§ LORD WHARNCLIFFEpresented a Petition from Attorneys and Solicitors of the borough of Leeds, against the Bill now before the House with reference to the extension of County Court jurisdiction to cases of Bankruptcy and Equity, on the ground that the duties of the Judges of the County Courts are already extremely onerous.
LORD BROUGHAMadmitted that the grievance to which this petition had reference, was very great; for although recent legislation tended to cast a great increase of business upon these learned Judges, there was no increase of remu- 1307 neration. The present amount of salary, he considered, was very scanty, and at the same time he was ashamed to say the surplus revenue resulting from the labours of the Judges of the County Courts was paid into the Consolidated Fund. From that increased revenue remuneration might well be paid for increased labour. He (Lord Brougham) had received numerous complaints from the Judges of the County Courts themselves on this subject, and he thought nothing could be more fair than the prayer of the petition, that if compensation was denied, extra labour should not be imposed.
LORD CAMPBELLpresented a petition from the Solicitors of Southampton, in favour of the extension of County Court jurisdiction, and took the opportunity to express his concurrence with the noble Lord (Lord Brougham), that it was highly desirable these County Court Judges should not be overworked.