§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTON (Tower Hamlets, Poplar)asked the Secretary to the Treasury, What was the average amount paid to the Attorney General and to the Solicitor General for contentious business over and above their official salaries in the years 1886 and 1887; and, in how many instances during the year 1887 was the opinions of the Attorney or Solicitor General obtained in the case of non-contentious business?
§ THE SECRETARY (Mr. JACKSON) (Leeds, N.)This Question only appeared on the Paper this morning; but I can inform the hon. Member that the Appropriation Accounts show that the payments to the Attorney General, in addition to his salary, were in 1885–6, £3,227, and in 1886–7, £5,109; to the Solicitor General, £2,061 and £2,853. Time has not allowed me to obtain any information on the second part of the Question.
§ SIR GEORGE CAMPBELL (Kirkcaldy, &c.)I wish to ask, whether the Attorney General for Ireland received last year from official sources upwards of £10,000, besides free private works, without sitting in this House; and, whether the Government will consider the propriety of taking any salary proposed for an Under Secretary out of the enormous and exorbitant salaries of the Irish Law Officers?
§ MR. JACKSONThe hon. Gentleman will see that a Question of such importance deserves to be put on the Paper.
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONCan the hon. Gentleman give any estimate of the amount spent in 1887–8 on the Attorney General's salary?
§ MR. JACKSONNo, Sir; I have said that the Question only appeared on the Paper this morning, and I have not had time to get the information except from the Public Accounts. If the hon. Member desires further information, he must put the Question down.