§ MR. P. O'BRIEN (Monaghan, N.)asked the Postmaster General, Whether it is true that Miss Mary Agnes Gough, a clerk who was employed for over 14 years in the Telegraph Department of the General Post Office, Dublin, was called upon by the Head of the Dublin Department to resign her position in October, 1886, and was reluctantly obliged to leave her employment without pension for having married some short time previously, no other complaint having ever been made against her; whether it is a Rule in the Postal Service to discharge ladies after such long terms of service as 14 years, and against whom no complaint can be advanced, except getting married, without pension; whether he can say if there are any ladies, late clerks in the Dublin Postal or Telegraph Departments, now in receipt of pensions, who, like Miss Gough, retired in consequence of having married; and, if so, why was Miss Gough differently treated; and, whe- 1817 ther, taking into consideration the fact that the health of this lady has been undermined by her long and faithful labours in the Public Service, he will consider her case, with a view to allowing her a pension?
§ THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Mr. RAIKES) (Cambridge University)It is a Rule of the Post Office that any single woman holding an appointment on the Establishment must resign on marriage. In October, 1886, there being reason to believe that Miss Gough had married, she was asked to state whether this was so or not, and, on denying the fact, she was requested to put her denial in writing. Her reply was to send in her resignation. I regret that it will not be possible to grant Miss Gough a pension. If other ladies, formerly holding situations similar to hers, are now married and yet in receipt of pensions, these pensions must have been granted before marriage and under medical certificate as prescribed by Statute. Miss Gough, on the other hand, according to the certificate of the medical officer, who was intimately acquainted with her case, was before her marriage in good health.