§ MR. FFRENCH (Wexford, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that Messrs. Felix Adams and Patrick Walsh, both members of the Wexford District Council, were disqualified as such by the Local Government Board because they were tenants of labourers' cottages; and, seeing that the Local Government Board have recently addressed a communication to the district councils stating that no legal disqualification attaches to a person by reason of his being a tenant of a labourer's cottage, and that the aforesaid gentlemen have sought to be reinstated on the Wexford District Council, whether he will advise the Local Government Board to relieve the Wexford District Council of the difficulty in which it is placed.
§ MR. WYNDHAMA bench of magistrates in Petty Sessions having decided that tenants of labourers' cottages were disqualified for the office of rural district councillor, the Wexford Council declared the offices held by the persons named to be vacant, and subsequently co-opted two other persons in their stead. Having regard to the recent decision of the King's Bench Division, it is open to the council, if they wish, to choose Messrs. Adams and Walsh to fill the next vacancies on the council, provided, of course, they possess the necesssary qualifications.
§ MR. CULLINAN (Tipperary, Mid)In view of the injustice done these gentlemen, will the right hon. Gentleman see that they are reinstated in their membership?
§ MR. WYNDHAMThere is no power vested in the Local Government Board to do that.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMOND (Clare, E.)Is not this another illustration of the improper interference of the Local Government Board?
§ MR. WYNDHAMIt is a case of non-interference.