§ Lord Westernpresented a great number of Petitions from Kendal and other places, against these suits, and in favour of the Bill for staying them, and commented upon the hardship that was felt by all those against whom these actions had been brought. One of these Petitions was from a Solicitor, who was professionally employed for no less than 1,000 defendants in one parish. He trusted, that the evils thus felt would not be increased now that the Bill for staying these suits was thrown out.
The Lord Chancellorsaid, that it was undoubtedly true that there was considerable hardship in these cases, but still as the law had opened the door to these suits, those who brought them were not to be blamed. At the same time it must be admitted that great expense had been incurred, for the first thing that a man did under these circumstances was to send for an attorney, whom he could not see without incurring some costs. He was sure that those who had brought these actions had chiefly intended to show that they did not, on the part of those who might afterwards be interested, give up what they considered their legal rights; but he repeated the wish he had before expressed, that further expense might not be incurred.
§ Petitions to lie on the Table.