§ SIR MARK J. STEWART (Kirkcudbright)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India whether Surendranath Banerji, a leading member of the Indian National Congress, is the same person who was dismissed from the Civil Service in 1874, after he had been tried by a Commission and been found guilty of making false entries and false returns; whether, if he be the same person, his nomination to a seat in the Legislative Council has been recently sanctioned by the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal; and whether he is now in the receipt of a compassionate allowance from Government of 50 rupees a month?
MR. GEORGE RUSSELLMy answer to these questions is that Mr. Banerji was dismissed after being found guilty of making false entries; that he is the same person whose nomination to the Council has been sanctioned by the Lieutenant Governor, and that he is in receipt of the compassionate allowance.
§ MR. HUNTER (Aberdeen, N.)I wish to ask whether it is not a fact that the alleged false entries were made by the clerk; that they related entirely to the dates at which certain legal proceedings took place in his Court; and whether the decision of that tribunal was not one which reflected much more discredit on the tribunal than on the gentleman dismissed?
MR. GEORGE RUSSELLI do not presume to offer an opinion on the last question. I believe the facts are as stated in the other questions.
§ MR. DARLING (Deptford)May I ask whether this gentleman will receive salary for his work on the Legislative Council and at, the same time draw his compassionate allowance, and what is the compassionate allowance granted for?
MR. GEORGE RUSSELLHe will not receive two salaries. A compassionate allowance is a compensation for disturbance of office. If a man is turned out of his office he has no claim to a pension, and in India it is the practice to allow persons in these circumstances more or less compensation.