§ MR. BLANE (Armagh, S.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If Mr. Henry Alfred Mann, the clerk of Cookstown Union, be also clerk of Mr. Gunning Moore's Estate Office, and if he holds both appointments with the sanction of the Local Government Board; whether the Guardians twice increased his salary, upon his representation that his work was heavy 28 and required his entire time and attention; whether the Local Government Board will re-consider his salary, since, in addition to his duties as clerk, he can now find time to keep the accounts in the largest estate in the Union; whether Mr. John Fleming, the Petty Sessions Clerk at Cookstown, County Tyrone, be also a clerk to the Cookstown Loan Funds, Cookstown Town Commissioners, and toll collector of Cookstown Market, and if he be also a coal merchant and farmer; whether any person wishing to see him on Petty Sessions business must attend at the loan fund office for that purpose; whether these situations be held with the consent of the Registrar of Petty Sessions Clerks; and, if he will extend the same permission to other clerks throughout Ireland?
THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER SECRETARY (Colonel KING-HARNMAN) (Kent, Isle of Thanet) (who replied)said, the clerk of the Cookstown Union kept the books of Mr. Gunning's agent, but this work was done in the evening. The Local Government Board were not aware that he was so engaged. No complaints had been recorded against him in that Department. The Board of Guardians had increased his salary on two occasions; and the Local Government Board, having regard to the favourable Report of their Inspector and to the fact that the salary was not excessive, saw no reason to interfere. In the absence of any complaint as to the way in which the clerk s duties to the union were discharged the Board saw no reason to interfere. As regards the case of the Petty Sessions Clerk, he was manager of the Discount Company, clerk of the Town Commissioners, and lessee, not Director, of the market tolls, in connection with which he employed other persons. He also dealt in coals, and was a farmer. The Petty Sessions business was done at the Petty Sessions Office, and not at his private house. A Clerk of Petty Sessions was allowed to follow as many callings as he pleased, provided they were not callings prohibited by statute or by the Lord Lieutenant, and provided that they did not interfere with the discharge of his duty or the convenience of the public.