OFFICE OF HIGH SHERIFF. (Hansard, 14 February 1832)

Mr. Fyshe Palmer
moved for leave to bring in a Bill to regulate the Office of High Sheriff. 326 He was aware that this was a subject which did not excite much interest within the walls of that House; but if he could judge from the quantity of letters he had received from the gentry of the country, it had excited a very great interest among them. They all complained of the great expense attending the office of Sheriff, and the heavy responsibility attached to it, and the report of a Committee above stairs fully justified those complaints. Notwithstanding that the office of Sheriff was one of great importance and respectability, and conferred the highest rank in the county, yet it was undoubtedly true, that the country gentlemen were most anxious to avoid accepting it by every means in their power. If any hon. Member doubted his statement, he need only attend the Exchequer Chamber on the morrow of All Saints, and he would be convinced of its correctness, by witnessing the exposure of family secrets, and the number of excuses, on the score of poverty and encumbrances, made by those who wished to avoid serving as Sheriffs. This was an evil which called for some alteration in the existing law. By the Bill which he proposed to bring in, he intended to make that which was now avoided by country gentlemen an object of ambition. If the dislike to the office arose from the careless nomination of Sheriffs, in the admission of persons not properly qualified, then the evil should be corrected by better regulations: if, from the heavy expense attending the execution of the office, the collection of rents, the quit-rents, and rolls of 200 years past, then the useless ceremonies should be abolished, and the expense diminished; if, from the tedious delay and expense in obtaining the release from office, then some means by which the accounts might be more easily and expeditiously settled, &c, ought to be proposed. These objects he had endeavoured to effect by his Bill; and, as his only purpose was to remove from the minds of country gentlemen any disinclination to serve the office of Sheriff, he should be anxious, after the first and second reading of the Bill, to refer it to a Committee up stairs, where it might, be made efficient and useful. He, therefore, moved for leave to bring in a Bill "to regulate the office of High Sheriff, to reduce the expenses attending it, and to facilitate the passing of their accounts."

Mr. Paget
seconded the Motion. He thought that there was no part of the law 327 of England in a more disgraceful state than the law relating to the office of Sheriff. It was loaded with every description of vexatious expense, and he hoped the House would rescue from degradation an office which formerly was considered of the highest importance. Now, however, this officer had degenerated into a mere lackey for the Judges, he was divested of all his important duties, but nevertheless he was subjected to much expense for show, and much hazard from losses. He was surprised that the Gentlemen of England had suffered the office to fall into such an idle piece of pageantry, and had so long submitted to this wasteful expense.

§ Mr. Godson
hoped that the Bill would not be confined to the mere expensiveness of the office, for, he believed, that that was the least grievous part of the system. The office of Under Sheriff was so profitable that there was scarcely any Attorney of respectability who would not indemnify the Sheriff against the expense. It would be proper for the House to institute an inquiry into the duties and responsibilities of Sheriffs.

§ Mr. George Bankes
denied that Under Sheriffs would indemnify the Sheriffs against the expenses of their office. He thought the hon. Member had done himself much credit by the pains he had taken in bringing forward this measure—and the country was much indebted to him for it.