JB/109/098/001

Click Here To Edit

3

the Vice Chancellor had been considerable, and though the business of the
great Seal had been done, and well done, still there was a long list of
appeals undecided. Let them look at the situation in which the Lord
Chancellor stood. Like all other Lord Chancellors, he had much to do with
the political business of the Country – he had to attend to the Appeal
Cases in the House of Lords – he had the care of lunatics – he had
the care of infants. Any man who had seen the multiplicity of
business which came before the Lord Chancellor, and the number of
times the Noble Lord was called from the Bench to attend to political
matters, could easily understand how so many cases remained. He could
show that since the time of the Lord Chancellor Hardwicke business had
greatly encreased – the number of Bankruptcy cases had doubled,
the number of motions was doubled. Besides this, there was the appeals
to the House of Lords, Appeals from Scotland and Ireland, as
Writs of error. If any one man were to unite all the talents and knowledge
of the present Lord Chancellor with the decisions of Lord Hardwicke,
it would be impossible for him to go through the business. No man
doubted the talents, perseverance, or labour of the Lord Chancellor,
he was always in the Court of Chancery, except when called away
on political business, or when in the House of Lords. If he then
could not go through the arrears, it was in vain to expect that
any other Lord Chancellor could go through it. Human strength
could only go through a certain quantity of business. The Court
of Chancery was a Court of Equity. Now bankruptcy business
was of a legal nature, and belonged more to a Court of Law
than to an Equity Court. In this he was fortified by the opinion
of some of the best Lawyers in the Country. He understood it had
lately been said by the Noble Lord, in deciding a bankruptcy petition,
if the Bankruptcy business was to be transferred, it
must be transferred to some competent judges. But the same talents
which qualified a person to decide in any other Court, would fit
him to sit in a Court for the decision of Bankruptcy cases;⊞ ⊞ and with respect to the remuneration to such a Judge, it was to be recollected, that there was a sinecure place connected with Bankruptcy cases – the office
of Patentee of Bankrupts, which was worth from £4,000
to £6,000 a year. Why should that be given to an inefficient man?
That should go into the pocket of the person who did the actual business.
The Bankruptcy cases at the present moment was supposed
to bring £5,000 a year into the pocket of the Noble Lord (Eldon).
Then there was £1,700 received annually by the Secretary of Bankrupts.

Identifier: | JB/109/098/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 109.
Date_1		Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	109	Main Headings	Parliamentary Reform
Folio number	098	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	Collectanea	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	E3
Penner		Watermarks	<…>CO
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	35753
Box Contents