Mr. CHARLES MacVEIGH (for Mr. Thomas F. Smyth)asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland why an old age pension has not been granted to William Armstrong, Corglohan, Ballinamore, county Leitrim, although the Ballinamore pension sub-committee awarded him one, or did the pension officer appeal against their decision on the grounds of the man's age not being on the Census returns of 1841; if he is aware that Armstrong got a declaration signed by three respectable men who are over 80 years of age, and who worked with Armstrong in public works 62 years ago; and if the Local Government Board will reverse their decision and grant Armstrong the pension?
§ The CHIEF SECRETARY for IRELAND (Mr. Birrell)An appeal was made by the pension officer in this case, and the claim, therefore, stood referred to the Local Government Board. A declaration was furnished by three men, two of whom alleged that they were over 80 years of age, stating that they remembered the claimant at work as a messenger boy in 1847. The Board felt unable to accept this declaration as sufficient to establish claimant's age, having regard to the fact that he could not be traced in the Census Returns of either 1841 or 1851. It is not open to the Board to vary their decision on the claim.