§ MR. BUCHANAN (Perthshire, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether Lord Curzon is shortly coming home; and whether, if his term of office is to be extended, a Bill will be introduced and passed to enable him to come home on leave and retain the Governor-Generalship, or what steps are to be taken to fill up the office which becomes vacant on his leaving India.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Mr. BRODRICK) Surrey, GuildfordLord Curzon is about to come to England, and by so doing will vacate his appointment, under the Act 3 and 4, William IV., cap. 85, sect. 79. By the Act 24 and 25 Vict., cap. 67, sect. 50, it is provided that whenever a vacancy 495 occurs in the Governor-Generalship, and when no provisional successor is in India, the senior of the two Governors of Madras and Bombay shall act as Governor-General; and, on Lord Curzon's leaving India this provision will take effect. No successor will be immediately appointed, but it will, of course, be open to His Majesty the King to re-appoint Lord Curzon to the Governor-Generalship at any subsequent date, if he should see fit to do so.
§ MR. BUCHANANFor how long a period is the provisional arrangement to go on.
§ MR. BRODRICKI believe it is in contemplation that Lord Curzon will leave India in the beginning of May and be in England until September.
§ MR. EDMUND ROBERTSON (Dundee)How long does the law allow temporary provision to be made for.
§ MR. BRODRICKThe law does not lay down any limit, and in point of fact there has been a hiatus between the outgoing and the incoming Governor-General on several occasions.