The National Register.
London, England, 1819-10-31 00:00:00

THE NORTHERN COUNTIES.

The Select Committee appointed to consider whether
ally, and what steps may be necessary to be taken, in
give to the Comities of ‘Vestinurtand, Cumberland.
Northumberland, and Diultant, and Town -cod
County °I Newcastle-upon-Tyne, the same thl%aii.a.
ges of Assizes mice in each )ear, as are now t.nsses-
sed by all the other Counties in England and %Vales,
amid to report their obsetritions thereupon to the
House; and to whom the petition of the Ala)nr,
Sheriffs, Citizens, and Commonalty of the City ut
Norwich; and also the returns of the Ca!einla:s of
the Prisoners, and of the lists of causes tried at thu
Assizes fur the Counties before mentioned, wine re-
ferred :—llave, pursuant to the Order of Inc
considered the sante acccordingly; and hale a4ri.cd
to the following
fiEronT:
_ .

Your Committee, on referring to the different Papers Lid
before them by (inlet of the House, find, ilia for several yeast.,
past, persons charged in the tour NoithernComnies with offences.
not ordinarily falling under the jurisdiction of the General Qathe
Stesions, have continued in prison previous to their trial for seven,
eight, ur nine months, and in many instances ter a longer perm(
of time; and they cannot but direst the immediate attention of
the House to M) great a tailure in the administration of crimin.l
justice.
The return of causes of the respective counties; with the es-
cepfon of that of Westmorland, mark a large and progre-.-6e
increase of civil business. In the Marshal's paper at Carlisle,
ter the year 1814, no less than to records were delive•ed, irf
which four only appear to have been withdrawn; in tliv year
1815, Gt causes were entered: and the two successive years
averaged nut less than 50. At Durham, in the year 18in, to
51 ; and in 1817, to 54. Northumberland rine/utlin-the juris-
diction of the town and county of Newcasde-upom l'yno fur.
neatest in 1816, 42 causes : for fiv,: of these causes special juin:
had been summoned, three of them were matle-remancts, and
consequently went over fur twelve months; in the following year
32 actions were entered, only one of which was withdrawn. As
the rcturns themselves are in their nature too voluminous for
publication, a snort but accurate abstract is given in 0:c
Appendix.
Mich being the actual state of buairess in these three emintka,
without a well grounded prospect of diminution, your Common e
cannot form to themselves any satisfactory reason why the trite!
of civil causes should be thus decried within them: districts, and
the custom of only holding one Assize in the year continued.
subjecting the suitors to serious inconvenience, and in some cases
to ruinous expense. The practice of bringing actions in other
counties, now often resorted to, where they are transitory, com-
pels the attendance of witnesses carried fruin n considerable dis-
tance, kept at the cost of die respective parties,-and probably at
last dtstmascel without a bearing.
It is clear, hum the evidence heard before your Committee m
so the pressure of civil business in Yolk, that it is now aim diffi-
culty got through, though a greater number of days is allotted
in the summer, than was ttsttar in preceding years; and that of
late two Judges have presided in the Sprung Circriaq it will be
found, that at the close of the last Commission at that place. six
special anti-three common jury causes were made reinsulets, yes
the Court was occupied ten, twelve, or fourteen hours during
each day.
At Lancaster. to a roost heavy calendar, are added its general,
not less than 180 eausoi, involving in them, as may naturally be
imagined from the sits and population of the l'alannate, ques-
tions of the highest importan,:e, as well on commercial as another
points.
Looking, therefore, to all the circumstances which accompany
this view (tithe subject, and considering it just, that tkese coun-
ties should not be deprived of those advantages whiz!, are pa:sassed
by all other counties within the United iiminre. your Committee
beg leave to reournmend, that such measures shouul be taken ae
would divide the present Northern -Circuit into two separate
Circuits, the one comprehending the Counties•of
Lanea-ter, and Cumberland ; and the other including those of
York, Northumberland, and thirliant, Nu objection could
arise wider this arrangement, as to the attendance of ass enligin-
elle/ Mir, nor with the proposed aherrition, there would still remain
to each of these divisions as much, it not a larger extent of btisi•
ness, than is generally transacted upon every other Cdr uit is
England.
To carry this plan into its full esecution.-and to f.ve it that
weiglitand authonty which interests of such -moment demand,
your Committee are of opinion, that the duties which belting to
it should only be intrusted to establishes! Judges of the land
whether -the present limited number of that highly respected
body will permit such an addition of labour, must be kit to the
further deliberation of the House : that head or exantiiration not
falling, as your l'ornneittee apprehended, within the precise
limits of their instructions, they did not proceed so any regular
course of inquiry winch might embrace it. but in looking to the
state ot the new trials betore the Court of King', Bench, as con
oersted with the Northern Counties, it could net escape their Mi.
aervation, that those who now atlininister tin:justice of the coun-
try have difficulties imposed upon them, witch, with all their
zeal and activity, they are in mine instances unable to min:Guru
Your Committee, in adverting to the substance of the Petition
Imui tile City of Norse:ch, wined was reterred to them by order of
me Muse, are caged upon to observe, that the inconvenience
theft, sustained from the delay of the trial of prisoners, appears to
have bean so great, that it would be highly expedient, tor the
sake 01 public justice, that some reined, annuld be applied to the
evil; and that it it is the pleasure of the House to ream:in:end,
in whatever way they shall think best, :in eugmentation to the
present number of Judges. such addittonal Judges might be
most usedully and beneficially employed in the respective Courts
in \Vestininster Hall, and in the regular tribunals of the rountn;
by this means an opportunity would be &Herded of supplying sh.
detect AU Widly complaints' of on die Norfidk anti alielland
Circuits, vie. of having only nue Judge on tare Spring t:iret..t
to preside on the Civil and Cri.ninal Trials.
28th April

Sitting Appointed to be held in Middlesex and
London, before the Itight Hon. Sir Charles Abbott,.
Knight, Lord Chief Justice of the Cottrt of King's
Bench, in and atter Michaelims Term 1819