§ MR. HEALYasked the Secretary to the Treasury, Who is considered to blame for allowing the Colclough stamp frauds to go ten years undetected; whether it is intended to bring in a Bill to legalize the documents on which forged stamps were used; and, whether it is true that the value of a large number of the stamps forged by Colclough was repaid to parties who presented them; and, if so, to what amount this represents a loss to the Revenue?
§ LORD FREDERICK CAVENDISHSir, during a prolonged trial no evidence was produced that blame was attributable to anyone for the detection of the Dublin stamp forgeries not having been made sooner. The forgeries are confined to Judicature and Judgment Registry Fee stamps; and, as the Board of Inland Revenue have power to authorize the stamping of such documents at any time, no legislation is required. If any allowance has been made for forged stamps as spoiled stamps, as suggested in the last paragraph of the Question, this must have been owing to their not having been recognized as forgeries. But there is no proof of this having happened; and it is, therefore, impossible to say what loss, if any, the Revenue has suffered on this account.