The Sun.
London, England, 1834-08-15 00:00:00

COURT OF CHANCERY.

The ATTORNEY.GENERAL rose for the purpose of
moving for certain returns from the Court of Chancery, which
would appear, when produced, to be of a most satisfactory
nature. It was important that the true state cf the business
should be known, as the industry and dispatch displayed in the
higher courts must have its influence upon the lower. He was
happy to be able to inform the House that the Court of Chan-
cery was now in a state in which, till now, it had not been
since the time of Sir Thomas More ; there were no arrears.
In 1825, 1826, and 1827, when Lord Eldon was Lord Chan-
cellor, the number of bills filed had been 5,982; in 1828, 1829,
and 1830, when Lord Lyndhurst was Chancellor, the number
had been 6,231 ; in 1831, 1832, and 1833, during which Lord
Brougham had presided, the number was 7,180; showing that
during the last nine years, the number of bills filed in the Court
of Chancery had gradually increased. The appeals had in-
creased in nearly the same proportion as the in 1825,
1826, and 1827, the number of appeals was
.1317 in 1828,
. .

1829, and 1830, they had increased to 145 ; and in 1831. 1832,
and 1833, to 154. It" was clear, therefore, that the business,
both as regardedbills and appeals, had augmented. The whole
of these had now been despatched. When the present Lord
Chancellor came into office, there were 103 appeals undisposed
of, being an arrear of rather more than two years; at the close
of the last sitting there remained only 35 appeals on the paper,
and of these the earliest was set down for hearing on the Ist
of Febrnary, so that there were really no arrears in the Court
of Clancery, because there was no appeal that vet had a claim
to be considered. In the House of Lords, the despatch of ju-
dicial business had been equally satisfactory. Whatever might
be thought of the legislative labours of the Peers, their pro-
gress in their judicial labours had been very rapid. Since the
date when Lord Brougham ltrst presided on the Woolsack, the
arrears had been gradually diminished, until there was now in
fact no arrear. In 1825, 1826, and 1827, there BadbedenlB232ol,
appeals and writs of error entered ; in 1828, 1829, an
the number was 214; and in 1831, 1832, and 1833, it had in-
creased to 240 appeals and writs of error ; so that during Lord
Brougham's Chancellorship they had been rather more nume-
rous than under Lord Eldon. The present Lord Chancellor
came into office in November, 1930, and since that date 94
appeals had been disposed of; at present only 44 remained
undisposed of, and the whole of these had been lodged during
the present session. There were, therefore, no:krrears either
in the House of Lords or in the Court of Chancery. kle had
remarked in the outset, he hoped that the example thus set in
the superior tribunal would have its effect in the inferior
courts of justice. He moved for a return to verify the state-
ment he had made.
Mr. H LIME remarked that there were two elements in jusr
tire, cheapness and expedition. As to expedition, what bad
been stated by the Right Hon. Gentleman was highly satis-
factory, and he wished to know if the costs to suitors bad been
reduced at all in proportion
The ATTORNEY-GENtRAL could assure the House
that the result of such a return would be equally gratifying,
could it be stated ; but the new system did not come into ope.