§ MR. MONCKTON MILNESsaid, he rose to ask Her Majesty's Government whether, for the future, persons appointed to Consular Offices in Japan, will be submitted to the ordinary examination by the Civil Service Commissioners, or to a special training similar to that now in practice in the Consular Establishment in China; and when they will be prepared to lay on the table of the House the revised scale of consular salaries recommended by the Committee of last year.
MR. SEYMOUR FITZGERALDSir, I must confess that I was in hopes, after the very satisfactory statement I was enabled to make on Friday, that we should not have heard anything more of these appointments in Japan. I own I cannot congratulate the hon. Gentleman on having left the system of open attack which was perfectly fair, and now having recourse to the less direct method of putting these questions. I can only inform him that it is intended for the future that there shall be a special training for those who receive appointments to the Consular service in Japan. They will not be instructed in Chinese, but in Japanese, and also in Dutch, the European language chiefly spoken there. I may here observe that, in fact, this system has already been commenced, and that student interpreters have been appointed in Japan. That system is best exemplified by a note which, though unsolicited and unexpected, has been written by Dr. Jelf, Principal of King's College. Dr. Jelf says,—
I cannot help feeling that, in mere justice to Lord Malmesbury, some one ought to state that his Lordship has made his appointments of Chinese student interpreters upon exactly the same principle as his predecessors." [A laugh.]That statement seems to provoke a smile; but I believe that Lord Malmesbury, like his predecessors, has strictly adhered to the understanding—namely, that the student interpreter should, as far as possible, he selected from those who had undergone previous training in King's College. I wish, with the permission of the House—though it may, perhaps, he somewhat irregular—to advert to the appointment of one gentleman as a student interpreter to Japan. It has been said that the noble Lord appointed a man who had been a dependant of his own. The facts of the case are shortly these. Mr. Fletcher was living in very humble circumstances in the north of 1057 Scotland, and having been employed as a gilly to those engaged in sporting, he was known to be constantly absorbed in some studious pursuit, always having a book in his hand. It came to the knowledge of those employing him that he was absolutely denying himself food and raiment that he might place himself at school and thus advance himself in life. With the assistance of some friends he did go to school, where, in a very short time, he learnt both Latin and French. This attracting the notice of those above him he was sent to college at Glasgow. There he displayed the same industry and aptness for acquiring languages, and the consequence has been that be so distinguished himself that he was sent out as a student interpreter to Japan. I make this explanation because it shows how Lord Malmesbury has been made the object of detraction in a matter which does him the highest credit.
§ MR. MONCKTON MILNES—What is the answer to my second Question?
MR. SEYMOUR FITZGERALD.—The revised scale of consular salaries has been a work of the utmost labour, requiring communications to be made with a great number of parties. It is not yet quite completed, but it will be laid on the table at the earliest possible moment.