§ MR. W. J. CORBET (Wicklow, E.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If he can say when the rights of the claimants to the Eaton Bequest, in abeyance since 1876, 449 will be inquired into and decided on; and, would he Lave any objection to give a Return of the several sums, left for charitable or industrial purposes, now locked up in the Court of Chancery in Ireland, showing the name of the testator, the date of death, the object of each bequest, and the amount, principal and interest, of the several sums so bequeathed, at the present time?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. JOHN MORLEY) (Newcastle-on-Tyne)I am advised that it is not possible to name any specific time at which the claim or claims to the Eaton Bequest will be disposed of. The Crown and Treasury Solicitor is at present inquiring into them, and he has been requested to expedite the matter. There are no materials for giving the Return mentioned in the Question, nor any staff available for the purpose. There is a list published in the Accountant General's Office which gives a statement of the names and particulars of suits in which funds are lying dormant. But the particular object of each fund or portion of it—where there is any such—devoted to charitable or industrial purposes could only be ascertained by unravelling the history of each suit from the papers connected with it, and these papers are not under the control of the Court officials.