MR. OTWAYsaid, it would be un necessary for him to go at length into the subject upon which he had given Notice of a Motion, as he was glad to say the Government had intimated to him that they would not oppose the inquiry for which he asked. There was a class of gentlemen to whom the Motion referred who had suffered great wrong and considerable pecuniary loss by certain Orders in Council which had affected their position, and there was another class of persons interested in this Motion with regard to whom the Chancellor of the Exchequer had acted with that consideration and fairness with which he (Mr. Otway) felt sure he would act when their case was fully brought to his notice. The right hon. Gentleman had that day announced certain concessions, which if carried into effect in the spirit to which he (Mr. Otway) had alluded, would give satisfaction to that class also. The State had been employing for many years a class of persons called writers, as was supposed, for merely mechanical work; but, in point of fact, they had been doing clerical work of a high order, and sometimes even had been engaged in instructing the clerks of the Government. They had expected 1109 that they would receive, according to the regulation of the Civil Service Commissioners, special pay for this special work, but had not received such pay. As the Chancellor of the Exchequer had met him in a fair and liberal spirit, and had promised that effect should be given to the regulation referred to, he would simply move his Motion.
§ Select Committee appointed, "to inquire whether Writers appointed before August 1871 have suffered any wrong or injustice by the cessation of the system of a progressive rate of payment." —(Mr. Otway.)
§ And, on July 2, Committee nominated as follows:—Mr. STANSFELD, Sir PERCY HERBERT, Sir HENRY HOARE, Mr. PLUNKET, Mr. KIRK-MAN HODGSON, Mr. BATES, Mr. DILLWYN, Lord GEORGE HAMILTON, Mr. BACHHOUSE, Mr. PERCY WYNDHAM, and Mr. OTWAY:—Power to send for persons, papers, and records; Five to be the quorum.