§ DR. KENNY () Dublin, College GreenI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that Mr. William Turner, Petty Sessions Clerk, Clones, County Monaghan, is frequently employed by landlords in that district as a surveyor and mapper, and that Mr. Turner is also relieving officer of the Clones District; whether he is aware that frequent complaints have been made by persons requiring to see Mr. Turner on Petty Sessions business that they have suffered inconvenience and disappointment in not being able to find him in consequence of his absence on other duties; whether complaints have reached him that, from the same cause, poor persons, requiring Poor Law assistance from MR. Turner as relieving officer, have suffered hardship by being obliged to do without the required assistance, which in many cases they had travelled long distances to obtain; whether it is in accordance with the Rules of the Public Service that one individual should be permitted to hold the two offices of 1698 Petty Sessions Clerk and relieving officer, and also allowed to do other business unconnected with either office, to the duties of each of which the holder is supposed to devote his entire time; and whether he will cause an inquiry to be made concerning the alleged facts in this case with a view to putting an end to the evils complained of?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. J. MORLEY,) Newcastle-upon-TyneIt is a fact, I am informed, that Mr. Turner, Clerk of Petty Sessions, holds also the office of relieving officer, and that he is employed from time to time in the work of surveying, &c. No complaints have been made to me, or to either of the Departments by whom he is immediately employed, of the nature indicated in the second and third paragraphs of the question; but I am having inquiry made in the matter. With regard to the fourth paragraph, a Clerk of Petty Sessions is allowed to engage in other occupations with certain exceptions; he is not debarred from acting as relieving officer.