§ COLONEL SIBTHORPbegged to ask the noble Lord at the head of the Government, whether such appointments as had been made, or might be made, since the last Session of Parliament, would be subject to such reductions in their salaries and allowances as might be recommended by Parliament, and especially the recent appointment of the Lord Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench; and whether Lord Camp-hell accepted the same salary as Lord 464 Denman did, namely, 8,000l. per annum, instead of 10,000l., as the Act of Parliament granted?
§ LORD J. RUSSELLwould answer the last question first. He begged, therefore, to inform the hon. and gallant Member that Lord Campbell had accepted the appointment of Lord Chief Justice on the same salary as Lord Denman, namely, 8,000l. per annum. He ought to state that this arrangement with respect to the diminution of the salary of the office was made by a minute of the Lords of the Treasury, which had never been confirmed by Act of Parliament; and he thought it desirable to take the present opportunity of bringing in an Act of Parliament to regulate the salary of the Chief Justice. He had thought it would not be proper to bring in any measure on this subject without consulting Lord Denman; and he might state that such a measure would have Lord Denman's full consent and approval. From the time of the death of Lord Tenterden, when Lord Denman succeeded, the salary received by the Lord Chief Justice had been 8,000l., and there could be no doubt that such would be the salary in future, because when Her Majesty's pleasure had been notified to Lord Campbell, he (Lord J. Russell) had communicated to Lord Campbell that the salary would be 8,000l., and that a Bill would be introduced to carry that arrangement into effect. He should now beg leave to give notice of a Bill, and he might state, likewise, that he proposed by this Bill to reduce prospectively the salary of the Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas from 8,000l. to 7,000l. With regard to the other portion of the hon. Gentleman's question, namely, as to any appointments made since the last Session of Parliament being subject to such reductions as might be recommended by Parliament, he did not think he could state absolutely and generally that all appointments made since the last Session were subject to such a condition, because, of course, if the salaries of officers should be fixed by Parliament at a very trivial sum, that would be a great injustice to gentlemen who had accepted those offices in expectation of a salary such as was now affixed to them. But, after making these exceptions, he had informed persons who had accepted offices since the last Session of Parliament that their salaries would be subject to such reduction as might be recommended by Parliament. The noble Lord concluded by giving notice, that on 465 Monday next he would move for leave to bring in a Bill to regulate the salaries of the office of Lord Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench and Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.
§ MR. HUMEwished to ask the noble Lord whether any arrangement had been made relative to a fixed pension upon the retirement of the Chief Justice?
§ LORD J. RUSSELLOn receiving notice of Lord Denman's retirement, the subject of the retiring pension came under the consideration of Her Majesty's Treasury, and when their decision has been made it shall be notified to the House.
§ COLONEL SIBTHORPbegged to inquire whether Lord Campbell would continue to be a member of the Cabinet?
§ LORD J. RUSSELLLord Campbell has ceased to be a member of the Cabinet.
§ Subject dropped.