The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-16 00:00:00

MR. COMMISSIONER KERR.

Mr. CARRITT, the chairman of the committee appointed
to inquire into the allegations respecting the manner in
which Mr. Kerr performed the duties of judge of the She-
riffs' Court, and one of the commissioners of the Central
Criminal Court, and the complaints by Dr. Saunders and
others against that gentleman, brought up their report.
It will be remembered that a long and angry discussion
took place at the last court upon the subject, and that after
a good many divisions upon various amendments, the court
adjourned without the report being read, although its
effect was understood to be to entirely exonerate the learned
commissioner from all the charges that were brought
against him, the report merely stating that all that appeared
to be established was that he had exhibited some hastiness
of temper upon one or two occasions. Mr. M'George had
placed an amendmeut upon the paper of business to be
added to the motion that there was not only no grounds
for the charges that were made against Mr. Kerr, but that
no grounds existed for the enquiry that had taken
place ; but this amendment he consented to withdraw.
Mr. CARRITT, in moving that the report should be agreed
to, said that the committee had devoted great attention to
the subject, and had examined every witness who had
volunteered to give evidence, and the result they had
arrived at was that Mr. Kerr was completely exonerated
from all the charges that had been made against him. He
hoped, therefore, that the court would agree to the report,
and that there would thus bo an end of this unpleasant
subject.

Mr. MURRELL said he thought the court ought to know
a little more of the facts before they came to a decision
and he at the same time observed that, although the com-
mittee consisted of 50 members, the report was only signed
by six of them. He had looked at the evidence that had
been adduced before the committee, and had taken an ex-
tract from a portion of it, which he would read to the Court.
(Cries of "No.") He considered he had a right to do so.
He then went on to say that upon one occasion at the
Sheriffs' Court, where a cabman was sued for damaging a
cart driven by a butcher's boy, the judge, when he found
that the plaintiff was a butcher, made use of an observa-
tion to the effect that there would be no safety for life in
the streets until a few butchers' boys were hung. (Laugh-
ter.) He afterwards said that an act of Parliament ought
to be passed to compel all butchers to drive horses with a
wooden leg. (A roar of laughter.) He put it to the court
whether this was language that should be used by a judge
in a court of justice; and although he should not oppose
' the report, he should move by way of amendment to be
added to it, " That this court cannot but regret the man-
ner in which the judge of the Sheriffs' Court has occa-
sionally expressed himself, and trusts that the business of
the court will in future be conducted in such a manner as
to give satisfaction to the public."
Mr. G. S. RICHARDS seconded the amendment. He said
that no doubt a great deal of evidence had been taken by
the committee, but he knew that many influential persons
connected with the Central Criminal Court who ware exa-
mined were unwilling to state all they know in reference
to the conduct of the commissioner.

Mr. Cox said that, as one of the committee, ho felt
bound to state that the evidence that was brought forward
entirely exculpated Mr. Commissioner Kerr from the
charges that were made against him. (Hear, hear.) In the
course of seven years4B,ooo plaints had been decided before
him, and all that appeared to be established against him
was, that on one or two occasions, one of which was that
referred to by Mr. Murrell, be had made use of some hasty
expressions, but he (Mr. Cox) had heard one or two
learned judges, whose names he would not mention, make
use of much stronger ones after sitting in court till four
or five o'clock in the afternoon.
Dr. SAUNDERS said that as his name had been mentioned
in reference to these proceedings, he felt called upon to
state, as au ex officio member of the committee, that upon
the evidence brought before them they could come to no
other conclusion than the one they had arrived at. (Hear.)
Mr. It. N. PHILIPPS also supported the report. The
amendment was then put and negatived, and the report
was agreed to almost unanimously.