§ SIR LAWRENCE PALKasked the honourable and learned Member for Taunton, If it is true that he appeared as Counsel in December 1874, and again in January 1875, before the Lord Chancellor in a legal proceeding relating to the Paraguay Loan; and, whether that is the Paraguay Loan to which he alluded in his speech this Session as one of the Foreign Loans to be investigated by the Select Committee obtained by him on Foreign Loans?
§ SIR HENRY JAMESSir, on the 15th of December, 1874, I had to appear as counsel on an interlocutory motion before the Lord Chancellor and Lord Justice James, sitting as the Appellate Court in Chancery. I believe the main object of the suit was to enable certain persons to recover a certain sum of money from other persons for work and labour done in relation to bringing out the Paraguay Loan; and the interlocutory proceeding in which I appeared was for the purpose of determining whether certain witnesses should be examined in private or should be examined in public; that was the only matter in which I was concerned—the only proceeding in which I had to take any share or part. With the main purpose of the suit I had nothing to do. At the time I had no intention of moving for a Select Committee on Foreign Loans. Before the sitting of Parliament, when I had determined to bring the matter under the cognizance of this House, I caused the retainer I had received in that suit to be returned, and I have since taken no part or share, as advocate or counsel, in that suit, or any other connected with it. I take no exception to the hon. Baronet putting the Question, for since I have had the honour of a seat in this House, I have felt it was very necessary that every member of my profession should carefully guard against allowing his Parliamentary conduct to be in any way influenced by professional considerations. I trust the course I have taken on this occasion will be satisfactory to the hon. Baronet, and that I shall always shape my conduct in accordance with that opinion.