MR. SULLIVANasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, If his attention has been called to the Correspondence between the Irish Local Government Board and the Guardians of the North Dublin Union, in reference to an appointment to the office of Collector of Public Rates, of Mr. J. A. Browne, who had been discontinued as clerk in the carriage department of the Dublin Me- 437 tropolitan Police soon after an official inquiry had been held into the loss or theft of a considerable sum of money by some one of the employés in that office; whether it is true that the Local Government Board have declared to the guardians that—
They have acquainted themselves as far as they were able to do with the progress and result of that inquiry so far as it affected the official conduct of Mr. Browne, and they do not think that the facts elicited implicated Mr. Browne in regard to the lost money, or affected his character for integrity;and that the Local Government Board have accordingly approved his appointment to an office of trust and responsibility in the collection and custody of public moneys; whether it is true that inquiries on this subject addressed to the Commissioners of Metropolitan Police by the Local Government Board were not replied to; and, whether the Commissioners of Police or any other Government department withheld from the Local Government Board any information affecting Mr. Browne's character for integrity, or that would show him to be unfit to have the collection and custody of public moneys?
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH,in reply, said, he believed the Irish Local Government Board had approved of the appointment of Mr. J. A. Browne to the office of collector of public rates, to which he had been elected by the guardians of the North Dublin Union. No information, so far as he was aware, had been withheld by the Commissioners of Police from the Local Government Board affecting Mr. Browne's character for integrity; but, Mr. Browne, on an official inquiry, had been proved guilty of considerable neglect in the discharge of his duties as a clerk in the carriage department of the Dublin Police, and his services had consequently been dispensed with on the re-organization of the department with which he had been connected.
MR. SULLIVANgave Notice that he would on Monday ask if it was intended to refuse Mr. Browne the superannuation allowance to which he was entitled after 25 years of honest service?
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACHsaid, he could answer that at once. The office which Mr. Browne held was discontinued in consequence of a re-organ- 438 ization of the department, and as he had been guilty of considerable negligence the Chief Commissioner of Police declined to give him the necessary certificate of diligent and faithful performance of his duties, and the Treasury declined to grant him the ordinary superannuation allowance.
MR. SULLIVANgave Notice that he would, on a future occasion, call attention to the subject, and move a Resolution.