The Sun.
London, England, 1827-05-08 00:00:00

DEPUTY SPEAKER OF THE LORDS.

The Commission for the appointment of the Master of
the Rolls, as Deputy Speaker, was read by the Clerk of the
House.

The Earl of LAUDERDALE wished that it should be
explained by some Member of the Government, whether,
by the commission they had just heard read, it was intended
to make the Learned Person therein mentioned the Chair-
man of the House, for the purpose of hearing and deciding
appeal cases, without, at the same time, creating him a
Member of the House ? If such was the object of the Com-
mission, he thought it involved a strange anomaly, since,
after having heard the case, and drawn up the judgment,
that Learned Person (for whose talents and learning he
entertained the sincerest respect) must put that judgment
into the bands of a Peer to move that it be received by their
Lordships. He (the Earl of Lauderdale) thought that the
present Administration had been pledged to act upon the
principles of Lord Liverpool's Administration. Now he
wished to know whether this appointment was a pact of
their performance of :the promise? There had been some
time since a Deputy Speaker introduced into their Lord-
ships' House; but had the Noble Earl, then at the head of
the Government, introduced among them a person who was
❑ot a Peer to fill that situation ? Certainly not—for it
had been filled by Noble Lord whose decease they
had recently had reason to regret. He wished, therefore,
upon this subject, to know what were the intentions of the
Government ?

The LORD CHANCELLOR (who, as usual, left his I
seat, but then, by mistake, spoke from the head of the
Treasury Bench) said, that in answer to what had fallen
from the Noble Baron, he begged to take upon himself the
whole responsibility of the measure now introdJced to
their Lordships' notice. He thought they would be of
opinion that, considered as a temporary measure, and with
respect to the business of the House and of the Court of
Chancery, it was both prudent and proper. The Noble
Baron had alluded to Lord Liverpool's Administration, and
had spoken as if there was no precedent for this measure.
Now he might have recolleetedand, if he pleased, no
man could recollect such matters better than the Noble
Baron—that there was a precedent to be found for it.
However, without going into the circumstances of that
case which furnished a precedent for the measure now
adopted, it would, perhaps, be necessary, that he (the Lord
Chancellor) should state what had been the course pursued
in this instance, and what the reasons which.had induced
him to adopt it. He would first recal to their Lordships
the state of the business of the House on Appeals. There
were now before their Lordships 70 Appeals from Scot-
land, and 40 from the Courts of England and Ireland. In
the epurse of last Session the Noble Lord to whom allusion
had been made, with all his talent for business, with all his
quickness of perception and legal learning, and with all his
perseverance and industry, and he (the Lord Chancellor)
did not hesitate to affirm, that to his perseverance in the
duties of his office he had fallen a victim, could not get
through more than 40 of the Scotch Appeals. In this
state of things what was the course pursued? It was pro-
posed, and he (the Lord Chancellor) again declared, that it
was proposed un his advice and responsibility, to dispose of
the Scotch Appeals by the assistance of the Learned Lord
Chief Baron of the Court of Exchequer, who was intimately
acquainted with the Scotch law, and who was to devote
two days in the week for the hearing of the Scotch Ap-
peals. More than that time he could not devote to that
object without injury to the suitors of his own Court. The
assistance, therefore, of the Learned Individual named in
the Commission just read would be required for one day
in furtherance of the same object. It was absolutely neces-
sary that the Lord Chancellor should sit for two days iu
the week, to decide English and Irish Appeals ; and he was
quite sure that if Noble Lords referred to the business of
the Court of Chancery, they would be convinced that the
Lord Chancellor could not be spared from that Court more
than two days in the week, without prejudice to the public
interest. By the system thus proposed to be established,
there would be five days in the week devoted to the hearing
of Appeals. The Scotch Appeals would have three days
employed upon them by two individuals of great knowledge
and talent, and both well conversant with the laws of Scot-
land, and the Lord Chancellor would himself sit for two
days in each week to dispose of English and Irish Appeals.
This arrangement would give bins four days for the Court
of Chancery—a period which, he trusted, would be found
sufficient to keep down the business of that Court. He
must say that it would not have been just towards him to
launch him at once into the hearing of all the Appeals now
before the House, and to require him, at the same time, to
dispose of all the business now in arrear in the Court of
Chancery.—(Hear, hear, hear.)—lf their Lordships would
grant bins the indulgence which, he thought, he might in
justice require, he would pledge himself, before the next
session, to perfect a plan, with reference to the business of
his office, that should secure its performance regularly,
faithfully, and accurately.—(Hear, hear, hear.)—The ar
rangement now proposed was merely temporary ; and, not-
withstanding what had been said about Lord Liverpool's
Administration, he might observe that it had had the good
fortune to meet with that Noble Earl's approbation.
The Earl of LAUDERDALE did not object to the ar-
rangement of the business itself, and did not wish to throw
all the heavy duties of the Court of Chancery and of this
House upon the shoulders of the Lord Chancellor alone ;
but his objection was, that whoever might be appointed to
take part in the performance of those duties should be en-
abled to do so as a Member of that House. He was sure

there was none more capable, in every respect, than the
Learned and Hon. individual whose commission had been
now read ; but he objected to the anomaly of appointing an
individual to try appeal cases there—an employment of the
highest confidence—when that individual, after having
formed his judgment, must propose it to a Peer before it
could be received by the House.
Lord HOLLAND said that, as a Member of this House,
he rust object to Noble Lords using expressions which
seemed to convey the idea that the Learned Law Lords sat
in that House to try and decide Appeals. The right to try
and decide Appeals was not limited to any one Noble Lord
or to any particular Peers in preference to the rest, but re-
sidea in every Member of that House equally. They were
all," Peers," and that one word showed that they were all
equal. It was the duty of every man in that House, as a
Lord of Parliament, to sit and assist in the hearing of Ap-
peals. If the Deputy Speaker or the Lord Keeper was, as
by the constitution of that House he might be, a Com-
moner, should the King choose to appoint such a person