MR. PRICEasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been called to the difference in the scale of Justices Clerks' fees, as authorised to be charged in different counties in England, and in some instances in different petty sessional divisions in the same counties; whether he has considered the desirability of providing, as far as possible, one uniform system throughout England as regards the fees for the administration of justice at petty sessional courts; and, whether the Justices Clerks Bill contains sufficient power to enable him to bring about such uniformity?
MR. ASSHETON CROSS,in reply, said, his attention had been called to the differences in the scale of justices' clerks' fees, and he had considered the desirability of providing, as far as possible, one uniform system throughout England. He had come to the undoubted conclusion, however, that it was most undesirable to insist on uniformity, for this simple reason, that the same scale of fees might in one place be the means of throwing upon the county a burden of several thousands a-year, whilst in others it would provide an income of £5,000 or £6,000 a-year for the clerks, and thus put the persons who came to Court to very heavy expense. If the 502 hon. Gentleman would look to the Bill in "another place," he would see that it was not thought desirable to establish a uniform system.