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ON COUNTY COURTS BILL
What is the fee for the service?
Two shillings and sixpence.
What is the whole, including the service?
About a guinea and a half.
If the party does not appear then an attachment issues?
Yes.
What are the fees upon the attachment?
Thirteen shillings and fourpence; contempt, it may be two or three pounds more
Of the expense of the issuing subpoena, what part of it goes to you, what your emoluments upon each subpoena?
My fee is, I think, 9 s. 8 d.
Do you get anything upon the attachment?
Yes 12 s. 10 d. I get about 6 s. 10 d. on each writ, merely the process if it is not settled; there are the subsequent proceedings upon the subpoena, my charge is 8 s. 10 d. and the charge is 12 s. 10d.
That is the whole of what you get if the debt is settled upon the attachment suing?
Yes; but then the gentlemen employing me get considerably more.
You think there are about two thousand issue in a year?
Yes
Do you keep a clerk for the purpose of issuing those writs?
Yes
Could you dispense with the service of that clerk if the writs were discontinued, or greatly reduced to number which there would be if there were none under ten pounds?
I should have no other suits at all if they were taken away.
If the writs cease to be issued should you have to pay expense of a clerk?
My age is such, I cannot copy the declarations, I may still have to appear for defendants, and i must therefore have a clerk copy them.
How many clerks do you keep now?
I keep only one.
It would still be necessary for you to keep that one?
Yes.
Do you hold your office for life?
I do.
Did you purchase it?
I purchased it of one of the attornies; when one dies we purchase.
What kind of estate have you?
An estate for life, and the power of selling.
(To Mr. Dar. Jun.) Do you know how the fact is with respect to this?
There are four attornies in the office of Pleas, and each attorney has four side clerks in his division; upon vacancies occuring in the situation of side clerks, the attorney has the privilege of selling that vacancy.
(To Mr. Dar.) You are the senior of the attornies?
I am.
Have you any particular privileges as being the senior?
No; not unless there is a trial at bar, or anything of that kind.
You say there are a certain number of subpoenas issued in a year; each of the four clerks has an equal right with yourself to issue them?
yes
Then it is divided between the four?
Yes; there are sixteen side clerks and four attornies, each of them sue out subpoenas.
Then you have only the sixteenth part?
Identifier: | JB/004/047/001"JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 4. |
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1825-05-04 |
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004 |
lord brougham displayed |
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047 |
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001 |
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 |
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printed material |
36 |
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recto |
(6-35) |
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1968 |
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