§ MR. WALTER HAZELL (Leicester)I beg to ask the Attorney General whether his attention has been called to the report of the trial of "Oetzmann v. Long," on 6th July, in the High Court, before the Lord Chief Justice, in which the case turned upon the payment by the defendants of corrupt commissions to a confidential servant of the plaintiff; whether he has read the Lord Chief Justice's summing up as to these corrupt bargains, in which he states, that if the evil continued to exist as it had existed in the past, the Legislature must take measures to put an end to it; and that no case of such importance had come before the Court during that sitting; whether he is aware that this is at least the third case of the kind within a few 1268 months in which the Lord Chief Justice has given judgment in equally emphatic terms, and that this system of commercial bribery or secret commissions which is thus condemned is widespread; and whether, having regard to these important judgments of the Lord Chief Justice and to the gravity of the whole question, he will institute an inquiry under the authority of Parliament in order to ascertain the extent and the working of the evil, with a view to remedial legislation?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir RICHARD WEBSTER,) Isle of WightMy attention has been called to the language of the Lord Chief Justice in the case of "Oetzmann v. Long." While entirely agreeing with his Lordship's remarks as to the mischief occasioned by the practice of payment of secret commissions, the existing law is, in my opinion, sufficiently strong to prevent, and, if necessary, to punish any illegal practices in connection therewith. I am not satisfied that any inquiry is necessary or any legislation desirable.