§ MR. B. OSBORNEwished to put a question to the hon. Member for Marylebone upon a subject respecting which great anxiety was evinced out of doors. He desired to know what course the noble Lord meant to pursue about the Palace Court?
§ LORD D. STUARTbegged to say, in reply, that he had not given any notice of a Motion with respect to the Palace Court hitherto. He had merely confined himself to moving for some returns with regard to that court. Those returns were not as yet laid upon the table, but he believed they would be forthcoming within a very short time. Not long ago he had put a question to the hon. and learned Gentleman the Attorney General, inquiring whether it was the intention of the Government to bring in any measure for doing away with the Palace Court or not. The answer of his hon. and learned Friend was not very explicit. His hon. and learned Friend did, however, lead him (Lord D. Stuart) to expect that the Government had a measure of the sort in contemplation. If he should find, and he should do all in his power to ascertain the point, that the Government did not intend to bring in a Bill for the purpose in question, 1094 he should himself introduce a measure, which he hoped would receive the support of the hon. and gallant Member for Middlesex.
§ MR. B. OSBORNEsaid, that perhaps the hon. and learned Attorney General would have no objection to state when he would bring in his Bill for the abolition of this court?
The ATTORNEY GENERALreplied, that the subject had been for a long time under consideration, and that the principal difficulty was with respect to the compensation to be granted to the officers.
§ MR. B. OSBORNEasked whether the Bill would be certainly brought in in the present Session?
The ATTORNEY GENERALsaid, it was impossible to answer the question with certainty until he knew the nature of the claims of the several officers.
Subject dropped.