Lord Campbellsaid, that at the earnest request of those for whose opinions he had the most sincere respect, he begged to lay upon the Table of the House three Bills relative to the Common Law Courts Process, from which he trusted the public would still derive very great benefit. If he were to consider his own ease and comfort only he should wash his hands of these Bills; but he felt that in the discharge of his public duty he was bound to bring them forward for the consideration of the House, because, from what he believed was a mere misapprehension, the public were in danger of losing the benefit that would be derived from them. When the subject was last before their Lordships, the name of a very hon. and respected Gentleman, a friend of his (Mr. Serjeant Murphy), was mentioned, and he was sure their Lordships would bear in mind that he said nothing of that learned Serjeant that could be at all considered offensive to him; but that on the contrary he spoke in high terms of approbation; and had the learned Gentleman been present, he would have been aware that what fell from his two noble and learned Friends on his right and left was perfectly good humoured, and ought not to have given him the slightest uneasiness. They all entertained the highest opinion of him, except that perhaps some thought that learning could not be combined with exquisite humour. They were told by Pope that there were some dull Serjeants—
Who shook their head at Murray and at wit,1108 but Murray subsequently became the Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench, and was one of the most illustrious Judges that ever adorned the Bench of England, and he had no doubt that his learned Friend, Mr. Serjeant Murphy, was destined to obtain honourable distinction.
The Lord Chancellorsaid, he owed some apology to Mr. Serjeant Murphy for the terms he had used when saying that the Bills were sacrificed to a joke. He was not aware at the time that his noble and learned Friend Lord Campbell had told the learned Serjeant that he did not wish him individually to proceed with the Bills. If the learned Gentleman had been at the Bar of the House during the discussion, he would have known that his observations were made with the most perfect good humour.
§ Bills severally read 1a.