§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR, in moving the Second Reading of this Bill, said that by Act of Parliament the Judges of the County Courts were required to appoint high bailiffs of their respective courts; but that with regard to Westminster and Southwark the High Bailiff of the one was appointed by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster and of the other by the Corporation of the City of London. The Act provided that, until Parliament should otherwise direct, the High Bailiff of Westminster and the High Bailiff of Southwark should be High Bailiffs of the County Courts established within those districts. Very great inconvenience, however, had resulted from this arrangement. All the other high bailiffs were, in fact, appointed by the County Court Judges, and were re-moveable like them for inability or misbehaviour; but the High Bailiffs of Westminster and Southwark being appointed by different authorities, the County Court Judges had no control over them whatever, and in consequence of their having other duties to perform they never attended the County Courts at all. It happened, by an extraordinary fatality, that the opportunity had now occurred of rectifying the inconvenience that had been thus sustained. Both the High Bailiffs of Westminster and Southwark had died within a short time, and with their deaths the opportunity was afforded of making such appointments as Parliament might direct, and removing at 387 once what was not only an anomaly but an inconvenience; and the object of the Bill was to provide that the Judges of the County Courts of Westminster and Southwark should appoint the High Bailiffs for their courts, without interfering with the right of nomination by the dean and chapter of Westminster of the High Bailiff of Westminster, and by the Corporation of London of the High Bailiff of Southwark. Bill read 2°, and committed to a Committee of the whole House To-morrow.
§ House adjourned at half-past Five o'clock, till To-morrow, half-past Ten o'clock.