§ MR. LEAKE (Lancashire, S.E., Radcliffe)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he has received any intimation of the appointment of Mr. William Hall as relieving officer in one of the districts of the Oldham Union; whether he has received a communication from the clerk of the Union that Mr. Hall's writing, orthography, composition, and use of figures are not such as to commend themselves to any business man who has books to keep, and certainly not to him (the clerk) as the Public Officer of the Union; whether he is aware that it was admitted by one of the Guardians who supported Mr. Hall, that he was not as well qualified as some of the other candidates; whether it was also stated that Mr. Hall would take lessons in handwriting, and that Mr. Hall was selected from 87 applicants by a party majority of 11 to 8, and has his appointment received the sanction of the Local Government Board?
§ *MR. RITCHIEThe Local Government Board have received a Report of the appointment of Mr. Hall as relieving officer in the Oldham Union. I have received no communication from the clerk to the Guardians containing the statements referred to in the question; but the clerk, in reporting the appointment, stated that the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Board of Guardians and several other members desired him to call the attention of the Board to the style of writing and the mistakes in spelling and composition of Mr. Hall's letters, and that they were strongly of opinion that if his appointment were sanctioned inconvenience and difficulty 29 would result. I have seen no Report of the proceedings at the meeting at which Mr. Hall was elected, and I am unable, therefore, to reply to the questions with regard to the admissions and statements alleged to have been made as to Mr. Hall. Neither am I aware what was the number of Guardians voting for and against his appointment. The appointment has not yet received the sanction of the Local Government Board, and is under their consideration.