HC Deb 12 May 1885 vol 298 cc359-61
MR. HEALY

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If he will telegraph the Irish Local Government Board to ascertain if it is the fact that the officials of Clones Union, county Monaghan, have not up to the present served requisition forms under the Franchise Act on the rated occupiers in Monaghan and Fermanagh within the Union, and have declared their intention not to serve them? He would also ask whether the penalties would be enforced by the Government or by private individuals?

MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN,

in reply, said, he had no information as to the first paragraph. The Local Government Board were not aware of any Unions in which the Guardians refused to take the necessary steps to issue the forms of requisition. The Donegal Board of Guardians directed their Clerk not to proceed until they received in- structions, and the Local Government Board informed the Clerk of the Union that he was liable to a penalty for every name omitted, and he had since served requisition forms. With regard to the last paragraph of the Question, this was not the time to express an opinion upon it.

MR. HARRINGTON

Might I ask the right hon. Gentleman, arising out of this Question, whether he has since looked at his own letter to which I referred last night, and did that letter intimate to the Clerks of Unions that further instructions would be given, and if so, having now altered his mind, will he take any steps to disavow his intention of sending instructions, and to notify duly to the Clerks of Unions that they are hot to await any such instructions?

MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

said, there was no altering of mind in the case. He had sent a subsequent letter in which the Clerks of Unions were told that these duties devolved upon themselves.

MR. HARRINGTON

Might I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether, as a matter of fact, he did not point out to to the Clerks of Unions that they were to serve requisition forms under the Act, and that further instructions for that purpose would be issued in a few days; whether it was not in that connection that the words "further instructions" were mentioned; and whether he will now say that no further instructions are to be issued, and that the Clerks are to proceed themselves?

MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

said, he would see that no difficulty arose.

MR. HEALY

I would ask the right hon. Gentleman is it not the fact that not a single English or Scotch Member has had occasion to complain with regard to the working of the Franchise Act?

MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

There are two or three deductions that might be drawn from that. English Members or persons properly representing English localities may have made complaints and received communications from the English Local Government Board without the complaints passing through the form of a Question in the House.

MR. HARRINGTON

Might I ask the right hon. Gentleman if he is aware that I applied to the Local Government Board for such information, and drew attention to the irregularities connected with the issuing of these forms, and received a bare acknowledgment of my letter without any promise of action?

MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

I cannot answer the Question of the hon. Member without making inquiries.