§ Mr. Lynchalluding to observations which had fallen from the Attorney-General on a former occasion upon a Motion relative to the business of the Court of Chancery, said, that the hon. and learned Gentleman had made comparisons between the amount of business done by the present Lord Chancellor and certain other Judges, which not only cast a reflection on the latter, but also on former Judges who had held the office of Lord Chancellor with the greatest credit to themselves and the administration of the country. Such observations had a very injurious tendency, and were calculated greatly to mislead the public. He must also complain of the incorrectness of certain statements made by his Majesty's Attorney-General, from which it would be inferred, there was no arrear of causes in the Court of Chancery, such was not the fact, there being a very considerable arrear of business that had not been disposed of.
§ The Attorney-Generalsaid, the facts he had mentioned to the House were 1270 founded upon the documents which had been regularly furnished to him, and of the correctness of which he could not entertain a doubt. He still believed what he had stated to be substantially true, namely, that in reality there was no arrear of causes to be heard in the Court of Chancery. He was still of that opinion, as he had heard nothing to gainsay it. The hon. Member from his experience in the Court of Chancery as a barrister, must be fully aware of the truth of such a statement to a certain extent; but for his own part, he did not believe, that for a century there had been so small an arrear of business in the Lord Chancellor's Court. There were probably some matters that were not finally disposed of, or stood over for some reason or other; but he asserted, that the diminution of arrears he had stated was substantially true.
§ Mr. Lynchdeclared there were upwards of 200 cases undisposed of, and when the Vice-Chancellor's Bill passed the arrear was only 214.
§ The Attorney-Generalagain said, he believed the returns he had quoted to be essentially true. He must also most unequivocally deny that he had cast any reflection on the other Judges of the Court by the observations he had made with reference to the business before the Lord Chancellor. So far from entertaining any feeling of that description, he believed the other Judges had discharged their duties with the greatest assiduity, and that their exertions merited the highest praise he could bestow.
§ The conversation then dropped.