§ MR. MAGUIREsaid, as the right hon. Member for Louth (Mr. Chichester Fortescue) was not in his place, he would ask the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Morpeth, If it be the fact, as was stated on Tuesday night by Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, that Mr. Blackburne, who in his eighty-fifth year has been appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland, had been appointed to the office of Lord Justice of Appeal as recently as three months since; and whether it is within his knowledge when that appointment was really made?
§ SIR GEORGE GREYSir, I was not in the House when the right hon. Gentleman is reported to have made the statement. I can hardly believe that he made it, because it is notorious that Mr. Blackburne was appointed to the office of Lord Justice of Appeal in Ireland in 1856—ten years ago—immediately after the passing of the Act which constituted that office. I believe it is also perfectly well known that there was an understanding when that Act was passed that Mr. Blackburne having held the office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland, and being quite competent to perform the duties of Lord Justice of Appeal, should be appointed to that office; and the Government acted on that understanding.
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERWhat I intended to say was that Mr. Blackburne was originally appointed to the office of Lord Justice by a Liberal Administration. That was ten years ago. And certainly three months ago he was revising a decree of the Lord Chancellor of Ireland. Some one told me at the time that there had been an appeal to him from the Lord Chancellor.