§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR (Donegal, E.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he will cause inquiry to be made into the case of Mr. Buchanan, principal teacher of the Carnone National School, No. 4036, county Donegal, and into the circumstances under which, after nearly 40 years' service, he was compelled to resign on the 1st December last, just before the revised pension scheme came into operation; and, whether, if he finds that Mr. Buchanan has been hardly dealt with, he will move the Lord Lieutenant to allow him a pension calculated under the new scheme?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. JOHN MORLEY) (Newcastle-on-Tyne)I am informed by the Education Office that in August, 1885, Mr. Buchanan, the principal teacher of the Carnone National School, gave his manager three months' notice of his resignation owing to failing health, and in the following November he resigned. The manager thereupon applied for a pension for him, and obtained it on the 1st of December. In this state of facts I do not see how a case could be made out to bring the pension under the new rules, which did not come into effect until January, 1886; but if the hon. Member can satisfy the Treasury of the fairness of the claim I make no objection to his doing so.
§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNORasked if the right hon. Gentleman would inquire whether the statements with regard to this dismissed officer were substantially correct; and whether he was not compelled to resign at the date mentioned against his will?
§ MR. JOHN MORLEY, in reply, said, he should assume that the facts supplied to him were correct, and the hon. Member was scarcely justified in saying that the man was dismissed, when the information was that he resigned.