BALLINA CHRONICLE Ballina, Mayo, Ireland Wednesday, April 17, 1850 MEETING OF GUARDIANS Ballina Union. - The usual weekly meeting of the Guardians of this Union was held in the Boardroom on Saturday, Edward Howley, Esq., in the chair. The other Guardians present were, Mr. Pratt, Mr. Paget, Mr. Symes, Mr. Malley, Capt. Atkinson, Mr. M'Culloch, Mr Joynt, Captain J. Knox, Mr. G. Orme, Mr. E. Orme, Mr. J. Jackson, Mr. Gardiner, Mr. A. Knox, Mr. Wills and Mr. Cunningham, &c. Capt. Hamilton, Inspector, was present. A letter from the Commissioners was read in which they declared their intentions to issue their order for a supplemental election for Guardians for the Ardnaree South and Fortland Electoral Divisions. Mr. Quigly, one of the Guardians, brought into the Board Room two jackets and two waistcoats, the property of the Union, which he had taken off a pauper who had absconded from the workhouse. A pauper, who stated that he had worked as a labourer for about four years in the Sallymount division, and having partly lost his sight, begged in that neighbourhood during the three or four following years, applied for admission into the house. - Mr. Paget objected to his being placed on the Sallymount division and insisted upon taking the sense of the Board on the subject, when it was decided by a majority of 10 to 9 that he should be charged to the union at large. Another pauper who was born in the Ardagh division but lived as a servant in the Ballina division for two or three years was placed upon the latter. Mr. Beaty objected to another pauper and his family being placed on the union at large who were born in the division of Ardagh but had been strolling about during the last four years. The sense of the meeting was taken when there appeared to be a majority of four in favour of charging them on the Ardagh division. There were 80 paupers admitted. The following letter from the Commissioners was read on the previous day of meeting but its consideration was postponed for a fuller board:- "Poor Law Commission Office, Dublin, 3d April, 1850, "SIR - The Commissioners for administering the Laws for Relief of the Poor in Ireland have had before them answers to the usual queries respecting Mr. Henry Joynt, who has been appointed Valuator to the Ballina Union, form which it appears that Mr. Joynt is Surveyor and Clerk to the properties of Colonel Knox Gore and the Earl of Arran in the Union, and I am directed to state that before sanctioning the proposed appointment the Commissioners think it right to inquire whether the Board of Guardians have duly considered how far the circumstances referred to may operate in diminishing the confidence which it is important that all classes of ratepayer should feel in the impartiality of a person entrusted to the duty of valuing the property of the Union. "By order of the Comjmissioners, "W. STANLEY, Secretary. "To the Clerk of the Guardians of the Ballina Union." Mr. Malley considered that it would be time enough to make objections when the valuation was made as there would then be an opportunity for doing so, as the books would be open for inspection, and moreover, the valuator would be obliged at his own expense to defend appeals. Mr. Cunningham wished to disclaim having made any statement to the Commissioners about Mr. Joynt, as was reported of him. The letter of the Commissioners, he said, was of itself evidence that he did not do so. The Board appeared to be unanimous in their opinion of Mr. Joynt's integrity, and passed the following resolution:- "In reference to the Commissioners letter with regard to the appointment of Mr. Henry Joynt, as valuator of the union, it was unanimously agreed to by a full Board of Guardians, in reply to the Commissioners remarks, that he does possess the full confidence of the Board, and as such we request the immediate sanction of his appointment." Catherine Boland, one of the inmates of the Workhouse, appeared before the Board in reference to a change in her religious denomination. [ This woman was before the Board at a late hour on the last board day, and expressed a wish to have her registry changed from Protestant to that of Roman Catholic, but any decision on the Subject was postponed to next meeting, when there would be more guardians present.] She stated that she was born and bred a Roman Catholic. She was two years in the workhouse, during which time her name, according to her own wish, was entered as a Protestant. The Sunday before last she went to mass, but on the last Sunday went, as she said to church, and after coming from it was called a "turn coat" by Betty Sweeney and other paupers. She now would remain a Protestant. She told Colonel Gore on the last day of meeting that she would become a Catholic again, but she now wished to be a Protestant.- She had nothing to say against the master or mistress or any of the other officers; Mrs. Hart, the mistress, sent for her to go to church, and neither she nor any of the officers had ever called her a turn coat or wished her to go to mass. Mr. Pratt remarked that he felt called upon to say that the statement of this woman was highly creditable to the officers of the house. The Master reported that he had Betty Sweeney reported for punishment. Cathy Joynt Labath Ireland Old News http://www.IrelandOldNews.com/