§ SIR THOMAS ESMONDEI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether, in view of the criticisms passed by the Court of Appeal in Ireland on the action of the Local Government Board towards the County Council of Wexford in fixing the salaries of certain existing local officers transferred to the new local authorities created by the Local Government (Ireland) Act, he will, as President of the Local Government Board for Ireland, consider the expediency, before any fixing of salaries by the Local Government Board takes place in future, of holding-local inquiries at which the officers and the councils concerned may be heard in open court.
§ MR. WYNDHAMThe Board will be happy to hold inquiries in such cases if the councils so desire it; but it is obligatory on the Board under the Local Government Act to charge the entire cost of these inquiries to the county councils. The Board propose before making fresh orders to invite the councils and officers to give their views in writing upon each case, but they will at the same time intimate to the councils that if they would prefer to submit their views at a local inquiry, an inquiry will accordingly be held.
§ MR. CULLINANIt having been decided that the Local Government Board was wrong in this matter, will the authorities not enable the local boards to have inquiries without expense?