§ MR. LALOR (Queen's County, Leix)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If it be true, as reported in The Freeman's Journal, that Doctor David Jacob having resigned the position of Visiting Physician to the District Lunatic Asylum at Mary borough, in the Queen's county, in favour of his son, Doctor W. S. Jacob, the Board of Governors have elected the said Doctor W. S. Jacob to that office; whether the Resident Medical Superintendent of the Asylum is a first cousin to the said Doctor W. S. Jacob, and the Government Inspector, Doctor G. W. Hatchell, is his uncle; as he is also the father of the Resident Medical Superintendent of the Asylum, Doctor Joseph Henry Hatchell; and, whether, considering the intimate family connection existing between these several parties, the Government will sanction the appointment of the said Doctor W. S. Jacob as Visiting Physician to the Maryborough District Lunatic Asylum?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Sir MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH) (Bristol, W.), in reply, said, that the office of Visiting Physician became vacant by the resignation of Dr. Jacob, senior. The vacancy was advertized in the usual manner, and the Board of Governors elected Dr. W. S. Jacob. He was not aware of any ground for the suggestion that there was any previous understanding that such an appointment should be made. Dr. Jacob, junior, was not cousin to the Resident Medical Superintendent, nor was the Government Inspector his uncle. Dr. Jacob, senior, who had now resigned, and the Resident Medical Superintendent were connected by marriage. When the new appointment was submitted to the Lord Lieutenant for confirmation, it would be for His Excellency to consider whether there was any reason why he should decline to confirm it.