§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNORasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether it is a fact that, at the election of Poor Law Guardians for the division of Edenderry, in the King's County, held last March, Charles Murray, Michael Delany, and Denis Shiel were declared elected; that several objections were lodged against the return of Murray and Delany, in consequence of which the Local Government Board declared the election of Delany invalid and ordered a new election; whether Mr. H. Bor (returning officer), at the supplemental election, held in July, in the presence of the parties concerned, declared that there was a tie, and made a return to that effect to the Local Government Board, but, on the day following, held a private scrutiny, assisted by 791 Delany, Murray, and a man named Tyrrell, all in the Conservative interest, and then made a second return to the Local Government Board, in which he gave Delany a majority of ten; whether Mr. Bor, during the election, assisted by a Mr. Robson, cashier at the Ulster Bank, attended at the house of a Mr. George Dunne for the purpose of inspecting and marking Conservative voting papers then there; and, whether the Local Government Board will direct an inquiry into the return of Delany, and also into the return of Mr. Murray, whose election is challenged as well as that of Delany's, and on similar grounds?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANThe statements in the first paragraph of the Question as to the last annual election for Edenderry are correct. Mr. Bor did not, at the supplemental election, declare or make a return that there was a tie. The only return he made was one showing a majority of 11 for Delany. Mr. Bor states that he did not attend at the house of Mr. George Dunne with Mr. Robson to inspect or mark voting papers. The Local Government Board has directed an inquiry into the validity of the return of Delany at the supplemental election, but has decided that there are no grounds for disturbing the election of Murray.
§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNORasked how was it that the inquiry was granted in the case of Delany, and not in the case of Mr. Murray, seeing that precisely similar grounds were urged against each?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANIf the grounds were similar, both cases would be inquired into; but the Local Government Board say the cases were not similar.