EARL ST. GERMANSsaid, he had given notice of his intention to present a petition from Mr. R. W. Mara, late Registrar of Friendly Societies in Ireland, complaining of his removal from that office; but that, in consequence of the necessary documents connected with the subject, by some accident or other, not reaching his hands, he would be unable to do so. The noble Earl then observed, that Mr. Mara had held the office of Registrar of Friendly Societies in Ireland under the late Government, but that the present Attorney General had removed him, and appointed another person in his stead, notwithstanding the alteration of the Act, the spirit of which evidently intended, that from and after its becoming law the office should be of a permanent character. The office was similar in its nature to that filled with so much credit in England by Mr. Tidd Pratt, whose appointment was permanent, and not dependent upon any change of Government. A case had been submitted for the opinion of a very eminent gentleman at the Irish bar, Mr. Napier, whose opinion appeared to be in favour of a permanent tenure. He (the noble Earl) felt himself unable to decide between the opinions of Mr. Napier and the Attorney General; but the impression on his mind was, that it was not the intention of the Parliamentary Committee to whom the Bill had been referred to make the appointment dependent upon a change of Government. Whether the real meaning of the Act was as Mr. Napier had construed it, or whether it was in accordance with the Irish Attorney General's opinion, he knew not; but he believed Mr. Mara's deposal from office was in violation of the spirit of the Act. Mr. Tidd Pratt had not been removed from his 604 office; and the case of that gentleman was exactly similar. After some other remarks the noble Earl concluded by moving for copies of any letters or communications which may have passed between the Government and Mr. Mara, on his removal from the office of Registrar of Friendly Societies in Ireland.
§ The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNEwould only trouble the House with a very few words in reply to the noble Earl opposite. He was not at all cognizant of any circumstances connected with the removal from his office of Mr. Mara until within the last twenty-four hours, when he had made some inquiries respecting it, in consequence of the notice of Motion given by the noble Earl. It was quite true that Mr. Tidd Pratt had not been removed from his office; but it should be borne in mind that Mr. Tidd Pratt had become identified with friendly societies from their earliest formation, and the public had derived great advantage from the ability and perseverance with which he had almost exclusively devoted his mind to that important subject. The situation of Registrar of Friendly Societies in England was placed upon a very different footing to that in Ireland or Scotland. It was the established practice in Ireland, that the person filling the situation should be an assistant to, and in the confidence of, the Attorney General; and it was owing to such practice that Mr. Mara had obtained his situation. The situation was always changed with the Attorney General; and Mr. Mara would not have obtained his situation at all had not such been the established practice. The only question for consideration, therefore, was, whether it could be held by any fair construction in the reading of the recent Act, that the intention was to alter the temporary nature of the office, and make it permanent. The law officers in Ireland and Scotland continued to act in this matter as their predecessors had always done, and appointed persons who were in their confidence and competent to assist them; and, in doing so, he did not think they had acted in contravention of the law.
EARL ST. GERMANSsaid, the only question was, whether Mr. Mara's appointment ought not to have been re-made. As it was the intention of Parliament to make the situation a permanent one, and as Mr. Mara had the good fortune to be in office at the time of the alteration of the Act, he considered he ought to have been continued in it.
The MARQUESS of CLANRICARDEthought Mr. Mara had been unlucky; but considered that, under the circumstances, he had no just cause of complaint.
§ After a few words from LORD CAMPBELL,
§ The EARL of ST. GERMANSwithdrew his Motion.
§ House adjourned.