MR. LIDDBLLasked the President of the Poor Law Board, Whether it be the intention of the Poor Law Board to undertake for the future the appointment of all "Auditors of Accounts" to Poor Law Unions, such appointments having been hitherto supposed to rest in the hands of the Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of the respective Unions?
§ MR. C. P. VILLIERSsaid, in reply, that the Poor Law Board could not undertake the future appointment of Auditors, as they had no power to do so, the appointment being vested in the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Board of Guardians. The Committee on Poor Relief had, however, recommended that in future the appointment should be vested in the central authority, and it would be for the House of Commons to decide whether that recommendation should be adopted whenever it was submitted to them. The Poor Law Board had no wish that the appointment should be vested in them. The Committee on Poor Relief also expressed a decided opinion that the number of audit districts should be reduced as vacancies occurred, and the vacant districts incorporated with others. The power to do this was already vested in the Poor Law Board under the 7 and 8 Vict. c. 101, and whenever vacancies occurred they were proceeding, as far as practicable, to carry their recommendation into effect, with the view of ultimately arranging that every district should be sufficiently extensive to occupy the whole time of each Auditor. This course did not deprive the Chairmen and Vice Chairmen in the districts which were annexed to others of their right to vote at subsequent elections.