25 Oct r 1807

L d Eldon's Bill

But suppose that in regard /on the subject/ to this or that particular portion of the practice of the Court doubts of /as to/ its legality have ben entertained, are these doubts never to receive a solution? - Oh yes: and the sooner the better. But as often as this is the case, and Statute law is called in to remove the doubts, say that there have been doubts /state the existence of such doubts/: by this means, and no otherwise /on these terms, and on these terms only/ where this or that part of the fabric appears to be in want of a steadiment, the steadiment may be applied to it without endangering the stability of the whole.

Accordingly in the last clause /section/ of this Bill in /of/ which last clause the business amongst other things is the establishment of a Commission for the initiation of new regulations in the /a/ preambular part of it the Lord President has /had/ (with perfect propriety) inserted a recital that "it has been doubted whether the said Court (the Court of Session) by virtue of its general powers, can make all the necessary regulations." And this last section being taken by the Lord Chancellors learned penman as the basis of his own last section directed to the same object, this recital is employed in it, and with no other alteration than an immaterial one or two, the fruit of the habitual /result of the constitutional/ recklessness, and the ambition of shewing the constancy with which /how constantly //how constant a companion/ with which superiority of station is /has [...?]/ accompanied with superiority of intelligence: instead of " its general powers", " its present general powers", and instead of "can make all the necessary regulations" "can make the necessary regulations."