§ MR. LEA (Londonderry, S.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether, in view of the fact that farmers in the Lower Bann suffer serious loss by floods caused through the establishment of navigation works which are of no benefit to that district, he will press forward the Bann Drainage Bill, and thus relieve struggling farmers from the loss of what sometimes is the product of a whole year's labour; and, if no legislation takes place this Session, will the Government grant compensation to those farmers should their crops be destroyed or damaged during the next 12 months?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)Sir, in answer to the Question of the hon. Gentleman, I may say that it is my desire in the interests of the farmers, who alone are affected by the proposed works, to press them on by all means in my power; but if, through the action of Gentlemen opposite, the Bills fail to become law, I am afraid it will not be in my power to mitigate the consequences of their rejection to the classes concerned.