The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-20 00:00:00

FRIDAY EVENING,

must decline to do so. A man who owes 50/. may re-
quire time to pay it quite as much as one who owes
20/. A clerk may need a system of instalments ..,uito
to the time his salary is paid, as much- as a labourer;
the only different is that h itL.—periodicul receipts are
larger, but so also may be his debts."
A return shows that the greatest number of actions
was in the Clerkenwell Circuit, Nu. 42, viz., 14,355: the
smallest in the Dorsetshire Circuit, No. 56, viz , 3
,283.
The total money received in all the Courts during the
year 14149 was 780,6841. 9s. 3d.: the amount received in
this circuit was 11,9801. 16s. Bd.
The greatest amount ofsums seed for was in the Wes-
tminster Circuit, No. 45, viz., 38,541: the smallest in the
Nottingham Circuit, No. 18, viz., 10,6841.
The judge of the Gloucester Circuit is returned as
having sat the greatest number of days, viz., 213: pos.
sibly be may not have sat so many different days, but
may have held that number of courts,- holding two of the
smaller ones in one day. The judge of this circuit sat
183 different days; only one other judge is returned as
having sat so often. The judge of the Lambeth Circuit
is returned as having sat the fewest days, viz., 67.
In two circuits, Manchester and Whitechapel, there
were no jury trials; in four other circuits there were
altogether thirteen jury trials; but the party demanding
the jury did nut get the verdict in any of them.
In the adjoining circuit of West Lancashire, No. 5,
there was only one jury trial, and the party who de-
manded it did not obtain a verdict. In this circuit there
were ten; the party demanding the jury obtained the
verdict in four of them. Throughout the kingdom the
parties demanding juries did not obtain verdicts in half
the cases.

The fewness of the cases in which juries are asked for
shows that great confidence is reposed in the judges;
and the fewness of the instances in which those who de-
mand juries obtain verdicts shows that they are ae-
manded for some cause which is not the justice of the
case of the party making the demand. I incline to
think that in this circuit they have been asked for more
from ignorance than from any other causes. The cases
have been generally those where the demand was for un-
liquidated damages, for which this is a popular mcde of
trial, and one in favour with judges, for it relieves them
from a troublesome responsibility.
The juries consist, not of twelve, but of five persons;
and it seems to me that the responsibility is more felt by
being less divided; and that the verdicts have been as
satisfactory and as much in accordance with the sum-
mings up of the judge as are the verdicts given at the
assizes.

The Law Times expresses some surprise that the term
should have passed over without a single appeal from a
County Court, and infers from thence that the decisions
have been more satisfactory than was expected by the
London lawyers: there has hitherto been little seed
sown, and not time enough for the crop to ripen.
The gross reeeipts of eighty-one clerks are returned as
under 501 each; three of the gentlemen who act as
clerks within this circuit are included in this number;
every one of them pays more to his writing clerk than
the gross receipts from his office; and yet every one of
them attends in person at every court, and maintains a
constant supervision of the proceedings of his office. I
do not believe that those zealous advocates for economy
in public expenditure, Sir Joshua Walmsley or Mr. Cob-
den, when they were in trade, ever payed the clerks in
their counting-houses so poorly as some of the county
clerks are paid; or the porters in their warehouses so
poorly as some of the high bailiffs. The whole receipts
of five of the clerks did not amount to 201. each. In ten
of the courts the clerks' receipts were between one and
two thousand pounds each, and one court above two thou-
sand; but upon these courts the Government places its
paw, puts the clerks upon salaries of five hundred a
year, and takes the surplus. I hear little complaint of
this, but surely out of that surplus something might
have been allowed to those poor clerks who at the end of
each year have been left to calculate their loss and
reflect upon their usefulness. Some savers of sixpences
have indeed suggested that these courts should be sup-
pressed; they would, however, find upon inquiry that
some of the smallest receipts have been in the largest
districts, where the population is spare, and where great
inconvenience would be occasioned to the inhabitants by
the distances they would be compelled to travel for the
trial, and still more for the payment of their small in-
stalments.

It is the boast of the courts that they bring justice
home to the doors of the people throughout the length
and breadth of the land; that boast would be vain if a
po, r man could not walk from his home in the morning,
have his cause tried, and walk home again at night; this he
can now generally do, but he could not if those courts were
suppressed. I say generally, for I have sometimes hadto
sit until late hours at night, and have been made to
know and feel that the Ten Hours Act does not extend
to county judges.
These returns are important, not merely as showing
the great amount of business done in the County Courts,
but as showing how great must have been the practical
denial of justice under the system which these courts
have superseded; and because they will set men a
thinking whether advantage cannot be taken of them in
other matters than fifty pound causes; these are subjects
to which time will not permit me to advert to-day, but
which we may consider upon some future occasion.