§ DR. COMMINSasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether, upon receipt of a Petition from the Strokestown Board of Guardians in the month of March last, praying for a remission of a portion of a loan granted to them under the Seeds Loans Act, and expended by them upon seed potatoes, the crops from which turned out an almost total failure, an inquiry was directed into the case by an Inspector of the Local Government Board; whether such Inspector made a Report favourable to the prayer of the Petitioners; and, whether he has any objection to lay a Copy of such Report upon the Table of the House?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTER, in reply, said, that there was no power under the existing law for the Local Government Board to make remissions of loans granted under the Seeds Loans Act; and it was on that account that the Local Government Board had not directed any inquiry to be made into the facts set forth in the Petition. But their local Inspector reported that some of the seed bought by the Guardians had proved almost a total failure. This, coupled with the failure of the old seed, caused so much suffering that it caused him to induce the House to pass the Act which had just been passed authorizing remission.