§ MR. KNOXI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether the promises of successive Postmaster Generals, that in filling up vacancies in Ireland, special consideration should be paid to the claims of men on the Irish establishment, still regulate these appointments; and whether a second class assistant surveyor in England has recently been appointed to be a first class assistant surveyor in Ireland; and, if so, whether second class officers in Ireland may look for promotion to first class offices in England?
§ * MR. HANBURYThe claims of men on the Irish establishment to vacancies arising on that establishment are always specially considered by the Postmaster General as by his predecessors. A surveyor's clerk serving in an English district has recently—on promotion to the rank of assistant surveyor—been sent to the northern district of Ireland in the place of an assistant surveyor transferred to Scotland who was recently promoted to his present position from a surveyor's clerkship in Ireland. I must add, however, that there is only one surveying establishment for the three kingdoms, and any surveyor's clerk serving in any one of the three kingdoms is eligible for promotion to any vacancy in either of the other kingdoms, and in weighing the claims of these officers for promotion, the Postmaster General has regard to their respective claims from seniority, service and ability.