§ MR. McKEAN (Monaghan, S.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that William Ellis, senior, Toome-bridge, holds the positions of postmaster and petty sessions clerk for that district; is agent for the Toome and Vulrea eel fishery; is sub-agent for Mrs. Jones's Moneyglass estate, and has been land agent for Lady Spencer's Castledawson estate for the past four years; and whether he will consider the advisability of preventing a public official from holding such a variety of positions, the duties of which must occasionally conflict with one another.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) The registrar of petty sessions clerks informs me that Mr. Ellis, the petty sessions clerk at Toomebridge, is also the sub-postmaster of that place, is one of the lessees of the Toomebridge eel fishery, and is sub-agent and agent respectively for the two estates mentioned. The clerk is not precluded, either by Statute or by Order of the Lord-Lieutenant, from holding any of these positions. 741 Mr. Ellis performs his duties as petty sessions clerk to the satisfaction of the registrar, and no complaints against him have been received. The petty sessions at Toomebridge are held but once a month, and the clerk's salary is proportionate to the limited extent of the duties to be performed.