§ SIR H. WILLOUGHBYinquired, pursuant to notice, of the right hon. Baronet the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if any expenditure of public money in aid of the poor-law administration in Ireland, and if any, to what amount, and to what unions, had boon authorised under the minute of the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, dated the 16th day of January, 1849.
§ The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, the hon. Baronet might remember that in the statement which he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) made to the House last Wednesday, he said that in accordance with what he believed was the general understanding of the House, Her Majesty's Government were invested with the discretionary power of making small advances to Irish unions for the sole purpose of preserving the people from absolute starvation; and that in the exercise of such discretion, the Government had made grants amounting to about 3,000l. He had now to state that the actual sum advanced was 2,650l., and that it was distributed 567 amongst the unions of Scarriff, Kenmare, Ballina, Westport, and Bantry.