§ MR. PAUL (Edinburgh, S.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India whether the Commission upon Trial by Jury in Bengal has yet been appointed; who appointed, or who will appoint, it; who compose, or will compose, it; what are its powers and the scope of its inquiry; when it may be expected to report; and when Papers on the subject will be laid on the Table?
§ SIR E. GREY (for Mr. G. RUSSELL)A Commission has been appointed by the Viceroy, with the approval of the Secretary of State in Council, to consider, first, the classes of offences triable by juries in those districts of Bengal in which that method of trial has been introduced, and to report whether any, and, if so, what, changes in the classification now obtaining are desirable; and, second, to consider and report whether any, and, if so, what, modifications of the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code relating to the trial of offences triable by juries before Courts of Session are desirable for the purpose of preventing miscarriage of justice. The names of the Commissioners are as follows:— Mr. Justice Prinsep (President), Sir Griffith Evans, Maharaja Sir Jotendro Mohun Tagore, Sir Romesh Chunder Mitter, and Mr. Cecil Wilkin. The Secretary of State has desired the Viceroy to arrange that the deliberations of the Commission shall begin immediately, and shall be continued with as little intermission as possible; but he is unable at present to name the date at which the Report is likely to be received, or when the Correspondence on the subject will be ready for presentation to Parliament.