The Sun.
London, England, 1818-04-11 00:00:00

•
Made a charge for office cbpiesaniounting
- and.pwapplication to 'the Court, the Jnifges did
not think themselves 'authorised to int-el.-fere, OA-
cent by intimating to the party applying, that he
might, institute a suit akainst the `Clerk of the
Court '; a remedy to commence which he inuttliave
paid 4001. and then have been subjected to a the
• uncertainty of legal proceedings ; he therefae'tle-
• clineLaltogether prosecuting his suit, and gave up
the matter in dispute. In addition to this was
the-practice of the taxation of costs, which was
effected by _ persons either directly or indirectly
interested in their 'amount ; and one instance ex-
isted where the bill of charges was estimated by
the very person who 'was to receive the amount.
-I.le had thought it necessary to State these in-
stances, for the purpose of she Wing that it was
highly incumbent 'upon the House to desire the
production of -the Reports alltided to ; anti he
trusted he should hear from Ministers that some
steps had been taken to correct the evils which
had arisen from theseabuses. His Lordship also ad-
verted to the gross neglect irt keeping the Records
of Fines and. Recoveries in Ireland, and to the
practice of exacting different Sums in different
cases, according as the At tornies were disposed to
pay, and concluded by moving the Address a's
fore mentioned.
The Earl of Ltvearoot. said, it would not be
anticipated that he rose to oppose the motion,
which, on the contrary, had his cordial allpport.
It was, however, highly satisfactory to observe,
as the Noble Marquis had admitted, that no charge
whatever had arisen against the Judges in any
pant of the United Kingdom. It should also be
distinctly understood, that the extortions, in the
shape -of fees, as alluded to by the Noble Marquis,
and stated in the ',Reports, did not at all exist in
either England or Scotland, but was confined to
Ireland. Upon this subject it was undoubtedly
the duty of the .Executive to interfere, to correct
the abuses that existed; and it was also the duty
of Parliament to interpose, if those abuses were
• not remedied by the acts of the Executive. With
regard to the Reports on the subject of Ireland,
the first related to the Court of Chancery, and it
had been submitted to the-highly respectable indi-
vidual who held the office of Lord High Chan-
cellor of Ireland, and to the Master of the Rolls.
The Commissioners had not merely stated the
abuses, but had also in many instances suggested re-
medies, and at rangements had been made for the
purpose of remedying the abuses. The second
Report related to the office of Uletk of the Pleas
in the Court of Exchequer. Their Lordships
were aware of the situation in which this officer
stood ; the question respecting the right of
ap-
pointment to the office had been determined by
the Courts its Ireland in favour of the Crown, but
an appeal against that decision had been lodged
in their Lordships' House, and of course, while
that appeal was pending, no regulations. could
be carried into effect with regard to the of-
fice itself. In the•tnean time an Act of Parlia-
ment had been passed, for the purpose of im-
pounding the fees of the office until the ultimate
decision of the cause, and the Daputy, against
whom many complaints had been made in the
Report, had been dismissed. The third Report
related to the Court of Error, and this Wad been
referred to the Judges of Ireland. The fourth
Report had been recently made, and the fifth and
sixth were in preparation, and would soon be
forthcoming. Upon this subject, he should only
observe, that the Commissioners had faithfully
and honourably executed the duties
"imposed upon
them without favour, fear, or affection ; and with
regard to the abuses discovered, alI persons, what-
ever might be their political differences of opi-
.nion, were agreed in condemning them. The in-
terest taken with respect to this question must af-
ford a new proof to the people of Ireland of the
benefits lo be derived from their Union with
Great Britain, and the advantages accruing to
them from the exertions of the Imperial Parlia-
ment to remedy any abuses that affected their
interests

The Earl of LAUDERDALE expressed his satis-
faction that no abuses had been, discovered in
Scotland similar to those which his Noble Friend
had detailed as occurring in Ireland, hut he trust-
ed it was not true that offices in Scotland, which
the Commissioners in Scotland had declared ought
to be abolished, had, on vacancies occurring,
been since filled up by new appointments. There
should alto be some limitation as to the time
wirbin which the Commissioners should conclude
their Reports, otherwise it was possible their
continuance at a considerable expense to the coun-
try might become a worse job than any job they
contributed to remove.

The rnoiion was agreed to.—Adjourned till
Monday.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Mt. JOHN SMITH presented a Petition from certain
Printcrs of the City of London, praying some. amendment
in the Copy Right Act.—Read, and 'ordered to lie on the
table.

Admiral FRANK presented a Petition from the Cotton
Spinners of Manchester, in favour of the Bill for Restricting
the Hours of Labour itt Facteries.--Read, and ordered to lie
on the table.