§ SIR EDWARD J. REED (Cardiff)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the very large increase of population in Cardiff, and to its great commercial importance, as made evident by the late Census and other official Returns; and whether, having regard to the fact that no Lord Mayor exists at present within the Principality, he will consider the advisability of taking the necessary steps for conferring this distinction upon the Chief Magistrate of the County Borough of Cardiff?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. MATTHEWS,) Birmingham, E.Yes, Sir; I am aware of the important position which the Borough of Cardiff occupies both in respect of size and industry. The Government, however, are not prepared to recommend Her Majesty to confer the title of Lord Mayor upon the Chief Magistrate of the borough, in view of the difficulty of distinguishing between the comparative claims of this and of other important towns.