§ MR. W. A. MACDONALD (Queen's Co., Ossory)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, in reference to the sum of £5,000 voted by Parliament towards the drainage of the River Barrow, Whether the Government intend to bring forward legislation dealing with the subject of the drainage; whether that legislation will be introduced next Session; and, if so, at what period of the Session; and, whether the legislation will proceed on the lines suggested by the Royal Commission, and particularly whether effect will be given to the recommendation of the Commission that a free grant of £75,000 shall be made for the purpose of the proposed drainage?
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER SECRETARY (Colonel KING-HARMAN) (Kent, Isle of Thanet)(who replied) said, the Government did intend to introduce a Bill dealing with the Barrow drainage next Session. The Bill would be based generally on the lines suggested by the Royal Commission. The Government were not prepared to give any promise in regard to a free grant of any or a special sum. They would not 1667 be in a position to do so until they had before them the Reports of the Royal Commission on other questions besides arterial drainage which had been referred to them. The Bill would deal with the recommendations of the Commissioners as a whole.