§ MR. A. C. MORTON (Peterborough)I beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland whether the Keeper of the Sasines Office, Edinburgh, has applied for a grant of 798 money from the Treasury; and, if so will he cause a full inquiry to be held by Committee, or otherwise, into the condition of this office before any grant is made?
§ THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND (Sir Gr. TREVELYAN, Glasgow, Bridgeton)The Keeper of the Sasines Office has recently been in receipt of an allowance for extra assistance, to prevent the otherwise unavoidable accumulation of arrears at the two six-monthly terms. In consequence of the unprecedented increase in the number of deeds presented for registration at the recent Whit-Sunday term, it is a question, regarding which I am in communication with the Treasury, whether there should not be a small temporary increase in the allowance. A detailed inquiry was made by a Committee presided over by a Judge of the Court of Session only four years ago, and I am not aware of any circumstances calling for further inquiry at the present time.