On Wednesday, a deputation of about two hundred English, Scotch,
and Welsh Members waited on the Lord Chancellor to urge him, in effect, to take the appointment of County Magistrates out of the hands of the Lords-Lieutenant. At present, the Chancellor appoints only persons who are recom- mended by the Lord-Lieutenant; but in law, it is the Chancellor who has the sole right of appointment. Lord Herschell, though admitting this, declared that it would be unconstitutional for him, "without Parliamentary sanction," to change a system based on long-continued usage. If, how- ever, the House of Commons passed a resolution in favour of the Chancellor actually appointing in the counties as he does in the boroughs, "he should feel bound to act upon it." In the course of his very moderate and conciliatory speech, Lord Hersohell absolved the Lords-Lieutenant from endeavouring to pack the Bench with their political friends. The truth is, that if the present high property qualification is maintained, it is very difficult to find men who are not Tories. Ninety per cent. of the County Magistrates are Tories, because 90 per cent. of the class from which they are drawn are Tories.
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