§ MR. HOPWOODasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been called to a statement in the "Yorkshire Telegraph," of June 7th 1876, in these terms—
After a vexatious delay of several hours the business for disposal at Guisbro' Police Court on Tuesday had to be adjourned for a week in consequence of the non-attendance of magistrates. About a dozen cases were on the list, and, as they were mostly from Redcar, Saltburn, Skelton, and other places, at some distance from Guisbro' the greatest inconvenience was occasioned. Messengers were despatched by the police in various directions for a magistrate, but even the late train in the afternoon failed to bring one of the great Unpaid, and an adjournment was in consequence necessitated;whether the above be true; whether it has happened before; and, whether any steps can be taken to prevent its happening again?
MR. ASSHETON CROSS,in reply, said, he had put himself in communication with the justices, and what they said was this—the report was true. The occurrence happened on the 6th of June, and it did happen once before. The magistrates, before receiving his letter, had already taken stept to prevent a recurrence of such a circumstance, which they much regretted, and they had made arrangements to ensure the regular attendance of the Bench, and to obtain better arrangements from the railway company. He believed the occurrence was occasioned by the alteration of a railway train, which prevented one of the magistrates from attending. There were no resident magistrates on the spot, but there were plenty in the vicinity. He had thought it right to tell the magistrates to take care the Bench was always made.