HC Deb 04 August 1887 vol 318 cc1160-1
SIR TEOMAS ESMONDE (Dublin Co., S.)

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he is aware that the voters' lists were not posted up at the time prescribed by the 19th section of the "Parliamentary Registration (Ireland) Act, 1885," in several districts of Louth, County Dublin; and, whether a similar neglect of the provisions of the Act by the authorities has occurred during the past two years; and, if so, who is responsible, and what steps the Government intend taking in the matter?

THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER SECRETARY (Colonel KING-HARMAN) (Kent, Isle of Thanet)

(who replied) said, he was informed that the Deputy Clerk of the Peace, so for as he was aware, had all the notices posted on the 22nd of July, except in two districts of South Dublin where the posting was omitted. On representations being made to him, he at once, on the 27th of July, had the additional postage done. He was not aware of tins omission of the postage of notice in the years 1885 and 1886, with the exception of two districts in each year, of which he was informed.

MR. CHANCE (Kilkenny, S.)

Would the right hon. and gallant Gentleman be good enough to tell us whether the Clerk of the Peace does not permanently reside out of the United Kingdom, and performs his duty through a substitute, who obtains a very small salary?

COLONIEL KING-HARMAN

I have no knowledge of such a thing.

MR. CLANCY (Dublin Co., N.)

said, as he knew of his own personal knowledge that these notices were never posted in time in South Dublin, he would like the right hon. and gallant Gentleman to inform him who was responsible for the omission?

COLONEL KING-HARMAN

said, undoubtedly the Clerk of the Peace was responsible, except in those cases in which the Constabulary posted the notices.

MR. CLANCY

The Clerk of the Peace in Dublin sent these papers to Dublin Castle to be then posted, and the parties at Dublin Castle did not take any steps in the matter.

COLONEL KING-HARMAN

What I understand occurred in regard to these two districts is this—the Clerk of the Peace sent the whole of the papers to the Constabulary, with a request to post them. The Constabulary declined to post them unless they were directed to do so, and consequently the delay arose.

MR. CLANCY

asked the Attorney General for Ireland who was responsible for this omission?

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. GIBSON) (Liverpool, Walton)

said, the officer who was bound by the Act of Parliament to see that those matters were carried out was the Clerk of the Peace; and if the Clerk of the Peace, or his deputy, failed they were liable to a line, and a penalty was also recoverable from them for this neglect.

MR. CHANCE

asked, how was it possible to recover a penalty from the Clerk of the Peace, considering that he had resided in Morocco for the last 30 years?

MR. GIBSON

I am not in the least aware of the habitat of the Clerk of the Peace.