The Express.
London, England, 1853-07-05 00:00:00

STAMP DUTIES BILL.

On the order of the day for the committal of this bill
being read,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he
felt some difficulty in respect to the cosine of proceeding in
this measure. In the present position of public business it
might be some time before it would be in the power of the
government to enter upon the discussion of any of those
controverted matters involved in this bill, such as
that they were discussing on Friday last, or that
which had been brought forward by ►is noble
friend the member fur Middlesex in reference to
attornies' certificates. He proposed, under these circum-
' stances, to put the bill in committee now, and drop from it
all those matters that were of a character to excite difference
of opinion : he meant the matters relating to the newspaper
stamp duty and the attoruies' certificates. It was desirable
that they should get forward as rapidly as possible with the
other parts of the bill, in order to facilitate the intro-
duction cf the penny (receipt) stamp duty, as they could not
take any proceedings towards preparing the dies and for the
prevention of forgery until they could carry the bill into
law. He proposed, therefore, to proceed merely with the
uncontested parts of the measure, reserving the votes as to
those matters which were in controversy for future
discussion. .

Lord F. :GROSVENOR hoped that notice would be given
of the day when the attornies' certificate duty was to be
brought on.
The CHANCELLOR of:the EXCHEQUER assented.
. -

Mr. BOUVERIE suggested that it would be necessary
to move en instruction to divide the bill into two separate
measures.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER intimated
that he would move a resolution to that effect.
Mr. GROGAN 'Aced whether the practical effect of
omitting the attornies' certificates from this bill would not
be that they would have this year to pay the present
amount.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—What he
had intended to say was that he would make an arrange-
ment for the purpose of obtaining the decision of the house
upon that and the newspaper question, whether they would
adopt the proposal of the government or any other.
The house then went into committee pro forma.

In 'newer tot question,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the
duty on supplements, as proposed by the government ori-
ginally, was included in the bill as it stood; but that was
one of the matters he intended to reserve for future discus-
sion.

Mr. T. M. GIBSON—The right hon. gentleman gave
notice of a resolution as to the sin of the newsmen. He
did not know whether that was in this bill.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—Yes.

- -
Mr. T. M. OIBSON—But the house had passed no reso-
lution as to that point.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—It was
not necessary.
The conversation then dropped ; and the clauses (omit-
ting the contested one.) were gone through ;Pro forma.
NEWSPAPER STAMP DUTIES B LL.

Second reading postponed till Thunday.
ASSISTANT JUDGE (MIDDLESEX SESSIONS)
BILL.

Mr. R. LOWE (in the 4;17; of Mr. Fitzroy) stated the
object of this bill, which was introduced by the government.
Having recited the history of the court affected, and having
shown the great increase of bean's' at the Middlesex Ses-
sions as compared with the Central Criminal Court, which
had been relieved of business, he proceeded to submit a
calculation to show that a " case " cost leas to conduct
(11. Ss. to 41. 91. 10d.) at the Middlesex Sessions than at the
Central Criminal Court—the :judge at the former trans-
acting in fact one-tenth of the whole criminal business of
the country. The proposal was that in consideration of
these circumstances the salary of the assistant judge should
be raised from 1,2001. to 1,5001. per annum.
Lord D. STUART said that this was • proposal which
out of doors excited a good deal of surprise. The
judge in question was one whose name was frequently be-
fore the public, and unusually ender the censure of the
press. He exhibited, it was known, great vaccilation in
the discharge of his duties ; changing light to severe sen-
tences, aad severe to light sentences ; as, on a resent occa-
sion, in regard to the woman who called the accusing
policeman . apig." Was this a judge to have his salary
increased ? The private character of this learned
person was distinguished by this peculiarity—that
he managed to succeed in what he bad a fancy
to. A Judge had recently said of him, "I hope he
won't fancy my place, for if he did he would get it."
(Cheers.) Apparently he wanted an increase of Were,
and be was getting it from the House of Commons. But
1,2001. was ample.
Mr. BOWYER objected to the proposition contained in
the bill, and urged that the test of the number of Indict-
ments, as applied to the duties of the Assistant-Judge, was
fallacious, as the trial of many of them only occupied a few
minutes; and he believed the Judge in question did not
take much trouble with them, but they were tried in a very
off hand way. He thought the salary of the county court
judges was • fair test by which to try that of the
assistant-judge. Every, one knew that there were greater
difficulties in deciding civil as compared with criminal cases,
in the former points of law often arose, while in the latter
only questions of fact were to be tried. The county court
judges had 1,200/. a year, and they sat nearly every day ;
they were obliged to sit every month in each place in their
districts, they had no allowance for travelling expenses, and
perform very onerous duties besides their ordinary duties,
such as acting as masters in chancery, &c. He thought
that comparing their position with his, to increase the salary
of the assistant-judge to 1,5001. a year, was a monstrous
waste of public money. He moved that the bill be read a
seined time that day six months.
The ATTORNEY-IDENERAL thought the house would
agree with him is oao point, and that was that they ought
to discuss this question with reference to its general princi-
ple—(heer, , hear)—and not with reference to a particular
person—(hear. hear)—his noble friend (Lord D. Stuart)
had entered into the question of the personal peculiarities
of the assistant judge, and Ind endeavourel to amuse, or, he
should rather say, to detain the house—C" bear, hear," and
cheers)—witli some idle gossip about the personal pecu-
liarities of Mr. Serjeent Adams. It was rather hard on an
absent man that his noble friend should repeat over and
over again his old grievance about the " policeman and the
pig.'. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) If be bad any charge

to mike spinet the learned fudge he ought to bring it
speeilloally before the house. The question now was
whether as now additional duties had been east on the
moistest judge since be •greed to accept his Ake
at its present salary it ought not to be increased.
There bad been • great accession to his duties
no less than 829 indictments had been recently transferred
front the Central Criminal Court to the Middlesex Sessions,
on public grounds and at a great saving of public money ;
and that court had sat 184 days as compared with 81 days
sittings of the Central Criminal Court. The learned judge
had accepted his office ate certain salary, since which there
had been • great increase of his duties, and on that ground
it was that his salary was to be raised.
Lord D. STUART, in explanation, said his learned friend
had charged him with repeating idle gossip about the aseis•
tant-judge ; but the reason why he had restated the story
about the pig—(laughter)—was, because after the ease had
been stated in that house an explanation had been given by
a minister of the crown, which gave no denial to the case
about the pig. (Laughter.)
Sir J. DUCK WORTH—A new question bad been raised
when an increase of salary was asked for the judge, not
only on account of the additional duty cast upon him, but
on account of the saving to the country by the transfer of
ewes from the Central Criminal Court to the Middlesex
Sessions. If there was such a differeace between the
expense of a trial in these two court., one being
4/. 19s. 6d., and the other 11. Si., he thought there ought
to be same satisfactory explanation of the cause of such a

differenee.
Mr. ALCOCK complained of such a salary being paid to
the Assistant Judge of Middlesex, as well as the proposed
increase to it, when in the neighbouring county of Surrey
the same duties were gratuitously performed by the
Chairman of Quarter Sessions.
Mr. WILSON said the Treasury were influenced in this
proposition by the fact that a learned gentleman was taken
from his profession to fill this office, to which he devoted
his whole time, and he was made a judge, and one of that
quality that he could transport people for 14 years.
(Laughter.) Lest year the salary of county court judges
was fixed at 1,2001. a year, with a power to the Treasury
to raise them to 1,5001. ; and they bad applications for that
increase, on grounds whieh they could not resist, such as
the increase of business, and the same reason influenced
them in raising the salary in the present ease.
After a few words from Mr. Muastoroul and Mr.
BUTLER the house divided, when there appeared,

For the second reading
Against it
The bill was accordingly read a second time and ordered
to be committed.