* THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND (Lord BALFOUR of BURLEIGH)My Lords, I rise to ask your Lordships to give this Bill a Second Reading. It has passed 163 through all its stages in the other House without any opposition, and it makes really a very trifling change in the present tenure of office of sheriffs in Scotland. The Bill has been found necessary in consequence of certain circumstances which are in existence at the present time, and the procedure proposed in the Bill is analogous to that which already obtains in the case of sheriffs-substitute and procurators-fiscal. But in the case of a sheriff, that being a more important office, it is provided, in addition to the report by the Secretary for Scotland to the Lord President of the Court of Session, that if an Order is made removing a sheriff from office, that Order shall lie upon the Table of both Houses of Parliament for a month, and shall not take effect if either House of Parliament objects to it. The second clause provides that if a sheriff is removed before he has completed 10 years' service, and therefore before he is entitled to a pension, on the ground that he is by reason of inability unfit for his office, it shall be lawful for the Treasury to grant him an annuity of such amount and from such period as they shall consider just in all the circumstances. I hope, after this explanation, that your Lordships will agree to read the Bill a second time.
§
Question put—
That this Bill be read a second time.
§ Agreed to.
§ Read the second time (according to order), and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Thursday next.