1 DUBLIN CASTLE, My Lord Dear Lord Meath, With reference to Your Lordships letter of You wrote to me on the 11th ultimo
proposing to appoint the Viscount Lord Powerscourt, M.V.C., to be
a Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Dublin in the room of
the late Captain Charles M. Colthurst Vesey; I am directed I had some doubts on etc. }
by the Lord Lieutenant to inform you that while there are
three Lieutenants of Counties who are Deputy Lieutenants of
other Counties in Ireland, viz: Lord Rathdonnell, the Right
Honourable Edward Archdale and Sir Anthony Weldon, Bart., these
gentlemen held their appointments as Deputy Lieutenants prior
to their appointments to the Lieutenancy. There appears to
be no precedent for the appointment of an existing Lieutenant
of a County to be a Deputy Lieutenant of another County.
When a gentleman who holds a Commission as a Deputy Lieutenant
has been proposed for appointment as a Deputy Lieutenant in
another County it has been the rule to require him to resign
his existing Commission before approving of the appointment.
The number of Deputy Lieutenants in each County being limited,
the holding of two Commissions by the same gentleman prevents
the appointment of another gentleman who may be duly
qualified. It would appear to His Excellency that similar
considerations would apply to the proposed appointment of a
Lieutenant of a County as a Deputy Lieutenant of another
Countyand His Excellency would therefore & in these circs I would be glad be glad if Your
Lordship will be so good as you could see your way to reconsider your recommendation
as The Right Honourable,
The Earl of Meath, K.P.,
Chamworth House,
Ottershaw,
Chertsey. 2 as to the filling of the present vacancy. I have the honour to be,
My Lord,
Your obedient Servant,