§ MR. LUPTON (Lincolnshire, Sleaford)I beg to ask the Prime Minister if he is aware of the disparity between the numbers of Conservative and Liberal magistrates, and of the fact that in at least one county division there is not one single Liberal magistrate, except ex-office magistrates; and if he will take steps to provide the Lord Chancellor with sufficient assistance to enable him to put an end to the existence of a Bench selected almost entirely from one Party without further delay.
§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Sir H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN, Stirling Burghs)I cannot possibly know whether or not the fact is as suggested in regard to one division of a county which is not named, but the condition of things is well known. It is impossible to correct it all at once. The Lord Chancellor has, as I have already said on previous occasions, a duty in law which he cannot depute to others. He has no need of any assistance.
MR. STANLEY WILSON (Yorks, E. R., Holderness)May I ask whether for the future the Government intend to consider a seat on the Bench a reward for political virtue?
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANNo; I think a seat on the Bench ought to be a reward for local public service, but not for either social rank, property connection, or any other consideration of that kind.
§ MR. BOWLES (Lambeth, Norwood)Do the Government think that in making selections for the exceedingly important post of Justice of the Peace the accident of a man's political opinions ought to be in any conceivable way considered?
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI entirely agree with the hon. Member, and I wish that had been the rule throughout. If that had been the rule in times past, we should not see the extraordinary condition of the Bench generally which we now see. We are engaged in redressing the inequality of the present condition of things. Owing to the extraordinary fullness of the Benches in almost every part of the country, that is a thing which can only be done gradually.
§ LORD R. CECIL (Marylebone, E.)Does the right hon. Gentleman mean by redressing the inequality, recommending people for appointment to the position of Justice of the Peace because of their political opinions?
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI have already said that I disclaim any intention of that sort or of keeping that in view; but what I assert is that men who have shown their capacity for acting as magistrates and done good public service in the locality, and are likely to have the confidence of their neighbours—these are the men we ought to recommend.
§ MR. BRIDGEMANI should like to ask on what the right hon. Gentleman bases his accusation that appointments to the magistracy—
§ *MR. SPEAKERThe hon. Gentleman is going a very long way from the Question on the Paper.
§ MR. LUPTONIs it not a fact that the present Lord Chancellor has appointed 700 Conservatives to the County Bench?
§ *MR. SPEAKERThat really does not arise out of the Question.