§ Mr. GINNELLasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the Irish Local Government Board is averse to the registration of the people under the Franchise Acts; if not, will he explain why the printed notices and forms formerly supplied generally to rated occupiers, inhabitant occupiers, and claimants, are now supplied in Westmeath only to persons selected by the secretary of the county council, who refuses to supply them to other persons entitled; why the Board's auditors continue to ratify payments to rate collectors for registration work which they have not done; and what steps the Board will now take to have all qualified persons in that county who have been thus neglected registered as voters at the approaching revision sessions?
§ Mr. ILLINGWORTHThe Lord Lieutenant in Council is the rule making authority for registration. The Local Government Board are not adverse to registration. The forms mentioned in the question are prescribed by Order in Council, and the Local Government Board have no information or jurisdiction regarding the allegation of the hon. Member on this point. The auditors pass payments to collectors in accordance with the prescribed scale which is based on the number of ratings in their respective districts. The Board have no power which would enable them to take action in the direction indicated in the concluding paragraph of the question.