§ MR. MACVEAGHTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the fact that a Privy Council Order in 1899 required superintendent registrars to supply for electoral registration purposes annual lists of persons dying within the union; that another Order, issued last November, fixed the remuneration to superintendent registrars at two pence per name; that another Order was issued last February requiring the registrars of births and deaths to furnish the Returns; that last month another Order was issued revoking all previous Orders and requiring the superintendent registrars to collect the information at their own cost and without remuneration and whether he will direct inquiries to be made with a veiw to ascertaining whether remuneration can be provided, as contemplated by the Order of November.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) The facts are substantially as stated in the Question. I understand the amending Order of November 4th, 1905, was passed with the object of imposing the duty in question upon registrars, and of providing remuneration for these officers, but by an oversight the words "superintendent registrar" were inserted instead of the word "registrar," and the Order of February 7th, 1906, was thereupon made with the object of correcting this error. It was subsequently ascertained that no legal power exists for authorising the payment of remuneration for the performance of the duty, and it was therefore found necessary to revoke the Order of February 7th. This was done by the Order of May 18th, 1906, and the outcome of the whole matter is that the performance of the duty, without remuneration, is reimposed upon superintendant registrars as under the original Order of 1899. Further inquiry in the matter is unnecessary. It has been decided definitely that there is no power to authorise payment of remuneration.