HC Deb 07 August 1884 vol 292 cc94-6
MR. GRAY

asked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether it is a fact that thirty - six temporary inspectors, for carrying out the provisions of the Land Act with reference to loans to tenants, have recently been appointed by the Board of Works; whether these gentlemen were appointed without public notification of the vacancies and without competition; whether they are nearly all Protestants and many of them Freemasons; whether some of them are relatives of the officials of the Board; whether some of them have no recognised professional qualification; whether it is a fact that men holding the diploma of Civil Engineer applied for and were unable to obtain such appointments; whether he will lay upon the Table of the House a list of those who applied for these appointments, showing in each case their professional qualification, and a list of those who obtained the appointments, showing their qualification in each case, and stating, as in the case of the Return of Irish Magistrates, the number of Protestants and Catholics respectively; whether, as the Government have no objection to granting such a Return, save on the ground of expense, he will, if he still objects to giving the information in print, place it in manuscript upon the Table, so as to afford Members the information asked for, while obviating the objection on the ground of expense of printing; and, whether he can state what the expense of such a Return would be in print, seeing that it would probably not occupy more than one page, and that the information exists in the office?

MR. COURTNEY

There are 36 Inspectors for carrying out the provisions of the Irish Land Act, with reference to loans to tenants, who have been appointed at various rates during the last two and a-half years. The fact of these appointments being open was generally known, as appears from the large number of applicants for them. Vacancies have been filled by the full Board of Works, by careful selection from the lists of candidates, with their testimonials and certificates. There are now nearly 170 names on the list of candidates. It is hardly possible to judge of an engineer's qualifications on paper; but I have carefully examined a statement, furnished me by the Board of Works, from which it appears that more than half the number have regular degrees in Engineering, and the rest have ample practical experience. Some few of them seem to be connected with some of the numerous officers of the Board. The Board of Works have no knowledge as to the religion or politics of the men chosen, still less whether any are Freemasons, and will not inquire into matters so entirely irrelevant to the duties of a civil engineer. I think this is scarcely a subject for a Return; but I have a nominal list of the persons appointed, and of their qualifications, which the hon. Member may examine freely if he wishes to do so.

MR. GRAY

asked whether the list would show the qualifications of the rejected and accepted candidates? The hon. Gentleman had not answered the portion of the Question which asked whether some candidates who had no professional qualifications were accepted, while others who had professional diplomas either from Trinity College or the Engineering School of the Queen's or Royal Universities were rejected.

MR. COURTNEY

said, that the list to which he had referred was only of accepted candidates. It would be impossible to publish the names of the gentlemen who had not been selected.

MR. GRAY

asked if the hon. Gentleman would have any objection to publish in a Memorandum the number of candidates holding diplomas who had been rejected?

MR. COURTNEY

said, he would inquire into that.