§ MR. BIGGARasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If his attention has been directed to the action of the Local Government Board in the matter of an account, furnished to the Belfast Board of Guardians for a supply of books for the inmates, amounting to the sum of £64 9s. 1d.; if it be correct that the Board of Guardians acted in express violation of a Resolution passed by them some time ago, and subsequently approved of by the Local Government Board, by which they were bound to advertise for tenders for supplies of any kind when the amount exceeded £20; if it be true that in the matter of the books no advertisements for tenders appeared in any of the local papers; why did the Local Government Board fail to insist on the Guardians observing this Resolution before sanctioning payment of the account for £64 9s. 1d. by their letter to the Guardians, as read on the 1st August instant; is it true the workhouse master never received the books into his stores, although they were delivered at 1364 the workhouse so far back as the 21st June last; is it true that, up to the 25th July ultimo, the master never thought fit to check the account nor count the books, and that he, on that date, obtained a week's leave to have them counted, but on the expiry of which time he still had omitted to check the account or certify it for payment; is it true that the books were produced on the Board room table by order of the Guardians on the 1st August, with the view to having them counted in their presence, when it was found that there were 149 volumes unaccounted for; is it true that no satisfactory evidence is forthcoming of the missing volumes; is it true that the Chairman of the Guardians read a letter from the Local Government Board (two hours before the books were counted for the first time after delivery) actually sanctioning payment of the account for £64 9s. 1d.; and, in the circumstances, is he prepared to offer any explanation for the gross neglect of the workhouse master and the serious misconduct of the Local Government Board; and, if not, what steps does the Irish Executive intend to take in the matter?
§ MR. TREVELYANI have received a Report from the Local Government Board in reference to the accounts referred to in the hon. Member's Question, from which I find that the books were ordered on the requisition of the Roman Catholic chaplain, and were not advertised for as they ought to have been. The Guardians state that they were not aware that the books would cost more than £20, and, consequently, did not invite tenders for them. Under these circumstances, the Local Government Board did not object to the payment of the bill. The attention of the Local Government Board had not previously been called the other irregularities alluded to in the Question; but I have now given directions for having them inquired into.