§ MR. PIRIE (Aberdeen, N.)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether the Government would be prepared to institute an inquiry into the system of salaries and appointments in both Houses of Parliament, with a view of fixing the salaries in proportion to 32 the nature and the amount of work entailed, and of adopting a different system from the present of making appointments; and whether the right honourable Gentleman is aware that on the 22nd of last month the Secretary to the Treasury stated that possibly the time has now arrived for an inquiry into the matter?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.The matter to which the honourable Gentleman refers is one to which the Government are giving their attention, but at present I am not prepared to make any definite statement upon it.