§ 1. "That a sum, not exceeding £22,594, be granted to Her Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1892, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Office of Public Works in Ireland."
§ *(6.21.) MR. JORDANI beg again to bring under the notice of the House this very serious question of the Lough Erne drainage. The excess of expenditure over the estimate is more than double the latter, and the result is a tax of 9s. 6d. per acre on the average, which the community will not be able to pay. The right hon. Gentleman (Mr. Jackson) admits the facts, and says the case is a case of hardship, but he says the Board of Works is not culpable or 59 liable, nor the Treasury either. Well, they may not be culpable or liable legally or technically, but the right hon. Gentleman must admit that the Board of Works and the Treasvry have been mixed up in this whole matter, and I hold that they are morally liable. The Board of Works sanctioned the excessive expenditure and the Treasury actually paid down the money. It is a novel position for me to be in, but in this matter I represent not only the tenants, but Conservative landlords in the county of Fermanagh, who have asked me to bring the matter under the notice of the Treasury. What we want is some ort of inquiry, and I hope the right hon. Gentleman will see his way to give it to us. If he does not, his troubles are only commencing in this matter.
§ MR. KNOX (Cavan, W.)I wish to point out that in this matter the Board of Works are endeavouring to levy a charge on lands which have not been benefited at all. There are no works at all done on one of the tributaries of the Erne, but the tax is to be levied on the lands through which it passes.
§ (6.31.) THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. JACKSON,) Leeds, N.I am afraid I cannot add anything to what I said yesterday. The only charge that is made on the tenants is for the actual value received, and this is ascertained at a public inquiry where counsel may be employed by the tenants. I cannot add to the information I have already given. I do not admit that there is any responsibility on the Board of Works, and I can see no possible benefit from the inquiry suggested. The only charge made is for improvements ascertained by public inquiry, at which the tenants are allowed to appear.
§ MR. JACKSONI have no objection to doing that. I will give the hon. Member all the information I can.
§
Resolution agreed to.
2. "That a sum, not exceeding £17,433, be granted to Her Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year
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ending on the 31st day of March 1892, for the Salaries and Expenses in the Department of the Registrar-General of Births, 4c, and the Expenses of Collecting Agricultural and other Statistics in Ireland.
3. "That a sum, not exceeding £12,809, be granted to Her Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March 1892, for the Salaries and Expenses of the General Valuation and Boundary Survey of Ireland.