HC Deb 12 August 1884 vol 292 cc605-7
MR. O'BRIEN

asked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether Mr. Owens, architect to the Irish Board of Works, was for many years director and chairman of the National Discount Company of Ireland, Limited; whether that Company is now being compulsorily wound up; whether he is aware that charges of falsification of the accounts have been made against the directors past and present; whether his attention has been drawn to the affidavits filed by Charles Cummins, public accountant, in the Chancery Division of the High Court of Justice, paragraph 5 of which is as follows:— That, from the beginning to the end, the said accounts were, as I believe, wilfully prepared and issued in an illusory and misleading form, so as to conceal from the shareholders and the public the true state of affairs and position of the Company, and that such state of affairs must have been fully within the cognizance of the directors for the time being; and portion of paragraph 22, as follows:— I believe that had the facts within the knowledge of the directors at the close of the year 1874 been honestly made known, the concern would then have been wound up, or such alteration in the management would have taken place as would have saved the shareholders the enormous loss to which they have been now subjected by reason of the suppressions and mis-statements put forth by the directors and auditors as aforesaid; whether in 1874, and for some years before and after, Mr. Owens was one of the auditors and chairman of the Company; whether this is the same Mr. Owens who recently valued for the Treasury the Friendly Brothers' Club in Dublin, which has been or is about to be purchased for £7,000 for Post Office purposes; whether he will now inquire of the principal house agents in Dublin whether for years they had that Club for sale at about one half the price at which it has been valued by Mr. Owens, and which is about being paid by the public; and, if he can say when Parliament will be asked to ratify this transaction?

MR. COURTNEY

, in reply, said, that his attention was called to these statements yesterday evening by the hon. Member himself. He immediately wrote to the Chairman of the Board of Works for an explanation, and it would not surprise hon. Members to hear that he had not yet had a reply. It was impossible that in the interval any reply could have been received except by telegraph. He had also directed inquiries to be made in regard to the Friendly Brothers' Club.

MR. O'BRIEN

intimated that on the first opportunity he would again bring the subject to the notice of the House.

MR. KENNY

asked, was it not the fact that Mr. Owens' conduct was brought before the House of Commons 12 months ago?

MR. COURTNEY

replied that that was in relation to another matter.

MR. CALLAN

asked if it was not upon precisely the same subject, and if the hon. Gentleman himself did not reply to the charges made?

MR. COURTNEY

said, he thought that the discussion had reference to some Building Society.

MR. CALLAN

Mr. Owens does not belong to any other Company; one is quite enough.

MR. O'BRIEN

asked whether, before this bad bargain was concluded, the Secretary to the Treasury would not inquire whether the value put upon these premises was double their real value?

MR. COURTNEY

I am not aware how the bargain stands. I am under the impression that, so far as the Government is concerned, they are committed to the contract. However, the matter will be considered.

MR. CALLAN

If it is shown that a fraudulent bargain has been made, will the Government then proceed with this discreditable business?

MR. COURTNEY

said, that the Government were liable for a contract entered into by one of their agents.

MR. BIGGAR

But in case corrupt collusion is shown, is it not within the right of the Government in that case to set aside the bargain?

MR. COURTNEY

That is a hypothetical case, and I guarded myself against that supposition in my first answer.