§ MR. J. O'CONNOR (for Mr. P. O'BRIEN)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland what is the number of elected 693 members on the Limerick Fishery Board, and what is the number of ex officio members; what are the qualifications of membership for each class, and what is the system of election to the Board; has the present Chairman of the Board, the Hon. Gaston Maunsel, any financial interest in the fisheries; has it come to his knowledge that grave dissatisfaction exists amongst the working fishermen with the Board, and that the Inspectors of Fisheries have been memorialised to investigate the condition of the fisheries; whether he can say if an inquiry will be held; and, if so, when; whether there are vacancies in the districts entitled to elect members to the Board; and whether he will see that elections are proceeded with at once?
§ MR. JACKSON1. There are 24 persons elected every three years to act as Conservators for the Limerick Fishery district. 2. The number of ex officio Conservators varies from year to year, as the number of persons possessing the requisite qualifications fluctuates. 3. The qualifications for an elected Conservator are:—(A). That he shall reside or possess real property in the electoral division of the district for which he is elected. (B). That he shall be duly elected at a properly convened meeting of persons entitled to vote. These persons are those who shall have paid licence duty for the current year within the electoral division only for which the meeting is held. The qualifications for an ex officio Conservator are that he shall possess a several fishery as owner, lessee, or occupier, valued under the Acts for the relief of the poor at £100 a year or upwards—provided that when a fishery so rated shall be held by several persons, one person alone shall act as Conservator; or that he shall be a Magistrate paying licence duty, and be the owner of land abutting on a river. 4. The system of election to the Board is as follows:—The existing Board of Conservators fix, and publish notice of, the date, hour, and place, for the meeting of the electors in each electoral division for the election of the proper number of Conservators for the same. Two weeks' notice thereof is to be given by handbills and advertisements in two or more newspapers circulating 694 in the district. The meeting for election commences at the hour and on the day named in the notice. Votes are not received after three o'clock p.m. on that day. The persons entitled to vote are those who have paid licence duty for the current year. Such persons shall choose a Chairman, who presides and receives the votes of the electors. All persons produce their licences for the current year at the time of voting. Such persons can give votes according to the following scale:—If the licence duty paid by them shall not amount to £2, one vote; shall amount to £2 and not exceed £5, two votes; shall amount to £5 and not exceed £10, three votes; shall exceed £10, four votes. The chairman declares the persons who shall have received the greatest number of votes to be the elected Conservators, and certifies same. 5. The Inspectors have no information as to whether or not the Hon. Gaston Maunsel has any financial interest in the fisheries. 6. The Inspectors understand from reports in the Press that some friction exists between certain fishermen and members of the Limerick Board.