The Sun.
London, England, 1853-07-15 00:00:00

• words "shall bo persons who shall have resided ten years,
at least, in India," ' leaving out the words " service of the
Crown, or the company." This left it to the proprietors
• to choose directors from mercantile men, or any other
class. This would tend to secure twelve persons who had
res ted {mil%
Mr. ELLICE not only agreed with the amendment of
the hon. ~elltiernan, but he could not understand why the
choice of the Crows should be limited to the civil and
military service, which might operate to the exclusion of
, gentleman who, like the hon. member for Honiton, had
I devoted themselves to a profession in India, and who might
not choose to enter on a canvass for the other seats in the
direction.
Mr. HENLEY entirely agreed with the amendment of
the hon. member for Manchester, for it was manifest that
when the subject was considered, persons in the legal or
other professions had better opportunities of becoming ac-
quainted with the feelings and habits of the natives of
India than persons in the service of the Crown or the com-
pany ; and that sort of knowledge was what it was very
desirable to obtain.
Sir C. WOOD thought that with regard to the directors
appointed by the Crown, the case was different to that of
those elected by the proprietors, and he could not give a
decided answer on that point then. With regard to the
other directors, he was quite ready to adopt the suggestion
of the hon. member for Manchester; and as it involved
only a slight alteration in the clause it could be done at
once. As respected the directors appointed by the Crown,
the object was to avoid all temptation for naming persons
from a political bias.
After a few words from Mr. M. T. SMITH,
Lord STANLEY, agreeing as he did with the amend-
ment of the hon. member for Manchester, wished to call
attention to the fact that some definition should be given
of the persons who had resided ten years in India who
should be eligible for the direction, because as it stood
persons born in India and not sent home for ten years
afterwards might be eligible.
Sir R. INGLIS deprecated the introduction of Indian
experience into the direction, to the exclusion of English
experience.
Sir H. MADDOCK said he had an amendment here-
after to propose, the object of which was to limit the
sphere of selection by the Crown, so as to prevent the
nominations being used for political purposes. With re-
gard to the directors, he had no objection to the amend-
ment of the hon. member for Manchester. At the same
time he thought it not desirable that the government of
the affairs of India should be engrossed by mercantile men;
and ho would prefer that of the 18 members two-thirds of
them should be men who had been employed in India. He
did not agree that legal and mercantile men had a greater
knowledge of the natives of India than those who were in
the service of the company.
Sir J. W. HOGG said that by a bye-law of the company
any one engaged in trade east of the Cape could not be
a director, and as the present act altered the oath, he
thought that care should be taken to prevent those so en-
gaged in trade from being eligible.
Mr. BRIGHT said that question did not affect the
amendment he now proposed.
After a few words from Mr. ELLIOTT and Mr. MANGLES,
Sir C. WOOD, in answer to an hon. member, said he
would consider the question with regard to the nominees
of the crown.
The amendment was then agreed to.
Mr. V. SMITH wished to know if his right hon. friend
had made up his mind as to fixing a term of years within
which persons eligible for the direction should have re-
turned from India ?
Sir C. WOOD would consider the point.
The clause as amended was agreed to.
The CHAIRMAN then reported progress, and the house
resumed.
BELFAST MUNICIPAL BOUNDARIES BILL

This bill was read a third time and passed. _
MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS ACT AMEND,

MENT BILL.
This bill was read a third time and passed.
ASSISTANT JUDGE (MIDDLESEX SESSIONS
BILL.

Upon the motion that the Speaker leave the chair,
Sir J. SHELLEY said that if this bill were to be perse-
vered with at that time it was his intention to move
that the house go into committee upon it on that day three
months. He did not think that any case had been made
out for an increase of salary to the assistant-judge. He
said this out of no personal feeling in regard to the gentle-
man who now held that position. When an increase of
salary was proposed the Government were bound to make
out a strong case for it, and to show not only that there
was an increase of work, but also that the office could not
be properly filled at a lower rate of payment. The present
assistant-judge held a position precisely similar to that of
a chairman of quarter sessions, and for that the sum of
1,2001. a year was surely sufficient.
Mr. WALPOLE begged to state that this matter had
been under his oensideration when he had the honour of
being one of her Majesty's Ministers. He had then thought,
and he continued of that opinion, that an increase of salary
should be given. A large quantity of business had been
taken from the Central Criminal Court which fell to the
Middlesex Sessions, and, the duties being thus increased,
it was only reasonable that the salary should increase also.
The proposed increase would not raise the remuneration
above that received by a judge of a county court, and the
duties falling to the assistant judge of the Middlesex Ses-
sions were quite as heavy and important as those of a
county court judge. While, however, he thus bore testi-
mony in favour of the general principle of the bill, he must
state that, as regarded the retiring pension proposed to be
paid, he could not so readily give his concurrence. It was
a new thing to give retiring pensions to inferior judges,
and, if established as s precedent, it might be difficult to
say where the mischief would stop. He thought that when
the house was in committee that part of the bill might
fairly be considered.

Sir G. GREY would also say a few words in explana-
tion, as the bill for lessening the cost of prosecutions in
certain cases was brought in while he was office. That
bill threw a large portion of the criminal business upon the
Middlesex Sessions which had been formerly conducted in
the Central Crimina' Court. Mr. Sergeant Adams, imme-
diately upon the bill passing, applied for an increase of
salary, on the ground that the business would be greatly
increased. He (Sir G. Grey) however considered that it
would be premature to propose any greater amount of
salary until it was seen to what extent this increase of
business took place. From the statement of the right hon.
gentleman opposite (Mr. Walpole) it appeared clear that
such an increase had occurred, and hence he could not see
any ground for opposing this bill.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL wished to correct an error
into which his right hon. friend (Mr. Walpole) had fallen
in regard to the retiring pensions. The right hon. gentle.
man had stated that no inferior judge received retiring
pensions. This was an error several of the judges of infe-
rior courts were entitled to retiring allowances, and county
court judges might have retiring pensions in certain cases.
Sir J. SHELLEY, after the explanations given on both
sides of the house, did not feel justified in persevering
with his motion.

The motion was then withdrawn, and the house wen.
into committee.

Clause 1 was agreed to.
On clause 2,
Sir J. V. SHELLEY moved that the clause be struck
out of the bill. He certainly )did think the pay of this
gentleman was amply sufficient, while no reason whatever
had been shown why he should have a retiring allowance.
The committee then divided, when there appeared—
For the clause Bl
Against it 53
Majority
—2B
The clause was accordingly agreed to, and the house re-
sumed, when the chairman reported the bill without
amendment.