§ MR. W. J. CORBETasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, with reference to the election of a guardian for Killeskey Electoral Division of the Rathdrum Union, Whether his attention has been called to the following paragraph in the report of the official inquiry, as printed in the local Conservative paper of the 5th instant:—
The election came off in March last, Mr. Croften being declared returned by a majority of 40. There were 32 rated occupiers' votes for Mr. Croften (the landlord candidate), whereas Mr. Gaskin (the tenants' candidate) had 75; but the number of proxies for Mr. Croften amounted to 83. It had struck Mr. Gaskin as somewhat singular that these 83 proxy votes were given by only twelve persons, and he accordingly placed the matter in his solicitor's hands;whether it is a fact that, after repeated applications and refusals, an inquiry was at length granted to Mr. Gaskin; and, whether it is true that the result of the 1374 inquiry has been to reduce Mr. Croften's majority to nil; and, if so, what steps he intends to take with reference to the conduct of the returning officer whose action on the occasion was impugned from the beginning?
§ MR. TREVELYANI have not seen the paragraph in the local paper referred to by the hon. Member; but the Local Government Board has received the special Report of their Inspector on the matter, together with the Minutes of Evidence taken by him at the inquiry. The Board has not yet arrived at any decision on the subject, but hopes to do so in a few days.