§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he is aware that, so far back as October, 1882, legislation for the curtailment of the power of arbitrary committal for contempt of court was promised in the House of Commons by the Prime Minister of the day; and whether, having regard to the remarks of the Chief Justice of England in April, 1896, and to the fact that one man has actually suffered imprisonment for 743 days for that offence, the Government will take steps for the introduction of legislation to define the power of Judges to commit for contempt of court, and to render that power subject to appeal.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI am afraid I cannot return any very satisfactory answer to this question. I certainly could not give the opinion of the Government without a much fuller opportunity of consulting my colleagues, and, in any case, it would be impossible to attempt any legislation on the subject in the course of the present session.