§ MR. TUITE (Westmeath, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he can state what means are adopted yearly by the Local Government Board for Ireland to insure that the provisions of" The Representation of the People Act, 1884," and" The Parliamentary Registration Act, 1885," are duly carried out by the officers of the Poor Law Unions in Ireland; whether he is aware that in many Unions the requisition forms specified in the 3rd schedule of" The Representation of the People Act, 1884," have not been distributed since 1885; and whether he will instruct the clerks of the different Poor Law Unions throughout Ireland to have the said 1852 forms duly served in their respective Unions on every person rated or liable to be rated, as provided for by the 9th section of the said Act?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURBoards of Guardians and their clerks are, under the Representation of the People Act, 1884, declared"overseers" to carry out that Act. It does not devolve on the Local Government Board to issue instructions in the matter. I am not aware that overseers have neglected their duty as to the distribution of requisition forms, but, if so, the persons aggrieved have a remedy provided in the Statute which declares that—
Any overseer who fails to perform his-duty under this section shall be deemed guilty of a breach of duty in the execution of the Registration Acts, and shall be liable to be fined accordingly a sum not exceeding forty-shillings for each default.