§ SIR WILLIAM HART DYKEasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether the present Lord Chancellor, who in 1866 was Attorney General, in which year the Parliamentary Oaths Bill was brought forward by the Government, ever informed the House of Commons 428 that henceforward actions under the Bill could only be undertaken by the Attorney General?
MR. GLADSTONEI wish the right hon. Baronet had given me some clue in this matter. The Question appears to refer to some declaration of which he may be cognizant, but I am not. I have referred to the Lord Chancellor, and he has no recollection of what he may have said on this subject in 1866; but he has directed a search to be made.
§ Afterwards,
MR. GLADSTONEsaid: In reference to the Question put by the right hon. Baronet the Member for Mid Kent, I have a note from the Lord Chancellor since he wrote to me before, stating that he has had an opportunity of making a search in Hansard, and that there is no trace of any such declaration as the right hon. Baronet referred to.