370 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1818. 



publication, a short but accurate 

 abstract is given in the Ap- 

 pendix. 



Such being the actual state of 

 Business in these three counties, 

 without a well grounded prospect 

 of diminution, your Committee 

 cannot form to themselves any 

 satisfactory reason why the trial 

 of civil causes should be thus 

 deferred within these districts, 

 and the custom of holding only 

 one assize in the year continued, 

 subjecting the suitors to serious 

 inconvenience, and in some 

 cases, to ruinous expense. The 

 practice of bringing actions in 

 other counties, now often re- 

 sorted to, where they are transi- 

 tory, compels the attendance of 

 witnesses carried from a con- 

 siderable distance, kept at the 

 cost of the respective parties, 

 and probably at last dismissed 

 without a hearing. 



It is clear, from the evidence 

 heard before your Committee as 

 to the pressure of civil business 

 at York, that it is now with dif- 

 ficulty gone through, though a 

 greater number of days is allotted 

 in the summer, than was usual 

 in preceding years ; and that, of 

 late, two judges have presided in 

 the spring circuit ; it will be 

 found, that at the close of the 

 last, commission at that place, 

 six special and tliree common 

 jury causes were made remanets, 

 yet the Court was occupied ten, 

 twelve, or fourteen hours during 

 the day. 



At Lancaster, to a most heavy 

 calendar, are added in general 

 not less than 180 causes, involving 

 in them, as may naturally be 

 imagined from the site and popu- 

 lation of the palatinate, questions 



of the highest importance, as 

 well on commercial as on other 

 points. 



Looking therefore to all the 

 circumstances which accompany 

 this view of the subject, and con- 

 sidering it just that these 

 counties should not be deprived 

 of those advantages which are 

 possessed by all the counties 

 within the United Empire, 5'^our 

 Committee beg leave to recom- 

 mend, that such measures should 

 be taken as would divide the 

 present northern circuit into two 

 separate circuits, the one com- 

 prehending the counties of 

 Westmorland, Lancaster, and 

 Cumberland, and the other in- 

 cluding those of York, Northum- 

 berland and Durham. No objec- 

 tion could arise, under this 

 arrangement, as to the attendance 

 of an enlightened bar ; for with 

 the proposed alteration, there 

 would still remain to each of 

 these divisions as much, if not 

 a larger extent of business, than 

 is generally transacted upon every 

 other circuit in England. 



To carry this plan into its 

 full execution, and to give it that 

 weight and authority, which 

 interests of such moment demand, 

 your Committee are of opinion, 

 that the duties which belong to 

 it, should only be intrusted to 

 established judges of the land : 

 whether the present limited 

 number of that highly respected 

 body will permit such an addition 

 of labour, must be left to the 

 farther dehberation of the House; 

 that head of examination not 

 falling, as your Committee ap- 

 prehended, within the precise 

 limits of their instructions, they 

 did not proceed to any regular 

 f course 



