§ MR. J. H. C. HOZIER (Lanarkshire, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he can now see his way to increase the number of Inspectors of Mines for Scotland; and, whether he will take care that the appointments in Scotland shall be given to Scotsmen?
§ MR. ASQUITHI should be glad, in view of the heavy and constantly growing burdens which are laid upon the Inspectors by the Legislature and by public opinion, to see the staff increased in numbers, both in Scotland and elsewhere. I fear, however, that I shall not be able to make any further additions to it during the coming financial year. I cannot assent to the assumption which appears to underlie the second question, that appointments in each of the countries which make up the United Kingdom should be confined to natives of that country. There is no part of the Empire which would suffer more from a logical and rigorous application of that principle than Scotland.
§ DR. MACGREGORasked, were they to assume that Scotchmen were incapable?