§ Mr. REESasked the Under-Secretary for India whether Mr. Kershasp, I.C.S., the Parsee joint magistrate and sub-collector, who was recently reduced in official rank by the Government of Madras for his conduct in connection with a riot in his division, was unable on the occasion of the riot to address the mob in Telugu, the language of the district, and had to make use of the sub-magistrate as an interpreter; and, if so, whether he will cause inquiries to be made into the matter in view of the abandonment of the practice of putting natives of India or of Britain in charge of divisions with the chief language of which they do not possess a proper colloquial knowledge?
The MASTER of ELIBANKAccording to the information received by the Secretary of State the answer to the first question is in the affirmative. The Secretary of State has no doubt that in posting officers due weight is given so far as may be to language qualifications, but he will bring this question and answer to the notice of the Government of India.