§ MR. KEAY (Elgin and Nairn)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India whether the Secretary of State has received a Memorial, dated last October, from Mr. Oliver, Head Master of the High School, Ahmedabad, in the Presidency of Bombay, regarding the appointment of Principal of the Elphinstone High School at Bombay, and, if so, what reply has been given thereto; whether he is aware that Mr. Oliver has served with distinction in the Bombay Educational Department for 18 years, having for 10 years acted as Professor of English Literature in the Elphinstone and Deccan Colleges, and also as Vice Principal of the Elphinstone High School in Bombay for five years; whether he is aware that in December last the Government of Bombay gazetted to the appointment of Principal of the Elphinstone High School in Bombay a Mr. Prior, who has only been employed in the department for two years, and only in subordinate posts; and whether he can state the reason why the appointment in question has been conferred on Mr. Prior in supercession of an officer so greatly his senior in the Service?
§ SIR E. GREYThe Secretary of State received the Memorial, and replied that he declined to interfere on Mr. Oliver's behalf. Mr. Oliver is the Head Master of the Ahmedabad High School. He has been more than 19 years in Government service, and has held acting appointments, as indicated in the question. Mr. Prior, whom the Government of Bombay have appointed Principal of the Elphinstone High School in Bombay, was Head Master of the Poona High School, an appointment not more subordinate than that of Head Master of the Ahmedabad School. He has been upwards of three years in the Service, and the Bombay Government (with whom lies the making of all such appointments), acting on Official Reports and the recommendation of the Head of the Educational Department, were of opinion that the interests of the public were best served by the appointment of Mr. Prior,