§ Sir JAMES HASLETT (Belfast, N.)To ask Mr. Attorney General for Ireland whether, seeing that the high sheriff for a county in Ireland receives payment to cover to some extent his outlay in attending judges of assize, while high sheriffs of county boroughs do not receive any such payment, he will take steps to place the latter on the same footing in this respect.
(Answered by Mr. Atkinson.) It has already been decided that the provision made by Parliament in respect of certain expenses of the high sheriffs of counties could not be extended to county boroughs. The law in regard to the shrievalty of counties and boroughs is widely different. In the former case the person appointed is obliged to accept office or, on refusal, to incur a heavy penalty. In the latter it is specifically provided by Section 7 of the Municipal Privileges (Ireland) Act, 1876, that the person appointed may decline to serve without incurring any penalty.