Waterford District Asylum Committee MR. O'SHEE (Waterford, W.) I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to a resolution of the Waterford District Asylum Committee on the 12th instant, rescinding a resolution of the committee at its previous meeting giving Dr. Oakshott, the resident medical superintendent, an increase of £50 to his salary of £700; whether he is aware that the resolution granting the increase, now rescinded, was carried only by the casting vote of the chairman; whether he is aware that several of the rural councils of the county Waterford have unanimously passed resolutions against the increase, having regard to the fact that the maintenance charges for the asylum have increased by over £3,000 in the past year; and whether the approval given by the Lord-Lieutenant to the increase of salary is now of effect, in view of the rescission by the committee of the resolution granting it. MR. BIRRELL The facts are as stated in the Question, save that Dr. Oakshott's former salary was £450 per annum, and that the increase in the maintenance charges of the asylum, which is due to an increase in the number of patients, amounts to less than £300 a year. The concurrence of the Lord-Lieutenant in the increase of salary is now of effect notwithstanding the rescission by the Committee of the resolution granting the increase of salary. The Committee had no power to rescind that resolution without the Lord-Lieutenant's concurrence. Dr. Oakshott's rights as an existing officer at the passing of the Local Government Act of 1898 were reserved to him by Section 115 of that Act. If the Act had not passed, he would before now have received in the ordinary course an increase of £100 per annum, and as a matter of fact the Committee granted him an increase of that amount in May last, but subsequently rescinded the resolution.