§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India if he will state what was the previous experience in political service of the Bengal civilian who three months ago took up the appointment of British Resident in Mysore; how many officers in the first and second grades of the Government of India's Political Department will be superseded or set back by this appointment from outside that service; is this gentleman, the new Resident at Bengalore, identical with the Bengal revenue officer who in October, 1899, when Commissioner of the Patna Division, sought to interfere with the action of the Sessions Judge in a case then pending in the Court at Chupra; and, if so, what is the explanation for this appointment.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Mr. BRODRICK,) Surrey, GuildfordThe appointment of a civil servant, without previous service in the Political Department, to the office of Resident in Mysore is in accordance with precedent, and the officers in the Political Department are not thereby superseded. It is the fact that Sir James Bourdillon was 304 Commissioner of the Patna Division in 1899, but his conduct was not reflected on in this matter by his superiors. He has since officiated for more than a year as Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, from which high office he was transferred to the Residentship of Mysore, on the ground that he was the fittest person for the post.