MR. BLENNERHASSETTasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to the following resolution adopted by the Grand Jury of Kerry at the recent Spring Assizes:—
That we repeat the request that has been so often previously made to the Government to divide this county, being fully persuaded that the duties devolving on the county surveyor cannot be fulfilled by one man;and, whether, when the Government decided to oppose the unanimous opinion of the grand jurors, cesspayers, and magistrates of Kerry, it had been brought under their consideration that there are 2,000 miles of road spread over an area of 1,185,918 acres to be inspected four times a-year?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, in the form in which this application was originally put forward, it might, had the Government of the day seen fit to do so, have been complied with; but it was refused in the public interests, because it was not considered that competent men could be obtained for the small salary which would be payable if the office, and consequently the salary, were divided. It was ascertained, at the time, that there were other counties in Ireland with an equal or greater mileage of roads, and which were in charge of one county surveyor. The proposal has more recently been put forward in a shape which would involve increased expenditure in respect of salaries. In this form the Government have no legal power to comply with it, except by Act of Parliament.