§ Lord Tullamorerose to move the Second Reading of the Bill for removing the Assizes from Philipstown to Tullamore, in the King's County. The former town, is Lordship observed, was completely inconvenient, whether with regard to its position, for it was in the centre of the Bog of Allen, or as 1415 to its means of accommodation. The town was very small, and the Bar, Judges, and Jurors felt great inconvenience for the want of sufficient accommodation. A new Court-house had been recently, erected in Tullamore, at considerable expense; and, independently of the reasons he had already assigned, which in themselves were sufficiently powerful, he thought that this was an additional argument in favour of the proposed Bill, for it would be most desirable that the Court-house and gaol should be as close as possible to each other, as very great inconvenience attended the removal of prisoners from one town to another. He moved that the Bill be read a second time.
Mr. Ponsonbymoved an Amendment, that the Bill be read that day six months, on the ground that the removal of the Assizes from Philipstown would be a severe injury to the inhabitants of that town.
Lord Oxmantownsupported the original Motion, and for the reasons which had been stated by the noble Lord who introduced the Motion. That noble personage, he added, could not be supposed to be influenced by any personal motive in this transaction, for he possessed property in the vicinity of both towns, and he could have no object or interest in favouring one beyond the other. He was satisfied that the noble Lord was influenced by the most pure and praiseworthy motives—namely, a wish to facilitate the administration of justice.
§ Mr. Cramptonsupported the Amendment. He conceived that sufficient grounds had not been stated for changing the Assizes. There was another class of persons besides the Bar and Grand Jury, whose interests should be consulted—namely, the farmers of the county; besides, the building of a new Court-house would entail a very heavy expense on the county, and these were not times in which such burthens could be borne. It would appear that the new jail had been built with the view of affording an argument for the removal of the Assizes.
§ Mr. Spring Ricesupported the original Motion, because he was of opinion that any measure which might be calculated to facilitate the administration of justice, should not be rejected merely on account of the expense of a new Court-house. He thought sufficient had been stated to induce the House to support this Bill, and he should accordingly vote for the second reading.
§ Mr. Ruthven, from his geographical knowledge of the county, felt that the proposed measure would be a great benefit. Tullamore was eight miles distant from Philipstown, and it would be a monstrous inconvenience to bring persons such a distance for trial; besides, Philipstown did not afford sufficient accommodation. Individual interests should not be preferred to the public good.
§ Bill read a second time.