§ MR. DALRYMPLEasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether his attention has been called to the extreme inconvenience caused by a vacancy in the Court of Session remaining unfilled, and to the strong feeling prevalent in Scotland on the subject; and, whether he will take into consideration the reasonableness of putting an end to uncertainty and delay by appointing to the vacant Judgeship before the meeting of the Court in October?
MR. GLADSTONESir, with regard to the vacant Scotch Judgeship, the case stands thus. It is the opinion of Her Majesty's Government that the Judicial Bench in Scotland is over-manned, and that the number of Judges would very beneficially admit of being reduced by two. For the purpose of giving effect to this view, the Government introduced a Bill into the other House of Parliament; but difficulties have been experienced there, and, in consequence, this advantageous change cannot at present be accomplished. Under these circumstances, we have reluctantly been obliged to ask ourselves whether it was consistent with the provisions of the present law to keep the existing vacancy open until another year arrives. But our opinion is that that would be a straining of the law, and although we are very sorry to have to make this appointment, yet upon the whole we thing it our duty to do so. Consequently, an appointment will be made.