HC Deb 08 May 1850 vol 110 cc1260-1
MR. HUME

would repeat the question which he intimated yesterday to the right hon. Gentleman the Secretary for Ireland, whether it was true that a public officer connected with Dublin Castle who had been intrusted with public money had decamped, the public loss thereby being very considerable? He (Mr. Hume) was quite ignorant of the case. He was only anxious, that, if unfounded, the rumour should be at once sot at rest; and that, if it was unfortunately well-founded, the House should know the worst.

SIR W. SOMERVILLE

was sorry he had been unable to answer the hon. Gentleman's question the day before; but he had thought it better to make the necessary inquiries first. He supposed his hon. Friend alluded to the case of Mr. Mathews, late clerk in the Chief Secretary's office, Dublin. The facts of that case were these:—The Paymaster of Civil Services in Ireland having brought to the notice of Government certain irregular transactions in which Mr. Mathews was engaged with respect to the distribution of what was called the "Concor- datum Fund," Mr. Bromley, the Secretary of the Audit Board, was deputed to make inquiry into the facts of the case, and as it appeared from that investigation that Mr. Mathews bad been guilty of fraud in the management of the "Concordatum Fund," a Treasury Commission was issued to investigate the whole transactions connected with the Government in which Mr. Mathews was engaged. That was the whole state of the case. He was happy to tell his hon. Friend, that, as yet, the ascertained amount of the fraud was very small, being only, as far as was known, about 20l.

MR. GROGAN

asked whether it was true that there was a second defaulter who had decamped from Dublin Castle?

SIR W. SOMERVILLE

said, there was an investigation going on with reference to another gentleman, who was not, however, in the Chief Secretary's office; but he was not able to say what was the defalcation, if any, nor under what circumstances it had taken place. He knew that an inquiry was going on with regard to it, but he would rather not say any more on the subject at present.

Subject dropped.