The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-20 00:00:00

THE COUNTY MAGISTRACY.

• Among the provincial complaints of magistrates, by their
not duly attending to their duties, inconveniencing the
public, Nottinghamshire is not in the arrear of some other
counties. The following, from a Nottingham paper of last
week, shows a " second edition" of neglect in that county.
Country justices are fast paving the way for stipendiary
magistrates in the provinces. The Nottingham papers says :
—" From a communication which has reached us this week,
we learn that from the latter part of last July, till the be-
ginning of September, the inhabitants of the Retford district
were much annoyed and inconvenienced by the irregular at-
tendance of magistrates. Week after week passed, and little
or no business was got through, owing to the absence of
these gentlemen from the sphere whose duties they had
undertaken to fulfil, We are also informed that in conse-
quence of a few of the parishes which formerly belonged to
the Retford district, being now included in the recently
formed 'Worksop division, the meetings at the former named
place are to take place only once a fortnight, instead of
weekly as before.
" Now, although we have no wish to meddle with matters
which do not concern us, we do feel bound as journalists,
labouring in the cause of the people, just to remind our
worthy friends who adminster justice, that there are such
things as public duty and public convenience, and that until
such things are transported as outlaws, they should stand
foremost in the minds of all public functionaries. We know
that these things are very irksome occasionally, but then we
also know how easy it is to dispense with the cares of office,
if they are but willing to renounce its honours. The old say-
ing that' Every sweet has its bitter,' is most true. and we
do think that those who accept the one should brave the
other. We do hope that these remarks will be received as
good humouredly as they are written ; and would say in con-
clusion, good sirs, pray have mercy on the long vexed pa-
tience of the poor neglected public."

MARYLEBONE VESTRY.—On Saturday, at the
meeting of the Maryl?bone Vestry, the Rev. Dr. Spry, the
rector, in the chair, Mr. Michie begged to ask Mr. P. Laurie
whether it was true that the office of clerk of the peace for
the county of ;
Middlesex was not a sinecure place and
also whether it was or was not the intention of the magis-
trates to increase the salary of that sinecure officer, in the
shape of fees payable out of the county-rate. Mr. Laurie
said there was such a thing as that alluded to by Mr. Michie
going on. The office of clerk of the peace for Middlesex
was at the present time occupied by a party who never did
any duty himself, but who availed himself of the privilege
granted by the Act of Parliament to appoint a deputy. He
thought they had no right to interfere with a man who re-
ceived a moderate salary, and who chose to pay another for
doing his duty, providing these duties were performed pro-
perly ; but when he found steps being taken for making a
schedule of fees to such a person, affording a remuneration
out of the pockets of the rate-payers, to the amount of
5,0001. per annum, he thought it was proper that some
check should be put upon such reckless expenditure.
mwß yaa
sg ti
sthtoer a
rpt
eer
co
ep oii
vlseee dwl
sa.ss3c
tdho.e duh foral of fees,
ve
eevlesr.yforp the
ert.ne clerk
treydsum maroyf t
circular
conviction
nie pe
ace
was ic
to
t?amc n
that took place at any police court, and one guineaa for every
time his deputy was called out of his office to speak to a com-
mittee. He (Mr. Laurie) was one of the Committee on the
Schedule of Fees, but he had not attended until lately, and
when he did he was utterly surprised at what ha.' taken
place, and had, with the aid of some other members, suc-
ceeded in reducing some of the items. The most monstrous
thing in the whole affair was, that these fees, exorbitant as
they were, were, to the extent of three- fifths of the entire
amount, to go to thej clerk of the peace,' who neve; on any
occasion, even put his foot within the walls of the Session
House. He (Mr. Laurie) hoped that the vestry would urge
upon the magistrates of the county who were members of the
job.
Mr. to use every endeavour to defeat so nefarious a ob.
Mr. Michie said he would at once adopt the suggestion of
aae bhdn lde
al‘i I
il rre..oTmrmi
tLaurie,ktotne,e
aand;o churchwardencg oinvseideconsider
noticethe
e oo ff
propriety
,rrimotionnityodff oisrt
rict, Saturdayappropriatingappi nest.applied
tfho the
surplus pew rents of the church to the erection of a rectory
house, which, after some discussion, was agreed to. The
vestry then separated.
MILITIA BALLOT.—On Thursday evening a large
meeting was held at Mr. J. J. Homer's, Dolphin Tavern,
Hackney, to form a Militia Substitute Society. Mr. C.
lhoofovnaoluru obfi providing,eacctq,
Green presided, and
uftaa;ler addressed
assistance,
tyita.3hanwmceseca
was
le,
ai
tta.elytegitttklawoi
eloslaeigyessrrtvotfin!oochorebfemt.
ehpeedue4Hiials;cete w necessityas a
übbiyuritnmligis love for her Majesty. would not tempt
him to leave home
tfoureoprniiirlrittiaorlyis
ogcltohrioeps.rosi:todfeealtt r:::
pleasure in enrolling himself a member of the society, under
the auspices of Mr. Homer, whose character guaranteed his
i s
contemplated eyes
to
the
Ce
laudable:rPneeCslla iehl ff6toPYru.tds ot If
fal.tt.h e Peace Society, would be successful in
averting the horrors of threatened war. No reflective oli-
itnicwiahni,chhoc:asve;etrh,ectG?uollrd,ernshmute.nht
a.friendlyndiol.e
rr4el, relation with
nlmtehrei
their
of the militia
,troops. To retain husbands, brothers, sons,
was sure that its rules were founded *.on a basis that would
ensure general approbation. The rules were then read from
the chair, and agreed to; and after the appointment of a
treasurer (Mr. Hunter), and secretary, a large number of in-
h4tatant,.comprising many licensed victuallers of Hackney
and its vicinity, were enrolled. A vote of thanks was given
to the chairman, and the meeting separated, the fact
formationt henaua'nvrtbPdi our

IRELAND.
THE LAW APPOINTMENTS,

DUBLIN, JAN. 16.—Mr. Richard Wilson Greene has re-
ceived the appointment of Attorney-General in succession to
Mr. Smith, the new Master of the Rolls. This announce-
ment is made upon " authority," and thus far it has been all
fair sailing before the wind; no party disputing the claims
of the gentlemen who have been selected for prcmotion by
her '..ajesty's Government.
Mr. Smith, the ex-Attorney-General, left town suddenly
last night for London, and his abrupt departure gave rise to
a variety of rumours ; amonga others, that the Right Hon.
Gentleman has been requested by the Premier to assume for
the present his old office, and thus relieve the Minister from
his fresh "difficulty," viz., the absence of a law officer to
conduct the Irish business in the House of Commons. The
Evening Mail, however, thus disposes of this rumour
" The Right Hon. Gentleman's visit to London is solely
with a view to arrange matters connected with several Bills
to be submitted to Parliament at an early day; and the mo-
ment these matters are settled he will return to this country
and take his seat as Master of the Rolls. The patent for
holding that office is an English patent, and passes under the
Great Seal of England. Previously toMr. Smith's departure,
he returned the briefs he held in the Courts here, as well as
one in an appeal case in the House of Lords, which stands
for early argument, and in which he was one of the leading
counsel."