4 Apr. 1808

Letter V

Ch.3. [...?]

8. In /By/ his first Bill (' 14) the learned scribe would have left in the hands of the Court of Sessions the power of framing the whole system of procedure, of proceding included, without reason: by which mean they would have been enabled to show obstruction without end, and in some places perhaps insuperably in the way of the Commissioners. The course I should have taken would have been to leave the system open in all its [...?] to these [...?] hands of the Commissioners: As the reason /existence/ [...?] of the Faculty of Advocates, this course has in the main been taken by the learned scribe in his [...?] Bill. Whatsoever regulations it may happen to the Court to frame, being now declared to be in effect but provisional subject to eventual alteration by Parliament after the Commissioners have made theor Report or vefore, My approbation of the change /ammount[?]/ is when being grounded on the distrust mentioned above /+see separate Chapter/, my approbation /the [...?] at the prospect of the change/ can not but be legitimate[?].

9. Leaving and Giving power to the Court for the legislating outright, without waiting for the sanction of Parliaments, it of course it never occurrs to the learned scribe to invest these Judges with any check [...?] as well as subordinate hand in legislation, as that which is given to the Commissioners. And it depend upon me, I should be for giving to the Judges the same authority, stretching our field of exactly the same extent. Of this desperation[?] the principal ground is the contemplation of the benefit of competition. Of This principle [...?] in its application to the subject now in hand, is destined to /will/ form the subject of a Chapter by itself. /+ Ch │ │ Competition its use as applied to to the authors of [...?] law, when[?] in question/.
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  • Title: [9[?] Apr. 1808 Letter V Ch]
    Description: 9[?] Apr. 1808

    Letter V

    Ch. 3 [...?]

    2. In regard to the Court of Justice, two Bills bearing the name of the Lord President formed together the basis, as already observed of the two Bills bearing the name of the Lord Chancellor. The Lord President's learned suit was for giving every [...?] that could be given, as well as leaving every thing /[...?]/ that could be left, to the Court so worthily presided /to a Court so happily in its President/. In his first Bill the Lord Chancellor's learned scribe exhibited no other wish. +On the part of the Faculty[?] of Advocates, the disposition manifested, in regard to that great judicial body, the body with which their acquaintance was so intimate, was to give to it nothing which it was possible not to give, to leave to it nothing which it was possible not to leave. [great judicial with which their acquaintance was so intimate.] Considerations of the most forcible nature concerned impress /in impressing/ upon my soul a distrust no less [...?] /[...?] of confidence/ that that which has been since declared by the Faculty of Advocates. The grounds of that distress will occupy a separate Chapter. +Ch. these are for distrusting the Court of Justice.

    3. In perseverance[?] of this confidence the Lord Chancellors learned scribe excepted out of the authority of the Commissioners and therein out of the consideration of Parliament the consideration of the quantity of time which after the intended separation of the Court of Justice /distribution of the 15 Judges/ into two divisions should be applied by them respectively to the discharge of the duties of their office: securing[?] that quantity against [...?] giving to then at the same time such power as would have them at liberty to subject it to that diminution the eventual necessity of which had as their Memorial been aforesaid: The Faculty having declared against the [...?] projected discrimination, the Lord Chancellor's learned scribe in his amended Bill gives up the point: +securing and secure against discrimination the number of days at present given to official duty in the Inns House: [...?] can at the same time by a new proviso to reserve the power of increase /this[?] when the declared object was discrimination the/, which then Under the circumstances of [...?] [...?] [...?] deficiency of laws[?] for [...?] of business.

    from first to lase my wish has been to see the road to increase open, and consequently this point included along with the rest in the authority given to the Commissioners. The road to discrimination is, if either, the road whch would have been barred by me. The grounds of this wish are disguised to occupy another Chapter. Ch + [...?] attendance ought not to be in [...?] [...?] that same Chapter.
  • Title: [[...?] Apr 1808 Letter V Ch]
    Description: [...?] Apr 1808

    Letter V

    Ch. | | Competition

    ' Proposed [...?] degree & [...?]

    ' Ulterior competitions proposed.

    Such are the competitions that in the field in question appear to have already manifested themselves /taken place/: such the good /benefit/ which, in my honourable view of the matter has resulted from them.

    For what purpose is it that they are here brought to view? that from the good effects already produced by this[?] principle an anticipation may be formed of the further good effects that may be expected from such ulterior applications as the [...?] of the case admitts of.

    Two /Three/ have presented themselves in this view -

    1. Competition as between the Court of Session and the intended Commissioners.

    2. Competition as between Commissioners[?] and Commissioners[?].

    3. Competition as between Commissioners and Volunteers.
  • Title: [5 Apr. 1808 Letter V Ch.3.]
    Description: 5 Apr. 1808

    Letter V

    Ch.3. [...?]

    11. In addition to the Commissioners to whom authority, co-extensive or nearly so with the whole field of procedure was given for the proposal of amendments /emendatory reputations/, and for ascertaining by enquiry the [...?] on which, as in their laws, their regulations even to rest[?], the learne scribe had [...?] his original Bill provided for the appointment of a distince set of Commissioners, when labours even to be confined to the plennary[?] a system of Jury Trial to be engrafted onto whatsoever system of procedure might have been planned or be about to be planned by the principal set of Commissioners. At the instance of the Faculty, by whom this superfactation[?] was disapproved of, it has in the learned scribe's amended Bill been given up. Of this after-birth, though abortion, the anatomy may afford matter perhaps for a Chapter by itself. /Ch │ │ Great [...?] Jury Trail Commissioners./

    12. To the authority given to his two sets of Commissioners for the ascertainment of the necessary facts, the learned scribe does not in either of his Bills add so much as a particle of [...?] power, for securing either the [...?] of the veracity and then the correctness of whatever information may happen to be obtained. The Faculty having in this point left him at liberty and without guidance, the same importance attaches upon his last as upon his first endeavours. My reasons for regarding truth, and the reasons necessary to the obtainment as being a basis no less necessary to for legislations than to Judicature, will ' occupy a separate Chapter. /Ch. │ │ Power for procuring[?] the information is indispensible./ /+Whatsoever evidence /information/ may be /cause/ to be obtained by the exercise of the valued authority [...?] with power is [...?] valued to be at once incorrect and incompletely [...?] in better [...?], fallen away./ The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth is In description of the sort of service /information/ which with indisputable prosperity is required at the hands of a [...?] from whom /when called upon for the/ information of that sort which is wanted[?] to form a basis for judication.