§ Mr. BLANE (Armagh, S.)I beg to ask the Solicitor General for Ireland if a Mr. Brooks, of Forkhill, County Armagh, received compensation three or four times during recent years for the burning of a scutch mill; if it be true that at the present Assizes he has been awarded £600, by a majority of one, in the Grand Jury; and, if the County Inspector has taken a view of all the circumstances of these repeated burnings, followed by compensation in each case; and, if not, will the Government draw his attention to a matter that has already attracted a large amount of public comment in County Armagh?
§ THE SOLICITOR GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. Madden, University of Dublin)I am informed that it is not the fact that Mr. Brooks received compensation three or four times during recent years for the burning of a scutch mill. He received compensation on two occasions—in 1880 and 1885. It does not appear to be the fact that he has been awarded compensation recently.
§ MR. BLANEIs not this a case in which compensation has been claimed by a person who is accused of introducing petroleum in order to secure the burning of his own building, so that he might get compensation?
§ MR. MADDENIf the cess-payers object they have power to traverse any claim of the kind.