§ SIR ROBERT COLLIERpaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for India, Whether, in the temporary absence of the Chief Justice of Bombay, a civilian member of the Court has been appointed to fill his place; if so, whether any special reasons exist for the preference of a civilian to a Barrister Judge; and, whether any Despatches have been sent by the India Board to the Government of Bombay on this subject; and, if so, whether he has any objection to lay those Despatches upon the Table of the House?
§ SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTE, in reply, said, the Chief Justice of Bombay had taken a short leave of sbsence; and upon the occasion of his absenting himself the post of Acting Chief Justice was, in the first instance, offered to the senior Barrister Judge, Sir Joseph Arnold, by whom it was declined. It was then offered to the next senior Judge, Mr. Newton, who, he believed, was a very competent person; and accepted. He was not aware of the reasons for appointing a civilian to the post, except that he was next in seniority. He had no objection to the production of the Papers asked for, and would produce also a despatch written some years ago, on a similar occasion, by Sir Charles Wood.