§ SIR W. WEDDERBURN (Banffshire)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that, in November last, an Indian was convicted by Mr. N. S. Brodie, Acting Joint Magistrate of Chingleput, of the technical offence of being in possession of a revolver, when his licence under the Anus Act only specified a gun, and sentenced to three months' imprisonment, and a fine of Rs.400; that, on appeal, the Session Judge quashed the sentence as regards the imprisonment, and reduced the fine to Rs.10; that, in the same month, one Dharmaraja Nadan, a youth of 16, was convicted by the same Magistrate of causing the death of a woman by riding rashly on the road, and sentenced to six months' rigorous imprisonment, and a fine of Rs.400; and that the Session Judge, on appeal, quashed the sentence as regards the imprisonment, and reduced 1319 the fine to Rs. 200; whether he will state what powers of punishment as a Magistrate Mr. Brodie now exercises, and what previous judicial experience he has enjoyed; and whether the Secretary of State will cause inquiry to be made regarding Mr. Brodie's fitness for his present position, and, if necessary, consider the propriety of reducing his Magisterial powers?
* MR. GEORGE RUSSELLUp to the 1st of October last Mr. Brodie had the powers of a first-class Magistrate, and he has exercised Magisterial authority for more than five years. The Secretary of State is not aware what powers Mr. Brodie now exercises, but be considers that this is a matter which may be safely left to the Local Government Board, in which discretion to determine the powers of individual officers is vested by law. The Secretary of State knows nothing of the first case referred to, but he has seen a newspaper report of the second. The report is brief, and does not set out the reasons which induced the Magistrate to pass a severe sentence.