MR. O'KEEFFE (Limerick, City)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, having regard to the correspondence that has taken place between the Corporation of Limerick and the Irish Government, seeking direct representation of the Board of the Limerick Lunatic Asylum, and to the concession of that principle, acknowledged by letters of Sir Redvers Buller, while Under Secretary for Ireland, For what reasons the Irish Government now refuse to ratify the appointment as Governors of the two names submitted by the Corporation for approval; whether the Corporation have intimated that the selections were the best in their interest from their Body, and disclaiming any intention to limit the Lord Lieutenant's selection, that, requiring them to nominate other names, would now be an affront on their part to the gentlemen already named; and, whether, having regard to the fact that one of the gentlemen named by the Corporation has since been appointed High Sheriff of Limerick by His Excellency, and the other is a medical doctor, the Lord Lieutenant will now consent to the appointment of these gentlemen, not relying on a strict interpretation of his letter, and which, in the first instance, was misconstrued by the Limerick Town Council?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)The Lord Lieutenant, in expressing his readiness to accord the privilege of increased representation to the Limerick Town Council on the Board of Governors of the district lunatic asylum, stated that he would be prepared to consider the names of any gentlemen sent forward by them, with a view to the appointment of two out of the number of gentlemen so selected. The Town Council met this by sending forward two names only, thereby endeavouring to remove from the Lord Lieutenant any discretion in the matter. The subsequent appointment to be High Sheriff of one of the persons named by the 1450 Town Council was due to the fact that under the Municipal Privileges Act His Excellency had no option. A strict interpretation of the letter referred to requires a list of names to be sent forward by the Town Council, who have never alleged that they misconstrued it, nor does it appear how they could have misconstrued it. The Lord Lieutenant is responsible by statute for the appointments in question, and cannot divest himself of that responsibility.
§ MR. T. M. HEALY (Longford, N.)Would the right hon. Gentleman tell us how many names the Lord Lieutenant would like to have?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURCertainly more than two.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURYes, Sir; I think I have. The Lord Lieutenant cannot accept the nomination of two gentlemen under present circumstances.