§ MR. COXsaid, in order to place himself in a proper position for making a few remarks in reference to a question of which he had given notice, he would move that the House do now adjourn. He wished to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Mr. Wyatt, who has lately been appointed Superintendent Registrar of the parish of Islington, is to retain his office of Assistant Clerk at Somerset House; and whether any other Clerk in the Registrar General's Office holds the appointment of Superintendent Registrar of a large Metropolitan Parish. Mr. Wyatt was eighth Assistant Clerk in the Registrar General's Office, and his appointment to the important office of Superintendent Registrar of Islington, without resigning his former office, was unjust to a parish containing 130,000 inhabitants. A similar appointment was made in Clerkenwell some time since, and it created great dissatisfaction in the district.
§ MR. WALPOLEsaid, the hon. Gentleman was quite right in saying that the office of Superintendent Registrar was one of importance. He found, however, that most of the duties of the office could be discharged at other hours than those usually allotted to official business—namely, between ten and four. The Registrar General, who took immense interest in everything connected with his department, and who was one of the most deserving public servants that he knew, 872 had thought right in this instance to reward a meritorious clerk in his office by appointing him Superintendent Registrar of Islington. In so doing, he had followed one or two precedents, and the appointment being a good one it would not be right to disturb it after it was made, though it would have been better had the reward of meritorious service been given in some other shape than an appointment to an additional office. Three years ago a similar appointment was made at Clerkenwell, and was confirmed; but the right hon. Gentleman who preceded him intimated that he did not consider such appointments as a general rule desirable. In that view he (Mr. Walpole) concurred, and he had written to the Registrar General requesting that no such appointments might be made in future, except on special grounds, and having been previously sanctioned by the Secretary of State.