§ MR. T. M. HEALY (Louth, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the late Mr. T. J. O'Brien, of the Consolidated Accounting Office of the Supreme Court of Judicature in Ireland, was allowed a special salary amounting to £210 per annum for the discharge of the duties of Clerk in Charge of the Vote Account, and that, since shortly after Mr. O'Brien's decease in June, 1898, these duties have been performed by a junior clerk at a salary of £140, who recently presented a petition to the Lord Chancellor praying for an allowance similar to Mr. O'Brien's; whether the Lord Chancellor on receipt of the petition instructed the Accountant General to take steps to have these duties performed by a first class clerk; and, whether, seeing that the time of the three first class clerks is fully engaged by other responsible duties, and that it has been found impossible to get the work of the Vote Account done by the present first class staff, an additional first class clerk will be appointed; and, if not, 410 whether an adequate allowance will be given to the junior clerk who has during, the past two years been discharging the duties connected with the Vote Account.
§ MR. HANBURYThe junior clerk referred to (who is only nominally clerk in charge and receives all necessary directions from his superior officer) has the same salary as Mr. O'Brien's predecessor. Mr. O'Brien was allowed the exceptional fixed salary of £210 to compensate him for the fact that being outside the normal organisation of the Office, he had no right of promotion such as Mr. Wilson has, and was on a much lower scale of pay. Mr. Wilson's salary after thirteen years service will be £230, rising by £10 to £300 as against £210, fixed salary paid to Mr. O'Brien after the same period of service—and this irrespective of his chance of promotion.