§ SIR JOHN SWINBURNE (Staffordshire, Lichfield)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will ascertain from the Lord Chancellor if the Lord Chancellor received any communication other than that from the Mayor and Aldermen of the City and County of the City of Lichfield upon the subject of appointing additional Magistrates for the City and County of the City of Lichfield, between 30th December, 1890, and 8th June, 1892; and, if so, whether he will state the nature of that communication, and from whom the communication was received?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. MATTHEWS,) Birmingham, E.The Lord Chancellor has, no doubt, received a great many communications in respect to the appointment of additional Magistrates for Lichfield, to which the hon. Member refers, as he does constantly in respect of the other appointments which it is his duty to make, but it has always been the practice, from which he sees no reason to depart, to treat such communications as confidential.
§ SIR JOHN SWINBURNEThe answer of the right hon. Gentleman is somewhat vague; can he not say whether the Lord Chancellor has received any communication other than that from the Town Council?
§ MR. MATTHEWSI have no other answer to give.