§ Mr. JOHN ROCHEasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that John Cooney, of Ballygar, county Galway, was deprived of his old age pension a few weeks ago on the question of age, and, seeing that the Census Returns show that Cooney was at least one year old in June, 1841 and as months were not taken note of in the Census, the man may now be over 70; and, as the case is a deserving one, will he direct that the pension be continued?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI understand that John Cooney is shown by the Census Returns to have been one year old in 1841, and was therefore born in all probability in 1840. He will not apparently be eligible for pension till next year. The onus of proving that he has reached the statutory age rests upon the claimant, and if he can produce satisfactory evidence that he was born in some month of 1839, which would qualify him on the ground of age, he should send in a fresh claim.