Lords Sitting of 4 March 1864

MINUTES.
Sat First in Parliament— The Marquess of Lansdowne, after the Death of his Father.
PUBLIC BILLS—First Reading—Court of Chancery (Despatch of Business) H.L. (NO. 18); Vestry Cess Abolition (Ireland)* (No. 19); Sir John Lawrence's Salary* (No. 20).

COURT OF CHANCERY (DESPATCH OF BUSINESS) BILL.—FIRST READING.
THE LORD CHANCELLOR presented a Bill to enable additional assistance to be given to the Master of the Rolls. In the year 1860. it was found that the business of the Rolls Court had so largely increased that a Bill was introduced (the 23 & 24 Vict. c. 149) authorizing the Lord Chancellor to continue the services of Mr. John Arthur Buckley, the late chief clerk, as an additional clerk. That gentleman had recently (and most deservedly) been promoted to be chief clerk of Vice Chancellor Kindersley, in the room of Mr. Charles Pugh, recently deceased. Since 1860 the business of the Rolls Court had not only not diminished, but had so considerably increased as to render it necessary not only that the vacancy caused by the promotion of Mr. Buckley should be filled up, but that further assistance should be given. The present Bill, therefore, authorized the appointment of Mr. Hawkins, who had already for some time past been engaged in transacting the business of the Rolls Court, to be additional chief clerk, and also enabled the Master of the Rolls to appoint one other junior clerk and an assistant clerk. It would give their Lordships an idea of the imperative necessity of such an addition to the staff of the Rolls Court when he stated, that in 1862–3 out of 41,300 causes appointed to be heard in the Chancery Courts 16,900 were disposed of by the Master of the Rolls. His Lordship then presented "A Bill for making better and further Provision for the more efficient Despatch of Business in the High Court of Chancery."
Bill read 1a [No. 18.]
House adjourned at a quarter past Five o'clock, to Monday next, Twelve o'clock.