§ MR. J. M. MACLEAN (Oldham)asked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether, in the case of Edward Robinson, of Warder, near Rochdale, dyer and finisher, a bankrupt, the Oldham County Court, on May 15, 1888, issued an order that the bankrupt should be prosecuted under Section 166 of the Bankruptcy Act for the following offences:—First, the offence of forgery, in having forged the signature of his brother to a document addressed to the manager of the Oldham Joint Stock Bank (Limited); and, secondly, the offence of perjury in his public examination, in having sworn that this signature was in his brother's handwriting; whether the Public Prosecutor has disobeyed this order; and, whether the Board of Trade has taken, or will take, any steps to compel the Public Prosecutor to do his duty in this matter?
§ THE PRESIDENT (Sir MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH) (Bristol, W.), in reply, said, an order was made as stated; but the Public Prosecutor considered there was not sufficient evidence to justify a prosecution, which the Board of Trade had no power to undertake. He had, however, intimated his opinion that the Public Prosecutor ought to institute a prosecution under the decision of the County Court.