HC Deb 14 November 1884 vol 293 cc1716-7
MR. BARRAN

asked Mr. Attorney General, If his attention has been called to the statement made at Leeds on Monday last by the Town Clerk of that borough, showing that great public inconvenience and loss resulted from civil and criminal causes arising in the West Riding being tried at York instead of at Leeds; whether he is aware that, at the present Assizes, no fewer than 64 out of a total of 101 prisoners entered for trial were from the West Riding; whether he will state on whose advice and authority the arrangements for the Assizes were made; and, if, in view of the whole facts of the case, he will use his influence to prevent such unsatisfactory arrangements being made in the future?

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir HENRY JAMES)

said, that the arrangements had been altered by the fact that the number of Assizes held during the year had been increased, and it was impossible to get Judges enough to attend at every town. If these causes were tried at Leeds instead of York, there would probably be the same complaint from the former district. The Lord Chancellor, however, intended to confer with the Judges upon the subject.