§ MR. KEIR HARDIE (West Ham, S.)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to the proceedings of the West Ham Board of Guardians, reported in The West Ham Herald for 1st July, in which the Chairman and Clerk of the Board stated that they had no powers to acquire laud on which to set the unemployed to work; and whether this is a correct interpretation of their powers under the present Poor Laws? I beg also to ask whether his attention has been directed to the action of the West Ham Board of Guardians, at whose meeting last week 808 a deputation representing the unemployed were refused a hearing; and whether he possesses any powers to compel the Guardians to receive representations made on behalf of 3,000 men who are out of employment?
§ MR. H. H. FOWLERThese questions only appeared on the Paper last night. I am in communication with the Guardians with reference to the facts, and I must ask the hon. Member to postpone his question till Monday next.