CO129-356 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1909 [4-6] — Page 519

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6.

595

The serious disadvantage at (a)

can be overcome if the gentleman selected as Attorney-

-General becomes ipso facto a Civil Servant, entitled to

pension. In such a case the salary offered would naturally

not be so high as it would if he had no prospective ad-

-vantage by accepting the post of Attorney-General for as a

Civil Servant of the Crown he would count on the possibili-

-ty of promotion to a Judgeship as well as to pension.This

system of appointment, however, necessarily involves the

privilege of private practice for the contingent advantages

I have referred to would not in themselves be sufficient

to tempt one of the leaders of the local Ear to accept the

post unless at a very considerably increased salary, which

the Revenue can ill afford. With the privilege of private

practice and the advantages of a permanent Civil Servant it

is probable that the present salary (£1,500) might be

reduced to £1,200 or perhaps to £1,000. It would be

necessary for the Attorney-General to provide himself with

proper assistance. I venture to submit to Your Lordship

that should a vacancy at any time occur in the post the

advantages in appointing a local Barrister should receive

consideration, if at the time there should in the opinion

of the Governor be any one specially well qualified for the

post.