The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-17 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 17, 1854.

REMOVAL OF THE COURTS OF LAW
FROM WESTMINSTER.

DEPUTATION TO LORD ABERDEEN.
A deputation from the Incorporated Law Society
waited upon the Earl of Aberdeen yesterday, at his
official residence in Downing-street, for the purpose of
laying before the Government a proposition for the re-
moval of the courts of law at Westminster to the neigh-
bourhood of the Inns of Court.
The deputation consisted of Mr. Kinderaley, president
of the society ; Mr. Sudlow, vice-president ; Mr. Cover-
dale and Mr. Keith Barnes, members of the council ;
and Mr. Maugham, secretary.
The deputation having been introduced to the noble
earl, stated the grounds upon which they were induced
to make a representation to the' Government. The in-
sufficiency of the present courts had long been felt by
the public and the members of the legal profession.
There were now at Westminster Hall only five rooms of
moderate size and two small ones, whilst not less than
fifteen or sixteen were requisite, including courts for the
Lords Justices, the Master of the Rolls, and the new
Vice-Chancellors, with several courts of Nisi Prius and
Appeal. The application which the deputation had now
to make was not merely for the removal of the present
courts, which were ill-constructed and without sufficient
accommodation for the judges, the bar, or for jurors,
witnesses, suitors, and attorneys ; but for the construc-
tion of not less than eight new courts, with convenient
rooms and offices. The courts at Westminster were a
mile and a half distant from the centre of law business,
the daily resort of professional men, as well as of a
large proportion of the public. The aggregate of ex-
pense and loss arising from these hindrances in the way
of justice and of the general business of the law showed
that the erection of new courts in what might pro-
perly be termed the "Law district," would be a mea-
sure of public economy, besides being caldulated to
lead to increased facilities and expedition in the prac-
tice of the courts far beyond what could be hoped
for under existing circumstances. The deputation sub-
mitted that there were no adequate courts for the equity
judges recently appointed, that the Queen's Bench did
not afford to the suitors and their witnesses sufficient
space, to the attorneys convenient access to counsel, or
to the public that accommodation which was essential to
the administration of justice they should possess; that
the Common Pleas had no suitable court for the trial of
causes during term ; that the practise court of the
Queen's Bench and the inner court of Exchequer are
used for trials at nisi prius, but are much too small ; that
consultations involving important interests are frequently
held in the passages and avenues of the courts ; that the
only places of waiting for jurymen, witnesses, and par-
ties in attendance are the great ball and the passages of
the courts ; that attorneys are obliged to hire rooms for
their witnesses at the neighbouring coffee-houses, or to
walk about the hall without a seat or the means of re-
freshment ; that the attorneys have no room to which
they can retire to prepare any document requisite at the
moment, or to answer letters, and that in numerous in-
stances daily appointments before the common law
judges at chambers and before the masters and registrars
in Chancery and other engagements of an urgent nature,
are rendered ineffectual through the absence of profes-
sional men, who, at the very moment, were probably
waiting unoccupied at Westminster. The proposed site
for the new courts was between the Temple and Lincoln's
Inn, in the centre of the metropolis and of the law dis-
trict. It would consist of a quadrangle of about 700 ft.
by 480, in the centre of which the new courts and offices
would be erected. The effect of clearing away the lanes
and alleys within that area would be to widen the Strand
and Fleet-street by 100 feet, Carey-street by 60 feet, and
unite them with the new street into the city of London
from the Record-office now in course of erection on the
Roll's estate in Chancery-lane. The estimated cost of
the building and site was 1,197,0741., viz., the cost of the
site (about 8 acres) 675,074/. ; building for common law
and equity courts, 300,0001.; approaches, foundations,
sewerage, warnling, ventilating, gas, furniture, fittings, de-
corations, &c., 180,000/. ; contingent and, incidental
charges, 42,0001. From this there was to deduct 523,500/.
3 r the value of ground rent for chambers on the pro-
posed site ; for the sale of the various offices of the Mas-
ters record and writ clerks, registrars, accountant-gene-
ral, value of the present site at Westminster, and: of the
Roll-offices, &c., leaving the ultimate cost of the site and
building 673,5741. It was also urged that a favourable
opportunity had now occurred for clearing the site of the
present insufficient courts, and appropriating it to the
completion and improvement of the Houses of Parlia-
ment.