§ MR. CONYBEARE (Cornwall, Camborne)asked the President of the Local Government Board, If he is aware that the Nottingham Board of Guardians, in commemoration of the official opening of new Poor Law offices at Nottingham, have purchased out of the rates and presented to the Chairman of that Board (Mr. John Burton), and the Chairman of the Building Committee respectively, golden keys; if the consent of the Local Government Board to this expenditure has been given, and if funds raised from the ratepayers for the relief of the poor may legally be charged with the cost incurred by the Guardians in this respect; and, if he will direct that the attention of the auditor be called specially to this particular item, and to the general expenditure incurred by the Nottingham Board of Guardians in furnishing and decorating this building, inasmuch as, in the opinion of a large number of ratepayers, the cost incurred is extravagant, especially in face of the present depressed state of the local industries?
§ THE PRESIDENT (Mr. RITCHIE) (Tower Hamlets, St. George's)The Local Government Board have no information as to gold keys having been purchased at the cost of the rates and presented to the Chairman of the Guardians of the Nottingham Union and the Chairman of the Building Committee in connection with the opening of the new Poor Law offices at Nottingham. The Local Government Board have not consented to any such expenditure. It is the duty of the district auditor to disallow any charge which he considers to be illegal; and it is open to any person who is aggrieved by the decision of the auditor with regard to any payment, whether he allows or dis- 727 allows the payment, to appeal against the decision either to the Local Government Board or to the High Court of Justice. I will see that the attention of the auditor is drawn to the Question of the hon. Member.