PROCESS AND PRACTICE (IRELAND) BILL. (Hansard, 22 March 1850)

§ MR. GROGAN
said, he wished to propose an Amendment for the purpose of securing to a Mr. Clancy, and to two other officers of the courts, annuities equal to the present salaries to which they were entitled, they having full freehold interests and rights in their offices.

The SOLICITOR GENERAL
regretted that he could not accede to the proposition of the hon. Gentleman, although if ever there was a case in which gentlemen were clearly entitled to compensation for the loss of their offices that was one, one of those gentlemen having, he believed, held his situation upwards of forty years. However, the House was well aware of the many complaints that had been made against the introduction of compensation clauses into Acts of Parliament, and of the very great difficulty that the House had in understanding the exact nature of the cases submitted to it in which such claims were made. It had, therefore, decided long since, that all such cases should be submitted to the Treasury for decision. That course had been pursued last year in the case even of the Palace Court, where people had actually paid money for their 1347 offices, and the same would be done in the instance then before the House.

§ MR. GROGAN
said, that after the explanation of the hon. and learned Gentleman, he would not further press the subject; and he hoped the case would be favourably considered by the Treasury.

§ MR. REYNOLDS
said, there was a body of men known as copying and engrossing clerks, who were paid by office sheets, and not paid salaries; the clause in its present shape, would not give that class of men full protection. He was desirous to hear whether it was intended they should be superseded without compensation? Many of them had been employed in the offices of the court for periods varying from five to forty years.

The SOLICITOR GENERAL
was totally unable to form an opinion whether these parties were entitled to compensation; but believing it was possible they might be, he had, with the consent of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, introduced the word "employment" into the clause, which would include such cases, if the claims, in the opinion of the Treasury, were good.