MR. MAC NEILLI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, with reference to the case of Mr. Mullen, technical assistant in the Science and Art Department, Dublin, who was promoted (and officially informed of his promotion) by the Lord President of the Council to a new post of assistant, created in the Department of Science and Art in consequence of a Treasury Commission and with the sanction of the Treasury, under the provisions of Clause 7 of Order in Council 4th June 1870, if he can explain why the Civil Service Commission and the Treasury subsequently withdrew their sanction to the application of the said clause on the ground that, as Mr. Mullen was within the limit of age, 30 years, for public competition, he must take part in the competition for the assistantship, Mr. Mullen being over 29 years of age, a Master of Arts of Trinity College, and having filled for seven years his former post to the satisfaction of the Department, and why Mr. Mullen was not apprised of the fact that he must compete for the post to which he had been appointed till the examination had been held; and whether, having regard to the hardship of the case, the Treasury will be able to modify their decision and to lay upon the Table of the House the Correspondence relating thereto?
§ MR. JACKSONI will make inquiry into the matter. The responsibility rests with the Civil Service Commission.