§ Mr. MEAGHERasked the Chief Secretary whether, owing to a new regulation of the Local Government Board for Ireland, all Irish Poor Law officers are debarred from ever being promoted to the position of Local Government auditor; whether such a rule or regulation is foreign to the regulations of other public departments in Ireland; whether he will give a Return of the names of the gentlemen appointed as Local Government auditors within the past three years, their positions in life previously, and whether, if barristers, they ever acted as barristers 1811 in any court of justice; whether there is any new rule in existence in the Local Government Board for the guidance of auditors different from rules issued three years ago; and whether any of the newly appointed auditors have received instructions for the purpose of manufacturing surcharges on the local bodies in Ireland?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe answer to the first paragraph of the question is in the negative. I am quite prepared to give the Return asked for if the hon. Member will move for it. It is not the practice of the Local Government Board to issue rules for the guidance of auditors in the discharge of their judicial duties. There are no grounds for the suggestion contained in the last paragraph of the question.