§ MR. LEAHY (Kildare, S.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If it be true that the Belfast Poor Law Guardians, at their usual weekly meeting held on 3rd May, 1887, had under consideration the conduct of Joseph Watt, one of their relieving officers, who attended the Board Meeting in a drunken state without his diary for 1668 the week being duly written up; is it true that Watt had been sent home by Mr. Harkness, one of the Guardians, owing to his incapacity, and that he made a Report of Watt's condition to the Chairman and other members of the Board; was Watt absent from duty on the previous weekly meeting of the Board from the same cause; did the Guardians make any Report to the Local Government Board as to Watt's condition in the Minutes of their last day's proceedings; and, if not, why not; and, will Watt's services be now continued?
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER SECRETARY (Colonel KING-HARMAN) (Kent, Isle of Thanet)(who replied) said: It appears that Mr. Watt attended the meeting on the 3rd instant, but was obliged to retire, owing to his weak state of health, another relieving officer undertaking to discharge his duties. Mr. Harkness has stated that he did not advise Mr. Watt to retire, nor did he report his absence to the Board. Mr. Watt was absent from the previous meeting of the Board owing to illness, a medical certificate of which he has since furnished to the Guardians. An entry appeared in the Guardians' Minutes of the 3rd instant, to the effect that the Chairman did not sign Mr. Watt's diary, as that officer was unable to remain during the meeting. The Local Government Board do not consider that there is anything calling for their interference at present in the matter.