CHARITABLE DONATIONS AND BEQUESTS (IRELAND) BILL.
RETURN to an Address of the Honourable The House of Commons,
dated 19 May 1862;-—/or, "COPY of, or Extracts from, all Official Correspondence between the Chief Secretary for Ireland, or the Secretary of State for the Home Depart¬ ment and the Board of Charitable Donations and Bequests for Ireland'-, also, of ail Resolutions or Minutes of that Board, relating respectively to the Charitable Donations and Bequests (Ireland) Bill."
No.
1.
(9473).
Copy Letter from Sir Robert Peel to the Master of the Rolls.
Sir, Dublin Castle,, 17 December 1861.
With reference to the irregularity consequent upon the present constitution of the Board of Charitable Donations and Bequests, and the arrears of business •which accumulate from the difficulty of obtaining a quorum of five Commis¬ sioners, in compliance with the provisions of the Statute (7 and 8 Victoria), the Irish Government are desirous of ascertaining your views as to the necessity of taking action during the ensuing Parliamentary Session, with the view of obviating some of the inconveniences complained of.
It appears that of forty-three meetings summoned during the course of thirteen months, ending July 11, 1861, nineteen of these meetings were rendered abortive in consequence of five Commissioners not having been present.
Some of the Commissioners hardly ever attend; and, although, no doubt, satisfactory reasons could be given accounting for their absence, yet at the same time their non-attendance, and the irregularity in the attendance of the Com¬ missioners, materially impairs the operation of the Act.
Of the forty-three meetings above referred to, it appears that the Primate never attended on any one occasion.
Doctor Henry, whose duties as President of the Queen's College, Belfast, necessitates his residence in the north^ of these forty-th.ee
meetings only attended nine.
Dean Meyler only attended nine of the same number, and Mr.
Hatchell only nineteen.
The Government feel it their duty to call the attention of the Board of which you are Chairman, to this state of things, and desjre that, having coaBuM^h your colleagues, you would favour the Government with the view.^^terton
for the purpose of facilitating the transaction of the busmess of jheJto«d^d as to the introduction of changes in the constitution of the Board, 01 otherwise, during the ensuing Session of Parliament.
&c The Right Honourable (**"«
^ ^ Peel' the Master of the Rolls.
A 279.
A
