§ MR. T. DUNCOMBEsaid, he rose to ask the right hon. Baronet the Secretary of State for the Home Department a question, of which he had given notice. The right hon. Baronet stated, in the course of the discussion which took place the other day, that the note handed by Sir R. Mayne 260 to Count Apponyi, for the use of the Emperor of Austria in the Court of Chancery, was brought to the office of Sir R. Mayne by a constable. He (Mr. T. Duncombe) wished to ask the number and letter of the Policeman from whom Sir R. Mayne received the Kossuth Note; the mode in which the Policeman became possessed of the note, Whether he is still in the ranks of the Metropolitan Police Force, and, if not, when he left
SIR GEORGE LEWISsaid, that when on previous occasions the hon. Gentleman had brought this subject before the attention of the House, he (Sir George Lewis) had informed the House that neither Sir R. Mayne nor himself had given any instructions to the police about procuring information in respect to the notes. He had also stated that if any improper use had been made by the Government of the information so received he was responsible for it. Under these circumstances it was not, he conceived necessary for him to give any further information upon the point. He might, however, state that no steps had been taken by Government for the removal of the policeman from the force, and he was still a member of that establishment.