§ MR. JOHNSTON (Belfast, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the meeting of the reinstated Board of Guardians of the Clogher Union, held on the 11th February, at which Mr. Cuthbertson, the rate collector appointed by the Local Government Board, reported having collected and lodged about £22, out of £254, in Monaghan divisions of the union; whether he is acting by deputy, which Miss Magill would not be allowed to do; and what reply has been given to the resolution passed by the Clogher Board requesting the Local Government Board to dispense with the services of Mr. Cuthbertson, and to appoint Miss Magill to complete the collection?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe Guardians' resolution of the 11th ultimo called attention to the unsatisfactory state of the collection in Collector Cuthbertson's district, and pointed out that they believed that the only way to bring the collection to a close before the 25th of March was the immediate issue of a sealed Order of the Local Government Board dispensing with Mr. Cuthbertson's services, and directing Miss Magill to complete the collection. The Local Government Board were unable to regard this suggestion as made in good faith, the Guardians being fully aware of the Board's ruling as to the necessary qualifications of poor rate collectors; and 299 as the Board had local information to show that the only effect of the Guardians' resolution had been to induce the people to further withhold the payment of rates, their reply to the Guardians was to the effect that instead of passing resolutions which placed obstacles in the way of the collection, the Guardians should call upon the people of the district to pay their rates. The Board also pointed out in answer to the alleged unsatisfactory progress made by the collector, that if his collection was backward they could only regard it as the natural consequence of the letter written by the present chairman of the Board at the outset of the dispute, advocating the non-payment of rates to the collector appointed by the Local Government Board. I am informed that the collector has, as a matter of fact, lodged £288 in this district. The Board understand that he is not acting by deputy, but owing to the opposition to payment of rates (prompted very possibly by the chairman's letter), he has to make many seizures for rates, and is obliged to employ persons to assist him in this work.
§ MR SWIFT MACNEILLIs it not the fact that the Board was dissolvd because it appointed a woman rate collector, and insisted on retaining her against the direction of the Local Government Board?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURIt was dissolved because it would not appoint a proper rate collector.