§ COLONEL FRENCHsaid, he would beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether the Cabinet, before sanctioning the withdrawal of the subsidy from the Royal Atlantic Mail Company by the Postmaster General, had taken the opinion of the Law Officers of the Crown that that noble Lord had any such power vested in him?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, that not having been made aware of the precise terms of the question which the hon. and gallant Gentleman now put to him, he had not had an opportunity of making any inquiry of the Postmaster General on the subject. At the same time he did not think he was likely to be in error when he stated that he was not aware that any reference was necessary in this matter to the Law Officers of the Crown. He did not believe, so far as his knowledge of public business went, that it was usual to refer to the Law Officers of the Crown in matters of contract, either with regard to the performance or as to the canceling of contracts, unless they appeared to the Executive Government to be attended with some doubt, or to turn upon some point of law with respect to which they were not competent to form an opinion. In the present case he believed his noble Friend the Postmaster General did not consider there was any doubt on the question, and that had been the cause if he did not think it necessary to call in the assistance of a legal adviser.