§ MR. W. F. LAWRENCE (Liverpool, Abercromby)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether the Home authorities have put pressure on the 1030 Government of Madras to raise the jurisdiction of the City Civil Court from Rs.2,500 to Rs.5,000; whether he is aware that the Madras Government state that this extension of jurisdiction is open to objections, and that the High Court was itself equally divided in opinion on the merits of the question; whether he is also aware that the chamber of commerce, and other commercial and legal opinion, is opposed to the change; and, if so, whether the said authorities purpose still to urge the change?
§ LORD GEORGE HAMILTONIt is true that, after full consideration of the views expressed by the Government of Madras and by the chambers of commerce, I requested the Government of Madras, in a Dispatch dated 19th March 1896, to take an opportunity of raising the jurisdiction of the City Court to Rs.5,000, unless they saw any strong reason to the contrary. To this Dispatch I have as yet received no reply.