§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR moved the Second Reading of this Bill, the object of which is to enable the removal of indictments from the county in which the offence was committed into the Court of Queen's Bench, and giving power to that Court to refer them for trial to the Central Criminal Court.
LORD CAMPBELLthanked his noble and learned Friend for this Bill, which would introduce a great improvement into our criminal procedure. It often happened that a fair and impartial trial could not be had in the county where the offence was committed; and when that was the case an application might now be made to the Court over which he presided to remove the indictment by certiorari into the Court of Queen's Bench; but then it could only be tried in an adjoining county, or by a trial at bar, both of which might be very 513 inconvenient. In the Central Criminal Court, however, such a case could very well be heard, and very little delay arise in bringing on a trial in this way.
§ Bill read 2a, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Thursday next.