§ MR. JOSEPH DEVLINI beg to ask to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state how many salaried officials are employed by the Antrim County Council, and what the total salary list of that body amounts to; and whether he can state the religious denominations of the officials, and what proportion of the total salary list is paid to Roman Catholic officials.
§ MR. MACVEAGH (Down, S.)May I also ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state the number of salaried officials in the employment of the Down County Council, and the religious denominations to which they belong; the total amount of salaries paid; and the proportion paid to Roman Catholic officials.
§ MR. WYNDHAMInformation in respect to the emoluments of the secretary of each county council in Ireland
† See (4) Debates, cxxvi., 1448.1481 and of the officials employed in his office will be found in a Return laid on the Table last session [No. 152]. I see grave objections to the Government instituting an investigation into the religious denominations of persons appointed by elected bodies. We have no power to compel such bodies to give the information. If, however, it were given in the case of counties Antrim and Down such a course might lead to a request for similar investigation in respect of other counties, and so foment a spirit of sectarian bitterness which all must desire to see allayed.