts of ream-
catmint. Among the good effects of these changes. Lord
Brougham enumerated the removal of nearly 400 eases that
now clogged the court of chancery with strivers of business,'
and the saving of a large per centage upon the 150,0001. ,
of which the suitors in the existing equity courts were'
now annually mulcted. With reference to the equi-
table jurisdiction and tho arbitration clauses in the bill
which he was then about tn. present to their lordships, it
was proposed that all matters into which a master in ordi-
nary in Chancery could inquire, and upon which he could
nowt, should be capable of being sent to a county
court judge by order of the court in each ewe, and subject
to the whole proceedings upon the return of the order,
being revised, appeal being only excluded on one ground,
Ws.. upon the ground of the case being referred to the county
court judge, instead of the master in chancery. The effect
of this would be, in winding-up eases for instance, that
mats 01l of li icing to bring up witnesses from Cornwall or
Northumberland to Loudon, they would only have to go to
the neighlseuring town where the county court judge pre-
sided, and the whole business would be carried on as if they
livid in the immediate neivhbourhood of Chancery-lane.
Upon this point he need not say anything more. With re-I
fen nce to the ie•xt proposition contained in his bill, that I
did not proceed upon the principle of the court being con-
sult but the option belonged to the suitors themselves,
and. therefore, tilt:jurisdiction would be voluntary. He pro-
pow ri that all parties, whatever the amountoftheclaimmight
he- whatever the nature of the defence; and to whatever
aUhj• et ofilispute it might refer, w tner at lower in equity,—
parties should he enabled to submit to a county court judge,
ea an arbitrator, the matter in dispute between them ; of
course each win Clneur, and the terms on which they sub-
mitted the matter 'awl be agreed on. A memorandum of
sum ement to refer must he entered into, and the county
court judge must remise all the powers and authorities
which he had under the act to carry on an inquiry
and vier execution ; subject only to have points of
law ..r adiniwierui end rejections of evidence raised
upon the free of the awanl, at the desire of either party,
or the lea-ned judge himself, referred to the superior courts.
After dwelling for some time on the benefits which would
result to the public from these extensions of jurisdiction,''
the usirde lord concluded by moving the first reading of • '
bill for carrying them into effect.
Lord LANUDALB would refrain from any lengthened
remarks, en the meseure until he had seen the clauses. He
thought, however, that the administrative part of equity
law might be extremely well carried out by the County
Courts.
Lord BRACMONT suggested the alai:ition of the limi-
tation clauses in the existing County Courts Att.
lord t Iti% witting and the LORI. CHANCELLOR thought
t ioaprwlrle to enter prlsperly upon the subject until the
bleat of the bill was before them.

1 hr tall wa. then read a tint tine....
'flair lordship' adjourned at a quarter put 7.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—FRIDAT, MARCH 7.
The SPRAILEIt t.a.k the chair at it,. usual hair.

iiiiiiiii E-si47

Sr...en Rita t. I Nu. -!..mashie, and Yorkshire Itaaway
(Fifth Maws) ; Lath: Market; Can Nat'
Wm; Clerkenwrlll Imyruverno nt ; Patent Inventions So-
ciety; Wasiak Water and Sewerage Cumpany; Copper
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1.1: MU BUSINESS.
NEW MEMBER.

Mr H. T. rILINI4IO% the 1111...11 rlre4d member for the
bee..u.th of Harwich took the oath• luol his and, being in-
truilueed by Mr. rries awl Mr...Forbin. Mackenzie.

PETITIONS PRESENTED

. . .
1..4.11. LIEU f V.S.VCITT of IttI.LANW- ttlr. aI'INNIAA,
tlw lent Mayor of attendt d by genial mem-
ber• a the corporation, appeared M the liar and pre.
...RPM a petition from the mayor, aldermen, and bur-
m.o. of Dublin auaingt thr imipmeil abolition of the
other of Lori Lieutenant of Ireland.---Mr. J. GILF.V4II,
from a hoard of guardiams in county t.fKilkenny, to ,ant►
. .

si Tax.—lly Mr. HENRY. from a placc in Linea-
Ain .ignlnit this tax.
sty FIN TYSTE, from
flrstz twat, r. Mr. BUTT, frum th,• guardians of the
li st• ad union, in favour of the trtalitistuuritt of county