§ MR. SALTsaid, he wished to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether it is in contemplation to remove the entire or any part of the business of the Accountant General in Chancery to the Bank of England; if this is not the case, whether it would be possible to arrange for the payment of Chancery Dividend and Annuity Warrants at the Bank of England from August 20th to October 28th, during which period (with the exception of three days) the Office of the Accountant General in Chancery is closed; and, whether it is intended to fill up the office of Accountant General when the next vacancy occurs?
§ MR. STANSFELDsaid, in reply, that it was not in contemplation to remove any part of the business of the Accountant General in Chancery. There was no present definite intention on the part of the Government to alter the arrangements for the conduct of business in that department. He thought it would be premature to express any opinion on the subject of filling up the office of the Accountant General if it should become vacant; but he could not conceive of that business being conducted, though the method of its conduct might be varied, without some officer at its head filling an analogous position. He was prepared to add that, in his opinion, the present arrangements for the conduct of that business, more especially those to which the hon. Gentleman referred in the second part of his Question, were unreasonable, and required modification and improvement. The whole subject of the organization of that office was under the consideration of the Lord Chancellor and the Treasury, and he believed that some practical conclusion would be come to which would remove the inconveniences which he imagined the hon. Gentleman had in mind.