§ Mr. FFRENCHasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that some twenty-five years ago, during a period when the New Ross Union was in charge of vice-guardians, these gentlemen, for no cause assigned, changed the treasurership of the union finances from the National Bank to the Bank of Ireland; whether he is aware that, by forty-seven votes to seven votes, the New Ross Board of Guardians, at a meeting held after due notice on 24th February last, passed a resolution requesting the Local Government Board to sanction the return of the guardians' and council's account to the old treasurer, i.e., the National Bank; will he state the grounds on which the Local Government Board has refused to conform to the guardians' wishes; whether, before transfering the account, from the National Bank to the Bank of Ireland, the Local Government Board consulted the people's wishes or took any pains to ascertain the views of the ratepayers as to where their money should be deposited; and, if not, will he explain why they now arrogate to themselves the power to dispose of the public money where they please?
§ Mr. BIRRELLIn 1887 the Local Government Board sanctioned the transfer of the accounts of the New Ross Union from the National Bank to the Bank of Ireland in consquence of the refusal of the former to honour cheques presented by the vice-guardians when the union account was only slightly overdrawn. The local manager of the Bank of Ireland is an officer of the board of guardians, in the same position and with the same rights as the clerk and other principal officers of the union. His removal from office is subject to the approval of the board, who could not dismiss such an officer from his position without good grounds, and, so far, no sufficient reasons have been adduced by the board of guardians for the removal of this officer and the appointment of another treasurer.