§ MR. F. S. STEVENSON (Suffolk, Eye)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether he has received a reply from the Lord Chancellor relative to the defective arrangements connected with the holding of County Courts in Suffolk; and, whether he has any further information to give?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.)Yes, Sir. The Lord Chancellor has forwarded to me a letter from the Judge of the County Court in question. The Judge states that he is not aware of any dissatisfaction having been caused in Suffolk by the fixing of inconvenient dates, and that the Courts are fixed as nearly as possible for the same days in each month at times most suitable for the convenience of the public and of the Profession. The duty of posting notices rests with the Registrar; and the Judge has received no complaint that the law has not been complied with in this respect. The Judge denies that the rule as to giving three months' notice has been habitually disregarded; as a rule, the dates are fixed three months beforehand, and communicated to the Registrar of the principal Court at Ipswich for distribution among the other Courts. The Judge also states that 993 there is no foundation for the statement that the Court is sometimes kept waiting several hours for the appearance of the Judge. Only once does he remember any delay during the seven years that he has been at the Court, and that was due to a delay on the railway.