§ MR. SEXTONI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether, although in 1866 the Solicitors of Ireland were entirely separated from the Benchers, a sum of £14 in respect of each indenture of a Solicitor's apprentice has since been, and still is, appropriated by the Benchers; whether the sums so appropriated by the Benchers, from 1866 to the present time, amounts to £22,876; whether the body of Solicitors have derived any sort of advantage from this money; whether the Benchers have now accumulated to their credit a fund of over £50,000; whether a copy of the correspondence on this subject between the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland, the Benchers, and the Treasury, will be laid upon the Table; and whether the Government will take any steps to institute a reform of the system?
§ MR. JACKSONA sum of £14 in respect of each indenture of a Solicitor's apprentice has been assigned since 1791, and still is assigned by Act of Parliament, to the Benchers. I am not aware what sum has been received by the Benchers since 1866, or how they have applied it. The case presented by the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland to 1064 the Treasury has been submitted to the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, and is now under his Lordship's consideration, and it does not appear necessary to lay the correspondence on the Table.
§ MR. SEXTONWhen will a decision be announced?
§ MR. JACKSONIt does not rest with the Treasury, but I shall be happy to make inquiry.