§ MR. BIGGARasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If it is a fact that legal proceedings are pending against an official of the Board of Works, and an auditor of the Local Government Board, being two directors of a bill discounting company, for certain transactions relating to the operations of that company; if he will satisfy himself as to the nature of these transactions; and, what steps he will take in regard to these two officials?
§ MR. TREVELYANI cannot answer for the Board of Works; but, so far as the Local Government Board is concerned, the only auditor of that Board to whom that Question could point is Mr. Robert H. Jephson, who is a Director of the National Discount Company of Ireland, and he reports as follows:—
There are no legal proceedings whatever pending against me in connection with the National Discount Company of Ireland, nor have there ever been in connection with that or any other Company or person.
§ MR. COURTNEYAs regards the Board of Works, it appears that the officer alluded to had ceased for some time to be a Director of the Company, and there is no knowledge of the existence of any legal proceedings against him.
§ MR. BIGGARasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, whether he considered it a proper position for the Auditor of the Local Government Board to occupy to be a Director of a Company of a speculative nature?
§ MR. TREVELYANreplied, that that was a large question, about which there might be several opinions; but, as far as any Member of the Government could give an independent opinion, he did not think there could be any interference in the matter unless new regulations were laid down for the guidance of officers of the Civil Service.