The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-10-28 00:00:00

front the increase of expense ottnoinned to the suitors by
Ilse wrens .ry attendance of the &Mimics and witnesset, for if
they have So slay two weeks instead of 1111 e, it ISPC ..... ily
would wike a very great Ilifierence in She costs of the
causes; mod. inconvenience world also he felt by jiirymen
and witrieoirs !wing kept loons iLeur homes and 1/CCUIYIIe4/411
foe co tong a tune, alien they have eddy a public rimy to
discharKr, rod have ion particular interest in the C 11111141; if
these treat entreaties could rut be divided, in some instances
Unloosen wasnlJ mach ralnrr phy the fine than to tlwre at
all; leo+ isemorenience in fell by tonne witnesat-a than by the
ifirVefll`ll, beCOUIC witnesses ate piing home front time to

time.
Is there the slate want of time al Newcastle, at Carlisle,
and al thick, Recording to the arrangrinent
made the last summer circuit, one could not say there was
any want of lime al one of these pl ices; the Ilene was ex.
tro.leit at Newcastle and at Durham ; at Carlisle I.p hive a
week, which we generally find sufficient, from the cairn.
• of the time at Durham awl Newcastle, I think there i 4
time comszli allowed. Whilst 'peaking. epos the subject of
time, I woold observe, that I thumb at York there are more
frequently causes left awned that, at the other plates.
Does thAt happen more in the sluing than the Rotuma.—
No ; I think it is pretty much the same.
The Co 11111 l ittee request yunr ()Pinion whrtherr,
with
reap, el to the Cavil administration of justice in those pails,
any gseat WOO: advantage would be Ignitod by extending
the eirewt to the Northern counties ?—1 think there
would not. except for the convenience of the trial of eject-
ment. ; alien I say not, I brae in my mind the probalit!ity of
its incteasiog luigaliuw, which I think would be a very great
rail ; and I think the intonvi Menet as to ejectmenta might
he remedied be a regulatMo, which might he suede by Act
of Psi iiament tie oilwrir Ise, fiat tl, use ejectment, which
awild come to trial in the Spring might he tried at York yr

at Lancaster.
Wonlit nut that he an i . of expenrie to the parties in
bringing w,tnesses?—Certainly it would in some degree m-
ere..e the expense; hut, in fact, I think there are more
ejrrtinetits trued in the slimmer than iu the spring, heciuse
the u.u.il time• of the entry of tenants are Candlrma. and
Mny•day, and if the tenants do nut quit then, the Loullords
could not get their (awes tried in the spring, but they
might in them... Tj in reasoning upon it, therefore, I
slintild say, mere ej•ctntetts would be brought to trial iu
rnlmmrr thin in the spring; but that is only my opinion
that it would he so. Ido not think the trial of rjecinients
take up notch time in any place. By the ejectment• I have
been speaking uf, I mean only those which are for the pur-
pose of milting the landlord into possession of the estate;
it certainly might be desirable fur these ortionv to be tried in
the spring, if possible; the other description of ejectment.

do not generally pram
What is the proportion that the causes of ejectment bear
to other causes?—They do not ►ear any great proportion to
the whole number of causes; the causes of ejectment be-
tween landlord. and tenants, take up but a way short lime ;
these anises mielit be easily tried at York or at Lancaster,
a. in general there does nos tailgate the eitenitance of Many
wituesses; the expense would not therefore be considerable
John Itichard.on, Esquire, tray Eros:ire&
You hare heard the statement of 51r. Loth dale; will you
have the goodness to state to the Committee, whether you
concur *ith hip in that statement, or, if tint, any potato
in which you differ ?—1 have been a member of the Northern
circuit tint (rite fifteen years; the IMaine-Ii has considerably
iiicreacil in the two large comities of York •nd Lancaster
within that time, and in some degree in the four North-
er,. counties, but nut to any very great extent, in my
4.1113t114111 I agree with my fiieed Mr. Lialrdale, in thinking
the average at Yuck and Lasicaler to be from MS to 2041
causes; and I do tint think there is any considerable differ_
rare between the number its the spring and in the summer.
Al Durham, I should say, there were from shirty-five to
forty, and at Newcastle from 30 to 35 ; at Carlisle about
fifty, and at Appkby from eight to Icu. 1 would observe,
that the description of causes at York is, I think, heavier
than at Laiscaster; both at Durham end at Lasicuster there
is a large number of easn•a of an insigeificant descrip-
tion, there being local courts at both those places, which
afford facilities of bringing to trial causes of nu great
magnitude or importance to the parties. With respect to
the time, it is very much as my friend Mr. Littleda le has de-
scribed. When I first attended the circuit, the ensnare cir-
cuit extended to five weeks; it now rather exceeds seven. In
the spring, the average is sow • swath. If the Committee
ask my opinion, whether any benefit would result to the four
northern ealisitiell from holding easier* there twice in the
year (confining it to the civil eilmiiiistsation of justice), I
should say. that I am not •ware that any very material benefit
will result from ii; I think the spirit of litigation would be
increased. and that the quantity of tasters *wild therefore be
grater. lYith respect to ejectment+, it is sometimes se
inconvenience that those causes cannot hr tried in the spring,
as by law the venue must be laid where the Sheriff is, to
give possession; that, however, might he rectified by the
legislature. The description of ejectment. on which the in-
cuttvenience is felt, halm those between tenant and landlord,
where the number of witnesses usually is not considerable, it
would nut greatly increase the expense to try Them at York
and Lancaster.
Does the witness think, that, generally speaking, tran-
sitory actions are or are tint inconvenient to tier partirs?—
Transitory actions, arising in the Northern comma, which
are brought to trial in Lancaster or at Yoik. of course are
attended with inconvenience to the ortii a, by the increase
of the expense of cars ying down witnesses, and detaining
them at the assize town a longer time than they otherwise
would have occasion to do. I am not prepared to say, that
have considered the general question, whether transitory ac-
t should be made local by the legislatnre ; that would be
•n innovation of the law, on which I am trot prepared to give
toi opinion. With respect to rjectments, the suggestion was
to give authority to being to trial rjecknents which arise in
the Northers, commies ■t York and !Amasser in the spring,
and still to anthorise the Sheriff of the proper county to
give pussession tinder a writ of execution.
Then the Committee are to understand from the witness,
that there are certain inconveniences arising from the
Northern counties having assize:, only once in the year, but he
thinks that great part errata inconvenience may be remedied
by making certain actions, which are not slow transitory,
trensitoiy, and in consequence permitting them to lee tried
at York or Lancaster !—I think nu material inconvenience is
tit present felt in the Civil administration of justice from
bolding the essizerrotily wire isa the year in the four Northers
counties ; in ejectment causes, between landlord and tenant,
in which, if ■ny, the inconvenience is principally felt,
I think that inconvenience might be in a considerable degree
rectified by an Act of Parliament, authorising the trial of
ejeetneents at York and Lancaster in the spring. I am of
opinion, however, that ejectment. of that description are
not very frapeut, because tenancies usually terminate at a
period of the year which renders it impossible fur landlords
to tiling them to trial before the summer assizes.
Does the witness think that rosaiderahle inconvenience Is
at times felt, by not having assizes fur the trill of the
causes in the Spline ?—I presume • very considerable is.
convenience is felt by individuals in certain cases.
The Committee would be glad In know, from your rape-
riencr on the Northern Circuit, whether the kill of eject.
meins, between tenants sod laudlurds, is she spline instead
of the slimmer, would be a ve►y material convenience to the
landlord ?—1 have already observed, that the termination Of
the tenancies aat ply such, that it would resider it is.
possible to bring the cause to trial before the summer.
enec committee nod nil you are of opinion, that there
are shout fifty raises ply iu Caelisk ; if there were
Iwo Assizes held there instead of one, do you think Ileum
censer world be pretty equally divided think there
would be nearly se many causes as there arc at present.
ilsen on meats to say, that you think that the spirit of
litigation would increase the number of tames to double
what they are at present !—Peritape nut quite to double;
nor do 1 say that it would altogether arise from a spirit or
If the min* were equally divided, •apposing there were
fifty in a year, and if the liaises were held twice a year, els
yon think that that would be attended with inouvesience to
the parties; would it nut be • convenience le have them di-
viikd?—lt would certainly save slime expense to the parties.
Has there not (irate years heat in the four Northern men.
lies many rtmailets?—At Newcastle there have been of Ws
years: there Itapyened to be some very heavy causes three