§ MR. JAMES O'CONNOR (Wicklow)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, if he will obtain for masters of Poor Law Unions in Ireland the privilege, already accorded to other Departments of Her Majesty's Service, of sending free telegrams on strictly Poor Law business, the main object of the required privilege being the better enforcement of the Vagrancy Acts?
§ MR. HANBURYI can only answer the hon. Member's Question in the negative. As I stated, in reply to a similar Question on the 18th ultimo, the only persons entitled to send telegrams on Government service without payment are officers of the Crown whose salaries are wholly provided for out of the Imperial Funds. Masters of the workhouses are, of course, the officers of the Local Authority and not officers of the Crown.
§ MR. JAMES O'CONNORI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if, in reference to the vacancy at present existing in the auditorship of Poor Law Unions in Ireland, he will give directions to have the vacancy filled by limited competition (which at present prevails in the case of the Irish Constabulary) amongst Union officers in active service for 10 years and upwards and not exceeding 45 years of age?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI am not aware that a vacancy at present exists in the office of Auditor, but I am of opinion that this is not a post which it would be desirable to fill as proposed in the Question.