General Johnsoninquired whether the Home Secretary could give him any information as to the fund out of which magistrates' clerks were entitled to remuneration for preparing the returns ordered by Parliament. He k new of an instance in which one of those officers, who received no salary whatever, had been called upon to make out a return which would occupy at least three days in its preparation; he wished to know how he should be paid?
§ Sir J. Grahamconsidered the subject to which the hon. and gallant Gentleman had alluded, was well worthy the consideration of the House. Those returns were multiplied every Session of Parliament; in many cases they were very voluminous; they necessarily occupied very 1190 considerable time in their preparation; the magistrates' clerks were the parties called upon to make them out; no fund was placed at the disposal of the Government for meeting the expense, and the individuals so employed could not by law make any claim on the county-rates. He felt the hardship of the case, but the law provided no remedy. There was no fund whatever out of which the parties preparing the returns ordered by Parliament could be remunerated for their labour.