Sitting of 28 April 1819

COURT OF KING'S BENCH.
Mr. Denmanrose, pursuant to notice, to move for leave to bring in a bill for facilitating the dispatch of business in the court of King's-bench. He would shortly state the objects which this bill purported should embrace. The first was to allow one of the judges to sit and hear causes at nisi prius, while the three others were sitting in banco. The second was to empower the judges to pass sentence at the assizes on many of those in which at present the judgment was delivered in term. By this means a great deal of time might be saved. The third was one of small importance: it was to allow the court to sit on the 30th of January. In bringing forward this measure he begged he might not be understood as meaning to cast any reflection upon any of the learned judges now in that court. Nothing could be further from his intention. So far from thinking that they omitted any thing in the discharge of their duty, he thought they already gave too much of their time to the public; and he conceived that, with the regulations which his bill would embrace, it would be better if they did not extend beyond the regular time. He also felt it necessary to say, that the learned judges themselves fully approved of the propriety of the measure.—Leave was given.

SINKING FUND.
Mr. Grenfellrose, in pursuance of notice, to move that there be laid before the House, certain accounts to enable it to judge how far it might be expedient to apply the sinking fund of the year towards any loan to be raised for the public service. By a clause in the Sinking Fund act, it was provided that the commissioners for the redemption of the national debt might, in the case of a loan to government, use a portion of the capital in their hands for the purchase of certain portions of such loan, that was, that they might be subscribers. This clause was called Mr. Fox's. It was proposed by that gentleman, and readily adopted by Mr. Pitt. Now, the operation of that clause it might be of great importance for the House to consider. He had not heard from any official source that a loan was to be taken up. It was, however, very currently stated and believed in the course of the day. He had heard various accounts of
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it. Some stated that it was to be for 18,000,000 l., others for 20,000,00 l., and the highest amount he had heard was 25,000,000 l. Now, supposing the loan to be taken up at 18,000,000 l., and that this clause of the 26th of the king were to be carried into effect; what would be the consequence? The chancellor of the exchequer would go to the commissioners for the redemption of the national debt, for 15,000,000 l. (taking that as the amount of the sinking fund in their hands), and would have only to go into the city for the loan of 3,000,000 l. In case the loan were to be for 25,000,000 l., the chancellor would have only to borrow 10,000,000 l., taking the additional 15,000,000 l. from the commissioners. He wished the House to consider, whether it might be advisable to borrow the whole of the sum intended to be taken up, when part of it might be obtained in the way he had mentioned. He then moved, that there be laid before the House an account, showing the amount of all sums of money invested in the hands of the commissioners for the redemption of the national debt, for the purchase of capital stock in any of the public funds, together with the amount of all such capital stock, with the interest thereon, since the 15th of June, 1816, to the present time."—This was put and carried.