Star.
London, England, 1809-05-09 00:00:00

SCOTS JUDICATURE BILL.

On the motion that the Scotch Judicature Amendment Bill be
re-committed.

Lord GRENVILLE rose, and forcibly expressed his surprise at
the manner in which a Bill of such importance had been sinugglert.
through the House, and at the silence that seemed so studious*
to be observed respecting its contents. Not a word bad been said
in justification of its necessity, and it was only by' chance that a
Noble and Learned Friend of his (Lord Erskine) had learnt that
such a Bill was before the House, although his Majesty had beed
advised to place his Noble and Learned Friend at the head of the
Commission that had been appointed to carry into execution the
provisions of the Bill for the better Administration of Justice in
Scotland. By the provisions of that Bill it was required, that the
Commissioners should report, from time to time, to the House,
what progress they had made in the business, and they :were also
bound to wind up the whole of their reports on or before the 12th
November, 1809. Yet had they never, in compliance with these
injunctions, made a single report to the House, nor was there the
siightest hope that by the time prescribed in the act the business
would be finally completed. On the contrary, such bills as the
present might be brought in from year to year, and Scotland thus
deprived of the benefits of an act from which such advantageous
expectations had been raised. Indeed the manner in which the
Noble and Learned Lord on the Woolsack, and in general those
Noble Lords who supported his Bill, had acted on this occasion,
was very far from meeting with his approbation.
The LORD CHANCELLOR defended the conduct of the
Commissioners, and was rather of opinion, that his Noble and
Learned Friend (Lord Erskine), to whom the Noble Paron had
so pointedly adverted, would not exactly acknowledge the jus-
tice of the attack, which the Noble Baron had made on him (the
Lord Chancellor) ; for it so happened, that on the second read-
ing of the Bill, Lis Learned and Noble Friend was not present in
the House; neither was he present at the last meeting of The Com-
missioners when the necessity of granting further time to prepare
their final report was agitated. With whom then did the fault
lie ? That he should not determine : but he must beg leave to
say, that any attack made upon him on that score had no just
foundation to rest upon.
Lord GRENVILLE said, that thtre was nothing in the Noble
and Learned Lord's explanation which called upon him to re-
tract any observation he had made.
A warm conversation took place between the LORD CHAN-
CELLOR and Lord GRENVILLE, which entirely grew out of their
mutual explanations, in which Lord REDESDALL interposed, and
imputed to ignorance cr misrepresentation many of the obser-
vations of the Noble Baron (Grenville).
This conversation was terminated by the interposition of Lord
WiSTMOILLAND, and a mutual explanation between the Lord
CHANCLLLOR and Lord Garsvii.xx, the latter cf whom moved
that the Commissioner: do forthwith, or as soon as possible,
make a report to the House of the progress they have made in
accomplishing the o':iject of the Bill to this effect passed last session.
The Motion was agreed to, after some further conversation,
when it was finally agreed that the bill be recommitted on Friday
next.—Ad.iourned till to-morrow.
•