§ MR. MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether Boards of Guardians in Ireland are empowered, as similar Bodies are in England, to defray out of the rates the cost of supplying the inmates of workhouses with newspapers, periodicals, and books; whether he is aware that the President of the Local Government Board in England has directed that the Inspectors of the Local Government Board shall he instructed, in connection with their visits to work houses, to give this subject their special attention, and to report to the Board as to the views and practice of the Guardians with, respect to such supply; whether he will give, if he can do so legally, similar directions to Local Government Board Inspectors in Ire land; and whether, if the law in Ireland is in this respect different from the law in England, the Government will intro duce a measure for the assimilation of the law in Ireland to the law in Eng land on this subject?
§ MR. DILLON (Mayo, E.)I have also to ask whether any expense incurred by Poor Law Guardians in Ireland for the purpose of supplying reading matter to the inmates of workhouses is disallowed by the Auditors of the Local Government Board; and, if this is the case, whether ho will take steps to have the Rules of the Local Government Board altered in this particular?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.I have ascertained that there is no enactment expressly empowering Boards of Guardians in Ireland to provide the inmates of workhouses with newspapers, periodicals, and books. When such expenditure is incurred, it is a matter for the Auditor to determine if such shall be allowed. The Local Government Board believe that literature of this nature is usually supplied by private contribution. Inquiries will be made, and there is every desire that the practice in Ireland should be on all fours with that in England.