§ SIR THOMAS ESMONDE (Dublin Co., S.)asked the Secretary to the Treasury, What steps the Treasury intend taking to provide for the principal clerks at present stationed at Bristol, Hull, Newcastle, Dublin, Belfast, and Leith, in view of the fact that, whereas seven principal clerks were provided for in last year's Estimates, only one principal clerk at the Customs Out-ports is provided for in the Estimates for the present year?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. HENRY H. FOWLER) (Wolverhampton, E.)The offices of principal clerks having at the recent revision been struck off the establishment of the ports of Bristol, Hull, Newcastle, Dublin, Belfast, and Leith, it was not possible to provide salaries for the holders of those offices under the name 88 of principal clerks. Their pay has, therefore, been provided with, and included in, that estimated for clerks of the first class, they being, in fact, supernumerary principal clerks employed in vacancies of first-class clerk, but paid at their old salaries. No individual lately holding the office of a principal clerk, and now redundant as such, will sustain pecuniary injury through the revision.