§ MR. BIGGARasked the Lord Advocate, Whether any communication was made to the Sheriff Clerk of Fife, in pursuance of the undertaking given in the House by the late Lord Advocate on the hearing of the Motion to reduce the Vote for salary of Sheriff Clerks in Scotland; and, if so, the nature of such communication, and the reply, if any, made by the Sheriff Clerk?
THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. J. B. BALFOUR,)I know, Sir, from what the late Lord Advocate said to me at the time, that he intended to make to the Sheriff Clerk of Fife a communication of the nature referred to in this Question; but before that communication was despatched, the Sheriff Clerk, through a Member of this House, intimated to the Lord Advocate that, having regard to the opinion which the Lord Advocate had expressed, and to what had occurred in this House, he was willing to follow either of two courses—either to terminate his partnership, or to arrange that his partner should cease to carry on Sheriff Court business. The Lord Advocate replied that either of these courses would be satisfactory, and the Sheriff Clerk has now communicated to me that he proposes to take the former course—that is, to dissolve the partnership.