§ MR. COX (Clare, E.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, What is the cause of the delay of the Local Government Board in not sending down their Inspector to the Ennis Poor Law Union to hold the necessary inquiry under the Labourers' 17 Cottages Act, notwithstanding the repeated applications of the Chairman of the Board that they should do so; and if it is a fact that all the necessary Documents have been lodged with the Local Government Board Solicitor since November last?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Sir MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH) (Bristol, W.)The Local Government Board report that a number of Petitions from other Unions were lodged much earlier than that of the Ennis Board of Guardians, and must be dealt with first. It is not the case that the necessary documents have been lodged since November. On the contrary, none were received until about Christmas, and some have not yet been received. As soon as the documents still wanting are sent in, and the services of an Inspector are available, the inquiry will proceed.