MR. J. CARVELL WILLIAMS (Notts, Mansfield)I beg to ask Mr. Attorney General whether he is aware that at a recent sitting of the Shoreditch County Court the judge stated that it was a shameful thing that County Court costs should be so heavy, and that he had noticed frequently of late that they are more than High Court costs; and whether he will call the attention of the Lord Chancellor to the subject, with a view to providing a remedy?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir R. WEBSTER,) Isle of WightI have communicated with the learned County Court judge, and have ascertained that he did not use the language attributed to him, nor is it the fact that County Court costs are more than the High Court costs. The learned judge is, however, of opinion that the amount of the hearing fee—2s. in the £—at times imposes a difficulty in the way of poor plaintiffs. The authority for fixing the scale of costs in such cases is the Committee of the County Court Judges, who have thorough experience in the matter.