§ MR. VESEY KNOXI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) for what reason the Town Commissioners of Belturbet have been surcharged with the amount of their expenditure under the Education Act of 1892; (2) whether the same course has been adopted in the case of every local authority levying no rate or more than one rate; and (3) what course has been adopted in Belfast?
*MR. JOHN MORLEYI am informed that the surcharge referred to in the first paragraph was made by the auditor on the ground that there is no town rate in Belturbet, and that the 25 Town Commissioners had no legal authority to incur the expenditure in question except out of the local rate. The Local Government Board inform me that they have no information to enable them to reply to the second paragraph; I have, however, requested the Board to ascertain from the various auditors the decisions come to by them in such cases, including the case of Belfast.