§ Mr. Spring Rice moved the order of the day for the House resolving itself into a Committee of Supply.
§ Sir Robert Peelsaid, that, in answer to a question he had put on a former occasion, as to the grounds or authority upon which a reduction in the salary of the Lord Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench had 963 been made, he had been informed it had been made under a clause in a recent act of Parliament. He had referred to the Statute-book, but could not find any such provision; on the contrary, he had found in the Civil List Act of 1832, which provided for the payment of the salaries and allowances to high official functionaries, that the salaries of the Judges of England, appointed before a certain time, in the act specified, was fixed at 5,500l.; and if appointed after that period, at 5,000l. per annum. The act also fixed the salary of the Chancellor of Ireland at 8,000l., and most distinctly provided, that the salary of the Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench in England should be 10,000l. per annum. It was most inexpedient that any functionary having a right to a judicial salary, should waive that right; indeed, he felt satisfied that nothing short of an act of Parliament ought to deprive a high public officer of his full salary. He should be glad to have an answer given to the question.
§ Mr. Spring Ricesaid, that if the right hon. Baronet would repeat his inquiry on Monday, he would be prepared to refer him to the clause under which the reduction had been made. The clause not only existed, but had been very fully considered, though, looking only at the act referred to, the right hon. Baronet's view was perfectly correct.
§ Sir Robert Peelhad always understood, that the salary of the Chief Justice of England had been fixed by law at 10,000l. per annum; and he certainly thought, that no other authority than the law should alter it. On the assurance, that the reduction was according to law, and that the law should be pointed out to him, he was satisfied.
§ The House went into a—