§ MR. P. J. O'BRIEN (Tipperary, N.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether the moneys earned by the road contractors in the North Riding of the County of Tipperary for a period of eight months came due at the recent Assizes at Nenagh on the 5th and 6th instants, when, as usual, cheques for payment should be issued; whether these contractors, numbering over 500, mostly poor men, are yet unpaid; whether many of them reside at a distance of 20 miles from Nenagh, where they have had to come applying for their money; and, whether complaints have reached him that this is owing to the neglect of "the Clerk of the Crown and Peace" in not signing the cheques duly certified for; and, if so, whether he will have instructions issued to that official to have the payments made without further delay?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.), in reply, said, he had been unable to obtain the necessary information, and he must ask the hon. Gentleman to be good enough to give him a little longer Notice.
§ MR. P. J. O'BRIENsaid, the Question had been on the Paper four or five days.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURreplied, that the hon. Member was aware that it was unusual to put down Questions for a Wednesday's Sitting, and it was also very inconvenient.