HC Deb 20 July 1885 vol 299 cc1198-9
MR. JOHN MORLEY

asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether Mr. Charles Alderson has been appointed to the office of Second Charity Commissioner; whether the holder of this office receives special emolument in return for his fitness and liability to act as Vice Chairman of the Board in the absence of the Chairman; whether one of the qualifications for the office by statute is, that it shall be held by a barrister at law of twelve years' standing; whether Mr. Alderson has not been for about thirty years one of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools; and, whether he possesses any of the legal experience or knowledge that would qualify him to undertake the duties discharged by Mr. Longley?

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Sir MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH)

Mr. Alderson has been appointed to the office of Second Charity Commissioner. The salary attached to the office is £1,500 a-year, having been fixed at that amount at the time of the passing of the Endowed Schools Act (Amendment Act), 1874. By 16 & 17 Vict. c. 137, s. 2, two of the Charity Commissioners must be barristers of 12 years' standing; and they are so. There is no statutory qualification attached specially to the office of Second Commissioner, but I believe that Mr. Alderson possesses the qualification I have mentioned. Mr. Alder-son has boon an Inspector of Schools for many years, and has very large educational experience for the duties in respect to endowed schools assigned to the Charity Commission under the Act of 1874.

MR. JOHN MORLEY

asked whether it was not the case that the special emolument of £300 a-year was attached to the office in order to secure the special services of Mr. Longley, and on what grounds this special emolument was given in the case of a gentleman who had no special services to offer?

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER

I do not at all admit that Mr. Alderson does receive any special emolument. It may be that the remuneration was fixed at £1,500 partly on account of the gentleman holding the office being liable to act as Vice Chairman in the absence of the Chairman.

MR. JOHN MORLEY

asked whether, seeing that one of the statutory qualifications for this office was that the holder should be a barrister of 12 years' standing, this was not incompatible with Mr. Alderson's having been an Inspector of Schools for 30 years?

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER

repeated that he believed Mr. Alderson to be a barrister of 12 years' standing.