§ CAPTAIN NORTON (Newington, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware of the statement made in this House, on the 10th December 1888, by the then Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, that the Secretary of State was of opinion that any increase of staff in the Colonial Office which might be rendered necessary thereafter by the increasing business of the Office might be met by an extension of the number of second division clerks, and whether he has satisfied himself that the increase of staff in his Department, which the pressure of work renders necessary, can be made in the manner contemplated; whether he is aware the essence of the proposals of the Ridley Commissioners, as stated by them in paragraph 118 of their second Report, was to assign a greatly increased share of the work of the public Departments to clerks of the second division, and whether he is prepared to give effect to that recommendation; and, whether he has considered the representations made to him by the second division clerks serving in his Department, in their letters of the 6th February and 22nd May last regarding their prospects in the Colonial Office.
§ MR. J. CHAMBERLAINSince the year 1888, and particularly during the last year, the business of the Department has increased to an extent that has rendered necessary an increase of staff in the Colonial Office, not only in the second division, but also in the upper division. Steps have been taken since that date, and are still being taken, to assign to the clerks of the second division a larger share of the work; it is recognised that they perform such work as can properly be assigned to them most creditably, and I am still in correspondence with the Treasury as to various arrangements which will improve their prospects. But after careful and full consideration of the representations made by the second division clerks, and of the important and complicated nature of a large number of questions that are constantly arising in the Department, I have satisfied myself of the primary necessity of securing for the work of the Department a slightly increased staff of gentlemen of the highest education who can be secured by open competition for the public service. Accordingly two of the latter class are about to be added to the staff. On the general question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by Mr. Buxton on this subject on December 5, 1893, with which I desire to associate myself.