§ MR. PAULLsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been drawn to a Bill intituled "A Bill to amend the Constitution, Practice, and Procedure of the Courts of the Island of Jersey," purporting to deal with the Judicial Establishments and Taxation of the said Island, and also to ask whether such Bill has been introduced with the concurrence and approval of Her Majesty's Government?
§ SIR GEORGE GREYsaid, in reply, that of course his attention had been drawn to the Bill introduced by the hon. and learned Member for Southwark (Mr. Locke), but it had not been introduced with the concurrence of the Government, except so far that they offered no opposition to its introduction. Upon the second reading he had recommended the hon. and learned Gentleman to put off the Committee to a distant day, with a view of enabling the States of Jersey to take the subject into their own hands, and the hon. and learned Gentleman had 2053 consented to do so. Since then the hon. Member for Hampshire had moved for the production of the continuance of the Correspondence between the Government and the Lieutenant Governor of Jersey, and the hon. and learned Gentleman (Mr. Locke) had consented to postpone the Bill for another month in order that that Correspondence might be in the hands of Members.
§ MR. PAULLsaid, he thought the right hon. Gentleman had not answered his Question, whether the Bill proposing to deal with the Judicial Establishments of Jersey had been introduced with his concurrence.
§ SIR GEORGE GREYsaid, that the House permitted the introduction of a similar Bill three years ago. Upon the present occasion he had not dissented from the proposal to introduce the Bill, nor had the hon. Member or any one in that House done so.
§ MR. BRIGHTsaid, he thought the right hon. Gentleman might answer the Question more distinctly. The Question was whether out of the House—at the Home Office—the right hon. Gentleman had expressed his approval of the Bill.
§ SIR GEORGE GREYsaid, he did not remember that, previous to the introduction of the Bill, any communication took place between his hon. and learned Friend (Mr. Locke) and himself. On the second reading he stated publicly the views he entertained with regard to it, and he had expressed no other opinion on it out of the House, except that he suggested to his hon. and learned Friend that it would be expedient that he should further postpone the future stage of the Bill till the Correspondence was placed in the hands of Members.