Star.
London, England, 1817-05-02 00:00:00

wnsii Juvon.

Mr. PONSONIIY said, that he had received a
number ot colsummications, made to him relative to
the administration of justice inWales, which induced
him to put off the motion of which he had given no-
tice, and to embrace a much larger field ot inquiry.
He had not spoken to one Gentleman wi:o was con-
nected with Wales who approvtd of the mode in
which jastice was administered in Wales. He there-
fore moved that a Committee be appointed to inquire
into the laws relative to the administration of justice
in Wales. He hoped the House would excuse his
not having given any notice of this motion.
Sir W. W. WYNNE seconded the ;notion, and
said, he was convinced that the laws relative to the
administration of justice in Wales required conside-
rable alteration.

Lord CASTLEREAGH said, he would not op-
pose the motion; but he wished it to be understood,
that in agreeing to it be did not mean to throw any
slur on those most respectable persons concerned in
the administration of justice in Wiles, the mode of
which WAS certainly different from what pervaded the
other parts of the kingdom; and tie therefore thought
it a very fair subject for Parliamentary inquiry.
Mr. PONSONBY guarded himself particularly
against being thought to mean any slur on tie re-
spectable persons alluded to by the Noble Lord.

The ATTORNEY-GENtRAT. said, that if the
motion of which the Right Honourable Gentleman
(Mr. Ponsonby) had given notice had been fat night
forward, he should have fat it Lis duty to remain io
his place, for the purpose of giving any explanation
that might he required. He wished now to be allow-
ed to say a few words on a suhject of such a nature,
th.st this was the only place wh.:re he could th;i.k
decorous in him to enter upon it. He h.,.1 handy
gone down to perform the duties of his r ffiee, wle
he understood that a question had been asked iu this
House by an Honourable Baronet (S:r M. W. It'd
ley), whether he and his Honourable and Learned
Friend (Mr. Serjrant Best) had not pot off the time
of commencing the Sittings at Chester for a special
retainer ? It was only necessary for him to state, as
I to his Honourable and Learned Friend, that tl:e time
for the commencement of his official duties in Wald
was fixed and notified in the Gazette some time pre-
vious to the date of his appointment, and even before
:!is predecesser hid any thought of resigning. As to
himself, he could only say, he had, since his appoint
ment, allowed the Associate Judge to appoint the time
for the commencement of the Sessions, and in this
way, the 30th of March last was appointed ter the
commencement of the last Sessions, which pare him
the opp etiinity of going to I. tonceston. Two
schemes were sent to him for his aperobation, one
of which accorded with leis going to Launceston, and
that lie chose. The truth was, that i-i point of pe-
cuniary advantage, it would have been mere advan-
tageous for him to have had the sessions in Wales
commence oa an earlier day, so as to enabled
him to be in town by the first day of Term.—
That this would have been the not profitable ar-
rangement for him was notorious to every one who
knew any thing of the business of the Courts. On
comparing the dates of the commencement of the Ses-
sions in Wales, from 1759 till t 1 present time, he'
found that in every instance they had commenced as
late as this year. It had been said that he was not
present at the first day of the opening of the Court,
and had left that duty to be done by the Clerk. The
truth was, that there was no business done on the first
day of the Sessions, and it never was the practice for
the Chief Justice to he present on that day It
was also said, that for his own private emolument,
he had delayed the trial of the prisoners. Nylon men
saere accused, they were made tie tell what they had
done, and he must therefore state, that since h, had
the honour to fill the office of Chief Justice of Ches-
ter, he had caused the prisoners to be tried three day ,
sooner than they had ever turn before. He had
troubled the House with this much, that he might
stand acquitted of the flagrant crime of having put
:iff the administration of public justice for his own
private emolument.
Sir M. IV. RIDLEY said, that as the Honourable
and Learned Gentleman had alluded to hint, he felt
himself bound to say, that it was with no view of
cAumnialing the Honourable Gentleman that he had
put the question which had been alluded to. I-I,:
had information on which he thoeptlit is could rely.
that the Sittings at Clever had been postponed re,
account of other engagements of the Honourable and
Learned Gentleman ; and although he was leered to
give credit to all that had now been stated, yet be
WAS not at all persuaded that the Sittings at Chestet
1 had not commenced later than tined by nine days.
The Honourable and L-arned Gentleman acknow-
ledged, that of two plans which had been submitted
to him, he had chosen tha which gave him the op-
portunity of going to Launceston. It was not her
nim to determine any thing as to this, or whether it
WAS usual for the Attorney-General to take special
retainers? He believed that ha- was correct in saying
that the Gentlemen of the B-.r had experienced great
inconvenience from the arrangement made by the
Honourable and Learned Gent! man.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL explained. The
present Chief Justice, Lord Ellenhorough, accepted
general tetaiuers up to the last day that lie held the
office of Attorney-General.
Mr. C. W. WYNNE could state positively that no
delay had taken place which could produce 11,e leas:
inconvenience. The only thing which he had to com-
plain of the Honourable and Learned Ge.ntkitran
was, that he had not appointed a Barristet to sit on
the first day at the formal opening of the Court, in-
stead of having the Associate sir, which was unusual.
fie gave the Honourable and Learned Centleman
much credit for having expedited the trial of pri.
soners, which was now brought on on the fits: day
atter the Court, instead of the fourth, as had tot-
m.-rly been the case.
Mr, ABERCROMBIE said, that on the shortest
'calculation, the commencement of the Sessions had
been put off two days; and that the Judge. itiftead
of being at the first place on the Circuit on Easter
Day, should have been at the third place on that day.
Mr. BARHAM thought that much inconvenience
might occur horn the Associate holding the Court on
the first day.
After a few words from Sir Jon); Ntclou.r. and
Mr. MACDONALD, the Motion was agreed to, and a
Committee arpointed.
Mr. BENNET V presented a Petition from a Mr.
John Delresne, late of Leeds, complaining of the ar-
bitrary powers of the Commissioners or B inkruptcy.
—The Petition e•as read, and ordered to lie on the
table.

Mr. CALVERT, alluding to the observations
made yesterday on the subject 4,1 frauds in the Hop
Trade, said' he conceived, from the Reports which
had appeared in the different Papers. that he might
be suprosed by that respectab:e body, the. Hop Fac-
tors and Merchants, to have stigmati>ed their con-
duct. lie wished it to be understood, that he Lea:
thrown out no allu►ion whatever to them in the re-
marks which he had thought proper to make.