§ MR. GRAYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Whether it is a fact that 459 a sum of over £1,700 was recently paid by the Great Southern Railway Company of Ireland to the constabulary authorities for services in connection with the late strike of milesmen on their line; whether the police performed any, and, if so, what services on that occasion beyond those incidental to their duty of preserving the public peace; whether the money has been yet distributed; whether a demand has been made upon the Company by the authorities for £300 more; and, whether the constabulary authorities subsequent to the payment by the Company of the above sum of £1,700 have demanded back from the men a gratuity or payment of £3 each granted to them by the Government for their extra services on the occasion; what is the total amount of that gratuity or payment; and whether it has yet been refunded?
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACHSir, in answer to the Question of the hon. Member, I may state that I have ascertained by inquiry of the Inspector General of the Royal Irish Constabulary that the services rendered by the Constabulary during the late strike on the Great Southern Railway were only such as were proper to their office, consisting of constant patrols on the line of the Company for the protection of life and property. No charge for the services rendered could have been legally made on the Company, nor was any such charge attempted to be made; but the Directors of the Company at the close of the strike voluntarily and spontaneously offered to the Inspector General of Constabulary a certain sum of money to recoup the men who were so employed for their extra expense, and wear and tear of necessaries. The ordinary rules of the Constabulary Force would not have admitted of those men, who had been summoned from a distance, being compensated by the Treasury for expenses of this nature in so very exceptional a case, and it was decided that the offer of the Directors should be accepted. Accordingly the sum of £1,700 was paid by the Company to the Inspector General for this purpose towards the end of December, before the precise amount required could be accurately ascertained, in order that it might be included in the accounts of the Company up to the 31st of December, 1877. The sum thus forwarded was based on a rough estimate of what 460 would probably be necessary; but, on further inquiry, it has been found that in order to carry out the wishes of the Directors a further sum will be required, and when this is known it will be notified to the Company, but by no means in the shape of a demand. The £1,700 paid has, of course, not yet been distributed. With reference to the last paragraph of the Question the facts are these—In the departmental audit of the Constabulary accounts in the Inspector General's office, it was discovered in the accounts of one county that the allowances payable only to men living out of barracks had been improperly paid to men who were accommodated therein while engaged on this duty, and that, contrary to the regulations, such payments had been passed unquestioned by the county Inspector. They were not allowed by law, and the Inspector General, as accounting officer for the Vote, was compelled to disallow them against the officer in default. In doing so, he expressly informed that officer that he could not assist him in recovering them; but it appeared from the cash accounts of that officer recently sent in that those payments had been recovered by him. The Inspector General has intimated to the county Inspector his strong disapproval of what was done; the matter is still under consideration, and it is my intention to make further inquiry into it.