§ MR. CHILDERS moved for leave to bring in a Bill for the abolition of the office of Treasurer and of High Bailiff of County Courts as vacancies shall occur, and to pro vide for the payment of future Registrars of 1481 County Courts. He said, that when the County Courts were first established there were certain officers called registrars in connection with the old Courts of Requests then superseded, and that in order to avoid the payment of compensation it was determined that the office should be continued. The system had reference to a state of things which did not exist at present, and it was deemed advisable, instead of having those separate treasurers, to have the balances paid into the account of the Paymaster General in London, the accounts to be audited by officers appointed by the Treasury. The proposed plan would, he thought, be more satisfactory, not only in relation to the better mode of audit, but also because it would be productive of considerable economy, inasmuch as the whole of the salaries of the registrars, amounting to £20,000 a year, would be saved. There were, he might add, in the Court of Requests, officers called high bailiffs, for whom, when the Bill establishing County Courts was first introduced, no provision was made, but whose services were continued owing to an Amendment inserted in the Bill in Committee. It was, however, proposed by the present Bill to get rid of these officers also, calling the registrars to perform their duty on the condition of receiving some additional allowance. As the Bill would only come into operation as vacancies occurred, an excellent opportunity would be afforded of testing its operation. On the second reading of the Bill he would be prepared to enter more into detail.
§ Motion agreed to.
§ Bill for the Abolition of the offices of Treasurer and of High Bailiff of County Courts, as vacancies shall occur, and to provide for the payment of future Registrars of County Courts, ordered to be brought in by Mr. CHILDERS, Mr. CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, and Mr. ATTORNEY GENERAL.
§ Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 47.]