MR. PATRICK O'BRIENI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether his attention has been called to Rule 74, paragraph 2, of instructions to head postmasters, which states that in the case of an officer guilty or suspected of dishonesty or any other offence against the criminal law the postmaster should report the circumstances at once to his surveyor and await instructions, and whether, seeing that the female supervisor at Belfast in a recent case of suspected dishonesty requested that two clerks should be searched and their lockers also without acquainting the postmaster or seeking his advice, and, in view of the Postmaster General's decision in this case, Rule 74, paragraph 2, may now be considered as deleted from the instructions to head postmasters as being obsolete.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINThe rule referred to prescribes that 117 when an officer is suspected of dishonesty the postmaster must report the particulars to the Secretary direct and await instructions, informing the surveyor that he has done so. In the Belfast case no individual officer was suspected, and there was therefore no occasion for the postmaster to report. The Postmaster General sees no reason to cancel the rule. It has already been explained that no instructions were given for anyone to be searched, but that the supervisor suggested that all the officers who had entered the room after the supposed loss should turn out their pockets.
MR. PATRICK O'BRIENThe supervisor clearly broke the rule. Is she not to be punished for the treatment of these ladies?
§ * MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINThe person who was. Responsible for this action has apologized fully to the people who were asked to turn out their pockets, and I think that there the matter may rest. She made a mistake and apologized.
§ MR. TULLY (Leitrim, S.)Have the injured officials any remedy by an action for slander?
§ * MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINNo, Sir.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLYou do not know the law.