§ Lord A. Hamiltonsaid, that about five years ago, a commission was appointed to inquire into the administration of justice in England, Scotland and Ireland. The House, however, would learn with surprise, that though the Scotch commissioners had given in four or five reports, not one step had been taken towards carrying into execution any of the measures suggested by the commissioners. His majesty's ministers had, in his opinion, been very negligent in not taking some steps on these reports. Those were to this moment a dead letter. The consequence was, that the commissioners themselves had been brought into discredit. The only thing which had been done by ministers was, to make the reference for which he was about to move to the judges of the courts in Scotland. This reference to the courts themselves was, in his opinion, highly improper; for what could be more improper than the referring the reports of persons finding fault with something in the administration of courts of justice to those courts themselves? Having inspected the reports, he had found in them many important suggestions for the improvement of the courts. It seemed like a mockery of the House, that after an inquiry had been voted, and most conscientiously conducted, his majesty's ministers had paid no attention whatever to the reports. The noble lord concluded with moving, for "Copies of all References which had been made to the Judges or Law Officers of the Crown in Scotland, of any reports of the Commissioners of Inquiry into the Courts of Justice in Scotland, and the Answers thereto, together with the Tables of Fees of the various Courts."
Lord Castlereaghsaw no objection whatever to the motion. He should reserve any thing he had to say on the subject till the information moved for was before the House. He hoped the House would not infer, from his not entering on the subject, any neglect on the part of ministers, in not submitting any specific measure to the House founded on the reports of the commissioners.
§ The motion was agreed to.