§ MR. P. O'BRIEN (Monaghan, N.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether the Commissioners of Irish Lights have recently issued a printed tender form to traders for the supply of clothing for the officers and officials generally under the Board, which contained the following provision—
That all clothing supplied shall be made from cloths approved of and manufactured by Messrs. William Lupton and Co., Leeds, and numbered 500, 501, 502, and 503 respectively, samples of which are to be seen at this office;whether this provision has his sanction; 1083 and, whether he will cause that tender to be withdrawn and a fresh one issued open to all trades who may wish to tender for the contract?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE BOARD OF TRADE (Baron HENRY DE WORMS) (Liverpool, East Toxteth)The Commissioners of Irish Lights inform me that they advertised for samples of blue pilot and other cloths used in their service, the result being that nine firms sent in patterns of various kinds of tweeds, serges, &c. The samples were duly submitted to the officers of the Board and an experienced expert, a cloth buyer for one of the large mercantile houses in Dublin, and they unanimously selected the samples of Messrs. Lupton and Co. as the only ones suitable to the requirements of the Commissioners. Under these circumstances the Board of Trade do not propose to interfere.