§ MR. ASSHETON CROSSsaid, before putting the Question of which he had given Notice, he would take the opportunity of thanking Lord Dufferin the Chancellor of the Duchy, for the kindness with which he had met him in regard to that matter. The Question he now would beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury was, Whether such arrangements have now been made as will prevent for the future political appointments to the Magistracy in the county of Lancaster; and, if so, if he will be good enough to state the precise nature of such arrangements?
MR. GLADSTONESir, it has been felt by the community in Lancashire, and likewise in this House, that the mode of appointing magistrates in the county of Lancaster recently introduced has not been satisfactory, without attaching any blame to any party or any person in particular; and it appears that the remedy is not a difficult one, because it consists simply of returning to the ancient practice, or to the wisdom of our ancestors. In former times the magistrates of the county of Lancaster were appointed, like all other county magistrates, on the recommendation of the Lord Lieutenant of the county, only that the Chancellor of the Duchy discharged the same function on the part of the Crown as the Lord Chancellor discharges in the case of other counties. But it has now been arranged simply to return to that ancient practice—the Chancellor of the Duchy will now appoint on the recommendation of the Lord Lieutenant of the county. An official Minute was passed on the 1st of this month, with the approval of Her Majesty, by the Chancellor, directing that for the future that shall be the practice. I, therefore, hope this may be regarded as a permanent change, and I have no doubt it will be satisfactory in its operation.