JB/004/041/001

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On County Courts Bill , P13 (Margin note) Mr Charles Calley 21 February 1825 Mr Smith’s office is an office for life? – Yes it is. Is there any reversion ? – No. What has been the amount in each year of the emoluments of Mr.Smith’s office ? – The average for the last seven years is 331 l. 13s. 3d. exclusive of clerks salaries, &c. [The witness was directed to make a return of the emoluments of the office for the last ten years.] In case of the Country Courts Bill passing, Mr Smith’s office will be very seriously affected ? – Very seriously, in consequence of bail being filed in all debts under 15 l, : of course it would deprive him of a good deal of the business of the office ; it would almost destroy the office. Is there any salary attached to the office besides fees? – Forty-six pounds twelve shillings ; but that is included in the profits I have mentioned ; the average of which is 311 l. Mr Smith employs you as one of his clerks? – Yes ; he requires two clerks generally, besides Mr. Smith’s attendance also. Are those two clerks paid by fixed salary ? – Yes. What is the amount of that salary which he pays to his clerks? - £.120 is what Mr.Smith pays out of his profits. Supposing the business of the office to be as much diminished as it is likely to be by taking away all actions under ten pounds from the court of King’s Bench, would Mr.Smith require two clerks then? – No certainly not ; one would be able to do the business. Would it be necessary for him to have one clerk? – Yes: there must be some person to attend at all times. If the amount of debt to which the County Courts Bill extends, was 15l. Mr.Smith’s office would not require any clerk at all? – No. He pays 60l. a year to each of the clerks ? – Yes 120l. is the amount of the whole ; there is one clerk there constantly, with assistance. How much do you think that this fixed payment from his income would be diminished, if all debts under ten pounds were taken from the court of King’s Bench ? – It is almost impossible for me to say with any certainty.

Martis, 22’ die Februarij, 1825

Lord Viscount Althorpe, in the Chair.

Thomas Chapman, Esquire, called in ; and Examined.

(Margin note) Thomas Chapman, Esq. 22 February 1825

What office do you hold? – Assistant master of the court of Kings’ Bench. Can you give the Committee and information with respect to the nature and receipts of Lord Ellenborough’s office? – I have at present nothing to do with the accounts of the chief clerk ; Mr Le Blanc has taken all that upon himself. Can you obtain the necessary information to make a return of that? – I think I can The office of chief clerk, Lord Ellenborough’s office is an office for life? – It is. Is it a saleable office? – I believe it is. How are the duties of it performed? – By Mr.Le Blanc, as his deputy and my-self and another gentleman. There are various other offices of the court of King’s Bench ; the chief clerk appoints the master, and he performs all the duties ; but there are other offices appointed by the chief clerk. Are the offices to which you have alluded, the master and the deputy master, paid by the chief clerk? – No ; they are paid in fees. Is the chief clerk called upon to pay any officer a fixed salary for the doing part of his duty? – There is a salary paid to the master; a trifling salary, I believe about 200l. a year, that is paid to Mr.Le Blanc as the master, and that is all. A diminution is the business of the court of King’s Bench would not at all diminish the necessary expenses attendant upon the person who holds the office of chief clerk?

Identifier: | JB/004/041/001"JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 4.
Date_1	1825-05-04	Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	004	Main Headings	lord brougham displayed
Folio number	041	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles	county courts bill / minutes of evidence / taken before the select committee on the / bill / for preventing delays and expenses in the proceedings of county courts, and for the more easy and speedy recovery of small debts, in england and wales
Category	printed material	Number of Pages	36
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	(6-35)
Penner		Watermarks
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections	jeremy bentham	Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	1962
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