Sir SEYMOUR KINGasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether His Highness the Nawab of Junagarh, having died, the State has been taken under administration and a civilian appointed administrator over the heads of all the senior men in the Bombay Political Department; whether these administrators are regarded as the special prizes of the political service, and why the military officers of the Bombay political service have been nearly invariably passed over, and the administrations given to young covenanted civilians; whether he is aware that such action deprives the Bombay political service of the relief such appointments would give to the present block in promotion, besides casting a slur on the abilities of the officers as administrators; and whether he will cause inquiry to be made with the view of securing a fairer division of these appointments between the two services?
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§ Mr. MONTAGUThe Secretary of State has not yet received official information of the appointment, but he will inquire. I must dissent from the doctrine that because an officer of one department is appointed to a post a slur is cast upon the abilities of other officers of the same or other departments who have not been appointed.