HC Deb 06 July 1806 vol 7 c921

The Master of the Rolls rose, pursuant to notice, to move for leave to bring in a bill for augmenting the salaries of the masters in ordinary, belonging to the court of chancery, and also for granting a certain provision to such as may be or become unfit, from age or infirmity, for the discharge of the duty attached to their office. The sum necessary for this purpose, the learned gent. proposed to have made up from the interest of the money belonging to suitors, which the house must be aware was in the hands of the masters. This interest accrued from the vesting of such money in government securities; and the surplus beyond the purposes to which it was at present assigned would be quite sufficient to answer the ends which his motion had in view. The salary which the learned gent. proposed to grant to superannuated masters, he mentioned to be 1500l. a year.— The first motion being agreed to, the learned gent. proposed another, the object of which was to grant an addition to the establishment in the accomptant general's office, namely, that four clerks should be added, and that the salaries of all the clerks should be augmented, that the principal clerks should be allowed 500l. a year, the second 400l. the third 300l. and the junior clerks 180l. This augmentation of salary, combined with a sum which he thought necessary to defray the expence attendant upon the increased business in this office, and to satisfy the executors of the late Mr. Warner, for such expences incurred by him, the learned gent. proposed to provide for from the surplus interest of the fund already alluded to. The sum now vested in government securities by the masters in chancery, the learned gent. described to be about 21 millions; and the different accounts opened at the bank, in consequence of this sum by the accomptant general, he stated at about 5000. This circumstance, he mentioned to shew the increased business of the accomptant general's office, and he stated that the arrangement proposed had been agreed to by the late lord chancellor, by the present, and by himself.—Leave was given to bring in the bill.