§ MR. POWELL WILLIAMS (Birmingham, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury what fees in addition to salary are payable to the Solicitor General, under the new system recently introduced, in connection with the prosecution of Bottomley and others at the last Old Bailey Sessions?
§ SIR J. T. HIBBERTI am not yet in a position to state the amount of the fees; but the Solicitor General will be paid professional fees under Clause 5 of the Treasury Minute of December 5th, 1892. Neither under the old nor the new system did the salary of the Law Officers cover contentious work.
§ MR. POWELL WILLIAMSWhen will the right hon. Gentleman be able to state the amount of the fees? I am well aware the salary does not cover such cases as this.
§ SIR J. T. HIBBERTI cannot say how soon.
§ MR. POWELL WILLIAMSI will put the question down for Thursday.
§ SIR J. T. HIBBERTI do not think it will be possible to give a reply before Whitsuntide.
LORD R.CHURCHILL (Paddington, S.)Are not the fees marked on the brief? Will a statement be made at any time during the Session, or will there appear in the accounts for the year anything showing the exact amount received by the Law Officers under the new arrangement?
§ SIR J. T. HIBBERTI must ask the noble Lord to put the question on the Paper.
§ MR. POWELL WILLIAMSArising out of that answer, I should like to remind the right hon. Gentleman that the Civil Service Estimates are to be taken on Thursday. Will he undertake the Vote relating to this matter shall be postponed until we get the information we are asking for?
§ SIR J. T. HIBBERTI will endeavour to get the information in time.