§ LORD ERNEST HAMILTON (Tyrone, N.)asked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether complaints have reached him from various Boards of Guardians in Ireland with reference to the great expense to which the ratepayers are placed, owing to the fact that numbers of the Requisition Forms (Registration Act (Ireland), 1885), requiring the names of inhabitant occupiers, are returned to the clerk of the Union without the postage prepaid, thus putting the ratepayers to the expense of twice the deficiency of postage; and, whether, in consideration of the fact that these forms must be dealt with (under statute) by the clerk of the Union, whether returned stamped or otherwise, the Government will consider the advisability of allowing the Requisition Forms to be transmitted free through the Post Office?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. HENRY H. FOWLER) (Wolverhampton, E.)We find, Sir, in the course of this inquiry, that we are unable to raise the question without considerable legal difficulty. The matter is at present before the Law Officers of the Crown in Ireland; and when their opinion is received I will communicate with the noble Lord.