In the House of Lords on Monday, the Duke of
Richmond and Gordon moved a resolution against the recommendation passed by the House of Commons to select County Magis- trates without consulting the Lord-Lieutenant, in the hope of getting an equal distribution of political opinion on the county Bench. The debate generally tended to condemn the practice of taking political opinion into account, and was very hostile to the course of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in overruling Lord Sefton's appointments in that county. Indeed, the Government declined to take a division in the House, and Lord Ripon declared that if a division were taken, be would not vote against the Duke of Richmond and Gordon's motion, which was carried nem. con. Nevertheless, we cannot but think that it is very undesirable not to take pains to secure the presence of some Magistrates on each Bench who are known to feel a good deal of sympathy with the popular opinion on those subjects on which the classes and the masses are most divided. Nothing could operate more unfortunately for the cause of law and order than the notion that popular opinions are excluded from Petty Sessions or Quarter Sessions,—whether by accident or design.
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