HC Deb 22 February 1895 vol 30 cc1422-3
MR. SHEEHY

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that, in the Return (No. 300) showing the amounts received by the county and borough Treasurers in Ireland from the Clerks of the Peace in respect of the sale of copies of the Registers of Voters and Supplemental Lists, no receipts appear to have been credited for the years noted in the Return for the Counties of Westmeath, Cork and Galway; whether it is the practice of the Clerks of the Peace in these constituencies to charge for copies as required by Statute; and could he explain why the amounts have not been placed to the credit of the county and borough Treasurers respectively; whether he can state if, in any of these cases, any moneys have been credited since the passing of the Act requiring the same to be done in 1850; and how it has happened that the responsible Auditors of the Local Government Board, who audit the Grand Jury accounts twice a year, have not called attention to the matter; whether he is also aware that in the Return no sum appears anywhere audited under the heading of "Fines" for bogus claims and objections, although it is notorious that these are made in thousands annually; and who is to blame for the neglect?

MR. J. MORLEY

The Return was prepared in accordance with the information supplied by the Treasurers of the counties and boroughs named in the question. I am in communication with these gentlemen, and with the Local Government Board, and will ask the hon. Gentleman to defer the question for a few days.