§ Mr. SPEAKER acquainted the House that he had received the following communication from the Right Hon. Mr. Justice Lawson, which reached him too late to admit of his reporting it to the House during yesterday's sitting:—
§ Oxford,
§ Octr. 24, 1882.
§ Sir,
I have the honour to acquaint you that on Saturday, September 30th, I ordered that, upon payment of the fine of £500, Mr. Gray, M.P. who had been committed by me for contempt of Court, should be discharged, and he was discharged accordingly on that day.
§ (Signed) J. A. Lawson.
§ To the Rt. Hon.
§ The Speaker of the House of Commons.
§ MR. SEXTONwished to ask the Prime Minister how soon he would be in a position to announce to the House the names of the Members of the Select Committee which was to inquire into Mr. Gray's imprisonment?
MR. JOSEPH COWENdesired to know whether, when the Committee made their Report to the House, there would be an opportunity of discussing the conduct of Mr. Justice Lawson?
MR. GLADSTONEWith regard to the letter that has been read by you, Sir, I think it right that I should move that it be referred to the Select Committee of whose appointment I gave Notice yesterday. As to the Question of the hon. Member opposite (Mr. Sexton), on the last occasion of a Committee of this kind, I think there was an interval of six or seven days before its actual appointment. But my noble Friend (Lord Richard Grosvenor) is giving his attention to the matter, and he will lose no time in constructing a list which I hope will be acceptable to the House. With regard to the Question of the hon. Member for Newcastle (Mr. Cowen), I think that although, undoubtedly, the subject is an important one, it is not a matter on 72 which I can give any specific answer at the present moment as one to be treated by way of exception, and that it had better be allowed to stand over for some time, until we see what progress we make with the Business in hand, and the House has an opportunity of considering whether any, and, if so, what subjects may be discussed before the Session terminates. I now move that the letter read from the Chair be referred to the Committee appointed to inquire into the imprisonment of Mr. Gray.
§
Motion made, and Question proposed,
That the said Communication he referred to the Select Committee to which the letter of the 16th August 1882, from the Right Honourable Mr. Justice Lawson to Mr. Speaker, was referred."—(Mr. Gladstone.)
§ Motion agreed to.