CAPTAIN MAXWELL-HERONasked the Lord Advocate, Whether his attention has been drawn to certain Resolutions passed at a meeting of representatives of Parochial Boards held in the town of Dumfries, relative to the expenditure of a sum of over £8,000 per annum, for which sum the ratepayers of the counties of Dumfries, Kirkcudbright, and Wigton are assessed for the maintenance of Pauper Lunatics, and stating that the expenditure of that sum is administered by a Board not elected by or in any way representative of such ratepayers, to whom any detailed account of expenditure or access to accounts for supervision was positively refused; and, if so, if he considers that such a state of matters is satisfactory or just to the ratepayers?
THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. J. B. BALFOUR)Sir, the matter to which this Question relates is a somewhat complex 1789 one; and although I have been making I inquiry iu regard to it, since Notice was given, I have not yet received such full information as to enable me to answer the Question in detail. I may, however, say that where the money of ratepayers is concerned, it appears to me that it is desirable that the accounts of its appropriation should be as full as possible.