28 Oct r 1807

L d Eldon's Bill

'.14

The Presiding Judge

(Minute without accuracy, censorial without ground, dissatisfied with every thing, competent to nothing, he frames and creates insufficiency where he found none.)

(2) (The Presiding Judge, and the Judges of the Division)

The skill displayed by this workman in planting obscurity and ambiguity upon the clearest ground is truly /altogether/ matchless. Here is yet a fourth point which he has contrived to render indeterminate dubious and unintelligible. When that paper which is to be presented by one knows not who, one knows not where is to be laid before somebody, who is that somebody? Solve this riddle who can. No Court, no Quorum, no Division now: but the Division itself is now divided into two unequal parts, the Presiding Judge one, and the Judges, one may /it may/ suppose the remainder of the Judges, the other: and to what purpose divided? that they may be united again as if for the purpose of raising a doubt /generating doubts/.

Nor is this all. For who is the Presiding Judge? Is it the Lord President alone in Division the 1 st, the L d Justice Clerk alone, Vice-President, in Division the 2 d; or is it in each, on the absentation of the regularly presiding Judge whichsoever Judge by right of election presides in the division or acts at the head of it in his place. To what cause shall /can/ we ascribe this splitting and immediately consequent reunion? To the learned Draughtsman's habitual efflorescence /diversification/ /variegation/? Not for this time[?]: for immediately comes a separate /new/ Quorum, for this particular purpose only, with the Presiding Judge for one at all events in[?]

, and then others any those as it may happen.