HC Deb 03 May 1804 vol 24 cc211-2
MR. MAURICE HEALY (Cork)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland at what age Mr. George Williams, late a clerk in the Paymaster General's Office, Dublin Castle, and now the leader of the Cork Street preachers, was permitted to retire from the Public Service, and what his salary and length of service was; whether his pension was calculated at the ordinary rate of one-sixtieth of salary for every year of service, or whether any special addition was made to it; and, if so, what the amount advanced was, and on what grounds the addition was made; whether the Government have obtained information that Mr. Williams is at present in receipt of a salary of £3 a week from the Irish Open Air Mission Association (a branch of the Irish Church Missions to Roman Catholics) for his services in conducting the street preaching in Cork; whether it is legal for a person, who has retired from the Public Service on pension on the ground of ill-health, to accept a salaried position elsewhere; whether he is aware that, on several recent occasions, Mr. Williams has engaged in severe physical struggles with the police; and whether any procedure exists whereby the granting of a pension on the ground of ill-health can be reviewed where it appears that no sufficient grounds for granting it existed?

MR. J. MORLEY

Mr. George Williams, late a clerk in the Paymaster General's Office, Dublin Castle, was pensioned last year at the age of 43 on salary of £375 and service of 23 years. His pension was calculated at the ordinary rate—namely, 23–60ths of salary. I believe it to be a fact that Mr. Williams is in receipt of salary from the Irish Open Air Mission Association, but as to the amount of his remuneration from this source I have no information. The Government is not concerned with the earnings of a Civil servant after retirement, unless such earnings are derived from the Consolidated Fund or from money provided by Parliament. It is a fact that the gentleman named has on recent occasions been engaged in physical struggles with the police, by offering violent resistance to them. There is no power to review a pension once granted under the Superannuation Acts on the ground that the pensioner's health has improved, but he might be recalled to duty under Section 11 of the Superannuation Act of 1859, under penalty of forfeiture of pension, if it could be established that he has ceased to be incapable of performing his official duties.

MR. W. JOHNSTON

Is it not a fact that the Secretary to the Treasury had stated that this gentleman's handwriting is so had that he would be sorry to take him back into the public service?

MR. T. M. HEALY

Can the right hon. Gentleman give us the papers and certificates on which this pension is founded, so that we may be able to see the representations made by Mr. Williams" medical attendant, and the Report of the medical officers of the Government and to the Government medical advisers?

MR. J. MORLEY

I will see whether there is any precedent for the production of such papers.

MR. SEXTON (Kerry, N.)

Is there no power of reviewing the pension of a person who has been found engaged in resisting the police?

MR. J. MORLEY

Perhaps that might be done under the section I have referred to. If, however, the Government think it worth while, and they are satisfied that Mr. Williams has given such evidences of physical capacity that he can be recalled to the Castle, it would be competent for them to take that course; but I very much doubt whether it would be worth while.

MR. W. JOHNSTON

Has not this gentleman only struggled with the police in order that he may preach the Gospel?

[No answer was given.]