This excellent court, from its reasonable and equitable proceedings, is commonly called the court of conscience, and which had its beginning in the of Henry VIII. anno , by act of common council, whereby it was ordained, that the court of lord mayor and aldermen should monthly appoint aldermen and commoners to be commissioners thereof, who were to sit weekly in on Wednesdays and Saturdays, to hear and decide all causes brought before them for the recovery of debts not exceeding .

This being an experimental act, was only made for years; but upon its being found to be of great use and benefit to the poor, it was renewed and continued by divers acts of common council, and the number of commissioners increased to ; in which state it continued till the of king James I. , at which time divers cruel and inexorable creditors, despising the authority of the same, commenced suits in superior courts against several citizens for trifling debts, to the ruin of them and their poor families; wherefore the city in the year aforesaid, applied to parliament for redress of this grievance, by which it was enacted, that all the citizens, and others inhabiting within the city of

London, and liberties thereof, who then had, or thereafter shall have any debt or debts due, or becoming due to him or them, by any citizens, &c. as aforesaid, not amounting to the sum of , that he or they should, or might cause such debtor or debtors, to be summoned to appear before the commissioners of the court of requests at , by the officer thereunto belonging; where they, or any thereof, are empowered to hear and determine all matters between citizen and citizen, &c. touching debts not amounting to ; and in a judicial manner to administer oaths to plaintiffs, defendants, and witnesses. And for the more effectual preventing all litigious and merciless creditors from ruining their poor debtors, it was ordained, that if

It was also ordained, by the authority aforesaid, that if either plaintiff or defendant, after having been duly summoned, shall refuse to appear before the said commissioners in the court of requests, or shall refuse to obey the orders or decisions of the said court; in both such cases, the commissioners are empowered to commit such person or persons to either of the compters, till he, she, or they shall submit to the rules and determinations of the said court.

Perhaps never a court of justice was better adapted than this, for the ease and relief both of debtor and creditor; for here the is not exposed to the payment of exorbitant charges, and the latter may recover his debt with the greatest expedition, at a trifling expense. The amount has been since extended by the stat. and Geo. , c. , to debts amounting to If the defendant do not appear the court day, after being regularly summoned, an attachment is awarded against him; which compelling him to appear, the charge is thereby enhanced.

[] Maitland, ii. p. 1211.