§ MR. O'SHAUGHNESSYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Whether it is true that Thomas Enright and Michael Scanlan, inhabitants of Clare, creditors of the Irish Board of Works for moneys advanced from the Irish Reproductive Loan Fund, were, after payment of part of their loans, sued for the entire original amounts and 1844 compelled to pay them in the month of February last; whether these poor men have since been repaid the sums thus overpaid, and, if so, when they were so repaid; whether one Stephen Collins, also of Clare, a creditor of the Board under similar circumstances, tendered the balance he actually owed with costs to the solicitor acting for the Board, and whether the solicitor refused to accept the sum, and proceeded to sue Collins; and, whether Thomas Banfill, an inhabitant of Clare, similarly circumstanced, having repaid part of his loan, was sued for the whole, tendered the balance in court, with costs, when his offer was refused by the solicitor?
MR. J.LOWTHERSir, these parties obtained the money in the manner referred to for a specific purpose, and afterwards applied it to another. This, of course, was gross irregularity, and the sessional Crown Solicitor, with whom the duty rested of recovering this money, interfered, and applied for the whole sum due, notwithstanding that some payment had been made on account. His object in doing that was to read them a lesson against committing a breach of their engagements. The Board of Works, however, directed that the money should be restored which had been paid on account. The repayment to these two men was ordered on the 10th of June; but in consequence of the death of the clergyman who was referee they did not receive it until the 20th. The order was made in Collins' case, and there was no refusal to receive what he tendered.
§ MR. O'SHAUGHNESSYDid Collins tender the money?
§ MR. O'SHAUGHNESSYI beg to give Notice that I will, on an early day, call attention to the unjust and arbitrary conduct of the Crown Solicitor for County Clare in sueing Enright and Scanlan for sums of money, a part of which had already been paid by them.