§ MR. T. W. RUSSELL (Tyrone, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention has been called to the remarks in the Report of the Auditor General with regard to the sum of £42,300 due by the Irish Land Purchase and Settlement Company in respect of a loan by the Irish Land Commission, in which he states that, when the company was wound up by an Order of the High Court on 13th August last, it appeared that of the nominal capital of the company—namely, £250,000, only £4,669 5s. was paid up, and that the security held by the Land Commission is totally insufficient to meet the balance of £38,000 due on foot of the mortgage debt of £42,300; and calls special attention to the matter, in view of the terms of Section 13 of "The Tramways and Public Companies (Ireland) Act, 1883," under which the responsibility is laid on the Land Commission of satisfying itself with regard to the constitution of any public company to which an advance is made, and of approving of the security and expediency of the purchase; whether he can state who the Directors of the Irish Land Purchase and Settlement Company were, what shares they held, and how far they may be responsible; and if the objects of the company were in any way achieved?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Sir J. T. HIBBERT,) OldhamYes, Sir; my attention has been called to the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General referred to. The facts generally are as stated in that Report and the correspondence appended thereto. I do not think that any useful purpose would be served by giving the names of the Directors in reply to a question, but 164 I shall be ready to forward a list to the hon. Member if he desires to see it. I am afraid I cannot say that the objects of the company were achieved. It would not be convenient, I think, that I should enter at present into further particulars, as the whole matter will form the subject of special inquiry.
§ MR. T. W. RUSSELLOn the first opportunity I will call further attention to this matter.