| Description | Draft comments of the Justices at Easingwold, made to the Justices on the Bench at Richmond, relating to the order for the removal of the Midsummer Sessions from Stokesley, Guisborough and Thirsk to Northallerton
Until recently, the Easter and Michaelmas Sessions were always held at Thirsk - indisputably the most central situation in the Riding - and no Sessions were held at Northallerton other than a Midsummer adjournment
Northallerton is only 16 miles from Richmond and nine from Thirsk, and has all the meetings on lieutenancy business
The North Riding is more like the West Riding where Sessions and adjournments are held at different places, than the East Riding. As people are obliged to attend three times a year (at spring seed time, at hay harvest and at corn harvest or seed time) at a place which is 50 or 60 miles from some parts of the Riding, this can be burdensome
Calling the neighbourhoods of Thirsk, Stokesley and Guisborough to a central point is depriving them of the home administration of justice where local circumstances are better known; and will deprive those local market towns and others of the benefits of transacting business. It would also mean that the court would have to sit at Northallerton for a second day to transact the amount of business; or that there would be delegation to select committees, and business would only be transacted by a few
Magistrates who live some distance from Northallerton may see it as a virtual exclusion from exercising their office; and magistrates from Northallerton rarely assist on the Bench at other places
The inconvenience and expense caused by the distance of Northallerton from other places will also discourage prosecutions for public offences. Such inconvenience and expense will also apply to jurors |