§ MR. SEXTONasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, What is now the position of the question as to the defalcations of Mr. T. D. Elliott, collector to the Blackrock township, and his further employment under the Local Government Board; whether he has observed that, at a recent meeting of the Township Board, a commissioner declared that "the ratepayers were up in arms against them," and the Board rejected a motion for a public inquiry by an official commission, and also, by the casting vote of the chairman, a motion for a sworn investigation by the Local Government Board; how many members of the present Board have been co-opted, 406 and how many elected; whether a former collector of the township died, leaving an extensive deficit, and how was it made good; whether one secretary of the township absconded, to escape the punishment of fraud; and another falsified his accounts, and was allowed to go unpunished; whether, with regard to Mr. Elliott, the commissioners never required him to provide any guarantee; whether they allowed him to print his official receipt books, and never subjected his accounts to any regular or efficient check; and whether, against his defalcations of £2,600, they have credited him. with £200 in respect of a house, already mortgaged to the full extent of its value, and also with a large sum for poundage of moneys collected, but appropriated by the collector, and never paid into the township fund; and, whether any step is proposed by the Government to protect the ratepayers of Blackrock?
§ MR. TREVELYANI have received from the Blackrock Township Commissioners a statement giving replies to the hon. Member's inquiries, which, with the permission of the hon. Member, I will communicate to him. One paragraph I will read—
It is not true that the Commissioners never required Mr. Elliott to provide any guarantee; for, on his appointment, he lodged Stocks and Shares in the Royal Bank which have recently realized £743.The Government, not having yet been favoured with the Report of the Committee to which I have more than once referred in the House, have determined, while fully recognizing that the Commissioners are not under any obligation to report their proceedings to the Government, to communicate with them again, asking them if they will be good enough to inform the Government of the circumstances under which a portion of Mr. Elliott's securities was realized, as mentioned in the letter which I have just read.
§ MR. SEXTONI shall be glad to have the document.
§ MR. TREVELYANsaid, he would hand it to the hon. Member.