The Sun.
London, England, 1831-07-20 00:00:00

COURT OF EXCHEQUER IN SCOTLAND.

The LORD CHANCELLOR rose again, and said be
had the honour to submit to their Lordships a Bill, of
which he gave a general notice on a former occasion, and
of which he would take but a brief review at present, aae
if it were received, it would lie on the table for the infor-
mation of the House until it was necessary to advance it
to a second reading. At the Union with Scotland a pro-
viso was made in the treaty, by which a Court of Exche-
quer was intitled in Scotland, similar to that which ex-
isted in Westminster-hall. By the 7th of Queen Anne
the Court was constituted, but the judicial business of the
Court did not in the course of time become exactly the
some as that of the Court of Exchequer in England, where
suits of Common Law were entertained by a fiction, and
nothing but revenue causes were heard there. The Court
was composed of one chief Baron and four Puisne Barons,
but in consequence of a vacancy which occurred some
time since, there were now but four Judges in all ; and so
little business bad they to execute of a judicial nature, that
only one defended case came before them in fifteen months,
and it was admitted that the judicial and revenue bu-
siness of the Court could be transacted by one Baron
sitting only one day in the week. It occurred to
his Majesty's present Government, that in this state
of things they would be enabled to save the country

the burthen of this establishment in future. As the law
now stood, the Chief Baron was entitled to a re-

tiring pension after fifteen years' service, and the other
Barons were entitled to it, he believed, after the same pe-
riod. One of the present Barons had served nearly the
whole of that time, another had eleven years, and the
others but nine ; and in consequence of that it was neces-
sary that, in whatever legislation was made on the sub-
ject, a power should be given to the Crown to grant the
pension to any of those Judges who consented to retire
before the full period of fifteen years was accomplished.—
The Court would then be reduced to one Chief Baron and
one Puisne Baron, and if, by the Bill, the Chief Baron
would be suffered to resign, there would then remain but
one Baron competent to discharge the revenue business of
the Court. Supposing, however, that that person died,
some arrangement was necessary, in order that the busi.
ness of the Court should be carried on, and with that
view he proposed that one of the Lords of Session, who
was not a Lord of Justiciary, should be eligible to do the
duty, and he, for a moderate sum, would fulfil it. The
only additional officer that would in that case be required
would be a Registrar ; and between both, the revenue
business, the auditing of accounts, and the examination of
Crown charters would, he bad no doubt, be sufficiently
well performed. He referred to the Bill itself for more
accurate details, and concluded by moving that it be read
a first time.

The Earl of CALEDON presented a petition from Ag-
hadoe, in Ireland, for an extension of the education grants.

THE CASE OF MR. M. STORKS.

The LORD CHANCELLOR, after apologizing for
having occasion to trespass on the House a third time the
same day, begged to call their Lordships' attention to the
case of a gentleman, to whom he wished to render that
justice that was due to all his Majesty's subjects, and who
was prevented by all the forms of Parliament from address-
ing a petition to the House, in reply to the observations
that had been made upon him in it. He alluded to the
case of Mr. Michael Storks, which was lately before their
Lordships, and in which he was accused of restoring a per-
son to the Commission of the Peace without having con-
sulted the Lord Lieutenant of the county in which be re-
sided. At the time that the Noble Earl (Earl of Hare-
wood) had mentioned the subject the case was sub judice,
and be had proceeded no further than the filling up of the
fiat; but Mr. Storks complained that he had been charged
with things of which he was altogether guiltless, and that
representations not founded in fact had been made against
him. For instance, it was said that his son, who wrote
the letter to the Grand Jury, was an attorney, when the
fact turned out to be that he was a coal-merchant; and
the son, the attorney, naturally enough wished to clear
himself of the accusation of having done an act which,
from his knowledge of the law, would have been in him
most reprehensible. The Noble Lord, after having dis-
claimed all prejudice against Mr. Storks, or all fe,!ling in
his favour, went at some length into the circumstances, as
they have been already reported, and lie read several docu-
ment: which had been transmitted to him explanatory of
the conduct of Mr. Storks.

The Earl of HARE WOOD, having declared that he had
no animosity against Mr. Storks, proceeded to comment on
the documents produced, and to explain a variety of cir-,
c would
ui n t tances connected t-..ith the case, which were of locarp: om 04
&t -
and not of general interest. ~-, ..1.- c, ~-..
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The LORD CHANCELLOR then,rosec and is
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