§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Monaghan, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury if he can state the names of all the firms who were privately asked to tender for lighting by electricity the new Science and Art buildings in Dublin, giving the amounts of each tender respectively, and say which of them, if any, are manufacturers of electrical plant; and whether, before closing the contract, he will require the Messrs. Edmundson to give a preference to an Irish firm for the execution of the work?
§ MR. JACKSONFour firms were invited to tender for lighting the new Science and Art buildings in Dublin by electricity, namely, Messrs. Siemens Brothers and Co., Messrs. Johnson and Phillips, Messrs. Edmundson and Co., and the Brush Company; and tenders were received from the three first-named. I am not able to state to what extent any of the firms are manufacturers of electrical plant. Messrs. Edmundson's tender for £8,375, being the lowest, was accepted; the contract with them contains no stipulation as to giving a preference to any firm.