Star.
London, England, 1818-05-27 00:00:00

NORTHERN CIRCUITS.

Mr. M. A. TAYLOR called the attention of the
House to the Report of the Committee on this su6-
jec t. Most Gentlemen were aware of the circum-
stances under which the Northern Circuits laboured,

and must be of opinion that an appeal to the justice
of the Country was necessary. He requested that
the Report might be read, which being done, he said
his object was to propose an Address to the Prince
Regent, to the effect "That this House, having taken
into consideration the Report of the Select Commit.
tee, humbly request that his Royal Highness would
be pleased to adopt such measures as would give to
the Counties of Westmoreland, Northumberland,
Durham, Lancashire,Yorkshire, and Newcastle-npon-
Tyne, the benefit of a General Jail Delivery twice in
each year." The Hon. Gentleman then proceeded
to state, that his object was to afford Government
an opportunity of redressing this most serious evil.
He entered at considerable length into the nature of
the evil complained of, from which it appeared that
the business of the Northern Circuit exceeded three-
fold every other Circuit in the kingdom. The %Vest-
ern Circuit, which was the next largest,'had only an
average of 180 er '2OO cases, while tilt Northern had
427, while the Calendar of Lancashire alone often
exceeded 100 prisoners; thus -.l:e prisoners were
forced to lie in jail, if committed soon after the Cir-
cuit had terminated, for eleven months. This was
most disgraceful to the administration of justice, and
was not the case in any other country in Europe.—
The reliever were a purer set of men than our Judges;
but they had not the power of doing justice, and he
had the authority of Baron Wood for saying, that he
had often quitted York when he did not think half
the business was done. The Judges were obliged to
sit from twelve to fourteen hours a day ; and yet the
'Special Jury cases were frequently set aside. The
Honourable Gentleman quoted several instances in
proof of this feat, one o which was, that of a Plain-
tiff having to go twice with his w messes to York,
where the venue was laid. The debt was tiny 241.
and the law eri eases by these removals were 2001.
The inhabitants of those Counties had certainly a
right to expect the same course of justice as those of
the other parts of the kingdom ; but instead of ame-
liorating the ccndition of the people, he was afraid
Gentlemen we: e too much inclined to act on the prin-
ciple of " sufficient for the day is the evil thereot."
He alluded to Scotland as a proof thra alterations in
the Courts and adMinistration of justice had proved
beneficial to the people, and argued on the necessity
of an alteration in England, on the ground that the
Court of King's Bench had not been able to hear the
new trials that were to be moved from the last Snm-
mer Circuit. The Judges were not able to get through
their business during Term, and were obliged to
hear cases at Serjeant's Inn, and then, in the next
Term, to say they had heard and should determine,
thus acting on a fiction. The Honourable Gentle-
man then observed, that though a Serjeant might
try criminal cases, it would not give such satisfaction
to the country, as if they were tried by the actual
Judges, independent of the Crown. The Judges, as
he was informed, never quitted the Old Bailey till
the capital causes were disposed of. But besides this,
the Judges had a vast deal of business at their Cham-
bers, and were very often troubled with affairs from
the Tax Office, which .pressed heavily on them. He
would suppose that the Cursitor Baron might be
clothed with authority to assist in the Circuits, or he
might take the Old Bailey, and the addition of ex-
pense would not be worth mentioning. On the whole
he did not think that any solid objection could be
made to his motion.
Lord CASTLEREAGH said he clidnot wish to
oppose the general principle of the Address ; but he
hoped the Hon. Member would consent to set aside
his motion for the present. Ministers were as ardently
desirous as the I lon. Member to afford a remedy tier
the evil complained of ; and he (Lord Castlereagh)
had availed himself of the interval since the lion.l
Gentleman had given his notice, to draw the atten-
tion of individuals to the best practical mode that
could be adopted ; yet from the variety of the avo-
cations of the Learned Judges, it had not been in his
power to obtain from them such information as was
necessary to effect a remedy. lie thonght the House
owed it to the Crown to see in a certain degree
through the difficulties and embarrassments that
would be encountered. This proposition could not
be confined to the live northern counties, as the Com-
mittee were of opinion that nothing would be satis-
factory which did not go to effect a change in the
whole system of the Circuits ; for the Committee
would not admit the notion that any person should
be employed unless a Judge, who was in the constant
habit of trying causes in Westminster Hall, and exer-
cising all the functions of the judicial character. On
the whole it would appear that such a proposition as
that of the Hon. Gentleman would go to the new
modelling of the Courts of Westminster Hall ; while
the Judges, with their hands so full of business, would
not he able to form a proper judgrent of the best
mode to be adopted. If the Hon. Gentleman would