The Sun.
London, England, 1821-03-09 00:00:00

EDITOR-1 perceive by one of your Pa-
perS that Lord Aurnone has brought forward a
Bill for the Improvemott ofCountyCourts. 1 beg
to suggest, through. the medium of your columns,
that it would be more beneficial were Courts.for
the Recovery of Small Debts established -in
every market town upon the same principles and
under the same provisions as Acts of that de-
scription are now executed in many parts of the
kingdom; forpersons residing at a distance from
the county town are exposed to as much incon-
venience and' expellee in attending County
Courts, as in going to -the Assizes. The object
of. Courts for Small Debts is intended to bring
justice-as, ear to every man's door as circum-
stances will admit, with as small an expence
as
each market tCosZ t nisOi°l7taerrs acid d
were
ae mii
itTr°iinte:i
all
Causes for Debts under 1-5/. consisting of persons
chosen from its -Professional Gentlemen,
chanty, and Traders (with power for three to
act, one of whom
.to be a Barrister, or an Attorney
of at least five years' practice,) a Commission so
formed might be conducted at a very trifling ex-
pence to-the Suitors, and would be of more ser-
vice to the country at large than can be in • d
o by
County Courts. A.Suitor living forty miles
from
a county-town cannot attend there without loss
(I),hftm icih,e with the aaltltde
nlid' tnlite S
eS eiSp,
eoific Is),r4a4:vildlayfos,r
arecboavrerriienrg
rervie-ard epsrlonlell
their eto cibiatsn,ha'sndateldxcespatja tiol
bp
te, ras ozi
completesi t the o
e immediatebsthele -tO
Countyvicinity
willou onecessarily
of general utility ; but from a market town no-
person- is resident at so great ‘a distance as to
prevent him, however poor, and unable even -to
provide himself with a horse - from going to, ef-
fecting his business, and returning from, the-
town, within the same day, at a very `small ex-
pence either to himself or for his- witnesses. A
respectable salary or recompense might be allow-
ed to a Barrister Dr• Solicitor presiding at
,each
sitting for his attendance and 'trouble, and-Many
mercantile Men or Gentlemen retired from
businessmay be found who would gratuitously once
a month, or quarter, give to him their assistance,
which would be preferable to leaving the busi-
ness entirely to Commissioners drawn from the
Commercial World, and consequently not so
conversant with the general rules of the Law.
If this subject should be thought deserving the
public attention, I may, perhaps, in a future let-
ter, oiler some heads of Clauses introduced into
Acts,for Recovery of Small Debts, the, provisions
of which, with some alterations, would better
explain the utility of -such Courts than any.ob-
servation upon them. I have noticed that the
Law Society in London watch the Bill now in
Parliament with a jealous eye, but if it impartial-
ly' considers the subject, the.Attornies -will not
be deprived of -many -actions by the -adoption of
as few persons of the pre-
measures of this kind,
sent day dare run the risk of bringing an action
for sums of so small amount; for fear of the atten-
dant expellees falling upon themselves,
-.as. a De-
fendant under the present benign influences of the
insolvent Act may exonerate himself from the
claims of hiS Creditors without much tro.uhle,so that
1 do not expect Professional Me,n will, by such
alterations -of the .Law, beCome considerable
losers, while, on fins) other hand, the publiC inte-
rests
would become greatly improved by them.
—1 should notice that the chief sufferers of-
losses from small debts are mechanics and small
tradesmen, who frequently have not
.the means
of bringing an action-at law, or of attending to
sispport their cases at the- county toivn, but for
want of being enabled to recover their Debts
themselves become Insolvent, and it is often ob-
served by those who attend Courts- for SSMall
Debts not exceeding 21. or 5/. that such poor'
people are necessitated to reduce the Debts under
those amounts rather than risk an action or. lose
the whole. With many thapks to you for former
attentions to me,—.l am, Sir, -
Your obliged, humble Servant,
Wisbcach, Fcb. AN OBSERVER.