§ Mr. GEORGE ROBERTSasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that a meeting of members of the Royal Liver Friendly Society held in the Young Men's Christian Association Hall, Belfast, on the 18th of March last, under the Friendly Societies Act, for the purpose of electing a delegate to represent the members at the annual meeting of the society in Glasgow, a candidate named Thomas Thompson was legally elected, but, owing to the non-arrival of the election return at the society's chief office in Liverpool, the election was declared void; that the election return was properly filled up and handed to the society's official in charge of the meeting for transmission to the chief office; and whether he will inquire into the matter, with a view to the proper carrying out of the intention of the Friendly Societies Act?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Charles Hobhouse)I have no knowledge of the alleged facts other than that conveyed by the question. The Royal Liver Friendly Society is a 711 collecting society registered under the Friendly Societies Act, 1896, and subject to the Collecting Societies and Industrial and Assurance Companies Act, 1896. Neither the Assistant Registrar of Friendly Societies for Ireland nor the Chief Registrar has any jurisdiction in the matters to which the question relates. The election of officers is purely a question of internal administration in the society. If any dispute has arisen in relation thereto it can be determined only in the manner provided by the rules of the society for the settlement of disputes, or, failing that, by action at law.