HC Deb 13 March 1885 vol 295 cc1068-9
MR. KENNY

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If the Local Government Board has come to a decision with regard to an excessive charge upon the Ennistymon (county Clare) Union, for an inquiry under "The Labourers (Ireland) Act, 1883;" if he is aware that the Ennistymon Board of Guardians has recently passed a resolution strongly disapproving of the action of the Local Government Board in sanctioning such a charge, and add, The Board of Guardians, with reluctance, have to observe that in this matter a disregard for the welfare of both labourers and ratepayers has been apparent on the part of the Local Government Board; and, if any action will be taken to punish those officials of the Board or others who have made an excessive or fraudulent charge for their services?

MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

I explained, in reply to a Question of the hon. Member for Sligo (Mr. Sexton) on the 4th of December last, that the sum which the Local Government Board have called on the Guardians to pay in this instance is made up of the cost of advertising an inquiry under the Labourers' Act, and of the expenses of a shorthand writer. The Guardians have since admitted their liability for the advertisements; but they still dispute the item for the shorthand writer. There is, however, no other source from which the payment can be made. The charge was made according to a scale fixed by the Treasury, and the allegations in the last paragraph of the hon. Member's Question are absolutely unwarranted.