§ Mr. SNOWDENasked the Attorney-General if his attention has been called to the report of a case tried in the King's Bench Divisional Court, on 5th May, before Justices Pickford and Lush on appeal from a judgment of Judge Hamilton at the Blackburn county court, and to the comments of both the learned justices to the effect that they very much regretted that the county court judge had acted in the way he did in cutting short the hearing on the ground that there was a pressure of work in the county court, and to the remark of Mr. Justice Pickford that, if that was so, the county court ought to be supplied with more judges; and if he will take steps to secure the appointment of more judges?
§ The ATTORNEY-GENERAL (Sir Rufus Isaacs)I have made inquiries as to what took place at the trial of this case in the Blackburn County Court, and do not think that there is any necessity for the appointment of more judges to this court. The observations of the judges in the High Court were based upon a remark of the learned county court judge, which was not intended to convey the meaning attributed to it in the suggestion of counsel.
§ Mr. SNOWDENMay I ask on what authority the hon. and learned Gentleman says the High Court judges were not right in putting that interpretation upon the remark of the county court judge?
§ Sir RUFUS ISAACSI have a shorthand note of it, and I have read it all through with the context, and what I said was that the meaning attributed to it was not the meaning intended to be conveyed by it.
§ Mr. SNOWDENIs that on the authority of the county court judge?
§ Sir RUFUS ISAACSYes, it is on the authority of the county court judge and what I have read since the trial.