§ MR. HEALYasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, 1098 Whether it is the fact that His Excellency has appointed Lieutenant Colonel Buchanan (Clerk of Peace) to a seat on the Governing Board of Omagh Asylum; whether he was aware that Lieutenant Colonel Buchanan is County Cess Collector for part of Tyrone; that the asylum is mainly supported out of this cess; that Lieutenant Colonel Buchanan therefore will have the voting away of money which he collects, and out of which he is paid; if he will say on whose recommendation Lieutenant Colonel Buchanan was appointed by the Lord Lieutenant; and, whether, especially as this gentleman already has a brother on the board, His Excellency will make a new appointment, after local consultation on the matter?
§ MR. TREVELYANIt is the case that the Lord Lieutenant has appointed Lieutenant Colonel Buchanan to be a member of the Board of the Omagh District Lunatic Asylum. His Excellency informs me that he was not aware when he made the appointment that Lieutenant Colonel Buchanan was county cess collector for part of Tyrone; but the asylum is not mainly supported out of that cess. The County Fermanagh, as well as the County Tyrone, contributes to its support; and the contribution of Government is estimated at more than double the joint contributions of the two counties. I must decline to state on whose recommendation Lieutenant Colonel Buchanan was appointed; but it is the practice of the Lord Lieutenant to ascertain local views on such matters. I believe there is a brother of Lieutenant Colonel Buchanan on the Board of Governors; but His Excellency has no intention of making a new appointment, nor does he see that the appointment of barony cess collector is any bar to any person being appointed a Governor of the asylum for the same county.