§ COLONEL FRENCHsaid, he wished to ask the Chief Secretary for Ireland, By what authority the Executive appointed an auditor of Grand Jury Accounts, the salary being payable solely from County funds?
THE EARL OF MAYO, in reply, said, by the Act 1st Vict., c. 54, s. 1, it was provided that accounts of County Treasurers were to be audited by such officers as the Lord Lieutenant by warrant should authorize. Under this Act the Lord Lieutenant appointed the Chief Remembrancer. Under the same Act the expenses of audit were provided for by a fee of 5s. in every £100. This fee was, by order of the Lord Lieutennnt in 1842, reduced to 3s. The Act 6 & 7 Vict., c. 78, provided that the audit of these accounts should form part of the duties of the Chief Remembrancer. By the Act 13 & 14 Vict., jurisdiction in Equity of Exchequer was transferred to the Court of Chancery (s. 15). Mr. Acheson Lyle, then Chief Remembrancer, was made a Master in Chancery, and he and his successors were to perform the duties. Section 17 authorized the appointment of a successor to Mr. Lyle. Master Fitzgibbon now holds that appointment, and his office 1470 is maintained and his duties continued by the Act of last year (s. 50). These were the Acts under the authority of which the Executive of the day appointed Mr. Lyle, and continued the office to his successor, Master Fitzgibbon, who was now auditor of County Treasurers' Accounts.