HC Deb 28 July 1898 vol 63 cc287-8
MR. W. JOHNSTON (Belfast, S.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland on what grounds a sealed order, dated the 22nd July, has been issued to the Clogher Board of Guardians declaring Ann Eliza Magill unfit for the office of poor rate collector and removing her from that office; whether he has seen the report of the last meeting of the guardians, when, after hearing Mr. Kelly, Local Government Board inspector, the guardians re-elected Miss Magill by 21 votes, as against six given for John Roberts, a publican, and that a leading member of the board said that should the Local Government Board make another appointment he should hesitate to pay the rates to their collector; and whether he is aware that the supersession of Miss Magill is creating more difficulties than could possibly arise from the confirmation of her appointment?

MR. GERALD BALFOUR

The guardians having re-elected Miss Magill to the office of poor rate collector in violation of the order of the Local Government Board, which required them to proceed to the election of a qualified person to whom their objection would not apply, the Board had no alternative but to issue a sealed order removing her from the office. The proceedings referred to in the second paragraph took place at the meeting of the guardians held on the 16th inst., and not at their last meeting a week later. The third paragraph is one which I will not attempt to answer; but, as I have already explained to my honourable Friend, the Local Government, Board felt bound to act in connection with this matter on principles of general application.

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