They were: 1. To direct and stimulate the Committees within
their districts; 2. They were to exercise vigilance in order that relief
should be given only to persons really in need of it; 3. And they were
commanded to interfere as little as possible with Committees that were
performing their duties well, whilst, at the same time, it was laid down
as their duty to interfere with, and address Committees whose
proceedings were of an injurious kind.
As to Finance Committees, the Lord Lieutenant explained that they were
to be composed of the resident gentlemen, who had the greatest interest
in the welfare of the districts. The legislature intended, he said, that
they were to be the superintending controlling bodies over the
proceedings of the Committees of Electoral Divisions, inasmuch as it was
to them the country had to look for the carrying out of the provisions
of the Act, with the least injury to the great interests concerned.
There is no doubt that in this matter the Lord Lieutenant used the
powers vested in him with a good deal of freedom as to the appointment
of the Finance Committees. The clause of the Act referring to them (the
6th) runs thus: "And be it enacted, that it shall be lawful for the Lord
Lieutenant of Ireland, in every case in which it shall appear to him
expedient, to appoint in every Union in which this Act shall be in
force, a Finance Committee, which shall consist of the Inspector, to be
appointed as aforesaid by the Relief Commissioners for such Union, and
of such justices resident in the Union, or such other persons as the
Lord Lieutenant should think fit, not being less than two and not more
than four persons in addition to such Inspector.
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