§ SIR GEORGE CAMPBELLasked the Lord Advocate a Question of which he had given him private Notice, as to the judicial arrangements in Scotland— Whether his attention has been called to information which appeared in the Scotch Papers, to the effect that Lord Craighill had not only carried out his threat of shutting up his Court at half-past 2 because the Government had not thought fit to fill up a particular office, but had suspended until the winter a case which had been under consideration for three days, and in which a number of witnesses had appeared; and, whether, in view of the great inconvenience to the public caused by those proceedings, the Government intended to take any action in the matter?
THE LORD ADVOCATESir, it is, of course, the intention of the Government to make arrangements for the efficient performance of the duties of clerk to the Lord Ordinary. Under the provisions of the Statute 1 & 2 Vict. c. 118 there are two clerks attached to each Lord Ordinary, and it is the duty of one of them to leave at about 2 o'clock for the purpose of attending in his office; but the Act provides that it shall be competent for the Lord President of either Division, on application by any Lord Ordinary, to direct that any of the clerks in any Division, or any person receiving compensation or retiring allowance under this Act, shall discharge such duties in the absence of any such clerk, or if the 230 state of business before the Lord Ordinary shall render his service necessary. I think it is to be regretted that any inconvenience should have been occasioned to the public on this occasion, looking to the fact that the Court rose for the Long Vacation on Saturday last, and that there should have been no difficulty in furnishing the Lord Ordinary with a sufficient staff on the day this resolution was come to by him.