§ Mr. SNOWDENasked the President of the Local Government Board whether the interview that he had with the chairman and clerk to the Bristol Board of Guardians relative to the loss of income sustained by the two vaccination officers for that union was on 12th June last; whether it was after that interview that the Bristol Board of Guardians informed the Local Government Board that, as they were in no way responsible for the reduction of income, they declined to admit any 1836W liability for compensation and refused to pay to these two officers the gratuities of £120 and £70 suggested by the Local Government Board; and, if so, what were the circumstances for the Local Government Board to consent to these officers not being paid the gratuity suggested by them and to agree to the payment of a salary which in one case was £40 a year less and in the other £30 a year less than that suggested by them?
§ Mr. BURNSThe answer to the first two parts of the question is in the affirmative. With regard to the last part of the question, I did not consider this a sufficiently strong case to justify me in overriding the wishes of the guardians.