§ MR. W. REDMONDI beg, on behalf of the hon. Member for Waterford, to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) whether his attention has been drawn to a correspondence between the Waterford Board of Guardians and the Local Government Board as to the legal powers of the former Board to incur expense in opposing the Waterford Harbors Bill now before Parliament; (2) whether he is aware that this Bill would, if carried into law, inflict a loss upon the rates of about £500 per annum; (3) whether the attention of the Local Government Board has been directed to the case in the Court of Appeal, The Queen v. White, 14 Q.B.D. p. 358, in which it was held that poor rates of a parish in England might be applied in opposing a Bill injuriously affecting the parish; (4) and whether the law is different in this respect in 1083 England and Ireland; and, if so, are the Guardians of the Waterford Union powerless to protect the ratepayers from the loss involved in the Bill now before Parliament?
MR.J. MORLEY(1) my attention has been drawn to the subject-matter of the first paragraph; (2) but I am not aware that the Bill referred to would inflict the loss indicated. (3) The attention of the Local Government Board has been directed to the case quoted, and they doubt its application to the case now in question. (4) It cannot be inferred from that case that the law is different in England and Ireland. The matter, however, appears to be one in which the Guardians should be advised by their legal adviser.