§ MR. M'GILLIGAN (Fermanagh, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) how many miles of public roads in County Londonderry are out of contract and remain un-contracted for at the Summer Assizes, 1892; (2) is he aware that contractors refuse to keep such roads in repair, although the prices charged for their maintenance is from 10 to 15 per cent. higher, according to the county surveyor's statement, than has been the case for the past 10 years; (3) is he aware that the sum of £1,374 1s. 9d. of the money to be passed to the contractors at the Spring Assizes for said county was, by the directions of the county surveyor, represented by the grand jury; (4) will he explain what legal authority has the grand jury or county surveyor to represent the said money: (5) is there an Act of Parliament for dealing with contractors who fail to properly carry out their contracts for keeping roads in repair; and, if there is, does the county surveyor for the said county avail himself of the provisions of the Act in all cases; if not, can he assign any sufficient reason for not doing so; (6) does the county surveyor receive the full amount of money levied for the keeping in repair of those roads which are in his own hands; (7) and does he supply the full quantity of metal mentioned in the presentment for these roads?
MR. J. MORLEYMy reply to the various paragraphs of the question is (1) 230 miles; of these 173 were put into the hands of the county surveyor, the rest, being unimportant. (2) From 10 to 15 per cent. was allowed in addition to former prices, and in most of these cases tenders were taken. (3) A sum of £489 17s. 10d. only was re-presented, and by the grand jury, not the county surveyor. This sum was the value of the work unexecuted by the contractors. (4) It has been decided under the h and 7th William IV., cap. 116, Section 145, that money in the hands of the treasurer unappropriated by reason of the contractor's default may be re-presented by the grand jury, and applied by the treasurer on the certificate of county 663 surveyor to other works. (5) The Grand Jury Act of 1836, and the Amending Act of 1856, provide remedies in the case of defaulting contractors. I am informed that the county surveyor has endeavoured to avail himself of these remedies. (6.) No; payment is made through the treasurer. (7) It depends on the state of the road, and money not expended for this purpose is re-presented.