§ MR. FINUCANE (Limerick, E.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he is aware that the county cess in Ireland is nominally collected by men who are known by the name of barony constables, who are paid by a poundage rate of 1s. in the £1 in 17 counties and of 9d. in the other 15; whether he is aware that the taxes are actually collected by deputies who receive, on an average, about 4d. in the £1, and who are required to give ample security, equal in nearly all cases to that given by the baronial constables; and, if he will introduce a Bill at the earliest opportunity so to amend the Grand Jury Laws as to enable the farmers to save £30,000 a-year, which is now voted by the Grand Juries for the payment of these barony constables, by providing a more economical mode of collecting county cess in Ireland?
§ THE SOLICITOR GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. MADDEN) (Dublin University)(who replied) said: I have no information as to the matters of fact referred to in this Question, Grand Juries not being under the control of the Executive Government. With regard to the last paragraph, the Government cannot undertake, in the present time and in the present state of Public Business, to approach the question of the legislation suggested by the hon. Member.
§ THE LORD MAYOR OF DUBLIN (Mr. SEXTON) (Belfast, W.)asked, whether the Government would, at an early date, facilitate a Bill for the purpose of giving the Local Government Board power, through its auditors, to inspect the accounts of the Grand Juries, and surcharge them in cases of excessive expenditure?
§ MR. MADDENsaid, no doubt the matter would receive careful consideration.
§ MR. EDWARD HARRINGTON (Kerry, W.)asked, whether several of these collectors getting this high poundage had not, as in a particular case in Kerry, neglected to prosecute landlords who were their relatives when those landlords failed to pay the cess?
§ MR. MADDENsaid, he had no information on the subject.