§ MR. O'KELLYasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether it is true that the Belfast Board of Guardians granted a pension of £52 per year to a rate collector and rent agent named Robert-Humphrey, whose resignation to the Board was made to prevent dismissal; whether the law prohibits the grant of superannuation allowances to union officers, unless they devote their whole time to the service of the union; and, whether the Guardians had knowledge that Humphrey had been, and still is, a rent agent in extensive business prior to the said grant being made, and if the usual list of queries have been forwarded, with Humphrey's signature attached, to the Local Government Board for their approval; and, if so, was the fact disclosed on the said list of queries whether or not Humphrey had devoted his time and services exclusively to the Belfast Union?
MR, TREVELYANThe Guardians of Belfast Union desire to grant a superannuation allowance of £52 a-year to Mr. Humphrey; but the Local Government Board have not yet sanctioned this allowance, and are still in communication with the Guardians on the subject. According to the law, the Local Government Board cannot sanction the grant unless Mr. Humphrey's whole time has been devoted to the service of the Union, and they have called the Guardians' attention to this fact.